"The storms are raging on the rollin' sea,
and on the highway of regret.
The winds of change are blowing wild and free...
You ain't seen nothing like me yet..." -'To Make You Feel My Love', Billy Joel
Ginny went through the rest of her day, all smiles. She really did love helping people, and doing kind things for those she cared about. She also loved having new friends. She loved putting a smile on someone's face, making them laugh. She loved being respected and appreciated, even if she didn't deserve it.
It being the weekend, she didn't have classes, but she figured she should catch up on some work she had been avoiding, so she went to the library.
It was weird to see it during the day. She sat at the desk by her window, and the view was just as spectacular as it was at night, but it wasn't...it wasn't as peaceful. There was something different about it all that she just couldn't place her finger on. Well, there were a few things wrong: 1. She wasn't sitting on the sill, 2. No comfy chair, 3. No darkness, 4. No calm sense of quietness (there was silence, but it was an uncomfortable, loud silence. It didn't make sense in her head, either, but it just felt different.) 5. No Draco. She smiled - that last reason, as true as it was, was one she would never get used to. Not having Draco around as a bad thing, was a new feeling for her, even if she'd been feeling it for months.
She finally focused on her work, and actually got a few essays completed. She sat up, stretched and looked around the library to take in the scene one more time before she left. It was then she noticed him, staring off at the window just as she'd done a few hours before.
She stood up, gathered her things, and approached him.
"Take a picture, it lasts longer." She smirked. He looked up at her, not even surprised to see her.
"It's different during the day. It's...odd."
"I know," she said, looking at their nook, "I don't like it much. I'm leaving. I'll see you here later?" She looked at him hopefully, and he just nodded. She smiled and was off.
Later that night she was back, of course. But she'd been beaten to the punch - Draco was already there, a couch transfigured and everything. He wasn't sitting on the sill this time, though, he was just...sitting.
"Doesn't Hermoine ever notice your absence?" She asked playfully.
"We don't patrol together, and it's not like I report back to her." He said indignantly. She slid onto the couch next to him and yawned. "Well if you're going to be like that, why did you even come? You should have just gone to bed." He huffed.
"Well, I'm sorry. I just like it here. I was up late the other night, if you remember, and I'm still getting over it." She layed down, her head resting on his lap. She smiled,
"I never got to thank you for...the Quidditch thing..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'hurting Aaron', because that wasn't exactly what she was thankful for. Aaron was a nice enough guy, most of the time...but she'd had so much fun that afternoon, it was amazing. Definitely something she'd never forget.
"Stop smirking, you prat. You know what I mean." She really did have some extra-sensory perception or something for him smirking. She could just feel something, and it made her smile.
"Don't call me a prat!" Draco said good-naturedly. He absent mindedly started playing with her hair, and she just snuggled closer to his warmth.
"Don't smirk." She said simply. They stopped talking for a few minutes, his fingers running through herhair. She sighed, he smiled. They basked in the calm that surrounded them, and Ginny opened her eyes to see his face lit up by the glow of the moon. It was a soft glow, that complimented his pale features. He was looking, almost longingly, outside.
"Something you wanna talk about?" She said softly. He looked down at her, startled that she'd opened her eyes and smiled.
"I thought I was gonna have to carry you back again." She smiled back at him, urging him silently to confide in her. He must have gotten the message, because his face fell and he took a deep breath as he looked away from her.
"The Dark Lord --"
"Please don't call him that." Draco rolled his eyes, but Ginny held her ground, "It's annoying."
"Fine. He...Look, you need to understand, I've been trying to do this for awhile now, but --"
"Just spit it out, Draco."
"Where's Potter staying at Christmas?" he said quietly. Ginny sat up and looked at him curiously.
"My house...why?" Draco shook his head.
"Try again."
"What do you mean 'try again'?"
"I mean, I'm not going to send every Death Eater to your house over Christmas, so give me a different location." He was speaking quickly, almost impatiently, but Ginny caught every word. She felt the color drain from her face, and she got cold suddenly. She shivered, and he looked up. He began to take off his cloak, to offer to her, but she wouldn't let him.
"What...what are you talking about?"
"My task."
"Your task is to..."
"Find out where Potter's staying for Christmas so the Dark Lord can plan his attack."
"Why now? Why...Christmas?"
" 'Tis the season, right?" he drawled sarcastically.
"Why now?" Ginny was still in shock, she couldn't fathom this all actually happening, let alone being in the thick of it. She didn't want to help him plan an attack - she didn't want him to plan an attack. She didn't want to...well, she didn't want a lot of things, but that didn't stop them from happening, right? "Draco," she began, "Please...please don't..."
"I don't exactly have a choice." He said quickly.
"Christmas?" she whispered.
"I don't know...sometime around then."
"You know, I'm going to have to tell someone..."
"And say what? You were chatting it up with me one day, and I told you there would be an attack, and you thought that was grand? That'd raise more questions than it would answer."
"I know, but I can't just let it happen."
"Look, if you don't tell me where he's going to be, not only is it not going to happen, you'll be down one friend." he said impatiently.
"Calm down, Draco...we'll...figure something out, right? I mean, there's gotta be something..."
"There's nothing. I need something to tell him, or else I'm not coming back, and you know it. And it's better that I'm asking you, right? Cause then you'll know...and you can tell someone or something..."
"And say what? That we were chatting it up one day, and you happened to mention an attack, and I thought it was grand?" She mocked. Neither of them were really amused by the situation, both of their tones had taken on a bitter edge. Ginny didn't know what to do - she wanted to be aware of the impending attack, but she didn't want to be a part of planning it, nor did she want to be the one to break the news to the Order.
He finally turned and faced her,
"Look, Red, I like this almost as much as you do, but there's nothing I can do. I've been trying to figure out some way to keep you out of this for a long time, and I just can't. And last night he just reiterated the fact that Christmas was approaching and he didn't have an answer yet. I need an answer, Red." He sounded almost desperate - almost. He would never drop his Malfoy coolness, but that was growing on her. She looked at him sympathetically and debated her options.
"When did you find out about this?" Draco hung his head and sighed.
"Remember that day I ran off in the middle of the afternoon? The day you tried to give me the potion...that's what that meeting was about. Christmas..." His voice was full of dread and hopelessness. She knew she had to help him, but how?
"I don't know what to tell you. Harry's probably going to be in and out, who knows if he'll even be around for Christmas, but technically his things will be at The Burrow..."
"Red, I'm not gonna do that."
"Maybe...maybe it could work. I mean, if we happen to have, say, some sort of large family dinner with all our friends the night that the Death Eaters just happen to attack..." She was trying to imply the mere coincidence of the situation.
"That's probably a bad idea."
"Getting attacked is probably a bad idea, Draco, but there isn't much choice in this for any of us. I don't even know what I'm doing." She collapsed, finally giving in to her helplessness. She didn't know what to do, say or even think, so she just fell into Draco, looking for some semblance of company. Maybe he was just as confused as she was...maybe he felt just as helpless. Or maybe he didn't.
"Look, he wants to end this once and for all. This isn't just something we can plan for, and I don't want you around when it happens."
"Draco! Knock it off!"
"Red, you saw what happened last time. I'll do it again, I swear." He snaked his arms around her defiant figure, and she shrank into his embrace.
"Please...I have to go, I have to be there. What if someone gets hurt? What if I could help?"
"No." He said with finality, "I'm not going to do that." He held her closer, and she debated in her headabout her next move.
"What can I do to change your mind?"
"Nothing. Just don't be there...go somewhere else, anywhere else...please."
"Draco, stop it. I can take care of myself, why don't you believe me?"
"Red, it's not that I don't believe you, I do. But I don't want anything to happen to you..." She could feel that that statement wasn't complete, but she could also feel that whatever it was he wanted to say, he was never going to say it.
"You're just like the rest of them aren't you?" She said, accusingly. "You don't have any faith in me, so you just try to make me go away whenever you can! You just brush me aside like I'm a little girl! Well I've got news for you, I'm NOT a little girl anymore!"
"Get over yourself! This isn't about my faith in you! This isn't about what you can or can't do!" He yelled. Neither seemed to care that if they kept this up, they'd probably wake up the whole castle. "Not everything is about YOU! Not everything is that easy!"
She was livid. She'd been mad, even enraged, but she just wanted to hit him. So to stop herself, she just got up and began to walk out. She didn't want to deal with another person 'looking out for her best interests', she couldn't handle it. But he wouldn't let her go. As soon as she'd taken two steps, he grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere else!"
"What is your problem!"
"YOU ARE!" She screamed, "You and everyone else! Trying to look out for me! Trying to protect me, shelter me! Trying to keep my poor, naive eyes away from the horrors of reality!"
"What's so bad about that?" he asked quietly, "What's so bad about wanting you to be safe? Innocent and happy...carefree? Is there really a problem?" She was surprised at his point of view. She knew that's how they all felt, but no one had actually...said it that way before.
"What's bad is that I don't get a choice." She began, adopting his patient voice. "I have to sit here and do nothing, while I watch the reality that you're all so lovingly shielding me from, tear you all apart. Destroy you before my eyes. I hear my Mum cry at night, for her brothers, for Percy, for Bill. I see Harry come home after days off in God knows where, defeated and broken. I see my brother, Bill, who will never, ever be the same again." She paused, trying not to sound too upset, but her voice was cracking.
"And then I come here, and I see you." She whispered. "I see you every night, and every night you're more unhappy. You're cracking under the pressure of it all, just like the rest of us. You get so angry and upset, and there's nothing. I. Can do. For any of you. Not because I can't, but because no one will let me." She looked into his eyes, seeing his face contorted in sympathy and pain.
"This affects me just as much as anyone else, but everyone telling me to stay out of it is worse. It's like sitting around, just watching my whole world crumble, and not being allowed to even try to stop it." Her voice shook as she tried desperately to breathe deep so she wouldn't cry. She hung her head, and sat back down on the couch. He followed suit, putting his arm around her to try and comfort her. She leaned in, trying to just forget everything...trying...but failing.
"It's just hard for me, too." She whispered.
"I know..." He said, "I'm sorry." He held her for awhile, and she just comtemplated what she was going to do. What could she do?
They sat there for awhile, trying to convey feelings and messages through the silence that lingered. Ginny was comfortable in the silence, it wasn't ever empty or deafening when he was around. It was just...silence.
Finally, after accepting the fact that matter wasn't closed, Ginny tried again.
"I appreciate that you're trying to protect me...and thank you, but I'm not a child, I don't need it."
"Red, we're friends, right?"
"Right..."
"This is just what I do for my friends."
"I know, but -"
"It's not an insult, and it's not an order. It's a real request, from one friend to another. Don't be there. Stay as far away as you can...please." He held her a little closer when he whispered that last part, and her heart broke a little. How could she say no?
"What should I do? How am I supposed to tell them? They have to know."
"I know, and I knew telling you would do that, but you're my last hope. I need to have something next time I go...something useful. I figured he was probably here or staying with you, but no one seems to know anything about that git anymore."
"Tell me about it. He runs off for days at a time, without telling anyone where he goes, and every time he comes back, he looks so weak and tired, like he hasn't eaten or slept since he left. He'll probably be doing that over break, too...so...I don't even know when he'll be there, if at all."
"Where does he go for so long?"
"Didn't I just say I don't know? And if I'm not supposed to know, I'm pretty sure that means you're definitely not supposed to know. So if you wouldn't mind not mentioning that to anyone..."
"Right...I wonder what he's up to."
"Who knows." Ginny looked up at him, pulling away. "Look, if it's going down at my house, I'm going to be there, like it or not. I can't apparate yet, so there's just no way. I'll do my best to stay out of the way, but I can't promise anything."
"Alright," he sighed, "but I swear, if anything happens to you, I won't hesitate with the 'I told you so' 's." He said, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled, and relaxed.
"Deal."
They sat there for a little while longer, and Ginny tried to figure out how to go about letting the Order know that a battle was coming...without telling the Order a battle was coming. Finally, as she felt herself drfiting off to sleep, she reluctantly stood up.
"Where ya goin?" Draco asked quietly, his eyes closed, and his face relaxed. Ginny smiled, he looked so content.
"To bed, and you should, too. I can't carry you, and being levitated isn't much fun." He mumbled a bit, things Ginny couldn't make out, and finally got up. She grinned at the boy in front of her, realizing that they were more alike than even they knew. And she took comfort in that as she made her way back to her bed.
Christmas came quickly, it had only been a week or two away. The whole Weasley clan made their way to the Burrow to celebrate - even Bill, Fleur and Charlie showed up. Every new person that showed up for the holiday made Ginny more comfortable, and yet, more uncomfortable. She'd worked out with Draco that somehow, he'd contact her when they were on their way, and she could tell everyone she just happened to see them coming. It was a bad plan, and it was a flimsy plan, but she trusted him. And it was the best they could come up with.
Her Mum had decided to have a big Christmas Eve dinner, with friends and family. It was a complete fluke that as everyone was sitting down for some tea before they departed, that Ginny heard a faint crack come from upstairs. She'd been on-edge all night, always looking around for some sort of sign, or notice, but she hadn't seen or heard anything. She decided that even if it was a hallucination, she should probably investigate it, so she calmly excused herself and made her way to the stairs.
As soon as everyone was out of her sight, she drew her wand and proceeded up cautiously. When she got to her bedroom, she kicked the door open, and saw a small, brown, cowering figure in front of her.
"Oh please! Please, Miss! Nally was sent by Master Malfoy, Miss!" The poor house elf cried.
"Shh!" Ginny said, whipping around to shut her door. "What? Calm down, it's ok!" Ginny put her wand away, as a sign of peace, and the house elf seemed to calm a bit.
"Master Malfoy sent Nally to tell Miss that tonight is the night!"
"What else did he say, what did he tell you exactly?" Ginny whispered urgently, "Did he say when?"
"No, Miss! Master Malfoy just said that tonight was the night, and that if Miss needed anything to stay safe, Nally could hide it for her. Nally is to take what is special to Miss so it isn't destroyed - Master's orders." Nally said, quivering with fear. Ginny froze - who would've thought of that? A house elf, who's willing to take things that are special to her.
"Oh...ok...Thank you," Ginny was trying to sound as kind as she could under the circumstances, but her whole body was numb with fear. "Umm, I don't know what to give you..." She pried herself from her place by the doorway, and went to her dresser. She pulled out a picture of the whole Weasley family, a picture of Harry, Ron, Hermoine and her, and a small box. She opened the box, and on the black velvet sat a beautiful blood red ruby, mounted on a gold back, which was looped through a gold chain. She smiled, closed the box and turned back to Nally.
"If you wouldn't mind," she began tentatively, "Could you keep these safe for me? I would really appreciate it." Nally nodded, and curtsied low."You can go back home now, don't worry. And thank you, again." The elf looked up at Ginny, wide eyed with admiration.
"Thank you, Miss!" She said brightly as she curtsied and with another crack, she was gone.
Ginny ran to her window, but didn't see anything in the dark night. Even the moon seemed to know something was wrong - it was hiding behind a cloud, unusually dim. The clouds were large and gray, and the stars were nowhere to be found. Ginny got an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach, to the point where she was almost sick, and ran to another window - still nothing.
She walked downstairs, and tried to put on a face that didn't say 'trouble is coming', and ate her dinner quickly, then she placed herself in a chair by a window, looking out. Searching for something...anything that would alert her. Suddenly she gasped. Eerily white faces were marching down the street, covered by the darkness of the night and their robes. She screamed, something she'd been waiting to do since Nally arrived.
Everyone ran to her, and she just pointed outside. Patronuses began flying every which way, calling everyone who wasn't there, and Ginny was pushed to the back of the crowd.
The Order of the Phoenix met the battle head-on, and being so prepared helped them. They gathered in the front room of the Burrow, and watched the Death Eaters march up the street. Great surprise attack - marching up the street. Ginny would have rolled her eyes, if she hadn't realized that her friend was behind one of those awful masks, and that they were all coming to destroy her home.
As the Death Eaters fanned out to surround The Burrow, a spell from Voldemort, who was standing erect in the center of the formation, hit the front door and it shattered. Spells began flying in all directions as the Death Eaters inched forward, every second getting closer to the physical house.
Order members scrambled left and right, banging into each other and diving out of the way of spells and curses. Ginny was watching from behind in anticipation - someone was bound to get hurt. She started hearing people screaming a moment later, but they were outside. She craned her neck cautiously and saw a few more Order members had arrived, apparating in right behind the Death Eaters, but they had been ready for that, too, and Tonks was hurt. Ginny froze for a second - Tonks had been at dinner, how could she possibly have gotten all the way out there?
Not that it mattered. Ginny stealthily inched her way around members of her family, making sure to be as inconspicuous as possible. She reached a window and slipped out. The Death Eaters that were back there were preoccupied, and she was able to slip into a bushes just below unnoticed. She crawled around the side of the house, looking for a spot to run to, so she could get to Tonks, who was being defended by a few of her fellow Aurors who'd showed up mere seconds too late. Aurors did have some Healing training, but not much, and they were busy anyway.
Ginny finally found her opening, at the break in the Death Eater line where half went to the front of the house, and half to the back. They were still inching closer, closing in on The Burrow, and Ginny scurried like a jack rabbit through the hole. She ran as fast as she could, and tried to make the smallest amount of noise. She got to Tonks unscathed, and took in the sight. It wasn't pretty. It looked like Tonks had been Crucio'd, and some of her hair had turned white from the effects. Ginny swore and looked around. What could she do? She decided the best thing was to hide her, so she levitated her quietly and quickly towards a Ministry car her father had obtained for the break, and she opened the door. She gently placed Tonks' unconscious body on the back seat, and covered her with blankets, clothes, and whatever else she could find to make it look like there wasn't a person in there.
When Ginny turned around, she saw that the Death Eaters were getting ready to enter her house. She noticed that the side of the house was left unguarded (because there were no doors there,) and ran to the trellus that the ivy grew on. She climbed expertly up, not missing a beat, and pushed the window to her room open. She climbed into the room and fell not-so-gracefully onto the floor. As soon as she did, she heard screams and yells from downstairs. She didn't know if she even wanted to open her door, to witness what was going on down there, but she wasn't about to back down.
She ran to the head of the stairs, and began to descend when a cloaked and masked figure blocked her path. She froze in horror. This...man, she guessed, was twice her size, in height and in weight. She didn't have time to raise her wand as he primitively jumped up the stairs and seized her around the waist.
She screamed, and kicked, and scratched and punched. She mentally swore to herself that if this was Draco again, she wouldn't be so forgiving. She was terrified beyond all measure - whoever this was wasn't playing around. They carried her to the first bedroom at the top of the stairs - hers - and kicked in the door.
"GET OFF ME YOU SLIMY SONUVA --"
"Now, now," a calm and sickly amused voice began, "that's no way to speak to an elder..." He threw her down on the floor and kicked her - hard.
She grabbed her throbbing ribs, and tried to stand up to charge at him, but he pushed her back down and kicked her again. She screamed, but everyone was screaming - the only reason she could hear herself was becuase they were on a different floor than everyone else. He fell on top of her and pinned her to the ground, his hands clasped around her elbows, making it impossible for her to move.
Then, suddenly, his whole body went stiff and he fell on top of her. She screamed again, but this time, when she thrashed, he rolled off of her. She scrambled up, and ran towards the door, where strong arms snaked quickly around her waist, and pulled her close. She was so terrified she screamed again - all she could see were black robes. She thrashed and pulled away, but one arm stayed firmly around her waist, while the other lifted to her face and gently pushed it upward.
She looked up, ready to faint from all that was happening, and saw him. Draco. She melted immediately into tears, and nearly fell down. He pulled her back up, and their eyes locked. She was transfixed, there was something else there. He wasn't going to say 'I told you so,' or, 'I knew this would happen,' or even 'you're lucky I was here,'. She saw care and worry in his eyes, and knew immediately that he'd been looking out for her, like a guardian angel or something.
Suddenly, he leaned in. She let her eyes flutter shut as his warm lips touched hers. She kissed him back, starting off soft and sweet. He deepened it, and his tongue found hers. The kiss became passionate and she locked her arms around his neck. Everything around her faded away, the sights, sounds, smells - everything was a blur. She felt nothing but his lips, his tongue, his arms around her waist. She didn't know what, but something was right. Something inside her whispered that this was right...