Draco's Desires

Part Nine

Travels With Ginny And Her Valiant Protector

*~~~~~*

Summer was monotonous and lonely for me. My father was away for the most part, and my mother was pale and worried. I asked her what Father was doing, but she wouldn't tell me. She claimed she didn't know. But I believe she did. Perhaps it had to do with Voldemort, and she was trying to protect me. Well, I didn't care much anyway. I knew I was more important and more powerful than the Dark Lord was, if only I would have the chance to prove it. And I needed to swim in the pool in the Chamber of Secrets. Sometimes it's all I could think about. So I set about owling Ginny, a plan in mind. I will let her narrate the next part, since it takes place while I am at my home and she is at hers.

*~~~~~*

I was lying in bed, trying hard to sleep. Ever since the tragedy at Hogwarts I hadn't been sleeping well, and had even slept in with my mum and dad or my brother some nights. I know that's ridiculous for a great girl of thirteen, but I had bad dreams. I don't like being alone. I love my family, but I wished I were back at Hogwarts so I could be near Hermione and Harry and swim in my pool with Draco.

I curled up tighter under my sheets, trying to get comfortable and to force the horrible mental pictures out of my head. I covered up my head with my hands to block bad things from getting in. I debated crawling into bed with Ron.

Suddenly, I heard a tapping on my window, which startled me. I nearly cried out, but I stuck my head out from under the sheets and saw a huge owl outside the window. My eyes went wide and I crawled out of bed, throwing the latches so the window could open and the majestic owl could fly in. He perched on my bed and held out one leg to me. I noticed the parchment tied onto him. "For me?" I almost never received mail, and especially not from such a beautiful owl.

I crawled up on the bed next to him and undid the letter. The owl sat on my lap and I stroked his soft feathers as I read it. It said:

Darling Ginny,

I am simply dying to see you, and to visit our Chamber again. I can not wait until school starts up once more so that I may feel your hand in mine. I will be going to Hogwarts on Saturday to reclaim our realm. I would be honored if you would come with me on the return to the Chamber. I will meet you on the grounds in front of the castle on Saturday evening if the fates allow. I await seeing you again.

Yours,

Draco Lucius Malfoy

PS: Bring your bathing suit

I smiled. He wrote such formal letters. I considered this invitation and there was nothing I could think of that I wanted more. I would go, and I didn't care what anyone thought. I moved the owl and quickly scrawled a response to Draco, while the beautiful creature ate a few of Pig's treats. I then fastened the reply to the owl's leg, snuggled him once, and climbed up on the windowsill in the open window to let him free. Once I was up there, I was scared since it was high, but I didn't want to get down even once the owl was out of view in the darkness. I let the wind blow through my thin nightgown, chilling me to the bone. I hugged myself, and pictured myself soaring through the air, towards the ground, dashing against the hard earth. The thought scared me and thrilled me and made me dizzy. I had been having these sorts of thoughts since I returned home. I wanted to fly, I wanted to die, I wanted to be…free!

Suddenly, strong arms clasped me around the waist and gathered me up, getting me away from the dangerous window. "Daddy…" I murmured and snuggled against him.

"My little girl. Oh, my poor little girl." He cradled me. He thought I was going to jump. He thought I was mad. "Don't scare us like that, Ginny. Please don't leave us, my sweet child." He must have been so worried. I had never known him to be so passionate.

"I was just seeing the owl off." I yawned.

"Yes, of course. The owl." He didn't ask questions, but he carried me into their room so I could cuddle up next to Mum. He figured I would be safe there. My poor lovely parents.

*~~~~~*

The next day, Harry and Hermione came for a visit. Hermione was only staying for a couple of weeks, but Harry had come to spend the rest of the summer since his aunt and uncle didn't much want him. Who wouldn't want Harry?

Harry and 'Mione arrived at about the same time. When I saw them coming, I ran out of the house and threw my arms around them, practically bursting into tears. Harry lifted me off my feet, hugging me tightly. Ron had told him all about how much the last year had affected me, and I think Harry thought he was partly responsible. I had been rather neglected at the end of the year, and he wanted to make it up to me. I didn't care so much about that. I was just so glad he was there. I always felt safe when Harry was near me. "I missed you both," I sobbed.

"Hey, you're okay!" Harry grinned at me. My other 'big brother', so sweet when he wanted to be. I clutched their hands and pulled them inside so that Ron could get a piece of them too before I devoured them both.

We spent several lovely days talking, playing Quidditch, eating tons of Mum's cooking (she never cooked quite this well for us!), and acting like goons. I was almost a bit sorry to be secretly leaving for Hogwarts the next morning, but my drive to get back to the Chamber was great, and I missed Draco.

I said goodnight to everyone as if I would never be seeing them again. Then, practically in tears, I fled up to my room and packed up a small backpack. I don't know why I felt so upset. Maybe it was because I had never gone anywhere by myself and I didn't know what would happen to me. Plus, I was very close to my family. "Just a couple of days, Ginny. Then you'll be back. You just need to spend some time in a place where you feel energized, with someone who's crazy about you." Feeling more determined, I changed into fresh clothes and dozed for a bit.

Early in the morning, at about 4:30, I woke and prepared to leave. I had decided to go out my window and try to climb down the side of the house. Thank goodness I knew how to cast a ground-softening spell just in case. Of course it would have to work first… Braving it, I had one foot out the window, when I heard a voice from the doorway.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" Harry was gawking at me, wearing pajama bottoms and no top. He had a glass of water in his hand, explaining why he was awake. I sucked in my breath. Gosh, he looked good.

"Um, I'm just climbing out my window. You know… for fun." Damn, that was lame, Gin.

"Come off it, Ginny. What are you really doing?" He wandered over to me, noticing the backpack. "Are you running away?"

"No, not really. I'm just going to Hogwarts."

"It's summer. I love Hogwarts too, but you'll have to wait 'till September. I suspect it will be rather lonely there all by yourself." He smiled at me, his eyes showing amusement.

I felt irritated. "What do you know, Harry? I want to go to Hogwarts, so I'm going! I'm not a child and I won't be lonely."

"Look, I know things have been hard lately. But Voldemort is out there somewhere." I still winced at the name. "And you can't just go off in the middle of the night."

I stuck to my guns. "I'm going."

Harry sighed. "Well…all right. But you just stay there. I'll be right back. Don't move, now." He sped out of the room, black hair glistening in the moonlight.

I sat on my windowsill and grumbled. I supposed he was going to tell my parents, or at any rate Ron and 'Mione. I didn't relish the thought of anyone knowing. The last thing I wanted was everyone running all over the country looking for me. I waited for Harry to come back with the troops.

*~~~~~*

Back to my meager existence. I wasn't sure if Ginny would be able to make it out of her house, with all of them watching her like a prisoner and all. But I still waited for a response from her. It wasn't long before it came.

My owl swooped into my dimly lit bedroom and I removed the letter from his leg as if it were the most delicate thing. I unwrapped it and read it.

Dear Draco,

I do want to see you. I really do. I will try to get away from my house, at least for a couple of days. Can't wait to see you on Saturday as long as everything works out!

Love,

Ginny

I pressed the parchment to my chest. Oh, she said she loves me! I could hardly breathe. 'Love, Ginny.' 'Love.' Does she mean it? Or do all girls sign their letters with 'love?' Is it just a female thing? Maybe I should sign my next letter with 'love.' Did she think my letter was cold? Of course not! Otherwise, she wouldn't have said 'love!' I rolled over on my bed and giggled. Yes, Draco Malfoy, giggling. Oh, I'm a happy boy. Hee.

*~~~~~*

I sat on my windowsill for the longest time, feeling irritable and sleepy. But all of a sudden there was a swooshing sound outside the window. I started and practically tipped out backwards, but someone caught my wrist. It was Harry, and he was on the Firebolt, hovering beside my window. "Ginny, Ginny…you'd get yourself killed if I weren't here." He grinned.

"Shut up, Harry." But I was grateful he hadn't let me die, so I smiled at him. "What are you doing? You're such a nutter!"

"No more than you, Miss 'I'm Going to Hogwarts in the Middle of the Summer.'"

I smacked at him and missed. "No, seriously, what are you doing?"

"We're going to Hogwarts, just like you wanted. Climb aboard." He gestured to the area on the broom directly in front of him.

"You're going with me?"

"Of course. At least until you realize how harebrained your idea is, so we can come home."

I smirked. "You're in for a long trip."

"I don't mind. You can't go alone. You may as well have company. Besides, you would have killed yourself trying to climb down to the ground."

I opened my mouth to chew him out, but decided not to. After all, he was right. "Okay, you can come." He reached over and pulled me safely onto the broom. I settled down in front of him, grasping the broomstick tightly. I didn't have a whole lot of experience in flying and we were very high up! "So…how fast does this go?" I'd never been on the Firebolt in open air space.

"Fast enough. But I'll keep a close grip around you. We'll be fine. But we need to wear this." He pulled his invisibility cloak out of his own backpack that he now toted. He pulled me back against him and wrapped the cloak up over our heads and around my front so that we were both covered well except for our faces. I shivered having never been this close to him before.

I was impressed. "This is a good idea. I know there's some kind of law against underage wizards flying across England and Scotland." I could never keep track of all the things we could and couldn't do. The bottom line is that we really couldn't do much of anything legally.

"It'll keep us warm too, in the wind." He wrapped one arm firmly around my stomach and gripped the Firebolt with his other one. "Hogwarts, here we come!"

We were suddenly speeding over the countryside faster than I had ever traveled before. "Harry!" I yelled, quite stunned at the sheer speed of the Firebolt.

"It's fast, but you get used to it. Then it's really fun."

And it was fun! I was soon laughing as we soared through the air towards Hogwarts and the early morning sunshine.

*~~~~~*