A/N: After reading over the last chapter, I saw how many misspellings and other grammatical errors I had and freaked. So, all mistakes have (hopefully) been edited. I hate that I left you all in suspense for so long, but the time I spent writing this was my only free time available…

In case you don't go back reread the last chapter (which there really is no reason to since nothing has really changed, unless you'd like to, that's fine too) the inscription on the rock that Draco read out loud was 'Libérez-moi du mal' which is French for, "Liberate me of the evil."

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, just the plot! I think there are one or two lines in there from Great Expectations though.

Humans are the only species capable of endless evil and cruelty, but also, endless compassion and endless hope – Author Unknown

Forgotten

Chapter Twelve:

"Gin-Gin," George called gleefully with a wink at Fred, throwing a fat, shrieking gnome at Ginny's turned back. Before she could tell him off for addressing her with the hated nickname, she turned just in time for the gnome to hit her square in the face.

Upon arriving back at the Burrow, Molly had sent Ron, Ginny and Harry out to the garden to join the twins in de-gnoming the garden, while Hermione opted to stay inside and help with the cooking for that night's meal. Fred and George had decided to take the day off to make it home in time pull a few pranks on their younger siblings, Harry and Hermione included. Instead, they'd been forced to do some household chores, and ever since the others arrived, they'd been planning on how to execute a masterful escape. Ginny created the perfect target as she appeared to be quite distracted at the moment. Ron and Harry had seen this and carefully worked further and further away from her to avoid what they both knew would be coming; a gnome.

"Umph!" Ginny shouted in a muffled voice. The gnome was so terrified of getting thrown again that it clung tightly to her hair on either side of her head, refusing to budge as it dug its small (but sharp) claws into her scalp. Fred gave George a high five and the two strolled casually back into the Burrow and after sneaking passed Molly and Hermione, raced up the stairs to their room and slammed the door closed with a loud bang.

Ginny, unable to see, began walking blindly with her arms outstretched, trying to find her bearings, all the while shouting muffled curses at who she thought were Fred and George. She promptly stopped this however as soon as she walked into a bush and flipped over it, landing on the other side of it with a thump. Ron smirked and leaned against one of the gnarled trees crossing his arms, reveling in the small break of de-gnoming the garden, while his best friend, Harry, laughed but quickly came to Ginny's rescue, peeling the potato-like gnome off the girl's angrily flushed face.

"Thank you, Harry," Ginny shouted, throwing a look at Ron, who threw his hands up in fleeting surrender. She then turned to look up at the house towards the second floor where the twins' room was located and, seeing the two redheads hastily closing the curtain after she'd spotted them, picked herself up with Harry's offered help and began storming into the house only to be forced to a halt by Ron and Harry who'd come rushing after her.

"Let me go," Ginny said gritting her teeth in an effort to free herself from their tight grasp. Luckily for the twins, Harry and Ron were quite strong, and she soon gave up.

"Please Gin, Mum will blow a fuse if she catches us fighting instead of…de-gnoming." Ron said, lacing his last word with pure disgust.

"Can you two at least help me get them back?" She asked exasperated. The boys looked calculatingly at Ginny, then at each other, before nodding with identical grins.

"Right so I'm thinking we could-" Ginny started in an excited rush before she was interrupted.

"Ginny, would you be a dear and help Hermione in the kitchen? I just have to step out and stop by the market. Seems I miscounted how many servings of food would be needed." Molly asked in a loud voice from inside. Ginny glared as Ron sent her a smirk but went inside anyway knowing her mother wouldn't hesitate to yell at her in front of Harry and Hermione.

"And Ron, stop lounging about. I expect all those gnomes to be out of my garden by the time I get back." Molly ordered, stepping out to emphasize her directions and giving a small smile as Harry hurriedly went back to work, while Ron dragged his feet before eventually kneeling down and joining Harry. "I'll be right back," she said cheerfully to Ginny and Hermione who were setting out the dishes in the kitchen.

As soon as Molly had Apparated from the Burrow, Hermione hurriedly left to lock the door, placing a silencing charm on it before she turned and came back to where Ginny sat on top of the counter. At Ginny's questioning glance as she began closing the windows above the sink and placing similar silencing charms on them, she quickly mouthed 'Christmas presents.' Smiling knowingly, Ginny helped her finish locking the small windows and went back to her seat on top of the counter where Hermione joined her.

"What did you get everybody?" Ginny asked, idly stirring the treacle pudding.

"Let's see," Hermione started. "I got a couple scarves charmed to stay warm for Harry so he can wear them during Quidditch matches, a photo album for your mum, a book for Ron, for your dad I got a muggle cloc-"

"Wait a minute, you got Ron a book?" Ginny asked, pausing in her stirring. Hermione looked confused but nodded.

"Yes, Metamorphosis, I think it was written by a muggle named Franz Kafka," she trailed off thoughtfully, unaware of Ginny's bewildered stare.

"Metamorphosis is…very romantic." Ginny said sarcastically, looking distastefully at the strange blancmange set aside for Fleur, who was coming with Bill that night for dinner.

"I think it is romantic," Hermione defended with a huff.

"I know I've always dreamed that somebody would get me a very long, very confusing, Czechoslovakian novel." Ginny scoffed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think he'll appreciate it." She said getting down from the counter so she could begin mixing in the vegetables for the soup. Ginny sighed but followed her example.

"A book sends the wrong message. You have to look at what a gift says to the other person, not to you. For example, last Christmas I got my mum some new perfume. My thought was, 'Hey mum, you work hard, you deserve something nice.' She thought it was shag juice used to lure men while Dad was away at the Ministry and sent me to my room with no dessert for the rest of the night."

"Yeah but-" Hermione started, trying to explain before Ginny stopped her with a hand.

"Just imagine that you gave Ron something really romantic and he gave you…a quaffle. Your hypothetical romantic present is saying that you really like him, and his present is saying, 'Hey mate, lets just be friends.'" Ginny said quickly before Hermione could interject.

Hermione furrowed her brow. "And you're saying that this book-"

"-is a Czechoslovakian quaffle, yes." Ginny finished for her as she began cutting some carrots with a swish of her wand. It was quiet in the kitchen for a moment as Hermione thought.

"Then what do I get him?" She asked tiredly, leaning against the kitchen counter and abandoning the unfinished soup.

"I can't answer that." Ginny said with an apologetic smile. "Gift giving is serious business." Their talking was interrupted as Ron began banging loudly on the door, shouting for them to let him and Harry inside. Hermione's eyes widened worriedly, and Ginny quickly motioned that her lips were sealed before hurriedly unlocking the door.

"It's lucky I didn't have my wand on me," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes and pushing past Ginny. "It's bloody cold out there, you know."

"All men are annoying," Ginny commented to Hermione while scowling at Ron behind his back.

She chuckled. "Not all men are annoying, some are dead."

xXxXx

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the room as Ron, Harry and Ginny entered the kitchen. Following the smell, Ginny kept walking until she was in front of the bread and, quickly looking around, snitched a small piece for herself and two more for Ron and Harry before hurriedly making her way to the table where most were already seated, slipping the two boys their pieces under the table with a practiced casual manner.

Though the whole family wasn't present, it was still quite a large group. Bill and Fleur were seated at the far right end of the table, next to an empty seat that Arthur, who was at the head, had saved for Molly. Seated beside him, and across from Bill and Fleur, were Fred and George who had some how managed to make sure that Ginny's chair was as far as possible from their own. This was easily discovered as Ginny overheard Bill commenting, "You should be afraid of her, you do remember her Bat Boogey Hex, right?" while she was snitching more bread for herself, Ron, Harry and now Hermione.

Next to Fred and George sat a suspicious looking Harry who wasn't pleased about sitting next to the infamous twins and constantly eyed every piece of food in his vicinity with the utmost scrutiny. Hermione had stubbornly chosen to sit beside Fleur to keep Ron from lunging at the French girl who was part Veela, while Ron sat sullenly next to Harry. Ginny, much to her disappointment, was seated at the head of the table, opposite her father. It would be much harder to pull her prank on the twins if she sat in open view of the whole family where so much as a twitch could be seen.

"Everyone," Molly began after standing in front of her seat. "Though I know it's not Christmas yet, I want you all to try the foods I've prepared (with the help of Hermione and Ginny) and give me your honest opinions on them. There are some new dishes that you probably are not accustomed to, but I need to know how they taste so I can decide whether to include them in the Christmas dinner or not." The people in the room nodded enthusiastically, their stomachs grumbling in anticipation.

"Also, if you have a problem with your seating," she continued sharply looking directly at Ginny. "Please tell me so after we finish eating. I allowed Fred and George to pick where everyone sat tonight and I personally think they've done a marvelous job."

"Figures," Ginny muttered with a quick glare at her identical smirking brothers. As soon as her mother's speech was finished, the food that had been placed so delicately and carefully on the table immediately began rotating in a counterclockwise direction, starting with Hermione and ending with Ginny. The food was extremely delicious, especially the bread, and the dessert looked equally mouth watering, but Ginny found herself unable to concentrate on this as she watched the twins from the corner of her eye. She leaned forward in excitement as George reached for a small bowl that had mysteriously been ignored by all the others.

Looking inside, he found a portion of creamy mashed potatoes with just enough for him and Fred. Nudging his brother, George quickly poured the potatoes onto both of their plates. When they were positive their youngest and only sister wasn't watching, they simultaneously muttered a spell and within the blink of an eye began eating the rest of their food, each wearing a similar triumphant smile. Though Ginny had missed the spell, she observed them as they ate their mashed potatoes with a high level of curiosity. Why wasn't anything happening?

Before she could ponder this thought more, there was a sudden halt of noise in the whole room as someone, a boy with pale, white blonde hair to be more specific, unexpectedly appeared floating in midair above the table. Seconds later, Draco Malfoy was unceremoniously dropped from whatever spell was holding him with a crash onto the unfinished food and fragile plates on top of the table. Arthur, Bill and Harry both pulled out their wands and stood in lightening speeds as Draco shuddered for a few moments before promptly passing out with a loud groan. The silence in the room was deafening to Ginny, and nothing could make it more awkward.

Wrong. She winced painfully as Ron and Hermione's plate of mashed potatoes swiftly exploded in their shocked faces. Dinners with the Weasleys were always eventful, but this was bordering on near insane.

xXxXx

"Shut it, Ron." Harry whispered furtively as he struggled to hear what was going on behind Percy's closed door. He, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were currently cramped together to hear Molly and Arthur argue about what to do with Draco, but were having trouble hearing as the MegaEavesdrop devices Fred and George had given them as early Christmas presents for this moment were only meant for one or two people at a time.

"I would 'shut it' if Hermione didn't insist on constantly stepping on my toe," Ron spat back glaring at Hermione who ignored him with an indignant toss of her head.

"SHH!" Ginny said as loud as she dared. "They're talking again," she informed an angry Ron who quickly stopped arguing and quieted to listen.

"…Molly, dear, Dumbledore informed me that this might be happening sometime over break, and I was going to tell you, I just hadn't thought it would happen so soon." Arthur was saying in a desperate attempt to calm his raging wife.

"So you're responsible for bringing this boy into my home? He's not a stray puppy, Arthur." Molly declared angrily as she paced back and forth in front of Percy's bed where they had put Draco's unconscious body.

"Nor is he a criminal mastermind." Arthur said softly. "He's a boy with no other place to go that's safe. There's a horrifying reason why he had to Port-Key out of his own mansion after spending hardly a day there without knowing where he'd end up." Molly's face softened considerably and she looked at Draco with something similar to motherly concern as she finally noticed his bruised and bloodied appearance.

"The poor dear," She whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "How long will he be staying?"

"I'll get a hold of Albus and see if we can't have him moved to Hogwarts." Arthur said running a hand through his ever thinning hair. Molly looked shocked.

"Oh, I wasn't at all suggesting that he should have to leave the Burrow, Arthur! Can you imagine having to go through all of this just to be shuttled off to an empty castle so you could spend Christmas alone?" Molly fought to control her emotions as she finished this statement and Arthur quickly came to her aid, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The door to the bedroom was suddenly thrown open angrily as Ron appeared standing in the doorway.

"You're going to let a Malfoy stay here for the holidays? There's no way I'll allow it-" Ron said heatedly, stepping further into the room as Harry followed guiltily behind him, though there was anger evident in his eyes as well. Hermione and Ginny stayed in the hallway but were seen through the door.

"Luckily, Ronald, you don't have the option of allowing it or not. Now I will not stand here and argue before this poor unconscious boy about where he is to stay during the break. There is nothing sadder in this world than to wake up on Christmas morning and no longer be a child, and as long as he is under our roof, he will not be insulted or bullied or anything that could potentially take away his chance at a real holiday. Do you understand me boys?" Molly shouted shrilly as she dragged Ron and Harry out of the room, leaving Ginny, Hermione and Arthur standing quietly.

"Until your mother gets back, I need you two to care for the boy. It seems he has some cuts that need to be attended to." He ordered, though not nearly as loud as Molly would have. Hermione nodded before Ginny could protest. As Arthur left the room, closing the door behind him, Ginny threw a puzzled look.

Hermione sighed. "Enemy or not, Ginny, he is still human and he needs our help right now." Hearing it that way, Ginny couldn't help but agree and quickly conjured the needed materials; bandages, a bucket of water and two sponges. Hermione pulled up to chair and placed them on either side of Draco.

"I think he's got broken a rib." Hermione said with a gasp. "I'll wrap up the cuts on the front, hopefully there won't be as many on his back." Ginny nodded in reply and together they took off his black robes and struggled as they attempted to take off his shirt underneath.

"Piss it," Ginny said angrily and muttered a vanishing spell on the shirt and smiled as it disappeared right on cue.

Her smile quickly faded, however, as she fully took in all of Draco's scars, some of them fresh but most of them old, and though she couldn't see his chest, she had a feeling it was just as bad from the look on Hermione's face. Taking in a deep breath, she picked up one of the sponges and began gently rubbing over some dry blood, trying to clean it off. Hearing two pairs of feet climbing up the stairs, Ginny's head snapped up.

"Mione, do me a favor and close that door will you? I don't think it'd be fair to Dra-I mean Malfoy if Ron and Harry saw him at his worst, especially since he always tries so hard to seem tough around them." Ginny said quickly and Hermione quickly obeyed and shut the door just as a raven haired head and a redhead rounded the corner from the stairs.

"Oi, let us in there! Er…Mum said we should…check on him, yeah that's what she said." Ron said unconvincingly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Ron, we'd have to be really thick to believe that. Go away, will you?" She said in a tired tone, and then to me in a whisper as she too picked up a sponge, "Sometimes I wonder why I love him so much."

A few minutes later, their work was once again interrupted as Ginny saw two Extendable Eyes (a new creation of the twins) roll in under the door from the corner of her eye. Hermione noticed it too, however, and stood up, angrily stomping on the cords and watched with a triumphant grin as they were hastily pulled back under the door.

"Gin, you think you can finish this up for me? I don't trust those two in the slightest. If they can't get in here, then Fred and George can, and I don't want to keep them out of my sight for this long without expecting retaliation from the twins." She said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the closed wooden door. Ginny told her it was no problem and she hurriedly left, making sure to place a silencing charm on the door and locking it as she closed it.

Now that Ginny was able to look at Draco from both sides, she could see the full extent of his injuries. Hermione had been right in suggesting that he had a broken rib, but along with that he also had a broken nose, severely bruised stomach and cuts running all over the rest of his back and chest. The latter looked like some of the side effects of being put under the Cruciatus Curse for too long. She remembered reading something about this one day in Defense of the Dark Arts when Professor Snape had substituted, and though his teachings had long ago been forgotten, the reading he'd instructed the class to read had stuck in her mind.

After she'd finished scrubbing all the blood off his body, began wrapping the things that could be reached. For instance, the few cuts on his arm were quickly administered, while his stomach and back had to simply be covered with bandages, because Ginny didn't know if it would be safe to sit him up so she could wrap it.

It was when she was placing a rather small bandage on his right cheek bone when he suddenly opened his silver eyes. Startled to her wits, she let out a small shriek and jumped back. Not realizing where he was he grabbed her wrist harshly, and fleetingly looked around the room.

"Calm down now, Draco." Ginny said soothingly, though her wrist burned as he gripped tighter at her use of his first name. "You're safe now, there's no need to worry." His eyes finally focused on hers and his grip relaxed until he eventually let go and closed his eyes with a groan.

"Red?" He asked as Ginny nodded with a small smile. "Where the hell am I?" His voice was hoarse and shaky, but Ginny pretended not to notice.

"You're in Percy's bed," she answered. His eyes snapped open and he looked at her alarmed. "Old bed, Percy's old bed is what I meant to say. He hasn't slept in this room for ages. It's more of a guest room now." Ginny hastily corrected much to Draco's relief.

"I should probably go get my mum," she whispered quietly. "I don't know if I'll be able to sit you up by myself, and your ribcage needs to be wrapped." Once again grabbing her arm before she could move, he put a hand up to stop her and let her arm go as he tried to push himself up.

"Little help here," he growled at her, shutting his eyes in the strain. Quickly moving forward to help him, she got a hold of his arm and placed a hand tenderly on his back, helping him straighten up and pulling his uninjured arm to get him to sit fully upright.

As she picked up the gauze and dressing, Draco obediently raised his left arm so she could wrap it around his body without much difficulty. He seemed pretty experienced at this and it worried Ginny. She was just going around from the middle of his back to the middle of his chest when her hand slipped and brushed lightly across his chest. Her fingers paused in their work as she felt him stiffen, but then continued wrapping around, only this time she allowed her fingers to drag gently across his skin. There was a strange fascination about it as she felt his smooth unmarred skin, though sometimes she came across a scar or bump.

"Enjoying yourself, eh Red?" He asked in a strained voice, though it seemed he still had the strength to smirk even if he couldn't keep his eyes open. Ginny's hands fumbled to quickly finish and she hurriedly applied the tape to hold the wrap tight.

"Right, er, the gauze and dressing should act as a temporary brace until my mum can bring the proper materials needed." The girl said with a stutter and a flushed face, ignoring his last statement. She stood up to leave, only to stop right as she put a hand on the doorknob.

"Will you just…sit with me for a bit?" He asked her in a pathetic small voice that she knew he was ashamed of. Feeling her compassionate side begin to come into play, she easily obliged and sat in the chair closest to the door so she could look at his face for any signs of pain. If for some reason she had done something wrong and he felt any discomfort, she would have to leave and fetch her mum.

Ginny sighed. "Why did you leave, Draco? You're in so much danger as it is, now you've probably got Voldemort's whole lot after you."

"Not his whole lot, father doesn't care about me that much, but probably just a couple of his closest, murdering friends." He answered casually.

"Don't avoid the question." Ginny said frowning.

He gritted his teeth. "I do believe this is none of your business."

"Since when has that ever stopped me?" Ginny retorted with a small laugh and was pleased to see a small smile grace his face, a feature that, though she had never seen before, she found she preferred it over his usual smirk. It was a few moments before he spoke, and when he did, there was no longer a smile on his face.

"I'd been waiting my whole life for that moment, being initiated into Voldemort's clan, finally being accepted by my father, all of that. But when it finally happened, I had no idea what to do. I got…scared because I felt feelings like pity, fear, feelings I'd never felt before when it came to this sort of business. I went to the meeting, planning on becoming initiated as a Death Eater so that when I returned to school I could report back to Dumbledore on the events. He was counting on me completing at least this.

"When we got to the meeting place, though, and I found out that in order to become a Death Eater, I must kill an innocent muggle child, I…just couldn't do it. In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, just as I had been to cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong." He finished quietly, and Ginny found that she had no words.

It was because of this that she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, as it seemed the right thing to do, the only thing she could do to comfort him. He quickly kissed her back but she pulled away before the kiss could gain any passion, they weren't ready for that. Staring at his swollen pink lips and noticing the disappointed crease in his forehead, she couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated as well. His eyes fluttered open, revealing their silvery mist-like appearance.

"Bullocks," he muttered and grabbed a hold of her arms, pulling her down so he could kiss her. Ginny gave no resistance and quickly plunged into the kiss, allowing the before forbidden passion to creep slowly into it.

"Er, Ginny?" A voice coming from the door called timidly. Ginny and Draco quickly pulled apart and looking behind her, Ginny saw Hermione standing hesitantly at the door, a tray of soup in her left hand, her right hand still on the door handle. "What's going on?"

xXxXx

A/N: Wow, it's been a little over a month since my last update! As much as I wish I could apologize, life has been hectic and that is something I have no control over, no matter how hard I try. I hope you all understand, and I also hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I once again don't have time to thank each reviewer individually, but please know that your comments are much appreciated. Thanks so much!

Sunflour