Ginny staggered down the staircase and walked quietly to Draco’s side. He was staring at the floor, his blond hair in his eyes. It wasn’t until she touched his shoulder that he registered her presence. He jumped and looked up at her with hollow eyes. His face was paler than she had ever seen it in the sixth months they had been together.
“I didn’t-” he started, looking across the room.
“I know,” Ginny whispered, putting her arms around him and burying her head in his chest.
Draco touched her cheek and tarnished her skin with bloody fingerprints, but she didn’t seem to mind as his hands wound around her waist. His body shook violently and Ginny could hear him sobbing softly in her ear, his tears falling into her hair.
“He just-”
“Was he crazy?” Ginny asked as she looked into Draco’s face.
“I don’t think so,” Draco replied, gaining a little more strength in his voice. He sniffed and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “He was my best friend, and he would have done anything for me.”
Ginny looked startled suddenly. “He thought hurting me was helping you?”
Draco gave a slow nod. “He didn’t want you and me together, so he tried to make sure I would never touch you again, by making you afraid of me after he was through with you. You’re lucky you have shitty alcohol tolerance.”
“Why was he warning us about Devon?”
Draco grunted as he stood, pulling her with him. “He probably thinks Devon is unstable right now – Blaise was witness to the fight at the pub the day Devon showed up at your old house.”
Ginny blinked. “If he’s there now he might hurt them.”
“He’s a Muggle,” Draco informed her. “He can’t hurt our kind.”
She glanced at Draco calmly, before saying, “We have to go to the Burrow.”
“I’m right behind you,” he said, walking forward and wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her ear before he whispered, “It’ll be all right, I promise.”
Somehow, Ginny seriously doubted that.
Wind and rain slashed the windows of the house as the lightning streaked across the sky. Through one of the ground floor windows, there was a fireplace lit to keep the living room warm. Six people sat on chairs and a couch, staring around at each other. The silence between them was deafening as a boy stood up, tapping something silver against the palm of his hand.
“We’ve told you-” Arthur Weasley began.
“Shut up!” screamed the boy angrily. He noticed one of the twins glaring at him. “What the fuck are you looking at?” Devon snarled, thrusting the barrel of the gun into Fred’s face.
“You could have come back nicely, you know,” Fred said calmly. “This isn’t the way to get Ginny back.”
“She belongs to me!” Devon shrieked, waving the gun around slightly. “Not to that fucking freak.”
“That freak happens to have genuine feelings for her,” Bill stated as he stood up.
The rest of the Weasley’s stared at Bill as he glared at Devon, almost challenging him to shoot him.
“I’ve seen it. What did you hope to accomplish by coming here today with that gun?” Bill continued.
“I’ll kill you if you come any closer.”
Bill smiled thinly. “I haven’t stepped away from my chair.”
Devon frowned, his blue eyes darkening. “She knows I’m here. I ran into one of the blond idiot’s friends and told him everything. He’s been helping me get-”
Charlie had his wand out and was pushing it against Devon’s neck. “You’re the reason my baby sister could have died? You paid that piece of filth to hurt her?”
A cold smile flitted across Devon’s mouth. “I enlisted the help of someone I knew hated her, but I never meant to let it go that far. Mr. Zabini is a little fucked.”
“You’re the one that’s more than a little fucked,” Charlie said. “You swore to us that you would never hurt Ginny.”
“And I’ve kept my promise,” Devon said as he turned around, the gun now in Charlie’s face. “Blaise was the one who really hurt Ginny, not me.”
“Sit down, Charlie,” Arthur said calmly as he looked into Devon’s face.
“I could go find her for you,” Molly said squeakily. “I could, Devon, I could make her come home.”
Devon was standing by one of the windows watching the rain, a smirk forming on his lips. “She must know I’m here by now. Don’t worry, Mother, she’ll be here soon.”
As if to prove his word, there was a small crack and Ginny appeared in the middle of the living room with Draco beside her.
After a quick glance at her family, Ginny took a step forward. When she noticed the gun, her throat went dry and she felt her heart speed up.
“Dev, what are you doing?” Ginny said, reaching out to touch his face. “You didn’t need to do this.”
“Yes, I did.” Devon scowled as his hand trembled. “I needed you back.”
“So holding her family hostage was the way?” Draco said. “Brilliant work, Russell.”
Devon wrapped his arms around Ginny’s waist and pulled her against his body. “Please, say you’ll come home with me. You belong with me, Ginny.”
The gun fell, suddenly, from his shaking hand.
Ginny exhaled and lifted Devon’s face to hers. “I can’t, Dev, please understand.”
He wasn’t letting her go. Instead, he did something very stupid. He kissed his gently at first, his tongue caressing her lower lip until it slipped past her teeth and into her mouth. He squeezed her, trying to pull her as close as possible.
“Get your hands off of her!” Draco shouted.
Ginny, regret flowing through her entire body, kissed him back. She backed him up slightly against the window and used her foot to slide the gun toward Draco.
Draco smirked and understood all too quickly.
Ginny’s lips left Devon as she stepped away from him, and Draco’s arms snaked around her to hold her close.
“You bitch!” Devon shouted, staring at Ginny. “You’ll never hurt me,” he said arrogantly. “You love me, remember?”
Ginny looked at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t love you anymore.”
Devon blinked at her, his face clearly letting her know that he did not believe her. He always told her that their love was the strongest she would ever find in his world. He had loved her despite the fact that she was a witch. He took a step forward and reached for the gun. When Draco pulled it away, Devon’s fist slammed into his jaw.
“That’s mine!” he snarled, going for the gun. He grasped it and rolled over, pointing the shining silver at Draco’s head. “Fuck!” he swore, biting his lip to stop from collapsing in pain.
Ginny saw a tiny dagger sticking out of his left leg as the blood dripped onto the carpet.
“You!” Devon said, nodding to Draco. “You did this.”
“That knife was a present from my dear father, Devon,” Draco called. “I’d like it back when you’re done bleeding all over the Weasleys’ furniture.”
“You did this on purpose,” Devon said quietly, wincing as he tried to loosen the dagger. He closed his eyes and gripped the handle hard. Once he yanked it out, his breathing was heavy. He lunged, suddenly, and caught Draco around the ankles.
Through the wind and rain, the sound of a gunshot echoed through the area.
Leave a Review