Fallen Angel

Chapter Seventeen: Fallen Cradle

A few moments later, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco had gone to Draco's solo bedroom across the castle. Harry sat on the provided ottoman, Hermione was perched upon the desk, Ron was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and Ginny was sitting beside Draco upon the bed. Once Ginny and Draco had made up in their rather public display in the hallway outside the Headmaster's Tower, Draco persuaded them all to come to his rooms, in an effort to explain further what had happened.

"Headmaster Dumbledore has arranged for the Aurors to view my memories," he explained softly, while Ginny curled her hand around his. "He's confident that, once they've seen them, that they will go to Malfoy Manor and arrest Lucius."

Ginny hesitated with her stroking then, and suddenly pitched forward, yanking Draco's vest and unbuttoning his shirt, and Ron stepped forward.

"Oi, Gin, could you wait until I'm gone before you—!"

"Belt up, Ron!" Ginny hissed through her teeth as Hermione's arm came out and prevented Ron from attacking anyone. Painstakingly, Ginny unbuttoned the rest of Draco's shirt and pulled it off of him, and drew back immediately at what she saw. "Merlin, Draco," she breathed, tears filling her eyes.

Harry got to his feet and circled the bed, doubling backwards at the sight of the deep lashings that littered Draco's back, so much so that Ron had to grab ahold of him to prevent him from potentially falling and hitting his head. "Merlin, Draco, what happened?" he demanded, hearing Hermione give a sharp intake of breath then, leading him to believe that she was crying.

"Lucius," Draco said bitterly as Ginny hopped off the bed and dashed towards the bathroom, and vomited in the loo, causing Draco to wince for a moment. "He borrowed Bellatrix's enchanted whip and used it to cut into me, before he curse me, because I tried to resist the task of delivering the parcel."

Ginny emerged from the loo a moment later, after washing her hands and face and rinsing out her mouth, and was holding a brown potion bottle. "Essence of Dittany," she said softly and climbed back onto the bed and behind Draco. Through tears, she gently rubbed the potion on his wounds, and Draco grimaced, although tears came out of his eyes. "I'm sorry," Ginny whispered as his wounds began to close and, once they were healed completely, she put a Cleaning Charm upon her hands and held him against her.

Draco wrapped his arms around her hands and leaned back, shuddering from the sensation of his skin closing and healing. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Ginny gently pressed her lips to Draco's temple. "Of course," she whispered back.

"Marry me, Ginny Weasley," Draco said quietly, and Ron's jaw tightened at the question, and Harry and Hermione immediately moved to hold him back.

Ginny let out a soft chuckle and pulled him closer. "Once you ask my father for his blessing and propose properly on bended knee, Draco Malfoy, my answer is yes," she said, and Draco gave a small smile, pleased with that.

~*~

Lucius Malfoy's arrest was plastered all over The Daily Profit and The Quibbler, and Hermione began brewing various potions laced with protective draughts so as Draco would constantly be safe from the Slytherins who wished to do him harm. Madam Pomfrey checked over the wounds on his back that Ginny had tended to, and informed the young witch that she would make an excellent healer, and promptly offered her an apprenticeship Ron agreed that Ginny's career choice was a good one, and made sure that she would have time for Quidditch, while Hermione devised an appropriate study schedule on her behalf.

Dumbledore provided a Portkey for Draco and Ginny on the final day of January to take to the Ministry of Magic in London, so as Draco could provide testimony against his father before the Wizengamot. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody met them at the ministry, and stood on guard on their behalf throughout the proceedings. Everyone in the gallery who was supporting Draco in his time of peril gave scathing looks to Lucius Malfoy, and it didn't surprise them that no character witnesses came forward; likely because they were Death Eaters themselves, and also because Narcissa likely couldn't face her own son in court. Once the pair of them returned to Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione listened to their tearful accounts of the day, and how Lucius had almost immediately been sentenced to life in Azkaban.