A/N: Since I havent written in a really long time, I decided to make this chapter pretty long. SO here it is, the chapter that will take this story even further.

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Ch. 8

Ginny's first day back at Hogwarts wasn't exactly what she had hoped for. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried, everything kept going awry. By dinner time, Ginny was feeling ill with distress.

"Ginny are you alright?" Jernia looked concernedly across the table at her, as she sat.

"No." Ginny mumbled exasperatedly. Jernia just looked at her, waiting for the reason why. Ginny sighed, "Everything is just going awful! I can't seem to do anything with out a terrible outcome!" By now Ginny's voice had risen to just above normal, and those sitting around her stared, as she continued to rant. "First I go to potions, with all the Slytherins, and end up getting forty points taken, because of that rich prick Zabini! Then in transfiguration, the stupid feather just wasn't working with me, and it decided to multiply, and then stick to me! Don't even get me started with the rest of my day, because I swear I'll probably go insane!" Her ranting done, Ginny looked around as if just now noticing that the whole hall was completely silent. With a strangled cry, Ginny dropped her head onto her arms, which were resting on the table.

She sat there, muttering angrily to herself, the hall became gradually louder, when Ron decided to add something through a mouthful of food. "Sounds like you had a bloody awful day!" The hall went silent again, waiting for the inevitable Weasley temper to kick in. But they were disappointed when Ginny jumped up from her seat, with an exasperated shriek, before she ran from the hall.

Harry stood to follow her, but was stopped by Hermione with a look that clearly meant, 'She's a girl, give her some space.' He unwillingly obliged, and sat back down, while smacking Ron upside the head.


On the other side of the hall Draco sat at the Slytherin table watching the scene play out. He was quite amused that the Weaslette hadn't blown up. Wonder where she'll run off to... Draco contemplated, as he looked around the great hall in boredom. Seems like the only source of entertainment has left the building – He added, as Pansy Parkinson came up beside him and sat down, too close for his liking.

He along with everyone else knew that the Parkinson's were money hungry people, who would do anything for it. The thought just made him sick, even though he knew the Malfoy's were a very power hungry family (if that's what you could call their detached relationships.)

"So Drakey I was thinking-"Not a good sign when she thinks- Draco nearly cringed visibly when he heard her plan for their marriage. Yet he still had no idea how she had gotten it into her head that he would ever marry her! They only had one fling! He started to stand, when he felt a tug on his arm.

"You aren't going to leave me to eat all by myself are you?" She asked, giving him one of her 'I'm a princess I get everything I want!' looks.

"Actually, I was, because I have other more important things to do, than watch you eat." He answered without even looking at her, just barely hiding the disgust from his voice. In response, she flung down the roll she had just picked up, with a high pitched shriek before, walking as fast as her short legs could take her, out of the hall. Draco stared after her in amazement. What is it with girls and their mood swings? He thought incredulously. People stared after Pansy, and many at the Gryffindor table sniggered behind napkins, and books. He strode from the Great Hall, but instead of heading for the Slytherin common room, he decided to go out on the school grounds.

The sun was settting over the lake, as Draco walked to his 'spot', that he had found his first year at Hogwarts. His 'spot' was in a little cove near the forbidden forest. The cove was a small clearing surrounded by tree's and overlooked the lake. The entrance was along the edge of the lake, and you had to walk quite a distance before you got to it.

Draco had found this sanctuary when he had gotten a letter from his father; telling him that he was unsatisfied with Draco's grades, and that when he came home for the winter holidays, he would have to teach him a few lessons. Draco dreaded what lessons his father could ever teach. He knew something awful was going to happen, and had been restless since he had gotten the letter.

One night he had a horrifying nightmare about it, and was so uneasy that he decided to runaway from Hogwarts. He had packed his trunk, shrunk it, (his father had taught him some simple spells before he was allowed to go to Hogwarts) and walked out of the room he had shared with Blaise. Draco had slipped through the school and out onto the school grounds, which were almost, pitch black, except for the moon. It's shining brilliance leading his way.

He had stumbled along for about an hour before he realized he was very near the lake. And he had somehow ended up in an alcove in the trees. He dropped his bag, and sat on a smoothed rock. Staring across the lake, the sight soothed his fears, and he soon returned to his room. He still knew that whatever awaited him at home wasn't good, but he also knew he would be able to live through it. Blaise had known that Draco had had this moment of weakness, and yet kept to himself, not saying a word about it.

Coming out of his semi-dark thoughts about the happenings of that winter break, Draco looked around.


Ginny ran from the Great Hall, faster than she had thought possible. She was so angry with everything at the moment. All she wanted to do was curse everything in sight. But incidentally she had forgotten her wand, at the table, in her bag. She stopped running when she reached the doors leading outside. She hadn't even known that her legs were leading her in that direction.

But she walked right up to the doors, shoved them open and strode out. Her red hair glared strikingly in the sun, which had begun to set across the lake. Ginny just let her legs take her. She didn't even care if they led her to the forbidden forest, and right into a monsters den. She just didn't care.

Her thoughts floated around, gliding across all of the awful moments of the day; making Ginny relive them over and over again. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that she had somehow ended up in a sort of clearing of trees overlooking the lake.

It was beautiful, and the water looked so inviting. Ginny glanced around checking if anyone was in the area, and saw that the castle was quite a long distance away. Making up her mind, she stripped down to her beater and undergarments, which she through over a tree branch, before diving into the refreshingly cool, black water.

The water felt cool and tingly brushing against her bare arms and legs, as she swam through the water. I was totally right about a swim being good for the soul. Oh Merlin, that was cheesy! Ginny thought, giggling to herself. She looked up at the quickly darkening sky, and the brightly glowing moon, before diving under the water one last time. Holding her breath for about a minute, Ginny tried to fix her now very tangled hair. She stroked through it while it floated surreally around her head, in the darkening depths of the lake.

Ginny's head broke the water, and she started to swim back toward the shore when she saw a shadowy figure walking through the clearing, straight toward the water.

Ginny gasped before quickly ducking underwater again and heading in the direction she thought might be another stretch of shore.


Draco looked up from the ground after noticing that the shadows were getting deeper. And what he saw stunned him.

The most beautifying creature swam in the water. Its luxurious red-auburn hair, spraying water, as it moved in time with the body. Draco watched as the most dazzling being ever ducked under the water. After about a minute he began to think he might have scared it away when its head popped back above the water.

He took a few strides forward, when it turned around, its bright green eyes shimmering in the moonlight. He took a couple more steps toward the shore before he heard a gasp, and the head ducked under the water in a ripple of water.

Cursing, Draco quickly walked into the cover of the trees, hoping he could catch one more glimpse of the most amazing immortal ever. He sat there for maybe five minutes before; he saw it approaching the shore. It seemed highly apprehensive, as its gaze darted around the clearing. Appearing to have made up its mind it stepped ashore.

Draco almost fainted, as he stopped breathing when he saw it in full view. He couldn't tell exactly what it was wearing, but he could see every curve, as the cloth clung to its sides, and its flowing hair dripped down its back. It stood for a second, before gingerly striding on its lengthy legs, through the clearing, and hiding behind a boulder. Draco not knowing what he was doing, until he reached the side of the clearing that the boulder was on, silently snuck up on the immortal being.

He climbed atop the boulder and looked down; the thing or what was starting to look like a person, sat shivering looking around, before it got up and started toward a cluster of trees near the boulder. As suddenly as it began walking it slipped, and nearly fell, when Draco, on impulse jumped down and grasped the being around the waist, preventing a disastrous fall.

Ginny walked cautiously toward her clothes, when she slipped on a small stone. She prepared to fall, when she felt arms circle her waist for the second time that day, her back pressed against their chest tightly. She shrieked in surprise, and the shadowy figure that had caught her, spun her around to face them.


Draco looked into the face of none other than little (maybe not so little anymore) Ginny Weasley. Her lithe body, and clinging clothing, soaking wet from swimming, was starting to dampen his school robes. He looked into her passionate green eyes that stared frightened into his deep silver ones, losing him in their depths.

He was suddenly sucked out of the alternate universe when he heard a gasp of; 'Malfoy' before suddenly Ginny's eyes rolled and she went limp.

"Shit!" Draco cursed as he looked around the clearing, still holding Ginny, utterly helpless. He saw a robe and some clothes hanging on a tree branch and he realized that they must be hers. He lent over and put his arms under Ginny's knees, and behind her back, before lifting her effortlessly, and quickly striding over to her clothing. She seems to light! He thought desperately.

Wait! Why do I care if she's alright? Draco reasoned with himself, as he set her upon the grass under the tree. Because, I was the last person she saw. She could blame everything on me! At that thought, he grabbed her raggedy robe, and put it underneath her. He then took off his, and draped it across her shivering form.

He looked at her, so small; pitiful, and noticed her lips were turning a light hue of blue. He quickly checked her pulse having forgotten to at first. It was strong, but seemed to be waning. Why am I touching a Weasley? He asked himself, irritated. Then he said out loud, "Screw it, I don't give a shit what my father thinks!"

Though he said it, the truth was he really didn't know if he cared or not. Draco smoothed her thick tangled hair, as he felt her forehead. It was damp, but not from the water. She was hot to the touch. Shit! Now she's given herself a fever! Just great! It seemed Draco was having a great time berating her in his mind, before, her condition seemed to worsen.

Her shivering became an intense twitching in all her muscles, and her breathing was coming in short gasps. Thinking only one last time about what his father would do, he threw away all his worries and picked the small form of Ginny, up off the ground along with their robes.

It took a little over 45 minutes for Draco to carry Ginny back to the school. And he had been trying to figure out what to do the whole time. But still hadn't thought of anything. Since it was about midnight, he thought it would be a bad idea to bring her to the hospital wing. Due to her appearance, and to her current condition, people could get the wrong impression about Draco. So he walked into the school, and cast an invisibility charm on himself and Ginny.

Knowing a few secret passages, he took a few to get to the head boys dorms, in which he currently inhabited. He was lucky that they were near the dungeons, so whenever he needed Professor Snape, he was easily accessible. Draco strode up to a statue of a serpent, made himself and Ginny visible again, and said, "Sly Slytherin Serpents." The statue slithered out of his way, and he quickly set Ginny down on his bed, which was, of course Slytherin green, along with the rest of the room's decorations.

He checked her over once again to make sure her fever wasn't worsening even more, before running out of the room, and down the hall towards his professor's office. He reached the section of wall in which he knew was the doorway, and started banging on it. Within a minute he was answered with a gruff shout, and the stone sliding away.

"What is it Draco?" Snape asked irritably, as he draped a dressing robe over his shoulders, while glaring at Draco.

"Sev-Professor, I need you to come with me! Ginny….lake….fainted-"was all that Snape needed to hear before he went speed-walking toward Draco's room. He got there in less than a minute and stepped swiftly into the room, and to where Ginny lay.

Draco just watched as his professor conjured potions out of thin air, and literally shoved them down Ginny's throat. After a few minutes of this went on, before Ginny stopped shivering, and seemed to have fallen in a deep sleep.

"What happened Draco?" He asked seriously, with a look that was saying 'what have you gotten yourself into again?' Snape waited for Draco to answer.

"I……."Draco hadn't really thought of what he might say when he got help. "I….went on a walk, and found her lying on the shores of the lake, about an hour from the castle." He lied. Which wasn't too hard, because he was the Slytherin prince was he not? Snape looked at him disbelievingly, before finally saying something.

"Very well, you obviously wont tell me the truth, so I suggest, you give her a quarter of this potion every two hours it will keep her fever down." Snape handed him a light blue potion, which smelled quite foul. "As her body tries to fix whatever is causing it, you cannot leave her, for if she starts shivering again you need to give her an eighth of this potion." Snape also added giving Draco a deep purple potion, and then walking towards the door without another word.

"But- you mean I have to take care of her myself!" Draco asked appalled finally realizing what his professor was telling him. He glared at the potions in his hands.

"Yes, since you don't want anyone to know what you have been doing, I suggest you do take care of her." Snape stepped out of the room with a flurry of his robes.

Draco cursed for what seemed the hundredth time that evening/ morning. How was he supposed to take care of her? He'd always had house elves to take care of him when he was ill. So he really had no idea how to do this. He glanced nervously over at the sleeping Ginny, on his bed. And he deliberately walked slowly to the side Ginny was lying on.

"What have you gotten me into?" He asked the dreaming Ginny who couldn't hear him, as he sat down at the end of the bed to watch her. Ginny groaned and rolled over, exposing her legs, which had been only covered by the robes before. Draco being a gentleman grabbed an off hand blanket, and set it over her. So she could keep her modesty.

After about four hours, and two times when he made Ginny drink the light blue potion, Draco fell into a deep, sleep, lying right next to Ginny on his bed, dreaming about the girl he thought was at first, an immortal beauty.

A/N: There ya go! please R&R! and thanx a bunch scentasia, babi-gurl8907, HarryGinnyfan23, Aleja21, malfoysslut (interesting username by the way), and Bfly-Ronaldita, for the reviews. I probably would've stopped writing this story if I hadn't gotten any reviews. So thank you so much!