Author: sunnycouger ([email protected])
Category: Drama, Romance
Rating: PG.
Summary: It's Ginny's graduation and a familiar face interrupts with a warning.
Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter don't belong to me, I'm just taking them out to play and I promise to get them home to JK Rowling in time for the next book :) But, just in case you were in any doubt as to who they belong to have a look at this: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Authors Note: The second of the prequels to Somewhere In Between. As always you can read that first and find out how the whole thing ends or you can take it as a stand alone and imagine your own ending. This follows on to Of Purple Mice and Floating Paperweights but you don't need to know that to get this. Some things will be mentioned but mostly it's a stand alone.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ginny sat and nervously tapped her hands against her leg. This was it, this was what she had been waiting the past 7 years for. Graduation.
"I know that your school career has been dogged with tragedy, unfortunately the times we live in means that the 3 losses your class has watched the school suffer will no longer be an isolated incident. As safe as we make you all, until the force of good wins we will forever be forced to remember those who have left us too early. On that note, and before we begin the much happier business of graduating let us take a moment to remember one of us who should be here celebrating with us today. Mr Creevy, I'm sure is smiling on you all today."
Ginny looked down and bit her lip as Dumbledore bowed his own head. 3 students had died in the seven years she had been there. In fact they had all died in the last four years, since Voldermorts resurrection. Cedric Diggory, Dean Thomas from her brothers year and...she felt her lip tremble slightly, Colin. Her friend. Who should have been there. She reached over and took Hannah Monaghan's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. As hard as it was for Ginny to remember it would be so much worse for Hannah who was still wearing the bracelet Colin had given her at Christmas after traipsing around Hogsmeade on Christmas Eve looking for an engravers.
Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning back and looking at her parents and brothers who were looking at her proudly. She forced a small smile onto her face as she turned back towards Dumbledore who had begun speaking again.
"Well, as this is a day for celebration I feel it is my duty to congratulate you all on a successful 7 years and to wish you all luck with your chosen professions. May you all stay safe, live your lives well and enjoy your freedom! Congratulations to the newest graduating class of Hogwarts!"
Ginny cheered with the rest of her year as they threw their hats up and the professors shot a variety of charms up in the air: some creating fireworks, others creating streamers, others balloons and birds. She immediately hugged her friends close to her. This was it. She was now a graduate. She could now practice anytime she felt like it. She jumped up and down as her mother and father reached her. She turned and grinned at them as both Molly and Arthur wiped their eyes. "That was beautiful Ginny. Oh Arthur, our baby's all grown up."
Ginny rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Mum, come on I've been grown up for a while now."
Arthur hugged his daughter close to him. "This is a new experience for your mother, this is the last time she will be here for a graduation until she has grandchildren."
Molly began to sniff again as she looked over at her group of sons who had now walked over to join them. "And that'll be a while with all of them."
"What will be while with all of them?" Fred asked as he messed Ginny's hair like you would with a dog. Ginny swatted him away as Percy gave him a disapproving look.
"Having grandchildren." Molly said as she reached over to fix Ron's tie.
Fred laughed. "Oh yeah, I'll tell Angelina we should get started right away. To hell with her quidditch career...or the wedding..."
"Or the engagement?" George added with a grin.
"Well, she'd say yes anyway..."
Bill looked at Fred with a smirk. "You're awfully sure of yourself."
"Yeah, when she's not here. You should hear him when she's about. Talk about henpecked." George said as he dodged Fred's elbow.
Ginny smiled at her brothers good natured banter as Charlie came up and hugged her, "you did good Gin. So, how does it feel to be ready for the big bad world?"
Ginny looked at him excitedly. "I cannot wait. I don't know if it's nerves or excitement."
"I don't think I like my baby spending as much time away from home again. You should take some time home now Ginny. The place will be empty." Molly said as she looked at her worriedly.
Ginny reached over and hugged her mother as Charlie looked at his mother reassuringly. "Look on the brightside, Mum. We'll all be out your hair now. You will have the Burrow to yourself."
Molly looked at Ginny aghast and began to sob as Arthur winced and wrapped his arms around Molly's shoulders. He looked at his kids and smiled apologetically. "Your mother is just a bit emotional."
Ron looked over at Hermione and Harry who was standing beside him and whispered. "No kidding?"
Ginny smiled as she walked over to Hermione and hugged her. "Well, that's me. All done here."
Hermione smiled. "No problem, I told you it would be easy. You should come train to be an auror like me and Harry though, they are going over board on recruiting just now."
Ginny shook her head and looked at Harry. "Um, no...i don't think so..."
Ron took Hermione's hand and looked at Ginny. "Don't listen to her, they have turned into right annoying twats since they joined that. Nearly as bad a Percy. You as well Harry..."
Harry shifted and looked at Ron, trying to keep from smiling as he gave his best offended look. "I resent that..." He turned to Ginny and smiled. "He's just annoyed because he couldn't stick it."
Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, my idea of a good time is not watching big spiders keel over in front of me. I much prefer where I am thank you very much."
Ginny smiled as she looked at him proudly. He was much happier where he was training in the ministry. Not an auror exactly but dealing with dark arts still, more exactly dealing with dark art objects and potions and spells as opposed to the wizards themselves. He had found his niche and loved his job because it was different everyday.
"I...i think I'm going to go see if mum has calmed down. I'll be back in a minute."
She walked over to her parents and smiled. "Feeling better?"
"Much." Molly said with a smile. "Oh you all got a beautiful day today."
Ginny nodded her head. It was beautiful, exactly how she had imagined her graduation.
"Well, Molly, Arthur...how does it feel to be here for your last child's graduation?" Ginny span around to see Dumbledore standing behind her and she smiled.
"We're very proud." Arthur said happily as he reached over and gave Ginny's shoulder a squeeze.
"Good." Dumbledore turned to Ginny and smiled warmly. "And what about you? How does it feel to be the best transfiguration student of the year?"
"Um, like it shouldn't be me..." Ginny said honestly. "I think I got lucky that Rashia from Ravenclaw missed as much school after Christmas."
Dumbledore nodded his head in understanding. "Well, Professor McGonagall doesn't believe so. What is your..."
"Professor!"
He was interrupted before he could continue by a call from behind him. They all span around to see a figure running towards them, broom in one hand and other hand holding their ribcage as they ran. Ginny took a step forward as Dumbledore stopped and looked as the figure stopped and pulled back his hood. Draco Malfoy.
"Pro...professor." Malfoy began to say as he looked at Dumbledore desperately. His grey eyes wide as a trail of blood fell from his nose.
"Stand back Dumbledore." Arthur said as he drew his wand. "The boys a deatheater!"
"Did...did you work...that out...yourself, Weasley?" Draco forced out angrily as he drew his own wand and pointed it at Arthur while still bent over in pain.
"Malfoy!" Ginny said insolently as she stood in front of her father angrily. "Put your wand down!"
Dumbledore shook his head and looked at Arthur. "It's fine, Arthur. I think Draco has something urgent to say, don't you?"
Draco nodded his head as took a deep breath.
"When is it happening, Mr Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked simply as Draco dropped the broom and straightened up. His hand still caressing his ribs.
"He...he said..." He took a deep breath and winced as Ginny stepped forward and looked at him as she pulled her wand and muttered a spell. He looked at her as he gasped and sank to his knees as the oxygen flooded into his lungs to help him breath.
"Ginny! What did you do?" Molly asked as she pulled her daughter back.
Ginny looked down as Draco got back to his feet and nodded his head in acknowledgement of Ginny. She told him this would happen. She had told him it so many times and she had been right. Idiot.
"He said that tonight would be the perfect opportunity as there would be a number of alumni present...one in particular." Draco said as he took a deep breath and held his ribcage.
Dumbledore nodded his head and gave a small smile to Draco. "I am assuming they weren't overly impressed with your decision to give us a warning?"
Draco closed his eyes and dropped his wand as he looked down. "I fell..."
"If that's what you want us to believe..." Dumbledore nodded his head and sighed. "Another year, another graduation ruined." He turned and looked at Molly and Arthur. "Molly, could you please go and assemble the students and the parents into the school building?"
She nodded while Arthur looked at Draco unsurely. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"
Draco looked at him and smirked. "You don't. Maybe I'm just trying to get all the aurors here so that we can take the Ministry or Diagon Alley..."
"I wouldn't bet against it."
"I wouldn't bet at all if I was in your financial position." Draco said airily as he looked angrily at Arthur. "I told you what's happening. I am not here to make you believe me."
Ginny shook her head as Dumbledore stood between Draco and Arthur. Even when he was ill he couldn't not be an annoying prick. "Arthur, I believe Draco is telling the truth..."
"Would he be willing to take veristrum?" Arthur asked without taking his eyes of Draco.
Draco picked up his wand and broom and began to walk away. "I don't need this from someone like him!"
Ginny turned to her father and Dumbledore. "What, are you just going to let him leave? If it is true he'll be killed!"
Arthur looked at her blankly as he turned to Dumbledore. "I'm going to let the Ministry know."
Dumbledore nodded his head as Arthur walked away. Ginny looked at him. "Professor?"
"This isn't a prison, Ginny. If Draco doesn't want to stay..."
"But you know he's telling the truth."
Dumbledore looked at her and smiled. "I do, but how do you know that he's telling the truth?"
She looked at Dumbledore quizzically. What kind of a question was that? He knew as well as she did that Malfoy wouldn't show up at the school beaten to a pulp to lie to them. She was about to voice this when she heard a loud shout from behind her. She turned abruptly to see Ron, Harry and Hermione running with their wands out. She looked to see what they were doing when she heard a curse coming from Hermione.
"Malfoy! You have a nerve coming here!" Harry shouted as he reached Draco who was now on the ground. "You know that we are looking for dark wizards don't you?"
"And I wonder if you have any tattoo's which we can look at?" Ron said as he grabbed Draco's arm. Ginny looked at Dumbledore quickly before running over.
"Ron..." She began as she reached them.
"Go manhandle Potter, Weasley. That's what you've been wanting to do for the past eight years anyway isn't it? Or do you prefer playing with your mud-blood girlfriend? After all, your kind would enjoy slumming it."
Ron's face flushed as he pulled his arm back and punched Draco hard. "You shut your filthy mouth about her!"
"Harry! Ron! Hermione that's enough!" Dumbledore's voice seemed to boom from behind Ginny as everyone stopped moving. "Mr Malfoy came here to help and as such he will not be attacked by anyone. Is that understood?"
Hermione looked at Dumbledore like he had gone mad. "Professor...he's a deatheater. We have a duty to..."
Dumbledore looked at her sternly. "Ms Granger, I do not believe I was asking for a discussion on this? We have far more pressing things to worry about than an ex deatheater."
Harry snorted in laughter as he looked at Draco who was struggling to his feet. "Ex? Why, because he said he was? You heard what he said to Hermione. Ex deatheaters don't go around saying that."
"And future aurors don't go around fulfilling their own personal vendetta's." Dumbledore said simply as he looked at Harry. "Yet here we have a prime example."
Harry shifted uncomfortably under Dumbledore's penetrating gaze. "Mr Malfoy came here to warn us about an attack, I believe you should all go and find Arthur and we will discuss the course of action we will be taking."
Ginny looked at Draco who was now on his feet looking at a piece of chain that had been broken in the fight with Ron almost mournfully. She looked down. It almost felt wrong to look at him when he looked like that. She opened her eyes and noticed something shining on the ground and reached down and picked it up. What was it? A locket. Beautiful and silver with a piece of chain still attached. She looked up and over to Malfoy who was still looking at the piece of chain desperately: it must have meant a lot to him. She took a deep breath as she took a step towards him and put the remainder of the chain and the locket into his closed hands without saying a word that would alert the arguing others. He looked at her in surprise as he wrapped the chain amongst his fingers. "Thank you."
She took a step back in surprise. Had he just thanked her? Draco Malfoy?
"We are not arguing about this. Go see your father Ron, and I will be in shortly."
Ron, Harry and Hermione shook their heads and turned away. "Fine, but if you hurt anyone while you're here Malfoy I promise you I will hurt you!"
Harry's voice echoed as he walked ahead angrily. Ginny almost smiled. They had been graduated a year and the old feud was still going.
"Ginny, come on." Ron said simply as he turned towards her.
"Ginny is going to take Mr Malfoy up to the hospital wing." Dumbledore said as he turned to Ginny who's eyes had widened. "That is, if you don't mind?"
Ginny looked at Ron and then to Dumbledore. "I don't mind."
Ron shook his head in disbelief. "You touch her Malfoy I swear I will kill you. Ginny, if he touches you just kill him alright?"
Ginny looked at Ron angrily. "I can look after myself!" She turned abruptly and grabbed Draco's wand that was on the ground and took his arm. "Come on, Malfoy."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The journey to the castle had been a silent one not to mention a slow one.
"Are you okay?" She asked finally as he trailed behind. "You are a lot quieter than usual. I haven't had one insult off you."
He caught up with her and shrugged his shoulders. "Would you like me to insult you? On your graduation?"
Ginny sighed as she took his free arm to help support him as they climbed the stairs.. "No, but that wouldn't normally stop you."
"So, you may as well say it." He said finally as they reached the top of the stairs. She looked at him quizzically as she guided him into the hospital room. What was she supposed to say?
"Say what?"
He let out a laugh as he looked around, saw no one there and sat down on one of the beds. "Tell me you told me so. Don't tell me you weren't thinking it."
She blushed slightly as she looked down and shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I did. I told you last year, and I told you again when you were back here what would happen."
He looked away from her. "And I proved you right."
She looked at him awkwardly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing. It's something you should be proud of."
He let out a bitter laugh and looked out the window as he spoke quietly. "Tell that to my parents..."
She took a step towards him: he was clearly hurting and needed someone to tell him it would be okay. She looked at the man on the bed in front of her, he had never looked as fragile as he did there. But, she reasoned as she took a step back again. He was a Malfoy. He was a deatheater. He knew how to play people. The others wouldn't like it if she stayed with him.
She shook her head as she looked at him. "I'm...going to find Madam Pomfrey and then I'm going downstairs. Try and rest Malfoy."
He looked at her briefly with a sad smile. "Fine. Enjoy the rest of your graduation Ginny."
She nodded as she backed out the room quickly and walked away breathing deeply before stopping. What was she doing? Why was she leaving him? Would she leave anyone else if they were in that state? Would she care what anyone thought? She looked back in and saw him now standing with his head against the window looking out. She had just left him when he needed someone, anyone to tell him he'd done the right thing. What did that make her?
She walked back towards the door and opened it with a smile at him. "I figured that since you're not actually dying right now we can probably wait for Madam Pomfrey to find her own way up here."
He turned and looked at her. "You don't have to stay. I can look after myself."
She looked at him as she sat down the bottom of the bed. "I know that. To be honest, I'm avoiding the others. They still treat me like a child."
He walked over and sat on the bed and sighed. "And they are letting you stay up here with me?"
She looked at him and shook her head. "I think they realise that you are in no position to threaten anyone."
He looked at her. "And that's it?"
"That, and I know you wouldn't hurt me." She said simply as she looked at him. It was true, for some reason she knew that he wouldn't, ever since 6th year she just knew. It wasn't that they liked each other or anything, he was just Malfoy. But he didn't scare her the way he did Ron and Harry. They were different with each other.
He smiled slightly at her. "And you know that why?"
"Well, would you?" She asked as she looked at him probingly.
He let out a laugh as he turned away from her. "For a Weasley you are very confident on the impact you have made on me."
"Answer me and I'll apologise if I'm wrong." She said with a faint hint of laughter on her voice.
"Probably...no. No I wouldn't be able to hurt you." He turned away from her. "Just due to the fact that it irritates your family no end to see me talking to you. You're worth putting up with for that reason alone."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot, Malfoy."
"You're welcome."
She stood up and walked to the window. What was going to happen? Would they just come and start blasting the school away like they had at Hogsmeade. Like they had when Colin was there...
"They will probably get the wards up in time to stop them getting in. I wouldn't worry. It probably won't be as bad as the Hogsmeade attack." Draco said quietly from the bed. "There are plenty of aurors here. They will have one look at them and leave."
Ginny took a deep breath and turned around. "I wasn't thinking that..."
He looked at her. "Of course you were. I was there, remember. You had the exact same look on your face after the Hogsmeade attacks."
"You don't know me that well Malfoy." She said quietly as she picked up a sheet of parchment. "You don't know what I was thinking."
He looked at her and nodded his head. "True. But that same argument has never shut you up from analysing me in the past has it? Tell me what you were thinking then."
"Just...just about what I'm going to be doing for the next year..." She lied as she sat back down at the foot of his bed.
He nodded his head as he gave a winch in pain. She looked at him worriedly. "Do you want me to go get someone?"
He shook his head as he breathed deeply. "I'm...fine."
"What...what did they do to you?"
He stood up and walked to the window. "Nothing. I don't think most of them know yet."
"But? Your parents do?" She asked quietly. She knew what kind of person Lucius Malfoy was so she could only imagine what he would do. "Your father does?"
He didn't turn around as he spoke quietly. "What have you decided then? For next year?"
She shook her head in frustration. Why could she never get a straight answer from him. "Medi wizarding. I have a 4 month intensive stint at school in Munich and then I come back here after Christmas to intern Madam Pomfrey and take my animagus training."
He nodded his head as he turned back to her. "See, that didn't take much thinking about."
She stood up and took his cloak from the bed and hung it up. As she did she pulled her hand back and saw it slightly red. Blood. She turned back to him as he sat back on the bed and looked up towards the ceiling. What was going through his head? "You're hurt."
He turned to her and shook his head wearily. "I'm fine."
She walked over to him and held out her hand. "See that? Blood. Your blood. You don't have to tell me what happened but at least have the common curtesy of not lying to my face."
He turned away from her. "You should know all about common..."
"Stop it." She slammed her hand down angrily against the covers. "All I am interested in, Malfoy is whether you are hurt or not, which you clearly are."
He closed his eyes and reached out and unbuttoned his robes to reveal a gash across his ribcage. Not deep but wide and painful looking. "I fell off my broom."
She winced as she looked at it. "You mean when Lucius knocked you off it?"
"How many times have I told you not to mention my family?" He said angrily as he moved to get up.
She put her hand out to stop him. "Stay there, let me clean it in case it gets infected."
She stood up and took a deep breath as she went to the sink and filled a bowl of water. This was not how she had envisioned spending her graduation. Cleaning up Malfoy's war wounds. She grabbed the bowl and walked over to him. He shook his head as he got up. "Forget it. It'll get fixed soon."
She walked around to him and stood in front of him. "Why do you have to make everything so difficult? Just sit down, be quiet and let me help. I can't do a lot with what the others are getting ready to do. But I can help with this."
He looked at her and silently sat down. "Fine."
She nodded her head and walked towards him and reached over and gingerly moved his robes back. She reached over and took a damp rag and began to gently wipe the crusted blood away. "This might sting a bit..."
She looked up at him expecting him to be wincing instead he just looked ahead stoically. She looked at the bloodstained rag and dipped it in the clear water turning it red. "How long have you been like this?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "A few hours..."
She winced as she cleaned some more. "I did tell you this would happen. I told you you couldn't do it..."
He looked at her quietly. "I knew you wanted to say it."
She looked up at him as she began drying off the wound. "I wanted an opportunity to say it."
"You got it."
She smiled at him as she through the towel in the basin and put gauze over the gash. "I'm glad I did. I knew you weren't as insufferable as you would like us all to think..."
He laughed lightly as he pulled his robes over and she got up. "I am that insufferable..."
She smiled as she walked to the sink again and washed her hands. She had helped. More than she would have been allowed to do downstairs.
"I suppose I should say thank you." His voice sounded from the bed.
She span around and looked towards him. "You don't have to."
He looked at her: looking even paler than usual and shook his head. "I know I don't but...for this and for the locket...I...I'm grateful."
She walked towards the bed again. She had forgot about that. "You're welcome. Since you've saved all of our lives today it is really the least I could do I guess...even if you did still insult my brothers girlfriend." She paused for a second, almost unsurely. "What was in the locket?"
He looked at her. "Why is that any of your business?"
"It's not. But I might be here for a while and we don't exactly have a lot in common..."
He looked at her before reaching in and pulling out the silver piece of jewellery and opening it up and handing it to her. She fingered the delicate piece carefully and looked at the wizarding photo of a little boy laughing with a woman. She smiled involuntarily. So he really wasn't born with the scowl on his face. "Is that you? Laughing?"
He reached over and looked at her unimpressed. "No, I carry some other person's photo around with me...graduation hasn't really improved your common sense has it?"
She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry. So, is that your mother? She looks...different now."
He took the locket, closed it back up and put it into his robes. "She is different now. We're all different now."
She nodded her head as she looked at him. "How did you get it? The locket I mean?"
"My mother gave me it, as a parting gift as I probably won't see her again." He said simply as he looked away from her.
Ginny looked at him aghast. "Of course you'll see her again."
He turned to her icily. "When? At the annual 'I Betrayed The Dark Lord' ball?"
She inched back. "No...but, you know...she's your mother."
"She's a deatheaters wife. The fact that she's my mother is irrelevant."
She looked at him. That couldn't be right. That she would let him see her. "That's not true..."
"You don't know anything about it." He turned away from her bitterly. "You don't know how we work."
She nodded her head to herself. "Thank god. If that's how the Malfoy's treat their families..."
She turned to look at him expecting a scathing reply but as none came she suddenly felt bad. It had clearly affected him more than she would have thought it would have. "Malfoy? Why did you come here today?"
He shrugged his shoulders without looking at her. "I just...just didn't want this place to be ruined..."
She reached over and took his hand gently. "Thank you."
He turned around and looked at her and for the first time she saw how fragile he was. His eyes, normally so sure of himself: a clear sign of his pride and arrogance were now almost dull and pained. Like all the fight had been beaten out of him. He looked different. "I didn't do it for you."
"But you still did it." She smiled at him as she took a deep breath. "Despite what else happens after today. You should know that you've done the right thing. A good thing. A heroic thing."
It felt like it was important to say it. To let him know how important it was what he'd done, how much they would all appreciate it. She pulled her hand away as he smiled slightly. "First time for everything..."
She laughed slightly as she looked at him, glad that she had at least managed to get a reaction from him. Although, she reasoned, she would prefer him to be back to normal and insulting her. At least then she would know he was okay. "Now you know what Harry felt like at school."
Bingo. She grinned as he rolled his eyes and tossed his head airily. "Only a Weasley would dare compare me with Potter. I thought you were smarter than the rest of them, evidently I was very much mistaken."
She stood up and laughed slightly. "Hey, don't knock it...you might like it."
He snorted. "Yes, I am having a fantastic experience just now, in the hospital wing, broken ribs, bleeding and in a small room with a Weasley."
She turned and opened her mouth to reply when the door busted open and a small witch appeared. "Sorry, Professor Dumbledore just told me. How are you feeling Mr Malfoy?"
Ginny sighed as she walked towards the door. She looked over at Draco as Madam Pomfrey looked at his ribs.
"You did a good job at keeping this clean Ms Weasley. You will make an excellent medi witch." Madam Pomfrey said with a proud smile.
"She will...even if her bedside manner needs some work." Draco said as he looked at Ginny intently.
Ginny looked at him and felt herself start to blush under his penetrating gaze. She shifted immediately and walked to the door. "I...I guess I'm going to go now. Um, I hope you... feel better Malfoy. I'll...maybe see you before we...leave. But if not...you know, good luck."
She turned and closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? She shook her head and chastised herself as she began to exit the door when she heard him call behind her. "Congratulations on your graduation, Weasley. Sorry about the interruption."
She leaned her head back in the door and looked at him. "If you hadn't interrupted people would have died...so I think it's a fair trade."
"Please stop saying that. You are destroying the remnants of my formidable reputation."
She grinned at him. "Trust me, I haven't even started. See you Malfoy"
She walked away with a smile. It was a fair trade off and she would make sure he knew it at every available opportunity. And that everyone else did as well.