The next morning Ginny sat up in bed, contemplating last night’s events. She’d tried to jump overboard in an attempt to kill herself. This wasn’t something she should take lightly.
“Am I really that unhappy?” she asked out loud to the empty room.
She tugged the bed sheets against her chest and breathed deeply. The faint sounds of the ocean could be heard outside of her cabin. The occupants of the ship would all be rising for breakfast soon.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Ginny got to her feet, threw on a dressing gown and padded over to the door in fuzzy slippers.
Peering through the peep hole she recognized her mother.
“Ginny, it’s Mum,” her mother said.
Ginny unlatched the door and stepped aside to let her mother in.
“Good morning, Mum,” she said, scratching the back of her head as she stifled a yawn.
“What on Heaven and Earth happened last night?” her mother asked, her voice oddly high-pitched.
Ginny collapsed back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, as if the white plaster was somehow more interesting than her distraught mother.
“What?” she asked, playing dumb.
“Ginevra Molly Weasley,” her mother said, enunciating each part of her name with deliberation, the way she did when she was about to explode with anger. “Don’t you dare do that. You mysteriously left dinner early and the next thing I know, you nearly fell overboard! What makes matters worse is that you were in the company of Draco Malfoy, no less.”
Ginny sighed, staring up at her mother. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I went outside to get a bit of fresh air. I happened to be looking over the guardrail, but the wind was too strong and nearly took me over the edge. I’m lucky Malfoy was there, otherwise I surely would be lost out to sea, or much worse, right now.”
Her mother’s expression softened, much to Ginny’s surprise.
“You frightened us half to death. Ginny, darling, what is going on?” her mother asked, a look of anguish lining her eyes.
Her mother suddenly looked old. Ginny noticed wrinkles she hadn’t seen before. Her once vivid red hair was streaked with gray and her face had hollowed in considerably.
“You’ve been so…dismal and distant lately,” she continued, sitting down next to her.
I could say the same about you, Ginny thought, sitting up straight to look at her mother more closely. You’re still mourning over Fred. You can’t bear the fact that one of your children is no longer with us. It’s killing you inside. And while our family continues to grow, you see what we’ve lost, and not what we’ve gained.
Ginny shook her head. “I’m okay, Mum, really.” I just lied to my mother. Why can’t I tell her that I really am miserable? That I feel as though I’m a ghost, a mere shadow that drifts through life’s motions for the sake of others?
Her mother ran a hand through Ginny’s hair, stroking the side of her face in the process. She smiled sadly at her. “Oh, Ginny, I only wish you’d be honest with me.”
And I wish you’d come back to us.
She didn’t know how to respond to her mother, so she gave her a hug, inhaling her warmth.
“Don’t worry about me, Mum,” she whispered.
Her mother left shortly after to allow her time to dress. As she brushed out her hair, she couldn’t help but to think of how selfish she’d been. She’d been attempting to take her own life, at the risk of taking a part of her family with her. They were still healing; they would always be healing, struggling to compensate for the void that had been created seven years ago.
But that didn’t stop Ginny from feeling like something was clawing at her insides, kicking, and screaming to be released. To breathe.
Is that my destiny? To exist for others? For my family? For Harry?
Ginny realized she’d been absently brushing her hair for a good twenty minutes. She stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror.
“Come on, smile,” she urged herself, forcing her lips to curve upward. The result was a lopsided monstrosity that made her look as though she’d just consumed a Puking Pastille.
“You have a good life,” she said to her reflection. “You play Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies. You have a loving and doting family. You’re not bad looking. Well, I suppose your lips could be a bit fuller. And you could be a little taller. And maybe your eyes would look better if they weren’t so deep-set. And then you have a...solid relationship with Harry Potter.”
Her voice trailed off as she muttered the last part of her pathetic pep talk. She noticed her pseudo smile had disappeared.
Ginny was supposed to meet her family out on the deck for breakfast. She found them sitting by a café, spread out over three round tables.
“Aunt Ginny, please sit with me!” Victoire exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat.
Her niece was sitting with her younger sister, Teddy, Andromeda, and, Freddie, George and Angelina’s son.
“Oh well, I don’t know,” Ginny teased, stopping by a high chair with a baby Hugo sitting in it. “I think Hugo would like me to sit with him.”
Victoire looked crestfallen.
Hermione, who was attempting to feed Hugo mashed bananas smiled at Ginny. “I think Hugo would be okay with Aunt Ginny sitting with you lot today.”
Ginny ruffled the eight-month-old baby’s hair as he squealed in delight, thumping a pudgy, banana-covered fist on his tabletop.
Ginny took a seat next to her eldest niece, who beamed at her.
“Aunt Ginny?” Teddy asked, poking at his eggs.
“Yes, sweetie?” she responded, eyeing Freddie as he blew bubbles into his orange juice through a straw.
“Freddie!” Angelina’s voice called out from the table next to them. He scowled, but obeyed his mother.
“Could you take us swimming after breakfast?” Teddy finished. “Uncle Bill said you would.”
She turned around to face Bill, who sat with their parents, his wife, and Charlie. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he grinned at her sheepishly.
Andromeda spoke up. “The children have all come with their swimming costumes, but their mothers and fathers were hoping you would take them.” She smiled with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Andromeda looked very much like her sister, Bellatrix, but with chestnut colored hair. Her face was hard-set, her eyes heavily-lidded, but she was one of the most pleasant people Ginny had ever met. She’d aged considerably over the years, after having lost her whole family, but she dotted on Teddy, showing him as much love as anyone could give their only grandson.
“I’d love to, Teddy,” she said, smiling.
Teddy and Victoire grinned at each other and Dominique, sitting on Ginny’s other side, tugged on her arm.
“Me too?”
“Of course. It wouldn’t be fun without you,” she reassured her. “Oh, and Freddie, you’ll be coming with us too, of course?”
Her nephew sat across from them, pouting, his raven-colored curls hanging about his face. Despite his mother’s hair, he was definitely George’s son.
“He’s in trouble for nearly setting the curtains in our cabin on fire this morning,” Angelina explained, rolling her eyes. “No sweets today.”
Freddie crossed his arms around himself.
Ginny bit her lip to contain a laugh, so as to not upset the five-year old even more.
“Come on, Freddie, it’ll be fun,” Teddy said, offering the younger boy a small smile.
Ginny knew Freddie idolized Teddy. The two were quite close, much to Victoire’s dismay.
Freddie gave Teddy a lopsided smile, much like the one Ginny had attempted to make in her cabin earlier. “Okay,” he said, clearly not wanting to appear as excited as he really was.
She was able to just finish a blueberry scone when the children tugged her to her feet and began to run towards the pool.
“Slow down,” Ginny called after the older three as she held onto the hands of Dominique and Molly, Percy and Audrey’s four-year old.
Using her wand, Ginny was able to quickly transfigure her denim cutoffs and red tank top into a one piece bathing suit.
She blushed as a teenaged Wizard whistled at her.
“Aunt Ginny, I’m scared,” Molly said, whimpering, as Ginny tugged the little girl’s t-shirt over her head, revealing a pink bathing suit.
They stood before a pool the size of professional Quidditch field with dozens of Witches and Wizards swimming in it.
Ginny lead them towards the shallow end of the pool for children. Freddie, Teddy, and Victoire were already splashing about in it, their clothes having been discarded at the side of the pool in favor of their swimming costumes.
“Don’t be,” Ginny said to both her nieces as she dropped to her knees. “Here, this is what Nana used on me when I was your age.”
“Aqua Erectus.” Using her wand, she tapped both girls gently over the head. Blue wisps of smoke traveled from the tip of her wand and whirled around the two girls.
Dominique giggled. “That tickled.”
“That will keep you afloat. And I’ll be with you the whole time.”
She took their hands once again and waded into the water, descending the small, stone steps in the pool. She lowered herself, taking a seat on one of the steps, the water stopping at her waistline.
The two girls ran their hands along the surface of the water, their expressions ecstatic. After a few minutes they became more comfortable and moved further out into the water.
Ginny allowed herself to relax, stretching out, all the while keeping an eye on her nieces and nephews. The gentle waves from the splashing of children created a soothing effect on her.
Maybe all she needed to do was to unwind a little. It had been a hectic year, with the Harpies getting ready for the World Cup, Harry’s preparations for the ship, all the children…
“Mind if I join you?” a voice broke into her thoughts. “The other end is a bit full.”
She turned around to see a tall man standing at the edge of the pool. The blinding sun cast a dark shadow about his face, so she couldn’t discern who it was.
“Excuse me?” she responded, attempting to shield her eyes.
The man lowered himself onto his knees so that he was at eye-level with Ginny. He wore nothing but black swimming shorts. She swallowed, taking in his naked and chiseled chest before looking up to meet his face.
“Malfoy? What are you doing here?” she asked dumbly.
She was embarrassed to see him, after what she’d gone through the night before. Was he there to gloat and make her feel bad about herself? Did he want something in return for helping her?
He gave her a small smile. “Attempting to swim. Is that a problem?”
Ginny stared at him. “B-but…”
“I know, I shouldn’t be up here using your pool, but the worst they can do is ask me to leave,” he said, his cool gray eyes catching the light of the pool water.
She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it.
“So,” he asked, almost shyly, “do you mind?”
Ginny shook her head. “Er…no, go ahead.”
He slid himself into the pool, a few feet away from her. His solid chest was now gleaming from the water. She noticed that he’d become tan since their school days. He no longer had the white, pasty skin that they’d taken joy in making fun of behind his back during their schooldays. Now he was actually quite…
No! She scolded herself before she could finish her thought. He’s a Malfoy! What are you thinking, you idiotic girl?
Her mind replayed the events from the night before. She could feel herself dangling from the ship’s guardrail, afraid that she’d fall. Her feet scrambled to find some solid footing, but her heels scraped against the ship’s surface uselessly.
But that’s what you’d wanted, wasn’t it?
She could see Malfoy’s face as he thrust his arm out to her. His blond hair was blowing about his face wildly. His expression was serious and tense, his eyes wide with fear.
I’m going to die and the last thing I’ll see is Malfoy’s face.
“Are those all miniature Weasleys?” Malfoy asked, tilting his head towards the five children splashing each other.
Ginny nodded quickly, still embarrassed by her thoughts. “Yes. You’ve seen Dominique, Victoire, and Teddy. There’s also Molly and Freddie.”
“Are there others?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Oh yes, there’s Rose, Hugo, Roxanne, and two on the way,” she said, smiling to herself.
Malfoy floated through the water, moving a few more feet away from her. She watched him stretch his arms out as he held himself up. The muscles in his back flexed as he moved.
Ginny quickly realized her mouth had been hanging open ever so slightly. She slammed it shut.
“What about you and Potter?” Malfoy asked casually.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. “I hardly think that’s any of your concern.”
“I apologize,” he said, though Ginny didn’t think he really sounded sorry.
There was an awkward silence between them.
“Take it! I’m not going to let you fall!” Malfoy shouted, his face was hard and blazing with determination.
She squeezed her eyes shut and let go of the guardrail. She could feel his hard grab a hold of hers, gripping it tightly.
He must think you’re nutters, she thought. Any minute now he’s going to make fun of you, your family, Harry…
“You know,” she said to him, staring at him pointedly. “I’m fine, really. I must’ve had a little too much Firewhisky during dinner.”
He furrowed his brow. “Okay…”
“I mean it. It’s not a big deal. Nothing happened. I’m fine, I’m here, relaxing. Things are great.”
He stared at her, his face blank.
“I have a good life, Malfoy,” she said, a little louder than was necessary.
“All right,” he said simply, keeping his eyes on her.
“You don’t believe me,” she said, disappointed in herself for sounding disappointed at all.
She heard a faint whistling sound and felt something bump the side of her head. A Muggle beach ball landed on the surface of the water with a soft splash.
“What in Merlin’s beard,” she exclaimed, turning around to face direction the ball had come from.
Malfoy chuckled softly.
“You think that’s funny?” she asked, glaring at him. Taking the beach ball, she threw it at him. It hit him smack in the middle of his face before bouncing back onto the water.
He looked surprised for a moment as water dripped from his face, but he recovered quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. For a second, Ginny thought he looked quite like Andromeda. He lunged at her, and before she could react, he grabbed her by the shoulders.
Ginny squirmed, blinded by the splashing water of his sudden movement. “Let go of me!” she cried, kicking her legs at him from under the water.
He pushed her downward until she was completely submerged in the water. She felt him let go and he quickly swam away from her.
She resurfaced, gasping for air and pulling her wet hair out of her eyes. She let out an unladylike growl. “Draco Malfoy!”
“You really need to loosen up,” he drawled. He hoisted himself onto the edge of the pool and began to dry himself off with a towel.
“I c-can’t believe you have the audacity to…to…,” she sputtered, her heart racing.
He ducked his head and threw his towel over it, rubbing vigorously. She decided to take advantage of the situation. Swimming towards him stealthily, she grabbed his dangling ankles and pulled him. He let out a yelp as he fell in. She felt him grab her waist to steady himself, successfully pulling her under as well.
They both surfaced, sputtering and panting for air. She rubbed her eyes, peering at him, ready for him to retaliate.
He shook his head wildly, attempting to dry his hair. His eyes met her eyes as he laughed.
Ginny couldn’t help but to laugh with him.
“You’re sneaky,” he said, wringing his now drenched towel.
“Yeah, well, I try.”
Ginny swam towards the stone steps and got out of the pool. A house elf (or was it a ship elf?) offered her a fresh towel. She dried herself off, catching Malfoy's eye for a second as he watched her.
He quickly looked away as he climbed out of the pool, and used his wand to perform a drying charm.
The bright sun illuminated his tan, giving him a healthy glow. Ginny couldn’t help her eyes from trailing down his body.
“So I’ll see you at seven?” he asked, his lips twitching slightly.
“Yes, seven,” she repeated as she wrapped the towel around her waist.
He was about to leave her company when all five of her nieces and nephews emerged from the pool as well, running towards her. Their wet feet smacked against the stone tiles as they giggled, racing each other.
They panted heavily as they finally approached her. She handed them all clean towels to dry themselves off and removed the floating spells from Molly and Dominique.
“Aunt Ginny!” Molly said, tugging on Ginny’s arm. Her short red curls bobbed around her face. “Freddie was the one who threw the beach ball at you!”
“I didn’t!” Freddie cried, looking at Ginny desperately.
“Did too!” the four-year-old challenged.
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Ginny said, looking at Malfoy. He looked amused.
“Who’s that?” Freddie blurted, pointing at Malfoy.
“It’s not polite to point, Freddie,” Ginny said. “This is Draco Malfoy, he went to school with your Uncle Harry and me.”
The five children stared at Malfoy. He looked obviously uncomfortable with the introduction.
“Er…hello.”
“Were you in Gryffindor, too?” Victoire asked.
Malfoy was about to respond, but Teddy beat him to it. “No, he was in Slytherin.” He uttered the House name with venom.
Ginny stared at Teddy, appalled. The boy was staring at Malfoy with his jaw clenched.
“I-I…Teddy! That was very ru-” Ginny began.
But Malfoy shook his head. “It’s all right. Yes, I was in Slytherin.”
Freddie stared at Malfoy in awe. “So are you a sneaky, nasty…oompf!”
Ginny quickly covered Freddie’s mouth with her hand. She laughed nervously. “Children! They say the funniest things sometimes!”
Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her. He didn’t look amused anymore.
“Well…er…we need to get going,” Ginny said hastily. “Say goodbye to Mr. Malfoy and get your clothes.”
The children mumbled their goodbyes as Ginny hurried them away. She turned back to give Malfoy an apologetic look. But he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at Teddy. The blue haired boy was staring back at him warily as Freddie chatted enthusiastically next to him.
“Am I really that unhappy?” she asked out loud to the empty room.
She tugged the bed sheets against her chest and breathed deeply. The faint sounds of the ocean could be heard outside of her cabin. The occupants of the ship would all be rising for breakfast soon.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Ginny got to her feet, threw on a dressing gown and padded over to the door in fuzzy slippers.
Peering through the peep hole she recognized her mother.
“Ginny, it’s Mum,” her mother said.
Ginny unlatched the door and stepped aside to let her mother in.
“Good morning, Mum,” she said, scratching the back of her head as she stifled a yawn.
“What on Heaven and Earth happened last night?” her mother asked, her voice oddly high-pitched.
Ginny collapsed back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, as if the white plaster was somehow more interesting than her distraught mother.
“What?” she asked, playing dumb.
“Ginevra Molly Weasley,” her mother said, enunciating each part of her name with deliberation, the way she did when she was about to explode with anger. “Don’t you dare do that. You mysteriously left dinner early and the next thing I know, you nearly fell overboard! What makes matters worse is that you were in the company of Draco Malfoy, no less.”
Ginny sighed, staring up at her mother. “I wasn’t feeling well, so I went outside to get a bit of fresh air. I happened to be looking over the guardrail, but the wind was too strong and nearly took me over the edge. I’m lucky Malfoy was there, otherwise I surely would be lost out to sea, or much worse, right now.”
Her mother’s expression softened, much to Ginny’s surprise.
“You frightened us half to death. Ginny, darling, what is going on?” her mother asked, a look of anguish lining her eyes.
Her mother suddenly looked old. Ginny noticed wrinkles she hadn’t seen before. Her once vivid red hair was streaked with gray and her face had hollowed in considerably.
“You’ve been so…dismal and distant lately,” she continued, sitting down next to her.
I could say the same about you, Ginny thought, sitting up straight to look at her mother more closely. You’re still mourning over Fred. You can’t bear the fact that one of your children is no longer with us. It’s killing you inside. And while our family continues to grow, you see what we’ve lost, and not what we’ve gained.
Ginny shook her head. “I’m okay, Mum, really.” I just lied to my mother. Why can’t I tell her that I really am miserable? That I feel as though I’m a ghost, a mere shadow that drifts through life’s motions for the sake of others?
Her mother ran a hand through Ginny’s hair, stroking the side of her face in the process. She smiled sadly at her. “Oh, Ginny, I only wish you’d be honest with me.”
And I wish you’d come back to us.
She didn’t know how to respond to her mother, so she gave her a hug, inhaling her warmth.
“Don’t worry about me, Mum,” she whispered.
Her mother left shortly after to allow her time to dress. As she brushed out her hair, she couldn’t help but to think of how selfish she’d been. She’d been attempting to take her own life, at the risk of taking a part of her family with her. They were still healing; they would always be healing, struggling to compensate for the void that had been created seven years ago.
But that didn’t stop Ginny from feeling like something was clawing at her insides, kicking, and screaming to be released. To breathe.
Is that my destiny? To exist for others? For my family? For Harry?
Ginny realized she’d been absently brushing her hair for a good twenty minutes. She stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror.
“Come on, smile,” she urged herself, forcing her lips to curve upward. The result was a lopsided monstrosity that made her look as though she’d just consumed a Puking Pastille.
“You have a good life,” she said to her reflection. “You play Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies. You have a loving and doting family. You’re not bad looking. Well, I suppose your lips could be a bit fuller. And you could be a little taller. And maybe your eyes would look better if they weren’t so deep-set. And then you have a...solid relationship with Harry Potter.”
Her voice trailed off as she muttered the last part of her pathetic pep talk. She noticed her pseudo smile had disappeared.
Ginny was supposed to meet her family out on the deck for breakfast. She found them sitting by a café, spread out over three round tables.
“Aunt Ginny, please sit with me!” Victoire exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her seat.
Her niece was sitting with her younger sister, Teddy, Andromeda, and, Freddie, George and Angelina’s son.
“Oh well, I don’t know,” Ginny teased, stopping by a high chair with a baby Hugo sitting in it. “I think Hugo would like me to sit with him.”
Victoire looked crestfallen.
Hermione, who was attempting to feed Hugo mashed bananas smiled at Ginny. “I think Hugo would be okay with Aunt Ginny sitting with you lot today.”
Ginny ruffled the eight-month-old baby’s hair as he squealed in delight, thumping a pudgy, banana-covered fist on his tabletop.
Ginny took a seat next to her eldest niece, who beamed at her.
“Aunt Ginny?” Teddy asked, poking at his eggs.
“Yes, sweetie?” she responded, eyeing Freddie as he blew bubbles into his orange juice through a straw.
“Freddie!” Angelina’s voice called out from the table next to them. He scowled, but obeyed his mother.
“Could you take us swimming after breakfast?” Teddy finished. “Uncle Bill said you would.”
She turned around to face Bill, who sat with their parents, his wife, and Charlie. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he grinned at her sheepishly.
Andromeda spoke up. “The children have all come with their swimming costumes, but their mothers and fathers were hoping you would take them.” She smiled with a mischievous glint in her eye.
Andromeda looked very much like her sister, Bellatrix, but with chestnut colored hair. Her face was hard-set, her eyes heavily-lidded, but she was one of the most pleasant people Ginny had ever met. She’d aged considerably over the years, after having lost her whole family, but she dotted on Teddy, showing him as much love as anyone could give their only grandson.
“I’d love to, Teddy,” she said, smiling.
Teddy and Victoire grinned at each other and Dominique, sitting on Ginny’s other side, tugged on her arm.
“Me too?”
“Of course. It wouldn’t be fun without you,” she reassured her. “Oh, and Freddie, you’ll be coming with us too, of course?”
Her nephew sat across from them, pouting, his raven-colored curls hanging about his face. Despite his mother’s hair, he was definitely George’s son.
“He’s in trouble for nearly setting the curtains in our cabin on fire this morning,” Angelina explained, rolling her eyes. “No sweets today.”
Freddie crossed his arms around himself.
Ginny bit her lip to contain a laugh, so as to not upset the five-year old even more.
“Come on, Freddie, it’ll be fun,” Teddy said, offering the younger boy a small smile.
Ginny knew Freddie idolized Teddy. The two were quite close, much to Victoire’s dismay.
Freddie gave Teddy a lopsided smile, much like the one Ginny had attempted to make in her cabin earlier. “Okay,” he said, clearly not wanting to appear as excited as he really was.
She was able to just finish a blueberry scone when the children tugged her to her feet and began to run towards the pool.
“Slow down,” Ginny called after the older three as she held onto the hands of Dominique and Molly, Percy and Audrey’s four-year old.
Using her wand, Ginny was able to quickly transfigure her denim cutoffs and red tank top into a one piece bathing suit.
She blushed as a teenaged Wizard whistled at her.
“Aunt Ginny, I’m scared,” Molly said, whimpering, as Ginny tugged the little girl’s t-shirt over her head, revealing a pink bathing suit.
They stood before a pool the size of professional Quidditch field with dozens of Witches and Wizards swimming in it.
Ginny lead them towards the shallow end of the pool for children. Freddie, Teddy, and Victoire were already splashing about in it, their clothes having been discarded at the side of the pool in favor of their swimming costumes.
“Don’t be,” Ginny said to both her nieces as she dropped to her knees. “Here, this is what Nana used on me when I was your age.”
“Aqua Erectus.” Using her wand, she tapped both girls gently over the head. Blue wisps of smoke traveled from the tip of her wand and whirled around the two girls.
Dominique giggled. “That tickled.”
“That will keep you afloat. And I’ll be with you the whole time.”
She took their hands once again and waded into the water, descending the small, stone steps in the pool. She lowered herself, taking a seat on one of the steps, the water stopping at her waistline.
The two girls ran their hands along the surface of the water, their expressions ecstatic. After a few minutes they became more comfortable and moved further out into the water.
Ginny allowed herself to relax, stretching out, all the while keeping an eye on her nieces and nephews. The gentle waves from the splashing of children created a soothing effect on her.
Maybe all she needed to do was to unwind a little. It had been a hectic year, with the Harpies getting ready for the World Cup, Harry’s preparations for the ship, all the children…
“Mind if I join you?” a voice broke into her thoughts. “The other end is a bit full.”
She turned around to see a tall man standing at the edge of the pool. The blinding sun cast a dark shadow about his face, so she couldn’t discern who it was.
“Excuse me?” she responded, attempting to shield her eyes.
The man lowered himself onto his knees so that he was at eye-level with Ginny. He wore nothing but black swimming shorts. She swallowed, taking in his naked and chiseled chest before looking up to meet his face.
“Malfoy? What are you doing here?” she asked dumbly.
She was embarrassed to see him, after what she’d gone through the night before. Was he there to gloat and make her feel bad about herself? Did he want something in return for helping her?
He gave her a small smile. “Attempting to swim. Is that a problem?”
Ginny stared at him. “B-but…”
“I know, I shouldn’t be up here using your pool, but the worst they can do is ask me to leave,” he said, his cool gray eyes catching the light of the pool water.
She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it.
“So,” he asked, almost shyly, “do you mind?”
Ginny shook her head. “Er…no, go ahead.”
He slid himself into the pool, a few feet away from her. His solid chest was now gleaming from the water. She noticed that he’d become tan since their school days. He no longer had the white, pasty skin that they’d taken joy in making fun of behind his back during their schooldays. Now he was actually quite…
No! She scolded herself before she could finish her thought. He’s a Malfoy! What are you thinking, you idiotic girl?
Her mind replayed the events from the night before. She could feel herself dangling from the ship’s guardrail, afraid that she’d fall. Her feet scrambled to find some solid footing, but her heels scraped against the ship’s surface uselessly.
But that’s what you’d wanted, wasn’t it?
She could see Malfoy’s face as he thrust his arm out to her. His blond hair was blowing about his face wildly. His expression was serious and tense, his eyes wide with fear.
I’m going to die and the last thing I’ll see is Malfoy’s face.
“Are those all miniature Weasleys?” Malfoy asked, tilting his head towards the five children splashing each other.
Ginny nodded quickly, still embarrassed by her thoughts. “Yes. You’ve seen Dominique, Victoire, and Teddy. There’s also Molly and Freddie.”
“Are there others?” he asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
“Oh yes, there’s Rose, Hugo, Roxanne, and two on the way,” she said, smiling to herself.
Malfoy floated through the water, moving a few more feet away from her. She watched him stretch his arms out as he held himself up. The muscles in his back flexed as he moved.
Ginny quickly realized her mouth had been hanging open ever so slightly. She slammed it shut.
“What about you and Potter?” Malfoy asked casually.
Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. “I hardly think that’s any of your concern.”
“I apologize,” he said, though Ginny didn’t think he really sounded sorry.
There was an awkward silence between them.
“Take it! I’m not going to let you fall!” Malfoy shouted, his face was hard and blazing with determination.
She squeezed her eyes shut and let go of the guardrail. She could feel his hard grab a hold of hers, gripping it tightly.
He must think you’re nutters, she thought. Any minute now he’s going to make fun of you, your family, Harry…
“You know,” she said to him, staring at him pointedly. “I’m fine, really. I must’ve had a little too much Firewhisky during dinner.”
He furrowed his brow. “Okay…”
“I mean it. It’s not a big deal. Nothing happened. I’m fine, I’m here, relaxing. Things are great.”
He stared at her, his face blank.
“I have a good life, Malfoy,” she said, a little louder than was necessary.
“All right,” he said simply, keeping his eyes on her.
“You don’t believe me,” she said, disappointed in herself for sounding disappointed at all.
She heard a faint whistling sound and felt something bump the side of her head. A Muggle beach ball landed on the surface of the water with a soft splash.
“What in Merlin’s beard,” she exclaimed, turning around to face direction the ball had come from.
Malfoy chuckled softly.
“You think that’s funny?” she asked, glaring at him. Taking the beach ball, she threw it at him. It hit him smack in the middle of his face before bouncing back onto the water.
He looked surprised for a moment as water dripped from his face, but he recovered quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. For a second, Ginny thought he looked quite like Andromeda. He lunged at her, and before she could react, he grabbed her by the shoulders.
Ginny squirmed, blinded by the splashing water of his sudden movement. “Let go of me!” she cried, kicking her legs at him from under the water.
He pushed her downward until she was completely submerged in the water. She felt him let go and he quickly swam away from her.
She resurfaced, gasping for air and pulling her wet hair out of her eyes. She let out an unladylike growl. “Draco Malfoy!”
“You really need to loosen up,” he drawled. He hoisted himself onto the edge of the pool and began to dry himself off with a towel.
“I c-can’t believe you have the audacity to…to…,” she sputtered, her heart racing.
He ducked his head and threw his towel over it, rubbing vigorously. She decided to take advantage of the situation. Swimming towards him stealthily, she grabbed his dangling ankles and pulled him. He let out a yelp as he fell in. She felt him grab her waist to steady himself, successfully pulling her under as well.
They both surfaced, sputtering and panting for air. She rubbed her eyes, peering at him, ready for him to retaliate.
He shook his head wildly, attempting to dry his hair. His eyes met her eyes as he laughed.
Ginny couldn’t help but to laugh with him.
“You’re sneaky,” he said, wringing his now drenched towel.
“Yeah, well, I try.”
Ginny swam towards the stone steps and got out of the pool. A house elf (or was it a ship elf?) offered her a fresh towel. She dried herself off, catching Malfoy's eye for a second as he watched her.
He quickly looked away as he climbed out of the pool, and used his wand to perform a drying charm.
The bright sun illuminated his tan, giving him a healthy glow. Ginny couldn’t help her eyes from trailing down his body.
“So I’ll see you at seven?” he asked, his lips twitching slightly.
“Yes, seven,” she repeated as she wrapped the towel around her waist.
He was about to leave her company when all five of her nieces and nephews emerged from the pool as well, running towards her. Their wet feet smacked against the stone tiles as they giggled, racing each other.
They panted heavily as they finally approached her. She handed them all clean towels to dry themselves off and removed the floating spells from Molly and Dominique.
“Aunt Ginny!” Molly said, tugging on Ginny’s arm. Her short red curls bobbed around her face. “Freddie was the one who threw the beach ball at you!”
“I didn’t!” Freddie cried, looking at Ginny desperately.
“Did too!” the four-year-old challenged.
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Ginny said, looking at Malfoy. He looked amused.
“Who’s that?” Freddie blurted, pointing at Malfoy.
“It’s not polite to point, Freddie,” Ginny said. “This is Draco Malfoy, he went to school with your Uncle Harry and me.”
The five children stared at Malfoy. He looked obviously uncomfortable with the introduction.
“Er…hello.”
“Were you in Gryffindor, too?” Victoire asked.
Malfoy was about to respond, but Teddy beat him to it. “No, he was in Slytherin.” He uttered the House name with venom.
Ginny stared at Teddy, appalled. The boy was staring at Malfoy with his jaw clenched.
“I-I…Teddy! That was very ru-” Ginny began.
But Malfoy shook his head. “It’s all right. Yes, I was in Slytherin.”
Freddie stared at Malfoy in awe. “So are you a sneaky, nasty…oompf!”
Ginny quickly covered Freddie’s mouth with her hand. She laughed nervously. “Children! They say the funniest things sometimes!”
Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her. He didn’t look amused anymore.
“Well…er…we need to get going,” Ginny said hastily. “Say goodbye to Mr. Malfoy and get your clothes.”
The children mumbled their goodbyes as Ginny hurried them away. She turned back to give Malfoy an apologetic look. But he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at Teddy. The blue haired boy was staring back at him warily as Freddie chatted enthusiastically next to him.
Leave a Review