Chapter Seven

All the times that I've cried

All this wasted, it's all inside

And I feel all this pain

I stuffed it down, it's back again

And I lie, here in bed

All alone, I can't mend

But I feel

Tomorrow will be ok

Ginny cracked open her eyes and listened to a bird squawk outside of her tent. This was the forest's equivalent to bird chirping in the morning. She looked over to her right and her heart skipped a beat.

Draco Malfoy with his hair all messed up and sleeping bag all twisted around his legs.

He looked so irresistible! Ginny couldn't help but stare for a few moments until she realized his breathing wasn't regular. It was sharp jabs of air. Suddenly it made sense, he was laughing at her, silently.

"I feel so loved, good morning to you too Ginny," smiled Draco looking up at her.

Ginny would have screamed but she didn't want to draw attention to herself. Instead she hissed "whatever you're thinking, you wish."

This shut Draco up. Ginny muttered a spell which undressed her out of her pyjamas and into her robes so quickly that Draco didn't realize she had changed until the blurring had stopped. And then Ginny proceeded to angrily crawl out of the tent to check the fire and her protection perimeter.

Draco murmured into the empty tent "yes, I really do wish."

After Draco had changed into his robes he joined Ginny in a very silent breakfast. The only talking was from Ginny, and that was "some little animals were attracted to the fire but they couldn't cross the magical boundry."

Draco only nodded. Ginny paused and glared at him, and said "I hate you."

"So you're telling yourself," replied Draco.

So for the next six months or the two Aurors traveled deeper into the Fencult forest, without any contact from the outside word discovering the extent of dark magic left by Voldemort.

Three times they ran into death eaters who proved quite a fight, but weren't any real match against Ginny and Draco. The two together really did make quite a duo, not that Ginny would admit.

This forest tested the two of them to their limits, it was unbelievable how many dark creatures were here. The two of them knew this wouldn't be easy but they were surprised, and that's saying a lot, at how difficult the mission was. It was like every step they took they were battling, and a lot of the times their sneakoscopes were whirring too much. Informing them that there was a lot of danger ahead so they were often tired.

During this time, Draco and Ginny seemed to grow closer. Much to Ginny's horror. Every day, she would learn something new about Draco, and she started to admire him. They were only each other's company. They started getting their own pet topics and soon learnt each other's hate. They discussed with carelessness and passion.

Within three months of no one else's company, Ginny had opened her soul to Draco without even realizing.

And within four months of Draco's company, Ginny found she seemed to have fallen for him.

Though Ginny was more of a professional dueler and was better adapted in fighting conditions, she had the worse end of the stick. Since she was female she was targeted more and it drained her of energy. Twice Draco had to save her from simply dropping to the ground from exhaustion.

After five months Ginny was really suffering. Having just about no rest at all was taking a toll and as clichéd as it sounded, it tore Draco in two. Seeing such a strong woman suddenly dragging her feet as she was trying to stay up.

Ginny groaned in Draco's strong arms. "Put me down, it's fine I can walk."

Draco sighed and complied, but stood ready to catch her when she fell. She never did.

She seemed to draw energy from something deep within, and this amazed Draco. He now realized the full extent of Ginny's power and respected and admired her so much more.

"See?" teased Ginny, poking her tongue out. "I can sense there's nothing too dangerous for another couple of miles, I say we call it a day," continued Ginny.

"Yeah, look you get the stuff ready and I'll set up the spells," replied Draco.

As Ginny and Draco turned around to prepare for the evening, they smiled. Draco had finally cracked Ginny's shell and she was beautiful person on the inside just as much as on the outside. But then again if you spent six months with the same person you would tend to start talking to them. Draco also realized early on he was in love with her. As silly as it sounds he had never felt that way about a girl. He wondered what so special about her, but not as much as what it would feel like holding her, kissing her, having sex with her..

"Ow," yelped Draco, and he looked up at Ginny who had just thrown a small stick at his head.

"Hurry up, stop daydreaming!"

"Yes sir," said Draco in a mock serious voice and smirked.

'Ugh, that smirk!' thought Ginny 'is really starting to grow on me.' As the months progressed, Ginny realized she had connected a lot with that man. He was different. He could be incredibly intense when it came to their past, especially with Ginny's but he could be so goofy as well!

He actually listened, like it was the most important thing in the world. Subtly he made her feel like the most important person in the world, and she liked the feeling. Ginny soon found she was attracted to Draco, and at first she thought it was just the fact she hadn't dated anyone for five years and the fact Draco had a very, very nice body. But soon she realized it was more than that. The more they talked to each other, the more she realized her soul was in tune with his. In short she woke up one cold, bitter morning, looked at her partner sleeping beside her and realized she was in love with him.

Yet the both of them knew now wasn't the time to start a relationship. Each day they had their hands tied up battling and they knew they were getting closer to their goal. After years of training their sixth senses had sharpened quite considerably.

Later on that night after a quick meal Ginny said to Draco in their tent "can you feel it?"

"Feel what?" asked Draco softly, his voice settling into her mind and his eyes looking directly into Ginny's which made her shiver.

"Light magic, we're getting closer to the safe house," whispered Ginny, almost drowning in emotion.

There was a pause where the two of them subconsciously leaned into each other in the dim light coming from their wands.

'Oh my god he is going to kiss me.'

'Oh my god she is going to kiss me.'

'He smells so nice and why is he moving so slow?'

'God why won't time hurry up? She's so close.'

"Arrgh," cried Ginny clutching her ears, the alarm had gone off. Someone or something was trying to enter their perimeter.

Draco swore and hurried outside of the tent with Ginny to face whatever creature was disturbing them.

'Avery,' burned the voice in Draco's mind. One of his father's cronies who often came to the Manor to rape his mother. The other was Nott who was leering at Ginny, with a very chilling and disturbing glint in his eyes. He obviously wanted her, not that Ginny was ever going to let him touch her.

"Death Eater dickheads," hissed Ginny, noting Avery's partner Nott.

Draco had already deactivated his spell and had began the tedious and complicated art of dueling. A lot could happen during a duel and the opponents had to be quick thinkers and agile.

"Protégé!" yelled Ginny, and the incoming curse from Nott was blocked and scattered. Immediately after that Ginny stunned him and then proceeded to quickly mutter a quiet spell which transported his paralyzed body straight to the Ministry of Magic holding cells where he could be kept prisoner. The death sentence was a likely outcome.

Ginny quickly whirled around to face Draco battling Avery. The battle was going down to Draco. She noticed a fire inside Draco which was addling his ability to duel with a clear head. Obviously this Death Eater had done something in the past to anger Draco this much.

Draco was losing face, time for Ginny to intervene. She was running hot, she didn't need a wand. From behind Avery's back, Ginny gave a run up and kneed him in the back, she then immediately cupped his neck into a headlock as he fell to the ground and broke a few bones in his back for good measure. Draco, glad for the break quickly stupefied Avery and then sent him off to the Ministry.

Panting and massaging her knee, Ginny snapped "what the fuck was that Draco?"

Draco only glared at her and stomped off to the tent.

'Great going Ginny, you've really fucked things up now.'

'Shit, why do I have the killer glare thing going on?'

Ginny didn't return to the tent that night. She decided it wasn't worth going back to sleep. It would take a while for the adrenalin to wear off plus she reckoned they were getting into a more dangerous stage of their mission. When so many more Death Eaters were traipsing around, blissfully ignorant of the bastard they were serving.

Draco felt like he was going out of his mind. Avery, the little prick. Caused his mother so much pain. Draco really couldn't give a toss about his family, or his family name or any of the bullshit that went with it. But he treasured his mother. And he really began to understand how Neville Longbottom must have felt. Still having his parents alive but them not being able to acknowledge his existence.

It was worse than having your mother dead.

Draco used to slit, for a very short time he used to take pleasure in watching the blood ooze from his veins onto the floor, the rythmitcal dripping of blood calmed him. But Dumbledore had convinced him to stop, that he knew wiser.

It was near the end of his sixth year. It had definitely qualified for one of the worst years of his life. Dumbledore had called him into his office to discus his future, with The Order, with the Ministry.

When Draco was reaching over to take a document, Albus noticed the still fresh cuts and solemnly confronted him about it. Draco vividly remembered his startling words.

"Draco, you have a lot of scars. We all do. The key to strength is to not let it show. Not when the moment isn't right. What makes you smart is not your intelligence quota, it's your ability to know when, when to show your scars."

Those words, searing through Draco's mind was one of the things that kept him sane. But he couldn't help wanting to.

If only he had something sharp. Ginny wouldn't have to know. She wouldn't have to know. She wouldn't have to know.

'Damn Avery!' thought Draco angrily. He was doing fine, but he had to come and fuck things up. Draco couldn't stop, he needed it, as much as he needed his mother.

All of a sudden, Draco remembered Ginny had a Swiss army knife. He fumbled around in her bag for a few desperate moments and finally his fingers clasped around the cool metal. It was at that precise moment Ginny changed her mind and decided to call it a night. She double checked her protection spells and quietly walked over to the tent and climbed inside.

What she saw in front of her made her breath catch.

Draco gliding one of the blades open from the Swiss Army Knife her father gave her and his right hand was hovering over his bare left wrist. Immediately her heart softened as she looked deep into Draco's eyes and saw his pain.

"Oh Draco," murmured Ginny and she rushed forward and snapped the blade back into the knife and hugged Draco tightly.

"Oh Draco, I'm so sorry," she murmured into his neck as she felt him hug her back with all his might. She could feel him shake, she could feel his tears soaking through her shirt and onto her shoulders. Ginny could tell he needed her and she didn't want anything more than to be with him.

Woot, another chapter! Okay the lyrics at the top are from the song Outside by Staind. Please review!