9
Ginny had looked everywhere and still hadn't found Draco. She was beginning to get worried, but no, he wouldn't do anything stupid. She was just about to assume that he had gone to his room, somewhere that Ginny couldn't go. She turned to go back to the Room of Requirement to tell Snape that he would have to talk to Draco, when she remembered one other place that he might be, and she hurried to the Quidditch pitch.
He was there, sitting alone in the middle of the field. Ginny pulled her robes tighter around her, casting a glance at the sky, which was awful dark for it to be this early in the day. A storm must have been coming, she thought and walked over to where he sat, sobbing. Sitting down beside him, she placed her arms around him, and he leaned into her shoulder, still crying.
"She's gone. She's going to stay like that. I've lost my best friend." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Ginny stroked his hair gently, "No, Draco, she might not be gone. Madam Pomfrey says that it might just be a muggle reaction to her injuries. We won't really know until tomorrow," she said.
He pulled back a little, "Really, you mean, she might not stay like that," he asked.
Ginny shook her head, "No, Draco, she might not," she said, and then changed the subject, "Why don't you tell me about Katherine, Draco."
Draco looked at the ground, "I can't Gin, part of the story's not mine to tell," he said.
Ginny looked at him, "If you mean that Katherine is actually Snape's daughter, I already know that. Snape kind of let it slip, even though I don't think he meant to."
Draco stared at her, "Did they argue, Dumbledore and Snape," he asked.
Ginny nodded. Draco looked back at the ground, "Ok, Ginny, I'll tell you mine and Kit's story," he said and looked back up at her, "I'm warning you, most of it's not pretty. I didn't have a very good childhood."
She grasped his hand in hers, "I'm ready."
Draco took a deep breath, "It all starts before either me or Katherine were even born. As you know, my father's always been a Death Eater. His best friend was none other than Severus Snape, who wasn't always a Death Eater. My father's job was to recruit others to join Lord Voldemort. Well, at first Snape seemed vaguely interested, but not really. You see, Snape had just gotten married, and was too happy to get involved with someone so evil. He believed in a few of Voldemort's ideas, but not enough to kill a bunch of muggles just for the hell of it. After Katherine was born, Snape began to have increased interest in becoming a Death Eater. He wanted his daughter raised in the perfect world, and that's what Voldemort promised."
Draco paused, "Soon after, I was born. Unlike Snape, my father did not do things for his children, but for himself. He was evil, and seemed to think that pain was the best teacher. However, he did allow for me and Kit to play together. Katherine and I became fast friends, even though we couldn't have been older than a year. Then the worst, or maybe the best possible thing happened, Snape's wife left him. She didn't want him to follow Voldemort anymore. That's when Snape began to lose interest in being a Death Eater and turned to Dumbledore for help. In the process, Snape did lose his wife and marriage, but his wife wouldn't take Katherine from him, knowing how much that she meant to him."
"So, Snape became a spy, and also very protective of me. Katherine and I continued our relationship for about 3 more years until my father found out about how Snape had betrayed Voldemort. He wasn't very happy, and seemed to think that taking it out on me would help," he said, and turned to Ginny, who was crying. Kissing her tears away, he continued, "yes, Ginny, my father did beat me, but even though I was no longer allowed to see Katherine or Snape, I knew where they lived. Katherine spent most of her time with her mother in another town, but Snape was always home. His house became my sanctuary. Anytime my father beat me, I ran to him. He became my dad. I suffered my father from 4 years old until 11 years old with just the thought of Kit and Snape to sustain me. Those were horrible years, but at least I knew someone cared about me."
"After I started at Hogwarts, Kit's mom got remarried to a muggle, and they moved to America. Kit had received her letter as well, but her mother adamantly refused to let her continue to live in the magical society, and they have lived as muggles ever since," he said, as his eyes clouded over, "I had always dreamed that at Hogwarts, Kit and I would be able to be openly friends again, and her moving away devastated me, and Snape as well. However, Snape did breathe a little easier since I was at Hogwarts since he could protect me easier. It's a habit he can't seem to break. Snape is fiercely protective of those he loves, Ginny, and I am grateful for it. Without him and Kit, I would not have survived my childhood."
"Even with Kit living so far away, we kept in touch. She was, after all, my best and only childhood friend, and we remained that way. She has always been my rock, and when she met Adam, I was so happy for her. Adam and I have also become good friends," he said, and smiled at her, "so I guess my childhood wasn't a complete waste."
He noticed she still had tears in her eyes, "So, here I am, 18 years old, living like I can't wait to follow Voldemort, telling everyone how much I hate muggles and mudbloods, and just wishing that I could be me. I want to tell everyone that my best friend is practically a muggle, another of my good friends is a muggle, and that I'm falling in love with someone that my father would never approve of, but who I think is wonderful, but I can't. I can't let my father find out, or my childhood would have been a complete waste," he concluded, wondering how she would react to his story and to his declaration of love.
Ginny had tears running down her cheeks unchecked. How could someone be that mean to a little boy? She cried for him, for his lost childhood, and for the hurt that he had been through. She couldn't help, however, feeling a little flattered and happy at his declaration that he was falling in love with her. It made her feel good, especially since she felt the same way. Drawing him close to her, she whispered in his ear, "I love you, too, Draco," she said, and she noticed that he too was crying.
He looked into her eyes, "Thank you, Ginny," he said, "you are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." he said softly, staring into her eyes. Ginny could see the love in his eyes, and knew that such love was also in her eyes. He drew her closer to him, lowering his lips to hers. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed, and she allowed herself to get lost in his kiss. She never knew that something could feel like this. Putting her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, reveling in their contact.
He pulled away first, and kissed her forehead, her nose, and her cheeks, "You're wonderful, and beautiful, do you know that."
"Thank you," she said, and noticing how tired he was, shifted him so his head was in her lap, "Get some sleep, Draco, I know you haven't in a long while."
He was asleep instantly.
Ginny had looked everywhere and still hadn't found Draco. She was beginning to get worried, but no, he wouldn't do anything stupid. She was just about to assume that he had gone to his room, somewhere that Ginny couldn't go. She turned to go back to the Room of Requirement to tell Snape that he would have to talk to Draco, when she remembered one other place that he might be, and she hurried to the Quidditch pitch.
He was there, sitting alone in the middle of the field. Ginny pulled her robes tighter around her, casting a glance at the sky, which was awful dark for it to be this early in the day. A storm must have been coming, she thought and walked over to where he sat, sobbing. Sitting down beside him, she placed her arms around him, and he leaned into her shoulder, still crying.
"She's gone. She's going to stay like that. I've lost my best friend." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
Ginny stroked his hair gently, "No, Draco, she might not be gone. Madam Pomfrey says that it might just be a muggle reaction to her injuries. We won't really know until tomorrow," she said.
He pulled back a little, "Really, you mean, she might not stay like that," he asked.
Ginny shook her head, "No, Draco, she might not," she said, and then changed the subject, "Why don't you tell me about Katherine, Draco."
Draco looked at the ground, "I can't Gin, part of the story's not mine to tell," he said.
Ginny looked at him, "If you mean that Katherine is actually Snape's daughter, I already know that. Snape kind of let it slip, even though I don't think he meant to."
Draco stared at her, "Did they argue, Dumbledore and Snape," he asked.
Ginny nodded. Draco looked back at the ground, "Ok, Ginny, I'll tell you mine and Kit's story," he said and looked back up at her, "I'm warning you, most of it's not pretty. I didn't have a very good childhood."
She grasped his hand in hers, "I'm ready."
Draco took a deep breath, "It all starts before either me or Katherine were even born. As you know, my father's always been a Death Eater. His best friend was none other than Severus Snape, who wasn't always a Death Eater. My father's job was to recruit others to join Lord Voldemort. Well, at first Snape seemed vaguely interested, but not really. You see, Snape had just gotten married, and was too happy to get involved with someone so evil. He believed in a few of Voldemort's ideas, but not enough to kill a bunch of muggles just for the hell of it. After Katherine was born, Snape began to have increased interest in becoming a Death Eater. He wanted his daughter raised in the perfect world, and that's what Voldemort promised."
Draco paused, "Soon after, I was born. Unlike Snape, my father did not do things for his children, but for himself. He was evil, and seemed to think that pain was the best teacher. However, he did allow for me and Kit to play together. Katherine and I became fast friends, even though we couldn't have been older than a year. Then the worst, or maybe the best possible thing happened, Snape's wife left him. She didn't want him to follow Voldemort anymore. That's when Snape began to lose interest in being a Death Eater and turned to Dumbledore for help. In the process, Snape did lose his wife and marriage, but his wife wouldn't take Katherine from him, knowing how much that she meant to him."
"So, Snape became a spy, and also very protective of me. Katherine and I continued our relationship for about 3 more years until my father found out about how Snape had betrayed Voldemort. He wasn't very happy, and seemed to think that taking it out on me would help," he said, and turned to Ginny, who was crying. Kissing her tears away, he continued, "yes, Ginny, my father did beat me, but even though I was no longer allowed to see Katherine or Snape, I knew where they lived. Katherine spent most of her time with her mother in another town, but Snape was always home. His house became my sanctuary. Anytime my father beat me, I ran to him. He became my dad. I suffered my father from 4 years old until 11 years old with just the thought of Kit and Snape to sustain me. Those were horrible years, but at least I knew someone cared about me."
"After I started at Hogwarts, Kit's mom got remarried to a muggle, and they moved to America. Kit had received her letter as well, but her mother adamantly refused to let her continue to live in the magical society, and they have lived as muggles ever since," he said, as his eyes clouded over, "I had always dreamed that at Hogwarts, Kit and I would be able to be openly friends again, and her moving away devastated me, and Snape as well. However, Snape did breathe a little easier since I was at Hogwarts since he could protect me easier. It's a habit he can't seem to break. Snape is fiercely protective of those he loves, Ginny, and I am grateful for it. Without him and Kit, I would not have survived my childhood."
"Even with Kit living so far away, we kept in touch. She was, after all, my best and only childhood friend, and we remained that way. She has always been my rock, and when she met Adam, I was so happy for her. Adam and I have also become good friends," he said, and smiled at her, "so I guess my childhood wasn't a complete waste."
He noticed she still had tears in her eyes, "So, here I am, 18 years old, living like I can't wait to follow Voldemort, telling everyone how much I hate muggles and mudbloods, and just wishing that I could be me. I want to tell everyone that my best friend is practically a muggle, another of my good friends is a muggle, and that I'm falling in love with someone that my father would never approve of, but who I think is wonderful, but I can't. I can't let my father find out, or my childhood would have been a complete waste," he concluded, wondering how she would react to his story and to his declaration of love.
Ginny had tears running down her cheeks unchecked. How could someone be that mean to a little boy? She cried for him, for his lost childhood, and for the hurt that he had been through. She couldn't help, however, feeling a little flattered and happy at his declaration that he was falling in love with her. It made her feel good, especially since she felt the same way. Drawing him close to her, she whispered in his ear, "I love you, too, Draco," she said, and she noticed that he too was crying.
He looked into her eyes, "Thank you, Ginny," he said, "you are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." he said softly, staring into her eyes. Ginny could see the love in his eyes, and knew that such love was also in her eyes. He drew her closer to him, lowering his lips to hers. Ginny's eyes fluttered closed, and she allowed herself to get lost in his kiss. She never knew that something could feel like this. Putting her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, reveling in their contact.
He pulled away first, and kissed her forehead, her nose, and her cheeks, "You're wonderful, and beautiful, do you know that."
"Thank you," she said, and noticing how tired he was, shifted him so his head was in her lap, "Get some sleep, Draco, I know you haven't in a long while."
He was asleep instantly.
