Title: Healing Spells

Author: Angel of Darkness (My new pename)

Chapter: 7

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Thanks: To Misty for beta reading like always. This is beautiful.



"No," Ron said to Hermione quickly, "You can't be serious! You're not
actually going to defend him?"


"Why not?" Hermione asked, "He didn't try to kill your sister. He's
innocent... he's in love with her!"


"He is not," Ron said near tears, "He did it and I know it. He's never been
anything but evil. I tried to convince her and look what happened to her.
How can you know he's innocent?"


"One," she whispered, "I was there the whole time and he didn't do a thing
to her and two... when you watch them together.....you kind of....know."


"How do I even know I can trust you?" he asked coldly.

"Ron!" she yelled positively appalled, "How can you say that to me? After
all we've been through together..."


"If you go to that trial today and defend Malfoy," he said breathing heavily
and ready to cry, "I will never forgive you... I will never..."


"I'm sorry," she said softly. She was very sympathetic to how Ron felt, it
being sister after all. "I cannot let them charge him with this if he didn't
do it. I'm scared for Ginny too... but punishing an innocent... I thought
you didn't believe in that Ron."


"I-I..." he stuttered. She was already gone.

~*~*~*~*
"Is she going to be all right?" Mrs. Weasley asked crying as Doctor
Richardson entered the room. "Did it work?"


"I do not think your daughter will die," he said softly, "I do not exactly
think she is well though."


"She's going to survive it," the woman said, a smile slowly coming to her
face, "That's the best news I've gotten in my life... and in the beginning
of the year I promised her she'd be safe..."

"Ma'am," he said, "I cannot assure you that she'll recover quickly. It may
be a long and painful time before she does. Any overly hard strain on her...
mentally or physically... and she very well could die. I need you to take a
special care of her."


"Oh I will," Mrs. Weasley shook the man's hand, "I will always be there for
my baby girl... and the trial today will see that the ones who did this will
not go unpunished."


"Do not get your daughter into the mess of the trial. You said she thought
the accused boy was a friend? The strain on her could push her too much."


"I know," Mrs. Weasley said slowly, "How could I, as a mother, let my little
girl associate with Malfoy's son? I just cannot believe that. My daughter
will never see anyone I don't trust again."


"Go see her," Dr. Richardson suggested, "Your husband will take care of the
trial."




~*~*~*~*
"I am so glad to see you," Draco whispered as Hermione passed him. They
really weren't allowed to speak, because everyone feared he would influence
Hermione. Still, he needed to thank her. She nodded and slipped a note into
his hand as she passed him. He unfolded it slowly, worried that someone
would see. The news he read made him want to smile. Hermione's note read:

Just as I left Hogwarts today, we got the news that Ginny's gonna be all
right. They said she's still going to need a long time to recover but she
will be okay. I hope this helps you.

Did it help? Yes, he looked at this whole thing with a renewed courage when
he heard that. She'd be okay... she was going to be fine, he didn't care
what people thought he did! She was getting better, so everything was going
to be all right.

"Come along," a towering wizard said to Draco, "It's time."


Draco followed thinking emotionally. This would have never happened if he
wasn't changed.
~*~*~*~
"I..." Ginny said faintly, "Mum, I am going to be all right? Is that what-
is that what you mean?"


"Yes darling, the doctor said that you'll recover."


"Good," she said, a slight smile passing over her colorless face, "I can't
wait to be fine again... being like this is miserable."


"I know," her mother was crying again. Of all things, Ginny hated to see her
mother cry. Her mother was one of the strongest women she knew. A role model
for her life, her mother never took anything from anyone. She was self
reliant, she had to be, running the entire Weasley household. Ginny hated
seeing her like this.

"Come on," Ginny muttered softly, her voice going out again, "Mum, I am
going to be okay again. Don't cry..."


"I'm sorry dear..." her mother looked suddenly nervous, like she was going
to say something rough. Then she said it rather gently, "Don't let me get
you upset... but in the future, let me know about who your friends are."


"What's that... oh, can we talk later?"


"Certainly dear."


Her mum left. Ginny knew what she had been talking about, somehow she was
talking about Draco. She sat up, feeling a bit stronger and she looked
around the room. It was so dim in here. A copy of The Daily Prophet, sitting
on a stand, on the other side of the room caught her eye. Now wonder, it was
about her. She struggled her way out of the bed. Once her feet touched the
floor she fell weakly. Her mother had warned her that she needed to take
care or she could die... but the article was about her. She used the stool
to hold herself up and she read:

"One week ago, mere children met up with Death Eaters and lived. The Daily
Prophet, of course, published that article. The story has thickened. Rumors
say that Lucius Malfoy, an active Death Eater, who is most likely deceased,
did a rare and difficult weakening cure on a Hogwarts student. Virginia
Weasley is only fourteen. Now it seems that a boy she befriended, Malfoy's
son, helped in performing the curse. Doctor Richardson, a expert in those
matters, declared that it could not have been done alone. Mr. Malfoy's
fifteen year old son is the most likely candidate. He will be in trial on
the fifteenth."


"No..." Ginny said weakening, she could feel the stool swaying. She was
going to faint if she didn't sit down. Her heart began racing quickly. No,
why would they accuse him? What could have proven that? "Mum!" she called
knowing her mother was in the other room. She sat on the floor. How could
they accuse him of hurting me? Today is the fifteenth, how can they hold
trial against him without me? I am the only one who knows what Lucius Malfoy
did to me.

~*~*~*~
Molly Weasley had been talking to the Nurse in the other room when she heard
her daughter's cry. She came running in the room to find her daughter
slumped onto the floor by a newspaper. Instantly, she knew what Ginny had
read and she snatched up the paper in her hand. She helped her daughter, who
was now mumbling incoherently to herself, into the bed. "What were you
doing?" she asked distressed, "I just explained to you that you need to
rest, and stay put."


"I am trying Mum," Ginny looked at her mother's pained expression, but she
regained her courage, "Why is this taking place? Mum, he didn't do a thing
to me! Do you think I could be fooled that he didn't? I know what Draco's
father did to me and he did it all alone. Draco never helped him. I didn't
want to talk about it, it was so incredibly painful, but I will to defend
him..."


"Stop," her mother replied firmly, "Let's wait Ginny... you could have been
all ready weakened, how do you know?"


"I know Mother," she said just as a sharp pain hit her, "Please Mum, you got
to stop the trial... Draco... he's innocent."


"Ginny, stop. You're going to get yourself hurt."


"Tell me you will then," she threatened. She was sure her mother wasn't used
to being spoken to that harshly, especially by her youngest child. Now was
an emergency though.

"Calm down," her mother ordered, "If the boy is innocent... it will be
proven."


"Does he have a defense?" Ginny asked tears forming slowly in her eyes.
Imagining him alone facing accusation hurt her. How could she have messed
things up so much for him?

"Hermione went down from the school on special permission. If he's innocent
she will prove it. She was with him the whole time too?"


"Yes, but I am the only one who can actually prove it."


"You will not go there," her mother said, "I won't lose my baby over
this..."


"I'm not dying Mum!" Ginny yelled, "I won't let myself, but if you don't
take me to him then I will go alone. Now, which one do you think is less
strain?" Realizing her daughter's threats to be true, she reluctantly
agreed.

"What happened to my little girl?" Ginny's mother looked like she was
stunned.

"Mother, I am fourteen," Ginny said, "you've always treated me differently
then the boys. I am old enough to make choices, I chose who I fell in love
with."


Her mother looked like she had been slapped. Those words, I chose who I fell
in love with, gave it all away. It became real to Mrs. Weasley, that her
daughter was not just Draco Malfoy's friend.

"No..."

"Yeah," Ginny replied shyly, "It's true. Ever since the beginning of this
year. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, and I will never lie again. I was just
a little scared."


"How did it happen?" Ginny figured her mother's curiosity got the better of
her.

"Mum, it was the first day. We were still at the train station... right
after I left you. I saw him with his father, they were fighting. Arguing
really loudly about You-Know-Who. Then his father kept hitting him and I
couldn't take it... I guess I just got involved. You sort of got the story
from Dumbledore, but I can tell the rest later."

"All right..." her mother said helping her up. She couldn't believe she was
doing this, with Ginny still so frail.

"Also," Ginny said boldly, "If you want the truth, then you need to let me
choose a little more."


"I promise darling, I do."


~*~*~*~
Hermione boldly stood in front of what looked like more than a hundred
people. She had never acted it, but she hated speaking in public. Before
Hogwarts, she had gone to a Muggle school. Once, when she was ten, she had
to give a report in front of the school and she had fainted. This felt just
the same.

"I was there," she said loudly, "I was there the whole time and I can tell
anyone anything they want to know about that night."


"Fine," said the prosecutor, Arthur Weasley's wizard lawyer, "Tell me then,
why did you go after Miss Weasley, instead of going for a teacher?"


Hermione gulped. This was just his first question and it was hard. "Well,"
she said trying to keep composed, "I thought of going to a teacher, but the
logical thing to me seemed to be to ask someone very close to her. I asked
Draco, he seemed to want to go to authorities. I am afraid it was my
foolishness that caused him to choose to go after her."


"Hmm..." he said, "Can you tell in exact words, what happened that night?"


Hermione told him in slow carefully chosen words what happened. Many didn't
seem satisfied.

"It's not right!" Ginny's father yelled loudly, "The Malfoy's have been
rivals toward my family for years. That's all the proof I need."


"Dad, it's not enough," came a small voice. Draco's eyes had been on
Hermione when he heard it. He knew it was Ginny before he turned. He smiled
for the first time in weeks, seeing her standing up, looking a little
better, was the best thing ever.

"I am here," Ginny said softly, "I can prove he didn't do anything to me
because it's me. I would know that, wouldn't I?"

"Miss Virginia Weasley?" asked the stunned Judge.

"Yes," she said, "I am here to defend someone who is innocent."


"Hmm..." the judge did not know what to make of her, "Certainly you may be a
witness, since this case is about you." Ginny's mother helped her sit down
and she was greatly relieved. She breathed slowly, her pain obvious, but she
smiled at Draco. Her smile meant a million things to him, but most of all,
it meant hope.

"All right," she whispered slowly, "but one thing. My Professors, my
parents... anyone who has ever seen us together. How could you think he'd
try to kill me? I love him. He couldn't have been with his father. I was
kidnapped by Lucius Malfoy, a day later Draco with Hermione left Hogwarts to
save me... It was the most terrifying thing ever, the moments before they
saved me. They teased me and then he... he did this curse on me. It was the
darkness- a darkness like nothing else. I didn't even know powers like that
existed."


"Can you prove that you are telling the truth?" the prosecutor asked.

"No," Ginny's replied pained, she was still so tired, "I can't. I think the
only way is to use a truth potion on myself or Draco."


"I don't think it is a good time or occasion," the Judge said softly, "There
are laws concerning veritaserum these days. Very strict..."


"Is this not an important enough issue?" she asked.

"Certainly, but the long term effects... and the people trying to outlaw
it."


"I'm ready for it," Ginny said, then she looked at Draco and added, "We're
ready sir."


"Fine then," the Judge decided, "We will continue this session here tomorrow
when the veritaserum is made."


The trial was on hold for now. Draco looked across the room to Ginny, she
had just saved his life for sure. He smiled at her, astounded by her
strength. She returned the smile and nodded. You think I could ever stay
away?, she thought. Now it was time for Ginny to talk to her parents. Her
mother looked ashamed but accepting of her. Her father looked a confused
mess.

"I don't understand..." he said softly.

"It was hard for me to understand why," Ginny said sitting back down
tiredly, "but you've got to understand that I am in love. I've never felt
something this strong. I am alive, because of what Draco did for me. I have
no clue what made any of them suspect him." She continued to tell her father
everything she had told her mother. He nodded, but the same look on her
mother's face crossed his as he helped her stand.

"Mum, dad..." she asked knowing that she was pressing too much, "I need to
get back soon, but can I first go and see him? Just five minutes please."
They exchanged a dark glance.

"Yes," her mother said just as her father said, "No."

"Thank you," Ginny said softly, "I know you'll get it someday... just not
today I guess." Ginny had five quick minutes. Draco was still locked up, for
fear that he was working for Voldemort. He looked up and saw her standing in
front of him.

"I-I- can't believe you came," he said.

"Neither can I," Ginny admitted, "I was just terrified when I found out, I
had to come."


With his arms around her, he could feel that she wasn't right. "You
shouldn't be here!" he yelled, "You're still so weak... and your face is so
pale. Go back now..."


"I'm not gonna die," she promised, "I've all ready been too close to dying
several times you know?"


"Yeah," he said quietly, "Please, don't remind me."


"I'll see you," she whispered, "I really do have to leave."


"Please don't overwork yourself... I don't really want to see you here
tomorrow."


"Now," she said smiling, "You're trying to tell me what to do and you know
how well that works."


He knew how well it worked. She had changed so much since he first met her,
and no one was going to push her around.

____________________________________________

A/N: Please review!!!


Thanks to: All the people who have continued to review this. And to all those who said their own fanfictions are no good, don't talk that way! I read those of yours and we all write pretty good.