AN: Apologies in advance for the crappy spelling and grammar, I had to reset my computer due to my brother breaking it. I lost everything including my next chapters for An Angel Lives In You and Hiding From The Past so I no longer have Word with its spellchecker because I lost the serial code.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Three.
She felt the sunlight on her face as it poured through the dust covered window. She didn't want to open her eyes, she had just had the most amazing dream. She dreamt that he was alive and living in her special place she used as an escape from her 6 brothers when she was younger. True he didn't look as hot as he used to, his silver blonde hair was caked in dirt and greesy - not at all like it was in reality, he always took so much pride in his appearance, especially his hair. His robes were all torn and dirty - again not like him at all, he would never lower himself to wear rags. Hell, he even teased her for years for wearing second hand robes even if they were clean and in nearly perfect condition with only a little wear. The dream had felt so real though, she could still smell him in the air and the feel of his arms wrapped around her waist as she fell... and that kiss. Why the hell would I fall anyway? she asked herself. The sunlight was getting hotter against her pale skin, she'd better get up as her mother wouldn't be happy if she was late for breakfast again. How sad is that? I'm 22 in just over a month and I'm still living at home with my mother! She managed to open her eyes and when she did she was frozen in shock. Fuck. It wasn't a dream.
XXX
He had been shocked when she had stumbled through the door. How did she find him? When she opened the door she had taken one look at him and she had froze for a second before screaming and fainting. His first instinct had been to reach out and catch her before she fell to the floor, his thin arms grabbing her around the waist. Not the best reaction to seeing him again, did he really look that bad? He looked around the room which had magically enlarged when Ginny had entered and found a bed against the far wall. He walked over and laid her on it, pulling the blankets over her and planting a light kiss on her forehead.
It had been 6 years since he had last seen her, it was the day that Dumbledore had been murdered. She had come running to him, begging him not to do anything. It had made his heart break seeing the distress in her eyes but she had always known that this would have to happen.
"Draco!" he heard a frantic voice and a tug at his robes, "You don't have to do this!"
He turned to face Ginny. Her flowing red hair was messed up and he could see the distress in her eyes. He turned away, he couldn't bear the see the pain he was causing her. The only person who understood him, the only person he had ever cared about apart from his mother. "I have to do it." he whispered before starting to walk towards the Room of Requirement to put his plan into motion. He didn't get very far before he felt a hand wrap around the top of his arm and spin him around.
"No you don't. There's always another way!"
"What part of 'if I don't do it, he'll kill my parents' do you not understand?" he hissed, "I can't let my mother die, I thought you understood Ginny!"
"Dumbledore will protect you and your family, all you need to do is ask, he doesn't care about your past or what you've done. What matters is what you choose to do now, there is always another choice. It may not be the easiest choice, but its the right one. Please don't do it." she pleaded.
"No."
The look on her face broke his heart and she turned to run down the hall.
"Yeh that's run back to your precious Potter!" he yelled to her retreating back, before slamming his fist against the stone wall. Why must he always be a complete and utter arsehole? She'll never want to see me again, he thought miserably.
If he ever regretted anything in his life that would be one of the things he regretted the most, he had hurt her in one of the worst ways imaginable and had gone and attempted to kill Dumbledore even though it was clear she didn't want him to. Would she ever be able to forgive him for the things he did so long ago, or would she hand him over to the Aurors? It was lucky the Dementors had stopped working for the Ministry otherwise he would surely recieve the Dementors Kiss and he would be left without his soul and without the memories of her. He'd rather be Avada'd than lose those memories and that was saying something. He hoped she wouldn't hand him over, he was still a wanted man after all. How could he not be? He was thought to be a deatheater even though he had never officially recieved the Dark Mark and he had let deatheaters into Hogwarts.
He sat watching her all night, she looked so peaceful lying there asleep. So innocent even though he knew that her innocense had been robbed from her years ago. The sun was now begining to rise and was pouring in through the window and hitting her in the face. She stirred and his heart began to beat faster, would she still remember him? Would she still remember all the good times they had together? What would she say? So many questions that he wanted answered but then he was scared of what the answer would be. She wouldn't want to know him now, why would she when she has her precious Potter to look after her? She opened her eyes and her voice could barely be heard.
"Draco?"
XXX
"Draco?"
The words barely escaped her lips. Was it really him or was it a cruel trick? It must be a trick, her Draco was dead and had been for years. She couldn't bring herself to believe it, she wouldn't believe it.
"Hello Gin."
Omg, it is him. There was no mistaking that voice, it was unique to him and if it was someone else polyjuiced as him they wouldn't be able to get his voice right. Polyjuice only changes your appearance.
Her first feelings were that of relief, he was alive and that fact alone set her heart alight and repaired the gaping hole that had been made all that time ago. She jumped out of the bed and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and holding on tightly as though if she let go he'd disappear forever. "You're alive." She breathed into his neck, making his skin tingle.
After a few minutes a new feeling kicked in, anger, how could he leave her alone for 6 years? She thought he was dead and she had been grieving ever since his death had been confirmed. She hadn't even recieved a note saying 'I'm alive', he hadn't stopped to think for a moment about how she would be feeling. Stupid bloody ferret. She stepped back and slapped him across the face leaving a pink hand print across the cheek without the scar. There was a look of shock on his face and she nearly felt sorry for him, nearly.
"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU PLAYING AT?" she screamed. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, I'VE SPENT YEARS GRIEVING FOR YOU ONLY TO FIND YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE. I NEVER EVEN CROSSED YOUR MIND DID I? OH I WON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT GINNY THINKS, I WON'T BOTHER SENDING HER A NOTE OR ANYTHING SO THAT SHE KNOWS I'M OK."
"What the...?"
"YOU ARE A STUPID SELFISH BASTARD DRACO MALFOY!"
"Let me explain Gin..."
"EXPLAIN WHAT? HOW YOU DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ANYONE? HOW YOU DON'T CARE HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU HURT AS LONG AS YOU ARE SAFE?"
With that she collapsed in tears, and curled up into a ball on the floorboards rocking herself. Draco stood still for a minute, torn between going and sitting beside her and holding her and comforting her or leaving her to cry and release all the emotions inside. He didn't want another slap. Eventually he decided to go over, he sat on the floor beside her and held her as she cried into his chest. Why did she think he was dead and why was she so upset? After what seemed like hours she stopped crying and looked up at him.
"Why?"
"Why what Gin?" he asked, confused. What the hell is she on about?
"Why have you stayed away so long?"
"Come on Gin, you know I can't show my face. I'm a wanted man you know and unless you want me to be Avada'd by the Aurors then I suggest you keep quiet about my whereabouts, I've been hiding so long and I don't want to lose my life now!" he almost snapped.
"You were cleared of all charges Draco, everyone thinks you are dead. Murdered by Voldemort..." she handed him the newspaper clipping.
It has been confirmed that the last of the Malfoy's is dead. He is believed to have been murdered by he-who-must-not-be-named as the result of his failure to complete the task he was set, which was to kill Albus Dumbledore. As everyone knows, Mr Malfoy was cleared of all charges relating to that incident as it was proved that the murderer was Severus Snape, thought to be an ex-deatheater. There had been a letter written by Dumbledore before his death proving Mr. Malfoy's innocence. It has been a year since he fled the castle and he has not been seen or heard from since. We have found no body but it is reasonable to come to the conclusion that he is dead based on what is thought to be he-who-must-not-be-named policy towards people who fail him. Mr. Lucius Malfoy and Mrs. Narcissa Black Malfoy have also been confirmed dead which leads on to the problem of what will happen to the large Malfoy estate and bank vaults…
"My mother -" he began, shaking his head in disbelief, "She's dead? After all I did to save her from dying at the hands of that monster..."
That had been the only reason why he had even accepted his mission, to keep his mother safe. It wasn't about the pride anymore or to keep the family name respected by the deatheaters, it was about keeping his mother safe. The only person that meant anything to him. He could remember that day he was brought before the Dark Lord so clearly.
It was dark and the moon lit up the misty sky. Draco didn't know where he was, he had just been grabbed by two large deatheaters and aparated away to this clearing. He had known deep down that it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord called upon him, he was 16 - not yet legal but it had always been known that he would recieve the mark when he turned 16. He wasn't sure whether he wanted the ugly mark on his pale skin but he had to recieve it. He had been brought up knowing that it was his destiny, even though Voldemort had disappeared when he was just a year old and there was no knowing if he'd ever return, there was always going to be another Dark Lord when the time came. Lucius was the one that was most likely going to take that job. He had been one of Voldemorts most faithful servants. That was before he got carted off to Azkaban at the end of Draco's 5th year at Hogwarts.
He was poked in the back with a long stick and he fell to his knees and bowed his head. He could hear the crunching of the grass under Voldemorts feet and he could see his reflection in the shoes that were in front of him.
"Look at me boy." He looked up and saw those burning red eyes glaring at him with hatred. "As you well know boy, your father has been a great disappointment to me as a result of his failure at the Department of Mysteries where he not only let Potter and his friends - including the Mudblood, get away but he also got caught and carted off to Azakaban where he is no use to me. It therefore falls to you to do me a great favour. I have an important mission for you, are you up for it boy?"
"Yes my Lord." he replied.
"Your mission boy, is to kill Albus Dumbledore." his rasping voice grated across his skin.
"But.. my Lord."
"You dare question me boy?" Voldemort looked furious, "There will be no questioning me. If you should fail I will not only kill you but your father and precious mother as well. Don't disappoint me boy! If you complete the task you shall be rewarded with the Dark Mark and you will officially be a deatheater." With that he turned on his heels and stormed off, his black robes blowing in the wind.
Shit, he thought, not only is this task impossible but my mother is in danger. I've got no choice but to carry it out!
The memories of that night still sent shivers down his back, he had never met Voldemort before, he had only heard of Voldemorts plans. It was just lucky that he was a good Occlumens and so Voldemort had never found out about Ginny. He dread to think what Voldemort would have done to her if he had known. One thing was for certain, she wouldn't be here now. He was only vaguely aware of Ginny wrapping her arms around him and only vaguely aware of the light touch of her lips against his cheek.
He looked so helpless standing there, there was a look of great sadness across his face and Ginny knew he had really cared for his mother. When Ginny had first seen his mother at the Quiditch World cup when she was 13 she had thought that Narcissa was a stuck up snob who didn't care for anywhere but then she had read the letter Dumbledore had left which had revealed that Narcissa had gone to Snape, risking her life, to get him to agree to making an Unbreakable Vow when she could have so easily obeyed Voldemort and saved her skin. That was a true mothers love and Draco had responded to that when he learnt of her death.
"Come home Draco, back to where you belong."
He turned around. "But I don't belong there, everyone still thinks I'm a big dirty deatheater back in the Wizarding World. Cleared or not doesn't mean people will change their opinions. I'm better off staying here where no one knows about me."
"Come back for me. I need you." she pleaded.
"You don't need me, you've coped for years without me." he sniffed.
"I've been grieving for years, now that I know you're alive has replaced the empty gap inside me. Don't you see? I'm nothing without you. Am I not worth it?" tears were now begining to form in her eyes.
"Nothings worth it." he walked away from her and she turned and ran out of the shed, causing it to shrink as she shut the door. After the door was shut and locked she backed up against it and slid to the ground, crying.
"I need you."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN: Please read and review because I shall love you forever. ;) And does anyone know how I can get the line right across the page so I can seperate the author notes from the rest of the chapter without having to type loads of hyphens, so its one continuous line?
