Confusion
By Lauren G. (aka RowlingIdol)
Author's Note: After much… MUCH!!!! Much self-restraint, I HAVE to do this. *sniff* I have to pair people up in this and I hope people will understand and not give me a freakin' lecture about it. If you want to hate on me for the pairing I make, hate on all the fan art that got me hooked on the idea. I am confused as to what will happen because of it, but as I write, ideas become clearer. Do not fret my friends; it will all be good in the end… And still please review. This still is a D/G fic. Thank you!
Chapter 22: Secrets Revealed
The next day, Ginny stretched and yawned, her hand colliding with Draco's head. He groaned and rolled over.
"Ow." He said tiredly. Ginny giggled.
"Sorry." She whispered. Sunlight streamed through the crack in the curtains. Ginny ran a hand through her tousled curls and yawned again.
"What time is?" She asked. Draco threw a pillow of his head and she could hear him mutter,
"Too early."
Ginny slid out of the bed and went to the window and opened the curtains. Light flooded the room. Draco moaned under the covers.
"Ginny…" He whined.
"Oh crap." Was what he heard next.
"What." Draco said, emerging from under the pillows and sheets.
"We're supposed to be at my house in 2 hours." She said.
"Since when?" He groaned.
"Since yesterday when my mother sent me that birthday card." Ginny said. She went over to the bed and whipped the covers off. "Get up!"
"Who are you? My mom?" Draco grumpily said, eventually getting out of the large bed.
"If I were your mom, I'd be dating Snape. Then I'd have to kill myself." Ginny said from inside the closet. Draco cracked a smile before it turned into a large yawn.
"So why are we going to your house again?" He asked, unceremoniously scratching his butt.
"Mum wants to have lunch. She says she has a surprise for me. Another sweater I bet." Ginny walked out of the closet with an array of clothes for Draco. She kissed his stubbly cheek before heading off to her own room to change.
ooooo
Arriving at the Burrow, Ginny was greeted by her father waving to her and Draco from the front door.
"Ginny! Happy Birthday!" He said, walking forward. His left leg was a bit stiff. Ginny hurried forward and gave her dad a hug. Mr. Weasley clapped a hand on Draco's back and followed the two into the house.
"Happy late birthday sis!" Charlie said, getting up from the couch. Ginny ran over and gave him a hug.
"Great to see you Charlie!" Ginny said. Charlie rubbed a large hand through her curls, mussing up her hair. Ginny giggled and backed away. Charlie laughed and looked towards Draco. All he did was nod to Draco who nodded back.
Mrs. Weasley bustled into the living room, hands covered in flour.
"Oh! Ginny dear you're here early! I haven't finished making your…. I mean sit and talk to Charlie!" she said, smiling warmly at her daughter and hurrying back into the kitchen. Mr. Weasley lowered himself into a rocking chair.
"How's work?" Ginny asked Charlie.
"Good. We discovered a nest not too long ago. Mitchell almost lost a leg, the silly git. Got too close when the mother got back." Charlie said.
"Fred and George stopped by work the other day. They said they'd be here." Ginny said.
Charlie rolled his eyes.
"They're out back. Mum said they couldn't try out the new fireworks in the house so she sent out."
Almost if on cue there was a loud whistling noise and crashing boom.
"Bill and Fleur couldn't make it though." Charlie said, rubbing at a scar on his arm.
"Um… how are you… Draco." Charlie asked. Draco stopped gazing around the living room and looked at Charlie.
"Oh.. Um… Okay."
"Good…" Charlie said.
"Draco's taken up Quidditch again." Ginny said.
"Quidditch eh? The League is almost up and running again I hear."
"Yeah…" Draco said.
"You talked to Harry?" Charlie asked. Draco looked at Ginny.
"We saw him a while back. Went to that new club place in Diagon Alley with Hermione and Ron." Ginny said. Charlie laughed.
"You went to Racers?" he asked.
"I didn't know it was called that." Ginny said. She thought back on the building. There had been a sign, but the letters were written craftily and hard to make out.
"Best mixed whiskey's I've heard." Charlie said. The conversation turned serious as Charlie asked more about how Harry was doing.
"Drunk." Draco and Ginny said at the same time. Mr. Weasley shook his head.
"Poor lad. Gone through a lot. I'd suggest a vacation to him- but where would he go? Not everywhere is safe." He said.
"He'll come around. Look at the rest of us." Charlie said optimistically. There was another explosion outside, this time too close to the house. A mini rocket pinged off the outside walls.
"BOYS!!!!!!" Mrs. Weasley roared. Ginny, Charlie, and Mr. Weasley all laughed. Mrs. Weasley came into the living room, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
"You can come in now!" She cheerfully said.
ooooo
In the kitchen, there was an elaborate lunch spread across the table. There was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, freshly squeezed lemonade and a type of red gelatin.
"A picnic luncheon!" Mrs. Weasley happily said. Everyone sat down and reached for plates. Fred and George rushed in, soot marks on their faces.
"You could have called us to lunch mum." Fred said, grabbing a chicken leg.
"Nice to see you again git!" George teased Draco. Mrs. Weasley frowned. She turned her attention to Charlie.
"So nice having you here." She said smiling. "As long as my children still visit, I will never be an empty nester."
"And while Ron still lives here too." George said. He and Fred laughed.
"Where is Ron by the way?" Ginny asked. Mrs. Weasley reached for the butter and answered.
"Sleeping of course. Stays up all night and sleeps until the afternoon." She clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "I'm looking into the personal ads from the Daily Prophet for him. It's high time he finds someone. A few blind dates won't hurt." She said. Ginny rolled her eyes.
The lunch continued. The clink of silverware and plates was the only noise heard until Mrs. Weasley dropped the bomb.
"So Draco…. Who lives in your basement?"
ooooo
Draco choked on his roll. Ginny patted his back and Fred whipped out a mini bottle of Firewhisky out of his pocket and offered it to him.
"Where did you get that?" Mrs. Weasley said, frowning at the liquor.
"Oh this? Um… You okay?" Fred asked. Draco gave a few more coughs.
"No one lives in the basement mum." Ginny said.
"Don't you lie to me! I know you know! You live there!!! It's a house elf isn't it? *gasp* Wait until Vivian hears that Draco's mother is dating a HOUSE ELF."
"Isn't that illegal?" Charlie interrupted.
"SICK!!!!!!!!!!" Fred and George said.
"Mother!!!!!!!" Ginny screeched.
"Who's Vivian?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"Vivian is one of my new friends from the Witches Social Circle. She's not as high class as the others. We had lunch the other day." Mrs. Weasley stated, puffing out her chest in a proud manner.
"My mother isn't dating a house elf." Draco sneered. Ginny poked him with the rounded end of her fork.
"Be nice!" She hissed.
"Then who is this `Sev' she spoke of the time I was over for tea? HMMM???"
All eyes were on Draco and Ginny.
"Um… Mother has a friend." Draco said.
"A FRIEND……." Mrs. Weasley said, trying to grasp at the full story.
"Yes." Draco said, getting very uncomfortable. He looked at Ginny who looked back. She jerked her head towards her mother in a gesture as if to say - `tell her and she'll shut up'. Draco sighed.
"Mum has a boyfriend." He said.
"Isn't your dad in jail?" Fred asked.
"Yes." Draco grumpily answered.
"And aren't they still married?" George said.
"Yes." Draco replied.
"SCANDALOUS!" Fred and George said together, giving each other a high five.
"Why does he live in the basement? He's not a house elf is he?"
"Mum, will you come off of the house elf scenario?" Ginny pleaded.
"Well, where do you think the house elves go when they're not cleaning or cooking?" Mrs. Weasley said. "I'd think the basement."
"The elves have a small room." Draco said. "The basement has a bunch of old junk in it. School cauldron, travel trunks, a bunch of my father's old potion ingredients. He had a collection."
"Ooooh." Mrs. Weasley said. She sat back and picked at her chicken.
ooooo
Charlie talked some more about his latest travels and Mrs. Weasley gushed about how she had been invited to tea with some of the higher-class ladies of the Witches Social Circle. When lunch was over, Mrs. Weasley used her wand to wisk the dishes to the sink for cleaning. Mr. Weasley brought a wrapped box into the kitchen and set it in front of Ginny. She took off the bow and opened it.
"Wow!!! A sweater!!!!" Ginny said. Draco had to smile.
"I tried a new shade a blue." Mrs. Weasley pointed out.
"Thanks, I love it." Ginny stood up and gave her mother a hug.
"What did DRACO get you?" George asked.
"Um…" Ginny blushed.
"Nothing?" Fred anxiously wanted to know. Mrs. Weasley took the blush on her daughters face to be something entirely different.
"That is NOT an appropriate birthday gift." Mrs. Weasley shook a finger at the couple.
"No mum… Not THAT." Ginny said. "He um… well… I got flowers and had dinner at the Eiffel Tower." Ginny said rushed.
"You went WHERE?" Her mother gasped, holding a hand to her chest. "My goodness."
"It was nothing." Draco said, shuffling his feet. Mrs. Weasley asked about the food and the scenery while Mr. Weasley got out a small stack of paper plates. A cake was brought to the table and they all, Draco quietly, sang `Happy Birthday'. Ginny blew out the candles on the cake and it was passed around.
ooooo
Much to Draco's dismay, Mrs. Weasley brought up the subject of his mother's boyfriend again.
"So what does your mother's boyfriend do?"
"He um… Reads sometimes."
"He grocery shops." Ginny pointed out.
"Hangs in the basement… Making potions." Draco said.
"No job?" Mrs. Weasley shook her head.
"Used to." Draco said.
"Ah!!!" Mrs. Weasley said, knowing she had hit the jackpot. Fred let out a huge belch. George laughed and Mr. Weasley chuckled. Charlie got up for a glass of water.
"So he used to work…. Reads, shops, makes potions…." Mrs. Weasley calculated out loud. "Sev…. Sev….." There was a long pause and Mrs. Weasley took a sharp intake of breath. Ginny cringed and she felt Draco stiffen next to her. There was a clattering as Mrs. Weasley backed away from the table, chair crashing to the floor.
"YOUR MOTHER IS DATING SEVERUS SNAPE!!!!!!!" Mrs. Weasley screamed, pointing a finger at Draco.
There was another crash as Ron's door flew open.
"Snape? Where????" Ron yelled, sliding out into the hallway in a socks and pajama bottoms.
"Snape isn't anywhere Ron, calm down." Said a sleepy voice following Ron out of the room. It was Hermione in a pair of Ron's boxer shorts and long tee shirt.
"Oh… Hi." Hermione said, giving a little wave before retreating quickly back into Ron's room.
"Right… I'm gonna go back to sleep." Ron said, pointing to his door. He backed slowly into his room admist the open mouths and wide eyes staring back at him.
ooooo
Author's Note- PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!!! I had to do it. I really wish there was a Harry Potter Addicts Anonymous or something. I promise there are more updates to come. I am busy next week with work and I have a new video game I've been playing. Review if you liked it! Until next time!
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