Summary: Draco Malfoy stands trial before the Ministry for his crimes as a
Death Eater. His only vote of confidence is a letter from Albus Dumbledore,
who died during the Final Battle. The current headmistress, Ginny Weasley
mistrusts her new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but Dumbledore
must have known something.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 8
"Love and war are the same thing, and the stratagems and policy are as allowable in the one as in the other." -Cervantes-
Draco stared at the ugly tattoo on her forearm in horror. The burning scar was the only thing marring the milky white skin. There were no words that could be spoken to undo the tattoo and she was forever branded as a Death Eater. He looked at Ginny, pleading her tell why she had done this to herself. He could not ask, but he wanted her to tell him freely. He understood that it was her choice, not his. Somehow, he could not believe what he saw and did not want to believe it. He darkly wondered what the Dark Lord had done for her to become his servant.
Ginny was already regretting showing Draco the Dark Mark. She was sure, he had already labeled her as a murderer and traitor. Although he had fled the country, she had forgotten he did not know any of her past. Harry knew about so little, her family knew so little. It was something she could never explain and was a constant shame for her. She had made a mistake, but no one chooses whom they fall in love with. She worked tirelessly to atone her mistakes now, but as Severus Snape had discovered so long ago, every action has a price. Ginny had been paying every day since Derrick left, she had been young and niave. In times of war this can be the greatest crime. Ginny wanted to explain, she needed to explain, he would understand her better, better than Ron or Harry ever could. She took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. She had only told this story once before and she did not fancy telling it again.
"It was love at first sight, and without hesitation I secretly married Derrick Bole right after finishing school. My parents had forbidden me to marry him and so I cut all my family ties," she began resolutely. "And about one year later, our son was born." The information suddenly clicked, Owein Bole was her son. That was why Ginny ignored Draco's detention slips regarding the boy. "Not long after, Derrick began to disappear. He would be gone for hours, and the man I fell in love with was changing. Or maybe he was showing himself. Then, one night I saw the Dark Mark burned into his flesh as he took off his shirt. Before, I could even react he- he hit me. My head began spinning and I lost consciousness. When I woke up Derrick and Owein were gone, and the Dark Mark was tattooed on my forearm. I went to Dumbledore, he gave me salvation and helped me. No one even realized we had married, and I told my family he had died. Ten years later my son came to Hogwarts and I am so disappointed in what he has become," Ginny admitted as tears glistened in her eyes. "I know it sounds stupid, but part of me still loves him, will always love him. The Derrick I fell in love with."
"I thought you said he died," Draco said carefully.
"I did," she replied quietly as though admitting she had lied was tearing her soul apart.
Draco did no know how to react to all of this information. He had known Derrick Bole at school. He had played beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team alongside Iain Derrick, and he was Blaise Zabini's second cousin . The boy had been a key player in Slytherin politics and a pureblood supremacist to boot. Draco had never doubted Derrick's desire to join the Dark Lord, but then again who would have doubted Draco's want. Derrick Bole's father had often visited the Manor, while making business contracts with his father and he had a sister a year under him. The Boles were wizarding social elite, but Draco knew for a fact his parents had not supported the Dark Lord during his first rising. Derrick had not even grown up in England if he remembered correctly, he had grown up in Sweden or something of the like.
"It's hard to love someone when they are not honest with you," he replied after a few awkward moments. "I was never honest with her, and it tore us apart. I always told her we were going to marry, that I was going to tell my father the truth, but I never really meant it. I had thought I could protect her if she was kept a secret. All of my empty promises were not enough and she left me, I could not blame her. All I could do was leave the country and flee to where I never would have to face my life again. I thought I never would have to face my problems, so I just ran without her nothing was keeping me here. I took care of one last thing and left. I guess she took our unborn child with us, I never even knew she existed. Except, somehow my father had known all along and captured her. He just wanted me to join him, to be what I despised most. He wanted me to be like him. So he tried to use her against me, I don't know whether she is dead or alive anymore, she was put into the dungeons during the war. Luckily, our daughter was brought here to Hogwarts by Pansy of all people and was cared for by you. And as soon as I saw her I knew she was my daughter, I saw her eyes and knew," Draco said steadily. "Her eyes are like mine."
"What?" Ginny demanded remembering the first conversation they had shared about Brangaine and his odd mannerisms.
"You said her mother was French, Elsie was French. She has my eyes, she has to be my daughter," Draco said pleadingly. Ginny's head began to spin as the information clicked. She had been so blind, she had been wrong again. "I asked her about her mother and she knew. She has always known she was my daughter, my father was using her to get to me, he was using Elsie."
"When your father died, that was when Brangaine came here to Hogwarts," Ginny said placing another piece together. Draco did not know what to say, he had told Snape he would not tell another soul, but Ginny had willingly poured her soul out to him. There was an unspoken bond between them. He had to tell her, just not yet.
"In a way, we are both the same," he said slowly staring into her eyes. She lifted her face to look at him.
"Innocent, but marked as guilty because of mistakes," she answered as though she had read his mind. She was feeling as though he radiated a warmth she had not felt for a very long time. Draco was akin to Derrick, the way he had been before he became a Death Eater. Draco, on the other hand, could almost see Elsie looking up at him. Ginny and Elsie looked as though they were mirror images. Without thinking about the next day, minute, or moment he brushed his lips against her cheek. She brought a hand up to touch where he had kissed her. Immediately, he regretted it.
"Thank you," he said in a brotherly fashion, hoping to hide his mistake. Ginny bought it, and took it as a brotherly affection.
Draco vowed not to make another mistake.
A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. I hope this explains everything, and now everyone reading knows the truth. Just wait til you see what is coming in the next chapter, I have never been so excited about any fic in my entire life. And while you're waiting for an update go read a different story, Love KTBallerina.
Disclaimer: My name is not J.K. Rowling, I do not own Harry Potter, and am not either Warner Brother.
Crimes Against The Heart
Chapter 8
"Love and war are the same thing, and the stratagems and policy are as allowable in the one as in the other." -Cervantes-
Draco stared at the ugly tattoo on her forearm in horror. The burning scar was the only thing marring the milky white skin. There were no words that could be spoken to undo the tattoo and she was forever branded as a Death Eater. He looked at Ginny, pleading her tell why she had done this to herself. He could not ask, but he wanted her to tell him freely. He understood that it was her choice, not his. Somehow, he could not believe what he saw and did not want to believe it. He darkly wondered what the Dark Lord had done for her to become his servant.
Ginny was already regretting showing Draco the Dark Mark. She was sure, he had already labeled her as a murderer and traitor. Although he had fled the country, she had forgotten he did not know any of her past. Harry knew about so little, her family knew so little. It was something she could never explain and was a constant shame for her. She had made a mistake, but no one chooses whom they fall in love with. She worked tirelessly to atone her mistakes now, but as Severus Snape had discovered so long ago, every action has a price. Ginny had been paying every day since Derrick left, she had been young and niave. In times of war this can be the greatest crime. Ginny wanted to explain, she needed to explain, he would understand her better, better than Ron or Harry ever could. She took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. She had only told this story once before and she did not fancy telling it again.
"It was love at first sight, and without hesitation I secretly married Derrick Bole right after finishing school. My parents had forbidden me to marry him and so I cut all my family ties," she began resolutely. "And about one year later, our son was born." The information suddenly clicked, Owein Bole was her son. That was why Ginny ignored Draco's detention slips regarding the boy. "Not long after, Derrick began to disappear. He would be gone for hours, and the man I fell in love with was changing. Or maybe he was showing himself. Then, one night I saw the Dark Mark burned into his flesh as he took off his shirt. Before, I could even react he- he hit me. My head began spinning and I lost consciousness. When I woke up Derrick and Owein were gone, and the Dark Mark was tattooed on my forearm. I went to Dumbledore, he gave me salvation and helped me. No one even realized we had married, and I told my family he had died. Ten years later my son came to Hogwarts and I am so disappointed in what he has become," Ginny admitted as tears glistened in her eyes. "I know it sounds stupid, but part of me still loves him, will always love him. The Derrick I fell in love with."
"I thought you said he died," Draco said carefully.
"I did," she replied quietly as though admitting she had lied was tearing her soul apart.
Draco did no know how to react to all of this information. He had known Derrick Bole at school. He had played beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team alongside Iain Derrick, and he was Blaise Zabini's second cousin . The boy had been a key player in Slytherin politics and a pureblood supremacist to boot. Draco had never doubted Derrick's desire to join the Dark Lord, but then again who would have doubted Draco's want. Derrick Bole's father had often visited the Manor, while making business contracts with his father and he had a sister a year under him. The Boles were wizarding social elite, but Draco knew for a fact his parents had not supported the Dark Lord during his first rising. Derrick had not even grown up in England if he remembered correctly, he had grown up in Sweden or something of the like.
"It's hard to love someone when they are not honest with you," he replied after a few awkward moments. "I was never honest with her, and it tore us apart. I always told her we were going to marry, that I was going to tell my father the truth, but I never really meant it. I had thought I could protect her if she was kept a secret. All of my empty promises were not enough and she left me, I could not blame her. All I could do was leave the country and flee to where I never would have to face my life again. I thought I never would have to face my problems, so I just ran without her nothing was keeping me here. I took care of one last thing and left. I guess she took our unborn child with us, I never even knew she existed. Except, somehow my father had known all along and captured her. He just wanted me to join him, to be what I despised most. He wanted me to be like him. So he tried to use her against me, I don't know whether she is dead or alive anymore, she was put into the dungeons during the war. Luckily, our daughter was brought here to Hogwarts by Pansy of all people and was cared for by you. And as soon as I saw her I knew she was my daughter, I saw her eyes and knew," Draco said steadily. "Her eyes are like mine."
"What?" Ginny demanded remembering the first conversation they had shared about Brangaine and his odd mannerisms.
"You said her mother was French, Elsie was French. She has my eyes, she has to be my daughter," Draco said pleadingly. Ginny's head began to spin as the information clicked. She had been so blind, she had been wrong again. "I asked her about her mother and she knew. She has always known she was my daughter, my father was using her to get to me, he was using Elsie."
"When your father died, that was when Brangaine came here to Hogwarts," Ginny said placing another piece together. Draco did not know what to say, he had told Snape he would not tell another soul, but Ginny had willingly poured her soul out to him. There was an unspoken bond between them. He had to tell her, just not yet.
"In a way, we are both the same," he said slowly staring into her eyes. She lifted her face to look at him.
"Innocent, but marked as guilty because of mistakes," she answered as though she had read his mind. She was feeling as though he radiated a warmth she had not felt for a very long time. Draco was akin to Derrick, the way he had been before he became a Death Eater. Draco, on the other hand, could almost see Elsie looking up at him. Ginny and Elsie looked as though they were mirror images. Without thinking about the next day, minute, or moment he brushed his lips against her cheek. She brought a hand up to touch where he had kissed her. Immediately, he regretted it.
"Thank you," he said in a brotherly fashion, hoping to hide his mistake. Ginny bought it, and took it as a brotherly affection.
Draco vowed not to make another mistake.
A/N: And another chapter comes to a close. I hope this explains everything, and now everyone reading knows the truth. Just wait til you see what is coming in the next chapter, I have never been so excited about any fic in my entire life. And while you're waiting for an update go read a different story, Love KTBallerina.