Disclaimer: I don't own it!
Ginny was thinking.
It wasn't like she didn't do it often, but now the gears were really turning. She chanced a glance at the boy sitting across from her, and found him staring intensely at her. A light blush lit her cheeks, and she looked down.
Why was she feeling so distraught all of a sudden? It was only Malfoy, after all. Hadn't she heard about what a vile, loathing cockroach he was? (A/N: Guess who said that…) But since the first time she had met him, she sensed something more behind the façade.
Draco struck her (And most of the girls in the school) as a quite a handsome boy. In fact, he was what Soleil would probably call, "An Adonis masquerading as an Ares." Soleil was into Gods…she'd say something like that.
"What was with the flowers?"
Her own question surprised her. She hadn't been thinking about them at all, but the words had slipped out quickly. Draco looked up, and for a moment, she could have sworn she had seen fear. But it disappeared quickly, and he shrugged.
"You're mad, Weasley. Couldn't be sure you'd kill me or not, so I had to distract you."
"Oh."
Ginny was surprised to find that she felt disappointed at that. But what had she expected? Some sort of confession of everlasting love?
She moved away from the direction her mind was heading, and looked at Draco again. "I'll dance on your grave for you, Draco."
He looked rather confused, and she elaborated. "Ron'll kill you because you've spent the whole night in a cave with me, with no supervision whatsoever. So I'll dance on your grave, and maybe I'll even bring you back to life!"
Draco couldn't help but grin at the look she had on her face, innocent and yet malicious at the same time. You'd've done well in Slytherin, Weasley."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "And I can see you as a Gryff, Malfoy. After all, you did show bravery last night!"
Draco snorted, and she laughed out loud. "By the Gods, I wonder what'll happen though." She toyed with a lock of her hair, and Draco had to fight the urge not to scoot over to the other side of the table and help.
"Happen with what?" He restrained himself, ignoring Ginny's look.
"To us, you know? Are we friends now, or do we part and never speak again?" She was looking at him with rapt attention now, and Draco, all desires forgotten, stared back.
"F—friends?"
She nodded, and he looked down as she let her hand go out.
A multitude of emotions welled up inside of him at that moment, and he tried desperately to keep them down. The only friend he'd ever had was Blaise.
Crabbe and Goyle were muscle, and Pansy was a blithering idiot who thought they were destined.
Of course, this would be letting go of years' worth of hard work, to make these two families enemies. His father, if he ever heard, would be disgusted. His mother…well, his mother wouldn't mind so much.
She'd been given an ultimatum; it seemed, by some unknown being. She had suddenly renounced all ties to those who dabbled in the Dark Arts and were loyal to the Dark Lord. She'd managed to discard of all objects reminding her of her past, and had even made a few Muggle-born friends. Draco had been, at first, disgusted.
"Sometime this century, Draco…" Ginny drew him from his thoughts, and he realized she looked worried, and afraid. She was afraid he wouldn't be her friend?
Draco put his hand in hers, and they shook.
"Friends, Weasley. Don't doubt the school won't have a hard time getting used to it, though."
She merely laughed, and he recognized it as one bubbling with joy. At that same moment, though, the bell rang.
Barely ten seconds later, the huge double doors opened to reveal the Golden Trio, all rushing to Ginny. She was enveloped in a massive group hug, before they realized she had to breath.
"Oh, Ginny, thank the Gods you're all right!" Hermione exclaimer.
Harry grinned at her. "Ron was a pain in the arse the whole time, claiming it was our fault, then Dumbledore's, Malfoy's, and at one point, he claimed Voldemort himself had even carried you away!"
Although Ron flinched at the name, everyone else let out a laugh.
"Well," said Ginny, leaning back, "It was all thanks to Draco here. He saved me, you know."
"Excuse me?" Ron turned to see Draco, whose face was blank of emotions. "Malfoy helped you?"
"Yep." Replied Ginny cheerfully. "He dragged my frozen arse a long way 'till he came to a cave, and he gave me his nice coat and made a fire." She got a devilish gleam in her eye and turned to the blond-haired boy. "And Draco is SOOOOOOO cute when he's sleeping, with his nose all wrinkled up, like this—," and she leaned over the table and flicked his nose, so that he automatically scrunched it up.
"See!" Ginny crowed. "SOOOOOOO cute!"
Draco scowled at her, while the four laughed. Ron straightened up and extended his hand.
"I suppose I owe you a thanks, then." He said it rather grudgingly, though, but a look of pure shock spread through his face as Draco actually took the hand and shook it!
Hermione and Harry were sharing similar looks, and Ginny burst out laughing so hard she fell under the table.
"Nice to be of some help, Ron." Draco sneered, albeit in a somewhat friendly way. Ron turned an ashen color, and dropped Draco's hand. He looked as if he was trying hard not to gag, and Harry and Hermione were following his actions.
Ginny surface, gasping, and as soon as she saw their faces, she collapsed in laughter again under the table.
A few students trailed in, followed slowly by more, and more, until the whole place was fit to bursting.
Ginny was dragged out of the table, and made to repeat her tale as much as possible. When she added that she and Draco were now friends, Ron collapsed and had to be revived with smelling salts, and there was a lapse in the talk.
"Friends?" The girl who Ginny still couldn't be bothered to remember hissed at her, practically suffocating. "What the bloody hell do you mean, friends? You're a Gryffindor, and you're from a poor family! He's a high, upstanding Slytherin from a rich family! You have no right o be hanging out with him!"
Draco, who had heard, immediately walked over and gave the girl a wilting glare. "I'll be friends with whomever I choose, you idiot. You've no right to speak to Weasley like that!"
"What about your honor?" The girl jeered. "Your pureblood promises? Would you really shame your family so?"
"Yes!" Draco bit out. "I don't care, understand! As my mother is, I am now. I was led down the wrong path, and you have no reason to say such a thing to me! Why should you care, anyways?" He leaned in, dangerously close, and whispered, "The Malfoy House has changed, witch. There is no hope for those who are still prejudiced."
Draco had no idea where those words had come from. He had heard his mother say similar things, and although he hadn't acted bigoted since his fifth year, the words he spoke still surprised him. Somewhere, he had always thought himself unalterable and dark. But here he was, preaching about something akin to togetherness…
Something flared in the girls' eyes. In a moment, she had pulled out her wand. "Stupefy!"
Draco just barely managed to dodge the attack, and even then it hit another girl behind him. She fell to the ground, and in that moment, everyone ran. No teachers had arrived yet; the Great Hall was unprotected.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" He cried, taking out his wand. The girls' eyes flashed, turning from green to ice blue. And in that moment, Draco understood the horrible, terrible truth.
Harry and Ron had pushed Ginny and Hermione behind them and had formed a wall next to Draco.
"Fulfilling my destiny!" the girl said coyly. The Hall was empty, and with a flick of her wand, the doors shut. The girl laughed. "I've put a binding spell on there. By the time Dumbledore gets through, it'll be too late!"
"Who are you?" Harry yelled. Draco glanced back at him.
"Leave, Potter! This is between me and—," but he was cut off as the girl flicked her wand, throwing him back.
"Let's play a little game, Draco." She sneered. "Expilliarmus!" The trio's wands left them. The girl mock frowned. "Aww, are you defenseless? So sad!"
She pointed her wand to them and cried. "Petrificus Totalus!" Ron was caught, falling backwards. Hermione and Harry leapt aside, rolling in opposite directions just as Draco rose from behind a table. It all proved to be a terrible mistake.
The girl had Ginny in her grasp before anyone could say a word, and she cackled. "Isn't this fun, Draco? I take the one thing you apparently care for, someone you dare to call a friend, and we'll see how it turns out."
"Leave her!" Draco cried, limping slightly as he ran towards them. "Leave her now!"
"Accio wands!" the girl cried, just before Harry and Hermione could reach them. She clutched at the two, and stuck them in her robes. "Do you wish to hurt me, Draco?"
If possible, Draco was even paler. "Hell yeah."
The girl laid a delicate finger on Ginny's neck, probing the veins. Then she poked her with the wand tip, a rather sharp one too. "Oh, but Draco, if you try to hurt me, I'll be forced to attack poor, poor Ginevra here. You would just hate that, wouldn't you?"
"You bastard!" Draco seemed livid, and Harry and Hermione, who were lying next to Ron, marveled at his courage.
The girls' eyes narrowed. "Language, Draco. Have I taught you nothing? Crucio!" He collapsed, then, screaming in pain.
Harry had heard that laugh before. "Malfoy." He said flatly. Hermione glanced at him.
"Harry, why would you be mad at him now? He's trying to help!"
"Not him!" Harry pointed to the girl. "Her. That's Lucius Malfoy, in the flesh." Hermione gasped.
"But how?" Then a thought struck her. "Oh Gods. A Polyjuice Potion?"
Lucius (In the girl's form) laughed madly as he released the curse. Draco was curled into a ball, whimpering slightly.
"Pathetic." He/She spat. "I thought you were better then this. Didn't I raise you better?"
Draco struggled to his feet, lurching forward as if he were drunk. Lucius tsk-ed. "I suppose you have shamed me enough, Draco. You refused to join the Dark Lord, and that was bad enough. But when you befriended a Weasley…Gods! I am upset to call you a son."
"Where's the real girl?" Draco winced, as he steadied himself on a chair. Ginny sucked in her breath as Lucius jabbed her throat.
"Locked in the dungeons. I feed her every few days. She's grown rather skinny. I give thanks to Crouch, for giving me this marvelous idea!"
"Why did you wait so long?" Only Harry and Hermione could tell Draco was stalling and waiting for an opening.
"I was watching you, Draco. You've changed, and I suppose it's from that damn woman who calls herself your mother!"
"You have to call her names, like beating her wasn't enough?" Draco replied coolly. He was hit with the Cruciatus Curse once more, and he writhed on the ground as Lucius held the curse much longer then need be.
When he stopped, Draco couldn't stand. He stayed on the ground, breathing hard, trying not to gag.
"I have no use for you anymore." Lucius said softly. "I will kill you. And when I am done, the Weasley girl and boy, the Mudblood, and Potter will die. When the Dark Lord comes back, he will place me at his right hand! We will be unstoppable!"
"He's not coming back." Draco choked out. Lucius ignored him, seeming not to notice as his son pulled himself up with the use of a table.
A sudden banging and tearing noise at the door startled them. "I must cut our meeting short, Draco. Although I will use Avada Kedavra on these other fools, I felt something else would be sufficient for you. I will kill the girl first," Ginny's eyes widened. "And you will watch. Accio knife!"
It seemed to happen rather slowly. Hermione stood and ran for the door, uttering counter-charms to help those outside. Harry ran for Ginny, but being closest to the door, he was too far.
Draco was running, faster then he probably ever had in his life. He sprinted down the aisle, and from the corner of his eye, he could see the knife flying behind him.
But Ginny was there, looking terrified, and Draco put on an extra spurt of speed. He jumped, and time stood still.
(A/N: If I'd ended the fic there, you would have killed me. So here…)
The knife hit him squarely in the chest, going into his body until the hilt pressed against his skin.
Lucius cursed. "The poison on it will kill you anyway! It's basilisk venom!" He raised his wand. "But I shall kill the girl, and you will still see her die!"
The doors burst open, but Draco was far past caring. He lay on the ground, feeling an intense heat searing up his side, and held up his wand.
"A—Avada Kedarva," He whispered. The green beam shot out from his wand. It was a smaller beam, as he was weak, but it hit the girl. She fell back, her face changing almost immediately.
A gaunt, pale face, shadowed by stringy, unkempt white hair. Lucius Malfoy fell back, his eyes wide. Death had dealt him a blow, handed down by his own son.
Ginny stumbled away from him, and fell to Draco's side. "Oh…Oh, Draco, no! Why'd you do it!"
Harry was next to her, removing the knife as Draco hissed in pain. He ran a finger over the wound, which was bleeding profusely. Dumbledore was heading towards them, but it was late…too late…
"You fool…" Ginny was crying. "You stupid, stupid fool."
Draco couldn't see her clearly. Everything was so distorted, and there was a white fog closing in.
"L—li—live well, Ginevra." He managed. Then everything was gone, and the voices around him stopped.
All was at peace, for once.
Thank you to all reviewers! I'll update soon, I swear it!