Chapter Eight

"Comfortable?" Draco asked.

Hermione glared at him. In truth she was very comfortable, but she wasn't going to let this prat know that.

"What do you want. Malfoy?" she snarled.

Draco tsked at her. "Not very lady like."

Hermione felt her lip curl. Draco sighed and interrupted the intended snarl. "I just want you to have a look at something."

"What?" Hermione demanded, at once intrepid and curious at the same time.

Draco produced a bowl filled with a silvery substance. Hermione recognized it as a Pensieve. "What is that for?"

Draco smiled sadly. "I have something I want you to watch. This is of the night you believed to be the night Ginny died."

Hermione thought to argue, but changed her mind. Instead, her curiousity got the better of her and she looked down.

Into the Pensieve fell Hermione...

Draco looked around quickly. Wand in hand, he turned. Hermione turned with him and saw...

Ginny, holding her body in her arms. Ginny's face was covered in blood.

"Malfoy."

Draco seemed to draw back, then steeled himself in the face of this beautifully angry young woman. He looked ready to take whatever Ginny might dole out.

Ginny handed the unconscious form of Hermione to him. "Take her to St Mungros."

Draco took the form, shock written across his features. Ginny gave a slight smile. "I have other things to attend to."

Draco cradled Hermione in his arms as Ginny walked away, wand in hand. He looked down at memory Hermione as real Hermione stood watching.

Finally the world spun as he apparated. A moment later he was in St Mungros. A dozen or so witches and wizards rushed to him, taking Hermione from his arms. Draco followed them. The world spun again and Hermione had the impression of time changing. She looked at the clock in the room she had followed Draco into. Indeed, six hours had passed. Draco was sleeping in a chair as she slept on the bed. The Weasley family were scattered throughout various parts of the room. Bill had a bandage across his temples and Fleur's beautiful face was marred by a bruise. Ron and Harry looked like they had been taken outside and beaten like yesterday's laundry. Draco had crusted blood on his jacket and Hermione wondered if it was his own or hers. Fred and George were sitting back to back, looking the best of the whole group.

A moment later, the door opened and Ginny stepped in. She was bleeding freely from a head wound. Blood had colored her collar crimson and her denim button up was shredded, revealing glimpses of her white bra. Her hair was in disarray, frizzed out to an inch of it's life. Yet still, Hermione thought she was the most beautiful thing on two legs.

The entire room seemed to wake up as she gently closed the door.

They all seemed to want to go to her, but none moved as she strode into the room and to Hermione's bed.

Ginny knelt by Hermione's bed and took her hand in her own. She knelt there for several moments, whispering something no one in the room could hear. But Hermione knew what she wassaying.

"I have to leave you now, Mione. Please, don't cry. You knew this would happen. You knew we couldn't be together. Please, Be happy. Ron and the others will take care of you."

Then she rose. She strode from the room and with a single hand gesture, the entire clan followed.

Once outside Ginny held up her hands to stall the enevitable questions. "I have to leave."

"Ginny!" Her mother protested softly.

Ginny shook her head. "No, Mum. I have to. Hermione deserves better than this. She deserves what I can't give her. She deserves a family. Children."

Fred looked about to pipe up with something concerning the children bit, but for once his brother proved more intellegent than he and smacked him on the back of the head.

Ginny noticed the movement. She turned to Ron. "Take care of her. Don't let anything bad happen to her."

Ron nodded.

"Swear it!"

"I swear." Ron repeated. Ginny sighed.

"Be good to her. She needs it. She needs to be happy."

Ginny started to walk away. Draco ran and caught up with her.

"She won't forget you."

Ginny sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know."

"Why are you leaving? You two are perfect together?"

Ginny looked at him. "Don't you get it Draco? She has to be happy! I can't live without knowing she's happy!"

"Why wouldn't she be happy with you?"

Ginny looked away. "Because I killed for her. I killed men for nothing more than trying to hurt her."

"What's so bad about that?" Draco asked, echoing Hermione's own thoughts.

Ginny looked back at him breifly. "I just want her to be happy."

"Even if the only one she's happy with is you?" Draco whispered as Ginny walked off.

Hermione came out of the memory, tears streaking her face.

Draco looked about to say something, then a bell began to ring somewhere. A slow smirk crossed his face.

"About time." He whispered