A/N: Another chapter!!! I know you can all barely contain your
excitement!!! Anyway, thank you so much to all my reviewers, new and old!
I hope you are all enjoying my story so far! I was surprised that I only
had one comment about the Neville/Parvati thing at the end of the last
chapter actually. Probably because of what happened right after
that...hehehe. I know that's a little OoC of them, but I felt bad for them
being the only ones without anyone so I just wrote them together. No big
story line or anything, they just are. And now without any further ado, on
with the show!!!
~Chapter 18~
The Dark Mark disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. Ron's rage took over. Chest heaving he lunged at Draco. "You bastard! This is all your fault!" he yelled tackling Draco to the ground. Ron got in a couple of good punches before Harry was able to pull him off of Draco. Of course, Draco was making it easy for Ron; he was hardly making an effort to block any blows.
Draco quickly scrambled to his feet. He could taste the blood on the inside of his mouth from where Ron had punched him. He was just as shocked as the others. How could this be happening? When he saw Ginny fall to the ground his heart had stopped and he felt like he was losing Alison all over again. "I swear to you I had nothing to do with this," he said wiping the blood from the side of his mouth.
"I don't believe you," Ron said straining against Harry again trying to get at Draco.
"We don't have time for this!" Harry said trying to get a hold of Ron. This immediately made Ron think of Hermione and Ginny and he turned to the girls.
"Emily! Emily, wake up," Coop was saying from where he had rested Emily on the ground after she passed out.
Harry knelt down next to his students and checked on Emily. "I think she's all right, she's just fainted."
"Ginny, can you hear me?" Draco was asking her, "Ginny are you alright?"
After a moment of gentle shaking Ginny's eyelids fluttered open, "The . . . children . . . are they . . . OK?"
Ron and Harry moved over to Ginny when they heard her talk, "The kids are fine Ginny," Harry told her, "We're going to get you to the castle as quickly as possible."
Ginny feebly nodded her head again, but the movement proved too much for her in her weakened state and she promptly passed out again.
"Come on, let's get them back to the castle now," Harry said. They cast levitation charms on the three girls and took them back to the castle. Once there, the three were rushed to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was already awaiting their arrival.
"Oh dear," she said when she saw the three girls, "Get them on to beds quickly."
As soon as Harry saw that the girls were being tended too her went to check on the other students and to find Professor McGonagall. Cho, Neville and Parvati were in the Great Hall with the other students. As soon as Harry walked in the questions came flying.
"Will the Professors be all right?"
"What's happening?"
"Are we being attacked?"
Franklin Creevey pushed his way through the crowd up to Harry, "P-Professor P-Potter," he started his voice shaking and face full of fear, "wh-where's my sister? Where's Emily?"
At just that moment Professor McGonagall was being led into the hall by one of the Prefects with a very apprehensive look on her face. With a curt nod of her head the teachers followed her out of the hall and with an apologetic look at Franklin; Harry followed them out too.
"Where are the others?" McGonagall asked as soon as the others were outside.
"In hospital," Harry replied.
"We'll talk there then," she said and started heading off in that direction.
"Professor McGonagall, what about the other students?" Harry asked.
"What about them?" she replied turning to look at Harry.
"Well they're scared and they have no idea what's going on. All they know is that people are hurt and that they have no answers."
McGonagall's face turned sympathetic, "I know that Harry, but I just don't have any answers to give them. I wish I did. However, if you want to go in and reassure them then by all means, be my guest. We'll wait for you in the hospital wing."
Harry watched them all walk down the hall toward the hospital wing before turning back to the Great Hall. What exactly was he going to say to the students? He didn't exactly have any answers either. He walked back into the hall and instantly felt every eye in the room fall on him.
Clearing his throat he began, "I know you're all a little bit worried about what you may have seen today or what you may have heard. Now, I don't know anymore about what happened today than you do. But I do know that if there is any one safe place for you to be at, it's Hogwarts. You guys don't need to worry about anything while you're here."
Harry looked around. A few faces seemed a little more relieved, but not much. "I'm sorry that we don't know anything else right now, but I promise you guys we'll do our best to figure out what happened today and keep you guys informed." A few more faces looked relieved.
"I'm going to go check on the people in hospital now." He looked over toward Franklin, "As soon as Madame Pomfrey says it's all right, someone will come get you so you can see your sister, OK?" Franklin faintly shook his in answer and the Abbott triplets sat him back down to try and cheer him up.
"All right, Prefects, keep the students here until dinner. Some of the teachers will be back here by then with an update and to have dinner with the students. After that take the students back to the common rooms. I guess we'll get word to you to let you know what's going on with classes and such." With that Harry hurried out of the hall and back to the hospital room.
By the time he got back, Emily was already awake and sitting up with a very relieved Tyler and Coop sitting on the bed on either side of her. Madame Pomfrey was still with Hermione and Ginny and the other teachers were waiting for Harry in Madame Pomfrey's office. Harry didn't want to interrupt Madame Pomfrey's work so just continued on to join the others but stopping just in front of the office where Emily's bed was.
"Feeling better?" Harry asked.
"Yes thank you," she replied. "Are they—going to be all right?" She asked motioning over to where Hermione and Ginny were laying at the opposite end of the hospital wing.
Harry looked over to where his two friends were laying motionless and a lump rose in his throat. "Madame Pomfrey's going to take really good care of them. You just make sure that you get yourself better. Your brother will be brought by after this meeting with everyone. He's really worried."
Emily instantly got worried, "Franklin—"
"Don't worry," Harry said quick to reassure her, "I've already talked to him, I told him you'd be OK and that someone would come get him when it was time."
"Thank you Professor Potter." Harry gave her a small smile and went off into the office.
"How are Hermione and Ginny?" Harry asked when he walked into the office.
"Not good," answered a very weary looking Ron from where he was sitting on the floor in the corner of the office. "Madame Pomfrey said that she doesn't know what they've been hexed with so the only thing we can do is wait it out. Ginny will probably come out of it quickly because she's already come round once, you remember, out on the road."
He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair, "But, Hermione hasn't as much as fluttered her lashes so God knows how long she'll take to come around. She says she's got some potions that might stimulate her system, but she's in pretty much a coma for now."
"I'm sorry Mate," Harry said crossing the room to sit next to his friend. "I'm sure that Madame Pomfrey will have them both up and around in no time."
"All right," McGonagall started, "what happened?"
Ron's voice was dripping with malice, "Why don't you ask Malfoy?"
Draco pushed himself away from the desk he was leaning on, "Look, I already told you I had nothing to do with this."
Ron stood up and took a step toward the pale haired boy, "And based on what exactly we supposed to take your word?" Harry was already on his feet and standing between Draco and Ron trying to avoid any further confrontation.
"Ron, that's enough!" came McGonagall's clipped command from across the room, "I'll not have you talking to another one of my teachers in that fashion." Ron's eyes still shot daggers at Draco but he let Harry lead him back across the room. "The real question here is whether or not Voldemort is back or not."
"That's just not possible!" Cho said. "Harry defeated him back in his seventh year."
"That doesn't mean anything," Neville pointed out. "How long did he survive after his first fall when Harry was a baby? Just because he hasn't been around for all this time doesn't mean that he can't be coming back."
"Neville's right," Harry agreed. "Look, all we know is that someone conjured up the Dark Mark. I suggest that a Ron and I go into the forest and see if we can find anything. Other than that we should just try to keep things around here as normal as possible. There's nothing else we can do."
McGonagall sighed, "I agree. I'll head up to my office and write to the Minister of Magic. He must be made aware of this as soon as possible."
After McGonagall left Harry told the others to go to the Great Hall to stay with the students during dinner while he and Ron checked out the forest near Hogsmeade and to make sure that someone brought Franklin Creevey in to see his sister. Neville, Cho, and Parvati left but Draco stayed behind.
"I want to go search with you."
Ron nearly chocked, "Over my dead body! Don't you think you've done enough?"
Draco's body tensed up and Harry saw that this was going to get out of control again. "Enough! Ron this isn't doing the situation any good! Malfoy, you'd just better stay here. I think the search would go better if I don't have to make sure Ron isn't trying to get at you the whole time."
Draco looked like he was about to argue, but gave a quick nod of his head instead. Harry and Ron headed to the door. Before Ron walked out he turned and headed back to Draco. "Oh, remember that judgment I was reserving. I've just made a decision. Stay away from my sister! I don't ever want to see you near her again! And you had better pray that Hermione comes out of this soon." Ron stormed out of the room and Draco just collapsed into one of the chairs, put his face in his hands and cried.
~~~
Harry and Ron search of the forest proved to be fruitless and after a few hours they had finally returned to the castle. Ginny and Hermione's conditions were still the same. By the time they had returned however Emily had been allowed to return to the Gryffindor common room. Luckily there were no classes the following day so they didn't have to worry about what to do with the students yet.
It was sometime near midnight and Harry was trying to talk Ron into going to bed. Ron looked horrible and Harry told him he wouldn't do anyone any good if he didn't get any rest himself. In the end he got Madame Pomfrey to come tell him her patients needed some proper rest, which made Ron reluctantly go up to his room to sleep.
It wasn't long after that Draco came downstairs again to see if Ron had finally left the hospital wing. He had been checking back frequently to see if he could have some time to sit with Ginny, but Ron hadn't been budging.
He stopped by Hermione's bed to see if there was any change, but she was still lying quietly in her bed. He moved over to Ginny who was also lying quietly and brought a chair up next to her bed. Draco took her hand in his and rested his head on her bed. He didn't know how much time he'd been sitting there but before long he had fallen asleep.
~~~
Ginny's eyes opened slowly and she felt a little disoriented. Her eyelids still felt heavy and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep the dark empty sleep she'd just woken up from when the day's events came back to her. She tried to lift her head but the pain of sudden movements made her rethink that choice. She felt someone holding her hand and looked down to see a familiar blonde head asleep next to her.
She took her hand out of Draco's and caressed his face. His eyes slowly opened and it took him a moment to realize what was going on. He jumped out of his chair, "Your awake! Let me go get Madame Pomfrey!"
"No," she managed to croak out before he walked away from her. Her throat was so dry. "Don't leave me," she managed to add. Draco heard the dryness in her voice and got her some water from a pitcher on the dresser at her bedside. She took a couple of sips before pushing the cup away. Draco sat down next to her again and she held out her hand so that he could hold it again.
"Where's Hermione?" she asked suddenly remembering what had happened to her friend.
"She got hit pretty bad and is still knocked out," Draco told her. "No one knows when she'll wake up. We just have to wait it out."
"Poor Hermione," Ginny said. "Poor Ron too," she added as an after thought, "where's he?"
"He was here all night. I think Harry dragged him out of here a little while ago."
"And the children?"
"Emily Creevey fainted out there, but she's all right now and back in her common room, other than that the children were fine," he informed her.
Ginny gave a sigh of relief, "I'm glad."
Draco fidgeted a little in his seat, "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Ginny asked giving him a concerned look.
Draco sighed and began, "Well remember how I told you that after Hogwarts I went to go work with my father? Well, while I was working for him he—"
"Look, I've heard the stories about your father before," Ginny interrupted, "and honestly, I don't care what your father did. You're not your father."
Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he wished it were so simple. "Just after you and Hermione were attacked the Dark Mark appeared in the sky."
Ginny gasped, "You don't mean—"
"I don't know what that means," Draco said standing up and pacing. "But what if this means the worst. What if he found Voldemort? What if this means he's back? I don't want to have to live up to my father's expectations any more. I don't want to live that life."
"You don't have to live that life, no one is making you."
"But I can't escape it either. Your brother wants me to stay away from you. He made that quite clear."
Ginny struggled to push herself up to sitting position on her bed, "That's not for him to decide."
"Maybe he's right. Good things don't last in my life." Draco came over to the bed and sat next to her. "You remember our first day here? That picture you saw in my room?"
"That woman and the baby?"
Draco smiled, "The woman was Alison and the baby was Bethany."
"Was?"
"They died, at the beginning of this year. There was a fire . . . that was my wife and daughter," by this time Draco was crying.
Another gasp escaped Ginny's lips and tears formed in her eyes as well. She leaned forward and hugged Draco. "I'm so sorry."
"The point is," Draco said pulling back, "they were the only good things that had been in my life and they were taken away. Then you came into my life and you were almost taken away too. I can't do that again. Maybe you're brother's right and I should leave you alone."
"And what about what I want? What about my pain? What about what I'd lose if you stayed away? My life is better because you're in it. I don't want to lose that. I'll deal with my brother, but I don't want you to run away from this because something happened. We're both stronger than this."
"I don't want to hurt you," Draco said.
Ginny took both his hands in hers, "Then don't leave me. Look, I've lived through Voldemort once; I know we'll be able to get through this now. You just have to trust in me."
"All right," he said, "I trust you." He stood up, "Now get some sleep, you'll need your strength."
"I heard you call me Ginny," she said as he helped her lay back down in bed.
He bit back a smile and said in mock severity, "A very grave oversight I assure you. And I can guarantee that it will most definitely never happen again. Now go to sleep...Weasley."
"Good night Draco," she said. He laughed at her use of his first name then bent down to kiss her lightly on the lips and went upstairs to bed.
A/N: Chelles I would never kill off Ginny or Hermione!!! Maybe someone else (wink wink) but never Ginny or Hermione!!! LOL. Anyway, I think we're moving along nicely here. Hope everyone is enjoying it. Things are going to start happening now that the poo has hit the fan (I really like that saying!) Review if you have time! L8r!
~Chapter 18~
The Dark Mark disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. Ron's rage took over. Chest heaving he lunged at Draco. "You bastard! This is all your fault!" he yelled tackling Draco to the ground. Ron got in a couple of good punches before Harry was able to pull him off of Draco. Of course, Draco was making it easy for Ron; he was hardly making an effort to block any blows.
Draco quickly scrambled to his feet. He could taste the blood on the inside of his mouth from where Ron had punched him. He was just as shocked as the others. How could this be happening? When he saw Ginny fall to the ground his heart had stopped and he felt like he was losing Alison all over again. "I swear to you I had nothing to do with this," he said wiping the blood from the side of his mouth.
"I don't believe you," Ron said straining against Harry again trying to get at Draco.
"We don't have time for this!" Harry said trying to get a hold of Ron. This immediately made Ron think of Hermione and Ginny and he turned to the girls.
"Emily! Emily, wake up," Coop was saying from where he had rested Emily on the ground after she passed out.
Harry knelt down next to his students and checked on Emily. "I think she's all right, she's just fainted."
"Ginny, can you hear me?" Draco was asking her, "Ginny are you alright?"
After a moment of gentle shaking Ginny's eyelids fluttered open, "The . . . children . . . are they . . . OK?"
Ron and Harry moved over to Ginny when they heard her talk, "The kids are fine Ginny," Harry told her, "We're going to get you to the castle as quickly as possible."
Ginny feebly nodded her head again, but the movement proved too much for her in her weakened state and she promptly passed out again.
"Come on, let's get them back to the castle now," Harry said. They cast levitation charms on the three girls and took them back to the castle. Once there, the three were rushed to the hospital wing where Madam Pomfrey was already awaiting their arrival.
"Oh dear," she said when she saw the three girls, "Get them on to beds quickly."
As soon as Harry saw that the girls were being tended too her went to check on the other students and to find Professor McGonagall. Cho, Neville and Parvati were in the Great Hall with the other students. As soon as Harry walked in the questions came flying.
"Will the Professors be all right?"
"What's happening?"
"Are we being attacked?"
Franklin Creevey pushed his way through the crowd up to Harry, "P-Professor P-Potter," he started his voice shaking and face full of fear, "wh-where's my sister? Where's Emily?"
At just that moment Professor McGonagall was being led into the hall by one of the Prefects with a very apprehensive look on her face. With a curt nod of her head the teachers followed her out of the hall and with an apologetic look at Franklin; Harry followed them out too.
"Where are the others?" McGonagall asked as soon as the others were outside.
"In hospital," Harry replied.
"We'll talk there then," she said and started heading off in that direction.
"Professor McGonagall, what about the other students?" Harry asked.
"What about them?" she replied turning to look at Harry.
"Well they're scared and they have no idea what's going on. All they know is that people are hurt and that they have no answers."
McGonagall's face turned sympathetic, "I know that Harry, but I just don't have any answers to give them. I wish I did. However, if you want to go in and reassure them then by all means, be my guest. We'll wait for you in the hospital wing."
Harry watched them all walk down the hall toward the hospital wing before turning back to the Great Hall. What exactly was he going to say to the students? He didn't exactly have any answers either. He walked back into the hall and instantly felt every eye in the room fall on him.
Clearing his throat he began, "I know you're all a little bit worried about what you may have seen today or what you may have heard. Now, I don't know anymore about what happened today than you do. But I do know that if there is any one safe place for you to be at, it's Hogwarts. You guys don't need to worry about anything while you're here."
Harry looked around. A few faces seemed a little more relieved, but not much. "I'm sorry that we don't know anything else right now, but I promise you guys we'll do our best to figure out what happened today and keep you guys informed." A few more faces looked relieved.
"I'm going to go check on the people in hospital now." He looked over toward Franklin, "As soon as Madame Pomfrey says it's all right, someone will come get you so you can see your sister, OK?" Franklin faintly shook his in answer and the Abbott triplets sat him back down to try and cheer him up.
"All right, Prefects, keep the students here until dinner. Some of the teachers will be back here by then with an update and to have dinner with the students. After that take the students back to the common rooms. I guess we'll get word to you to let you know what's going on with classes and such." With that Harry hurried out of the hall and back to the hospital room.
By the time he got back, Emily was already awake and sitting up with a very relieved Tyler and Coop sitting on the bed on either side of her. Madame Pomfrey was still with Hermione and Ginny and the other teachers were waiting for Harry in Madame Pomfrey's office. Harry didn't want to interrupt Madame Pomfrey's work so just continued on to join the others but stopping just in front of the office where Emily's bed was.
"Feeling better?" Harry asked.
"Yes thank you," she replied. "Are they—going to be all right?" She asked motioning over to where Hermione and Ginny were laying at the opposite end of the hospital wing.
Harry looked over to where his two friends were laying motionless and a lump rose in his throat. "Madame Pomfrey's going to take really good care of them. You just make sure that you get yourself better. Your brother will be brought by after this meeting with everyone. He's really worried."
Emily instantly got worried, "Franklin—"
"Don't worry," Harry said quick to reassure her, "I've already talked to him, I told him you'd be OK and that someone would come get him when it was time."
"Thank you Professor Potter." Harry gave her a small smile and went off into the office.
"How are Hermione and Ginny?" Harry asked when he walked into the office.
"Not good," answered a very weary looking Ron from where he was sitting on the floor in the corner of the office. "Madame Pomfrey said that she doesn't know what they've been hexed with so the only thing we can do is wait it out. Ginny will probably come out of it quickly because she's already come round once, you remember, out on the road."
He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair, "But, Hermione hasn't as much as fluttered her lashes so God knows how long she'll take to come around. She says she's got some potions that might stimulate her system, but she's in pretty much a coma for now."
"I'm sorry Mate," Harry said crossing the room to sit next to his friend. "I'm sure that Madame Pomfrey will have them both up and around in no time."
"All right," McGonagall started, "what happened?"
Ron's voice was dripping with malice, "Why don't you ask Malfoy?"
Draco pushed himself away from the desk he was leaning on, "Look, I already told you I had nothing to do with this."
Ron stood up and took a step toward the pale haired boy, "And based on what exactly we supposed to take your word?" Harry was already on his feet and standing between Draco and Ron trying to avoid any further confrontation.
"Ron, that's enough!" came McGonagall's clipped command from across the room, "I'll not have you talking to another one of my teachers in that fashion." Ron's eyes still shot daggers at Draco but he let Harry lead him back across the room. "The real question here is whether or not Voldemort is back or not."
"That's just not possible!" Cho said. "Harry defeated him back in his seventh year."
"That doesn't mean anything," Neville pointed out. "How long did he survive after his first fall when Harry was a baby? Just because he hasn't been around for all this time doesn't mean that he can't be coming back."
"Neville's right," Harry agreed. "Look, all we know is that someone conjured up the Dark Mark. I suggest that a Ron and I go into the forest and see if we can find anything. Other than that we should just try to keep things around here as normal as possible. There's nothing else we can do."
McGonagall sighed, "I agree. I'll head up to my office and write to the Minister of Magic. He must be made aware of this as soon as possible."
After McGonagall left Harry told the others to go to the Great Hall to stay with the students during dinner while he and Ron checked out the forest near Hogsmeade and to make sure that someone brought Franklin Creevey in to see his sister. Neville, Cho, and Parvati left but Draco stayed behind.
"I want to go search with you."
Ron nearly chocked, "Over my dead body! Don't you think you've done enough?"
Draco's body tensed up and Harry saw that this was going to get out of control again. "Enough! Ron this isn't doing the situation any good! Malfoy, you'd just better stay here. I think the search would go better if I don't have to make sure Ron isn't trying to get at you the whole time."
Draco looked like he was about to argue, but gave a quick nod of his head instead. Harry and Ron headed to the door. Before Ron walked out he turned and headed back to Draco. "Oh, remember that judgment I was reserving. I've just made a decision. Stay away from my sister! I don't ever want to see you near her again! And you had better pray that Hermione comes out of this soon." Ron stormed out of the room and Draco just collapsed into one of the chairs, put his face in his hands and cried.
~~~
Harry and Ron search of the forest proved to be fruitless and after a few hours they had finally returned to the castle. Ginny and Hermione's conditions were still the same. By the time they had returned however Emily had been allowed to return to the Gryffindor common room. Luckily there were no classes the following day so they didn't have to worry about what to do with the students yet.
It was sometime near midnight and Harry was trying to talk Ron into going to bed. Ron looked horrible and Harry told him he wouldn't do anyone any good if he didn't get any rest himself. In the end he got Madame Pomfrey to come tell him her patients needed some proper rest, which made Ron reluctantly go up to his room to sleep.
It wasn't long after that Draco came downstairs again to see if Ron had finally left the hospital wing. He had been checking back frequently to see if he could have some time to sit with Ginny, but Ron hadn't been budging.
He stopped by Hermione's bed to see if there was any change, but she was still lying quietly in her bed. He moved over to Ginny who was also lying quietly and brought a chair up next to her bed. Draco took her hand in his and rested his head on her bed. He didn't know how much time he'd been sitting there but before long he had fallen asleep.
~~~
Ginny's eyes opened slowly and she felt a little disoriented. Her eyelids still felt heavy and she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and sleep the dark empty sleep she'd just woken up from when the day's events came back to her. She tried to lift her head but the pain of sudden movements made her rethink that choice. She felt someone holding her hand and looked down to see a familiar blonde head asleep next to her.
She took her hand out of Draco's and caressed his face. His eyes slowly opened and it took him a moment to realize what was going on. He jumped out of his chair, "Your awake! Let me go get Madame Pomfrey!"
"No," she managed to croak out before he walked away from her. Her throat was so dry. "Don't leave me," she managed to add. Draco heard the dryness in her voice and got her some water from a pitcher on the dresser at her bedside. She took a couple of sips before pushing the cup away. Draco sat down next to her again and she held out her hand so that he could hold it again.
"Where's Hermione?" she asked suddenly remembering what had happened to her friend.
"She got hit pretty bad and is still knocked out," Draco told her. "No one knows when she'll wake up. We just have to wait it out."
"Poor Hermione," Ginny said. "Poor Ron too," she added as an after thought, "where's he?"
"He was here all night. I think Harry dragged him out of here a little while ago."
"And the children?"
"Emily Creevey fainted out there, but she's all right now and back in her common room, other than that the children were fine," he informed her.
Ginny gave a sigh of relief, "I'm glad."
Draco fidgeted a little in his seat, "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" Ginny asked giving him a concerned look.
Draco sighed and began, "Well remember how I told you that after Hogwarts I went to go work with my father? Well, while I was working for him he—"
"Look, I've heard the stories about your father before," Ginny interrupted, "and honestly, I don't care what your father did. You're not your father."
Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath; he wished it were so simple. "Just after you and Hermione were attacked the Dark Mark appeared in the sky."
Ginny gasped, "You don't mean—"
"I don't know what that means," Draco said standing up and pacing. "But what if this means the worst. What if he found Voldemort? What if this means he's back? I don't want to have to live up to my father's expectations any more. I don't want to live that life."
"You don't have to live that life, no one is making you."
"But I can't escape it either. Your brother wants me to stay away from you. He made that quite clear."
Ginny struggled to push herself up to sitting position on her bed, "That's not for him to decide."
"Maybe he's right. Good things don't last in my life." Draco came over to the bed and sat next to her. "You remember our first day here? That picture you saw in my room?"
"That woman and the baby?"
Draco smiled, "The woman was Alison and the baby was Bethany."
"Was?"
"They died, at the beginning of this year. There was a fire . . . that was my wife and daughter," by this time Draco was crying.
Another gasp escaped Ginny's lips and tears formed in her eyes as well. She leaned forward and hugged Draco. "I'm so sorry."
"The point is," Draco said pulling back, "they were the only good things that had been in my life and they were taken away. Then you came into my life and you were almost taken away too. I can't do that again. Maybe you're brother's right and I should leave you alone."
"And what about what I want? What about my pain? What about what I'd lose if you stayed away? My life is better because you're in it. I don't want to lose that. I'll deal with my brother, but I don't want you to run away from this because something happened. We're both stronger than this."
"I don't want to hurt you," Draco said.
Ginny took both his hands in hers, "Then don't leave me. Look, I've lived through Voldemort once; I know we'll be able to get through this now. You just have to trust in me."
"All right," he said, "I trust you." He stood up, "Now get some sleep, you'll need your strength."
"I heard you call me Ginny," she said as he helped her lay back down in bed.
He bit back a smile and said in mock severity, "A very grave oversight I assure you. And I can guarantee that it will most definitely never happen again. Now go to sleep...Weasley."
"Good night Draco," she said. He laughed at her use of his first name then bent down to kiss her lightly on the lips and went upstairs to bed.
A/N: Chelles I would never kill off Ginny or Hermione!!! Maybe someone else (wink wink) but never Ginny or Hermione!!! LOL. Anyway, I think we're moving along nicely here. Hope everyone is enjoying it. Things are going to start happening now that the poo has hit the fan (I really like that saying!) Review if you have time! L8r!