Title: The Truth About Trees

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Ha!  I am done!  I am done!  I am done!  Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen!  I have finally finished the story!  ~dances happily~  Not that this is the Last chapter mind you.  Nope.  You have 5 more "wondrous" chapters to look forward to.  Lucky you.  Ooooh, what I wrote.  ~evil grin~  I know you are going to kill me by the end.  But that's alright.  Then I won't have to do my readings anymore.  Bah.  I'm not too happy with the end of this chapter though, for obvious reasons.  (You'll get what I mean when you get there).  But there would be too much of a gap if I left it out.  If it bothers you a lot complain and I will fix it.  Anyways, please enjoy the good parts of the end of one of Ginny's little issues.  Extra long for your reading enjoyment.  Soon to come: the completion of Draco's.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!!  Only the plot.  And Joe.  Who, by the way, has nothing to do with Ents, though I love them dearly.  Especially Treebeard.  :D

The Truth About Trees

Chapter 11

Here He Comes to Save the Day

~*~

            I half awoke to the feeling of someone smoothing my hair.  It felt quite nice actually, and I just lay there, resisting the urge to wake up entirely.  I don't remember this happening to me in such a long time.  Not since I was a little girl and my mum would do this when I lay on the couch beside her.  Yet my mind, despite all the comforting memories that came to it, seemed set on fighting.  It began to think.  It kept telling me that something was wrong.  That I wasn't supposed to be asleep.  That I was supposed to have stayed up and not sleep.  Stayed up incase...

            My eyes snapped open and I stared straight up at what should have been the ceiling.  Instead, however, there was a pair of golden eyes set in a green fleshed face staring down on me in a seemingly impassive way.  Can Tree Daemons even be impassive? 

            After a moment in which we both sat there and stared at each other, I set my mouth into a frown and scrambled away.

            "Don't touch me," I hissed, glaring at him and pulling my extended hair out of his grasp.  He had been holding onto it in what seemed to be mild amusement.  Well it was fully exposed amusement I suppose.  I moved as far away as I could and the stupid thing could still reach my hair.

            "Ah," he cooed, his face crinkling in a way that was most likely supposed to be pleasant.  But it wasn't.  "You're awake."  He stared at me for a moment, seeming to consider something.  Then he stood up and walked in his odd way towards the barrier that I now had my back pressed against.  He walked right through it!  I let out a yelp of surprise. 

            He could get in.

            But I suppose it would be stupid if he couldn't get in.  Why would you cage a pet but not be able to get access to it?  It's not like you can have a pet that you can only see and not touch.  Well, I suppose you can't really touch fish.  Or a poisonous spider.  Or something really dangerous with lots of teeth.  Oh, I wish I had lots of teeth.  Then maybe he wouldn't come in here and try to pet me.

            I looked over at him.  He was prowling about my cage, watching me.  I spotted what appeared to be a walking stick leaning against the wall behind him.  I suddenly wished I had it in my hand so that I could shove through the bars and poke him in the eye.  It would be rather fun.  Well except if he gets angry.  But until then it would be fun. 

            "I am beginning to think you are a better pet when you are asleep," Joe suddenly spoke, slightly startling me while I was still contemplating getting my hand on the stick.  I saw him move towards me and I scrambled to the center of the bed, minding that I brought my hair with me.

            I stared at him a moment.  Was he suggesting that he was going to put me to sleep?  Like sleeping bloody beauty?  How am I supposed to try and escape if I'm asleep?  And I know you are probably thinking that there is no escape.  That there are bars all around me.  But you're wrong.  I can still try and dig my way through the mattress or try and climb the bars.  Hey, you never know!  I'm desperate, alright?!

            "What's the fun in a pet that doesn't do anything?" I tried to ask innocently, but I think there was a touch too much sarcasm in my voice.  "Pets are supposed to entertain you."  An image of a sleazy dancer suddenly popped into my mind.  Oh Ginny you fool, why did you just say that to him?

            "When you are asleep you are entertaining," Joe said softly, stopping by the bars and moving his head closer to them.  "When you breathe you make the most wonderful little sounds.  It's like music to my ears.  And I can pet you without you fighting me."  He paused.  "Yes, I do think that sleep time is much better than awake time."

            "Is that why you hurt those two other students?" I suddenly asked before I could stop myself.  "Because they wouldn't stay asleep for you?" 

            He backed away from the bars as if he had been hurt.  My eyes widened.  Please tell me he doesn't have a temper.  Or better yet, turn into a monster when he was angry.  Wasn't there some old Muggle thing where when the guy got angry he turned green?  Well, I suppose Joe was already green.  What if he turned pink?  That's not very scary.

            "No," Joe said darkly, bowing his head and glaring at me from under his filthy hair.  "They would sleep."

            I glared at him.  "So what was the problem then?" 

            "I didn't want them anymore," he replied simply then looked up and grinned at me.  "I saw something better.  Something more lovely."  I raised an eyebrow.  "You," he said simply.  "You in that tree.  And after that no other pet would suffice." 

            I felt myself backing up once more.  He had been watching me almost the whole year?  He had been stalking me?  Was he what Malfoy had come out to protect me from?  Was Joe what he had seen in the forest?  Why didn't he tell me?

            Yet I couldn't' find any hate for Malfoy and his neglecting to tell me about something he had seen.  Actually, I rather missed him.  Well, rather is a very large understatement really.  It was more like an ache in my heart.  This desperate feeling that if he was just here beside me there would be no problem.  Joe wouldn't dare try to hurt me with Malfoy around.  He hadn't before, he wouldn't again.

            But this feeling raises better questions than why I needed to be put into a permanent state of sleep: Why was I longing for Malfoy to be here?  Why not someone else?  Why not Sara or Harry or Colin?  Why Malfoy?  It's not like he's the best of company.  Ok, so he knows more about my recent life than any of the others.  And he seems to always be around when I really need him.  Well I suppose not always.  He's not here right now.  So maybe that was it.  I was just so used to having him around when I needed him that my heart is just waiting and longing for him to arrive.  But why would my heart long for Malfoy? 

            "But you are resistant," Joe suddenly began to speak again.  "You do not want to be my pet."  I looked at him.  Would he let me go?  Yeah right.  "But I will not let you go.  Ever."  Told ya. 

            "It won't happen," I suddenly sneered.  "Dumbledore won't have it.  As soon as they figure out where I've gone to he'll come in here and get me.  He won't leave me here to be your pet." 

            I had never actually thought of that, but I don't know why not.  Dumbledore wouldn't let me stay here.  There was no way.  I would be rescued as soon as they figured out I was gone.  Then all would be good.

            "Dumbledore has no power over me," Joe sneered.  I looked at him, thinking he was just saying things to wipe the hope from me, but he looked dead serious.  Was he telling the truth?  Did Dumbledore, defeater of Grindelwald, the only one You-Know-Who was scared of, have no power over this stupid living tree?  The tree thing definitely seemed to think so.

            "You're lying," I hissed.

            "Believe what you will," Joe said in a suddenly cheery voice.  "But I suppose it won't really matter what you believe, will it?"  I looked at him curiously.  What was he going on about now?  "You're going to be asleep anyway."  Oh.  That.

            He walked towards the bed like a tree with a mission. Then he passed right through the bars and strode across the bed towards me.  My back hit those same bars.  I had no where to go.  He knelt down in front of me, suddenly looking very serious. 

            I couldn't move.  I don't know why, but I just couldn't.  And the worst part was that in my head I began to scream his name.  No not Joe's, his.  Draco's.  His actual name.  Not just Malfoy as normal.  If it would have been aloud then it would have been on the top of my lungs.  Yet I remained deathly silent.  Like some stupid animal about to die.

            Joe grinned at me, seeming to be able to hear the desperate shouts inside my head.  Yet he said nothing about it.  Instead he raised his slim hand and waved it in front of my face, in an exaggerated swirl.  "Sleep," he said slowly. 

            All I could do was think Draco's name one last time before everything went black.

~*~

            Camera Boy and I walked through the Forbidden Forest for what seemed like hours following those footprints.  I kept getting spooked at the shadows, thinking that they could be werewolves.  You're probably wondering why I'm so scared.  Well it involves getting lost, a forest, a pack of wolves and I'm not telling.  But despite my skiterishness, I kept a brave face.  Wouldn't want to seem like a scardey cat or anything equally as pathetic.

            But what was starting to make me even more nervous than the prospective werewolf attacks was the fact that there were footprints.  I mean what kind of kidnapper leaves a trail for people to follow?  It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.  Well, maybe it wasn't but it was definitely in the top ten.  But the nervous factor was coming from the idea that perhaps this thing wanted to be found.  Yet as to why was beyond me.

            So the two of us walked in silence, side-by-side until the trail was too narrow and then I led.  Then the prints went right off the trail and into the trees.  It didn't take much thought to go off the trail and follow them.  If we wanted to get Weasley back then we would simply have to. 

            For some reason the dream I had had last night wormed its way into my mind.  It really was a disturbing dream now that I think about it, but I don't really know why I would think about it while trudging through the forest in search of Weasley.  I suppose it could be that my mind made a connection between myself and the human and Weasley and the elf.  But that would mean that I would fail, that I would never find her and be killed by a tree.  But what a stupid thought, eh?  Being killed by a tree?  Like that could ever happen.  Unless you fall out of one I suppose. 

            The fact that the trail was becoming more difficult to walk on drew me away from the dream, however.  It was no longer as simple as walking on that nice little path.  I don't think I will ever insult trails again.  Ever.  Those stupid trees kept catching at my clothes and they were a bitch to try and dislodge.  We eventually made it though, even if I had about fifty scratches more than I had started with. 

            But here we are now: right in front of a cave entrance where the prints lead into.  And out of as well.  Actually, it seemed that this thing was rather heavy because there were prints all over the place.  Now if I had been trained in the art of tracking, I would have been able to tell how fresh they were, but alas I wasn't.  I don't think my father ever liked the idea of me learning to hunt, even though he is a rather good one himself.  Actually, that could have disturbing possibilities, couldn't it?

            "So, what do we do now?" Camera Boy asked, clutching his wand.  We had had to nox them.  But who wouldn't really?  It's like a bloody sign: here we are to save the day!  Wouldn't want the owner of the footprints to become aware of us before we can save Weasley.

            "What do you think?" I sneered, not looking at him.  "We go in."

            "But what if that thing's in there?" he hissed back.  I turned to look at him.  He didn't seem scared, but simply irritated.

            "Then let's hope it doesn't like the taste of human flesh," I snarled. 

            Holding up my wand, I walked towards the entrance.  Screw that kid.  If he doesn't want to save Weasley then he can stay right there and wait for us.  A second later, however, I heard his footfalls behind me.  A glance confirmed his presence. 

            The cave was dark and it was silent.  Deathly silent.  I tried to walk as quietly as possible, and by the lack of sound from behind me it seemed Camera Boy was doing the same.  Yet the further we walked into the blinding darkness, slowly mind you, it started to get brighter.  At first I thought it was I was just imagining it, that I wanted to see the light.  But after a few minutes, we cautiously rounded a corner and came into a dimly lit chamber.  There was nothing in it except several burning torches, held in bras anchored to the stone walls.  Straight across from us there were three cave mouths, smaller than the first we had walked through.

            "Which one?" Camera Boy whispered.  I shrugged. 

            "Let's try the right one," I whispered back. 

            Without waiting for a reply I walked towards it, still moving as quietly as I could.  It actually wasn't that hard.  I had, after all, taken up spying as a child.  Not that my parents are very good targets.  But there were sometimes interesting guests about the manor as I have mentioned before.

            This entrance led into a smaller tunnel than the one we had been through previous.  Yet this one descended downwards.  But unlike the other one, it was higher and well lit by torches about a foot or two above my head.  This tunnel also seemed a touch louder than the first one.  This one dripped and made other odd cave like noises.  Yet as to why this one would be noisier than the other was beyond me.  You would think that one would want their residence as silent as possible.  But what do I care?  All I care about is getting Weasley and getting out of here.

            There was a bend in cave as we continued to descend and I slowed down to a stop.  "Do you hear that?" I asked in a whisper, straining my ears. 

            "Hear what?" the short boy behind me hissed back, looking about.

            "It sounds like breathing," I replied, also looking around.  It was slow, rhythmic breathing.  The kind that belongs to a sleeping person.  Though as to why my ears would pick up on it is beyond me. 

            "Do you think it's what ever stole Ginny?" he asked, a touch of excitement in his voice.  Or it could have been fear. 

            "Only one way to find out," I whispered back.

            Leaning against the wall, I poked my head around the bend.  Quickly looking about, I pulled it back.  Camera Boy was looking at me expectantly.

            "There's another opening that seems to lead into some sort of chamber," I addressed his quizzical look.  "It seems to be well lit and I am assuming that is where what ever is breathing is."

            Camera Boy nodded.  "So, what are we waiting for then?" he asked.

            With a shrug, I pulled away from the wall and walked slowly towards the entrance. 

            The breathing got louder as we approached but as I passed through the threshold, the sound dropped away.  It was rather odd to tell the truth.  We both stopped and looked around.

            Sure enough the chamber was very well lit.  There were candles everywhere, filling the average sized cave with a warm and would be cheerful light.  There were random pieces of furniture scattered about, and they all seemed a little off.  As though they had been made by someone who didn't require the use of a chair in the same way we did.  Or a table for that matter.

             Yet the only real object of interest in the room was a large, rather oversized bed placed in the center of the room, pushed up against the wall.  It was the largest and most elaborate piece of furniture in the chamber.  But I think the main attention grabber about the bed itself was the fact that there was someone on it.

            I stared.  It was a woman.  The most beautiful woman I have ever seen.  She lay on the bed as though she had been tossed there like a discarded rag doll, but regardless, there was this aura of beauty about her.  Long red hair was laying on her like a blanket, covering the white nightgown she was wearing.  I was beginning to feel that I could just stand there all day and stare at her.  Stare at her regal beauty, ever wondering why she was lying like that.  Why someone would want to toss her away like that.  Why-

            "Ginny?" Camera Boy croaked from behind me.  I whipped my head around and glared.  There was no way that that woman could be Weasley.  Her hair was too long.  She looked far too elegant, too aristocratic.  

            He ignored me though and I had no choice but to turn back around and stare at the lovely creature.  Yet she didn't look quite the same anymore.  It was as if the candles had shifted, casting a different light about her.  She seemed more human now, more failure.  I continued to stare. 

            Merlin, it was Weasley.

            "What have they done to her?" Camera Boy whispered urgently, striding quickly over to the bed.  He tried to reach out a hand, but it stopped short as though there was some invisible wall about it.  He seemed to stand there for a moment then turned to me.  "There're bars around the bed," he said quietly.

            But I couldn't move, let alone worry about invisible bars.  How could I have possibly thought that Weasley was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen?  She was Weasley for bloody Merlin's sake!  Bizarre and bitter Weasley.  Weasley with her stupid hair and freckles.  Weasley, the only person who could make me laugh.  The only person who could make me brave werewolves to get to her.  Weasley.  Ginny.  What's wrong with me?

            "I don't see any," I said, shaking my head slightly.  Now was not the time to sit there and try to figure out what was going through my head.

            "Well there here," Camera Boy sneered. 

            I walked over to stand beside them and sure enough there were bars.  I didn't say anything though, just pulled on them a bit. 

            "Ok, so how do we get her out then?"  The bars didn't seem to want to move.

            "Maybe she would know a way out," the blonde beside me said, gesturing towards the sleeping Weasley. 

            "Weasley," I hissed.  "Wake up." 

            The red head shifted in her sleep, causing the long hair that was apparently sprouting from her head to fall into her face.  She sniffed slightly. 

            "Weasley," I said a touch louder.  "Wake up." 

            "Don't want to," she grumbled, her voice muffled by the hair that had fallen before her mouth. 

            "Come on," I hissed.  "We don't have time for this."

            "Don't care," she mumbled, and curled into a ball of some sort, turning her back to us.  Well, at least she can comprehend what I am saying.  Caring seems to be another issue however.

            "Fine," I snapped, looking about the chamber, ignoring Camera Boy's annoyed glare.  Then I spotted it.  A stick.  It was leaning against the wall and I was suddenly struck by an idea.  Striding over to it, I grabbed it and returned to my original spot.  "Wake up, Weasley.  Or you'll regret it."

            She didn't respond at all this time.

            Lifting the stick up, I carefully maneuvered it through the bars and aimed.

            "What are you doing?" the Gryffindor asked me in alarm. 

            "Waking her up," I replied simply.  Then I thrust the stick and poked the girl sharply in the back.  "Weasley, wake up," I said sharply.

            "Bloody hell!" she gasped, jerking away from the stick.  My heart leapt at the sound of her voice.  I have now decided that my heart is neurotic.  "All you had to do was ask!"  She sat up and whipped around to face us, a mask of rage covering her features.  The mask fell away the instant her eyes settled on me. 

            "Draco?" she whispered, her eyes going wide.  I felt my heart swell to a size I thought that I surely thought would make it burst.  Please tell me it wasn't because she said my name.  Stupid heart.  I was right.  I followed her eyes as she turned them on the shorter guy beside me.  "Colin?"  She stared for a moment then smiled.  "Have you come to save me?"

            "Of course," Camera Boy said smiling back. 

            She looked at me for a moment then the smile whipped off her face.  My heart shank back so quickly it hurt.  What was that?  Am I not worthy of a smile? 

            "We have to hurry," she said urgently.  I frowned.  Oh.  So now we have to hurry do we?  She can smile at Camera Boy but when it comes to me we simply have to hurry?  "Before he comes back.  I don't know what he'll do to you."

            "Who's he?" I demanded.

            "Joe," she said shortly, looking around.

            "Joe?" Camera Boy and I asked together.  I glared at him.  He glared back.

            "He's the one who caught me," she said, beginning to sound anxious.  "He's a Tree Daemon."

            "What's a Tree Daemon?" I asked, beginning to feel rather nervous as well.  It didn't sound like a very pleasant creature to deal with.  Especially after that dream.  Perhaps this Daemon was the personification of the tree.  Maybe I could die after all.  We all could. 

            "I don't know," she snapped.  "But he gives me the creeps."  She looked around.  "Now can you please just get me out of here?"  She looked at me with pleading eyes.  All the resentment that had built up over that denied smile vanished.  I am so whipped. 

            "We were hoping you would know how," the boy beside me said softly.  "How did this Joe thing get you in there?"

            "I don't know," she said almost desperately.  "But he can walk right through it."

            I felt my eyes go wide.  That thing had been in there with her?  I then felt anger rising in my chest, and I really didn't want to understand it. 

            I looked around now.  There wasn't anything around that seemed like it could be used to open the bars or even break them.  Then I remembered the stick in my hand.  I walked a few steps away from the caged girl and put the stick in between two bars and began to try and pry them apart.  Nothing happened.  Well except for the fact that the stick broke into two.

            "You can't force them open," Weasley said with a hint of exasperation.  "I kept trying that.  That's why he put me to sleep."

            "He put you to sleep?" I demanded, feeling my anger rise even more.  I was really starting to not like this Joe fellow.

            We all fell into silence.  I kept looking around, hoping to find something, anything, but nothing was found.  I feebly hit the bars with the stick.  It made a ping noise.

            "Colin," Weasley suddenly said and we both turned to face her.  "Why don't you transfigure the bars into something else?"  We both stared at her.  "I know you've been taking advanced lessons."  She frowned then.  "Even though you haven't told me about them."

            "Then how did you find out?" he asked, his face turning red.

            "Neville," she said simply.  Ah, the infamous gossip.  Even if he is a lot more outspoken than before I take it that some things just never change.

            "That's different, Gin," Camera Boy whispered after a bout of seemingly ashamed silence.  His tone of voice seeming almost too sad to tell her.  "I only work with smaller things.  Not huge cages."

            "Well just do one bar at a time then," she urged.  "I know you can do it."

            The Gryffindor stared at her then he turned to me, much to my surprise, then looked at the bars.  He reached out and tried to pull on one.  "Well I suppose that might work," he muttered.  "You should probably stand back then," he told Weasley, and she scurried back, grabbing all her hair and pulling it out of the way of her knees. 

            Camera Boy glared at the bars, the held up his wand.  "Vitruminous," he said in a commanding voice.  The bar he had been glaring at glowed blue then faded back to the same color.

            "Well, that was effective," I muttered. 

            Camera Boy ignored me, the raised his foot and kicked the bar with a sidekick. 

            The bar broke.

            "I knew you could do it," Weasley said happily, clasping her hands and moving over to the bars. 

            "What did you do?" I asked in slight awe.  How could that little thing have that much power?  That's not even something McGonagall would do so lightly. 

            "I turned it into glass," he said, motioning for Weasley to move back again.  The girl complied and he raised his wand once more.  He did his spell twice more then broke the bars in a similar fashion as he had done for the first.  Then he moved aside, so Weasley could make her way out. 

            She gingerly stood up and stared at the glass covering the bed.  Her feet were bare.  I muttered a spell of my own and the glass disappeared.  She grinned at me thankfully then carefully made her way out of the cage she had been in.

            "Thank you Colin," she said happily, giving the shorter Gryffindor a hug.

            "No problem," he said, patting her on the back.  I felt a pang of jealousy.  So he got broke the bars.  I got rid of the glass.  Then I told myself off.  So what if I didn't get a hug.  Like I would want to touch the likes of her.  I knew I was lying.

            "We should get out of here before this Joe fellow comes back," I said, interrupting their touching moment.  Ginny pulled away and nodded. 

            "How Slytherin of you," Camera Boy said, glaring at me.  Apparently he didn't like it when his hugs were interrupted.  "You sneak in then you sneak out."

            "Well I am one and that's what we do," I sneered at him.  "Unlike Gryffindors who go running around with wands and no plans, blasting everything in sight."

            Camera boy stuttered, but Weasley interrupted him.  "And what was this plan?" she asked, obviously trying to diffuse the situation.  Not that it needed to be.  That Gryffindor was no match for me.  Except if he transfigured me into a newt.  Oh I was sure I would get better, but still.  He might have the upper hand for a bit.

            "To get in here and find you," I said simply, grinning slightly.  It was a rather good plan if one thought about it.  Perhaps not one of my best, but defiantly not one of my worst.

            "That's it?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

            "He didn't have a plan," he hissed to Weasley.  "He just went running about, trying to find you."  He glared at me.  I gave him the finger. 

            "Whatever," Weasley said.  "Let's just get out of here before-"
            "I get back?" a new voice asked to the right of us. 

            Weasley gasped, whipping her head around.  I turned to see who the owner of the voice was and had to repress a gasp of my own.  There was a bloody talking tree standing before us!  What the hell did Weasley get herself into?  But then I had to stifle another gasp.

            It had the same golden eyes as the ones I had seen in the forest.

~*~

            I couldn't help but feel the shock run through me.  What was Joe going to do to my saviors?  He couldn't hurt them, but what if he did?  What if he did the same thing he did to them as he did to the Hufflepuffs?  Or worse? 

            "I do so hope that you weren't planning on taking my new pet away from me," Joe said pleasantly, narrowing his eyes at Draco and Colin.  I guess he's Draco now.  But then after repeating his name in my head hundreds of times in my dream I think I couldn't call him anything but.  Goody. 

            "Pet?" the Slytherin demanded.  "I don't see any pets around here."

            "But she's right behind you," Joe said in an almost innocent voice.  "And what a wonderfully beautiful specimen she is."

            I saw Draco stiffen.

            "You're sick," Colin hissed, moving to the right slightly.  I noticed Draco edging left. 

            "No I'm not," Joe sneered, frowning slightly.  I felt my blood run cold.  Was he going to put us all to sleep?  Well I suppose the school would react faster if all three of us were missing.  "I just like pretty things."

            "Well, you obviously have poor taste in what is pretty," Draco sneered.  I glared at his back but resisted the urge to say something equally as harsh.  He was now standing in front of me.  Actually both of them were.  They were acting as shields.  How could I yell at them for that, even if Draco was being an ass?  "There's nothing pretty about a Weasley."

            "You shouldn't insult my pet like that," Joe hissed frowning even further.  "You might upset her."

            "Oh, Merlin forbid," the taller blonde sneered.  "Wouldn't want to unleash that temper of hers, now would we?" 

            Joe seemed to ignore this factor however, and wandered over towards the bed.  "And how did you manage to get her out of there," he mused, looking towards the three missing bars. 

            Draco and Colin moved with him, seeming to be a movable wall keeping themselves between the Daemon and myself.  I was actually quite touched not to mention surprised.  I don't think anyone's ever done anything like that before.  They began to back up slowly, moving us towards the cave entrance. 

            "We used magic," Colin sneered.  He held up his wand. 

            "Made out of wood of course," Joe said in a suddenly sad voice.  "You humans are so destructive, even if you are pretty." 

            "Yeah, well," Draco began, reaching his left hand behind himself and seemed to begin to search for something, grasping at the air.  I watched it with mild interest, until it latched onto my right hand.  Then I simply stared at it.  "We can be a hell of a lot more destructive if given the chance."  His wand arm flew up then and he pointed his wand at the ceiling.  "DELEROUS!" he bellowed.

            A jet of dark blue magic shot out his wand and collided with the ceiling.  Joe had just enough time to look up as the ceiling began to crash down around him.  He let out a high pitch scream that would have been rather humorous if not for the circumstances.

            "RUN!" Colin screamed, and I felt Draco pull my hand violently and pull me towards and through the entrance to a tunnel.  I glanced back to see the ceiling still falling down on the Tree Daemon.  A stronger tug on my arm made me face the right direction and run faster.

            The three of us burst out of the tunnel into a small chamber, but kept right on running into another tunnel across from the one we exited.  We tore up that one, screeching around corners.  My wrist was staring to hurt.  Malfoy was holding on to it as though his life depended on it.  Yet, how could it?

            The tunnel was getting darker, yet we ran on, getting faster rather than slowing down.  The ground was getting slippery and I was finding it difficult to grip with my bare feet.  I flung my left hand forward and grabbed onto to Draco's arm for extra support, still running as fast as I could.  If I twisted something, Madame Pomfrey could always fix it.

            Suddenly light greeted my eyes and we barreled out of the tunnel into fresh evening air.  I didn't have a chance to breathe it in though, for Draco continued to pull on my arm, dragging me towards the trees, following closely after Colin.  I didn't even have a chance to say that I didn't have shoes on as we ran into them.  I glanced back, suddenly fearing that there was a reason to.  But there was nothing there.

            "Faster!" Draco yelled at me, pulling on my arm.  I let my right drop from his arm and was about to say something back, but had to bite back a scream instead.  I had just stepped on something pointy.  I glanced down.  Thistles.  We were running through thistles! 

            I bit back more cries of pain, trying to run faster.  It was a terrible horrid feeling.  Like I was running on a field of grass and every single piece was inserting itself into my foot.  To distract myself of the shooting pain in my feet I looked back again to make sure Joe wasn't following.  I let out a gasp.  He was limping out of the cave.

            "Draco!" I shrieked, pure fear taking over me.  I didn't want to go back.  I didn't want to get the two dearest to me involved.  I- did I just think that about a Malfoy?

            "What?" he snapped, pulling on my arm as he avoided a fallen log.

            "He's following us!" 

            He whipped his head around and his eyes widened slightly.  "Run faster Colin!" he screamed, and when Colin glanced around and saw the approaching green thing he did just that.  Then Draco started to pull even harder.  "Run Weasley!" he snapped at me, something in his voice other than snappiness.  It was almost desperation, or something along those lines.

            Biting down on my lip to keep from screaming at my feet, I tried to run faster.  But the trees were holding me back.  They seemed to be holding back us all.  Grabbing at our clothes and tearing at our skin.  I could feel blood begin to trickle along my legs.  And I had no doubt that the other two were in a similar condition.  Yet we still pushed on, the trees tarring at us and scratching us as we ran faster than I think I have ever run. 

            I glanced back again.  "He's gaining on us!" I called my voice cracking.  I didn't care. 

            We suddenly burst through the trees and skidded onto a narrow path.  There was no time to adapt to the scenery as I was pulled faster by the blonde in front of me.  It was a lot easier to run on the path rather than through the trees, but my already bloodied feet didn't find the dirt and roots too much of a difference.  I told them to fuck off and ran for all I was worth.

            The path quickly got bigger and soon I was running almost beside Draco.  But he was still holding onto my hand with a vice grip.  Suddenly he put on a burst of speed, forcing me to run even faster. 

            "He's getting closer!" he called.  I looked around, and sure enough, there was a beaten up Joe barreling up the path towards us.  I bit back a scream and instead faced forwards. 

            The end of the trail came into sight and with it the wonderful sight of the Hogwarts school grounds.

            "Faster!" Draco urged me, pulling on my hand harder than ever.  With a goal in sight however, I found it was a bit easier to run faster.  We were almost there!

            A second later we burst through the forest and onto the blessedly soft grass.  It made my feet feel slightly better.  Ever so slightly.  We didn't stop running however, until we were midway between the school and the forest.  In perfect view of the Great Hall.

            We all stopped and turned around, waiting for Joe to make his big entrance.  He barreled towards us and I thought he wasn't going to stop.  But he couldn't drag all three of us back into the forest anymore.  People would hear us scream.  Yet on he ran.  I don't think I have ever seen something so angry.  Then, just as he was about to pass through the threshold of the forest he seemed to snag then fell down, apparently unconscious.

            I let out a terrified scream.  Yes a scream.  And stumbled back into Draco, shaking as though I had just fallen off a cliff and awoken from a dream.  His arms were instantly around me, holding me against him, as if trying to stop my shaking and shuddering breaths.  I could feel his chest heaving as he himself tried to steady his breathing.  I heard something thump to the ground and I shifted my gaze to the ground to see Colin lying there, gasping for breath like a goldfish.

            None of us moved, panting as if we had just run a marathon.  But then, I think we ran farther and faster.  Well a very short marathon at least.  But slowly our breathing started to return to normal. 

            "So, running away is a Gryffindor thing now too?" Draco suddenly said, and I could feel his chest moving as he spoke.  "Perhaps you all aren't as stupid as you seem."

            Colin lifted his head up from off the ground, glared, and seemed to think about raising a finger.  It seemed too much effort however as he simply let his head drop back to the ground remaining decidedly silent, still doing the goldfish pant.

            Yet despite all our breathing returning to normal, I couldn't stop shaking.  I don't even know why it was happening.  But it was getting really annoying.  Not to mention the fact that my body was starting to ache from all the unusual movement.  Draco's arms tightened around me, pulling me back against him harder.

            "Cold?" he asked in my ear.

            "No," I muttered back, shivering harder at the chills his breath sent down my spine.  "I don't know what it is."

            I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on making the shivering stop.  I felt Draco turn me around, his hands lingering on my arms.  I could just feel him staring at me and for a moment I closed my eyes harder.  But that was pathetic.  I couldn't sit there and face the world with my eyes closed for the rest of my life.  So I opened them.

            Sure enough, he was staring at me.  And I can honestly say that I have never been stared at in such way ever before.  And I would have never dreamed that a look like that would ever come from a Malfoy.  It was just so full of concern, so full of caring that the only thing I could do was stare back at him.  To realize just how lovely and passionate grey eyes could be.  Who would have thought?

            I felt my shivering begin to calm itself, slightly, but it was still an improvement.  Yet before I could comment on it, Draco's lips were on mine. 

            My eyes flew open just in time to see his slide shut.  Before I knew what I was doing, mine were sliding shut as well, and my hands made their way slowly up his arms to rest at his neck, seeming to make him shiver.  His arms wound there way around my waist and back, pulling me closer, pressing his lips against mine harder.

            "Uh," I heard someone say beside us.  It took me a moment to process that it was Colin.  "I'll just go get the uh... professors about... him." 

            He must have gestured towards Joe, but I didn't really care.  What had begun as a soft and rather gentle kiss had transformed into something more, something desperate.  It was as though Malfoy was going to die tomorrow and it was the last time he would ever kiss me, even though it was truly the first time. 

            And you know, instead of thinking all these terrible thoughts that I shouldn't be doing this with a Malfoy.  That it was all wrong.  That my family would kill me.  That his father would.  I kissed him back in exactly same way, pressing my body against him as though I would never touch him again, even though I never really had before.  I didn't care what he was; all I cared about was that he was him and that nothing else really mattered.  That it never should have. 

            His hands shifted and the ridiculous amount of hair on my head got caught in his fingers.  I couldn't help it, I gasped in surprise.  It hurts when someone pulls long hair.  An instant later his tongue had slipped into my mouth.  Without even thinking about it, mine met his.  I had always thought that French kissing was disgusting, but you know, it didn't really bother me.  Not at all.

            Now I want you to understand this so you don't think I am some sort of freakish crybaby.  I would have stayed like that all the way through eternity and back if I could have.  To stay in his arms, feeling incredibly warm, almost burning, where ever he touched me.  To never let go of the pure feeling that someone cared so much about me they were willing to risk their own life to save mine.  But nothing beautiful lasts. 

            Quite suddenly and inconspicuously I had this tremendous urge to get air.  So I gently pulled my mouth away from Draco's and he leant his forehead against mine, seeming to require the same thing.  I kept my eyes closed.  I'm still not quiet sure why I did.  Perhaps it was out of courtesy, but perhaps it was out of fear.  A strange and demented fear that I would find rejection in his face and my list of being used would grow even longer.

            Merlin, what the hell is wrong with me?  I've just been rescued and kissed till I almost saw stars and here I am scared that I am going to be rejected right now. 

            It was then and only then that everything seemed to weight down upon me.  Everything that had happened to me.  All the injustices through the years, all the failed friendships, being ignored by Harry, by my brother.  It was the most ridiculous time to do it too, in the arms of a guy who was completely opposite of all of that.  Who proved that not everything was as it seemed. 

            So I am sure you have already guessed what was happening: I had started to cry.  It was only after it had started that I realized that I must seem like some ninny who had just experienced something so wonderful that I couldn't keep my emotions in.  But I couldn't stop, no matter how hard I tried.  I haven't cried in front of someone in ages and I was burning with embarrassment that this break of habit would be in front of Draco Malfoy.  The person I had sworn never to cry before.  It's sort of ironic, isn't it?

            I don't think that he expected me to start crying.  His body went completely rigid as though he had suddenly turned to stone.  I was making him uncomfortable I realized and tried to pull away.  But he wouldn't let me.  As though he had just been turned back on, he cupped the back of my head and pulled me closer, resting his chin on the top on my head.  I clung to him as waves of relief washed through me.  Relief to be safe.  Relief to have someone to hold me.

            "What's wrong, Ginny?" he asked.  It didn't occur to me later that he used my first name.  All that really occurred to me was that he sounded so sympathetic, so alive.

            "My feet hurt," I mumbled from where my face was pressed into his chest.  It didn't sound like my voice.  I didn't even mean to say anything yet I apparently still had more to say: "And he- he..."  I moved my left hand away and gestured vaguely towards the fallen Tree Daemon.  But my voice caught in my throat and from that moment on I couldn't have uttered another word if I had needed to scream for my life. 

            I'm not exactly sure how long we stood there, but all I really know is that at some point he began to rub my back.  It was really rather a funny idea: Draco Malfoy rubbing some Weasley's back as though he were a mother.  But I think the thing that took the cake was that he began to mumble things.  Soothing things.  Or at least, they sounded soothing.  I couldn't actually hear him.  It was as though he was almost too embarrassed to hear them himself.  It actually made me smile.  After that it didn't take to long to stop crying.  And all that I had left to do was lean against Draco, his hand still rubbing my back in a soothing fashion.

            "There over here Professors," I heard Colin's voice calling from somewhere behind me.  "And that tree thing is just over there."

            We both stood there for a moment before realizing exactly what it was that voice represented.  Draco's grip on me tightened before he shifted his grip to my shoulders and pulled my body away from his.  I looked at him, not being able to help looking hurt.  But then he winked and smirked slightly.  There was no time to do any more.

            "Ginny!" I heard Ron's voice suddenly boom across the field.  Draco's arms dropped from mine and he stepped away.  I glanced at him, suddenly feeling shivery all over again.

            Ron came charging up the field, followed at a distance by a trotting group consisting of the Headmaster, each of our Heads of Houses, the Matron, Flitwick and the rest of the Dream Team.  I didn't even have a chance to reply before Ron's arms were around me in a bone crushing hug. 

            "Are you alright?" he demanded.  I didn't move.  I just stood there.  He didn't feel the same as Draco.  "Are you hurt?  Where have you been?"  Then he paused seeming to look at the blonde behind me with his rather damp looking shirt.  "Did he hurt you?"  At this one I shook my head quite violently.  "Cause if he did..."  I shook my head again. 

            "Mr. Weasley, stop crowding her," Madame Pomfrey said sternly pulling me away from my brother.  She waved her wand and a blanket was wrapped around my shoulders.  Another wave and Draco and Colin had one of their own as well.  She turned to the Headmaster who was looking at us with a mixture of sternness and relief.  "I'm going to take them up to the Hospital Wing, Albus," she called, and the old man nodded. 

            We were then herded towards the school, all three of walking side by side, myself in the middle.  Somewhere along the way, Draco's hand found mine and I couldn't help but smile.  Perhaps for the first time in months life was really starting to look up.

~*~
A/N: Well there you go: Smootchies.  And a touch of fluff as well.  But I sort of wish that I hadn't made Ginny cry again.  The stupid baby.  But it's too late now.  There's going to be a lot more fluffy stuff in the next few chapters.  Not to mention a few more kissies.  And then some other crap too.  I figure I owe you all that much at least after all the poop I have made you read already.  Not that it's going to get much better.  Oh, and a gold star to everyone who can tell me what the Monty Python quote was. :D

Many many thanks to: tulzdavampslayer(That is one odd mental image you gave me), Lady Laughs-A-Lot(I know what you mean. lol), Rockelle(I think we should start a club. It would be fun), Seshet(Why must you all threaten me?! :D), o0true0o(So are you saying you have crossed over to our side then??), Darcel(Well you never know... Ginny is a pretty tasty bitch), Yami's Girl Forever(Oh, you're no bother. :) And thanks for the ego boost), chimerical(Gollum eh? But he's so cute! But maybe a bit of him did leech into Joe. I dunno), MarinKtimes10(Thanks so much for taking the time to review all the chapters. What you said was very insightful. :) But I have to warn you: I love writing cliffys. I really do. And if you think what I have written thus far is bad, I have a feeling you will scream bloody murder by chap 14 ~wink~), Gusha(Aw, they're not that bad. Ok, maybe they are a little...), Lallie(I know! Who do those strawberries think they are, blocking my lovely margaritas?? And yes, I am trying to sell my nose here. The stupid drippy thing. And now I must say: WRITE!!), KeeperOfTheMoon, Grey Sky Morning(I think I prefer the screaming...), ali(Uh, sorry ali's eyes...?), Cay(Did I screw up that majorly? Gah. Suppose I will have to edit that out some day...), poty-bag(Interesting name... But yes, Girl Guides are the Canadian version. And I was sadly a part of them. ~hangs head in shame~ Anyhoo, I'll just leave that last bit up to your imagination. ~wink~ And rock rules! Kudos to your bro :D), oliverwoodsgirl(Stupid world. Don't they understand that HP is THE most important thing there is in life?! I need help...), Meadow A(Well, it's all typed up now, I just have to edit. So hopefully it won't take quite so long anymore), o0true0o(he he he), Arella Hallo, Hplova4eva, ILoveBen(That us SO cool! I wish that would happen to me... :p You're very lucky), Lulu81(There will be 16 ch in total. ~nods~ Just outta curiosity, which area of Canada are you from??), Amayatimes2(I love the hand size thing. It's amazing what you can discovered when bored out of your mind in school. Now try something else: lick your elbow. ;p), VoldemortsIllegitimateChild(Hmm, seems your picketing paid off... Love your name.) and Faile6.