Disclaimer: I own nothing copyrighted by anybody.
***~~~***
Draco spent most of that night in a tavern, nursing a glass of firewhiskey. He couldn’t bear to be anywhere near Ginny, knowing that in only a few short hours she would be leaving him forever.
But around one in the morning, he pulled himself off the barstool and Apparated home. Once inside and upstairs, Draco started to pause outside the room he and Ginny used to share, but forced himself to keep moving to the room where he had recently been staying.
As much as he dreaded the morning to come, Draco quickly fell asleep with Ginny’s face imprinted on his mind.
Waking up a few hours later, he noticed that something was different in his room. Something heavy and warm lay on his chest and all he could see was red. Pulling back, his eyes focused in the light, and to his amazement, he saw Ginny lying beside him with arms wrapped tightly around his middle. She shifted slightly, muttered something unintelligible and snuggled closer to him, eliciting a trembling smile to form on his face.
Suddenly, Draco was looking down into Ginny’s big brown eyes that gleamed softly in the darkness.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before a word was uttered.
‘No talking. Can’t we just be together like this, just us, for a little while longer? I just want to forget everything for a few minutes, and believe that we’re just like we were; perfect, happy, together. Is that too much to ask for?’
Even if he had something to say, he wouldn’t be able to speak as he was too choked up to get words past the block in his throat. Leaning down, Draco kissed Ginny softly and felt all of the magic return, felt all of the explosiveness that their kisses held. Letting go of her senses, Ginny moaned softly and hearing that, Draco threw all caution to the wind. He made love to her then, stripping off her pajamas gently and revelled in the feel of her bare skin against his, knowing that it would be the last time. Each of her touches left a line of fire on his skin and Draco answered in kind. Somewhere in the darkness, Ginny cried out his name and he answered, reaching out to her. Losing themselves in each other, they fell sleep and held on tightly to each other, both still unwilling to finally let go.
***~~~***
Against all her good judgment, Ginny had gone into Draco’s room and held him, to feel that sense of togetherness for the last time. She couldn’t deny that it felt so right, that they fit together so well, and she knew that as his arms periodically tightened around her, the body could never lie.
And then he had noticed her there, forcing her to own up to her actions. She didn’t want to let the feeling go and so asked for more time to forget. But then he had kissed her and Ginny lost herself in him again, letting it go too far for redemption. She cherished every caress, knowing that they would be the last. Draco’s touch always ignited something in her, asking a question she knew she would always answer, but not any more. There was to be no more passion, no more questions, no more answers, at least not for her.
Time and the folly of others were to break them apart, but Ginny had to defy the powers that be one more time and say goodbye in her own way to Draco. As they fell asleep tightly holding each other, she knew that she had done the best she could.
***~~~***
When Draco woke up again, he was alone and acutely felt a cold spot on his chest where Ginny’s head had recently lain. He got up quickly, not wanting to dwell on what could not be his. He pulled some clothes on hastily and Apparated to his office, wanting to get out of the house before the others arrived to take Ginny away.
***~~~***
Ginny stood forlornly in the middle of her bedroom as Harry and her brothers bustled around her.
‘Gin, do you want this?’ Harry asked her, holding out an object.
She looked down to see the picture in its frame that had sat on her dressing table. The photo had been taken at a formal party a few months before, a moment forever-captured on film by Colin Creevey and his Muggle camera. Ginny and Draco were wrapped in each other’s arms with their foreheads touching, looking deeply into each other’s eyes. They had half-smiles on their faces, as if they were sharing a delicious secret only they could know, looking so in love that it would cause your heart to break.
Ginny just stared at the picture and then looked up at Harry with tears in her eyes, not able to speak.
Harry understood her turmoil and gently patted her on the arm. “I’ll leave you alone. Just Apparate back when you’re ready.’ Picking up the last box, he followed her brothers out the door.
Tearing her eyes away from the picture, Ginny looked around the room. The complete absence of all of her things made the room seem so forlorn, so empty and lacking substance, just the way it had when she had moved in. She had made the room and Draco feel alive, giving them just what they needed. She then walked out of the room and around the house, trailing her fingers over everything for the last time, saying goodbye to most of her life as she knew it.
Ginny stepped outside onto the back courtyard, surveying the grounds in all of their magical glory. Pulling out her wand, she was just about to Apparate away when a faint whickering came from the stables. Mentally slapping herself, Ginny quickly walked towards the sound. She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten about Dimples and the stallion neighed joyfully when he saw her walk into the stables. Already in an emotional state, the happy noise brought fresh tears to her eyes. Grabbing an apple from the barrel by the wall, she offered it to the horse. Munching happily, Dimples nuzzled her shoulder and then snuffled her hair. Ginny laughed quietly, feeling content for a moment.
Walking into the warm stall, she stroked the large horse’s neck. 'I’m sorry about this, boy, but I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you. I have to go and I can’t come back.’ As if he caught onto her emotions, Dimples hung his head and softly pawed the ground. But then he looked at her, his soft brown eyes gazing at her sadly. 'I don’t want to leave you but I can’t bring you with me. Please understand, boy. I’m really going to miss you.’ She wrapped her arms around his neck, but then after a minute Ginny walked out of the stall. After one last pat, she left the stable and with one last look around, Apparated herself to the Burrow.
The assembled family looked up when Ginny came through the door, but they tactfully kept quiet. Thankful for that, Ginny quickly walked through the kitchen, and up to her old bedroom. The room was cool and quiet and she dropped down onto the bed. The events of the past few days finally caught up to her and she curled up, hugging her knees to her chest. ‘Oh Draco,’ she whispered pitifully, finally letting the tears that had welling up in her eyes all day wash over her.
***~~~***
Draco wandered aimlessly through the house, acutely feeling the lack of energy. His and Ginny’s laughter had once filled the rooms, creating warmth in a house that had only known coldness and sterility of emotion. But now Draco was back in the Manor of his youth, one he could hardly bear to be in. A house elf entered his line of vision, but Draco couldn’t even muster up an even slightly scathing insult for his servant and just motioned for it to continue its work. In a perpetual haze, he wandered up the stairs to his room, the place where he felt the loss of Ginny the most. Never again would he see one of her bras lying on a chair or wake up to see her smile peacefully in her sleep. Never again would he come home after a long day to slip into bed and just hold her until he drifted off or complain that her Weasleyness was contaminating him.
Though it was only a bit after four in the afternoon, Draco slipped under the covers and tried his hardest not to break down. If only those dreams would start coming so he could just figure out who this girl was and get through with the entire scam. Maybe then he could finally start to forget about the fiery-headed girl whose spirit haunted all the secret rooms of his heart.
***~~~***
Draco walked down a long stone corridor completely alone except for the ancient statues of armour that lined the walls. His footsteps echoed up to the cavernous ceiling as he rounded a corner and entered an enormous entryway of sorts. It was only then that he realized that he was back at Hogwarts and was standing right outside of the Great Hall.
A figure materialized out of thin air to rest ghost-like beside him, an arm resting on his shoulder. Turning his head, Draco was shocked to see his great-uncle looking somberly at him.
‘It’s time Draco,’ he said, voice unnecessarily low. ‘It’s time to start revealing the identity of your new "mate", so to speak. Now, pay attention to everything that goes on in the next few minutes. Any person or thing can be the key to unlocking this secret. Nothing will repeat itself; you only get one chance to take in as much as you can. And the images in this dream are not from your time; you will not be getting clues today from people you know. Is everything clear, young Malfoy?’
Shaking his head, Draco sighed. ‘Nothing has been clear since I found out about this damn curse. But continue on with the destruction of my life. I can’t stop you.’
‘You’re laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think? But you have always had a penchant for the theatrical, but here we go. ACTION!’
As if Albert had pressed some imaginary button, the hallway became alive with activity. Students spilled out of every door and down every staircase, crowding the hall until it threatened to become choked with adolescent pandemonium. Draco searched feverishly, his eyes sweeping over everything in his attempt to find his answers. His attention was quickly drawn to the excited girls at the front of the crowd, chatting loudly in an effort to cover the unimpressed mutters of some of those behind them. Though slightly old-fashioned, their school badges professed them to be prefects of Gryffindor House. Still trying to figure out if this was important, Draco felt his body being tugged along after the crowd that was rushing into the Great Hall whose doors had just been opened.
As soon as he stepped through the door, his eyes were assaulted with copious amounts of scarlet and gold. Groaning to himself, Draco turned back to his uncle who had followed him in. ‘Gryffindor won the House Cup again? Can’t they give up and let some other poor sod get some recognition once in a while?’ he cried.
Albert just gazed at him in placid amusement, not offering any help.
Just then, things clicked into place for Draco. ‘She’s a Gryffindor, isn’t she?’
A quick nod was all of the encouragement he got.
‘Not another one? Am I a magnet for the courageous ones? Do I have a sign on my back that says ‘Muggle lovers and Headmasters' pets wanted’? I don’t think I could deal with another one after Ginevra. I love her so I put up with it, but I don’t think I could stand the nobility in someone I didn’t care a flying fuck for.’
‘Are you quite finished?’
‘Yes,’ the younger blond replied sulkily.
His great-uncle just shook his head, and motioned for Draco to follow him out of the Great Hall. When they were standing outside of the doors, the scene froze, leaving the students that were still trickling in at a standstill, some with mouths still twisted with silent words.
‘I hope you got enough out of this little adventure, Draco. You have seen that your new mate is a Gryffindor, and I think that piece of information is enough for you to digest right now. When I snap my fingers, you will wake up, but what to do with this tidbit I will leave up to you.’
A stunned Draco stood in silence, watching as Albert snapped his fingers, and the scene dissolved around him.
***~~~***
A now irate Draco sat up in bed, wide awake and destined to stay so for the next few hours. ‘For fuck's sake!’ he growled and rubbed his eyes, trying to rid himself of pictures of grinning redheaded Gryffindors. He flung himself out of bed and stalked around the room, desperately trying not to think of what Ginevra was doing at the moment but failing miserably.
***~~~***
Also a victim of sleepless nights and vicious dreams of her now ex-boyfriend living happily ever after with some faceless cow, Ginny channeled all of her energy into baking, spending an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen.
A few days after Draco’s first dream (though unknown to her), Ginny stood at the kitchen counter in the Burrow, luxuriating in the absence of the constant stream of house elves asking her if she needed something. Hearing a noise from the fireplace, she whirled around to see Ron lope into the room. He enfolded her in a big hug and then pulled back to look her over.
‘Where is everyone?’
‘If by everyone, you mean Mum and Dad, Mum went to the market and Dad is at work. Speaking of such, aren’t you supposed to be doing something of the sort yourself?’
Ron took a seat at the table and motioned for his sister to do the same. ‘Nope. While Hermione is slaving the day away, Harry and I have a few days off. So you’re here all by yourself?’
Ginny nodded.
‘Crying?’
She started. ‘I have not been crying!’ she replied hotly.
‘Gin, your eyes are red. I may not be the best but my observation skills are improving, and my teacher gave me a gold star,’ he joked, but quickly sobered. ‘You need company and Mum and Dad are away a lot during the day. Come and stay with Hermione and me.’
‘And be stuck with you two lovebirds all the time?’ Ginny snorted.
‘Fine, then at least stay with Harry,’ Ron countered.
She thought not. ‘No, Ron, I’m fine where I am.’
Ron looked horrified. ‘Gin, I love Mum and Dad too, but you don’t want to stay at the Burrow forever. Trust me, stop holding on. It only gets worse from here, Mum gets clingier. It’s like the summer before your last year at Hogwarts multiplied by ten. Being coddled is great and all, I mean, I love when Hermione coddles me but Mum takes it to the nth degree, just a little too far.’
Ginny sat back in her seat, amused at her brother’s outburst. ‘Of course I don’t plan to stay here forever. I mean, I just got out of a very serious relationship and I need a little time to get my shit together. Money isn’t a problem, but I need a new place to live.’
‘I always knew that moving in with Malferret would be a bad idea,’ Ron muttered, cracking his knuckles like a brute.
‘What?’ Ginny threw him a look. ‘You encouraged me to live with him. Said it was a good idea, us being so compatible. Remember the time when you actually liked Draco and approved of our relationship?’
‘Yeah, but it went by like that,’ Ron snapped his fingers, though clumsily as he had never fully mastered the trick, an area of longstanding personal disgrace.
She just laughed at her youngest older brother. ‘Thanks, I really did need someone to cheer me up.’
Reaching across the table to hug her, Ron replied, ‘Just remember, that offer to live with me and Hermione is always on the table. We’d both love to have you. And even if you don’t want roomies, Harry and I are always good to get sloshed with if you want to forget about everything for a while. Though if you forget your hangover potion, you’ll end up with a wicked headache in the morning. Fred and George are also easily sloshable fellows. They’d go drinking with you too.’
‘All of the Weasley boys are good for that, well, except for Percy,’ Ginny commented.
‘I think it’s just our Scottish background. If there’s one thing we Weasleys are good at, it’s holding our liquor. Remember that time back in my seventh year when you, me, Harry and Hermione snuck out after curfew down to Hogsmeade and-’
‘And did what, Ronald?’ their mother’s voice said as she entered the kitchen laden down with shopping bags.
‘And realized that we were breaking rules and disrespecting our elders, and so promptly turned back to the castle where we went right to sleep and never snuck out again,’ he said as he helped his mother put away the groceries. She turned to stare down her nose at her youngest whose face was turning an alarming shade of red.
‘Yeah, what Ron said,’ Ginny added, taking a big gulp of tea to hide the smile rapidly growing on her face.
Glancing at his non-existent watch, Ron strode over to the fireplace. ‘Well, would you look at that? The time has absolutely flown by. I wish I could stay longer and visit with you all but I promised Hermione that I would help her…do…with the thing…yeah, I’m going to go.’
‘That son of mine,’ Molly muttered. ‘He’s just like the rest of them.’ Turning her attention back to her daughter, she frowned a little, sizing Ginny up. ‘You okay, hon?’
‘I’m fine, Mum, really. It’s just going to take a while for things to start feeling right again.’
‘Do you miss him?’ her mother asked quietly.
Glancing up sharply, Ginny looked strangely at her. ‘What kind of question is that? Of course I miss him. I hate it because all I can think of or see is him. I got addicted to Draco and what he meant to me, and he’s not the kind of thing you can go cold turkey over. It’s going to take me a while. And then I know I’m going to go through this whole situation again when he figures out who that girl is and marries her. But eventually, I think I’ll be able to love a man again. Maybe not as much or in the same way, but I know that I have the capacity to be happy and no one can take that away from me.’
Getting up, Molly kissed her on the head. ‘That’s my little Gryffindor girl. But remember, it’s always okay to cry. Mum’s here for you.’
At those words, Ginny could feel the 5-year old in her take over, and she broke down in tears. Through the haze, she could feel her mother’s arms come around her and start rocking, and her head was cradled on Molly’s chest. ‘It’s just not fair! I love him so much!’ she wailed. Molly did nothing but listen, stroking Ginny’s hair from time to time, her heart breaking at the pain her baby was going through.
Draco spent most of that night in a tavern, nursing a glass of firewhiskey. He couldn’t bear to be anywhere near Ginny, knowing that in only a few short hours she would be leaving him forever.
But around one in the morning, he pulled himself off the barstool and Apparated home. Once inside and upstairs, Draco started to pause outside the room he and Ginny used to share, but forced himself to keep moving to the room where he had recently been staying.
As much as he dreaded the morning to come, Draco quickly fell asleep with Ginny’s face imprinted on his mind.
Waking up a few hours later, he noticed that something was different in his room. Something heavy and warm lay on his chest and all he could see was red. Pulling back, his eyes focused in the light, and to his amazement, he saw Ginny lying beside him with arms wrapped tightly around his middle. She shifted slightly, muttered something unintelligible and snuggled closer to him, eliciting a trembling smile to form on his face.
Suddenly, Draco was looking down into Ginny’s big brown eyes that gleamed softly in the darkness.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off before a word was uttered.
‘No talking. Can’t we just be together like this, just us, for a little while longer? I just want to forget everything for a few minutes, and believe that we’re just like we were; perfect, happy, together. Is that too much to ask for?’
Even if he had something to say, he wouldn’t be able to speak as he was too choked up to get words past the block in his throat. Leaning down, Draco kissed Ginny softly and felt all of the magic return, felt all of the explosiveness that their kisses held. Letting go of her senses, Ginny moaned softly and hearing that, Draco threw all caution to the wind. He made love to her then, stripping off her pajamas gently and revelled in the feel of her bare skin against his, knowing that it would be the last time. Each of her touches left a line of fire on his skin and Draco answered in kind. Somewhere in the darkness, Ginny cried out his name and he answered, reaching out to her. Losing themselves in each other, they fell sleep and held on tightly to each other, both still unwilling to finally let go.
Against all her good judgment, Ginny had gone into Draco’s room and held him, to feel that sense of togetherness for the last time. She couldn’t deny that it felt so right, that they fit together so well, and she knew that as his arms periodically tightened around her, the body could never lie.
And then he had noticed her there, forcing her to own up to her actions. She didn’t want to let the feeling go and so asked for more time to forget. But then he had kissed her and Ginny lost herself in him again, letting it go too far for redemption. She cherished every caress, knowing that they would be the last. Draco’s touch always ignited something in her, asking a question she knew she would always answer, but not any more. There was to be no more passion, no more questions, no more answers, at least not for her.
Time and the folly of others were to break them apart, but Ginny had to defy the powers that be one more time and say goodbye in her own way to Draco. As they fell asleep tightly holding each other, she knew that she had done the best she could.
When Draco woke up again, he was alone and acutely felt a cold spot on his chest where Ginny’s head had recently lain. He got up quickly, not wanting to dwell on what could not be his. He pulled some clothes on hastily and Apparated to his office, wanting to get out of the house before the others arrived to take Ginny away.
Ginny stood forlornly in the middle of her bedroom as Harry and her brothers bustled around her.
‘Gin, do you want this?’ Harry asked her, holding out an object.
She looked down to see the picture in its frame that had sat on her dressing table. The photo had been taken at a formal party a few months before, a moment forever-captured on film by Colin Creevey and his Muggle camera. Ginny and Draco were wrapped in each other’s arms with their foreheads touching, looking deeply into each other’s eyes. They had half-smiles on their faces, as if they were sharing a delicious secret only they could know, looking so in love that it would cause your heart to break.
Ginny just stared at the picture and then looked up at Harry with tears in her eyes, not able to speak.
Harry understood her turmoil and gently patted her on the arm. “I’ll leave you alone. Just Apparate back when you’re ready.’ Picking up the last box, he followed her brothers out the door.
Tearing her eyes away from the picture, Ginny looked around the room. The complete absence of all of her things made the room seem so forlorn, so empty and lacking substance, just the way it had when she had moved in. She had made the room and Draco feel alive, giving them just what they needed. She then walked out of the room and around the house, trailing her fingers over everything for the last time, saying goodbye to most of her life as she knew it.
Ginny stepped outside onto the back courtyard, surveying the grounds in all of their magical glory. Pulling out her wand, she was just about to Apparate away when a faint whickering came from the stables. Mentally slapping herself, Ginny quickly walked towards the sound. She couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten about Dimples and the stallion neighed joyfully when he saw her walk into the stables. Already in an emotional state, the happy noise brought fresh tears to her eyes. Grabbing an apple from the barrel by the wall, she offered it to the horse. Munching happily, Dimples nuzzled her shoulder and then snuffled her hair. Ginny laughed quietly, feeling content for a moment.
Walking into the warm stall, she stroked the large horse’s neck. 'I’m sorry about this, boy, but I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to you. I have to go and I can’t come back.’ As if he caught onto her emotions, Dimples hung his head and softly pawed the ground. But then he looked at her, his soft brown eyes gazing at her sadly. 'I don’t want to leave you but I can’t bring you with me. Please understand, boy. I’m really going to miss you.’ She wrapped her arms around his neck, but then after a minute Ginny walked out of the stall. After one last pat, she left the stable and with one last look around, Apparated herself to the Burrow.
The assembled family looked up when Ginny came through the door, but they tactfully kept quiet. Thankful for that, Ginny quickly walked through the kitchen, and up to her old bedroom. The room was cool and quiet and she dropped down onto the bed. The events of the past few days finally caught up to her and she curled up, hugging her knees to her chest. ‘Oh Draco,’ she whispered pitifully, finally letting the tears that had welling up in her eyes all day wash over her.
Draco wandered aimlessly through the house, acutely feeling the lack of energy. His and Ginny’s laughter had once filled the rooms, creating warmth in a house that had only known coldness and sterility of emotion. But now Draco was back in the Manor of his youth, one he could hardly bear to be in. A house elf entered his line of vision, but Draco couldn’t even muster up an even slightly scathing insult for his servant and just motioned for it to continue its work. In a perpetual haze, he wandered up the stairs to his room, the place where he felt the loss of Ginny the most. Never again would he see one of her bras lying on a chair or wake up to see her smile peacefully in her sleep. Never again would he come home after a long day to slip into bed and just hold her until he drifted off or complain that her Weasleyness was contaminating him.
Though it was only a bit after four in the afternoon, Draco slipped under the covers and tried his hardest not to break down. If only those dreams would start coming so he could just figure out who this girl was and get through with the entire scam. Maybe then he could finally start to forget about the fiery-headed girl whose spirit haunted all the secret rooms of his heart.
Draco walked down a long stone corridor completely alone except for the ancient statues of armour that lined the walls. His footsteps echoed up to the cavernous ceiling as he rounded a corner and entered an enormous entryway of sorts. It was only then that he realized that he was back at Hogwarts and was standing right outside of the Great Hall.
A figure materialized out of thin air to rest ghost-like beside him, an arm resting on his shoulder. Turning his head, Draco was shocked to see his great-uncle looking somberly at him.
‘It’s time Draco,’ he said, voice unnecessarily low. ‘It’s time to start revealing the identity of your new "mate", so to speak. Now, pay attention to everything that goes on in the next few minutes. Any person or thing can be the key to unlocking this secret. Nothing will repeat itself; you only get one chance to take in as much as you can. And the images in this dream are not from your time; you will not be getting clues today from people you know. Is everything clear, young Malfoy?’
Shaking his head, Draco sighed. ‘Nothing has been clear since I found out about this damn curse. But continue on with the destruction of my life. I can’t stop you.’
‘You’re laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think? But you have always had a penchant for the theatrical, but here we go. ACTION!’
As if Albert had pressed some imaginary button, the hallway became alive with activity. Students spilled out of every door and down every staircase, crowding the hall until it threatened to become choked with adolescent pandemonium. Draco searched feverishly, his eyes sweeping over everything in his attempt to find his answers. His attention was quickly drawn to the excited girls at the front of the crowd, chatting loudly in an effort to cover the unimpressed mutters of some of those behind them. Though slightly old-fashioned, their school badges professed them to be prefects of Gryffindor House. Still trying to figure out if this was important, Draco felt his body being tugged along after the crowd that was rushing into the Great Hall whose doors had just been opened.
As soon as he stepped through the door, his eyes were assaulted with copious amounts of scarlet and gold. Groaning to himself, Draco turned back to his uncle who had followed him in. ‘Gryffindor won the House Cup again? Can’t they give up and let some other poor sod get some recognition once in a while?’ he cried.
Albert just gazed at him in placid amusement, not offering any help.
Just then, things clicked into place for Draco. ‘She’s a Gryffindor, isn’t she?’
A quick nod was all of the encouragement he got.
‘Not another one? Am I a magnet for the courageous ones? Do I have a sign on my back that says ‘Muggle lovers and Headmasters' pets wanted’? I don’t think I could deal with another one after Ginevra. I love her so I put up with it, but I don’t think I could stand the nobility in someone I didn’t care a flying fuck for.’
‘Are you quite finished?’
‘Yes,’ the younger blond replied sulkily.
His great-uncle just shook his head, and motioned for Draco to follow him out of the Great Hall. When they were standing outside of the doors, the scene froze, leaving the students that were still trickling in at a standstill, some with mouths still twisted with silent words.
‘I hope you got enough out of this little adventure, Draco. You have seen that your new mate is a Gryffindor, and I think that piece of information is enough for you to digest right now. When I snap my fingers, you will wake up, but what to do with this tidbit I will leave up to you.’
A stunned Draco stood in silence, watching as Albert snapped his fingers, and the scene dissolved around him.
A now irate Draco sat up in bed, wide awake and destined to stay so for the next few hours. ‘For fuck's sake!’ he growled and rubbed his eyes, trying to rid himself of pictures of grinning redheaded Gryffindors. He flung himself out of bed and stalked around the room, desperately trying not to think of what Ginevra was doing at the moment but failing miserably.
Also a victim of sleepless nights and vicious dreams of her now ex-boyfriend living happily ever after with some faceless cow, Ginny channeled all of her energy into baking, spending an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen.
A few days after Draco’s first dream (though unknown to her), Ginny stood at the kitchen counter in the Burrow, luxuriating in the absence of the constant stream of house elves asking her if she needed something. Hearing a noise from the fireplace, she whirled around to see Ron lope into the room. He enfolded her in a big hug and then pulled back to look her over.
‘Where is everyone?’
‘If by everyone, you mean Mum and Dad, Mum went to the market and Dad is at work. Speaking of such, aren’t you supposed to be doing something of the sort yourself?’
Ron took a seat at the table and motioned for his sister to do the same. ‘Nope. While Hermione is slaving the day away, Harry and I have a few days off. So you’re here all by yourself?’
Ginny nodded.
‘Crying?’
She started. ‘I have not been crying!’ she replied hotly.
‘Gin, your eyes are red. I may not be the best but my observation skills are improving, and my teacher gave me a gold star,’ he joked, but quickly sobered. ‘You need company and Mum and Dad are away a lot during the day. Come and stay with Hermione and me.’
‘And be stuck with you two lovebirds all the time?’ Ginny snorted.
‘Fine, then at least stay with Harry,’ Ron countered.
She thought not. ‘No, Ron, I’m fine where I am.’
Ron looked horrified. ‘Gin, I love Mum and Dad too, but you don’t want to stay at the Burrow forever. Trust me, stop holding on. It only gets worse from here, Mum gets clingier. It’s like the summer before your last year at Hogwarts multiplied by ten. Being coddled is great and all, I mean, I love when Hermione coddles me but Mum takes it to the nth degree, just a little too far.’
Ginny sat back in her seat, amused at her brother’s outburst. ‘Of course I don’t plan to stay here forever. I mean, I just got out of a very serious relationship and I need a little time to get my shit together. Money isn’t a problem, but I need a new place to live.’
‘I always knew that moving in with Malferret would be a bad idea,’ Ron muttered, cracking his knuckles like a brute.
‘What?’ Ginny threw him a look. ‘You encouraged me to live with him. Said it was a good idea, us being so compatible. Remember the time when you actually liked Draco and approved of our relationship?’
‘Yeah, but it went by like that,’ Ron snapped his fingers, though clumsily as he had never fully mastered the trick, an area of longstanding personal disgrace.
She just laughed at her youngest older brother. ‘Thanks, I really did need someone to cheer me up.’
Reaching across the table to hug her, Ron replied, ‘Just remember, that offer to live with me and Hermione is always on the table. We’d both love to have you. And even if you don’t want roomies, Harry and I are always good to get sloshed with if you want to forget about everything for a while. Though if you forget your hangover potion, you’ll end up with a wicked headache in the morning. Fred and George are also easily sloshable fellows. They’d go drinking with you too.’
‘All of the Weasley boys are good for that, well, except for Percy,’ Ginny commented.
‘I think it’s just our Scottish background. If there’s one thing we Weasleys are good at, it’s holding our liquor. Remember that time back in my seventh year when you, me, Harry and Hermione snuck out after curfew down to Hogsmeade and-’
‘And did what, Ronald?’ their mother’s voice said as she entered the kitchen laden down with shopping bags.
‘And realized that we were breaking rules and disrespecting our elders, and so promptly turned back to the castle where we went right to sleep and never snuck out again,’ he said as he helped his mother put away the groceries. She turned to stare down her nose at her youngest whose face was turning an alarming shade of red.
‘Yeah, what Ron said,’ Ginny added, taking a big gulp of tea to hide the smile rapidly growing on her face.
Glancing at his non-existent watch, Ron strode over to the fireplace. ‘Well, would you look at that? The time has absolutely flown by. I wish I could stay longer and visit with you all but I promised Hermione that I would help her…do…with the thing…yeah, I’m going to go.’
‘That son of mine,’ Molly muttered. ‘He’s just like the rest of them.’ Turning her attention back to her daughter, she frowned a little, sizing Ginny up. ‘You okay, hon?’
‘I’m fine, Mum, really. It’s just going to take a while for things to start feeling right again.’
‘Do you miss him?’ her mother asked quietly.
Glancing up sharply, Ginny looked strangely at her. ‘What kind of question is that? Of course I miss him. I hate it because all I can think of or see is him. I got addicted to Draco and what he meant to me, and he’s not the kind of thing you can go cold turkey over. It’s going to take me a while. And then I know I’m going to go through this whole situation again when he figures out who that girl is and marries her. But eventually, I think I’ll be able to love a man again. Maybe not as much or in the same way, but I know that I have the capacity to be happy and no one can take that away from me.’
Getting up, Molly kissed her on the head. ‘That’s my little Gryffindor girl. But remember, it’s always okay to cry. Mum’s here for you.’
At those words, Ginny could feel the 5-year old in her take over, and she broke down in tears. Through the haze, she could feel her mother’s arms come around her and start rocking, and her head was cradled on Molly’s chest. ‘It’s just not fair! I love him so much!’ she wailed. Molly did nothing but listen, stroking Ginny’s hair from time to time, her heart breaking at the pain her baby was going through.
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