Saving Each Other

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The weather had been stormy ever since the students had returned to Hogwarts, which kept the hallways in an eerie perpetual twilight. Since it was the first week back for the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry it was a hustle and bustle of figuring out where their new classes were and gauging the teachers who taught them.

Ginny Weasley, who was starting her sixth year at Hogwarts walked through the hallways without even thinking about where she was going. Soon enough she found herself outside the door to Professor Snape's dungeon for Potions, her first class on Friday's. Ginny went over to her best friend, Mattie, and gave a tremendous yawn.

"M-m-morning," said Ginny through her yawn.

"Morning," said Mattie, surveying Ginny. "You overslept."

"I know," said Ginny. "I thought I was going to be late."

Just then the door to Snape's dungeon opened and the class started filing in. Snape waited until everyone was seated then said, "The instructions for today's potion is on the board." He tapped the board with his wand and the words appeared. "You'll have to follow the instructions precisely because if you don't your potion will explode. You may start."

Ginny started pulling ingredients out of her bag and muttered sarcastically, "Nothing like Potions to get your day off to a good start."

Draco Malfoy arrived at double Care of Magical Creatures with Crabbe and Goyle just before the tardy bell rang. Not that he would have minded being late. The only thing he ever got out of this class was getting on Potter, Weasley and Granger's nerves.

And I need to do that as often as possible, thought Draco to himself. Wouldn't want them to figure it out.

Ron Weasley was, as usual, sitting with his best friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger discussing the Halloween Dance.

"Since the dance starts at 8:00 I reckon we should meet in the Common Room at 7:30, ok 'Mione?" asked Ron.

"Ok," said Hermione, blushing slightly.

Perfect, thought Draco as he opened his mouth and adopted a mockingly shocked expression.

"Weasley, you're dating that! I thought you couldn't sink any lower but," Draco sighed dramatically. "I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm wrong."

Ron got up and moved threateningly toward Draco, his expression stormy.

"Ron!" said Hermione warningly while Harry stood and grabbed the back of Ron's robes.

Draco smirked and was about to comment when Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, emerged from the Forbidden Forest and beckoned the class to follow him.

"Now, today we're goin' be doin' a bit more wit' thestrals," said Hagrid enthusiastically.

Oh yes, thought Draco sarcastically as he followed Hagrid and the rest of the class into the Forbidden Forest. Another pointless chapter in the Care of Magical Creatures saga.

The night of the Halloween dance finally arrived and Harry and Ron were waiting for their dates in the Common Room. Harry was nervously adjusting his robes and checking and rechecking that he had his required mask (A/N They have to wear masks because it's a Halloween dance). Ron was in the chair next to where Harry was standing, sitting calmly, waiting for Hermione to come down from the girl's dormitory.

Ron looked up at Harry, watching in amusement as Harry checked is mask a fourth time.

"Little nervous, 'eh mate?" asked Ron, grinning.

Harry flushed slightly and mumbled something under his breath. He did, however, sit down in the chair next to Ron's and only checked his mask two more times before Parvati, Harry's date, came down from her dormitory fifteen minutes later.

"Ready Harry?" asked Parvati brightly when she reached him.

"Er - yeah," Harry said and with one last nervous nod at Ron, he and Parvati left the Common Room for the dance.

Ron smiled amusedly and turned his attention back to the staircase to the girl's dormitory. Hermione stood at the bottom looking, in Ron's opinion, stunning. She smiled and went over to him.

"Wow 'Mione," said Ron, looking dumbstruck. "You look . . Wow!"

"You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Weasley," replied Hermione teasingly as she took his arm and guided him to the portrait hole.

Ron recovered himself and grinned saying, "I'll be the envy of every guy in room."

I guess he' s better than no one, Ginny thought dejectedly as she danced awkwardly with Colin Creevy, a fellow Gryffindor sixth year.

Just then the song ended and Colin asked, "Are you thirsty?"

Ginny smiled and replied, "Yes."

"I'll go and get us some butterbeers!" said Colin. He edged off in the direction of the drinks while Ginny started to make her way to one of the tables that ringed the dance floor. The band struck up a new, faster tune as Ginny reached the edge of the dancers. She was just about to sit down when someone grabbed her hand and swung her onto the dance floor.

"I thought you went to get . . ." Ginny started as she turned around, expecting to find Colin's mask greeting her. Instead it was an unfamiliar mask that belonged to someone with steely gray eyes. He whirled her out onto the dance floor.

Ginny's thoughts were whirling fast than she was. 'Who is he?' was foremost followed by 'Who cares!'

Ginny blinked behind her mask surprised at the turn her thoughts had taken. Then she looked back into the strangers eyes and any more thoughts she might have had flew out of her head. He whirled her faster as the song continued until at the end he dipped her low, gave her one passion-filled kiss, whirled her up . . . and was gone.

Ginny was left standing there with a dreamy expression thinking, 'Wow.'

She was still staring in the direction the stranger had left when Colin finally made his way back with the butterbeers.

"Here's your . . ." he trailed off, looking at her face with concern. "Hey, are you ok?"

"Hmm?" asked Ginny hazily, her mind still on the enchanting stranger.

"Are you ok?" Colin repeated.

"Oh, yeah," said Ginny shaking her head to bring herself back to reality. She took the proffered butterbeer, smiled at him and said, "Never better."

That was a really risky stunt you just pulled, Draco thought as he made his way across the dance floor as fast as he could. It was definitely worth it though. God she looked beautiful with her red curls and yellow dress. Still, if she had recognized me . .

Draco found himself longing for the day when he could tell Ginny Weasley that it had been him who had so mesmerized her on the dance floor. Draco sighed as he reached his date and reluctantly started to dance with her. Unfortunately, I don't think that day will ever come.

Ginny returned to the Common Room after the dance and headed straight for her dormitory, ignoring the couples snogging in the Common Room, which included her brother and Hermione plus Harry and Parvati. She went into her room intending to write in her diary, but was instead greeted with her roommates chatting up a storm. Ginny pretended to be tired to avoid the nosy questions her roommates were bound to ask.

She dressed for bed, her thoughts on the mesmerizing stranger. She drew the hangings shut on her bed and laid down.

I wonder who he was? Ginny mused sleepily before dropping off to sleep her dreams full of the stranger.

Three floors below Draco Malfoy dressed for bed as well, having just said goodnight to his date for the evening, the simpering Pansy Parkinson. Draco's nose wrinkled in disgust at the thought of her, always acting like a lovesick puppy around him. Pansy's father and Draco's own father, Lucius, were friends and Lucius had given Draco strict instructions to escort Pansy to every dance.

So far Draco had been lucky and had been able to escape spending the entirety of each dance with her, managing to find an excuse to slip away for a awhile to save his sanity. He knew better than to count on his luck holding forever though. He was fast running out of plausible excuses and, though she was slow, Pansy would pick up on it if he used the same excuse too many times.

Like the one tonight, thought Draco. He had feigned a bloody nose for the third time and had insisted he needed to go to the hospital wing.

But it was worth it because I got to dance with the girl of my dreams, thought Draco happily. He had started to fall in love with Ginny during his second year. She had stood up to him, something people didn't normally do. Sure she had been sticking up for Potter, but it hadn't really mattered to Draco why she had done it. Most people were too afraid, too awestruck or too stupid to realize they'd been insulted.

Not Ginny though, thought Draco. She was special. Draco climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, his dreams full of Ginny.