Author's Notes: Part Two! Woop Woop! Go me! Much love to my faithful reviewers!
Disclaimer: Come on. Siriusly. (Snort) Siriusly….
The Great Hall watched the scene in amazement. Draco Malfoy had burst in carrying a body. But nobody could see who it was. Some students had even stood on the tables, but with no luck. Who ever it was, was covered with a cloak. Professors McGonagall and Snape had gone running to the Head Boy. In moments Draco and the body were taken on stretchers to the Hospital Wing.
Whispers broke out. "Who was it?" "Did Malfoy do it?" "Did you see Malfoy's eye?"
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Harry Potter and Ron Weasley looked on with curiosity. Both thinking that Malfoy was responsible. Knowing him he probably hurt who ever it was and brought back the body. To make him look like a hero, after the whole Ginny thing. Granted only the Trio knew about Draco and Ginny. But that still wouldn't stop him from staging something like this.
Dumbledore told everyone to resume their breakfast and reminded them that class was in less than an hour. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged before returning to their flapjacks.
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Hermione Granger felt as if a hairball had gotten caught in her throat. Draco Malfoy had burst in with a body. From outside. Hermione knew it was Ginny. But she was alright? Wasn't she? Nothing had happened to her, right? But she had been carried in. Hermione felt as though she was going to throw up. If Ginny had been okay she would have walked in. As far as anyone could tell she hadn't even twitched. Hermione tried to convince herself that it was someone else. That Ginny was fine. Anything other than what was happening before her eyes.
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Up in the Hospital Wing Madame Pomfrey quickly began to work on Ginny Weasley. Only her and Minerva had seen that it was the Weasley girl. Once she had been transferred to one of the beds Pomfrey scanned the Gryffindor with her wand. Her eyes became watery as her wand confirmed. Broken arm, sprained ankle, mild concussion, and near frostbite. Poor dear. Pomfrey choked back the tears as she gathered her supplies.
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Two beds away Snape was helping Draco Malfoy. He collapsed onto the bed. He was exhausted and cold. Snape quickly fetched a Pepper-Up Potion mixed with a sleeping aid and handed it to the boy. Draco shook his head. Snape shoved the potion to him but Draco only shook his head.
"Draco, drink it!" Snape snapped at him.
He shook his head once more. "Not until I know she's okay." His voice cracked, the words coming out in a faint whisper.
Snape's arm dropped. Draco was a Malfoy. A cruel, stuck up Malfoy. And here he was, showing compassion for another student. Snape turned to Pomfrey and McGonagall, who were both, huddled over the girl. Pomfrey had removed Draco's cloak, revealing an extremely pale redhead. Snape's hair flipped as he turned back to Draco. "A Weasley?"
Draco looked down at the ground as he nodded. He knew Snape would lash out at him. Worse, he would tell his father. Lucius wouldn't be pleased. But to Draco's astonishment it was Professor McGonagall, not Snape who lashed out at him.
"Draco Malfoy!" McGonagall rushed to Draco and shook his shoulders. "I demand to know what happened to Ginerva Weasley!"
Draco kept his head down, trying not to make eye contact with McGonagall. She was known for her nasty temper when worked up.
"Speak boy! Or I will have your badge!"
Draco could care less about his Head Boy badge. As long as she was okay. Parting his lips he whispered. "She got locked outside…. I went after her…. She fell off a broomstick…Is she okay?"
McGonagall's mouth opened to speak but Snape beat her to it. "Am I to understand Draco that you care for the Gryffindor girl?"
Draco nodded. "Yes."
Instantly McGonagall's face softened. Glancing over at Pomfrey who was wrapping Ginny's ankle in gauze McGonagall sniffled. "A Gryffindor and a Slytherin! Friends! It's like that muggle play, Romeo and Julie."
"Juliet." Snape muttered under his breath.
"Is she okay?" Draco asked again, now directing his question to Pomfrey. As the other two adults had neglected to answer.
"A few broken bones and a mild concussion." Pomfrey smiled. "Nothing to serious."
Draco looked over at Ginny and sighed before lying back on his own bed. He felt relieved, knowing she was going to be okay. However, all his emotions and pains that he had put on hold rushed over him. Draco was simultaneously sore, frozen, and utterly exhausted. He now took the potion that Snape had handed him and drank it in a single gulp. Just as his eyes began to close Draco looked to Ginny. You are safe.
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Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Great Hall and headed towards Charms. Hermione hadn't eaten another bite since Draco's entrance, but neither Harry nor Ron noticed. Likewise they hadn't noticed that she had been completely silent. They began theorizing about Draco and the body. Harry believed it was a Muggle child. Stating that it was a big thing in the Muggle world. A complete git saves a child's life. Ron firmly believed that it was a hoax. It was probably a doll or something Draco had transfigured to look like a person.
Halfway to Charms Harry realized something. Turning around he asked Ron, "Where's Ginny?…"
Ron open his mouth to respond but too realized that she had never shown up at breakfast. "I…….I don't know." Ron began to scan the hall, as if Ginny would pop out somewhere.
"Hermione have you seen Ginny?" Harry asked.
Hermione put her hand over her mouth, feeling the same bitter taste in her mouth. She wanted to believe that the last twenty-four hours had all been a dream. She wanted to believe that Ginny was still up in the sixth year girl's dormitory, sleeping. She wanted to believe that Harry liked her back. But none of it was true. Without looking back she ran to the nearest girls bathroom.
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Hermione joined Ron and Harry in Charms ten minutes later having emptied what little she had in her. She felt sick and very guilty. A small voice in the back of her head tried to convince her that nothing had happened, that this was not Hermione's fault. That little voice was losing. Miserably.
Harry and Ron had decided that they would go drag Ginny out of bed during the sixth and seventh year break. They figured that she deserved to sleep for awhile. Hoping that a good night's rest would bring her back to her senses.
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Ginny Weasley woke in a very uncomfortable position. Her head throbbed, her right arm felt disconnected from the rest of her body and she felt as if she had been put into a large oven. Opening her eyes she found herself staring at ceiling instead of the sky. Ginny jumped up but didn't get far. She sat up merely an inch, only to instantly lay back down due to the pain in her head. Seconds later someone was at her side. Ginny tried to speak but felt dizzy. The room began to spin as Ginny fell into darkness once more.
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Draco woke up three hours later feeling as good as new. Glancing down Draco noted that Pomfrey had mended the scrapes from the Whomping Willow. He sat up, refreshed and quickly turned his head towards Ginny's bed. Pomfrey was leaning over her placing a dark cloth on her forehead. Draco panicked. "Is she okay?"
Pomfrey glanced up at her second patient's question. Turning from the Gryffindor to the Slytherin Pomfrey shook her head slightly. "She's got a bit of a fever. She came to for a moment, but she slipped out again."
Draco gulped. Ginny was sick. It was his entire fault. No. Draco stated remembering last night's events. He had tried to get to her through the front door. But Granger had stopped him. She knew Ginny was out there. Yet she let Filch lock the doors. If Granger hadn't stopped him, Draco could have gotten to Ginny sooner. Instead he spent hours looking for a way out. But even once he had found her Draco was stuck outside with Ginny hurt and frozen. Yes, this was all Granger's fault.
Draco clenched his fist as Pomfrey came and inspected him. She declared him fit and told him to march straight back to his room and rest. He was excused from class for the day. Draco barely registered it as Pomfrey helped him off the bed. It wasn't until she clapped her hands that he began to listen.
"You are free, Mr. Malfoy." She pointed to the door. "You may go."
"Can't I stay with her?" Draco replied, looking at Ginny.
"No, it is best you go back to your room and sleep."
"But, but, "
"Now, Mr. Malfoy. Or shall I call for Severus?"
Not wanting to anger Snape further Draco clamped his mouth shut and shuffled towards the door. Pausing to take one last look at Ginny Draco sighed and shut the door behind him.
---
Draco pushed open the doors that led from the Hospital Wing to the rest of the school. His ears were met with the sounds of students walking, talking, and laughing. Glancing at the clock Draco noted that it was a ten-minute break between classes. He hung back; not wanting to answer any questions or try to fight is way down to the Slytherin common room. So he sat on the step and listened to the students below. Not more than a minute latter he heard a voice. A voice that made his blood boil and his hair curl.
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Hermione snapped out of her inner-battle to stop a scuffle between a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin. Pulling out her wand she silently put both students into a body bind. She instantly went into bossy Head Girl mode. "Under NO circumstance is Muggle fighting allowed!" Hermione then began to lecture on about rule breaking.
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Meanwhile Draco began to fume. This was her fault. He quickly stood and made his way down the last fifteen steps to the main hall. It was crowded with students who had stopped and stared at the Head Girl. No one had noticed Draco come down. Hermione was now saying that attacking another student was not only rude, but also wrong.
Draco scoffed said loud enough for the entire hall to hear. "Oh, but leaving a student outside in the middle of January to FREEZE is perfectly okay."
Hermione's eyes went wide at the sound of his voice. Every head turned to Draco, who was standing at the bottom of the steps, his arms folded across his chest. Harry and Ron glared at him, from a few feet behind Hermione.
"What the bloody 'ell are you talking about Malfoy?" Ron questioned.
"Where's your sister Weasley?" Draco replied.
Ron's eyes went wide and he leaped at Draco. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HER?"
Not even flinching Draco responded. "Ask Granger."
Ron looking extremely puzzled turned to Hermione. "What is he talking about Hermione?"
Tears began to well up in Hermione's eyes as she placed her hand on her mouth. Although she had nothing left in her stomach, Hermione felt the need to hurl again.
"Hermione?" Ron inched his way toward her. Every eye on her.
"Yes Hermione. Where was Ginny last night?" Draco was biting back the urge to hex Hermione to oblivion.
Hermione glanced at Ron, then Draco. It couldn't be true! She refused to believe it.
Seeing that she wasn't going to talk Draco began to walk forward, the crowd parting as he went. "Tell him, Granger. Tell Weasley why his sister is lying sick and mangled in the Hospital Wing."
Ron turned to Draco. Ginny in the Hospital Wing? How, When? How would Draco know? Suddenly it dawned on Ron. Draco had just come down the stairs from the Hospital Wing. He hadn't been seen since breakfast, when he carried in a ….
Ron rounded on Hermione again. "What happened to Ginny, Hermione?"
"Ginny spent the night laying unconscious and hurt on the Quidditch Pitch." Draco answered. Every mouth hung open. "Because the Head Girl here, locked her outside. Without a coat. In the middle of January."
Hermione burst into tears looking at the livid Ron. "I didn't know she was going to get hurt!" She backed away from everyone. "I didn't mean it. I didn't know!"
Ron shook his head and quietly said, "How could you Hermione?"
Crying harder Hermione responded. "SHE CALLED ME A MUDBLOOD! SHE HAS A PERFECT BODY! SHE HAS THE ATTENTION OF EVERY BLOODY BOY IN SCHOOL! NO WONDER MALFOY HAS BEEN SNOGGING HER FOR AGES!!!"
Everyone in the hall gasped and turned to Draco. Who shrugged and coolly replied, "Sue Me. I like her."
"AND I WAS JEALOUS! OKAY! I HERMIONE GRANGER, AM JEALOUS OF GINNY WEASLEY! I WANTED TO TEACH HER A LESSON!" Hermione was now sobbing, staring at Ron.
Ron looked disgusted. "She is my sister."
"YOU CHEWED HER OUT WHEN YOU FOUND HER WITH MALFOY! YOU HAVE ALWAYS HATED HIM!"
Now it was Ron's turn to yell. "YES BUT HE DIDN'T TRY TO KILL MY SISTER!"
"I DIDN'T TRY TO KILL HER!"
"NO. YOU JUST LEFT HER OUTSIDE TO DIE!!!"
Hermione looked to Harry for help, but he glared at her and shook his head. Hermione cried harder, her entire body convulsing. "I am sorry." She whispered. "I am so sorry." Taking a final look at Ron, Hermione burst through the crowd and ran.
Everyone now turned his or her attention to Draco, who still stood in the outer part of the hall. He gave a weak half smile to Ron. "I like her."
Meep! Part two is done. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know……
I promise more Draco/Ginny interaction next chapter.