Chapter 7: Disaster

Ginny stood completely motionless, her eyes never leaving Draco and Narcissa. Draco held his mother while silent tears fell from his stormy silver eyes.

What was Ginny supposed to do? Her mind raced, trying to sort out everything that had happened. Should she leave Draco alone? Let him deal with the huge shock on his own?

Or should she comfort him? Hold him close as the shock of his mother's death really sank in?

Despite all the rational thoughts that were telling Ginny to turn around and leave, she walked over to Draco slowly.

"Draco?" she whispered softly. Ginny slid to the floor, scooting close to him. He stared at his mother's blank face, oblivious to Ginny. Ginny reached her hand out tentatively and put it lightly on his shoulder, but Draco shrugged it off instantly.

Tears pricked Ginny's eyes as she watched Draco cry. The past didn't seem to matter at all. Draco was just someone else who had been hurt because of the war, and Narcissa had just been another victim. It didn't matter that Ginny had hated both Draco and his mother only a month ago. It didn't matter that a month ago she had wished both of them would die a horrible and gruesome death. Because now, Draco sat before her as a weak and damaged soul—someone who had experienced terrible pain and loss, someone who was overwrought by it.

"You can heal her," Draco muttered softly, bringing Ginny away from her thoughts. He looked to Ginny, obvious hope shining from his tear-stained eyes. "Ginny, you can heal her!"

"Draco," Ginny began, shaking her head slightly. "Draco, it's too late."

"No, no, no!" he shouted at her. Ginny flinched, feeling the anger, confusion, and sadness resonating from his body, but there was really nothing she could do. When Ginny had first saw that Narcissa was dead, she had hope that her healing abilities could save the woman, but with every step she took closer to the pair, she could tell. Narcissa Malfoy was completely gone. There was nothing left in her that was fighting for life, no soul or spirit. Ginny also noticed that there was no sign of death. There weren't any cuts or bruises, no blood. Seeing the undamaged body and knowing there wasn't any trace of a soul left, Ginny suspected that Narcissa had been killed by the Killing Curse.

Of course, she could be wrong. But there were times when she was working at St. Mungo's that she came across people like Narcissa. Their bodies were intact and working, but there was no remnant of a soul. In those cases, Ginny couldn't do anything. As everyone knew, no one can survive Avada Kedavra. Well, everyone besides Harry.

"You have to!" Draco shouted at her. "W-we can even do it together! If both of us try, I-I know we can save her!"

Ginny looked on at him sadly and shook her head. "It's too late, Draco," she murmured, tears beginning to cloud her eyes.

"LIAR!" he screamed. Ginny put her hand on his shoulder again, but he shoved her away. The force of his push made Ginny sway, and she had to brace herself against the wall. Breathing deeply, she tried again.

"Shhh," she comforted him, putting her hand back on his shoulder. He pushed her away again, but a lot less violently than before. Ginny repeated the action, placing her small hand firmly on his broad shoulder. This time he left Ginny's hand where she'd placed it. Ginny took this to her advantage, wrapping her arms around Draco completely. She could feel him tense and then relax, melting into her embrace.

Ginny wrapped her arms tighter, squeezing Draco in silent comfort. They stayed like that for what could've been hours: Ginny holding Draco, and Draco holding his mother.

A quiet bang startled both Draco and Ginny. The sound had come from downstairs. Draco looked at Ginny and frowned. He glanced quickly at his still mother then lightly set her on the floor. Jumping up, Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and went to the door. They glanced down the hall, but there was nothing. Walking quietly but quickly, Draco and Ginny made their way down the hall.

"Can't you ever be quiet?" a slightly familiar voice asked. Ginny strained her ears, trying to remember where she'd heard that voice before.

"I'm always quiet," a second voice answered. "It's you who's never quiet." Ginny tried to concentrate on the voices, but she couldn't remember. She glanced to Draco whose eyes were wide in shock. As they continued to bicker, the truth hit Ginny like a speeding train.

"Doesn't matter," Lanley told Bartle. "We just have to find the girl."

Ginny's heart began to race five times faster than normal. They couldn't be talking about her…could they? What had she done? Her mind went over the last couple of days, weeks, months, and then years, but there was nothing. What could she have possibly done to these people to make them consistently follow her? And the worst thought was: who had sent these people to get her?

Draco tugged on Ginny's sleeve. The voices had quieted, and Draco was pulling her back down the hall. They raced quietly to the grand double doors at the end of the hall: his parent's room. Draco opened the door quietly, letting Ginny in, and then closed it just as quietly behind them.

"Those are the guys who broke into your house," Draco muttered to Ginny as they made their way into the master bedroom.

"I know," Ginny answered. She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her mind was still flooded with thoughts of how she was being hunted down!

"There are many secret passageways in the manor," he told her quickly, making his way back into Narcissa's closet. "We'll just use one to get out of here."

"But then where?" Ginny asked him. "They found us at my house and now at yours. Where can we go so they won't find us?" The question hung unanswered in the air. Despair was starting to creep up on Ginny, consuming what little hope she'd had left after the last couple of days.

"Right now," he said evenly, "it's anywhere but here."

He took out his wand and did a little flick. A soft rumbling met Ginny's ears as she watched the wall behind the shoe rack slide back and to the side. Draco turned and looked at her expectantly.

"Well, let's go," he prompted.

"I can't go looking like this!" Ginny indicated her sheer thin nightgown. She saw Draco look her up and down slowly. "My point exactly," she said evilly to him, and then she crossed her arms over her chest for better coverage.

"You have people hunting you down, and you're worried about what you're wearing?" he asked incredulously. He was wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose, white shirt.

"Not what I'm wearing, more the lack of it."

"Fine, change quickly," Draco told her. Ginny quickly picked out jeans and a blouse. She began to undress but could still feel Draco's eyes on her.

"A little privacy?" she asked a little rudely. Draco just rolled his eyes and turned around. Ginny was done in seconds, and she raced forward through the passageway, dragging Draco along behind her.

The passageway was dark and kind of damp, and Ginny tried to hold her breath as they ran through it because the stench almost made her throw up. Luckily, they were through the tunnel in a minute and stepping out into the brightness of the morning sun.

"Moving on to the important question," Ginny said quickly, her breath becoming fast and unsteady.

"I'm listening," Draco breathed back.

"Where the hell are we going?" They raced forward to the end of the property and didn't stop when they got there.

"No idea," he answered. A bright light shot right passed Ginny's ear. Both of them looked back without stopping. Lanley and Bartle were running behind them, and from the looks of it, they were gaining.

A thought came to Ginny, and without hesitation, she stopped, grabbed Draco's arm, and turned on the spot, visualizing her destination. The air around Draco and Ginny pressed in on them, constricting their breath. In a moment, the sensation was over and both Draco and Ginny were tumbling to the ground. Ginny got up hastily, looking around to see if anyone had seen them. No. Luckily, the street was deserted, so she grabbed Draco's hand and whirled him around to face the old house in front of her.

"You can see that house, right?" Ginny asked him quickly. The sooner they could get inside – or away, if need be – the better.

"You mean the one we're standing right in front of?" he asked her incredulously. Why wouldn't he be able to see a house? It was a pretty big thing to miss.

"Yes!"

"Well, no, then. I can't see it." Draco replied sarcastically. Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled him forward. They were on the doorstep when Ginny froze. How was she going to do this? The house wasn't supposed to be occupied anymore, but there was still the possibility that they were using it. But then why hadn't they put an Unplottable spell on it? Of course, the other side could be using it too, which meant that Ginny and Draco would be just walking into a death trap, but that didn't make much sense to Ginny.

These thoughts flew through Ginny's head in a matter of seconds, giving her a migraine, but then she made her decision.

"Stay out here for a second," Ginny told Draco.

"No way am I letting you go into that old, rickety house by yourself," Draco said the words vehemently, and it sounded, to Ginny, that he might even care. She brushed off the thought quickly and decided not to argue with him this time. Taking a deep breath, Ginny pushed the door open very quietly and stepped into Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, the former residence of the Order of the Phoenix.

Ginny stepped in silently, her wand out and ready. Draco followed behind, his wand out as well. They made their way slowly and quietly down the hallway.

"Where–?" Ginny held up her hand to silence him. She remembered, all too well, what happened when the portrait of Mrs. Black, Sirius's mum, was woken up. They crept around for half an hour, searching through room after room until Ginny was satisfied.

"The house is completely empty," Ginny said with a satisfied smile. She plopped down on one of the kitchen chairs but kept her wand out, just in case. The time had gone by slowly, and Draco had been silent the entire time. Ginny had wondered what he'd been thinking about; she guessed it must have something to do with his mother's death. Draco copied Ginny and slumped into another chair without a word.

"So, where are we?" Draco asked reluctantly. His curiosity must have been stronger than whatever was bothering him.

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," said Ginny. Draco raised his eyes questioningly, so Ginny added, "The former residence of the Order of the Phoenix."

Draco's eyes opened wide despite his bad mood. "The Order of the Phoenix, as in –."

"Yep, the resistance of Voldemort and his Death Eaters," Ginny finished for him. "I could get royally screwed for bringing you here…" she mused.

After a moment Draco asked, "You said former residence of the Order. How come they don't use it anymore?"

"I'm not really sure," Ginny answered. Her eyebrows pulled together in thought as she continued. "They may have stopped using it once Dumbledore died." Ginny saw Draco look away uncomfortably so she kept speaking. "The place used to be unplottable. Being the Order's headquarters, it needed to be as safe as possible. I'm guessing Dumbledore put most of the enchantments on himself, so they would stop working once her died." Again, Draco looked away. Ginny could've sworn she saw some hint of regret in his eyes.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, hating to see Draco uncomfortable, "This place might not be safe. All the enchantments are gone now, so there's nothing protecting us. But in the moment, this was the only place I could think of."

Ginny waited for Draco to voice some opinion, but he stayed as silent as ever. Apparently, he was going to make this difficult for her.

"How about we stay here a couple days at the maximum, and then we relocate somewhere else?" She voiced her plan reluctantly, knowing she wouldn't get much of a response. Draco nodded once, and got up and walked away. Ginny didn't follow, though. She didn't even want to imagine what he was going through now. Now, if she had been having nightmares of her mother's death and then found out that the nightmares were real, then she'd pretty much lose it. Instead, Ginny focused on the present issue: the creepy and dangerous men who were tracking her down.

The idea was totally and utterly crazy. Who on earth would want to track Ginny down? She went over the reasons in her head for a second time.

Nope, nothing.

Well, there was one possible reason she could think of. Somehow and someway, Voldemort found out that Harry cared about her, and being an evil, horrible monster, he planned on using Ginny to get Harry within his grasp to kill him. The explanation was kind of crazy, but at least it made some sense to Ginny…and she liked to think that she was that important to Harry…

Ginny spent the rest of the day moping around. Well, there wasn't anything else to do. Draco had shut himself up in one of the upstairs rooms and was, most likely, moping around himself. Ginny didn't bother him, though, no matter how bored she got. She couldn't rid the image of dead Narcissa from her mind. That was the only thing that kept her from barging in on him.

The day ended long and tiresome. Draco hadn't come out of his room at all, and Ginny was beginning to worry. But she'd give him his space. Ginny tiptoed past the portrait of Mrs. Black and up the stairs, taking up residence in the room she had once shared with Hermione.

Ginny groaned. The thought of Hermione had made her stomach knot up ferociously.

She hadn't seen her friend in a long time.

She hadn't seen her brother in a long time.

She hadn't seen Harry in a long time.

The thought of Harry made Ginny even sicker; she missed him so much. Trying not to think of him worked wonderfully…until she actually thought of him, then all the feelings she'd built up came rushing at her, making her breathless. Ginny flopped down on her old bed, hoping to make the disoriented feeling go away, but she didn't have any luck. She drifted into sleep, bringing her worries with her.

She spent the night in pain and turmoil, her worst fears coming to life in the depths of her subconscious. She saw her friends, family, and other innocent people being killed…tortured. Ginny stared into Harry's eyes as he was tortured to death. She watched as his face contorted in agony, feeling her insides tear up at the sight. She saw images of her brothers and parents lying lifeless and bloody on dirty floors with no one to mourn over their dead bodies. Ginny saw Hermione slipping farther and farther away from her, her eyes screaming for help, but Ginny couldn't do anything. She'd reach out her hand to help her friend, but it did no good.

And last of all, the things Ginny saw before she woke up breathless and sweaty, were the faces of so many innocent people. She saw pleading eyes and heard cries of distress. The sobbing and screaming followed Ginny into the real world, even after the nightmare was over.

Ginny panted as she sat up from bed, feeling tears come to her own eyes. The nightmare had seemed so real. She brought her legs to her chest and hugged them tightly, and then she cried. She cried for everyone who died and would die. She cried for all the shit she was going through. She cried till she couldn't cry anymore.

The noise of her sobs disappeared into the night as she quieted, letting the darkness surround and consume her. Ginny knew she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, even if she wanted to, so she got up quietly and went downstairs. She didn't want to be in that cramped room anymore. She settled comfortably on the living room couch and curled up tightly.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Draco's voice pierced the silence, his voice startling her a bit, but then she relaxed. Glancing around the room, she saw him sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. The moon shone through the front window, lighting up his pale face. His eyes were red, and there were dark circles forming under his stormy gray eyes.

Ginny shook her head slightly, hugging her knees to her chest just a little tighter. She couldn't block the images from her nightmare out. Without a word, Draco got up from his spot on the floor and went and sat down next to Ginny. He wrapped his arms around her without hesitation. Ginny felt her heart skip a beat, but didn't budge an inch.

"Life's pretty messed up right now, isn't it?" he asked her quietly. Ginny nodded sadly and leaned into Draco's body, resting against him and using him as her pillar of strength. Strange, Ginny thought, he just lost his mother, and I'm the one who needs the support. But that didn't keep Ginny from moving. She completely melted into Draco, snuggling into his strong and warm arms. Even when she feared sleep, Ginny couldn't help but let it overcome her as she lay with Draco on the musty old couch. And to her relief, she had a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

Draco had no idea what made him sit down next to Ginny nor why he wrapped his arms around her and let her fall asleep, leaning against him. It was absolutely ridiculous, even in the present situation. Just because he was stuck with the girl, didn't mean he had to go all mushy and comfort her.

But she needs me.

The thought formed unwelcome in Draco's head. Who cared if she needed him? He was the one whose mother was dead, not her. But looking down at Ginny's face stopped the argument that was raging in his mind. Her face was so calm and peaceful, not like it had been only moments before. Before, worry lines etched Ginny's forehead, and her eyebrows had knit together in frustration and sadness.

She did need Draco. But the oddest thing of all was that Draco needed her. Even as his mind started to deny it, his heart told him it was the truth. With that thought in mind, he tightened his arms around her and leaned back on the couch. He fell asleep like that: lying on the old couch with Ginny in his arms, and he didn't mind it one bit.

The sun shone brightly through the front windows, signaling that it was morning. Draco woke up slowly and smiled to himself, realizing who was still sound asleep in his arms. Why did he feel so comfortable lying next to Ginny? That obviously couldn't be a good sign.

You're crazy, Draco told himself, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it just felt so right to hold Ginny close. He held Ginny tightly, breathing in her mouth-watering scent. She smelled like fresh strawberries, and Draco wondered if she tasted that way as well…

Whoa! He yelled at himself. Now that was going too far. He was just close friends with Ginny—that was all and nothing more. It was weird that they even were friends, but considering the situation, maybe it wasn't that weird after all. Terror seemed to do that, didn't it? It brought people of different backgrounds and beliefs together to fight against a single enemy.

Ginny yawned abruptly, bringing Draco from his thoughts. He watched her, with a smile on his face, as she woke. Ginny's eyes fluttered open slowly, taking in the room and then realizing where she was.

"Oh!" Ginny squeaked, as she turned around to be face to face with Draco. This startled her so much that she tried to back up but instead, just rolled off the couch. "Umph!" Ginny grunted as she made contact with the hard floor.

Draco laughed from his spot on the couch, watching the red head compose herself.

"It wasn't that funny," she told him evenly. Her evil glare just made Draco laugh more. The sound was natural and warm, so Ginny couldn't help but smile herself. "Well, I'm glad that my clumsiness is so highly amusing."

Ginny hopped up from the floor, and Draco followed suit.

"Are you hungry?" Ginny asked him.

"Of course," he told her. "Guys are always hungry."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind." Ginny made her way down to the kitchen, making sure she tiptoed past the crazy, screaming portrait. "Oh, crap," Ginny said, once inside the roomy kitchen.

"What?" Draco asked her.

"There's no food here!" Ginny indicated the empty cabinets.

"Are you saying we're going to starve?" Draco eyes widened, and his stomach growled right on cue.

Ginny rolled her eyes at his drama. "Of course not. I know how to conjure food up from just the air, but I am limited in the selection of foods."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "How limited?"

"Very limited." Ginny pulled out her wand, holding it out in the air in front of her. With a tiny swish, an apple appeared from where her wand had last been. Ginny caught the apple as it began to fall and held it up in front of Draco.

"By 'very limited', do you mean only apples?" he asked carefully.

"Pretty much, yeah," Ginny answered, biting into the rich, red apple.

"Great," Draco replied sarcastically.

"Well, if you don't want any, then you can just starve!"

"Fine, fine, I'll have one."

"Nope. I don't think I want to get you any. I'll just let you starve!"

"Oh, come on, Ginny," he said, getting down on his knees. "I already am starving!" Right on cue, his stomach growled again, and Ginny tired to hold back her giggles. She shook her head playfully and crossed her arms against her chest. "I'm already begging!" Draco exclaimed. "What else do you want from me?"

Ginny grinned. "You must admit that I'm the most amazingest, awesomest, coolest, greatest, magnificentest person in the world!" She knew it was childish, but that's what made it so much funnier.

"You can't be serious, can you?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Ginny just giggled and nodded her head yes. Draco glanced at the floor and picked up something Ginny couldn't see. "How about I give you this as a token of my undying appreciation for your amazing magical talents?" He held up a small, heart shaped stone in front of her. Ginny thought it over, but glancing at Draco's face made it final. He was pouting in a most handsome way, with his gray eyes round and pleading, and Ginny just couldn't resist that face.

"Oh, fine." She gave in and raised her wand in the air, grabbing the heart stone from his hand.

"But wait!" Draco exclaimed. Ginny waited for him to continue as he hesitated.

"What?"

"Can I have a green apple instead?" he asked tentatively. Ginny rolled her eyes but conjured up a green apple all the same.

"Happy?" she asked him, as he bit down into his snack greedily. Draco nodded eagerly, and they both made their way back to the living room. Draco and Ginny sat down on the couch and munched on their apples somewhat awkwardly. Both of them couldn't help but think of the last time they were there.

Ginny kept thinking about how comfortable she had been just laying in his arms, and whenever she thought of it, she got a warm tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. It's nothing, Ginny told herself, we're just friends. But her heart and body were telling here that maybe there was something more going on…

This is crazy! Ginny thought. It was only last night that she thought of how much she missed Harry and how much she cared about him. Could she like two people at once? Well, it certainly wasn't unheard of. But Malfoy? Ginny asked herself. Of all people, why Malfoy?

Ironically, Draco was having a similar argument with himself inside his head.

She's a Weasley, he told himself, and besides, we're just friends, nothing more. In that moment, Ginny and Draco's knees touched for the briefest of seconds, and it sent a shiver down Draco's spine.

If you're just friends, then how come you want to be close to her so much? A little voice asked in the back of his head.

What? I do NOT want to be close to her.

Uh huh, sure, the voice continued.

Draco sighed. Okay, so even if I want to be close to her, well, that doesn't mean anything! Is it wrong to just want the closeness of someone else's body?

Yeah, but that's not it, the voice argued. You genuinely want her.

Draco sighed loudly and blocked the voice in his head that was trying to point out the obvious. At that time, they were both done eating their apples and were sitting uncomfortably on the couch. Conflicting feelings, especially for teenagers, are difficult enough, but when you add confusion, fear from war, and the commonality of death, then the situation becomes much more complicated.

What the hell am I doing? She's a Weasley! A red-headed, freckle-faced Weasley!

I like Harry, I like Harry, I like Harry, I like Harry…

Plus, she's got stupid scar-head out there saving the world so they can live happily ever after.

Seriously, Gin! He's a Malfoy for Merlin's sake!

What does Potter have that I don't?!

This is all pointless, anyway. Nothing would or could ever happen between us.

If she has Potter, then she wouldn't ever need me…

…like he'd want me anyway…

What am I doing?! Mother just died, and I'm sitting here thinking about a girl?! This is war…

Well, this is a disaster.

And so the arguments went, continuing in the quietness of their own minds. Finally, Ginny had had enough.

"I'm going to…err…shower…or something…" she mumbled, marching up the stairs as quietly as she could, thankful that she was finally away from the awkward situation on the couch. She had no idea what she'd say to Draco the next time she saw him, but maybe a nice, hot shower would conjure up some inspiration?

Nice going. The voice inside Draco's head told him, as Draco watched Ginny leave.

Oh, shut up.

A/N: I would love your opinions everyone! Any suggestions and/or constructive criticism is welcome! In either case you should read and review!!