Holding Out for a Hero
Lucius suddenly spun around and seeing his son standing in front of him, yelled in fury, "How in the bloody hell did you do that?"
"Well, you yourself said I had the possibility of being one of the greatest wizards. Why are you so surprised? It’s not like there are people hanging around in the hallway helping me, right?" Ginny jumped as Draco drawled the last statement. He knew they were there. Apparently, the others heard it as well. Snape moved closer to the door, seemingly waiting for the opportunity to go in and get Narcissa and Draco.
"What are you waiting for father? Come and get me!" Draco stood his ground while challenging his father to strike. Lucius didn’t move. ‘You bastard, make your move. Let’s see how you do against someone who can fight back.’ Lucius’ image was reflected in the window behind his desk. There was no way to describe it other than frightening.
"So, boy, want do you want me to do? Crucio!"
Draco dropped and rolled behind his father’s desk, the curse just barely missing him. ‘How did I know he was going to do that?’ He popped out from behind the desk, "Getting old, dear father. You just aren’t what you used to be, are you?" He saw Wormtail move, "Ah, ah, ah! This is our battle, you just wait, I’ll get to you next!"
"You’re lucky and stupid!"
"No, father, just faster than you are. Incendio!" Draco shouted and the hem of his father’s robe went up in flames. As his father shouted the counter curse, Draco moved to draw his father away from the door. They continued to throw curses and hurl insults at one another. To Ginny, it seemed like Lucius was getting the worst of it and Draco was always one step ahead of his father. Most of the curses thrown his way he blocked, those that got through he avoided simply by moving out of the way. Ginny looked away from the scene in front of her to the group in the hallway. Rose was still in the same position, her eyes closed in what appeared to be deep concentration. Snape and Dumbledore were on either side of Ginny, waiting for the right opportunity to make their move.
Snape started forward and Ginny was unable to move out of the way in time. His foot caught the edge of the invisibility cloak and he fell forward, knocking her into the room. The hood was pulled away from her head as she fell forward with a soft thud. It was enough to draw Draco’s attention. He saw a flash of red hair and was momentarily stunned. ‘Ginny, what the hell are you doing here? No, please no.’ He tried to hide his surprise, but apparently to no avail, as his father spun round and saw Ginny lying there.
"What do we have here? The little Weasley girl? I thought I had taken care of you years ago?" Lucius grabbed Ginny’s arm and yanked her into the study. The invisibility cloak fell off her and she was now totally exposed. "What are you doing here? Come after my son by any chance?" He looked over at Draco, "She has, hasn’t she? Slumming are we Draco?"
"Leave her alone, your fight is with me!"
"No, sorry, I cannot. What ever will I do with her?" Lucius looked her up and down. "Pity she is so young. It seems I will have to kill her, too. With no Harry Potter to save you this time, you won’t be as lucky as you were last time."
"What are you talking about, you bastard?" Draco was frozen in place. He didn’t dare move, not when his father was so close to her. She wasn’t looking at him but directly at his father. ‘She’s got guts, but if I don’t do something, if she keeps doing that, she’s going to get herself killed.’
"Your little whore hasn’t told you?" he laughed. "She hasn’t told you about how she..."
"Don’t," Ginny demanded.
"She speaks. So, you don’t want my son to know all about your past misdeeds? How you, little idiot that you are, released a terror into your school..."
"I said to shut up!" Ginny’s blood began to run cold, not from the fact that she was being held by a Death Eater, not because her life was in jeopardy, but because she knew Lucius was about to tell Draco all about her opening of the Chamber.
"Feisty one aren’t you? But haven’t you realized yet that I am the one in control of this situation?"
"Didn’t look that way a minute ago. Besides, what kind of man is it that has to beat his wife and son to gain control over them?" Ginny spat. She refused to be afraid of this man. She needed to draw his attention and Draco, damn him, had to move so that Snape and Dumbledore could get in and help them.
"Now, now. Sorry to turn the subject, but I must ask why you haven’t told my son all about your adventures with the basilisk?"
Ginny was silent. ‘No, no, no. The one thing, no... Draco, move, do something, now!’
Lucius smiled coldly at his son and Ginny who both remained silent. He laughed coldly, "So, nothing to say about that? Are you by chance ashamed how you, innocent Muggle-loving, mudblood -befriending Ginny Weasley, released a silent killer into Hogwarts, nearly killing your classmates and shutting down your school?"
Lucius glared at Draco who still hadn’t moved. ‘Ginny? You’re the Heir of Slytherin? But how? Ginny, why did you come after me?’
"Well, if you have no last words," Lucius shoved Ginny down next to Narcissa who caught her and wrapped her arms around her in what appeared an attempt to comfort her. "Goodbye then and good riddance." Lucius raised his wand, "Avada..." Draco screamed in protest but it was ignored as Lucius’ attention was drawn away from his task by a shout of triumph coming from behind him. Lucius turned away from Ginny and Narcissa to see Wormtail dragging someone into the room. He smiled in recognition, "Severus Snape! What are you doing here?"
Snape spit in his face. "You are a sick bastard you know that Malfoy?"
"No one knew what was planned here tonight, just the Dark Lord, Wormtail and myself. How did you find out? Was my idiot son daft enough to leave the letter? Or did you come here on a rescue mission? I’ve had my doubts about you, Snape. We’ll see what the Dark Lord has to say when I bring his loyal servant to him and expose him as a spy!" Snape was thrown to the ground and a binding spell placed on him. As he struggled, Lucius turned back to Ginny and Narcissa who were still sprawled on the floor. "Now, where was I?" he asked rhetorically as he raised his wand.
"AVADA KENDAVRA!"
Lucius only had a split second before the green light hit him in the chest. He never had the chance to use the spell himself as he fell to the ground dead. Wormtail stepped forward only to be thrown to the ground by a force coming from behind him. Dumbledore came into the room putting a binding charm on him right after muttering "Stupify."
"Draco?" Ginny pushed the dead Lucius Malfoy off of her. As she stood she saw Draco standing in the exact place he had been in moments earlier. She slowly walked over to him, her arms outstretched. She took Draco’s wand from his hand and placed it on the desk. She could feel him trembling, "It’s OK now. Everything is OK. You’re fine. Your mother is fine. Draco?" She placed her hands on his face. He wasn’t blinking, just staring straight ahead. "Draco, look at me!"
"I killed him."
"Draco, you..."
"I killed him. I said it. I used it before he could use it on you."
"Draco, look at me. You had no choice. No choice."
"He was going to kill you."
"Yes, he was, but you stopped him and I’m fine."
"Ginny, let me." Dumbledore took Draco by the shoulders and steered him to a chair to sit down. Ginny looked around the room at the dead body of Draco’s father, Snape who was hovering over Draco’s mother and at Wormtail.
"Wormtail!" she gasped in recognition of the name.
"Ginny, he’s unconscious, he’s no threat," Snape spoke without looking at her.
"That’s Wormtail!"
"Yes, it is Ginny," Dumbledore gave her a smile. Ginny ran out of the room and found Rose leaning up against the wall.
"Professor Smythe, Rose, are you all right? If you are hurt, Harry’ll kill me!"
"I’m fine Ginny. The headaches aren’t as bad anymore. Just resting slightly. Is everyone safe?"
"In a way, yes, but, do you know who is in there?"
"Yes, Draco, his mother and father, Severus, Albus..."
"And Wormtail!"
"Wormtail? Peter Pettigrew Wormtail?"
"YES!"
"I...I was concentrating on Draco and trying to have him know what his father was going to do. I didn’t..." she trailed off as she rushed into the room. "Oh my god. Albus, are you sure this is Peter Pettigrew?"
"It is him, Rose. Alive as well," Dumbledore smiled even wider.
"He’ll be able to go before the Ministry? To tell them..."
"Yes, he will not escape now. The Aurors are on their way. I personally will make sure that he makes it before the Ministry. Sirius will be cleared this time."
Snape stood and put his arm around a crying Rose. "I don’t like Black, but you deserve this Rose. He’ll be cleared. This is indisputable proof that he didn’t kill Pettigrew and the Aurors will get it out of him about the true secret keeper."
"I need to go back and tell Sirius. Promise me he won’t escape again."
"I promise Rose. Severus, I’ll wait here for the Aurors to arrive. Take Rose to Minerva, make sure she gets back safely. Send Minerva down here, we’ll need her help to get Mrs. Malfoy and Draco back to the school." Dumbledore looked down at Ginny who was hovering over Narcissa. "Ginny, how is Mrs. Malfoy doing?"
"I can speak for myself, Headmaster. Ginny, please help me up?" Ginny assisted Narcissa to her feet. "I’ll be fine." She looked down at the body of her husband, "Is he really dead?"
"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy he is," Ginny assured her.
"Good. Draco?" Ginny helped Narcissa Malfoy walk over to where Draco was sitting. He was still quite emotionless. "Draco, my sweet son," Narcissa whispered while wrapping her arms around Draco. Ginny stood back. She started to cry as it hit her how close she had come to dying and what Draco had to do to prevent it. He had to kill his father.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The Aurors arrived shortly before Ginny, Draco, Narcissa and McGonagall left to return to Hogwarts. The Headmaster stayed behind to speak with them and to escort Pettigrew to the Ministry and Fudge. Ginny went up to the medical ward with the Malfoys while Professor McGonagall went to inform her brothers, Harry and Hermione that Ginny had returned and was fine.
"Ginny," Draco stopped right outside the door. "Wait."
"Draco, I have to take your mum inside."
"Please, I need to talk to you first."
"Ginny, I’m fine to go in myself. Draco, I love you. You did nothing wrong tonight," Narcissa whispered as she limped away into the medical ward.
"Draco, what is it?"
He sat on the step and leaned against the wall. She sat next to him. Neither said anything for a few minutes. Then, "What was my father talking about tonight?"
She groaned. "How did I know that was what you wanted to talk about?"
"Was what he said, was it true?"
"Yes."
"Ginny..."
"No one knows! Please, don’t tell anyone. Only my family, Harry, Hermione and some of the professors. You can’t tell anyone!" she pleaded, turning to him as tears streamed down her face.
"Ginny," he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I won’t...I wouldn’t. Just tell me, was my father responsible?"
She didn’t want to look up at him. She still felt such shame for what she did.
"Gin, he was, wasn’t he? He was the one responsible for you almost dying in the Chamber." He was smoothing her hair distractedly. He had known his father’s hatred for Muggles and mudbloods. He had known his father was cruel. But what had Ginny Weasley ever done to him to cause him to try and kill her.
"I was responsible for almost dying in the Chamber. That was me," she said slowly but clearly. "I cannot blame your father for that. But, yes, he set the events in motion."
"How?"
Ginny pulled away from him slightly so she could look him in the eye. His arm still rested around her shoulder and his other hand held on to her hands tightly. "Do you remember, before your second year, running into my family in Diagon Alley?" He nodded. "You and Harry got into it at the signing of Gilderoy Lockehart’s book and then our fathers did as well. During the distraction, your father dropped a book in with a pile of things that were being bought in preparation for my brothers’ return and my start here. I found the book and took it as mine. I shouldn’t have since I didn’t know where it came from, but it was a special book, one that had no writing in it and there was only one way that writing would appear. You had to write in it." She paused and closed her eyes.
"I was lonely that year. I missed my mum and dad. Ron was busy with Harry and Hermione. Fred and George were busy with their friends and with Quidditch. Percy was a Prefect, busy with Penny and just being Percy. I wasn’t making many friends, I was so very shy." She reopened her eyes when Draco brushed the tears from her cheeks. She smiled at him, "So, I started writing my thoughts in my book. And lo and behold, the book started writing back to me. At first, it was nice. I had someone, or rather something, which would listen to me, agree with me, and give me advice. That sort of thing." She rested her head on his shoulder, afraid to look in his eyes as she told him the rest. "I tried to get rid of the diary at one point. I succeeded in getting rid of it for a while. It wasn’t until I found out Harry had actually found it that I knew I couldn’t get rid of it safely. I saw him with it on Valentines Day and got even more afraid What if the diary spilled my secrets to him? So, I stole it back."
"That was my fault," Draco said softly. His grip tightened around her. He remembered how his father and hers had gotten into an altercation due mainly in part to their disparaging of the Weasley’s financial situation. He also remembered finding a book with no writing in Potter’s possession. Just after the troll sang, ‘His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad.’ He had then made fun of Ginny and she ran into the classroom upset. ‘Funny how that stuck in my mind.’
"No, Draco, it wasn’t. You helped me to know Harry had it by making a big deal out of it and all, but I was the one who stole it back. But then, I had already been waking up and not know what I had done the night before. I...my clothes would be dirty, my hands filthy. And I started to get scared. But I was more scared to tell anyone for how they might react. I was putting it all together. My missing pieces were matching too closely to the times when students were being attacked. I wanted to tell Harry and Ron, but I got scared. But by then it was too late. That night, I was taken into the Chamber."
"My father almost killed you, not once but twice."
"No, I trusted something I shouldn’t have. I was daft. I was wrong. I almost got myself killed," she could tell he was slipping further and further away from her, into an abyss of self-hatred.
"Ginny," he pushed on her shoulders so he could see her face, "don’t you see a pattern here? We Malfoys are no good. We get people killed. We kill people. It’s what we do!"
"Draco, no. It is what they’ve done. Not you. You haven’t gotten anyone killed." ‘He’s trying to push me away to protect me from him. There is no way I am going to let him do that. No, he won’t do this.’
"I’ve tried. I almost killed Harry with that stunt I pulled third year. And I killed my father. You, you need to stay away from me. I’m no good."
"No. No. I won’t. And you can’t make me," she sounded pathetic even to herself but she didn’t know what else to say. ‘This can’t be happening. Damn you Lucius Malfoy!’
"Ginny, please, I don’t..."
"You don’t what? Want to hurt me maybe? Well, let me tell you. If you push me away from you, right now or later, that’ll hurt me! How come it is so easy for me to see that you won’t hurt me? Why can’t you see it yourself?"
"How do you know that I won’t? Look at my father. Do you think my mum thought he’d hurt her? Look what he did to her!"
"Draco, you aren’t your father. You will never become what he was. You proved that tonight."
"I performed the killing curse!"
"You saved me. You protected me from him."
"You almost got killed because of me."
"Draco, will you please stop? I was the one who went to your house, I was the one who was standing in Snape’s way. It wasn’t your fault. Gods, I can’t do this," she was crying again.
"Ginny, can’t you see this is for the best?" His heart was ripping in two, but it was for the best. He wouldn’t allow her to get hurt because of him. He cared too much for her to let that happen.
"No, it isn’t. I...no."
"Ginny," Draco looked down at her. She was so hurt. Because of him and his family. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he was. She looked so sad. He wanted to push her away, to never speak to her again, to keep her safe from him and from what he may one day become. Instead, he kissed her. It was if his whole world was spinning, spiraling through the deep and unknown. All thoughts of pushing her away disappeared as warmth spread throughout his body. He felt safe, safe in her arms, safer than he had ever felt before. The only thought that remained was that he wanted to feel like this the rest of his life.
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Draco and Ginny belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, Warner Bros and various other corporations. They are being used here without permission and/or affiliation with the above. None of the authors listed here make any profit from these stories.