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Elemental	By : AngelaBlythe Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Ginny Views: 3286 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 19
- 20
A/N:
Pronunciation � Rhea (REE-uh)

ELEMENTAL

~by The Labris~

CHAPTER TWENTY:

Nature Is Fine in Love�

Disappointing Your Relatives

Pansy had endured her silence for a good few hours.
Potter and Weasley had brought her to a secluded room
in the Ministry building. There weren�t any bars or chains or
anything. Just a table, some chairs, and a few couches. Weasley and Potter sat themselves on a couch and began
talking together quietly. Pansy took the table, folding her hands in her
lap and tracing the wood grain designs with her eyes. She didn�t want to
talk, and she hoped they didn�t either. Well, not to her leastways.
The dusty smell of the small room made her think that this room had been
cleared out recently, disturbing the dirt. She frowned but kept her eyes
firmly glued to the table.

�I said, �Do you want anything?� Parkinson.�

Pansy jerked and looked up at Potter with a scowl. He
had spoken to her. She didn�t say a word; she just shook her head and put
her eyes back on the wood grains. Nothing was worse than having to sit
through this. Potter and Weasley had seen her
tears, watched her cry, and probably even pitied her. She didn�t need
their goddamned pity. She didn�t need any of them. As soon as this
was all done she was going into hiding. Somewhere far,
far away. Maybe China �

Her thoughts drifted away to the jungles she�d visited as a
child. The stretches of desert as far as the eye could see.
Beautiful ocean shores with crisp water. Large, jagged mountains that always had snow on the top.
There was something peaceful about that country�some peace that she would never
have. Maybe China was a bad idea. She could never obtain
that. Not that.

Unbidden, her eyes raised to Weasley,
who was studying her unabashed. At school she�d teased him
mercilessly. Not always to his back either. She hoped Draco didn�t
think he�d made the �Weasley Is Our King� song all by
himself. He had been tall then, and he was now. That was one thing
she�d always mocked him for, his ungainly height. But now that he�d
filled out, wasn�t so scraggly, he looked halfway decent. He wasn�t what
you�d call handsome. No dark eyes and long, rich hair. No tapering
fingers and comfortable, long-legged gait. But there was something base
about him that made Pansy wonder many things.

She looked away from him and consciously raked her fingers
through her hair. It was messy, but always thick. Perhaps now that
she didn�t have to worry about blood getting in it, she could grow it long like
she wanted�

Weasley cleared his throat and
Pansy looked at him, her face expressionless. He gazed at her with such
intense, clear blue eyes it was hard to remember why she detested him so.
He stood up, towering over her, and offered a hand. �I don�t know how
well you remember me from school, but I�m Ron � Ronald Weasley,�
he said easily. Then the corner of his mouth turned up in a laugh.
�You know, �Weasley Is Our King�?�

Pansy looked at him blankly, watching as he fumbled for
words, his hand still hanging out. He turned a little red and combed it
through his hair when she didn�t accept his peace offering. He chuckled
lightly, nervously, and continued with his inane monologue. Pansy stared
inert as he mumbled.

�Well, I know you probably don�t think so, but everyone
things what you did was really brave today. Not turning away from Voldemort, but, you know, putting the strangle hold on Shacklebolt.� Growing surer of himself, he laughed a
little more and sat down in the chair adjacent to hers. �The younger aurors pretty much agree that Shacklebolt�s
never had a woman touch him like that, or, you know, maybe even ever at
all. He�s probably got a thing for you now, so don�t go in any dark
corners alone. Gods, I hope I never get so old that I have to get girls
to put me in a strangle hold to get a feel!�

At this he laughed at loudly. Pansy thought it was
vulgar, but she couldn�t help the corners of her mouth turning up as
well. His prolonged laughter caused her smirk to curl into a smile,
something she very rarely did. Weasley stopped
laughing and smiled with her for a moment.

The laughter died down, but they were still smiling, and Weasley said something that made Pansy�s stomach
flip. �You know, all throughout school you were probably one of the
prettiest girls I knew. You look a thousand times prettier when you
smile, though.�

THAT was NOT how things were done in the Slytherin house! Her eyes dropped and her smile fell,
and Pansy swallowed softly. In Slytherin you
would beat around the bush, teasing for perhaps weeks before you paid any sort
of compliment. But Weasley just went out and
said what he felt, what he thought. His brazenness startled her into
silence, and she found that all the normal comebacks were lost to her.
She shouldn�t be feeling like this� But the games were old. She
didn�t want to play those games anymore. Weasley
was in Gryffindor for a reason, because when she glanced up at him he didn�t even
seem ashamed of what he�d blurted out. He looked�curious.

Pansy opened her mouth. Then she closed it
again. �Thanks,� she said very softly.

�Sorry?� Weasley said in his deep,
manly voice.

Why was he doing this to her? Was this some sort of
game Gryffindors played? See who could shock
the other person into senselessness? Or into horniness? It was
working! Pansy shivered and cleared her throat. Her stomach felt
weak and fluttery, but she managed to look into Weasley�s
brilliant eyes.

�I,� her breath caught in her chest. �I said, �Thank
you.��

Weasley nodded. They were
quiet for a moment, and then Weasley spoke to her
again in a softer, deeper voice. �Look, it�s not like people here in the
Ministry care that�you know, you switched sides. Look at Snape. People love�� He trailed off, frowning
humorously. �People respect him. And Flint and Mariner�I mean,
well, I mean, you�re not the only one, okay? And we need all the help we
can get. We all need all the help we can get.�

He died off, looking at the table as well. Pansy snuck
a look when he didn�t see. He was playing with something in his hands
that she didn�t catch. Then he shrugged and looked up at her,
shrugging. �So let�s get something straight, then. You and I aren�t
enemies. We don�t have to be friends if you don�t want. But�if you
need anything� Like if you need to get lost on the radar�or if you want a
recommendation into the auror business�or you need a
place to bum for a while� Well, you know who you can talk to,
okay?� He sighed, looking at her thoughtfully.

Pansy licked her lips and stared up at him. He really
meant all he�d said�why? Why help her? Why did he have to be�so
damn chivalrous? Stupid Gryffindors�damn noble Gryffindors�with their honor�and their bravery�and their
stupid red hair. She almost huffed in indignation of it all.
Her! PANSY Parkinson.
Speechless before some dumb Gryffindor. And all because he meant all that
he said. Damn her own foolishness. Why did she feel attracted to
this?

�I�� she began, unable to finish.

�Yeah?� he asked levelly.

Change the subject, stupid!

But this suggestion led to one of the more stupid questions
she�d ever asked. �Why did you bother?� she questioned. �I mean,
why bother listening to me? Why stop them from ��

�Hitting you?� he finished. He didn�t even wait for
her to nod in recognition. He looked at her darkly. �We don�t hit
girls in my family. People who hit girls in front of me don�t fare well.�

�I can �� she began crossly.

�Take care of yourself,� he finished again. He looked
at her, his eyes softening. �Yeah, I know.�

Pansy looked at the table again, all of her anger and
potential anger gone. She knew he was looking at her again, but she
ignored him for a while. She needed to regain herself for what she was
going to do. Something so stupid she couldn�t even believe it. He
would be the first person to do this with her permission in three years.
More maybe. She was going to let him touch her.

Proffering her hand, she gave him a small, serious
nod. �Pansy Parkinson.�

He gave her a huge, infectious smile and grabbed her hand,
shaking it energetically. She couldn�t help smiling back at him, his big
blue eyes excited for some reason she couldn�t fathom. For a moment, for
the first in a long time, she felt a stab of happiness. And then the door
open and she tore her hand away, her smile disappearing. Harry Potter
walked in with a few drinks in his hand.

�Look, guys,� he said quickly. �We�ve gotta go. Stationed at Hogwarts, we are. The Portkey will take us, but we need to be there in five
minutes.�

They were shuffled into a small area as soon as they reached
the takeoff point, and a ball sat at the center of the room. Potter
picked it up and Weasley�s hand joined his
friend�s. Pansy looked at it tentatively, but Weasley
gave her a big, reassuring smile, and she placed a hand on it. For a
while nothing happened, and then she was sucked in by her middle and found herself
staggering backwards.

Weasley, firm in his stance,
grabbed her around the waist and held her there for a moment, smiling down on
her good-naturedly. Pansy swallowed, and maybe she pushed away too hard,
for when she turned back to him he gave her a confused, sort of hurt
look. How painful, she said to
herself, it must be to have to display
all your emotions, right there for everyone to see and abuse. Could
it be that the point is to find someone who won�t abuse your display, and
that�s how you know that they like you? If they respond to these
ill-hidden emotions does this mean they like you too? Gods, she was
confused!

�Come on,� Potter said obliviously, giving them a hurried
look. �Dumbledore, Moody, and Percy are already waiting. So�s her Veritaserum,� he added,
pointing a thumb at Pansy.

Pansy kept her thoughts to herself, but she rather thought
that she like to strangle the Boy Who Wouldn�t Fucking Die.� Once they
stepped out of the Portkey station she found herself
walking on memories. She had graced this hall every day of her life on
the way to her common room. Elation surfaced as she recalled the greatest
days of her life. Five years ago� Gods, so long ago. How did
she get so old? Why did she feel so young walking here?

She was led up the stairs, out of the dungeons, and into the
main hall. She�d never been to the headmaster�s office, but she had a
feeling she wasn�t going to like what happened next no matter how familiar her
surroundings were. A large stone gargoyle rotated when Potter spoke the
password, and they began their walk up the stairs. Pansy was glad no one
could see her face, for her eyes went very wide when she felt a large hand on
the small of her back. Weasley was gently
leading her up the stairs, not because she needed support, but because he
wanted to touch her. She swallowed when he whispered into her ear, not
romantically, but worriedly.

�Don�t get excited, Pansy,� he said softly, �but a lot of
people are going to want to hear what you have to say. Veritaserum will keep you from getting too anxious, but you
should be prepared. It�s Snape�s serum, so
he�ll be there. McGonagall�s the headmistress, so she�ll be there.
Moody�s the head of the aurors, so he�ll be
there. Dumbledore is Dumbledore, so, of course, he�ll be present.
My brother�s the minister, so he�ll be there, too. I think that�s
all. Oh, and me, too. You know, your guard and all.�

Pansy nodded, still bemused that he�d called her by her
first name. She could do it, too� Ron. Did she like Ronald
better? She wondered if he had a middle name. Ron was odd on her
tongue. Ronald would do better. Ronald Weasley�hmm�

�Ah, Miss Parkinson,� she heard a familiar Scottish brogue
say. It was Professor McGonagall. Headmistress McGonagall
now. She would remember. �I remember you. Slytherin,
same year as Potter and Weasley over there.
It�s nice to see you again.�

Pansy nodded politely to McGonagall�s frankness.
�Thank you, Headmistress.�

McGonagall hummed and sat in her seat. Pansy received
a brief incline from Ronald�s brother, Percy, the Minister of Magic.
Moody glared at her, and Dumbledore merely let his eyes do all the
talking. He was glad she was here, but sad of what he had to do to
her. From the corner of the room, the darkest as usual, her old Head of
House glided towards her, an unreadable look in his eyes.

�Miss Parkinson,� he murmured. �It is still MISS Parkinson isn�t it?�

Pansy froze. He knew it was, the bastard. With
those words she knew he knew everything. He knew she�d been a Death Eater
all that time, that she�d whored around to get her spot, that she�d had a
baby�everything. She wanted to hit him. Curse him. Claw his
eyes out. Anything to get the pain to go away.

�Yes, Professor,� she said. He raised an eyebrow at
her. �Sir.�

He looked at her harshly, with disdain, and retrieved a
crystal vial from his coat. Then, turning from her to Dumbledore, offered
it to him. �The Veritaserum,� he said quietly.

This was when Ronald Weasley
stupidly opened his stupid mouth. �I really don�t think she needs
it.� Everyone looked at him. �Well,� he reasoned, �she came here,
and she hasn�t lied yet. I just think we should give her a chance to
explain before we give her anything�I don�t know�unnatural.�

Pansy watched as Dumbledore�s face brightened and Snape�s face darkened. �What a wonderful idea, my
boy!� Dumbledore exclaimed pleasantly.

It was chorused by Snape
exclaiming, �What a truly idiotic idea, Weasley.�
Then, seeing how Ronald blushed, he looked from him to Pansy and sneered.
�She may have managed to charm you, Weasley, but let
me assure you that she is far more talented in lies than you are divining
whether or not they�re true.�

Ronald, who apparently wasn�t afraid of Snape
in the slightest, retorted, �Give her a break, Snape.
She was in your own house, goddamn it! Why not hear what she has to say
before you demean her?�

�He has a point,� Dumbledore said softly.

Snape, with cruelty brimming at
the surface of his eyes, looked at Pansy as he said this. �I never trust
any of the students I teach. And I don�t believe in giving breaks.
Why don�t you let people who know what they�re doing handle this one, Weasley?�

Pansy watched as Ronald and Snape
glared at each other. Snape�s eyes cut to hers,
and she then understood that this was for her own good, and Ronald was being a
dumb Gryffindor at the moment. These people wouldn�t accept what she said
as the truth, or ever really trust her, if she didn�t do this of her own free
will. Snape had started an argument with Ronald
so that she would have support, so that people might trust her even before she
took the Veritaserum. The truth would be
stronger that way. She looked up at Ronald for the briefest of moment,
long enough for Snape to catch it. She gave Snape a pleading look. Please don�t, she said.
I�ll do it. Please don�t mess this up. Snape
glared at her, then raised an eyebrow.

�I�ll take it,� she said softly, surprising herself even.

As soon as the liquid was down her throat she felt herself
moving to a different place. It was a far away place, but not so far that
she was lost. It was a nice place, and everyone was there to greet her.

�My name?� she asked. �Pansy Rhea Parkinson, of
course.�

The murmur of words became clearer with time, and she was
able to focus on a single face. Dumbledore� He spoke and she
answered.

�I got on my broom. I love my broom. And I flew
here from the fortress.�

Another question. She wished she could hear him
better.

�Oh, they say it used to be Mordred�s
fortress. Voldemort�s using it now. You
can�t see it unless you�ve seen it before, like me. I don�t even remember
how I saw it the first time. That�s odd�

��where�� came out very clearly, though there was more to
that question than she could remember.

�Oh, northern Scotland somewhere. I�d have to take you
there. It�s very hard to find. And, of course, the wards are near
impossible if you don�t know them. I had wards on by broom so no one
could take it��

�What is�paper?�

That was on odd question. Couldn�t they read the paper
themselves? It was written in plain English. �Oh, only a Death
Eater could read that paper. �It tells you how many Death Eaters are in
each country. It tells you the immediate plans of Voldemort.
It tells you how Voldemort got his old body�or his
new body, depending upon how you see it��

��body?�

�Hold on,� Pansy said impatiently. �It tells you what
wards are around the fortress. It tells you the names of the Death Eaters
in the fortress. It says a lot of other things. �Oh, and what
they�re going to do with Cassian. �CAAASH-un�CASH-unnn�CASH-un� Pretty��

Pansy was feeling very lightheaded, but she very clearly
understood the remaining questions.

�What about Voldemort�s body?�

�Oh, that,� she replied. �Three years ago he figured
out how to fix that old school diary of his.�

Someone in the background moaned. She continued.

�It wasn�t very powerful, but it was enough. He used
whatever was left to rebuild whatever he had�of a soul I mean. I guess
with enough direction his old ugly, white body began to change. He�s
quite terrifying now. Looks younger than me� He�s very
cruel�� Tears welled in Pansy�s eyes and she didn�t have the presence of
mind to stop them. �I hate him.�

�That�s good, that�s good,� Dumbledore said softly. �I
need you to write everything that is on that parchment on another parchment, so
we can read it. Talk out loud as you write.�

Pansy took the quill and studied the paper she stole from Voldemort. Very carefully, as though her fingers were
five inches thick, she copied the words one by one onto another paper.
She finished and found herself smiling good-naturedly at the former
headmaster. He smiled at her and glanced over the paper, eyes widening at
times, before passing it off to Moody.

�I have a terrible headache,� Pansy confessed. �And a
really awful taste in my mouth. �Can I go now? Don�t send me back
home, though. It scares me there��

�A few more questions, my dear,� Dumbledore prompted.
�Why did you leave the Death Eaters, Miss Parkinson?�

Pansy paused, thinking of the real reason. Then she
sighed. �Because of Hector.�

�Who is Hector?� the man asked softly.

�Oh,� Pansy said quietly. Tears fell from her eyes
again, slowly, without meaning. �My son. Hector Malone
Parkinson. I think he might be dead. But if he were alive I
wouldn�t want him to grow up and be a Death Eater. Or live under Voldemort. I hate him. His father took him from
me you know. You didn�t know that; I never told anyone. I hate his
father, too, but I would have loved Hector more than there are stars in the ��

�Okay,� a sharp, lovely deep voice said angrily.
�That�s enough. Leave her alone.�

Pansy�s eyes were still leaking tears when Dumbledore said
just one more thing. �Miss Parkinson, what are you going to do now?
What do you want to do?�

Pansy had to think about this too. In fact, she was
beginning to doubt she had to answer all these questions now that everything
was becoming clear. But, for the sake of convention, �I thought I might
kill Voldemort. And then go away. I went
to China once and it was lovely. And I might like to find Hector, if he�s
alive. And if his father isn�t dead I�d like to kill him, too.�

�Very good, Miss Parkinson,� Dumbledore said softly, and
Pansy�s brain began to clear up considerably. While she wasn�t exactly
sure what she had said, from the looks on everyone�s faces told her she may
have said too much. She swallowed discretely, frowning at the awful taste
in her mouth. �You may leave now. Ron, take her down to a room,
maybe in the dungeons somewhere, near Slytherin
common room. Harry, I�d like you to stay.�

Pansy nodded and stood, letting herself be led by Ronald out
of the warm room and down to the dungeons. Her memories resurfaced,
letting her recall how it was when she was young and no one worried about things
like this. She sighed deeply as Ronald opened the door for her.

�Don�t get offended,� he said uncertainly, �but I�ve got to
lock you in here. You�re still ��

�I know,� she said, looking down at her shoes. �Did
I�� she bit her lip. �What did I say in there, exactly? I can�t
quite remember for some reason. I�m not clear��

�I didn�t�I�I stopped them from letting you say too much,�
he assured her. �I didn�t, you know, want them to�to have too much on
you. No one has a right to Veritaserum, I
believe. It�s just wrong, if you think about it.� He paused,
looking down on her seriously. �I�ll bring you some food in a while, but
I�ve got some duties to perform. Papers to fill out�people to shout at�Portkeys to organize��

Their eyes met, and Pansy felt strangely naked again.
�Thanks,� she whispered very lightly.

Ronald cocked an eyebrow. �Beg pardon?�

Pansy, again, found herself at a loss for words. And
that big, stupid oaf had her again. �I said�� With bravery she�d
never felt, she put her hands on his shoulders and stood on her toes, letting
their lips brush briefly, pausing, and pushing them hard against her own.
��thanks,� she finished.

He stayed perfectly still, and Pansy watched as he got
progressively redder. He blinked a few times, then nodded and said,
�Yeah, you�re welcome. Any time.� He looked at her again, shook his
head, and turned to walk away.

Pansy ducked into her room, ready to slap herself. She
was turning into a Gryffindor. How disappointing for her family.

Versions of Draco

The bitterness of the snow and wind biting at his face was
enough to convince Draco that this should be a one-way trip. As in on
their way back they should be able to Apparate
because Voldemort was dead. In the event that Voldemort killed them, it would be a one-way trip as
well. Shifting another glance towards Ginny, he noted (with envy) that
neither the wind nor the cold seemed to bother her at all. Her hands hung
loosely at her sides and her legs waded purposefully through the thigh-high
snow. Draco only wanted her to be cold a little. Not a lot.

This whole thing had been her idea after all. She
deserved some of what he was going through. After a few hours of flying
Ginny revealed to him that the wards that were coming up were particularly
powerful, and that they should probably set to the ground if they wanted to
live. Draco didn�t have any problem with that except he had been
extraordinarily warm that trip, and wasn�t willing to lose what bit of comfort
he had. He could still recall her slender arms around his middle, her
face and chest pressed against his back. So warm� And now, well
look at him, he was freezing his balls off.

�Well I can only assume that you don�t want to die,� she
told him with an indifferent shrug. �My protection only goes so far, and
if the Elements say we walk then we will walk. I�d be happy to hold your
hand if you get cold.�

That last bit did him in, because as much as he did want to
hold her hand, Draco was a man. Logic failed him on how that worked, but
he knew he couldn�t hold her hand all the way to the castle. It wasn�t
dignified, besides. So, drawing his coat up about his ears and neck,
Draco pressed forward through the snowy, endless landscape of northern Scotland,
and all her terrible beauty.

Their walk was made in relative silence, but about the time
they got to the lake, Ginny suggested that they stop somewhere to
regroup. He tried to tell her (politely, he thought) that there were only
two people and that constituted as a couple, and that if she was waiting for
anyone else they�d better turn up fast. She glared at him and ducked into
a dense thicket, shaking the snow out of her hair and off her shirt.
Draco followed.

Once inside and out of the wind and snow he felt marginally
warmer. Ginny looked at him curiously. �What are you thinking?� she
asked intuitively. How did she always know what he was doing?!

Draco frowned and looked up at the sky. A little after
noon. Not that the sky was very light, only a faint glimmer of the sun
through the clouds let on to the time of day. He turned to her again,
rubbing his gloved hands together for warmth. �I think it would be better
if we made this a night visit. It�s a little after noon, and this time of
year, and this far north, night falls around four. We should set out
again about then. It would give us a chance to rest up again, and, of
course, give night a chance to cover our location.�

Ginny only nodded and settled into a dry patch of ground,
leaning up against a dead tree trunk. �You don�t think that�� she paused
to look at him with wide, innocent eyes, ��that maybe they�ve done something to
��

�No,� Draco said firmly, tossing her his last piece of jerky
and biting into his.

Her lips twitched, annoyed, and she took a small bite of the
food. After a moment she started up again, �Because, I mean, what�s
stopping them?�

Draco was sure it was time for a drink. �They want you
and Potter there,� he replied tersely. �You were supposed to be a group
package. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter
together at last.�

She frowned in distaste. �What is it with you and
Harry? Didn�t you, you know, work together for the past five years or
so? Haven�t you gotten over that stupid little spat by ��

�No,� Draco growled. He opened his mouth and closed it
promptly. He really couldn�t help the words that came out of his mouth
though. �As to working together, I was never part of the group. He
and Weasley shared the limelight; I shared the actual
work. Potter has taken something from me and I want it back before he
takes something else.�

Ginny was wide-eyed at this, confirming Draco�s
suspicions. She looked away, licking her lips. �What did he
take? I�m sure I can get him to give it back.�

Draco snorted, looking at her with disgust.
�Unbelievable.�

�He�s not so bad, Draco,� she continued thoughtfully, her
eyes questioning. �A little annoying, mayhap, but not bad. What did
he take? I�ll take it back for you, if I must.�

For a long time he just looked at her. She honestly
didn�t know what he was talking about. More that that, and just because
it sounded too good to be true, he wanted to take her up on it. She was
offering herself back. �Ginny�� he said after the pause. She was
expectant, wanting him to tell her what Potter took. �Ginny, it was you,�
he whispered gruffly.

There was complete silence for a fully minute. Ginny�s
face was a solid blank, no emotion registering, no recognition displayed.
Distracted, Draco watched her as the tops of her cheeks turned a light shade of
pink and her lips parted. �Me?� she managed to whisper back in a
strangled voice.

�Yes,� Draco said without pause, feeling his heart spike
with pain. The first time he�d opened it� �You, Ginny.�

She blinked a few times, staring at him in a rather
unnerving fashion. Her eyes intent on boring a hole straight through his
own, she said slowly, �What�did�he�say?�
She looked at him for another moment. �Harry, that is.�

Draco felt himself turn his lips upward in a sneer.
�Don�t play dumb. You both are getting�married.�

Her head bent down, her face and eyes shaded by her long
hair. Draco couldn�t make out any words, but he watched, still angry, as
she stood and walked over to him. Like a feather she fell lightly into
his arms, her eyes smoldering, and kissed him square on the lips, her arms
easing around his neck to draw him in deeper before he could move away.
Confused, but not terribly upset, Draco let his hands rest on her back, pulling
her close as she kissed him with fervor. Draco soon found himself on his
back, deliciously warm, with Ginny�s legs wrapped around his waist.
Kissing her back was like taking a trip into his dreams. Her soft hands
on his chest. Her eyelashes fluttering against his face. Her
tongue, so slick, parting his lips. Her light frame, ample bosom,
writhing against him.

As soon as she stopped he closed his eyes, praying to
whatever gods might be listening not to make this a waking dream. She was
sitting quite firmly on his stomach, her hands propping herself on his
chest. He opened his eyes. �Draco,� she said, looking down at him
with a soft light on her face. �You�re the stupidest boy I�ve ever met.�

Draco�s face must have registered his surprise, because
Ginny smiled fondly down on him. �Wha ��

She promptly put a hand on his lips and continued.
�I�m not getting married to Harry, Draco. That�s nasty.� She must
have caught him brokering for another argument, because she gave him a stiff
look. �I don�t care what that giant prat said
or did, I�m not marrying him�and you can�t make me.� She smiled
again. �Is that what this has all been about?�

Draco could only nod. A dream come true? He
didn�t care. He wanted to stay here forever, with her smiling at him with
all her emotions in her eyes. She took her hand off his mouth and tossed
her hair over one shoulder, propping herself on his chest with her
elbows. He craned his neck to look at her, and found she was gazing at
him quite thoughtfully.

�When this is all over, Draco,� she said, looking more like
the sixth year he lost than ever before, �I want kids. At least three
more. I know you�re not big on large families, but you see, Penelope,
that�s my brother Percy�s wife, has quite a head start on me. And I�m
fairly competitive, and I�d really like to beat my brothers, show them once and
for all. And we make such beautiful children together�well, just look at Cassian. I�d like a daughter you know, and she�ll be
so pretty you and Cassian will have to beat the boys
off with a stick. And I�d like to make sure your family name lives
on. Don�t give me that look, because I know it�s important to you.
Big, dark, powerful, wizard�s pride indeed��

�Ginny?� Draco croaked out, seeing stars. What exactly
had gotten into her? What had�? Who was this woman? Where was
he? Who was he? Okay, those were silly questions.
But�Ginny. Ginny didn�t love Potter. She wasn�t marrying him.
He couldn�t make her. That much he�d gotten. Ginny wanted kids.
She wanted three more? Well, that wouldn�t do! Draco insisted
on much more than that! �What the hell was he thinking? They
had� There was� Ginny was looking at him. She was talking
again, or more. He wanted to pass out. �Ginny,� he repeated, firmly
this time. She stopped and smiled at him.

�Yes?�

Draco paused before he spoke. �I�this is all really
fast��

Her face fell and he immediately regretted what he�d
said. �Oh,� she murmured, making to get off his stomach.

�No!� he said forcefully, grabbing hold of her wrists and
pulling her back down. �That�s not what I meant,� he whispered softly
into her ear. She was tense, but she eventually relaxed against
him. �What I meant,� he said slowly, �is this isn�t the right time to be
discussing these things.�

�Oh,� she said lightly, looking very relieved. For a
few moments she just sat there smiling at him, like they were in school
again. Draco put his hands on her hips and kissed her again. Things
were going to be better now�now that Ginny was back�

�You know,� she said suddenly, tearing away from their
kiss. �I had a dream before I left. Would you like to hear it?�

He nodded solemnly, watching as she sat up again, rolling
over to lie down next to him as he looked at the sky. �Well, it started
out normal. I think I was in school. I was changing classes and
there was this hallway I�d never gone down before. When I turned down it
there were three people standing before me. You when you were a child,
you when you were a seventh year, and you as you are now � and you all wanted
me to go with you down their version of the hall.

�Child Draco showed me his version of the hall, and
everything was dark and mysterious. There were mirrors and shiny,
expensive baubles everywhere. He said that I had to go with him to
protect him from the monster that lived in the dark.

�Seventh year Draco showed me his version next. The
hall looked like your Prefect�s bedroom, and everything was as I remembered
it. Even that stupid crest of Slytherin I
hated. He said I had to go with him because we would be happy and young
forever, and everything would be perfect.

�But you, the Draco I see before me, you didn�t speak at
all. You didn�t even try to convince me not to go with the other two Dracos. You just looked at me, and your version of
the hall wasn�t at all recognizable. All I knew was that behind you,
hiding next to your leg, was Cassian. You
looked down on him and put a hand on his head.�

She pursed her lips and supported her head on her hand,
looking over at him. �I considered everything very carefully, and when I
started to walk towards you and Cassian I woke
up. Cassian was crawling into my bed, said he�d
had a bad dream.�

Draco turned to look at her. �I guess I just wanted to
tell you, that even if�if you and I hadn�t�well� I chose you,
Draco. Please, try to understand, you can�t push me away again like that.
Because I made a horrible mistake, and I realize that now.�

Draco kissed her until it was dark.

Death and the Youth

Ginny had never felt so vulnerable in her life. Always
before there was a crutch she could lean on, something that would prevent the
worst from coming at her. First Dreamweaving,
and even Draco had protected her from what she feared. But as she and
Draco made their stealthy trek to the castle, Ginny felt that she would like
nothing better than to run and hide. Gryffindor
indeed, she scolded herself, raising her head higher as she walked.

Ginny had been the first one to see the castle, and when she
pointed it out to Draco he frowned. They both didn�t like the looks of
the place, but they were going to have to go anyway. While it wasn�t as
large as the first of Mordred�s fortresses, it had
all the evil implied. Ginny knew that pure creatures had been sacrificed
to make this place what it was.

Licking her lips, Ginny stole a glance at Draco, who was
looking decidedly confident. Ginny hadn�t spent years in the auror force, hardening her battle skills and her
heart. Draco had. All Ginny had was a raw power, a gift that would
be taken away as soon as she touched Cassian�s
skin. Not that she minded, as long as she got close enough to touch Cassian again. Swallowing, she gazed back at the
castle, so close now.

They hadn�t seen a single guard yet, and Ginny knew that
none of the wards had been broken. They were exactly invisible as they
would have been if they�d had Harry�s cloak.
Draco pulled her by the hand to the castle wall, swiftly they jogged to the
shadow of the building. He put a finger to his mouth and motioned for her
to follow him.

She saw what he was going for they rounded the next
bend. A series of crevasses in the face of the wall had been cut close
together, maybe an emergency escape. They led to a window on the second
story of the fortress, a very clever way to leave unhindered�and enter.
Draco ascended first, his long arms and legs making quick work of the
steps. Ginny had a bit more trouble, sometimes envying Draco�s
athleticism. She frowned and finally reached the window.

�There,� Draco whispered, leading her gaze with his hand,
pointing at an open window two levels above them. �Right there. I
can almost feel them.�

Ginny frowned gently. She looked at Draco with
question in her eyes. He was that skilled an Elemental that he could feel
others? Perhaps it was because it was his own flesh and blood, and if he
was right Cassian was close. She studied him
and then put a hand on the back of his neck.

�What are you doing?� he whispered harshly.

She closed her eyes. �Shhh,�
she said softly. �Just testing you�calm your mind.�

The muscles under her had tensed for a moment, then
relaxed. Ginny allowed herself to touch the places in Draco�s mind that
she�d learned before, seeing that, despite the lack of use and experience, for
a half-blood Wind Elemental he was rather attuned to his power. When her
powers were gone she could only hope that he and Cassian
could help each other�

�I didn�t know you were that powerful,� she said in a
whisper. She met his surprised gaze for a moment. �But you�re
right. That�s where Cassian is. How do
you propose we get there?�

Gathering his thoughts, Draco spoke. �Well�I was
rather hoping you could�� and then he made a vague gesture with his hand and
looked at her appealingly.

She frowned, bemused at his lack of actual knowledge of his
own power. �Ah, it doesn�t really�work like that�� she said
quietly. �I could maybe get us that high�but I couldn�t promise that I
could keep us stable enough to open a window.�

�Oh,� he said, looking disappointed.

Ginny frowned again. �Do you have any knives?� she
asked, eyeing his belt carefully. He gave her a confused look.
�Well, you know, the mortar is softer than most because of the blood ��

�Blood?� he asked.

�Virgin and unicorn blood,� Ginny said with a wave of the
hand. Draco looked disgusted. �You could climb up if you had the
knives to dig into the soft spots.�

Snorting, Draco said, �Now why didn�t I think of that
before.� Then, to her, �How will you get up then?�

Ginny shrugged. �When you get the window open I�ll try
to aim myself as best I can. You�ll have to catch me though.�

Looking doubtful, Draco nodded and pulled out two, lethal
looking sabers. They were short for sabers, and thicker than most, but
they looked as though they could do the job. �Be careful,� Ginny said
softly.

Draco launched himself at the wall, his legs dangling with
the lack of footholds. About nine stabs in, not even to the next level,
Ginny saw he was struggling a little. �Draco,� she hissed. He
craned his neck at her, �I�m gonna help a
little. Don�t get excited.�

Concentrating acutely on the air around her, Ginny created a
harsh gust of wind that would have flown her all the way over the castle.
Draco�s coat began flapping about his arms, but he was moving much
faster. He made it over the first ledge, and then continued to the next,
where Cassian supposedly was. When he was
standing on the third level�s ledge Ginny cut the wind and sighed to
herself. Twenty days ago that would have been so simple. Now she
felt as though she needed a little rest.

Draco was peering into the window. He pulled back
immediately and made frantic gestures for her not to continue. Ginny
wondered what the hell was going on. Draco was sliding around to the next
set of windows on the wall, motioning for her to do the same. Her ledge
was a bit wider than his, and she walked briskly to stand under him. When
she glanced upwards again she saw he had opened the window and was climbing
in. For the moment Ginny couldn�t see him she felt a rush of panic well
in her. What if Death Eaters were waiting in that room? What if
they captured Draco? What if�what if he was dead?!

Ginny gulped and looked up again. This time her heart
beat loudly with relief. Draco was motioning for her to come on up, his
face grim. Ginny focused herself for a moment. She needed to go up,
not over. She didn�t have as good of control over her powers as she would
have liked, and wind was a tricky devil anyway. A breeze started below
her and she felt herself begin to rise. Slightly alarmed, Ginny tried to
keep herself an arm�s breadth from the wall. She powered another strong
gust and felt hopeful after passing the first landing.

And then everything cut out from beneath her. She
stifled a scream and caught herself by the arms on the landing.

�Ginny!� Draco said in a panicked voice, moving to get out
of the window.

Ginny�s arms gave and she felt herself gripping to the ledge
with only her hands. �No!� she managed to choke out, looking up at
Draco. She could do this.

Focusing her will again, the wind gained speed and power and
Ginny felt herself rushing upwards with more momentum than she would have
liked. Draco practically snatched her out of the air, and she landed with
a thump on his chest as they barreled backwards. Breathing heavily for a
few moments, Ginny grabbed at Draco desperately. She�d not been that
scared in a long time. He was whispering encouragingly in her ear, his
hands smoothing over her back.

Ginny finally opened her eyes and looked around her.
It was a mostly empty room. A few dust-covered ruins of furniture and
some tapestries covered the walls, but most noticeable were the two black lumps
on the ground. Draco was helping Ginny up when she noticed them, and she
looked up at him questioningly.

�You�re a little short for a Death Eater, but you�ll
do. They�re getting younger and younger, you know.� He shrugged and
started yanking off the black robes of the villains. Ginny frowned when
she realized that she thought she knew one of the men. He was a year
younger than her�in Ravenclaw� �Michael
Corner�s younger brother. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

�What?� Draco said, looking around worriedly.

Pointing at the fallen Death Eater, Ginny whispered, �I knew
him.�

Draco frowned, looking closely at the man. Recognition
dawned on him. �Corner. Isn�t that the Corner boy you dated a while
back? Fourth year?�

�His brother,� Ginny replied.

Again, Draco shrugged and tossed her the robes and
mask. �Put these on.�

Shivering, Ginny did as she was told, and soon she and Draco
were genuine Death Eaters. She gulped as Draco grabbed the body of
Corner, tossing him out the window right after the other man. He looked
at Ginny and then brought her close. She felt so out of place in these
robes.

�Look, Ginny,� he said softly. �You have to act like a
Death Eater. Walk with long strides. Square your shoulders, and
don�t look behind you. Act like you have a permanent bone to pick.
Don�t speak unless you�re spoken too, because you and I are low-ranking Death
Eaters.� Then, taking off his mask and motioning for her to do the same,
he brought his face close to hers. �In the next room Voldemort
and a group of about twenty Death Eaters are entertaining themselves.
With drink and food,� he added reassuringly. �Cassian
is in that room, right next to Voldemort. You
and I will have to wait for their meal to be over, because we obviously aren�t
invited.� He gave her a stern look. �We�ll wait here to see where
they take Cassian. We�re the door guards,
remember that.�

With that he kissed her swiftly and told her to put the mask
back on and waltzed over to the far side of the door. Ginny took the
other side of the double doors and stared at the adjacent set with a numb mind.
They would walk straight through here; Cassian would
be with them. �How would she keep herself from killing Voldemort on the spot?

�Nature Is Fine in Love � Nature is fine in love, and where
�tis fine,/ It sends some precious instance of itself/ After the thing it
loves. � Laertes to Ophelia, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5

�The Boy Who Wouldn�t Fucking Die �
came from a reviewer to whom I would like to give credit to if I could remember
who they were�

A/N: There are
probably three or four chapters left of this story � at twenty pages a chapter
that�s roughly eighty pages I have left to write.� I�m working diligently on Chapter Twenty-One,
but re-synchronizing with a story I stopped writing two years ago proves a
difficult task.� I will update as soon as
humanly possible.
- 19
- 20
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