Lost and Found

Ginny sat on the ground in the Burrow's garden. It was close to midnight and she was peering into a silver bowl filled with water. Two candles and the moonlight provided the only illumination. She heard footsteps approaching and looked up. "Invisibility cloaks are not much use when you cannot walk quietly, Malfoy."

Draco pulled off the invisibility cloak. "It's these damn yard gnomes. They keep biting at my ankles."

Ginny snorted. "And to think you're an Auror."

"I often find that a bit humorous myself," Draco admitted.

"I'm sure you do," Ginny replied, looking back to her scrying bowl.

"See anything interesting?" Draco asked.

"Hmmm...several things," Ginny said. "Ron's wife is pregnant -"

Draco scoffed. "Of course she is. She married Weasley. Trelawney could See that."

Ginny frowned at Malfoy and continued, "Harry and Hermione are having a spat and you're here to put a memory charm on me because you fear I will tell your father where you are."

"Yes, well, perhaps you were wrong about me being a coward; perhaps I'm here to kill you."

"Um, I don't think so," Ginny said, glancing sideways at Draco.

Draco sat down next to her. "Last night you were convinced I was going to kill Harry."

"True," Ginny said, as she returned her look to the scrying bowl. "But, I hadn't really thought it through. I saw the image," she stopped and sighed. "I saw Harry, lying on the ground, presumably dead and I panicked. I've been trying to See it again, but I haven't been able too."

Draco studied Ginny as she continued to watch the scrying bowl, turning it in small circles as she did so. In the moonlight, her skin was nearly translucent. She reminded him of one of the porcelain figurines his mother collected, very beautiful and very fragile. He wondered briefly if he shook her if she would shatter into hundreds of dangerous jagged pieces -- pieces that would fly through the air and flay him alive. "You should just let it be, Ginny. The future is best discovered as it is lived."

Ginny returned her stare to the scrying bowl. "I have to know, so I can be ready," her voice lowered to a whisper. "So I won't get hurt again."

Draco had already drawn his wand while she was speaking and he pointed it at her now. "Obliviate!"

A few weak sparks sputtered from Draco's wand, but there was no other effect.

Ginny smiled superiorly at Draco. "You're in a containment circle, Draco. If you want to run about a meter that way, you'll be able to do magic again."

Draco sighed. "It's for you own safety, Ginny. You don't know the lengths my father will go -"

Ginny laughed bitterly. "I do know, Draco. I learned when I was eleven years old how little value he places on my life."

Draco stood up and kicked the scrying bowl. A drizzle had started in the night sky and Draco wiped moisture from his face. The candles must have spelled, because they kept burning through the rain. "You don't want to be involved with this, Ginny. I won't allow you to be involved with this."

Ginny's hand connected with Draco's face with a loud smack. "I think since you're the one who walked into my containment circle and are quite without magic, I'll be the one who decides what I am allowed and what I am not allowed. I despise your father. I will be the one who destroys him."

The drizzle was continuing steadily and Draco was vaguely aware that his cheek was stinging. He pushed his hair out of his face and smiled coolly at Ginny. "It appears we do have something in common then, Virginia Weasley. I hate my father as well."

Ginny looked at Draco; she had not noticed the rain until she saw the droplets streaming down Draco's high cheekbones. His face was pointed and thin -- sharp and dangerous. Ginny thought he looked more like his father with every passing year. For a moment she wondered if Draco hated looking in the mirror and seeing his father looking back at him, but she decided this being Draco nothing would discourage him from looking at himself in a mirror. "But you don't have the courage to challenge him."

"And you do?"

Ginny smiled sweetly, her wet red locks clinging to her face. "Yes. Last night I tasted his blood and I thirst to see it all spilled from his veins."

Draco stepped closer to Ginny, even as a voice in his mind told him to move back. "You're mad," he stated without judgment.

Ginny shrugged. "Possibly. I'm not sure anymore. I've listened to Tom Riddle whispering in my mind for so long all I see is pain and death."

"That could just be Trelawney's teaching."

"I will see him finished, Draco."

"No."

"Yes."

Draco leaned in, his face so close she could feel his warm breath across her skin. "You will fail. The Dark Mark will be in the sky over the Burrow and if the Dark Lord is feeling generous, he may leave a few pieces of you for your parents to bury."

Tears rolled down Ginny's cheeks, hidden by the rain, but Ginny could feel their warmth in contrast to the cold rain and she closed her eyes, pushing the tears back. "I have to try," she said hoarsely, her eyes still tightly closed, her hands in tightly furrowed fists.

Possibilities spun through Draco's head quicker than the golden snitch itself flew. She was quite impossible. "Ginny," he said in a weary voice. "I'm cold and I'm wet. Let's discuss this somewhere else."

Ginny opened her eyes and looked up into Malfoy's grey, emotionless orbs. "I'm not a fool. You just want me to walk you out of the containment field so you can put a memory charm on me."

" I think the evidence speaks to the contrary and you are quite the fool, Virginia Weasley."

Ginny stamped her foot, but it only sunk into the soft earth. "I hate you, Draco Malfoy."

"Oh, you'll have to do better than that. I hear that all the time."

Ginny raised her arm to slap him across the face, but he caught her arm and twisted it behind her back. "I let you hit me once without retribution, but that is all I will allow. You're going to lead me out of your little circle and then I will Disapparate the hell out of this dismal place. After placing a memory charm on you, of course."

Ginny looked through the rain and into his stormy eyes and tilted her head forward. She could reach her wand with her other hand, but Draco might still overpower her before she could get a spell out. She decided to show her hand. "You're too late," she said, unable to keep a satisfied smirk off her face. "I've already arranged a meeting with your father. I told him I had spoken to Harry about you. If you memory charm me, he'll have a good idea where to start looking."

Draco tightened his grip on Ginny's arm involuntarily and shook his head. "You dim-witted girl...What if Harry doesn't make it in time to save you this time?"

Ginny stuck her chin out defiantly. "I'll save myself."

Draco let go of her arm, "I'm not sure if you're brave or insane...but then what is bravery but insanity with a heroic front? When they're putting your body in the ground it doesn't matter."

Ginny shook out her arm. "Bravery is something you'll never understand."

"I certainly hope you're right."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Just too cool to care?"

"Yes, that's it."

Ginny shrugged. "It works for you, I suppose. Some Auror you are, though. Walking right into a containment circle."

"I must have missed that day in Defence Against the Dark Arts."

They stood awkwardly in the garden, the rain still spitting down on them. Ginny shivered, and then pointed in the direction of a large willow tree. "Walk past the tree, you can Disapparate from there."

" What is your plan?" Draco asked, ignoring the direction she had just given him.

"Why in the world would I tell you?"

"If you don't, I'll tell Harry your plans."

Ginny frowned. "I'm not going to attempt to kill your father at the meeting. I'm not that insane, foolish, or brave. I'm just going to lie to him a bit and string him along."

Draco chuckled darkly. "My father will know you're lying. He can always tell; I know. If you insist on meeting him, don't lie to him. Just evade the truth. When is this meeting to occur?"

"Tell you so you can tell Harry?"

"Whatever," Draco said dismissively. The solution has just flitted into his mind of how to make this all part of his plan. "What is your favourite colour?"

"What?"

"Your favourite colour. So I know what colour flowers to send to your funeral."

Ginny's mouth fell open and she stared at Draco, completely at a lost for words.

"Fine, I wasn't really planning on sending flowers anyway," Draco said as he turned away from Ginny and walked toward the willow tree.

Ginny watched him disappear into the wet night. "He is a complete bastard," she muttered, yet for some reason she had the strangest urge to run after him. She shook her head at herself. Curiosity, she told herself. That's all it was. But would he tell Harry? As Ginny pondered this possibility, she started gathering up her scrying supplies. "What do I care?" she muttered to herself, thinking she could handle Harry if it came to that.

"Too cool to care?"

Ginny jumped, sending everything in her arms flying as she turned toward the drawling voice.

"Did I startle you?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Draco Malfoy!" Ginny huffed. "Why the bloody hell aren't you back in London?"

"I need one thing before I go," Draco said, moving closer to Ginny.

"What?" Ginny asked suspiciously.

Draco didn't answer, but grasped Ginny's neck and bent his face towards her, his lips barely brushing hers as he whispered, "A kiss before dying."

Before Ginny could even react to the kiss, Malfoy had turned and swept away, disappearing into the fog.

"I hope it's you who dies," Ginny called after him, but her voice had little venom in it.

She stared after him for a long time, not noticing the continuing rain nor that she was shivering in the cold. She was wondering if she would ever feel his lips on hers again and if she did, would she return the kiss or slap him? She finally gathered up her things again and returned to the Burrow. Shortly thereafter, she sunk into her soft featherbed and snuggled under the blankets and decided that the answer was actually quite simple - she'd both return the kiss and slap him. She just wasn't sure if she'd kiss him first or slap him first.

~*~

Harry flew through the night sky across the English countryside. He loved flying. He never felt quite as free as when he was swooping through the air on his broomstick. He dived straight down and pulled up at the last minute and then did a wide circle, buzzing a small cottage surrounded by wildflowers and a white picket fence. It was, Harry thought, even in only the moonlight almost too perfect of image. Harry landed in the front yard, narrowly missing a small pond. He walked up to the door and hesitated. It was the middle of the night, he shouldn't be bothering Ron. Of course, the thought of going back to the flat and listening to Hermione's stifled sobs and Draco's sarcastic commentary wasn't appealing either. Still, he had no right to intrude on Ron in the middle of the night.

Harry turned and started to walk away when he heard Ron's voice from the front door. "Just came by to excite the cats by brushing against the shutters? They thought you were a juicy bird."

Harry turned back to the cottage and grinned lopsidedly. "I'm sorry, Ron. I hope I didn't scare you or Lucy."

Ron shook his head in the negative. "Nah, come on in," he gestured, holding the door open for Harry.

Harry padded in after Ron, feeling rather sheepish. Lucy stood in the living room. She was wearing a pink robe and her strawberry blonde hair was loose and tousled. There were several cats in the room. Two small black kittens were sleeping next to the fireplace and another black cat brushed up against Harry's legs, meowing plaintively.

"Hi, Harry," she said as if it wasn't the middle of the night. "Would you like tea? Some cakes?"

"No, no, I'm sorry to have disturbed you so late," Harry said in an apologetic tone.

Lucy waved her hand dismissively. "No worries, Harry. You're always welcome."

The three of them stood in awkward silence for a minute. Ron gave Lucy a subtle look, darting his eyes toward the stairs leading to the upstairs and she nodded at her husband.

"I'll get back to bed then," she said. "If you need anything - "

"We'll get it ourselves and let you sleep, love," Ron said good-naturedly to his wife, kissing her cheek.

She laughed and made a goofy face at Ron, gave a quick wave to Harry and scooted out of the room, Ron smacking her bottom on her way out.

Ron sat on the chintz sofa and Harry sat down in an over-stuffed chair across from him. "Insomnia?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "Hermione and I had a row."

"Ah," Ron said, leaning back on the sofa. "Let me guess, you got the Jazz treatment?"

Harry chuckled grimly. "Yes, I did."

"Was it about coming to the match?"

Harry sighed. "Yes, I don't understand why she's so upset."

Ron laughed heartily. "Really?"

"Well, maybe I do, but she won't even listen to me. She just stormed out of the room."

"She's a woman."

Harry leaned forward. "None of them listen?"

Ron grinned. "When you're saying something they want to hear, yeah, but otherwise, forget it."

"I don't know what to do," Harry admitted. "I just want the two of you to be friends again."

Ron tilted his head and studied Harry quietly for a minute. "Is that all you want Harry?"

Harry suddenly found his shoes very interesting. He untied and retied them several times before finally answering Ron, "I don't know, Ron. I don't know if I can make Hermione happy."

"All you can do is tell her how you feel about her."

Harry nodded, looking befuddled.

"How do you feel about her?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"She's mad in love with you, Harry. She has been for a long time."

Harry's mouth fell open. "I don't think so, Ron. I mean, never, while you were dating, she's never told me. I didn't know -"

Ron held up his hand. "It's okay, Harry. She never told me that she loved you, but I could sense it. The way she looked at you," Ron exhaled deeply and continued, "She always had time for you."

"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry said, shaking his head. "I didn't know."

"I know, Harry," Ron said. "At the time it bothered me, but I love Lucy. And I'm glad I found her. I feel lucky that I found her. Don't worry about Hermione and I being friends. We'll sort it all out eventually, we always do. But I think that the two of you have something special together and I don't want to be the reason you two never get together."

Harry nodded, deep in thought. He knew that things were not that simple between himself and Hermione and they never would be. Not as long as Voldemort was alive. Hermione was right, there couldn't be a happily ever after until Voldemort was gone. Harry shook himself from his thoughts and stood up. "I better get back. Thanks for listening, Ron."

Ron stood as well and walked to the door to open it for Harry. "Remember what I told you, Harry. Life is for the living."

Harry smiled. "I'll remember. I'm sorry about intruding so late. Tell Lucy I'm sorry too."

Ron nodded at his friend and stood at the door as Harry mounted his broom and took off like an arrow slicing through the air straight up into the sky. Ron stood for a long while, staring into the rainy night, wondering if Harry would ever tell Hermione how he felt. Ron was not sorry that he had met Lucy, but he was sorry at the way he had bungled everything with Hermione. He wondered if she would ever forgive him.