Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize from any copyrighted Harry Potter anything.
***~~~***
Ginny woke up the next morning with a splitting headache, courtesy of crying herself to sleep and many shots of liquor. Feeling around for her wand, she did a spell to ease the pounding behind her eyes and stumbled down the stairs to harass whichever brother was there for a hangover potion.
Entering the kitchen, Ginny winced as the sunlight hit her full-on, throwing her arms up in front of her face. ‘Natural light is not my friend,’ she groaned.
Rapid shuffling of paper drew her attention towards the table. Ron was shoving the newspaper under the table as her mother, Harry and Hermione quickly moved away from behind him.
‘Hey, Ginny,’ Harry said with a bright fake smile. ‘We weren’t doing anything.’
Ginny eyed the group suspiciously as she took a seat.
‘What would you like for breakfast, Gin?’ Molly asked, picking up a frying pan to appear busy. ‘Eggs? Kippers?’
‘What’s going on?’ she asked, reaching for the cup of coffee her mother had put in front of her as she looked around at the collective group.
‘Nothing,’ Ron mumbled, stuffing eggs into his mouth.
‘Hermione? You know that you’re a horrible liar.’
The brunette turned bright red and stared in her lap. ‘Nothing’s wrong.’
Things started to click in as Ginny slowly got up. ‘Does it have anything to do with today’s paper?’
‘No,’ came the timid reply.
‘Then you won’t mind if I read it then,’ she said as she lunged towards Ron, but he was too quick for her.
‘Harry, go!’ he said, throwing the paper over his sister’s head to his best friend.
‘Ron!’ she cried, but then turned to chase Harry around the kitchen. Molly hopped up onto the counter with a hand pressed to her chest, while Hermione squished herself into a corner of the room to get out of the way.
It was then that Fred and George appeared in the doorway. ‘Ah, I see Gin saw the piece about her on the front page of the Prophet,’ George commented.
‘What?’ Ginny stopped in her tracks. ‘Harry James Potter, you get over here with that paper this instant.’
Seeing the look on her face, Harry made the wise choice to get out of the Burrow. Gearing up, Ginny hurdled over the table and gave chase. She tore out into the yard after Harry, with the rest of the group moving as one to watch.
Harry stopped to look over his shoulder to gauge Ginny’s distance but it proved to be a fatal mistake, giving her the second she needed to tackle him to the ground. Wrestling the paper away from him, Ginny jumped to her feet to read the headline.
‘Minister of Magic’s daughter and Malfoy heir have hit splitsville!’ Ginny gasped, eyes resting on the picture of her and Draco from a charity event the year before that had been ripped to accompany the headline.
‘Society’s hottest couple is no longer together as Ginevra Weasley and Draco Malfoy called it quits last week, an inside source said,’ Ginny read out loud, not believing what she was seeing. ‘This is headline news? There wasn’t anything else in the world they could’ve reported on? Is my life a source of entertainment for the masses?’
Molly stepped towards her. ‘You are the Minister of Magic’s daughter and were part of a high-profile couple, darling. For some reason, this makes you the subject of public scrutiny and obsession. But this will die down in a few days, I’m sure of it.’
‘How the hell did this happen? We haven’t told anyone besides family. Who in bloody hell could this inside source be?’ Ginny exclaimed.
‘You know how reporters can be, Gin,’ Hermione placated. ‘Just think back to Rita Skeeter.’
Ginny growled low in her throat. ‘Well, this is fucking unbelievable,’ she said, ignoring her mother’s comment about her choice of language. ‘I wonder if Draco has seen this yet.’
‘Are you going to owl him?’ Ron asked.
Folding the paper, Ginny looked up at him. ‘What for? It’s not like this was his doing. Even though we can’t be together, I know he still loves me and would never do something like this.’ Shaking her head, she brushed past her family back into the kitchen. ‘My life fucking sucks!’
‘Ginevra!’
**~~~***
‘Sir, sir, I believe its time for you to get up.’
Draco cracked open one eye to see his butler floating by the bed. ‘What is it, Remington? I’m trying to sleep. It hasn’t exactly been the best few weeks for me, if it hasn’t been obvious.’
‘There is something in today’s newspaper that I believe you should see, sir.’
‘I’ll see it when I get up later,’ he said, settling back down into his pillows.
‘No sir, you should see it now.’ The ghost’s voice was gently insistent.
Draco groaned. ‘Fine, I’m up, but don’t expect me to be pleasant.’
‘Do I ever, sir?’
A small smirk graced Draco’s features as he raised himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed to rest on the plush carpet. He ran a hand through his hair and standing, he started to pace the room to wake up.
Gliding by, Remington handed the blond the Daily Prophet. Unfolding it, his eyes widened at the headline. ‘Minister of Magic’s daughter and Malfoy heir have hit splitsville!’
Oh my God, he thought. ‘Buggering hell!’ Draco exclaimed, throwing the paper across the room.
‘What the hell am I going to do?’ he picked up the pacing. He knew Ginevra read the Prophet and he fully expected an angry owl from her any minute or at least one from a member of her family.
He was sorely tempted to write an apology note to her, but he didn’t know why. It’s not like he had leaked the whole mess to the reporters. He would’ve much rather gotten over Ginny by himself, silence and alcohol his only company.
This development only made Draco long for Ginny more. She had always been the one to calm him down after any media exposure and help him form some mode of attack. But now she had been shoved into the spotlight and they were no longer together to fight the press.
‘Ugh, can my life get any worse?’ Draco groaned.
‘I see you’ve read this morning’s Prophet,’ came a feminine voice from the doorway.
‘Good morning, mother. And yes, I’ve read it.’ Walking over, he kissed her on the cheek and then moved into his closet.
‘Whoever wrote this certainly did their homework. As far as I know, you’ve only told me and Ginevra has only told her family-’
‘There’s a lot of people right there,’ Draco snidely interrupted.
‘Hush, son. Don’t pretend you don’t like the Weasleys, even Ronald. I’m sure her family won’t say anything to the press as they’d want to protect her and I certainly wouldn’t say anything.’
‘I don’t even know how the Prophet found out. It would take a lot of underhanded sneakiness on their part,’ Draco replied, as he walked out of his closet wearing jeans and a charcoal jumper.
‘The only positive thing I can derive from this is that they haven’t discovered the curse. If that tidbit of information was published my darling, girls would be lined up around the block. You’d be mobbed!’
‘Joy,’ he muttered dryly. ‘By why didn’t you tell me about the curse before now? You knew as soon as I was born, right?’
A clouded look passed over Narcissa’s features. ‘Your father and I knew, yes, but we had to keep it secret from you as part of the curse. And it hurt as I watched you fall in love with Ginevra because I knew how it must end. From my standpoint, you two were perfect for each other.’
Draco moved over to lean by the window. ‘I thought so too. You know, I was going to ask her to marry me.’
A quiet gasp followed. ‘When?’
‘I’m not exactly sure, because we’re so young. But I know that I wanted to; I couldn’t picture my life in the future without her. I still can’t. ’
‘Darling, I’m sorry.’ His mother tentatively moved to put a hand on his shoulder.’ I know there aren’t any words to make anything better. You just have to know that in life, things aren’t fair and those that you love can and will be taken from you.’
‘You loved Father, didn’t you?’
Narcissa half-laughed, though it came out like a sob. ‘Merlin knows why I loved him but I did. It was so easy at the beginning. There was a time before the Dark Lord when we were happy all of the time and when he found out that I was pregnant, he was elated. With the reputation of being a Malfoy, your father felt he had little choice with what to do with his life, and he only ever did things to protect us.’
‘I know Mum. We had our differences, but away from the public he wasn’t all bad.’
Narcissa sniffed and straightened her shoulders. ‘Well, let’s get back to this trouble. I’ve made my peace with the past, and now I’m here for you. But I think we should discuss a plan of action during breakfast. Nothing should be solved over an empty stomach.’
***~~~***
Wiping her mouth daintily with her napkin, Narcissa fixed her eyes on her only child who had moodily picked at his breakfast. ‘Have you thought of what you’re going to do?’
Draco flung his fork onto the table with a groan. ‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing?’ she queried gently. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I’m going to do absolutely nothing about it. I’m going to pretend that the announcement never happened; I will not acknowledge the press. If they try to contact me at the office, they will be sent away. Eventually, they’ll get tired, drop the story and leave Ginny and me alone.’
‘I certainly won’t say anything,’ Narcissa said, getting a small smile out of her son.
Draco reached over and squeezed her hand gently. ‘I know and it means a lot to me.’
Narcissa took a sip of her tea. ‘Moving on, how will you find out the identity of this new girl?’
Slumping forward, Draco rested his elbows on the table, abandoning all memory of Malfoys proper posture. ‘I get hints in dreams, and then I piece them all together to figure out who she is.’
‘Anything yet?’
‘Yeah.’ Draco’s voice lowered. ‘She’s a Gryffindor.’
‘A what, darling? I couldn’t catch that.’
‘She’s a bloody Gryffindor, Mum!’
‘Another one?’ A look of surprise graced Narcissa’s face. ‘I’m sorry, darling.’
‘Yes, another one. Father and Salazar Slytherin must be tossing in their graves. Do I have a target on my back or something? A sign saying ‘send all shit my way’?’ Draco slumped back in his seat.
‘Worst case scenario, you meet her and after you marry her, you live separate quiet lives and be happy this curse doesn’t require you to produce an heir. But there is a chance that you meet her and you fall in love, and then you live a happy life together.’
‘But mother, I love Ginevra and only her. No one could ever take her place, and I will never love a woman the way I do her.’
‘I wouldn’t expect you to, but Draco, you must know that there are all different types of love. It’s true that you will never get that first love back and you may never experience that passionate, die-for-you love that you shared with Ginevra. But you may fall in love again but this time a gentle, mature, quiet love that is steady and strong. You owe it to yourself to find out. You may not love this mystery girl at the beginning or even like her, but you may grow to love her. It’s a risk I believe you should take. I’ll be here supporting you every step of the way.’
Draco just shook his head in amazement. ‘How do you do it? How do you know exactly what to say to calm me down?’
‘I’m your mother, it’s my job.’
‘Did you take classes or does this supreme knowledge just come to you when you become a mum?’
Narcissa smiled. ‘Go to work, son.’
‘Yeah, another bright spot in my day; keeping the family business from disarray and destruction. I can hardly wait.’
‘Well, I see that your sarcastic nature has escaped unscathed.’
‘I’m going, mother.’
***~~~***
The day passed quickly enough, and the night held no dreams for Draco, leading to a relatively replenishing sleep.
He received breakfast in bed the next morning and was halfway through his morning croissant when the headline of that day’s Daily Prophet caught his eye.
‘Minister of Magic’s Daughter Says Split with Beau was Perfectly Amiable.’
In a written statement directly to the Prophet, Ginevra Weasley has said that her recent breakup with Draco Malfoy was both mutual and pleasant.
‘We still love each other, but we both realized that we’re not what the other needs as a partner at this spot in our lives.’
Miss Weasley, just shy of her 23rd birthday, is said to have moved out of Malfoy Manor immediately following the break-up, but maintains that she and her ex are still on good terms.
‘The break-up was a decision made by both of us, and we left the relationship as friends. There are still feelings there for me and Draco, but being in love means that you want the best for that person. Draco and I wish each other all the best in the future.’
The break-up came as a shock to the Wizarding community, as the couple had seemed perfectly happy at Mr. Malfoy’s 24th Birthday Ball held last week.
Throwing off his blankets, Draco bounded across the room into his closet. He had to see Ginny.
***~~~***
Draco managed to keep his balance after he Floo’ed into the Burrow, but didn’t see Ginny at first.
Hearing the sound of a quill scratching on parchment, he followed it into the kitchen. There he spotted Ginny scribbling furiously at the table, copper hair spilling over her shoulders.
‘Why’d you do it?’ he blurted out, startling the redhead.
‘Draco, what are you doing here?’ she asked, hand on her heaving chest. Ginny pushed her hair off her face, making the dried trails of tears on her face quite visible.
‘Why’d you do it?’ he repeated again, countering her.
Ginny sighed. ‘It needed to be done and you know it. What
were you going to do? Just ignore the press and wait it out?’
‘Exactly. They’d give up soon enough and move onto fresher blood.’ Draco moved to sit down across from Ginny. Slipping into an old routine, she summoned a cup of coffee for him.
‘Yes, they’d move on eventually, but not until they’d taken the story and twisted it into something the complete opposite of the truth. By the time the papers had moved on, you would’ve cheated on me with some half-Veela after I’d gotten pregnant by one of the Malfoy servants. Then the actual break-up would’ve come after I threw a house-elf at you and threatened to cut off some of your special bits, resulting in you locking me out of the house in nothing more than high heels.’
‘Very entertaining, Gin. Did you have time to work on this story?’ Draco asked as a shadow of his old smirk on appeared on his face.
‘What can I say? The excessive drinking does that to me. But I just wanted to make sure that our break-up went public on my terms, and that our reputations, but especially yours, wouldn’t suffer. Just because you broke up with me to go off and find some other girl to marry doesn’t mean that I stopped caring about you.’
‘I really am sorry, Ginevra.’ Draco’s silver eyes glinted.
‘I know that, and I know that this is something you have to do. I also know that no matter how I wish that it didn’t have to happen, it does. Realistically, I also know that if I went out there, I could eventually find someone that could make me happy.’ She saw the wince on his face and sympathized but she had to continue on. ‘I know that might be hard to hear for you and it’s hard for me to say. I don’t want to move on though because I know someone could make me happy, but he'd never make me as happy as you do. No matter how hard I’d try, I could never forget you. That person would always be second best, and that’s not fair for anyone.’
Without thinking, he reached over and held her hand. ‘What are you going to do?’
Ginny let him hold her hand for a minute but then gently pulled it away, wishing desperately that his thumb hadn’t caressed her hand like that, an invisible line of fire now pulsing there. ‘I don’t know. Get a job I guess. I don’t need the money but I need something to fill up my days. I can hang out with my nieces and nephews, be more available to take care of them. But right now I want to lay low, out of the public eye as much as possible. You?’
‘We think alike. I’m taking a few days off work until the fireplaces stop ringing off the hook. Owls have just been swarming into the Manor, quite annoying really.’
‘Yeah, they are annoying…’
The two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
‘So any word on who this new girl is yet?’ Ginny asked, eyes fixed on the table as her fingers traced worn patterns on the wood’s scarred surface.
Draco’s head snapped up in surprise. ‘Do you really want me to answer that?’
She got up from the table and started to pace the floor. ‘No, but it was the first thing that came to mind. I hate that we have uncomfortable silences now.’
‘So do I. Before, I couldn’t wait to come home and have you tell me about your day because you were so warm and made everything sound so interesting. I would miss you so much that all I would want to do was sit and listen to you talk. It made me happy.’
‘Please Draco.’ Ginny put a hand out to stop him. ‘Don’t…don’t talk about what we used to have. The memory is still too fresh…to hear you talk like that and being forced to remember is killing me.’
‘I’m sorry Gin.’ Draco looked up with tear-filled eyes. ‘I can’t help it. You’re everything.’
Ginny let out a little sob and retreated to the window overlooking the garden, leaving Draco still seated at the table.
After a few minutes, Ginny took a deep breath and turned down, visibly calmer. ‘I know it’ll be hard but I do want to be friends with you.’
A surprised Draco threw her a skeptical look. ‘Do you think we can even be friends? Do we even know how? I mean, we went right from enemies to being involved thanks to Dumbledore’s insane school wide game of Hide and Go Seek. Fighting and then kissing…that’s our deal.’
Reaching the table, Ginny sat down. ‘I have put way too much time and emotion into this relationship to lose it completely. If being your friend is the only way to keep you in my life, then that’s what I’ll have to do.’ She paused and refilled her coffee. ‘So tell me about this girl.’
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
‘Absolutely.’
Draco shifted about, clearly uncomfortable. ‘Well, all I know is that she’s a Gryffindor.’
Ginny suddenly stilled at this, hands frozen in bringing her cup to her lips. ‘So I probably know her…or of her,’ she said quietly, a lump coming back to form in her throat.
‘There’s a really good chance.’
‘Well, the Malfoy in you must be revolting at that news,’ she replied, fiddling with the cream and sugar. ‘Two serious relationships with Gryffindors. I think Hell is freezing over as we speak.’
Draco laughed in spite of himself. ‘Yeah, that witch must’ve been really hurt to be this vindictive.’
‘Well, you know the term ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ I fear that your ride is only beginning.’
At that moment, Molly came bustling into the Burrow, arms laden down with bags and boxes, causing the door to slam into the wall. ‘I’m back, Ginevra,’ she said, striding right by the table. ‘I got those pumpkin muffins you like so much, and you don’t even have to share them with Ron.’ She gave no mention of the visitor at her table, and started puttering around the kitchen whilst singing.
After a few minutes of Draco and her staring at Molly, Ginny cleared her throat loudly. ‘Ahem.’
‘Did you need something, dear?’ Molly said, turning. But when she spotted Draco, the surprise caused her to rear back, hand on heaving chest. ‘Draco!’
He gave a weak wave.
She immediately strode over and enfolded him in on of her famous hugs. ‘Darling, I was so sorry to hear the news. Arthur and I were really looking forward to you joining the family some time in the future.’
Hugging her tightly, Draco looked over at Ginny. Pulling back, he kept eye contact. ‘So was I.’
Ginny looked down, biting her lip in order to hold back the tears.
He noticed this and realized that it was his cue to leave. ‘I should be going, Ginevra.’
Ginny nodded. ‘I’ll walk you out.’
Leaving the house, they stopped outside on the porch as Draco prepared to Disapparate. But yet they stood in silence for another few minutes.
Suddenly Ginny turned to him and kissed his cheek.
‘So this is goodbye then?’ Draco asked, understanding the meaning of her gesture.
‘It has to be,’ she replied, ‘for now. I need to be friends with you, to keep you in my life, but I can’t be around you right now. Does that make sense?’
‘It makes perfect sense, but then, you always did. You can just contact me when you’re ready, if you’re ready.’
‘Will you be okay?’ Ginny asked, a concerned frown gracing her brow.
‘Aren’t I always?’
‘Stop it…stop doing that whole “closing yourself off while answering flippantly” thing. It’s me, Ginny. Just tell me the truth.’
Draco studied her. After a sigh, he replied, ‘I’ll be fine, I promise.’
Ginny reached out and caught his hand, savouring the touch.
‘And you?’
‘Don’t worry about me, Drake. I’ll be okay. I just need time and copious amounts of alcohol. I've got my family- they'll help me through all of this.’
‘I always worry about you Gin, nothing’s going to change that.’
The silence started again as the pair studied the horizon, willing tears and notions of hope to stay buried. But as if by instinct, they turned to each other and grabbed each other fiercely. Their arms locked around each other tightly, and Ginny couldn’t help the sob that escaped her lips.
‘I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but I miss you so much!’ she cried. Draco’s arms tightened around her, one hand stroking her back as her words poured out and her tears soaked into his shirt.
‘I can’t be strong and put on a brave face anymore. I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay so we can get married and have kids and watch them grow up. I want us to get old together.’
‘I want that too Gin, but we both know that however much we want it, it can never happen.’
‘But I haven’t done anything wrong! Why are we being punished because of something that happened long before we were born?’
‘I don’t know. A witch was hurt very badly and decided to take out her emotions on other people. But to help others, we just have to settle for second best, no matter how much it hurts.’
Ginny pulled back to look at him, tears streaking her red face. ‘Just know that I love you, okay? Always remember that.’
‘I will.’ Draco leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. ‘I love you too. You’ll always be mine, even if you’re someone else’s.’
‘Stupid ferret.’
‘Silly weasel.’
Small smiles broke through the tears as they separated.
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny cut him off. ‘Don’t say it, don’t say good-bye. We’ve said enough. It’s okay if you just go because I know what you want to say, and this way we don’t have to end it on a farewell.’
He nodded and after staring at Ginny to commit this last image of her to memory, Disapparated with a pop.
She stood staring blankly at the garden for a moment, but then turned and went back into the kitchen. She moved to sit at the table where her mother was drinking tea, but Molly motioned upstairs. ‘It’s okay, Ginny. Just go lie down. I’ll bring tea up later.’
Inherently grateful that Molly Weasley was her mother, Ginny nodded weakly. ‘Thanks Mum.’
Once upstairs, Ginny entered her dark room and swiftly shut the door. After changing into more comfortable clothes, she took a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion from its resting place in the drawer of her bedside table. She settled under the covers and sipped it slowly, looking forward to a time where she wasn’t forced to remember.
Ginny woke up the next morning with a splitting headache, courtesy of crying herself to sleep and many shots of liquor. Feeling around for her wand, she did a spell to ease the pounding behind her eyes and stumbled down the stairs to harass whichever brother was there for a hangover potion.
Entering the kitchen, Ginny winced as the sunlight hit her full-on, throwing her arms up in front of her face. ‘Natural light is not my friend,’ she groaned.
Rapid shuffling of paper drew her attention towards the table. Ron was shoving the newspaper under the table as her mother, Harry and Hermione quickly moved away from behind him.
‘Hey, Ginny,’ Harry said with a bright fake smile. ‘We weren’t doing anything.’
Ginny eyed the group suspiciously as she took a seat.
‘What would you like for breakfast, Gin?’ Molly asked, picking up a frying pan to appear busy. ‘Eggs? Kippers?’
‘What’s going on?’ she asked, reaching for the cup of coffee her mother had put in front of her as she looked around at the collective group.
‘Nothing,’ Ron mumbled, stuffing eggs into his mouth.
‘Hermione? You know that you’re a horrible liar.’
The brunette turned bright red and stared in her lap. ‘Nothing’s wrong.’
Things started to click in as Ginny slowly got up. ‘Does it have anything to do with today’s paper?’
‘No,’ came the timid reply.
‘Then you won’t mind if I read it then,’ she said as she lunged towards Ron, but he was too quick for her.
‘Harry, go!’ he said, throwing the paper over his sister’s head to his best friend.
‘Ron!’ she cried, but then turned to chase Harry around the kitchen. Molly hopped up onto the counter with a hand pressed to her chest, while Hermione squished herself into a corner of the room to get out of the way.
It was then that Fred and George appeared in the doorway. ‘Ah, I see Gin saw the piece about her on the front page of the Prophet,’ George commented.
‘What?’ Ginny stopped in her tracks. ‘Harry James Potter, you get over here with that paper this instant.’
Seeing the look on her face, Harry made the wise choice to get out of the Burrow. Gearing up, Ginny hurdled over the table and gave chase. She tore out into the yard after Harry, with the rest of the group moving as one to watch.
Harry stopped to look over his shoulder to gauge Ginny’s distance but it proved to be a fatal mistake, giving her the second she needed to tackle him to the ground. Wrestling the paper away from him, Ginny jumped to her feet to read the headline.
‘Minister of Magic’s daughter and Malfoy heir have hit splitsville!’ Ginny gasped, eyes resting on the picture of her and Draco from a charity event the year before that had been ripped to accompany the headline.
‘Society’s hottest couple is no longer together as Ginevra Weasley and Draco Malfoy called it quits last week, an inside source said,’ Ginny read out loud, not believing what she was seeing. ‘This is headline news? There wasn’t anything else in the world they could’ve reported on? Is my life a source of entertainment for the masses?’
Molly stepped towards her. ‘You are the Minister of Magic’s daughter and were part of a high-profile couple, darling. For some reason, this makes you the subject of public scrutiny and obsession. But this will die down in a few days, I’m sure of it.’
‘How the hell did this happen? We haven’t told anyone besides family. Who in bloody hell could this inside source be?’ Ginny exclaimed.
‘You know how reporters can be, Gin,’ Hermione placated. ‘Just think back to Rita Skeeter.’
Ginny growled low in her throat. ‘Well, this is fucking unbelievable,’ she said, ignoring her mother’s comment about her choice of language. ‘I wonder if Draco has seen this yet.’
‘Are you going to owl him?’ Ron asked.
Folding the paper, Ginny looked up at him. ‘What for? It’s not like this was his doing. Even though we can’t be together, I know he still loves me and would never do something like this.’ Shaking her head, she brushed past her family back into the kitchen. ‘My life fucking sucks!’
‘Ginevra!’
‘Sir, sir, I believe its time for you to get up.’
Draco cracked open one eye to see his butler floating by the bed. ‘What is it, Remington? I’m trying to sleep. It hasn’t exactly been the best few weeks for me, if it hasn’t been obvious.’
‘There is something in today’s newspaper that I believe you should see, sir.’
‘I’ll see it when I get up later,’ he said, settling back down into his pillows.
‘No sir, you should see it now.’ The ghost’s voice was gently insistent.
Draco groaned. ‘Fine, I’m up, but don’t expect me to be pleasant.’
‘Do I ever, sir?’
A small smirk graced Draco’s features as he raised himself up and swung his legs over the side of the bed to rest on the plush carpet. He ran a hand through his hair and standing, he started to pace the room to wake up.
Gliding by, Remington handed the blond the Daily Prophet. Unfolding it, his eyes widened at the headline. ‘Minister of Magic’s daughter and Malfoy heir have hit splitsville!’
Oh my God, he thought. ‘Buggering hell!’ Draco exclaimed, throwing the paper across the room.
‘What the hell am I going to do?’ he picked up the pacing. He knew Ginevra read the Prophet and he fully expected an angry owl from her any minute or at least one from a member of her family.
He was sorely tempted to write an apology note to her, but he didn’t know why. It’s not like he had leaked the whole mess to the reporters. He would’ve much rather gotten over Ginny by himself, silence and alcohol his only company.
This development only made Draco long for Ginny more. She had always been the one to calm him down after any media exposure and help him form some mode of attack. But now she had been shoved into the spotlight and they were no longer together to fight the press.
‘Ugh, can my life get any worse?’ Draco groaned.
‘I see you’ve read this morning’s Prophet,’ came a feminine voice from the doorway.
‘Good morning, mother. And yes, I’ve read it.’ Walking over, he kissed her on the cheek and then moved into his closet.
‘Whoever wrote this certainly did their homework. As far as I know, you’ve only told me and Ginevra has only told her family-’
‘There’s a lot of people right there,’ Draco snidely interrupted.
‘Hush, son. Don’t pretend you don’t like the Weasleys, even Ronald. I’m sure her family won’t say anything to the press as they’d want to protect her and I certainly wouldn’t say anything.’
‘I don’t even know how the Prophet found out. It would take a lot of underhanded sneakiness on their part,’ Draco replied, as he walked out of his closet wearing jeans and a charcoal jumper.
‘The only positive thing I can derive from this is that they haven’t discovered the curse. If that tidbit of information was published my darling, girls would be lined up around the block. You’d be mobbed!’
‘Joy,’ he muttered dryly. ‘By why didn’t you tell me about the curse before now? You knew as soon as I was born, right?’
A clouded look passed over Narcissa’s features. ‘Your father and I knew, yes, but we had to keep it secret from you as part of the curse. And it hurt as I watched you fall in love with Ginevra because I knew how it must end. From my standpoint, you two were perfect for each other.’
Draco moved over to lean by the window. ‘I thought so too. You know, I was going to ask her to marry me.’
A quiet gasp followed. ‘When?’
‘I’m not exactly sure, because we’re so young. But I know that I wanted to; I couldn’t picture my life in the future without her. I still can’t. ’
‘Darling, I’m sorry.’ His mother tentatively moved to put a hand on his shoulder.’ I know there aren’t any words to make anything better. You just have to know that in life, things aren’t fair and those that you love can and will be taken from you.’
‘You loved Father, didn’t you?’
Narcissa half-laughed, though it came out like a sob. ‘Merlin knows why I loved him but I did. It was so easy at the beginning. There was a time before the Dark Lord when we were happy all of the time and when he found out that I was pregnant, he was elated. With the reputation of being a Malfoy, your father felt he had little choice with what to do with his life, and he only ever did things to protect us.’
‘I know Mum. We had our differences, but away from the public he wasn’t all bad.’
Narcissa sniffed and straightened her shoulders. ‘Well, let’s get back to this trouble. I’ve made my peace with the past, and now I’m here for you. But I think we should discuss a plan of action during breakfast. Nothing should be solved over an empty stomach.’
Wiping her mouth daintily with her napkin, Narcissa fixed her eyes on her only child who had moodily picked at his breakfast. ‘Have you thought of what you’re going to do?’
Draco flung his fork onto the table with a groan. ‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing?’ she queried gently. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I’m going to do absolutely nothing about it. I’m going to pretend that the announcement never happened; I will not acknowledge the press. If they try to contact me at the office, they will be sent away. Eventually, they’ll get tired, drop the story and leave Ginny and me alone.’
‘I certainly won’t say anything,’ Narcissa said, getting a small smile out of her son.
Draco reached over and squeezed her hand gently. ‘I know and it means a lot to me.’
Narcissa took a sip of her tea. ‘Moving on, how will you find out the identity of this new girl?’
Slumping forward, Draco rested his elbows on the table, abandoning all memory of Malfoys proper posture. ‘I get hints in dreams, and then I piece them all together to figure out who she is.’
‘Anything yet?’
‘Yeah.’ Draco’s voice lowered. ‘She’s a Gryffindor.’
‘A what, darling? I couldn’t catch that.’
‘She’s a bloody Gryffindor, Mum!’
‘Another one?’ A look of surprise graced Narcissa’s face. ‘I’m sorry, darling.’
‘Yes, another one. Father and Salazar Slytherin must be tossing in their graves. Do I have a target on my back or something? A sign saying ‘send all shit my way’?’ Draco slumped back in his seat.
‘Worst case scenario, you meet her and after you marry her, you live separate quiet lives and be happy this curse doesn’t require you to produce an heir. But there is a chance that you meet her and you fall in love, and then you live a happy life together.’
‘But mother, I love Ginevra and only her. No one could ever take her place, and I will never love a woman the way I do her.’
‘I wouldn’t expect you to, but Draco, you must know that there are all different types of love. It’s true that you will never get that first love back and you may never experience that passionate, die-for-you love that you shared with Ginevra. But you may fall in love again but this time a gentle, mature, quiet love that is steady and strong. You owe it to yourself to find out. You may not love this mystery girl at the beginning or even like her, but you may grow to love her. It’s a risk I believe you should take. I’ll be here supporting you every step of the way.’
Draco just shook his head in amazement. ‘How do you do it? How do you know exactly what to say to calm me down?’
‘I’m your mother, it’s my job.’
‘Did you take classes or does this supreme knowledge just come to you when you become a mum?’
Narcissa smiled. ‘Go to work, son.’
‘Yeah, another bright spot in my day; keeping the family business from disarray and destruction. I can hardly wait.’
‘Well, I see that your sarcastic nature has escaped unscathed.’
‘I’m going, mother.’
The day passed quickly enough, and the night held no dreams for Draco, leading to a relatively replenishing sleep.
He received breakfast in bed the next morning and was halfway through his morning croissant when the headline of that day’s Daily Prophet caught his eye.
‘Minister of Magic’s Daughter Says Split with Beau was Perfectly Amiable.’
In a written statement directly to the Prophet, Ginevra Weasley has said that her recent breakup with Draco Malfoy was both mutual and pleasant.
‘We still love each other, but we both realized that we’re not what the other needs as a partner at this spot in our lives.’
Miss Weasley, just shy of her 23rd birthday, is said to have moved out of Malfoy Manor immediately following the break-up, but maintains that she and her ex are still on good terms.
‘The break-up was a decision made by both of us, and we left the relationship as friends. There are still feelings there for me and Draco, but being in love means that you want the best for that person. Draco and I wish each other all the best in the future.’
The break-up came as a shock to the Wizarding community, as the couple had seemed perfectly happy at Mr. Malfoy’s 24th Birthday Ball held last week.
Throwing off his blankets, Draco bounded across the room into his closet. He had to see Ginny.
Draco managed to keep his balance after he Floo’ed into the Burrow, but didn’t see Ginny at first.
Hearing the sound of a quill scratching on parchment, he followed it into the kitchen. There he spotted Ginny scribbling furiously at the table, copper hair spilling over her shoulders.
‘Why’d you do it?’ he blurted out, startling the redhead.
‘Draco, what are you doing here?’ she asked, hand on her heaving chest. Ginny pushed her hair off her face, making the dried trails of tears on her face quite visible.
‘Why’d you do it?’ he repeated again, countering her.
Ginny sighed. ‘It needed to be done and you know it. What
were you going to do? Just ignore the press and wait it out?’
‘Exactly. They’d give up soon enough and move onto fresher blood.’ Draco moved to sit down across from Ginny. Slipping into an old routine, she summoned a cup of coffee for him.
‘Yes, they’d move on eventually, but not until they’d taken the story and twisted it into something the complete opposite of the truth. By the time the papers had moved on, you would’ve cheated on me with some half-Veela after I’d gotten pregnant by one of the Malfoy servants. Then the actual break-up would’ve come after I threw a house-elf at you and threatened to cut off some of your special bits, resulting in you locking me out of the house in nothing more than high heels.’
‘Very entertaining, Gin. Did you have time to work on this story?’ Draco asked as a shadow of his old smirk on appeared on his face.
‘What can I say? The excessive drinking does that to me. But I just wanted to make sure that our break-up went public on my terms, and that our reputations, but especially yours, wouldn’t suffer. Just because you broke up with me to go off and find some other girl to marry doesn’t mean that I stopped caring about you.’
‘I really am sorry, Ginevra.’ Draco’s silver eyes glinted.
‘I know that, and I know that this is something you have to do. I also know that no matter how I wish that it didn’t have to happen, it does. Realistically, I also know that if I went out there, I could eventually find someone that could make me happy.’ She saw the wince on his face and sympathized but she had to continue on. ‘I know that might be hard to hear for you and it’s hard for me to say. I don’t want to move on though because I know someone could make me happy, but he'd never make me as happy as you do. No matter how hard I’d try, I could never forget you. That person would always be second best, and that’s not fair for anyone.’
Without thinking, he reached over and held her hand. ‘What are you going to do?’
Ginny let him hold her hand for a minute but then gently pulled it away, wishing desperately that his thumb hadn’t caressed her hand like that, an invisible line of fire now pulsing there. ‘I don’t know. Get a job I guess. I don’t need the money but I need something to fill up my days. I can hang out with my nieces and nephews, be more available to take care of them. But right now I want to lay low, out of the public eye as much as possible. You?’
‘We think alike. I’m taking a few days off work until the fireplaces stop ringing off the hook. Owls have just been swarming into the Manor, quite annoying really.’
‘Yeah, they are annoying…’
The two lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.
‘So any word on who this new girl is yet?’ Ginny asked, eyes fixed on the table as her fingers traced worn patterns on the wood’s scarred surface.
Draco’s head snapped up in surprise. ‘Do you really want me to answer that?’
She got up from the table and started to pace the floor. ‘No, but it was the first thing that came to mind. I hate that we have uncomfortable silences now.’
‘So do I. Before, I couldn’t wait to come home and have you tell me about your day because you were so warm and made everything sound so interesting. I would miss you so much that all I would want to do was sit and listen to you talk. It made me happy.’
‘Please Draco.’ Ginny put a hand out to stop him. ‘Don’t…don’t talk about what we used to have. The memory is still too fresh…to hear you talk like that and being forced to remember is killing me.’
‘I’m sorry Gin.’ Draco looked up with tear-filled eyes. ‘I can’t help it. You’re everything.’
Ginny let out a little sob and retreated to the window overlooking the garden, leaving Draco still seated at the table.
After a few minutes, Ginny took a deep breath and turned down, visibly calmer. ‘I know it’ll be hard but I do want to be friends with you.’
A surprised Draco threw her a skeptical look. ‘Do you think we can even be friends? Do we even know how? I mean, we went right from enemies to being involved thanks to Dumbledore’s insane school wide game of Hide and Go Seek. Fighting and then kissing…that’s our deal.’
Reaching the table, Ginny sat down. ‘I have put way too much time and emotion into this relationship to lose it completely. If being your friend is the only way to keep you in my life, then that’s what I’ll have to do.’ She paused and refilled her coffee. ‘So tell me about this girl.’
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
‘Absolutely.’
Draco shifted about, clearly uncomfortable. ‘Well, all I know is that she’s a Gryffindor.’
Ginny suddenly stilled at this, hands frozen in bringing her cup to her lips. ‘So I probably know her…or of her,’ she said quietly, a lump coming back to form in her throat.
‘There’s a really good chance.’
‘Well, the Malfoy in you must be revolting at that news,’ she replied, fiddling with the cream and sugar. ‘Two serious relationships with Gryffindors. I think Hell is freezing over as we speak.’
Draco laughed in spite of himself. ‘Yeah, that witch must’ve been really hurt to be this vindictive.’
‘Well, you know the term ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ I fear that your ride is only beginning.’
At that moment, Molly came bustling into the Burrow, arms laden down with bags and boxes, causing the door to slam into the wall. ‘I’m back, Ginevra,’ she said, striding right by the table. ‘I got those pumpkin muffins you like so much, and you don’t even have to share them with Ron.’ She gave no mention of the visitor at her table, and started puttering around the kitchen whilst singing.
After a few minutes of Draco and her staring at Molly, Ginny cleared her throat loudly. ‘Ahem.’
‘Did you need something, dear?’ Molly said, turning. But when she spotted Draco, the surprise caused her to rear back, hand on heaving chest. ‘Draco!’
He gave a weak wave.
She immediately strode over and enfolded him in on of her famous hugs. ‘Darling, I was so sorry to hear the news. Arthur and I were really looking forward to you joining the family some time in the future.’
Hugging her tightly, Draco looked over at Ginny. Pulling back, he kept eye contact. ‘So was I.’
Ginny looked down, biting her lip in order to hold back the tears.
He noticed this and realized that it was his cue to leave. ‘I should be going, Ginevra.’
Ginny nodded. ‘I’ll walk you out.’
Leaving the house, they stopped outside on the porch as Draco prepared to Disapparate. But yet they stood in silence for another few minutes.
Suddenly Ginny turned to him and kissed his cheek.
‘So this is goodbye then?’ Draco asked, understanding the meaning of her gesture.
‘It has to be,’ she replied, ‘for now. I need to be friends with you, to keep you in my life, but I can’t be around you right now. Does that make sense?’
‘It makes perfect sense, but then, you always did. You can just contact me when you’re ready, if you’re ready.’
‘Will you be okay?’ Ginny asked, a concerned frown gracing her brow.
‘Aren’t I always?’
‘Stop it…stop doing that whole “closing yourself off while answering flippantly” thing. It’s me, Ginny. Just tell me the truth.’
Draco studied her. After a sigh, he replied, ‘I’ll be fine, I promise.’
Ginny reached out and caught his hand, savouring the touch.
‘And you?’
‘Don’t worry about me, Drake. I’ll be okay. I just need time and copious amounts of alcohol. I've got my family- they'll help me through all of this.’
‘I always worry about you Gin, nothing’s going to change that.’
The silence started again as the pair studied the horizon, willing tears and notions of hope to stay buried. But as if by instinct, they turned to each other and grabbed each other fiercely. Their arms locked around each other tightly, and Ginny couldn’t help the sob that escaped her lips.
‘I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but I miss you so much!’ she cried. Draco’s arms tightened around her, one hand stroking her back as her words poured out and her tears soaked into his shirt.
‘I can’t be strong and put on a brave face anymore. I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay so we can get married and have kids and watch them grow up. I want us to get old together.’
‘I want that too Gin, but we both know that however much we want it, it can never happen.’
‘But I haven’t done anything wrong! Why are we being punished because of something that happened long before we were born?’
‘I don’t know. A witch was hurt very badly and decided to take out her emotions on other people. But to help others, we just have to settle for second best, no matter how much it hurts.’
Ginny pulled back to look at him, tears streaking her red face. ‘Just know that I love you, okay? Always remember that.’
‘I will.’ Draco leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. ‘I love you too. You’ll always be mine, even if you’re someone else’s.’
‘Stupid ferret.’
‘Silly weasel.’
Small smiles broke through the tears as they separated.
Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny cut him off. ‘Don’t say it, don’t say good-bye. We’ve said enough. It’s okay if you just go because I know what you want to say, and this way we don’t have to end it on a farewell.’
He nodded and after staring at Ginny to commit this last image of her to memory, Disapparated with a pop.
She stood staring blankly at the garden for a moment, but then turned and went back into the kitchen. She moved to sit at the table where her mother was drinking tea, but Molly motioned upstairs. ‘It’s okay, Ginny. Just go lie down. I’ll bring tea up later.’
Inherently grateful that Molly Weasley was her mother, Ginny nodded weakly. ‘Thanks Mum.’
Once upstairs, Ginny entered her dark room and swiftly shut the door. After changing into more comfortable clothes, she took a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion from its resting place in the drawer of her bedside table. She settled under the covers and sipped it slowly, looking forward to a time where she wasn’t forced to remember.
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