Above All Else
Chapter 10

Ginny held Draco's body in her arms, holding him as tightly as she could, willing him to live, as the battle raged on. Her tears fell in torrents soaking the front of his robes in just seconds. He didn't move, his body remained limp in her arms as she shuddered with despair, but the battle continued.

Slowly, very slowly, the students and professors began to overcome the Death Eaters, those who had been too stupid to leave, those that hadn't noticed the defeat of their leader. They fell, being stunned and put in full body binds, their wands taken and snapped mercilessly.

But Ginny continued on, as the people moved around her, she stayed where she was, unmoving except for when her body was racked with pain and shuddered again. She held onto Draco's limp body while the Death Eaters were taken away, she held him when the students were lead back to the school, save for three.

Harry stood away from Hermione and Ron who were clinging to each other for support. He was meters in front of them staring at Ginny crying on the ground. His cheeks were tear stained, the streaks highly visible as they'd washed away the dirt on his face.

He couldn't move, he couldn't make himself leave. He'd sent Lily in as soon as he found her, telling her he had to stay. Ron had done the same with Susan. They were both feeling guilty. They'd torn the couple apart maybe even caused Draco's death.

Harry stood alone because he couldn't bear to be around anyone and Ron clung to Hermione because he needed her support. The pain of seeing his sister so heart broken had caused him to stumble back at first, only to be caught by Harry and righted once more.

Between the four there was nothing more than strong love, love so strong that they felt connected in a way, but it wasn't the love Ginny felt for Draco. It was friendship, friendship so close they felt as if they'd known each other all their lives, as if they'd grown up together, as if they were all brothers and sisters. And they were really, nothing more than brothers and sisters, torn apart by the death of an old enemy.

They stood for hours while Ginny continued on, her tears stopping when she had no more. She continued to sob, her voice hoarse as it echoed through the empty area.

Ginny shook Draco again, willing him to live, trying to push her life into him. He'd changed so much. "You're a Gryffindor, Draco," she said into his chest, her words so muffled that when they reached the ears of her friends they were nothing more but sobs. "You are a Gryffindor," she said again, "I love you.

"I'll tell you a story, my prince," she said, her voice lowering. She retold his story. The one he'd told her days ago as he'd held her in his arms. She told it over and over again, her words still too muffled to be heard by her friends. She continued to tell the story when her voice was so hoarse it was nothing more than a whisper, after the sun set, after the moon rose high into the sky. The last word ushered from her tongue the last time, her voice completely gone, as the sun began to rise.

Harry's legs were about to give out and Ron and Hermione were struggling to hold themselves up, but they didn't notice. They didn't notice the extreme pain, the way their bodies were cramping up and going numb.

No one approached them, no professors came up to them, Ginny's parents didn't run to her side. They couldn't, they knew they couldn't. They couldn't bear to disturb the four, couldn't bear knowing they'd have to tear Ginny away from the man that had saved Harry's life. They couldn't bear it and knew it wouldn't be right. The four would have to accept it on their own, accept the death of their enemy.

They did watch though. There were eyes on them all night. Occasionally, a spell would be sent out to the four to help them endure their vigil. They were kept from collapsing, kept from loosing consciousness, kept from dehydrating, kept from anything but keeping watch.

"I love you!" Ginny screamed into Draco's chest, her words carrying no sound, "I love you!" she screamed again. Her voice was gone, and her words nothing more than a croak, but she screamed it again and didn't stop until the sun was completely up.

When it rose above the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest Ginny finally rose out of her crouched position, her entire body cramped and she looked down at Draco. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he were just asleep. Ginny smiled a grim smile, he was still Draco. She caressed his face, his face soaked with cold morning dew, and licked her lips that were as dry as paper and leaned down. She kissed his lips, his warm lips.

Ginny could feel breath on her cheek as she kissed him, his breath, his faint breath coming from his nose. She jerked back dropping his body and scrambling away on her arms and legs in a crab-like walk. She slipped and fell into the mud, her entire body becoming covered in it.

Harry ran to her, his cramped legs killing him and took her in his arms. He pulled her tight and she squeezed him and buried her head in his chest, thinking she'd just imagined it, just imagined that his lips were still warm and that she could feel his breath.

"Ginny," Harry said softly, his voice rough from the night, "what is it, what happened?" He too was hoping the man was alive, hoping Draco was alive so he could apologize, hoping he could admit that he was a git for treating him so horrible, admit that he was wrong for keeping him from Ginny.

Ginny pulled back and looked into Harry's emerald eyes, she touched her lips, and mouthed, "Warm," and then touched her nose and mouthed, "Breath."

Harry's brow furrowed, even if he wanted to believe it, he knew it couldn't be true. He heard Ron and Hermione behind him. Ron appeared on the other side of him, "Ginny," he whispered as he caressed her hair, "let me take you inside," he said, his words still soft and soothing.

He slipped his arms under her body, his hands and arms becoming caked in mud and lifted her up, Harry standing with his friend so Ginny wouldn't fall. Ginny turned and buried her head in Ron's chest and he started towards the castle, his legs fighting his every step.

Harry watched them walk a few steps and then looked at Hermione. Their eyes locked for a brief second, his face determined and grim. She didn't stop him when he turned and walked over to Draco's body. He fell to the ground in front of the body, his knees making a loud squelch as they sunk in. He dropped his head to Draco's chest and listened for a heart beat. He hoped it would rise, but it did neither, to his detection. He leaned back and ran his hands through his soaked hair. He tore his glasses off his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose before putting his glasses back on. He looked down at Draco's face.

"I want you to live, Draco," he said to serene face. He looked more human, he looked like a person. His hair wasn't slicked back. He didn't wear a scowl. He looked human. "I want you to live for Ginny, because I love her. I've always loved her, she's like a sister to me. My heart will forever be broken for her." He bit his lip and remembered what Ginny had tried to tell him.

He focused on Draco's lips. He wiped his muddy hand on his wet robe, trying to get them as clean as he could. He raised his hands, stopping millimeters from the man's lips. He hoped, he prayed, he asked Merlin to grant the man life, and let his fingers fall upon the lips.

They were warm.

Harry almost jumped back as Ginny had but he waited, he drew his hand back and blew some warm air into them. He blew until he knew they were properly warm. He worked them until he knew they were the proper body temperature, they weren't frozen from standing outside all night. He blew air into them one last time before putting them back over Draco's lips. He hesitated and let his fingers fall upon the lips once more.

They were still warm.

He held his hand in front of Draco's nose. He could feel it. He could feel the soft, almost nonexistent, breath on his hands.

"He's alive!" he shouted, "he's alive." He looked back at Hermione, "He's alive." He looked towards the castle, Ron and Ginny were steps from the doors. "He's alive!" he yelled loud enough for them to hear. He could see Ginny struggling to get free of Ron.

He scooped Draco into his arms, the weight of the body fighting him, but he endured his aching muscles and started to carry him back. Ginny broke free and started to run towards him. Harry soldiered on, the pain searing in his body from standing for so long.

Ginny reached him and Ron was only a step behind. She looked up at Harry, asking him with her eyes for a confirmation. "He's alive," Harry grunted as he continued on. He watched Ron scoop Ginny back up and start to carry her again.

Hermione slipped up front and as they reached the doors she looked back, her two friends carrying the bodies, and pushed the doors open. The entrance hall was filled with people. The entire Weasley family looked up, their faces taught with stress, their eyes red from tears.

Hermione moved to the side and turned back to see Ron come in with Ginny. People rushed forward to take Ginny and catch Ron as he collapsed, the pain to horrible to bear any longer.

Harry walked in, Draco lying limp in his arms, but he didn't make it to the throng of people. He fell to his knees, "He's alive," he grunted again as he sat back on his feet, still clinging to the body.

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"Test it on me then," Ginny heard Hermione say loudly. Ginny stirred in her bed, she tried to push herself up but couldn't so she stopped trying. She let her eyes close and listened to the people around her, waiting for sleep to reclaim her.

"We can't test it on you, you're not under the spell," Professor Snape said, his voice civil and almost warm.

Hermione shuffled, guarding Draco's body, "I don't get it," she admitted to him, she hated it but she had to tell the truth, "I still don't get the spell."

Snape sighed but it wasn't an agitated sigh, "You helped me with the potion, how can't you understand it?" he asked calmly. He wasn't rude he wasn't angry, he was normal. He was treating her like an equal.

Hermione shuffled again, "It doesn't make sense, explain it again, one last time," she pleaded. She didn't want him to test the potion on Draco, she wasn't confident in her work, she wasn't confident that it wouldn't kill Draco instead of reviving him.

Snape sat down, "Sit down, Hermione," he said softly. She followed his orders and waited patiently for him to explain it one more time. "He knew he couldn't kill Harry. Every time he tried he was defeated in some way. So, he found a spell, an ancient spell. You appear to be dead, but you're not. If Harry appeared dead then we'd treat him as dead, burry him and cut of his oxygen, cremate him, embalm him."

"So," Hermione started, trying to rationalize, "it slows his vitals down," she said almost to herself, "I just, I understand, I guess I have the entire time, but…" her voice trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Snape sighed, "You're bright and I've been doing potions all my life, we can't wait forever, we can't wait until you absolutely positive," he said before standing. Hermione didn't rise to protest and he walked over to Draco. He opened the Draco's mouth slowly and tipped the potion into his mouth.

He watched, he watched for an hour. He held his hand in front of his nose to make sure he was still breathing. He watched until Harry came and took over, his hand in front of Draco's nose, hoping the breath wouldn't die away.

It took hours, but eventually, Draco's chest heaved as he took in a deep breath. His lungs filled with the much needed air.

Ginny heard it and she sat up, her body no longer protesting. His chest heaved again and she stared on, waiting for him to come to. He took in ten more deep breathes, all counted by every person watching.

He bolted up, his eyes opening. Tears started to fall down Ginny's face and they both got out of their beds hurriedly. They ran towards each other, Draco staggering on his legs, his body protesting to the sudden movement.

He wouldn't have made it, if it hadn't been for Ginny's face, he wouldn't have made it one step, but he continued on, and they met in the middle of the room. Their bodies collided and their arms wrapped around each other, as they fought to remain standing.

"I love you," they said as one as the held each other as tightly as they could, almost squeezing the life out of the other.

Draco looked down at Ginny and Ginny looked up at him, as if both were thinking the same thing. Draco brought his hands up to grasp her jaw in his hands and he brought her lips to his, pulling her into a deep kiss.

They could feel the world fade away, feel for that brief moment the world revolving around them, feel their heart pounding furiously in their chests, the explosions going off all over their body. Above all else, they could feel love, love so great it had saved lives and bridged gaps, love so great that it had prevailed above all else.

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A/N: You've taken t he time to read... so please review!