Something to Believe
Chapter Two: Locket
---
As Ginny tipped sausages onto Draco Malfoy's plate, she glanced at his face. It was blank, staring forward at nothing. It was like he barely registered her presence. Or existence.
It'd been a few days like this. Just day in and day out. Meals together, in complete silence and then they'd each shut themselves in their rooms, pretending to read their schoolbooks.
She put the pan in the sink. She sat at the table, directly across from Malfoy, and nursed her cup of tea. She glanced up at him, watching him daintily eat his food.
"How are you feeling today?" she asked him, hoping to start a conversation. She sipped from her cup, keeping her gaze focused on his pale face.
"What do you care?" he asked roughly, though his words did not come out as harsh as he had probably intended.
She lowered her eyes thoughtfully to the table, refraining from retorting sarcastically. The rest of breakfast passed in silence. He finished his food and walked out of the room without a backwards glance or a 'thank you.'
Ginny looked into her teacup. It was still half full. She drained it slowly, wondering why she no longer found herself able to completely hate Malfoy.
---
Ginny passed Malfoy's door on the stairs on her way to her room. She sighed. Taking care of headquarters was going to be a lonely and thankless job.
She entered her sunny, but bare room. The only thing that really reminded her of home was the soft quilted blanket at the foot of her bed. She made it with her mum a few summers back. She sat down on it and lay back on the bed.
The quietness of the house disturbed her sometimes. She was used to her brothers always making a ruckus at home. The twins would explode something at least once a week. Even her father would get some decent noise going off in the shed.
The quietest year of her life had been the year Ron entered Hogwarts. She hadn't felt that alone in a long time. Perhaps the only time she'd been lonelier...her mind automatically went to her own first year at school. She shuddered and rolled over onto her stomach.
Ginny looked around the room, at the torn aged wallpaper, at the little desk by the window, her books stacked high, at the wardrobe by the door, clothes spilling out.
This was now home. It was a weird feeling, one she couldn't quite adjust to. Something was missing. That feeling of belonging, the feeling that everything was right in the world.
She sighed and picked up her bathrobe, planning to lose herself in hot water.
---
After a long bath, Ginny braided her damp hair in front of a fire in the study. There was soft rain falling outside, making a gentle pat-pat-pat noise on the window, a welcome change to the silence still looming in the house. She perused the shelves a bit for an interesting book.
She blindly pulled down a book, flipping it open. Instead of seeing the words on the page, she found herself wondering what Malfoy was doing. Was he still shut up in his room? Would anyone else be coming around to the house today? Her parents? Tonks? Anyone?
How long was she supposed to endure this exile?
She sighed, focusing her eyes on the book, trying to make out the words... what was this nonsense? She looked at the cover of the book - Ancient Arte of Fyre Spells. Fyre. Fire. It wasn't making much sense to her, so she set it back on the bookcase. There's not a decent book in the house, she decided.
She stood and went to the window, watching the sparkling rivulets of water run down the glass. Summer was starting to fade into a gray autumn.
---
"Hello? Ginny, you awake?"
She stirred from her sleep and noticed first off that it was barely after dawn. Someone was calling her name. She rolled off her bed and grabbed her wand off the bedside table. She shoved her feet into her bed slippers and ran to her door. When she reached the landing she could make out Hermione's voice from the foyer.
"Now where could it be? R...A...B...Black," she mumbled.
"Hermione! What are you doing back? Where's Harry?" she asked, before she could stop herself.
"I've no time to explain, I need your help to find something."
Hermione was breathless, looking very anxious and frazzled. Ginny quickly nodded to show she understood. Hermione moved quickly toward the parlor and Ginny followed closely behind. Hermione started to scan the Black family tree tapestry.
"RAB... RA...Black," Hermione mumbled. "Regulus..."
"What is it, Hermione? Is anything wrong?" Ginny looked from Hermione back to the tapestry. Ginny found herself glancing at Draco Malfoy's name, stitched in a silver thread.
"It's very important that we find it – you have to help me look. Merlin, I hope it wasn't thrown out."
"What are we looking for exactly?"
"A locket. A heavy silver locket. Remember we found something like that a while back? It was in one of the cupboards..." she trailed off distractedly. "Can you check the attic? That's where most of the things were stashed during the Clean-Up. I think I have an idea..." Hermione set off toward the kitchen.
While Ginny was searching through boxes in the attic, she heard Hermione call from downstairs.
"I've found it, Ginny!"
"Where was it? What is this all about, Hermione?" she called back, as she descended the stairs. She met Hermione in the foyer, as she was putting on her coat.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yes, it's urgent that I get this back to Harry. Don't worry, Ginny. We're alright. We'll see you soon enough. Stay safe."
Hermione pulled Ginny in for a quick hug. As she pulled away, Ginny noticed Hermione was looking over her head. When Ginny turned, she saw Malfoy standing on the stairs.
"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione said, nodding politely.
"Granger."
Hermione was out the door before Ginny could say goodbye.
---
"What was all that about?"
Ginny shut and sealed the front door and turned to see Malfoy walking down the steps. He was bathed and dressed in fine black slacks and gray turtleneck sweater. His hair sleek and shiny. He usually put himself together after breakfast.
"I don't know...exactly," Ginny said, unable to meet his eyes.
"That was Granger, right? What was she looking for?"
"I... don't know..."
"You do know. You just don't trust me." Her eyes darted to his face, to see him looking at the door behind her head. He didn't look angry, exactly. He looked defeated. He turned to head back to his room.
"I'm not sure what it was all about - she was searching for a locket or something that she needed to get to Harry right away. I didn't even get to see it..." her voice trailed off.
"A locket?"
"Yeah," she answered, thinking back to the locket that Harry had been obsessing over. "She went on about Regulus Black, too, not sure why..."
"I'd better let McGonagall know she was here," he said, stepping toward the study. As an afterthought, he turned to Ginny and said, "I'll be down for breakfast in a few moments."
Ginny rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen.
Chapter Two: Locket
---
As Ginny tipped sausages onto Draco Malfoy's plate, she glanced at his face. It was blank, staring forward at nothing. It was like he barely registered her presence. Or existence.
It'd been a few days like this. Just day in and day out. Meals together, in complete silence and then they'd each shut themselves in their rooms, pretending to read their schoolbooks.
She put the pan in the sink. She sat at the table, directly across from Malfoy, and nursed her cup of tea. She glanced up at him, watching him daintily eat his food.
"How are you feeling today?" she asked him, hoping to start a conversation. She sipped from her cup, keeping her gaze focused on his pale face.
"What do you care?" he asked roughly, though his words did not come out as harsh as he had probably intended.
She lowered her eyes thoughtfully to the table, refraining from retorting sarcastically. The rest of breakfast passed in silence. He finished his food and walked out of the room without a backwards glance or a 'thank you.'
Ginny looked into her teacup. It was still half full. She drained it slowly, wondering why she no longer found herself able to completely hate Malfoy.
---
Ginny passed Malfoy's door on the stairs on her way to her room. She sighed. Taking care of headquarters was going to be a lonely and thankless job.
She entered her sunny, but bare room. The only thing that really reminded her of home was the soft quilted blanket at the foot of her bed. She made it with her mum a few summers back. She sat down on it and lay back on the bed.
The quietness of the house disturbed her sometimes. She was used to her brothers always making a ruckus at home. The twins would explode something at least once a week. Even her father would get some decent noise going off in the shed.
The quietest year of her life had been the year Ron entered Hogwarts. She hadn't felt that alone in a long time. Perhaps the only time she'd been lonelier...her mind automatically went to her own first year at school. She shuddered and rolled over onto her stomach.
Ginny looked around the room, at the torn aged wallpaper, at the little desk by the window, her books stacked high, at the wardrobe by the door, clothes spilling out.
This was now home. It was a weird feeling, one she couldn't quite adjust to. Something was missing. That feeling of belonging, the feeling that everything was right in the world.
She sighed and picked up her bathrobe, planning to lose herself in hot water.
---
After a long bath, Ginny braided her damp hair in front of a fire in the study. There was soft rain falling outside, making a gentle pat-pat-pat noise on the window, a welcome change to the silence still looming in the house. She perused the shelves a bit for an interesting book.
She blindly pulled down a book, flipping it open. Instead of seeing the words on the page, she found herself wondering what Malfoy was doing. Was he still shut up in his room? Would anyone else be coming around to the house today? Her parents? Tonks? Anyone?
How long was she supposed to endure this exile?
She sighed, focusing her eyes on the book, trying to make out the words... what was this nonsense? She looked at the cover of the book - Ancient Arte of Fyre Spells. Fyre. Fire. It wasn't making much sense to her, so she set it back on the bookcase. There's not a decent book in the house, she decided.
She stood and went to the window, watching the sparkling rivulets of water run down the glass. Summer was starting to fade into a gray autumn.
---
"Hello? Ginny, you awake?"
She stirred from her sleep and noticed first off that it was barely after dawn. Someone was calling her name. She rolled off her bed and grabbed her wand off the bedside table. She shoved her feet into her bed slippers and ran to her door. When she reached the landing she could make out Hermione's voice from the foyer.
"Now where could it be? R...A...B...Black," she mumbled.
"Hermione! What are you doing back? Where's Harry?" she asked, before she could stop herself.
"I've no time to explain, I need your help to find something."
Hermione was breathless, looking very anxious and frazzled. Ginny quickly nodded to show she understood. Hermione moved quickly toward the parlor and Ginny followed closely behind. Hermione started to scan the Black family tree tapestry.
"RAB... RA...Black," Hermione mumbled. "Regulus..."
"What is it, Hermione? Is anything wrong?" Ginny looked from Hermione back to the tapestry. Ginny found herself glancing at Draco Malfoy's name, stitched in a silver thread.
"It's very important that we find it – you have to help me look. Merlin, I hope it wasn't thrown out."
"What are we looking for exactly?"
"A locket. A heavy silver locket. Remember we found something like that a while back? It was in one of the cupboards..." she trailed off distractedly. "Can you check the attic? That's where most of the things were stashed during the Clean-Up. I think I have an idea..." Hermione set off toward the kitchen.
While Ginny was searching through boxes in the attic, she heard Hermione call from downstairs.
"I've found it, Ginny!"
"Where was it? What is this all about, Hermione?" she called back, as she descended the stairs. She met Hermione in the foyer, as she was putting on her coat.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yes, it's urgent that I get this back to Harry. Don't worry, Ginny. We're alright. We'll see you soon enough. Stay safe."
Hermione pulled Ginny in for a quick hug. As she pulled away, Ginny noticed Hermione was looking over her head. When Ginny turned, she saw Malfoy standing on the stairs.
"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione said, nodding politely.
"Granger."
Hermione was out the door before Ginny could say goodbye.
---
"What was all that about?"
Ginny shut and sealed the front door and turned to see Malfoy walking down the steps. He was bathed and dressed in fine black slacks and gray turtleneck sweater. His hair sleek and shiny. He usually put himself together after breakfast.
"I don't know...exactly," Ginny said, unable to meet his eyes.
"That was Granger, right? What was she looking for?"
"I... don't know..."
"You do know. You just don't trust me." Her eyes darted to his face, to see him looking at the door behind her head. He didn't look angry, exactly. He looked defeated. He turned to head back to his room.
"I'm not sure what it was all about - she was searching for a locket or something that she needed to get to Harry right away. I didn't even get to see it..." her voice trailed off.
"A locket?"
"Yeah," she answered, thinking back to the locket that Harry had been obsessing over. "She went on about Regulus Black, too, not sure why..."
"I'd better let McGonagall know she was here," he said, stepping toward the study. As an afterthought, he turned to Ginny and said, "I'll be down for breakfast in a few moments."
Ginny rolled her eyes and headed for the kitchen.
Author notes: Please review! I love feedback! And it always encourages me to write/post more!
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