1Chapter 16
"Iris"
"I don't want the world to see me,
cause I don't think that they'd understand.
When everything's made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am."
-Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
Draco continued to drag Ginny along the ground, her bare feet digging into the stone floor. Ginny screamed and fought, but nothing seemed to stop him. Chilling fear ran through her body. How could he be doing this? How could the one she had always trusted and loved be dragging her away? An unbearable rage singed through Ginny's body. Why? Why did everything in this bloody world have to happen to her! Why, when she was already dangling off the cliff, did love decide to push her over? Why!
"LET ME GO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ginny screamed, hot tears roaring down her cheeks. Ginny dug her fingernails into Draco's arms, but he still didn't stop. It was as if the pain didn't affect him.
"Why are you doing this?" Ginny sobbed, letting her arms droop lifelessly in Draco's strong grip. "Why..."
Draco kept his gaze, never looking back at Ginny's sobbing form.
Tears fell from Ginny's eyes as they never had before. She gasped deeply for breath, but all she could get were small whisks. Her hands shook feverishly, and her heart pounded in her chest. Why was this happening?
They arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall. Draco moved swiftly and quietly. He swung Ginny to his side, pushed open the front doors, and threw her through them. He clutched her by her robes and continued to stroll across the grassy grounds. His feet squished against the grass. The collar around Ginny's robe dug into her neck.
The one time that Ginny wanted someone to catch her out after curfew, and no one was there. Even with her screaming, no one came. How could that be? Why, when the one time she needed someone the most, had no one shown up?
Draco switched his grip around and clutched Ginny's bruised wrists once again, dragging her mercilessly along the gravel.
Ginny's feet dug into the sticks and rocks on the ground. She could feel them cutting and bruising her bare feet. Her wrist throbbed from Draco's grip. Pain ran throughout her body, but all she could think about was where Draco was taking her.
Ginny twisted around, trying to get a glimpse of where they were going. And when she did, she let out a terrified scream.
They were headed right towards the Forbidden Forest.
"NO!" Ginny screamed, kicking her feet around trying to shake away Malfoy's grip. "NO!"
Ginny screamed. Anywhere but there. If they went in there, she could forget anyone ever finding her! Reality slapped Ginny across the face. She wasn't going to get out of this.
Her heart sank. She was going to go into the forest, alone. Something bad was going to happen to her, and by the time anyone knew, she would be dead.
She would be dead.
Ginny felt tears gush down her face once again. She was going to die, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Draco stepped roughly into the forest, his feet crunching against the twigs and sticks on the ground. Everything was a dark black. This black was chilling and deadening. It seemed to suck Ginny in, and kill every happy emotion inside of her. There was no light, but from the glowing full-moon above.
Coldness swept over Ginny. It chilled her to the bone. She heard thunder boom in the distance. Ginny still felt Draco's strong hands against her skin.
Draco froze. Ginny jumped and felt her heart thump dangerously. Her eyes grew wide, wondering what Draco was about to do.
As quickly as he had stopped, he whipped around, pointed his wand at Ginny, and screamed, "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"
Ginny felt her body snap. Her legs, arms, face, and body seemed to become numb. A feeling of coldness swept over her, and she froze, locked in place. She tried to move, even just a twitch of her pinky finger, but she couldn't. She was stuck.
Ginny felt herself being hovered into the air. Her eyes were locked, looking up at the sky. Her body continued to float up, until it stopped. She felt herself, once again, being tugged forward, only this time, moving swiftly, almost dreamily, among the trees.
She wanted desperately to look ahead of her, but she couldn't. Her eyes were locked with the continuous stare, forced to gaze upon the sky's blackness. The full moon glowed viciously, and she heard thunder crackle in the distance. A dark cloud threatened to float in front of the bright moon, blinding it of all is sinister wonder. Ginny could see dark shadows of trees move along beside her, their shapes black against the light of the moon.
Ginny didn't know where they were going, but it was taking a while to reach there. With every second they spent walking deeper and deeper into the forest, Ginny felt more and more defeated. She was desperate for anything, just one sign that there was something she could do to get out of this! But as Draco lead her deeper into the darkness of the trees, she lost hope. She lost hope that she would ever be saved. Ginny was beginning to accept her fate, knowing that no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, nothing would help. She was going to die.
Ginny wanted to scream, to scrunch up her face and cry until she shriveled up and dried out. But the curse Draco had put upon her didn't let her do as much as moving an eyelash. This, beyond anything else, angered Ginny. She had always let her emotions out. It was her escape, her rescue. But now, being so lifelessly trapped in this hell-hole, she could do no such thing.
Ginny felt herself stop. Her heart seemed to pound in her chest. What was going on? What was happening now?
Suddenly, Ginny felt herself being straightened. Her body tilted forwards, as if it were trying to go into a standing position. Now being able to see in front of her, Ginny saw Draco standing a few feet ahead, his wand pointed at her, slowly moving her around. Anger and rage once again stormed throughout Ginny's body.
Once she was in a standing position, Ginny felt herself being pushed backwards. First, slowly. But then her speed grew faster and faster until she slammed, full-force, into a tree behind her. Her body was still stiff, but jolts of pain trembled up her spine. She couldn't cringe in agony, she couldn't bare her teeth in pain. All she could do was sit there while the pain bolted through her.
As if someone had clicked the 'play' button, Ginny felt a warm sensation flood through her. Her arms, fingers, feet, and toes all felt loose and flexible. The curse was being lifted.
But before Ginny could move, ropes slashed around her. They moved by themselves, fastening around Ginny's thin form, tightening so much that it soon became a point of pain.
Once the ropes felt that they had done their job, they stopped moving. Ginny's head hung. Her eyes were shut tight in tears. She didn't want to face what was to come.
But she had to. She had to be strong. She had to hold on to all she had left: Her heart, her bravery, and her pride.
Ginny lifted her head slowly, baring her teeth together. She opened her eyes to come face to face with Draco.
His eyes shone wickedly in the moonlight. His blonde hair gleamed, reflecting off a light even more menacing than the moon's. An evil grin was plastered arrogantly against his glossy face. He gripped his wand in one hand, and the other he clenched into a balled up fist.
Draco bit his bottom lip jokingly.
"Well, well, well. Finally everything I've been waiting for. And so gratefully laid out in front of me!" Draco sneered, his gray eyes piercing into Ginny. He put his hands behind his back and swung his leg out in front of him casually.
"Don't you move a damn step closer to me," Ginny hissed. Her voice was low, filled with rage and hate.
"Aren't you feisty! Well, I knew it wasn't going to be easy..." Draco laughed. How could he be so calm? What in the bloody hell did he want with her anyway! What could she had possibly done to deserve this!
"What in the hell do you want?" Ginny gritted, her voice still dangerously low.
"Time will tell, Miss Weasley. Patience is key..." Draco smiled. His smile was awkward, as if it wasn't right for his face. His pearly-white teeth gleamed in the darkness that surrounded him. Why did he call her Miss Weasley?
"Go ahead and kill me," Ginny threatened. The ropes clung to her body, digging into her vulnerable skin. Thunder boomed once again in the distance.
Draco tsked. "Such bravery. I never thought it necessary, but I do tend to see it in the most fragile people..."
What in the hell was he talking about! Something was wrong. This didn't sound like Draco...
Ginny focused all her attention onto Draco's eyes. She'd be able to tell. She'd be able to tell if it was really him or not.
His eyes shone a gray, gleaming ferociously in the light. The white of his eyes penetrated into Ginny. But there was something different. Something didn't belong.
And then Ginny saw it.
In the farthest corner of Draco's eyes, a gleam so wicked, so evil, flickered, threatening to spill out.
This wasn't Draco.
"Who are you?" Ginny asked, her voice quivering in fear and anger.
"I'm Draco Malfoy–"
"I said–," Ginny interrupted, "who are you?"
Fury and rage overtook Draco. His teeth clenched together in anger and he bounded towards Ginny. Ginny braced herself.
His strong fingers clutched around her fragile throat. Her head slammed into the bark of the tree on which she was tied to. She gasped for air, feeling her lungs as they began to shrivel up. She wasn't going to let this happen. She wasn't!
"Kill me..." she gasped, doing the best she could to stare into Draco's now furious eyes. His teeth were clenched together as he pulled his face into a vicious grin.
"There will be time for that later," he spat, dropping Ginny to the ground,"but now, I think a proper greeting is due."
Draco fanned his hand out in front of him, as if presenting some expensive object. With one last evil grin, he began to change. Ginny's body began to shake beneath the tight ropes. Her heart thumped, and pure fear rushed through her veins. She knew what was to happen. She had seen it, as she had seen so many times, in her nightmare. And now, this was real.
Draco grew taller, and he rose into the air. Wind gusted around him, billowing his robes beneath his feet. He became skinner, bones beginning to appear against his shallow, dead skin. He turned even paler, and his hair began to disappear. Fingers that used to be normal sized began to grow longer and longer, until they looked like claws. Draco's eyes began to brighten, turning into a wicked red. His nose shrunk, until all that was left was two slits. The hood of Draco's robes began to slowly rise, until it covered his head.
Ginny felt a lump rise in her throat, and tears gushed down her face. It couldn't be. This wasn't real...
"Hello Miss Weasley," the now hooded figure hissed, its red eyes glowing against the blackness of its hood.
"I am Lord Voldemort."
As he said this, another figure came crashing out of him, falling lifelessly to the ground. Voldemort didn't flinch as the figure fell against his feet. Ginny realized, to her horror, who the figure was.
Draco lay huddled lifelessly against Voldemort's feet.
Ginny screamed. "DRACO!" she cried, struggling against the deathly ropes. "DRACO!"
A laugh reached Ginny's ears. A laugh so vicious, so unhumanly, so cruel, that she wasn't even sure if it was real.
"You fool!" Voldemort hissed, stepping closer to Ginny,"There's no hope in saving your little friend." His eyes shone brilliantly in the night sky.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!" Ginny sobbed, thrashing around, trying to break free of the ropes that clung to her so forcefully. "WHAT DID YOU DO!"
"I've only done what is necessary to prevent what was bound to get into the way of my goal. Don't worry, he's alive. But barely..." Voldemort hissed, smiling down at the limp form of Draco. He picked up his foot and placed it on Draco's face, twisting it around as to get a full view.
Ginny screamed again. This wasn't happening! It was another one of her dreams and she was going to wake up!
Ginny let a sob escape her lips.
Please, please, let her wake up.
"What are you going to do?" Ginny sobbed, her face scrunched up in defeat.
"I'm only doing what needs to be done. You see Miss Weasley, I have a goal. A goal to one day rule over everyone, every pathetic soul that thinks they are important in the world. I will stop at nothing, to accomplish my goal. And it seems that something is trying to stop me, and that something lies in Draco's pocket."
Voldemort swept his right hand out, just as Draco's back pocket on his robes flew open. A piece of rectangular paper flew out of his pocket, and landed in Voldemort's hand. Voldemort smiled evilly as he took a step forward.
"Remind you of anything Miss Weasley? Perhaps a photograph of something Draco showed you long ago?"
Ginny gasped. It wasn't–It couldn't be--
Her whole body shook. This couldn't be happening.
The photograph that Draco had shown her long ago in his room, the one of his great-great uncle and aunt, lay clutched in Voldemort's hand.
"What does it have to do with anything?" Ginny snarled, refusing to believe the fact that a photograph is what Voldemort was after. It seemed so unreal!
"This photograph is everything. From the moment that Draco so lovingly showed you it in his room, I sensed its power," Voldemort hissed. He took a step forward before beginning again.
"Love is such a terrible thing, Miss Weasley. I never knew of it myself, never understood it. Why waste your time loving something that will eventually rot away? Why dole your feelings out, only to have them so helplessly crushed? No, I strive on power. Power can crush everything. Everything, that is, except for love.
This photograph is more than just that. It's everything I hate. It's love. A great, powerful love. When this love is released, it can crush all. This is why, when I sensed the picture being used, that I knew I must destroy it, and the ones that caused it to begin to work."
Ginny's mind reeled. What was he TALKING about! Had he gone MAD! It was a bloody picture! It didn't mean a damn thing!
"But how–"
Voldemort chuckled viciously.
"You don't understand, do you? Don't you know of what is trapped within this photo? Don't you know what's written on the back?" his eyes gleamed tauntingly, laughing at Ginny's foolishness.
And then it struck Ginny. The words that Draco had told her were written on the back.
Don't let love escape you, for once it does, there will be no turning back.
"What happened–"
Voldemort seemed to sigh. His voice hissed as he continued to talk.
"Over a hundred years ago, a couple, not unlike yourself and Mr. Malfoy, defied all that they knew. They risked everything, their reputations, their families, their hearts, their lives, to be together. They were never meant to be. Destiny told them that they should have never met. But fate, fate had something else in store.
These two married against their parent's will. Draco's great-great uncle and aunt risked everything to be together. When they took this photograph, they wanted to make sure their love was passed on. They wanted people like themselves, people that were never meant to be together, to love like no other had ever witnessed. So, this is what they did.
Upon writing the message on the back, they incarcerated a spell into the photograph. This spell, when unleashed, brought two together to love unconditionally. Nothing was to stand in their way. This love is so powerful, so strong, that it could have crushed everything I had ever hoped for.
And this is why I went out to destroy it. I knew that if I could stop it before the spell had gone into full-power, I could prevent the love from being created. And this is what lead me to Mr. Malfoy.
The moment he showed you the picture, I knew that the spell had been unleashed. This is when I decided to take action. I tried to convince Draco to kill you, but the spell had already begun its magic.
The love was to strong. I couldn't get Draco to kill you on his own accord. So this, this is where I began to overtake him. There was a flaw in the spell that the couple so foolishly implanted on the photograph. When the couple being entranced by the photograph began to love, they left their minds vulnerable. I was able to slide into Draco's mind, slowly and steadily taking over his body until I had full control.
The night you saw him sleep walking was the beginning. I was hoping that he could kill you then, but love stood in my way. I knew that if I wanted to destroy you, I would have to take over Draco completely. When Draco left his mind vulnerable, such as when he had a fight with his father, I was able to slip in more, sometimes getting full control. That night of his father's fight I thought I had finally taken over. I apparated Draco to your house, and hoped to slip in and kill you. But to my dismay, when the real Draco saw your face at the door, love overpowered me and allowed him to break free.
But here I am, finally able to stop the one thing that has been preventing me from doing so all along..."
Ginny's mouth hung open. She refused to believe it. It wasn't possible. How could she had been so stupid! The photograph has been there the whole time! She knew something was going to happen, and still, still she didn't do anything to stop it!
Tears of guilt swam from Ginny's eyes.
And now she and Draco were going to die, and it was all her fault.
Voldemort's eyes gleamed. His cloak swished around his ankles, and his teeth were bared.
"And now it's time for me to finish what I've started..."
He drew closer, wand out in front of him. Ginny's eyes grew wide in fear.
She was going to die.
Voldemort inched closer, his feet crunching against the leaves on the ground. Thunder crackled and rain began to fall lightly from the sky. Ginny felt drizzles brush against her hair.
But, out of the corner of her eyes, Ginny saw something moving. A figure on the ground rose slowly, swaying from weakness.
Voldemort inched nearer. Ginny could see the evil gleam shimmer behind his red, piercing eyes.
"Goodbye, Ginny Weasley..." Voldemort hissed. He rose his wand, pointing it straight at Ginny's heart. Cold fear flooded her body. Her limbs refused to move. They refused to accept at what was about to become.
"AVADA KEDARVA!"
Ginny squinched her eyes shut, steading herself for when the spell hit her.
But something was wrong.
Ginny chest rose up and down, her breaths raspy and choked. She was still alive. Why was she still alive?
It wasn't before Ginny heard a piercing scream did she know what happened.
Her eyes flew open, cold fear rolling through her every pore.
Her glowing green eyes flew onto the scene before her. Just as Voldemort screamed those horrible, demented words, Draco had ran, now awakened, right in front of her, blocking her from the curse.
It all seemed to happen in slow-motion.
She saw Draco's body grow rigid in front of her. He fell slowly, twisting around until he faced her. His once bright-gray eyes faded, leaving them cold and shallow. His lips were parted slightly, water dripping into his mouth from the now pounding rain. His blonde hair hung in his eyes, dripping wet. Raindrops gathered around his eyelashes. And then, with a cold, heart-less thump, he landed on the muddy ground.
Ginny screamed. A blinding bright light was emitting from the photograph in Voldemort's hand. She heard him scream, and drop the picture is agony. Ginny closed her eyes, her mouth open screaming. The bright light seemed to be everywhere, beaming from within her body.
Ginny screamed again, and with one thrash, broke the ropes that had once bound her so tightly. She immediately forgot everything else. Her feet sunk into the mud. Rain came down in torrents, lightening striking in the distance. It pounded onto Ginny's shaking body.
She ran towards Draco.
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
'Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight.
Ginny stumbled, scraping her knees and her face. But she didn't notice anything. All she could see were Draco's hollow, empty eyes.
She fell to the ground at Draco's side. She couldn't breathe. No matter how hard she tried, air didn't seem to want to come into her mouth. She couldn't move, talk, or feel anything but the chilling rain thundering and drenching her pale skin.
Slowly and shakily Ginny edged her hand towards Draco's face. A crystal tear slid unnoticed down her cheek, blending in with the rain around her. Her hand shook feverishly, edging closer and closer to Draco's hollow, shrunken face.
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
"D-draco," Ginny choked, her voice escaping her. Her hand was inches from Draco's face, and in seconds, her fingers collided with his cold, dead skin, confirming her worst fears.
"DRACO!" Ginny let out a heart-wrenching scream, throwing herself towards him. She held his face in her shaking hands. Ginny couldn't catch her breath, making little choking noises. Tears built up behind her eyes, but the never fell.
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
And you bleed just to know you're alive
"Draco, wake up," Ginny spoke frantically, shaking his head. His eyes remained open wide and hollow. Raindrops dripped off his eyelashes and into his eyes. His face was a dead pale, and his lips were a faded pink.
"DRACO WAKE UP! DON'T DO THIS TO ME! WAKE UP!" Ginny screamed in agony, clutching Draco's shoulders and shaking him desperately. His head flopped lifelessly on his shoulders. This was all a dream. A horrible, horrible nightmare. And any moment, Hermione was going to shake her awake.
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
Ginny still couldn't breathe. She didn't know how she was alive. All she could focus on was Draco's face, his lips, his eyes...
"WAKE UP!" Ginny screamed, shaking him so roughly that she was surprised he didn't break in two.
Ginny stopped shaking him, and grabbed him by the shoulders. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were wide.
"No..." she whispered. Tears that wouldn't fall earlier screamed down her face.
"NO! NO!" Ginny screamed, wrapping her arms around Draco and embracing him in a heart-wrenching hug. She gripped his head, cradling it in her shoulder.
Ginny began rocking back and forth, holding Draco in her arms. Her body shook in sobs.
"Wake up Draco. Please, please wake up," Ginny cried, rocking back and forth.
Her world began to spin, everything around her growing blurrier and blurrier. She continued to hold Draco in her arms, as if she let go he'd disappear forever. The rain began to cloud her eyes, fogging her vision and thoughts. She began to drift out of
consciousness.
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
She looked down at the forest floor and saw the photograph laying beside her. It was drenched, torn, and covered in mud. The girl in photo hovered over her husband lying on the floor beneath the willow tree. Tears fell down the woman's face.
Ginny began to spin, everything around her becoming darker. She held on as long as she could, until she plopped lifelessly in the mud, still holding a dead Draco in her arms.
I just want you to know who I am...
-----------------------
The sounds came first, flooding back into Ginny's ears. They were blurred, but slowly and distinctly they grew louder and separated.
Next came smell. She breathed in, the smell of clean sheets and chocolate drifting through her nose. Where was she?
Ginny's eyes flittered open. Everything around her was blurry, fogging together into one shape. One by one, the shapes became clearer, revealing a bed, a table full of cards and sweets, and a man sitting at the edge of her bed.
Ginny shot up, her heart thumping in her chest. When she recognized who the figure was at the end of her bed, she relaxed, drooping back down into her soft sheets.
"Your awake. Good thing Madam Pompfrey took a break or she'd send me out of here immediately!" the old voice of Dumbledore chuckled. Even though his voice was light and feathery, something in it was sad and foreboding.
"W-what happened?" Ginny stuttered. Everything came as a blur to her. What had happened last night? Why was she in the hospital, and why did her body ache so badly?
"I'm afraid something has happened," Dumbledore spoke gravely, his sad blue eyes meeting Ginny's gaze.
Ginny became startled as the memories flooded back to her. Voldemort. The photograph.
Draco.
Ginny's breaths became shallow once again, reaching out, searching desperately for air. The world around her began to spin, and she leaned back into her pillow, shutting her eyes tightly.
Nothing ever happened. It wasn't real.
"That wasn't real," Ginny spoke sternly, keeping her eyes closed.
"I'm afraid it was Miss Weasley. Voldemort came to Hogwarts, and," Dumbledore stopped, pausing before he spoke the rest of his sentence," Draco is dead."
"No, he's not," Ginny started to cry. She kept her eyes shut, but felt the warm tears fall down her cheeks. She felt exhausted and empty, as if someone had drained her of all her life and soul.
"I'm afraid so–"
"NO HE'S NOT!" Ginny yelled, her eyes flying open, letting the tears now fall fiercely down her scared and bruised face.
"Voldemort overtook Draco's body last night, dragging you to the Forbidden forest, where he then tried to kill you both," Dumbledore spoke calmly through Ginny's incessant 'no's' as she shook her head back and forth fiercely.
"It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It was a nightmare...just another nightmare..." Ginny chanted to herself, not really believing the words issuing from her mouth. She shook her head back and forth, tears falling freely down her face.
Dumbledore didn't argue this time, only reached out a hand and laid it over Ginny's gently. Ginny jerked away.
"Then tell me," Ginny began threateningly,"why I'm still alive?"
"Do you remember," Dumbledore began patiently, rising from the bed to his feet," the bright light that blinded you after Draco sacrificed himself?" Ginny cringed as Dumbledore said the last part. Draco didn't die! What didn't he get about that?
"Yes," Ginny replied weakly, playing along with Dumbledore's explanation.
"When Draco gave his life for you, it issued more love into the picture then Voldemort could even imagine. The picture began to glow, the love piercing into Voldemort's skin. Love ran through your veins too, which allowed you to break the ropes binding you to get to Draco. Voldemort couldn't take it. He fled. And that's when I arrived," Dumbledore finished, his sad eyes piercing Ginny.
It couldn't have happened. Why did Dumbledore keep saying all this! It didn't happen! It couldn't have! She couldn't lose Draco. Why didn't Dumbledore understand that it was just a dream?
But soon, realization and grief overtook Ginny as she recognized the truth. She began to sob helplessly, cradling her head in her hands. A mixture of true saddness and loss of hope swarmed through her veins.
Draco was dead.
"Why," Ginny spoke through sobs,"did Draco have to die?"
Dumbledore sighed and sat back down onto the bed. He looked down at the floor.
"Love is a powerful, powerful thing. It protects all who use it. It conquers all that try to penetrate it. But most of all, it overtakes those who truly experience it. Draco loved you Ginny. He sacrificed himself for you. He sacrificed his love. The photograph penetrates love so powerful..."
"IT WASN'T EVEN REAL!" Ginny screamed, hopping from the bed and grabbing the thing nearest to her, a box of chocolate frogs, and hurtling it towards the wall. "THE PHOTOGRAPH MADE US LOVE! IT WAS ALL A SPELL!" Rage overtook her emotions, screaming at her to grab everything she could and crush it into a thousand pieces.
"You don't understand," Dumbledore still spoke calmly, gazing at the floor. "The photograph doesn't create love, it filters it. It brings two that are meant to be together to each other, that without the photograph's help, they would have never realized their love! Don't you see? Narcissa Malfoy gave Draco the photograph, hoping that it would lead him to his true love! To true happiness! If there wasn't love between you and Draco, then the photograph would have never worked! It filtered your love, sucking it in and focusing it together so that it could penetrate all!"
"BUT IT DIDN'T WORK, DID IT!" Ginny continued to scream, letting out all her frustration and anger out on Dumbledore. "DRACO STILL DIED DIDN'T HE?"
"It did work. Voldemort didn't get the photograph. He couldn't touch it! Love won, Miss Weasley. And even now, the photograph still works. Can't you fell it? Don't you feel the unbreakable love flowing through your heart?" Dumbledore rose, shaking his fragile hands out in front of him, emphasizing his words.
Ginny closed her eyes in anger. All she felt right now was rage, sadness, anger, and unbearable grief. She felt no love. Because her love was gone...
At that moment, Ginny took in a breath. Her body grew warm, so warm that she felt she was on fire. She opened her eyes to realize she was looking up at the ceiling. The heat ran through her body, and straight to her heart. And that's when Ginny realized that Dumbledore was right. She felt it. Now stronger than ever. But that, above anything, made her grow more angry.
"You..knew.." Ginny gritted through clenched teeth. "YOU KNEW ABOUT IT! I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY DREAMS! I TOLD YOU!"
"You told me about your dreams, yes. I knew something was going to happen, but I didn't know what, or when. Voldemort was slowly easing himself into Draco's heart and mind, whispering to him, telling him horrible things. But your nightmares are what troubled me. Why would Voldemort be telling you of his plans? Didn't he want them to be kept secret? That's when I realized, and to late, what I hadn't known all along. Draco had the picture. That is when everything began to click in my mind. Voldemort strives on power. Power to rule, power to lead, power to conquer all. When the photograph sensed this, it knew it must be destroyed. This is when it started warning you in the form of dreams, showing you the future." Dumbledore finished, raising his head up to meet Ginny's gaze. His eyes were sad and mournful, regret swimming through them. Ginny felt herself ease.
"But, one time, at my house, I felt like the dream was real, and that it was overpowering me," Ginny spoke, confused.
"Ah, yes. Voldemort noticed that you were having these nightmares when you and Draco became so close that night. He tried to use them against you, making them seem real and unstoppable. But, alas, love once again conquered him. When Draco spoke to you, you heard his voice. And finally, when he kissed you, you awoke into the world, realizing that everything was just a nightmare."
Ginny was stunned. She couldn't believe that the answer to everything had been right in front of them the whole time. Guilt swarmed through her body, overtaking her. She fell onto the bed, tears drenching the white sheets around her.
Draco was dead.
And it was all her fault.
Her back shook in sobs. Her face pained with guilt and regret. She felt two arms embrace her and knew Dumbledore was holding her. She cried onto his shoulder, her body shaking beneath his grip.
A silent tear trickled down Dumbledore's wrinkled cheek.
"I'm sorry," Ginny heard him whisper.
Ginny sobbed harder, clawing Dumbledore's back.
Next to Ginny on her bedside table, the photograph of a lonely red-haired witch, now in a frame, fell to her knees. She held her head in her delicate hands and cried. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Until tears weren't enough to show grief.
A/N: I know everyone is going to hate me after this. I don't blame you. I would hate me too. But bear in mind that this was terribly hard to write. It took forever to try and get it right, which I still think I haven't accomplished. I loathe it, hate it, and believe its the worst chapter I have written so far. PLEASE tell me if I should revise (NO! Not my plot, just the writing! LOL). I've been building up on this ever since the beginning of my fic, and now it's here. Maybe that's why it was so hard to write. One chapter left. Hopefully this news will brighten you up...possibilities of a sequel! If I decide to do that, there will be an epilogue chapter. Review and tell me your thoughts!
Special thanks to Victoria Lily for editing and Emmie Elizabeth for help with the idea for the picture.
Victoria Lily edited it and added lines in such as "Tears weren't enough to show grief.." ...I have to give her credit for that! It was brilliant!