Chapter 7:

Light filtered through the room as he sat up. His head, he noticed, was throbbing particularly awfully. He breathed the air and wished he could see her. His eyes adjusted to everything when flashes had come back. Taka...Betrayal...Kuro...False...Extraction. He scratched his head lightly but that only caused it to twinge more. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I'll ask you not to use that tone in my presense, Mr Malfoy." someone spoke with slight irritation to him. Professor Dumbledore was seated in the chair by the door (it had been empty moments ago when Draco looked) and he was frowning. "For this is quite serious, more then we thought possible, Professor Snape is in with Miss Weasley." He had seen Draco's quick, agitated glance and he smiled shortly. "She's been through too much. When we brought the both of you in she was unconscious, slipped into a coma from the shock she endured at Taka's hands. Severus has been sitting with her for hours. Would you like to see her?"

"Please," he nearly pleaded.

He was led to a room where the curtains were drawn and two shadows were hunched over a bed. One was definitely the snide, sarcastic bastard Snape, but the other was identifiable. Draco moved quietly through the darkened room, his mind on overdrive. Coma. Taka will pay if anything happens to her. Perhaps Kuro was also harmed? If she died, then...He needed to stop thinking of that. "Draco Malfoy," the voice stopped him and he swallowed.

"Yes, sir?" he inquired lightly.

"What have you done?" It was the harshest he had ever heard anyone speak to him. He was brought up not to let that type of act destroy him. But it wasn't that man's voice...it could never feel like he already did, could never, ever make him feel so worthless, even if those exact words were repeated a thousand times. No, what made him feel so damned lost, was her.

"I have done nothing," he replied unflinchingly as Arthur Weasley stepped towards him. He feared that dream would erupt again and he would sink into that realm.

"Nothing? Nothing is why my daughter is here, nothing is why the headmaster found you two, nothing is why she may never wake up. This is not nothing, boy, this is reality, something you never knew existed because you live in your own world, where demons thrive, and innocent people get hurt. How dare you befriend my daughter you pitiful excuse for a pureblood? If she makes it out of this, you will never be able to see her again. Do you understand me, filth?" All eyes rested upon Ginny's panicked father, all eyes but his, he was trembling and glaring at the floor, he could feel the stinging behind his eyes start. "You will look at me when I talk to you. Why are you shaking? Answer me you little-" he stopped yelling and stood very still. Draco finally lifted his head; his face was screwed up into a venomous scowl and his eyes were hard and glassy.

"Shut up," he mumbled hoarsely. He was tired, so tired of everything, everyone blaming him for this. "This is not my fault, old man! She never asked for my help, I never wanted any part of this nightmare! If you want to blame someone, blame my father! It's his fault for all of this, and yours, you never should have let Ginny encounter the oh-so-terrible Lucius Malfoy. You claimed to know what kind of a foul, vindictive man my father is, so how could you let your own flesh and blood, your own little girl be wrapped up in his darkness?"

"How can you stand there and say such things about your father?" Arthur asked softly, his eyes searching the boy's for a crack of any kind. When he found nothing he said lightly, "You will not speak of my daughter so formally. You will not pretend to know her, you will keep your distance when you are back at school, are we clear?"

"No, we're not," Draco responded bravely. "You have no right to talk to me like I'm a bloody criminal, because I'm not. You can ask the headmaster. He was the one who ordered her to be watched by me."

"That's correct, I did, Arthur." Dumbledore looked carefully around before continuing in a swift voice, "So you may want to watch where you lie the blame of what has happened. Draco did absolutely nothing wrong. I asked him to help her, and it was his choice to keep on doing so, though I must ask why."

Malfoy stared at the ceiling and didn't reply. He felt this should not be discussed now. "Could we-"

"No, I do believe I would like to hear this as well," Arthur spoke tonelessly.

"I-" Draco started.

He felt his body heat up.

"Go on," Arthur pressed with mild interest.

"Because I'm fond of her." Her lifted his eyes and glanced at Mr Weasley with no trace of fear.

"You think so do you? What's she said when you told her? Oh, you haven't said it yet." The eldest Weasley was looking at the boy gravely. "She knows better then that. I raised her better then that."

"And you've done your job. Now it's time you let her go. I can make her happy, if you'd just give me that chance, sir. Do you know how I felt when your precious Potter put my father in jail? It was the only time in my life that I felt hopeless. Until now. You think I'd be so callous as to play with her emotions after accepting to help her?"

Mr Weasley didn't look at him, for he was in deep thought about everything. Finally, he turned to Dumbledore. "And you trust this boy, Albus?"

"With my life."

"You think this is wise?" He asked the headmaster uncertainly.

"I think these two have proved themselves enough to give this a chance, this is, if Miss Weasley feels the same."

"If she wakes up, you mean," Severus spoke contently. Though how anyone could be in the right state of mind during all this, Draco didn't understand.

"She will," Draco smiled slightly.

"How can you be so confident?" Severus shot back.

"Because I have faith in her, Professor, that's how I can be so damn sure that she'll wake up. And if I'm wrong, then I will not hesitate to end it all." The silence was too horrible. They all knew what he meant. He suddenly craned his head and smiled. "Looks like my faith has pulled through."

"Ginny," Arthur crouched next to her and touched her cheek. She winced and her eyes went immediately to Draco.

"Hey you," she murmured hoarsely with a frown. "You look like hell."

"Mm, thanks very much, you're looking a bit peaky yourself." He grinned slightly and moved as she raised her hand to his, despite her father's anxious glances. "How do you feel?"

"My head hurts." He sat down next to her on the bed and touched a strand of her hair.

"I want you to stay away from him, Gin." Her father said softly.

"What--why?"

Her father's gaze was cloudy, hostile, his voice jagged. "He is the Akuma. He must be stopped. I must kill him." The sudden stretch of his hand curled round Draco's throat and his eyes darted around; everyone was still, frozen.

Ginny!

No reply.

"You. must. die." The hand went tighter and he squeaked out a cry. He was being suffocated and he did not know which of the three was hurting Mr Weasley.

He had to find out before the darkness pounced on him.

Note: 'Akuma' means Devil in Japanese.