Disclaimer: As always, most characters belong to JKR. Also, the chapter title may belong to someone else, but I'm not sure. If you know, please let tell (in a review, hint hint) so I can give credit where credit is due.
My Life As I Don't Know It
Chapter One - Stranger in a Strange Land
Ginny Weasley was comfortable. In fact, she was more comfortable than she could ever remember being. She certainly didn't remember her four poster in Gryffindor Tower being quite this comfortable, let alone her bed at the Burrow. Cautiously, she cracked one eye open to observe her surroundings, and quickly shut it again, a soft scream emanating from her dry throat. Her eyes still squeezed shut, she pulled herself up to a sitting position and leaned against the ornately carved headboard. She opened her eyes again, her breath coming in short gasps.
She was sitting on a large bed in an elegantly decorated room. The owner of the room obviously had more money than they knew what to do with, but Ginny was disturbed by the fact that the room was decorated to her exact tastes and she felt at home sitting in the big bed. Ginny looked down at herself to see an expensive, yellow nightgown. It was the kind of nightgown Ginny always wanted, but could never afford to buy. She slowly pushed the bed clothes away and put her feet on the warm carpet that covered the floor beneath the bed. She stood up and surveyed the room.
I must be dreaming, she thought distractedly. Or kidnapped. If I could only find my wand.
She looked around the room again, searching for her wand, yet afraid to move. Looking to her left, she saw an end table next to the bed with a pitcher of water, a glass, a lamp, and a long thing box. She reached for the pitcher of water.
They wouldn't put me in an expensive room and nightgown, then poison me with water, she reassured herself as she poured the water into a glass, unsure of who "they" were.
"Here goes nothing," she said quietly. "Bottoms up," she said before draining the glass. Wiping her mouth on her hand, she turned her attention to the box. Throwing caution to the wind, she moved to pick up the box.
"Mrs. Malfoy!" a voice exclaimed from the doorway.
Ginny jumped up and turned to stare at the short, balding man standing in the doorway.
"You scared the shit out of me!" Ginny gasped angrily, her hand flying to her beating heart. Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the man. "Who the hell are you? Why are you keeping me here? Where am I?" Ginny yelled, her voice rising angrily. The man looked shocked.
"Mrs. Malfoy, calm down, please. You're going to over exert yourself. You really shouldn't be out of bed yet. You need to rest and relax."
"What the hell are you talking about!" Ginny yelled at the top of her voice.
"Mrs. Malfoy, please!"
"Why are you calling me that? That's not my name," she said, closet to hysterics. Ginny heard hurried footsteps in the hall, but her vision was slowly narrowing to a small point. She felt light headed and she reached for the end table to steady herself, but she missed and crumpled to the floor in a heap.
She regained consciousness almost immediately, and she heard voices talking quietly.
"What happened?" a deep voice asked worriedly. She felt someone scoop her up from the floor and place her gently on the bed. "What is she doing out of bed?"
"I certainly did not authorize it, Mr. Malfoy," the voice of the bald man said haughtily, "I came in to check on her, and she was standing up next to the bed. The next thing I knew, she was yelling at me. Then she fainted."
A man sighed. "Will she be okay?" he asked tiredly.
"I -."
Her head was pounding. She groaned, and the voices stopped immediately. She opened her eyes, and promptly screamed before trying to scurry to the other side of the bed. Sitting next to her, and looking down at her with a worried expression on his face, was Draco Malfoy,
"What....what...." Ginny stammered.
"Ginny, calm down. It's me, Draco," Draco said as he stood up and started walking towards her.
"I know who you are, Malfoy," Ginny spat. "What do you want with me?" Even while Ginny was looking for a way to get around the bald man and Draco Malfoy, she recognized her underlying confusion. The Draco Malfoy she knew was seventeen. This man had to be in his mid-thirties. Meanwhile, Draco had stopped moving towards her and had a confused look on his face.
"What are you talking about, Ginny?"
"Mr. Malfoy," the bald man said quietly. Draco turned to look at the bald man. The bald man gave Draco a meaningful look. Draco sighed in annoyance and walked over to him. The bald man stood on his toes to whisper into Draco's ear.
Draco's face fell even further, but he nodded silently. Ginny had backed into a wall and was looking around the room like a caged kneazle.
"Ginny, do you remember who I am?" Draco asked quietly.
"Of course I remember you, ferret-face. If you hurt me, you're going to have seven angry Weasley men after you, not to mention my mother and Harry," Ginny said with more confidence than she felt.
"Hurt you? Merlin, Ginny, I would never hurt you!"
"Really? Then why can't I have my wand?" Ginny demanded angrily.
"No one said that you couldn't have your wand. Here, I'll even get it for you." Draco walked back to the end table and grabbed the box. He walked back to Ginny, who cowered against the wall, and held out the box to her.
"Take it," he said quietly. She extended her hand slowly and took the box from his extended hand. She looked down at it, then back to Draco, an angry expression on her face.
"This isn't mine."
"Yes, it is, Gin." Ginny shook her head, as if to say "No". "It has your name on it." Draco pointed to the name engraved on the cover of the box.
Ginevra Molly Weasley Malfoy.
"That's not my name," she said quietly.
"Ginny, why don't you sit down, and Healer Mosley and I will explain everything, okay?" Draco suggested as he put his arm around her shoulders and guided her to the window seat. She sat down without saying a word, and continued to stare at the box in her hands. Draco conjured chairs for Healer Mosley and himself.
"Mrs. Malfoy," began Healer Mosley.
"I'm not a Malfoy," Ginny said rather loudly. "I'm a Weasley." Draco and the Healer exchanged looks.
"Miss Weasley," Healer Mosley conceded. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and I need you to be completely honest with me, okay?" Ginny nodded her head. "What is your full name?"
"Ginevra Molly Weasley."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"How many brothers do you have?"
"Six. Seven, if you count Harry."
"How many nieces and nephews do you have?"
"None of my brothers have children." Healer Mosley nodded.
"Who won the Second War?"
"It's not over yet," Ginny said, getting more and more confused.
"What month is it?"
"February."
"What is the last thing you remember doing?"
Ginny thought for a moment. "I was writing an essay for Snape about Truth Potions in the Common Room when I fell asleep. The next thing I remember is being in that bed." Ginny pointed at the bed in which she had awoken.
"You don't remember anything about the rest of your sixth year? Or about your seventh?" Ginny shook her head. Healer Mosley made a few notes on his clipboard.
"That's all," he smiled at Ginny, then turned to Draco. "If I may have a word, Mr. Malfoy?" Draco nodded and stood up. He looked at Ginny for a second before following the Healer out of the room. Ginny watched the two men leave the room. She was more confused now that she had been before. Why had a Healer asked her all those questions about things that hadn't happened yet? And what the hell was she doing with "Malfoy" written after her name?
Ginny looked down at the box in her hands again. She traced her name with her fingertips, admiring the beautiful material. She opened the box and peered inside cautiously. Her wand lay gleaming on a red velvet pillow. She took her wand from the box and moved toward the door. Just as she was about to turn the knob, the door opened and she found herself staring into deep gray eyes.
"I see you found your wand," Draco said, smirking slightly. Ginny took a step back, a scared look in her eyes. Then, she straightened her spine and pointed her wand directly at his face. Draco took a step back, a shocked look on his face.
"Give me a reason to hex you into next week, and I will, Malfoy," Ginny said threateningly.
"Ginny," Draco said calmly, holding up his hands. "Put your wand down and listen to me, okay? I'm not going to hurt you. You are completely safe here. This is your home."
"This is not my home!" Ginny yelled. "I live at the Burrow with Ron and Fred and George and Mum and Dad!"
"You don't live at the goddam Burrow, Ginny!" Draco said, losing his patience. "You live here, at Malfoy Manor, and you've lived here since you were nineteen! Since our wedding!" Draco took a deep breath and tried to control his anger. Ginny stared at him.
"Liar!" she yelled back, after a moments pause. "I'm only sixteen! And I would never marry a Death Eater!"
"Well, you did! Take a look at your fucking finger, Ginny!" Draco said furiously. Ginny looked down at her left hand and saw a gold band that supported a teardrop diamond with a ruby and emerald on each side circling her ring finger.
"I want to talk to my mother. If you're not holding me here against my will, and you don't want to hurt me, then you'll let me talk to my mother," Ginny said calmly.
Draco threw his hands up into the air in defeat. "Fine!" He turned around and walked out the door. Ginny stared after him. "You coming or not?" he yelled to her from the hall. Ginny, her wand still held tightly in her hand, followed him out the door.
Draco led the way through a maze of hallways and rooms. Ginny followed a short distance behind him, her wand at the ready. Draco finally stopped in front of two large oak doors. He tried to open them, but they were locked. He pounded his fist on the door.
"Benjamin! Open the door this instant!" He yelled.
Ginny heard a flutter of activity and moments later a disheveled young man appeared at the door. He looked like the Draco Ginny remembered, only softer, somehow, and right now, he was blushing like a Weasley.
"Hey, Dad," Benjamin said, he smiled sheepishly and his blush increased.
Draco raised an eyebrow at his son's disheveled appearance. "We'll talk later, Ben. Your mother and I need to use the Floo."
Ben looked from Draco to Ginny, then back to Draco. Draco shook his head slightly, and Ben nodded.
"Alright," he said and he moved aside to let Draco and Ginny pass. Ginny immediately moved to the fireplace while Draco closed the door to the room.
"Floo Powder is in the box to the right," he said as he took a seat in one of the large armchairs.
Ginny grabbed some Floo Powder and tossed it into the fire. "The Burrow," she said clearly and shoved her head into the fire. When her head stopped spinning, she was staring into the familiar kitchen of the Burrow. Unfortunately, it was empty.
"Mum!" she screamed as loudly as she could. "Dad! Fred! George! Ron!" She paused for a second. "Anyone home?!"
"Ginny, dear? Is that you?"
"Mum," she said, relief washing over her. Her mother came bustling into the kitchen and Ginny gasped. Molly Weasley's red hair was more than flecked with gray and she had more wrinkles than Ginny remembered. She looked fifteen years older.
"Ginny, how are you feeling? What did the Healer say? Draco said he would get you the best healer money could buy, and I don't doubt he could," Mrs. Weasley said, not noticing Ginny's shock or confusion.
"Mum," Ginny gasped quietly. "What happened to you?"
Mrs. Weasley looked at Ginny worriedly. "What do you mean, what happened to me? Nothing happened to me.
You're the one that fell off her broom. Honestly, Ginny, did you really think you could behave like you're
sixteen at your age?" Mrs. Weasley huffed.
"I am sixteen," Ginny wailed miserably.
"Ginny, are you quite sure that you're okay? Is Draco there? I'd like to talk to him, please," Mrs. Weasley said without giving Ginny time to answer.
"You want to talk to Malfoy?" Ginny asked, disbelief coloring her voice. Mrs. Weasley looked at her sharply.
"Is there something wrong with me wanting to talk to my son-in-law, Ginevra?"
"Son-in-law?"
"Well, yes," Mrs. Weasley said. At that moment, Draco's head appeared next to Ginny's head.
"Hello, Molly. I thought you might like a word," Draco said pleasantly.
"Molly?" Ginny whispered unbelievingly.
"Hello, Draco dear," Molly said, shooting Ginny a sharp look. Draco gave Mrs. Weasley a meaningful look that Ginny did not see, and a worried look crossed Mrs. Weasley's face.
"Ginny, could you excuse Draco and me? It will only be a moment. Thank you, dear."
"No, I will not excuse you! Mum, he is the son of a Death Eater! His father gave me You-Know-Who's diary. I can't believe you want to talk to the ferret-face!" Ginny said loudly.
Mrs. Weasley turned red. "Ginevra Malfoy! What has gotten into you? You change your attitude this instant or I will wash your mouth out with soap, and don't you think I won't!"
"What has gotten into me?! What has gotten into everyone else! Why are you on first name terms with Draco Malfoy?" Ginny yelled angrily.
Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to yell back, but Draco had taken that opportunity to pull Ginny out of the fire. When the spinning stopped Ginny found herself kneeling in front of the fire in Malfoy Manor. She jumped to her feet and glared at Draco.
"What the hell do you think your doing?" Ginny spat.
"Ginny, I know you hate me, and I understand that you're angry and confused. But you have to trust me. I need to explain everything to your mother, then I will explain everything to you, okay?"
"No, it's not bloody okay, Malfoy -"
"Ginny! Just shut up and sit down!" Draco yelled. Ginny stopped talking and stared at him. After a second, she perched on the edge of the couch across from the chair Draco had vacated.
"Thank you," Draco said and threw some Floo Powder in the fire. "The Burrow," he said and stepped into the flames.
Ginny waited patiently for Draco to finish talking to her mother. Her head was starting to pound again and she laid it wearily in her hands. After a couple minutes, Draco returned, looking tired and worn. He plopped down on the chair he was sitting in earlier and loosened his tie.
"Sippy!" Draco called. A second later, a house-elf wearing an absurd looking sundress and beret appeared in front of Draco.
"How may Sippy be of service, Master Draco?" Sippy squeaked giving a small curtsy.
"The usual, please, Sippy," Draco said wearily. "And a cup of tea for Mistress Ginny."
"Ginny, are you okay?" Draco said after a couple minutes of silence.
Ginny raised her head from her hands. "No, I'm not, Malfoy. What's going on?"
Draco sighed. He slumped farther back in his chair and squeezed the bridge of his nose, as if in pain. "Yesterday afternoon, we were playing Quidditch on our pitch and-"
"Who's we?" Ginny interrupted curiously.
"You, me, and Ben. Well, we were playing around and -"
"Who's Ben?" Ginny interrupted again.
Draco looked at her sadly. "He's our son," he said quietly.
Ginny stared at him. Then, she smiled widely. "Good one, Malfoy. I almost believed you."
Draco looked down at his hands before looking back at her. "I'm not joking, Ginny."
Draco's comment wiped the smile off Ginny's face. Sippy popped back into the room, a tray in her hands and a tray balanced on top of her head.
"Your drink, Master Draco," Sippy said as she placed a tray on the table next to Draco. She took the tray off her head and placed it on the table in front of Ginny. "Your tea, Mistress Ginny."
"Thank you, Lippy," Ginny said absent-mindedly. The house-elf glared at Ginny for a moment, then disappeared with a loud crack.
Ginny picked up her cup of tea without noticing Sippy's annoyance. "Gin," Draco said gently. "Her name is Sippy."
Ginny looked up from her cup. "That's what I said."
"No, you said 'Lippy'."
"Oh my god," Ginny said as she set her cup down. "I feel horrible."
Draco smiled slightly. "It's okay. I'm sure she'll forgive you."
Ginny shook her head, as if to clear it. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"
"We were playing Quidditch and-"
"Just cut to the chase, Malfoy," Ginny said, her annoyance evident.
"You have amnesia," Draco said bluntly, trying to keep a hold on his anger.
"What?"
"Ginny, yesterday we were playing Quidditch and you fell off your broom. Ben and I tried to catch you, but we didn't make it to you in time. By the time we did get to you, you were already unconscious. We called Healer Mosley, and after an examination, he said you were going to be okay, but he wanted you to rest so he gave you a sleeping potion. When he came by this morning to check on you, you were up, you didn't remember anything, and frankly, you've been giving me a hard time since."
Draco finished talking and looked at Ginny in silence, waiting for her to take this in.
"So...so," Ginny stammered. "I married a Malfoy, I have a fifteen year-old son, and I can't remember anything since my sixth year?"
"He's sixteen, but yes, that about sums it up," Draco said, taking a sip of his drink. Ginny looked shell-shocked. "I know this is a lot to take in," Draco continued quietly. "But it's the truth. And I know you don't trust me right now, but you have to believe that I would rather die than have any harm come to you, and as hard as this is for you, it's just as hard for me. Knowing that you don't remember how much I love you is killing me."
Ginny stood up and began pacing the room. Her face was pale and she looked scared. Draco stood up and walked towards her. He put his hands on her shoulders, but she pulled away. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Healer Mosley said that you should be surrounded by familiar things to help get your memory back."
"Isn't there -" Ginny began, turning to face him.
"There's no magical cure," Draco said. Ginny nodded and sank down to the couch. Draco dropped to his knees in front of her.
"I want to help you through this. I want to be there for you, Ginny," Draco said, taking her hands in his. "But if you want to go stay with your parents, I'll understand. After all, I was a complete ass to you for as long as you can remember." Ginny took a shuddering breath.
"I think I would like to go stay with my mother." Draco nodded sadly and stood up.
"Do you want to get dressed first? I can have Sippy pack for you and send your stuff later."
"Okay," Ginny agreed, not having the energy to do anything else.
"Sippy," Draco called. Sippy appeared with a pop and obviously avoiding Ginny's gaze. "Sippy, can you pack a bag for Mistress Ginny? She's going to stay with her parents for a little while."
Sippy curtsied to Draco before turning to face Ginny, a blush staining her cheeks.
"Sippy is sorry for being angry with Mistress Ginny. Sippy did not know that Mistress Ginny fell off her broom yesterday and couldn't remember anything. Sippy is very, very sorry."
"It's alright, Sippy," Ginny said carefully. "And I'm sorry for forgetting your name. I promise that it will never happen again."
Sippy smiled happily and disappeared with a loud crack.
Ginny turned to Draco with a puzzled look on her face and opened her mouth to say something. She closed it, looking more puzzled, and opened it again to ask Draco a question.
"This is Sippy's first week," Draco explained. "She must have thought that you still thought of house-elves as inferior." Ginny still looked puzzled, so Draco elaborated. "All of our house-elves are free. We pay them and give them one day off a month." Draco chuckled. "They won't accept more, even though you pushed to give them more."
"I did?" Ginny asked.
Draco nodded. "The house-elves helped us in the War. Many witches and wizards were so grateful for the help, that they set their house-elves free. I wasn't going to, but you insisted."
"Oh," was all Ginny said in response. Then, "I should go get dressed." She paused. "How do I get back to my room?"
"Do you still have your wand with you?" Draco asked as he stood up. Ginny pulled it out of her pocket in response. "Lay it across your palm, and say 'Master Bedroom'. It will tug you in the right direction. Hermione thought of it when everyone kept getting lost when they came over. She based it off the charm that points North."
Ginny laid her wand in her hand and said, "Master Bedroom." Her wand made two complete rotations in her hand before starting to tug her towards the door. Draco watched her as she followed her wand out of the room. He waited a minute or so before he moved.
"You can come out now, Ben. How many times have I told you not to eavesdrop on your mother and I using your invisibility cloak?" Draco asked as he sat back down in his chair and finished off his drink. Meanwhile, Ben had pulled the cloak from his body and moved to stand in front of his father.
"Sorry, Dad," he said blushing. "But I wanted to know what was going on. Is Mum going to be okay?"
Draco was silent for a moment . "We hope so," he said finally. "But she doesn't remember anything beyond halfway through her sixth year. Which means that she doesn't remember the War, or our marriage, or you," he finished quietly.
Ben looked down at his hands which were still clutching the cloak. Draco sighed loudly.
"I know this is difficult for you, Ben, but it's difficult for all of us. Your mother is going to stay with your grandparents."
"Why can't she stay here?" Ben blurted out. "I mean, you said she had to be surrounded by familiar things, and what's more familiar than her home and family?"
Draco studied his son, his face impassive. After a while, he said, "Take a seat, Ben." Ben sat down in the spot that his mother had vacated minutes before and looked at his father questioningly. "Ben," Draco started again. "You need to understand something. You've learned about the War in school, right?" Ben nodded. "And you've heard about your grandfather-"
"Mum's dad?" he asked curiously.
"No," Draco said. "My father. Lucius Malfoy." Ben's face paled and he nodded. "Well, in the years leading up to the War, I shared all of his beliefs. And I was horrible to Uncle Harry, Aunt Hermione, and the rest of your mother's family, especially Uncle Ron. And they detested me. I was a complete bastard to them." Draco turned his sharp gaze to his son, and then sighed. "Oh screw it, when I was your age I heard much worse things than 'bastard' and I turned out normal enough. Anyway, your mother and pretty much every single person that is important in your life hated me and I hated them. Later, after the War, your mother and I fell in love and we've all buried the hatchet. However, your mother doesn't remember any of that. She only remembers me as quite a bit of an ass. So, I don't hold it against her that she wants to go to her parents."
"But if she's married to you and you have a son together and everyone keeps telling her that your ... nice-"
"Malfoys are never nice," Draco cut in.
"Then won't she realize that you have changed even if she can't remember it happening?" Ben continued, used to his father cutting in about Malfoy pride and ignoring it. "You can't let her walk out of our lives, Dad! She's part of our family. We can't just give up on her," Ben exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "Do something, for Merlin's sake!"
"Benjamin Arthur Malfoy," Draco said angrily, also standing and towering over his son. "You will not speak to me that way. I am still your father and master of this house."
"If you concentrated less on being the master and more on being a husband, then maybe you could convince Mum to stay!" Ben yelled angrily.
"One more word out of you, Benjamin, and you will be grounded until you return to Hogwarts and every subsequent visit home. Am I making myself perfectly clear," Draco asked, his voice quiet and deadly. Ben glared at his father.
"Crystal, Father," Ben turned around and walked out of the room. As he walked away, Draco's face fell. He suddenly realized how much of himself was in his son, and how much of Lucius was in himself. He sank back into his chair and put his head in his hands. He sighed, then ran his hand through his hair.
"This is the day from hell," he muttered. Someone coughed and he looked up to see Ginny standing in the doorway. She wore a pair of jeans, one of his Quidditch shirts, and her hair was in a loose ponytail. Draco inhaled sharply. She looked like she was seventeen again, despite the confusion etched into her face and scattering of wrinkles around her mouth and eyes that were barely noticeable.
"It certainly has been," she said coldly. Draco was out of his seat and across the room in seconds. All of his infamous Malfoy control seemed to have vanished. With a wave of his hand, the door slammed shut and he backed Ginny into the nearest wall. He placed his hands on either side of her head and crashed his lips down to hers. She stiffened in surprise, but soon became angry. She pushed at his chest, but he refused to move. Finally, she managed to push him away.
"What the hell..." she started to say, breathing heavily, but she never finished because at that moment, Draco took advantage of her open mouth by crashing his lips back onto hers and pushing his tongue into her mouth. Draco groaned loudly and pushed himself harder against her.
Ginny was shocked. She had never kissed anyone like this before, as far as she could remember anyway, let alone Draco Malfoy. However, kissing Draco seemed to come naturally. She didn't think about it, but rather let her body take control. She knew just where to put her hands and what to do in order to pull a deep, primal groan from Draco's throat. As Draco's hands moved from being tangled in Ginny's hair, which had long since fallen from its ponytail, to the edge of her shirt, which he began to pull up over her head, Ginny panicked. She removed her hands from his arse, she had no idea how they had gotten there, and placed them on his chest. Then she pushed, hard. Draco stumbled back a couple of steps, a slightly dazed look on his face.
"We can't ... I ... we..." Ginny as she blushed furiously, not able to meet Draco's eyes. She came to a stuttering silence, and chanced a look at Draco from beneath lowered lashes. His face was slightly flushed, but it had hardened into a furious, controlled, and blank expression.
"I trust you remember how to use the Floor Network," Draco said in a controlled voice before moving quickly towards the door.
"Malfoy ... Draco!" Ginny called after him. Draco stopped, but didn't turn around. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. Draco didn't respond. Instead, he walked to the door opened it, and closed it quietly behind him. He leaned against the closed door and sighed loudly.
Way to scare her off, Malfoy. Did you really think that kissing her would make her remember? Draco asked himself angrily. He banged his head against the door behind him, reveling in the slight pain it caused because it took his mind off the pain that was tearing him apart inside. Composing himself, he set off down the hall to take care of the matter that was currently at hand, or soon would be.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Ginny stared after Draco alarmed at his sudden shifts in disposition. Shrugging and muttering under her breath about "those damn conceited Malfoys", Ginny made her way to the fireplace. After locating the Floor Powder, throwing it into the fire, and shouting "the Burrow" for the second time that day, Ginny stepped in the flames and was whirled away.
"Mum!" Ginny called stepping out the fireplace and dusting herself off. She took in her surroundings and took comfort in the fact that it looked exactly as she remembered it. She sank into a kitchen chair and laid her head on her folded arms She closed her eyes tiredly. As much as she didn't want to believe that she was thirty-five, married, and had a sixteen-year-old son, all the evidence was starting to convince her.
"Ginny?" Ginny looked up to see her mother's worried figure standing in the doorway.
"Hi, Mum," Ginny said, her voice cracking. Mrs. Weasley took one look at her daughter's pale face and rushed to her. As Mrs. Weasley's arms wrapped around her only daughter, Ginny broke into tears on her mother's shoulder.
After many minutes that consisted of tears and half whispered, half sobbed explanations on Ginny's part, Mrs. Weasley was able to calm Ginny down and get her upstairs to her old bedroom, which, thankfully, hadn't been changed since Ginny moved out. She gave Ginny a calming potion mixed with a sleeping draught and Ginny fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning found Ginny sitting at the kitchen table with her Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who continuously exchanged worried glances over their daughters head. Ginny didn't notice. Mrs. Weasley put bacon, eggs, and toast on Ginny's plate and gave her a large glass of ice cold pumpkin juice.
"Eat up, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as cheerily as she could.
Ginny nodded her obedience, yet she gently pushed her food around on her plate instead of eating it. After fifteen minutes of this activity, Ginny pushed her plate away from her and stood up.
"So," she started, looking back and forth between her parents. "What do I do now?"
They exchanged a worried look, and Ginny fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Well, dear," began her father. "You paint."
Ginny looked at him blankly. "Paint?"
Her father nodded. "You are quite a celebrated artist."
"I'm a celebrated artist?" Ginny asked incredulity. Then she shrugged. "I suppose it makes as much sense as me marrying a Malfoy. So, where do I do this painting? Do I have a studio in Diagon Alley?"
"Not exactly." Her parents exchanged looks again. Ginny sighed.
"It's hard enough not knowing what's going on without you two acting like I'm about to explode," she said tersely.
"You have a studio at Malfoy Manor," said her father gently. "You also have a gallery in Diagon Alley." Ginny nodded her head in understanding.
"I don't want you to go to your gallery today, Ginny," her mother said with worry. "I have to watch Selma and Kate today, and your father has to go into work. I don't want you wandering around Diagon Alley by yourself."
"Mum!" exclaimed Ginny. "I'm six-" She stopped talking, to a deep breath, and started again. "I'm thirty-five years old. I'm capable of walking around Diagon Alley by myself."
"Now, Ginny dear," began Mr. Weasley.
"I hate to interrupt," came a voice from the fireplace. The three Weasleys whipped around, Ginny's wand out and pointed, to see a dusty and dirty Draco standing in front of them, not bothering to wipe the soot from his usually immaculate robes. Ginny replaced her wand in her jean pocket and scowled at the intruder, her husband.
"Ben has run away."