Soft and gentle, only ears expecting the sound would be able to notice the classic notification of someone apparating outside the Burrow's gate. Thanks to Remus and Tonks' training, Ginny's senses were constantly attentive to the moderately low activity at the Burrow. Judging from the shadows and one set of audible footsteps, Ginny knew Remus and Tonks had joined them again.
"Hello, Ginny." Tonks brightly greeted.
"Hello, Tonks and Remus." Ginny answered brightly.
"Someone is in a chirper mood." Remus observed sitting on the grass near Ginny leaving Tonks to station herself on Ginny's right side.
"They're safe for now, just got his message." Ginny answered.
"Good." Remus nodded.
"He told me to ask you about the pick-up. I don't know details, but it doesn't sound like things went according to plan." Ginny explained.
"No, they didn't." Remus agreed. He rubbed his stubbly chin in contemplation before continuing, "Those four have done everything perfect in their expedition. They have the locket, the one item Draco was clueless on its whereabouts, and we failed on the other side. Minerva was supposed to bring them two Basilisk fangs and deliver them to Draco and Hermione in the Hogs Head."
"But she didn't." Ginny observed.
"That is correct," Remus smiled at her quick observation, "Severus has been appointed Headmaster. Death Eaters are swarming the castle."
"I thought Snape was on our side." Ginny said softly.
"I thought so too. Everyone did." Remus nodded.
"I think we were all so relieved we had another wizard so versed in potions we forgot to suspect him." Tonks voiced.
"Draco trusted him." Ginny defended.
"We all did, that doesn't mean Draco is against us." Remus answered firmly.
"So how do we give them the Basilisk fangs?" Ginny asked returning to the question at hand.
"At the wedding tomorrow. I have them in my pocket, and when we enter the house, you will take them to your room and hide them. Then you are going to keep them on your body, hidden, and give them to one of them in private." Remus answered.
"We thought Hermione would be the best one since you two can easily think of excuses to be alone together in a room." Tonks nodded.
"Consider it done." Ginny smiled, thankful to be useful again.
"One last thing, Ginny," Remus started.
"Ok," Ginny answered listening closely.
"No one else can know. Not your parents, not the twins. No one." Remus told her firmly.
"You mean keeping a secret from my family? You act like I've never done that before." Ginny replied with a smile.
Bright and wonderfully cheerful, the Burrow became more vibrant than Draco had ever seen it before. He wished he could be behind the house, mingling with other witches and wizards clad in bright colors. He knew it was wrong for him to think of such, but it was true. He wanted so desperately to detach from his post and be a part of the celebration. Ron, Hermione and Harry were joking and laughing with Fred, George and Charlie. Ron's arm was protectively wrapped around Hermione's back as if he was afraid another man would whisk her away from him. Honestly, Draco could hardly blame Ron. Soft red shimmery material covered Hermione, but it's short length and the cut of the dress showed every attentive eye that Hermione Granger wasn't the geek queen anymore.
The scene began shifting, and Draco caught Mrs. Weasley bustling about the garden telling everyone to take their seat. The wizard minister, a worn-down old man to Draco's opinion, stood on the small platform in the center, his back to Draco. Soft music began floating to Draco's ears before Bill, with his mother on his left and his father on his right, proudly walked down the aisle. Next, per Draco's suggestion, Gabriella strode forward, a knee-length dress of soft pink floating around her as she walked, her arm linked with a man Draco could only assume to be Charlie. Following her brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Ginny began her journey to the platform with a man Draco desperately wanted to duel for touching her. His jealous brooding was shortened when he caught her breathtaking smile, her soft silky lips and the purple dress that somehow made her more stunning than any vela he had ever met.
"You know its real sad fate when you realize the love of your life is walking down the aisle and you're not the guy on the other side." A gruff voice startled Draco from his thoughts. Upon instinct, Draco pushed the speaker against a tree before pressing his body and wand against the attacker. An older man, Draco recognized him, though he was not sure he had ever met him before.
"You can lower your wand, boy. Remus told me you might like some company up here. Ted Tonks." The man smiled at Draco, "I'd shake your hand, but you seem to have me immobilized."
"How can I believe you?" Draco asked ignoring the man's previous attempts.
"That I'm a man you've never met before? Yes, this will be tricky, won't it?" Ted pondered, "Well, Mr. Malfoy, if you let me out of this alive, I'll be sure to tell Dora and Remus that they have done a marvelous job training you."
"You're Tonks' father." Draco realized pulling his body off from Mr. Tonks'.
"Depends what you're asking for." Ted joked straightening his starch caller.
"I take it she was as regardless for rules when she was younger as she is now." Draco noted.
"That she was. 'O course she inherited that spirit from her mother." Ted answered with a twinkle in his eye.
"Andromeda?" Draco asked. Once, after a long inquiry to his mother about a burnt leaf next to his mother's name, Narcissa had obligated in telling a few words about her sister's decision to leave her family for a muggle-born.
"Hmm," Ted agreed, "You know, I've wanted to meet my nephew for a long time now. I had no brothers or sisters, so you are my only nephew."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir." Draco answered politely.
"No need to call me sir. My mum never believed in calling family by 'sir' and 'mam'. Ted does just fine."
"Ted, then."
"Did you leave because of her?" Ted asked redirecting the conversation.
"Depends who the 'her' is." Draco answered.
"Ginevra." Ted answered as if it was as obvious as water is wet.
"She's a large reason, I guess. Wouldn't be standing anywhere if it wasn't for her." Draco confirmed.
"She's got a hell of a spirit." Ted observed.
"And an equally fiery temper." Draco chuckled, his eyes now drifting back to the platform.
"I'll drink to that." Ted nodded.
"How did you and Andrometer…?" Draco asked.
"Detention." Ted answered with a grin, "She was a Slytherin, and I was a Hufflepuff. We had a tradition, I do not know if it still happens or not, but whenever a quidditch match was over, the winning team would play a prank on the losing team. Everyone did it, and those players who lost would have to keep one eye open for the remainder of the weekend. Anyway, Hufflepuff against Slytherin, and we won. As the leader of Hufflepuffs's prank squad, I created and set stink bombs in the dungeons. Andy wasn't too happy with me when she and Bella were hit with a sludge bomb instead of a stink bomb. So the next morning, we all waited for the Slytherin's to come into the Great Hall reeking of Merlin knows what, and they aren't! The sludge was easily washed off, and instead we just got very, very angry Slytherins. Andy, the clever witch she is, sent me an actual stink bomb, which set off during breakfast. As you can imagine, Filtch wasn't very happy with us and gave us detention. During the four hours of scrubbing the prefect's bathroom, we clicked and it went from there."
"A detention? Must have been one hell of a detention." Draco commented.
"Oh, it was." Ted answered with a boyish grin.
"So what about you and Red?" Ted asked after a moment's silence.
"Quidditch, I think." Draco answered, "She always wanted to be the best at everything. Kept trying to beat Granger in her scores, trying to outplay all of her brothers in every position. So every day she would sneak out in the early morning and practice flying in the pitch. Mornings were always my time to fly, to forget the world for a bit."
"So you became field partners?" Ted asked.
"No," Draco laughed, "She threw a bludger at me when she saw me flying towards the pitch after a few loops around the grounds. I missed it, but not by much. Still not sure how I got so lucky."
"You are a good kid, son. Take care of her." Ted nodded towards his nephew.
"I wouldn't dream of otherwise." Draco promised.
Lively music filled the tent in which a gay celebration took place. Harry, disguised as a Weasley, found company in one of Flur's friends from school. They were both the same age, but Belle, Flur's vela friend, was easily thought of as older. A close couple, Ron and Hermione were seen moving across the dance floor in a pattern Fred would approve of. Fred and George, in the accompany of Angelina and Ginny were no doubt scheming as their heads were very close together where they sat in a sheltered table away from most guests. Molly and Arthur Weasley, beaming with pride, danced in a graceful style, that even Tonks had not ignored. Charlie, still wearing his Fang earing, had struck a dance partner quite easily, despite his mother's attempts to rid her son of his "unfitting jewelry".
Now positioned near the tent, Draco found himself daydreaming of Ginny who was a mere ten feet from him. Each time he would force himself back to reality by a swift electric shock from his wand. Though each period of fantasy was brief and far between, Remus noticed the harsh conditions in which his student placed himself. After the fourth shocking, which Draco had softly hissed in pain, Remus excused himself from his security position and made his way to the edge of the tree line where Draco stood in complete attention.
"Hello, Remus." Draco had greeted when his teacher was within conversation distance.
"Hello, Draco. Enjoying the party?" Remus asked jokingly.
"It looks like a marvelous party." Draco answered, his mind and ears never leaving his post.
"You have been taking post for quite a long time. Come take a break." Remus suggested.
"Thank you, sir, but I am fine." Draco answered politely.
"She's down there, waiting for you." Remus told his student softly.
"She knows where her duty lies, and where mine is." Draco said stiffly.
"You have been at a post since eight o'clock this morning. I think a ten-hour shift deserves the rest of the night off."
"Sir, look at the tent, and the people within it. What do you see?" Draco asked.
"Family and friends gathered together to celebrate." Remus answered quickly.
"Exactly; family and friends. I am neither, so I have been taking the post of others who do fit into those categories. I have been attentive in watch in much harsher environments for longer durations. I thank you for your concern, but I am quite alert." Draco responded.
"And Ginny? Does she not have a say in this matter?" Remus asked.
"She knows I am alive, and I know she is safe. That is all that matters in war, sir." Draco answered.
"But-" Remus began to argue when the music stopped abruptly. Without a worried glance, the two began sprinting towards the tent, Draco skidding to a halt, his wand at the ready, several strides ahead of Remus. The bright wisps of people's heads, some Draco recognized but many he did not know, moved about as if being tortured by an unthinkable pain. A deep voice, one Draco was sure he had heard before told the silence, "The ministry has fallen, they are coming".
Guests left the tent almost instantly, apparating outside the garden gate, leaving the Order members, Flur, Ginny, Draco, and Angelina to watch Death Eaters approach the tent.
"Ginny, leave now!" Mrs. Weasley yelled towards her daughter.
"No. I'm not leaving you guys to die. I'm staying and fighting." Ginny told her sternly.
Draco, knowing Ginny would never leave a fight, stood in a defensive position next to her. Death Eaters had invaded the tent, and Draco was left to fight off as many as he could. Keeping his father's and Remus' strategies, Draco began attacking as many Death Eaters as possible, while defending himself and Ginny, who was quite stable in her own battle. Taking a few vital seconds from his opponents, Draco sent a table flying towards them, effectively knocking out his three attackers and Ginny's.
"I could have gotten him." Ginny had protested as they advanced to their next opponents.
"Get him out of here." Draco ordered Hermione, his heading nodding to Harry as she and Ron desperately defended themselves. In a lazy slash, Draco knocked out both Death Eaters. Hermione gave Draco an almost shocked face, which he returned with stone-like features.
"I'll meet you there. Don't let anyone else tag along. Make as many stops as you can." Draco repeated.
"Right." Hermione nodded, grabbed Ron's hand and made their way to the disguised Harry Potter. A scream brought Draco back to the fight, as he saw the masked figure of his aunt slash Ginny's stomach open with her favorite jagged knief. Ginny fell back her hand clenching the deep wound.
"Little girls should stay home." Bellatrix taunted as she approached Ginny.
"You should have also." Draco returned throwing an un-expecting Bellatrix against one of the pillars. As he foresaw, Bellatrix stood almost immediately, her ruthless smile never wavering.
"You think you can beat me, boy? You should have left me alone." Bellatrix teased. Quickly scanning the room out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Hermione disapperate with Ron and Harry on either side of her.
"I don't think I can beat you, I know I can, Bellatrix." Draco answered. He saw her jaw twitch, though her mask covered her face completely.
"Let's make things interesting, shall we?" Bellatrix asked. Her wand hand moved upwards removing her mask from her face.
"Ladies first." Draco smiled dramatically gesturing towards his aunt. Smiling wickedly, she slashed thru the air an unspoken curse. Dodging it easily, Draco sent a curse her way of equal fate. Before one could say 'Quidditch in the Quibbler', the two opponents were in a blazing battle. Fifteen minutes left the two tired, but unwilling to give into the other's skill.
"Bella, lets go!" The distinct voice of Lucius Malfoy pulled the two out of battle. Giving one last taunting laugh, Bellatrix departed with her fellow Death Eaters.
Draco had not bothered to look around the now destroyed tent, but immediately slid to Ginny's side where she was shielded by two wooden tables tipped on their side. The bleeding had stopped, thanks to her somehow large knowledge of healing charms, but the pain was fierce as her composer was that of one desperately trying not to cry out in pain.
"How deep is it?" Draco asked as he removed her blood-stained hand from her stomach.
"I don't know. Nothing vital." Ginny managed.
"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley noticed her daughter slumped against the wall.
"Mrs. Weasley do you have any disinfectant? I don't want to take chances with Bellatrix's curse." Draco asked already ripping Ginny's dress to see the wound clearly.
"A simple charm would take care of that." Tonks objected.
"We don't know what curse she used. I have seen too many people die of infection because of her. We need to do this the muggle way, as much as I hate to say it." Draco responded.
"I don't have any disinfectant. I've always used a charm." Mrs. Weasley explained.
"This is a wedding. Where is the alcohol? Isn't there any Vodka?" Draco asked.
"Here." Fred passed Draco a full bottle of Vodka with shaky hands.
"Good. Someone clear off one of these tables." Draco ordered. He heard some crashes before a "ready" was voiced.
"Ginny, I need you to take some deep breaths, ok?" Draco instructed. Nodding, she began breathing slowly and deeply, though each one was rugged. Assessing the wound in the light, he noticed it not as deep as he feared. Her thickened muscles saved her vital organs, as the deepest point barely showed her intestines.
"I'm going to lift you up now, ok?" Draco told Ginny softly. Gentle as not to hurt her, he lifted her body and laid her on the prepared table with the subtle lift of his wand. Now exposed for everyone to see, several people gasped at her wound.
"Everyone not needed here needs to be out." Draco ordered. As the Order members refused to listen to the young wizard, Remus reinforced Draco's request.
"Everyone but Molly and Arthur out!" Remus told the group. Silently, the group left giving Draco the space he needed to work.
"How bad is it?" Ginny asked her mother, her voice worried, but not scared.
"Not bad at all, dear. You are going to be just fine." Mrs. Weasley assured her daughter taking Ginny's hand in reassurance.
"Ginny, this is going to be very painful. I'm going to do my best to numb the area, but I cannot assure you it will be pain-free." Draco told her, his wand already working around the exposed wound.
"I can take it." Ginny answered defensively.
"I never said you couldn't." Draco replied with a smirk. Using a household charm, Draco propped Ginny's left side slightly, so the alcohol would drain onto the table. She hissed at the pain from the movement, but continued to hold her features from pain.
"Here we go." Draco pulled the cap off the Vodka and began to pour some into the open wound. As expected, she screamed in pain, a sound that Draco prayed he would never have to hear again. Once he knew the wound was clean, he stopped, handed the bottle to Mr. Weasley, and began to seal the wound with a medical sealing charm that would hold the flesh together until her body naturally healed the wound. His seeming sense of ease and grace of his healing abilities alarmed Remus, Molly and Arthur, though they were grateful for his knowledge.
"Almost done," Draco assured as tears began to fill Ginny's eyes. Biting her lip to hold back her emotions, Ginny nodded in understanding.
"In a few days you will be back to normal," Draco assured, "You will be feeling much better tomorrow. Within a few months, you will hardly see a scar."
"I don't care about a stupid scar." Ginny hissed.
"You will. Can you sit up?" Draco asked his arms already supporting her lower back. With the support of her father's and Draco's arms, Ginny was soon in the sitting position, and able to hold herself up without their assistance. When she tried to place her legs on the ground, Draco placed his arm in their pathway.
"No walking for you. Give it a few days, you need to heal." Draco assured.
"I can get one of her brothers to take her to her room." Mr. Weasley offered.
"Draco can take me. I'm sure they are busy making sure everyone is safe." Ginny answered already looping her arms around Draco's neck. Draco looked to Remus for direction, and when Remus nodded his head in approval, Draco slid his left arm underneath her knees and his right holding her back.
Rather than carrying her up the two flights of stairs, Mrs. Weasley instructed Draco to take Ginny to the couch in the living room. After this day, Draco continued to associate the couch as the bed of the injured. Expecting Bill, Charlie, or one of the twins to blame him for their sister's injuries, Draco was stunned when each one, including Mr. Weasley gave Draco a grateful smile and handshake followed by a bone-crushing hug from Mrs. Weasley and Tonks.
"Don't kill him Mum, he's got to play hero some more." Ginny told her mother with a giggle, no doubt showing the effects of the pain medication Tonks had administrated to Ginny.
"Glad to see you're feeling better, Ginny." Draco responded.
"That's an awful goodbye." Ginny noted.
"I'm sorry it does not stand to your expectations." Draco apologized in a mocking tone.
"Come here." Ginny asked. Obliging, Draco crossed the room to the couch with the eyes of her family watching them.
"Yes?" Draco asked, now realizing how beautiful she was, though her make-up had run from tears and sweat.
"Closer." Ginny whispered. Nodding, Draco slid to his knees so he was the same height of her.
"Better?" Draco asked.
"Kiss me." Ginny commanded.
"Your family is watching." Draco whispered back.
"So? I might not have the chance to again." Ginny responded.
"Yes, you will. I'm not going anywhere." Draco promised.
"I could have died tonight." Ginny reminded.
"But you didn't." Draco continued.
"Why won't you kiss me?" Ginny asked, her voice imitating a three-year-old begging.
"Because they are watching. Then they will figure out that we are involved, and it could spread. Then people would tell other people and then you could be in line of fire." Draco explained.
"I don't care!" Ginny practically yelled.
"But I do. People think I'm dead. If they find out that I betrayed the Death Eaters and I love you, then they will kill you because of me. I can't let that happen." Draco answered.
"Stop playing hero and kiss me." Ginny ordered summoning all of her remaining strength to pull Draco's face towards her own. Her feeble attempt was dismissed, as Draco held back, refusing to allow his body to be compelled by his desires.
"I love you, Ginevra. And I always will." Draco whispered before leaving the modest home.