Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize that has been copyrighted by anybody.
***~~~***
'Hello, I’m looking for Colin Creevey. I don’t have an appointment but my name is-'
'Ginny Weasley, I know who you are.' The very young receptionist looked slightly scared. 'You aren’t here to yell at us in person are you? Because we already received your owls.'
Ginny had to laugh at the girl's expression. 'No, it's nothing like that. He's a friend from school and I have a question to ask of him.'
A little more relieved, the receptionist pointed out where to find Colin Creevey. 'He just got back from lunch so he's in his office, which is the large one in the left corner.'
The redhead thanked her and breezed on through the loud newsroom to her friend's office. The door was open but Colin wasn't there, so Ginny stepped inside to wait for him. To occupy her time, she studied the photos on the wall, muggle and magic alike.
'You don't owl, you don't Floo, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me.' Her friend's voice broke her concentration and she turned to give him a hug.
'Like you care, you git,' she said, pulling back to kiss his cheek. 'You're the one making sure my life is headline news. You probably know what I'm about to do before I do it.'
Colin smiled and took a seat on the couch in his office. 'As your friend, I am shocked and hurt by your accusation. As the editor of this paper, I can't deny it and am not ashamed. But still, me thinks this is not a social call. What can I do for the lovely Miss Weasley today, besides the obvious of not following you around anymore?'
Ginny took a seat next to him. 'Budge up a bit. Colin...can you give me the number of a good literary agent?'
Moving over, Colin pierced his friend with an inquisitive gaze. 'Are you seriously thinking about writing again?'
The redhead nodded. 'I seriously am. No notebooks that answer back this time…I promise.'
He laughed along with her, having long gotten over his own experience with the Basilisk. Getting up, he walked over to his desk and started flipping through a Muggle Rolodex. 'Magic or Muggle?'
Ginny was quite confused. 'What?'
'Do you want a Muggle or a magic agent?'
'Is there a difference? Does it matter?'
'It really all depends on what type of material you want to put out there. If it's magically related (like research or history or something to do with your experience with Voldemort or Harry Potter- and that shit still sells, trust me) you'll want a magic agent. But if its stuff that can be passed off as crazy fiction, you can sell it to Muggles where you'll have a larger audience.'
'Can I get someone who deals with both, like a Muggleborn agent? I'd probably be a bit more comfortable with someone who knew magic but I'd like someone who knew what they were doing if I wrote something that can be sold to both audiences.'
Colin snapped up a card with a grin. 'I have just the guy. Deryk Tucker: he's young, works for Merlin Press. And he's a genuine nice guy, no slime balls B only the best for you, darling.'
'Never heard of him. Did he go to Hogwarts?'
'No, he's American. Came over about 5 years ago but don't worry. He won't screw you over, I promise. He's busy but he owes me a few favours. How about I owl him and set up a lunch date for the two of you?'
Ginny got up and flung her arms around his neck. 'Thank you Colin! I have to run some errands now but after that I'm free for the rest of the day. Just owl me after he gets back to you with a time and place.'
'Will do.'
***~~~***
Ginny was so excited about this new phase in her career that she flew through the rest of her errands. Entering her new apartment, she dumped her bags on the ground as soon as she saw a tawny owl sitting on her kitchen table. Opening the letter it carried, she immediately noticed that it was directly from Deryk Tucker, not Colin. It said that he had made reservations for that afternoon at 1:30 pm at Le Petit Grenouille , a new but very high-class restaurant in Diagon Alley. Apparently Colin had been waxing poetic about her and her talents in his letter to Deryk who was very excited to meet her.
Looking down at her watch, Ginny noticed that she didn't have a lot of time before she needed to be at the restaurant for lunch and she rushed into her room. One good thing about being the Minister of Magic's daughter was that she had enough classy dress robes to outfit a small nation.
***~~~***
Arriving at the restaurant, Ginny smoothed down her hair and then approached the snooty looking maitre-d. She was going to ask about the reservation when the maitre-d's face lit up.
'Mademoiselle Weasley, what an honour it is to have you in our restaurant. Do you require a table? You may have any one you wish, no matter if someone is there already. We would do anything for the Minister of Magic's daughter.'
She had had enough of his fawning obsequiousness and so hastened to reassure him. 'It's alright; I actually have a reservation for 1:30 pm. It should be under Merlin Press.'
'Ah yes, avec young Monsieur Tucker. He is already waiting at your table. Follow me, Mademoiselle.'
Ginny was led to a table by the window where a very attractive man sat writing something on a piece of parchment. The maitre-d left them as the man stood up and held out a hand for her to shake.
'Ginevra Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot of great things about you from Colin Creevey.'
Deryk Tucker was a classically handsome young man with dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a dazzling smile that created two deep dimples in his cheeks. After they shook hands and sat down, a crisp American accent rattled off a few appetizers, checking with Ginny for affirmation.
For the first time since leaving Draco a month ago, she allowed herself to look upon another man as attractive and was watching the sun glint off his hair when she noticed Deryk's attention was turned back on her.
'I'm sorry, did you say something Mr. Tucker?' She asked.
'Call me Deryk, please,' he chuckled. 'I was just wondering what type of writing you were interested in. You=re a close friend of Harry Potter, is that right?'
'Yes but I'd never write anything about Harry. He has a hard enough time as it is without me turning on him.'
'Fair enough but considering how the market is still hot for Potter-related news, I had to ask. I need to start creating a landscape for your writing, like people to talk to, editors to scope out. Are you interested in fiction or do you just like the hard facts? I have to let you know that society is still liking the light, creative reading material (besides Harry Potter material), nothing too heavy.'
Ginny had to laugh at this. 'You don't have to worry about that. I'm not really in the head-space for anything heavy either. But I'm still not exactly sure what I want to write yet. Getting an agent was just a step to make sure I was going to be completely ready when I finally start writing. It could be some short stories, a tear-jerker, some sappy romance, I have no idea. I=ll let you know when I have something, but for now I just have tons of ideas running around in my head. It=s starting to be dead annoying so I=m going to have to start pounding the parchment.'
'At least you have ideas,' Deryk said with a grin that caused his dimples to deepen. 'A lot of writers that I see at first start off with less than that. They come to me and say "I want to be a writer." So I say, that's great but what are you thinking about writing? And they answer "I have no idea but I want to be a writer." I'm tempted to ask half of these people if they can even spell their own names.'
'Well, the general populace can be pretty thick. You should meet some of my brothers.' The redhead laughed along with him, pleasantly surprised that she was having such a great time with her agent and then she knew that Deryk Tucker would always be good for a laugh. Their appetizers arrived and they ordered the rest of the meal. The remainder of the lunch was spent discussing Quidditch and new novels on the best seller list. As promised by Colin, Deryk would know how to handle it if she wanted to release a book to a Muggle audience. He wisely didn't mention seeing Ginny in the news lately and kept her laughing throughout the meal with witty quips and funny observations about other customers in the restaurants. At one point during the lunch Ginny thought she saw a bulb flash somewhere in the restaurant but paid it no mind; someone was always getting their picture taken at a restaurant like Le Petit Grenouille .
***~~~***
Ginny was in such high spirits after her lunch meeting with her agent that she went home and wrote for hours. Anything that popped into her head got put down onto parchment and she was well satisfied when she took a break to fix herself something for dinner. She seemed to be on a roll and so started up again after she finished eating.
Her good mood was still around the next morning when she got out of bed and fixed herself a cup of coffee. But it quickly dissipated as she unfolded her copy of the Daily Prophet and caught the headline.
Slamming her mug down, she got up and marched over the fireplace while still holding the newspaper. Completely oblivious of the fact that she was still wearing a tank top and baggy flannel pyjama pants, Ginny picked up some Floo powder and called out 'The Daily Prophet.' Her face was set in a furious expression as she disappeared, green flames remaining in her wake.
***~~~***
An angry Weasley is a sight to see but a livid Ginevra Weasley would strike fear into even the most cold-hearted. As she stormed through the Daily Prophet newsroom her expression had people hiding under their desks or just apparating out of the room to get away from her wrath.
Reaching Colin's office, she pushed the door open hard which caused it to slam into the wall. Startled, Colin knocked over a pot of ink and spilled his coffee cup into his lap. He opened his mouth to say something but Ginny beat him to it.
'What the hell is your problem? I thought you were my friend!' she yelled, stepping up to the desk and throwing the newspaper down onto it. Colin looked down and read the front page with the glaring headline "Ginevra Weasley moving on?" accompanied by a large photo of Ginny and Deryk Tucker laughing as they ate lunch at Le Petit Grenouille the day before.
'How can you run this story?' the redhead continued as she paced around the well-decorated office. 'You know Deryk is my agent. You referred me to him, for Merlin's sake!'
Her friend leaned back in his chair, having the audacity to look pleased with himself. 'Sorry Gin, I just give the public what they want. And they want you.'
The rest of the newsroom only heard an irritated scream from Ginny before the office door was shut and a silencing charm placed on it.
***~~~***
'Good morning darling,' Narcissa said as Draco walked into the dining room and took a seat at the impeccably set table.
'Good morning mother,' he replied dully and then took a sip of his coffee. At a silent gesture from him a house elf rushed forward and portioned out eggs and fruit onto his plate.
Narcissa could tell that her son was deep in thought and so did not try to distract him with inane chitchat. After a few moments of staring into the murky liquid of his coffee cup, Draco shook himself slightly and reached for the newspaper that sat folded by his place setting. Sipping again from the hot beverage, his brain digested the headline.
Sitting at his right hand, Narcissa was close enough to read the damaging words on the front page and so looked fearfully at her beloved son for his reaction.
Draco put the paper down beside his plate and then wiped his mouth with his napkin. He picked up his water goblet but then suddenly turned and hurled it at the closest wall. He pulled his wand out of his robe pocket and cleaned up the mess with a flick. Still acting calmly with no trace of emotion, Draco turned back to Narcissa and asked 'so, what are your plans for the day mother?'
***~~~***
'You have no business reporting lies about my personal life!' screamed Ginny at a now cowering Colin. 'The Daily Prophet is not a gossip rag made purely to comment on aspects of my life. What ever happened to responsible journalism? Reporting the facts? You know for a fact that I don't fancy him; I just met Deryk yesterday for Merlin's sake!'
The blond opened his mouth to respond but Ginny cut him off, still furious. 'I know where you live and I've seen where you sleep. I have all the knowledge of torture that a childhood with 6 brothers provides you and if you don't print a retraction for this article, I swear your mother will cry when she's seen what I've done to you.'
Colin had now wedged his body into a corner of his office and he nodded quickly. 'I promise Ginny, whatever you want.' He seemed to shrink into himself as she stalked towards him. 'The retraction will be printed tomorrow, including the truth of the situation. Okay?'
'Perfect.' Ginny's expression remained thunderous for a second but then cleared. 'Thanks Colin for being so understanding. Talk to you later,' she said perkily and after kissing him on the cheek, she practically flounced out of the office.
Colin was left to stare dazedly after her, eyes wide as headlamps, wishing heartily that he could have a strong drink. Shaking himself a little, he shut the door with his wand to keep out prying eyes and started to compose the retraction. He needed to make it perfect; Colin didn't think his nerves could handle another dressing down from Ginny Weasley who was more like her mother than she'd ever care to admit.
***~~~***
Thought not as happy as the day before, Ginny=s mood was much better after berating Colin. Getting back to her flat, she ignored the owl from her mother that probably demanded the truth behind the front page. Merlin knew her father's press department was probably going spare. Finishing her breakfast, she read the rest of the paper. As she did so, the redhead idly twisted a piece of hair around her finger, an affectation that had always made Draco smile. The thought of her former lover made Ginny's heart clench a little; being away from him still hurt so much and she felt as if half of her soul was missing. Her writing was helping to distract her from the pain and she was dealing well enough day to day. Her thoughts flew to Draco, probably sitting somewhere in that big Manor with only his mother for company. Ginny knew that Draco drew into himself when angry or hurt and wouldn’t seek out others to help him get over the pain.
Suddenly she realized that he would be reading the same headline that she was struck with that morning and her heart clenched again. There would be no way for him to know that there was no truth behind the story; Draco would jump to conclusions and think that she was getting over him by quickly jumping back into the dating game.
Ginny debated whether or not she should send an explanatory note to Draco but decided against it. Though there was no romance in the relationship between her and Deryk Tucker, Draco and her were over and he needed to get used to seeing her with other men. Merlin knows that she would have to see pictures of him and this prophesied woman all over the news when they got together.
Still a bit irritated, she binned the paper and quickly responded to an owl from Hermione confirming their lunch the next day at a favourite restaurant, then sighed. Grabbing a sheaf of parchment and a pot of ink, Ginny pushed thoughts of Draco out of her mind and walked out onto her heat-charmed balcony, resolved to simply write for the rest of the day.
***~~~***
Draco stumbled out of bed the next day, having gotten little to no sleep the night before. The picture of Ginny with another man taunted him, their laughing faces etched into his brain. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them together and his over-active imagination continued the scene in the photo. Shuffling over to his bathroom, he blearily peered at himself and raked a hand through dishevelled blond hair. He looked like dragon dung and he knew it, but Draco couldn’t raise himself to care about his appearance for once in his life.
Narcissa took one look at him when he came into the dining room and knew that something was wrong. He had the worst case of bed head she had ever seen and the purple circles under his eyes were quite pronounced. 'Are you ill son?'
'No mother,' Draco said as he settled into his seat at the head of the table. Noticing the paper lying folded in its usual place by his setting, he shoved it as far away from him as possible.
His mother looked sceptically at him, catching on to what was troubling him. 'Aren’t you going to read the paper, poppet?'
'No.' The answer was quite terse.
'I really think you should.' Narcissa was gently insistent.
Throwing an annoyed look at his mother, he grabbed it from where he had shoved it. 'I don't know why I bother anyway. It's all rot,' Draco replied as he flipped open the paper and scanned the headline.
'The Daily Prophet Retracts Yesterday's Headline Story.'
'Yesterday's story about Ginevra Weasley having romantic feelings for the man she was seen having lunch with yesterday was a gross misrepresentation of the truth, we were told by the lady in question. Her attractive lunch companion was Deryk Tucker, 27, who is in reality Miss Weasley's literary agent. The meal was a meeting to discuss the different options for her upcoming writing. The Daily Prophet apologizes for any confusion, irritation or pain the previous article caused.'
Putting down the paper, Draco couldn't help the small smile from appearing on his face.
Narcissa saw this and sighed. 'Son, she deserves to be happy even if it’s not with you.'
He avoided her eyes and stared down at his lap, pouting like a petulant child. 'I certainly won't be, so why should she?'
She delicately dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and pushed out her chair. 'I'm going to pretend I did not hear that, and leave you for the day. I have an appointment at Hogwarts to discuss a series of donations under the Malfoy name; is there anything you'd like me to pick up for you while I'm out? Anything you'd like to say to Severus, perhaps?'
'If I need to say anything to him, I can send him an owl.'
Narcissa stopped by her son's chair and tugged his ear a bit harsher than her usual motherly affection. 'I rather hope you'll be done with this mood of yours by the time I get back for you to take me to lunch.'
'I haven't been done with it for 24 years, so why do you think I'd stop now?' Draco replied snarkily, though under his breath as he knew the edge of his mother's patience when provoked.
'Good-bye darling...and do remember your manners. I know very well that you were taught to rise when a lady leaves the table but today you stayed still in your chair. A broken heart is no excuse for a lapse in proper etiquette. Ta!'
He grumbled as he watched his mother's figure swish from the room.
***~~~***
Draco sat in his office at the Manor, idly responding to business owls and putting his signature on important documents. Every once in awhile, he opened his top drawer and looked at the piece of newsprint he had clipped out, reassuring himself that his Ginny wasn't seeing anyone new. But then again, she wasn't his Ginny anymore and Draco knew that he had to get used to seeing her with other men. It was an inescapable probability; her father was the Minister of Magic and so now their families often attended the same functions. Ginny Weasley was a beautiful woman; she wouldn’t be seen at events solo for much longer. With a sigh, he picked up the picture of her that he refused to take off of his desk. A laughing Ginny blew a kiss at him as a fall breeze ruffled her hair and blew leaves around the background.
'What am I going to do without you, Gin?' The picture just smiled the special smile she saved just for him. He wished he could pop over to the Burrow like he had a few weeks previous when he read the letter she had written to the Daily Prophet explaining their break-up. But that wouldn't be fair to Ginny and he wasn't even sure if she was still staying with her parents. Draco couldn’t keep forcing himself on her; being apart was apparently their fate and the quicker they moved on, the better for all parties concerned.
His concentration was broken by a soft knock on his office door and it opened to reveal his mother, still dressed in her outdoor cloak. 'Are you ready for lunch darling, or shall I give you a bit more time?'
Clearing his throat, Draco got up from his desk. 'Give me a few minutes to freshen up and grab my cloak.'
Narcissa nodded and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle in the front of her dress. 'Of course, I'll just wait by the front Apparition point.'
Draco decided that if he was truly going to get on with his life and step out into the public view, he couldn’t do it looking the way he did. Following his mother out of the office, he practically sprinted to his room. Draco did not have time for a shower but a brush, some gel and a few glamour charms would not go amiss. Taking care of his grooming, he grabbed a fresh set of dark grey robes and after donning them quickly, he checked his reflection in the full-length mirror. There he saw the Draco Malfoy who hadn't made an appearance since Ginny left, and smirking at his image, he smoothed his hair one last time and left to join his mother downstairs.
As he approached the Apparition point, Narcissa cocked a delicate blonde eyebrow. 'Ah, my son has finally returned to me from the land of the dead.'
Draco forced a laugh. 'Zombie jokes, mother...how humorous and not at all tasteless. Your wit is dryer than your martinis.'
She swatted him gently on the chest. 'Oh tosh, Draco. Your own sense of humour seems to have fallen into disrepair. Kindly brush off the teardrops and the cobwebs before I must resort to conversing with the help to have any entertainment.'
'Classic mother,' he thought, a small grin appearing on his face as the lady in question stepped into the Apparition point.
Right before uttering her destination, Narcissa turned back and said, 'oh and son, about the martinis? That was your father. You know I like my gin with a twist,' and then she was gone.
His mother liked her gin with a twist, but unfortunately for Draco's sanity, so did he.
***~~~***
A pop behind her signalled Draco's arrival as Narcissa stood inside the entranceway to the restaurant they had chosen for lunch. Mariposa was a small but excellent café that Draco and Ginny had discovered a year before; the staff were efficient yet discrete and the delicious menu was fast making the café one of the most popular in the area. The hostess immediately hustled over, recognizing the family.
Ginny had just received her drink at the table she was sharing in the corner of Mariposa with Hermione when she saw the hostess put on an extra burst of speed to reach the entrance. Ginny followed that path with her eyes and was stunned when she saw the two aristocratic blondes at the front of the restaurant. Turning away, she quickly downed her drink.
The brunette quickly noticed her friend's distress. 'What's wrong, Gin? This is a celebratory meal, you should be happy.'
Ginny indicated the cause of her misery with a backwards jerk of her head.
Hermione looked over in that direction but quickly focussed back on the redhead. 'Please tell me that's not who I think it is.'
Ginny nodded miserably. 'I'm afraid it is; how many people do you know with that shade of blond hair?'
'Of all the horrible luck...I'm sorry Gin, I never would've thought that he'd be here at the same time as us. I think this warrants a few more rounds of drinks...at least.'
'I have to get used to this, Hermione. Our families attend all the same functions, and we'll be seeing each other all the time under intense public scrutiny. At least right now our reactions to seeing each other won=t be plastered all over the front page of the newspaper.' Suddenly she groaned and then rested her head on her hands for a moment. 'And Narcissa is here; I never even really said good-bye to her, and she was so sweet to me. She probably thinks the worst of me now.'
The brunette reassured her friend. 'I'm sure she thinks nothing of the sort. I'm sure Draco has told her the extent of the situation and she probably just feels horrible for the both of you.'
Ginny shot her a weak smile. 'Are you sure? I wonder how long it will take for them to realize that I'm here. Despite the awkward circumstances, their social etiquette will demand that they come over here and talk to us for a bit. If that happens, I may have to kill myself. Pleasantries with Draco and Narcissa Malfoy at this moment would be the last nail in my coffin.'
Hermione covered Ginny's hand with her own while she used the other to motion for another round of drinks to be delivered to their table. 'Let's try and forget about them until Draco or his mother do notice that you're here. I’m sure you’ll withstand any conversations with them beautifully if they indeed feel the need to come over here. Did I tell you what Ron did when he came home from work yesterday?'
Ginny let her friend launch into the story, knowing that the stupid antics of her brother would help distract her from the man sitting across the restaurant.
***~~~***
Draco and his mother were quickly seated at the best table in the restaurant, in a quiet corner under a large skylight. They were served drinks and salads and were deciding on their entrees when Draco's eye caught a very familiar flash of red across the room. Doing a double take, he couldn’t believe it; there sat Ginny Weasley, chatting and laughing over a meal with her friend as if the past month had never even happened.
Sunlight filtered in from the window nearest them and glinted off Ginny's hair, causing it to look like fiery copper. He sat there, transfixed by her completely unexpected presence until his mother's annoyed voice caught his attention.
'Are you even listening to me, son? I was telling you all about my visit to Severus.'
'No mother, truthfully I wasn't listening to a word you were saying.'
'Pray tell me what was so interesting that you couldn’t bother to even appear to be attentive to your own mother?' Narcissa followed her son's eye line until her gaze fixed on the young woman she had always thought would become her daughter-in-law.
'Oh no...I'm sorry darling. Would you like to leave? We can have lunch somewhere else.'
Draco turned back to her. 'Why? Do you think we should leave just because Ginny is here?'
'I thought that you might prefer to. I know how hard it is for you to see her. I feel that this lunch may just turn into an extended torture for you.'
Draco viciously stabbed the last piece of lettuce that was on his plate. 'No. We will sit here and enjoy a nice meal. And then when we are done, we will go over and greet Ginevra and her dining companion, make some quick small talk and then be on our way.'
'Of course darling,' Narcissa replied quietly.
Luckily, the waiter arrived at that moment to take their orders and so broke up the awkward silence that had started. The elder Malfoy continued on with talk of her visit to Severus Snape earlier that day and Draco did his best to interest himself in what she had to say.
***~~~***
Ginny managed to distract herself for the rest of the meal, focussing on the witty stories that Hermione had in abundance (mostly centring around Ron.) She had just been served a final cup of coffee when she dared look over in Draco's direction. The redhead was quite surprised to see the Malfoys being served coffee as well, the remains of a quick expensive meal littering the table.
Stirring a packet of sweetener into her coffee, Hermione noticed that the two blonds across the restaurant were also finishing up their lunch. 'I expect they'll be making their way over soon. I know Draco's noticed that you're here- he's been glancing this way ever since they were served their salads.'
'You pay attention to the strangest things Hermione.'
'Hey, I pride myself on my observational skills,' the brunette replied jokingly. 'Ok, they're coming over. What do we do?'
'Act naturally. Just behave like you're meeting an old school acquaintance again- you shouldn’t have to pretend because that's what is happening.'
Ginny turned to greet the pair as they reached the table. 'Draco, Narcissa, it's quite a surprise to see you here. A pleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless.' Standing up, she kissed Narcissa on the cheek but avoided Draco's gaze altogether. Hermione greeted mother and son as well as Ginny sat back down.
Remembering her manners, Ginny motioned to the table. 'Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?'
Narcissa smiled but Draco answered for them in the negative. 'We've really got to be heading out but thanks for the offer. It was nice seeing the both of you again,' he said as he gazed at Ginny with an unreadable look in his eye.
'You as well,' Hermione replied.
Reaching out, Narcissa gently squeezed Ginny's hand before she and Draco turned and exited the restaurant.
'Whew!' The redhead sank back into her chair. 'That was relatively painless.'
Her brother's girlfriend stared at her. 'Yes, but it was also completely devoid of anything resembling human emotion. You two sounded like two people who had bumped into each other on the street, not two people who had been seeing each other for a few years.'
'Cold is easy, I can do cold. If I let my emotions take over every time I see Draco, I'd go crazy. An emotionless Ginny is a sane Ginny. I have to save the breakdown for when he finds that new girlfriend.' A bitter laugh left her throat and Hermione thought it best to signal for the cheque.
'Quick, tell me something stupid about my brother so I'll stop thinking about Draco.'
'Well I didn’t want to say anything because this was supposed to be a celebratory meal for you but I have some pretty big news myself.' Hermione took a big breath and plunged in. 'Last night, your brother asked me to marry him and I said yes!'
'What?!?' Ginny shrieked as she spilled her coffee all over the shimmery green tablecloth. 'You silly cow! How did you keep that to yourself this entire time?' She launched herself across the table at her friend and grabbed her in a tight hug. 'That news is enough to keep me distracted for the next few months! What exactly happened?'
And as Hermione described the romantic proposal, Ginny found that it was easy to push Draco far from her thoughts.
***~~~***
Though Ginny was able to forget her former lover for a few hours, Draco was having no such luck. His thoughts were dominated by the redhead from the moment he and his mother left the restaurant.
His mother wisely retired to her chambers, leaving Draco alone in his office. She had informed him that she was going to be spending the weekend with some friends in France and would be leaving before dinner. Draco thought this was best because he knew that he would be in an awful mood for a few more days and wouldn’t want to inflict that on his undeserving mother.
He paced around the Manor for hours and found himself to be in the North wing. The space there had been the chambers of his great grandparents and he peeked into rooms long since fallen into disuse. Dust lay thick on all surfaces not covered by white sheets of a rich material and so Draco figured that the house elves hadn’t bothered to go near the rooms since their inhabitants had passed away.
Darkness fell and the blond lit his wand, torches missing from that section of the estate. He reminded himself to come back to the rooms later with his mother, liking their dimensions and colour palette. Hopefully they could be cleaned and brought back into use; perhaps the woman from the curse could live there, but Draco forced that thought from his mind.
He slowly trudged back to his own room and fell down onto his bed, too exhausted to even remove his clothing. Slipping into sleep, he managed to half wrap himself in his duvet before his eyes fully shut.
***~~~***
Draco found himself at the doorway to a room identical to his own except for the fact that it was a lot messier and seemed somehow a bit more lived in. A noise came from the room Draco knew to be the bathroom and as the door opened, he was shocked still and his jaw dropped as he saw himself walk out.
'Morning Drake,' his mirror image said as he crossed the room to the wardrobe. 'You can come in you know. I'm your twin, not a leper.'
Draco remained silent, eyes still wide as saucers.
'Hey, I know I'm breathtakingly handsome but I didn’t know I could make anyone speechless. Anyway, you see this face everyday.'
'You're my brother?'
'By birth, not by choice. And don't look so surprised. I've been your brother for the last 24 years. But now I'm depressed- you haven't even said good morning to me.'
'I haven't?' He was still slightly dazed.
'No, so repeat after me: good morning Diomedes, my favourite younger brother by 7 minutes.'
'Diomedes?' Draco repeated.
'Oh, and Draco is much better? At least I'm named after a warrior, not a constellation. Just be glad that mother didn’t get her way and name us Castor and Pollux.'
'This is by far the strangest dream I've had yet,' Draco said under his breath as he walked into the room.
This supposed twin of his shot an arched look his way before he tugged on a light grey jumper. 'Don't mutter to yourself Drake, you look like one of those crazed cat nutters.' He shook himself a bit as if to rid himself of a distasteful thought. 'Now I sound like mum; don't make me do that either.'
Draco took a seat on an ornate padded chair in the corner. 'I've always wanted a brother. I hated being an only child.'
Diomedes turned and looked at him strangely from where he was fixing his platinum locks. 'You've always had a brother. What's the matter with you?'
'Nothing…it's just that I know I'm dreaming and that you're not real, so when I wake up you won't be there.'
His twin grinned and the lightly bit a knuckle. 'I feel pretty real and taste real too. Maybe you're the one that doesn’t really exist,' he joked, but then his expression turned serious and he walked closer.
Draco found himself staring into the same sharp silver eyes he saw every day, but it was strange to see them on another person, despite the identical features.
'Are you sure you're okay, Drake? A Healer is only a Floo call away and a Malfoy will only get the best. You do look a bit peaky.'
Draco lightly pushed this brother of his away. 'I'm fine, just adjusting.'
Diomedes still had a concerned look on his face. 'I know that you're the oldest one and are supposed to take of me but I worry about you.'
The now eldest Malfoy child was so touched by those few words. 'That means more than you'll know. Thanks.'
'Yeah, I mean, if something happens to you, I'll have to step in to take over for you. All that responsibility and seriousness, I shudder at the thought.'
'Ah, I see how this works. I'm under all the pressure as the Malfoy heir while you get to live the high life, partying all night and shagging beautiful women.' Draco cracked a now rare grin, colour returning to his face.
His twin answered back with an identical smile. 'I'm under good authority that you partake in a great deal of that yourself, brother of mine. In fact, I remember one deliciously curvy brunette who started off the evening in my delightful companionship but ended up leaving the Manor the next morning dressed only in one of your monogrammed shirts, you berk.'
Draco smirked, remembering a similar incident that had actually happened between himself and Blaise Zabini in his 6th year.
‘What can I say? I am a Malfoy after all,’ he replied
Diomedes grinned and turned back to the mirror to check his hair one more time. Draco stood up as well and crossed the room to stand beside his brother. The mirror swooned as they stood shoulder to shoulder, angular features set in smirks.
‘I think the world is very lucky to have us in it. These faces should be immortalized somewhere; it’s a crime that they’re not on public display somewhere.’
‘I’ve heard that Muggles put famous peoples’ faces onto stamps, some sort of thing they need on their letters,’ Draco ventured.
‘Faces on stamps?’ Diomedes chuckled. ‘What will they think of next?’
Draco laughed along with him, a wave of affection washing over him. But suddenly the room around him turned hazy, a sure sign that he was starting to wake up from this dream. He didn’t want to wake up; he was realizing just what he had been missing in growing up an only child.
Turning, he grabbed his brother in a tight hug.
‘Drake, what is with you today? I think you need to go lay down or something,’ Diomedes said, trying to struggle out of the embrace.
The elder Malfoy held on, trying to memorize the feel of the other man. ‘I just want to say that I wish I actually had a brother like you.’ He continued on through Diomedes’ protestations. ‘You seem like a great bloke and I bet we would’ve had a lot of fun together.’
With that, he let go of his brother and the room grew completely blurred.
***~~~***
Jolting up in bed, Draco kept his eyes shut for a few minutes longer, trying to implant the memory of having a brother in his head. But he opened them when he realized that this was probably the most important clue of all. She must be a twin! Twins…Gryffindor…twins…Gryffindor… became a mantra that ran through his head, having discarded the snake and Parseltongue clue for now. After a few repetitions, something clicked in his mind and he flung himself out of bed and over to the roll-top desk in the corner of the room.
Grabbing the yearbook from his fifth year at Hogwarts, Draco flipped it open to the Gryffindor section and scanned the names and pictures. No specific girl was catching his eye, frustrating him further as he didn’t know exactly what or who he was looking for. The blond then opened the book to the common section of pictures, photos of students from all house just mish-mashed together. It was there that a snapshot caught his eye; right in the centre of a page were two identical looking girls with arms around each other. One wore a Ravenclaw prefect badge and the other was decked out in Gryffindor colours. Draco scanned the names under the photo: Padma and Parvati Patil.
He sank heavily into the chair by the desk. He had done it; he had found the woman from the curse and her name was Parvati Patil. He hardly remembered her from his days at Hogwarts, having looked with disdain at Gryffindor house in general. And now he was going to have to marry her, a woman he neither knew, liked or remembered.
Tomorrow would be the day that he would seek out his future bride and explain to her the workings of the curse. He was sure that he could dazzle her with enough money and Malfoy charm to get her to bend to his will with minimal fuss. A quick engagement would be followed by a small wedding and then he could quietly ship her off to the North Wing or the French country estate. Picking up the yearbook, he was about to close it when a shock of fiery red hair caught his eye. There teasing him was a picture of Ginny, clearly taken after a victory on the Quidditch pitch as she was still in her kit with broomstick in hand. One arm was around her brother Ron with the other looped around Harry Potter’s neck. The three just goofed around in the photo while Draco glared. Snapping the book shut, he threw it on to the desk and sighed. He was just going to have to get used to seeing Ginny happy without him, even if it was in a photo almost ten years old. They just weren’t meant to be together and sooner, rather than later, the blond was going to have to come to terms with that.
'Hello, I’m looking for Colin Creevey. I don’t have an appointment but my name is-'
'Ginny Weasley, I know who you are.' The very young receptionist looked slightly scared. 'You aren’t here to yell at us in person are you? Because we already received your owls.'
Ginny had to laugh at the girl's expression. 'No, it's nothing like that. He's a friend from school and I have a question to ask of him.'
A little more relieved, the receptionist pointed out where to find Colin Creevey. 'He just got back from lunch so he's in his office, which is the large one in the left corner.'
The redhead thanked her and breezed on through the loud newsroom to her friend's office. The door was open but Colin wasn't there, so Ginny stepped inside to wait for him. To occupy her time, she studied the photos on the wall, muggle and magic alike.
'You don't owl, you don't Floo, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me.' Her friend's voice broke her concentration and she turned to give him a hug.
'Like you care, you git,' she said, pulling back to kiss his cheek. 'You're the one making sure my life is headline news. You probably know what I'm about to do before I do it.'
Colin smiled and took a seat on the couch in his office. 'As your friend, I am shocked and hurt by your accusation. As the editor of this paper, I can't deny it and am not ashamed. But still, me thinks this is not a social call. What can I do for the lovely Miss Weasley today, besides the obvious of not following you around anymore?'
Ginny took a seat next to him. 'Budge up a bit. Colin...can you give me the number of a good literary agent?'
Moving over, Colin pierced his friend with an inquisitive gaze. 'Are you seriously thinking about writing again?'
The redhead nodded. 'I seriously am. No notebooks that answer back this time…I promise.'
He laughed along with her, having long gotten over his own experience with the Basilisk. Getting up, he walked over to his desk and started flipping through a Muggle Rolodex. 'Magic or Muggle?'
Ginny was quite confused. 'What?'
'Do you want a Muggle or a magic agent?'
'Is there a difference? Does it matter?'
'It really all depends on what type of material you want to put out there. If it's magically related (like research or history or something to do with your experience with Voldemort or Harry Potter- and that shit still sells, trust me) you'll want a magic agent. But if its stuff that can be passed off as crazy fiction, you can sell it to Muggles where you'll have a larger audience.'
'Can I get someone who deals with both, like a Muggleborn agent? I'd probably be a bit more comfortable with someone who knew magic but I'd like someone who knew what they were doing if I wrote something that can be sold to both audiences.'
Colin snapped up a card with a grin. 'I have just the guy. Deryk Tucker: he's young, works for Merlin Press. And he's a genuine nice guy, no slime balls B only the best for you, darling.'
'Never heard of him. Did he go to Hogwarts?'
'No, he's American. Came over about 5 years ago but don't worry. He won't screw you over, I promise. He's busy but he owes me a few favours. How about I owl him and set up a lunch date for the two of you?'
Ginny got up and flung her arms around his neck. 'Thank you Colin! I have to run some errands now but after that I'm free for the rest of the day. Just owl me after he gets back to you with a time and place.'
'Will do.'
Ginny was so excited about this new phase in her career that she flew through the rest of her errands. Entering her new apartment, she dumped her bags on the ground as soon as she saw a tawny owl sitting on her kitchen table. Opening the letter it carried, she immediately noticed that it was directly from Deryk Tucker, not Colin. It said that he had made reservations for that afternoon at 1:30 pm at Le Petit Grenouille , a new but very high-class restaurant in Diagon Alley. Apparently Colin had been waxing poetic about her and her talents in his letter to Deryk who was very excited to meet her.
Looking down at her watch, Ginny noticed that she didn't have a lot of time before she needed to be at the restaurant for lunch and she rushed into her room. One good thing about being the Minister of Magic's daughter was that she had enough classy dress robes to outfit a small nation.
Arriving at the restaurant, Ginny smoothed down her hair and then approached the snooty looking maitre-d. She was going to ask about the reservation when the maitre-d's face lit up.
'Mademoiselle Weasley, what an honour it is to have you in our restaurant. Do you require a table? You may have any one you wish, no matter if someone is there already. We would do anything for the Minister of Magic's daughter.'
She had had enough of his fawning obsequiousness and so hastened to reassure him. 'It's alright; I actually have a reservation for 1:30 pm. It should be under Merlin Press.'
'Ah yes, avec young Monsieur Tucker. He is already waiting at your table. Follow me, Mademoiselle.'
Ginny was led to a table by the window where a very attractive man sat writing something on a piece of parchment. The maitre-d left them as the man stood up and held out a hand for her to shake.
'Ginevra Weasley, it's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot of great things about you from Colin Creevey.'
Deryk Tucker was a classically handsome young man with dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes and a dazzling smile that created two deep dimples in his cheeks. After they shook hands and sat down, a crisp American accent rattled off a few appetizers, checking with Ginny for affirmation.
For the first time since leaving Draco a month ago, she allowed herself to look upon another man as attractive and was watching the sun glint off his hair when she noticed Deryk's attention was turned back on her.
'I'm sorry, did you say something Mr. Tucker?' She asked.
'Call me Deryk, please,' he chuckled. 'I was just wondering what type of writing you were interested in. You=re a close friend of Harry Potter, is that right?'
'Yes but I'd never write anything about Harry. He has a hard enough time as it is without me turning on him.'
'Fair enough but considering how the market is still hot for Potter-related news, I had to ask. I need to start creating a landscape for your writing, like people to talk to, editors to scope out. Are you interested in fiction or do you just like the hard facts? I have to let you know that society is still liking the light, creative reading material (besides Harry Potter material), nothing too heavy.'
Ginny had to laugh at this. 'You don't have to worry about that. I'm not really in the head-space for anything heavy either. But I'm still not exactly sure what I want to write yet. Getting an agent was just a step to make sure I was going to be completely ready when I finally start writing. It could be some short stories, a tear-jerker, some sappy romance, I have no idea. I=ll let you know when I have something, but for now I just have tons of ideas running around in my head. It=s starting to be dead annoying so I=m going to have to start pounding the parchment.'
'At least you have ideas,' Deryk said with a grin that caused his dimples to deepen. 'A lot of writers that I see at first start off with less than that. They come to me and say "I want to be a writer." So I say, that's great but what are you thinking about writing? And they answer "I have no idea but I want to be a writer." I'm tempted to ask half of these people if they can even spell their own names.'
'Well, the general populace can be pretty thick. You should meet some of my brothers.' The redhead laughed along with him, pleasantly surprised that she was having such a great time with her agent and then she knew that Deryk Tucker would always be good for a laugh. Their appetizers arrived and they ordered the rest of the meal. The remainder of the lunch was spent discussing Quidditch and new novels on the best seller list. As promised by Colin, Deryk would know how to handle it if she wanted to release a book to a Muggle audience. He wisely didn't mention seeing Ginny in the news lately and kept her laughing throughout the meal with witty quips and funny observations about other customers in the restaurants. At one point during the lunch Ginny thought she saw a bulb flash somewhere in the restaurant but paid it no mind; someone was always getting their picture taken at a restaurant like Le Petit Grenouille .
Ginny was in such high spirits after her lunch meeting with her agent that she went home and wrote for hours. Anything that popped into her head got put down onto parchment and she was well satisfied when she took a break to fix herself something for dinner. She seemed to be on a roll and so started up again after she finished eating.
Her good mood was still around the next morning when she got out of bed and fixed herself a cup of coffee. But it quickly dissipated as she unfolded her copy of the Daily Prophet and caught the headline.
Slamming her mug down, she got up and marched over the fireplace while still holding the newspaper. Completely oblivious of the fact that she was still wearing a tank top and baggy flannel pyjama pants, Ginny picked up some Floo powder and called out 'The Daily Prophet.' Her face was set in a furious expression as she disappeared, green flames remaining in her wake.
An angry Weasley is a sight to see but a livid Ginevra Weasley would strike fear into even the most cold-hearted. As she stormed through the Daily Prophet newsroom her expression had people hiding under their desks or just apparating out of the room to get away from her wrath.
Reaching Colin's office, she pushed the door open hard which caused it to slam into the wall. Startled, Colin knocked over a pot of ink and spilled his coffee cup into his lap. He opened his mouth to say something but Ginny beat him to it.
'What the hell is your problem? I thought you were my friend!' she yelled, stepping up to the desk and throwing the newspaper down onto it. Colin looked down and read the front page with the glaring headline "Ginevra Weasley moving on?" accompanied by a large photo of Ginny and Deryk Tucker laughing as they ate lunch at Le Petit Grenouille the day before.
'How can you run this story?' the redhead continued as she paced around the well-decorated office. 'You know Deryk is my agent. You referred me to him, for Merlin's sake!'
Her friend leaned back in his chair, having the audacity to look pleased with himself. 'Sorry Gin, I just give the public what they want. And they want you.'
The rest of the newsroom only heard an irritated scream from Ginny before the office door was shut and a silencing charm placed on it.
'Good morning darling,' Narcissa said as Draco walked into the dining room and took a seat at the impeccably set table.
'Good morning mother,' he replied dully and then took a sip of his coffee. At a silent gesture from him a house elf rushed forward and portioned out eggs and fruit onto his plate.
Narcissa could tell that her son was deep in thought and so did not try to distract him with inane chitchat. After a few moments of staring into the murky liquid of his coffee cup, Draco shook himself slightly and reached for the newspaper that sat folded by his place setting. Sipping again from the hot beverage, his brain digested the headline.
Sitting at his right hand, Narcissa was close enough to read the damaging words on the front page and so looked fearfully at her beloved son for his reaction.
Draco put the paper down beside his plate and then wiped his mouth with his napkin. He picked up his water goblet but then suddenly turned and hurled it at the closest wall. He pulled his wand out of his robe pocket and cleaned up the mess with a flick. Still acting calmly with no trace of emotion, Draco turned back to Narcissa and asked 'so, what are your plans for the day mother?'
'You have no business reporting lies about my personal life!' screamed Ginny at a now cowering Colin. 'The Daily Prophet is not a gossip rag made purely to comment on aspects of my life. What ever happened to responsible journalism? Reporting the facts? You know for a fact that I don't fancy him; I just met Deryk yesterday for Merlin's sake!'
The blond opened his mouth to respond but Ginny cut him off, still furious. 'I know where you live and I've seen where you sleep. I have all the knowledge of torture that a childhood with 6 brothers provides you and if you don't print a retraction for this article, I swear your mother will cry when she's seen what I've done to you.'
Colin had now wedged his body into a corner of his office and he nodded quickly. 'I promise Ginny, whatever you want.' He seemed to shrink into himself as she stalked towards him. 'The retraction will be printed tomorrow, including the truth of the situation. Okay?'
'Perfect.' Ginny's expression remained thunderous for a second but then cleared. 'Thanks Colin for being so understanding. Talk to you later,' she said perkily and after kissing him on the cheek, she practically flounced out of the office.
Colin was left to stare dazedly after her, eyes wide as headlamps, wishing heartily that he could have a strong drink. Shaking himself a little, he shut the door with his wand to keep out prying eyes and started to compose the retraction. He needed to make it perfect; Colin didn't think his nerves could handle another dressing down from Ginny Weasley who was more like her mother than she'd ever care to admit.
Thought not as happy as the day before, Ginny=s mood was much better after berating Colin. Getting back to her flat, she ignored the owl from her mother that probably demanded the truth behind the front page. Merlin knew her father's press department was probably going spare. Finishing her breakfast, she read the rest of the paper. As she did so, the redhead idly twisted a piece of hair around her finger, an affectation that had always made Draco smile. The thought of her former lover made Ginny's heart clench a little; being away from him still hurt so much and she felt as if half of her soul was missing. Her writing was helping to distract her from the pain and she was dealing well enough day to day. Her thoughts flew to Draco, probably sitting somewhere in that big Manor with only his mother for company. Ginny knew that Draco drew into himself when angry or hurt and wouldn’t seek out others to help him get over the pain.
Suddenly she realized that he would be reading the same headline that she was struck with that morning and her heart clenched again. There would be no way for him to know that there was no truth behind the story; Draco would jump to conclusions and think that she was getting over him by quickly jumping back into the dating game.
Ginny debated whether or not she should send an explanatory note to Draco but decided against it. Though there was no romance in the relationship between her and Deryk Tucker, Draco and her were over and he needed to get used to seeing her with other men. Merlin knows that she would have to see pictures of him and this prophesied woman all over the news when they got together.
Still a bit irritated, she binned the paper and quickly responded to an owl from Hermione confirming their lunch the next day at a favourite restaurant, then sighed. Grabbing a sheaf of parchment and a pot of ink, Ginny pushed thoughts of Draco out of her mind and walked out onto her heat-charmed balcony, resolved to simply write for the rest of the day.
Draco stumbled out of bed the next day, having gotten little to no sleep the night before. The picture of Ginny with another man taunted him, their laughing faces etched into his brain. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw them together and his over-active imagination continued the scene in the photo. Shuffling over to his bathroom, he blearily peered at himself and raked a hand through dishevelled blond hair. He looked like dragon dung and he knew it, but Draco couldn’t raise himself to care about his appearance for once in his life.
Narcissa took one look at him when he came into the dining room and knew that something was wrong. He had the worst case of bed head she had ever seen and the purple circles under his eyes were quite pronounced. 'Are you ill son?'
'No mother,' Draco said as he settled into his seat at the head of the table. Noticing the paper lying folded in its usual place by his setting, he shoved it as far away from him as possible.
His mother looked sceptically at him, catching on to what was troubling him. 'Aren’t you going to read the paper, poppet?'
'No.' The answer was quite terse.
'I really think you should.' Narcissa was gently insistent.
Throwing an annoyed look at his mother, he grabbed it from where he had shoved it. 'I don't know why I bother anyway. It's all rot,' Draco replied as he flipped open the paper and scanned the headline.
'The Daily Prophet Retracts Yesterday's Headline Story.'
'Yesterday's story about Ginevra Weasley having romantic feelings for the man she was seen having lunch with yesterday was a gross misrepresentation of the truth, we were told by the lady in question. Her attractive lunch companion was Deryk Tucker, 27, who is in reality Miss Weasley's literary agent. The meal was a meeting to discuss the different options for her upcoming writing. The Daily Prophet apologizes for any confusion, irritation or pain the previous article caused.'
Putting down the paper, Draco couldn't help the small smile from appearing on his face.
Narcissa saw this and sighed. 'Son, she deserves to be happy even if it’s not with you.'
He avoided her eyes and stared down at his lap, pouting like a petulant child. 'I certainly won't be, so why should she?'
She delicately dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and pushed out her chair. 'I'm going to pretend I did not hear that, and leave you for the day. I have an appointment at Hogwarts to discuss a series of donations under the Malfoy name; is there anything you'd like me to pick up for you while I'm out? Anything you'd like to say to Severus, perhaps?'
'If I need to say anything to him, I can send him an owl.'
Narcissa stopped by her son's chair and tugged his ear a bit harsher than her usual motherly affection. 'I rather hope you'll be done with this mood of yours by the time I get back for you to take me to lunch.'
'I haven't been done with it for 24 years, so why do you think I'd stop now?' Draco replied snarkily, though under his breath as he knew the edge of his mother's patience when provoked.
'Good-bye darling...and do remember your manners. I know very well that you were taught to rise when a lady leaves the table but today you stayed still in your chair. A broken heart is no excuse for a lapse in proper etiquette. Ta!'
He grumbled as he watched his mother's figure swish from the room.
Draco sat in his office at the Manor, idly responding to business owls and putting his signature on important documents. Every once in awhile, he opened his top drawer and looked at the piece of newsprint he had clipped out, reassuring himself that his Ginny wasn't seeing anyone new. But then again, she wasn't his Ginny anymore and Draco knew that he had to get used to seeing her with other men. It was an inescapable probability; her father was the Minister of Magic and so now their families often attended the same functions. Ginny Weasley was a beautiful woman; she wouldn’t be seen at events solo for much longer. With a sigh, he picked up the picture of her that he refused to take off of his desk. A laughing Ginny blew a kiss at him as a fall breeze ruffled her hair and blew leaves around the background.
'What am I going to do without you, Gin?' The picture just smiled the special smile she saved just for him. He wished he could pop over to the Burrow like he had a few weeks previous when he read the letter she had written to the Daily Prophet explaining their break-up. But that wouldn't be fair to Ginny and he wasn't even sure if she was still staying with her parents. Draco couldn’t keep forcing himself on her; being apart was apparently their fate and the quicker they moved on, the better for all parties concerned.
His concentration was broken by a soft knock on his office door and it opened to reveal his mother, still dressed in her outdoor cloak. 'Are you ready for lunch darling, or shall I give you a bit more time?'
Clearing his throat, Draco got up from his desk. 'Give me a few minutes to freshen up and grab my cloak.'
Narcissa nodded and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle in the front of her dress. 'Of course, I'll just wait by the front Apparition point.'
Draco decided that if he was truly going to get on with his life and step out into the public view, he couldn’t do it looking the way he did. Following his mother out of the office, he practically sprinted to his room. Draco did not have time for a shower but a brush, some gel and a few glamour charms would not go amiss. Taking care of his grooming, he grabbed a fresh set of dark grey robes and after donning them quickly, he checked his reflection in the full-length mirror. There he saw the Draco Malfoy who hadn't made an appearance since Ginny left, and smirking at his image, he smoothed his hair one last time and left to join his mother downstairs.
As he approached the Apparition point, Narcissa cocked a delicate blonde eyebrow. 'Ah, my son has finally returned to me from the land of the dead.'
Draco forced a laugh. 'Zombie jokes, mother...how humorous and not at all tasteless. Your wit is dryer than your martinis.'
She swatted him gently on the chest. 'Oh tosh, Draco. Your own sense of humour seems to have fallen into disrepair. Kindly brush off the teardrops and the cobwebs before I must resort to conversing with the help to have any entertainment.'
'Classic mother,' he thought, a small grin appearing on his face as the lady in question stepped into the Apparition point.
Right before uttering her destination, Narcissa turned back and said, 'oh and son, about the martinis? That was your father. You know I like my gin with a twist,' and then she was gone.
His mother liked her gin with a twist, but unfortunately for Draco's sanity, so did he.
A pop behind her signalled Draco's arrival as Narcissa stood inside the entranceway to the restaurant they had chosen for lunch. Mariposa was a small but excellent café that Draco and Ginny had discovered a year before; the staff were efficient yet discrete and the delicious menu was fast making the café one of the most popular in the area. The hostess immediately hustled over, recognizing the family.
Ginny had just received her drink at the table she was sharing in the corner of Mariposa with Hermione when she saw the hostess put on an extra burst of speed to reach the entrance. Ginny followed that path with her eyes and was stunned when she saw the two aristocratic blondes at the front of the restaurant. Turning away, she quickly downed her drink.
The brunette quickly noticed her friend's distress. 'What's wrong, Gin? This is a celebratory meal, you should be happy.'
Ginny indicated the cause of her misery with a backwards jerk of her head.
Hermione looked over in that direction but quickly focussed back on the redhead. 'Please tell me that's not who I think it is.'
Ginny nodded miserably. 'I'm afraid it is; how many people do you know with that shade of blond hair?'
'Of all the horrible luck...I'm sorry Gin, I never would've thought that he'd be here at the same time as us. I think this warrants a few more rounds of drinks...at least.'
'I have to get used to this, Hermione. Our families attend all the same functions, and we'll be seeing each other all the time under intense public scrutiny. At least right now our reactions to seeing each other won=t be plastered all over the front page of the newspaper.' Suddenly she groaned and then rested her head on her hands for a moment. 'And Narcissa is here; I never even really said good-bye to her, and she was so sweet to me. She probably thinks the worst of me now.'
The brunette reassured her friend. 'I'm sure she thinks nothing of the sort. I'm sure Draco has told her the extent of the situation and she probably just feels horrible for the both of you.'
Ginny shot her a weak smile. 'Are you sure? I wonder how long it will take for them to realize that I'm here. Despite the awkward circumstances, their social etiquette will demand that they come over here and talk to us for a bit. If that happens, I may have to kill myself. Pleasantries with Draco and Narcissa Malfoy at this moment would be the last nail in my coffin.'
Hermione covered Ginny's hand with her own while she used the other to motion for another round of drinks to be delivered to their table. 'Let's try and forget about them until Draco or his mother do notice that you're here. I’m sure you’ll withstand any conversations with them beautifully if they indeed feel the need to come over here. Did I tell you what Ron did when he came home from work yesterday?'
Ginny let her friend launch into the story, knowing that the stupid antics of her brother would help distract her from the man sitting across the restaurant.
Draco and his mother were quickly seated at the best table in the restaurant, in a quiet corner under a large skylight. They were served drinks and salads and were deciding on their entrees when Draco's eye caught a very familiar flash of red across the room. Doing a double take, he couldn’t believe it; there sat Ginny Weasley, chatting and laughing over a meal with her friend as if the past month had never even happened.
Sunlight filtered in from the window nearest them and glinted off Ginny's hair, causing it to look like fiery copper. He sat there, transfixed by her completely unexpected presence until his mother's annoyed voice caught his attention.
'Are you even listening to me, son? I was telling you all about my visit to Severus.'
'No mother, truthfully I wasn't listening to a word you were saying.'
'Pray tell me what was so interesting that you couldn’t bother to even appear to be attentive to your own mother?' Narcissa followed her son's eye line until her gaze fixed on the young woman she had always thought would become her daughter-in-law.
'Oh no...I'm sorry darling. Would you like to leave? We can have lunch somewhere else.'
Draco turned back to her. 'Why? Do you think we should leave just because Ginny is here?'
'I thought that you might prefer to. I know how hard it is for you to see her. I feel that this lunch may just turn into an extended torture for you.'
Draco viciously stabbed the last piece of lettuce that was on his plate. 'No. We will sit here and enjoy a nice meal. And then when we are done, we will go over and greet Ginevra and her dining companion, make some quick small talk and then be on our way.'
'Of course darling,' Narcissa replied quietly.
Luckily, the waiter arrived at that moment to take their orders and so broke up the awkward silence that had started. The elder Malfoy continued on with talk of her visit to Severus Snape earlier that day and Draco did his best to interest himself in what she had to say.
Ginny managed to distract herself for the rest of the meal, focussing on the witty stories that Hermione had in abundance (mostly centring around Ron.) She had just been served a final cup of coffee when she dared look over in Draco's direction. The redhead was quite surprised to see the Malfoys being served coffee as well, the remains of a quick expensive meal littering the table.
Stirring a packet of sweetener into her coffee, Hermione noticed that the two blonds across the restaurant were also finishing up their lunch. 'I expect they'll be making their way over soon. I know Draco's noticed that you're here- he's been glancing this way ever since they were served their salads.'
'You pay attention to the strangest things Hermione.'
'Hey, I pride myself on my observational skills,' the brunette replied jokingly. 'Ok, they're coming over. What do we do?'
'Act naturally. Just behave like you're meeting an old school acquaintance again- you shouldn’t have to pretend because that's what is happening.'
Ginny turned to greet the pair as they reached the table. 'Draco, Narcissa, it's quite a surprise to see you here. A pleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless.' Standing up, she kissed Narcissa on the cheek but avoided Draco's gaze altogether. Hermione greeted mother and son as well as Ginny sat back down.
Remembering her manners, Ginny motioned to the table. 'Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?'
Narcissa smiled but Draco answered for them in the negative. 'We've really got to be heading out but thanks for the offer. It was nice seeing the both of you again,' he said as he gazed at Ginny with an unreadable look in his eye.
'You as well,' Hermione replied.
Reaching out, Narcissa gently squeezed Ginny's hand before she and Draco turned and exited the restaurant.
'Whew!' The redhead sank back into her chair. 'That was relatively painless.'
Her brother's girlfriend stared at her. 'Yes, but it was also completely devoid of anything resembling human emotion. You two sounded like two people who had bumped into each other on the street, not two people who had been seeing each other for a few years.'
'Cold is easy, I can do cold. If I let my emotions take over every time I see Draco, I'd go crazy. An emotionless Ginny is a sane Ginny. I have to save the breakdown for when he finds that new girlfriend.' A bitter laugh left her throat and Hermione thought it best to signal for the cheque.
'Quick, tell me something stupid about my brother so I'll stop thinking about Draco.'
'Well I didn’t want to say anything because this was supposed to be a celebratory meal for you but I have some pretty big news myself.' Hermione took a big breath and plunged in. 'Last night, your brother asked me to marry him and I said yes!'
'What?!?' Ginny shrieked as she spilled her coffee all over the shimmery green tablecloth. 'You silly cow! How did you keep that to yourself this entire time?' She launched herself across the table at her friend and grabbed her in a tight hug. 'That news is enough to keep me distracted for the next few months! What exactly happened?'
And as Hermione described the romantic proposal, Ginny found that it was easy to push Draco far from her thoughts.
Though Ginny was able to forget her former lover for a few hours, Draco was having no such luck. His thoughts were dominated by the redhead from the moment he and his mother left the restaurant.
His mother wisely retired to her chambers, leaving Draco alone in his office. She had informed him that she was going to be spending the weekend with some friends in France and would be leaving before dinner. Draco thought this was best because he knew that he would be in an awful mood for a few more days and wouldn’t want to inflict that on his undeserving mother.
He paced around the Manor for hours and found himself to be in the North wing. The space there had been the chambers of his great grandparents and he peeked into rooms long since fallen into disuse. Dust lay thick on all surfaces not covered by white sheets of a rich material and so Draco figured that the house elves hadn’t bothered to go near the rooms since their inhabitants had passed away.
Darkness fell and the blond lit his wand, torches missing from that section of the estate. He reminded himself to come back to the rooms later with his mother, liking their dimensions and colour palette. Hopefully they could be cleaned and brought back into use; perhaps the woman from the curse could live there, but Draco forced that thought from his mind.
He slowly trudged back to his own room and fell down onto his bed, too exhausted to even remove his clothing. Slipping into sleep, he managed to half wrap himself in his duvet before his eyes fully shut.
Draco found himself at the doorway to a room identical to his own except for the fact that it was a lot messier and seemed somehow a bit more lived in. A noise came from the room Draco knew to be the bathroom and as the door opened, he was shocked still and his jaw dropped as he saw himself walk out.
'Morning Drake,' his mirror image said as he crossed the room to the wardrobe. 'You can come in you know. I'm your twin, not a leper.'
Draco remained silent, eyes still wide as saucers.
'Hey, I know I'm breathtakingly handsome but I didn’t know I could make anyone speechless. Anyway, you see this face everyday.'
'You're my brother?'
'By birth, not by choice. And don't look so surprised. I've been your brother for the last 24 years. But now I'm depressed- you haven't even said good morning to me.'
'I haven't?' He was still slightly dazed.
'No, so repeat after me: good morning Diomedes, my favourite younger brother by 7 minutes.'
'Diomedes?' Draco repeated.
'Oh, and Draco is much better? At least I'm named after a warrior, not a constellation. Just be glad that mother didn’t get her way and name us Castor and Pollux.'
'This is by far the strangest dream I've had yet,' Draco said under his breath as he walked into the room.
This supposed twin of his shot an arched look his way before he tugged on a light grey jumper. 'Don't mutter to yourself Drake, you look like one of those crazed cat nutters.' He shook himself a bit as if to rid himself of a distasteful thought. 'Now I sound like mum; don't make me do that either.'
Draco took a seat on an ornate padded chair in the corner. 'I've always wanted a brother. I hated being an only child.'
Diomedes turned and looked at him strangely from where he was fixing his platinum locks. 'You've always had a brother. What's the matter with you?'
'Nothing…it's just that I know I'm dreaming and that you're not real, so when I wake up you won't be there.'
His twin grinned and the lightly bit a knuckle. 'I feel pretty real and taste real too. Maybe you're the one that doesn’t really exist,' he joked, but then his expression turned serious and he walked closer.
Draco found himself staring into the same sharp silver eyes he saw every day, but it was strange to see them on another person, despite the identical features.
'Are you sure you're okay, Drake? A Healer is only a Floo call away and a Malfoy will only get the best. You do look a bit peaky.'
Draco lightly pushed this brother of his away. 'I'm fine, just adjusting.'
Diomedes still had a concerned look on his face. 'I know that you're the oldest one and are supposed to take of me but I worry about you.'
The now eldest Malfoy child was so touched by those few words. 'That means more than you'll know. Thanks.'
'Yeah, I mean, if something happens to you, I'll have to step in to take over for you. All that responsibility and seriousness, I shudder at the thought.'
'Ah, I see how this works. I'm under all the pressure as the Malfoy heir while you get to live the high life, partying all night and shagging beautiful women.' Draco cracked a now rare grin, colour returning to his face.
His twin answered back with an identical smile. 'I'm under good authority that you partake in a great deal of that yourself, brother of mine. In fact, I remember one deliciously curvy brunette who started off the evening in my delightful companionship but ended up leaving the Manor the next morning dressed only in one of your monogrammed shirts, you berk.'
Draco smirked, remembering a similar incident that had actually happened between himself and Blaise Zabini in his 6th year.
‘What can I say? I am a Malfoy after all,’ he replied
Diomedes grinned and turned back to the mirror to check his hair one more time. Draco stood up as well and crossed the room to stand beside his brother. The mirror swooned as they stood shoulder to shoulder, angular features set in smirks.
‘I think the world is very lucky to have us in it. These faces should be immortalized somewhere; it’s a crime that they’re not on public display somewhere.’
‘I’ve heard that Muggles put famous peoples’ faces onto stamps, some sort of thing they need on their letters,’ Draco ventured.
‘Faces on stamps?’ Diomedes chuckled. ‘What will they think of next?’
Draco laughed along with him, a wave of affection washing over him. But suddenly the room around him turned hazy, a sure sign that he was starting to wake up from this dream. He didn’t want to wake up; he was realizing just what he had been missing in growing up an only child.
Turning, he grabbed his brother in a tight hug.
‘Drake, what is with you today? I think you need to go lay down or something,’ Diomedes said, trying to struggle out of the embrace.
The elder Malfoy held on, trying to memorize the feel of the other man. ‘I just want to say that I wish I actually had a brother like you.’ He continued on through Diomedes’ protestations. ‘You seem like a great bloke and I bet we would’ve had a lot of fun together.’
With that, he let go of his brother and the room grew completely blurred.
Jolting up in bed, Draco kept his eyes shut for a few minutes longer, trying to implant the memory of having a brother in his head. But he opened them when he realized that this was probably the most important clue of all. She must be a twin! Twins…Gryffindor…twins…Gryffindor… became a mantra that ran through his head, having discarded the snake and Parseltongue clue for now. After a few repetitions, something clicked in his mind and he flung himself out of bed and over to the roll-top desk in the corner of the room.
Grabbing the yearbook from his fifth year at Hogwarts, Draco flipped it open to the Gryffindor section and scanned the names and pictures. No specific girl was catching his eye, frustrating him further as he didn’t know exactly what or who he was looking for. The blond then opened the book to the common section of pictures, photos of students from all house just mish-mashed together. It was there that a snapshot caught his eye; right in the centre of a page were two identical looking girls with arms around each other. One wore a Ravenclaw prefect badge and the other was decked out in Gryffindor colours. Draco scanned the names under the photo: Padma and Parvati Patil.
He sank heavily into the chair by the desk. He had done it; he had found the woman from the curse and her name was Parvati Patil. He hardly remembered her from his days at Hogwarts, having looked with disdain at Gryffindor house in general. And now he was going to have to marry her, a woman he neither knew, liked or remembered.
Tomorrow would be the day that he would seek out his future bride and explain to her the workings of the curse. He was sure that he could dazzle her with enough money and Malfoy charm to get her to bend to his will with minimal fuss. A quick engagement would be followed by a small wedding and then he could quietly ship her off to the North Wing or the French country estate. Picking up the yearbook, he was about to close it when a shock of fiery red hair caught his eye. There teasing him was a picture of Ginny, clearly taken after a victory on the Quidditch pitch as she was still in her kit with broomstick in hand. One arm was around her brother Ron with the other looped around Harry Potter’s neck. The three just goofed around in the photo while Draco glared. Snapping the book shut, he threw it on to the desk and sighed. He was just going to have to get used to seeing Ginny happy without him, even if it was in a photo almost ten years old. They just weren’t meant to be together and sooner, rather than later, the blond was going to have to come to terms with that.
To Be Continued.
mereschino is the author of 1 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 14 members. Members who liked Unbreakable also liked 624 other stories.
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