Finally, she asked tentatively, "Draco, are you alright?"
Without looking up, he said, "I'm fine. You should go inside."
"No, I'll stay with you. Unless you want to go inside."
"No, leave me alone," he replied coldly.
"Draco? What's-"
"Leave me alone, Ginny."
Ginny stared at him for a few moments before standing and walking back toward the castle. When she got about halfway, she turned and looked back to see that he had slumped onto the ground. What the ruddy hell is going on? she wondered angrily. When she got to the entrance hall, she wasn't sure where she should go. She thought about going to Draco's common room, but there was something wrong with him, and she figured that he needed time to sort it out, so she moved toward Gryffindor Tower.
When she entered, she saw Harry and Ron in a corner playing Wizard's Chess while Hermione watched and read, so she plopped down in a chair directly in front of the fire. She sat and stared at the fire, unaware of the looks that were passing between the three behind her.
Ginny didn't notice that they had approached her until Harry cleared his throat from her side.
She jumped. "Oh Merlin, Harry, you scared me half to death."
He looked at her sheepishly, "Sorry."
Ginny looked around and caught the worried eyes of her brother and Hermione standing just behind him. She sighed, but did not have the energy to do much else.
"Ginny? Are you okay? We're really worried about you."
"I'm fine, Harry," she said looking down at her very sore, very red hands that Draco just spent the last hour crushing only to cruelly send her away without so much as an explanation for what she had just witnessed.
Harry reached out to touch her hand when he saw where she was looking, and she winced and pulled it back.
"What happened?"
"Nothing. I am fine."
Harry sat back, and Ron stepped forward. "Gin, I know what Hermione talked to you about this afternoon. No one can be fine with that. Did you, I don't know, hit something in frustration? Your hands look bad. You should probably go up to the hospital wing."
Ginny let out a small laugh and shook her head, "I didn't hit anything," though at the moment she pondered hitting Draco for reverting to his old, Malfoy self at a very inconvenient time. She fingered her bracelet.
"Did- Did he do this to you?" Ron asked quietly.
"He?"
"Malfoy."
"Oh honestly, don't call him that. He has a name." The word had struck a chord, because that was how he was acting. Like Malfoy. And not at all like Draco.
Ron seemed to have notice that she didn't deny it, and his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you? Hermione said that he didn't look like he was taking the news very well."
"Oh, like you would. Your ex-dark master is on the loose trying to kill you and half the population of the world. Now that is a pleasant topic. I'm surprised he didn't- jump for joy- or something," she finished lamely.
"But he cannot hurt you! I knew he would hurt you! I knew this was trouble from the start!" but he stopped his rant as Hermione laid a hand on his arm. As he looked at her, his eyes softened, then returned to Ginny.
"He didn't hurt me, Ron," she said resignedly. "I hurt myself, really." I forced him to take my hands. I yelled at him to do it actually, so it is my fault. But he was in pain. He looked like he was in so much pain. I've never seen him like that. It was like he was- broken. At this, tears began to form.
Hermione stepped forward now. "Ginny, just tell us what happened."
As Ginny looked up, a tear escape from her eye, and she saw the look of horror on Harry and Ron's faces.
Harry leaned close to her. "Ginny, tell me what happened. I need to know what just happened," and Ginny let go of more tears.
Ron kneeled in front of her, his wide eyes pleading. Finally, Ginny said, "It was his mark."
"He's marked?" Ron asked quietly.
"You know that," she replied simply.
"What does that have to do with your hands?"
"He was holding them."
Ron's brow furrowed and he looked at her. "Looks more like he was crushing them than holding them. Why was he holding your hands anyway?"
"Because we're friends Ron. And it's not his fault he was crushing them. I'm sure you would've done the same."
Harry jumped in. "I'm confused, Ginny. Why would we crush your hands?"
"His mark-"
"Yes, he has a mark."
"-was burning."
"It was- Oh Merlin." Harry fell back into his seat again, and Ron looked from Harry to Ginny and back.
"Wait, does that mean- What does that mean?"
Before Harry could speak, she said, "He is calling them. Draco cannot go. He won't. But it- it hurts him," and another flow of tears escaped her red eyes.
Harry moved to put his arm around her, but she frowned at him, so he stood and motioned for Ron to sit. Ron sat and put his arm around her awkwardly, and she buried her face in his shoulder.
Above her, Ginny heard Ron whisper, "Does that mean that- it's coming? Does that mean it is almost time?"
Ginny sniffed, and again answered before Harry. "Draco said that he'll call them well before its time. So that they can regroup and plan. His mark has been getting darker for months."
"And you spent time with the prat, knowing full well that Voldemort was about to call him and his little Death Eater friends."
Her eyes narrowed, "Don't do this to me right now, Ron. He ignored the call. They aren't his friends, as you put it. Friends don't murder your family. He is not one of them anymore than I am."
"But, Ginny, it is unsafe. I don't want you to-"
"Ron, please," she said firmly and pleadingly.
"Ron," Hermione said. When he looked up, she shook her head, and he frowned but nodded.
"So he's not with them?"
"No," Ginny replied looking gratefully at Hermione, who gave her a small half-smile.
"Okay."
After some time, they hurried Ginny up to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey gave her a cream that removed the redness and soreness from her hands. She went to dinner shortly after and waited for Draco, but he didn't show up. She went to their spot in the library, and he didn't show up. When she couldn't sleep that night, she went to the Astronomy Tower, and he didn't show up.
Classes the next morning were awful for Ginny. He avoided her attempts to catch his attention, and had already partnered up with someone when she got to potions. By the end of the day, Ginny was in a really bad place. She couldn't decide if she was sad or angry, and decided that it was probably a bit of both. She retired to her room early under the watchful eye of her brother, who was very concerned with her behavior.
The rest of the week passed in similar fashion. Draco ignoring her, and Ginny trying really hard to pretend that she didn't care. But how could she not care. She hadn't spent this much time away from him in ages. Over Christmas, he had at least written her. She was really upset. She was constantly on the verge of tears, then in her head he would say, "You don't cry, Ginny. So don't cry over me," and then she would.
He skipped meals and was rarely out of his common room, it would seem. She couldn't understand what was going on. She knew it had to do with the afternoon that his mark burned, but she didn't understand what had happened. She had been there for him. She had tried to help him.
The following Monday, Draco arrived late to potions, and the only available spot was his regular seat next to Ginny. Ginny closed her eyes slowly and took a deep breath as she felt him settling into the seat next to him. After Slughorn put up the instructions for the day's lesson, they worked in silence.
After Ginny chopped the mandrake root, she turned to hand it to Draco, and saw that his eyes looked weary. He had bags under his eyes, but they looked at her coldly. As if they couldn't see her. She handed him the roots and looked away drawing a shaky breath. He visibly tensed next to her. She tried to ignore him, so that he wouldn't see how her eyes were sparkling, but finally she looked over and saw that his face had gone white and he was clutching his arm.
Oh Merlin, this is not happening! In class! What am I going to do? I have to get him out of here. He wouldn't want anyone to know. She raised her hand quickly, "Excuse me, Professor Slughorn, I think that Draco is not feeling well. May I escort him to the hospital wing?"
He took one look at Draco then quickly agreed. Ginny grabbed his other arm and whispered, "Lean on me, let's get you out of here." He looked at her fleetingly, then ducked his head.
Ginny sighed and struggled to support him out of the room, as he had hardly enough strength to stand, let alone walk. She had no intention of taking him to the hospital wing, so she took him to his common room and laid him down on the couch.
When he was reclining, he growled. "Leave me."
"No," Ginny said firmly, and he looked at her, his eyes narrowed. "What is wrong with you? Just let me help you!"
He repeated lower and colder, "Leave me."
"No," she cried out. "Draco, don't do this to me! I can help you. I want to help you. Let me stay," she pleaded, and he rolled over facing away from her.
Ginny crumpled to the ground and let out the sobs that had threatened to break through her escapee tears all week. She was hunched on the ground sobbing loudly for what seemed like ages while Draco tried to overcome the shooting pain in his arm. Finally, his pain subsided, but was replaced by another. A pain in his heart at the sound of the sobs that he knew he had caused.
"Why didn't you just leave?" he asked calmly, regretting it as soon as he asked it.
"Because, Draco, I care about you. I want to help you. I cannot bear to see you like this. And you are pushing me away! I don't understand it! What have I done?" her voice escalated until she finished at a shout.
He shrunk back then said quietly, "You don't need to see me like this. You shouldn't see me when I am weak. When I am worthless. I should be protecting you, not the other way around. It's my own stupid fault for getting this blasted thing. I don't deserve you, so you should just go and find someone stronger and better. Go back to Potter, I'm sure he still loves you."
"Draco? What are you talking about? I don't want Harry. I want you. And you don't have to protect me. I can take care of myself, and I'd like to be able to help you when you need it. That doesn't make you weak- needing someone. It makes you human. Draco, you can't just block me out like that. I wont go away so easily."
His bloodshot eyes met hers, and he felt tears forming. Angrily he rubbed his eyes. "I do have to be strong. What good am I for you if I am going to go into hysterics every time that I am in pain? I am too weak to be with you if I can't even handle a mark on my arm."
Ginny let out a frustrated sound and cried, "A dark mark, Draco. Voldemort's mark. That does not make you weak! The only reason it hurts is that you are not answering it. That makes you strong. How can you not see this? It doesn't matter to me if you feel pain or sadness. It makes you human," she repeated.
"You deserve better than that."
"Oh, Draco, just shut up." He looked taken aback. "You are not one to tell me what I deserve, but if either of us is undeserving, it is me. You have been wonderful to me all year. You are always there when I need you, and you always make it better. You have shown such strength and growth over this last year that I didn't even know was possible. You helped me grieve when you had your own grieving to do. If anyone is undeserving, it is me," and she broke down into sobs again.
Draco's heart constricted painfully at the sight of the little redhead sobbing on the carpet in front of his fire. He fell to the ground and wrapped his arms around her.
"Ginny? Ginny, I am sorry. I can't do this to you, you're right. I've been horrible this last week. If it makes you feel any better, I was as miserable as you were. I don't know what came over me. I just didn't want you to see me weak. I didn't want you to leave me."
"What so you thought you'd leave me and save me the trouble?"
"I guess," he replied quietly.
"Don't you do that ever again!" she scolded lightly. "You will not leave me, and I will not leave you. You are my best friend, and we are going to get through this together."
Draco nodded. "But for now, you need to go back to class." Ginny snorted and looked at him incredulously. "You have to, otherwise we wont get marks for this potion and bloody Granger will beat us. We can't have that."
Ginny shook her head at him and smiled. "You are ridiculous, you know."
"I know. I just can't stand to see her gloating over her superior marks."
"I'll go then."
"Thanks," and he walked her to his portrait hole. "I am going to stay here and rest for the rest of afternoon."
"Good idea," she murmured, noticing the look in his eyes.
As she turned to leave, Draco grabber her hand and spun her around. He leaned in quickly and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Thank you, Ginny. For being my friend."
Ginny nodded absently and hurried toward class, her hand on her lips, and a slight smile on her face.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Draco missed all of his meals, and Ginny planned on raiding the kitchen to bring him some dinner, but first she wanted to speak to Harry.
"Harry, I need to talk to you," she said as the trio sat by the fire studying.
"Okay. What is it?" he asked, a quizzical look on his face.
"Umm, Draco's mark. I need something for the pain. I wondered if you knew of anything."
Harry looked at her with a pained expression on his face. "Is that what happened in potions today?"
"Yes, and I need something to give him. He feels so vulnerable, and he can't handle it. I don't think that emotion was built into the Malfoy genes."
Harry forced a smile and a nod. "Well I am not really sure. I've never had to- you know."
"I know, Harry, but please. You have to help me. I can't stand to see him like this."
It was a true testament to his feelings for Ginny that Harry did not flat out deny that knew of anything that would help his enemy. Instead he went to Hermione, and asked her something quietly before returning.
"Try Murtlap's Essence. I used it on those cuts from Umbridge. Hermione reckons it might help."
She hugged him quickly and said, "Thank you, Harry!" before rushing off. First she snuck into the hospital wing and grabbed the Murtlap's Essence. Since she was an apprentice, she knew where everything was and probably didn't have to sneak, but wanted to avoid questions. She too, had thought of Murtlap's Essence, but wanted a second opinion. Then she rushed down to the kitchens and loaded up a basket of every food she could think of.
She finally burst through the portrait hole of the Slytherin common room to see him reclining half-asleep on the sofa. He looks positively divine when he is sleepy. At her noisy entrance, he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
Ginny held out her arms, "Picnic time!" and began to lay out the spread in front of the fire.