Clichés, Kisses and Killing

Clichés, Kisses and Killing.

Chapter 5: Would You Die For The One You Love?

Would you cry if you saw me crying?

And would you save my soul tonight?

'Hero' - Enrique Iglesias

Draco walked behind the house-elf and looked up at the portraits lining the cold stone walls. He suddenly found himself on the floor and realised he had tripped over the house-elf because they had reached the room and he hadn't been concentrating. After brushing aside the elf and its frantically murmured apologies, Draco entered the room and shut the door quickly behind him. There was a huge four-poster bed in the room and several other old pieces of furniture as well. The hangings on the bed were crimson and the sheets were tugged violently as Ginny sat up in bed, backing against the headboard.

"Draco?" She frowned when she saw who it was and relaxed for a moment.

"Ginny, you're okay." He made towards her but she backed away as much as she could on the bed. "What?"

"Stay away from me. You were there, Draco, you knew this was going to happen, and you let it." Her voice was low and angry. Draco took a deep breath. "You see? You can't deny it." He shook his head and she screwed up her nose in an expression of pure scorn. "Stay the hell away from me."

"I thought you were dead." His voice almost broke and she heard it, causing her eyes to widen. "Potter said he had seen you dead, but it must have been a decoy body. I found out you were here and I had to see you, Ginny, just to make sure you were alive." She stared at him, and he couldn't read the expression on her face.

"Well now you know." He nodded once and turned to go. But she couldn't stand it. "Draco, wait."

He stopped. Her heart was beating so fast it was almost humming.

"Don't leave me here on my own." He turned back to face her and he could see she was almost crying. She held out her arms and he raced over to hold her, his arms encircling her waist as she held him close to her. "Why did you come, Draco?"

"I needed to see if you were hurt. Voldemort said he was going to make you..." He rethought what he was going to say. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. What does he want with me?" Draco looked down and she pulled his face up so he was looking her in the eyes.

"He wants to make you open to the rest of the Death Eaters." Ginny drew back little and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"And I suppose you can't do anything about it." Draco reached out towards her and, when she struggled, pulled her closed to him anyway.

"I'd do anything to protect you from them. And I'm prepared to lie to them for you, and tell them I don't want anyone else touching you while you're mine, but I can't guarantee it will work."

"So you might not be able to stop them if they-" She stopped abruptly, almost crying.

"Don't, Ginny. I'll try, but I can't ensure they'll let me do anything to protect you." She nodded slightly.

"I understand," she said, her voice clipped.

"No you don't. I love you, Ginny Weasley." She looked up at him in complete shock and he raised his trademark eyebrow. "Didn't see that one coming, did you?" She shook her head and he shrugged. "I can't help it, Gin, I really, really can't. I'm not supposed to feel this way about you, but since that party I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. And about what you said to me."

"What did I say?" Draco moved closer to her and kissed her cheek softly, so his mouth was near to her ear.

"You aren't what you are expected to be. You are what you are," he whispered. She smiled as his lips trailed down to her neck. His breath tickled her throat as she smoothed her hands up to his silvery-blond hair.

"It's true," she muttered as she lay back a little.

"Oh God, I wish it was," he whispered gently and moved on top of her. She leaned back against her pillows properly and he looked down at her, the Malfoy glint still there in his eyes, and lowered his head for a kiss.

"Draco, is the door locked?" He nodded and began to undo the buttons down the front of her red blouse.

"You know, I never got to tell you at the tower, but you looked amazing. These black trousers and this blouse, and the robes. You looked mouth-watering, actually."

Ginny smiled as he slid the blouse off her pale shoulders. She swiftly undid the clasp of his robes and he threw them on to the floor as he bent down to kiss her again and run his hands through her hair. When he pulled his t-shirt over his head a moment later, she giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You and your Muggle clothes. I thought the Death Eaters were against that sort of thing."

"Give me a little credit. It's very hard to be rebellious right now without having my father blow my head off." Ginny stopped giggling. It would be funny if it weren't so true.

She banished those thoughts from her head and concentrated on how toned Draco's body was after all those Quidditch training sessions. His pale skin was almost translucent by the light of the candles in the room, it was dark outside, it being almost midnight, and so no light came from the one window in the room. Ginny smiled up at him as he slid his hand around behind her back and turned them so they were lying side by side. He kissed her and then started to undo her trousers and she jumped slightly so that he stopped immediately.

"Sorry, I was just kind of carried away. High emotions and all that."

"Doesn't matter." He nodded and she gave him a piercing look that shook him a little. He decided to bite the bullet.

"Ginny, I want to have sex with you." She frowned. "And it's not just about me and you and how much I want it. If I can't stop them, Ginny, I don't want your first time to be with someone like one of them, and I don't want it to be..." He found that he couldn't continue.

"Rape." He nodded and she closed her eyes slowly.

"Ginny, if they hurt you, if they take your dignity, then I won't be able to live with myself. I'm going to try and get you out of here as fast as I can. I will find a way, no matter what, but I can't do it straight away." She saw him open his mouth to say more and she leaned over and kissed him hard on the lips, turning him onto his back.

"I trust you," she murmured.

He smiled a lop-sided smile and she reached around to unhook her bra before dropping it to the floor and going to the zip of her trousers. He stopped her, doing it himself, and then pushed the trousers onto the floor. She undid his fly and he slid the black trousers down his legs as he reached over and touched her face gently. She swallowed nervously then smiled ironically at his black silk boxers.

"I don't know why I'm surprised," she said, "what else would you wear?" He shrugged and then kissed her head softly.

"I have to put some charms on us." She nodded and he cast them swiftly, promising to teach them to her soon. He raised his wand again and she frowned at him. "Sound charms."

"That's a tad up yourself, Mr Malfoy."

"Hmm, and yet you still look surprised. Curious." He smiled and cast a sound charm around the room. "Believe me, we may need it soon." She rolled her eyes and he reached for her, bringing their bodies together. "Just kiss me, Ginny, and stop talking."

"Okay," she whispered as his hands slid down her body.

And everything in Ginny's world sped up for a while, until it screeched to a stop when Draco was staring down at her, something almost soft in his grey eyes, and her body was poised and waiting for him.

"This will hurt," he said simply. No apology, just the facts. The only thought in her head before her world started to spin again was 'how very typically Draco.'

"Oh my God." Her voice was so soft he barely heard it, and he swallowed as she whimpered once and then closed her eyes as he began to move. He took her hands and held them tightly above her head as he leant down and kissed her forcefully.

"I love you, Ginny." A tear squeezed out of her left eye and slid down her cheek. "Are you okay?" She nodded, opening her eyes, and smiled up at him.

"It hurts," she whispered. "But I love you too." He nodded and slowed down, trying to do something that wouldn't hurt so much. "No, Draco, don't stop." He nodded and she made him release her hands. They slid up his shoulders and into his hair. "Please," she whimpered, "please don't stop." He tried to soften his movements instead, and she sighed beneath him, holding him as close as he could get.

"You take my breath away, Ginny." She closed her eyes and let him press his lips to her mouth, as he kept moving. That was when she started to cry.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Don't be." Draco looked down and a tear ran down his face and fell onto her cheek. Her eyes opened in shock and she smiled up at him.

His head was spinning. How can she do this to me? I'm Draco Malfoy, I can have any woman I want, and this one has got me crying! He still couldn't stop the way he was feeling as she moaned underneath him and bucked her hips. Her mouth opened for a moment and then Draco squeezed his eyes shut as his body took the control away from his mind.

And, suddenly, strangely, everything was over and he was breathing hard, and Ginny had stopped crying, and he felt, for the first time in his life, completely satisfied with his body, his mind, and, most importantly, his newly-saved soul.

Ginny lay against his chest and thought about what must be going through Draco's mind, and what was going through her own. She suddenly remembered a song Hermione had played to her last week. A Muggle song. And if they were nothing else, the Muggle singers were good at summing up feelings.

Would you dance if I asked you to dance?

Or would you run and never look back?

Would you cry if you saw me crying?

And would you save my soul tonight?

Would you tremble if I touched your lips?

Or would you laugh? Oh, please tell me this.

Would you die for the one you love?

Oh hold me in your arms tonight.

I can be your hero baby

I can kiss away the pain

I will stand by you forever

You can take my breath away

Would you swear that you'd always be mine?

Or would you lie? Would you run and hide?

Am I in too deep? Have I lost my mind?

I don't care. You're here tonight

I can be your hero baby

I can kiss away the pain

I will stand by you forever

You can take my breath away

*~*~*~*~*

Harry gritted his teeth as he started to climb the stairs towards the main hall of Voldemort's castle. A wide silver tray bedecked with various appetizers for the Death Eaters weighted down his arms and he flexed his neck slightly as he reached the wide wooden door. He used his foot to nudge it open and then walked through into the rabble of merriment that was the Death Eaters enjoying themselves.

Keeping his head down, Harry wandered along by the grey stone wall, trying to stay out of the gaze of the Eaters. Unfortunately, he had missed the fact that he was basically their amusement for the night.

"Here, boy!" Voldemort's voice rose above the noise, and he didn't sound as though the merriment had affected him, his voice was as cold as always. Harry took a deep breath and walked towards the head of the long table. He was halfway there when he felt an invisible hand on his back, making him bow to Voldemort and his Death Eating buddies. He recognised the feeling from his first meeting with the actual body of Voldemort in his fourth year. He bowed low, managing to keep the tray balanced, and the gathered Death Eaters and general evildoers looked disappointed.

He made to serve Voldemort when he suddenly tripped over nothing and found himself face down on the floor, the food splattered around him. He must have missed the joke, because something suddenly became incredibly hilarious to the Death Eaters.

He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to block out the sound of their laughter, which wasn't hard because of the blood pounding in his ears as he tried to control his anger. He reminded himself that any of his outbursts would only get one of his friends punished, or hurt, or worse. He took steadying deep breaths and pulled himself off the floor, keeping his eyes downwards.

"Look at me, Potter. Can't face Voldemort anymore? Obviously The Boy Who Lived is not quite as brave as is thought." Harry slowly brought his eyes up to look at Voldemort's thin grey face, barely controlling his anger. "Get out of here, Harry, you need to get some more food."

Controlling the urge to kill Voldemort with his bare hands for addressing him by his proper name, Harry picked up the tray and walked away, towards the door again. He shut the heavy wood, blocking out the noise.

Taking a deep breath, he flung the tray down the spiral staircase and screamed as it clanged down the stone stairway.

Ten minutes later, Harry went back into the hall to find that they were all cheering at something else, and were obviously having a whale of a time. It gave Harry a very nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hurried round the table, barely noticing the weight of the newly stocked tray on his arms, and found Ron on the floor picking up the food he had dropped earlier. Harry immediately placed the tray on the floor and began to help.

"Stop!" a voice boomed. He ignored it.

"Boy, Lucius said stop." Harry was trying hard not to lose his temper again as Ron continued cleaning up.

"I made the mess, I should clear it up." He kept his eyes down as he spoke, but then a force made him raise his chin. Voldemort's eyes glittered cruelly.

"Actually, I made the mess. Do you think I should clean it up?"

"I think that's a trick question," he spat back.

Harry paid for his half a second of cheek as he went flying backwards, hitting the brick stone wall with so much force he swore he heard his spine crunch. He slumped down to the floor and tried to breathe through the pain that was shooting up his back in lightning bolts.

"Get out, Potter. The Weasley will stay, and believe me, you'll regret showing your little rebellious side tonight." Harry swallowed hard as scrambled to his feet.

"Please-" His voice broke as he tried to beg for his friend's safety to the man he hated more than anything in the world.

"Oh? Are you upset about your little friend? Then I won't hurt him tonight. Just for you, I'll leave the Weasley alone." Harry frowned at the narrowed eyes of the evil man in front of him.

It was exactly what Harry wanted to hear from Voldemort, but for some reason he didn't think it was going to go the way he reckoned it would.

*~*~*~*~*

Several hours later, Harry was waiting nervously for Ron at the bottom of the stairs, where they finished in the kitchen.

"Ron! Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?" He shook his head.

"I'm fine, Harry. I'm exhausted, but I'm fine." Harry nodded worriedly.

"Is anything else happening?"

"I have to go and see Voldemort at midnight." Harry leaned backwards against a wall and took a deep breath.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. Is there really any point?"

"There could be something I could do, I could-"

"No, Harry. There's nothing you can do. I think this problem is even too large for Harry Potter himself. In fact, I think you make it worse." With that, Ron walked off to his bed in the corner next to Neville, who was already asleep.

Harry stared after him for a little while and then slid down the wall to sit on the floor, his head cradled on his knees. He knew it made sense, but it still shocked him. His best friend, Ron Weasley, the one person Harry had never thought would turn on him, blamed Harry for everything that was happening.

*~*~*~*~*

Harry waited up when Ron went to see Voldemort and sat in the wide fireplace where he had once seen Winky getting drunk on Butterbeer. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his head that something very bad was going to happen, and hoped that Voldemort was merely playing with him. Well, he thought, I can but dream.

So he stared into the dying ashes of the fire and wished beyond anything that he could find a way out of his endless torment at the hands of the people he hated more than living. And, slowly, he began to think of happier times when everything had been good in his life.

He thought about the first time he'd met Ron and Hermione, the first time he had seen them kiss, the first time they had argued (about six minutes after their first kiss), and the first time he himself had kissed Hermione. Another thought struck him suddenly, he still hadn't told Ron about Hermione and him. They had thought of telling Ron straight afterwards, but then everything had happened, and now he didn't know what Ron would do if he knew.

Sighing heavily, Harry lay down on the floor to stare at the fire. His eyes closed by themselves, and in five minutes he was fast asleep, all thoughts of his friends and his troubles behind him.

*~*~*~*~*

"Harry!" Someone was shaking him. "Harry! Harry! Wake up! It's Ron!" He was practically on his feet before he was awake, shocking the person waking him up, who he discovered was Neville.

"Where is he?"

"By the door. He's unconscious, but he's healthy. No wounds." Harry nodded curtly and hurried over to where there was a crowd of people by the large wooden door. Pushing people out of the way, Harry knelt by the side of his best friend.

"Ron?" He stared down at the pale, unresponsive face. "Wake up, Ron!" His voice was soft but urgent, and people began to draw back and leave him to it as he drew Ron closer to his knees. The eyelids began to flutter, the black crescents that stood out so starkly from his pale skin beginning to move.

"Harry?" He swallowed hard and Harry frowned.

"Did they hurt you?" Ron shook his head and suddenly something terrifying flooded into his eyes.

"Oh fuck, I wish they had."

"What?"

"Oh my God," he moaned, almost crying. He was ignoring Harry's frantic, worried questions and looks as he rolled over onto his side and buried his face in his hands.

"Ron, what happened?"

"Hermione," Ron moaned. And in one instant Harry's entire body shut down. He started breathing very fast and he grabbed Ron's shoulders and forced him onto his back to look straight up into his green eyes.

"What happened to Hermione?"

"She has a room," Ron said dully. "Her own room, with a bed. They took me there, and they-" He choked out a sob. "Harry, I couldn't do anything, I could just see her, and she was so hurt." He was crying, tears pouring unnoticed down his cheeks. "They raped her, Harry, and I tried to stop it, but I couldn't." Harry's blood ran cold at the thought, and the sights that flashed before his eyes.

He stood up suddenly, leaving Ron on the floor, and walked slowly but surely over to the fireplace. Ron had sat up.

"Harry!" He turned and looked at his best friend.

"Why you, Ron? Why didn't they take me? They took you so I would be hurt to an even bigger extent. So that everyone around me hurts. They're trying to hurt me as much as possible, and maybe, just maybe, if I give them whatever the hell they want, you can all leave, and no one else will get hurt."

"Dream on," Ron spat. "They chose me because they want to hurt me as well. They think Hermione and me are closest, probably because someone has told them we just broke up. You aren't the cause of everything."

Ron stared up at Harry and his eyes pleaded gently as he lay on the floor. "You are the bravest person I know, Harry, but you can't do this on your own, and you can't sacrifice yourself for any of us. Because we need you, Harry, and if you give yourself to them, you'll let us all down."

Harry closed his eyes as he stood there, and his fists clenched and unclenched as he took deep breaths to stop the anger coursing through his veins.

"I won't go. But I'm doing it for you, Ron, because I love you." Ron's eyes widened and Harry shrugged. "I figured I should say it now, because I can't promise I won't go to them tomorrow."