A Broken Rose

It was a while before either person had the heart to let go of the other, and, when they did, it was only due to Madame Pomfrey's footsteps on the other side of the Wing. They had lain there on the hospital bed, neither daring to move, neither wanting to move. Draco's head had lain comfortably on a pillow propped against the headboard, Ginny ontop of him, her head lolling off the side of his chest, and his arms around her. His scent engulfed her, a waves of a sharp, minty smell, blunted minutely by a cologne that seemed to cling to his skin. And her, scent engulfed him. Freshly picked strawberries with a tint of vanilla chocolate hung around her like an aura or a second person, and Draco inhaled it greatfully.

"Ginny?" Draco had asked gently, his voice carressing.

"Mhm?" she'd replied softly, not wanting to break this peacefulness.

"What did he do to you?"

The question was abrupt, and personal, but Ginny knew Draco had every right to know. "He hurt me," she choked, and ended up telling him the story, along with every little detail. By the end, he was holding her tighter than he had ever thought himself capable of.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, kissing her forehead, and Ginny thought she felt one of his tears against her cheek, but she dared not look. Instead she snuggled back into his chest, trying to get even closer to him that she already was. "Tomorrow night, Ginny," Draco said suddenly, "I want to show you something. But we'll have to go to the Astronomy Tower."

"Ok," she said, her eyelids heavy. She'd go anywhere with him, at this point.

And at about the same time, they heard Madame Pomfrey's light, feminine footsteps step out of her office and onto the plastered concrete of the infirmary, and Draco, though reluctantly, flew off of Ginny's bed and into his own with all the agility he had obtained from years of being a Seeker for Slytherin.

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'I warned you...'

The words spun in her head, the result of some bizzarre dream she had had last night. But that didn't matter now, she decided as she silently slipped into her jeans, listening as Draco slipped into his. Madame Pomfrey had forbid them to leave the infirmary, so Draco had proposed they sneak out. Ginny was all for it, feeling her Hermione-like resistance melt as she looked into his serene grey eyes, the ones she'd so daydreamed about.

She stood, propping pillows up in her bed to make it look like a sleeping figure, when he wrapped his arms around her waist, a possessive gesture. She leaned back into him, feeling him tense and relax in turn as his body supported her weight. "Ready?" he whispered into her ear, making the fine hairs rise up on her neck. She nodded, and closed her eyes as he lay a butterfly kiss on her neck.

Together, they both snuck stealthily out of the infirmary, their footsteps making meagre thuds on the stone floor as they made their quiet way up to the Astronomy Tower. By the time they reached it, it was around eleven and the night was on full throttle. Draco took her small hand in his, and led her to the window, pushing her gently in front of him, them wrapping his arms around her from the back. Together they watched the stars, imprinted on the velvetine sky like twinkling diamonds upon a silken platform. The moons shone, highlighting the two's eyes, bright and filled with a passion for the life and love they were living. "I love you," Draco said, his arms tightening around her in a hug. It seemed that he couldn't stop saying those three words to her, but Ginny knew she'd never get fed-up of them.

"I love you, too," Ginny sighed, loving every moment she spent with Draco almost as much as she loved him. After all, it was love, wasn't it? This feeling pouring out from every miniscule pore in her body, spilling out from her soul in a fervor previously unknown to her. It had to be. There was no other explaination for it.

"Are you ready to see what I came to show you?" Draco asked gently.

Puzzled, Ginny nodded, allowing herself to be led away from the window and the beautiful view. Draco sat down on the floor, beckoning for Ginny to do the same. Fixing herself in a comfortable position across from him, Ginny waited, watching him with intent eyes. She memorized his face with all her might, observing the masculine curve of his jaw and the Malfoy-like point of his chin.

Then, she watched as he pulled something from his pocket with care. At first she couldn't make out what it was. Something slightly flat- red...no, not red...more than red, a bloody crimson...He held it in front of her, his fingers gripping a long green part...a...stem? The rose, she saw, opened out eventually, its petals spreading so that it now looked full, beautiful as all roses are. But this one...there was something more about it. Something sad, yet extremely, extraordinarily, beautiful. She sucked in a breath in awe.

Draco twirled the rose around in his long, pale fingers, as if teasing her with it. "See this here?" he said, "This is what you call a broken rose." And one deep red petal plucked itself off its perch and floated to the ground. Ginny watched it, horrified for some strange reason. She reached for the petal, rubbing two fingers over its soft surface, but refusing to pick it up. She looked up at Draco quizically, and he proceeded to explain. "We're just like this rose, Ginny. The two of us. When I picked this rose up, it was loosing its petals. One by one. That petal," he beckoned to the one on the floor, "is the last one this one will ever loose. Why? Because the rose gave something up. It gave its life up for the price of its petals. It'll stay like this for the rest of eternity."

"How...?" Ginny asked, her brows furrowed.

"Ginny..." Draco seemed to be struggling, "I know this is hard to understand, but I'm sure you know it on some level. I-" he choked slightly, "Can't explain any better than that."

Though she didn't understand what Draco meant by using the rose as an example, her horror multiplied. "Draco..." But her lips were sealed by Draco's own lips, pressed securely over her own. He set the rose aside, carressing the side of her face tenderly. A tango of hot tongues ensued, a duel for dominance, and eventually, Ginny helped Draco to discard his shirt, letting her hands roam over his chest, just as his were busy beneath her shirt. Soon enough, all garments were strewn over the floor, and hands roamed in much more delicate places than chests. That night in the Astronomy, the broken rose was witness to love, passion and sweat.

Both Ginny and Draco savored the taste of eachother's skin, the feel of being so close to another person, especially one you feel so strongly about. They even memorized the initial discomfort of the whole situation. Every moment was filled with wonder and affection beyond the barriers of affection. Neither Ginny, nor Draco would ever forget, or regret those two hours of pleasure and awe.

Author's Note: Its coming to a finale, people. I'm so excited to see how you guys will react to the ending. It'll be great, I garantee, though the next chapter will be fairly short. It'll take a while. It really will, 'cuz I want to ending to tie everything up, and I want to post the next to chapters together. They are the last two chapters.

Review, please...!! I need your opinions...