Chapter Thirteen, Pairs
Ginny and Draco watched the battle that had now moved from one house through to many, and the streets were flooded. Houses, trees, lawns - everything was burning. They hid behind a hedge far enough away to assess the situation, and the damage. With the screaming and the yelling, no one had heard them apparate in. Soon enough, they heard CRACKs behind them, and turned - wands at ready - to find allies. A ton of them. Apparently Luna, Neville, Dean and Seamus hadn't taken their task lightly. They'd informed everyone they thought could be of help, and so Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Terry Boot, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and Ernie MacMillan were all standing there, with the original crowd, waiting to be told what to do.
Ginny's eyes widened in horror - Draco's eyes widened in hope. "No." Ginny stated forcefully. Draco looked at her confused.
Before answering her, he turned to the crowd before him, "Get down!" he hissed. They crouched and he turned back to Ginny. "What do you mean, 'no.'? We can't send them away! We need them! We need all the help we can get!"
"No! They have to leave, Draco! I'm not going to let them stay here and die!"
"You can't let your pride or your fear get in the way, Weasley. Not this time!"
"I won't let this happen!" she nearly yelled, then, turning away from Draco, she spoke softly, "Look, I'm sorry you all came out this late, but go home...go take care of your families - don't stay here! You can't stay here!"
"What? And miss all the fun?" Lee joked, but a glare from Ginny was enough to wipe the half-smile from his face.
"This. Is not. Fun. Go. Home. Now." she said through gritted teeth.
"Ginny, we're not leaving. You need help and we're here to give it to --"
"That's enough," Draco interrupted Katie's speech, "She's not going to listen to any of us anyway." He stole a look at Ginny's fallen face. "So just listen to me."
"Draco!" Ginny hissed,
"Stop it, Gin. This has to be done, and it has to be done now." She growled at him, but finally conceded. She turned back to the hedge and peeked out to the disaster. "Alright, I know most of you probably aren't here to fight, and that's ok...we need more than that, anyway. I don't know you guys, or what you're good at, but we need people to fight, to try and heal the wounded, and to go tell more people."
"I'm fighting." Katie Bell said resolutely.
"Me too." Susan Bones echoed.
"Me too." Neville stated. All three had personal stakes in this war, and they weren't about to let Ginny Weasley forget that.
"I'm staying with Katie." Angelina said. Soon enough, everyone had voiced their opinions on what they'd be doing that night. The Patil twins, Lavender and Hannah Abbot were to try and find injured Order members, and with what little training they had, heal them. If the injury was too bad, they were to apparate to Hogwarts (or right outside of it) and immediately levitate them to Madam Pomfrey. Terry Boot, Dennis Creevey, Ernie MacMillan, Lee, Dean and Seamus were going to wait for Hermoine to return to find out who else needed/should be contacted. With a small, flimsy plan in place, the crowd split into three. The pseudo-mediwitches moved closer to the fight, trying to be stealthy and avoid the fire, the people waiting for Hermoine moved farther away, off to find a safer place, and those who were going to fight stayed behind the hedge, waiting for further instruction.
"You know, I think it's really funny that when push comes to shove, the girls are the ones out here fighting, and the boys are off...talking to people." Angelina was trying to lighten the mood, and it worked for a moment - she was right. Out of all the people who'd come, Neville and Colin were the only boys sticking around to fight.
"Hey, their job is just as important as yours," Draco warned. Ginny poked at his side,
"It was only a joke," she smiled. That smile changed his whole demeanor. It showed him that no matter how bad things got - how bad either of them got - she would always be her good old, fighting self. Nothing could waver Ginny Weasley.
Draco turned back to the small group, "Ok...here's the deal. We've been watching for a few minutes, and it looks like we can sneak up on them from the other side. The element of surprise is our best chance."
"Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin." Katie joked, and smiled at Draco.
"Would you like to be a Gryffindoric hero and get yourself killed?" he retorted.
"I guess I do like your idea better..." which brought the smirk right back to its rightful place. Suddenly, Hermoine apparated right next to Susan Bones, almost scaring the life out of her.
"Geez, Hermoine...could you have apparated any closer?" she asked with a smile, which a very anxious Hermoine tried to, but couldn't return.
"We have a stupid, slimy, mangy, moronic DOLT for a Minister!" She hissed incredulously at Draco and Ginny. This caused fits of laughter through the nervous bunch.
"That doesn't sound like it went well," Ginny frowned.
"No it didn't go well." Hermoine huffed, "He doesn't even believe me. Stupid dolt doesn't even BELIEVE me! Told me I shouldn't run around worrying people with my lies! Told me he was going to lock me up in Azkaban if I tried to tell anyone else! Told me he would do it if I came back!"
"Alright, well...there are a couple of people waiting over there for you," Draco pointed around the corner to where the group had walked. "Neville and everyone got a lot of people together, as you can see, and some of them are going to apparate around with you telling people. Go - go get as many people as you can..." Hermoine nodded, and without another word was off to find the boys. Draco looked at everyone's eyes, making sure he saw no signs of waver, nothing to make him change his mind about taking them out. "Do you all know what you're getting yourselves into?" he asked seriously.
"Of course they don't, Draco, none of us do." Ginny answered impatiently. "But we're doing it anyway, so let's just...go." Draco chuckled, that was the difference between Slytherins and Gryffindors - they went in headstrong to take on anyone, but a Slytherin watched for his best chance. Draco let his Slytherin instincts take control, and thought about a plan.
"Ok - here's the plan. Katie and Angelina, you two work really well together, if I remember the Quidditch team correctly," the girls grinned and nodded at the compliment, "You two take that group of Death Eaters over there," Draco motioned to a group of four or five hooded figures advancing on Rubeus Hagrid at an alarming rate, "Come up behind them - they won't know what hit 'em." He continued, turning to Luna, Susan Bones, Colin Creevey and Neville Longbottom. "I don't know anything about you guys..." he began tentatively,
"Luna and Susan," Ginny interrupted, not even bothering to look at them while examining the battle, "You guys go help Professor McGonagall - she's over there with my Mum and Kingsley. Colin and Neville, you can go help out Professor Lupin and Tonks - they seem to be needing a bit of help." She turned to the group, "I know this seems childish and inappropriate given the current...situation. But we're in twos for a reason - do not go anywhere without your...buddy. Partner. Friend. Whatever. Stick together - it's your best chance of surviving." It may have sounded cliche to Ginny, but her tone was so serious and demanding, no one would dare question her.
"What...what exactly are we supposed to do?" squeaked Colin. It was the first thing he'd said all night, and everyone turned to him in surprise.
"What do you mean, 'what are we supposed to do?' ? We're going to fight them." Draco said impatiently.
"Well, I know that...but...do we...are we supposed to...kill them?"
"Oh goodness, no, Colin," Ginny said, realization flooding her face. "We don't expect you to kill anyone. Just...body-bind them or something." Draco looked wary of this plan, but didn't expect them to all become murderers that night.
"But what about the dementors? They're not exactly...on our side right now..." Draco commented,
"And so what? So we just kill everyone we don't like? Look, we don't have time for this. Body-bind them, curse them - just no unforgivables. Got it?" She commanded to the crowd who nodded in unison. They all apparated to where they had been told to go, and with one last, long look, Draco kissed Ginny, and they got up to walk out, heads held high like Gryffindors. Ginny laughed inwardly at this display of nobility and heroism, but knew that there really wasn't much choice.
The fight raged on, the pairs each sticking to their partners like glue. Ginny didn't even know Aurors who stuck together so...compulsively. No one could tell which way the battle was going, or which side was winning. People would trip over bodies, not having the moment to look down and see who it was lying there. Blood was spattered on the sidewalks and street, the houses still in flames. The fight raged on for most of the night - curses flying every which way. Slowly, more help began to appear for the Order - everyone who'd left to go alert the Wizarding world, including Hermoine, was back, full force. Draco had been right, the element of surprise gave them all a one-up on the Death Eaters, and attacking from behind gave them an extra second that they could use to throw another curse. The pseudo-mediwitches ran around swiftly and silently, looking for people to help. To their dismay, there was never a lack of work for the girls. Most they could heal - reverse a simple curse, heal a large gash, small things of that nature - but others needed serious medical attention. Since they knew Hogwarts so well, and knew that it was the safest place in the Wizarding world at the moment - that's where they took their injured. There would be no questions, no hesitations at Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey was a good nurse, a respectable healer, and had given the girls simple potions to carry around when she had been informed of the plan. Potions to heal broken bones and calm nerves, mostly.
Ginny looked around at the disaster, following Draco's every determined step. She searched and searched, taking a sort-of attendance of who was there, and who wasn't. There was one important face she couldn't find.
"Draco...where's Harry?" Draco's head swung around, searching fiercely and quickly for the teenage hero.
"Dammit, Potter, this is not the time to get lost!" he cursed, talking to someone he knew couldn't hear. Suddenly he heard 'Crucio!' and grabbed Ginny just in time for both of them to duck the curse that had been flung at them. They hit the ground hard, but it was better than not. Swiftly they gained their bearings, and moved around the mess of robes and ash that were on the street. They dodged a few other curses aimed at them, always coming back to the orginal position, right beside one another. Ginny threw curse after curse in the direction that the Crucio had come from, but it didn't seem to be helping. Draco looked around furiously, trying to find the offendor, to no avail. Then, even more defiantly, he heard someone yell, 'CRUCIO!', and he heard her scream.
Ginny had been hit by the curse, and was writhing on the ground. It took him only a second to realize what had happened, and he cursed himself for taking even that long. He followed the light to the wand, from the wand to the bearer, and he tried with all of his might to keep the words 'avada kedavra' from exiting his mouth. The hate, anger and wrath boiled in his blood as he heard Ginny still scream. Swiftly, and to prevent any more pain for her, he screamed 'Expelliarmus!', and the wizard was left wandless. Draco approached quickly, and looked at the hooded person, who was exactly his height, but with the night, the ash, and the hood, Draco still couldn't see his or her face. The person lunged at his wand, and Draco couldn't help it - 'Sectusempra!' he screamed and blood immediately started pouring out of the hood. If Draco didn't already know who it was, there wasn't any way he was going to find out now. He ran back to Ginny's side, she was still laying on the ground moaning in pain. He quickly whisked her up into his arms and ran back to the hedge they'd met at earlier that night. He laid her down on the still untouched grass, and made sure that the fire that had been spreading didn't catch to this house.
"Ginny? Ginny, come on...talk to me," he said quietly, prodding her gently.
"I'm ok. I'm ok..." she said as she slowly sat up. He embraced her, relief flooding to every cell in his body. "Who was it?" she asked, regaining her composure and control.
"I don't know...but I don't really care, either." She looked at him and smiled a little at the agitated tone.
"Alright...I'm ok. ...No, really, I am." she protested at Draco's look of disbelief. He let her rest for a moment while he looked back. He saw Lavender scurrying around like a mouse, casting small, silent speels that helped other people get up and fight again. He saw Katie and Angelina standing back to back, fighting off anything and everything that came at them. He saw Neville and Colin fumbling around next to each other, trying to keep track of everything that was going on around them. He saw Hermoine and Ron, linked at the arms, facing the whole thing together, and something clicked in his head. "It's the only way..." he whispered.
"What's the only way?"
"Together. The only way any of us even have a chance of surviving is together." he stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, I could have told you that. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead right now." She said, truth and graciousness coming from every word. He smiled at her, but decided to continue.
"Apparently we're the only ones who know, though. I found Potter. The dolt decided he needs to do this alone."
"He does..." she whispered.
"I thought we just agreed that we all need each other?"
"We did..." now she was just confused. He was right, about everyone needing someone, but Harry needed to do this alone...but his best chance of surviving the night...it was too much to comprehend in the heat of the moment, so Ginny just dropped it for a second. "We should help him."
"He looks ok from here,"
"Now you're disagreeing with you?" she asked, half-jokingly
"No, what I meant was that there are other dolts trying to bite off more than they can chew - here, look." He pulled her next to him, so that she could see everything he'd been looking at. "Look at your brother and Hermoine, or your other brothers, or your other brother and that Fleur chick, look at Katie and Angelina." She noticed everyone had paired up - well, all of the younger fighters had, at least. She smiled at Draco kept mentioning 'her brother' this, and 'her other brother' that, realizing for the millionth time that she had too many brothers. Draco snapped her out of her trance when his tone turned serious, "Now look at Professor Moody...and McGonagall...and even that guy there," he said, pointing at Dawlish. All three of the last examples seemed to be alone, and seemed to be having trouble taking on the attacks that were coming at them.
"Alright, here's what we're going to do..." she began,
"What do you have in mind?"
"Well if you'd listen," she scolded, "I would tell you. We need to pair everyone up. Hagrid looks ok, but everyone needs...a buddy. The better the pair the more chance they have. Tonks and Lupin, Kingsley and Dawlish, Charlie and Percy, --"
"Who?" Draco interrupted,
"My other two brothers," she laughed, "the only ones left without a buddy." she had been surprised to see Percy show up, but was glad that the Weasley clan had been whole and accounted for at this defining moment in history.
"oh." was all Draco could say.
"Anyway...I guess we'll put Mad-Eye with McGonagall, and that leaves..." she paused, looking out at the fight one more time, "LUNA!" She screamed and jumped up, completely forgetting her buddy-system idea. Her friend had just been attacked from behind, and was being tortured. Ginny wasted no time sending a hex at the person cursing Luna, and fortunately got there mere seconds after the incident. Draco followed her and cast another 'sectusempra' spell on the offender, sure that if McGonagall knew about it, she wouldn't be pleased, but it would stop them. And it wasn't an unforgivable, so really he wasn't breaking any rules...
They reached a very startled Luna, but she was ok. Katie and Angelina had also been nearby and had run to help her. No one was keeping a lookout for new attacks, their attention was on Luna, who'd been alone.
"See? This is what happens!" Draco fumed to no one in particular.
"Draco, this is SO not the time for this - go find Lavender or somebody." Ginny ordered. "Take Angelina or someone with you, we'll stay here with Luna and wait for you." Draco and Angelina ran off to find someone to take Luna out of the fight for a minute, and Ginny levitated her over to the hedge, leaving Katie to follow her. Suddenly, from behind her, Ginny her a blood-curdling scream. She whipped around to see Katie on the street, writhing in pain. She ran to the hedge with Luna's weakened body, left her on the lawn, and ran back, throwing as many hexes as she could. The extra three seconds had been too long for Katie. Her screams echoed down the street, into the night sky. Her face was scrunched up in pain, and her hair was turning white. Finally, she passed out.
All Ginny could think to do was, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" And the robed person quickly snapped, looking like a tall, black log, and fell over on his face. Ginny ran to Katie whose hair was completely white now, and levitated her unconscious body over to where she'd left Luna. Just then, as luck would have it, Draco and Angelina showed up with Parvati.
"What in the bloody hell happened!" Draco yelled, as Angelina screamed at her friend's condition. Luna was sitting up straight now, but Katie was still unconscious.
"We were bringing Luna back over here...and...and someone hit her with the Cruciatus Curse...and...I couldn't just drop Luna in the street! And...oh God this is all my fault..." Parvati had already taken to Katie's body - checking her pulse, temperature, examing her lifeless form.
"She'll be ok if we can get her back to Hogwarts. She doesn't look too bad..." Parvati finished.
"Doesn't look too bad! Are you crazy! Have you even looked at her head! It's WHITE!" Angelina cried. After a few minutes of discussion and regrouping, Angelina went out with Luna, to help Draco and Ginny pair people up. Everyone they could find that was alone got a buddy. No one was left out.
The fight continued, no one noticed the cold, the fire, or the wind. Everyone was focused on everyone else, and nothing more.
A/N: hope you liked it... so...for anyone who's reading this (you all know i'm new, right? well here's proof) --What's a beta? like, an editor, right? Well, I know I'm almost done this story (one more chapter then an epilogue,) but I'd like someone to read it over for me and make sure that i didn't do anything wrong/write anything that sounds weird/leave anything out. anyone interested?