Labelled Caustic

Chp 18: Amending Lost Rights.

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When Draco finally pulled up from his dive, he swiftly landed to the ground and Ginny was still clinging onto him. He held her tightly and softly whispered into her ear,

"You can let go now."

Ginny finally lifted her face and looked around her and saw the soft grass below her. She quickly regained her composure and pushed away from him, squirming out of his reach. Draco let go of her quietly and they stood apart in complete silence.

Ginny noticed that they were down by the lake next to the tree where they had spent many times together by. They were all deceptions, nothing more then a web of lies but then why had he even given her the necklace and the ring and why was he here now? Maybe he was just feeling sorry for her. Sorry that she could actually think that he could love her and maybe for what his father had done to her. The minute her mind went that way, she was boiling with rage. She couldn't believe what he had done and what it had done to her. It had broken her.

She was about to burst out crying but she knew she had to stay strong. She took in deep breaths and then she saw that Draco was walking up towards her with an expressionless face. She couldn't stand it, the minute he was close enough, her hand flew and then his cheek had a Ginny sized handprint.

Draco recoiled when her hand flew to his face. He knew he bloody well deserved it. For all that he made her go through but he didn't want to lose her. He knew that he still needed her and still wanted her. So he tried to talk another step toward her but she had taken a step backward and she was quivering, but her face showed anger and none of fear. He didn't know what to do, so he just sat down and stared out at the lake until he heard the rustling of grass and he turned back to see Ginny sit down, looking away from him.

He frowned a bit, turning the words in his head, trying to find something suitable to say until he heard her sniffle. He glanced back and saw her look away from him as she crossed her arms and sniffed. A tear just rolled down her cheek but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

As he reached over to wipe it away, she flinched and backed away from his touch as if it was on fire.

"I - I am sorry," he stammered, not liking this one bit. He never stammered, he was always cool and collected. Leave it up to her to make him clammy but he continued, "I didn't mean for-"

She gave a resounding snort and faced him. "You didn't mean to Draco? Well then, it makes it all better, doesn't it?" Ginny knew that once she started she wouldn't be able to stop so she took a deep breath and looked at Draco, who looked like he wanted her to continue with what she was saying.

'Good, the idiot is finally listening to what I'm going to say,' she thought.

"You betrayed me, my trust. You lied to me and you made me go through hell," she knew she was blubbering away but she didn't care, she just had to tell him. "You made me think that you actually loved me and then you turned on me just like what my brother said. I thought that, I don't know what I thought anymore." she shook her head as she watched the squid in the lake lazily splash around.

"Maybe I was just naïve to actually think so, but, why couldn't you just tell me? Why the hell not? Why didn't you tell anyone for fucks sake?" Ginny growled at this and looked at Draco, whose head hung low.

When she saw that Lucius voice rang through her mind.

"That's right you little whore. You're worth nothing. Not one bit. Don't know how Draco could even love a bitch like you."

Her sobs were now coming in great heaps at this and she shuddered at the thought of what had happened. Suddenly she felt so incredibly dirty and horrible. Ginny leaned back unto the tree thinking wildly. She thought she was over this stage, but apparently not. Draco just brought it all back.

He was torn between wanting to hold her and staying where he was, but damn it, he loathed to see her cry and didn't want her to suffer. He reached over to touch her, but she was shaking her head slightly. He ignored the small protests and brought her into his arms. She lay there lifeless, she didn't want to be touched, she just wanted to be alone but he just held onto her tightly. Whispering apologies and telling her she'll be alright. She pulled away from him, not completely though and stared back at him. Draco looked as if he was actually going to cry but of course he wouldn't. He would never.

She exhaled noisily as a few more tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why Draco, fuck, don't you love me? Did you even care?" She started and she balled up her fist and hit him in the chest lightly but it felt so good to be hitting him that she continued. Her tiny fists pummelling his chest until she felt so tired that she fell against him and lay in his arms until she felt better. "Why the fuck did you lie to me, hurt me. Why Draco why?"

When she had finally stopped crying, she rubbed away at her puffy eyes and wanted to get up but Draco held her down and stared back at her.

"I - I just couldn't tell you. I couldn't. I didn't even know if the feeling I had was love for you. I really didn't," he replied to her. Ginny just looked away and tried to squirm away from him but he held her down and continued talking anyway.

"What I'm trying to say is that I do care for you and that I do," he said softly. Ginny looked back at him and pushed up his hair gently so that she was staring eye to eye with him.

"Do what Draco?" she asked looking at him straight in the eye. "Love me?"

She watched him and he gave a quiet nod.

"Really Draco? You love me Draco? What do you want from me this time, Malfoy?" her voice dripped with such malice and sarcasm that Draco looked rather taken aback and stunned.

Ginny herself was quite surprised that she had said this. Apparently this is what she really felt. She thought that she would actually fall into his arms when he said that to her but she couldn't now. She needed answers and she did not want to be hurt again, she just couldn't handle it anymore. First Tom Riddle and now Draco. She shook her head and got up quickly and was about to walk away but Draco caught hold of her hand and she felt his thumb, sweeping around in circular movements.

"You got back your gifts I see," she nodded her head and grabbed back her hand from his clutches.

"Yes Draco, I received them and you can have them back. I have no use for them anymore," Ginny decided hastily that she didn't need him in her life. He just managed to complicate things and right now she didn't need that. She'd rather have the same old boring life she had. At least that was predictable. Before Ginny could pull the ring off her finger, he stopped her. Telling her that she could have it. She looked at him and then back at the ring.

No. She really didn't want it. But Draco continued to plead with her.

"Damn it Virginia. Just keep it! Please!" he shouted finally, getting up and running his hand through his hair. Why was she being so damned stubborn.

"Why? Why is it so important that I have it?" Ginny growled at him, expecting a good answer.

"Do you remember when you put it on in the mansion, your wounds immediately healed?"

"So? It must be enchanted to do so, something dabbled in the dark arts I suppose and I certainly do not want to have it in my possession, thank you very much," Ginny yelled, her face flushing.

"There isn't such a spell possible to do that to an object!" he shouted shaking his head in disbelief.

"How do you know that?"

"Why the fuck are there medi - wizards then? I'm sure someone would have hopped on to that bandwagon to sell those!" Draco said, looking at her pointedly.

He had a point there Ginny thought but just gave him a defiant scowl.

"Look, that ring, it's special. It has been passed down for generations in the Malfoy family-"

"Another good reason why I shouldn't have it! Why would I want something belonging to a Malfoy?" she interjected indignantly.

"Will you let me finish woman?" he yelled back at her and for once he was only greeted by silence. He thought about what was going on and wanted to chuckle. This was how it was between them in the beginning. Fighting and taunting one another; Draco shook his head and cleared his throat.

"As I was saying. That ring you have on, it sort of connects us together," Draco turned and looked at her. She looked as if she was about to say something but she thought better of it and just shut her mouth to let him continue. Draco was grateful for that and continued.

"Haven't you checked the ring properly?" he asked her. All he got was a fierce shake of her head, so he slowly walked up to her and took her hand. He saw her flinch and that hurt quite a bit but he pushed it aside and pulled the ring off her finger and turned it so she could see what was inscribed inside of it.

On one side was her name and on the other was his. She frowned at this and he slipped back the ring on her finger.

"You did this?" she asked quietly.

"No, it was magically done the minute you wore it," Draco replied. She gave him a look that asked him to continue.

"You see, anytime that you are hurt the ring will heal you and any pain that you feel or that is cursed on you like the Cruciatus, You won't feel a thing or you'll feel ant bites. It'll try to ebb away as much pain as possible but unfortunately it can't protect you from Avada Kedavra. You'd still die."

"Ok, so it protects me. And this connects us, how?" Ginny asked.

"Because I love you. And my name only appear if I love you. I wouldn't give it to just anyone."

"Because you love me? Right. This is priceless I tell you!" she smirked. He just stared into those eyes that were making him feel so useless at the moment.

"I'll prove it," With not a moment of hesitation, he bent down to retrieve a switchblade that he always carried with him and he cut her palm.

"What the fuck, Draco!" Ginny cried.

He merely cocked and eyebrow and held her palm out. She looked down and there wasn't even an inkling of blood. Come to think of it she didn't even feel the pain when he lacerated her. She was just surprised by what he did.

"Why don't you have one?"

Draco, still looking at her, pulled out a chain around his neck and looped in it was a ring with an M on the top but there was no inscription inside it.

"I just found it actually, my mother gave me the other half. You need to give this to me in order for it to work," he said softly.

"How do you know that I still love you?" she asked simply.

"Well then your name would have faded away. Mine wouldn't because I still love you."

He took off the chain and took the ring off of it and placed the ring in her palm.

Ginny didn't know what to do and what to say. She was confused. Utterly confused on what she should do.

She slumped back to the ground, clutching the ring tightly. "You say you love me, then why did you...? Couldn't you have just told me the truth? Why did you have to mess with my head like that? Why did you have to make me go through all of that? Why?! You were just going to take a chance and go on with what you thought of? And then what Draco? After all of it was done I would still come back to you that after you broke the trust I have for you I would immediately just run back into your arms?" she asked looking incredulously at him.

"I know that I don't deserve a second chance, but please. Give me the chance to prove myself. Give me one chance. That's it. That's all I ask. I - I do need you. Please Virginia," Draco pleaded silently, sitting down in front of her and taking her hand in hers.

Ginny looked at him and searched his eyes. Those eyes that sent chills down her spine, she looked and saw what she was looking for in those eyes but she didn't know if she wanted to accept it. If she did she knew that things would never be the same and that she would be resigned to the fact that there was going to be much hardship in the future. His hand stroked her cheek and she leaned into it by reflex but pulled away immediately as if it stung. She still wasn't that comfortable being so close to anyone that wasn't family.

She saw the hurt in his eyes when she did that and felt her stomach do several flip flops. She looked down and then felt his hand leave hers and she instantaneously looked up to see that he was standing up and about to walk away.

"Ok.," she whispered. That had stopped him from going anywhere. Draco turned and swooped down to where she was sitting.

"You mess up this chance Draco and I promise you that I'll never in my life talk to you again. I'll never acknowledge your presence. Never again. Don't blow it Draco," Ginny said, giving such a harsh ultimatum but she knew that it was this time or never again. Holding the ring in her hand she pressed it into his palm and she felt the ring go warm.

Draco momentarily, when he had heard that, was surprised at what she said and was partially hurt but he knew that what she said was, well, sensible enough for what he had done to her. He had almost killed her. She was right in keeping her distance in the first place but she loved him enough to be with him. He took a deep breath and gave her his promise. He took the ring out of his palm and looked for the inscription. There it was, both their names in loopy writing. Draco took it and placed it on his hand.

He then reached across slowly and pulled her into his arms. She recoiled at first but warmed up to it and slowly she snuggled into him and remembered the feeling of security she always felt in his arms. Ginny breathed him in and snuggled in further as Draco held onto her as tightly as possible. They just sat there until they saw the sun dipping into the horizon.

"What do we have here?"

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