Chapter Eleven: A New Beginning
The next morning the Great Hall was filled with students and their parents. The dining tables had been replaced by rows of chairs, all of which were occupied. Where the professors usually ate there was a platform and seated on the platform were the professors and members of the Ministry of Magic. The Minsiter of Magic was standing at a podium, giving a speech to console the parents of those students who had given their lives to protect the school. The Memorial was very beautiful and a plaque was given to each mourning family.
Ginny was seated rather close to the front with the rest of her family. She had looked around the Great Hall, searching for Draco, but he was no where to be found. After the mourning speech the Minister of Magic asked Harry to stand and receive a medal of honor. Harry looked rather abashed and reluctantly accepted. Ginny was the only one who knew the reason for his humility.
After the time of silence the Hall had emptied, and everyone left to gaze at the fountain that was placed on the grounds as a memorial to the deceased. Ginny hung back by the school and watched everyone with tear filled eyes recall memories they had shared together with those who were dead.
"Ginny." Harry came up to Ginny and took her hands in his. "It's not right that I should get this. I didn't do anything except do what Draco had planned. If it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened. I know for some odd reason he doesn't want it known that it was him who saved us...so please give this to him."
Harry removed his hands from Ginny's, and in her palm rested the medal of honor. Harry placed his hands on either side of Ginny's face and kissed her on the forehead, then joined the rest of the Weasley family.
Ginny knew that if she had any tears left in her, she'd be crying. But her tears were already spent and she thought she'd never be able to cry again.
Was she ever going to see Draco again? She looked at the medal and held it tighter. She'd been through so much with him, how could he just be ripped from her life now?
Later that day the students went to their rooms to pack. The school year was being cut short, and they'd all leave directly after lunch. Ginny had packed her things neatly, but her mind was elsewhere. Her roomates noticed her far away look, but thought it was becaues of the events of last night. They were wrong.
Ginny walked to the window to look out on the grounds. It seemed forever since she had entered the Forbbiden Forest. She felt like a completely different person now, almost as if the old Ginny was barried with her fellow students, and she wasn't quite used to this new Ginny.
As she stood there, pondering these new revelations, she noticed something down on the grounds that caught her attention. A person was standing alone by the fountain, and their silvery hair caught in the sunlight gave away his identity at once.
"Draco." Ginny wanted to yell, but it only came out as a whisper.
"Oh, I know, that prick!" Someone had heard the name uttered from Ginny's lips.
"Yeah, to think, he was one of them the whole time." Someone else added.
"I gotta go!" Ginny said, then quickly left the room.
She ran through the corridors, and down the stairs as quickly as her feet would take her. It seemed that time was slowing down, and she was in one of those dreams where you run and run and run, but you don't get anywhere. Ginny's heart beat quickened, and her sore muscles began to ache once again. She was so afraid he'd be gone!
She pushed passed the double doors and out onto the lawns. She stopped, yards from the fountian. Her eyes burned from the bright sunshine, and she squinted to see clearly. Draco was standing, looking deep in thought, in front of the fountain. Ginny slowly walked up to him, and stood next to him.
"In loving memory. You will live in our hearts forever, your spirits, like water, will flow forever in our lives." Draco read the words written on a plaque imbedded in the fountain's stone. "It's beautiful."
Ginny took Draco's hand in hers and he squeezed it. She turned to face him, but he was still mesmerized by the saying.
"Harry wanted me to give this to you." Ginny showed him the medal which was now in his hands. "Why?"
"Do you think everyone would want Draco Malfoy to be their hero? It had to be Harry...that's just the way it is."
"Draco, it wasn't your fault." Ginny said, reading the look on his face.
"Yes it is." He said through gritted teeth. "I knew he was planning on attacking. I should have told someone."
"Draco, they already knew. It's no more your fault than it is mine." Ginny had come to that realization while she lay in bed last night. She had begun to blame herself for everything. It was she who had the dreams, she who knew Voldemort was nearby--and she did nothing. But then a quiet peaceful feeling came over her. And a small voice inside her reminded her that she also helped saved those who still remained.
"My life is worthless." Draco said. "I can't go home to my Father. My Mother sent an owel saying she was leaving. I have no one..."
Ginny squeezed her way inbetween Draco and the fountain so he had to look at her. She stared into those deep grey eyes and noticed the stormy clouds festering in them. It made her sad to see Draco like this. She smiled up at him and placed her hand behind his neck and brought his head down to hers.
When their lips touched, Ginny felt that peaceful feeling again, as if someone was reasurring her everything was going to be alright. She could feel Draco's hands rest on her hips, but he was gentle with his kiss. It wasn't a deep passionate kiss. It was the kiss of a new beginning. A doorway to something greater.
When they parted, Ginny still had her smile on her face.
"You're wrong, Draco. You have me." Ginny whispered, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Draco took Ginny in his arms and clung to her as if she was a life preserve on the surface of a stormy sea. He could feel the waves crash in around him, but he still clung to her. Tears began to issue from his eyes and moisten Ginny's shoulders. They were tears of rage, tears of regret, years of pain and torture and trials were in those tears, and Draco finally let them all go. The storm was gone, he was alive.
"Do you promise?" Draco asked huskily, wiping away the salty trails on his cheeks. "Do you mean it?"
"Draco," Ginny grabbed both his hands in hers. "We've both changed, very much. But I think that there is something in you I need, and there's something in me you need. I promise."
Draco took her in his arms again, but this time he reintroduced his lips to hers, never wanting to let her go again.
(A/N: Once again I'm sorry that it took so long for these to get up...just a little mistake on my part.)
The next morning the Great Hall was filled with students and their parents. The dining tables had been replaced by rows of chairs, all of which were occupied. Where the professors usually ate there was a platform and seated on the platform were the professors and members of the Ministry of Magic. The Minsiter of Magic was standing at a podium, giving a speech to console the parents of those students who had given their lives to protect the school. The Memorial was very beautiful and a plaque was given to each mourning family.
Ginny was seated rather close to the front with the rest of her family. She had looked around the Great Hall, searching for Draco, but he was no where to be found. After the mourning speech the Minister of Magic asked Harry to stand and receive a medal of honor. Harry looked rather abashed and reluctantly accepted. Ginny was the only one who knew the reason for his humility.
After the time of silence the Hall had emptied, and everyone left to gaze at the fountain that was placed on the grounds as a memorial to the deceased. Ginny hung back by the school and watched everyone with tear filled eyes recall memories they had shared together with those who were dead.
"Ginny." Harry came up to Ginny and took her hands in his. "It's not right that I should get this. I didn't do anything except do what Draco had planned. If it wasn't for him, who knows what would have happened. I know for some odd reason he doesn't want it known that it was him who saved us...so please give this to him."
Harry removed his hands from Ginny's, and in her palm rested the medal of honor. Harry placed his hands on either side of Ginny's face and kissed her on the forehead, then joined the rest of the Weasley family.
Ginny knew that if she had any tears left in her, she'd be crying. But her tears were already spent and she thought she'd never be able to cry again.
Was she ever going to see Draco again? She looked at the medal and held it tighter. She'd been through so much with him, how could he just be ripped from her life now?
Later that day the students went to their rooms to pack. The school year was being cut short, and they'd all leave directly after lunch. Ginny had packed her things neatly, but her mind was elsewhere. Her roomates noticed her far away look, but thought it was becaues of the events of last night. They were wrong.
Ginny walked to the window to look out on the grounds. It seemed forever since she had entered the Forbbiden Forest. She felt like a completely different person now, almost as if the old Ginny was barried with her fellow students, and she wasn't quite used to this new Ginny.
As she stood there, pondering these new revelations, she noticed something down on the grounds that caught her attention. A person was standing alone by the fountain, and their silvery hair caught in the sunlight gave away his identity at once.
"Draco." Ginny wanted to yell, but it only came out as a whisper.
"Oh, I know, that prick!" Someone had heard the name uttered from Ginny's lips.
"Yeah, to think, he was one of them the whole time." Someone else added.
"I gotta go!" Ginny said, then quickly left the room.
She ran through the corridors, and down the stairs as quickly as her feet would take her. It seemed that time was slowing down, and she was in one of those dreams where you run and run and run, but you don't get anywhere. Ginny's heart beat quickened, and her sore muscles began to ache once again. She was so afraid he'd be gone!
She pushed passed the double doors and out onto the lawns. She stopped, yards from the fountian. Her eyes burned from the bright sunshine, and she squinted to see clearly. Draco was standing, looking deep in thought, in front of the fountain. Ginny slowly walked up to him, and stood next to him.
"In loving memory. You will live in our hearts forever, your spirits, like water, will flow forever in our lives." Draco read the words written on a plaque imbedded in the fountain's stone. "It's beautiful."
Ginny took Draco's hand in hers and he squeezed it. She turned to face him, but he was still mesmerized by the saying.
"Harry wanted me to give this to you." Ginny showed him the medal which was now in his hands. "Why?"
"Do you think everyone would want Draco Malfoy to be their hero? It had to be Harry...that's just the way it is."
"Draco, it wasn't your fault." Ginny said, reading the look on his face.
"Yes it is." He said through gritted teeth. "I knew he was planning on attacking. I should have told someone."
"Draco, they already knew. It's no more your fault than it is mine." Ginny had come to that realization while she lay in bed last night. She had begun to blame herself for everything. It was she who had the dreams, she who knew Voldemort was nearby--and she did nothing. But then a quiet peaceful feeling came over her. And a small voice inside her reminded her that she also helped saved those who still remained.
"My life is worthless." Draco said. "I can't go home to my Father. My Mother sent an owel saying she was leaving. I have no one..."
Ginny squeezed her way inbetween Draco and the fountain so he had to look at her. She stared into those deep grey eyes and noticed the stormy clouds festering in them. It made her sad to see Draco like this. She smiled up at him and placed her hand behind his neck and brought his head down to hers.
When their lips touched, Ginny felt that peaceful feeling again, as if someone was reasurring her everything was going to be alright. She could feel Draco's hands rest on her hips, but he was gentle with his kiss. It wasn't a deep passionate kiss. It was the kiss of a new beginning. A doorway to something greater.
When they parted, Ginny still had her smile on her face.
"You're wrong, Draco. You have me." Ginny whispered, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Draco took Ginny in his arms and clung to her as if she was a life preserve on the surface of a stormy sea. He could feel the waves crash in around him, but he still clung to her. Tears began to issue from his eyes and moisten Ginny's shoulders. They were tears of rage, tears of regret, years of pain and torture and trials were in those tears, and Draco finally let them all go. The storm was gone, he was alive.
"Do you promise?" Draco asked huskily, wiping away the salty trails on his cheeks. "Do you mean it?"
"Draco," Ginny grabbed both his hands in hers. "We've both changed, very much. But I think that there is something in you I need, and there's something in me you need. I promise."
Draco took her in his arms again, but this time he reintroduced his lips to hers, never wanting to let her go again.
(A/N: Once again I'm sorry that it took so long for these to get up...just a little mistake on my part.)