Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A\N: Crimson Mist- Draco will be slapped for you. Lol. Anyway, thanks everyone for reviewing and staying with me this far. This, I'm afraid, is the end. I have to say, I'm really glad it is because I've been putting the others aside and I need to get back to them. Read and don't forget to review. Bai. Plus, I've got to add that there's going to be a sequel.
Epilogue
She had been in the middle of a dream. Nothing but darkness surrounded her and she had been searching for something. What? She didn't know, only that she was.
The darkness blinded her and she walked with her hands outstretched. It seemed like she's been stuck in the dark for ages. She's been calling out absentmindedly, though she couldn't remember what it was that she's been calling out to.
Then far off in the distance, she caught sight of a light. It was a small dot like in the Chamber of Secrets. It grew as it came closer, but still she could not see the face of the beholder.
Ginny rushed to the light. Whatever, whoever was holding it must be trying to help her. When she was close enough to reach out and touch the person who held the wand, she waited for his face to show.
It was Collin, but he walked right by her like he didn't even know who she was. Her footsteps faltered beneath her and she reached out for something, even Collin to hold, but she fell. She hit the cold floor and looked back up at Collin. Still, he walked away like he didn't know her.
She began to shiver in the darkness. Days must have passed, even weeks before the next set of lights came. Like before, it didn't show the beholder's face until he reached Ginny. It was Michael. She stood up and waited for him, hoping maybe he might be able to help her out.
"Michael," she said to him when he reached her.
He turned and looked at her, but continued on. She ran after him, she wanted to get out of there. But she didn't see the rock that blocked her path and she tripped on it. She fell flat on her face, wondering why Michael hadn't caught her.
Ginny looked up and watched in despair as his form and light slowly diminished into the darkness like the others. But why was she surprised? They always did anyway.
More days passed, maybe even months. She wasn't keeping track, she couldn't. She had no time, and it was always dark. Finally, another light came. Ginny didn't even bother to look up. She kept her head buried in her arms and waited for the person to past by like the others.
Only this light didn't though. It paused before Ginny and waited for a long time. When she didn't look up, he said, "Ginny?"
The voice was Harry's. Oh how glad she was to see him again. Her head shot up from her arms and she sprang up to cling onto Harry. He grinned at her, his emerald eyes staring at her deeply. But there was something else too.
Ginny pulled away from him and backed away. His eyes were friendly; they didn't look her over as someone who would love her.
The ground beneath her foot began to collapse. Her time in the dark phase has finally ended and it was time to give up. The earth shook with violence, breaking as ice would with too much weight on it.
But she didn't mind, not her. She stood still and waited to plunge into more darkness or wherever it would lead her. The ground beneath her had disappeared and she began to fall. Harry was still there, he still overlooked her, but she didn't think he would catch her.
Then she fell. She plunged from the surface into more darkness, but someone caught her. Ginny slowly opened her eyes to see who it was that was holding onto her wrist. And to her surprise, it was Harry.
He had her firmly and he looked at her as if he wanted to save her, but then someone called to him from behind. It was Luna's voice. Ginny could still remember it, how could she not? It was filled with honey and so passionate, Harry turned around and forgot about her.
His grip on her loosened and then he let go completely. Ginny gave a cry of surprise and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst. Was this what it felt like to have the end so near? So many things passed through her, so much memories and regrets.
How she would never get another chance to speak to her family again, how she would never get her chance to graduate Hogwarts, and how she would never get a chance to thank Draco. But most importantly, how she would never get to see how much Draco has changed after the incident.
"You won my heart, Ginny," a voice said in the darkness. "You wanted to play a game, and now you've won. My heart is yours, so take it."
She began to feel her body fall. She could feel gravity pulling on her, but she didn't fall. Ginny opened her eyes slowly and looked up, but she didn't see who her savior was. All she saw was a dark form, radiating a color of such passion.
"Draco?" she asked. Then she found herself back in the Hospital Wing. Nothing seemed to make sense and then she heard the sound of running footsteps. What was going on?
Madam Pomfrey seemed to have heard her and came out of her office. "You're up dear," she said thankfully. "You've been asleep for months."
The time shocked her. "Months?" she asked as if saying it out loud would make her believe it. "What happened to me?"
The older woman looked at her with pity and turned away. "No one knows for sure," she answered. "I found you months ago outside in front of the Hospital Wing. You were so pale and I was afraid we were going to lose you, but we didn't."
"How?" she asked.
Madam Pomfrey handed her the cards that had been left by friends and family. "Well, to be exact, I wouldn't know. But something tells me you had something you were holding onto and something that was holding onto you. Someone."
"Who?" she asked, reading a card left by Hermione and Ron. They were together, finally.
The nurse didn't answer. She only handed Ginny another card and left her be. Ginny looked at the envelope and neatly scrawled on there was her name. She smiled absentmindedly and opened it.
Inside was a card not bigger than her hands. Perfect cursive script read:
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Dear Ginny,
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Sorry about everything you had to go through. None of it would have happened if I had prevented it from happening. You're safe and I'm glad. I have to tell you something. No, I have to confess something. To stop Tom Riddle, I had to use an Unforgivable Curse and I can't forgive myself for it. The mark of it being used hung high over the sky when we finally emerged from within the Chamber. No one knew it was me, but I can't take it anymore. I have to turn myself in; I have to admit to something that I did.
You're probably thinking I'm crazy, turning myself in. But no, I'm not. If I didn't, it would make me as bad as Tom Riddle because I had brought you right to him too. That made me bad and to use an unforgivable curse makes me even worse. When you're awake, I wish you the best. Your life is back to normal now; nothing that happened in the past will ever be spoken of again. You have my word.
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. It wasn't signed or anything and Ginny felt a tear rolling down her face. Why was Draco trying to be a hero? Didn't he know that he already was one?
She gathered her things and left the Hospital Wing without Madam Pomfrey's permission. But then again, she wasn't hurt or anything.
Her bare feet were cold against the stone floor. She walked as quick as her feet could carry her and then she was in front of the portrait of the fat lady in pink. "Quote?" she asked Ginny.
"Just because everyone believes one thing doesn't mean you have to," Ginny said.
The portrait swung open and Ginny stepped inside. The time must've been pretty late because the sun was down, but Harry was still seated in front of the fireplace. When he heard someone enter, he turned around, only to find himself staring at Ginny.
Ginny gave him a small smile and stood where she was. She didn't want to talk to him, she just wanted to get to bed and rest. "Hi, Harry," she said quietly.
"Hi," he answered though he did not get up from where he sat. "You're up, huh?"
She nodded and stole a glance at the staircases that would lead her to her dorm. "I need sleep," she told him.
"You've been asleep for months, Ginny," he said.
She nodded again. "Harry, so much has happened. I need time to think."
He thought about it and nodded too. "Okay, get to bed then. But you're feeling okay right?"
Ginny didn't answer him, she walked up to bed, remembering what he did to her in her dreams. Would he really do that if the moment came to pass? Would he really catch her only to let her go afterwards?
In her dorm, the other girls were asleep. She caught sight of Luna in the darkness and Ginny wondered if Harry loved Luna? She was pretty weird, but then again, she understood Harry in a way no one really did and there's a connection between that.
Ginny put her things away and got into bed, but she didn't sleep. She spent the rest of the night thinking about everything that's happened, especially with Draco. When was he going to turn himself in?
Then her mind slowly drifted off to the man in her dreams who caught her. Harry was her prince, but that man was her knight in shining armor. And if she had to choose between them two, she would choose the knight because she didn't believe in a prince. Only a knight.
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* * *
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Morning came the next day and Draco was right, everything was back to normal. Breakfast, classes, lunch, classes, dinner, and then homework. That was her schedule everyday in the past, and even now.
All day, she hadn't caught sight of Draco, or no, she hadn't caught him to speak with him. She saw him at meal, but he wouldn't catch her eyes. He ate alone far from Crabbe and Goyle and when he finished, he made sure he was with a group of Slytherin so she would never get a chance to speak with him.
In the halls, at times that she would usually walk pass him, she never saw him. It was like he avoided her like disease.
Once, Ginny was with a group of her friends on Hogwarts ground and she had caught sight of him alone, but he walked by like he didn't know her. She watched him and he looked so lonely. He had his hands in his pockets and his eyes were so miserable.
Maybe he avoided her because he didn't want to remember her. Because she was a Weasley and it would be dumb to befriend a Weasley since he was a Malfoy.
Ginny looked away and joined her friends in their conversation, but what she hadn't notice was when she turned away, he turned to look at her. The same thoughts that had run through her head ran through his.
He thought maybe she didn't want to remember what happened between them. He thought maybe she wouldn't want to befriend him because he was a Malfoy and he turned away again.
She excused herself from her friends and went into the library. It was the only thing that would get her mind off of him. She opened a book she had been reading and began to read. It was about two people who were in love, but could not be together because of their wealth and who they were. She read the end of it, where they finally got to be together, but someone's talking took her attention away.
On the next table, Pansy Parkinson was talking to Millicent Bulstrode about Draco. "I heard that he was the one who conjured the mark a few months ago."
"How do you know?" Millicent asked.
"The way I always do," Pansy answered simply. "I overheard him talking to Professor Dumbledore just a few minutes ago."
Ginny stuck the book into her satchel and walked out as fast as she could. If Dumbledore believed Draco, he could be sent to Azkaban. She ran into Harry in the corridors and he stopped her, but she wished he would just disappear.
"Ginny," he began when she walked right by him. "Ginny," he said again.
Out of respect, she whirled around. "Harry," she said, pretending she was surprise to see him there. "Hi, I'd love to talk, but I'm kind of busy. Can't this wait?"
He shook his head. "No, it can't. It's all over Hogwarts, Ginny. What Draco did to save you, everyone knows."
"What?" she asked.
Harry nodded, his face grave. "If you don't go stand by him, stand with him, it's very likely he will join his father in Azkaban before today is over."
"Who else is with them?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head but his eyes were concentrating. "I overheard a group of Slytherin talking and it seems Fudge is on his way too. They're in Professor McGonagall's classroom."
Ginny nodded at him, thankful for his support. "But I don't get it, Harry. Why are you doing this?"
He shrugged and grinned lop-sided. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I think I owe him one for saving your life." He paused and his lop-sided grin grew even lop-sided than it had been earlier. "For saving my sister's life. Besides, the quote for the month was right once again."
Ginny smiled and left. Another quote that meant something to Harry, no surprise there. She walked even faster than she had before until she reached the door into Transfiguration. She paused momentarily, making sure she was ready for this. If she stepped in there, memories of what happened would have to be relived. Nightmares that have haunted her dreams would have to be replayed over and over again and she would have to be able to handle it. Was she sure she's ready for this?
A determine look crossed her face and she turned the knob. He saved her life and she would help him. There's no turning back now.
In there, Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, her glasses on. She looked at Fudge sternly, but her gaze changed when Ginny entered. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the window, his hands held behind his back. When the door opened and closed, he didn't turn around. Fudge was sitting in a chair, and to her surprise, no one else accompanied him as they usually would.
In front of Professor McGonagall's desk, Draco was sitting in a chair, his head held down to the ground. Professor Snape was standing not too far away and it didn't surprise her because he was always present when someone was in trouble.
Draco knew she had entered because she watched as his body stiffened. He wouldn't turn to look at her and she didn't want him to because she wasn't sure what she would do.
Ginny glanced about nervously and went to stand by his side. She held her hands together in front of her because it was all she could do not to touch him and pull him into a soothing hug.
"Whatever he's told you, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Minister, there's a reason," she began. "He didn't do it because he was evil, he only did it because he had to. You see, I was taken into the Chamber of Secrets once again by," she hesitated.
Draco still held his head to the ground. "By what, girl?" Fudge exclaimed.
"Cornelius," Dumbledore said warningly from where he was standing. "Let the girl speak."
Fudge's face turned bright red, but he said no more. Ginny smiled thankfully at the headmaster and he gave her the tiniest of winks. She looked at Draco's blonde hair, cast downward and found the courage to begin again.
"I was taken down to the Chambers of Secrets by Blaise Zabini," she lied, knowing Draco had stiffened by her side again. "He was possessed by Tom Riddle as I- as I had been in my first year. He took me down there and he wanted me to stay with him. But I wouldn't because I didn't want to.
"Draco was there because he had been patrolling the dungeons as he told me after he saved me and before I fell into my deep sleep," she said. "He was down there when he saw the figure of a student slipping out of the Slytherin common room and decided to follow and see if he was up to something suspicious.
"As he had thought, he was correct. I- I was so worried for Harry that I snuck out of my dorm to go see him. I didn't know someone was watching me until they came from behind and took me down to the dungeons. Draco knew where they were taking me and got on his broom only to follow us down there.
"He came from within the darkness and saved me, but Tom Riddle put me under a spell and I don't know what happened next," she concluded. "But I'm sure he only conjured the Unforgivable Curse because he knew it was the only way to kill Tom."
Fudge scoffed and stood up. "And you expect me to believe this?" he asked. He laughed out loud and shook his head. "She lies," he announced.
Ginny looked at him in disbelief and hatred flared through her. Oh, how she would love to murder him now. "I am merely telling the truth," she said, wondering how she was able to lie so well. "I've been speaking to Draco before this incident even happened and we've become, well, friends. You can ask around and they will tell you that he and I have been around each other as equal for quite some time."
"It's true," Snape said, nodding his head. "I've seen Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley speaking as equal out on the Quidditch pitch. Even her brother has accepted him as a friend and did not start any trouble in which I am quite surprise."
"Yes," Ginny said, nodding too. "The whole Gryffindor team had been out there too and they witnessed all this. He only did it because we were friends and he needed to protect me. If he hadn't done that, Tom Riddle would have taken me."
"She has a point, Albus," McGonagall said to Dumbledore. "If he and she hadn't been friends, then why would he have saved her? Why would he have followed them down there? He only used the curse to protect her."
"But no matter what, there is no excuse to using an Unforgivable Curse," Fudge said, outraged that they were going to excuse Draco just like that.
Then Snape spoke, his voice booming through the room. "It was used for self- defense," he said. "True, there is no excuse for it, but Mr. Malfoy's father wouldn't be too happy with you sending his son to Azkaban would he?"
Fudge's eyes widened, "are you threatening me, Severus?" he asked.
Dumbledore smiled kindly, "no, of course not, Cornelius. There is no reason to threaten you when nothing's happened here but a boy trying to protect his friend, correct?"
All the professors agreed. "This isn't over, Albus," Fudge said, leaving. He knew he had lost a battle that day and Ginny knew he would never give up until he brought Dumbledore down. "I'm not afraid of Lucius Malfoy."
He ran out and Draco was free. The blonde boy looked up and gave all the professors a grateful stare, but he wouldn't catch Ginny's eyes. Finally, Ginny walked to Professor Dumbledore and the others.
"Professors, thank you for your supports," she said. "Looks like my job here is done and I shall be leaving. Dinner is starting soon, I'll see you then."
They nodded to her and she turned to leave. Ginny glanced at Draco, but he kept his eyes far from hers. Figures, she thought. It wasn't Malfoy manner to be thankful for something a Weasley did.
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* * *
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. The next day wasn't too different from all the others ever since she returned from the Chamber. She got up from bed, got dressed, and went down to breakfast.
Truth be told, she had expected Draco to tell her how grateful he was, how he would owe her everything. But he hadn't done that, he hadn't even glanced her way once. Ginny looked up in the direction he sat and sighed sadly.
He was still Draco Malfoy and he hated her because she was a Weasley although they seemed to be on friendly terms a few days ago in the chamber. She was foolish to think he would acknowledge her as an equal.
"You okay?" Hermione asked.
Ginny looked back at her food and nodded. "I'm perfect," she lied.
Hermione sighed and it was enough to tell Ginny that a lecture was coming. "Ginny, you can't pretend. I know what's up. Why don't you just go talk to him?"
She shrugged.
"We never mentioned this to you, but do you have an idea why it took you so long to wake up?" Hermione asked.
Ginny shook her head.
"You were under a spell where only your true love's kiss would awaken you," she said. "No one was able to do it. Collin tried when he woke, Michael did, and so did- well, you know. Anyway, no one knows whose kiss woke you up. It was late in the night when you appeared in the common room, Harry had said. Every boy at Hogwarts tried, except your brother, but every single one of them tried. The only person left was-"
Ginny glanced at the Slytherin table again, but noticed that he wasn't there anymore. "Except, Draco," she said lightly.
She didn't wait for Hermione to say anything else. She stood up and headed upstairs because where she was headed, she would need her broom.
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* * *
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Ginny landed lightly on the island she had been on months ago. When her foot was firmly planted on the ground, she swung her other leg over the broom and searched for him. She knew he was there, he had to be.
The wind picked up and carried the leaves in a draft. Ginny squinted her eyes against the wind and cut through the thick brushes in the direction that she had come across him. Where could he be?
Then she spotted him, standing alone by the edge of the island. He was handsome with his hands clutched behind his back. The wind was rough, but it didn't disturb his blonde hair. Ginny stood just beyond his vision and watched a while as the wind ruffled his clothes and his cloaked billowed in the wind.
He turned and glanced at her, but he turned back around as though hoping she would disappear. Ginny stayed where she was, hidden by the trees, but not quite that he wouldn't see her.
Draco turned back and glanced at her, but she was still there. He smirked and turned back around, but he didn't say anything.
Then he turned for the third time, peeking at her. "Still here," she said, coming from within the trees.
"Didn't think you'd find me here," he said, the smirk still visible upon his lips. "I was kind of hoping you would stop trying to speak to me."
"Why?" she asked, curious.
He shrugged, studying the squid who was tapping its tentacles against the water surface, making ripples that broke the smooth surface. Draco bent down and picked up a smooth rock. He skipped it.
"I'm sorry for the past," she said. "You were right. If I think about it, I think I was trying to save you from yourself. I think I was hoping that if I could get you to open up to me, you wouldn't have to face it alone."
Draco skipped another rock. "You remember that day you came here and I had you by the arm?"
She nodded.
"I would have dropped you," he said. "I wanted to because I knew that being who I was, I should. That's why I did, but I caught you again."
"Why?" she asked once again.
He still smirked, but he wouldn't look at her. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. I guess I didn't want you to plunge into water."
"Or you just didn't want me to lose my trust in you," she said, raising her brows challengingly at him.
Draco laughed. It was loud and disturbing, but she didn't flinch. "You don't even trust me," he said.
It was her turn to smirk. She moved to the edge of the lake until it was he she was facing. "Want me to prove it?" she asked him.
He was startle but said nothing. Ginny took that as a yes and leaned back, making sure she held his eyes. Backwards, she fell until she plunged into cold water. But instead of coming back up, she stayed beneath, watching Draco's face from beneath cold water.
He was trying to pretend that he didn't care, but she could see the way his eyes were searching for her to surface. When she didn't, he threw off his shoes and his cloak and jumped in after her.
Ginny couldn't suppress a giggle and laughed, but that only allowed water to enter her mouth. She closed it immediately and relaxed, pretending she had drowned.
Draco saw her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back up to surface. She loved the way he carried her when they were on land, and she loved the way he set her down, so carefully like she was a piece of fragile glass.
She waited for the moment, the time when he would bend down and put his mouth to her, to breathe life into her. When he didn't, Ginny opened her eyes to peek and found him looking at her, his expression amused. "You don't think I believed you for a second there, did you?" he asked.
Ginny shrugged and sat up. "I could still dream can't I?" she answered him.
A grin began to grow on his face, but he looked away abruptly, his face hardening. It was like one moment, he was someone else, and then the next, he was cold and icy like he was years ago.
"I don't get it," she confessed to him. "Sometimes, you look at me, Draco and sometimes you don't. Why is that?"
He shrugged, shivering in the cold.
"It's like sometimes you're afraid to look me in the eye," she said. Then a thought occurred to her and she looked away too. "It's because I'm a Weasley isn't it?"
Draco still wouldn't look at her. So she had been right all along. He saved her in the Chambers, but that was all. He just wanted to be heroic, he never wanted her to be a part of his life at all. He had been so un-Draco- ish there and here, he was Draco again. Ginny shook her head in distress. "I keep inventing you, trying to make you into the guy I want you to be," she said, scoffing at herself. "I keep picturing you as a nice guy when I should just accept the fact that maybe you really aren't."
His eyes hardened and he nodded at her, finally meeting her eyes. "Yeah, maybe you should just accept that."
"Why do you keep fighting it?" she asked, standing up with her teeth chattering. "Why can't you just accept that you aren't as cruel as you seem to want everyone to see you?"
"Because it's who I am!" he shouted, angry. "Merlin's Beard, Ginny, it's who I am so stop trying to make me someone I'm not." His voice softened and so did his eyes, but only a little. "There's a guy out there who's heroic and filled with so much love, you wouldn't be able to handle it, but that guys not me."
Ginny picked up her broom and mounted it, but she turned back to look at him. "That's not who I want you to be," Ginny said softly. "It never was."
"Wait," he said when she was going to kick off. "Look, I'm sorry for getting angry with you. I don't know, I'm just so confused."
She didn't say anything nor did she fly off.
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"Remember how you asked me if I've ever been in love?"
She took interest in that and got off her broom again. "Yeah," she said.
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"Well, I have," he said and the answer surprised Ginny. She had thought Draco's never been in love.
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"Over the summer, I fell in love with a muggle," he admitted. "I liked her a lot, but seeing as she was a muggle, I could never let my family find out about her and I could never let her find out about my family, or who I really am. Anyway, at the end, she told me she's never really liked me and I was just her summer boyfriend. It hurt," he said, as thought surprised with the feeling. "I've always been the one to hurt someone, but she hurt me and I realized that I can't handle it. I don't want to."
"Wow," Ginny said, mesmerized. Draco in love with a muggle? Who would have thought? "Must have hurt badly," she said.
"I guess you've never been in love with someone who was in love with someone else," he said sadly, but his face was cold as ice. "I wouldn't be too surprise because you look like the kind of girls whom every guy you fall for falls for you first."
Ginny looked at him surprised and laughed out loud. "You think so? Then you must be the first. Haven't you heard about Harry?"
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"Oh," was all he said.
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She nodded at him. "Yeah, oh," she said. "I'm an idiot, I fall for every guy who won't catch me."
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He swallowed.
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"I dreamed while I was asleep, you know," Ginny said. "I saw every single boy who kissed me, I think anyway. They passed by where I was when I wasn't conscious, and every single one of them passed me by. Finally, there was Harry. He saw me and he caught me, but he let me go. It was then that someone else caught me and pulled me up. I think I know who it is, but I can't be too sure."
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Draco looked at the ground and she slapped him against the head. He looked up, startled, "what was that for?"
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Ginny grinned and shook her head at him, "you kissed me, Draco and you woke me up. But you ran away."
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He looked away, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
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"Look at me," she instructed softly.
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. He looked at her lips and he licked his.
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"Higher," she commanded.
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He looked at her nose, observing the sprinkle of freckles.
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. "Higher," she said once again.
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. Finally, his eyes reached hers and Ginny's breath caught. He was beautiful.
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. "He said that I won his heart, so take it, but what if I won't take it because he's not giving it to me?" she asked him softly.
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. "What if he wants to give it to you, but he's afraid you just won't take it?" he asked, turning her question against her. "What's if he's afraid you love someone else? Do you love Harry, Ginny?"
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Ginny laughed and mounted her broom once again. This game with Draco was getting her hurt. She didn't think it would, but it was and she didn't want to play it anymore. She shot over her shoulder, "why not ask something I can answer? Why not ask if I love you?"
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"Believe me, Ginny, it's the one question I want to ask," he paused to watch her hover in the air. "But it's the one answer I'm afraid to know."
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. She nodded and looked at him sadly before flying off. Draco left her twice, now it was her turn to leave him.
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* * *
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The next day, news of what happened in the Chamber was all over the world. Ginny watched Dumbledore's calm face, but she could see the way his eyes looked them over with weariness.
Fudge knew he would never be able to get to Dumbledore unless he turned the people for Dumbledore against him and that's exactly what he did. A war was brewing because Voldemort is too big a threat and all seventh years were being recruited, even Draco.
Ginny stood on the platform of Hogsmeade and watched them board the train, one by one. She hugged her brother, Hermione, and then Harry before they got on, but she didn't even glance in Draco's direction.
Slowly, with tears sliding down her face, she backed up. What would happen to her friends? What if they died? She didn't know, but whatever it was, she hoped they would all return to her in a short amount of time.
The train began to move and its pace began to quicken. Ginny watched sadly, unable to do anything. She watched as each face passed her by, their eyes grief-stricken. They were going to war, she didn't expect anything different.
Then she saw it, the one face that she had longed to see and yet didn't want to. Their eyes locked for a long moment, each of them trying to conceal their emotions but all was plain.
Ginny wanted to run after the train. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but what was the use? He might not return and her heart would only be left broken.
The other students made their way up to Hogwarts, but Ginny lagged behind. She wasn't ready to enter that school again and return to her daily routine as if nothing had ever happened. She wanted to stay in the past and remember everything that had happened.
Finally, she reached the Gryffindor's Common Room and gave the old quote for the previous month. When the fat lady wouldn't open up, Ginny realized that the month was new and so was the quote.
She groaned and sank onto the floor, hoping someone would pass by soon and help her in. An hour passed and no one came in or out. Ginny stood to walk away, but the fat lady spoke, surprising her. "The sun sets at night, but it always rises the next day. Hope is lost but it is always regained."
Ginny frowned, trying to comprehend what it meant. The fat lady laughed and Ginny's frown turned into a smile. She's never heard the portrait laugh before and hearing it now filled her with joy she hadn't had for quite some time now.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It's the new quote," the fat lady said patiently and swung open. If she had seen the words forming in Ginny's mouth she didn't say.
Ginny walked through the quiet and empty common room. What would happen to the seventh years? What if they didn't return?
She made her way upstairs and found the other sixth year girls in bed. She didn't speak a word to them because she couldn't trust her voice. She was afraid that if she tried, she would only end up bursting into tears.
The curtains were pulled tightly around her and she relaxed in her bed, trying to block out the sobs of a tearful roommate. Her eyes were also closed that's why she didn't notice the letter on her bed until night fell and the only light she had was candlelight.
No one went down to dinner; no one cared much about it anymore. The others were still in the room and they were asleep, or maybe not because she could still hear sniffling. Ginny opened the letter and lit her wand to brighten the light so she could read. When had it gotten there? It could have been there ever since the morning.
Ginny opened it and there in neatly scrawled letters like the card were words written for her; words put together from someone's heart.
You are the last in your family, the last to be noticed, and the last to be recognized, but you are the first to win my heart.
Like before, there was no signature. Ginny held the letter to her heart and a tear leaked down her face. She was the girl who won Draco's heart.
.
.
.
. But didn't take it.
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.·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·. The End .·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·.
A\N: Crimson Mist- Draco will be slapped for you. Lol. Anyway, thanks everyone for reviewing and staying with me this far. This, I'm afraid, is the end. I have to say, I'm really glad it is because I've been putting the others aside and I need to get back to them. Read and don't forget to review. Bai. Plus, I've got to add that there's going to be a sequel.
Epilogue
She had been in the middle of a dream. Nothing but darkness surrounded her and she had been searching for something. What? She didn't know, only that she was.
The darkness blinded her and she walked with her hands outstretched. It seemed like she's been stuck in the dark for ages. She's been calling out absentmindedly, though she couldn't remember what it was that she's been calling out to.
Then far off in the distance, she caught sight of a light. It was a small dot like in the Chamber of Secrets. It grew as it came closer, but still she could not see the face of the beholder.
Ginny rushed to the light. Whatever, whoever was holding it must be trying to help her. When she was close enough to reach out and touch the person who held the wand, she waited for his face to show.
It was Collin, but he walked right by her like he didn't even know who she was. Her footsteps faltered beneath her and she reached out for something, even Collin to hold, but she fell. She hit the cold floor and looked back up at Collin. Still, he walked away like he didn't know her.
She began to shiver in the darkness. Days must have passed, even weeks before the next set of lights came. Like before, it didn't show the beholder's face until he reached Ginny. It was Michael. She stood up and waited for him, hoping maybe he might be able to help her out.
"Michael," she said to him when he reached her.
He turned and looked at her, but continued on. She ran after him, she wanted to get out of there. But she didn't see the rock that blocked her path and she tripped on it. She fell flat on her face, wondering why Michael hadn't caught her.
Ginny looked up and watched in despair as his form and light slowly diminished into the darkness like the others. But why was she surprised? They always did anyway.
More days passed, maybe even months. She wasn't keeping track, she couldn't. She had no time, and it was always dark. Finally, another light came. Ginny didn't even bother to look up. She kept her head buried in her arms and waited for the person to past by like the others.
Only this light didn't though. It paused before Ginny and waited for a long time. When she didn't look up, he said, "Ginny?"
The voice was Harry's. Oh how glad she was to see him again. Her head shot up from her arms and she sprang up to cling onto Harry. He grinned at her, his emerald eyes staring at her deeply. But there was something else too.
Ginny pulled away from him and backed away. His eyes were friendly; they didn't look her over as someone who would love her.
The ground beneath her foot began to collapse. Her time in the dark phase has finally ended and it was time to give up. The earth shook with violence, breaking as ice would with too much weight on it.
But she didn't mind, not her. She stood still and waited to plunge into more darkness or wherever it would lead her. The ground beneath her had disappeared and she began to fall. Harry was still there, he still overlooked her, but she didn't think he would catch her.
Then she fell. She plunged from the surface into more darkness, but someone caught her. Ginny slowly opened her eyes to see who it was that was holding onto her wrist. And to her surprise, it was Harry.
He had her firmly and he looked at her as if he wanted to save her, but then someone called to him from behind. It was Luna's voice. Ginny could still remember it, how could she not? It was filled with honey and so passionate, Harry turned around and forgot about her.
His grip on her loosened and then he let go completely. Ginny gave a cry of surprise and closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst. Was this what it felt like to have the end so near? So many things passed through her, so much memories and regrets.
How she would never get another chance to speak to her family again, how she would never get her chance to graduate Hogwarts, and how she would never get a chance to thank Draco. But most importantly, how she would never get to see how much Draco has changed after the incident.
"You won my heart, Ginny," a voice said in the darkness. "You wanted to play a game, and now you've won. My heart is yours, so take it."
She began to feel her body fall. She could feel gravity pulling on her, but she didn't fall. Ginny opened her eyes slowly and looked up, but she didn't see who her savior was. All she saw was a dark form, radiating a color of such passion.
"Draco?" she asked. Then she found herself back in the Hospital Wing. Nothing seemed to make sense and then she heard the sound of running footsteps. What was going on?
Madam Pomfrey seemed to have heard her and came out of her office. "You're up dear," she said thankfully. "You've been asleep for months."
The time shocked her. "Months?" she asked as if saying it out loud would make her believe it. "What happened to me?"
The older woman looked at her with pity and turned away. "No one knows for sure," she answered. "I found you months ago outside in front of the Hospital Wing. You were so pale and I was afraid we were going to lose you, but we didn't."
"How?" she asked.
Madam Pomfrey handed her the cards that had been left by friends and family. "Well, to be exact, I wouldn't know. But something tells me you had something you were holding onto and something that was holding onto you. Someone."
"Who?" she asked, reading a card left by Hermione and Ron. They were together, finally.
The nurse didn't answer. She only handed Ginny another card and left her be. Ginny looked at the envelope and neatly scrawled on there was her name. She smiled absentmindedly and opened it.
Inside was a card not bigger than her hands. Perfect cursive script read:
.
.
.
Dear Ginny,
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Sorry about everything you had to go through. None of it would have happened if I had prevented it from happening. You're safe and I'm glad. I have to tell you something. No, I have to confess something. To stop Tom Riddle, I had to use an Unforgivable Curse and I can't forgive myself for it. The mark of it being used hung high over the sky when we finally emerged from within the Chamber. No one knew it was me, but I can't take it anymore. I have to turn myself in; I have to admit to something that I did.
You're probably thinking I'm crazy, turning myself in. But no, I'm not. If I didn't, it would make me as bad as Tom Riddle because I had brought you right to him too. That made me bad and to use an unforgivable curse makes me even worse. When you're awake, I wish you the best. Your life is back to normal now; nothing that happened in the past will ever be spoken of again. You have my word.
.
. It wasn't signed or anything and Ginny felt a tear rolling down her face. Why was Draco trying to be a hero? Didn't he know that he already was one?
She gathered her things and left the Hospital Wing without Madam Pomfrey's permission. But then again, she wasn't hurt or anything.
Her bare feet were cold against the stone floor. She walked as quick as her feet could carry her and then she was in front of the portrait of the fat lady in pink. "Quote?" she asked Ginny.
"Just because everyone believes one thing doesn't mean you have to," Ginny said.
The portrait swung open and Ginny stepped inside. The time must've been pretty late because the sun was down, but Harry was still seated in front of the fireplace. When he heard someone enter, he turned around, only to find himself staring at Ginny.
Ginny gave him a small smile and stood where she was. She didn't want to talk to him, she just wanted to get to bed and rest. "Hi, Harry," she said quietly.
"Hi," he answered though he did not get up from where he sat. "You're up, huh?"
She nodded and stole a glance at the staircases that would lead her to her dorm. "I need sleep," she told him.
"You've been asleep for months, Ginny," he said.
She nodded again. "Harry, so much has happened. I need time to think."
He thought about it and nodded too. "Okay, get to bed then. But you're feeling okay right?"
Ginny didn't answer him, she walked up to bed, remembering what he did to her in her dreams. Would he really do that if the moment came to pass? Would he really catch her only to let her go afterwards?
In her dorm, the other girls were asleep. She caught sight of Luna in the darkness and Ginny wondered if Harry loved Luna? She was pretty weird, but then again, she understood Harry in a way no one really did and there's a connection between that.
Ginny put her things away and got into bed, but she didn't sleep. She spent the rest of the night thinking about everything that's happened, especially with Draco. When was he going to turn himself in?
Then her mind slowly drifted off to the man in her dreams who caught her. Harry was her prince, but that man was her knight in shining armor. And if she had to choose between them two, she would choose the knight because she didn't believe in a prince. Only a knight.
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* * *
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Morning came the next day and Draco was right, everything was back to normal. Breakfast, classes, lunch, classes, dinner, and then homework. That was her schedule everyday in the past, and even now.
All day, she hadn't caught sight of Draco, or no, she hadn't caught him to speak with him. She saw him at meal, but he wouldn't catch her eyes. He ate alone far from Crabbe and Goyle and when he finished, he made sure he was with a group of Slytherin so she would never get a chance to speak with him.
In the halls, at times that she would usually walk pass him, she never saw him. It was like he avoided her like disease.
Once, Ginny was with a group of her friends on Hogwarts ground and she had caught sight of him alone, but he walked by like he didn't know her. She watched him and he looked so lonely. He had his hands in his pockets and his eyes were so miserable.
Maybe he avoided her because he didn't want to remember her. Because she was a Weasley and it would be dumb to befriend a Weasley since he was a Malfoy.
Ginny looked away and joined her friends in their conversation, but what she hadn't notice was when she turned away, he turned to look at her. The same thoughts that had run through her head ran through his.
He thought maybe she didn't want to remember what happened between them. He thought maybe she wouldn't want to befriend him because he was a Malfoy and he turned away again.
She excused herself from her friends and went into the library. It was the only thing that would get her mind off of him. She opened a book she had been reading and began to read. It was about two people who were in love, but could not be together because of their wealth and who they were. She read the end of it, where they finally got to be together, but someone's talking took her attention away.
On the next table, Pansy Parkinson was talking to Millicent Bulstrode about Draco. "I heard that he was the one who conjured the mark a few months ago."
"How do you know?" Millicent asked.
"The way I always do," Pansy answered simply. "I overheard him talking to Professor Dumbledore just a few minutes ago."
Ginny stuck the book into her satchel and walked out as fast as she could. If Dumbledore believed Draco, he could be sent to Azkaban. She ran into Harry in the corridors and he stopped her, but she wished he would just disappear.
"Ginny," he began when she walked right by him. "Ginny," he said again.
Out of respect, she whirled around. "Harry," she said, pretending she was surprise to see him there. "Hi, I'd love to talk, but I'm kind of busy. Can't this wait?"
He shook his head. "No, it can't. It's all over Hogwarts, Ginny. What Draco did to save you, everyone knows."
"What?" she asked.
Harry nodded, his face grave. "If you don't go stand by him, stand with him, it's very likely he will join his father in Azkaban before today is over."
"Who else is with them?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Harry said, shaking his head but his eyes were concentrating. "I overheard a group of Slytherin talking and it seems Fudge is on his way too. They're in Professor McGonagall's classroom."
Ginny nodded at him, thankful for his support. "But I don't get it, Harry. Why are you doing this?"
He shrugged and grinned lop-sided. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I think I owe him one for saving your life." He paused and his lop-sided grin grew even lop-sided than it had been earlier. "For saving my sister's life. Besides, the quote for the month was right once again."
Ginny smiled and left. Another quote that meant something to Harry, no surprise there. She walked even faster than she had before until she reached the door into Transfiguration. She paused momentarily, making sure she was ready for this. If she stepped in there, memories of what happened would have to be relived. Nightmares that have haunted her dreams would have to be replayed over and over again and she would have to be able to handle it. Was she sure she's ready for this?
A determine look crossed her face and she turned the knob. He saved her life and she would help him. There's no turning back now.
In there, Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, her glasses on. She looked at Fudge sternly, but her gaze changed when Ginny entered. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the window, his hands held behind his back. When the door opened and closed, he didn't turn around. Fudge was sitting in a chair, and to her surprise, no one else accompanied him as they usually would.
In front of Professor McGonagall's desk, Draco was sitting in a chair, his head held down to the ground. Professor Snape was standing not too far away and it didn't surprise her because he was always present when someone was in trouble.
Draco knew she had entered because she watched as his body stiffened. He wouldn't turn to look at her and she didn't want him to because she wasn't sure what she would do.
Ginny glanced about nervously and went to stand by his side. She held her hands together in front of her because it was all she could do not to touch him and pull him into a soothing hug.
"Whatever he's told you, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Minister, there's a reason," she began. "He didn't do it because he was evil, he only did it because he had to. You see, I was taken into the Chamber of Secrets once again by," she hesitated.
Draco still held his head to the ground. "By what, girl?" Fudge exclaimed.
"Cornelius," Dumbledore said warningly from where he was standing. "Let the girl speak."
Fudge's face turned bright red, but he said no more. Ginny smiled thankfully at the headmaster and he gave her the tiniest of winks. She looked at Draco's blonde hair, cast downward and found the courage to begin again.
"I was taken down to the Chambers of Secrets by Blaise Zabini," she lied, knowing Draco had stiffened by her side again. "He was possessed by Tom Riddle as I- as I had been in my first year. He took me down there and he wanted me to stay with him. But I wouldn't because I didn't want to.
"Draco was there because he had been patrolling the dungeons as he told me after he saved me and before I fell into my deep sleep," she said. "He was down there when he saw the figure of a student slipping out of the Slytherin common room and decided to follow and see if he was up to something suspicious.
"As he had thought, he was correct. I- I was so worried for Harry that I snuck out of my dorm to go see him. I didn't know someone was watching me until they came from behind and took me down to the dungeons. Draco knew where they were taking me and got on his broom only to follow us down there.
"He came from within the darkness and saved me, but Tom Riddle put me under a spell and I don't know what happened next," she concluded. "But I'm sure he only conjured the Unforgivable Curse because he knew it was the only way to kill Tom."
Fudge scoffed and stood up. "And you expect me to believe this?" he asked. He laughed out loud and shook his head. "She lies," he announced.
Ginny looked at him in disbelief and hatred flared through her. Oh, how she would love to murder him now. "I am merely telling the truth," she said, wondering how she was able to lie so well. "I've been speaking to Draco before this incident even happened and we've become, well, friends. You can ask around and they will tell you that he and I have been around each other as equal for quite some time."
"It's true," Snape said, nodding his head. "I've seen Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley speaking as equal out on the Quidditch pitch. Even her brother has accepted him as a friend and did not start any trouble in which I am quite surprise."
"Yes," Ginny said, nodding too. "The whole Gryffindor team had been out there too and they witnessed all this. He only did it because we were friends and he needed to protect me. If he hadn't done that, Tom Riddle would have taken me."
"She has a point, Albus," McGonagall said to Dumbledore. "If he and she hadn't been friends, then why would he have saved her? Why would he have followed them down there? He only used the curse to protect her."
"But no matter what, there is no excuse to using an Unforgivable Curse," Fudge said, outraged that they were going to excuse Draco just like that.
Then Snape spoke, his voice booming through the room. "It was used for self- defense," he said. "True, there is no excuse for it, but Mr. Malfoy's father wouldn't be too happy with you sending his son to Azkaban would he?"
Fudge's eyes widened, "are you threatening me, Severus?" he asked.
Dumbledore smiled kindly, "no, of course not, Cornelius. There is no reason to threaten you when nothing's happened here but a boy trying to protect his friend, correct?"
All the professors agreed. "This isn't over, Albus," Fudge said, leaving. He knew he had lost a battle that day and Ginny knew he would never give up until he brought Dumbledore down. "I'm not afraid of Lucius Malfoy."
He ran out and Draco was free. The blonde boy looked up and gave all the professors a grateful stare, but he wouldn't catch Ginny's eyes. Finally, Ginny walked to Professor Dumbledore and the others.
"Professors, thank you for your supports," she said. "Looks like my job here is done and I shall be leaving. Dinner is starting soon, I'll see you then."
They nodded to her and she turned to leave. Ginny glanced at Draco, but he kept his eyes far from hers. Figures, she thought. It wasn't Malfoy manner to be thankful for something a Weasley did.
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* * *
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. The next day wasn't too different from all the others ever since she returned from the Chamber. She got up from bed, got dressed, and went down to breakfast.
Truth be told, she had expected Draco to tell her how grateful he was, how he would owe her everything. But he hadn't done that, he hadn't even glanced her way once. Ginny looked up in the direction he sat and sighed sadly.
He was still Draco Malfoy and he hated her because she was a Weasley although they seemed to be on friendly terms a few days ago in the chamber. She was foolish to think he would acknowledge her as an equal.
"You okay?" Hermione asked.
Ginny looked back at her food and nodded. "I'm perfect," she lied.
Hermione sighed and it was enough to tell Ginny that a lecture was coming. "Ginny, you can't pretend. I know what's up. Why don't you just go talk to him?"
She shrugged.
"We never mentioned this to you, but do you have an idea why it took you so long to wake up?" Hermione asked.
Ginny shook her head.
"You were under a spell where only your true love's kiss would awaken you," she said. "No one was able to do it. Collin tried when he woke, Michael did, and so did- well, you know. Anyway, no one knows whose kiss woke you up. It was late in the night when you appeared in the common room, Harry had said. Every boy at Hogwarts tried, except your brother, but every single one of them tried. The only person left was-"
Ginny glanced at the Slytherin table again, but noticed that he wasn't there anymore. "Except, Draco," she said lightly.
She didn't wait for Hermione to say anything else. She stood up and headed upstairs because where she was headed, she would need her broom.
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* * *
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Ginny landed lightly on the island she had been on months ago. When her foot was firmly planted on the ground, she swung her other leg over the broom and searched for him. She knew he was there, he had to be.
The wind picked up and carried the leaves in a draft. Ginny squinted her eyes against the wind and cut through the thick brushes in the direction that she had come across him. Where could he be?
Then she spotted him, standing alone by the edge of the island. He was handsome with his hands clutched behind his back. The wind was rough, but it didn't disturb his blonde hair. Ginny stood just beyond his vision and watched a while as the wind ruffled his clothes and his cloaked billowed in the wind.
He turned and glanced at her, but he turned back around as though hoping she would disappear. Ginny stayed where she was, hidden by the trees, but not quite that he wouldn't see her.
Draco turned back and glanced at her, but she was still there. He smirked and turned back around, but he didn't say anything.
Then he turned for the third time, peeking at her. "Still here," she said, coming from within the trees.
"Didn't think you'd find me here," he said, the smirk still visible upon his lips. "I was kind of hoping you would stop trying to speak to me."
"Why?" she asked, curious.
He shrugged, studying the squid who was tapping its tentacles against the water surface, making ripples that broke the smooth surface. Draco bent down and picked up a smooth rock. He skipped it.
"I'm sorry for the past," she said. "You were right. If I think about it, I think I was trying to save you from yourself. I think I was hoping that if I could get you to open up to me, you wouldn't have to face it alone."
Draco skipped another rock. "You remember that day you came here and I had you by the arm?"
She nodded.
"I would have dropped you," he said. "I wanted to because I knew that being who I was, I should. That's why I did, but I caught you again."
"Why?" she asked once again.
He still smirked, but he wouldn't look at her. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. I guess I didn't want you to plunge into water."
"Or you just didn't want me to lose my trust in you," she said, raising her brows challengingly at him.
Draco laughed. It was loud and disturbing, but she didn't flinch. "You don't even trust me," he said.
It was her turn to smirk. She moved to the edge of the lake until it was he she was facing. "Want me to prove it?" she asked him.
He was startle but said nothing. Ginny took that as a yes and leaned back, making sure she held his eyes. Backwards, she fell until she plunged into cold water. But instead of coming back up, she stayed beneath, watching Draco's face from beneath cold water.
He was trying to pretend that he didn't care, but she could see the way his eyes were searching for her to surface. When she didn't, he threw off his shoes and his cloak and jumped in after her.
Ginny couldn't suppress a giggle and laughed, but that only allowed water to enter her mouth. She closed it immediately and relaxed, pretending she had drowned.
Draco saw her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back up to surface. She loved the way he carried her when they were on land, and she loved the way he set her down, so carefully like she was a piece of fragile glass.
She waited for the moment, the time when he would bend down and put his mouth to her, to breathe life into her. When he didn't, Ginny opened her eyes to peek and found him looking at her, his expression amused. "You don't think I believed you for a second there, did you?" he asked.
Ginny shrugged and sat up. "I could still dream can't I?" she answered him.
A grin began to grow on his face, but he looked away abruptly, his face hardening. It was like one moment, he was someone else, and then the next, he was cold and icy like he was years ago.
"I don't get it," she confessed to him. "Sometimes, you look at me, Draco and sometimes you don't. Why is that?"
He shrugged, shivering in the cold.
"It's like sometimes you're afraid to look me in the eye," she said. Then a thought occurred to her and she looked away too. "It's because I'm a Weasley isn't it?"
Draco still wouldn't look at her. So she had been right all along. He saved her in the Chambers, but that was all. He just wanted to be heroic, he never wanted her to be a part of his life at all. He had been so un-Draco- ish there and here, he was Draco again. Ginny shook her head in distress. "I keep inventing you, trying to make you into the guy I want you to be," she said, scoffing at herself. "I keep picturing you as a nice guy when I should just accept the fact that maybe you really aren't."
His eyes hardened and he nodded at her, finally meeting her eyes. "Yeah, maybe you should just accept that."
"Why do you keep fighting it?" she asked, standing up with her teeth chattering. "Why can't you just accept that you aren't as cruel as you seem to want everyone to see you?"
"Because it's who I am!" he shouted, angry. "Merlin's Beard, Ginny, it's who I am so stop trying to make me someone I'm not." His voice softened and so did his eyes, but only a little. "There's a guy out there who's heroic and filled with so much love, you wouldn't be able to handle it, but that guys not me."
Ginny picked up her broom and mounted it, but she turned back to look at him. "That's not who I want you to be," Ginny said softly. "It never was."
"Wait," he said when she was going to kick off. "Look, I'm sorry for getting angry with you. I don't know, I'm just so confused."
She didn't say anything nor did she fly off.
.
"Remember how you asked me if I've ever been in love?"
She took interest in that and got off her broom again. "Yeah," she said.
.
"Well, I have," he said and the answer surprised Ginny. She had thought Draco's never been in love.
.
"Over the summer, I fell in love with a muggle," he admitted. "I liked her a lot, but seeing as she was a muggle, I could never let my family find out about her and I could never let her find out about my family, or who I really am. Anyway, at the end, she told me she's never really liked me and I was just her summer boyfriend. It hurt," he said, as thought surprised with the feeling. "I've always been the one to hurt someone, but she hurt me and I realized that I can't handle it. I don't want to."
"Wow," Ginny said, mesmerized. Draco in love with a muggle? Who would have thought? "Must have hurt badly," she said.
"I guess you've never been in love with someone who was in love with someone else," he said sadly, but his face was cold as ice. "I wouldn't be too surprise because you look like the kind of girls whom every guy you fall for falls for you first."
Ginny looked at him surprised and laughed out loud. "You think so? Then you must be the first. Haven't you heard about Harry?"
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"Oh," was all he said.
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She nodded at him. "Yeah, oh," she said. "I'm an idiot, I fall for every guy who won't catch me."
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He swallowed.
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"I dreamed while I was asleep, you know," Ginny said. "I saw every single boy who kissed me, I think anyway. They passed by where I was when I wasn't conscious, and every single one of them passed me by. Finally, there was Harry. He saw me and he caught me, but he let me go. It was then that someone else caught me and pulled me up. I think I know who it is, but I can't be too sure."
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Draco looked at the ground and she slapped him against the head. He looked up, startled, "what was that for?"
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Ginny grinned and shook her head at him, "you kissed me, Draco and you woke me up. But you ran away."
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He looked away, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets.
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"Look at me," she instructed softly.
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. He looked at her lips and he licked his.
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"Higher," she commanded.
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He looked at her nose, observing the sprinkle of freckles.
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. "Higher," she said once again.
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. Finally, his eyes reached hers and Ginny's breath caught. He was beautiful.
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. "He said that I won his heart, so take it, but what if I won't take it because he's not giving it to me?" she asked him softly.
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. "What if he wants to give it to you, but he's afraid you just won't take it?" he asked, turning her question against her. "What's if he's afraid you love someone else? Do you love Harry, Ginny?"
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Ginny laughed and mounted her broom once again. This game with Draco was getting her hurt. She didn't think it would, but it was and she didn't want to play it anymore. She shot over her shoulder, "why not ask something I can answer? Why not ask if I love you?"
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"Believe me, Ginny, it's the one question I want to ask," he paused to watch her hover in the air. "But it's the one answer I'm afraid to know."
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. She nodded and looked at him sadly before flying off. Draco left her twice, now it was her turn to leave him.
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* * *
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The next day, news of what happened in the Chamber was all over the world. Ginny watched Dumbledore's calm face, but she could see the way his eyes looked them over with weariness.
Fudge knew he would never be able to get to Dumbledore unless he turned the people for Dumbledore against him and that's exactly what he did. A war was brewing because Voldemort is too big a threat and all seventh years were being recruited, even Draco.
Ginny stood on the platform of Hogsmeade and watched them board the train, one by one. She hugged her brother, Hermione, and then Harry before they got on, but she didn't even glance in Draco's direction.
Slowly, with tears sliding down her face, she backed up. What would happen to her friends? What if they died? She didn't know, but whatever it was, she hoped they would all return to her in a short amount of time.
The train began to move and its pace began to quicken. Ginny watched sadly, unable to do anything. She watched as each face passed her by, their eyes grief-stricken. They were going to war, she didn't expect anything different.
Then she saw it, the one face that she had longed to see and yet didn't want to. Their eyes locked for a long moment, each of them trying to conceal their emotions but all was plain.
Ginny wanted to run after the train. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but what was the use? He might not return and her heart would only be left broken.
The other students made their way up to Hogwarts, but Ginny lagged behind. She wasn't ready to enter that school again and return to her daily routine as if nothing had ever happened. She wanted to stay in the past and remember everything that had happened.
Finally, she reached the Gryffindor's Common Room and gave the old quote for the previous month. When the fat lady wouldn't open up, Ginny realized that the month was new and so was the quote.
She groaned and sank onto the floor, hoping someone would pass by soon and help her in. An hour passed and no one came in or out. Ginny stood to walk away, but the fat lady spoke, surprising her. "The sun sets at night, but it always rises the next day. Hope is lost but it is always regained."
Ginny frowned, trying to comprehend what it meant. The fat lady laughed and Ginny's frown turned into a smile. She's never heard the portrait laugh before and hearing it now filled her with joy she hadn't had for quite some time now.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It's the new quote," the fat lady said patiently and swung open. If she had seen the words forming in Ginny's mouth she didn't say.
Ginny walked through the quiet and empty common room. What would happen to the seventh years? What if they didn't return?
She made her way upstairs and found the other sixth year girls in bed. She didn't speak a word to them because she couldn't trust her voice. She was afraid that if she tried, she would only end up bursting into tears.
The curtains were pulled tightly around her and she relaxed in her bed, trying to block out the sobs of a tearful roommate. Her eyes were also closed that's why she didn't notice the letter on her bed until night fell and the only light she had was candlelight.
No one went down to dinner; no one cared much about it anymore. The others were still in the room and they were asleep, or maybe not because she could still hear sniffling. Ginny opened the letter and lit her wand to brighten the light so she could read. When had it gotten there? It could have been there ever since the morning.
Ginny opened it and there in neatly scrawled letters like the card were words written for her; words put together from someone's heart.
You are the last in your family, the last to be noticed, and the last to be recognized, but you are the first to win my heart.
Like before, there was no signature. Ginny held the letter to her heart and a tear leaked down her face. She was the girl who won Draco's heart.
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. But didn't take it.
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.·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·. The End .·:*´¨`*:·..·:*´¨`*:·.