Ch. 6 How To Save A Life

A/n: I know that I have been seriously neglecting this story in favor of Take My Hand which has been much easier to write for some reason. I'm trying very hard to finish this so just bare with me.

When Ginny opened her eyes, she knew at once she was no longer at Hogwarts. She looked around the room and realized she wasn't alone. Next to the bed, Draco was asleep in a chair only inches from her and Ron was asleep on a sofa against the wall. Out in the hall she could hear people talking but she didn't know what they were talking about or who they were. Someone knocked on the door and both of the boys were roused from their sleep.

"Come in" Ron spoke, his voice hoarse and tired. The door opened and her parents walked in together. Ginny's mother looked terrible, as if she had been crying for a long time and her father looked tired and guilty.

"Oh Ginny" Her mother sobbed wrapping her arms around her. "The healer said you hadn't woken up yet."

"I just did." Ginny was still confused by what was going on so she looked over to Draco hoping he would fill her in.

"Madam Pomfrey thought it was best to have you transferred to St. Mungo's ." He sounded off like he was keeping something to himself and Ginny began to worry.

"And what else?" She pressed knowing someone would give her the information she wanted.

"The baby's heart rate dropped enough that the healers are worried. They don't think you should go back to school Ginny." Ron stood stretching.

"We think it would be best for you and the baby if you came home. You can finish your work through owl. We have already spoken to Dumbledore about it and at the end of the year someone from the ministry will come to monitor your NEWTS so you can take them at home as well." Ginny could tell by the way her mother spoke that she was leaving out something. She also noticed that her father looked anywhere but at her.

"But?" She questioned. Why wouldn't anyone just tell her everything already?

"But, you're parents have consulted an adoption agency. They still want you to give up the baby." Ginny could tell without even looking at Draco that he was grinding his teeth together in anger. There was probably more he wanted to say.

"Well then I'm going back to school. I'm not changing my mind. So you two are free to go." She was quickly moving towards anger as well. How dare they come to see her and think they could just make her do whatever they wanted and not what she wanted?

"You can't go back to school. The healer says this whole thing was probably caused by too much stress at school. Please Ginny; just come home so we can take care of you."Ginny's mother begged and her resolved wavered. She missed her family so much that it hurt.

"I'm doing what I have to do to take care of my baby. It is my baby. Mine and Draco's and we are not giving it up to anyone. If you can't accept that then please leave." Ginny bit her lip desperately trying not to cry.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley just stood there for a moment before sighing and turning to leave. Ginny took a few deep breaths before facing her brother and Draco again.

"So when can I go back to school?" She placed her hands protectively over her stomach waiting for the baby to kick her like usual. She smiled, swallowing her tears as soon as the familiar nudge pressed back against her hand.

"It depends on when the doctor's are positive that you and the baby are well enough to go back. There are many conditions though. You will probably have to do most of your school work from my room or your house. The doctors don't think you should be going to classes every day. Dumbledore said that if you go back to school that you just have to check in with your professors at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week." Draco placed his hand over hers and smiled. "You have to slow down, love, because I don't want to lose either of you."

"Tell her the rest mate. I know my sister if she finds out you knew and didn't tell her she'll kill you." Ron spoke to Draco as he stood and stretched.

"I was getting there and I know she will kill me if I don't tell her." Draco rolled his eyes and glared at Ron.

"Tell me what? Is something wrong?" Ginny began to panic looking back and forth between her brother and boyfriend.

"No, nothing is wrong. The healer's just … they told me the sex of the baby." He spoke slowly as if afraid that Ginny would be upset that he had known before she did.

"Alright" Ginny spoke slowly trying not to be affected by the knowledge that she was probably the last to know. "Boy or girl?"

"It's a boy"

Ginny returned to school the following week and quickly fell into a new routine. She spent all of her days either in Draco's room or in her dorm doing school work. At least now she spent absolutely no time with Ross so the stress from worrying had lifted and by May her biggest worries were about the fact she could no longer see her feet and the fact that her and Draco had yet to come up with a baby name.

"You could just name him Draco Junior." Azlyn laughed as they made their way to the quidditch field to watch Gryffindor and Slytherin play the final game of the year.

"No, absolutely not." Ginny cringed while Hermione rolled their eyes at both of them.

"I was joking" Azlyn put her hands up in defense as the girls began climbing the stairs to join the rest of Gryffindor house.

"I don't remember this being so hard." Ginny panted, out of breath as she settled into a spot next to her friends.

"That's probably because you weren't almost seven months pregnant the last time you did this." Hermione laughed.

"Logan probably won't be very happy that I'm on the Gryffindor side." Azlyn had her eyes trained on the field where the players were all standing on the ground talking. "Not that I think Gryffindor is going to win or anything." She smirked as the game began. "I just don't want to sit with Ravenclaw because Hart is there and I'm not friends with anyone in Slytherin who isn't on the team."

About half way through the game Ginny felt someone tap on her shoulder and she turned to see Craig standing behind her.

"Dumbledore needs to see you in his office right now." He spoke loudly over the cheering crowd. "I'll walk you there."

As soon as they made their way out of the stands and away from the noise Ginny stopped them.

"Do you know what this is about?" Something in her told her that something was off about this. But she couldn't quite place it.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny. You have to believe me. I am so sorry. It's just they took my little sister and said they would give her back if I gave them you." He wasn't even looking at her. Instead he was looking past her and she turned to follow his gaze. About two feet behind her stood Bromwell and Ross and her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest.

"Well fuck." She muttered weighing her options. She could still hear the cheers from the quidditch pitch and knew the game had to be getting close to an end. She could always make a run for it but how far could she really get as pregnant as she was. She could just give in and go with them because that was the safest way. But that was also the most dangerous. They wanted her baby and would do anything to get it. There was no way she was going to let that happen, so she pulled her wand and decided to stand her ground.

"You're out numbered Weasley. I believe that is a bad idea." Bromwell twirled her own wand a smirk spreading across her face.

"I have no idea how you figured out what we were after Ginny. But you did so here we are." Ross smiled and Ginny fought the urge to cringe. She knew Craig was still beside her.

"Do the right thing Craig. You really want to go to Azkaban? Several people watched me walk off with you. They are setting you up to take the fall." Now she was stalling and waiting for the familiar sound that comes with a quidditch victory. Hopefully Ross and Bromwell wouldn't be able to tell when someone won. It wasn't like they could hear the announcer where they were.

"I have to save my sister whatever the cost." His voice was cracked and Ginny knew she was getting to him.

"How do you know they even have her? Or that she is even still alive?" Just a little longer and students would be pouring towards them.

"I …I don't know. But I just can't take that chance." He was sounding desperate now. And then she heard it in the distant. The cheering was slightly louder. Someone had won and by the looks on her would be captors' faces, they had no idea. While Craig battled with his conscience, she slipped her sandals off her feet silently. If she was going to go through with what she was planning, her shoes would be a hazard.

"Forget it. Let's go Weasley. You can either just come with us or it can get ugly. It's completely your call." Bromwell was starting to fidget and Ginny knew her moment was coming.

Then she saw it, students were beginning to leave the quidditch pitch and she took one deep breath before running.

"Hey get back here bitch!" Bromwell began shooting spells but her aim was poor.

Ginny kept one hand protectively over her stomach and the other gripping her wand until she tripped and fell into someone who caught her keeping her from hitting the ground.

"Stupefy" The spell flew over her head at her chaser and she knew the voice who cast it. Her brother stood with one arm wrapped around her and the other outstretched with his wand ready to be used in a moment's notice. Students had stopped all around them and stared wanting to know what was going on.

"What on earth is going on here?" Professor Snape was the first to make it through the crowd.

"She was chasing my sister shooting spells at her. I had every right to stop her." Ron's face was angry and determined.

"Ms. Weasley, is this true?" Snape looked at her as if he already knew the truth.

All Ginny could do was nod her head. She was afraid that if she spoke, she would burst into tears.

"Mr. Weasley, I suggest you take your sister to the Hospital Wing before the cuts on her feet become infected. I'll handle Ms. Bromwell."

Ginny noticed that both Ross and Craig were now gone but at that moment all she cared about was that she was safe and so was her baby. Silently she let Ron lead her back into the castle towards the hospital wing. Before she even sat down on the bed, Draco ran in still wearing his quidditch uniform.

"What happened? I made it to the locker room just in time to hear that something had happened and that you were headed for the hospital wing." He stopped when he got close enough to see her and her now bloody feet.

"It's a long story can we talk about it later maybe." She winced as Madam Pomfrey began to clean her feet and bandage them.

"Fine. Ron can you stay with her until I get back. I need to go shower and get out of this uniform." Draco was visibly grinding his teeth as he spoke and as soon as Ron nodded, he turned and left the room.

"What the bloody hell is going on Gin?" Ron sat down on the edge of Ginny's bed obviously aware of the silent interaction that had somehow gone on between Ginny and Draco.

Ginny sighed, knowing that she would have to just tell him. As soon as Draco returned Ginny explained what had been going on. Draco sat with a straight face the whole time while Ron made several remarks about having to kill people. It wasn't until much later when Ginny walked into Draco's bedroom after taking a well deserved bath that she realized what Draco had been thinking about.

On the bed were several suitcases filled with all of their clothing and belongings. Draco was moving around the room at an almost supernatural pace emptying out his dresser and her trunk.

"Our trunks are too heavy because we have to travel as muggles. I spoke with Severus and Dumbledore while you were in the hospital wing earlier. We will be boarding a train headed for London out of Hogsmeade in two hours. From there we are getting on a plane and going somewhere safe."

"What? Draco, what about school? Our friends? My family?" Ginny sat down on the bed still wrapped in a towel. Had he completely lost it?

"Dumbledore and Snape both told me that finishing the school year may be a complete mute point. Our friends are coming with us. At least Azlyn, Pansy, Blaise, and Logan are. Your brother knows as well but he has to stay with Potter and Granger. The rest of your family turned their backs on you the moment we announced that we were having a baby. This is what is happening Ginny. I'm not taking the chance that they come back for you or the baby. We are getting out of here before they get that chance." He held out some clothes for her and she began to get dressed while processing what she had just been told.

Draco slipped into the bathroom and Ginny could hear the shower running as she also heard people walking into Draco's sitting room. She walked out to see her friends with bag packs all looking a bit apprehensive but determined.

"Are you okay Ginny? Draco told us what happened. I should have just gone with you." Azlyn rambled and Ginny noticed that her eyes looked puffy as if she had been crying. Logan pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head.

"None of it matters now. We're getting away. It's like a vacation." Pansy tried and failed to smile. "Well it would be if there weren't crazy people out to get Ginny's baby and if there wasn't a war going on."

They all shifted uncomfortably staying silent until Draco entered the room with his and Ginny's bags.

"Everyone ready?" Draco's question was answered by silent nods from everyone in the room.

Everyone began to follow Draco as he led them out of his room and down the corridors of Hogwarts. As they stepped outside into the warm air they all paused taking a moment to look back at the castle. And Ginny wondered when if ever she would be able to return here or home.

Then with sad determination they walked away from school and the place that had been there home for many years.