Chapter 13: Nearly the End

Draco reeled slightly at the coldness in Harry’s voice. He wondered, though, why it had that affect on him. Harry hadn’t ever been terribly civil to him, but he’d not been rude either. ‘Not like I haven’t deserved it if he was rude,’ Draco thought. Then he shook his head. ‘I’m going soft!’

Harry, Draco, Bill, and Lupin made it safely from the vaults and out of Gringotts. However, as they approached Grimmauld Place, the reason for Harry and Bill’s bad feelings became clear.

Where Number Twelve Grimmauld Place should have stood, there was simply a burning, gaping hole. Coming closer to it, Draco noticed a sign posted to some of the rubble, which remained standing around the edges.

You have something I treasure, Harry Potter, and I something of yours. Two things really. If you want them back, I am sure we can arrange a trade of sorts. You’ll have to find me first. I can hold off killing little Ronald and Hermione for a bit, but not forever.

L V


Lupin and Bill quickly cast a shield over the burning rubble and sent up a flare requesting help from the Ministry. Muggle memories would have to be erased, and lots of them. No telling who had been by. They had a definite one and a half hour window in which this had taken place, but many people could have been by in that time. This could be very damaging indeed.

“Where do we go? Do you have any idea?” Harry asked frantically as he clutched at Lupin’s robes.

“I’ve an idea. I need Severus and Moody though. Come, we must go to Hogwarts. It’s the only other place I know you will be safe.”

Draco’s eyes widened. Hogwarts! Ginny! She’d be there. But, she’d know something was off if he showed up there. He’d have to come clean about what he’d been doing and all of a sudden his brilliant plan to hide his presence at Grimmauld Place from her didn’t seem like such a good idea.

“What about me? Am I to go too?” Draco asked, suddenly frightened of the beautiful redhead and her temper.

“This isn’t about you!” Harry snapped. “You can go wherever the hell you want for all I care!”

“Harry!” Lupin yelled. “Get control of yourself. Now is not the time to panic. Draco, you may go to Hogwarts or back with your mother. The choice is yours. We don’t require your help any longer. In fact, it could be more dangerous if you don’t go back into hiding.”

Draco thought about this for a few moments as they waited for Ministry officials to arrive. ‘Better face the music now,’ he sighed. “I’ll go to Hogwarts,” he stated and Lupin nodded.

“I’ll take you there once we get this sorted out. For now, you and Harry are going to the Ministry,” Lupin said as Ministry officials began Apparating in around them. Draco felt Harry grab his wrist and the familiar tug at his navel signaled the fact that they were off to the Ministry.

They arrived outside at a hidden entrance and Harry knew what to do to get them in. The witch with spiky hair— bright blue now— took them to a holding room. Harry didn’t speak to Draco, nor Draco to him.

Soon enough, someone came to fetch Harry and Draco was left all alone in a plain room with nothing to do. He pushed a few of the chairs together to make enough room for him to lie down, and he took a nap.

xxx

Ginny was studying that night in the Great Hall when a commotion out in the main entrance hall caught everyone’s attention. Gathering up her books into her bag and deciding that was enough for the night, she hurried out with everyone else to see what the commotion was all about.

To Ginny’s surprise, she saw Remus Lupin with her parents and Harry. She shoved through the crowd to get a closer look. When she was sure it was her family and Draco, she broke into a run, pushing through the crowd with much more gusto.

“Mum! Dad!” She shrieked. As she got within a few feet of them, she saw a glimpse of white blond behind her dad. Her face dropped and her heart skipped a beat. It couldn’t be!

She pushed past her dad and mum who chuckled and threw herself into Draco’s waiting arms. “Draco!” she gasped. “Wha…?” She then looked around at her mum and dad and Harry. “Hi Harry. What’s going on?”

“Ginny, we’ll explain in a bit. Come with us to Minerva’s office, will you?” Arthur Weasley said as he put an arm around his daughter. “It’s good to see you, darling.”

Ginny looked back as Draco and Harry walked behind them and her father pulled her in the direction of the Headmistress’s office. “This can’t be good if you’re here! Tell me what’s going on!” Ginny hissed to her father, planting her feet.

Draco slipped his arm through hers and grabbed a hand. “Ginny, we don’t want to worry the kids,” he whispered. “We’ll tell you when we get to Professor McGonagall’s office.”

Ginny slowly let Draco lead her down the hallway and smiled at him. “It’s good to see you. I’m sorry if I sounded… I’m just shocked.”

“I know. And soon you’ll have your answers. It’s good to see you too, by the way.” His breath on her ear calmed her down and Ginny found herself not as worried as she had been at first.

Once seated in the Headmistress’s office, Harry began explaining everything. All the color drained from Ginny’s face as she learned that Ron and Hermione had been taken by Lord Voldemort to be used as leverage for the last remaining Horcrux. Harry had mentioned that the Horcrux was found in a secret compartment in one of Draco’s family vaults, but other than that she still didn’t understand why he was there. She would have to wait patiently until they were alone or at least able to talk to find out.

“I am setting out tomorrow with Moody and Snape in search of Ron and Hermione… and to hopefully end this thing. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny, I promise I will do everything I can to bring back Ron and Hermione safely. I think we should all find a place to get some sleep.”

After they were dismissed, Ginny and Draco straggled behind the others as they were led to an empty professors quarters where her parents, Harry, and Draco were to stay.

“Draco, how are you involved in all of this? I guess they needed you to get into the vault?”

“Well yes. Actually,” he took a deep breath in and took his time letting it out. “Ginny, the thing is… I was bored and distracted being away. After I was sure you were in school, I asked if I could go back to the Order and help out in any way.” Ginny’s eyes widened. “They let me and I—“

“You were there? You’ve been there all this time! You only went home for Holiday!” her voice began to rise.

“Well, yes, Ginny. You see the thing is… I didn’t want to see you. I mean I did, but I thought…erm…”

“Draco Malfoy!” Ginny laughed. “You were scared for me to find out, weren’t you?”

Draco frowned. “I wouldn’t say scared!” he huffed.

“Well… you… should… be!” Ginny said in a harsh whisper as she accentuated every word with a swift punch to Draco’s gut or arm or side.

“Ow! Stop woman!” he yelped, laughing.

“That’s what you get!” she said, smiling. “And just a note for the future— be afraid. Be very afraid.”

Oh, I am,” he replied patronizingly. “By the way, I really liked all your letters. They’re all gone now, you know. I am glad I got a chance to read them all through.”

“Oh!” Ginny gasped. “I guess everything burned with the house didn’t it? My goodness Draco, since we’ve been together my home and my non-home has burned down.”

“Bit of luck, aren’t I?” he smiled satisfactorily. Ginny elbowed him. “Seriously though, I am sorry. I know you probably had a few things left there.”

“Well, a fresh start might not be bad. I mean, most of what I had burned at the Burrow. What wasn’t here with me burned at Grimmauld. I suppose I just need all new stuff!” She grinned but the grin quickly faded. “There were things that were precious that can’t ever be replaced,” she sighed sadly.

“You’ve got good memories though, yeah?”

Ginny smiled up at him and leaned into his shoulder where he had his arm around her as they walked. “I’m, uh, looking forward to making more,” she whispered. Draco raised an eyebrow and Ginny blushed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he whispered back. Ginny just shook her head and kept looking straight.

Once Ginny’s mum and dad were in bed, Draco and Ginny spent a few minutes together. He kissed her and hugged her and then he reluctantly walked Ginny back to Gryffindor Tower and then headed back to the room he was to share with Harry. She’d have sweet dreams tonight.

xxx

The next day, Harry and the rest were gone and Ginny was in classes. Draco was left to wander the library. He had been restricted that morning to the Library, his room, the Great Hall and the hallways in between.

It felt strange to be back at Hogwarts. It hadn’t struck him until he was left alone. The last time he had set foot in these halls… it had been the night he… Draco sighed. He felt detached. He was in such a state of mind at that time that recalling it now was like… it was like watching a Muggle film. It was as though the memories were someone else’s but he had them.

Perhaps coming here had not been such a good idea. But where else was he to go- back to Australia with his obnoxious mother? He loved her, and he had done what he had done in part to save her, but she really knew how to get on every one of his nerves. She was probably lonely, however. But she had spent all that time in the fall without him and not had a complaint about it over Christmas.

Draco sat lost in thought at a library table and didn’t notice anyone approaching him. Suddenly, his eyes were covered and he felt warm breath on his ear. “Earth to Draco!” a voice whispered. The hands dropped from his face and were replaced with Ginny’s smiling mug, nose to nose with him.

“What’re you thinking about?” she asked, pulling away and plopping down into the chair beside him.

He smiled, but there was sadness in it. “I was actually thinking about the last time I was at school… you know, that day?” Ginny frowned and put a hand over the one he had laying on the table. “It’s odd to be here. I… I feel like that wasn’t even me.”

“It wasn’t, not really. Does it bother you, being here?” she asked, concerned.

Draco pondered this. “Where else am I to go?”

Ginny looked down. “Back with your mum I guess?”

Draco shook his head. “I’d rather not. She’s my mum and I do love her, but she’s rather annoying.” Ginny looked back up and smiled.

“I’d love to have you stay here,” she said cautiously. “I mean, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable, but maybe… maybe I could help you make newer, better memories of Hogwarts?”

Draco grinned and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I think that’d be nice,” he said quietly in her ear. He kissed her ear and then pulled away, not wanting to make a big scene in the library. “So, what classes do you have left?”

“Well, it’s lunch right now. Care to join me?”

“Can we sit somewhere other than the Gryffindor table?” he asked, preparing for the worst.

“We can sit with Luna Lovegood, at the Ravenclaw table.”

“Looney Love—,” he paused when he saw the disapproving look she was giving him. “Yeah, that sounds good. Ravenclaw. Good bunch, those.”

He took her hand and helped her up from her chair and escorted her down to the Great Hall for lunch.


xxx


The next few days went by terribly slowly when Ginny wasn’t around. Draco, after a conversation with Headmistress McGonagall, began to help out with flying lessons and Quidditch practice refereeing.

He saw Ginny regularly at meals and when they had their alone time, usually in the evenings after dinner. There was always something going on now. News came in from every source. Unfortunately, not much of it was good news.

There were names of those who had died. Some were former Hogwarts students from recent years; some were older senior members of the Ministry. Ginny’s family were all still safe. There was no word on Harry, Ron, or Hermione other than the latter two had not been found and Harry was still on the search.

Two weeks passed in this fashion. Draco and Ginny and the rest of Hogwarts tried to maintain a normal school life while the world around them was in turmoil.

“How do you suppose this will all end?” Ginny asked late one night while snuggling in Draco’s arms. They were in the Room of Requirement, where they had been given special permission to visit with each other, supervised by a staff member, of course.

“I can’t really say,” Draco began. “I suppose, although I really do hate admitting it somewhat, that Potter will… win out.” He said the last part quietly and with a small sigh. Ginny had to hide her grin. She’d been such a good influence on him that it was hard not to be proud of herself.

“I think you’re right. But, I’m worried about Ron and Hermione. What if he… what if…” the tears began to fall slowly, as they had nearly every night since she’d discovered her brother and friend had been taken. Draco’s grip became tighter, and one hand moved soothingly up and down her arm.

“Shh. Ginny, I don’t have bothers or sisters and I don’t really know what it’s like to be feeling how you feel right now. But I know you love them and I know you are worried. I know it’s hard being here, but… just have faith that in the end… everything will be alright. You taught me that, you know: faith.”

Ginny nodded and tried to dry up her tears. She sniffled a bit, ungracefully wiping her nose on the sleeve of her robe.

“Nice,” Draco smirked and laughed when she elbowed him. “Now that’s that Ginny Weasley I know.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” Ginny huffed, but her smile could not be hidden. “I need to get to bed. I’ve a Potions exam tomorrow.”

“Need help studying? It was always one of my stronger areas of expertise,” Draco asked proudly.

“I’ve studied as much as I can. Perhaps you can quiz me at breakfast tomorrow?”

Draco nodded. “Come on. I’ll escort you back.”

They headed out of the Room of Requirement and were met at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower by the Headmistress.

“Ginny, Draco,” She greeted them. “You must come with me. Quickly!” The two exchanged glances and began to follow the Headmistress, who was already back around a corner.

Ginny let go of Draco’s hand and began to run. “Headmistress!” she called. “Is it Ron? Have they found—?”

“Not now, child! We really must hurry!”
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