Confusion
By Lauren G. (aka RowlingIdol)
Author's Note: Okay, the story is taking a twist. I hope it goes well. I haven't written in a while but I'm on a Harry Potter kick right now. All I have to say is that if M. Night Shamylan directs a Harry Potter film, is that Bonnie Wright will be replaced by Bryce-Dallas Howard and Daniel Radcliffe by Joaquin Phoenix. That's not going to happen, but they're in like all his most recent films. Starting to see a pattern with him. Oh yes, and he himself will play a Gryffindor student.
Chapter 25: Ow
"Ow….. Oww….. Ooooowwwwwwwww." Draco muttered as he walked into the mansion the next day. He made his way to the kitchen to get some ice.
"You're home late." Ginny spoke up, sipping tea at the counter.
"Oh… Hey." Draco said, straightening and acting like every bone in his body didn't feel broken.
"Were you saying something as you were coming in?"
"No, of course not!" Draco said quickly.
"What were you doing anyways?"
"Playing Quidditch." He answered.
"I didn't see you in the backyard." Ginny said.
"I was out with Blaise."
"That was nice." Ginny stood up and kissed him on his cheek and exiting the kitchen. Once he knew his wife was out of earshot, he sprinted achingly to the fridge and stuck his right arm into it.
"Ahhh……"
ooooo
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!" Ginny squealed as she ran from Draco down the long hall with the bedrooms.
"Come back here!" Draco said, trying to keep up with her.
"No!" Ginny screamed happily. Ginny thundered down the stairs and slid to a stop in the entrance hall.
"Gotcha!" Draco said running up behind her and squeezing both her buttcheeks with both hands. He looked up and immediately released.
"Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy… Mrs. Malfoy." Said Mr. Ashford, the man from the ministry. He stood in front of the double doors wringing his hat in his hands. A house elf stood nearby.
"Hello." Draco said.
"I'm um… Here for the inspection. I didn't come at a bad time did I?" He asked looking between the two.
"No." Ginny said. She turned and smiled at Draco who was clearly perplexed.
"I thought we weren't going to be visited until Monday." Draco said. "Today is Friday."
"Yes well… We would have owled you about the change in plans but we are incredibly swamped at the ministry this weekend. There's a press confrence tomorrow and we have a drill to take place on Monday."
"We understand." Ginny said. "Please have a look around."
Mr. Ashford nodded to Ginny and started to wander around the parlor, trying not to step on the oriental rugs.
ooooo
"You are naughty." Draco said as they laid in bed that night. "You can't grab your husband in his most private of places and then run off without giving him any."
"Mmmm…" Was all Ginny said smiling to herself. She nuzzled up to his shoulder.
"OW!" Draco cried out.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, scrambling away. She took a sharp intake of breath. "Is there a spider in the bed?" She whispered.
"No… You just cuddled my bruise." Draco sat up in the bed and peeled off his night shirt. There was a huge black and blue bruise on his right shoulder.
"Are you sure you played Quidditch and didn't get in a fight?"
"Yes." Draco groaned, rubbing at his shoulder.
"In the morning I will make a bruise paste and put it on for you."
ooooo
The next day was the one-month anniversary. A house elf came into Draco's room with strawberry pancakes and waffles and lemonade. Ginny sat in the bed alone while Draco took a shower. He came out, the bruise still shining on his shoulder.
"Enjoying breakfast?" He asked, sitting down next to her.
"Yes." Ginny said, leaning back against an array of pillows propping her up.
"I know this might sound odd, but we need to go to the Ministry today… I know its our anniversary and all that."
"It's ok." Ginny said. "I have my own confession to make."
"You do?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yes. Tomorrow I promised Fred and George I'd watch over the store for them. They're going to Egypt to shop. Lots of the ingredients they use come from there."
"Okay. Then I guess I will see you on Monday." Draco said, leaning in for a kiss.
"Hold it mister!" Ginny said, pointing a fork at her husband. "You're coming too. Someone needs to clean up after the pygmy puffs."
"The whats?" Draco asked.
"Love you." Ginny said before stuffing pancakes in her mouth. Draco sighed and walked out of the room.
ooooo
After Ginny had gotten out of the shower, the house was unusually quiet. A house elf was making the bed and another one hurried up to her.
"Master has already left miss." The elf squeaked.
"What? He left without me? Why?" Ginny demanded. The house elf just bowed.
"Dress is on the bed for you miss. Master says to hurry to the Ministry. Ginny sighed and took the dress laid out for her and got dressed.
ooooo
Outside of the Ministry, where the fountain stood, a platform stage with a maroon velvet background had been erected. A podium stood in the center. Several wizards and witches had gathered around. Some of them were reporters, others were spectators. A bugle was blown and the Minister of Magic walked onto the stage. Reporters were poised with their notepads, cameramen with their cameras.
"Ladies and gentlewizards!" The Minister announced to the crowd from the podium. "We are here today to honor one of the greatest traditions in the wizarding world!"
The crowd cheered. This was at the time when Ginny arrived. She hurried to the back of the large crowd, which circled all the way around the fountain.
"Excuse me." Ginny asked politely as she pushed her way around the fountain.
"For several years now, our ministry has been rolled up, tossed around, beaten and we are right on track to getting ourselves back to where we belong."
More cheers from the audience.
"I have with me here today the new head of the Wizarding Sports department…. Oliver Wood!!!!"
"Oliver Wood?" Ginny whispered. Then it clicked. The captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team Harry's first three years. `He survived the war!' Ginny happily thought.
A much older looking Wood walked onto the stage and waved to the crowd. A few flashbulbs went off.
"Thank you." Wood said to the audience. "On behalf of gracious donations, popular demand, and a lot of hard work, I am glad to announce to all that the National Quidditch League has now been re-opened!"
The crowd went crazy. Ginny was shunted to the size as people near her jumped up and down in excitement. Wood held up his hands, indicating he wasn't finished.
"Today I also come to you to talk about our British Quidditch teams. Tryouts have been ongoing for the last couple of weeks for various teams and it was notified to me yesterday that we have our first complete team. I present to you, Gustav Lozinski!"
A few more flashbulbs as a stuffy looking stick in the mud walked onto the stage.
"Thank you Wood." Said the man in a heavy Russian accent.
"Lozinski has trained Quidditch players over the years and he has complied, in his words-"
"THE BEST QUIDDITCH TEAM EVAH!!!!!!!" Lozinski interrupted, punching his fist into the air. The audience cheered again.
"Mr. Lozinski is now the owner, trainer, and coach for the-"
Another interruption. Chants from behind the maroon curtains rose up. The audience started to chant along. Ginny move her way forward some more through the crowd. As she reached closer to the front it was easier to hear what they were chanting, but the chants were soon drowned out by the screeching of a bird like an eagle and a burst of lights and sparks from the stage. A group of men were now on the stage all in gray and black uniform.
"I present! THE FALMOUTH FALCONS!!!!" Lozinski announce to the crowd practically yanking the podium away from Wood.
"Fal-cons! Fal-cons!" The crowd chanted again. A few flashbulbs went off.
"I `ave come up weeth the best Quidditch team evah!" Lozinski repeated. He walked to one end of the line of the men and began to introduce them to the audience. "Arwen Marino, Yusef Kingston, Erik Wiccket- Chasers! Karl Jones and Dean Hokaru- Beaters! Jacques Ovlette- Keeper! And Draco Malfoy- Seeker!"
The flashbulbs went crazy. Ginny's mouth fell open. It was indeed Draco standing at the end of the line. His silver arm guards went from his wrists all the way up to his elbows, with the ends shaped like feathers. The leg guards went from the knee down, curling around his black shoes with talon like claws. He was wearing a gray sweater that went up to his neck. His black pants were made of a shiny material.
"Mr. Lozinski! Are you aware of the history of Mr. Malfoy?" questioned one of the reporters.
"I am completely aware." Lozinski barked at the reporter. "Mr. Malfoy has cleared the Ministry's inspections and passed his trial. No longer shall he be wrongfully viewed. He is now part of the best Quidditch team!"
Some claps from the audience and a lot of more flashbulbs, mostly Draco's direction.
"Um…. Tryouts will continue to resume for the other British League Teams. Please contact the sports department if you are interested. Positions are still available." Wood said, taking the podium back from Lozinski. Lozinski punched his fist into the air one final time before marching off the stage, the team following him.
"Mr. Malfoy! Mr. Malfoy! Do you think your position on your team will give you a negative or a positive response from the public?"
"Mr. Malfoy! What do your teammates think of you?"
"Mr. Malfoy! What do you think your reputation will do for the team?"
"Mr. Malfoy! How do you think other teams will play against you given your troubled history?"
"Mr. Malfoy!" Screamed one reporter in a high pitched voice. "Where is your wife?"
"Yes!!! Yes!!! Mr. Malfoy! Where is your wife?"
"When was the wedding?"
"What does her family think of your hasty wedding?"
"Please!" Interrupted Lozinski. "No more questions." The group separated and Draco was immediately swarmed by paparazzi. Ginny hurried the best she could over to him.
"Mr. Malfoy! What does your family think of your wife?"
"Leave him alone!" Ginny screamed. Draco cringed as he looked down to his left, Ginny clutching onto his arm, trying to pull him away. Flashbulbs went crazy again.
"Mrs. Malfoy! What do you think of your husbands career choice? How will this affect your marriage?"
"Mrs. Malfoy!" A loud voice said. Rita Skeeter pushed her way to the front of the crowd. She had an evil smirk upon her face. Ginny glared at her.
"Mrs. Malfoy. Please tell us, we're all DYING to know." Rita said acidly. "When are you due?"
"Excuse me?" Ginny asked.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" A reporter in the back shouted.
"I am not pregnant." Ginny said. Flashbulbs clicked away.
"Come now dear." Rita said, green pen floating coyly beside her. "Look at how you glow! Of course you're pregnant." More flashbulbs.
"I am not pregnant. That is final. No further questions." Ginny said, nearly cutting her arm on the metal feathers of Draco's guards in attempt to pull him away. They managed to escape the reporters and headed straight to the elevator.
ooooo
"Ow! What was that for?" Draco asked, rubbing his left shoulder where his wife had just hit him.
"For not telling me you tried out for a NATIONAL Quidditch team!" Ginny screeched as they entered the manor. She kicked off her shoes. A house elf hurried into the room.
"You! Pick those up and put them away!" Ginny practically screamed at the elf. She was just so frustrated.
"That was hot."
"I can't believe you would do that without telling me! And leaving without me for that press confrence! That was very rude!" Ginny screamed. She took a second and breathed heavily.
"What was hot." She asked breathlessly.
"You ordering the house elf around. And you make me hot when you're angry too." Draco said. He pushed her on the couch in the parlor and began to kiss her passionately.
"Well." Ginny breathed, running her hands down his sweater. "I've always loved a man in uniform." She whispered. Draco kissed her neck.
"Don't think this gets you out of watching the store tomorrow." She said.
"Darn." Draco said. There was another soft thud as Ginny playfully hit Draco in his un-injured shoulder.
"Ow!"
ooooo
Author's Note- I was going to write more but the chapter has made itself longer than originally thought so I am going to have to write the next one once I gain some free time. I am working two jobs this summer and have rarely any free time. Please review!
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