Title: All Hands On Deck
Rating: PG-13 (some coarse language)
Summary: Draco and Ginny's volatile relationship has ended and neither quite knows what to do. So whilst Ginny sulks, Draco plans a solo world trip. Will Ginny be able to realise what she's about to lose? Or will she abandon ship and let Draco sink without her?
Authors Notes: This is my first D/G fic so be kind. Started this many moons ago, just after OotP I think- can't quite remember. Just finished it and so I'm posting it all now :D No waiting for updates for this one- I'm posting it at once because it's easier for me with my schedule.
All hands on deck
Don't abandon the ship
You'll never know what could have been
All hands on deck
My ship is sinking
Don't let me go
Don't let me drown
All Hand On Deck: Waking Ashland
Just Ask The Question…
Ginny ran for hours without any direction or purpose. By the time she reached home again it was the little hours in the morning and she was exhausted. Her mind had been running as fast as she had, turning events over in her mind.
The only conclusion she could think of was that Draco had sent Blaise to pretend the pictures were fake so that she would forgive him and ask him to stay.
But she wouldn't do that. It was what he wanted and she didn't want to give it to him.
She unlocked the door and quietly as she could and crept in. She was halfway up the stairs, relieved she hadn't been heard, when the light flicked on.
'Shit,' she muttered, turning around. Harry and Hermione were standing at the bottom of the stairs, both looking terrified and distraught.
'Where have you been?' Harry asked, his voice wavering. 'Do you have any idea what you have put us through? Not just tonight but the last, well, few years?'
'You're not my father- I'm an adult. I can do what I want.'
'I know I'm not your father- I'm your friend. Talk to us Ginny- tell us what's going on. Don't shut us out like you do.'
She regarded him for a moment.
'Talk to you about what? The fact that I'm in love with a person you cannot stand even though he is a good decent person? The fact that I fucked up so badly that I can't make it right? The fact that without him I will never be whole?'
Hermione started up the stairs and stopped just two away from Ginny.
'You're right- you can't talk to us. I mean, what would Harry or I know about being in love? What would we know about having friends who didn't care for the person we loved? What would Harry and I know about fucking up?'
Ginny felt slightly ashamed of herself- she knew that of all people she could talk to, it was Harry and Hermione. They'd been through everything- from Hermione's relationship with Krum which lead to a big blow out between Hermione and the whole group in her seventh year to Harry revealing his love for Hermione in a very public way just days after her split from Krum.
'Gin… we can't tell you what to do, but we can ask you to please respect our feelings and not vanish like you did tonight. Ron and Luna are running around London looking for you. And Neville- Neville's worse than us. He's checking all the hospitals for you for gods sake.'
'Look- I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean to worry you all. I just- I had to get away. And I'm going to bed. Night.'
Without looking back she climbed the remainder of the stairs and went to bed.
~*~
Despite Luna's protests that Ginny wouldn't be at the Leaky Cauldron, Ron made them check it. They arrived there just as Ginny was arriving back at the house (something they would find out in about twenty minutes time).
'I told you,' Luna said gloatingly as Ron made it back to her after doing a full lap of the pub.
'Yeah well we still had to check,' Ron said wishing she wasn't right. It was the most frustrating aspect of their relationship- the fact that Luna was always right. It drove Ron up the wall. 'C'mon, let's head back, we're not going to find her.'
'What've you lost now?' Ron turned and saw Draco stumbling towards them from the shadows. 'You're always losing stuff. You're a loser. Ha ha ha.'
'Are you drunk?' Ron asked watching Draco sway.
'Only slightly, I swear,' Draco said with a laugh. 'C'mon, it helps numb my heart.'
'Have you seen Ginny anywhere?' Luna cut across and asked. Draco's face fell and Ron was shocked to see that he was crying.
'I wish,' he said, looking at the floor. 'I just- I just want her to say it.'
'Say what?'
'Stay. I want her to ask me to stay.'
It was then for the first time ever that Ron felt a feeling of almost like towards Draco Malfoy. Ginny had been telling him ever since their relationship had been discovered that he wasn't as bad as everyone thought, however Ron ignored her. Draco to him would always been an evil git. But now as he stood in front of Ron, dribbling about how much he loved Ginny and how much he didn't want to leave her and that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, Draco had become a person to Ron. Finally.
'Listen,' Ron said, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder. 'Get some sleep. You leave at what time?'
'Midday.'
'I'm going to do my damndest to get my sister there when you leave. I can't promise anything, but I'll have her there.'