A loud thunderclap exploded overhead and caused Ginny to scream in surprise. They had just emerged from the woods into a small clearing when huge drops of rain began to fall from the heavens.
Draco began to laugh, ripping off his cloak and holding it over Ginny's and his head.
"That was sudden!" she said in surprise, huddling against Draco as they stumbled into the field, tripping and slipping in the rain slicked grass.
Another roll of thunder sounded and a bright flash of light struck the sky overhead. The rain continued to fall heavily and Ginny pulled out from under Draco's cloak, revealing herself to the rain.
Draco watched her as she let all her worries or cares or concerns melt away under the heavily falling water. He watched as she danced and twirled on the grass, and as she turned and beckoned him to her.
His mouth hung open at her beauty. To him she was an angel dancing upon the silky waves of heavens clouds. To him she was this exotic red haired woman who caused his heart to glow a deep fueling red.
His cloak dropped to the ground as he let it fall, but as if he noticed. He was mesmerized in her gaze as he walked towards her, enveloping her in his arms and crushing his mouth down on hers.
"Mmm…" Ginny moaned, slowly pulling out of the kiss. "Let's keep walking, I think they might be looking for us."
Draco teased her lips once more before taking her hand in his and walking through yet another stretch of woods.
The rain ceased now, the sudden thunderstorm passing by them. Draco and Ginny walked on, this time silent and in deep thought.
Upon reaching the edge of a smaller and more hidden clearing that held what looked to be a small pond, Draco and Ginny stopped. They couldn't believe what they saw.
A glowing white horse stood in the center of the clearing, busily nibbling the ends of the rain covered grass. It lifted it's head when it heard them and stared directly into Ginny's eyes.
It wasn't a horse, but a unicorn. It's long golden horn shimmered in the faint moonlight that was just now creeping out from behind the reminants of the storm.
Ginny couldn't look away from it's eyes of deep violet. It's eyes were unlike that of any other unicorn, for unicorns usually possessed eyes of blue or brown. This unicorn was undoubtedly different.
It's gaze held her there, frozen and entranced. It seemed to beckon to her, calling her closer…pleading with her.
Ginny heard a voice in the back of her head, a voice crying and calling but it seemed to distant…help me…you have to help…you're the only one who can help…
The unicorn didn't move, it's eyes never blinking. Nothing interfered with the trance Ginny had fallen under, her legs beginning to move towards her caller.
Please…I beg of you…help…help me…
"Ginny?" Draco called, grabbing a hold of Ginny's arm. He wore a puzzled expression as he looked into his wife's eyes, his face filled with concern. "We should leave…"
"Wh-what? No!" Ginny yelled, louder than she intended to. Draco looked frightened and surprised at her as she stumbled towards the unicorn, her eyes falling upon it's gaze again.
"Tell me more…" she whispered to the creature, tears falling from her eyes.
Again the voice sounded in the back of her mind, a woman's voice; and she sounded scared. I'm in pain…great pain…I'm scared…help me…help me…
"How do I help you?" Ginny said to the unicorn, just feet away from it now, it's gaze still heavily upon her.
Can you see it? Do you feel it? A sudden image flashed in front of Ginny's eyes, a man striking a woman across the face. She could feel the pain of the blow, the anger and the fierce terror that emerged from it.
Her vision came back for a second, only all she could see now was the unicorn. Her vision slurred again as another flash hit her. It was as if she were witnessing flash backs, only she had never witnessed anything she was seeing.
This time the man was holding a wand, pointing it directly at the woman's chest. Ginny couldn't see the woman's or the man's face, only their sillouettes.
She heard a curse murmured in the back of her head, another distant echo. She couldn't understand the words, it was too quick and too distant. A flash of bright golden light emitted itself from the man's wand and the woman screamed.
Ginny shut her eyes. The screaming was still sounding in her ears, getting louder and louder and joining a merciless laughter she had heard only one place before…
"I don't want to see anymore!" she heard herself cry, tears streaking down her cheeks. She fell to the ground, the usual darkness behind her eyes a bright white, images fading and flickering there.
Suddenly everything stopped and the back of her eyes turned black once more.
"Ginny!" A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her up off the ground; someone was shaking her. "Ginny, wake up. Wake up now, do you hear me?"
Her eyes flipped open and she found herself staring directly into Draco's frustrated face. "Ginny, goddamnit!"
She felt her stomach turn over and over, causing heavy nausea to flood her system. She looked into Draco's eyes and began to shake.
Ginny couldn't speak, she could only fall. She fell sideways and emptied herself, Draco leaning over and holding back the hair that had fallen into her face.
His hand was massaging her back gently, a soothing sound in his voice as he caressed and cared for her, murmuring to her quietly.
"It's okay baby…let it out…it's fine…I'm sorry I yelled."
Feeling empty, Ginny glanced up. The unicorn was gone.
"Ginny! Ginny are you alright?" a worried voice sounded from behind them. Hermione and Harry along with the Weasley's ran up to them, all looking distraught.
Draco helped Ginny stand, holding her up as her legs felt like jelly. "I'm fine, just a bit of sickness." She muttered, smiling weakly at her friend.
Hermione looked skeptically up at Draco, who looked away from her immediately. He didn't need Hermione's suspicion that he couldn't handle his own wife.
"Well, c'mon dear, we'll get you back to the cars before another storm rolls in." her mother said, grabbing her arm gently and leading her off towards the woods along with the rest of the group.
Hermione and Harry stood behind with Draco, who was looking rather unnerved.
"What happened?" Harry asked, his voice suspicious.
"I...I'm not really sure…" Draco said, his gaze still on Ginny. "A unicorn was here, in this clearing…Ginny couldn't stop looking at it and then she began to speak to it, as if it were talking to her. She was asking it questions…I tried to hold her back but I was frozen in place, I couldn't move."
Hermione looked very worried indeed, but Harry looked much relieved. "She must be able to talk to unicorns." He said quietly, his eyes falling upon Hermione who was gazing out into the other part of the woods.
"I think we should get back, I feel uncomfortable here." Hermione said suddenly after a long silence. "Let's go."
* * * * *
"Goodbye, thanks for coming." Ginny said quietly, hugging her oldest brother, Bill, tightly.
"You looked wonderful, have a nice night." Bill said, winking at her. She hit him playfully and giggled softly, something she hadn't done since she broke away from the unicorn.
Hugging her mother and father tightly, Ginny wrapped Draco's cloak tighter around her shoulders and held his hand tightly. They waved by to everyone one last time before disapparating.
"Here, why don't you come lie down and tell me everything that happened.." Draco said softly, ushering Ginny to lie down on the bed in his large room.
"Al-alright." Said Ginny, lying down on the bed and covering her face with her hands. Draco sat down next to her, touching the back of his hand to her cheek lovingly.
She pulled her hand away and gazed up at her new husband, and saw the concern in his face. He cared for her more than anything, and just that thought had her feeling blessed.
He remained silent, allowing her to begin speaking through the events of earlier that night.
"First, when I saw the unicorn, it was as if it were calling to me with it's eyes…as if it were begging me to come closer, to listen to it. I began to walk closer, in some kind of trance, and than I began to hear a voice in the back of my head, the distant voice of a woman, pleading with me to help her…" Ginny shut her eyes, feeling dry sobs in her throat.
She knew that she must sound crazy, hearing a unicorn speak to her. Hearing some voice in the back of her head. Of course, it wasn't just a voice; there had been flashbacks too.
"And then…all of a sudden the voice asked me if I could see it, if I could feel it…and I saw this hideous flashback kind of vision of a man hitting a woman continuously, and then pointing his wand at her, casting some sort of curse or spell…I'm not sure which."
Draco didn't speak or blink. He sat there, his eyes focused on Ginny, listening intently. His hand was resting upon her hand, and he was so close to her now, his face inches from hers.
"I can't explain what I saw…I know I must sound crazy-" Ginny began, before Draco brushed his mouth over hers, caressing her lips.
"I believe you…I also believe that we need to find the unicorn again. She needs help, and it looks like we're the only ones who can give it to her."
He kissed Ginny again, his tongue exploring her mouth. "You believe the unicorn? In what she was saying?" Ginny asked, her eyes searching his.
"Yes…I've learned to trust many beautiful creatures, including the one just inches from me."
His hands moved over her torso, caressing her body. She kissed his lips softly, indulging in the moment.
"I love you, Draco." She moaned quietly, looking deep into his eyes. "More than you'll ever know."
He smiled softly, his face smooth and structured in the dim lamplight. His hand ran down her face gently, smoothing away a tear that had fallen only seconds before.
"I love you too."
* * * * *
