**There will be an epilogue, folks, so stick around for more! And readers, do review and tell me if you've caught on to my hints about what else will come in the future…
Chapter 22
Cara strode, well, walked rather gingerly, toward Gryffindor Tower. She was a girl on a mission. And at the moment her mission was to find one Ginny Weasley, also newly released from the Hospital Wing and currently alledged to be residing in the Gryffindor common room.
Her stomach was still a little sore, apparently from getting hit with the crucio curse while unconscious. Apparently it had rearranged certain internal organs, hence the soreness. Cara wrinkled her nose as she thought of it and came to a careful stop in front of the Fat Lady.
"Oh, my dear girl, you're out of the Hospital Wing!" the Fat Lady exclaimed, looking anxious. "You shouldn't be wandering about alone, you should have one of those fine strong boys lending you a sturdy arm…"
Cara grinned. Ah, it was good to be back. "Yeah, well, there's really only one I want, and right now, I've got to figure out how to keep him from running away," she said cheerfully. "Mouse feet," she added, and the portrait swung open, the Fat Lady still mumbling about how chivalry was all but dead and back in her day, a girl wouldn't have been allowed to walk the corridors without some fine strapping young buck to assist her…
Cara stepped into the common room and looked around. It was pretty quiet, only a few students were sitting and working on homework. In the far corner, she spotted Ginny, comfortably wedged into an armchair, a cushion behind her back and an ottoman under her feet, and her brother hanging over her like an anxious parent. Hermione was sitting next to her, looking mildly exhasperated and more than a little amused, probably at Ron's expense. And Harry was sitting back a little, eyes opaque and face fondly mocking.
Ginny looked up just then and gave a little squeal. "Cara!" she said, and pointed. "Slave, bring her to me!"
Cara's jaw dropped as Ron promptly started to stride to her. Harry snickered. Hermione giggled, and Cara took a step backward. "Oh no you don't," she said, putting up her hands to ward off a now grinning Ron.
"Come on then, Cara," Ron said as he caught her. Very carefully, he scooped her up off her feet and started to carry her over to where Ginny was sitting, ignoring the fact that Cara was sputtering and swatting at him. "Oi, Harry, give over that chair, would you?" he said to his friend, and proceeded to lower Cara into the now-vacated seat.
Cara crossed her arms and gave a huff, glaring first at Ron, then at Ginny. "You little witch," she sniffed.
Ginny grinned. "I know, I know, I'm wonderful, you don't have to say it," she said. She looked up at her brother. "Ronsie, I could use something nice and cool from the kitchens," she said in a cooing voice. Ginny was on quite a tear, Cara could tell. She had that look in her eyes that said she was enjoying herself quite a bit and didn't intend to stop anytime soon.
"And you, young lady," she said, turning back to Cara as her big, doting idiot of a brother headed for the door and presumably the kitchens, "why'd you walk back from the Hospital Wing alone? I was going to have Ron and Harry come get you, if Draco didn't get there first."
Cara grimaced as she shifted a little, trying to get comfortable. "I haven't seen Draco yet today," she said.
Both Ginny's eyebrows shot up. Even Hermione looked surprised. Harry, leaning against the wall a few feet away, however, didn't change expression. Hmm… Cara thought.
"He hasn't? Merlin, the boy had to be dragged out of there last night," Hermione said, leaning forward.
"Really," Cara said, fixing her eyes on Harry. He didn't move, but did get a slightly uncomfortable look on his face as he looked down at the top of Hermione's head.
"That is weird. Draco's like a completely different person with you. I would have sworn he would have forced his way into the ward one way or another," Ginny said, frowning.
"Yeah, I kind of thought so too, and then it occurred to me: he's scared," she said, eyes still fixed on Harry's face. Hermione noticed this and gave a quick glance at her, then Harry, then her again. And frowned. Ginny didn't notice, she was thinking too hard.
"Scared of what?" her red-headed friend asked.
Cara tilted her head to one side, watching as Harry reluctantly met her eyes. A small headache started behind her eyes, but she was half-expecting that. It was something to do with Harry and him focusing on you… "He's scared because I got hurt and he couldn't stop it," she said, locking eyes with the boy on the other wall. "Because he knows that he can't put me in a glass box and keep everything bad from happening to me. And because he knows that I'm going to come after him, and he's worried I'm going to find him and change his mind."
Ginny was staring at Cara now, she could feel the other girl's gaze. Cara was still looking at Harry. A muscle jumped in his jaw, and he was the one to look away. "Draco knows he can't protect you from everyone else," Hermione said softly. Cara glanced over at her to see a look of complete understanding in the older girl's eyes. Hermione was a clever witch, she could read the undercurrents in the conversation. Cara looked at Ginny to see a hint of sorrow in those brown eyes. Ginny understood too.
"Draco's a fool," Ginny said clearly, looking at Cara. "He'd throw away the most important thing in the world, someone who loves him, all because he can't keep you safe? Who says it's his job to keep you safe, who says you want to be safe?" Ginny shook her head and added quietly, "It's our fight, too."
Cara smiled a bit grimly. "I know it is. You know it is, Hermione knows it." She glanced up, but found that Harry had slipped away. Hah. Coward. She was pretty sure she knew what was up with him, but she wouldn't say anything. Ginny would tell her when she needed her. She leaned forward, wincing a bit at the pain in her stomach. "Now I just need to make sure Draco knows it."
A twinkle sprang into Hermione's eyes. "I have just the thing," she said.
**********
Draco was sitting at lunch, quietly poking at what was probably a very good casserole. He didn't have the appetite to swallow, however. It had been five days since he'd gotten drunk with Potter. Three days since Cara had been released from the Hospital Wing. And an achingly long time since he'd held her.
Draco gritted his teeth. He was a Malfoy, he told himself. Malfoy's did not give in to pain, to emotion. He would get through this and Cara would be all the safer for it. He'd avoided all contact with her, eating at odd times, even going so far as to avoid her Gryffindor friends eyes as he crossed classrooms to seats alone in the corner.
He didn't know yet what he would do about Potions, however. He had to sit and work with Potter, and while he didn't think the other boy would bother him about it, that little drunken conversation they'd had made him nervous. And he didn't like that feeling. Not to mention that sooner or later, he'd have to deal with tutoring and that meant being face to face with the girl herself.
He poked again at the food on his plate before setting down his fork and standing up. Bloody hell, he needed to snap out of this. So what if it felt like his reason, his meaning was gone? He'd never needed it before, and he could certainly do without it now.
He'd taken only two steps away from the Slytherin Table, when he was suddenly surrounded by flying… envelopes? They zoomed about, brushing his hair and making him duck reflexively as one came a bit too close to his face for comfort. He scowled. Great, just great, someone decided to try and prank him? His mood blackened further. He'd make them pay.
Draco pulled out his wand. People were starting to stare, and he had no desire to find himself a topic of Hogwarts gossips. "Finite incantatem!" he snapped, flicking his wand at the nearest envelope. To his surprise, instead of falling to the floor like he expected, all the envelopes proceeded to line up in the air in front of him. There were five in all, he saw, angry still but now puzzled. Why hadn't the charm worked? There wasn't much that couldn't be finished with it…
Then the first envelope opened like it was a mouth about to speak, and Draco froze. Oh no.
"Draco Malfoy, you are hereby invited on a date!" it announced. Draco felt the blood drain from his face. It couldn't be what he thought…
The second envelope chimed in. "This date will take occur at the time and place of your choosing," it said. Oh really, Draco thought sarcastically. If this was what he thought, he'd kill her…
Now the third. "Don't try to weasel out of it, because I know how to find you," it warned. Pretty much everyone in the room was staring at him now.
"And there's plenty of people willing to help me," said the fourth.
And finally the fifth. "Oh and by the way," it's voice becoming decidedly mischievous. Draco ducked a split second too late as he was suddenly dive-bombed by the envelopes. All five planted rather scratchy kisses on his face before zooming backward.
"I love you!" they all chimed together before exploding into lots of little butterflies that proceeded to flit about the now eagerly chattering Great Hall.
Draco scowled deep and dark and headed straight for the exit. Damn the girl. He'd been publicly avoiding her for her own bloody sake, and she went and did something like this? What kind of female gave a declaration like that, in front of the whole school, by enchanted letter, no less? When he got his hands on her, he'd throttle the living daylights out of her, right before he got her between him and a flat surface and kissed out all the crazy insane worry and fear that had him tied in knots.
Draco was fuming so much as he strode out the doorway, that he neglected to remember the fact that he was to avoid the girl in question at all costs.
**********
Cara was comfortably ensconced in the Astronomy Tower. She was dressed from head to toe in her prettiest clothes, had her cloak with a wonderful warming charm courtesy of Hermione, and had her trap all set. She glanced around with a grin. She had a feeling that Ron's anxious hovering over his sister would end soon, but in the meantime he was so useful. And Harry came along with him, since his taller friend had merely hooked an arm around his neck and dragged.
She surveyed the tower with great satisfaction. It might be cold and window outside the tower, but inside, little heaters had been placed about to warm the cold stone. The boys had carted a ton of transfigured pillows and things and been forced to move them here and there as the girls directed them, Harry finally throwing his hands in the air and telling them they were bloody witches, just use a levitation charm.
Now the Tower was bathed in a soft evening glow as the sun was starting to sink lower in the sky. They had food, they had drink, they had soft places to sit and lie. She adjusted the snug bodice of the pretty muggle dress she was wearing. Really, muggles had a much nicer sense of style then wizards. Her nails and hair were done, and she'd never looked better. Ginny had promised.
She glanced at the sun. It was starting to get a bit late… would he not figure it out? She'd thought he'd know exactly where to go, Draco being a rather clever wizard and all.
Just then the trap door banged open and she jumped a bit, caught off guard. And then grinned as the scowling blonde head of the boy in question came through the floor. He glared around with narrowed eyes, and proceeded to climb through and stalk over to where she was sitting.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded, not wasting any time. Cara gazed up at him, feeling soft, warm feelings wash over her. It was a little funny, especially since he was currently fixing his meanest, scariest look on her, the one that made first-years cry and wet their pants. She smiled. He couldn't scare her anymore.
"Hi," she said easily. "I take it you got my message?"
He glared at her before whirling to pace away. "Yes, I got it," he flung back over his shoulder. "Dammit, girl, can't you take a hint? I've stayed away from you for a very good reason. You'd think that someone who claims to be top of her classes would have figured it out by now."
"Figured out what?" she asked, deciding she'd let him just go ahead and say it before she pointed out the error of his ways. She saw the trap door close silently, and made a mental note to remember to thank Hermione.
He turned and snarled at her, some part of her mind eerily reminded of a certain nasty professor. "I. Don't. Want. You." He enunciated clearly. "You cause problems, you get in the way, and you force me to go after you in dangerous situations."
Cara laughed, long and clear and clearly amused. He stopped to stare at her. "You think that's funny?" he asked fiercely.
She smiled at him, and letting her cloak drop off, stood and started walking slowly toward him. Much to her amusement, he took a step backward, then another. She stalked him to the other side of the tower. "I think it's very funny," she said softly. "Because you most definitely want me, Draco. You want me so much, you'd do anything to keep me safe. Including push me away."
Draco had backed up nearly to the wall. He was eyeing her with a great deal of caution. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Cara sighed and shook her head as he bumped into the stone wall. She sauntered right up to him, and reached out to rest her hands on his chest. His very, very nice, firm chest. "Yes, you do," she said gently. "And it won't work. I'll come back every damn time, Draco. Because I happen to know what you don't."
"What's that?" he demanded. His face had gotten very tight, like he was trying not to do something. Hmm…
She slipped her hands slowly up until they rested at the base of his neck, fingers lightly stroking. "I know that it doesn't matter if someone tries to hurt me," she said, looking straight up into stormy gray eyes. "I know that sooner or later, someone's going to try. And I know that it's going to happen whether or not I'm with you." His jaw clenched at that. She sighed. "Draco, there's going to be war. It's going to be ugly. And I'm going to be in it," she told him seriously. "I have to be. Too many people who matter to me are involved, and besides, it's just wrong. V-Voldemort's wrong," she said, stuttering the name for some reason.
"I'll only make it worse," he said through tense lips. Cara felt a well of satisfaction. She had him.
"You'll make it better," she said. This time she cupped his face. "The only thing that makes things like whats going to happen better," she said seriously, "is having someone to share with. I love you, Draco," she said, and waited. It was the first time she'd said it to him, the letters not counting.
He just stared down at her, those beautiful eyes dark and turbulent and swirling with questions. "Dammit, Cara," he whispered. "You weren't supposed to happen."
She gave him a surprisingly cheeky grin. "What, you mean a little Gryffindor brat cornering the high and mighty Slytherin up in the Astronomy Tower and snogging his brains out?" she asked.
He closed his eyes at that and she waited. He had to realize it himself, had to see… she'd laid it out as plain as she could, all but offered herself on a golden platter…
And then he opened his eyes and looked down at her, and she felt his hands slip about her waist. Her heart leapt. "I think you have it wrong," he said in a growl.
She gave a little gasp as he proceeded to sweep her up and carry her in long strides back across the room. "How's it go, then?" she asked dizzily.
He set her down on some of the pillows and leaned close, his face, his body tantalizingly near her own. She ached and waited. "He wanted to be cornered, and she just had to show him," he said. And then he kissed her, and stars rang, birds sang and the moon exploded into a thousand glittering shards. And damn, it was good.