A/N: Hey sorry for the long wait I just started a new job so I have been a little busy. Hope you like don't forget to R&R.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Part Two Chapter 16
I dreamed I was missing, you were so scared
Draco stared into the mirror as he leaned against the sink. Blood covered his face, chest, and shoulders. He hated it. The blood had drenched his blonde hair, dying it red. His hair was red like Ginny's crimson locks. He could not think of her now so he pushed her memory to the back of his mind. He was drenched in the blood of innocent people, whose only fault was that they wanted to believe in the good of the world.
Hate for his father coursed though him. He hated trying new curses on muggles. He hated torturing them until they forgot their name much less the fact that they were human. He hated listening to their cries as his curses worked their cruel effects. He didn't want to kill them but he didn't want to dead. Before he killed them, he would whisper his apologies into the ear of his victim, begging them to forgive him.
His father had laughed and applauded him.
"My, my, Draco, you really are a beast, playing at their little hearts and giving them the smallest ounce of hope before you kill them," his father had said.
If only he knew that Draco had truly meant it. Perhaps he would find out one day. Draco had tried to convince his father to recruit Snape as a double agent but Lucius spat at the idea. He had offered himself but was turned down as well.
"Why would you want to mingle with mud bloods and blood-traitors?" His father had asked.
Draco had persisted and Lucius agreed to think on it. It was something. He dared not hope though, for Lucius had a way of letting you think you had won only to have you really lose the battle. He pulled out the leather band that held his long hair, letting it fall limp around his shoulders. Dull, just like his life. Which, in itself, had become a routine of daily-unwanted habits. He cursed his father as he turned on the water in the shower. The steam filled the room.
He stepped under its scorching flow, barely feeling the hot water on his numb flesh. The water poured like tears down his chest, mingling with the blood. He scrubbed his face until it was pink. He hated the feel of blood on his skin. He wanted it off. Blood stained the shower walls and floor red. He stared down at his feet, studying the light hair on his toes. There was so little life left in him. The hot water beat at the back of his neck, weighing down his hung head. His thoughts returned to Ginny. Could she still love him? Would she accept him for the killer that he was?
Turning off the water, he stepped out the shower. Naked, he walked slowly to the mirror over the sink. He stared into the eyes of his reflection. He did not recognize the eyes that stared back at him. They were the eyes of a killer, the eyes of a man detached from the world. His shoulders drooped from the guilt of the kills he had made. Their faces taunted him every night. He would wake up covered in sweat. Each night his victim would relive the kills he had made and they would all turn in to Ginny. He would see her face pale with death. Her sweet innocent face covered in blood, like his victims.
He shook the image from his head and walked into his bedroom. He grabbed a bed robe from his closet and pulled it onto his still wet body. Grabbing the dreamless draught potion from the small table by his bed, he poured it down his throat. He lay down on his bed and pulled his black covers over his head and hoped for a dreamless sleep
But no one would listen, 'cause no one else cared
Ginny jerked up. Her dream still played in her sleepy mind. She rubbed her eyes and tried to shake the unsettled feeling in her psyche.
"Sorry, did Sevilen wake you again?" Hermione asked from the bed across from hers.
Ginny smiled at her and shook her head. "Just a bad dream. Do you want me to get his bottle?"
Hermione nodded, grabbing a diaper from the bag next to her bed. Ginny made her way to the kitchen and grabbed the bottle from the fridge. It was one of the few muggle items her mother tolerated and it ran on magic, of course. She warmed the milk slightly with her wand and carried it back upstairs.
She paused at the door and listened to Hermione coaxing poor Sevilen to talk. Ever since he said 'Dada' to Snape she had been on a quest to have him say 'Mum'. The poor little thing just stares at her as she makes her ridiculous attempts to get him to talk, but Ginny had to admit it was pretty funny.
"Hermione give that boy a break," Ginny said walking into the room. She handed Sevilen his bottle and plunked him up placing him onto her bed. He snuggled down next to her and his little eyes started to close. Hermione stared in disbelief.
"Did he just go back to sleep?"
Ginny looked down at the tiny bundle next to her with an expression of mocked shock. "I think he did. Would you look at that?" Hermione eyed her suspiciously. Ginny just shrugged and pulled her blanket around her and Sevilen. "Go back to sleep, Hermione. You deserve a rest."
"What? He can't go back to sleep. He has to have breakfast and…and…"
Ginny looked at the older girl. "Hermione, it's four thirty. Go back to sleep, for the love of Merlin. I have him. You just enjoy your rest."
Hermione looked like she was going to protest but Ginny threaten to stand up and place her in bed herself. So, she reluctantly moved back to her bed. "Wake me up if you need anything, ok?"
"Just go to sleep, woman."
With in a few minutes, the sound of Hermione's soft snores filled the room. Ginny lay awake, her thoughts clouding her mind. Sleep evaded her, or did she avoid sleep. She was not sure. But one thing was for sure; she did not want any more nightmares. She tried to mention the nightmare to Hermione a couple times but she just did not know how to go about it. Really, how would you?
"Hey, Hermione, just wanted to let you know I've been having nightmares about killing Draco."
Yeah, somehow she did not see that one going over too well, even if Hermione hated Draco, which she didn't. Her brothers had seen her ring and asked whom it was from but she never answered. She felt as if the Twins were the only ones who truly understood her and even they did not really know her that well.
Sevilen snuggled closer to her body and she smiled down at him. How she wished for a little Draco. She kissed the top of the baby's head. One day, she vowed, letting sleep take her.
After my dreaming, I woke with this fear
A knock on the door disturbed Draco's slumber. He looked at the clock next to his bed. It read four am. This better be good for someone to interrupt his sleep. Groaning slightly, he stood up from the warm sheets on his bed and walked to the door. "What?" He growled as he yanked the door open.
"You were always a morning person, Draco," his father sneered, pushing him self into the room. "I have a job for you."
"When don't you?" Draco mumbled under his breath.
Lucius flew across the room and backhanded the younger man across the face. "How dare you be so ungrateful?" He spat. "I have been nothing but considerate to you from day one."
Draco's cheek stung but he made no attempt to rub his face. He would not let his father see that he had caused him pain. The muscle in his jar worked as he strained to protect his mind from the probes of his father. He threw his walls up and cleared his mind.
"I have taught you well, Son," Lucius said, patting him on the back.
"You said you had a task for me," Draco said lazily but not once letting his walls down.
Lucius smiled coldly at him. Fear pounded in Draco's heart. He knew that smile. He was going to have to kill again. "I located a member of the Order, a minor member, but a member none the less."
Draco kept his mind clear. He knew his father was trying to rouse an emotion out of him. He vowed not to give in. He cleared his throat and recollected his thoughts. "Who?"
"Neville Longbottom."
What am I leaving when I'm done here?
Ginny hated cleaning Grimmauld Place. Kreacher was really good for nothing. She walked into the tapestry room in search for the boggart her mum suspected to be hiding in one of the drawers. She hated the fact that she was always given the jobs no one else wanted to do. The bottom drawer of the desk, by the window, shook. There the little bugger was. She yanked the drawer open and watched as the boggart sprang out. Her eyes widened as she slowly recognized what lay before her.
Draco, covered in blood, was dying before her. She knew this image, lived this image every night in her dreams.
"Ginny," Draco gasped.
She wanted to run and hold him… to save him. No, she reminded herself, this is not real.
"Riddikulus."
The boggart changed into a ghost of Draco.
"Why didn't you save me Ginny? I needed you." Draco asked as tears flowed down his translucent cheeks.
"No," Ginny whispered.
She shook her head. "Riddikulus," she said again.
The boggart changed once more. This time, it was a Draco, alive and well. He sneered at her pointing his wand at her chest. "Did you really think I loved you?" Draco laughed a cold hollow sound. "You filthy little blood traitor."
Ginny felt as if her heart was breaking as she watched Draco raise his wand, preparing to throw the death curse. "Rid..Ri..RIDDIKULUS!" The boggart disappeared into a wisp of smoke. Tears ran down Ginny's cheeks. She had to do more. She would not waste her time cleaning this old house. Tonight, she vowed. "I will convince the Order I am ready to fight."
So, if you're asking me, I want you to know
Draco walked slowly into the dark dungeon room. It was five am and he wanted nothing more then to get this over with and go back to sleep. He tied his hair up and retrieved the knives from the weapon room. The sharp blades on a knife or sword fascinated his father as they sunk deep into flesh, killing its victim slowly.
Neville sat in the middle of the dark room, a single light shone down on him. His face was covered with a black hood and his hands were tied behind his back. Draco watched as he struggled to free himself from the dark room. He sauntered in, slamming the metal door behind him. Neville's head jerked into the direction of the door.
"Who's there?" He shouted.
Draco silently laid the sharp set of various sized knives onto a small table a few feet away from Neville's entrapped body.
"I can hear you," the trapped man whispered. His breathing was ragged. "ANSWER ME!"
Draco leaned against the table and waited for the other's to arrive. Snake Charmers slowly filled the room. Taking their seats in the chairs placed around the top of the room, hidden in the dark, gave them a view of the action no matter where they sat. He waited for the start signal, and, sure enough, the sound of Lucius cane tapping the floor by his chair echoed through the room. Neville jerked in his chair. Draco could smell his fear.
"Are you afraid?" He whispered to the quivering man.
Neville froze, his body covered in sweat. "N…n…no."
"I think your lying." Draco ran the cold metal of his blade down Neville's arm.
"Why are you doing this?" Neville begged.
"I think you know." Draco slowly lifted the black hood from his face.
Neville blinked a few times, slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. Draco stood behind him and leaned forward until his lips were right by the ensnared man's ear. "Forgive me, for I am truly sorry for the wrong I am about to do. Like you, I am also a victim of this war."
Sobs escaped Neville's lips. "You're going to kill me, aren't you? AREN'T YOU?" He shouted.
Draco cut a small slice into the man's arm. "Not yet, Longbottom, you have much to tell me."
When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done
Neville's body was found a few days later. The Order went into an uproar. His body was covered with deep cuts. Words were carved into the flesh of his inner thigh. Molly and Arthur had tried to keep Ginny away but she was the only trained medi-witch in the order as of right now and was the only one with the ability to figure out what really killed him.
She stood over his mutilated body and fought the urge to hurl. Whoever had done this was merciless and cold hearted. She studied each wound, every cut and scratch. Most of his wounds were postmodern. His vital arteries in his ankles were cut first and bled out quickly. He would have been dead in minutes. Yet, that was still enough time for information to be released.
It was almost as if the other cuts were for show. She studied the craved message in his leg carefully. She wrote down the letters on a pad next to her. Looking at the pad, she let out a shriek. Rereading the message, she felt faint.
Ginny covered the body and walked out the room slowly. Harry was standing by the door waiting for her to come out. She had asked for everyone to leave to room when she did her examination.
"So, Ginny, did you figure out what the message said?" She handed him the pad numbly.
"Well, what does it say?" Fred asked him impatiently.
"Forgive Me. D.M."
"D. M.?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
Ginny slid from the room quietly. She walked up the stairs to the bathroom and stripped her robes off. Turning the shower on, she stepped under its hot spray. The tests of the war had begun. Ginny only hoped she was strong enough to pass.
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed
"You did well my son," Lucius said proudly, patting Draco on his back.
"Is this all we are to do?" Draco whispered as he stared out the window he stood by.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Draco turned and walked from the room. The little message he had carved into Neville's body was his only reprieve. A flash of red caught his eye. Stopping, he looked around for the cause. Pansy slid quietly from behind a pillar in the middle of the hall.
"You look stressed," she whispered, slowly walking towards him. Her red dress clashed with her pale skin, he hated her already. She looked like death. "Let me relax you," she purred, rubbing her breasts against his chest. She shrugged the folds of her robe off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Draco stared down at her naked body. Nothing. He felt nothing. Pushing her out of his way, he continued to his room as if the incident never happened.
Lucius watched the interaction from the shadows. What man in his right mind would reject the offer of a beautiful woman? Perhaps Draco was into men. No, he quickly shook that thought from his head. He had seen lust for a woman in his son's eyes before. He made his way to his study, pondering.
Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty
"Ginny?"
Hermione pushed the door open to the room they shared, slowly. She had put Sevilen to sleep earlier and did not want to wake him. She was greeted to Ginny and Sevilen snuggled up on Ginny's bed sound asleep. Sevilen was clutching his bottle in his little chubby hand and Ginny was holding a small photo in hers.
Hermione carefully pulled the bottle from Sevilen, careful not to wake him. She pulled the photo from Ginny and studied it. It was one taken Draco's last year at Hogwarts. They were dancing in the snow, laughing and kissing. Hermione smiled at how happy they both looked. She placed the picture back in Ginny's hand and kissed both her and Sevilen on the forehead.
"I'm sorry Ginny," she whispered before leaving the room.
She bumped into Harry at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey," he whispered. "How is she?"
Hermione eyed him suspiciously. She did not know how much he knew about Draco and Ginny and she was not going to be the one to tell him. "She is still sleeping."
Harry nodded, turned around, and walked into the kitchen. Hermione sat down at the bottom of the step and place her head in her hands.
"Since when did the stairs become a bedroom, Ms. Granger?" Snape asked. "It is still Ms. Granger, I presume."
"Yes, it is still Ms. Granger," Hermione snapped. She rolled her eyes. Of all the dumb luck, he was the one who happened to walk by now.
"How is Hogwarts?" She asked, flashing her teeth at him.
"Fine."
They stared at each other for a few minutes. Hermione stood and wiped her hands on her robes. "Well, if that is all, I guess I'll get going," she said, turning to go back up the stairs. Maybe she would take a nap herself.
Snape nodded his good bye and watched her lush bottom as she made her way up the stairs. He wants to bury himself deep into…What the hell? He needed a drink.
Keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest
The image of Neville's body would not leave her mind. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his tortured body. Ginny had locked herself in the attic. It was quiet in here. She shifted the dust on the floor with her foot and sat down in the spot she had cleared. Pulling her knees up and closer to her body, she wrapped her robe tighter around her. With a soft sigh, she rested her head on her knees.
She wished she could talk to him. Touch him. Ginny saw his face in her dreams. His face twisted with pain as she cursed him to death. Neville's face entered her mind again. How could Draco do this? What was she saying? She knew better then to ask questions like this. Ginny shook her head. She could almost swear she heard his voice.
"Forgive me, Gin."
"I forgive you Draco," she whispered. She twisted the ring on her finger. She would give anything to go back to the time.
"Ginny," her mother called from downstairs.
Ginny stood numbly and made her way to the door. A smile crossed her face as a thought hit her. Life is full of irony. It seemed like only yesterday she was complaining about not being included in the Order and now she wished she could go back to the way things were. "There you are," Molly gasped when she spied Ginny coming down the stairs. "Come quick, they have found another body." Her mother rushed over and grabbed her arm, pulling her to the room where they had placed Neville's body.
"Who is it?" Ginny asked, silently praying it was not anyone she knew.
"That's what we need you for, my dear. It seems they felt the poor bloke didn't need a face."
"Was there another message?" Did she really want there to be another message? Is this how he was destined to communicate to her? Through the bodies of the people he killed, craving messages into their dead flesh, begging for forgiveness.
"Yes," Molly said, opening the door and leading Ginny in. "On his right arm."
Ginny walked in slowly, taking in the body lying before her. Her mother was staring down at the body, horror written over her face. "Leave," Ginny ordered, never taking her eyes off the dead man. "I will come out when I'm done. Do not disturb me."
She waited until she heard the door slam shut before moving over to the body. She knelt down next to him, pulled out her wand, and placed a charm on her nose to help with the stench. The man must have been dead for at least a week, quite possibly killed a few days after Neville.
Lifting his right arm, she studied the letters carved carefully into his forearm.
Always. D.M.
Always what, Draco? She wondered. Studying the body, she noted the difference between the wounds from this man and Neville. This man's wounds were deep and wide. She could see down to his bones in some of them. Neville's had been shallow, cut in spots to bleed heavily even with the smallest cut. Who ever had killed the mystery man did not kill Neville. Which left the question of how Draco was able to crave messages into the body?
Ginny had done some reading, after examining Neville's body, and with the help of Hermione, she was able to master the skill of pulling the last memory of the deceased. The only catch was that the body could not be more then seven days old. In addition, judging by the damage done to the man's face, she did not know how successful the spell would be.
She touched her wand to what was left of the man's forehead and whispered the spell. A small wisp lifted from his forehead. Ginny quickly captured it in the magic glass she kept in her robe. Hopefully this would give her some answers about who he was and how he died.
Leave out all the rest, don't be afraid
I'm worried about you," his father said, walking up behind him as he stood by the lake.
"Why is that father?" Draco asked not really caring.
"When was the last time you bedded a woman?"
Draco turned his head towards his father slowly. This was why the man had decided to seek him out. To find out the last time he had shagged. Shaking his head, he bent down and picked up a rock from the ground. He pelted it towards the lake, watching as it skipped across the water. "Isn't there some where else you could be wasting your time Father?" Draco asked never once taking his eyes from the lake. "Go kill a muggle or something and leave me to my peace."
"Peace," his father snorted. "There is no peace in the life we have chosen."
"Correction, Father, the life YOU have chosen," Draco said in a hallow voice.
Lucius studied his son. A soft smirk appeared on his hard face. "Contest it all you want, Draco, but I have watched you kill. I have studied your face and you enjoy the feeling of taking a life. You savor it. You draw out their deaths with the swallow cuts of the knife. No, a simple death curse is not good for you. You slice their throats and heels or slit their wrist, and let them bleed out slowly." Lucius placed his hand on Draco's rigid shoulder. "You, my son, are a killer. Now, I suggest you bury this emotion in the tight sheath of one of the many women here willing to service you."
Lucius turned and walked back to the Manor, satisfied that he had said his point. Draco's jaw clenched as he digested his father's speech. He turned from the lake and stomped back to his room. He stood before the mirror and studied his reflection. Staring back at him was not his face. No, the eyes were too cold, the mouth too stern, the nose and jaw too aristocratic. Draco no longer saw the face that smiled and laughed. He did not see the face that loved Ginny. No, the face staring back at him was his father. With a roar, he smashed in the mirror, destroying the face staring back at him.
I've taken my beating, I've shared what I made
Hermione smiled as she watched Ginny twirl Sevilen around. The two of them had really hit it off. Sevilen threw his little head back and laughed as Ginny blew kisses into his neck. "Hey, Hermione, can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry said, lightly tapping her on the shoulder.
She took in his somber expression. "Sure, Harry, is everything alright?"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her from the room. Hermione followed him quietly, not wanting to alert Ginny. Harry led her to a small room near the back of the house. George and Fred were seated in the room already and Ron came in right after them.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked confused.
"Hermione," Fred said, jumping out of his seat and grabbing her hand. He took her to a chair. "Sit down, sit down." Panic played at Hermione's heart. She was hoping that this did not have anything to do with Sevilen's father. She was not ready to tell who he was just yet.
"There's going to be a raid tonight," Ron said, staring down at the floor.
"How do you know?" Hermione asked. "Where? Do they know about here?"
"No. Hermione, the Order is going to raid the Snake Charmers."
Hermione's throat worked. "Who is going?"
"The men and you, if you want," Harry said looking her in the eye.
"What about Ginny?"
"What about her?" Ron said, staring down at his nails.
"Why isn't she coming?"
"Now, Hermione, why would we risk our only healer?" George asked jokingly.
As far as she knew, no one knew about Draco but from the way the boys were acting she knew something was up. "Ok, what is going on?"
"What do you mean, Hermione?" Harry asked looking guilty.
"I don't care who talks first but somebody better start now before I curse it out of you."
The boys stared at her with horror written over their faces.
"You've seen the ring on Ginny's finger right?" Ron said quietly.
"Yes," Hermione said in a slow voice staring at him expectantly.
"She still hasn't told us who it was from," Ron continued. "And, the way we see it is, that who ever it is must be a Snake Charmer and that's why she won't say who it is."
Hermione looked around the room and, from the guilt written on their faces, she knew the twins and Harry knew whom the ring was from. "Ron, can you go ask your mother if she can watch Sevilen tonight," Hermione said sweetly. "The rest of you stay here." Ron nodded and made his way from the room quickly. After all, he could tell Hermione was working up one of her moods. "Spill," she said, crossing her hands across her chest after Ron left the room.
I'm strong on the surface, not all the way through
Ginny looked around the room in confusion. Where did Hermione go? Sevilen looked up at her expectantly and smiled. "You want me to throw you in the air little guy?" She asked in a cooing voice.
"Yeah," the little boy said nodding his head.
Ginny stopped, shocked. Did he just talk? No, her mind must be playing tricks on her. "What was that, Sev? You want me to throw you in the air?"
"Yeah," the little boy said again, nodding his head.
"Did he just talk?" Lily said, walking into the room.
"Yes, I think he did," Ginny said just as amazed as the other woman.
Lily stretched her arms out for Sevilen, who went to her instantly. "Hey, Sevilen, did you miss me?" She asked him kissing his cheek. Sevilen just smiled up at her. Lily tickled his belly the way he liked it, enjoying the sound of his deep laugh. "Come on, Sevilen, talk," she pleaded with the one year old.
He just pointed to the ground, and nodded his head.
"You want to go down?" She asked. Sevilen nodded his head again. "Say yes, Sevilen," she ordered.
Ginny took Sevilen from her. "Do you want to get down?"
"Yeah," he said, nodding his head.
Ginny put him down quickly. Lily was staring at Sevilen with a big goofy smile on her face. "He said 'yeah'," She said happily. "I have to go tell Ethan."
Ginny watched as her old professor practically bounced out of the room. "That is one strange woman, Sev," she said shaking her head. "Now, little man, let's go find your mother and tell her." Ginny grabbed the little boy and made her way from the room. She hurried down the hall when she ran into Ron. "Hey, have you seen Hermione?"
"Yeah, she is down the hall in the last room," he looked at her worriedly. "Is everything ok with Sev?"
"He's fine I just want to show her something," Ginny said as she started to walk off. "Thanks, Ron." She neared the last door when she heard her name. The door was cracked so Ginny leaned in so she could hear better.
"Hermione, it's not what you're thinking?" one of the twins said.
"Then explain. What is the real reason you don't want Ginny there tonight?"
"We already told you," George said, or at least Ginny thought it was George. "To protect her, wouldn't want our only healer to get hurt."
"Your mother may believe you when you use that voice, George, but I happen to know better. So, unless you guys want to leave this room one body part less, start talking."
Ginny punched her fist in the air, way to go, Hermione. Sevilen copied her, smiling.
"Hermione we know about Draco," Harry said quietly. "There is the possibility he will be there tonight."
"So?"
"We have orders to kill him," Fred said gently.
Ginny paled. What do they mean they have orders to kill him? Since when did the Order start putting out death warrants?
"The Order does not order anyone dead," Hermione said stiffly, mirroring Ginny's thoughts.
"Haven't you seen the bodies?" Fred all but shouted. "Each one of them carved with a message from the sick bastard."
"He even has the balls to initial them," George spat with disgust.
"Have you ever thought they could be messages to Ginny?" Hermione asked, wondering how they never put the two together.
"Oh yes, why didn't we think of that?" Harry said rolling his eyes. "Instead of a message in a bottle, let's change it up and leave a message on a body."
"Yes, I can see the logic in that," George snapped.
"It really is his only way of communicating," Hermione spat back. Hermione was trying her hardest to think of ways to defend Draco, but honestly, she found the messages craved into the bodies a little creepy.
"How can he even be sure she is getting the message?" Fred asked.
Ginny nibbled her lip nervously. How could they even think about killing Draco? On edge, she waited to hear Hermione's reply.
"Sometimes, I wonder if the message is meant for anyone," Hermione said with a shrug. "I had even thought maybe it could be a code for something else."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"Never mind," Hermione whispered. "We can't kill Draco. It would kill Ginny."
"It's for her best," Fred said.
"How can she go on loving him after all he has done?" George growled. "She's seen the bodies, she knows what he does."
Anger ran through her body. Who were they to decide who was right for her? She wanted nothing more than to run into the room shouting and screaming. If Sevilen had not been in her arms, she would have.
"Then it's settled. We kill him?" Harry asked.
"Yes," the twins said together.
"Hermione?" They all asked together.
"No, and do not ask me again."
Ginny heard a shuffle of chairs moving and quickly hid in the shadows. She watched as Hermione exited the room and headed toward the stairs.
I've never been perfect, but neither have you
Harry signed as he pulled off his robes. The meeting with Hermione did not go as planned but, then again, how did he want it to go? Doubts bombarded his head. Did he really want to kill Draco? He had seen how he was with Ginny that time in the store but was it all an act? Could Ginny be a victim and just not know it? His calloused hands rubbed his tired face as he sank down on to his bed. We're they making the right decision to kill Draco? Did they really have the right? Questions ran through his mind. Groaning, he lay down and pulled his pillow over his face.
He missed Persephone. She would be arriving soon but he still missed her. He felt as if he could not breathe without her. Everything was dull without her. The pillow shifted its position on his face, exposing his forehead. The unsettling feeling of not being able to breathe fell on again. It took him a minute to realize that the pillow was covering his face.
Maybe if he squeezed hard enough everything would just disappear. Harry pushed the pillow on to his face harder, feeling it harder to breath. The pillow was yanked from his face. Harry blinked and looked up, surprised.
"What are you doing?" Ginny shrieked.
"Ginny I…"
She cut him off slapping his arm. "First you want to kill Draco and now your going after yourself?"
"What?"
"Don't act so surprised, mate. I heard your little conversation with Fred, George, and Ron."
"And Hermione," Harry said before thinking about what he was saying. He slapped his forehead when he caught Ginny's murderous glare. "Ginny, it's not what you think," Harry said quietly.
"Let me ask you something," she started, sitting down on the bed next to him. "If you had over heard me talking about killing Persephone, how would you feel?"
"Ginny…"
She raised her hand and stopped him. "Just answer the question."
"I would feel betrayed, hurt, and fear."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why would you feel betrayed, hurt, and fear?"
Harry pulled her down closer to him. He stroked the hair on her head. "I would feel betrayed because the people closest to me went behind my back and planned to kill the love of my life. Hurt because I would be forced to chose between the one's I love. And fear because I wouldn't know how to save the person without hurting someone from either side."
Ginny stared deep into his eyes. She kissed his forehead lightly and slid off the bed. She made to leave the room but paused at the door. "Think about that before you decide to kill Draco."
So if you're asking me, I want you to know
"You have done well, Draco," his father said, patting him on the back.
"What do you want?" Draco huffed.
Lucius sat down on the balcony across from his son. The boy had spent the last few nights out here. He just wished Draco would embrace this world as he had.
"Do you miss her?" Draco whispered so softly Lucius almost did not hear him.
"Miss who?" Lucius asked.
Draco's head jerked over to him as if he had not realized he had spoken aloud. "No one," he mumbled and walked back into the house.
"Every day, Son," Lucius said watching his retreating figure. "I miss your mother everyday."
When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done
Draco exhaled the breath he was holding as he closed his door behind him. He sat down at his desk and began to write what must have been his hundredth letter to Ginny. The words sounded so much better in his head. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he wrote down two sentences.
If I die tonight, remember me and all the good I have done. Try to forget the bad.
He stared down at the words he has written and crumpled the paper. He threw it across the room in the corner filled with other crumpled messages. The house elves were forbidden to throw any of them away.
Hunching down, he rested his head on his arms. He was tired and wanted to sleep, but his mind was wide-awake. Tomorrow, he promised himself; tomorrow he would write the letter.
Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed
Severus stared at the paper before him. He had been reading the same sentence for the last twenty minutes. The ministry wanted to buy three thousand vials of the memory potion he and Hermione had created. Before now, this would have been good news but now he wasn't sure how to go about it.
He would study her when she wasn't looking. He took in her soft features, the shape of her body, and listen to her sweet voice. He even liked her son, even though the child still insisted on calling him 'Dada'. Severus sometimes wondered if it really bothered him the way he let on that it did. Shaking his head, he tried to rid himself of the thought.
The walls of his house never seemed so quiet in his life. Once, the silence comforted him, but now it ate at him. For the first time in his long dark life he felt the need for some laughter. Her laughter. The way her head tilted back and the rich sound of joy that came from her little body. It vibrated in his hollow heart.
A smile played at his lips before he caught himself. What the hell was going on with him? He was acting like a lovesick puppy dog. Growling, he pushed the image of her from his thoughts and grabbed a quill. He called for his owl after scribbling quickly on a piece a parchment.
The owl flew over and perched itself on his desk. It stared at him as he studied his message. He stroked the feathers on the creature's head before attaching the parchment to his leg.
"Take this to Ms. Granger."
Don't resent me, and when you're feeling empty
"Oye, Fred. George!" Ginny called when she spied them passing her room door. "I want to speak to you two."
Fred looked over to George, concern in his eyes. "Think we are in trouble?"
"I hope not," George mumbled, following Fred into the room.
Fred looked around the room for Hermione, trying to see if she had snitched them out, but she was nowhere to be found.
"What's up Gin?" George asked, plopping down on her bed.
Ginny smiled sweetly at him and then at Fred, pointing to an empty chair. "Sit down." Fred shot a nervous look at George and took a seat. "Why so nervous?" Ginny asked, shutting the door and locking it.
"What's going on, Ginny?" Fred asked in a high-pitched voice.
"See, the good thing about you boys is it is so easy to tell when you're up to no good. Ginny pulled her wand out of her sleeve. "Accio, George and Fred's wands."
Before they could stop them, their wands flew to Ginny and she caught them. She smiled and tucked them safely away in the sleeve of her robe. "Right, now part of me wants to kill you but I won't cause I love you." She sat down opposite them. "You have made a choice for me without asking how I felt about it." She stared down at her feet before continuing. "If you harm one hair on Draco's head I will leave and never return."
Fred and George stared at her. They found her anger hard to swallow but the hurt in their baby sister's eyes tore at them. "Ginny," Fred said quietly as if to comfort her.
"It's really for the best," George said, standing and walking over to her.
A shriek escaped Ginny's lips as she lunged for him. "Who are you to say what is best for me?" Her small fist pounded his back. "Who?"
Fred tried to pull Ginny off of George but she turned on him biting his arm.
"What has gotten into you?" he shouted, nursing his arm and staring at Ginny as if she had gone nutters.
Keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest
A black colored owl flew into the kitchen window and landed right by Hermione's arm. "Hello," she whispered, pulling the small parchment from its leg. She threw a small treat at it and watched it fly off. Hermione looked at the name on the parchment and frowned. Who would be writing to her? The handwriting looked familiar but she could not place it. A loud bang from upstairs caught her attention.
"What in the world is going on up there?" Molly said, walking into the kitchen with Sevilen on her hip.
"No idea," Hermione said, smiling when Sevilen rested his head on the older woman's plump shoulder.
Another loud bang set the portrait of Mrs. Black screaming and Molly looked murderous. She handed Sevilen over to Hermione who yawned, snuggled, and got comfortable. "I'm going to put an end to what ever it is, that is for sure." Molly stomped out of the kitchen and upstairs. She banged on Ginny's door. "What is going on?"
She rattled the doorknob only to find it locked. She pulled her wand out and opened the door. A gasp escaped her lips when she walked in and found Fred nursing his arm and George trying to comfort a crying Ginny.
"What happened here?"
"It's Ginny, Mum," Fred said quickly. "She's gone crazy."
"I'll show you crazy," Ginny shouted, leaping at him.
Molly caught her quickly by the back of her robe and threw her on to her bed. "Ginevra!" She sat down next to her sobbing daughter. "What is going on?"
"Mum, they want to kill him," Ginny cried in her mother's shoulder.
Fred and George were trying to escape from the room only to stop by a look from Molly. "Sit," she ordered before turning her attention back to Ginny. "Kill who dear?"
George sat down next to Fred and whispered into his ear. "Remember the last red headed witch who ordered us to sit?"
Fred rubbed the bite on his arm. "How could I forget?"
Molly rocked her sobbing daughter, whispering words of comfort to her. "Who do they want to kill, love?"
"Draco."
Leave out all the rest
"Draco."
The wind whispered the name as it flowed through his long hair. It sounded like her. That was when he knew she was thinking about him. He ran to chase the wind, reaching his hands out to catch it. He cupped his hand around the soft breeze, but it flowed through his fingers like water. He followed the breeze to the lake, the black lake. He wondered what it would feel like to have the water wrap its cold dark tendrils around his hollow body. How would it feel to be lost in its depths? Pulling his boots off, he stepped into the freezing water. The wind surrounded him. The sound of her calling his name pounded into his ears. He wanted to hold her. Grasping at the wind again he hoped that if he caught it he could catch her.
He hugged the wind as it breezed by him, feeling it escape his grip. "Ginny, I love you."
Draco walked back to the manor only to be caught off guard by Lucius. "I have thought about your request to be a double agent," his father started. "I trust no one but you. How soon can you penetrate the Order?"
"A month, perhaps. Most likely through Snape."
Lucius nodded his head. "Make it happen."
Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learned to hide so well
Ginny sat across the table, staring at her parents. Her secret was out. They knew that the ring on her finger was from the enemy. Her father stared at her with disbelief as her mother whispered in his ear.
"How?" he asked, his voice squeaked when it came out. "How could you do this to us?"
"What have I done to you, Father?" she asked, never taking her eyes from his.
"For the first time in my life, I am ashamed of you, Ginny." Tears formed in his blue eyes and spilled at the corners.
Ginny watched the tears as they fell. She followed the path they made on his aging skin with her eyes. She couldn't recall ever seeing her father look so old and tired. She wanted to hold him and apologize but she knew she had done nothing wrong. "I love him," she whispered, casting her eyes down.
"He killed one of your best friends," her father practically shouted.
"He did not chose this life," she defended him. "His father tricked him."
"I have the mind to let the boys go through with their plan," Arthur said, dismissing what she said. "He is a killer, Ginny," he said, walking over to her and shaking her by her shoulders.
Ginny stared up at him. "I will always love him." She pulled from his grip. "There will be no raid tonight."
"There never was," Arthur whispered, as he watched her go.
Ginny walked up the stairs and made her way to the attic. She plopped down on the dusty floor by a small window. She pushed it open, closing her eyes when a soft breeze flew in and kissed her tearstained face.
"Ginny, I love you."
Her eyes shot open and she looked around for him. She felt the breeze wrap around her, hugging her like he had done at one time. "I love you too, Draco."
A/N: I hope you like it. Now be a good little reader and hit that review button, ok? Thanks.