"I can explain everything." Draco whispered.
"I'm sure you can make some big long story that will work on Dumbledoor, but it won't work on me. Bill," Ron slammed Draco into the wall again, "was attacked by Greyback, brought in by you. And Ginny," Ron kneed Draco in the stomach causing Draco to curl, "was attacked by Bellatrix, brought in by you!" Ron slammed Draco's body upright slamming his head into the wall. Draco felt blood trickle down his neck but ignored the hit.
"Actually, Dumbledoor won't hear my plea." Draco corrected.
"And why is that, Malfoy?" Ron asked.
"Because he's dead." Draco answered softly. In an instant, Ron had thrown Draco on the floor and had given Draco several good punches before Ron was thrown across the room. Draco looked at the stunned adults that encircled him, before noticing Ginny hurrying to his side.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked worriedly as she assessed his wounds.
"What the bloody hell, Ginny!" Ron yelled.
"You all need to understand this entire situation before you start jumping to conclusions." Ginny told everyone sternly before turning to her mother, "Is Bill?"
"He will be alright." Madame Pomphrey assured the worried family.
"Ginny, what is going on?" Mr. Weasley asked calmly. Nodding, Ginny held her hands to help Draco off the cold marble floor and led him to the empty bed next to Bill's. Taking a deep breath, Ginny began her story.
"Draco has been a spy for the Order since October. Dumbledoor promised Draco protection for his mother and himself in exchange for Death Eater's secrets. As far as they know, Draco is dead- killed while escaping." Ginny began.
"He is a Malfoy, Ginny. He killed Dumbledoor!" Ron spat.
"No I didn't." Draco answered softly.
"But you said-" Ron began.
"I said he was dead, I did not say I killed him." Draco answered.
"But I thought his plan…" Ginny told him softly.
"I choked. I was supposed to but I couldn't." Draco answered only soft enough for Ginny to hear, his eyes glued to the floor.
"Why would you know about this, Ginny, and not us?" Mr. Weasley asked his daughter calmly.
"We're-er-um-" Ginny began.
"Dumbledoor thought it would be prudent for me to give my information to a student instead of directly to him. Ginny was chosen because of her loyalty to the order and her ability to have an open mind." Draco lied swiftly.
"Oh. You should have told us, though, Gin." Mrs. Weasley told her daughter.
"I couldn't. The less people who know the better." Ginny answered quickly.
"Mr. Malfoy, I do believe we owe you quite an apology." Professor McGonagall told Draco, "But I think we are all curious to know how the Death Eaters got into the castle."
"I fixed the cabinet in the Room of Requirement. Before term, I had Baxily fix the other one. The Carrow's were the only one's supposed to be coming, but Bellatrix and Greyback came with them. I never intended for anyone to be hurt." Draco finished.
"That was quite ingenious, Draco." Remus told his previous student as he and Tonks entered the hospital wing.
"Thank you, professor." Draco accepted, "Goblins, faries and lemon drops."
"I know. I believe you." Remus smiled while the rest looked between Remus and Draco as if they were delusional, "Molly and Arthur, would you be able to keep Draco with you over the summer?"
Molly looked to her husband briefly before giving a shaky, "Of course."
"Thank you, Molly. I will keep tabs on him," Remus gave Draco a glare, but Draco could have sworn he saw the old man's eyes twinkle, "And make sure he stays out of trouble."
"What happens when term begins again? Or after tonight?" McGonagall asked.
"He will come with me to the Tonks' place tonight. When term is over, he will move into the Burrow. When term starts again, he will return to the Tonks' residence where Nymphadora will finish his training." Remus told everyone.
"Training for what?" Ginny asked.
"Later." Draco whispered, his voice unheard by anyone else.
"We are not so inhumane to send him into the field without proper training." Remus told Ginny light heartedly. Her heart seemed to stop beating, and her breath strained.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ginny asked in a horse whisper. Draco held a section of sheet between his fingers, intently fiddling with it, as if he could change its appearance.
"I didn't want you to worry." Draco answered.
"You promised to tell me everything." Ginny shook her head in disbelief.
"I told you everything else." Draco promised.
"You lied to me."
"Can we talk about this somewhere else? They are staring." Draco asked. True to his word, everyone except Flur was gawking between Ginny and Draco in pure shock. As soon as Ginny's head flipped up, Mrs. Weasley took the foul-smelling paste from Madame Pomphrey, McGonagall strode out the door murmuring about something incoherent, Hermione pulled Ron out of the hospital wing, Mr. Weasley put a long arm around his wife, and Remus continued to study Draco and Ginny.
"Follow me." Remus said simply. Obeying immediately, the couple stood and followed Remus's skinny frame out of the ward.
"I thought you could use a few moments of privacy before Draco leaves. It seems you have somethings to settle." Remus explained opening the door to Madame Pomphrey's private office. Once the two teenagers entered the enclosed office, Remus stood guard of the now closed door.
"You should have told me." Ginny told Draco softly.
"Yes, I should have. But at the time I didn't think it was a good idea." Draco replied.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Ginny asked again.
"Because you would try to convince me not to." Draco answered.
"Draco, I know you have made decisions most adults will never make, but you are only sixteen! What are you planning to do, go up to You-Know-Who and say, "guess what, I didn't die and now I'm a spy"?!" Ginny yelled, her anger at Draco's lack of faith finally showing.
"I am doing this because I want him dead! I want a better life for the future generation!" Draco yelled in reply.
"You didn't have to lie to me! You could have just told me!" Ginny hissed.
"Right, because any other way would have gone differently than this!"
"You lied to me Draco! No relationship ever survives with lies!" Ginny cried.
"I'm sorry I lied. I was trying to keep you—" Draco murmured.
"Keep me what? And don't you dare say safe." Ginny questioned, now staring directly at Draco.
"Happy. I wanted you to be able to enjoy your summer because it might be the last one we've got together." Draco answered his voice deflated.
"Don't say that. A damn war can't keep us apart." Ginny answered, her voice now soft, but she stood in the same spot.
"Death can. I could die out there." Draco replied running his hands thru his perfect blonde hair in frustration.
"Then why did you agree to go into the field? Your chance of survival completely plummets!" Ginny asked on the verge of tears.
"Because, if I do make it thru, I want our children to never have to deal with this." Draco answered. He moved forward and pulled Ginny into his arms. Instantly, she pulled him close before allowing herself to sob into his shoulder.
In the five years that Draco had known Ginny, he had only seen her cry twice. The first time was when she opened the Chamber of Secrets. Potter had saved her, but her scared self stumbled with tears streaming down her face into the headmaster's office. He remembered his heart aching for her as she passed him. And now, five years later, he was holding her as tears streamed down her face.
"We will make it out together, Ginevera. Because I love you and I will always come back to you, no matter what." Draco promised.
"Promise?" Ginny asked, her voice muffled by Draco's robes.
"Promise." Draco replied kissing her forehead.
"I love you, Draco."
"I know." Came the simple reply.