Confusion
By Lauren G. (aka RowlingIdol)
Author's Note: With my recent obsession with the Playstation 2 game, Kingdom Hearts, and the near acquiring of my boyfriend's PS2 while he goes to college, I have titled Chapter 8 after the theme song to the game. And I also have taken back part of my comment about how the story started out dark and it was going to stay light. A last minute change in the story line makes this new chapter sort of… cloudy, shall we say. Hope it pleases those who enjoy the dark side. But please, keep your light sabers to yourself. Enjoy… And review!
Chapter 8: Simple and Clean
"Where are we going?" Ginny yelled over the sound of the wind rushing past them.
"To my house, where do you think?" Draco said, sounding very annoyed over the wind.
"Why did you have to take a broom? Why not Apparation?"
"What if someone heard us?" was all Draco replied. After what seemed like hours of pure silence, a large shadow loomed on the horizon. It was the Malfoy Manor. Draco touched down out front where they had been hours ago. Ginny slid off the broom.
"We need to talk again." Ginny said to Draco. He just magicked his broom away with his wand and opened the door. Ginny followed him into the house.
"My parents are probably going to tell the Ministry that we're not really married. And then you'll be sentenced to death." Ginny blurted out.
"That's the second reason why I came and got you." Draco said, throwing his traveling cloak to the ground. A house elf appeared and hurried away with it. Another house elf bustled out of a hallway.
"Would Master and his missus like a spot of tea?" asked the nervous house elf.
"Herbal." Draco told the elf and it scurried away.
"Third reason I got you was that I knew you were probably in big trouble with your family."
"Second reason? Third reason? What was the first?" Ginny asked. Draco ignored her question. He sat in the chair his mother had sat in.
"I have some ideas." Draco started. "I can bewitch your family so they don't think about going to the Ministry and explaining the truth."
"Isn't that one of the illegal curses?" Ginny asked.
"No. It's not controlling them. Every time someone mentions the situation, they will just forget any intention of going to the Ministry."
"Why can't we just erase their memories of this event?" Ginny asked, taking the tea that was handed to her by a house elf.
"I thought of that, but there's still the problem with the Ministry thinking that we're married. If someone asks them about us, they'll be terribly confused. And every time they realize what they forget, they'd be angrier than before."
"I get your point." Ginny said sadly. It seemed like there was no escape.
"And the Ministry check-ups?" She asked cautiously.
"Lie again. Just say you're not home. If they start to get suspicious, I'll find a way to get you to the house for a couple of hours."
"I think I can do that." Ginny said. A grandfather clock chimed 1 in the morning. After her nap, Ginny wasn't feeling tired.
"What about your mother? What does she think?"
"Frowned." Draco shrugged. "I think she's too happy to see me alive to be angry at the moment. But…"
"But what?" Ginny asked. Draco looked at the floor.
"Father has requested to see you." Ginny choked on her tea. She coughed several times.
"How can I see him? He's in Azkaban."
"It doesn't matter. He still has the right of visitation by family members." Draco said. He looked forlorn.
"Is that reason number one?" Ginny asked.
"No. That's reason four." Draco, drinking the rest of his tea.
"But I'm not family." Ginny protested.
"He doesn't know that. Mum wants us to head off tomorrow around noon."
"Tomorrow? Noon? You… You mean today? At noon?" Draco turned and looked at the clock.
"I stand corrected. Today, at noon." Draco said.
"I thought this would be simple lie." Ginny muttered.
"I don't think life is quite that simple." Draco said. He stood up.
"I have a room for you. You can take a bath if you would like." Ginny stood up as well.
"Thank you." She said softly. She turned to walk around the coffee table. Her foot twisted and she stumbled. Instead of falling onto the hard stone floor, she fell into Draco's arms, her head bumping against his chest. There was silence except for the ticking of the grandfather clock. His chest was warm and she could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and fast. She straightened up, Draco's arms still around her upper arms. She looked up.
Draco tried to read her eyes as she gazed up at him. Was she scared? Nervous? Hurt? He didn't care. He opened his mouth to speak. Reason number one raced through his mind. It wanted to force itself out his mouth like vomit. He closed his mouth and swallowed. He pulled her close to him, arms wrapping tightly around her.
"I'm sorry." He croaked into her hair. Ginny didn't know what to say. She had saved him and now he was saving her. She gave in to his gesture and leaned in close to him.
`Hold me, Whatever lies beyond this morning is a little later on. Regardless of warnings,
the future doesn't scare me at all. Nothing's like before' Ginny thought. Draco let go of her and turned quickly away.
"I'll take you to your room." He said, leading her down a hallway and up a pair of great stone stairs.
Draco showed her a large bedroom with a giant bed on the far side.
"Bathroom's off to the left." Draco pointed.
"What about my parents? They're going to freak when they see I'm gone." Ginny said.
"They won't know." Draco said, starting to leave the room.
"What do you mean?"
"When I closed your windows I put a forgetting charm on the door. Whenever someone tries to open the door, they'll remember something really important."
"Ah." Was all Ginny said. Draco turned on his heel and left the room, closing the door behind him.
oooooo
Ginny was awakened by the poke of a tiny, bony finger. She groaned and rolled over. A house elf with a long pointed nose peered over the side of the bed at her.
"Master says to get up miss." Squeaked the elf. Ginny sat up and looked at her surroundings. She was in a great bed with warm flannel sheets the color of stone. A tray with breakfast was sitting on a table that was in the sitting area in the corner of the room. Ginny got up. The pajamas the elves had laid out for her were too big. She expected they might have been donated by Narcissa. She sat down and reached for the cup of tea.
After she had gotten dressed in the clothes she had worn the night before, she got on her traveling cloak. She was tying together the front when there was a knock on the door. She went and opened it.
"Are you ready?" Draco asked her. She merely nodded and followed Draco down the hall.
"Did you sleep okay?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered.
"We're taking the Floo." Draco said, leading her back to the main room. He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a velvet sack and took out a handful of floo powder. He tossed it onto the fire. The flames crackled and turned green.
"Step in and say `Azkaban Prison'." He told Ginny. She gingerly stepped into the fire.
"Azkaban Prison!" With a whoosh, Ginny was swept away and landed outside a dark and soot covered fireplace in a room with only two candle fixtures on the wall. She stepped out and rubbed at her arms. It was cold and there was no one in sight. Draco appeared behind her.
"Come on." He said. He walked forward and pulled down on one of the unlit candle holders. A secret door opened and revealed a short hallway with a wooden door. Draco walked forward. A man was sitting behind a wooden desk, his feet propped up. He smiled at Draco, showing several missing and yellow teeth.
"Mr. Malfoy." He hissed. "And your wife?" The man looked towards Ginny.
"Yes." Draco said, looking towards Ginny." The man smiled at Ginny, looked her over, and licked his lips. Ginny took a step closer to Draco.
"Yes, yes." The man said, taking his feet off the table. "Your father is expecting you."
"I don't want to see my father." Draco said, trying to keep the anger from his voice. He didn't do a good job. "He has requested to see my wife, not me. And I do not wish to see him."
"Very well then." The man stood up with his wand and walked towards the wooden door.
"I'll be here waiting. Just be safe. Stay away from the bars." Draco whispered to her.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
"Just do it." Draco warned. The man opened the door and Ginny looked out. Through the door was a long, long hallway with rows and rows of cells.
"Twelfth cell down, on your left." The man hissed, giving Ginny another look over. Ginny walked through the door and the man hurriedly shut the door behind her. There were moans and insane babbling. A man screamed out at the far end. Ginny looked from side to side. She could see the shadows of Dementers out a barred window passing by. She walked forward. As she emerged past the first row of cells, the people in them seemed to stir to life. The sat up from their cots and moved to the cell bars.
"Pretty girl… Pretty pretty girl." Whispered an occupant of the third cell. Ginny quickened her pace. As she moved down, an arm whipped out from one of the cells and attempted to grab her, Ginny jumped to the side.
She continued to walk, several inmates pressing their sunken faces up to the bars and staring at her with bloodshot eyes.
"Girl… Pretty girl. Come here…" said a hoarse voice. A thin, bony hand had stuck its way out between the bars of a cell. A man stared at her with sunken eyes.
"Pretty girl, come here." He said.
"Leave her alone!" Barked another voice. "She is mine!" Ginny hurried down the last few cells until she found Lucius Malfoy. He had been the one to yell out. He was sitting on a couch in a dusty robe and pants. His hair was long and looked yellow. His eyes weren't as bloodshot as some of the others and his face looked thin.
"It's you." Lucius said from his cot. Ginny stood stock still in the middle of the walkway, facing Mr. Malfoy.
"You found my son." He said.
"Yes sir." Ginny whispered.
"The scoundrel should be dead." Lucius hissed. "Being married didn't save me." Ginny didn't say anything.
"Come closer." Lucius whispered. Ginny took a step towards the bars of his cell.
"Never expected a Weasley." Ginny looked at her feet.
"Is that your ring? Plain isn't it?" Lucius said. Ginny looked down at the gold band.
"It was a simple ceremony." Ginny lied, putting her hands behind her back.
"I hope you know what you're doing missy." Lucius said. Ginny stayed silent. When Lucius turned his back and didn't speak, Ginny took that he was finished and practically ran back down the hall. She knocked on the door. The man opened the door for her.
"You done?" He hissed. The answer was obvious.
"Thank you." Draco told the man and took Ginny's arm and led her out of the room and back to the room with the fireplace. They then flooed back to the Malfoy Manor.
oooooo
"Should I go home now?" Ginny asked as they stood in front of the fireplace, wiping soot from their robes.
"No. Not until we figure what to do." Draco said, taking off his cloak and setting in on the back of a couch.
Ginny stood, not knowing what to do next. What was there to do?
"What do you want to do?" Draco asked, putting a hand in his pocket. Ginny stood looking at the ground. She bit her lip.
"Talk?" She squeaked. Draco gave her a small smile.
"I can do that." He said. They went to a separate drawing room with several black velvet couches.
"What did dear old dad have to say?" Draco sarcastically asked.
"Not much. Told me he hoped I knew what I was getting myself into."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Know what you're getting yourself into." Ginny sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"I don't know what I'm getting myself into. It was supposed to be a simple lie. I'd save your life and I'd go my separate way. But now…" She stopped. Silence.
"But what?" Draco pressed.
"But… But… Now I don't want to leave." Ginny said, lot looking at Draco. More silence.
"Leave what? Here?" Ginny bit her lip again.
"You." She whispered. She then realized what she had just said and stood up and tried to leave the room.
"Hey! You can't leave!" Draco said, getting up and grabbing her arm.
"Yes I can." Ginny said, not looking at him.
"What did you just say?" He asked, holding both of her shoulders.
"Yes I can."
"Before that. You said you didn't want to leave. Why? What don't you want to leave?" He gave her shoulders a little shake.
"You, okay?!" Ginny said loudly. "I know what I want now! And I don't want to leave you and I don't know why!" She said, looking up at Draco.
"Oh Gin." Draco said, reaching up a hand and cupping her chin. "I don't want to leave you either." He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Ginny closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss. Ginny felt a tingling sensation on her left hand. The sound of two metal objects hitting stone ground broke the kiss. Both Draco and Ginny looked down. The rings had finally come off.
oooooo
Simple & Clean
By Utada Hikaru
When you walk away
you don't hear me say
Please oh baby don't go
simple and clean
is the way that your making me feel tonight
its hard to let it go
your giving me
too many things lately
you're all I need (oh no)
you smiled at me and said
Don't get me wrong
I love you
But does that mean I have to meet
Your father?
When we are older
You'll understand
What I meant
When I said "No, I don't think
Life is quite that simple."
When you walk away
You don't hear me say
"Please, oh baby, don't go."
Simple and clean
Is the way that you're makin' me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
The daily things (like this and that and what)
that keep us all busy
are confusing me
thats when you came to me
and said "wish i could prove i love you
but does that mean i have to walk on water
when we are older you'll understand why
its enough when i say so
and maybe some things are that simple"
When you walk away
You don't hear me say
"Please, oh baby, don't go."
Simple and clean
Is the way that you're makin' me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings
The future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before
When you walk away
You don't hear me say
"Please, oh baby, don't go."
Simple and clean
Is the way that you're makin' me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings
The future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before
Hold me
Whatever lies beyond this morning
Is a little later on
Regardless of warnings
The future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before
Author's Note- Ugh, another hard chapter to get out. Hopefully the next one will roll much better, especially since I got the first kiss out of the way. Now that the rings came off, what's next? Oh, why they came off of course! Tee hee! I rule at cliffhangers still! BOW DOWN! *Giggle* Just kidding. But please review!
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