Fire and Ice

Priorities

She stroked his chest softly.

"So... When you're duelling..."

Draco sat up, and looked at Ginny head-on.

"I know what you're about to say, and yes, Ginny, it has to be you."

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, Ginny refused to look up.

"Ginny." Draco said harshly. "I need to count on you."

"But..." she began to whisper. Draco grabbed her chin gently and pulled her bottom lip from underneath her teeth. Suddenly, he roughly grabbed her face and pressed his hard lips against hers.

As he drew back, Ginny whispered, "I don't know if I'll be able to tomorrow. I don't know if I can."

"You can," Draco said. "I know you can. I wish I could tell you but..." He shook his head, choking with the words he was forbidden to say.

Misunderstanding, a small smile lifted Ginny's worried face. "Thank you for having so much faith in me, but I've never healed someone who'll have such severe injuries. I mean, I've only ever healed myself! I'm just slightly better at healing than others in my class, I..."

"Shh." Draco held her softly, uncharacteristically. He slowly turned Ginny around to face him. "Please, just do this for me."

"Of course!" Ginny cried, gripping his biceps. "Of course I will, I'll do anything, anything, to make this easier for you.."

"I know." Draco said quietly.

"Draco, before, I wasn't just talking about my abilities when I said I don't know if I could do this." They looked at each other. "I was also talking about my willpower."

"What?"

"How can I run to Harry and heal him, when you and Voldemort are duelling!? How can I even force my eyes to stray away from you for one second when-"

As Ginny began to sob, Draco pressed his forehead against hers. Ginny, who was straddling Draco, shook her head as her tears fell into their laps.

"Ginny! You have to be focused! He's the Chosen One for fuck's sake, he needs to be your number one priority! I can't believe I just said that, but it's true. You need to remember your job, alright. Protect Potter."

"But what if you need me?" She whimpered. "I can't simply-"

"Gin. Don't worry about me. Just... Keep Potter awake, okay?"

Ginny looked at Draco with shining eyes. "Okay."

But before he reached over to kiss her again, she put a cold finger to his lips.

"You are my first and only priority and always will be, remember that."

As Ginny watched Draco's wand fall through the air, she replayed last night's conversation in her head. But he needs me, she thought feverishly, as she saw Draco's face whiten. His mother is dead.

She bit her lip as she watched Voldemort stand. I have to do my job.

Closing her eyes as she drew her wand, Ginny pointed it at Harry and started muttering.