Confusion
By Lauren G. (aka RowlingIdol)
Author's Note: Well… I hope things are going well. And I hope people enjoyed the first chapter. There's more goodness to come, so please stay tuned.
Chapter 2: Soup and Answers
The clock upstairs chimed 2 in the morning. The store seemed unearthly quiet. The flickering light of a kerosene lamp shone from the back storage room. Ginny knelt next to a makeshift bed of several blankets on top of several boxes of various joke toys and candies. She looked at the man sleeping on the boxes. She slowly reached out a hand and brushed away the blond hair that fell into the man's face. He stirred at her touch.
"Help…" He whispered. He turned his head and opened his eyes, squinting to see.
"Here." Ginny said, holding out a bowl and spoon. Draco stiffly tried to sit up. Ginny held out the bowl. Shaking hands reached out and gripped the sides of the bowl and he lifted the bowl to his lips, taking in the soup. Draco shuddered. He hadn't had food in so long.
"Slow down. Not so fast." Ginny said, still holding the spoon. Draco lowered the bowl and wiped his mouth with a grimy sleeve from his robe.
"I have milk, too." Ginny said, holding out a cup. "It's not much." Ginny said. Draco sat the bowl in his lap and reached for the cup. As he drank, Ginny starred at him. Draco Malfoy, Dumbledore's would be murderer and the murderer of possibly others. He had been declared dead at the height of the war. The Daily Prophet had mentioned that no body was ever found, but that was the case with most of the deaths these days. Draco had spooned the rest of the soup into his mouth and now seemed more awake. He also didn't want to look at Ginny.
"Do you feel better?" She asked. Draco nodded, pulling the quilts tighter around him.
"You're cold." Ginny said. Draco just shivered in response. Ginny bit her lip.
"Come with me." She said. She helped Draco up and led him slowly up the creaky stairs to the loft apartment above the store. She set him down in a chair at the buffet and hurried to re-ignite the fire in the stove. The stove slowly but surely crackled to life. Draco continued to ignore Ginny and Ginny continued to stare at him.
"Better now?" Draco gave a short nod.
"Can you tell me why you're here?" Ginny asked. Draco opened his mouth to speak and nothing came out. After a moment, he croaked out.
"I… I was hiding… Knockturn Alley. Borgin and Burkes. I haven't had food in so long."
"I can see that." Ginny said. Draco was quiet for a little longer before continuing.
"Been traveling… Moving place to place. Running… Hiding."
"Everyone thinks you're dead." Ginny said softly. "It was in the Prophet."
"Bullshit." Draco muttered.
"I can see that too. You're very much alive. But barely. How long have you gone without food?" Draco closed his eyes.
"What month is it?"
"End of June." Ginny replied softly. Draco had been `dead' since February.
"3 months… But I found scraps here and there." Draco said slowly. Ginny's heart ached.
"Why Diagon Alley?" she asked.
"It's mostly deserted now… I could hide…." Draco seemed to be falling asleep again. She looked towards Fred and George's room. She couldn't keep Draco here forever. She had to at least keep him here for the remainder of the night. She helped him back downstairs and into the backroom. Draco immediately fell asleep as soon as he lay back on the blanket-covered boxes. Ginny looked sadly down at his sleeping form. Someone believed to be dead was alive and in her care. As much as he probably deserved it, she couldn't let him die. She had to do something. And fast.
oooooo
Ginny woke up on the couch in the upstairs loft. She rubbed at her temples. Fred and George's bedroom door was still closed.
`Good' she thought. Ginny paused in her rubbing. Why was that good? There was a creak of the floorboards below.
"Draco!" She whispered. She flew off of the couch and nearly fell down the stairs to get to the back storage room.
"Draco!" Ginny hissed, tip toeing into the backroom. Draco was placing folded blankets on top of the boxes. The empty cup and bowl were stacked and tucked into a corner.
"Where are you going now?" Ginny whispered, leaning against the doorframe. Draco turned and stared at her. With the light streaming in from the boarded windows up front, Ginny was able to see his face better. His hair still looked soft and glossy. His eyes were quite sad and his face was considerably paler than usual.
"You look a wreck." Draco weakly told her. Ginny flushed and tugged at the mass of red curls that was bed-head.
"I can say the same to you. Now where are you going?"
"Away. Again." Draco said. He pulled his dusty cloak tighter around him.
"You can't." Ginny said, a little loud. Draco crossed his arms and looked at her.
"And why not?" Ginny smiled a little. He still had attitude.
"Because." Ginny said loftily, holding her head high. "I said so." Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"You'll starve. You'll actually die this time." She said.
"I have no where to go." Draco said sadly. Ginny's heart ached once again.
"I know somewhere." She replied softly. "My house." Draco frowned.
"Come on. It's a palace compared to where you've been hiding. You can stay in Dad's old shed." Draco shuffled his feet.
"Won't I be found?"
"Not unless someone has a large urge to count batteries and spark plugs." Draco looked terribly confused.
"Please. I want to help." Draco's face flushed and he hurried forward and tried to get past her.
"Why would anyone want to help me." He muttered, brushing past her. Ginny whirled around and grabbed at his arm. Draco stopped still in his tracks. Ginny went pale. She was actually touching him.
`She's touching me.' Draco thought.
"I… I don't know why." Was all Ginny said, slowly letting go of his arm. Draco let his arm fall limp to his side. Ginny stared at the floor. Draco clenched and unclenched his fists several times.
"I'll go." Draco whispered. Ginny looked up. Draco was looking right at her. Her eyebrows curved curiously as she tried to read the look he was giving her this very moment. Was he grateful? Sad? Happy? Or….
`No. He doesn't know that feeling.' Ginny thought to herself.
"So when do we leave?" Draco asked. Ginny looked away, going pink.
"Um… anytime is fine. Let me get you something." Ginny ran into the backroom and came out with one of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes employee robes.
"Put this on. People know me. They'll just think you're another employee." Draco stared at the robe for a while before slowly putting it on top of his dusty black cloak.
"It's still pretty early. I can sneak you in through the fireplace." Ginny said, looking at the look of uncertainty in Draco's face.
"No." He said. "We can Apparate. Easier." He said.
"We're not allowed." Ginny said nervously. Then she remembered the previous night. Draco had used his wand to break into the store.
"Rules were meant to be broken." Was all Draco said. Ginny looked at Draco. One corner of his lip was upturned in a little smile. Ginny grinned.
"Side-Along?" Ginny asked, holding out her hand. Draco didn't speak, but gripped her hand with his as if she was his only hope. And she was.
Author's Note- Phew! I am on a spree here! Let's hope it can continue for a while. My family is having a garage sale and my help is needed. Please stay tuned for Chapter 3. PLEASE REVIEW!
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