CHAPTER 15: - Stolen from the Platform
Draco threw the last of his new robes into the trunk and closed the lid. Blinka was fussing over him relentlessly as she did every year on his return trip to Hogwarts, making certain he didn’t forget a thing. This was a gesture which had, in previous years, greatly annoyed him. Yet, as his senses seemed to stray to the far corners of his mind, he was grateful for her help.
Draco couldn’t keep from reliving the scene in Diagon Alley. After having spotted Ginny, he was more than determined to speak to her on the train. It had been the hardest thing in the world, watching her cry there all alone. He knew quite well that she’d seen him with Pansy. If Ginny had only waited seconds longer to retreat into the shadows, she would’ve seen Blaise giving Pansy a welcoming kiss. He tried several times to reach out for her…to tell her that Pansy meant nothing to him. Yet something had held him back. He’d wanted to give her as much time as he could in fear of ruining the only opportunity he might have of bringing her back into his arms.
A soft knock on the bedroom door brought his mind back to reality. His mother had come to see him off. “Come in, Mother.” Draco dismissed Blinka and waited for her to enter.
Narcissa’s head popped around the corner of the door and she stood smiling at him. “My son.” She sniffled slightly. Draco could tell she’d been crying, yet before he could inquire as to the reason she continued. “This is your last year. The time has gone so fast. Look at you!” She grabbed his hands and held them out as if to show how big he’d gotten. Draco controlled the urge to roll his eyes. He loved his mother dearly, but these sentimental moments were a little much. “Are you all packed?” she said.
“Yes,” Draco nodded. “I’ll be on my way to King’s Cross soon.” Narcissa smiled again, clearly fighting back more tears at her son’s impending departure.
Draco was hesitant with his next words. “Mother?” He began to falter. “There’s…there’s something I was hoping you’d do for me before I leave.”
Narcissa gave him a questioning look. “Yes?”
He crossed the room and opened the drawer in his bedside table. After grabbing the object inside, he laid it softly in her hand. “Could you…could you fix this for me?” It was Ginny’s badge.
His mother’s expression softened and she pulled her wand out of her robes. “Reparo!” She spoke the word as she touched the Gryffindor lion with the tip of her wand. The badge looked as it did the day Ginny had given it to him. Narcissa handed it back to Draco who laid it carefully on the bed. “I am assuming that things will be different for you this year. Are you prepared for what the consequences might bring?” Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but her face was compassionate.
Draco had spoken to his mother about his decision to tell the other Slytherins, however she’d been quite reluctant to agree with him. He was well aware that his happiness meant everything to his mother, yet his safety mattered more. She was afraid that the others would not be accepting of Ginny and that the Dark Lord would find a way to punish him, regardless of his protection at Hogwarts. Draco knew that after this year he would have to hide from the Death Eaters. Whether Ginny would complete her final year at school or follow him, he didn’t know. They’d never really talked about their future. But he knew they couldn’t live a normal life together while Voldemort still walked the earth.
He lifted his head to look at his mother. “I’m prepared. Mother, I have to stop living this lie. It’s not that I don’t believe in the things that you and father have raised me to believe. I still do. But I can’t be a part of something that wants to see her dead, no matter how strongly I’ve believed in it. She means more to me than that. I can’t control how I feel.”
Narcissa’s expression changed a bit and she looked at Draco in a rather questioning manner. “Will you become friends with the other Gryffindors?”
“Absolutely not!” He couldn’t believe she would ask such a thing.
“Draco, you do know that you will find it difficult to be with her if you aren’t accepting of those around her.” It wasn’t so much a question, yet she was making sure that he was aware of the fact.
He scowled. “I’ll make an effort to be nice to her brother; the rest of her family, perhaps. But Potter, Granger and the others can sod off.” He was remembering seeing Ginny laughing, as she lay on the ground with Potter at The Burrow. He couldn’t recall ever hating him more than he did at that moment. He cleared his throat and continued. “But what about Father? And…and Aunt Bellatrix?”
His mother took a breath and smiled to the best of her abilities. “You leave it to me. I’ll take care of everything.”
He wasn’t going to stop there. He felt it was time to come clean with everything. “Mother, I overhead your conversation in the dining room that day.” She eyed him cautiously. “I heard what it was that you said to Bella. How are you going to explain this to her? Or the Dark Lord, for that matter? Or…or Father?”
It hurt him the most to betray his father in this way. Once he found out, Draco was sure he would be disowned as a son. Not only would he be walking away from everything that he believed in, but he would be leaving behind his family – at least for now. He knew his father would never forgive him…even under the persuasion of his mother.
She reached out and lightly touched his hair. “Draco, your aunt and I have never been close. I know that I haven’t talked about it much, but I never really needed to; she’s been in Azkaban almost as long as you’ve been alive. I assure you that she will not dare cross me. As for your father, it is pointless for me to tell you that he will not be pleased. You know that fact is part of the consequences. However, you are still his son. Despite the way in which your father has raised you, he does love you Draco. He loves you very much. Maybe…in time…” her voice trailed off. “As for the Dark Lord, I can only pray that during your time away at school we’ll think of something.” Her eyes began to well up with tears once more and Draco put his arms around his mother. He knew his decision was very difficult for her to bear, but her support meant the world to him. He could not remember loving her more.
She continued to speak. “I will be sending you owls to keep our lines of communication open. Don’t read those letters around your friends and make sure that you burn each one that you receive. It’s imperative that the other Slytherins not know what we are discussing. They won’t understand this. One word to their parents and we will all be in trouble.” She looked him directly in the eyes.
He nodded his head and kissed his mother on the cheek. “You have my word.” He began to ache inside. She would be alone soon - and for how long, he didn’t know. He began to fear for her safety. How could he have caused so much trouble for her?
She’d wiped her tears and the familiar smile appeared on her face once more. “Well now, let’s go have a bit of breakfast before I see you off. I had some of your favorites put on the menu.”
He returned her smile. “You go on ahead. I’ll be there in a minute. Just want to make sure that I haven’t forgotten anything.” He didn’t want to say that he’d like one last look around. It might be the last time he saw his room for quite some time.
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Ginny bounced from one side of her room to the other as she gathered up items for school. She tossed them into her trunk so quickly that half of them flew right back out again. In a few hours she’d be back on the train…ready to tell Draco how foolish she’d been. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as it never had before and she could hardly contain her excitement.
She closed the lid and sat on the foot of her bed, waiting for Hermione to return from her shower. The door to her room opened and Mrs. Weasley came in carrying an armful of socks. “Here you are, dear. Make sure you add these to your trunk before you close the—Ginny? Are you already set to go?”
Ginny nodded. “Yes, Mum. I’m all packed. I’ll find room for the socks, though.”
Mrs. Weasley gave her a quick hug. “You’ve always been anxious to return to school after the summer holidays were over, but I’m afraid that this year you’re in an extra big hurry to leave your father and me behind.”
“Oh, Mum, you know that’s not true.” It wasn’t a lie, really. Ginny missed her mum terribly when she was at school. However, the idea of being with Draco was all too appealing and she was glad that this was her last day at The Burrow.
“Isn’t it?” Mrs. Weasley began to reminisce. “Remember the year you squeezed yourself into Charlie’s trunk so that he’d take you along with him to school? Goodness, we had a time with you. You were always in such a hurry to go to school long before your big day.” She smiled and stuffed the socks into Ginny’s now-open trunk.
Ginny returned her mum’s smile. “I’d forgotten about that.” She sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But it was the boys’ fault. They always came home and talked so fondly of school - how could I not want to be a part of that, as well?”
Mrs. Weasley hugged Ginny again. “I’m glad we’ll have one more year of this. It will be hard when all of you kids are out of the house. Won’t know what to do with myself.” She sniffled a bit and Ginny lightly rubbed her mum’s back.
“Oh, Mum. Don’t get all emotional on me now. You know I’ll always be close by.” She hoped she could keep that promise. Truth be told, maybe she shouldn’t be giving her mother false hope.
Mrs. Weasley choked back her tears. “Well, I suppose we need to be leaving soon. I’ll go check on Hermione and the boys to see if they have everything. See you downstairs in a bit.”
She nodded at her mother and turned her attention back to her trunk and that of Draco. Ginny wondered what things were going to be like after this year. She had no idea what he was going to do. As long as Voldemort was alive, Draco would never be safe. She wondered if he would have to go into hiding after this year…and if he’d want her to come with him if he did. She couldn’t pretend that it didn’t worry her. But they had ten months to come up with something. She prayed that it would all work out…
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Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry arrived at King’s Cross several hours later with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They loaded their trunks onto the trolleys and pushed ahead to Platform 9 ¾. Butterflies took over Ginny’s stomach at the thought of seeing Draco any moment and she wondered how Ron and Hermione would react upon seeing her speak to him. This would make everything real for her brother since he’d been in denial after finding out about their secret affair - but Hermione was most certainly going to get the shock of her life.
Once they neared the platform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said their farewells. They were all old enough to board the Hogwarts Express without parents in tow. Ginny kissed her mum on the cheek and told her she’d send Pig with a letter the next day. Just as she was leaving her mother’s embrace she saw a blond head come into view at the other end of the station. Her stomach did somersaults and she had to look away to hide her excitement.
As the farewells came to an end, Ron was the first one through the barrier; Ginny trying desperately to hang back. Once she saw the back of Ron disappear into the brick barrier she motioned for Harry to go next.
Harry shook his head in protest. “Go ahead, Gin.”
Ginny was rather annoyed. Now was not the time for Harry to turn polite. How was she going to get them to go on through ahead of her? Thankfully, Hermione stepped forward and ran through the barrier and Ginny had to think quickly. No excuse came to her as Harry raised his eyebrows indicating she should go next. Suddenly, the sound of a toad brought her attention to Neville Longbottom and she waved.
Harry’s exasperated expression told her that it had worked. “Oy, Ginny, come on.” He said. “It’s almost 11:00 as it is. I’ll see you on the other side.” And with that, he casually leaned into the barrier and disappeared.
She beamed. Draco was fast approaching. Neville reached her first and asked her how her summer holiday had been. She tried to be as gracious as she could, but couldn’t stop glancing over Neville’s shoulder at Draco. When Neville finally pushed his way through to the other side, Draco stepped toward Ginny.
“Hey, there.” His voice was soft.
Ginny nodded her head in answer, unable to speak for she was entirely too happy and nervous to say anything. Draco lightly touched her hand and the sensation traveled through her body. Nothing could be better than being with him again.
Draco glanced around her and spoke again. “You go on ahead. I’m supposed to meet Crabbe and Goyle here as I do every year. But can I…can I see you on the train in a sec?” Ginny nodded again, still unable to speak. He gave her one last smile as she turned her trolley around and began to head in the direction of the barrier.
Something made Ginny stop and she looked over her shoulder to see Draco admiring her from behind. He smiled. She couldn’t contain herself any longer. Ginny’s steps were light as she ran back to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I missed you so much, Draco.” Her lips met his and a surge of energy rushed through her limbs at the thought of their first public kiss. He held her close to him for a moment until she pulled away from him, slightly disappointed that no one had seen them. But she was filled with the memory of Draco’s touch, just the same. She ran toward the barrier, yet again.
This was it! Her life would change in a matter of moments and she wasn’t turning back now. But as the trolley entered the barrier, Ginny felt her world begin to spin. Her stomach lurched forward and dropped swiftly until she thought she was going to be sick. It was as though someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled as hard as they could. The back of her head pounded as she watched the scenery fly by in the corners of her eyes. It felt like an eternity before it all began to slow down. She landed hard on all fours – slamming her knees down onto a cold stone floor as she immediately lost what little breakfast she’d had that morning. The surroundings were still, but her head was still spinning. She took several breaths and wiped her chin before looking up.
Red, slanted eyes came into view and Ginny screamed. She rolled onto her back and pulled herself away from the face that was looking down at her. Boney white fingers, bent inches above her body, bore the actions of the last word she remembered.
“Crucio!”
Draco threw the last of his new robes into the trunk and closed the lid. Blinka was fussing over him relentlessly as she did every year on his return trip to Hogwarts, making certain he didn’t forget a thing. This was a gesture which had, in previous years, greatly annoyed him. Yet, as his senses seemed to stray to the far corners of his mind, he was grateful for her help.
Draco couldn’t keep from reliving the scene in Diagon Alley. After having spotted Ginny, he was more than determined to speak to her on the train. It had been the hardest thing in the world, watching her cry there all alone. He knew quite well that she’d seen him with Pansy. If Ginny had only waited seconds longer to retreat into the shadows, she would’ve seen Blaise giving Pansy a welcoming kiss. He tried several times to reach out for her…to tell her that Pansy meant nothing to him. Yet something had held him back. He’d wanted to give her as much time as he could in fear of ruining the only opportunity he might have of bringing her back into his arms.
A soft knock on the bedroom door brought his mind back to reality. His mother had come to see him off. “Come in, Mother.” Draco dismissed Blinka and waited for her to enter.
Narcissa’s head popped around the corner of the door and she stood smiling at him. “My son.” She sniffled slightly. Draco could tell she’d been crying, yet before he could inquire as to the reason she continued. “This is your last year. The time has gone so fast. Look at you!” She grabbed his hands and held them out as if to show how big he’d gotten. Draco controlled the urge to roll his eyes. He loved his mother dearly, but these sentimental moments were a little much. “Are you all packed?” she said.
“Yes,” Draco nodded. “I’ll be on my way to King’s Cross soon.” Narcissa smiled again, clearly fighting back more tears at her son’s impending departure.
Draco was hesitant with his next words. “Mother?” He began to falter. “There’s…there’s something I was hoping you’d do for me before I leave.”
Narcissa gave him a questioning look. “Yes?”
He crossed the room and opened the drawer in his bedside table. After grabbing the object inside, he laid it softly in her hand. “Could you…could you fix this for me?” It was Ginny’s badge.
His mother’s expression softened and she pulled her wand out of her robes. “Reparo!” She spoke the word as she touched the Gryffindor lion with the tip of her wand. The badge looked as it did the day Ginny had given it to him. Narcissa handed it back to Draco who laid it carefully on the bed. “I am assuming that things will be different for you this year. Are you prepared for what the consequences might bring?” Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but her face was compassionate.
Draco had spoken to his mother about his decision to tell the other Slytherins, however she’d been quite reluctant to agree with him. He was well aware that his happiness meant everything to his mother, yet his safety mattered more. She was afraid that the others would not be accepting of Ginny and that the Dark Lord would find a way to punish him, regardless of his protection at Hogwarts. Draco knew that after this year he would have to hide from the Death Eaters. Whether Ginny would complete her final year at school or follow him, he didn’t know. They’d never really talked about their future. But he knew they couldn’t live a normal life together while Voldemort still walked the earth.
He lifted his head to look at his mother. “I’m prepared. Mother, I have to stop living this lie. It’s not that I don’t believe in the things that you and father have raised me to believe. I still do. But I can’t be a part of something that wants to see her dead, no matter how strongly I’ve believed in it. She means more to me than that. I can’t control how I feel.”
Narcissa’s expression changed a bit and she looked at Draco in a rather questioning manner. “Will you become friends with the other Gryffindors?”
“Absolutely not!” He couldn’t believe she would ask such a thing.
“Draco, you do know that you will find it difficult to be with her if you aren’t accepting of those around her.” It wasn’t so much a question, yet she was making sure that he was aware of the fact.
He scowled. “I’ll make an effort to be nice to her brother; the rest of her family, perhaps. But Potter, Granger and the others can sod off.” He was remembering seeing Ginny laughing, as she lay on the ground with Potter at The Burrow. He couldn’t recall ever hating him more than he did at that moment. He cleared his throat and continued. “But what about Father? And…and Aunt Bellatrix?”
His mother took a breath and smiled to the best of her abilities. “You leave it to me. I’ll take care of everything.”
He wasn’t going to stop there. He felt it was time to come clean with everything. “Mother, I overhead your conversation in the dining room that day.” She eyed him cautiously. “I heard what it was that you said to Bella. How are you going to explain this to her? Or the Dark Lord, for that matter? Or…or Father?”
It hurt him the most to betray his father in this way. Once he found out, Draco was sure he would be disowned as a son. Not only would he be walking away from everything that he believed in, but he would be leaving behind his family – at least for now. He knew his father would never forgive him…even under the persuasion of his mother.
She reached out and lightly touched his hair. “Draco, your aunt and I have never been close. I know that I haven’t talked about it much, but I never really needed to; she’s been in Azkaban almost as long as you’ve been alive. I assure you that she will not dare cross me. As for your father, it is pointless for me to tell you that he will not be pleased. You know that fact is part of the consequences. However, you are still his son. Despite the way in which your father has raised you, he does love you Draco. He loves you very much. Maybe…in time…” her voice trailed off. “As for the Dark Lord, I can only pray that during your time away at school we’ll think of something.” Her eyes began to well up with tears once more and Draco put his arms around his mother. He knew his decision was very difficult for her to bear, but her support meant the world to him. He could not remember loving her more.
She continued to speak. “I will be sending you owls to keep our lines of communication open. Don’t read those letters around your friends and make sure that you burn each one that you receive. It’s imperative that the other Slytherins not know what we are discussing. They won’t understand this. One word to their parents and we will all be in trouble.” She looked him directly in the eyes.
He nodded his head and kissed his mother on the cheek. “You have my word.” He began to ache inside. She would be alone soon - and for how long, he didn’t know. He began to fear for her safety. How could he have caused so much trouble for her?
She’d wiped her tears and the familiar smile appeared on her face once more. “Well now, let’s go have a bit of breakfast before I see you off. I had some of your favorites put on the menu.”
He returned her smile. “You go on ahead. I’ll be there in a minute. Just want to make sure that I haven’t forgotten anything.” He didn’t want to say that he’d like one last look around. It might be the last time he saw his room for quite some time.
Ginny bounced from one side of her room to the other as she gathered up items for school. She tossed them into her trunk so quickly that half of them flew right back out again. In a few hours she’d be back on the train…ready to tell Draco how foolish she’d been. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as it never had before and she could hardly contain her excitement.
She closed the lid and sat on the foot of her bed, waiting for Hermione to return from her shower. The door to her room opened and Mrs. Weasley came in carrying an armful of socks. “Here you are, dear. Make sure you add these to your trunk before you close the—Ginny? Are you already set to go?”
Ginny nodded. “Yes, Mum. I’m all packed. I’ll find room for the socks, though.”
Mrs. Weasley gave her a quick hug. “You’ve always been anxious to return to school after the summer holidays were over, but I’m afraid that this year you’re in an extra big hurry to leave your father and me behind.”
“Oh, Mum, you know that’s not true.” It wasn’t a lie, really. Ginny missed her mum terribly when she was at school. However, the idea of being with Draco was all too appealing and she was glad that this was her last day at The Burrow.
“Isn’t it?” Mrs. Weasley began to reminisce. “Remember the year you squeezed yourself into Charlie’s trunk so that he’d take you along with him to school? Goodness, we had a time with you. You were always in such a hurry to go to school long before your big day.” She smiled and stuffed the socks into Ginny’s now-open trunk.
Ginny returned her mum’s smile. “I’d forgotten about that.” She sighed. “I suppose you’re right. But it was the boys’ fault. They always came home and talked so fondly of school - how could I not want to be a part of that, as well?”
Mrs. Weasley hugged Ginny again. “I’m glad we’ll have one more year of this. It will be hard when all of you kids are out of the house. Won’t know what to do with myself.” She sniffled a bit and Ginny lightly rubbed her mum’s back.
“Oh, Mum. Don’t get all emotional on me now. You know I’ll always be close by.” She hoped she could keep that promise. Truth be told, maybe she shouldn’t be giving her mother false hope.
Mrs. Weasley choked back her tears. “Well, I suppose we need to be leaving soon. I’ll go check on Hermione and the boys to see if they have everything. See you downstairs in a bit.”
She nodded at her mother and turned her attention back to her trunk and that of Draco. Ginny wondered what things were going to be like after this year. She had no idea what he was going to do. As long as Voldemort was alive, Draco would never be safe. She wondered if he would have to go into hiding after this year…and if he’d want her to come with him if he did. She couldn’t pretend that it didn’t worry her. But they had ten months to come up with something. She prayed that it would all work out…
Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry arrived at King’s Cross several hours later with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They loaded their trunks onto the trolleys and pushed ahead to Platform 9 ¾. Butterflies took over Ginny’s stomach at the thought of seeing Draco any moment and she wondered how Ron and Hermione would react upon seeing her speak to him. This would make everything real for her brother since he’d been in denial after finding out about their secret affair - but Hermione was most certainly going to get the shock of her life.
Once they neared the platform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said their farewells. They were all old enough to board the Hogwarts Express without parents in tow. Ginny kissed her mum on the cheek and told her she’d send Pig with a letter the next day. Just as she was leaving her mother’s embrace she saw a blond head come into view at the other end of the station. Her stomach did somersaults and she had to look away to hide her excitement.
As the farewells came to an end, Ron was the first one through the barrier; Ginny trying desperately to hang back. Once she saw the back of Ron disappear into the brick barrier she motioned for Harry to go next.
Harry shook his head in protest. “Go ahead, Gin.”
Ginny was rather annoyed. Now was not the time for Harry to turn polite. How was she going to get them to go on through ahead of her? Thankfully, Hermione stepped forward and ran through the barrier and Ginny had to think quickly. No excuse came to her as Harry raised his eyebrows indicating she should go next. Suddenly, the sound of a toad brought her attention to Neville Longbottom and she waved.
Harry’s exasperated expression told her that it had worked. “Oy, Ginny, come on.” He said. “It’s almost 11:00 as it is. I’ll see you on the other side.” And with that, he casually leaned into the barrier and disappeared.
She beamed. Draco was fast approaching. Neville reached her first and asked her how her summer holiday had been. She tried to be as gracious as she could, but couldn’t stop glancing over Neville’s shoulder at Draco. When Neville finally pushed his way through to the other side, Draco stepped toward Ginny.
“Hey, there.” His voice was soft.
Ginny nodded her head in answer, unable to speak for she was entirely too happy and nervous to say anything. Draco lightly touched her hand and the sensation traveled through her body. Nothing could be better than being with him again.
Draco glanced around her and spoke again. “You go on ahead. I’m supposed to meet Crabbe and Goyle here as I do every year. But can I…can I see you on the train in a sec?” Ginny nodded again, still unable to speak. He gave her one last smile as she turned her trolley around and began to head in the direction of the barrier.
Something made Ginny stop and she looked over her shoulder to see Draco admiring her from behind. He smiled. She couldn’t contain herself any longer. Ginny’s steps were light as she ran back to him and threw her arms around his neck. “I missed you so much, Draco.” Her lips met his and a surge of energy rushed through her limbs at the thought of their first public kiss. He held her close to him for a moment until she pulled away from him, slightly disappointed that no one had seen them. But she was filled with the memory of Draco’s touch, just the same. She ran toward the barrier, yet again.
This was it! Her life would change in a matter of moments and she wasn’t turning back now. But as the trolley entered the barrier, Ginny felt her world begin to spin. Her stomach lurched forward and dropped swiftly until she thought she was going to be sick. It was as though someone grabbed her around the waist and pulled as hard as they could. The back of her head pounded as she watched the scenery fly by in the corners of her eyes. It felt like an eternity before it all began to slow down. She landed hard on all fours – slamming her knees down onto a cold stone floor as she immediately lost what little breakfast she’d had that morning. The surroundings were still, but her head was still spinning. She took several breaths and wiped her chin before looking up.
Red, slanted eyes came into view and Ginny screamed. She rolled onto her back and pulled herself away from the face that was looking down at her. Boney white fingers, bent inches above her body, bore the actions of the last word she remembered.
“Crucio!”
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