Disclaimer: Not mine.
I am writing this note at the top apart from my normal author's note at the bottom because I've gotten a few reviews that I would like to respond to. First off, I know that Draco/Ginny isn't exactly a canon ship, but why in the world would anyone want to flame me for it? If you don't like it, then don't read my story, that's the end of that. But, if you stretch your imagination and try to see outside the box, there is no reason the relationship couldn't work. JKR herself said that there are clues to things that haven't happened yet that you wouldn't even think significant enough to be considered clues, and I'm just one of the people who happens to think that the scene when Harry's in the Slytherin's compartment in HBP is a clue that Draco might have a thing for Ginny. When Pansy said something about Ginny being pretty, she's paying a lot of attention to Draco's reaction, isn't she? Draco doesn't say anything scathing about the Weasleys like you would expect him to, does he? Couldn't this be considered a clue, in some people's minds? Sorry, just going off on my Ginny/Draco defense… I've had to do that to some of my friends, and I've actually converted my boyfriend... but that's not the point. Gah, here we go. Oh yeah, before I forget, this chapter is dedicated to Barefoot Bohemian, who has reviewed on every chapter and inspired me to keep writing on this. Cheers! Also, I might not be updating quite as much during the week, because I have school, and I'll be gone to Richmond for robotics from Wednesday until Sunday, but I hope to have up to at least chapter 8 by then. Whether or not I actually do get that much written has yet to be seen.
It wasn't right that it was such a beautiful day. Ginny sat with her arms wrapped around herself, her head on her knees, willing herself not to cry. The sunshine blared down on her, warming her face. She was going to be strong, dammit, no matter what it took. She wished the rain would pour, and she looked up and smiled slightly as a high, fluffy cloud passed over the sun. Draco sat beside her, but he wasn't touching her. His hands were folded and sat neatly in his lap, while Ginny remained motionless and lost in her thoughts. All of a sudden, she stood up and turned to face Draco. He looked up at her, surprised at her sudden movement, and she cradled the hand that was now fully healed in her other hand. Her eyes were full of confusion, and she sighed slightly.
"I don't know if I can do this." She whispered. She looked up at his expectantly, her eyes slightly glazed over from unshed tears. "It's just... everything's been so crazy lately, and this is moving way too fast, and I can't quite... I hate that I feel so out of control with this." Ginny's eyes were downcast, and she couldn't for the life of her meet Draco's eyes. "I mean, I still want you to go with me today, because I still need you as a friend. Do you... do you understand?" Ginny's voice grew softer and softer with each word that passed her lips.
Draco tried to meet Ginny's eyes, but she kept shifting her gaze. If she didn't look at him, she could take it. The war was taking its toll on them all, but this was really the first time she'd been directly affected by an attack. Ginny was so sure that she would fight and die to protect her family and what she believed in, but her confidence in the Light had been greatly shaken. There was too much to lose and not enough to gain. After all, in the end, didn't it all boil down to Harry and Tom? In the end, nothing would matter except the death of either a barely-seventeen year old boy or a madman, and Ginny wasn't prepared to think about that.
"Of course I'll still go with you." Draco's soft words broke through to the silence in Ginny's head. She looked at him as if trying to read his thoughts from his expression, but his mask had slipped back onto his features. To tell the truth, he was slightly annoyed. First she had agreed to date him, and now she was backing out? He was a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. He was attractive, rich, and powerful besides; what witch wouldn't want him?
Ginny's face broke into a slightly nervous grin just as McGonagall stepped out onto the steps. Her face wore the same stern expression as always, but her eyes showed a slight softness that wasn't normally there. She held out what appeared to be an old tin can, which Ginny assumed to be a Portkey, and Ginny and Draco stood nearly at the same time. Ginny closed her eyes as if to brace herself and instinctively reached for Draco's hand. He scowled slightly; really--if she didn't want to date him, why was she holding his hand?--but didn't pull away, and they both reached out toward the Portkey. After a moment, both of them felt the familiar tug behind their navels as the Portkey took hold. Both of them closed their eyes, fighting the nausea that the trip was inducing, and they landed with a thud outside the small church. Both of them lost their balance and went tumbling over, and Ginny landed with her leg thrown over Draco's body. She picked herself up quickly and scowled slightly at the blush that crept into her cheeks before brushing off her clothes. She put her hand to her forehead, as if to steady herself, and Draco picked himself up off the ground. He stood beside her and waited for her to compose herself, but as soon as she took her hands from her face she grabbed hold of his hand. She squeezed so tightly that it was slightly uncomfortable, and once again Draco was bewildered. If she didn't want to date him, then why in the world did she keep taking hold of his hand?
"Why is it every time I turn around you take hold of my hand? It's not just me, either. I noticed you were walking down the hall with a grip on the Lovegood girl's hand the other day." Draco's voice finally broke the quiet as they walked up the steps of the chapel. Ginny looked down at their clasped hands as if seeing them for the first time.
"I don't always realize I do it, I'm sorry." she said quietly. "It's just something I've always done, ever since I was young. Whenever I was scared, feeling bad, or standing up to someone, I would take someone's hand. It was only awkward when I was holding on to Fred and berating George, or vice versa." She smiled slightly as they walked through the doors, and her grip on Draco's hand tightened even more. The first brother Ginny spotted was Charlie, who was standing rather close to the doors, and the second she saw him, she threw herself into his arms.
"Ginny." Charlie held Ginny as if she were made of glass and spoke to her quietly, as if he was afraid a normal tone of voice would blow her away like a gust of wind. She screwed her face up and buried her head in his shoulder. "How are you holding up?" It was then Charlie noticed who Ginny had left standing in the doorway, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Gin, what is he doing here?"
"I asked him to come." Ginny whispered back to Charlie. "He's my friend, and he's been terrific this year. He's not bad at all, Charlie, I already told him being my friend in my letters. Why didn't you ever write me back?" Ginny pouted slightly.
"There's been a lot of uprising among the dragons." Charlie said. "There's something that's been upsetting them, and it's all we can do working night and day to keep them from getting loose and trampling all the nearby villages. I hadn't had a chance yet to reply."
No one heard Ron walk over to where they were. At first he had just planned on consoling his sister, but that was before he saw the ferret standing a few feet from her, looking extremely uncomfortable, his temper flared. Before anyone knew what was happening, Ron had Draco pinned against the chapel door. "What the hell do you think you're doing here, Ferret? Come to see what comes of the havoc you Death Eaters wreak? I should kill you right now… there's no way the Ministry would convict me, killing a Death Eater who was invading the funeral of two Aurors."
Ginny watched the scene, horror etched on her face. She knew that there would be some form of animosity from Ron with her bringing Draco to the funeral, but she didn't expect Ron to start a fight. She turned to Charlie, a look of almost pleading on her face, and Charlie nodded. He walked over to where Ron had Draco pinned against the wall and put a hand on Ron's shoulder, tightening it to an almost painful grip.
"Ron, mate, leave him alone. He hasn't caused any problems yet, and you're being rude. We know his father is a slimy git, but he is here as Ginny's guest. You'd think you'd have learned some manners by now." Charlie said evenly. Ron turned to look at him, a look of incredulity settling onto his face, before letting go of the grasp he had on Draco's shirt front.
"Thank you very much." Draco said, turning and extending his hand to Charlie. Charlie looked at it for a moment, suspicion clearly etched in his features, before firmly grasping it in his own. It struck Draco at that moment just how much Charlie and Ginny resembled each other in facial structure. "It's nice to know that someone in your family has manners."
"What, has he made you his whore? Are you trading your body for the nice things he can buy you?" Ginny stared open-mouthed at the remark Ron had made for a second. Ginny never thought she'd ever hear one of her brothers say something so crude in front of her, let alone about her. She stepped forward, her palm coming up and connecting hard with Ron's jaw and the resounding crack echoing throughout the small room. A few people turned and were shocked at the sight that greeted them; a sputtering Ron Weasley with a very visible handprint on the side of his face, a fuming Ginny glaring at him, Draco Malfoy looking at Ginny with a mixture of awe and pride on his face, and Charlie looking as if he were fighting back laughter. Ginny grabbed Draco's hand and turned, ignoring the looks from the people that were already seated, before walking over and sitting down beside Fred and George. Fred and George both wore expressions identical to the one Charlie had when he first spotted Draco.
"Gin?" Fred voice was questioning. "What is that poncy little git doing here? Is it adopt-a-Death-Eater day at school?"
Ginny glared at Fred. "So help me, if you two try to pull a stunt like Ron did, I will hex you so thoroughly that you can't move for a week. He is my friend, he is not evil, and you will show him the same kindness and respect I have showed all of your friends over the years, or I will make you regret it." Ginny glared at each of her brothers in turn, and all of them fell silent.
"She learned that glare from Mum." George whispered to Fred. Fred in turn nodded, before turning back to sit straight in his seat. Ginny's hand once again sought out Draco's, and the two of them sat quietly for a second before the funeral processions began. Silent tears began to roll down Ginny's face, and Fred wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. She leaned into her brother's embrace, but her hand never left Draco's, but she didn't turn to look at him. Her eyes stayed averted, save for when she turned and whispered 'thank you' when Draco handed her a handkerchief. He was highly uncomfortable being in a room full of Weasleys, who were completely below his social class, but he knew if he were to keep up his friendship with Ginny he would have to grin and bear it. So what if she had five older brothers in that room who were extremely intimidating and at least one of which thought they were intimate. Intimate, ha, Draco though, they'd barely kissed and she'd effectively pushed him away earlier in the day.
Ginny stood completely silent at the burial ceremony. She thanked whatever god was above her that the funeral ceremony was closed-casket, because she didn't think she could take seeing her mother, brother, and Fleur's peaceful expressions in their caskets. She shuddered at the thought of them all being shut up in boxes and buried in the earth before burying her face in Draco's shoulder. He first stiffened at the sudden contact of having her on his shoulder before cautiously bringing his arms up to encircle her. He held her silently, not knowing anything he could possibly say to ease her pain. Her tears were probably ruining his dress robes, but he did nothing to stop her. When she finally looked up to his face, her face red, her eyes puffy, and her nose running, he took his handkerchief and gently wiped the snot and tears from her face. She laid her head down on the shoulder she hadn't cried on, and Draco surreptitiously tried to wipe the wetness from the other shoulder of his robes. Ron stood near Hermione and Harry, glaring at them the entire time, and Hermione brought his hand up and laid it comfortingly on Ron's shoulder. Harry's expression was tight and unreadable, but a tic was starting to become more and more pronounced in his cheek the more he watched Malfoy with Ginny. Malfoy didn't deserve Ginny, and Harry certainly hadn't left Ginny so that she could run off with that bastard. Why couldn't Ginny just do what she was supposed to, Harry though, and wait for him to come back to her? He thought she'd understood when he'd broken up with her that she was supposed to wait for him. In Harry's mind, it was all perfectly lined out; Ginny would wait and pine for him safely out of harm's way, and he would come back to her after the final battle. It shouldn't be Malfoy wiping away Ginny's tears, it should be him, Harry.
"Can I… can I talk to you? Alone?" The words were out of Harry's mouth almost before he could stop them, and Ginny looked at him blankly for a second before turning to Draco. The tic in Harry's jaw twitched, and Ginny turned her face to Charlie. She walked over and conversed with him for a second in hushed tones, and Charlie nodded. Ginny walked back over to where Harry and Draco were standing glaring at one another.
"Draco, erm, you can talk to Charlie for a second while I talk to Harry, can't you?" Ginny said, her brows knitting together in a pleading fashion. Really, there was only way he could reply to that. He nodded and she smiled; really, why was it that every time she smiled it seemed like her entire face lit up with happiness? She turned and walked with Harry until they were a quite a few feet away from everyone else.
"What the hell are you doing, bringing him here? Are you with him? Didn't you realize that when I told you I couldn't be with you it meant you were supposed to wait on me, not go off and this Death Eater scum." Harry's eyes were full of accusations, and Ginny was slightly taken aback by Harry's attitude, but she wasn't about to let him intimidate her. Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Harry with all the fire she could muster.
"For your information, Harold James Potter, he is my friend, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that. He's not as bad of a person as you think he is, and just because you don't like him is no sign that I can't be friends with him! I make my decisions for myself, thank you very much, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Ginny nearly hissed at Harry, her voice a deadly whisper.
"He's a Death Eater, for Merlin's sake, Ginny, open your eyes! He's probably just using you to get information about the Order! He might even be toying with your emotions and making you believe he cares about you, hell, I don't know, but there is no way that Draco Malfoy is going to be your friend without some sort of ulterior motive! He's using you to try to get to me!" Harry's voice was an exasperated sigh, and he ran his fingers though his hair, irritated.
"Not everything is about you, Harry, and our friendship most certainly is not! For your information, he didn't come to me seeking out my friendship, I went to him! Stop looking so surprised, I can befriend whomever I choose." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest defiantly and glared at Harry, as if daring him to correct her.
"It was probably on his orders that the Burrow was attacked! You probably mentioned that I was at there and he probably rounded up all his little Death Eater cronies and attacked! You were supposed to wait for me." Harry's face was beginning to go red from fury, but he knew in that moment that he'd said too much. Ginny's eyes were blazing like the fires of hell, and her hand came up and connected with Harry's face.
Charlie had to leave Draco alone for a second, and Draco stood watching Ginny and Harry intently. It seemed that Potter was saying something that was irritating Ginny to no end, and he was just about to go over and stop Ginny from causing another scene. Not that he would have minded Potter being slapped, but he just didn't want anyone staring at Ginny for causing a scene.
"What are you to my sister?" Draco hadn't noticed Ron creep up beside him until he spoke. A wicked smile played across Draco's features; why shouldn't he have a little fun with Ron?
"I think you should be able to guess exactly what she is to me." Draco said. He smirked slightly and licked his lips. "Your sister is definitely a beauty, Weasel, no doubt about that at all. Although I do believe she's even more beautiful when she's moaning my name." He smiled crudely.
"How dare you!" Ginny's voice held no calmness now, only rage, and she no longer bothered to keep her voice down. Her face had turned red from exertion, and she screamed at Harry. "If the attack on the Burrow was anyone's fault, Harry, it wasn't mine, and you have no reason in hell to believe it was! I didn't even know you were at there, so there was no way I could have told Draco, and no way that he could have told anyone. If you want someone to blame for this catastrophe, it's yourself, Harry! It's your fault that Mum, Bill, and Fleur, are dead, it's no one's fault but your own!" Ginny's palm connected with the side of Harry's face again, and she glared at him for a moment. This was not a good feeling that was welling up inside her. It was as if her magic was growing too big for her body to contain it all; Ginny knew this feeling, but she hadn't felt it in a long while. She closed her eyes tightly and willed her temper to recede, but it was no use; she knew that she was going to lose control of her powers. She heard a gasp behind her and opened her eyes; it seemed that Ginny's rage had manifested itself in the form of making a combination of boils, a curse that seemed similar to petrificus totalis, and a bat-bogey hex. Ginny turned and started to walk over Ron was standing beside Draco, his face an unsightly puce colour.
"You… I should…" Ron's face contorted in fury, but Ginny was over to the two of them before Ron could do anything, and in her fury she turned to her brother.
"Didn't I tell you to leave Draco be?" She howled. "He is my friend, he could be more if wanted him to be, and there's nothing you could do to stop it, Ronald Bilius Weasley! I could shag him on the table in the Great Hall and you could do nothing about it! Come on, Draco, we're leaving." She grabbed Draco's hand, and when her head was turned Draco shot a self-satisfied smirk in Ron's direction. Ginny stormed off in the direction of the Portkey, nearly dragging Draco along behind her, and she grabbed the Portkey and she and Draco disappeared in a swirl of black, scarlet, and platinum, leaving her brothers, father, Harry, Hermione, and various Order members with their mouths hanging wide open.
A.N.: I would like to thank everyone who reads this, and thanks again to those who review. I don't know how I would find the will to write if it weren't for you guys! I think I'm going to take Dark Dawning's advice and write only in third person... I seem to be able to describe a lot more that way. As always, review, and happy reading!