THE PERFECT STORY
by shiningbright
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Harry Potter, besides this STRICTLY FANFICTION idea.
A/N: Yeah! Chapter fifteen! What a milestone! I plan on this story having at least twenty chapters, so we'll see. Anyway, I wanted you guys to know that my 100th reviewer (Lord, it's so AWESOME to be able to say that) will be able to suggest a oneshot (or songfic if they wish) idea for me. Anything. You can give me a list of required words, like Drooble, flobberworm, Avada Kedavra, and slinky, or a word count, like 1000 words...Whatever! Let the randomness ensue!
Well, here's chapter fifteen, one of my favorite so far.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HELSINKI SYNDROME
Ginny trailed Draco out of the room. "Does this mean I'm still kidnapped?" she asked eagerly, catching him. "Now that you're not the bad guy anymore?"
Draco flipped around, his face softening. He dug his hand into his robes and unearthed her wand. "You can have it if you promise you won't do anything to me once I hand it to you."
"Promise," Ginny answered, grinning. Things were turning around after all. Draco tossed Ginny the wand.
He had done his best to resist her, to block out his feelings for her, but seeing her now, ruffled, slightly weak from his own curse, and smiling, he couldn't help it. Grabbing her in his arms, he kissed her as hard as he could muster.
His heart soared when she kissed back. "Oh, Gin," he whispered. "I'm so sorry…"
"It's okay," she replied softly, nibbling at his ear. "It's fine, really, fine."
"No, it isn't," he answered, pulling out of her embrace. "Don't you see, Ginny? Even if I turn good guy, I still killed so many people…too many people… They'll kill me, Gin, or send me to Azkaban..."
"No! No they won't!" Ginny said resolutely. "I'll fight for you, Draco, I'm a journalist, a reporter, and this is what I do! Give the world a nudge! I'll write the article, saying who you truly are! They can't send you to Azkaban because the idiotic Bellatrix Black blackmailed you into killing all those poor people!"
"If only it was that simple," Draco answered. "But right now… Well, we'll worry about it later! People are dying. The other Death Eaters don't know that I'm not in charge anymore. They'll still listen to me. I'll call them off. And then I'll turn myself over. But stay here, watch from the window, if you must. If they see you, they'll know something's up."
Ginny nodded and turned back to the room as Draco ran down the stairs in the direction to the grounds.
Kingsley Shacklebolt deflected a rather nasty curse and shot a stunner at a masked Death Eater. They were losing- badly. He could only hope that the students inside Hogwarts were safe, although he had seen several seventh years he recognized from an assembly fighting along with the ministry.
As the minister, it was his job to uphold the government and to tell people what to do- not fight in battles. Although he had been an auror once, he had retired from that line of work after You-Know-Who was defeated. But, alas, someone always rises to take the antagonist's place, and that was Draco Malfoy.
Shooting another stunner and hopping to the side to dodge a shot of green light, Kinglsey looked up at the sky. It had been drizzling since the battle had begun and now it was pouring. He stared around at all of his so-called army. Many lay broken on the ground, some dead, some less whole than before. Few remained like him, healthy and unhurt, just tired and disgusted. Kingsley remembered all those days in the gym. They had certainly paid off.
As he shot another spell immobilizing another Death Eater, Kinglsey was grazed by a shot of orange light. Immediately, paralysis set in, working from his left side to his right. "Oh no…" he moaned, using his right hand to stun another set of bad guys. "Oh no…"
The rain pattered down on his face. The mere traces of hope he had had only moments ago dissolved to be replaced by pessimistic thoughts. He was going to die, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Someone stood over him. Kingsley, eyes closed to block the rain, only felt the person's shadow and heard the vibrations that meant words. Suddenly, warmth spread through him, until he regained the use of his limbs and torso. Jumping up, he stared wildly around. Who had given him such a gift, the gift of a second chance?
Around him were huddled the bodies of Death Eaters and Ministry members alike. Kingsley felt tears prickle in his eyes. This had to end. Too many had already died.
"Stop!" shouted a voice from the other side of the field, on the stairs entering Hogwarts. The speaker had used a spell to magnify his voice. "Stop! I repeat! Stop! Retreat, Death Eaters! Now!" Immediately the Death Eaters withdrew. Kinglsey squinted his eyes. The speaker was none other than Draco Malfoy. Why was he calling them off? They were winning, weren't they, the Death Eaters? Either something had gone terribly wrong, or wonderfully right.
A moment later Draco Malfoy appeared out of the crowds in front of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Kingsley recoiled. "What do you want?" he quivered, realizing Malfoy could kill him now and there wasn't a thing he could do about it.
"I'm turning myself in." Draco answered unwaveringly. Kingsley couldn't believe it, but did as the man said. A thousand Death Eaters immediately ran in all different directions, searching for the nearest hiding place after realizing their leader was no longer in charge.
Ginny Weasley sipped at a mug of steaming coffee, trying- and not succeeding-to enjoy the morning paper. Headlines boasted of capturing the intangible Draco Malfoy, of the reported fifty-six dead from Hogwarts, of the school's depressing but inevitable shutting down, and a rather short article on the suicide of Bellatrix Lestrange after being found by several ministry officials.
It was a busy morning at the office, and her first day returning to work. Dick Davison, her boss, had welcomed her with open arms and had complimented her on her figure. Dennis Rockwell, her infuriating colleague, had tried his best to be glad she had come back. Ginny knew he was probably just depressed she was still alive. Davison had called a meeting after her arrival and, with all the news coming in, they needed to get organized. The meeting was to start at ten and it was nine thirty.
"I'll fight for you, Draco, I'm a journalist, a reporter, and this is what I do! Give the world a nudge! I'll write the article, saying who you truly are! They can't send you to Azkaban because the idiotic Bellatrix Black blackmailed you into killing all those poor people!"
Ginny recalled the promise she'd made to Draco, about fighting for him by writing an article, saying who he was. It would be difficult to write, what with the limits on length, but she was pretty confident Davison wouldn't mind. After all, she hadn't written an article for over a week!
But before she wrote anything she had to visit Draco.
shiningbright
