A Sorrowful Goodbye

Chapter 5: Draco's Task

"Ginny!" Draco cried as Ginny lay on the cold, stone floor of the 6^th year girls' dormitory. She wasn't moving. He was vaguely aware of the Mudblood's eyes on him. She was obviously confused, but there wasn't time to explain. He needed to figure out how to help Ginny first.

Kneeling down beside her, Draco felt for a pulse in her wrist. He felt the weak tempo beating against his fingertips. She was still alive; that was good. Draco knew that she needed to get to the infirmary. He eased his arms underneath her, carefully scooping up her body, heavy with weight of unconsciousness. Turning, he was about to exit the room when Granger's voice called out to him, almost too quietly for him to hear.

"What have you done to her, Malfoy?" The voice was coated with anger and suspicion. Draco groaned inwardly, wishing that Granger would just leave him bloody well alone. He faced her, feeling his eyes flashing in annoyance.

"Sod off!" Draco hissed. Granger was unperturbed as she continued to glare at him. Her hair was frizzier than ever in her angered state. The brown eyes bore into his icy ones, daring him to stand up to her. He had to admit she had courage. Not many people ventured to oppose to him.

"No," she said simply, but the meaning was strong. Draco knew that he would not be able to rid himself of her unless he allowed her to accompany him.

He strode to the door without further argument. If she wanted to follow, she could. The quick footsteps behind him ensured Draco that she would, indeed, be accompanying him. They descended the curving dormitory stairs. Torchlight fell upon Ginny's limp form, streaking her scarlet hair with gold. Draco felt as though he were trying to win a marathon while traveling through jelly. His progress was exasperatingly slow.

Finally, they reached the base of the stairs. Draco continued making his way past overstuffed armchairs and couches, glad that no one was in the Common Room. A part of him wondered what time it was, but he was too distracted to care.

He stood before the portrait, signifying the exit of the Gryffindor Common Room. Draco reached his arm out to swing the picture open, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. It was Granger. "What?" he asked in annoyance.

The Mudblood was staring at him, a defiant look in her eyes. "We should get Ron," she stated, "He's her sister, after all; he deserves the right to know."

Draco took a deep breath to steady his anger. There was no time for this now! Ginny could be dying, and needed to get to the hospital wing.

"Tell you what," he said, "you wake Weasley from his restful sleep... and I'll take her-" he motioned with his head toward Ginny's unmoving body - "to Madam Pomfrey."

Granger stared at him for a moment, and then her shoulders sagged in resignation. "Fine," she said, and without another word, trudged toward the boys' dormitories. She disappeared around the curving stairs, leaving Draco alone with the unconscious Ginny.

Much to his aversion, Draco found himself sighing. He was relieved to be rid of Granger. He didn't know how Potter or Weasley put up with her constant orders. She was like a mosquito, always buzzing in his ear, no matter how much he brushed her away.

Draco stood up straight. He had a job to do, and an urgent one at that. Ginny had to be transported to the hospital wing, as quickly as possible. He continued on his way, carefully stepping around tall, green and black furniture so as not to disturb Ginny. He had no idea when she could be awakened... if she could be awakened.

No. He would not think about that. He could not fail his Father in this task. However, Draco bemused, he deserved some credit. His job involving Temptation was not easy. He had to gather all those affected by it, bring them to his Father, and...

And what? Draco didn't know. He'd never been told. He scowled, angered that no one gave him any more information than the bare minimum required. He was old enough to handle the duty as a future Death Eater.

His Father had told him that very few people would be influenced by Temptation. When Lucius had handed Draco the list of those Hogwarts students affected, Draco had been quite surprised at how few there really were. Five. That was all. Of course, the famous Potter and his two shadows - Granger and Weasley - had been three of them. He had no doubt that Potter would be; he seemed to be involved in everything. That his two followers were, as well, only made sense. You couldn't have one without the other two, now, could you? Ginny, however, had been a surprise. He'd barely known her. She was just Weasley's younger sister; too unimportant to cast a second glance at.

But the most shocking was the last person on the list. Someone that had made Draco shiver with fear, and he never outwardly showed emotion, if he could help it. But this, this was too much. It almost made him refuse the task right then and there. However, his Father had been watching his face, and had laid his cane on Draco's elbow.

"Draco, you will perform this task, if you ever want to be allowed in my household again." Lucius had spoken with such resolve, such fierceness, that Draco had relented. He would do it. And so he was.

But he hadn't known that Temptation would be so... sneaky, for the lack of a better word. Yes, that was it. Sneaky. Any other Slytherin would have snorted out loud at the thought of this Fate being sneaky. So much like a Slytherin... Too bad Draco didn't snort.

But he hadn't been amused when he'd realized that Temptation outsmarted him before he'd even gotten a chance to master it. No, he had no idea that he would be the first person twisted beneath Temptation's cruel hand. He was the fifth one on the list. He could be influenced by this wily version of Fate. And his inner temptation, apparently, was lust. He hadn't believed it at first, of course. He'd scoffed at his Father, even laughed at the thought that he, Draco Malfoy, was one of the five people of England to be affected by Temptation's spell. And the spell of lust, of all things? It had to be some kind of stupid joke.

Unfortunately, that kiss with Ginny had pretty much proven that he was, indeed, lustful.