Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in the books.
I own the poem "Angel of Mine".
Heeeheeee, I'm so happy. ^_^
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SAVING THE DRAGON by LunaMagic
Chapter Two: The Innocents
The world had turned black for Draco Malfoy. He tried to stay awake, waiting for a sign, any sign that the youngest Weasley even had the tiniest bit of… what? mercy? from a Weasley? He saw her, even from that great distance to that window she had opened. He knew it was a Weasley. He could see her freckles and her red hair from where he stood. And that glare, that trademark pout… only a Weasley would have that. He just knew she wasn't coming. He should have known.
He had turned away trying to get back into the forest. Maybe he could apparate somewhere else. But he had lost a lot of blood, and the world was already spinning in his head. He couldn't keep up anymore, so he succumbed to the darkness. Perhaps it is better this way. At least I don't have to worry about Voldemort or aurors or even bloody Harry Potter… Yes, perhaps…
~ ~ ~
It took a while for Ginny to reach the edge of the woods. By the time she knelt down beside the prone figure on the ground, she was breathing huge gulps of air. She took the hood off her head.
"Malfoy!" she whispered urgently. He did not move or even make a sound. Alarmed, she reached around and turned him so that he she could see his face. He was so pale. Yet even then, his features rivaled those of the marble statues of great artists. Beauty even in death…
Ginny shook herself mentally. He cannot be dead. He can't die now. She reached for his neck and felt a very faint pulse. She closed her eyes and released her breath. Thank God. But she did not have time to lose. He may have lost a lot of blood.
Searching Draco's body, she sees the wound on his left side. Quickly, she ripped his bloodied shirt open and began to wash the wound with her healing potion and one of her kerchiefs. Bloody bastard. Good thing I decided to become a medi- witch. If it weren't for the medi-witch vows to help anyone in need…
That's not entirely true, I was attracted to him for some time… Ginny paused her ministrations. Now where did THAT come from? She looked at her unconscious patient. He looks so peaceful… and with his shirt torn off, his finely sculpted torso, he looked…
Ginny blushed. Thank God, nobody else was around. This wasn't the time to think about sculptures, marble or otherwise.
Draco's wound was closing. She sighed in relief. Now, he only has to let his body regenerate the blood he had lost. That may take some time.
She cleaned his torso as best she could, trying to avoid making direct contact with his skin at all cost. Then she started with his hands. They're soft and well-manicured, Ginny thought. I guess that comes with being rich. I only get a really good manicure once a month.
Lost in her task, Ginny failed to notice that Draco had awakened and was observing her through heavy-lidded eyes.
~ ~ ~
Draco felt cold. I suppose I should be thankful. It means I'm alive. He opened his eyes a crack. Someone was rubbing something wet on his hand. Bloody hell, he was shirtless. No wonder he was cold. He opened his eyes fully and nearly shouted in fright, except that he recognized the floating head in time.
"Bloody hell, Weasel! You nearly scared me to death!" Draco struggled to sit up but his vision blurred and he nearly passed out again.
Ginny let go of Draco's hand immediately, startled by Draco's sudden outburst. She was going to give him a stinging retort, but realized that he was right. She had forgotten that she was still wearing Harry's invisibility cloak. She couldn't help herself, she simply had to giggle.
"What's so damn funny, Weasel?" Draco managed to utter with his surroundings spinning around in his head.
"I did… didn't th… think (giggle) you'd be (giggle) af… afraid of anything, Malfoy." Ginny clapped her hands to her mouth, trying to prevent a full blown laugh.
If he didn't feel faint, he would have given the impertinent girl a scathing remark, probably something about weasels breeding like crazy. But all he could manage was "I'm cold."
Ginny gasped. "Probably serves you right, Malfoy. I shouldn't even be helping you," she said accusingly. Nevertheless, she took off the cloak and covered him with it. "Ron would go ballistic if he finds out. Harry would probably kill you outright." She tucked the edges of the cloak to his sides and pulled the top of it to his chin. "What in the world happened to you anyway? Shouldn't you have apparated somewhere in Death Eater Headquarters not here?"
Draco snuggled into the cloak. It was apparently charmed to give more warmth than it normally should. He was so tired he started drifting into sleep. "Trying to escape…" he muttered before the darkness claimed his consciousness once more.
"Well, just like a Malfoy… sleeping on me while I'm trying to make a decent conversation." Ginny pouted and put her hands on her hips. Her eyes wandered to his face which was already partially covered by the invisibility cloak. He looked so peaceful, albeit a little too pale. A pale angel. His mother must have loved having him. Ginny mentally shook herself. What am I thinking? "He certainly lost a lot of blood. I should tell Dumbledore before he gathers enough strength to escape (What did he say about escaping? Feh, no matter.)."
Ginny shivered. It was getting cold. She looked at her 'captive'. Looking at his face, she did not have the heart to take the cloak away from him. "Damn your good looks, Malfoy!" Ginny stood up and ran as fast as she could back to Hogwarts castle.
"Angel of mine…" Draco whispered to the darkness.
~ ~ ~
"Angel of Mine"
Angel of mine
I'm forever thine
Thy brown eyes bewitch
Thy red lips to kiss
Thy flaming hair
To tangle between
My fingers so eager
Like a star you are
So out of reach
To receive this lover's kiss
To hold you in this warm embrace
To revel in the beauty
Of a beating heart
Will you come down
From the Heavens to reach me
Wrap your love around me
Comfort me,
Save me from this madness
That is the world
I love you from afar
My gently shining star
Your fire is my hope
My salvation
The only light
In the darkness of my life
Angel of mine
Forgive me...
D.
~ ~ ~
Ginny ran through the corridors, looking for professor Dumbledore. Dinner had just finished and everyone was filing out of the dining hall.
"Hey, Ginny! Just in time. Hey, where are you going? We're supposed to take these first years back to the dorm!"
"Sorry, Hazel! I need to find Dumbledore. Did you see where he went?"
"I don't know, but I saw him talking to Snape on the way out."
"Thanks, Hazel. I owe you." She turned and ran towards Snape's office.
"You better… Okay, kids… it's just you and me…"
~ ~ ~
Ginny paused in front of the door to Snape's office and tried to catch her breath before knocking.
"Who is it?" Snape snapped through the closed door.
"Virginia Weasley, sir. I'm looking for professor Dumbledore."
"Come in, Ginny. I am inside," Dumbledore announced.
Ginny opened the door and quickly slipped into the Potions lab.
"Professor Dumbledore, I…" Ginny paused and looked at professor Snape uneasily.
Thankfully, Dumbledore caught on and said, "Thank you, professor Snape. That will be all. Please make sure that all the arrangements are made."
"Yes, professor Dumbledore." Snape turned to walk towards the door. He gave Ginny a glare before going out. Ginny held her ground and gave him a straight face, trying not to show any emotion. The door closed quietly on Snape's exit.
"Dumbledore, Sir. Malfoy is…"
"In Hogwarts grounds?"
"How…? Oh, I had forgotten about that." She remembered the protection spells cast in Hogwarts.
"Not to worry. I was alerted immediately."
"Sir, there's more… he's hurt."
"Ah, yes. At the brink of death, I believe. That is why I sent professor Snape immediately. He will locate Master Malfoy immediately and conceal him within Hogwarts… I trust that you will be discreet on this matter?" Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully.
"But Sir, isn't he dangerous? Shouldn't he be sent to Azkhaban immediately?"
"For what reason, Miss Weasley?"
"Well… he… he's a Death Eater!"
"Ah… did you see the dark mark on him, Miss Weasley?"
Ginny thought back to the time she was wiping Draco's hands. "I…" she frowned. "No, I did not. But he's practically one of them!"
"Now, now, Miss Weasley. You of all people should know that young Master Draco is innocent, until proven guilty."
Ginny felt her face burning in shame. She knew he was talking about the incident in the Chamber of Secrets.
"So far, we have not received any reports of him doing anything remotely punishable by imprisonment in Azkhaban."
"I'm sorry, professor. I… oh my! I forgot! I covered Draco with the invisibility cloak!"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm. We did not expect that. Perhaps we should go and help professor Snape look for Master Draco…" he gestured towards the door.
"Yes, professor."
~ ~ ~
"Draco, where are you?" Snape whispered into the darkness, frustrated. The locator charm he did pointed him to that particular edge of the woods, but he found nothing.
"Professor Snape, be careful!" Ginny hissed. Following close behind her was professor Dumbledore.
"I can't find him, Dumbledore. What are you doing here, Weasley?"
Ginny knelt in front of Snape who was surprised by this action.
"What…"
Ginny held her hands in front of her then brought them gently down. A soft moan could be heard coming from between Ginny and Snape. Ginny smiled and took off the part of the cloak covering Draco's face. Draco made a grimace and tried to pull up the cloak back over his head. "Cold. Angel…"
"I think he's delirious, Dumbledore, sir."
Snape cast a levitating spell on Draco.
"It is just as well we have Potter's invisibility cloak. It will be much easier for us to sneak him in. You, Weasley, cover him up completely, then keep a hold of his feet. I'll take his shoulders."
"Take care of him Severus. I have to go back before anyone suspects anything."
"Yes, professor. Okay, Weasley. Follow me."
Dumbledore headed back to his office while Snape and Ginny dragged Draco's levitating invisible body through unused corridors, up stairs, to a room on the third floor.
"Lumos," Snape whispered.
A soft glow filled the room. The room was sparsely furnished, with a soft bed and a small desk and chair beside it. Snape lit the candle on the desk and hurriedly closed the door.
He took off the cloak and gestured to Ginny. "Manuever him to the bed." Snape and Ginny carefully aligned Draco's body to the bed and set him down.
Snape searched Draco's body for wounds.
"Sir…"
"What is it, Weasley? I'm busy."
"Sir, I already gave him a healing potion. He lost a lot of blood, though."
Snape looked at her incredulously. "Well, this is a surprise. A Weasley helping a Malfoy."
"Not so surprising as a Death Eater helping Dumble… sorry, sir. I didn't mean it."
"No. No, you didn't." He stood up, "Stay here, Weasley. I will need to get him potions to help him regenerate his blood."
"I really am sorry, sir."
Snape paused as he was opening the door. "I'm not looking for pity, Weasley," and with that he exited and closed the door.
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Ginny and Draco FOREVER!!!!
^_^ Love and Light and Blessed Be,
LunaMagic