It Only Took a Tragedy

Draco and Ginny talked for awhile about when they heard the news of their family member's death, and all that came afterwards. Draco was reluctant to open up, Ginny could tell, but he told her a little bit, like how he has nightmares.

"I know how you feel. After the whole diary incident, I had nightmares for weeks." Ginny could see Draco's eyes concentrate on the dirt floor the moment she mentioned Tom Riddle's enchanted diary. To her, he almost looked like he wanted to apologize for it, but he kept silent.

Finally he perked up, obviously wanting to end the depressing talk of death. "Weasley, you never told me why you're in the shed."

Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "I was, uh, running away."

"Really? I could never imagine such a obedient girl like you ever defying her parents. I'm impressed. Although," he chuckled, "you didn't get very far."

"I'm too smart to get caught in this storm," she defended herself, while implying that Draco was stupid.

"Oh... is that why you stayed in this rundown old thing? It's bound to blow over any second." Ginny shifted uncomfortably. "Why didn't you just go back into your house?" Not that that's much better.

"My window is locked. I wasn't about to risk getting caught!"

Draco rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead, ashamed of her denseness. "Uh, Ginny? You're a witch! Does Alohomora ring a bell?"

Her cheeks got even redder and almost matched her hair. "Oops. I guess I didn't think of that." Ginny had always wondered if the only reason she had been accepted to Hogwarts was because of her wizard family. Sometimes she overheard wizards talking about how horrible it would be to be a Muggle, but secretly, sometimes she wished she was one.

"I can see why, you're always hanging around those Mudbl-, I mean, Muggle-borns." Ginny shot him a dirty look.

Draco looked at his golden wristwatch. "It's getting late, I better be going before the house elf discovers me missing and reports it to Narcissa."

Before Ginny could even utter a polite "bye", Draco disappeared. "Whoa," she said out loud in surprise. Draco can apparate? I wonder what other secrets he has up his sleeve.

***

Once the rain died down a bit, Ginny quietly shut the shed door and made her way up back up her favorite tree, which had become her escape tree now. She took Draco's advice, wanting to kick herself for not thinking of it sooner, and whispered, "Alohomora!" The window unlocked and she flinched as it flew open. She hoped to Merlin it hadn't awaken her parents or Ron as she closed it behind her.

She quickly got undressed, throwing her wet clothes and her backpack in her rather cluttered closet. Most of the outfits in there were faded, stained, too small, or holey, and they screamed poor every time she covered up her body in them. When Ginny was younger, she blamed her insecurities on her material items, but now that she was a little bit older and wiser, she was finally coming to terms with herself. She no longer felt that shallow. Draco on the other hand is a lost cause.

She thought about the slipup of the word "Mudblood" that Draco had uttered as she unlocked her door. She couldn't stand the snooty, old money pureblooded families that pranced around like they were better than everyone else. Maybe she was a little bit envious of the privileged lives they lead, but she would never admit that. She would rather keep her dignity.

Ginny opened the door to see a tray with some leftover tomato soup from supper on it. By it was a note. Ginny felt guilty for running away as she read her mother's handwriting, but relieved that she hadn't been found out.

Ginny,

Since you're giving me the silent treatment, I wrote you this note. Dear, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was worried that something dreadful might have happened to you. Please just tell me where you're going before you leave the house. I'm making Ron do the same as well. These times are more dangerous than they used to be, and you must understand that. We all love you so much, and never think otherwise - even if sometimes it doesn't seem like we do. Oh yes, and you're grounded for two weeks.

Mum

Ginny went back into her room, turning off her light and laying her head on her favorite purple pillow. The more she thought about it, the sillier her little plan seemed. Mum is right, as usual. Who knows what could have happened to me if I really had gone further than the shed? She overlooked the grounding completely. Then her mind drifted to the agreement Draco and her made. Well, it was more forced than agreed upon. Draco's probably just going through a phase of anger. He hasn't gotten over his father's death yet, and doesn't know what to do with himself. On that thought, she fell asleep, worn out from her long, confusing day.

***

Draco instantly appeared in his room. He did a simple spell to turn on the light. After changing out of his drenched clothing and into some expensive, silk pajamas his grandmother had bought him in Paris, he pulled back the folded covers of his king sized bed and got under them. He smelled the fresh scent of newly cleaned sheets as he drifted off into another unpreventable nightmare.

Suddenly, at around midnight, he was awaken by a surging pain in his arm. The Master was calling him.