Chapter Seventeen – Draco's Back!

Ginny slowly woke up in a small bed with scratchy sheets and a pillow that had feathers sticking out at odd angles. Medicine smells swirled around the room making her a little light headed. She opened her eyes to find no one in the room except Harry who appeared to still be unconscious. Thankful that she could slip out undetected Ginny pulled back the covers and carefully stood up.

Forgetting about her slippers that were pushed under the bed, Ginny walked to her dorm room. She had forgotten about Draco last night and wanted to make sure things were going okay. Cracking open the door to the common room she slipped in and quietly walked up the steps, hoping not to awaken any of her fellow students.

"Draco." She softly called. She looked under the beds, in the closet, and in any place the two had hide while stuck in their cat bodies. After calling for minutes on end Ginny began to panic.

"Draco. Where in the blazes are you?"

Her search became more frantic as she ran down the stairs to the common room, hoping she had passed him on her way in. But alas he wasn't there. The knot that had been forming in her stomach grew as she continued searching.

A light thud sounded as a pillow hit the ground. Ginny spun around, hoping it was Draco who had jumped off the couch. Approaching the pillow she found no cat or any sign that one had ever been there.

"Ok, that was odd, kind of creepy, but I'm fine." She muttered to herself.

Picking up the pillow Ginny flopped down onto a chair and buried her head in her hands. Draco was gone, it seemed like he fell off the face of the Earth. No matter where she looked he wasn't there!

"Its all my fault," she wailed. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to say, "If only I hadn't gone to breakfast with him. He would still be a human." Angrily wiping the tears from her face she said, "God damn it! Why cant things be back to normal?"

Something brushed against Ginny's right ankle. Thinking it was nothing she ranted on.

"Why do I have to like him so much? For the first time I might love someone and then because of me they are turned into a cat."

Tiny meows alerted Ginny to another presence in the room. She looked down to see a silver cat rubbing its head against her shin in a comforting manner.

"Draco!" She happily yelled while scooping him up.

"I am so glad I found you. We need to change you back!"

Ginny turned around and walked to the door, opened it, and was halfway out, but stopped when a familiar voice called out her name.

"Ginny? What are you yelling about?"

Blushing a deep red Ginny looked at her brother Ron and tried to come up with a good reason for her outburst.

"I…Well, I found a cat I was looking for. Isn't he cute?" She asked while absentmindedly petting Draco's soft fur.

"Sure, whatever you say."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her older brothers remark and left before he could stop her again.

Arriving back in the hospital wing Ginny pushed the doors open to see Harry had woken up. Shuffling her feet uncomfortably Ginny waited for the mediwitch to come out of her office.

"Ginny." Harry said, sounding unsure of what he was about to say.

Draco, noticing Harry for the first time began to hiss and scratch. Ginny, still holding the enraged cat scolded him.

"Stop Draco, you're hurting me."

At her words he immediately stopped but continued to hiss angrily at the boy who sat tiredly on a bed.

"Ginny, please let me explain!" Harry desperately cried. He walked over to her and showed pure sincerity in his green eyes. After a moments pause Ginny said, "No Harry. You don't need to explain."

"But I do! You have to understand I didn't want to do it." Running a hand through his black locks he wet his lips and closed his eyes. "I didn't do it on my own free will. It was—"

But Ginny knowing who had controlled him stopped him by putting two fingers against his lips, effectively silencing him.

"I know who it was. I understand."

"You…you do?" Harry stuttered.

"Yes." She answered with a nod. "And just so you know, I have already forgiven you."

"How could you forgive me after hurting you? For the love of God I almost rapped you!"

A silence enveloped the room for minutes on end. Draco looked back and forth between his enemy and the girl he had become fond for.

"It can't be true." Draco said to himself.

Ginny started the conversation up again by reassuring Harry that it was ok.

"If you hadn't been controlled by Lucius I would have kicked your ass but it wasn't you."

When Draco heard his fathers name he stiffened. He had been right, his father had used Harry.

At that moment Madam Pomfry came out of her office to find the two students standing in an awkward silence.

"Mister Potter, you need your rest. Return to your bed immediately."

Whispering something under his breath Harry trudged back to his bed and climbed in.

"Miss Weasley, what can I do for you?"

"Draco needs to be turned back into a human."

"I'm sorry dear, what did you say? For a moment I thought you said Mister Malfoy wasn't a human." She let out a little chuckle.

"You head me correctly Madam Pomfry. This is Draco." Ginny pointed to Draco who let out a meow, as if to confirm what she had said to be true.

"My this week has been a strange one. First you were a cat, Mister Potter was being controlled by a mad man, and now Mister Malfoy too is a cat." She said while waving her arms to emphasize.

She looked at Ginny who smiled and nodded.

"I will need to tell the headmaster before we change him back."

"Of course, I understand."

Madam Pomfry went to the fireplace and threw in a pinch of floo powder. Sticking her head into the flames she said, "Headmaster's Office." A one sided conversation was heard by the three in the room.

"Headmaster, I hope have more of the Feline Fetish reversing potion…yes, another student…Mister Malfoy…Miss Weasley brought him in…I'll be waiting for your arrival Sir."

Coming back out of the green flames the mediwitch dusted off her robes and told Ginny to place Draco on a bed. She was going to fetch him something suitable to wear.

Sensing Draco's nervousness Ginny coed, "Don't worry, it doesn't hurt one bit."

Ginny scratched behind his ears and under his chin, calming him down while they waited for the headmaster.

Doors opened and in walked Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He took one look at the silver cat before smiling.

"Mr. Malfoy." He said with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "I'm sure you are anxious to get back to your own body."

Politely he told Ginny to give the two room. Pushing herself off the bed she moved far enough to let the headmaster work. Draco looked panicked but allowed the headmaster to change him back.

Ginny watched fascinated as he lost his fur, tail and whiskers to be replaced with hair and clothing. It seemed so odd to see him now. His aristocratic features were back, his smug look, hair was still shiny and soft. He looked just like he had before; the day the spell hit him.

Smiling at him Ginny rushed over to him and gave him a huge bear hug. Startled at first he didn't respond but after a moment of shock he hugged her back tightly. The two happily said words to each other forgetting about the three other occupants in the room. Finally the two stepped back to get a good look at one another.

"You look great Gin!"

"Thanks, you don't look to shabby yourself."

The two laughed and thanked the headmaster for helping them change back to their correct species.

"We owe you Sir."

"Don't think anything of it Mr. Malfoy. Just doing my job." He beckoned Harry and Madam Pomfry to follow him to breakfast, leaving the two teens alone.

Ginny grinned up at Draco and took his hand in hers.

"I'm so glad you turned into a cat too."

Draco stared at her like she was crazy before she went on to clarify.

"You helped me through all the hard stuff we both went through. And, well, I think because of that time we have grown to be…"

She trailed off as a blush covered her face.

Gently prodding her on Draco asked, "Become?"

"I, um…maybe you don't agree but..."

"Come on. Spit it out."

"We have become more then friends." She mumbled, turning an even darker red.

Letting out a tiny laugh Draco agreed.

"We have haven't we?"

He looked down at the gorgeous red head standing next to him. Placing his arms around her waist he leaned in and huskily whispered, "Will you be my girlfriend Gin?"

At her squeal for an answer he brought his lips down to hers for their first kiss. Electricity shot through his body and a warm fuzzy feeling took over. With shock he noticed how much he cared for the girl in his arms.

Ginny deepened the kiss and slipped her tongue into his warm mouth. Her body was in overdrive. Never had she felt so right before. In Draco's arms she felt like she fit.

'This must be what love feels like.' She thought.

The two pulled away for air and Ginny said to Draco, "I love you!"

Draco went silent at her words.

'She loves me?'

"Ginny. I love you too!"

The two passionately kissed again before heading out the doors to the great hall where breakfast was being served. Both knew deep down that they would be together forever.

The End!