Warnings: Extreme cheesiness
Chapter 39
Never before had Draco considered that a color could be cruel, especially not a shade as unassuming as white. White, the color that represented purity and innocence. White, the color that splashed the hospital walls, unyielding and cold.
A magical clock was ticking against the far wall to his left, the words "Be patient" emblazoned in cheery white font under its round frame.
Draco had decided to stop looking at the time a few hours ago, the minute and hour hands didn't hold the answers that he wanted anyway.
To his right was a pane of thick glass that stood as a solid barrier between his waiting room and the adjacent one. Trust St. Mungo's to have a separate waiting room for each injury, malady, and condition.
So far, he had been left alone in his waiting room and he still wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. Being alone meant that he didn't have to say anything to anyone, he didn't have to worry about someone witnessing the world as it fell out from under his feet and flipped upside down. No one would see his final breakdown.
It also meant that he was alone with his thoughts and fears. Thoughts that traveled his mind, seeping into his veins until his skin itched with guilt and self disgust.
What if she dies?
It should have been you.
You should have been there to save her.
You should have never asked for a new partner.
Is she alive?
Why hasn't anyone said anything, yet?
There was the slow click-clack of shoe covered footfall coming around the corner and Draco lifted his eyes from the white tile floor, up past the pale white hands in his lap, and over to the white door jamb.
He heard the sound of a woman weeping, the sound rising in pitch and volume as it came closer.
"Shh, Darling, Everything is going to be alright," he heard a male voice whisper in soothing tones and then color entered his vision as the couple entered the waiting room.
"Mollywobbles, you have to breathe, darling. That's it."
"Our baby," she sobbed into her husbands shoulder.
"She's a strong one. She'll pull through," Arthur Weasley mumbled as he led his wife to a chair at the right side of the room and sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms. Neither of them noticed the quiet man that sat near the room's center.
Draco would have recognized them anywhere; he had seen them many times when he was a boy and even more as an adult. Their family feud had faded to cautious acceptance over the years since his father had been taken to Azkaban. It was an awkward position to be in, sitting near the parents of the girl that you are in love with. The same girl that may or may not love you back and that may or may not be dying.
Mr. Weasley placed his cheek on top of his wife's head, a tear streaming down his cheek as he pressed a kiss into her hair. The blond forced his eyes back to the floor, looking away from their pain and their strength, Strength that he didn't feel.
Molly peeked over her husband's shoulder, rubbing wet eyes against his sleeve as she looked into the pane of glass behind them. She sniffled and shifted slightly, reaching for the handkerchief that was tucked in the pocket of her ankle length pleated skirt and froze, a reflection catching her eye.
There, in the glass she could just make out the figure of a man sitting, hunched over in his chair. His hands clasped and hanging between his thighs and his eyes locked on the floor.
"Arthur!" she hissed, shaking her husband slightly and turning in her seat to see the man instead of the reflection. "Look!" she hissed in her husband's ear, pointing at the blond man that sat only a few seats away, still wearing his Auror robes from the night's raid.
The balding man looked to where his wife pointed and then back to his wife. "Molly…"
"He might know something, Arthur. Please."
Draco heard their heated whispering and couldn't help but to look their way once more, when his attentions were noticed the room grew silent as the three people stared at each other, unsure of what to say.
"Mr. Malfoy," Arthur ventured awkwardly.
"Draco, sir," the younger man corrected and Arthur nodded.
"Draco it is," he said pausing, "My daughter speaks very well of you," he murmured.
Molly sobbed quietly at the mention of her daughter, "Were…Were you there?" she asked.
"Yes," He answered quietly.
"Have you seen her? Have they said anything? They won't tell us—"
"Molly—," Arthur soothed, rubbing his wife's back in slow and expanding circles.
"They haven't told me anything, either, Mrs. Weasley," Draco offered, feeling sick and ignoring the clock to his left. Not wanting to know how long he had sat here with no word. How long it had taken to alert her family.
"Oh," Molly uttered, cuddling back into her husband's side. "At least you weren't hurt dear," she said after a moment. "Ginny, wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt, she admires you."
"I don't deserve to be admired," he mumbled under his breath and Molly ignored him. It seemed that now that her tears were dry that she wanted to talk-- To keep her mind off of all of the terrible possibilities. She stared straight ahead, unblinking as she watched the clock.
"Our boys should be here soon, they're very worried. When we found out we called them right away."
"She'll be happy to see them," Draco said and Molly turned her eyes to him.
"Yes, she will."
"Ginny is very lucky to have so many people that love her," Draco said, his mouth falling into a frown as he forced back all of the emotions that wanted to break free.
Molly looked at the silver eyed man for a long time, staring through him as if he were transparent, as if she had only just realized what his presence meant. He was the only Auror here, waiting for word. They had seen the other Aurors standing by the nurse's station, awaiting reports, but Draco was here, for Ginny, and he wasn't even her partner anymore. She had never had a real conversation with Draco Malfoy, but even she could admit to a noticeable change in him from his younger self. It wasn't difficult to put two and two together.
The redheaded woman offered him a watery smile, "We are all lucky to have Ginny."
To an outsider, the three people must have seemed very strange as the time ticked by. The blond man sitting by himself, lost in his own thoughts. The balding man sitting by his wife, his arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, the only thing anchoring him to the present. The red headed woman, telling stories of her children and their lives, anything to keep herself occupied.
It was when Draco had finally given up the battle with the clock, glancing at the now early morning hour that the rest of the Weasley's arrived. Each of them somber as they entered the room and rushed to their parent's sides.
"What is he doing here?" One of the twins asked their father, gesturing to Draco.
"He's here for your sister," Arthur said, effectively ending any discussion before it could begin.
"How's Simone, Bill?" Molly asked her eldest son.
"Fine, Mum. She's at home sleeping. Fluer stayed behind to watch her."
Draco could just make out the vestiges of conversation to his right, barely paying attention to the words that were spoken. He became lost in his thoughts again, only to be interrupted as a shadow fell over him.
He looked up slowly, taking in the form of a stocky redhead, his hair more orange than his sister's and his skin darker than the rest of the freckle covered family. What caught his attention though, was the missing right arm.
"You're Charlie," Draco noted carefully.
"You're Draco," Charlie responded with an ironic and half-hearted smile. "Mind if I sit?" he asked, motioning to the chair to Draco's side.
"No, of course not," Draco said warily as he sat up straighter, his still sore muscles protesting the movement.
Charlie sat beside the blond haired man slowly, studying his profile and Ministry regulation robes before speaking, "How did it happen?"
Draco's silver eyes met the other man's blue, he searched Charlie's face, looking for any reason to not trust his motives and wondering just how much he could or should say.
Charlie sighed, "They wouldn't tell us anything. All that we know is that she was badly injured during a raid, when they called my parents they said that she was near death. Now, my brother Bill and my sister have both worked with you and they both seem to think that you're a good chap, and I'm inclined to agree with them. I don't want to cause any trouble, I just want to know if my baby sister is going to be---"
"It was an avalanche…or a landslide. I don't know," he said rubbing a tired hand over his face. His hand fell back to his side and he looked over to the other Weasley's, nodding at Bill silently in a show of greeting and respect.
"Was she…"
"I didn't see it happen, I was overhead. It was supposed to be so simple. We never thought—"
"It's alright," Charlie reassured, patting Draco on the back lightly. "You don't have to say anymore."
Draco looked at him with a look of both relief and apology. He hadn't sorted everything out in his own mind yet, he couldn't even begin to put it all into words.
At the other side of the room, Molly had begun to cry again, "I can't loose another child. This isn't fair; a mother should not have to outlive her children," she wailed.
"I better go over there," Charlie said, standing.
"Yeah," Draco breathed as the other man walked away. He took a few deep breaths, letting each out on a long drawn out exhale.
The sound of hurried footsteps filled Draco's ears and he looked up, hoping that it was news. Any news.
What ended up spinning around the corner and into the room was neither a hospital employee nor news.
"Harry!" Molly exclaimed, using the same tone she had used to say the names of her sons. The black haired man glared at Draco as he passed, moving over to accept Mrs. Weasley's hug.
"How is she?" Draco heard him ask.
"We don't know, dear. There hasn't been any word," she replied as she pulled away from the green eyed man.
Nobody said a word as the time passed by. The room seemed lifeless, eight people sitting silently in their chairs, not moving. When a final pair of shoes echoed their movement down the hallway and a man dressed in all white robes entered the room, life rushed back into their bodies and they all jumped to attention.
"How is she?" Arthur asked first.
The doctor unfolded his hands in a calming wave before opening his mouth to address the situation at hand.
"Ginevra has suffered extreme trauma," the doctor began, "When she arrived to our care she was not breathing and her heart had stopped, she had sustained open compound fractures to both legs, and multiple closed simple fractures to her arms, there was a compression fracture to her spine and her ribs."
Molly sobbed and both of the twins placed a comforting hand on her shoulders.
"Your daughter is very strong. We managed to resuscitate her and she regained her heartbeat."
"Oh, Arthur!" Molly moaned, slumping against her husband.
"But?" Draco asked, stepping forward, his blood rushing in his ears.
"…but, as we began to work on her bones, her heartbeat began to slow. There was internal bleeding, of the lung and stomach, and her body had gone into hemorrhagic shock."
"Is she alright?"
"Yes, she is resting very heavily now. After six hours of surgery, potions, and spells her body is exhausted."
Draco glanced over at the clock. Had it really only been six hours? It had felt like a lifetime.
"Can we see her?" Bill asked suddenly.
"Yes, but before you do, I think that I should make you aware of what all of this might mean."
The room seemed to cool by several degrees as the healer paused.
"There's something wrong..."
"We can't say for sure. Her bones are healed and will continue to knit together for a few weeks, and her internal injuries, while stabilized will also need more care," he sighed, rubbing his eyes gently, "Hemorrhagic shock and hypoxia can be tricky. While we have hope for a full recovery there is a chance of permanent brain damage. When she awakes we will be able to test her, and we will need to begin her rehabilitation right away for her arms and legs. That is the best case scenario."
"What is the worst?"
"She may not wake," the doctor said apologetically.
The room became solemn, "Can we see her?" Arthur questioned, choking on the words.
"Of course," the doctor answered quietly as he led the way out of the room.
Draco stood, waiting patiently as the Weasley's filed out into the hall. When the final redhead exited, Draco moved to follow, his tired feet dragging along the floor.
Ginny. He'd finally be able to see her.
He was almost to the door when a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder, strong fingers digging into the flesh under his robes.
"Where do you think you're going, Malfoy?"
"What does it matter to you, Potter?" he groaned. He didn't even bother to turn around or to pull himself out of the other man's grasp. He didn't have the energy. All that he wanted to do was to see Ginny. To see, with his own two eyes, that she was alive.
He urged his body forward, shuffling a foot out and in front of him only to be yanked back as Harry gripped his shoulder even tighter, spinning him in place.
"Don't you think you've done enough?" The dark haired wizard rumbled. "Haven't you caused enough pain?"
"Excuse me?"
"Pfft, don't give me that look."
"Are you off your rocker, Scarhead? Look, can't we just—I just want to make sure that she's alright."
"She'll be fine. She has people like me to watch out for her."
"What are you implying?" Draco growled.
"I'm implying that it's your fault she was injured! You should have protected her," Harry spat at him, a finger poking into his chest as he shouted. "She could have died! She might never be the same."
Draco stood quietly as he was accused, as his integrity and ability were questioned.
"Don't you have anything to say?" Harry taunted.
"You don't understand" he said lamely, "I wasn't near her. She's not my partner anymore. If I could have saved her, I would have, but--"
"You're a sad excuse for a hero, Malfoy. Always trying to be something you're not, aren't you? Ginny might not see it, but I do. You're still the same pathetic piece of shite."
It wasn't the words that made him angry, he expected them. It was the fact that his lifelong enemy was putting into words the exact same thoughts that Draco had been having, himself.
If I hadn't switched partners, I would have been by her side, watching over her. I should have saved her, if only I had been a bit faster. If I wasn't so selfish, so stupid, so slow. I was too pathetic to be a killer and I'm too selfish to play the hero.
She deserves better.
"You don't know what you are talking about, Potter," he tried, exhaustion coating his words as he ran a hand through tangled silver-blond hair.
"I can't believe that she left me for a scumbag like you," Harry snarled between clenched teeth.
Draco's head shot up, "Wha--?" he didn't have enough time to react as Harry's fist came flying towards him, connecting with his nose with a nauseatingly wet crunch.
Molly Weasley looked down at the sleeping form of her only daughter.
"Hi, baby," she whispered, holding the finger's of Ginny's right hand in her own.
Her daughter was almost unrecognizable, the Mediwizards had cleaned her up the best they could but her skin was still stained with dark bruises that stood out brightly against her pale form. Her face was swollen in places and as Molly brushed red hair away from her face, she could feel just how cool and clammy the young woman's skin really was.
"You have to come back, Gin-Gin," Fred murmured in his sister's ear, placing a kiss against her temple, and Molly smiled at him gently from the other side of the bed.
"Yeah, Gin-bug. You can pull through this. This is nothing, remember the time that you fell from the tree house when you were three and Fred and I…" George sniffled, trying to cover the sound with a slight cough and laugh, "And we tried to set the bone in your leg? Or the time we almost blew up the bathroom while you were in the shower? We've put you through much worse than this."
The room's occupants grew quiet as they watched her breathe, heartened by the shallow rise and fall of her chest under the blankets.
"Someone should go to her flat and bring her some things from home. She'll want them when she wakes up," Molly thought aloud and Bill nodded.
"I'll go," he said.
"No, I'll go. You need to get home to Fluer and Simone. They'll be worried," Charlie protested and Bill clapped him on the back appreciatively.
"Thank you."
"That's what siblings are for," Charlie argued, looking over at his sister's small form, "We take care of each other."
Molly's eyes began to water once more and she snuggled into her husband's arms, "Oh, Arthur," she mumbled and he sighed in her embrace.
"She'll pull through, and when she wakes we'll be here," he said, hoping that just saying the words would make them true.
Blood gushed down his nose and Draco wiped it away, smearing it across his cheeks. He felt the need to spit and he coughed up a chunk of thick, bright red blood. It splattered against the pale tile floor and he groaned, trying to staunch the flow of blood from his nostrils.
"Bhut tha 'ell wud that bor?" he yelled, glaring at the other man as he tilted his head back, letting the blood drain.
"You disgust me. How could she choose you?"
"Bhut arr voo talking adout?"
Harry swung at him again and this time Draco managed to duck, slipping on the now slick floor in his haste to get away from the, obviously insane, man.
"I was going to marry her. I was just waiting for the right time to ask and then she tells me that we can't be together anymore. That it's because of you."
Draco stopped in confusion. Ginny had broken up with Potter? Because of him?
"Bhut?" he asked incredulously.
"Don't sound so shocked. It's what you wanted, is it? You've always wanted what I've had. Does it make you happy to know that you've ruined my Life?!" he yelled, swinging once more and connecting messily with Draco's jaw.
Draco stumbled back, the hit hadn't been spot on but it had still stung.
"Bo're crazee!" he shouted, massaging his chin.
"How did you do it, Malfoy?" Harry asked, breathing heavy. "How'd you steal her from me? Did you give her some sob story? Some tale about how hard it was to grow up as the poor little rich boy? Did you cry as you told her about watching Daddy being taken to Azkaban? Huh? What about how you couldn't kill Dumbledore and then were rejected by your lord? Does it still hurt to realize that you were so repulsive, that neither side wanted you?" he ranted.
Draco couldn't take it anymore, he lunged, jumping on the other man and knocking him to the floor. He reared back, slamming his fist down onto the other man's face.
He could feel blood and sweat mingling together and sliding down to his lips.
"She wants me! I bon't care adout anyone elz," he spat, blood and spittle spraying from his mouth as he spoke.
"You don't deserve her, and as soon as she realizes that she will be back at my side," Harry screeched, pushing the other man away from him roughly and leaping to his feet.
Draco watched the green eyed man carefully as he rose to his feet, "She'll bever go back bo voo."
"You're wrong. She loves me, she's just confused right now. She'll realize that I'm better than you," he seethed.
"Oh, b'ok," Draco said sarcastically, his laugh wheezing out of him, "One queztion, though," he said holding up a finger for emphasis.
"What?" Harry scowled.
"Bhen she goes back to voo…Do voo think she'll still be sneaking indu my bed?"
Draco was silently congratulating himself on his own cleverness when he was slammed into the wall.
"Just remember, Ferret. I had her first. Ever wonder if it's me she's thinking about when she comes?" Harry asked nastily and Draco's eyes flashed with angry fire.
He shoved the other man's chest, and Harry stumbled back. Draco balled his right hand into a tight first, winding it back when he was distracted by a shout down the hall.
"Security! Come quick! There are two men fighting!" a female voice hollered and Draco faltered.
He had only paused for a moment but it was long enough. He looked as if in slow motion, back to the other man just as a fist came hurtling towards him.
He felt the shooting pain of his head being knocked back into the hard wall, his skull cracking against the stone and then the white room became very, very black.
One month later.
It had been a week after her surgery that Ginevra Weasley had opened her brown eyes to the welcoming world. She had stirred under the covers and blinked up into the warm eyes of her parents.
"Hi mum," she had said, startled when her mother burst out crying. "Daddy?" she asked nervously, only to smile when her father had offered her a reassuring and joyful grin.
"Glad to have you back, Gin-bug."
Life wasn't all joy and dancing, though. Far from it, for the last three weeks, since waking up, Ginny had been subjected to rigorous rehabilitation exercises and tests that left her mind and body exhausted. Her physical therapy appointment wasn't going to be until three o'clock today so she had some time to rest and chat with the seemingly constant stream of visitors.
"That's pretty," Luna said dreamily, fingering the base of the magical snow globe on the table beside Ginny's hospital bed. In the globe was a Victorian couple that waltzed in an ever-blooming garden, flower petals falling, instead of snow, over head.
"Mmhm, mum bought it for me," Ginny responded, glancing at the couple as they stopped dancing, deciding to take a break and rest on the bench that sat beside a fountain of sparkling blue water.
Ginny huffed out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest.
"What?" her friend asked, laughing at her.
"I'm just so bored," Ginny complained and Luna chuckled again.
"You'll be out soon enough."
"I know, the doctors say that my progress is 'impressive'," she said, tilting her head sarcastically as she emphasized the last word, lowering her voice into a deep tenor in
A perfect imitation of her doctor
"Well, it is, Gin. It's not every day that someone comes back from death."
Ginny nodded, "Did I ever tell you that I hate it when you're right?"
"Then you must be a very hateful person," Luna shot back, a funny gleam in her light blue eyes.
Ginny stuck out her tongue and shifted her position, sitting up straighter in her bed.
"Here," Luna smiled, fluffing her friend's pillows for her.
"Thanks," Ginny said, sitting back, "Neville and Clara came to see me yesterday."
"How are they?"
"Oh you know, busy, happy...engaged."
"Engaged? Wow, that's fast."
"Yeah, I was shocked," she laughed.
"How did he propose?"
"I don't know. I was too excited and then the mean old nurse chased them away so that I could rest," Ginny pouted.
"What about Draco? Has he come to visit, yet?"
"No."
"Are you alright?"
"I will be. I just…wish that I could talk to him," she let out a deep exhale, her fingers twirling in the blanket that covered her legs, "The doctors say that I can return to work in another week. Maybe I can talk to him then. "
Luna decided to tread lightly over the subject and turned the conversation to safer ground, "It should be nice to get back to work."
"Yeah, but it will be weird. I still don't remember that night, you know? I know that we were in a raid and that I was injured, but I don't remember. Kingsley told me that my partner died, but I don't remember him at all. His name was Taddeus, isn't that a funny name?" she asked, without humor.
The doctors had told her that she suffered from Lacunar Amnesia, a type of amnesia that only affected one traumatic event. In Ginny's case, she couldn't remember the raid or the life of a man named Taddeus Hayes. It was bizarre, not being able to remember a person; it was almost as if he hadn't existed at all. It made Ginny feel sick to think about it. It could have easily been her that had been wiped from existence; she could have been the one that had been forgotten.
She remembered everything up until the raid. She recalled the planning and the agonizing hours spent awaiting the full moon. She just couldn't remember anything past that. It was as if her mind had skipped a few scenes, fast forwarding to the day she woke up in the hospital.
"Wrackspurts," Luna concluded sadly.
"What?"There was a knock on the door frame, and the two women turned to see who had interrupted them.
The light from the hall was bright and all that Ginny could make out was a shadowy male figure as her new visitor entered the room. The shadows fell away under the new light and Ginny swallowed nervously.
"Hello, Harry," Luna greeted softly.
"Hi, Luna. Mind if I speak with Gin alone for a few?" he asked.
'Don't leave!' Ginny's mind screamed as her friend gathered her things and stood.
"Of course not, I should be getting back to work anyway," Luna confessed, turning back to her friend, "I'll be back in a few days," she said.
"Alright, Lu. Thanks for stopping by." Ginny sat silently as Luna left the room and Harry took her newly vacated seat.
Ginny tapped her fingers together as the silence stretched on, speeding from awkward to uncomfortable so quickly that she had to say something to save her own sanity. She wouldn't be able to stand it if this visit was like his last.
"Last time I saw you, you were sitting over there," Ginny pointed towards the corner of the room, "and you didn't say a word."
"I didn't have anything to say."
"Do you have anything to say now?"
His brows furrowed into a frown, "I suppose. I've had a few weeks to calm down now, sort everything out."
Ginny dipped her head, looking down at her hands guiltily. "That night, when---when you told me, I was so angry and I said a lot of things that I didn't mean. I'm still in love with you…"She heard Harry shift beside her, the chair creaking as he moved and then thick fingered hands entered her vision as they wrapped themselves around her own clasped hands.
"Ginny," he whispered, and she looked up, meeting his earnest expression and sorrowful green eyes. "Are we really over?"
"You know the answer."
"Yeah, but I was hoping that all those rocks had knocked some sense into you," he teased, knocking on her forehead lightly.
"Harry, don't," she said, reaching up and pulling his hand back into her own, "Don't make this harder than it already is."
"I just don't understand."
"I love him, that's all you need to know" she said, her body language and wide eyes a testament to her remorse, "Oh Harry, I never meant for it to turn out this way."
"I should have never left," he whispered, his breath dancing over her knuckles as he pressed a kiss to her fingers. "If I had stayed…Would it have been different?"
"…I don't know."
"I'm sorry."
"So am I," she admitted and his fingers tightened around hers. They were silent for a moment, both lost in their thoughts when Harry spoke up once more.
"I want to be able to say that we can still be friends. That I'll be there for you. But, I can't—I will always look at you and want to be with you. Always regret leaving and allowing him to steal you away," he bristled and Ginny reached up a hand, running it through his hair, soothing him.
He pulled himself away from her with a sigh, removing his hand from hers, and taking one last deep look into her eyes.
"I'll see you around, yeah?" he said after a minute and Ginny's eyes prickled with tears. They were the same words he had said to her nearly six years ago before leaving to search for the horcruxes.
"Yeah," she croaked out and he gave her a small smile, before leaning over to leave a gentle kiss on her brow.
She closed her eyes as his cool lips chilled her skin, when she reopened them a moment later, he was gone.
"Goodbye, Harry" she whispered to the empty room, a small, sad smile hovering upon her lips. "I wish you well."
Draco sighed, stirring another lump of sugar into his tea. The employee lounge was filled with the usual morning chatter and he stared down at the leaves swirling in his cup bitterly. Why does everyone have to be so cheerful and energetic?
It was as he made his way to the door that a name caught his attention, freezing him in place.
"Weasley is back," a brunette Auror said from his seat at the round table at the far side of the room.
"Already?" His friend asked, he was a short bald headed man that Draco barely recognized. He was sitting backwards in his seat and resting his chin on the back of his chair.
"Yeh, apparently they're lettin' her return early," the brunette explained, his thick, Scottish accent filling Draco's eager ears.
"Not for field work," the other Auror said, aghast.
"Nah, just office stuff 'til she's finished her rehabilitation."
Draco didn't even feel the weight of his cup falling away from his fingers and he flinched, jumping back as it shattered to the floor.
"Are you alright?" A voice asked from his side and he managed a slight inclination of his head that didn't really count as a nod.
"What's Malfoy's problem?" another Auror asked, and soon whispers filled the room.
Without bothering to clean up his mess, or to even repair his favorite mug, Draco stepped numbly from the room.
His feet carried him down the hall and as he was turning down a corridor to the left, he could have sworn that he had seen a flash of red from the corner of his eye.
He changed his direction so quickly that he almost knocked over the intern that was moving down the hall.
He threw a simple apology over his shoulder and continued his fast pace in his new direction. He didn't think to realize that he barely ever apologized for anything, especially not to an intern. He couldn't question silly things like behavior of action right now; those thoughts would just get in the way.
He stopped at another fork in the hall, cursing the architect that had designed the Ministry and Auror Headquarters. Deciding to take another right, he rushed down the hall, it didn't take him long to find the source of that unique shade of red.
She was moving slowly, her arm looped in Tonks' as they walked into an office at the end of the long hall.
She's here.
He walked backwards a few steps, his eyes locked on the door that they had entered. He had a mad thought of barging in and whisking her away and shook himself. He needed to regroup, he realized.
He moved blindly down the hall, turning in mid-step and leading his body to Ginny's office-- The office that they had once shared.
He entered the room quietly. The room looked exactly the same, the same two desks, ink pots, and quills. One of the desks, however was completely empty, no paper work lay on its surface and no personal items.
Tadd's desk had been wiped clean; the only reminder of his service to the ministry was a small plaque in the trophy room that sat on the wall beside the names of other officers that had died in the line of duty.
Draco looked over to Ginny's desk, noticing the large pile of papers that sat there, the pile having grown since his last visit.
During one very trying day, Draco had wondered into her office, to feel closer to her. He had walked into the room and the first thing that had caught his eye were the ever-blooming roses. He had become incensed and upon his lunch break had taken the time to replace said roses with ever-blooming moon daisies.
Those same moon daisies smiled up at him now from their vase at the corner of her desk.
Draco could feel his nervousness filling him to a painful level. He tried to sit and then stood back up; he would lean against the wall and then pace. He felt out of sorts and unsure of himself. Draco Malfoy did not appreciate either feeling.
He knew that she would come here, when she was done with whatever meeting she was having with Tonks. Ginny was the type of person who got right back on after she was kicked off the (proverbial) horse.
She would come straight here, to face the paper work that awaited her. At least he hoped that she would.
It had killed him not to see her for the past month and a half. It killed him to not know how she was doing or if she blamed him. He had wanted to visit her in the hospital so many times, only to think better of it. He didn't want to cause her extra stress; he wouldn't want to risk her recovery.
More selfishly, he was scared as hell.
He was scared of not knowing what to say, of her judging him, or rejecting him.
He was having trouble sleeping at night, wondering if she was ok and wondering if Potter had been telling the truth when he had said that she had left him for Draco. He certainly hadn't seemed in his right mind at the time, what if he was mistaken.
Draco snorted at his own thoughts. But still…Had she?
He was deep in thought when a jiggle at the door knob caught his attention.
Time slowed as the door knob twisted on its axis and the door pushed away from its frame, opening towards him with a creak. He held his breath as she was revealed to him.
She didn't seem surprised at his presence, in fact she looked as though she had expected it, as she calmly entered the room and closed the door gently behind her back. she gazed at him, those familiar brown eyes locking with his own, seeing through him and down into his core.
They stood like that, just staring for a long while. It was Ginny that looked away first and Draco was thankful for the break, his emotions were too strong right now. She turned those brown eyes down to her fingers, and he watched as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, feeling braver now that he knew that she was not as confident as she seemed.
"I asked him, you know," she directed at the floor.
That was her opening line? They hadn't seen each other in over a month, he had be agonizing all of this time over the fact that he had almost lost her forever and wondering how he could ever win her back and this was the first thing she had to say to him?
It was the weirdest thing to hear her say. He had expected an awkward 'hello', angry shouting, or questions about why he hadn't visited her. But this was …what was she talking about?
"I asked him, like you wanted me to," She elaborated, raising her brown orbs to his once more, a secretive smile curving her lips, "Now I want to hear your answer."
"What's the question?" he inquired, even as he wracked his brain for the answer. Should I know this? Is this a test?
She was quiet for a moment and Draco swallowed loudly. "What do you love about me?" she asked breathily.
He was absolutely gob smacked.
What did he love about her? Everything. There wasn't one thing about her that had escaped his attention over the years, not one thing that he didn't love. It may have taken him a long time to realize his feelings, but once he had, they just grew to enormous proportions, straining at the boundaries of his heart and mind. Expanding and changing with him, every part of him becoming infused and affected by her. Everyday, every moment that he spent with her, caused him to grow. It had been terrifying at first but once he had accepted it, everything had seemed to just fall into place.
He watched her as she began to fidget again, shifting from foot to foot nervously as she waited for his answer, an answer that he was finding hard to put into words. He could feel her embarrassment building at his lack of verbalization, her face growing pink under his scrutiny.
After a moment he saw her shoulders sag, just the slightest bit, and she turned to face the door, her fingers weighing lightly against the door knob.
"I love it when you fidget." he blurted, cringing slightly as the words slid from his lips. Malfoy's did not do sonnets, or serenades, or mushy love letters…and they definitely did not admit to the depth of their feelings just to keep the woman they loved from leaving a room. But here he was doing just that. His river of words grew to an ocean as his mind filled with all of the things that he wanted to say, needed to say, because this could be his last chance.
"I love how brave you are," he continued, as she turned to face him again, "How you're not afraid of anything except for hurting the people that you care about. I love how excited you become over the simplest things and how your mood effects everyone around you. I love the way you bite your lip when you're thinking something over. Or the way that your face scrunches up when you laugh, the way it relaxes when you're content. That one little tooth that always catches on your lip when you really smile…I love the way you make me feel as if I would die if you weren't here to keep my heart beating."
She watched him silently as he spoke, her eyes impossibly large in her face as she nibbled her bottom lip.
"…And I hate that you have the ability to make me say such ridiculous things."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she walked over to him. When she was just a few inches away from him, she leaned in so that her lips were only a breath away from his, "Thank you for the flowers," she whispered against his mouth teasingly.
Then, before he could take advantage of the situation, she turned on her heel, making her way to her desk.
"Well, Time to get to work." She announced as she fingered the stack of parchments on her desk, "Look at all of this…you would think they'd take it easy on a girl that was just released from the hospital."
Draco could feel his jaw hanging open and he closed it with a snap.
"That's it?" he all but yelled. "I pour my heart out and all I get is a 'Thank you for the flowers'-you're welcome by the way- and now you're ready to 'get to work'?" somehow he managed to hold back to pout that threatened to ruin his perfectly indignant expression
She gave him a mischievous smile as she licked her thumb, flipping through another stack of papers. She lifted her quill, signing her name at the top of her report.
"Yup."
He laughed incredulously, a hand coming up to pull at his long blond hair as he plopped into the chair opposite her desk. "You're unbelievable." He laughed again, his eyes unfocused in confusion.
"But you love me." She sing-songed and Draco's eyes focused back on her, a growl escaping his lips.
"Oh, you are in for it, Weaslette."
"I look forward to the challenge, Ferret."
"Dinner. Tonight."
"You're paying."
"Of course."
"Fine."
"Fine."
A/N: Epilogue to follow! I think the song below fits this fic pretty well, lol.Once again my research may be a little off, I am not in the medical profession and all my information comes from the web. ): wikipedia is my weapon of choice so of course my info may be doubly bad, lol. I do skip a bit back and forth from 'healer' to 'doctor' in this chapter, just to keep with my previous chapters. Just thought I'd say something, since it bothers some people, hehe
Just a few more loose ends to tie up then it will be time for my fic to be ruined by book 7 ):
I had no choice but to hear you
You stated your case time and again
I thought about it
You treat me like I'm a princess
I'm not used to liking that
You ask how my day was
You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault
Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's not lip service
You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault
Alanis Morissette- "Head Over Feet"