Chapter Forty

Well Wishing and Closets

The first thing Dawn became aware of was an intense pain in her head. She knew that opening her eyes would only make it worse so she stretched out with her other senses before doing so.

She perceived that she was no longer in the Great Hall. It didn't feel like she was lying on a hard stone floor, but she could tell it was a mattress instead. She briefly wondered how and when she got moved to wherever she was.

After a moment she realized that there was someone snuggled up to her with their arms wrapped around her. It only took a second for her to recognize the feel of Draco's embrace. She stirred slightly and she heard him whisper in her ear.

"Good morning sleepyhead."

She opened her eyes to look up and see his gray ones peering down at her. "How long have I been out?" She asked in a voice rough from lack of use.

"A couple of days. We were a little worried about you at first. But we realized that you had used a lot of energy and you hadn't been sleeping well so we figure your body was getting some rest."

"I take it we won?" She asked softly, grimacing at the pain shooting through her head.

"Yes, we won," he answered with a chuckle.

She cast her eyes about the room and seeing no one else she asked, "Where is everybody else?"

"Ron is probably still hovering over Hermione; she got hurt pretty bad during the battle. She was only released from the infirmary this morning. The scoobies and other students are in class."

"What happened to Voldemort?"

"Dumbledore confronted him right after you closed the portal. They dueled viciously for several minutes until Voldemort grabbed a nearby student and threw him at Dumbledore. When the headmaster helped the student, Voldemort disappeared along with all his death eaters. The demons and vampires that hadn't died also left with them."

Dawn looked closely at him and noticed dark circles under his eyes. "You haven't been sleeping," she accused.

He shrugged. "I was worried about you. I hadn't slept well the past couple of weeks without you. But I haven't been able to sleep until I knew you were fine."

The scoobies noisily entered the infirmary at that moment and they all rushed over to give Dawn a hug. When everyone had received one she settled back into Draco's arms and smiled faintly at them.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Buffy admonished.

"I'll try not to."

"That was some portal you opened, Dawnie," Xander said.

"What did you say to open it?" Tara asked curiously.

"The warriors, the wizard, and the key are one. A door between worlds, a door between dimensions. Open!" She answered after a moment of thought.

Willow piped up, "Where exactly did you send the demon?"

Dawn's brow furrowed as she thought back to that moment. "I knew the demon's particles needed to be separated to kill it. So I tried to imagine a place where the wind was always blowing so they couldn't pull back together. I kept imagining this endless gray void with swirling eddies."

Tara's eyes widened.

"What?"

"No wonder you used so much energy. You sent him to the void beyond creation. A place where he could never return from."
"That was the point. Tried to get rid of him," Dawn said with a snort.

"You don't understand," Tara stressed. "No one has ever been able to access the void before because the energies needed are so vast and complicated that they're impossible to control. There have even been arguments saying that the void doesn't exist because of that fact."

"So opening another portal won't drain her like this one did?" Draco asked.

"It shouldn't," Willow answered. "Most portals would only need a portion of the power of the key. How much power did you use Dawn?"

The brunette shrugged. "My elvish and key powers of course. And then I realized that wouldn't be enough so I pulled from Draco, Buffy, and Spike. And even then it was a struggle to open it but at the last moment I pushed forth my last ounce of strength and then it opened."

"Wondered why I felt tired after that," Spike muttered.

"You'll never need that much power again," Tara assured her.

After a moment of silence Dawn asked, "Do we know how the demons got in?"

Spike nodded as he said, "Yeah. Seems a little chit named Pansy invited them in. She was also the one responsible for the fake dark mark on Draco's arm."

"The mark is fake?"

"Remember I told you it was," Draco said. "It turns out it was a really good illusion that Pansy had put on my arm. My father had sent her the specifics of the spell in hopes of bringing me back to their side."
Dawn gasped as she remembered. "Your father. What happened to him?"

A scowl broke out on his face as he replied. "He's currently at Azkaban." A small smile broke out during his next statement. "You should have seen them trying to release the spell you had cast to hold him against the wall. I think Dumbledore purposely took his time trying to get him down."

"And Pansy?" Dawn asked after she stopped giggling.

"She and the other students involved in the plot have been sent to a special reform school," Dumbledore said, causing everyone to turn and stare. No one had heard him enter the room. "We were able to find them all out thanks to Draco's spying efforts."

The old wizard smiled at Dawn. "I had heard you were awake and came down to say hello. And to thank you for all of your efforts during the battle."
Dawn grinned and glibly replied, "It was nothing."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Each of you shall receive a special award for services to the school." He looked up to see Madam Pomfrey heading in their direction. "On that note, I suggest we leave Miss Summers to get some more well deserved rest."

Everyone quickly filed out of the room to avoid the nurse's wrath. All that is, except for Draco.

Dawn gave him a mock glare and said, "You should be getting some rest too, mister. You look awful."
"Oh, I'm going to rest. I'm just going to rest here, next to you."

She sleepily smiled as she understood and snuggled into his arms. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said as he gently kissed her on top of her head. Then they both drifted to sleep.

***********

Over the next several days, Dawn received lots of visitors in the infirmary. Hermione, sensibly enough, brought her all of her homework so she wouldn't fall too far behind in her classes. But Dawn groaned at the pile in front of her. She worried that she would never catch up since she hadn't paid close attention the week and a half prior to the battle.

She heard everyone's tales from the battle and was happy to learn that very few had walked away with serious injuries. It seemed that Buffy's defense class had really helped since not all of the students had been able to escape before the fighting started. But not everybody had made it. A couple of students had died in the attack and Dawn knew that she'd miss them.

Harry excitedly told her that Sirius had been cleared of all charges since Harry, along with Ginny, had captured Peter Pettigrew. He told what really happened the night Harry's parents had died. He hoped that he would be able to spend the summer with Sirius and Remus instead of the Dursleys.

During all of this Draco only left her side to go to class. He even took his meals in the infirmary with her so she wouldn't be alone. Although she did spend the first day or so mainly sleeping and catching up on her homework. He even snuck in at night to hold her while they slept.

When Dawn was finally allowed out of bed, Draco and Ginny walked with her to the Gryffindor Tower. Ginny gave the new password and the fat lady's portrait swung open to reveal all of the Gryffindors waiting patiently in the common room. As Dawn entered they all cheered and before she knew it she was given hug after hug.

"I hope ye don't mind," Seamus said. "But we felt that we should throw ye a party."

"Yeah," Neville said. "A glad-you're-better-thanks-for-saving-the-day kind of party."

Dawn just laughed. She was actually a bit embarrassed by the attention. But since she knew her housemates were only showing their appreciation and their love for her, she only smiled and joined in the festivities.

Over the next several days she became used to the awed stares she received. She began to understand how Harry must have felt when he had first arrived at the school and everyone had their first glimpse of the boy who lived.

The teachers also seemed to regard her differently, only they were more discreet about it. Flitwick and Hagrid were more inclined to compliment her and even McGonagall's stern face would soften slightly when she spoke to her.

The only one who didn't change their attitude for the better was, naturally, Snape. If anything, he was more surly toward her than before. She received a day of detention from him her first day back in his class for glaring at him.

After a week or two things slowly returned to normal. Students went back to concentrating on classes and Angel's group left to return to L.A.

One night, Dawn and Draco had just finished a late night study session in the library and he was escorting her back to the Tower. They were walking down a deserted corridor when she heard a thump come from one of the storage closets.

"Did you hear that?" Dawn asked as she stopped.

"Hear what?"

Another muffled thump could be heard.

"That."

They walked over to the door and pressed their ears against it. They could hear hushed voices and more thumping.

"There's someone in there," Dawn whispered.

"Probably two someones."
"We should go."

"No. I'm a prefect. I'm supposed to stop things like this." They stepped back and he pulled the door open. "Come out! You guys know you aren't supposed to be in there."
"Is that so, Mr. Malfoy?" Came a churlish voice from within.

The two students could only gape as they recognized the couple in the closet.

"Way to go! We were just about to engage in sexual intercourse and exchange some well-deserved orgasms. Now go away. Shoo! Shoo!"

Dawn's face turned bright red as the door was shut in her face. She turned to look at Draco. "Can I just say ewww!"

"The others will never believe us," he said in a stunned voice.

"No kidding. Who'd have guessed Anya and Snape?"