Something to Believe
Chapter Three: Harmless
A door slammed. Raised voices carried up the stairs. Ginny's eyes opened slowly. It was dark outside, and there were no birds chirping.
Her brain was still fogged with sleep as she pulled herself from her bed. She opened the door to her room to hear a large group of the Order making their way down to the kitchen. She freshened up and dressed quickly.
She passed Malfoy's door on her way down the stairs. It was still closed but light from underneath spilled into the hallway.
---
Ginny stood outside the kitchen door, listening.
"I have no idea how it happened. We can't even contact Harry or Ron."
"What can we do about it? They don't want to be contacted."
"This is all so hopeless. What are they doing out there alone? Can't we help them?"
"Harry refused to tell -"
Draco stepped up behind her, he was dressed with his hair made.
"I don't think you're intended to hear any of that," he drawled, stepping past her to open the door. They entered and all conversation hushed.
"What's going on?" she asked, as she approached her mother, offering her a kiss on the cheek, and helping to arrange some breakfast.
Draco sat beside Remus Lupin, who leaned back in his chair with his arms folded. Remus smiled at him and said a quiet hello.
Tonks stifled a yawn and shrugged her slender shoulders.
Moody and Shacklebolt continued a whispered conversation, none of which she could make out.
---
As soon as the meal was finished, most of the Order members rushed off to work. Remus Lupin had other Order responsibilities and also stepped out into the cloudy morning.
Ginny helped her mother with the dishes and tried to think of a way to ask what was happening. For any news.
"Dear, it's looking like there'll be fewer and fewer visitors soon. A lot has been happening. Hopefully this war may end soon."
"What do you mean, Mum?"
"Harry seems to be doing something that's got the Death Eaters all riled up. They're getting careless. There was a raid with several captures last night."
"Oh. Hermione was here yesterday."
"Yes, McGonagall told us. What on earth could they be up to! They're just babies, for Merlin's sake."
Her mother looked lost in thought for a few moments. Ginny toyed idly with a tea towel, while she watched her mother's eyes.
Finally, Molly Weasley looked at her daughter with a gentle smile. She tucked a stray lock behind her daughter's ear.
"How are you holding up, dear?"
"It's lonely here, Mum. There's nothing to do."
"You have to keep up with your school work. And Malfoy?"
"I don't know. What about him?"
"What does he do? Been treating you ok?"
Ginny shrugged.
"We don't really talk." Ginny thought of something, "Mum, why did they finally decide to let him stay here? What makes everyone trust him?"
Molly looked contemplative a moment before answering - "He can be trusted - I'll leave it at that. Don't worry about him, baby. He's...a good boy...deep down. He's harmless."
---
In the afternoon, just as Ginny closed her Transfiguration textbook, it started pouring outside. There were a couple flashes of lightning and heavy thunder.
She stood and walked up the stairs to Malfoy's room. She knocked softly on the door. There was no answer.
"Malfoy?" Still no answer.
She tried the knob, and the door opened easily. She saw he was sitting on the window seat, watching the rain.
"Would you like some lunch?"
He turned to her and hurriedly wiped his eyes.
"You alright?" Ginny asked.
He cleared his throat and stood. "Yes, I... I'm fine. Just thinking about my mother."
Ginny's heart fluttered with sympathy. She couldn't imagine being without her Mum during a time like this.
"Come on, I'll make us something comforting."
"Yeah. Ok."
---
"So how much longer are we going to be stuck here?" His voice broke the silence.
"What?"
Ginny turned to look at him while she stirred the soup.
"Why won't they let me actually help?"
"How would I know?"
"Well, what are you doing here, Weasley?"
"I'm here because it's been decided I can't stay at the Burrow without my parents. They are busy with all this Order business and it's not safe for me to be home alone - "
"And are you safe here? Alone?"
"Well they redid all the wards on the place. And a new Secret Keeper. Plus, I'm not really alone, am I?"
He scoffed.
"If you mean me, that's not much company, is it?"
She smiled at him. "No, I guess not."
She served him the hot soup and brought a plate of sandwiches to the table. She started to nibble on one.
"What have you been doing all this time? In your room?"
He looked at her, not sure how to answer. "Nothing."
"Yeah, same," she sighed, smiling at him. "It's been a touch depressing."
Chapter Three: Harmless
A door slammed. Raised voices carried up the stairs. Ginny's eyes opened slowly. It was dark outside, and there were no birds chirping.
Her brain was still fogged with sleep as she pulled herself from her bed. She opened the door to her room to hear a large group of the Order making their way down to the kitchen. She freshened up and dressed quickly.
She passed Malfoy's door on her way down the stairs. It was still closed but light from underneath spilled into the hallway.
---
Ginny stood outside the kitchen door, listening.
"I have no idea how it happened. We can't even contact Harry or Ron."
"What can we do about it? They don't want to be contacted."
"This is all so hopeless. What are they doing out there alone? Can't we help them?"
"Harry refused to tell -"
Draco stepped up behind her, he was dressed with his hair made.
"I don't think you're intended to hear any of that," he drawled, stepping past her to open the door. They entered and all conversation hushed.
"What's going on?" she asked, as she approached her mother, offering her a kiss on the cheek, and helping to arrange some breakfast.
Draco sat beside Remus Lupin, who leaned back in his chair with his arms folded. Remus smiled at him and said a quiet hello.
Tonks stifled a yawn and shrugged her slender shoulders.
Moody and Shacklebolt continued a whispered conversation, none of which she could make out.
---
As soon as the meal was finished, most of the Order members rushed off to work. Remus Lupin had other Order responsibilities and also stepped out into the cloudy morning.
Ginny helped her mother with the dishes and tried to think of a way to ask what was happening. For any news.
"Dear, it's looking like there'll be fewer and fewer visitors soon. A lot has been happening. Hopefully this war may end soon."
"What do you mean, Mum?"
"Harry seems to be doing something that's got the Death Eaters all riled up. They're getting careless. There was a raid with several captures last night."
"Oh. Hermione was here yesterday."
"Yes, McGonagall told us. What on earth could they be up to! They're just babies, for Merlin's sake."
Her mother looked lost in thought for a few moments. Ginny toyed idly with a tea towel, while she watched her mother's eyes.
Finally, Molly Weasley looked at her daughter with a gentle smile. She tucked a stray lock behind her daughter's ear.
"How are you holding up, dear?"
"It's lonely here, Mum. There's nothing to do."
"You have to keep up with your school work. And Malfoy?"
"I don't know. What about him?"
"What does he do? Been treating you ok?"
Ginny shrugged.
"We don't really talk." Ginny thought of something, "Mum, why did they finally decide to let him stay here? What makes everyone trust him?"
Molly looked contemplative a moment before answering - "He can be trusted - I'll leave it at that. Don't worry about him, baby. He's...a good boy...deep down. He's harmless."
---
In the afternoon, just as Ginny closed her Transfiguration textbook, it started pouring outside. There were a couple flashes of lightning and heavy thunder.
She stood and walked up the stairs to Malfoy's room. She knocked softly on the door. There was no answer.
"Malfoy?" Still no answer.
She tried the knob, and the door opened easily. She saw he was sitting on the window seat, watching the rain.
"Would you like some lunch?"
He turned to her and hurriedly wiped his eyes.
"You alright?" Ginny asked.
He cleared his throat and stood. "Yes, I... I'm fine. Just thinking about my mother."
Ginny's heart fluttered with sympathy. She couldn't imagine being without her Mum during a time like this.
"Come on, I'll make us something comforting."
"Yeah. Ok."
---
"So how much longer are we going to be stuck here?" His voice broke the silence.
"What?"
Ginny turned to look at him while she stirred the soup.
"Why won't they let me actually help?"
"How would I know?"
"Well, what are you doing here, Weasley?"
"I'm here because it's been decided I can't stay at the Burrow without my parents. They are busy with all this Order business and it's not safe for me to be home alone - "
"And are you safe here? Alone?"
"Well they redid all the wards on the place. And a new Secret Keeper. Plus, I'm not really alone, am I?"
He scoffed.
"If you mean me, that's not much company, is it?"
She smiled at him. "No, I guess not."
She served him the hot soup and brought a plate of sandwiches to the table. She started to nibble on one.
"What have you been doing all this time? In your room?"
He looked at her, not sure how to answer. "Nothing."
"Yeah, same," she sighed, smiling at him. "It's been a touch depressing."
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