Repercussions

"Snape, would you be a darling and give this to the cooks?" Narcissa handed a package to Snape and he started in the direction of the kitchen.

"Is this… " He leaned in and sniffed the package. "Is this quince?"

"Aye, it is."

"I haven't had quince in ages… it is so rare. How did you manage to come about it?"

"I am Lucius Malfoy," Lucius boomed from behind. "I can get anything in the world."

"Ah, yes. I knew that." Snape smiled peevishly and stepped back to give the package to the cooks. He stopped and stared at Lucius. "Have you been up all night? You look like you have, my goodness."

"Yes, I was up all night, ordering others to get things ready. It's what, eight? Nine? I have never felt better." Lucius' eyes were blood shot, and there were heavy bags under his eyes. His smile was weak, and he looked like he had been drinking again.

"Well, as long as you feel all right." Snape nodded and left the room.

"Master, what do want us to do with these?" A few house elves entered carrying armfuls of packages.

"Ah, yes, I want those on the table in the foyer. Go, on, be gone with you." Lucius smiled at the fading house elves voices. "Where is David? He said he would be here with the music… " A faint tinkle of women's laughter could be heard from the fireplace. "That must be him now. Snape!" he hollered in the direction of the kitchen. Snape appeared a moment later, a bit of chocolate on the edge of his mouth.

"Yes?" He wiped his mouth with his fingers and smiled.

"Go wake up Draco. Get him ready and keep him busy. I am going to go talk to David, and I am going to direct the musicians where to set up. I think Callista might be here. Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"

With that, Snape headed up toward Draco's room. He knew that the boy had probably taken the potion as soon as he was out of the room, and he would be dead to the world. He sighed and knocked on the door anyway. "Draco? Are you up?" He knocked on the door some more. What if Draco hadn't taken it, and had run away? What then? Snape shook the fear away and knocked louder. Still no answer. He shrugged and stood back from the door.

Moments later, a blast could be heard from down below. Snape entered the smoldering remains of the door way and walked over to Draco's bed. The boy was laying flat, his face as pale as chalk, not a breath stirring his chest. He appeared dead. "Draco," Snape shook his feet, and when the boy didn't move, Snape knew that he had taken the potion.

"Snape… " It was Narcissa. "What is all the noise for?"

"Draco won't wake up, he's… he's… " He wasn't a very good actor, but he tried. His voice caught in his throat, and he touched Draco's cold face. Narcissa pushed past Snape and touched her cold son.

"No, no!" she cried. "He's my only son, the only son I'll ever have. He can't be dead, or else I will be dead along with him!"

"What the hell is going on?" Lucius roared as he stopped in the doorway.

"It's, it's Draco," Snape managed. "He's dead! Dead, you hear me? He's dead! Gone! Dead!"

"My poor child is dead!" Narcissa wailed. "He's dead!"

"Ha! Let me see him. He's probably just sleeping very heavily… " Lucius walked over to Draco and studied him for a second. "Alas! He is dead… he's cold, his blood has settled, and his joints are stiff. Life had these lips have long been separated. Death lies on him like an untimely frost on the sweetest of roses."

"Why?" Narcissa wailed. She began to cry horribly and wrung her hands tightly.

"Death, that has taken him hence to make me scream, has tied up my tongue and won't let me speak." Lucius stared at Draco's cold form and shook his head angrily.

"Is the groom ready to go?" Callista stuck her head in the door and stared at the group gathered in the room.

"Ready to go and never return," Lucius cried. "The sweet breath of Death has married him before you could, I'm afraid. My heir is Death, all of my possessions are now entitled to her. Life, living, is all Death's."

"I hate my life!" Narcissa cried from Lucius' shoulder. "Why couldn't I have been to one to go? I was ready so long ago. Draco had his whole life in front of him. And now what?"

"A father is not supposed to bury his son," Lucius cried. He finally broke down and allowed his tears in. "I was so cruel to him… what I would give to bring him back!" This brought on tears from everyone, and soon the whole room was wailing.

"ENOUGH!" someone shouted from the door. Everyone stopped in mid-sniffle and turned to the commanding voice. There stood Dumbledore, his hand on the frame and his face flush. "Enough, I say! Nothing anyone will say can bring him back. It is enough that you all loved him. But he is gone, and none of your tears will solve anything." He moved into the room and stood by the head of the bed. He looked at Draco and knew in an instant that he had taken the potion.

"What are you doing here?" Narcissa mumbled.

"Draco invited me, as an old professor."

"But I never saw your name on the list… " Lucius wiped the last tear from his face. Once again, he was rock hard and strong. He acted as if he wasn't really broken on the inside.

"Man, save your breath. I know you are hurting. Let it out. It's won't help you to keep it bottled inside. Now, I want you to put him in his best clothing and apperate him to your tombs. Send all of the guests away. There will be no wedding today, or ever."

"His marriage was the cause of my joy, now all of my effort will be used on my sorrow."

"Just go," Dumbledore said to the parents. Lucius let the tears begin again and he walked away with Narcissa under his arms. "Callista, you had better go too. Change the color of your gown to black. Don't expect a wedding for a while." Callista nodded sadly and exited the room also. The only people left were Snape and Dumbledore.

"He did it," Snape said triumphantly.

"He certainly did," Dumbledore agreed.

Ginny was having a bad week. Well, it was one of those strange weeks. It was the best week of her life and the worst week of her life. That was why it was a bad week. It was too perfect. She was married to the love of her life, and her best friend was dead to prove it. And even though her life was so horrible, Ginny sat in the Burrow with a happy heart.

She had dreamt the sweetest dream – that she had been dead, but Draco had come and breathed life into her, and when she awoke, she was a queen. She had laid in bed all that morning, wondering what Draco was doing at that moment. In fact, she didn't care. He would come for her, he promised he would. Then they would be off to Paris, where they would live forever in peace.

"Ginny!" Harry stared out of the fireplace. "Are you awake yet? I have breakfast!" He stepped into the old, cold house and searched around for his friend.

"I'm in here," Ginny called. She was sitting at the table in the kitchen. The house was still in perfect working order, only it was cold and she couldn't figure out how to start a fire without magic. Harry shook his head when he saw her.

"You look terrible," he said as he sat down.

"Yeah, you would too if you were in a house completely dependent on magic and you couldn't use any." Ginny laughed and took some food. She bit into it ravenously and swallowed it almost whole. "What is this?" she asked with her mouth full.

"It's some of your mum's eggs on toast. She said she didn't care where you were, as long as you were eating well. She said she loves you and misses you. She wishes you would go home."

"You know I can't."

"Yeah. That's what I told her, but she laughed. She said it sounded exactly like you." Harry bit into his food and stared at Ginny. "I'm sorry I didn't come and see you yesterday. The Ministry was bothering me about her… "

"I know."

"So." Harry sighed and opened the container of juice. "What has happened since then?" Ginny smiled and drank some juice.

"Well, I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I got married." Ginny watched Harry's eyes light up.

"Really? To who?"

"You promise you won't be angry?"

"I promise. I'm totally drained, anyway."

Ginny sighed and looked at Harry. "Draco and I fell in love at the party. He was why I wanted to leave, and why I went back. Then we talked, and he told me he was going to get married. So in order to save our love, we got married first." Ginny's eyes had wandered to the window, and she flicked them back to Harry's face. He wasn't angry, like she thought he would be.

"Draco, huh?" He shook his head and shivered. "Did you… you know."

"Yeah." Ginny nodded and caught Harry's smile. "Oh, shut up. You can't tell me that you never… "

"No, I would be a liar then. I did." Harry became thoughtful. "In fact, it was quite often." He smiled and sighed. It was an awkward subject.

"So… " Ginny sighed. She was about to say something else, but the squawk of an owl stopped her. "Funny… " she said out loud.

"I wonder who it's from," Harry said as he opened the window. The owl flew in and dropped a letter on the table. It waited while Ginny dug a treat out of a container, and then flew away. Ginny stared at the letter before tearing it open.

"Oh my God." Ginny simply stared at the words on the page.

"What?" Harry took the letter from her weak hand and read it. "How could that happen?" he asked no one. "How could Draco die? He was so young… Oh God, I'm sorry Ginny… " Harry took the trembling girl in his arms and held her tight.

"Why? I was just with him yesterday. He was so powerful, nothing seemed wrong..." Ginny felt the tears and let them fall.

"Ginny, shh." Harry sat down and pulled her with him. She sat in his lap and cried and cried and cried, until she felt that she was going to die too.

"Harry, I told him I would die without him, and I feel that I am going to." She brushed away the sick tears and stared into his face. He smiled weakly and brushed her hair back.

"Ginny, you aren't going to die. I didn't."

"But we had so little time… " This brought Ginny to tears again. Harry stroked her hair and hugged her tight.

"I know what you are going through," he purred. "I did too. I felt like I was shriveling up inside, and my whole world was crashing down on me." He shook his head to chase away the pain.

"But… but… " She sniffed and looked into his eyes. "I loved him, Harry. I loved him more than I loved my own life. And I gave that life to him. If he is dead then I am too." She stood and wiped her face.

"Ginny, don't be irrational. Give it some time, and you'll think better."

Ginny turned around and stared at Harry. "Harry, I don't want to think straight. Look, I want you to go find me some paper and a pen. I want to write some letters." Ginny turned away and sat down again. Harry shook his head. Only one person could talk sense in that girl.

Ron was sitting on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen, wondering if he should turn it on or not. He was reaching for the remote when a pop nearly scared him out of his skin.

"Ron, come quick, it's Ginny." Harry's distressed voice was all that Ron needed. He stood quickly and went to the fireplace where his friend was waiting. Harry flooed to the Burrow, and was followed by Ron.

A moment later, the two men were standing in his old house. Ginny wasn't in the kitchen anymore. Ron pointed to the kitchen and then at Harry, and then he pointed to the stairs. Harry nodded and went toward the kitchen, while Ron darted silently up the old stairs. In a silent few minutes, Ron had searched every room, and had finally come upon Ginny. She was digging through the old potion books, opening each one and tossing it aside.

"What are you doing?" he asked casually. Ginny whirled around.

"Ron, you can't stop me. I have to do this."

"Do what? I don't understand."

"I can't live if he isn't alive, you have to understand me." Ginny went back to her work opening the books and tossing them aside.

"What are you talking about?" Ron was almost shouting. He grabbed her hands and forced her up. "Who? What is going on?"

"I'm married!" Ginny shouted at her brother. "You remember him well, Draco. Yes, you know him. I fell in love with him and we got married. Well, he's dead, and I might as well be dead too!" Ginny twisted in his grip and tried beating him with her fists. "I loved him!" She shouted. "I loved him more than I did anyone else! I can't do this anymore!" She sank toward the floor, consumed by tears. Ron was shocked. So this was what was going on.

"Ron!" Harry shouted as he came in the room. "Oh." Ron was still holding onto Ginny's wrists. She was crying, her head touched the floor.

"You failed to tell me all the details," Ron said sarcastically as he let go of his only sister.

"Oh, yes. Those. I figured I'd tell you once we got here… " Harry became sheepish and smirked.

"Yes, but you failed to do so." Ron shook his head. "Gin, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." Ginny nodded and sniffed.

"No one does."

"I do," Harry grumbled from the door.

"I just want to see him," she said weakly as she lifted her head.

"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged," Ron said as he lifted her again, softly this time.

"Yes," Harry added as he unfolded his arms and come into the room. "In fact, I'll take you there tonight, but not before then. Ron and I are going to keep a tight eye on you, so that you don't try anything… dangerous." Ginny nodded and closed her hand. In it was the vile she had searched for…

Ginny had been 15. She had entered the forbidden section of the library and had stolen a book – any book. She was trying to prove herself to Harry and Ron that she still had it in her to steal. Of course, she had kept the book. In fact, she had used it. Deep inside its contents, she had found a formula for a potion that would bring a slow, sweet death to the drinker. She had made it, in case she needed it, and had placed it in the back of an old book, which she had placed in her old room.

The vile she clutched in her hand was the same vile she had made seemingly so long ago. She slipped it into her pocket and smiled to herself. She would use it, once she could lie with Draco.