A/N: Okay, this is the last
chapter!
The next few days passed by in a blur for Ginny. She returned to Hogwarts, of course. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, despite Dumbledore's long speech about how she, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco were not to be pestered for the story.
Ginny
felt like she was a zombie. Her whole family came for the big feast held in the
honor of Voldemort's defeat. And there was also a two-week vacation for the
whole school since he was gone. While everyone else was happy about all this,
she just moved without feeling.
She desperately
wanted to talk with Draco – she knew he was the reason she felt so numb. But
whenever she saw him he was always surrounded by a gaggle of girls, even first
year Hufflepuffs, who he used to always make fun of, and she was too
embarrassed to approach him. His relationship with Harry, Ron, and Hermione had
changed dramatically. He now ignored them. They never paid any attention to
each other. Ginny wasn't sure if this was positive or negative.
Three
days before they got out of their September-October vacation, Ginny went for a
long walk. Eventually she made her way outside into the chilly late afternoon
air. When she glanced towards the lake, her heart rose. She spotted Draco's
silver hair. He was leaning back on his elbows along the edge of the lake.
Ginny
approached him wordlessly. He didn't even look at her as she sat on her knees,
facing him. It was then she noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks.
She
attempted a grin. "Aren't you cold?" she asked, gesturing at his feet. For some
reason, she noticed how perfect his toenails were.
"I'm
always cold," he answered blankly, staring out across the lake.
Her
smile faded. "Draco, what really happened when your father came the other
night?"
"I went
home for a little while."
"What
did you do there?"
"Had a
wonderful heart to heart with my father dearest. Why?"
He
still would not look at her. Ginny wondered if he was upset. Lucius Malfoy had
been put in Azkaban and was the only Death Eater they had found – the rumor was
that everyone else had disappeared along with Voldemort. Some had strong doubts
that he was really gone. But even if he were merely a spirit like he'd been
reduced to when Lily Potter's spell had taken his powers he would at least be
out of the way for another ten years.
"Why is
getting a straight answer from you like pulling teeth?" Ginny cried,
exasperated.
"I can't
say I know how hard pulling teeth is," he replied smoothly. "I've never had one
pulled before."
"It's
an expression," she huffed. She'd forgotten how he could agitate her so easily.
Then why was he all she could think about when they were separated? Why did she
feel so hopeless without him? "Whatever happened must've caused your father to
kidnap me," Ginny continued after she simmered down a little.
"Perhaps."
"Then
don't I have a right to know?"
"Sure
you do. I just don't feel like telling you."
Ginny
closed her eyes and took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down. Don't
scratch his eyeballs out – you'll regret it later, she assured herself.
"Obviously,
all along Voldemort had been planning for Potter and I to join the amulets
together and help him become invincible," Draco finally answered slowly. "We
were the only ones who could do it. So Voldemort and my father decided to set a
trap for the both of us: you were the bait. They knew that the both of us would
come and as it turns out they were right."
Ginny thought
this over. Did that mean that Draco cared enough to try and save her? But
honestly – why didn't he tell any adult where he was going? Was he really that
confident he could do it himself?
Yes,
she answered her own question. Draco thinks he can do anything.
"Maybe
you should put your socks back on," she said, gazing at his feet. "I think you're
starting to turn blue."
"I'll
never be any color but white," Draco replied coolly, but sat up and started to
pull his socks on. For the first time, he looked at her. "Why do you care?"
"Because
I don't want you to blend in with your coffin," Ginny said with a grin.
He
half-smirked at her. "It wouldn't be solid blue – blue and red stripes.
Remember that."
"Why? I
don't suspect I'm going to be the one arranging your funeral."
"That's
right. You'll probably die before me anyway."
He was joking, and Ginny actually laughed. To
her surprise, Draco's smirk melted into a genuine smile. A smile that reached
his eyes. Ginny suddenly felt a lot more comfortable with him.
Draco
leaned back on his elbows again. "You know I wasn't apart of that plan, don't
you?"
Ginny
stared at him, startled. His gray eyes bore right back into hers, making her
feel slightly light-headed. She smiled half-heartedly and joked, "What, your
funeral plan?"
"You
know what plan I mean."
"Do I?
I thought I was brain dead."
Draco
gave her another real smile and looked like he wanted to laugh. He put his
hands behind his head and lowered it to the ground. "Now you're getting smarter."
"I
know."
"What,
that you're smarter? I never said you were smart, I just said that you
were smarter –"
"No, I
mean I know that you weren't apart of the plan," she interrupted.
"I
never wanted Potter dead. Well – except when he beats me in Quidditch. And when
it's all his fault Slytherin lost the House Cup. And the time he got full marks
on the Transfiguration exam and I failed it. And when he actually finds Weasley
funny. And when he actually believes that Granger is smart –"
"So
basically all the time, huh?" Ginny cut in, laughing. "But I wouldn't say you
wanted him dead. I'd say you were jealous."
"Draco
Malfoy does not get jealous. Why should I? I have everything. Looks, money,
personality, skill. . . ."
"Me,"
Ginny blurted before she could stop herself.
Draco
fixed his eyes on her, and smirked slowly. "Sure do think highly of yourself,
do you? You think you're everything?"
"To me
I am," she replied uncomfortably.
Draco
sat up quickly. "I have a question for you."
"I
guess it's your turn to ask the questions," she said, pretending to be
interested in picking at the grass.
"Do you
still like Potter?"
She
looked up sharply. "How did you know I liked him?"
"God,
Ginny, the entire school knew. I'm surprised it wasn't in the paper."
"I'm
embarrassed now," she said, feeling her cheeks burn.
"Answer
the question. I always answer yours."
"But it's
like pulling teeth." She flashed him a grin before looking back at the ground
again.
"I won't
leave you alone until you answer, Weasley."
"Good,"
she said, and scooted closer to him. "I don't want you to leave."
He
reached out absently and brushed a wavy strand of red hair off her forehead. "You're
avoiding the question. Does that mean you do?"
"I'll
always like Harry," Ginny admitted, putting her face so close to his the tips
of their noses touched. "He's my friend. He's like a seventh brother almost."
"So you
want him."
Ginny
laughed softly. "I want you." Surprised at her own boldness, she kissed him on
the lips.
Once
again, the kiss made her stomach flutter pleasantly. Somehow they shifted so
she was in his lap, one arm around his neck and the other running through his
silky hair. She had always thought kissing Draco would be awkward and
embarrassing, but it was the total opposite. It felt so right. It wasn't
something she'd regret later and she knew it.
They
kissed by the lake for a long time. When Ginny finally pulled away the sun was
nearly all the way down. Reluctantly, she said goodbye to Draco and hurried up
to her common room. She had just given the password to the Fat Lady when it
swung open and someone came running out, colliding into her.
When
she managed to regain her balance, she saw it was Harry.
"Where's
the fire?" she cried as the Fat Lady swung close, leaving them in the hallway.
"Huh?
Oh . . . nothing," he said, scratching the back of his head and looking down. "Just
. . . I saw – Ron and Hermione – I mean, I always suspected they liked each
other, but I didn't –"
"Were
they kissing?" Ginny demanded eagerly.
Harry
nodded.
"Why is
that so terrible?" Ginny asked, clapping her hands together excitedly.
"It was
just – weird, I guess," Harry replied awkwardly. "Anyway, I was just going to
look for you. I have something to tell you."
"Can it
wait? I was just going to change for dinner –"
"I
think you should hear it now," Harry told her.
"All
right." Ginny tried to look serious, but she had never felt happier – things between
her and Draco were working out, and Ron finally had a girlfriend. Ginny had
always secretly hoped that Hermione would become her sister-in-law.
"I
heard about the Life Spell you performed," Harry began. Ginny instantly felt a
little awkward. Some of her happiness faded. "And I read about it. Because I
was feeling . . . well, different."
"You
were?" Ginny said, confused. "Are you okay? Nothing went wrong, did it? Are you
feeling better –?"
"It
wasn't a bad different," Harry said hurriedly. "It was . . . it's kind of hard
to say. I mean, it's kind of embarrassing."
"Well,
it can't be too bad. Tell me."
"Ever
since I woke up in that room I . . ."
Ginny
waited patiently for him to finish.
"Well,
what happened is that when you did the Life Spell you put some of yourself into
me," Harry said.
Ginny suddenly
knew where this was going. "Oh no. You're not gay now, are you?"
"No!"
Harry said quickly. "No, I'm obsessed with you!"
Ginny
wasn't sure she'd heard right. She almost asked him to repeat it, but he was
turning so red she was afraid he would explode if she forced him to say it
again.
She'd
dreamed he would say something like that to her for the longest time. And now
that it was happening she only felt terrible. So now she was apart of him
because she'd given him some of her life.
"Oh,"
Ginny said weakly. "Oh . . . I'm just . . . I'll be . . . I'm going to lie down
for a little while, okay?"
She was
so stunned she barely remembered the password for the Fat Lady, who had been
listening to their whole conversation. Practically running all the way up to
the dormitory, she flung herself onto her bed. She pressed her face into the
pillow, wishing what had just happened hadn't. She didn't regret using the Life
Spell on him. He would've died if she hadn't. But she hadn't expected that to
happen. What if Ron had done the spell? Ginny wondered. Would he
obsessing about Ron instead?
The
thought thoroughly disturbed her. The feelings he had for her weren't really
true – they could be for anyone.
"Ohhh,"
Ginny moaned.
"Gin,
what's wrong?" Rachel asked. Rachel was reading in her bed and Ginny hadn't
noticed her.
"Harry's
obsessed with me," she said despairingly, her voice muffled by the pillow.
She
burst out crying.
All right, that's my story! Please review and tell
me what you thought of it! Will you read a sequel? If I don't get enough
reviews I won't do a sequel, but if I do, it'll be called The Return of
Salazar Slytherin. And it's about – that's right, you guessed it – the return
of Salazar Slytherin! So keep a look out for it, and if it never comes, that
means I didn't get enough reviews! Bye bye for now!