Chapter 6: Sealed
He’d been sitting in the office for hours, just staring blankly in front of him. It was done. He’d handed the redhead, the girl that had tormented his dreams since the rainy day he’d seen her half-naked, off to his most trusted contact, who promised to make sure she reached the final destination. She’d been rather brisk in her final farewell, barely saying a word to him, hardly looking at him before she turned and walked out of his life forever. But it was done, and now he was free from her spell.
Except he couldn’t shake the feeling of longing. Longing to be in the same room, to be near her, to feel that eternally painful need to be close to her. It was for the best that she was gone, and it meant that he’d taken a small step in trying to mend some of his own post-war scars. But, after he’d returned to the restaurant, his knees had grown rather weak as he observed the empty dining room, grown all the more dingy and depressing without the tentative, flickering light of her suppressed spirit. It had nearly broken him.
But it had to be done, and the memories would be his scars to carry.
Footsteps in the kitchen interrupted his thoughts, and curious as to who would be there at this late hour, he rose from his desk and walked out.
And there she was, standing in front of him. Shock was immediately replaced with anger.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded furiously.
“I came to pick up my schedule. I need to know what I’m working next week,” she said simply, walking over to the bulletin board by the office to scan the posted parchment for her name and shifts.
“You were supposed to go!” he protested. She turned to face him, her brown eyes meeting his, and for the first time since that spring of his sixth year, he recognized the spark of fire that had initially drawn him in so deeply.
“This is the place for me. I guess you didn’t hear, but Ginny Weasley died that night, in the fire with the rest of her family. You keep trying to save her, but it’s a useless endeavor, because she doesn’t want to be saved. Not from you, not from this,” she said, her voice even and firm. “You have no right to keep trying to save her.”
“Ginny,” he protested.
“I’ve lived for quite some time without any hope at all. How dare you bring it back when it’s the last thing I wanted?” she said.
“Ginny – “
“Ginny Weasley died in that fire, and The Spirit’s Lounge is the right place for me,” she said. “Even if it means a life of silence and invisibility.”
“No,” he said, even as he walked towards her, drawing her body towards his. “Not for you.”
“Even if terrible things happen this time, just accept your fate,” she said.
The End
Thanks to rarity for the awesome prompt, I really enjoyed writing this story and never would have without it.
Thanks also to those of you at the D/G Fic Exchange who nominated/voted for this fic and helping it win "Darkest Overall" and tying for "Best Kiss", that was really nice.
This fic was completed May 30th, 2007, and therefore was completely written (and even posted at the Fic Exchange) before Deathly Hallows was released, and therefore, is now completely and utterly AU and OOC. While writing, I did try to make it canon-compliant (a first for me), so I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of Draco and Ginny's 6th and 5th year (respectively).
Thanks for reading.
He’d been sitting in the office for hours, just staring blankly in front of him. It was done. He’d handed the redhead, the girl that had tormented his dreams since the rainy day he’d seen her half-naked, off to his most trusted contact, who promised to make sure she reached the final destination. She’d been rather brisk in her final farewell, barely saying a word to him, hardly looking at him before she turned and walked out of his life forever. But it was done, and now he was free from her spell.
Except he couldn’t shake the feeling of longing. Longing to be in the same room, to be near her, to feel that eternally painful need to be close to her. It was for the best that she was gone, and it meant that he’d taken a small step in trying to mend some of his own post-war scars. But, after he’d returned to the restaurant, his knees had grown rather weak as he observed the empty dining room, grown all the more dingy and depressing without the tentative, flickering light of her suppressed spirit. It had nearly broken him.
But it had to be done, and the memories would be his scars to carry.
Footsteps in the kitchen interrupted his thoughts, and curious as to who would be there at this late hour, he rose from his desk and walked out.
And there she was, standing in front of him. Shock was immediately replaced with anger.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded furiously.
“I came to pick up my schedule. I need to know what I’m working next week,” she said simply, walking over to the bulletin board by the office to scan the posted parchment for her name and shifts.
“You were supposed to go!” he protested. She turned to face him, her brown eyes meeting his, and for the first time since that spring of his sixth year, he recognized the spark of fire that had initially drawn him in so deeply.
“This is the place for me. I guess you didn’t hear, but Ginny Weasley died that night, in the fire with the rest of her family. You keep trying to save her, but it’s a useless endeavor, because she doesn’t want to be saved. Not from you, not from this,” she said, her voice even and firm. “You have no right to keep trying to save her.”
“Ginny,” he protested.
“I’ve lived for quite some time without any hope at all. How dare you bring it back when it’s the last thing I wanted?” she said.
“Ginny – “
“Ginny Weasley died in that fire, and The Spirit’s Lounge is the right place for me,” she said. “Even if it means a life of silence and invisibility.”
“No,” he said, even as he walked towards her, drawing her body towards his. “Not for you.”
“Even if terrible things happen this time, just accept your fate,” she said.
The End
Thanks to rarity for the awesome prompt, I really enjoyed writing this story and never would have without it.
Thanks also to those of you at the D/G Fic Exchange who nominated/voted for this fic and helping it win "Darkest Overall" and tying for "Best Kiss", that was really nice.
This fic was completed May 30th, 2007, and therefore was completely written (and even posted at the Fic Exchange) before Deathly Hallows was released, and therefore, is now completely and utterly AU and OOC. While writing, I did try to make it canon-compliant (a first for me), so I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of Draco and Ginny's 6th and 5th year (respectively).
Thanks for reading.
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