A/N: Next chapter's the last, plus there'll be a short epilogue. I'll post them once the site is back up. Please don't kill me for this chapter . . . . Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, thanks for reading and reviewing!
Chapter 11 – We All Fall Down
She held her breathe, watching as he dove for the snitch.
"Go, Harry!" she shouted. It struck her suddenly that he was the only one chasing the flittering golden orb. There are always two Seekers in Quidditch, she thought, her brows furrowed in puzzlement. But no one on the team opposing them, players all dressed in silver and green, seemed to care that Harry was inches from winning the match.
How odd, Ginny thought, and then realized that she was sitting in the Great Hall, eating dinner.
"Mmmm, baked custard, my favorite," she said before pulling a ramekin full of the pale confection over to her. Her tablemates didn't acknowledge that she had spoken, however. Ginny looked up in surprise, and noticed that beside her sat Pansy Parkinson. On her left was Blaise Zabini.
"What the bloody hell?" Ginny exclaimed, dropping her spoon.
Still, no one responded. Ginny glanced around the table. I'm sitting in someone else's spot, she thought to herself. But who is missing? It felt to Ginny like there was a huge gaping hole lingering just outside her field of vision. Some puzzle piece that would make everything make sense.
"WHERE ARE YOU?" she shouted without knowing who she was calling to.
There was an ache, like her chest was constricting painfully against her internal organs. The hurt was going to kill her; she was going to die.
She sat up in bed, and felt a tear run down her cheek.
"Where are you?" she whispered, looking around the moonlit room.
Suddenly, what seemed like the most logical thought in the world struck her.
The Astronomy Tower.
Ginny woke up with a start, and felt the sweat beading on her forehead. It was a nightmare, but she couldn't remember what it was about.
Gods, it's hot in this room, she thought.
She threw off her covers and pulled open the curtains around her bed. Even after gulping down the glass of water that sat on her nightstand, she still felt like she was hyperventilating.
"I need air," she whispered, and then thought of the cool breezes most likely whipping past the Astronomy Tower. She pushed away her covers and climbed out of bed.
-----
It was freezing on the Astronomy Tower, and Ginny was glad she'd gotten dressed before leaving her room. Leaning against the stone battlement, she stared off across the lawn toward the Forbidden Forest. It was nights like this, when wisps of clouds drifted passed the moon and ghostly shadows danced across the lawn that Ginny felt frightened of the Forest. If you stared at it hard enough and long enough, it seemed like things were moving in it, coming out of it. The trees themselves seemed to creep forward.
Just a trick of the eyes, Ginny thought, blinking hard to wipe the image from her brain. She looked at the Forest again, but the effect didn't go away. Shapes darker than shadows slid out from beneath the canopy of trees and began gliding toward the castle.
"No," she said softly, a note of panic in her voice. "It can't be." But it was, and Ginny ran for the stairs.
She stopped at the first portrait she came to and shouted at the dozing witch to wake up.
"Death Eaters are attacking the castle! We have to wake everyone up!" The witch looked dazed for a moment, but then nodded and rushed off to the next painting. Soon the sounds of shouting were echoing down the stairs.
Ginny met Professor McGonagall, clad in a tartan robe, coming out of her office.
"Miss Weasley! What is the meaning of all this?" asked the headmistress.
"I saw them coming out of the Forest! Death Eaters are here!" McGonagall rushed over to the nearest window and peered out.
"Merlin save us," she murmured under her breath before turning back to Ginny. "Get back to Gryffindor Tower and wake everyone, Miss Weasley. Have them get their wands and then please escort them to the Great Hall. I'll have the other Houses alerted. Move quickly - there isn't much time."
"Yes, Professor," Ginny replied and ran back to Gryffindor. She went to Neville's dorm first and banged on the door until he opened it, staring at her groggily. Hurriedly she explained the situation, and Neville was already throwing on his trainers and grabbing his wand before she was half through.
"I'll wake the boys, you get the girls," he said determinedly.
"Right," Ginny replied, heading for the girl's dormitory. She knew she'd be able to rely on Neville.
Thirty half-clad, wide-eyed Gryffindors stood in the Common Room less than ten minutes later, and after Ginny and Neville did a head count, they all filed out toward the Great Hall. Ginny wasn't sure if they were all still sleepy, or if it was shock, but everyone stayed quiet. Ginny was relieved - if everyone had started panicking, she wasn't sure how she'd get them all to the Great Hall.
Professor Slughorn ushered them into the hall along with the Hufflepuffs who'd just arrived as well. Ginny glanced around the room. Half the professors were there, circulating among the students, whispering calming words to the few students in tears here and there around the room.
"Everyone, please," Professor McGonagall said, calling them to attention. She had a grim expression on her face, but her words rang through the hall. "It's true. At this moment, Death Eaters are making their way toward the castle. I've alerted the Ministry - we will have help shortly. It is imperative that you all remain here while we maintain the castle's defenses. Those of you in fifth year and above, I look to you to keep order here. Look after those younger than yourselves. If necessary, use the defensive charms you've learned in class. Together, we can survive this."
With that, she and the other faculty members made their way out of the room and Ginny heard them putting up wards around the doors to the Great Hall. She looked over at Neville, and Luna, who had joined them.
"Well?" she asked. Neville met her eyes and nodded. After a moment, so did Luna.
"Right," Ginny said, gripping her wand a bit tighter. "Through the Snogging Door, then?"
"Let's go," Luna replied.
The Snogging Door, a small arched entryway tucked into the far corner of the Great Hall, was so dubbed by the student body because it led to the rose gardens, was never locked and was notoriously unmonitored by faculty - thus making it the "gateway for action" during school dances. Ginny found it unlocked this time as well, and she, Neville, and Luna slipped out into the cold night.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" a voice called out from behind them. Ginny turned to find Orla Quirke, a fifth year Ravenclaw, Medwin Cadwallader, the massive Hufflepuff Chaser, and a few other students behind them.
"We're going out to help defend the castle - where else?" Ginny replied tersely.
"We want to fight, too," said Medwin, and the students with him nodded. Ginny shrugged in acquiescence.
"The more the merrier," Luna said with a smile, and Ginny sighed. This was going to be a disaster.
They crept toward the front entrance, staying well within the shadows of the castle walls. As the group rounded the corner, all hell broke loose. Shouts and the crackling sound of fired hexes filled the air as the massive group of Death Eaters engaged with the small band of teachers guarding Hogwarts' entrance. Without a moment's hesitation, Ginny hurled herself into the fray.
"Petrificus Totalis!" she shouted at the nearest Death Eater, causing the black-clad figure to topple backwards into the snow. The students with her began casting hexes as well.
For a moment, it looked like they might have turned the tide of battle as the Death Eaters, caught off guard by this attack from the left side of their ranks, were forced back. Only for a moment though. The Death Eaters quickly regrouped, breaking up into two units - one to continue the assault on the entrance and one to take care of the students. Ginny and her friends were suddenly facing a group of Death Eaters head on, and she found herself fighting for her life. With a heart-wrenching jolt, she heard someone shout "Avada Kedavra!' and saw Medwin Cadwallader, a boy she never even got to know, crumple to the ground nearby.
"Take cover in the rose garden!" she shouted as more students fell around her. Just then, the Death Eater coming towards her fell forward, hexed from behind. Ginny found herself face to face with Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"They've gotten inside the castle and broken into the Great Hall! They're chasing down students all over the castle!" he boomed at her. "Gather as many of your friends as you can and get inside - we need help!" Ginny nodded once, relief washing over her. The Order had arrived, and that meant the fight was even now. The only students nearby were Neville and Luna. Every one else had already retreated, or worse.
"Neville! Luna! Death Eaters are through the front doors - let's go!"
They dodged passed the few wizards still dueling on the lawn and rushed into the entrance hall. Inside Hogwarts, Ginny was reminded of the muggle "funhouse" her father had taken her to when she was little. She could barely see through the smoke and the flickering lights as bodies rushed passed her and in front of her, and spells whizzed through the air. Ginny barely ducked in time as a hex flew over her head. It was chaos.
As Ginny made her way forward, she ran right into Ron.
"Ginny! What are you doing?" he spluttered. "Why aren't you up in your room where it's –"
"Lacarnum Inflamarae!" Ginny interrupted, pointing her wand over Ron's shoulder and watching as the Death Eater who was about to hex him fell to the ground and tried to put his burning robes out.
"Be careful, Ron. It's really dangerous out here!" she said with a small smirk, patting her brother on the shoulder. Before he could reply, she ran off after a couple of Death Eaters heading upstairs.
She caught up with them just as they were about to attack a first-year Hufflepuff who had ducked into the Transfiguration classroom and was cowering under a desk.
"Quirito Quiescum!" Ginny shouted at the nearest Death Eater, who immediately collapsed to the floor and began whimpering as he slipped into his worst nightmare.
"You!" the second Death Eater screamed, wheeling around to face Ginny. Ginny's stomach dropped as she recognized the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. The two women eyed each other warily for a moment, their wands poised at the ready.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you," Bellatrix said gleefully, and before Ginny had a chance to react, she shouted "Incarcerous!"
Rope cords coiled around Ginny's body and she fell backward against a desk. She noticed with a small bit of relief that the first-year who had been hiding under it had scurried out of the room.
"So how does it feel to have the tables turned, you little whore?" asked Bellatrix, removing her mask and grinning maliciously at Ginny.
Ginny glared at the dark-haired woman, but didn't respond.
"I do wonder what my nephew sees in you," said Bellatrix, stooping over Ginny to get a closer look. "All those freckles and that hideous hair! And Gods, you have brown eyes! How utterly common!" Bellatrix giggled.
"I wonder if he'd find you so pretty if I altered you a bit," she said thoughtfully. "I think you'd be much more attractive without your eyes!"
"Get away from her," a cold voice commanded from the doorway. Draco Malfoy entered the classroom.
"Draco!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "We do need to stop meeting like this! And I know just how to prevent it! Avada -"
"Protego!" Draco shouted, blocking her curse. Bellatrix began to laugh, and her nephew eyed her, bewildered.
"Oh, my stomach!" Bellatrix giggled. "This is too funny! I have to share my secret!"
"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded.
"Oh, really, this is hilarious! Right now, that Potter boy and our Dark Lord are engaging in a duel. But what that brat doesn't know is that he can't defeat the Dark Lord - it's impossible! Because of me!" Bellatrix reached into her robe and pulled out a large gold locket on a chain. "I helped my cousin Regulus steal this a long time ago. I wanted it so badly! But Regie, the sodding bastard, hid it from me! Well, of course I had to kill him. But I still couldn't find the Dark Lord's locket. Until, that is, I ran into some ratty, two-bit thief, who'd stolen it right out of the Black mansion! He wanted one galleon for it, can you imagine? He had no idea what it was, how important it was! But I knew. And thanks to me, the Dark Lord CAN NEVER DIE!" Bellatrix erupted into gleeful giggles again.
"Sectumsempra!" Draco shouted, but Bellatrix deflected the spell.
"Tut, tut, nephew. That wasn't very nice. You wouldn't want me to hurt your little girlfriend, would you?" Bellatrix stooped next to the bound Ginny and pointed her wand at Ginny's head. "One move and you'll be mopping her up off the floor," she sneered.
Draco froze, and Ginny could see every muscle in his body tense.
He cares, she thought wildly. He really cares about me!
"Aunt Bella," Draco said, his tone sugary sweet. "Surely we can come to some sort of arrangement. Surely you know that the moment you hurt Weasley, I'll kill you." A smile stretched across his lips that never reached his eyes.
"Avada Kedavra!" cried a voice that was neither Draco's nor Bellatrix's, and Neville strode into the room as Bellatrix fell to the floor.
"Neville!" cried Ginny. "Oh, Neville!"
"I've waited my whole life to do that," Neville said grimly before slumping to the ground and bursting into tears.
"Finite Incantatum, Draco whispered toward Ginny, who, freed finally from her bonds, rushed over and threw her arms around the sobbing boy.
"It's okay, Nev. She deserved it. You saved us. Shhhh," she said, as Neville rocked back and forth in her arms.
Just then, an explosion sounded from somewhere below them, and the entire room shook.
"Right," Draco said tersely, prying the gold locket from his aunt's stiffening fingers.
Ginny stood up, eyeing Draco warily.
"What are you doing?" she asked, feeling strangely panicked. She'd seen that necklace before; she just couldn't figure out where.
Draco's eyes met hers and held them.
"Draco?" she whimpered, fear gripping her.
Draco crossed the space between them and grabbed her roughly, pressing a hard kiss to her lips. Reluctantly, Ginny let go of him as he pulled away from her.
"It's a horcrux," Draco said hoarsely. "It can't be broken unless someone is wearing it, do you understand? When I put it on, I want you to open it and snap the two pieces apart."
"But why -"
"Ginny, you have to do this," Draco said, stroking her cheek. "It's for you, Gin," he whispered, slipping the locket over his head. For a moment, he stood there, looking at her with his whole soul in his eyes. The next moment, like a marionette with its strings suddenly cut, he crumpled to the floor.
"DRACO!" Ginny screamed, falling to her knees beside him. "No, no, no, no, no!" she cried, sobbing into his robes.
"Ginny!" cried Neville, kneeling beside her. "We have to do what he said! Break the horcrux now! Quickly, before it's too late!" Ginny didn't respond.
"Damn it!" Neville shouted, pushing Ginny aside and grabbing the locket, which was painfully hot to the touch. Quickly he pried it open, and a greenish-yellowish vapor poured out of it. With all his strength, Neville bent the two heart-shaped pieces back, snapping the locket apart at the hinge.
"Take it off him! Take it off him!" Ginny cried, her eyes fixed on Draco's still form. Neville complied, removing the chain from around Draco’s neck, but it had no effect. Draco lay there, his pale skin and white-blonde hair frozen in angelic perfection.
"We'll take him to the hospital wing," Neville murmured, squeezing Ginny's shoulder reassuringly. Luna had mentioned something about Ginny liking the Slytherin prince, but Neville had had no idea her feelings ran so deep.
With a flick of his wand, he levitated Draco's body, and quietly, they left the room.
-----
Ginny didn't see the rest of the battle, which was dying down by the time she and Neville brought Draco to Madame Pomfrey. She only dimly heard the shouts of joy as Voldemort was defeated and killed, and she was only vaguely aware of Harry being brought into the hospital wing and placed in the bed on her right.
There she sat, Draco on her left, Harry on her right. Both in comas, perhaps already beginning the journey toward death. It was funny, really. Ginny had imagined moments like this countless times, moments when either Draco or Harry became injured, and Ginny hovered over their hospital beds, crying over their prone bodies. In Ginny's fantasies, it was her tears falling on their cheeks, or her soft voice murmuring words of love that brought them back to life.
In reality, Ginny just sat there, numbly, her mind refusing to process any sort of coherent thought. She stared stupidly as her family gathered around Harry, her mother and Hermione in tears. She didn't respond when Bill knelt in front of her and asked her if she was okay. Did she look okay?
Ron and Hermione stayed with Harry, sitting on the other side of his bed. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder and cried quietly. Ginny wished they'd both leave, but instead, they settled in and dozed off, their arms around each other. With the last ounce of strength she possessed, Ginny turned and faced Draco, who was lying in his bed, the shallow rise and fall of his chest the only indication that he was still alive. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Draco," she whispered. Please don't leave me. Please.
Towards morning, Harry began to stir, showing signs of returning to consciousness. Draco remained the same. Ginny found it ironic that finally, when she knew without a doubt who she really loved, it looked like she'd never get the chance to tell him.
"I'm sorry," she said in a low voice, taking care not to wake her brother or his girlfriend. "I'm sorry I messed everything up for us. I know I hurt you. I thought the whole time that it was you hurting me, but I understand now." She leaned forward and lightly grasped his hand. "You know, all those nights we were stuck out in the woods and we didn't have anything to eat, and we were dirty and sore, and scared, I thought I was in hell. I thought that was the worst life could get. You used to run your fingers through my hair before I fell asleep, and you had this spot beneath your shoulder that made the perfect pillow for my head. I know now that that was the closest I will ever get to heaven in this life. That week with you was it for me, Draco."
She moved closer to him. There it was, the soft spot just below his shoulder. Without another thought, Ginny pulled back his covers and climbed into the bed with him, wrapping around his unmoving form.
"I love you," she whispered, drifting off to sleep in his arms.
Chapter 11 – We All Fall Down
She held her breathe, watching as he dove for the snitch.
"Go, Harry!" she shouted. It struck her suddenly that he was the only one chasing the flittering golden orb. There are always two Seekers in Quidditch, she thought, her brows furrowed in puzzlement. But no one on the team opposing them, players all dressed in silver and green, seemed to care that Harry was inches from winning the match.
How odd, Ginny thought, and then realized that she was sitting in the Great Hall, eating dinner.
"Mmmm, baked custard, my favorite," she said before pulling a ramekin full of the pale confection over to her. Her tablemates didn't acknowledge that she had spoken, however. Ginny looked up in surprise, and noticed that beside her sat Pansy Parkinson. On her left was Blaise Zabini.
"What the bloody hell?" Ginny exclaimed, dropping her spoon.
Still, no one responded. Ginny glanced around the table. I'm sitting in someone else's spot, she thought to herself. But who is missing? It felt to Ginny like there was a huge gaping hole lingering just outside her field of vision. Some puzzle piece that would make everything make sense.
"WHERE ARE YOU?" she shouted without knowing who she was calling to.
There was an ache, like her chest was constricting painfully against her internal organs. The hurt was going to kill her; she was going to die.
She sat up in bed, and felt a tear run down her cheek.
"Where are you?" she whispered, looking around the moonlit room.
Suddenly, what seemed like the most logical thought in the world struck her.
The Astronomy Tower.
Ginny woke up with a start, and felt the sweat beading on her forehead. It was a nightmare, but she couldn't remember what it was about.
Gods, it's hot in this room, she thought.
She threw off her covers and pulled open the curtains around her bed. Even after gulping down the glass of water that sat on her nightstand, she still felt like she was hyperventilating.
"I need air," she whispered, and then thought of the cool breezes most likely whipping past the Astronomy Tower. She pushed away her covers and climbed out of bed.
It was freezing on the Astronomy Tower, and Ginny was glad she'd gotten dressed before leaving her room. Leaning against the stone battlement, she stared off across the lawn toward the Forbidden Forest. It was nights like this, when wisps of clouds drifted passed the moon and ghostly shadows danced across the lawn that Ginny felt frightened of the Forest. If you stared at it hard enough and long enough, it seemed like things were moving in it, coming out of it. The trees themselves seemed to creep forward.
Just a trick of the eyes, Ginny thought, blinking hard to wipe the image from her brain. She looked at the Forest again, but the effect didn't go away. Shapes darker than shadows slid out from beneath the canopy of trees and began gliding toward the castle.
"No," she said softly, a note of panic in her voice. "It can't be." But it was, and Ginny ran for the stairs.
She stopped at the first portrait she came to and shouted at the dozing witch to wake up.
"Death Eaters are attacking the castle! We have to wake everyone up!" The witch looked dazed for a moment, but then nodded and rushed off to the next painting. Soon the sounds of shouting were echoing down the stairs.
Ginny met Professor McGonagall, clad in a tartan robe, coming out of her office.
"Miss Weasley! What is the meaning of all this?" asked the headmistress.
"I saw them coming out of the Forest! Death Eaters are here!" McGonagall rushed over to the nearest window and peered out.
"Merlin save us," she murmured under her breath before turning back to Ginny. "Get back to Gryffindor Tower and wake everyone, Miss Weasley. Have them get their wands and then please escort them to the Great Hall. I'll have the other Houses alerted. Move quickly - there isn't much time."
"Yes, Professor," Ginny replied and ran back to Gryffindor. She went to Neville's dorm first and banged on the door until he opened it, staring at her groggily. Hurriedly she explained the situation, and Neville was already throwing on his trainers and grabbing his wand before she was half through.
"I'll wake the boys, you get the girls," he said determinedly.
"Right," Ginny replied, heading for the girl's dormitory. She knew she'd be able to rely on Neville.
Thirty half-clad, wide-eyed Gryffindors stood in the Common Room less than ten minutes later, and after Ginny and Neville did a head count, they all filed out toward the Great Hall. Ginny wasn't sure if they were all still sleepy, or if it was shock, but everyone stayed quiet. Ginny was relieved - if everyone had started panicking, she wasn't sure how she'd get them all to the Great Hall.
Professor Slughorn ushered them into the hall along with the Hufflepuffs who'd just arrived as well. Ginny glanced around the room. Half the professors were there, circulating among the students, whispering calming words to the few students in tears here and there around the room.
"Everyone, please," Professor McGonagall said, calling them to attention. She had a grim expression on her face, but her words rang through the hall. "It's true. At this moment, Death Eaters are making their way toward the castle. I've alerted the Ministry - we will have help shortly. It is imperative that you all remain here while we maintain the castle's defenses. Those of you in fifth year and above, I look to you to keep order here. Look after those younger than yourselves. If necessary, use the defensive charms you've learned in class. Together, we can survive this."
With that, she and the other faculty members made their way out of the room and Ginny heard them putting up wards around the doors to the Great Hall. She looked over at Neville, and Luna, who had joined them.
"Well?" she asked. Neville met her eyes and nodded. After a moment, so did Luna.
"Right," Ginny said, gripping her wand a bit tighter. "Through the Snogging Door, then?"
"Let's go," Luna replied.
The Snogging Door, a small arched entryway tucked into the far corner of the Great Hall, was so dubbed by the student body because it led to the rose gardens, was never locked and was notoriously unmonitored by faculty - thus making it the "gateway for action" during school dances. Ginny found it unlocked this time as well, and she, Neville, and Luna slipped out into the cold night.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" a voice called out from behind them. Ginny turned to find Orla Quirke, a fifth year Ravenclaw, Medwin Cadwallader, the massive Hufflepuff Chaser, and a few other students behind them.
"We're going out to help defend the castle - where else?" Ginny replied tersely.
"We want to fight, too," said Medwin, and the students with him nodded. Ginny shrugged in acquiescence.
"The more the merrier," Luna said with a smile, and Ginny sighed. This was going to be a disaster.
They crept toward the front entrance, staying well within the shadows of the castle walls. As the group rounded the corner, all hell broke loose. Shouts and the crackling sound of fired hexes filled the air as the massive group of Death Eaters engaged with the small band of teachers guarding Hogwarts' entrance. Without a moment's hesitation, Ginny hurled herself into the fray.
"Petrificus Totalis!" she shouted at the nearest Death Eater, causing the black-clad figure to topple backwards into the snow. The students with her began casting hexes as well.
For a moment, it looked like they might have turned the tide of battle as the Death Eaters, caught off guard by this attack from the left side of their ranks, were forced back. Only for a moment though. The Death Eaters quickly regrouped, breaking up into two units - one to continue the assault on the entrance and one to take care of the students. Ginny and her friends were suddenly facing a group of Death Eaters head on, and she found herself fighting for her life. With a heart-wrenching jolt, she heard someone shout "Avada Kedavra!' and saw Medwin Cadwallader, a boy she never even got to know, crumple to the ground nearby.
"Take cover in the rose garden!" she shouted as more students fell around her. Just then, the Death Eater coming towards her fell forward, hexed from behind. Ginny found herself face to face with Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"They've gotten inside the castle and broken into the Great Hall! They're chasing down students all over the castle!" he boomed at her. "Gather as many of your friends as you can and get inside - we need help!" Ginny nodded once, relief washing over her. The Order had arrived, and that meant the fight was even now. The only students nearby were Neville and Luna. Every one else had already retreated, or worse.
"Neville! Luna! Death Eaters are through the front doors - let's go!"
They dodged passed the few wizards still dueling on the lawn and rushed into the entrance hall. Inside Hogwarts, Ginny was reminded of the muggle "funhouse" her father had taken her to when she was little. She could barely see through the smoke and the flickering lights as bodies rushed passed her and in front of her, and spells whizzed through the air. Ginny barely ducked in time as a hex flew over her head. It was chaos.
As Ginny made her way forward, she ran right into Ron.
"Ginny! What are you doing?" he spluttered. "Why aren't you up in your room where it's –"
"Lacarnum Inflamarae!" Ginny interrupted, pointing her wand over Ron's shoulder and watching as the Death Eater who was about to hex him fell to the ground and tried to put his burning robes out.
"Be careful, Ron. It's really dangerous out here!" she said with a small smirk, patting her brother on the shoulder. Before he could reply, she ran off after a couple of Death Eaters heading upstairs.
She caught up with them just as they were about to attack a first-year Hufflepuff who had ducked into the Transfiguration classroom and was cowering under a desk.
"Quirito Quiescum!" Ginny shouted at the nearest Death Eater, who immediately collapsed to the floor and began whimpering as he slipped into his worst nightmare.
"You!" the second Death Eater screamed, wheeling around to face Ginny. Ginny's stomach dropped as she recognized the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange. The two women eyed each other warily for a moment, their wands poised at the ready.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you," Bellatrix said gleefully, and before Ginny had a chance to react, she shouted "Incarcerous!"
Rope cords coiled around Ginny's body and she fell backward against a desk. She noticed with a small bit of relief that the first-year who had been hiding under it had scurried out of the room.
"So how does it feel to have the tables turned, you little whore?" asked Bellatrix, removing her mask and grinning maliciously at Ginny.
Ginny glared at the dark-haired woman, but didn't respond.
"I do wonder what my nephew sees in you," said Bellatrix, stooping over Ginny to get a closer look. "All those freckles and that hideous hair! And Gods, you have brown eyes! How utterly common!" Bellatrix giggled.
"I wonder if he'd find you so pretty if I altered you a bit," she said thoughtfully. "I think you'd be much more attractive without your eyes!"
"Get away from her," a cold voice commanded from the doorway. Draco Malfoy entered the classroom.
"Draco!" Bellatrix exclaimed. "We do need to stop meeting like this! And I know just how to prevent it! Avada -"
"Protego!" Draco shouted, blocking her curse. Bellatrix began to laugh, and her nephew eyed her, bewildered.
"Oh, my stomach!" Bellatrix giggled. "This is too funny! I have to share my secret!"
"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded.
"Oh, really, this is hilarious! Right now, that Potter boy and our Dark Lord are engaging in a duel. But what that brat doesn't know is that he can't defeat the Dark Lord - it's impossible! Because of me!" Bellatrix reached into her robe and pulled out a large gold locket on a chain. "I helped my cousin Regulus steal this a long time ago. I wanted it so badly! But Regie, the sodding bastard, hid it from me! Well, of course I had to kill him. But I still couldn't find the Dark Lord's locket. Until, that is, I ran into some ratty, two-bit thief, who'd stolen it right out of the Black mansion! He wanted one galleon for it, can you imagine? He had no idea what it was, how important it was! But I knew. And thanks to me, the Dark Lord CAN NEVER DIE!" Bellatrix erupted into gleeful giggles again.
"Sectumsempra!" Draco shouted, but Bellatrix deflected the spell.
"Tut, tut, nephew. That wasn't very nice. You wouldn't want me to hurt your little girlfriend, would you?" Bellatrix stooped next to the bound Ginny and pointed her wand at Ginny's head. "One move and you'll be mopping her up off the floor," she sneered.
Draco froze, and Ginny could see every muscle in his body tense.
He cares, she thought wildly. He really cares about me!
"Aunt Bella," Draco said, his tone sugary sweet. "Surely we can come to some sort of arrangement. Surely you know that the moment you hurt Weasley, I'll kill you." A smile stretched across his lips that never reached his eyes.
"Avada Kedavra!" cried a voice that was neither Draco's nor Bellatrix's, and Neville strode into the room as Bellatrix fell to the floor.
"Neville!" cried Ginny. "Oh, Neville!"
"I've waited my whole life to do that," Neville said grimly before slumping to the ground and bursting into tears.
"Finite Incantatum, Draco whispered toward Ginny, who, freed finally from her bonds, rushed over and threw her arms around the sobbing boy.
"It's okay, Nev. She deserved it. You saved us. Shhhh," she said, as Neville rocked back and forth in her arms.
Just then, an explosion sounded from somewhere below them, and the entire room shook.
"Right," Draco said tersely, prying the gold locket from his aunt's stiffening fingers.
Ginny stood up, eyeing Draco warily.
"What are you doing?" she asked, feeling strangely panicked. She'd seen that necklace before; she just couldn't figure out where.
Draco's eyes met hers and held them.
"Draco?" she whimpered, fear gripping her.
Draco crossed the space between them and grabbed her roughly, pressing a hard kiss to her lips. Reluctantly, Ginny let go of him as he pulled away from her.
"It's a horcrux," Draco said hoarsely. "It can't be broken unless someone is wearing it, do you understand? When I put it on, I want you to open it and snap the two pieces apart."
"But why -"
"Ginny, you have to do this," Draco said, stroking her cheek. "It's for you, Gin," he whispered, slipping the locket over his head. For a moment, he stood there, looking at her with his whole soul in his eyes. The next moment, like a marionette with its strings suddenly cut, he crumpled to the floor.
"DRACO!" Ginny screamed, falling to her knees beside him. "No, no, no, no, no!" she cried, sobbing into his robes.
"Ginny!" cried Neville, kneeling beside her. "We have to do what he said! Break the horcrux now! Quickly, before it's too late!" Ginny didn't respond.
"Damn it!" Neville shouted, pushing Ginny aside and grabbing the locket, which was painfully hot to the touch. Quickly he pried it open, and a greenish-yellowish vapor poured out of it. With all his strength, Neville bent the two heart-shaped pieces back, snapping the locket apart at the hinge.
"Take it off him! Take it off him!" Ginny cried, her eyes fixed on Draco's still form. Neville complied, removing the chain from around Draco’s neck, but it had no effect. Draco lay there, his pale skin and white-blonde hair frozen in angelic perfection.
"We'll take him to the hospital wing," Neville murmured, squeezing Ginny's shoulder reassuringly. Luna had mentioned something about Ginny liking the Slytherin prince, but Neville had had no idea her feelings ran so deep.
With a flick of his wand, he levitated Draco's body, and quietly, they left the room.
Ginny didn't see the rest of the battle, which was dying down by the time she and Neville brought Draco to Madame Pomfrey. She only dimly heard the shouts of joy as Voldemort was defeated and killed, and she was only vaguely aware of Harry being brought into the hospital wing and placed in the bed on her right.
There she sat, Draco on her left, Harry on her right. Both in comas, perhaps already beginning the journey toward death. It was funny, really. Ginny had imagined moments like this countless times, moments when either Draco or Harry became injured, and Ginny hovered over their hospital beds, crying over their prone bodies. In Ginny's fantasies, it was her tears falling on their cheeks, or her soft voice murmuring words of love that brought them back to life.
In reality, Ginny just sat there, numbly, her mind refusing to process any sort of coherent thought. She stared stupidly as her family gathered around Harry, her mother and Hermione in tears. She didn't respond when Bill knelt in front of her and asked her if she was okay. Did she look okay?
Ron and Hermione stayed with Harry, sitting on the other side of his bed. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder and cried quietly. Ginny wished they'd both leave, but instead, they settled in and dozed off, their arms around each other. With the last ounce of strength she possessed, Ginny turned and faced Draco, who was lying in his bed, the shallow rise and fall of his chest the only indication that he was still alive. Tears trickled down her cheeks.
"Draco," she whispered. Please don't leave me. Please.
Towards morning, Harry began to stir, showing signs of returning to consciousness. Draco remained the same. Ginny found it ironic that finally, when she knew without a doubt who she really loved, it looked like she'd never get the chance to tell him.
"I'm sorry," she said in a low voice, taking care not to wake her brother or his girlfriend. "I'm sorry I messed everything up for us. I know I hurt you. I thought the whole time that it was you hurting me, but I understand now." She leaned forward and lightly grasped his hand. "You know, all those nights we were stuck out in the woods and we didn't have anything to eat, and we were dirty and sore, and scared, I thought I was in hell. I thought that was the worst life could get. You used to run your fingers through my hair before I fell asleep, and you had this spot beneath your shoulder that made the perfect pillow for my head. I know now that that was the closest I will ever get to heaven in this life. That week with you was it for me, Draco."
She moved closer to him. There it was, the soft spot just below his shoulder. Without another thought, Ginny pulled back his covers and climbed into the bed with him, wrapping around his unmoving form.
"I love you," she whispered, drifting off to sleep in his arms.
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