Draco was still awake when Professor Slughorn came to get all the Slytherins. When he announced that the school was going to be attacked, a general frenzy ensued. The students followed their Head of House to the Great Hall where McGonagall and Potter, who’d apparently returned, were talking.
When all of the houses had arrived and sat at their tables, McGonagall stood up and began a speech. Something about the school being threatened and younger students being evacuated. Draco wasn’t really paying attention; too busy noticing the youngest Weasley’s continued absence.
Harry stood up to say something as well. Then everyone in the Hall froze as a voice rang from nowhere. Voldemort. Draco recognized it at once. His was not a voice easily forgotten. He demanded that Potter be turned over to him to prevent an attack that would surely end in a disaster for Hogwarts.
For a couple of seconds after the voice faded away the silence in the school was nearly tangible. Then Pansy jumped up out of her seat and screamed, “But he’s there! Potter’s there. Someone grab him!”
Immediately, the entire Gryffindor table, followed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, stood facing the Slytherins, wands drawn. Potter stood there, gaping like an idiot, as if he had no idea what to do.
“Thank you, Miss Parkinson,” McGonagall said. “Please follow your Head of House. The rest of the Slytherins may go as well.”
The whole table stood up and began to file out. Draco remained seated until he saw Longbottom, whom he hadn’t seen in weeks, nod his head at him, then incline it towards the door.
Draco nodded in return, understanding that his staying behind would be taken the wrong way and cause more trouble. Then he got up and followed his housemates. He nodded at the other D.A. members on his way out, hoping they would recognize that he meant it as a good luck wish.
He spotted Luna Lovegood standing with the other Ravenclaws and smiled at her. He remembered that she’d been one of Ginny’s friends; the one arrested over Christmas break. And wouldn’t you know it, he was acting Gryffindor again because of Ginny’s influence!
Younger students from other houses followed the Slytherins. McGonagall had to go around and shunt off the Gryffindors who tried to stay. They all hurried up the stairs, many people pushing to try to get to the front and escape ahead of the others.
Draco was mildly surprised when they were led to the Room of Requirement. Someone opened it, he couldn’t see who from his place in the crowd, and people began piling in.
On the opposite side of the room, which looked very different from D.A. meetings, stood a tunnel. Slughorn stood on one side of the opening and Professor Vector on the other. They ushered students through, trying to keep order. It was still chaos, however, as everyone wanted to be first and didn’t seem to care how they got there.
Draco’s turn came up and he stepped into the tunnel. At that moment, someone called his name. He whipped his head around, searching the room. And there was Ginny. He opened his mouth to shout back, not really sure what he would have said, but an impatient student shoved him.
He tried for several minutes to fight the tide of students back into the room, but for every step he gained he was pushed back two. Eventually he was carried out into a room he recognized as the Hog’s Head, a pub in Hogsmeade village. He continued trying to get back in, but people were too frantic coming out for him to make any headway.
Crabbe and Goyle came up behind him. They gripped one shoulder each and pulled him aside. “Goyle had an idea,” Crabbe whispered hoarsely.
Draco spun around to face the boys, very surprised. “Well?” he demanded.
Goyle pulled himself up proudly and explained in a very superior voice, “See, we’ve learned how to do Diss’lusionment Charms. We do ‘em now, and when everyone’s out, we sneak back in, find Potter, and take ‘im to the Dark Lord.”
Draco raised his eyebrows. Getting back into the school was exactly what he wanted. Though not necessarily to get Potter, and definitely not to aid Voldemort. But if he went along with Goyle’s plan he could get what he wanted and no one would be the wiser.
Nodding once, Draco replied, “Good. Goyle, I never knew you had it in you. Perhaps you’ll make it yet.”
They waited until no one was looking, then cast the charms on each other. Crabbe’s was a little sloppy, but he did better on his second try. They stayed off to the side where they couldn’t be bumped and therefore given away.
Half an hour later, the last group of students Disapparated. It took a little longer than normal because most of them had to go by side-along and there weren’t very many who had licenses and could take them. The three boys stepped toward the tunnel, but someone Apparated suddenly, nearly landing on top of them.
It turned out to be Draco’s cousin and clumsy Order member, Nymphadora Tonks. Without a word, she dived into the tunnel and ran, tripping and tumbling, all the way to the school. Trying not to laugh, Draco followed.
When he climbed out into the Room of Requirement, he saw Tonks talking worriedly to Ginny. Draco, with Crabbe and Goyle on his heels, (literally, since they were clumsy even when they could see him) stepped closer to listen.
It was a good thing they did, for, not five seconds later, someone else came through the door. It was an old witch who was wearing an ugly old hat that Draco remembered Longbottom’s boggart wearing back in third year.
She shook Ginny’s hand saying, “You must be Ginny Weasley. Neville’s told me so much about all his friends, I’d know you anywhere.”
She turned bustle-y to Tonks, shaking her hand, too. “Come on then,” she said. “We don’t want to miss this.” Then she waved her wand at the tunnel and took off.
Draco heard a low crash and was glad they’d come in when they had, otherwise they would have been stuck in the Hog’s Head, or worse, the tunnel itself. He followed Ginny and Tonks as they went after the old witch.
The bloody hero trio came barging down the steps then. Draco got there just as the old witch was saying that she’d sealed the tunnel. Ginny stiffened and her face fell. He focused on her and blocked out the others, so it surprised him when she ran off and Potter yelled, “And then you can come back in! You’ve got to come back in!”
The trio went back up the stairs, and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle followed. They were just in time to see Ginny dart down the staircase at the end of the corridor, shooting a curse as she went. Draco went after her without a word to the other two. As he ran he took off his Disillusionment Charm.
When he got to the Entrance Hall, the huge front doors had been thrown open and Death Eaters were pouring in. Draco fired an Incendio spell at the door to slow their progress. Thankfully it worked… for a while.
He searched the crowd for Ginny. When he finally spotted her, she was fiercely blocking spells from two Death Eaters at a time. She was being pushed back step by step, but seemed to be doing pretty well.
Then Draco saw a third Death Eater point his wand at her. Ginny was so focused on her battle that she didn’t notice. Draco gave a wild cry and jumped forward, knocking her to the ground.
He had just enough time to hope she was okay before he was hit by a spell. The world slipped into darkness and all sound faded away. He was vaguely aware of things happening around him, but none of his senses seemed to be functioning.
Next thing Draco knew, he was behind a statue in a corner. A warm tingle spread through him and he was able to open his eyes. Ginny, eyes wide and tear tracks down her cheeks, threw herself on top of him, sobbing. “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” she cried.
Draco lifted himself carefully to a sitting position so that he could wrap his arms around her. There was so much to say that he couldn’t think where to start. He kissed the top of her head while he sorted his thoughts. “I love you, Gin,” he mumbled.
“I love you, too,” Ginny replied, sniffling. Her voice trembled and she squeezed him tighter. “And I’m sorry we fought.”
“Me too.” Then he did the best thing he could think of. The thing he’d wanted to do since she left him that night in the kitchens seemingly an age ago. He kissed her. It was a sweet kiss that said everything they couldn’t find words for.
They didn’t break apart until the statue crumbled from a stray spell. At that point they jumped up and began firing spells. They stayed together as long as they could, unwilling to be separated so soon, but it was inevitable.
Draco kept his eyes peeled for her as he fought his way through Death Eater ranks. The next he saw of her, she was chasing a lone Death Eater into a deserted corridor. The moment of distraction allowed his opponent to fire a spell that only narrowly missed him, hitting the wall instead.
He stunned the masked figure as chunks of stone rained down on his head, then ran after the redhead.
~///~
Ginny darted through the crumbling archway and glanced around for the Death Eater. Where had he gone? The hallway seemed completely deserted. She took a couple steps further, growing a little nervous.
Suddenly someone leaped at her from behind, wrenching her wand arm behind her back and slamming her into the wall. Her other arm was pinned between the wall and her chest and no amount of struggling was enough to free it.
Her left shoulder and cheek took most of the impact, leaving both with a very numb feeling. She tried kicking the Death Eater with her heels, but he easily avoided her and she only succeeded in scraping her knees on the wall.
The Death Eater twisted her arm behind her back and she clenched her teeth together to keep herself from crying out. She could feel his wand pressing into her ribs and his hot breath on her neck.
“I recognize you,” he hissed in her ear. “You’re the little Weasley girl. Your blood-traitor father’s caused me a bit of grief. Wouldn’t it be just fitting if I killed his little girl?” He laughed a hoarse, manic chuckle and gripped her arm tighter. “Prepare to say good night!”
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. She thought of her parents and her brothers, who were still out there fighting, and prayed that they would be okay. Then she thought of Draco and felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.
She didn’t even get to say good-bye. She wouldn’t ever see him again. Never get to hear his voice, or kiss him, or look into his eyes. She’d never get to tell him just how much she loved him.
Unbidden, a tear slipped down her cheek. The Death Eater saw it and chuckled again. “That’s right, girlie. It’s all over.” He shifted his wand to her chin. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Let her go!” a very familiar voice called from the entryway. Draco! Ginny tried to twist around to see him, but she was pressed too tightly to the wall.
The Death Eater looked up at the newcomer and smacked his lips together. “Well, Mr. Malfoy. Good to see you ‘round again. But, pray tell, why should I let her go?”
Draco’s answer was to hit the man with a Full Body-Bind. His arms and legs snapped straight and he fell face first to the floor.
Ginny immediately whipped around and jumped away from him. She looked up at Draco shakily. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He looked so handsome. Even with dirt smeared across his face and his robes torn, little streaks of blood coming from under his hair. She stood there for a minute, just glad to be able to see him again. More tears began to fall from her eyes as she realized just how lucky she was.
“Oh, Ginny,” Draco said softly. Then he swayed and had to lean against the archway.
“Draco!” Ginny cried, rushing toward him. That’s when she noticed that the blood wasn’t just streaks, but a steady flow coming from several cuts all over the top, back, and one side of his head. “Holy Merlin!”
Draco put his hand on Ginny’s cheek and rasped, “I’m so glad I made it in time.” He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb as his eyes slid shut.
Ginny clutched his robes with one hand and with the other brushed his hair aside as gently as she could. The cuts weren’t very deep, she noticed, and would heal with little trouble, but there were a lot of them, and some of them were surrounded by purplish bruises. “What happened to you?” she asked.
He didn’t get a chance to answer, because from the battle still going on behind them a spell flew up and hit the top of the arch. Draco tried to curl himself around Ginny as the stone began to crumble, but she pushed him to the ground, flattening herself on top of him.
“Ginny!” he cried frantically as she threw on arm over his head and the other over her own. Their wands went flying as bits of stone crashed around them.
Trying not to scream, Ginny held Draco down. The archway collapsed, hitting both of them with broken pieces of rock.
It seemed to be falling in slow motion, as thoughts were flying through her head at an amazing rate. He’d saved her life twice tonight, and now it was her chance to save his.
Once again she thought of her family. She thought of her friends and remembered their time together. She hoped that everyone she loved would make it through this, and that maybe even, by some miracle, so would she.
The dust got into her eyes and mouth and she was choking. She heard Draco doing the same beneath her and pulled herself tighter against him. He’d put his arms around her and was trying to shield her back.
Ginny leaned in and pressed her lips against his ear. “I love… you,” she gasped brokenly. Pieces of rock were hitting her arms and legs and she knew they were hitting him too. She wished she could protect him better.
The whole ordeal only lasted about six seconds, but it felt like hours. She heard Draco trying to say something through the dust, but as she strained to hear, a chunk of stone caught her behind the ear and everything went black.
When all of the houses had arrived and sat at their tables, McGonagall stood up and began a speech. Something about the school being threatened and younger students being evacuated. Draco wasn’t really paying attention; too busy noticing the youngest Weasley’s continued absence.
Harry stood up to say something as well. Then everyone in the Hall froze as a voice rang from nowhere. Voldemort. Draco recognized it at once. His was not a voice easily forgotten. He demanded that Potter be turned over to him to prevent an attack that would surely end in a disaster for Hogwarts.
For a couple of seconds after the voice faded away the silence in the school was nearly tangible. Then Pansy jumped up out of her seat and screamed, “But he’s there! Potter’s there. Someone grab him!”
Immediately, the entire Gryffindor table, followed by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, stood facing the Slytherins, wands drawn. Potter stood there, gaping like an idiot, as if he had no idea what to do.
“Thank you, Miss Parkinson,” McGonagall said. “Please follow your Head of House. The rest of the Slytherins may go as well.”
The whole table stood up and began to file out. Draco remained seated until he saw Longbottom, whom he hadn’t seen in weeks, nod his head at him, then incline it towards the door.
Draco nodded in return, understanding that his staying behind would be taken the wrong way and cause more trouble. Then he got up and followed his housemates. He nodded at the other D.A. members on his way out, hoping they would recognize that he meant it as a good luck wish.
He spotted Luna Lovegood standing with the other Ravenclaws and smiled at her. He remembered that she’d been one of Ginny’s friends; the one arrested over Christmas break. And wouldn’t you know it, he was acting Gryffindor again because of Ginny’s influence!
Younger students from other houses followed the Slytherins. McGonagall had to go around and shunt off the Gryffindors who tried to stay. They all hurried up the stairs, many people pushing to try to get to the front and escape ahead of the others.
Draco was mildly surprised when they were led to the Room of Requirement. Someone opened it, he couldn’t see who from his place in the crowd, and people began piling in.
On the opposite side of the room, which looked very different from D.A. meetings, stood a tunnel. Slughorn stood on one side of the opening and Professor Vector on the other. They ushered students through, trying to keep order. It was still chaos, however, as everyone wanted to be first and didn’t seem to care how they got there.
Draco’s turn came up and he stepped into the tunnel. At that moment, someone called his name. He whipped his head around, searching the room. And there was Ginny. He opened his mouth to shout back, not really sure what he would have said, but an impatient student shoved him.
He tried for several minutes to fight the tide of students back into the room, but for every step he gained he was pushed back two. Eventually he was carried out into a room he recognized as the Hog’s Head, a pub in Hogsmeade village. He continued trying to get back in, but people were too frantic coming out for him to make any headway.
Crabbe and Goyle came up behind him. They gripped one shoulder each and pulled him aside. “Goyle had an idea,” Crabbe whispered hoarsely.
Draco spun around to face the boys, very surprised. “Well?” he demanded.
Goyle pulled himself up proudly and explained in a very superior voice, “See, we’ve learned how to do Diss’lusionment Charms. We do ‘em now, and when everyone’s out, we sneak back in, find Potter, and take ‘im to the Dark Lord.”
Draco raised his eyebrows. Getting back into the school was exactly what he wanted. Though not necessarily to get Potter, and definitely not to aid Voldemort. But if he went along with Goyle’s plan he could get what he wanted and no one would be the wiser.
Nodding once, Draco replied, “Good. Goyle, I never knew you had it in you. Perhaps you’ll make it yet.”
They waited until no one was looking, then cast the charms on each other. Crabbe’s was a little sloppy, but he did better on his second try. They stayed off to the side where they couldn’t be bumped and therefore given away.
Half an hour later, the last group of students Disapparated. It took a little longer than normal because most of them had to go by side-along and there weren’t very many who had licenses and could take them. The three boys stepped toward the tunnel, but someone Apparated suddenly, nearly landing on top of them.
It turned out to be Draco’s cousin and clumsy Order member, Nymphadora Tonks. Without a word, she dived into the tunnel and ran, tripping and tumbling, all the way to the school. Trying not to laugh, Draco followed.
When he climbed out into the Room of Requirement, he saw Tonks talking worriedly to Ginny. Draco, with Crabbe and Goyle on his heels, (literally, since they were clumsy even when they could see him) stepped closer to listen.
It was a good thing they did, for, not five seconds later, someone else came through the door. It was an old witch who was wearing an ugly old hat that Draco remembered Longbottom’s boggart wearing back in third year.
She shook Ginny’s hand saying, “You must be Ginny Weasley. Neville’s told me so much about all his friends, I’d know you anywhere.”
She turned bustle-y to Tonks, shaking her hand, too. “Come on then,” she said. “We don’t want to miss this.” Then she waved her wand at the tunnel and took off.
Draco heard a low crash and was glad they’d come in when they had, otherwise they would have been stuck in the Hog’s Head, or worse, the tunnel itself. He followed Ginny and Tonks as they went after the old witch.
The bloody hero trio came barging down the steps then. Draco got there just as the old witch was saying that she’d sealed the tunnel. Ginny stiffened and her face fell. He focused on her and blocked out the others, so it surprised him when she ran off and Potter yelled, “And then you can come back in! You’ve got to come back in!”
The trio went back up the stairs, and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle followed. They were just in time to see Ginny dart down the staircase at the end of the corridor, shooting a curse as she went. Draco went after her without a word to the other two. As he ran he took off his Disillusionment Charm.
When he got to the Entrance Hall, the huge front doors had been thrown open and Death Eaters were pouring in. Draco fired an Incendio spell at the door to slow their progress. Thankfully it worked… for a while.
He searched the crowd for Ginny. When he finally spotted her, she was fiercely blocking spells from two Death Eaters at a time. She was being pushed back step by step, but seemed to be doing pretty well.
Then Draco saw a third Death Eater point his wand at her. Ginny was so focused on her battle that she didn’t notice. Draco gave a wild cry and jumped forward, knocking her to the ground.
He had just enough time to hope she was okay before he was hit by a spell. The world slipped into darkness and all sound faded away. He was vaguely aware of things happening around him, but none of his senses seemed to be functioning.
Next thing Draco knew, he was behind a statue in a corner. A warm tingle spread through him and he was able to open his eyes. Ginny, eyes wide and tear tracks down her cheeks, threw herself on top of him, sobbing. “Oh, thank you! Thank you!” she cried.
Draco lifted himself carefully to a sitting position so that he could wrap his arms around her. There was so much to say that he couldn’t think where to start. He kissed the top of her head while he sorted his thoughts. “I love you, Gin,” he mumbled.
“I love you, too,” Ginny replied, sniffling. Her voice trembled and she squeezed him tighter. “And I’m sorry we fought.”
“Me too.” Then he did the best thing he could think of. The thing he’d wanted to do since she left him that night in the kitchens seemingly an age ago. He kissed her. It was a sweet kiss that said everything they couldn’t find words for.
They didn’t break apart until the statue crumbled from a stray spell. At that point they jumped up and began firing spells. They stayed together as long as they could, unwilling to be separated so soon, but it was inevitable.
Draco kept his eyes peeled for her as he fought his way through Death Eater ranks. The next he saw of her, she was chasing a lone Death Eater into a deserted corridor. The moment of distraction allowed his opponent to fire a spell that only narrowly missed him, hitting the wall instead.
He stunned the masked figure as chunks of stone rained down on his head, then ran after the redhead.
Ginny darted through the crumbling archway and glanced around for the Death Eater. Where had he gone? The hallway seemed completely deserted. She took a couple steps further, growing a little nervous.
Suddenly someone leaped at her from behind, wrenching her wand arm behind her back and slamming her into the wall. Her other arm was pinned between the wall and her chest and no amount of struggling was enough to free it.
Her left shoulder and cheek took most of the impact, leaving both with a very numb feeling. She tried kicking the Death Eater with her heels, but he easily avoided her and she only succeeded in scraping her knees on the wall.
The Death Eater twisted her arm behind her back and she clenched her teeth together to keep herself from crying out. She could feel his wand pressing into her ribs and his hot breath on her neck.
“I recognize you,” he hissed in her ear. “You’re the little Weasley girl. Your blood-traitor father’s caused me a bit of grief. Wouldn’t it be just fitting if I killed his little girl?” He laughed a hoarse, manic chuckle and gripped her arm tighter. “Prepare to say good night!”
Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. She thought of her parents and her brothers, who were still out there fighting, and prayed that they would be okay. Then she thought of Draco and felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.
She didn’t even get to say good-bye. She wouldn’t ever see him again. Never get to hear his voice, or kiss him, or look into his eyes. She’d never get to tell him just how much she loved him.
Unbidden, a tear slipped down her cheek. The Death Eater saw it and chuckled again. “That’s right, girlie. It’s all over.” He shifted his wand to her chin. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
“Let her go!” a very familiar voice called from the entryway. Draco! Ginny tried to twist around to see him, but she was pressed too tightly to the wall.
The Death Eater looked up at the newcomer and smacked his lips together. “Well, Mr. Malfoy. Good to see you ‘round again. But, pray tell, why should I let her go?”
Draco’s answer was to hit the man with a Full Body-Bind. His arms and legs snapped straight and he fell face first to the floor.
Ginny immediately whipped around and jumped away from him. She looked up at Draco shakily. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He looked so handsome. Even with dirt smeared across his face and his robes torn, little streaks of blood coming from under his hair. She stood there for a minute, just glad to be able to see him again. More tears began to fall from her eyes as she realized just how lucky she was.
“Oh, Ginny,” Draco said softly. Then he swayed and had to lean against the archway.
“Draco!” Ginny cried, rushing toward him. That’s when she noticed that the blood wasn’t just streaks, but a steady flow coming from several cuts all over the top, back, and one side of his head. “Holy Merlin!”
Draco put his hand on Ginny’s cheek and rasped, “I’m so glad I made it in time.” He stroked her cheekbone with his thumb as his eyes slid shut.
Ginny clutched his robes with one hand and with the other brushed his hair aside as gently as she could. The cuts weren’t very deep, she noticed, and would heal with little trouble, but there were a lot of them, and some of them were surrounded by purplish bruises. “What happened to you?” she asked.
He didn’t get a chance to answer, because from the battle still going on behind them a spell flew up and hit the top of the arch. Draco tried to curl himself around Ginny as the stone began to crumble, but she pushed him to the ground, flattening herself on top of him.
“Ginny!” he cried frantically as she threw on arm over his head and the other over her own. Their wands went flying as bits of stone crashed around them.
Trying not to scream, Ginny held Draco down. The archway collapsed, hitting both of them with broken pieces of rock.
It seemed to be falling in slow motion, as thoughts were flying through her head at an amazing rate. He’d saved her life twice tonight, and now it was her chance to save his.
Once again she thought of her family. She thought of her friends and remembered their time together. She hoped that everyone she loved would make it through this, and that maybe even, by some miracle, so would she.
The dust got into her eyes and mouth and she was choking. She heard Draco doing the same beneath her and pulled herself tighter against him. He’d put his arms around her and was trying to shield her back.
Ginny leaned in and pressed her lips against his ear. “I love… you,” she gasped brokenly. Pieces of rock were hitting her arms and legs and she knew they were hitting him too. She wished she could protect him better.
The whole ordeal only lasted about six seconds, but it felt like hours. She heard Draco trying to say something through the dust, but as she strained to hear, a chunk of stone caught her behind the ear and everything went black.
Author notes: *silence as author hides**white flag* Sorry for the cliffie, but I'll post the next chapter as soon as this one validates, so you really won't have to wait for long to see what happens! Don't kill me! Please? If you do, you'll never know what happens. :) Thank you to Nakita, 4everdandg, and raye for your reviews! Loves!
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