A Story of the Unrefined

~Chapter 7~

     Ginny gazed out across the grounds from her seat upon the window in her dorm. Her hair was blowing softly as the breeze seemed to float around her. The past few days had been a flow of unknown things. She didn't understand her own emotions anymore and chaos had developed everywhere. Draco has received a letter, but he never mentioned it or anything for that matter. He had begun to close himself off again. School was getting complicated. Everyone was on their last nerves due to the extreme amount of pressure put unto them all with the increase in attacks. She also had the added stress of her family. Bill hadn't been heard from in weeks, and no one was quite sure of Charlie's location. Nothing seemed to be going in a positive direction. She turned sharply when she heard the sound of her bedroom door opening. "Hello Ginny"

     Draco had muttered the words so softly he wasn't sure she could even hear him, but her small smile spoke otherwise. "I didn't think you would come." Draco looked up at her. He didn't truthfully think he would either, but he needed someone to talk to and she had offered to listen.

     "I . . ." He started his sentence but quickly stopped. He was about to say he needed her, but a Malfoy needed no one, especially not . . . "Especially not what?" She asked him. He looked up shocked. There was no way she could have heard him. "Don't look so surprised, I know how you are. You don't think you need me around." Ginny took a deep breath before she continued. "You don't think you need someone that could help or care about you." Ginny's voice took on a softer tone as she continued. "Draco, you need to trust."

     Draco's eyes clouded over. "I did trust someone and I lost her." At first Ginny seemed a bit tense by his words but then she wrapped her arms around him. "Talk to me, Draco." Her voice was filled with tears and her eyes seemed to be looking right through him. He pulled away from her slowly, gave her a longing look, and walked out of the room. Daring to take one glance back toward her before he closed the door. Ginny felt her heart drop, until she noticed a folded piece of parchment lying on her bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Ginny,

I have the high suspicion I won't be able to say what I need to, but I want you to know about Emily. She was my cousin in the literal sense, but she was also my best friend. She held me together through even my hardest time, and she has lost her own life protecting me from the hardest yet. Somehow she even seemed to know about you. I know it must sound strange, but Emily has never led me the wrong way. I have her letter attached to this one. Read if you truly wish to understand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     Ginny could sense his pain just rolling off the letter. Her hands trembled as she looked down at the other piece of parchment. It looked worn, as if it had been read numerous times and you could see that some of the ink was smudged with tears, whether Draco's own or Emily's, probably both. She slowly opened the paper to read the words written upon it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dracen Mathias Malfoy,

I don't know where I'll be when you receive this letter. I cannot even promise you that air will still be going through my lungs, but I want you to never forget I care. Draco, as young children we grew together, both trying to be exactly what was expected of us, but as you know, I am not one to remain under someone else's control. Neither of us holds much innocence in our hearts, we saw far too much destruction for that, and truthfully we never really knew love other then our strong bond.

I would be willing to go through anything for you, Draco, and that includes death. You deserve more then the world your father is trying to create for you. The year before you started at Hogwarts your father tried to keep you from me. He didn't want my "wild ways" rubbing off on you. I was the rebel, the one that could not be confined, and I never will be. Draco, I know you have that strength living in you as well. You just have to let it shine.

I've seen you stand up for what is right and I know you're capable of great things and even though I am no longer there for you to lean on, there is another who will help you. I've seen her, she watches you and she can feel your pain. Don't be afraid to trust her, Draco, and never be afraid to love her.

You will see me again. The amount of time is yet to be determined. My dear cousin, live today like you don't have tomorrow and never be afraid to take a chance on something.

Emilyn Alexandra Nevantil

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

     Ginny let her fall back against her pillow and her eyes seemed to be staring intensely out the window but her mind had traveled elsewhere. She wanted so much to run out of the room and find him, but he wouldn't talk that way. He would only talk if he could come at his own time. She rose slowly and walked to the owlery. She folded the parchment and added her own little note saying simply "I'm here if you need me," and told the owl to deliver it to Draco. The owl seemed to give her questioning glance, but Ginny's look turned to one of content as it took off out the window.

****

     Hermione smiled in spite of herself as she listened to the louder then normal chatter around the hall. The number was greatly lessened by those that had gone home, but everyone was excited at the anticipation of what tomorrow would hold. Christmas, a holiday her family had always tried to seem so perfect on. She hadn't been home for it in years. It wasn't the same there anymore, with her mom and dad constantly arguing over something, and then trying to put on a big show for her. As if they were really like they used to be. She tried her best to avoid them at all costs.

     Her family was here now, in some ways they were more important to her, then her own. Ron, his mop of red hair and freckles, her constant companion through the years, although their fights were often. Harry, well she wasn't exactly sure of everything he was to her anymore. Her best friend, the one she trusted most. His black hair always going everywhere, and she longed so much to push back the small piece of hair that always fell in his face. Ginny, the young girl who used to be so insecure, she'd changed. She had transformed over the last two years, almost in the blink of an eye. Something was always in the back of her thoughts, but no one truly knew what it was. She rarely ever spoke of her emotions, and especially not to someone that could let it all slip back to her brother.

     For once everything seemed to be perfect. There were always the small little trivial things, but she was content in her surroundings. As dinner for that night ended and everyone started to head toward their rooms, she saw Ginny quickly disappear down the hallway in the opposite direction. She was going to follow but was stopped when Harry took hold of her arm.

     She was about to say something about Ginny but his next few comments threw it all from her mind. "Hermione, do you think we could talk?" Harry's voice sounded grave and his eyes seemed to be boring into her own. Her face seemed to pale considerably. "What's wrong?" The words seemed to barely squeeze out of her throat.

     "Hermione, he's back." Harry's voice was silent, but his words echoed through her mind. "What do you mean, he's back? He's been back, but . . . " Her voice trailed off as she caught the look in his eyes. She couldn't try and deny the fact that she knew exactly what he meant. "He's close Hermione, too close, he's beginning to take out his own." At Hermione's questioning glance he continued on. "Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy have disappeared, but the dark mark was found on top of their house along with five bodies of known death eaters." What no one noticed was the figure standing hidden in the corner.

****

     The figure took off running down the hallways after she was sure Hermione and Harry hadn't seen her. She wished Harry had said who the five people were, but she wasn't that lucky. She couldn't understand why her father refused to tell her anything about the workings of the dark lord. She had been included in a few missions, and she had yet to fail. She slipped into the small closest beside the Transfiguration room and waited for the others to arrive. This would be a fun night.

****

     Draco stared down at the small note from Ginny. Part of him was scared. He didn't want to lose anyone else. Emily was enough, he couldn't bear the loss of anyone else, but he needed her. She was already a part of him, whether she even knew it. She had taken a part of him that he could never take back, and truthfully he wouldn't want it back. There was not another he trusted with it more. Could he take this chance? Should he take this risk? Would it be worth it? He looked down at the small piece of parchment once more and he traced her gentle writing with his finger. Emily had asked him the summer after fifth year if he thought you could fall in love by just watching a person, seeing how they acted, how they talked, now he had an answer. Yes. The simple word was so true.

     He had lost a part of himself that day so long ago, and part of him knew she had too. She had broken through to the core of who he was even though he thought he had blocked himself away from everyone. One line from Emily's letter kept coming to his mind. "Don't be afraid to trust her, Draco, and never be afraid to love her." He wasn't afraid to love her. He was afraid to lose her. What was he supposed to do to amend that?

***

     Ginny watched him sitting out in the tree by the lake. He always went there when he needed to think, and he never left until he figured out how to handle what was bothering him, but what if he chose the wrong way. The idea of this had never bothered her until she realized he was deciding what to do about her. She couldn't allow him to choose the wrong way. It would kill her, but, wait, what was the wrong way. To be with him, could mean everything from scorn to total isolation from not just friends but family. To be without him, meant not having that warm feeling every time he was near, not seeing the way his eyes seemed to smile when she was around, the way he was everything that mattered.

     She looked up quickly as she felt a presence beside her. She gently reached up to brush his hair from his eyes. He smiled at her and lifted her face toward his own. "Ginny, I can't promise you anything. I can truthfully promise you only one thing, no two. One, this is the hardest thing I have ever had to say. Two, I love you."