Oh, we're sinking like stones,
All that we fought for,
All those places we've gone,
All of us are done for.
-Coldplay
"Here, Draco, I'll look then." Ginny offered hesitantly as she noticed the unbroken Ministry seal on the letter. She extended her hand and took the peculiar letter from Draco. Draco sat down next to her as she tentatively opened it.
Both Draco and Ginny's mouths feel open in shock as they read the parchment in front of them. In bold black letters, the note read:
Lucius Malfoy has escaped from Azkaban.
Chapter Two: Past Demons Return
Worse news than they could have ever anticipated greeted their anxious eyes; the one thing they had never considered had happened, and Draco and Ginevra were shocked into silence.
After a few moments of reflection, Draco turned to Ginny, and saw her eyes well up with tears. His heart broke when he saw her reaction, for he felt that the entire situation was his fault. If only he had had more security placed on Lucius… If only he had killed Lucius when he had the chance… If only he could have stood up to Lucius so many years ago… If only he had let himself die… If Draco had changed so many previous events, he knew that he would not have to watch Ginny's pain-stricken expression at this moment.
All of these regrets would not help though. The only thing that Draco could do to help Ginny right then was hold her, comfort her, and promise to do everything in his power to protect her.
Later that evening, there was an anxious knock at the door. Draco apprehensively moved toward the source of the sound; he and Ginny weren't expecting anyone, and he feared who lay in wait behind the door. When he finally opened the door, Draco was surprisingly relieved to see none other than Harry Potter. As much as Draco still resented Harry, they had a mutual respect for each other and one common factor that forced them to get along: the Weasleys. The red-haired clan were a second family to both of them, and Draco would do anything for Ginevra – including befriending his life-long rival, Harry Potter.
"I'm glad you're here, Harry. I assume you've heard the news?" Draco asked assuredly.
"Of course I've heard," Harry answered flippantly, "But I'm here because I wanted to check on Gin. This must be stressful for her, and I know she'll need my support."
"I think I'm doing just fine supporting Ginevra," Draco snapped back as a sneer crossed his face, catching Harry's implication. 'You would think that, after all these years, Harry would have finally conceded defeat. For Merlin's sake, he's married! And he has the audacity to come to our house and want to lend support to my girlfriend!' Draco thought as his jealousy and anger bubbled to the surface. Just as Draco was about to continue his retort to Harry's blatant comments, they were interrupted.
"Draco, who's at the door?" Ginny asked as she reached his side, sniffling as she composed herself. When she finally looked up, her eyes met Harry's; however, her reaction was not the one that Harry had anticipated. She simply greeted him with a numb, "Hello, Harry," and quickly moved next to Draco; she grasped his hand and moved a little behind him, still keeping her distance from Harry.
Harry looked shocked at her reticence. "Gin," he began with an exasperated sigh, "How are you holding up? I just came by to see how you were doing, and let you know that I'm here for you." Harry looked at her expectantly, hoping to regain Ginny's trust. If he could successfully do that, then there would be no hindrances in implementing his devious plan.
"That's sounds great. Now, why are you really here?" Ginny blatantly inquired, not wanting to underestimate Harry's motives. She was very comfortable with Draco, and until a few minutes earlier, happier than she had ever been. The last thing she needed was Harry causing problems again.
"Well, I heard about Lucius' escape, being an Auror and all. Knowing your history with Lucius, the Ministry is fairly certain that you will be his first target." Harry paused for a moment to allow Draco and Ginny to absorb all of this information. "So, I have taken the liberty of speaking with Dumbledore, and we feel that it would in you best interests to stay at Hogwarts for a while – at least until we can recapture Lucius. You two will become professors for Dumbledore, and with all of the additional protection we will be placing on the castle, there should be no concern for your safety," Harry concluded seriously.
"Draco, love, I think I need to sit down," Ginny stated solemnly, and slowly moved back to the living room. As hard as she had tried to stay strong, she was overwhelmed by the situation and could no longer handle it.
"Of course, anything you want," Draco answered with concern as he watched her leave. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he turned his attention back to the nuisance in his doorway. With a stony look, he stated, "Tell Dumbledore we will floo to Hogwarts as soon as possible. I will let Ginny rest while I gather up some things, so we'll be there sometime tonight." He paused, and then continued, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on my girlfriend. Good night." His patience running thin, Draco shut the door in Harry's face before the other man had a chance to respond.
Draco walked into the living room and saw Ginny lying on the couch. "Are you alright, love?" Draco blurted out. "I'm sorry about Harry, I didn't realize…"
She didn't say a word in response; when Draco knelt down beside her, she sat up and pulled him closer. Ginny finally felt safe once she was in his arms and let her emotions flood out in the form of tears, soaking his shoulder as he held her. Draco simply stroked her hair, knowing that she needed some sort of release; after all, actions speak louder than words, and Ginny's actions spoke volumes. He knew that going to Hogwarts was the only way to ensure Ginny's safety… and his sanity. Years of Malfoy-training forced him to put up a strong front; however, he was as terrified as she was. 'No, I am the strong one,' Draco told himself firmly, 'and I'm not going to lose control.'
An hour later, Draco and Ginny were standing before the fireplace, ready to floo to Hogwarts, their refuge since the past. Ginny had not voiced her opinion on the idea of becoming a professor, but she trusted Draco and knew that he would only do what was best for them.
At that instant, Ginny yearned to know what Draco was feeling and thinking. The only time he had ever opened up to her was during her sixth year at Hogwart's, but once the war began, he completely shut her out again. Yet she still stayed with him – she knew that he loved her, and she would always love him, despite his egotistical tendencies. They shared a bond that would forever remain unbroken. It was this bond that kept them together, despite all of their rows and Draco's indestructible barriers. That bond translated into mutual trust; Ginny was willing to follow whatever Draco's plans were, for he would always protect her. He had done so countless times before, and she knew that he would continue in this instance.
"Ginevra, we had better go." Draco said, pulling her out of her reverie.
They soon arrived at Hogwart's and were greeted by Dumbledore, Harry and Ron. Before they entered Dumbledore's office, Ron ran to Ginny and embraced her with such ferocity that she could barely breath.
"I was so worried about you when I heard the news; but don't worry, I'll make sure that you're protected now that you're here." Ron stated, pushing out his chest in pride.
Ron finally let go and turned to Draco. "Hey mate, how are you?" Ron asked politely, shaking Draco's hand. Ron had accepted Draco and Ginny's relationship and had even come to almost like Draco, but the overprotective brother in him prevented them from ever truly becoming friends.
"I'm good – well, as good as can be expected under the circumstances." Draco responded. Noticing the impatient look on Harry's face, he continued, "Eh Ron, do you want to help Ginevra get settled while I speak to Dumbledore?" He did not want to worry Ginny further by letting her hear more information about Lucius' escape.
"Of course, it would be my pleasure. I can spend some quality time with my baby sis – who I never get to see anymore because she's too busy with her boyfriend," Ron answered jokingly.
Draco smirked at Ron's remarks, and the two redheads proceeded down the spiral staircase and out of sight.
Dumbledore opened the door with a serious look and gestured to an armchair. "Why don't you have a seat, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore stated evenly as he sat down in his own armchair behind his mammoth desk. Harry remained standing on the other side of the room, prepared to listen carefully to every detail of their conversation. After all, every one of his moves had to be meticulously thought-out and accurate, lest his secret double-life be discovered before the final steps of this scheme could be implemented.
Harry's thoughts were disrupted when Dumbledore began speaking. "I'm relieved that you and Miss Weasley were able to make it here so quickly. I feared that Lucius would attempt to come after you immediately, thinking that you would not have had enough time to escape. You will be safe here; Mr. Potter and I have placed additional barriers around the grounds and have sealed any entrances that are not currently being used."
Draco simply nodded in response. He was in a daze as his mind slowly began to process the evening's events.
"I have taken the liberty of assigning classes to both Miss Weasley and yourself," Dumbledore continued in the same ominous tone. "You shall be teaching Potions while Miss Weasley takes on Care of Magical Creatures. I shall be moving that course indoors for her protection.
"Who's been teaching those classes since the war? Aren't we taking other professors' positions?" Draco asked curiously.
"In fact, that is not the case," Dumbledore explained, "I have had a herd of substitute professors in and out of many teachings positions but no one will commit to permanent employment. Since the war most people want to be as close to their families as often as possible; teaching at Hogwart's doesn't adequately provide that opportunity that they are looking for. Nevertheless, we are happy to have you here." Dumbledore concluded not wanting to drag on the conversation much longer.
When Draco heard this, his thoughts drifted back to the war…
Severus Snape had successfully continued his work as a spy for the Order until the war began. He and Draco had bonded during this time, and Snape had become a real father-figure to Draco. Draco began to admire Snape, finally realizing why his Potions professor had been miserable for all those years – leading a double-life took a toll on your entire being, leaving one feeling fatigued, anxious, and lonely, forcing them into isolation.
On the final day of the war, as the denouement of the battle approached, Draco and Snape finally shed their Death Eater identities and publicized their double-agent status by aiding their fellow Order members.
Draco shot a beam of green light from his wand, causing the Death Eater before him to collapse. As the black-cloaked body fell to the ground, it revealed a shocking scene: Draco watched in horror as Lucius Malfoy shouted Avada Kedavra, and Severus Snape's immobile body buckled and fell to the blood-stained field below him.
Lucius saw his son from the corner of his eye, and quickly turned and marched his way over to Draco. Draco, still in shock from what he had just witnessed, stared numbly at Snape's lifeless body, not realizing the danger he was in. Smirking at the easy opportunity before him, Lucius raised his wand and shouted Cruciatus. Draco was narrowly saved from excruciating pain when he was knocked harshly to the ground. The hard fall brought him out of his trance and into awareness of the situation before him. Before he had time to retaliate, he saw his half-giant professor struck in the chest with a flash of green. Although he had never acknowledged Hagrid as anything other than an "oaf" and a "half-breed," Draco was amazed at the selfless way that his professor had sacrificed himself. By the time he had completely collected his wits, Lucius had disappeared. Draco was left kneeling on the hard ground, furious at being thwarted from getting his revenge…
Draco was soon brought back to reality when he realized that Dumbledore was still speaking; instead of paying attention to the older man's words, Draco took the opportunity to observe the Headmaster. The customary twinkle in Dumbledore's eye, which had been present every day during Draco's years at Hogwarts, was missing. In fact, Dumbledore no longer appeared to be his eccentric and enthusiastic self, but rather looked old and tired. His eyes had a greyish tinge, while his skin betrayed his age with an extensive map of wrinkles. Instead of the cutting a proud and strong figure, he was slouched in his chair from exhaustion. Draco finally pushed aside these pessimistic thoughts as Dumbledore completed his explanation.
"I will give the two of you a few days to get settled in; I will introduce you tomorrow at breakfast, and you can begin teaching on Monday." After a pause, he finally concluded, "I believe that ends our discussion for tonight. Get some rest, Mr Malfoy." Slowly rising to his feet, Dumbledore escorted Draco to the door.
Harry watched them with calculating eyes as they finished exchanging farewells. He had listened intently and carefully factored every piece of information into his schemes. 'Malfoy thinks they're safe now, if he only knew…' Harry smirked inwardly as he said "Good night," to Dumbledore and flooed home to Pansy.
"Ginevra?" Draco asked as he entered their new room in Gryffindor Tower.
Ron placed his index finger over his mouth to silence Draco, pointing to a sleeping Ginny on the couch before a quietly dying fire. "She's exhausted, poor thing," Ron whispered. "You know, she's really upset about this, Draco," Ron continued, his concern evident. With a stern look that would have rivalled any of Molly Weasley's, he stated firmly, "Make sure you're there for her," before he exited the room.
Draco was surprised at Ron's reaction; he had expected Ron to be livid with him for getting Ginevra into this situation. He'd been anticipating a right-hook to the face, and even thought that he deserved anything he got… but nothing. Draco was completely and utterly bewildered. Shaking his head to clear these thoughts, he quietly walked over to Ginny.
Gently kissing her on the forehead, Draco carefully lifted her sleeping form into his arms and tucked her into bed. He did not join her immediately, preferring instead to sit broodingly before the fire. He sat up long after the fire had died out, contemplating the inevitable moment when he would have to confront Lucius once more. The more he thought of it, the more the never-ending stream of thoughts continued to bombard Draco's mind, preventing him from sleeping.
When he finally went to bed that night, he pulled Ginny close to him and held her, watching the beautiful, sleeping woman in his arms. He wondered why Ginny was still with him – he had become such a hypocrite. He had promised her to never turn into a stereotypical Malfoy, yet he had done just that. After his seventh year, he had resumed shutting everyone out, hiding his emotions, making himself appear to be strong and powerful when he didn't feel that way – now, he agonized over it every day, regretting his regression into solitude. Draco wished that he could go back and change his past actions, so that he had never created any barrier between him and Ginevra. Yet, he could not change what he had done; now that Lucius had escaped, he couldn't bring himself to tell anyone how terrified he felt.
Draco finally drifted off into sleep when the sun began to rise. As the shafts of light spread over the bed, Ginny woke up content, feeling Draco's arms around her. For a brief moment, she snuggled into his embrace, longing to drift back into blissful peace. However, her eyes soon shot open, and all of the recent events flooded back to her. She instantly regretted waking up, groaning in dread at the ordeal that she would have to face. But, Ginny had always been pragmatic, and she knew that she had to face reality; she rose slowly from the bed, mentally preparing herself to face the day.
As she got ready for breakfast, she noted the pained expression on Draco's face as he slept. She sighed with longing when she realized that she wanted to smother him with love, showing him that he could trust and confide in her. Yet, she feared that he would never open up to her again.
A/N: I sincerely apologize for this taking so long, but it's finally here. I need to thank my beta Jawy for all of her help with this chapter (trust me, she had alot of work), and for keeping me writing this story because I seriously considered not writing any more.
I appreciate the few reviews I have for this story, but I'd love to see more!! They keep me posting - so I'm begging you to R&R!!!!
dracosslytheringal
