Chapter Twelve: Hero of the Day

"They're off to find the hero of the day
But what if they should fall by someone's wicked way

Still the window burns
Time so slowly turns
And someone there is sighing
Keepers of the flames
Do ya feel your name?
Can't you hear your babies crying?"

'Look at them.' Thought Harry as he sat on the stairs leading to the boy's dorm. 'A bunch of bleeding bastards. Free, happy, biggest care in the world being whether they turned their homework in on time. What do they know of pain.'

"Harry?"

He was jolted out of his thought by his best friend's voice.

"Harry, is everything okay?"

'No, it's not okay you twit.' He thought, but his mouth said, "Yes, of course."

"Whatever you say, Harry." Replied Ron, and walked off.

Maliciously, yet sadly, he thought,

'Eventually, they will know what it means to feel pain.'

----

"Ginny?" Said Draco as Ginny woke up. Her eyelids half open, she didn't really seem to realize who was speaking to her.

"Harry?" She said, taking a wild guess.

Draco tried to hide his anger and said, "Guess again!", faking happiness.

She opened her eyes completely.

"Draco?" She said softly, then the full weight of what had happened in the past few days came back to her mind, and with all of the strength she sat up and yelled, "Get away from me!" and pushed him off of the side of her bed.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to come here after what you did!" She screamed and then started hacking. He looked at her sadly and handed her a tissue from the bedside. She grabbed it and held it to her mouth, but when she pulled it away it was covered in blood.

"Draco, please leave." She said hoarsely. "You've made it clear you don't want me around, so please…"

Before she could finish her sentence she fell back onto her pillow, small spasms of coughs shaking her body.

He sat down on the bed again and started stroking her hair.

"God, Gin, what have you gotten yourself into?" He said softly, a strange look in his eye.

She gave another loud cough, but did not say anything.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, and if I had known about your…feelings for me…I believe things would have turned out a lot different."

Her gaze was still turned towards the ceiling, but he swore he could see tears running down her face.

"I am truly sorry." He said, eyes shining.

She sat up to face him.

"You egotistical bastard." She whispered angrily, "You think that this is all about you…"

Suddenly she fainted, falling on him. He moved over so she would be more comfortable, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead.

"I don't want to lose you." He whispered, a tear finally showing on his pale face, "My love…my Fire Moon."

-----

Ginny woke up a few hours later, wondering how she had gotten into somebody's lap. She looked up at the sleeping Draco and leaned back against his chest, knowing that she probably would not get a chance to be this close to him again.

Her movement awoke him, and though she expected him to push her away, he just held her closer.

"How are you feeling this morning, Gin?" He asked.

The truth was, she really didn't know how she felt. A myriad of feelings was running through her small body, she felt hot and cold at the same time, relaxed and stressed, feeling the worst and the greatest feeling she had ever felt.

"I don't know."

At that quite embarrassing moment, Dumbledore decided to come into the hospital wing to check on Ginny. Seeing the position that the two teenagers were in amused Dumbledore greatly, but he didn't say anything about it.

"Good morning, Miss Weasley. Are you feeling any different than yesterday?" He asked her kindly.

"No, professor."

"I am sorry to hear that."

There was an awkward silence in the room for a while, as Dumbledore was obviously waiting for Ginny to speak, and she was waiting for him to.

"Professor, why is this happening to me?" Ginny finally asked.

He hesitated for moment, then replied, "Miss Weasley, it was a complication in your transformation that we did not expect. You should be fine in a few days, but you will not be able to try your transformation again for a few months."

Draco coughed, but did not say anything.

"Sir, are you sure that's all?" She asked, hoping for the best.

He sighed and his face suddenly looked about twenty years older.

"No, Ginny, that is not all. There is a theory that I have…"

Dumbledore looked sadly out the window.

"I had hoped that the prophecy would not be fulfilled in my lifetime, but I suppose we do not all get what we would like. I was once rather close friends with a woman named Malorie Avranti,"

Draco suddenly interrupted him.

"You mean the Malorie Avranti? The world-renown seer?" He said, shocked.

"Yes, Mister Malfoy, that Malorie Avranti." Dumbledore said, looking at Draco. "And this seer…she made a very famous prophecy, a very long time ago, about a flame-woman who would—"

At that moment, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stormed into the hospital wing. As soon as Ron saw the two students on the bed, he drew his wand with a look that made him seem to be willing to cast Avada Kedavra on Draco.

"Mister Weasley, I would quite appreciate it if you would put away your wand." Said Dumbledore calmly.

"Yes Professor." Ron replied reluctantly, and continued to glare at Draco.

"Well Miss Weasley, I think we will continue this conversation later, you do be careful." Dumbledore said, and left the wing.

As soon as Dumbledore left Ron rushed over to Draco and punched him in the face, narrowly avoiding his little sister's head.

"You bloody git!" He yelled, then felt someone grab him from behind.

"Mister Weasley, that was quite uncalled for." Said the oily voice of Professor Snape. "I'd say, twenty points from Gryffindor?"

The Gryffindors in the room just looked at him in shock.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get out of here!" He said sternly, and the three visitors rushed out the door, though not before Ron shot another glare at Draco.

"Thank you, professor." Said Draco, finally removing his arms from around Ginny.

"I take it you two have made up, then?"

"Er…Professor…how do you know about Draco and I?" Asked Ginny, a little freaked out.

"I am not unperceptive, Miss Weasley, and you and Mister Malfoy are both quite unable to hide things." He replied, and Ginny could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smile on the Professor's face. "Now, I was here to bail you out this time, Mister Malfoy, but I may not be there next time. Watch yourself."

He said, and left the room.

"Well…" Said Ginny, "That was rather odd."

"Indeed."

They just sat there for a while, enjoying the presence of one another.

"Draco?" She finally said.

"Hmm?"

"What were you saying before? Before Blaise…" Said Ginny, and a look of hatred crossed her face as she said the other girl's name.

"I just was saying that, while I may not love you…"

'I'm too good at lying.'

"I still like you quite a bit, and…"

He bent down to kiss her, but that was the precise moment she had chosen to faint.

Draco let out a groan.

'My breath isn't that bad!'

-----

A/N: Or is it? dun dun DUN

Next episode, DRACO'S BREATH SMELLS LIKE PEE!!!

…never mind….

Aww! Evil Harry, mushy Draco, angry, bloody Ginny, and caring Snape. The world has gone mad! Yes, I hope you like this chapter, I don't think it's as good as some of my others but…I worked hard on it. Bah. Reviews will be much appreciated.