[HP Doujin] take care of you

"I'm just keeping my word," he said.

She could see the stairs now, and the door above them was lighted.Ginny had to stop him, make him think clearly.

"Why did you take me to the Ministry of Magic?"

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Does it matter?"

Ginny bit her lip.

"Because it doesn't make sense."

Severus stopped, shaking his head.

"You would never have gotten into the Ministry of Magic without my help."

"Then why did you help me?"

He looked at her blankly, then moved on again, and her heart tightened.

"Why did you kill Dumbledore?"

no answer.

"Why are you here?"

silence.

"How did you get into Hogwarts?"

He continues to ignore her.

"Severus! Please! Please don't go up, I don't want you to die, I don't want anything to happen to you!"

Her words stunned him.Ginny was so excited, she was shaking.Everything she said was true.She didn't want him to die, she didn't want him to be hurt.Even if he was serving Voldemort, even if he was sending her to die, she didn't want the Order of the Phoenix to have a chance to attack him.Although Severus may have hated her, he had saved her, and he had gone to the Ministry to save her.

She walked hesitantly to his side.His face was hidden in shadow.She heard a sudden loud bang above her head.Dust kicked up on the surrounding walls.Severus struggled to steady himself as Ginny staggered against the wall opposite him.Then, suddenly, Severus was beside her.

He threw his cloak over her, buttoned it quickly, and took her arm.She managed to keep up with him and headed for the stairs.

"Are they in? Are the Death Eaters in?"

Severus nodded.

"Where are you taking me? Why are you here?"

They ran up the stairs, and Ginny could see flashes and hear screams.Her stomach turned over.

"I'm saving you. So shut up, or you'll get what you deserve."

-*.*.*-

She didn't know how Snape dragged her through the battle.There were people, blood and screams everywhere.The dust and debris from the castle's collapse nearly took her breath away.

She turned her head, sure she heard Sirius yelling behind her.The slightest turn around is enough to slow her down, giving someone a chance to attack her.Ginny didn't know if they were friends or foes, or whether they thought she was a Death Eater or a member of the Order of the Phoenix.Severus saved her, she didn't see Sirius in the crowd.Ginny worried that he might get hurt.After all she had done to save him, they were now going to risk their lives in this war.

He pulled her up from the ground and made her follow him.There were still some occasional attacks, but she found that every member of the Order who came to duel with them was not seriously injured.

But when Severus and she came to the Quidditch pitch, her head cleared.She leaned against a wall, panting, and Severus looked around.

"There's still a little time. Go to Hogsmeade, it's safe there and no one will stop you," he ordered.

She shook her head, her curly hair falling down her face.

"I can't leave."

"Don't make it so hard, Stiles—"

He inadvertently called her by her pseudonym, and they both froze.He frowned and looked away.

"Everyone who cares about you wants you to stay out of this war. Does that mean nothing to you? Are you that selfish?"

His voice was low and harsh, but she could hear the worry in it.Ginny bit her lip and gripped her wand tightly.

"Do you care about me, Severus?"

She knew that this question was a double-edged sword.But she was really curious.Did Severus Snape really care about her?

"I can't save her." He said suddenly softly.

Severus looked like he was about to collapse, his eyes wide open, his face pale and sweaty.Ginny ran up to him worriedly, and he pushed her away roughly, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

"You can't save..." Ginny opened her eyes wide in surprise, and her voice became smaller and smaller. "You can't save Lily?"

At the mere mention of Lily, Severus had to fight back.

"It wasn't your fault, Severus."

He looked up at her and shook his head.Her heart sank.She still didn't know much about Lily's relationship with Severus, and after she left 1978, a lot of things happened that she didn't know.

"So you're trying to save me?"

Severus exhaled slowly, trying to calm himself down.After a while, he stood up straight.A loud noise came from the direction of the school, which caught their attention.They were all silent until Severus finally spoke.

"She sent you to me." His voice was soft, the first time Ginny had heard him say that. "She wants you to save me. She believes you can. You're the only one she cares about."

From another perspective, Severus now felt it was his duty to keep Ginny alive.

"Where's Harry?"

Severus contorted at the sound of Harry's name.

"I've been protecting him," he said simply.

Ginny frowned.

"I don't know--"

"You don't have to understand either. We've wasted too much time and you need to leave now—"

"Leave now? But why would she do that, Severus?"

Someone was talking slowly in the shadows, startling Ginny and Severus.Ginny turned to look at the Quidditch pitch, and saw two figures walking towards them.Severus subtly pushed Ginny's wand hand back into the cloak.

"Lucius." Severus greeted.

Lucius Malfoy walked slowly towards them, a gleam of ecstasy on his pale face.

"The battle is going well, and the Dark Lord is very satisfied." Lucius said to them.

The man next to Malfoy, who she'd seen in the Department of Mysteries in fourth year, giggled.Faced with their unusual greeting, Severus nodded.

"The Dark Lord wants to see you, though," Lucius said, his voice silky.

Ginny gripped her wand tremblingly.

"Okay," Severus said.

He left without looking back.Severus just turned away, leaving her on the Quidditch pitch with Malfoy and another Death Eater.She wanted to scream, to stop him, but she couldn't.She seemed to lose her voice.

Malfoy tilted his head, then walked towards her.He stretched out a fair hand and stroked a strand of curly red hair, showing a sneer.

"Miss Weasley."

Ginny felt her knees go weak.She struggled to find the anger and willpower to keep going.

"The Dark Lord will be delighted that Severus has found you," he told her sincerely. "He's always been interested in talking to you."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Yo, isn't that nice?"

Lucius' lips twitched.

"You're only 16 years old, and you've already had a lot of adventures." Lucius looked at her, and she felt the wand in her hand getting hot. "You grew up in a family that didn't match your blood, with parents who were too Muggle-loving and poisoned your mind...you met the Dark Lord in your first year at Hogwarts...you almost helped him get his revenge, and let The school is in a mess—”

"I didn't." Ginny couldn't help but exclaimed. "You put that diary in my cauldron."

He didn't seem to mind her obvious anger.

"Details, details, Miss Weasley."

How could Severus leave her like that?It doesn't make sense.

"You've made Potter fall in love with you, and that's a great achievement. But alas, he's probably going to die tonight. Did you say goodbye?"

Ginny spat in Lucius' face.She was careful not to pull out her wand, and Severus must have had a reason for letting her hide it, but she couldn't let him keep talking to her like that.As Lucius wiped his pale face with a handkerchief, the other Death Eater roared.

"Oh, Nott." There was a hint of anger in Lucius' voice.

Nott sneered.

"You're back in time," Lucius continued, eyes gleam dangerously.

There was another loud bang in the distance.

"You went back in time... What an adventure... Tell me, is it worth it? Now that the Dark Lord has to kill you, is it worth going back in time?"

What happened after that came very suddenly.Ginny opened her mouth to retort.However, her words did not come out.Lucius slapped her so hard that she fell to the ground and hit her head against the wall next to her, feeling dizzy and out of breath.

"You don't deserve to waste the Dark Lord's time," Lucius called, his voice echoing in Ginny's ears. "Cruciate!"

She didn't know if she was screaming, if Malfoy was still standing in front of her, if time had stopped or suddenly sped up.Her skin seemed to be ripped off piece by piece.Is her blood boiling?It felt like it was boiling with incredible heat, but it wasn't weird because she was going through this, she couldn't breathe—

After the curse was over, Ginny gasped for breath.She was sweating and her nose was bleeding.Everything in front of me is blurred.She wanted to get up, but her arms couldn't support her.She fell to the ground again.

"Ah, I feel better now," Malfoy said slowly beside her.

Nott laughed.

"Grab her. It's time to take her to-"

"Don't touch her."

Hearing the familiar voice, Ginny no longer paid too much attention to the pain in her body, but looked in the direction of the sound.Seeing the radiant Sirius, she really wanted to cry.Neville was beside him, and dear Neville was watching her.

She really wondered if she looked like she was dying.Ginny felt sure.

"Blake," Lucius called. "How heroic. Came to save your girlfriend?"

It's disturbing that the Death Eaters know so much about Ginny and her past.This time, she managed to get up with hands and feet.Nott kicked her brutally in the stomach, and she fell to the ground again, whimpering uncontrollably.

"Bastard——" Sirius tried his best to control himself, his voice full of anger.

Sweat dripped into Ginny's eyes, and she kept staring at Sirius and Neville.Sirius had learned from past experience and kept an eye on Malfoy and Nott.Although he was furious, he still held his wand firmly.She noticed that Neville moved closer to her.

"That's stupid, Blake," Lucius told him. "Don't you still have to take care of your godson?"

Sirius recognized the meaning of these harsh words, and there was a moment of hesitation on his expression.

"No," Ginny called.

With gray eyes on Ginny, Lucius and Nott seized the opportunity and attacked.

"All petrochemical!"

"Drill the heart and gouge out the bone!"

Neville fell stiffly to the ground, kicking up dust onto Ginny's face.Sirius gasped, then fell to his knees, wrinkling his face in pain.He was hit by Cruciatus.Ginny tried her best to get up from the ground and walked towards Lucius.Before she could get close to him, however, Nott pushed her aside, and Lucius laughed.