Fire and Ice

Holes

Draco jumped as the curtain was drawn.

"Oh! You're awake!" Ginny exclaimed apologetically. Shaking his head, Draco replied "I only woke up five minutes ago. I've been studying the diary entry, and Gin... I'm worried about it."

Crawling into bed next to him, Ginny took the diary off him to re-read. Studying the entry, Ginny said quietly, "It sounds too good to be true, to be honest."

"Well, yes, but I'm more worried about the holes."

"Holes?"

"Yes. The holes in the entry. My father had only written about the ills that the enemy would suffer, unsuprisingly. But what about the person who says the curse? Are they unharmed, unaffected by the curse? What happens to the magic that suddenly goes? Will the attacker suddenly gain it all, and become all-powerful? Or will they spontaneously combust with the overload? It says that my father used it on Filch, and Filch is a squib now, assuming Lucius is talking about that mardy arse with the cat, who cleans the floors and all that. But father isn't any more powerful than any old magician. Granted, he's skilled, but that's nature, not nurture. And Voldemort... he's a lot different to any old wizard."

Ginny stared silently at Draco, as she took in all of his concerns, and searched in her mind ways to alleviate them. All these holes... How can I ask Draco to do this, when we know nothing about this curse? I won't have him in danger, I can't.

"Draco... don't do it."

"What?" He replied disbelievingly.

"Don't do it," Ginny repeated quietly. "I'd die if anything happened to you, I-"

"Ginny," Draco interrupted strongly, "I have to do this. I have to. You're right, it should be me, I actually have a chance to beat him, what with, err..." His voice faded. Shaking his head, he searched for the words that he wasn't allowed to say. He didn't need to finish his sentence, though. Ginny had already started kissing him. Pressing her forehead into his, she whispered, "You're the bravest man I'll ever know, and I love you, so much, and I always will."

Draco closed his eyes and kissed her back, as his mind repeated her words again and again.

"I love you too." He whispered, almost silently, after he drew away. "Will you be there? At the duelling matches?"

"Oh, yes, I just checked. I'm on there, as are you, and Harry. Oh, about Harry..."

Draco's eyes grew darker and darker as Ginny nervously told him about Harry's drunken kiss.

"I just left him on the floor, I don't..." her already-wavering voice faded as she observed his fuming expression.

"I'll kill him." Draco said flatly, as he started to rise.

"No, no!" Ginny grabbed Draco's shoulders and yanked him back down again. "Please, please, don't be like this. He was drunk, he didn't mean it. Besides, I handled it."

Breathing unsteadily, Draco looked as intimidating as his father. He looked down at Ginny and softened his expression slightly.

"We should probably get ready for class," he said softly, as he slowly began to change. Ginny nodded and quietly mirrored him, silently gulping as she was reminded that her lover was Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin infamous for his rage.

Interrupting her reverie, Draco murmured quielty, "How long?"

Ginny knew what he meant.

"A week," she replied softly, before stroking his biceps comfortingly.

A week before the final duelling match. A week, possibly, before Lord Voldemort falls.