A/N: Sorry, got caught up and missed my update yesterday. I'm putting up two chapters today to make up for it. Please stay tuned, I'll make sure that I have another chapter up next Wednesday.

Disclaimer: I do not own. I do not pretend to do so. All credit for anything recognizable goes to JKR.

Warning: Draco has a seizure, and Blaise loses his temper. Mention at the end about past mistreatment of Harry by the Dursleys.

I Never Thought I Would Be A Hero

Original Dark Angel

Chapter 11: Two of a Kind

Ginny and Blaise were continuing the hunt for Pandora's curse in the library, while Draco entertained Ian and Rowan down in the common room. Ian was under the illusion that the miniature magic show was his birthday surprise a day early, but Professor Snape had enlisted their help in keeping Ian busy for the next two days, while he worked on a special project. Rowan was entrusted with the secret early on and being in his year was able to quickly sidetrack him, when someone needed to sneak off.

It had been hard to convince Ian to stay in the common room, when his hero was going to the library, but Professor Snape was meeting them there in half an hour, so the boy had been left behind reluctantly. Of course the instant Blaise left to slip into the Restricted Section, Harry Potter would show up.

"Where the heck were you at the last prefect meeting, Ginny?"

"I had responsibilities to fill."

"For the stinkin' Slytherins! You're just as good as a Slytherin now, Ginny. I don't see why you even come to any of the Gryffindor meetings anymore. You cover the Slytherin prefects duties more than Gryffindor."

"Slytherin takes care of me. Draco and Blaise protect me. The kids help me fulfill all of the prefect duties and train for the Auror's Program at the same time. You brag about Gryffindor being a family, but how can it be when my own family and friends have all but abandoned me?"

"You took up with a Slytherin. We can't just accept that!"

"Well, you damn well better, if any of you actually care about me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Blaise."

Draco tried to ignore the pounding in his head. It could be the start of a migraine but it was probably just nothing. If it got worse, he would go up to the Hospital Wing, but he could wait until Ginny and Blaise got back. Hopefully.

He reached into the elaborate top hat and grasped the dove as a bright light flashed in front of his eyes and everything went black.

Ginny raced into the Hospital Wing and found her boyfriend lying on his favorite bed unconscious. Two frightened first years sat at the foot of the bed staring down at him. She knelt next to the bed and twined her fingers with his, pressing the cool flesh against her cheek.

"Ginny?"

She looked up at Blaise. Ian was clinging to his hero, while Rowan tried not to cry into Blaise's shoulder. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Blaise shook his head and motioned to Ian. Ginny pulled the little boy next to her and asked him if he was okay, but she only got a shaky nod in response. Rowan looked up and whimpered, "It was so scary!"

"I know, Rowan. I know. He'll be all right. Okay?" She received two sniffling nods. "Good. Blaise is going to take you back to the common room. I'll be back before curfew alright?"

"Uh-huh."

"Come on, Blaise," Ginny pleaded. "You promised to take Eryn out to Hogsmeade tonight. I'm staying right here with Draco. Ian and Rowan are staying up here to finish up the last of their homework so everything is all set. You've got to go." With a lot of griping, groaning, and complaints, Blaise finally left and Ginny leaned back contentedly against her boyfriend. Draco looked up from his book with an amused expression, and shrugged. Ginny laughed at him, and took the book away to start reading it aloud. Ian and Rowan were lying sprawled out on the floor with their textbooks surrounding them and pretending not to listen, but Ginny knew better. She was close to the ending and the happily ever after that would follow Beauty and the Beast, when Draco stiffened next to her. "Draco?"

Draco's hands clenched over his skull and he started to rock back and forth. Ginny reached out to touch his shoulder but he jerked away. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" His voice shook with fear, desperation, and a rage that he certainly hadn't been experiencing a few moments before. Rowan had already run for Madame Pomfrey, so Ginny obeyed Draco as he started to twist and scream, before going into full convulsions.

"This whole evening has been a complete fiasco!" Blaise raged. "We still don't know why Draco's seizures have returned and I had to sit through a whole evening with a blind date instead of up here helping and being useful. Stop trying to make me be happy with one of you friends, Ginny. They're not you! I'm not interested in anyone else, so stop playing matchmaker!"

"Blaise," Ian started in a trembling voice, but was cut off as Blaise turned on him with a fury.

"And what are you? My bloody cheering section? Personal fan club? Merlin, your constant prattle would annoy the deaf. Goodness knows we're all sick of answering stupid questions. Read a book already! I don't have time to bother with baby-sitting. I hate-"

Draco cut in. "That's enough! Look at him, Blaise!"

Ian had recoiled from Blaise's initial fury but now looked like the core of his world had been ripped away due to a failure on his part. Ginny had seen that look before. Blaise had worn the same expression when she had told him about Draco's cutting. And now she realized why Ian looked so familiar. They were as alike as two peas in a pod.

Blaise had seen the same thing. "Oh, shit," he breathed. "You can't be. None of them survived . . ."

It was too late. Ian shook harder and harder. Rowan reached out to touch his shoulder but Ian jerked away with a hoarse shout and ran.

It took a second for that to register and then Ginny tore after him, but he was gone. She raced down to the common room and then up to the library and even checked the room of requirement. No sign of Ian. Ginny ran down to Snape's office. "Please, let Ian have gone there. Please. Snape will know how to help him." After a minute of frantic pounding, Snape opened the door. "Did Ian come down here? Please tell me you've seen him," she pleaded as her heart sank. Snape obviously had no idea what she was talking about, but picked up on it fast.

"What happened?" he growled. "What happened to my-to Ian?"

"We didn't realize. I should have. I mean Ian adored Blaise, hung on his every word. It was so obvious," she ranted in frustration. "Draco had a seizure yesterday. You know all about that. He had another tonight, but much worse. Blaise wasn't with him, because I sent him on a date with Eryn."

"As interesting as all of this is, Miss Weasley, will you please get to the point," he ground out through his teeth.

"Blaise was yelling in the Hospital Wing and Ian tried to-I don't know what he was trying to do, he only got one word in-and Blaise started yelling at him. Said some awful things, but he didn't mean it. He was just frustrated and he didn't know, none of us did."

"Know what, Miss Weasley?" Snape asked, his voice down right dangerous.

"That they're related somehow, brothers or cousins or something," she said through her tears. "Ian looked so crushed."

"Can you blame him?" Snape said bluntly, snatching his cloak.

"What are you doing, sir?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, Miss Weasley? I'm going to go find my boy."

"Outside?"

"It's where Ian likes to go to be alone. Where did you think he went at night?"

"To bed!"

Snape stopped short. "Ian is a chronic insomniac and got special permission from Dumbledore to ignore curfew entirely. He found a spot down by the lake the first time he slipped away."

"Slipped away? We watch those kids like hawks, Professor."

"Sadly, Ian is very easy to overlook and extraordinarily talented at hiding the first opportunity he gets."

As they reached the lake, Ginny searched for the small figure, but saw nothing. "Ian!"

"Go 'way, Ginny," came a strangled plea from the ground a few feet ahead. In the light of Professor Snape's wand, she saw a figure sprawled on the ground in the snow. It looked as if Ian had tripped and been unable or unwilling to get up.

Before she could react, Snape was at the boy's side and propping him up gently. "Are you hurt at all?" Ian shook his head as he shivered and his teeth chattered. Snape wrapped his cloak around the thin boy, before scooping him up. "Let's get you back up to the castle. You need a hot drink and a warm bed."

Ian clung to the Professor and cried into his neck. "I don't want to be a wizard anymore. I'd rather be an orphan again. It doesn't hurt as much."

Ginny stifled tears and tentatively reached out to brush his hair back. Ian didn't react at all. Snape shifted his weight and called his name softly. "Ian, stay awake, mouse. You can't go to sleep yet."

Ginny touched the little boy's cheek again and moved her palm to his forehead. "He's burning up, Professor."

"How long has he been missing?" Snape gritted through his teeth.

"Twenty minutes maybe."

"Run and get some furs from Hagrid, and meet me in front of the staff room. If Hagrid asks, tell him that Ian is sick, but assure him that I have everything in hand."

Ginny hurried to obey and sprinted to Hagrid's, giving an edited version of the night's events. Hagrid promptly loaded her arms with furs, sobbing loudly. "The poor mouse! He's just a little thin' after all! Ought to send him Fang for comp'ny. Ian loves Fang," he mumbled. "But reckon Snape wouldn't approve."

Ginny filed all of this away for future puzzlement and thanked Hagrid for the furs before racing up to the staff room. Snape let her in, and immediately returned to the small room off the left side of the sitting room. Ginny followed and found herself in a bright blue room painted with silver, bronze, and black runes along the walls. The room had obviously been designed for a young boy's enjoyment and she knew exactly which little boy the room was meant for. Ian lay barely conscious on the large bed covered with several blankets. Snape checked Ian's temperature again and adjusted a few furs around his frame. "Yes, Miss Weasley. This room is for Ian, but I did not expect him to see it like this."

"I'm sorry this happened, sir. If I had any idea-"

"Don't consider the past any longer, Miss Weasley. Madame Pomfrey has her hands full in the hospital wing and I don't want the Zabini boy anywhere near Ian now. So I need you to help me with Ian. There are several potions in the cabinet on the right side of the sofa. I need two fever reducers, and a basic immune system boost. There is cough tonic in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. That's through this door," he gestured toward a closed door between two bookshelves. "Hurry up."

Ginny headed straight into the bathroom since it was closest and opened the swinging mirror, ignoring the oddity of not only being in Snape's quarters, but in the bathroom. She found the tonic and delivered it to Snape before running to fetch the other potions.

A few hours later, Ginny collapsed on the sofa tiredly. Snape was bathing Ian in an attempt to bring his fever down so that he could sleep naturally, so she had been sent out but told not to go far. There was a knock at the portrait hole, and she moved to answer it. Blaise stood there somewhat calmer than the last time she had seen him, but still resentful. "I want to speak with Ian."

"Miss Weasley, if you would please go sit with Ian, I need a word with Mr. Zabini. I did not have a chance to dry his hair so perhaps if you would be so kind?"

She hadn't heard Snape enter. "Yes, Professor." She hurried to obey, but left the door open a crack so she could hear what went on in the other room.

"If I had known-"

"There were specific reasons why you were not informed. I'm surprised that you would treat an orphaned and homeless member of your house, particularly a first year with such rancor, regardless of relation. I feel that Detention with Filch for a week would be more than fair to you, Mr. Zabini, and if it were in my power to make it longer, I would. Ian is fighting a fever and what will probably be a nasty bout with pneumonia as we speak. When his health recovers, then he will have to recover from the shock of what you said to him. Miss Weasley didn't elaborate and I can only imagine what you said to hurt him like this. Ian has known that you are his brother since he was eight. I impressed on him the exact consequences of allowing you to discover the bond, and he has remained within the perimeters I have set unconditionally. But he has been following you and hanging on your every word since you two met. There was no one more important to him, and you have sacrificed it in a fit more suitable to a seven year old, then a wizard of age. You will not see Ian tonight. You will not see him, until he has fully recovered and returns to the Slytherin Quarters. The prefects will make sure that you do not upset him again. I will not have you bring further harm to my charge. Now get out of here."

Ginny looked away from the door and concentrated on Ian's sleeping features. He looked exhausted. He was going to be very sick and probably for a long time.

Ian didn't return to the Slytherin Quarters until January 23 and it was a very different boy who entered the portrait than the one who had entered in September. Ian's hair had grown out of control while he was sick and was kept tied back with a strip of leather at the nape of his neck. His eyes were haunted and dark circled lined them. He had lost a lot of weight and was still prone to coughing fits. More importantly, Ian was for the first time Ginny could remember completely silent. He never said anything to anyone. Rowan would sometimes lay her head on his shoulder when he got too distant and tell him about all the things he had missed, like when Cosmar had gotten loose and terrorized the Great Hall toasting a few of the owls in the process, or when Andy had charmed Professor Flitwick's hair blue, but he never laughed or answered.

He spent a lot of time sitting with Cosmar on his shoulder in front of the fire and rocking back and forth self-consciously and even started taking the miniature dragon back with him to Snape's quarters when he visited. Ginny longed to do something for him but had no idea what to do. The situation was taken completely out of her hands when Blaise blew up at Cosmar for burning his History of Magic Essay and threatening to shatter the creature if the first years didn't keep a better eye on her.

Ian had frozen staring at the taller boy in horror. Blaise swore as he realized what he had done, and reached out for Ian's shoulder. Fear crossed the little boy's face and clutching his prized pet to him he disappeared up the staircase towards the dorms. Draco grabbed Blaise's shoulder to keep him from following and started after the boy instead with Ginny on his heels. There was no one in Ian's room. It was completely empty. Draco went across to the closet and opened it. Ginny stared in horror at the little black haired boy in front of her who looked right now the exact opposite of Blaise, but very much like another young boy hiding in a closet.

Ian looked up at her through shiny eyes, but scooted farther back into the closet. "Please don't. Don't." His voice was scratchy with disuse. Tears started falling.

Draco moved before she could and hauled Ian out of the closet, half-guiding/half-carrying him to the bed. He sat down and pulled Ian to his side, patting his back gently as he reassured him. Once the tears ceased, Ian pulled away embarrassed, Draco shook his head and wrapped his arm around the boy's shaking shoulders. "Ginny, can you give us some privacy? Ian and I need to have a long talk."

"Yeah. Have a good talk." Ginny left the Slytherin Commons and headed up to Gryffindor Tower. She found Harry by the fireplace. "Hey, Harry."

"Ginny?"

"I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting. I never realized how much pressure was on you, or how alone and lost you must feel with Voldemort hunting you down. If you ever need to talk, I want you to know that I'm always here for you."

"I've got Ron, Hermione, and Luna," he said stiffly.

"I know, but I'd like to get to know you, Harry. All I've ever known was the hero."

Harry looked at her, appraising her sincerity. "Okay. I like Chocolate Frogs."