When Ginny woke up the following day, Draco was gone. His cloak still wrapped around her, she sat up. A couple feet away, the remains of last night's fire stood in ashes, and light peeked through the trees above her. Nothing was left behind to show Draco had ever been there.
"That figures. He's never there when I wake up."
"Why do I need to be? Should I stay in the same place for hours while I wait for you to wake up? Just because I don't sleep 'til noon..."
Ginny flipped around to look at him. She looked to her left and right, finally standing up in confusion. Draco's voice was close, but she couldn't find him.
Draco laughed. "Up in the trees, nitwit."
Ginny looked up. He was several feet up, on a tree branch that was right above her.
"What are you doing up there?" Ginny smirked. "Aren't your pretty little clothes going to get dirty?"
"These?" Draco laughed again. "I've got tons of these back at the castle. I'm sure you don't know what that's like, though, do you? Having more than one set of clothes?"
"And I bet you've never had anything that someone has made for you, put time and love into. A dress shop can't do that."
Draco just shrugged. Looking up, he scaled another branch, moving higher into the tree. Ginny cupped her hand over her eyes to block the sun, looking at him. "What are you doing up there anyway?"
Draco kept climbing. "Looking to see if there's anything but forest around here. So far, no." He climbed further. Ginny watched him climb, thinking about the people back home.
"Nice view, eh, Weasley?"
Ginny snapped out of her thoughts. "What?" she called up to him.
"Nice view from down there?" Draco didn't turn to look at her reaction, but searched the horizon for anything that wasn't a tree.
Ginny took the opportunity to put her tattered clothes back on under the cloak. Tucking her broken wand into her pocket, she began to walk onward, down the hill. As far as she could see, there was foliage. It seemed endless to look at, but she figured she had to start somewhere.
"Weasley!" Jumping from the tree he'd been in, Draco landed several yards behind Ginny. "Hey!"
Ginny turned. "What?"
He ran to catch up with her. "If you would have waited," he said poignantly. "I would have been able to tell you that we need to head that way." Draco pointed to their right.
Ginny looked at him curiously. "Just where are we going anyway?"
"I saw the end of the forest up ahead. Or, if you prefer, you can stay in the forest again tonight." Draco turned to walk in the direction he had pointed to. Ginny followed him at his side.
They walked for an hour before Draco got the courage to talk to her. The trouble with talking to Ginny was that he was worried she wouldn't want to talk with him. Not like a human being at least. He didn't want to talk about Voldemort and Slytherin and those horrible brothers of hers. He wanted to know what she was passionate about, her fears, her ideas on the upcoming election for Ministry positions, anything.
"So, your family's pretty poor, huh?" Those had been the first words out of his mouth in an hour, and Draco nearly hit himself for saying them. All his good intentions had been shot with one question.
Ginny looked at him bitterly, but she sensed that he hadn't meant his words as they had come out. "Things have gotten better since Charlie and Bill have gotten married and Fred and George have moved out." She paused to see if he was paying any attention to her words. It looked as if he was, so she went on. "Percy's in the ministry administrative offices now." Ginny laughed as she spoke. "He's hoping to become advisor to the Minister, but honestly, I can't imagine Percy advising anyone."
Draco smiled a little. He couldn't imagine Percy as fit for anything but a chimney sweep, but, for once, he kept his mouth shut.
Ginny continued, "Mum hasn't had as many kids around the house to cook for and keep an eye on. I think it makes her a little sad that we're growing up. I mean, I'm the baby of the family, and I'm not really a baby anymore." Draco looked her up and down. She had that right. "But it does help finances. Not nearly as many people in the house as there used to be. She still sends all of us care packages though. Fudge, clothes and anything else she happened to pick up that we could need. Teapots, broom polishing kits..."
Man, that girl can talk, Draco thought. He smiled, though. She was talking to him, and normally, like any friend she'd talk to. He wondered if she knew that her eyes sparkle when she talks about her family.
"...she even sent me a sewing kit every term until I insisted I didn't need any more." She paused. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Draco caught himself. "Looking at you like what?"
A few wisps of hair fell into his stern, confused eyes as he'd asked his question. Ginny studied his face a moment. She could only compare the expression to how she felt when she saw a flower she hadn't seen before. Softened, but thoughtful. Ginny found it curious that he even had an expression like that. Maybe it hadn't even existed, it happened so quickly, but it was enough to make Ginny pay more attention from that moment on.
"Never mind," she said. Suddenly, she stopped walking. Looking ahead, she could see the end of the forest and a small town beyond that. She told Draco, the excitement apparent in her voice, "We can eat! It's been so long since I've eaten a real meal. C'mon, let's go!"
Draco nearly laughed at how ridiculous she sounded, but then again, he was pretty hungry too. He followed her as she ran toward the sunshine at the end of the forest.
When they reached the clearing, Ginny was running low on energy. She had only eaten berries since she left Hogwarts, and she'd just run about two and a half miles. She sat on the grass, finally laying down, resting her head on her arms. When Draco caught up with her, he was gasping. He stopped and bent over, his hands on his knees, while he caught his breath.
Ginny giggled. "For a Quidditch star, you sure run out of breath quickly!"
Draco glared at her. "I direct a broom. I don't do long distance running."
"Touchy..."
Draco glared again at her response. "Where the hell do you get all that energy from, anyway?"
Ginny grinned. "Years of running after and away from six brothers."
Draco's head hurt at the thought. "There's no way I could handle that many Weasleys. Or brothers for that matter."
Ginny stood up and started walking toward town. "Handle seven Weasleys?" She looked back over her shoulder at him and grinned. "You can't even handle one."
Draco straightened and planned to retort, but he didn't have time. Ginny had started running toward town.
"Bloody hell, not again." Draco took a deep breath and ran after her.
Ginny slowed down pretty quickly. She had reached a stone pathway and was following it to town when Draco caught up. He stopped her by the shoulder, breathing heavily and pointing his index finger at her.
"Now you listen, Weasley. You have to stop running off like that. I'm the only protection you've got here. We don't know what this town is like. And besides…" He looked at her clothes from under his cloak she was still wearing. "I do have the right to ask for my cloak back."
Ginny blushed a little. He was right, he was her only protection here. She looked at the town. It seemed respectable enough, but… She abided by his request.
Draco and Ginny walked along the path until they saw the first signs of town. A weathered building stood on the corner of the first crossroads they came to. Ginny was delighted, since it was the first one she had seen in days. Its old brick walls were covered in ivy, and a carved wooden post swung from a post hanging above the door.
When they entered The Wooden Duck, the grayed barman motioned Draco and Ginny to the bar. "Mr. Malfoy," the old man said with a twinkle in his eye, "good to finally meet you." Draco nodded in acknowledgement. The barman smiled. "Your father never said you'd be bringing a lady..." Ginny couldn't help her smile when the man kissed her hand. "Drink for the lady?"
Ginny gladly accepted the drink as well as a helping of fish and chips. Draco joined her, taking the stool next to her at the bar. When they finished their food and drink, Ginny went outside to have a look around while Draco paid the tab with the money that had been in his pocket. He was about to leave his seat when the barman called to him.
"Mr. Malfoy..." The bearded man handed Draco an envelope with a green seal holding it shut. "...your father left this for you. Oh, and..." Draco turned, his hand resting on the wooden door. "...she's a good girl."
Draco nodded and left to catch up with Ginny.