AN/Disclaimer: Disclaimed in chapter one, dedicated in chapter two. This here, if you wonder, is chapter three. All said; now you can read it. Enjoy! Luinthoron.
Draco Liber – Chapter Three – The Death Eater
Nearly three weeks had passed and everybody seemed to accept what was impossible for them to change. Draco Malfoy was a Gryffindor. Well, nearly everybody. Snape seemed to be an exception. Draco hadn't lost a single point from Gryffindor in other classes, but Snape seemed to enjoy taking points from him. And, of course, from Harry. But nobody cared. Everybody knew, that Snape was the Head of Slytherin and had lost his best student to his Houses archrival Gryffindor. And as Draco didn't lose more points than those taken by Snape, he still didn't cost his House too much. And then it happened…
Nobody noticed the dark robed figure emerging from the Forbidden Forest. It seemed to be a tall man in black robes. His face couldn't be seen, as it was covered by a mask. And then… Screams echoed through the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fifth-years were in their Herbology lesson as they heard the screams. They were coming from near Hagrid's house, where the fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were having Care for Magical Creatures.
"Something's wrong over there!" shouted Harry. "Not even the Blast-Ended Skrewts could make them scream like that!"
With these words he pulled Ron and Hermione with him and, despite professor Sprouts warnings, left the greenhouse.
The only thing Draco could think about was Ginny. And as the trio left, Draco did the same through the door on the other end of the greenhouse and began to run towards the Forbidden Forest.
The screams were getting louder. Everybody was panicked. A Death Eater on Hogwarts grounds can frighten nearly everyone. But one girl was still standing near Hagrid's house. It was Ginny Weasley. After having to face Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, nothing was going to shake her easily. And she was still standing there, when the Death Eater reached the house and pulled out his wand. Draco didn't believe his eyes – he saw Hagrid raising a really ugly pink umbrella and shouting "Expelliarmus!" while pointing it at the dark-robed figure. The Death Eater dodged the spell and fired his own at Hagrid, effectively knocking him out. Seeing Harry and his friends running towards him, the Death Eater began to laugh.
"So we meet again, Harry Potter! But I'm not here because of you. But still… See your little girlfriend experiencing real pain!"
Everybody recognized the voice. It was the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
"Crucio!" he shouted.
And then someone else came running towards them. Someone jumping towards Ginny and pushing her away from the curses path. Someone with silvery-blonde hair and pale skin in black Hogwarts robes. This someone was Draco Malfoy.
"Expelliarmus!"
The voices of Harry, Ron and Hermione were mixed with the voices of professors Sprout, Dumbledore and Lupin, with the voices of the Weasley twins and, to everybodys surpise, with the voice of Sirius Black. The power of the many charms blasted Lucius against Hagrid's house with such force, that he was instantly knocked out. Also, it seemed, he had some broken bones from the crash.
"You saved me! It was the sweetest thing anybody ever did for me!" Ginny was talking to Draco. Or more precisely, she was trying to talk to him – the Cruciatus Curse had hit Draco and he was still visibly in pain.
"Well, now I know, what they mean by saying that love hurts," said Draco silently and smiled to Ginny, before passing out.
"I still can't believe he did it," said Ron. "What happened to the Malfoy we all thought we knew?"
Nobody answered him. The teachers were transporting Lucius to the headmasters office, not forgetting to take forty points from Gryffindor for unneccessarily risking their lives and to give Gryffindor fifty points for Draco's brave and unselfish act. The twins were sent back to the school to inform the students about the attack. Ginny had insisted on accompanying Draco to the hospital wing. There were only Harry, Hermione, he and Sirius.
"What are you doing here, Sirius?" asked Harry.
"It really is a strange story… Is it true, that Draco Malfoy was re-sorted into Gryffindor?"
"Yeah, it sure seems so." answered Harry.
"Well, I kind of thought that Dumbledore wouldn't joke with such things. The thing is, after the Sorting the headmaster owled me and asked me to keep an eye on Lucius Malfoy. It seemed that Dumbledore was afraid that Lucius would do something stupid when he recieves the news. And he was right. This morning Lucius received an owl and after reading the letter he was so angry, that I thought he's going to kill the boy. But before I could think anything more, he burned the letter and disapparated. So, thinking he's coming here, I disapparated too. And after alerting Dumbledore and Remus we heard the screams and came here, picking the Weasleys up on the way. It seems, they were trying to sneak to the kitchen and sabotage the lunch with some projects for their joke shop. And so we arrived here just as young Draco made his dramatic jump. Professor Sprout seems to have followed some of her students here too, so we all tried to stop Lucius and the rest, well, the rest you already know."
* * *
How could I forget… Crabbe and Goyle. They're too stupid to think for themselves but still intelligent enough to tell their parents about the Sorting. And their fathers… Well, they're Death Eaters. And, of course, they alerted my father. Oh shit! Somebody tell me I just didn't do what I did! They all saw it – me saving Ginny from my father. The Weasel is going to kill me. And Potter too. Well, maybe they can accept it, but it is going to be hard. For me as for them. And I should really start using their first names, even though they are still calling me Malfoy.
* * *
Draco opened his eyes, feeling much better. The pain was gone and he wasn't even sure that he was awake. It seemed more like a dream to him to see Ginny sitting by his bed.
"Oh, you're awake!" smiled Ginny. "Are you okay, Draco?"
"Seems so." answered Draco, smiling back. "Hey, did I just hear what I thought I did?"
"What?"
"You said my name!"
"What about it?"
"No Gryffindor has ever said my name. They all just say Malfoy. But you said Draco to me."
"Well, it is your name. Why should I call you Malfoy, when Draco sounds so much better?"
Ginny smiled again and kissed Draco on his cheek.
"Thanks for saving me!"
Draco could feel his face turning red. Again, the only thing he could think about was Ginny. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her in his arms, but didn't know how to do it. She seemed so innocent and vulnerable, yet still so strong and full of fire. Draco just watched her and didn't know what to say.
"Draco?" she whispered.
"What?"
"What was it that you said before you fainted?"
"You heared that?"
"Did you mean me?"
And again Draco didn't know what to say. He knew that Ginny had been chasing after Harry Potter for the past three years. But he had to say something.
"Does it really matter?" asked Draco wryly. "You are still running after Potter, I mean Harry, even though you know that he's never going to give up Cho."
"No, you're wrong. I'm not after Harry anymore. Even little girls like me grow up, you know!"
The spark of life seemed to come back to Draco's blue-gray eyes.
"Do you really mean that?"
"Don't you trust me?" asked Ginny mockingly.
"Maybe I should really trust more people," said Draco.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"Well, did you mean…"
"What do you think? Why do you think I asked for a new Sorting? I couldn't play the perfect Slytherin anymore, knowing it hurts you too…"
"You risked that much for me?"
Draco was going to answer, when madam Pomfrey walked in.
"I see you're already better. You have to stay here this night, but the curse should not have any long-term effects. Miss Weasley, I'm afraid you have to leave. You still have some lessons today."
"I see you later, Draco!"
With these words Ginny left the hospital wing. The whole world was turned upside down for her. Did Draco Malfoy really love her? And more important – what did she feel about him? She had to speak to him again, but what was she going to say?
* * *
Now she knows… I can't believe I told her. I had so much to say, but just couldn't find the words. I hope I can find them the next time I see her. But I know I can't. She makes me feel things I have never felt in my life. I love her more than my life. I didn't know it was possible, until I had to save her from my father. But does she love me? Will she ever love me? I was never so confused, yet still so happy before. We will see each other later, she said… Maybe… I don't know what, but maybe…
AN: I hope you liked this one too. As always, reviews are more than welcome. Even flames. At least they show me, that somebody's still reading it. And as long as there is somebody who likes this thing I'm going to write more. So please review! Thanks in advance. Luinthoron the crazy romantic :).
Draco Liber – Chapter Three – The Death Eater
Nearly three weeks had passed and everybody seemed to accept what was impossible for them to change. Draco Malfoy was a Gryffindor. Well, nearly everybody. Snape seemed to be an exception. Draco hadn't lost a single point from Gryffindor in other classes, but Snape seemed to enjoy taking points from him. And, of course, from Harry. But nobody cared. Everybody knew, that Snape was the Head of Slytherin and had lost his best student to his Houses archrival Gryffindor. And as Draco didn't lose more points than those taken by Snape, he still didn't cost his House too much. And then it happened…
Nobody noticed the dark robed figure emerging from the Forbidden Forest. It seemed to be a tall man in black robes. His face couldn't be seen, as it was covered by a mask. And then… Screams echoed through the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fifth-years were in their Herbology lesson as they heard the screams. They were coming from near Hagrid's house, where the fourth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were having Care for Magical Creatures.
"Something's wrong over there!" shouted Harry. "Not even the Blast-Ended Skrewts could make them scream like that!"
With these words he pulled Ron and Hermione with him and, despite professor Sprouts warnings, left the greenhouse.
The only thing Draco could think about was Ginny. And as the trio left, Draco did the same through the door on the other end of the greenhouse and began to run towards the Forbidden Forest.
The screams were getting louder. Everybody was panicked. A Death Eater on Hogwarts grounds can frighten nearly everyone. But one girl was still standing near Hagrid's house. It was Ginny Weasley. After having to face Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets, nothing was going to shake her easily. And she was still standing there, when the Death Eater reached the house and pulled out his wand. Draco didn't believe his eyes – he saw Hagrid raising a really ugly pink umbrella and shouting "Expelliarmus!" while pointing it at the dark-robed figure. The Death Eater dodged the spell and fired his own at Hagrid, effectively knocking him out. Seeing Harry and his friends running towards him, the Death Eater began to laugh.
"So we meet again, Harry Potter! But I'm not here because of you. But still… See your little girlfriend experiencing real pain!"
Everybody recognized the voice. It was the voice of Lucius Malfoy.
"Crucio!" he shouted.
And then someone else came running towards them. Someone jumping towards Ginny and pushing her away from the curses path. Someone with silvery-blonde hair and pale skin in black Hogwarts robes. This someone was Draco Malfoy.
"Expelliarmus!"
The voices of Harry, Ron and Hermione were mixed with the voices of professors Sprout, Dumbledore and Lupin, with the voices of the Weasley twins and, to everybodys surpise, with the voice of Sirius Black. The power of the many charms blasted Lucius against Hagrid's house with such force, that he was instantly knocked out. Also, it seemed, he had some broken bones from the crash.
"You saved me! It was the sweetest thing anybody ever did for me!" Ginny was talking to Draco. Or more precisely, she was trying to talk to him – the Cruciatus Curse had hit Draco and he was still visibly in pain.
"Well, now I know, what they mean by saying that love hurts," said Draco silently and smiled to Ginny, before passing out.
"I still can't believe he did it," said Ron. "What happened to the Malfoy we all thought we knew?"
Nobody answered him. The teachers were transporting Lucius to the headmasters office, not forgetting to take forty points from Gryffindor for unneccessarily risking their lives and to give Gryffindor fifty points for Draco's brave and unselfish act. The twins were sent back to the school to inform the students about the attack. Ginny had insisted on accompanying Draco to the hospital wing. There were only Harry, Hermione, he and Sirius.
"What are you doing here, Sirius?" asked Harry.
"It really is a strange story… Is it true, that Draco Malfoy was re-sorted into Gryffindor?"
"Yeah, it sure seems so." answered Harry.
"Well, I kind of thought that Dumbledore wouldn't joke with such things. The thing is, after the Sorting the headmaster owled me and asked me to keep an eye on Lucius Malfoy. It seemed that Dumbledore was afraid that Lucius would do something stupid when he recieves the news. And he was right. This morning Lucius received an owl and after reading the letter he was so angry, that I thought he's going to kill the boy. But before I could think anything more, he burned the letter and disapparated. So, thinking he's coming here, I disapparated too. And after alerting Dumbledore and Remus we heard the screams and came here, picking the Weasleys up on the way. It seems, they were trying to sneak to the kitchen and sabotage the lunch with some projects for their joke shop. And so we arrived here just as young Draco made his dramatic jump. Professor Sprout seems to have followed some of her students here too, so we all tried to stop Lucius and the rest, well, the rest you already know."
* * *
How could I forget… Crabbe and Goyle. They're too stupid to think for themselves but still intelligent enough to tell their parents about the Sorting. And their fathers… Well, they're Death Eaters. And, of course, they alerted my father. Oh shit! Somebody tell me I just didn't do what I did! They all saw it – me saving Ginny from my father. The Weasel is going to kill me. And Potter too. Well, maybe they can accept it, but it is going to be hard. For me as for them. And I should really start using their first names, even though they are still calling me Malfoy.
* * *
Draco opened his eyes, feeling much better. The pain was gone and he wasn't even sure that he was awake. It seemed more like a dream to him to see Ginny sitting by his bed.
"Oh, you're awake!" smiled Ginny. "Are you okay, Draco?"
"Seems so." answered Draco, smiling back. "Hey, did I just hear what I thought I did?"
"What?"
"You said my name!"
"What about it?"
"No Gryffindor has ever said my name. They all just say Malfoy. But you said Draco to me."
"Well, it is your name. Why should I call you Malfoy, when Draco sounds so much better?"
Ginny smiled again and kissed Draco on his cheek.
"Thanks for saving me!"
Draco could feel his face turning red. Again, the only thing he could think about was Ginny. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her in his arms, but didn't know how to do it. She seemed so innocent and vulnerable, yet still so strong and full of fire. Draco just watched her and didn't know what to say.
"Draco?" she whispered.
"What?"
"What was it that you said before you fainted?"
"You heared that?"
"Did you mean me?"
And again Draco didn't know what to say. He knew that Ginny had been chasing after Harry Potter for the past three years. But he had to say something.
"Does it really matter?" asked Draco wryly. "You are still running after Potter, I mean Harry, even though you know that he's never going to give up Cho."
"No, you're wrong. I'm not after Harry anymore. Even little girls like me grow up, you know!"
The spark of life seemed to come back to Draco's blue-gray eyes.
"Do you really mean that?"
"Don't you trust me?" asked Ginny mockingly.
"Maybe I should really trust more people," said Draco.
"So are you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"Well, did you mean…"
"What do you think? Why do you think I asked for a new Sorting? I couldn't play the perfect Slytherin anymore, knowing it hurts you too…"
"You risked that much for me?"
Draco was going to answer, when madam Pomfrey walked in.
"I see you're already better. You have to stay here this night, but the curse should not have any long-term effects. Miss Weasley, I'm afraid you have to leave. You still have some lessons today."
"I see you later, Draco!"
With these words Ginny left the hospital wing. The whole world was turned upside down for her. Did Draco Malfoy really love her? And more important – what did she feel about him? She had to speak to him again, but what was she going to say?
* * *
Now she knows… I can't believe I told her. I had so much to say, but just couldn't find the words. I hope I can find them the next time I see her. But I know I can't. She makes me feel things I have never felt in my life. I love her more than my life. I didn't know it was possible, until I had to save her from my father. But does she love me? Will she ever love me? I was never so confused, yet still so happy before. We will see each other later, she said… Maybe… I don't know what, but maybe…
AN: I hope you liked this one too. As always, reviews are more than welcome. Even flames. At least they show me, that somebody's still reading it. And as long as there is somebody who likes this thing I'm going to write more. So please review! Thanks in advance. Luinthoron the crazy romantic :).