De-resurrection

CHAPTER FOUR

Only the Good Die Young

As the hammer came down, Draco's expression did not change. He just nodded, and sat back in his chair. Nothing, however, could stop Ginny's expression changing. She burst into unruly tears. Draco turned to her.

'Hey, don't cry.' He held his arms out to her, and she fell into them. 'I'm not crying, you don't have to.'

'Yes, I do,' she heaved. He stroked her hair softly, shushing gently in her ear.

Harry and Lupin came over. Harry reached out a hand to Draco, who took it solemnly. Lupin did the same.

'Come on, Weasley, up you get,' Draco said, trying to help her up. But she could not stand. Harry felt... he was not entirely sure. It was like the bottom of his stomach had dropped out, only to be replaced by a bundle of electric fencing. It was certainly a physical feeling. He was frightened by how much he cared, for he knew there had been times when he would have wished this upon Draco, but not now. Harry was impressed by the pale, handsome boy's calmness as he slid a hand behind Ginny's knees and one under her arms, lifting her up. Draco did not seem even slightly affected by what he had heard.

Lupin was surprised at the change in this boy. It was so profound, yet so subtle. Draco had, but weeks before, been the bastard of the century. Now he was carrying a girl who loved him out of a courtroom, where he had pleaded guilty to killing his father. His best friend Harry Potter, looking on with desperate concern. Lupin found he had sympathy, but no concern for the boy. He had not deserved this, but he could handle it.

Narcissa, however, could not. The judge's word had spun the room, and the striking was the sound of a death toll. She collapsed against the floor. There was so much pain in her body that staying conscious was not an option. She was standing on a balcony in the manor, watching her son and his father in the grounds, fencing. Draco had spun quickly and dived through Lucius' legs to slash his sword across the tall man's back. Lucius had spun and hurled Draco against the wall in fury. Draco had broken seven bones that day. She saw Draco on his first day at school. He had been so small, so lost in his own panic, that he had been exactly like his father. Now, the image of him printed against her eyelids forever, he was calm, resolute, six foot tall, she had not seen him panic for... he was sixteen now. It was nothing. It was nothing for him that he would never see daylight again. She was in an instant proud and horribly sad. It was nothing...

Hermione sobbed brokenly at the verdict. Draco shrugged, and it was as though his sharp shoulders had dislodged a flood of her tears, and they poured down. His brave resignation was more than she could bear. Suddenly all the things he had done were insignificant. It meant nothing any more. She wanted to hold him in her arms, and tell him it would all be fine. Her hand shot up to the locket at her throat. She flicked it open. Inside was a picture she had found in his mother's albums, she had said Hermione could have it. It was just of Draco's face, and he was smiling, looking healthy and strong. It would not, however, be the way Hermione remembered him.

Draco stood detached. He held Ginny's tiny weight in his arms. She was sad for him, and that hurt him more than he would care to tell. Potter looked sorry too. His liquid green eyes were large behind his glasses, and his eyebrows peaked in the centre. Draco himself held no such concern. There was a fleeting moment when he had started to think of the things he could not now do, but that passed, because he realised that the only thing he really wanted was to be understood. These people misunderstood him, but at least they understood him in some way. It was nothing to him.

Ginny's body had gone numb. Tears flooded her mind and only pain within her soul was felt. She did not cry for Draco, because she knew he would not want that. She cried for her own loss. She loved him. She did not care now, because it was too late. Once he was back in there, she would never be allowed to see him again. Never feel his lips against hers. Never live out the little fantasy of being Ginny Malfoy, never look at him again. He was not hers. He would never be hers, because of Voldemort. In that bleak moment of soul-destroying pain, she resolved to kill Voldemort. He would be the one to pay for her loss, and it would be more than he could afford.

-------

Ron moped around the tower, waiting and waiting for the others to return. It got dark, and still they were not back. He got out his chess set, and began to polish the pieces. But the fire died down to embers, and he could not see any more. Sighing, he turned to go up the stairs to his bed, then there was a tremendous flash, and they all appeared by the desks in the corner. All except Malfoy. Harry was carrying Ginny, and Hermione's ivory skin was tear-streaked.

Ron sprinted over to them, throwing his arms around Hermione, then helping Harry get Ginny to the sofa. Harry stood by the dying fire, with his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. Hermione hurled herself at Ron.

'He got life. They said he did it of his own free will!' she burst out, clinging to him.

'But he didn't!' Ron cried. 'It was so obvious he didn't!'

'I think someone was controlling the jury,' Harry said quietly. 'The guy who gave the verdict was really jerky and wooden.'

'You do? Well, it wouldn't be the first time those disagreeable bastards have played us up, would it?' Ron growled.

He turned his attention then to Ginny. She lay on her back on the sofa, exactly as they had left her. Her eyes were closed, and her face was blotchy and pale. She could have easily been dead. Ron sat down beside her and lay a hand on her shoulder.

'Ginny?' he said softly. 'Ginny?'

'She was very upset. We think she might have fainted,' Hermione supplied in a worried voice.

'Bugger,' Ron muttered. He picked her up like he did when she was five, and carried her softly up to the girls' dormitory.

'How could they think he did it?' Harry exploded, blowing up a few ornaments with his finger.

'I know!' Hermione groaned, throwing herself down on the rug. 'You must be right!'

'Which is weird.'

'And I'm the first to agree, but seriously! This is important. We've got a week left. It's Christmas Eve, and we have to get working!'

'Yeah. I'm going to Sirius,' Harry told her, starting to run out of the common room.

'Wait! First, I'm coming to, you nitwit, and second, we can't leave Ron again, third, Ginny needs us!'

'First, I don't care either way, but something has to be done. Second, we bloody well can. Third, she's better off here.'

'I am coming. Ron is my boyfriend, so he's coming too, and Ginny loves Draco. It isn't fair to leave her here.'

'She's unconscious!'

'She's still coming. We can catch up with you.'

'Okay, do that,' he said, running out.

-------

'Remus!' Sirius shouted, leaping at the man as soon as he came through the door. 'What did they say?'

'He's going down for life,' Remus said wearily, throwing his cloak over the banister.

'What?' Sirius shouted. 'But you said he had a strong case!'

'He did. There was something wrong with the jury.'

'Wrong, or wrong?' Sirius asked, his eyes narrowed.

'Wrong.'

'Ah. Fucking hell,' Sirius shouted, kicking the wall.

'Come on. I'll get you a gin and tonic,' Lupin offered, trying to herd him into the sitting room.

'Girl's drink,' Sirius grumbled.

'Ogden's Firewhisky it is, then,' Lupin concluded, going over to the cabinet by the bookshelf.

'Whatever,' Sirius mumbled, hurling himself down on the sofa and tipping his head back, hands over his face.

'Here,' Lupin said, holding out the drink.

'Thanks, Moony.' Sirius took the glass without opening his eyes or tipping his head forward again.

'No problem,' Lupin said, sitting beside his friend.

It was just to test his endurance that the doorbell rang at that moment. He got up with a furious growl and slammed his way into the hall. He wrenched the door open to see Harry, who grunted 'Hi' before barging past him and into the sitting room. Lupin followed, resigned to be pissed off and taken for granted all day long.

When he got back into the sitting room, he got the shock of his life to see that Harry had not taken his seat. Lupin decided to make the most of it and sat down really quickly.

'We're going to get him out,' Harry was saying. 'We have to.'

'I agree,' Sirius nodded, leaning forward now, the empty glass held loosely in his long hand.

'We need a decent plan, then.'

'Okay. Got any ideas?'

'Well, Draco doesn't use his wand, does he?' Sirius frowned. Harry shook his head. 'That means he can still do magic.'

'Yes, I suppose, but they'll sense it and kill him if he does.'

'Not if he apparates out,' Sirius told him. 'He'll just be too weak right now. We have to find some way to transfer energy into him, then he'll be able to do it.'

'That's a great idea!' Harry yelled, leaping up and pacing around. 'I'll get Hermione to work out some kind of energy transfer spell, then we can go and fetch him!'

'Who's we?' Sirius asked him, as though he was determine to work out every little kink.

'Well, me, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, I guess.'

'What if the wards pull you short? That's what they should do for apparation,' Sirius asked him, sitting back again and stretching.

'Well, we'd just land in the sea, so we need people who can swim, to get somewhere.'

'Can you swim?' Sirius asked, running a hand through his hair.

'No. No, Dudley was the only one who learnt that.'

'Hermione?'

'I'm sure she can.'

'Ron?'

'Probably.'

'Ginny?'

'Look, I'll check when they get here, okay?' Harry burst out. Sirius just grinned at him insolently.

'Was Narcissa there? Hang on, of course she was there. Did you talk to her?' Sirius mumbled.

'Yes, she was, and yes, I did. She asked me to ask you if you two could get together some time.'

'She did?' Sirius looked very happy. 'Wow. Great. Great, tell her yes. Yes, wow, great.' He ran his hands through his hair again, as though he could not quite believe it.

'Yeah, also, you won't believe this, Mr Blobby was acting as judge! Isn't that great?' Harry grinned.

'Yeah, great, wow.'

'I think you need more whisky.'

'Yeah, wow...'

'Shut up, Sirius.'

'Yeah.'

-------

It was not a nice journey to make, the journey back to prison. Draco was herded back into the cell he had been in before, and given a set of prison issue clothes. Black jeans, a grey T-shirt with a large black number stamped across the front, and a pair of grubby black hobnailed boots, with silver lace-holes. He changed slowly in the freezing cold of his cell. The clothes smelt of cheap washing powder, and were stiff. There were holes all through the T-shirt, and the wind blew through them like they were little more than lace.

His arm was jerked out by a guard, causing him to nearly cry out at the pain in his wrist. A man in a grey robe brought in a bucket of hot coals with what looked like a poker sticking out of it. They pulled up the sleeve of his T-shirt, and scrubbed his shoulder briefly with a stiff, dry brush. He did not try to pull away, it would not have been worth the effort. As the second man lifted the poker from the coals, Draco saw, reversed, as though in a mirror, the number from his T-shirt as a metal stamp. It was glowing bright yellow. Immediately Draco knew what it was. Magic was too good for him. They were going to brand him.

The man walked over slowly, and Draco looked right at him, trying to keep his face clear of his emotions. The poker lifted, it was brought near to his shoulder, and lined up. The heat was already scorching his skin. Then it came down. It was so hot it felt like ice, but it was not. Smoke with the charnel-house reek of burning flesh clouded up around him. The poker felt like it was burning its way right through his arm. There was so much pain assaulting his senses that he could not see. His clenched his teeth, and closed his eyes against the tears that he would not allow to come.

He barely felt it when they took the poker away. It would not have made a difference anyway. They let go of his arm, and slammed their way out of his cell. He stood where he was, for a long time. He savoured the taste of coppery blood in his mouth where he had bitten through his lip. He concentrated all his thought on that patch of his arm that burned so much. He drank down the smell of his flesh burning. He took it all, and promised himself that pain would no longer be his enemy. It would serve only to make him stronger. Bad things could not over come him, because only the good die young.

-------

Ginny swam up through the darkness to that wavering point of light above her. It grew and grew, and became the top of Draco's head. She got close enough to touch it, then he turned and looked at her. In the watery darkness, he smiled. Then he pulled up his sleeve. Smoking and flaming on his arm was the number '147'.

'It will be my friend. It will make me stronger,' he told her, smiling eerily.

'Who? Who is your friend?' she asked him, trying to get closer, but he kept moving away, still smiling.

'I have no friends,' he said, his voice suddenly harsh, and he turned away from her, disappearing totally into the blackness.

'Draco!' she screamed. 'Come back! We're here! We're trying! Please... Draco...' she sobbed, an arm reaching out after him, but of course, he was gone.

'Ginny!' Someone was shaking her. 'Gin! Are you alright?'

She snatched at them, her eyes flicking open and her breathing ragged. Hermione, Harry, Ron, Sirius and Lupin stood around her.

'He's gone,' she coughed. Her face felt as though someone had drawn a poker across it. She wiped it with her hand. Tears had coursed down her cheeks like fire. Like the fire in Draco.

'Who's gone? Draco? You were screaming for him. Is everything okay?' Ron asked her, helping her sit up.

'I... dreamt, it was him -' she strained to remember. 'He had this number burnt on his arm, and it was flaming. He said "it will be my friend, it will make me stronger".'

'What number was it?' Sirius asked sharply.

'One four seven,' she told him. He nodded, and waved his hand for her to continue. 'He was smiling in this really strange way, then he... I asked who he was talking about, and he said "I have no friends" in this really horrible voice, and ran away from me...' she broke down again, leaning into Ron.

'Ron,' Lupin snapped suddenly. 'How many children are there in your family?'

'Seven,' Ron answered, looking puzzled.

'Was there ever anything about Ginny being a boy?'

'I think... the doctors weren't sure for a long time. Oh, I remember. She kept changing, before she was born. Every time they checked she was something different.'

'A seventh son,' Sirius breathed.

'Who is actually a daughter.'

'You're a bloody genius, Moony. You should be a teacher!' Sirius cried, slapping his back.

Lupin looked like he was going to answer, but he shook his head. 'Never mind. Any way, it's decided when they're conceived. If she started out being a boy, then she's technically a seventh son.'

Ginny looked totally amazed. 'Now that's a talking point,' she breathed.

'You should be psychic,' Lupin said, looking at her. 'Malfoy will have been given a cell number, and it will have been branded into his skin, right, Padfoot?' Sirius nodded.

'They don't use magic on prisoners. We aren't worth it.' Sirius still seemed to refer to himself as a prisoner, despite his escape.

'One four seven will be his cell number,' Lupin continued. 'That will help us find him when the time comes. Ginny, you have to write down any dreams you have from now on, they could help us out.'

'Give me a sleeping potion,' she told them. 'I'll sleep and then wake up whenever I end a vision.'

'That's a good idea!' Sirius enthused.

'I've got some for when I become a werewolf,' Lupin said, 'I'll just fetch it.'

-------

Narcissa took her time getting outside. She did not really have a choice, as she was finding it hard to move her legs. It was long after sunset, and the grey day had become a windy black night. She wrapped the velvet of her cloak around her slim form, and stepped out onto the platform. There were many people appearing and disappearing from there, and she soon became one of them. She focused on her entrance hall at home, and disapparated.

It was dark in there, and she lit the candles with a wave of her wand. The house elves had banked up the fires, and the floors were clean. The huge Christmas trees in the corners sparkled gently in the candlelight, their gold and cream decorations catching the light beautifully. This was the first time there had been Christmas trees in the Malfoy household for a long time. She had put them up the Muggle way with the house elves the very day Lucius had died.

It was Christmas Eve now, and she would be alone. Or not. She summoned some parchment from the study along the hall, and a quill, and began to write, leaning on the table in the centre of the huge room. She sent the letters off to Lupin's house with a little brownish owl, then crossed the room to the right-hand staircase and climbed it. She glanced over the softly lit scene, wishing Draco could be there, and walked across the landing down the hall to her bed.

-------

They were not smiling. How could they not be smiling? Draco frowned at them as he went past. It was all wrong. They did not understand what they had been given. He looked down at his bleeding fingers with curiosity, and smiled. They hurt a lot. It was good. The stones they were splitting were very rough and heavy. He had already dropped several, and laughed out loud as they broke two of his toes. It was so cold that he could not feel the toes any more, and he was disappointed by the weather. He frowned at the sky. It was denying him his pain.

'Bad sky,' he chided it.

There was a sullen rumble, and it began to rain. The cold pellets stormed down the back of his neck, and he grinned, skipping lightly and squealing with joy when his leg collapsed and he fell down hard.

'Shit,' he muttered. His leg was killing him, and he seemed to have broken two of his toes, his fingers were raw and bloody, and the scar on his arm throbbed and seared. Icy rain was falling down the back of his neck, and he hated it. He recalled love for pain, but now that was... it had only been moments before. He choked, wide-eyed. He was going insane. He had laughed when he smashed his feet to a pulp. All the others had gone in, but they had left him on the ground. He pointed at his feet, and whispered 'Sanare.' They healed instantly. He did the same for his leg, but not for his fingers. They would notice if his fingers were fine.

He sat up, blinking the cool rain into his eyes. Suddenly, he saw her again. Above him. Her eyes closed at first, but they opened.

'Draco,' she said, reaching out a pale hand to him.

'You came back?' he breathed, not really asking.

'I will always come back for you,' she promised.

'I'm going insane,' he told her. He could trust nobody else.

'We'll get you out, Draco,' she said, promising again, but what would come of it?

'I was... I hurt myself, and it made me happy. I told you, I'm going insane, it's too late.'

'You're fine now,' she reminded him.

'No, I'm scarred. Scared.' He pulled up his sleeve at her again, and showed her the mark. The cold rain soothed it, and he turned back to her.

'We'll come for you, I swear.'

'I love you,' he said. All the emotion of his fear, hunger, pain striking deep into his voice, and it swelled. 'I love you!' he shouted.

'I love you too! Wait for us!' Then she was gone.

'Ginny?' he croaked, falling onto his knees in the yard. He tipped his head back and blinked viciously against the rain, mingling with tears on his stained and dirty skin. 'Ginny.'

-------

'He was...' she woke up with a start, then broke down again. Hermione was there, somebody was always there. The dark haired girl put her books aside, and wrapped her arms around Ginny.

'Do you remember?' she asked.

'All of it.'

'Can you tell me?' Hermione asked gently.

Ginny nodded, and told her everything about the dream. Where he had been, how he sounded, what he had done.

'It'll be alright. I think I've got the right spell. If we can get to him while he's there, then it'll be alright. We have to apparate in, do the spell, and apparate out again. You'll have to tell him the plan, then tell him when we're going to do it, once we know.'

Ginny wiped her face with the cuffs of the jumper she wore.

'I'll try and get back to him, but he has to be open,' she warned.

'Otherwise?'

'Well, it might unhinge him a bit, he's going bonkers.'

'Bonkers?' Hermione exclaimed, looking scared.

'He's not really bonkers, but he keeps flicking in and out of wanting pain, and liking it, then being normal again.'

'That's not too bad, though. He's only a bit gone. It could be helpful,' Hermione mused.

'How?' Ginny snapped, feeling tears well up again.

'He's invincible in that state. Sure, he can die, but he'll be fearless. No torture will sway him,' Hermione said, leaning forwards, her eyes bright, and her arms waving in her enthusiasm.

'Yeah,' Ginny said, brightening up a bit. She glanced at the magic clock on the wall. 'It's Harry's turn, you're relieved.'

'Oh, right,' Hermione said distantly. She gathered up her huge pile of books and drifted out.

-------

It was Christmas morning, but a fat lot of good that did. The reply to her owl had not come yet, though she knew it would. Narcissa had managed to get rid of all the Aurors on the grounds that it was Christmas. She put her book down and lifted her long legs out from under the lilac bedcovers. Wrapping a Chinese silk robe around herself, she picked her way through all her discarded clothes to the window.

Snow was gathered in the corners of the mullions in her windows. There was a delicate pattern frosted over the glass, and she rubbed a small circle to look out through. The gardens were deep in snow, and the sky was so white it was barely distinguishable. The house elves had cleared the road, she made a mental note of this to thank them next time she saw one. She had also taken the liberty of buying them tea-towels. She had not used the serpentine Malfoy crest, but rather Draco's crest, to make it all his, not his father's. Draco had designed his crest on his seventh birthday, as was the family custom. It was a silver dragon on a black shield with the letter D in an archaic script on its chest.

Narcissa recalled having been very impressed by her son's skill. At seven years old he did not pick a scribbled cartoon character, or Quidditch motifs. She had seen this as a sign of what he would become, also in that he had drawn the beautiful picture himself. She knew it was not just mother's pride, he was an amazing artist.

She sighed and turned away from the window, for the cold was radiating out from the glass itself. Narcissa slipped her feet into some sheepskin slippers, and tied her robe tightly to go downstairs. But she stopped when she heard a noise out on the drive. She paused, listening to check if it was the Aurors, but there was laughter, so she ran back to the cold glass.

Out in the driveway was Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Lupin, and... she looked about desperately for Sirius, but the only other living thing on the gravel outside was a black dog.

Abandoning her love of doing things the Muggle way, she waved her wand quickly, and found herself in an emerald green gown, beaded across the silken bodice with patterns of hummingbirds and flowers. She snatched up her full skirts in one hand and ran through her favourite secret passage behind a portrait and down to the landing above the entrance hall. She thundered down the stairs and bolted to the front door.

There she stopped. She brushed herself down, flicked her curls, and opened the door slowly in a ladylike manner. When they saw her, it was all spoiled by Ginny running to her and hugging her tightly. Narcissa returned it, and gave up all hope of looking refined.

'Come in!' she said brightly, but the pain she felt at not seeing Sirius was such that she found it hard to smile.

They all followed her into the entrance hall, and 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the decorations.

'Well, first of all, is any one of you vegetarian?' she asked, none put their hands up. 'Okay then. Does anybody not like Christmas dinner?'

They all shook their heads, looking like hungry little orphans.

'Libby! Can you tell them to make...' she paused while she counted. 'Six dinners?'

'Make that seven,' said a deep voice behind her. She spun around and stared straight into the face of Sirius Black. 'Hi, Narcissa,' he grinned.

'Oh my god! Sirius!' she cried, flinging her arms around his waist. 'I thought you hadn't come!'

'Doggy me,' he shrugged. 'I would never turn you down.'

They stopped hugging, but Sirius still had his arm around her slim shoulders and she around his equally slim waist.

'Alright, Ginny, what's your favourite colour?' Narcissa smiled, wiping her face with a cuff, until Sirius started wiping it with his T-shirt. (Ed:- you know he didn't take it off. Don't be disgusting)

'Um, blue?' Ginny shrugged.

'Okay, blue sitting room it is then,' Narcissa grinned, swatting at Sirius' hand and leading them off across the hall and to a side corridor on the left. It was wooden panelled and small, but it soon broke out into an airy green walkway, lined with portraits on their right, and tall leaded windows on their left.

Harry looked around Draco's home in sheer wonder. No wonder the kid had had such a big head. They went out through an ornately carved oak door and onto a sort of open-air gallery running above a conservatory leading onto a patio covered with plants, but they were obviously dormant now. The gallery had pillars either side, with ivy winding up them and spreading out into an arched cover, which had patterns of cherubs picked out in white against duck egg blue.

Narcissa pushed open a glass door with white patterns supporting it and they went into a warm yellow room, with several doors leading off it. Narcissa marched the group through one, chatting with Sirius all the while. Harry found it no surprise that they were in another corridor, but this time it had a soft sandy coloured carpet, and they turned off almost immediately into a blue sitting room. It was sort of Oriental, with silks and beaded patterns, and gauzy drapes at the windows. On one wall was an ancient looking tapestry of a mountainous landscape, drawn instead of sewn, in red ink.

Narcissa sat delicately in a turquoise armchair, and put a cushion on her lap to lean her elbows on. She pointed at the fire, and suddenly the room was filled with brightness. It made it a lot more welcoming, and the guests sat down quickly. Harry perched next to Ron on a huge blue sofa.

'Thank you so much for coming,' Narcissa said genuinely.

'That's okay. We were going to be a little cramped at my house,' Lupin smiled.

'Remus, I haven't seen you in so long!' she gushed, and Lupin turned a little pink. 'How are things?'

'Well, holding together,' he shrugged. She clearly knew about him being a werewolf, but stayed off the subject. Harry admired her for this, and was shocked to see that he actually liked Malfoy's mother.

The conversation drifted, and Harry found himself talking to Ginny.

'So, how is he?' he asked her.

'Draco? He's not good. We need to get to him as soon as possible,' she said, looking worried.

'Well, we've got the plan, so how do you feel about a little charity on Boxing Day?' he grinned.

'Tomorrow it is, then.'

-------

He knew it was not just his diseased mind playing cruel games with him. She really was there when he saw her. Draco stuck a finger in his mouth a sucked it clean of dried blood, the taste making him retch. It was too clear. She must be connecting with him. He sat back against the wall and moved onto his right hand. She was... she had to be very special for him to have fallen in love with her. He licked his thumb and examined his index finger. It came as no real shock to him that he had never been in love before. Coldness and cruelty were the Death-Eaters' pride, he thought, sucking his middle finger pensively.

'There's no way they can get me out, though,' he muttered, sticking his ring finger in his mouth then wiping it on his sleeve. He grinned to himself, then laughed out loud at the thought that he was actually talking to himself, huddled against the wall, sucking his thumb. 'Gone bonkers, old boy,' he said, positively cheerful.

It was Christmas Day. He could not imagine why he cared. He had never liked Christmas, but now his father was gone, maybe it would be better. He pictured his mum in her favourite room. That blue room along the gallery. As the picture rose to the surface of his mind, he saw Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sirius and Lupin there, too. And Ginny.

He was surprised that he had pictured them, too. He was even more surprised when the picture grew on Ginny and Harry, until he was close enough to hear them.

'Well, we've got the plan, so how do you feel about a little charity on Boxing Day?' Potter said. He was grinning, and Ginny looked relieved.

'Tomorrow it is, then,' she said, her face set.

'Ginny,' he breathed. 'You're coming for me?'

She looked shocked. 'Draco?'

'Yep, here I am.'

'Oh god! You look much better! Did you hear us?'

'Yes, well, a bit.'

'Tomorrow, while you're outside, we're going to apparate in, give you some energy through a spell, then all go out again. Will you be ready?'

'I will,' he promised.

'Malfoy?' Harry said, looking around him. Ginny was obviously talking out loud.

'Over here,' Draco grinned.

'I can hear you, where the hell are you?'

'Over here!' Draco sang.

All the others were gathering around Ginny now. His mother looked up at where he was.

'Draco? Are you alright?' she begged.

'I'm fine, a little beaten up, but I'm fine,' he assured her.

'They're coming tomorrow darling. You'll be out in no time.'

'And on the run,' he added ruefully.

'It's not so bad,' Sirius grinned. 'What's your number?'

'One four seven,' Draco told him.

'You're next door to my old cell. How do you like it there?'

'Oh, I can't say much for the leisure activities, but the food's lovely. My bathroom is the size of a tennis court. I give it five stars,' he grinned.

'We'll be there at one, Draco,' Ginny swore.

'I know,' he smiled, and leaned forward on impulse, testing a theory. He kissed her gently, and she was kissing him back.

'Bloody hell!' Harry shouted, as Draco's head and shoulders came into view. He put out a hand, but it just passed through Draco's head.

'Don't do that, Potter, it tickles,' Draco frowned, pulling back from Ginny.

'Can I see your tattoo?' Ron asked suddenly.

'Fine, all goggle at my misfortune,' Draco groaned, pulling his sleeve up and turning it to Ron.

'Cool,' Ron breathed.

'I'm sorry,' Ginny gasped. 'But he has to go now. This is my energy we're using!'

'Sorry, Gin,' Draco said, brushing his fingertips against her cheek, then he pulled back, and the picture vanished.

He sat cross-legged on the frozen stone floor, and smiled to himself. He had won his challenge. Ginny had kissed him, twice now. He had not expected to end up liking her, but he did. He rolled over to his bench, and, picturing her river of flame coloured hair, with that white flash across her brow, he fell asleep.

-------

Harry was still shocked by what he had seen. When a bell rang somewhere and they got up to go to dinner, he could not get the picture of the scorched and blackened skin on Malfoy's shoulder out of his head. He had never thought he could feel sorry for Malfoy, but that kid had gone through too much. Against his pale skin, the mark had seemed all the more terrible, and it was more than Draco deserved. He was innocent, after all.

The group made the long journey back into the main building with a resolution on their faces. It was making them stronger, and Harry swore he would fight whatever put Malfoy there with his every breath.

The distance seemed less on the way back than on the way there, but either way, Harry did not really notice. They sat in a smaller room than the one they had come from, but it was dark red instead of blue, and heavy wood was all over the place. The meal was lovely, but it could not take Harry's mind off what he was going to have to do the next day.

-------

Draco was rudely awakened by the huge bell in the tower. It had been such a nice dream, too. He had dreamt that Potter and pals had come, and they had rescued him, then he was forgiven, for being so Goddamn cunning. He knew that it would not work, but hell, he was insane. Who could punish him for dreaming?

There was the usual hubbub outside, and he groaned as he got up, feeling his aching muscles. It was seven thirty.

'Just a few hours to go, now,' he smiled. He was not the only one muttering to himself, not by a long way. His cell door buzzed open and he wandered out to join the queue of people drifting to the eating area. It was just demeaning, but it would be a real kick in the face for these arse holes when he got out.

Some slimy unwashed convict ran up to him and clutched his arm, pleading with him in German.

'Sorry, I don't speak German,' he evaded, jerking his arm out of the creature's grasp.

The clock on the wall seemed to go slower then ever as he bolted down his thin porridge and milk.

'It's worth it,' he growled. 'It's worth it if my father is dead.'

He wondered what he would have been doing right now if none of this had happened. He would probably just be staring at a different wall. The minute hand quivered over seven forty five, then clicked over and the bell rang again. Everybody got up and walked in their various directions. First session was 'Reading time'. This was highly patronising to Draco, who could read like lightning, and most of the people in here could not read at all. He spent most of his time lying on his back, gazing at the ceiling, and lashing out at anyone who came by. He had read all the books they had in the first session yesterday.

After that came 'Writing time'. This was just as patronising, so he went for writing dirty poems about Ginny's physical appearance. He was goaded into writing something disgusting to the tune of 'I will survive' and it came out rather well. They all admired him, and the tiny classroom was filled with ape-like shrieks of laughter.

Lunch was, as ever, short lived, but this time he sat with his new-found primate friends. He found out that, at sixteen, he was the youngest there. This surprised him, but he supposed that high-level wizarding crimes were not really a fifteen year old thing.

Then came the exercise time. Draco's heart pounded, and he looked around for Ginny checking his location constantly. It was not rock breaking, but running, today. He could run. That was nothing. Running transformed into a game of 'Football'. He had never played, but he was a born leader, so he did well. His team won every game. Then, just as he kicked the ball as hard as he could, there was a flash behind him.

Someone smashed something against the floor, and a cloud of smoke swelled around him. As he breathed it in, he stood up straight, and felt life flood into him. A small, freckled hand gripped his, and they apparated away.

-------

Narcissa gripped Sirius' hand for luck, and he linked it with the others in a ring.

'Does everyone know what to do?' he checked.

They all nodded. Everyone had removed their shoes, and wore light clothes for swimming. Harry held a smoky glass ball in his hand, linked with Ron's. Lupin put a hand on Narcissa's shoulder, and waved them off.

Sirius and Harry were the only ones who could apparate, and they had given the others a very hurried lesson. Now they stood ready.

Sirius counted them down, and they all cast their spells at once. There was a much more pronounced rushing this time than there usually was, and Sirius felt it double with the excitement at their task. It all went fine.

They crashed down in a game in the exercise yard, Harry smashed the orb. Draco choked on it, then Ginny grabbed his wrist and they all shot out. That was where things started to go wrong.

Sirius could feel them falling. That had been expected, but now it was too fast. Sirius knew water, having swum the several miles away from Azkaban a few years before, and he knew what was going to happen long before it did.

'Try to dive it!' he yelled out, and up-ended himself to plunge neatly into the water. Hermione, being clever, did the same, so did Ginny. Ron did not have the time, so he curled into a ball, which was good enough, but Harry and Draco said 'What?'

It was too late by then.

Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Sirius all burst out of the water, gasping for breath, but Harry and Draco were nowhere to be seen. Without pausing for a second, Ginny dived back down.

She muttered a brief spell, and pulled the goggles on over her head. Then she snapped her eyes open. To her left she saw Sirius, pulling with strong strokes down to Harry, ten feet below. To her right, she could see a flash of silver, and knew it was Draco. He was sinking further and further away, a steady stream of bubbles flowing up from his nose and mouth. She dragged herself towards him, desperation driving her frozen limbs. As soon as she reached him and grabbed his T-shirt, she slammed her mouth onto his, and breathed some of her dwindling air into him.

Then, vision blurring slightly, she hooked her hands beneath his armpits, and pulled upwards. But it was no use, he was too heavy. Her legs seized up, and she began to suck in involuntary gulps of water. Her eyes blackened, and the last thing she saw was Hermione's hands, wrapping around Draco, and felt Ron's hands around her stomach, then there was blackness.

Sirius jerked the cord on his pack as soon as he reached the surface, and unhooked his arms. A small dinghy began to grow out of the bag, and he hurled Harry's dead weight into it before it was even full. He began to push on Harry's chest, and breathe into his mouth as hard as he could. After only a couple of these, Harry coughed weakly, and splurted water all over the place. Sirius threw his arms around Harry, then turned to pull Draco up. But Draco was not there.

Ron and Hermione gave startled looks, and dove down where Ginny had last been. Sirius pulled the boat over with his hands, and stared down into the sea for what seemed like an age before four heads parted the water. Ron handed him a blue faced Ginny, and Hermione sank down a little trying to give him the equally blue Draco. The two of them then dragged themselves in, and Hermione immediately began CPR on Ginny.

Sirius turned to Draco, and did the same as he had done for Harry. The unconscious pair came around at exactly the same time with a massive splutter and a gush of water.

'Fucking hell,' Draco croaked miserably. He pressed a hand to his chest and coughed up half the sea.

Ginny was crying and coughing. She had none of the stability of Draco, and she looked thoroughly unhappy. Her auburn hair was plastered to her back, and in the wet had turned almost black.

'Why were you kissing me, Sirius?' Draco asked, his voice still hoarse, but a grin on his normal coloured face.

'Because I love you, Draco,' Sirius smiled. 'CPR. Saved your bloody life, you ungrateful git.' But he was happy, and he clapped Draco on the back in delight. Harry tapped Draco's shoulder, and he turned. The two embraced like brothers, then Draco saw Ginny over Harry's shoulder.

'Gin!' he coughed, skidding over to her on his knees. Hermione passed Ginny into his arms instead, and took an oar from Sirius, who had just conjured some.

'Ginny,' Draco whispered, running his hands over her face and hair. Once he was sure she was still there, he pulled her against him and hugged her hard.

'Draco,' she croaked.

'Thank you,' he said, simply.

'Any time,' she said, giving him a watery grin. He kissed her forehead and hugged her again. Then he took an oar, and helped the others paddle the calm, cold sea to the shore, just as night's cold fingers snaked across the white sky.

-------

'Oh, god, I hope they managed it,' Narcissa muttered, wandering around the library again.

They had promised to come back to her as soon as they got to land, but it was getting dark and they still had not returned.

'Bugger,' she said, picking up a gold tasselled cushion from a chair and hurling it at the wall. It made her feel slightly better, but it still was not enough. Lupin looked up from where he sat, reading a book. His eyes were sparkling with amusement, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Whereas Sirius had only ever been a friend, even with the drunken snogs at the Yule Ball and on the seventh year pub-crawl, she had always had a special place in her heart for Remus.

She looked at him discreetly. His eyes flicked back and forth over the page he read. She had always liked his eyes, they were a gold-flecked hazel, but with strange silver-grey rings around the outside. His hair was a chestnut brown, and it had always been cut a bit like Draco's, but now it was more like Sirius'. Short back and sides. He was wearing a plain green shirt and black trousers, but he managed to make them look as though he had plucked them right out of a Versace show. There were, of course, his muscles. She cast her mind back to seventh year again.

'Come on, Nars, it's getting late.' Sirius was waving to her as she stumbled out of the Three Broomsticks, her vision foggy and her head floating.

'You're pissed,' Remus laughed, pointing at her wavering steps.

'Am not so blurry pisscht!' she shouted, then fell forwards. Remus was there right away. He set her back on her feet, and she hung on to his arm, squealing with laughter at some lewd comment Sirius made about her breasts.

'Only the Hog's Head left now!' Sirius reminded her brightly.

'Blurry hell,' she groaned. She had long since lost count of how much she had had to drink. Then she really fell over. Remus caught her again.

'Come on you,' he smiled. 'You're too pissed, I'm taking you back to school.'

Sirius had looked distinctly disappointed. He then went off in search of James and Lily, who had not been with the naughty group that evening, preferring to be a little more restrained.

She smiled to herself. Those were the days. She looked at Remus again. He was still reading. She sat on a window seat and gazed out at the snowy landscape of rolling hills, and breathed on the glass. A cloud of steam issued from her mouth so close to the cold window, and it settled in a haze. She lifted a finger and lazily drew a heart in the condensation. It stayed there for a moment, before dribbling water all down the glass.

'It's melting,' she whispered.

'What is?' Remus asked her, looking up. He heard everything.

'My heart,' she answered, smiling at him.

'Can't have that.' Remus got up and came over to her. 'Don't worry, it'll be fine.' He hugged her, and she leaned against him, breathing in the smell of night air and leaves that he had always had.

'They'll have got him,' he told her, holding her shoulders and looking into her turquoise eyes.

'That's not the point,' she said sadly, shaking her head. 'Thank you, Remus. I know you didn't wasn't to stay back here with me.'

'I don't care what I have to miss, if I get to be with you,' he said, and he looked so genuine. She could see through him, right to the tiny child who had stood beside her to be sorted. Narcissa Lysandine had been the first one to speak to him. She had put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes.

'They'll put you where you're meant to go. They don't care who you are.'

'That's not the point,' he replied, shaking his head sadly. 'Thank you, Narcissa. I know you didn't want to stay back here with me.'

'You don't know how much that means to me,' she whispered. She could not stop herself any longer. She slid her arms up around his neck, and kissed him.

At first he just froze, then he slipped his arms down her back to link behind his waist, holding her against him. She had never kissed Remus. Even though he was a werewolf, he had never been exciting enough for her. But she had had her fill of exciting. Lucius had been exciting, and now steady and reliable was what she needed.

His lips tasted like hazelnuts, that delicate creamy flavour that stayed with you for hours. They stopped, and pulled away slightly, Narcissa's eyes flicked over his face.

'I like you,' she said, kissing him again.

-------

'I do hope Ginny and Ron are having a good time with the Grangers,' Molly Weasley smiled, stirring her husband's scrambled eggs.

'I'm sure they are, dear,' came Arthur's voice from the hall, where he was doing up his tie in the mirror, which was yelling directions at him. This, however, did not help slightly, as the directions were backwards.

'It was so nice of the Grangers to have them,' she continued.

'Yes, well, we do have Hermione a lot, too,' Arthur reminded her.

'Lovely girl,' Molly said happily, tipping the eggs out onto some toast and putting the plate on the table.

Arthur came in looking flustered already, and snatched up the breakfast, pouring it down his throat and downing Charlie's orange juice before grabbing his cloak and vanishing.

Molly sighed and picked up his plate. She swept the remains into the bin and scrubbed it dutifully in the sink. Charlie came thundering down the stairs and picked up his empty glass of orange juice without realising it was empty. When he did, he grunted and washed it up in the sink.

'I love you!' Molly exclaimed, flinging her arms around her tall son's waist.

'And now is such a pressing time to tell me because?' he frowned, petting her head awkwardly. He obviously did not think leather clad dragon keepers and plump frizzy mums mixed too well.

'You washed up,' she said simply, as though this was the most wonderful thing any person could do.

'Yeah, I'd... noticed. I have to go out, mum, thanks for breakfast.' He fended her off and grabbed his long leather coat before running out of the door.

-------

Hermione pushed open the door to the library, where they had agreed to meet Narcissa when they returned. She was greeted with the sight of Narcissa and Lupin groping each other on the window-seat, and shut the door quickly.

'Is she not in there?' Harry asked, frowning.

'Oh, she's in there,' Hermione said in a strangled voice.

'You sound like a dying cat, Granger, why aren't we going in?' Draco asked her, one perfect eyebrow raised.

'Lupin's in there,' she hissed, meaning to give a hint, but not the one received...

'Has he Changed?' Sirius snapped, reaching for the door handle.

'No! No,' she said, moving in front of the door. 'She's in there, with Lupin.'

'Oh, she and Remus are snogging?' Sirius asked loudly.

Hermione nodded, pressing a finger to her lips.

'Knew it. I knew it,' he said, his eyes bright.

'My mum's sharing spit with that werewolf?' Draco said, his mouth open in disbelief.

'He's a human right now,' Hermione said quietly.

'Not for bloody long!' Draco snapped, pointing to the window behind them, where the top of a very full moon was just visible.

'Shit!' Sirius shouted, shoving past Hermione and running into the room. 'Stupefy!' he bellowed, pointing his wand at Lupin.

Lupin rolled off the window seat and collapsed on the floor.

'What the hell was that for?' Narcissa cried, standing up, her eyes glinting with anger.

'He's about to bloody change, you ungrateful bitch!' Sirius snapped. He held up a hand, 'Accio Wolfsbane potion!'

A small metal flask shot into his hand, shattering a window in the process. Just as the sliver of moonlight advanced across the room, Sirius managed to force the steaming mixture between Lupin's teeth. There was a flash as it touched him, and he stiffened on the floor, he rolled into a ball, then extended, howling deeply as fur began to prickle through his skin, and claws replaced nails. His face lengthened, and Sirius transformed, ready to tackle him if he got out.

But Lupin just settled in the form of a wolf, curled tightly on the floor, still wearing his clothes. Sirius changed back with a sigh of relief and got to his feet.

'Fetched your son, drowned your son, kissed your son, made your son paddle back,' he summarised.

'Thank god!' Narcissa cried, wrapping her arms around Draco.

'Which bit?' Sirius grinned impudently.

'The combination of everything.'

'Unfortunately, now we're all just as criminal as he and Sirius,' Harry pointed out.

'Okay, I would say that Hermione can get away with it. Ginny, you could, not you Harry, or you, Ron.'

'I'm not leaving Draco,' Ginny pouted, folding her arms.

'I'm not leaving Ginny,' Ron said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

'I'm not leaving Ron,' Hermione grinned, reaching a hand up to his shoulder.

'I'm not going to get away with it,' Harry shrugged, putting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

'I'm already a convict,' Sirius laughed, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder, which was still a good six inches below his.

'And I'm just joining in because I hate to be left out of a Conga line,' Draco grinned, and grabbed Sirius' waist and started to hum loudly and kick out to either side.

'Yeah, don't we all just love to Conga our way to prison?' Harry smiled ruefully.

'Of course we do, Potter. It's what gives our lives spice,' Draco said, in between kicks.