A/N- I'm so sorry to keep you guys waiting for so long. It's just been crazy busy in my world for the past few weeks. So here's the chapter you've been waiting for. Review about what you think, and I'll start working on the next chapter for you.
He grabbed her hand and ran through the grounds. They passed the lake where the ducks were swimming tranquilly on the still pond with strategically placed flowers growing around the edge. Narcissa had made sure throughout her marriage to Lucius that their grounds were the most beautiful ones in Wiltshire. Ginny tried to catch a glimpse of the beautiful gardens that were strewn everywhere, but Draco just pulled her past them all quickly.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, giggles assaulting her voice.
"Stop asking. You are a petulant child sometimes," Draco scolded, but his voice was joking.
She pursed her lips and continued to run, or rather, continued to be dragged across the lawn of Draco's childhood home. Ginny had never pictured herself being allowed onto the grounds; surely the wards would be up against Weasley's. Draco insisted that it was all right, that he didn't care what his parents thought of her. A smile assaulted her lips as Draco slowed down their run to something that could be described as skipping, but Draco would have shot down the verb and called it strutting instead.
He brought his finger up to his lips to quiet any more questions she would have asked. Slowly, they walked up to the thick edge of trees right on the end of the property. Draco moved the branches out of their way and helped Ginny step gingerly into the forest. He hushed her again when he saw her mouth form the way it did before she asked a question.
Ginny watched as he pointed to something rustling around in front of them in the trees. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden darkness that the canopy of trees produced. There, about five meters in front of where they stood, were four unicorns playing about.
The mother unicorn looked up at the snapping of twigs under the intruders' feet, but looked down at her younger offspring when she saw Draco.
"This is amazing, Draco," Ginny gasped in awe. "It's almost like she knows you."
He watched Ginny's face closely as her eyes widened at the scene in front of them. "I would expect so, I practically raised her."
She looked up at him in amazement, a smile tugging at her lips. Standing to her full height she kissed him sweetly. "Thank you."
Draco didn't have to ask why she was thanking him. She knew that he liked to cut off others from his more sensitive side. His reasoning in showing her the unicorns was that if he expected her to unlock herself to him, he needed to do the same thing for her. "I love you," he whispered into her ear.
Ginny nodded, and continued to watch the unicorns play about in the woods. Then, she took in what he had said to her, and turned around. For the months they were together at Grimmauld Place, and the month that had passed since they had gotten back together; he had never told her outright that he loved her. Of course, she expected that he did with everything that he did for her, but the words had never passed his lips.
"Draco," she breathed out. She was silenced with a finger pressed to her lips.
He turned her around to face the unicorns, wrapping his arms around her waist. Nuzzling her neck, he placed gentle kisses under her ear. "I want that to be us someday," he said quietly.
Draco didn't see her face as it construed into a scared expression. Suddenly, she was leaving the woods and running back towards the Manor.
He watched the unicorns scatter at her sudden leave, and eyed the heavens in a confused manner. Only needing to take a few seconds to compose himself he followed her path with a steady run. His longer legs helped him catch up to her quickly. Grabbing her around the waist he wrestled her to the ground, only to notice that there were tears running down her cheeks. "What is your problem?"
Ginny sniffled, turning her head so that she was looking at the lake and not the man planted firmly on top of her. "Let me go, Draco."
"No, I will not let you leave me again. I was dumb the first time and let you walk away. Tell me what is wrong!" he stated forcefully, clutching her chin in his hand so she was looking at him.
A hint of fear flashed over her face, and the tears started falling heavier. She started struggling against him, but he wouldn't relent. "I'm not going to talk about this in this position."
He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a suspicious look. "If I let you up do you promise not to run off?"
She nodded solemnly. When he let her up she moved away a little from him and sat with her legs crossed looking out onto the lake. Minutes passed making it seem like she was not going to talk. "You give me miles and miles of mountains, and I asked for the sea.*"
Draco stared at her perplexed. "What kind of rubbish is that? "
Ginny peered at him over her shoulder. "For what I give to you, it's just what I'm going through. This is nothing new. It's just another phase of what I really need.*"
He started nodding, but ended up just shaking his head at her. "I'm sorry. Can you at least hand me a map so I know where you're going with all of this?"
"Luna and I are heading out of town. We're leaving tonight; I'm already packed."
Grabbing his hair in both hands he furrowed his brows at her trying to understand anything coming out of her mouth. He cleared his throat, coaxing himself to regain his composure. "Any chance you'll let me know where you're going? Just in case you don't come back in a few days I'll know where to look for the body."
She looked at him like a scorned child would. "We're going out of town, and I don't know when we'll be back."
Forgetting everything he had learned about composure and hiding his feelings he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Do you think this is fun, Ginevra?! You asked me what you were to me, and I finally tell you. Then, you throw it in my face like it's nothing! What the hell do I have to do to get you to finally stay with me?!"
The tears kept cascading down her cheeks as she shook her head at him. "It's not you," she repeated over, and over. Ginny stood up and looked at Draco with nothing but remorse on her face. Turning, she walked quickly away from him.
Draco stood stunned as he watched her walk away, for the second time, from him. "She's still too young,*" he whispered to himself.
*****************
"I couldn't have been wrong. I checked the stars and your planets were perfectly aligned."
"I told you I don't want to talk about it, Luna. Now, please, drop it," Ginny begged her friend, putting another pair of slacks into her suitcase.
Luna looked at her friend oddly, noting that it was the first time she had ever been the one to give an odd look to someone. "How many days should I pack for?"
Ginny shrugged. "However much you can fit. I know you have a life here, but I sure as hell don't."
"Put down the blouse, Ginny. Now, come here," Luna coaxed, patting the edge of the bed.
The redhead huffed, but followed the request and joined the blonde.
Luna put her arm around Ginny's shoulders, while looking at the ceiling. "You have a bad aura around you. Are you sure this is what you want to do? I sense some hesitation around you."
Ginny pushed Luna's arm off of her when a memory from when she first saw Draco in a different light flashed in front of her. "Don't come if you'll be like this the whole time. I just want to get out of here. Why do I need to explain everything to everyone?"
"You two had a fight. You wanted something more, and he couldn't give up his evil ways, is that it?"
Ginny took a deep breath in and eyed Luna in a dangerous way. "We had a fight. I won't tell you what about, but I will tell you that I need to get off of this island!"
"No Ireland, then? I really wanted to go to the Circle of Kerry; it's supposed to be beautiful."
Slowly Ginny nodded and summoned a smile. "Ireland is good; it's not on this island, Luna. It's on a smaller one."
Shrugging Luna stood up and shrunk her suitcase, placing it neatly in her pocket. "Let's go get you a nice blue-eyed man with a Seamus accent."
A laugh emitted from Ginny as she followed Luna's actions. Putting their hands together they Apparated away from the mess that Ginny had made.
*****************
He stood in the same spot watching in the direction that Ginny had run off in. There was nothing he could do, but stand there hoping that he was having a nightmare. She couldn't have fallen through his fingers that easily when things were looking up for them. Draco shook his head trying to rid himself of the deep cold loneliness already spreading through his body. His eyes wandered to the lake to see the sun setting. A mirthless laugh fell from his lips as he looked at the irony. The fire was leaving his world.
Getting his footing steady again he began walking back to the Manor. It felt to him like the house was moving further and further away from him, but he finally reached the garden entrance. He started walking past his mother's parlor, but he heard her beckon him in to see her. His lips pursed and he took a deep breath before entering the room that seemed to be on fire in the setting sun.
Bright blue eyes settled on him, appraising the cool mask that had settled onto his face. She noticed that he had gotten the one trait from his father that she wished he hadn't. Narcissa had wanted a son that could express his love and feelings to others; when his father couldn't.
"Is everything alright, Draco?" she asked, raising an eyebrow to him.
"Fine, Mother. Ginevra had a family matter to attend to. I'm sorry that you couldn't have met her personally," he answered stoically.
Narcissa squinted a little at Draco; she could have sworn his voice had caught a little at the saying of Ginevra's name. "That is fine. We will have to arrange another time to meet then."
Draco nodded stiffly and asked if there was anything else that she needed.
"No, that will be all."
Draco gave his mother a soft kiss on her cheek and walked towards his bedchamber. He didn't notice the look of comprehension dawn on Narcissa's face at Draco's formality. Personally, he wouldn't notice if someone jumped in front of him with a wand raised to his heart. Anger and hurt were blurring his vision and all he could see was red. Red of her hair spread over his pillow and of the setting sun when she left him, again. No matter how many times he blinked his eyes the vision of red would not leave.
Reaching his bed he fell onto it ungracefully. He tossed and turned on the bed he had slept on since he was a small child, but for the nights he spent at his flat. Giving up on understanding all of the feelings piling up in him he reached over for the vase sitting on his nightstand and threw it at the wall. Yelling, he kicked at a piece of pottery on the lower table in front of his settee. His fist ran into the glass covering the portrait on the wall of his great uncle, sending the occupant scurrying to another painting. No breakable was safe in his vicinity as one appendage after another slammed into the fragile decorations.
He didn't notice when Blaise entered the room to see him throwing a bottle of potion that his great great grandfather had brewed. Draco fought against his friend as Blaise grabbed his arms and put them behind his back. Words flew out of his mouth cursing everything he could think of that had caused him harm. Slowly, he sank to the ground and started rocking back and forth. Tears that had not been shed since he had been a toddler were springing out of his eyes.
Blaise stepped back and watched his best friend completely melt down. In the near twenty years that they had been friends he had never seen Draco cry. Lucius had always told them that crying was a weakness that other people could use against you. Narcissa would then tell them that it was alright to cry sometimes; it took a heavy weight off of the heart. Blaise, at that moment, thought that Narcissa was the right one. His friend had a heavy heart at that moment and nothing could heal it better than melting down. He perched on the edge of the bed and watched Draco closely. As Draco's best friend he knew he couldn't leave him when he was vulnerable, the young Malfoy would eventually let him know what was wrong.
"Never letting anyone close again," Draco bit out after shedding all of his tears.
Blaise nodded slowly and sucked through his teeth before answering. "That would be the safest thing to do. Being with someone isn't for you. I expect that being like your father is best."
Draco threw a dangerous look at the dark haired man. "I am not my father!"
"You would be if you don't let anyone close to you. What happened? She left you again? That's not the end of the world, Malfoy. Just one person leaving you isn't going to kill you."
"She's not just any person, Zabini! She's the only girl I've ever lo … let in my circle. Ginny's just very good at leaving abruptly for the wrong reasons," Draco said, lowering his head to his knees.
Blaise shook his head at Draco and kicked him lightly. "You did something. She looked at you like you were the only person in the world, mate. Ginny left a boy that she had idolized for years to come back to you. She wouldn't leave for no reason this time."
"She did, though. I took her into the forest to see the unicorns, and I told her I loved her. She was so happy that I finally told her. Then, the next thing I know she's running away babbling about how she asked for mountains and I just gave her the sea."
"You just told her that you loved her? Maybe she didn't want that."
"I sort of hinted at starting a family with her too."
Blaise stood up and ran his hands through his hair. "You can't just hint at something like that with someone that has been asked for years to start a family. Potter kept telling her that they would be happy if they had kids. Her family didn't help with their harassing her start pushing some kids out. She wants real love from you. She wants things to just happen and fall in place with you. Her whole life has been planned out on a calendar by someone. She's ready for chaos and recklessness."
"That's why she is leaving the country."
"Leaving the country!" Blaise shouted, pulling Draco up from the floor. "You didn't mention that she's leaving the country. You need to do something, and fast to get that girl back or she'll be gone forever. She's looking for that happiness she's been missing for the past four years."
Draco rubbed his eyes and gave Blaise a pretentious look. "How the hell do you know all of this? You've never been in a real relationship."
"Luna," Blaise stated simply.
"Lovegood?" Draco breathed out in surprise. "I don't know how to respond to that."
The Slytherin just shrugged and smirked at Draco. "She was helping me with some details to torture Potter and Granger. We got a little sidetracked in talking and she put her otherworldy wisdom on me."
"She's married!"
"Not that kind of on me. We talked."
"You've never just talked to a girl, Blaise," Draco snapped.
Blaise gritted his teeth to stop himself from slapping Draco. "Look, if one of us didn't look past Ginny's wall you would still be crying on the floor."
Draco glared at Blaise again and stomped his foot like a child. "I need her."
"Let's go find her then, mate." Blaise said, clapping Draco on the back.