A/N: How could I refuse a friendly plea to make a sequel? I think I'll continue with the next year and see if anything comes of it. . . Don't forget to keep those reviews coming!
As Long as We're Together . . .
Rabim B'tzarah Chatzi Nechama . . . ( all my quotes are from the jewish bible or bible commentary - I like them, it fits)
Two in trouble together is half the pain. . .
And slowly Ginny's Fourth year had passed. She met Draco about once a week in the middle of the night where they would both talk about the things they had encountered that week that had bothered them. With Draco it was usually a tale of how his father was making plans to bring him to Voldemort's meetings and what would he do? He didn't want to go, or what if Voldie saw right through him? What would he do then?
And with Ginny it was usually about how this brother had done that and how they were driving her crazy. . . Harry was the only person in the world other than them two who knew about them meeting. He actually helped them by lending the pair his invisibility cloak. Harry had his own problems these days, Sirius's trial was coming up, and he was very worried about it. Ginny did her best to calm him down, and they were getting quite close. Harry Potter soon became Draco's one and only friend. (A/N: For those of you who read my fifth year of Harry you'll see that some events like Sirius's trial I'll keep the same, but the pairings and everything else is different) And so the year passed.
That summer Ginny was sitting in her bedroom daydreaming once again. Draco had told her that his father never intercepted his owls, so they could write. And Ginny didn't even dream that anyone in her family would find out. So they corresponded quite often. Draco was even planning to sneak to her one night. But through the cloud of her daydreams she heard a shrieking voice yell up the creaky stairs of the Burrow to her.
"VIRGINIA WEASELY. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?" Her mother's voice yelled up at her.
"Yes, Mom. I'm in my room." Ginny called down nervously. When her mother used her whole name, it meant trouble.
"Well, you had better get down here this second, and explain yourself." This time it was her dad's voice. She was in trouble. Ginny flew down the stairs two at a time. She ignored the mirror's "What'd ya do this time, sneaky???" And skidded to a halt as she reached the kitchen. She had never gotten into trouble before. And she didn't think she was doing anything wrong.
"What is it Mom, Dad?" Her voice was now calm and composed and it radiated a power. She saw the owl on the table with the opened envelope, and she had a funny feeling it was from Draco.
"Perhaps you can explain what you are doing corresponding with a Malfoy? Didn't your experiences as a youngster teach you anything? Don't you know that people are sneaky and sly, especially Malfoys?" Her father spat out the name with obvious disgust. And Ginny blew up.
"What kind of family was I born into?!? Didn't you learn anything from Sirius Black's story? That though people themselves may seem guilty there's always another side to the story. So even more so, if someone isn't guilty of something, only their father is. How can you even judge? And what were you doing opening my private mail, anyway?" Ginny had a disgusted sneer on her face and her father's ears turned slightly red.
"Well, your brothers did suggest that perhaps you were secretly corresponding with the McBone boy, when the owl was unrecognized and unmarked. We know the way all you friend's owls look. So we opened it. And it's a good thing we did." Now her mother took over.
"DON'T YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT YOUR FATHER? HOW MANY TIMES DID HE GET HUMILIATED FROM THAT MAN? AND YOU GO AND CORRESPOND WITH HIS ONLY SON? OF ALL THE NERVE AND AUDACITY!!!!" Now she turned to the boys who were looking on with obvious satisfaction. " NOW DON'T YOU BOYS GO AND LOOK LIKE THAT. THIS IS PARTIALLY YOUR FAULT. I TOLD YOU TO KEEP A CONSTANT EYE ON HER AND MAKE SURE SHE DOESN'T GET INTO ANY TROUBLE. WHY WEREN'T YOU WATCHING HER AND TELLING HER WHAT TO DO?" At this Ginny snapped. She was furious. She had to be kept an eye on. The impudence of it. She was almost fifteen. She had suffered plenty in her life. Yet she believed that she had learned from her experiences. And she wasn't going to let her family stop one of the only two good people who actually cared about her enough to know when to let go, from staying with her.
"I. Have. Had. Enough. I'm leaving right now, and don't even try to stop me. You have the rest of the summer, and next whole year, to think about what you are doing wrong to me. You don't even know Draco. Ron, you ask Harry and he'll tell you what Draco Malfoy is really about. And if there is anyone who's judgement you can trust it's Harry's. Goodbye." She ran up the stairs. Packed all the things she'd need for school and the rest of the summer, and went in front of the fireplace. She threw in some Floo Powder and said quietly so her family wouldn't hear, but clearly. "Black Castle"
***
Draco Malfoy was not having a pleasant summer at all. He was being pulled from meeting to meeting with his father. His father took pride in showing off his handsome son. At every meeting Draco sneered haughtily at everyone and tuned out of what was going on around him. He kept himself busy by thinking about a certain beautiful girl with fiery red hair. He wondered how she was doing. Then came the big day. His father had taught him how to apparate and he had even gotten a legal licence to do so. (Money goes a long way) That day he was forced to apparate with his father to The Dark Lord's hideout. And he wasn't really looking forward. He landed in a dark and cold cave, which he didn't see till his father said some mystical chant out loud. Then he was pulled forward into the inner chambers. He was going to meet Voldemort.
"Ah, Lucius. My trusted servant. How have you been?" His red eyes flashed dangerously around the room. Then he turned to Draco. "And you are young Draco, I presume. It is an honor to meet you . . ." And the room echoed and reechoed with his evil laugh. "Your father claims you have promise. We shall see that. Come forward my boy." Draco moved up staring into his eyes, unflinching. " You go to Hogwarts School, is that correct?" Draco nodded. "A good school. Would be even better if it weren't under that fool Dumbledore. But you do know the Potter boy, do you not?" Again Draco shook his head, yes. "So I thought. But who wouldn't know that boy? You, Draco are going to be entrusted with a mission this year. After what I hear from your father I think you should be able to accomplish it easily. You must eliminate Harry Potter by the end of the year. You should do it secretly, but don't make yourself crazy over that part. Immediately afterwards you will return to me to remain under my protection. But if you fail . . . I pity you, Young Malfoy. But you will not fail. Do you agree to this mission?"
Draco looked down. Through his head went his words, you will not fail. How could he do it?
It wasn't him. He couldn't murder anyone. Even if he would get killed in return. His father may
be able to bargain out of it, saying he was young yet, if he said that as an excuse. But did he want
to be on the list to do it in the future? His had was holding onto his wand, and suddenly he
remembered. Harry's words on the last night of school echoed back to him. '
***
Ginny found herself in the entrance hall where there were about six fireplaces lined up. She glanced around admiringly, at the marble floors and glass walls. As she turned to walk through the big doors, crying softly, she heard a soft voice exclaim, "Ginny?" It was Draco. His face was tear stained as well. They looked at each other and fell into each others arms. Suddenly Ginny felt a little better. At least Draco was also suffering. She turned to him and whispered, " I know where I'm heading in life. So do you. And we both know that it wont be easy to do it together. We both have faced, and will face opposition and problems from all sides and all ends. But it would be even harder to do it alone." Draco nodded his head in agreement. And then, hand in hand they walked through the great doors to say hello to Harry and tell him that they were here to stay. And hand in hand they were ready to meet all that was to come in the days ahead. It wouldn't be simple. But hand in hand they would go through life and accomplish things, as one. They pushed the doors open more than ready to encounter the days to come.
A/N: That's all I'm writhing on this story. If you want another sequel, you must give me a SOLID idea of something to wrote about. And don;'t forget to review.