Apologies on the tardiness of this short second chapter. With HBP coming out and me working and finding time to sleep and do everything else in my life, it's been hard to get this written and beta'd as well. So, with that in mind, I'd like to send a huge THANK YOU to me beta, Key, for being so wonderful and patient and everything. You're the best, for real.

Anyway, this chapter most definitely doesn't have any HBP spoilers, but I imagine from here on out, spoilers will be incorporated. There are some things that I've written thus far that don't go along with the HBP storyline, and since I'm not going to change them, we'll have to make-do with what's written, I suppose.

Thank you to all of those who've reviewed the first chapter - it means a lot, knowing that people have read what I've written and have taken the time to say a few kind words. After all, I am writing this for you ( ...and Key, I suppose, but that's another story)!

So, without further ado, onto chapter two of You Must Love Me.

♥, Amy (s p l a s h d o w n)

Chapter 2 - Unanswered Questions

She saw him. She actually saw him. After months and months without even a look or a word that he was okay, that they were okay, he was back, strutting about town like he owned the place. And Ginny saw him. With her own two eyes.

She remembered the first time she ever saw him, standing alone on a staircase high above everyone else - his assumed place in life, though Ginny didn't quite disagree - and staring down malevolently at her Harry. She remembered thinking that never had she seen anything quite like him before and was about to ask her mother if she could keep him when he opened up his perfect mouth and tainted her with his malicious cruelty. The way he spoke down to her set her temper on fire, but nothing had ever upset her like the way he threatened her Harry.

Something clicked inside of Ginny's mind. My Harry, she thought, shaking herself back to reality and the flustered boy sitting in front of her, his eyes full of hurt and regret.

"G-Ginny?" he asked cautiously, looking nervously to and from her eyes. He remembered that Ginny. Back during his final days of Hogwarts and those following summer months, that was the Ginny that made appearances day in and day out, arising questions from not only her family, but from Harry himself.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry, I must've blanked out there for a second. I don't know what's wrong with me today! I hope I'm not coming down with something. Now, what were you saying?" she questioned, removing her eyes from his and taking another glance over his shoulder in search of that shocking white hair, but Draco was no longer able to be seen.

Harry gave her a slightly disappointed look and opened his mouth, closing it again after several seconds. "Er, nevermind," he said. "It was nothing." He paused, watching his girlfriend closely, for any sign that she had heard what he'd said only moments before. He found none and felt relieved, if only slightly. Ginny, on the other hand, hadn't even noticed that Harry was watching her, her dark eyes raking over everyone and everything in the park, quite clearly searching for something or someone. Harry opened his mouth to continue. "Ginny, maybe I'd better walk you home. It's getting late, and you don't look well enough to Apparate anywhere."

Ginny flushed and looked down at her shoes. "Don't be silly, Harry. I'm fine. But you go on ahead; I'll be right behind you," she smiled at him, trying to indicate that she was, indeed, alright and didn't need to be walked home, but only needed a bit of more fresh air.

He eyed her carefully for a moment and shrugged. He learned long ago that arguing with Ginny was a lost cause. She had a temper that could only be matched by his own and would scream her point until his head throbbed, thus no longer being able to even recall what they were rowing about in the first place.

"Mmmf," he responded, slipping his arms around her and pulling her close. Maybe he could tell her again. "Ginny, I..." he began.

"Harry, I assure you that I am in perfectly good health and will be able to Disapparate back to my flat. If you are that concerned you may wait at my flat until you are completely sure that I'm not really sick at all," Ginny interuppted, pulling away and out of Harry's arms, challenging him with her dark eyes.

Harry's own eyes grew cold, and she knew at once that she'd said and done something wrong. Well, she'd done many things wrong, especially to Harry. This was just another one to add to the list. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Harry had already taken out his wand, given it a quick twist, and muttered, "Goodnight, Ginny," before leaving her sitting alone in the park.

She sighed. Damn, she thought. No use trying to fix that tonight. I might as well head back to my flat and just turn in for the night.

Just as she moved to take out her own wand, an idea suddenly washed over her like a giant tidal wave. She slid her wand back into place and began walking at a brisk pace in the direction she'd seen Draco go earlier.

Well, as long as I'm out, she reasoned with herself, telling herself that she was thinking very logically. But she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she would spend all night searching for the boy she once knew if she had to.

Across the park, Harry stepped out from behind the tree he'd Apparated to in order to make sure Ginny got to her flat safely. He might've been angry with her - disappointed, for that matter - but he still loved her and needed to be sure that she was safe, always. He swiftly moved and began to follow his girlfriend into the moonlight, Ginny too caught up in her past to notice.

- - - - -

Colors contrast all around her. Fiery red, blinding white, blazing blue, muddy brown. Her world is drunk and spinning as she tries to stay calm. Not only for herself, but for him.

She walks through the snow on a crisp, cold morning, just moments before the Hogwarts Express is leaving to take all of the students back into London for Christmas holidays. Every so often, she checks over her shoulder to make sure she's not seen. Her breathing is ragged, as if every breath weighs down on her body like the ice freezing over the giant lake next to her. She hopes he's there already; she hates being the one who has to wait. It's agonizing, just like this holiday is going to be.

She turns her head left and right, verifying that she's alone as she hurries through the trees. Once the daylight has closed off, she doesn't turn back. She would never turn back. Not even for Harry. Not anymore.

Faster and faster she walks. Faster and faster her heart beats. Closer and closer she gets to him.

Finally she sees the clearing. She rushes forward, her heart pounding in her ears, deafening her, her hair swishing wildly on her back.

She sees him, leaning against a tree, looking as cool and calm as ever, his gleaming eyes sliding over her body and resting on her face, gazes locking.

"You're late," he says simply, straightening himself to his full height and striding towards her.

"You're early," she coolly remarks, her eyes never drifting from his as he continues to walk to her.

"A Malfoy is never early nor late," he replies, his white teeth slightly baring themselves. "A Malfoy is always on time."

She laughs. He eyes her quickly, letting the sound of her laughter wash over him and fill his head before flashing a brief smile, made even better by its lack of appearance.

He puts his arms around her and tilts her head up to face him.

"Do you have to go?" she whispers, already knowing the answer to that question. A Malfoy always calls when he is beckoned, especially when he is beckoned by power and wealth and importance.

He nodded, searching her eyes for sadness. He wants her to hurt like he hurts, ache like he aches. He quickly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

She looks away. "I have something for you," she says in a whispered hush.

"Do you?" he asks, one eyebrow raised in mock curiosity.

She reaches into the inside pocket of her dark, heavy winter cloak and pulls out a deep green velvet ribbon, one, he notices, she uses to tie her hair in quite frequently.

"What's this?" he asks as she slightly reddens.

She slides the ribbon under his cloak and into his pocket, her hands burning up his sides. He grabs her wrist quickly and she jumps, staring fiercly into his eyes, begging him to do what's on his mind. It's on hers, too.

He pulls her close and brings his lips down upon her, crushing away all thoughts of hurting and aching for the moment. Right now, all he wants is to taste her, to feel her, to be with her. Nothing more. All he wants is to exist with her, just the two of them alone together forever, no parents telling them right from wrong, no surname exclaiming superiority over the other. He wants her. Just her. Only her. And nothing else.

They break apart, gasping for breath, both knowing it was time to part. Both dreading it.

He whispers, "Happy Christmas," into her ear, brushes his lips across her rosy cheek, and walks away, his hand entwining itself with her ribbon inside his own pocket.

He never says goodbye. Not to her. Goodbye means so much more, more than he allows himself to question or dwell. So much more that he doesn't turn around for one last glimpse to tide him over, not knowing that she doesn't either.

- - - - -

It's way too late, Ginny thought to herself as she finally crawled into bed several hours later. She wondered what Draco was doing at that very moment and silently cursed herself for not being able to find him. Now that she'd gotten a glimpse she wanted the whole thing. She deserved it.

What is he doing here? The question raced through her mind over and over again until she finally sat up and wandered, once again, back to the kitchen she'd just Apparated into moments before.

She didn't know why she was letting him plague her. Hadn't she pushed him out of her thoughts? Didn't she have a good relationship going for her with Harry, one that she'd always dreamed of?

And suddenly Harry's face came flooding back to her, as if he'd been standing directly in front of her. Two brilliantly green eyes blinked at her. She jumped.

"H-Harry?" she asked cautiously, all at once noticing his dissheveled appearance, his frown, and the anger growing in his eyes, drowning the happiness that once resided there. He continued to stare back at her in complete silence.

"Harry, it's late. What are you doing here?" she asked, manuvering around him and going over to the faucet for a glass of water, hoping it would calm her down.

Still no reply. Only silence.

"Well then, if you think you can just barge right in here without so much as an explanation, you've got--" she spat at him, hands on her hips, before being interrupted by a seemingly large earthquake. Or Harry's temper.

"WHAT WERE YOU DOING, SNEAKING ABOUT LIKE THAT? WERE YOU HOPING TO RUN INTO SOMEONE OR WAS IT JUST AN EXCUSE TO GET AWAY FROM ME? I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, GINNY, BUT YOU'VE BEEN ACTING ABSOLUTELY BARKING ALL DAY, JUST LIKE BEFORE, AND IF ANYONE DESERVES AN EXPLANATION AROUND HERE, IT WOULD BE ME, SEEING AS HOW I'M ONLY YOU'RE BLOODY BOYFRIEND AND ALL," he bellowed at her, his green eyes blazing.

Ginny whitened. He knows, she thought before being interrupted, once again - only this time by her brother and Hermione.

"What the bloody hell is going on out here?" Ron asked, his ginger hair sticking up all over the place. "Do either of you know what bloody time it is? Or have you both gone completely off your rocker?" He eyed them both, a yawning Hermione at his side.

"Mmmphf," she mumbled in agreement, still yawning.

Harry's tough exterior crumpled as he looked at his two best friends and over to his girlfriend. Maybe he was going mad. Maybe Ginny was right - maybe he didn't have anything to worry about.

"That's better. Now, care to explain yourself to this poor, misguided soul, Gin, or do I have to hex you both in order to get some sleep around here?" Ron muttered, slipping an arm around Hermione's waist to hold her up.

"Harry, I--" Ginny began, ready to confess everything.

But Harry quickly acted, thinking he was about to get yelled at and not wanting to row anymore. He was tired, and by the looks of things, so was Ginny. The quicker he got himself out of this, the better.

"Don't worry about it, Ginny. I'm probably overreacting. You just got all mad on me, like you were going to have a fit or something, so I figured you were tired." He paused before adding, "And that was before I followed you all over Magical London on a wild goose chase."

Ginny eyed him warily. "You were following me?" she asked, bringing a hand up to her tired face.

He nodded in her general direction, his eyes raking across the kitchen floor. "What were you doing?" he asked her as he took off his glasses, rubbed them on the corner of his untucked shirt, and replaced them to the bridge of his tanned nose.

"I just," she started again, thinking fast. "I just thought I saw someone that I once knew. And by the time I remembered what I was doing, I was wandering. That's all," she finished, avoiding Harry's eyes.

"Oh," Harry said lamely, running a hand through his already messed up hair. "I'm... sorry, Gin," he stated meekly. "I shouldn't have followed you. I was--"

"It's in your nature, Harry," Ginny cut him off. "Don't worry about it." She smiled at him as he came forward and embraced her.

"Well then, guess that's settled. Now shut up - the both of you, so we can get some sleep," Ron said, turning to Hermione.

But Hermione was already fast asleep.

- - - - -

"Nooo!" she screams, watching as the darkened figure slumps to the floor.

"Ginny, get out of the way!" she hears Harry call from across the room. "Get back!"

Harry raises his wand and walks slowly across the room to the slackened figure laying motionless on the ground.

She creeps back against the wall and begins to feel her way towards a door, towards a way of getting out and getting help. She can't watch. If he's... but he can't...

They're alone, the three of them in this darkened classroom. Two versus one, but whose side is she on? Not even she can answer that, though it should be as simple as anything she's ever answered before. But she can't.

And suddenly she gets an idea. An awful, brilliant idea. She turns back towards Harry, raising her wand as she moves closer and closer to him as he stands over the crumpled body on the floor.

"Stupefy!" she whispers, watching the spell leap from her wand and come in contact with the boy she once loved, the boy that always won, the boy who has come to her rescue before. She watches him crumple to the floor beside the other body and kneels down beside them both.

She picks up the other's hand and holds it in hers as silent tears stream down her cheeks. Oh please, she prays to herself. Please let him be alright. Let them both be alright. She looks sadly over at Harry and brushes the hair out of his face before quickly returning her attention to the other figure.

She points her wand at his chest and says aloud, "Ennervate." She watches and waits for a sign of life, any at all. Finally she feels, rather than hears, a hand clench around her own.

"Draco?" she asks in a hush.

"We need to get out of here," he states, his silver eyes glowing against the blackness of the room. He looks disgustedly at Harry's body and back up at her. "Now."

He stands up and helps her to her feet, and together, they step over the unconscious body of the famous boy who lived and run for safety.

Ginny woke up in a cold sweat, feeling rigid from her head all the way down to her toes. She shivered, bringing the blanket up around her face, barely holding back the tears she'd been wanting to cry for ages but hasn't allow herself.

"What is happening to me?" she asked herself outloud, knowing that what has already happened cannot be changed. The harm that she has caused others - to her beloved Harry, especially - and herself was irreversible, and the weight of keeping all these secrets and burdens locked inside herself was like trying to carry the entire Hogwarts grounds on her shoulders. All she wanted was a little rest. A little peace. A little closure.

She fell back asleep hours later, just as the sun was rising, feeling the constant flow of tears that she couldn't hold back any longer slide down her face.