He hadn't left the warmth of his bed yet. His blond locks were in a matted heap that caused his mother to blanch at the site of him. There just wasn't any energy in him anymore. For the past week Blaise and he had been looking for Ginny. They had threatened Longbottom into putting him into the garden that he so beloved, but he hadn't budged a bit in spilling the location of the girls.
She had made it so locator spells couldn't find her, and no one knew where she and Luna were located. Instead of looking harder for her; Draco just chalked it up to the fact that she didn't want to be found, and crawled into his bed. He never knew that losing someone you loved, or rather having them walk away again, could hurt so badly. It was like all of the muscles in his body were turning to slush, and his mind was completely blank but for her smile, and all of the memories of them together.
Rolling over to the other side of the bed he tried to find a cool spot on the pillow, but ended up finding a spot that smelled of Ginny. He put his nose into the spot harder and sniffed deeply. Without even realizing it a tear fell from his eye onto the pillow that was hers when she stayed with him at night. It was the same bed that he had tricked Ginny into seeing him with another woman. He wondered if there was anything that wouldn't remind him of the girl. If he stayed at the Manor he had to put up with his mother's questioning of what was wrong with him, but if he stayed at his flat he only thought of Ginny.
Taking a deep breath he rolled out of his bed and walked into the attached bathroom. Looking into the mirror he was met with the ghastly appearance of a man that only left his bed to go to the loo. His hair was sticking out at odd angles, and there were dark circles under his eyes from his lack of sleep. Draco pondered for a minute about the last time he had eaten anything. Three days. That explained the dull pounding in his head. Resting his head against the cool glass he tried to motivate himself into moving through his regular routine.
Draco had just finished getting himself properly groomed when his butler knocked at his door informing him that Blaise was there.
"This better be good, Blaise. I'm not up for any more bad news."
"It doesn't look like you are. I think death is knocking at your door. You want me to distract him while you make a run for it?"
Draco gave Blaise an annoyed look, motivating his fellow Slytherin to relinquish the news. "They're in Ireland."
Malfoy perked up at the mention that Ginny had been found. "How did you find this out?"
Blaise shook his head. "A good Slytherin doesn't tell his ways of finding out information. My informant is on her way there now, though. Wants Ginny back in England just as much as you; I tell you the Weasleys are a very close family."
"Her mother? You brought Ginny's mother into all of this?" Draco asked bewildered.
"I had been talking to her about the precious Potter. She's very upset about the whole situation, and wants to help you in any way that she can," Blaise said, giving Draco a sly smile.
The blond bowed to his friend. "It seems that you have definitely been going through with your plans like you promised. Going through her mother is brilliant on so many levels."
Blaise feigned a blush. "You flatter me, Malfoy. Never doubt my brilliance. I'm glad you're finally out of bed, though. We're set to meet Mrs Weasley at the Burrow at half past three."
"Half past … that's in fifteen minutes! At the Burrow? You're trying to have me murdered aren't you?"
"Not at all, I'm trying to fix the mess you seem to have stuck yourself in, as usual."
************
She stood on the large pile of boulders overlooking the green expanse of the Circle of Kerry. Her hair whipped around her as she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air of Ireland. Luna was brilliant for choosing this location, ran through her mind as she let the natural magic swim through her body.
Her blonde friend watched as Ginny teetered dangerously close to the edge of the rocks. The sky started to darken ominously as she looked on. It seemed like the storm was racing towards them, almost being summoned by someone. The sky tore open and rain started pouring down, soaking the girls thoroughly. A lightning bolt struck too close to Ginny for Luna's comfort.
"Ginny, come on, let's go! This storm is bad."
"Where's the adventure in you, Lovegood? A little rain never hurt anyone."
"Rain hasn't, but I've heard of some people getting fried by lighting before, especially redheads standing at a high height," Luna tried to convince Ginny, climbing higher onto the rocks to reach the stupidly brave Gryffindor.
Ginny turned around to face Luna, a wicked look flashing across her eyes. The rain was coming down harder, drowning out any noise around them. "I can't have children, Luna. I tried to have a child for Harry, but the mid-witch said that the chances of me spawning are very low. It would require some sort of miracle for me to have a child. I can't face Draco. He wants to get married and have a pink-haired child, and I can't do that for him. I can't provide him an heir."
Luna barely noticed the tears running down her friend's cheeks with the way the rain was pelting their faces. The weather seemed like it was portraying the emotions of Ginny. She reached her hand out to help Ginny off the rocks, and pulled the redhead into her arms. "He loves you, Ginny. It would be wrong of him to not want you because you might not be able to have children."
"He has to have an heir. His parents will not let us be together if I cannot give him a child. I'm sure they are going crazy knowing that he is dating a Weasley, but it looks good to society to be dating a Weasley nowadays. They will not stand and watch their son throw away good looking hussies for an infertile Weasel," Ginny cried out, waving her arms around wildly.
Luna shook her head slowly as she studied her best friend. "How can you be infertile? The Weasleys are known for their child making abilities. Look at your brothers! They can't seem to stop the children popping out."
Ginny maneuvered herself to sit on a large rock at the bottom of the pile. She leaned back so the rain was slapping her in the face; she wanted to feel pain. "Something to do with the Chamber and Tom; when he possessed me it messed up a lot of things inside of me. My thoughts, my actions, and some things in my body," she said loudly, refusing to look at Luna. "I've never told anyone before. Harry would've been so crushed. He would've insisted that it was his fault that we couldn't have children. Draco would never have looked my way if he knew I couldn't give him a baby."
Climbing down the rocks Luna took a seat next to Ginny. "There are potions out there that can help with this sort of thing. You'll never have the chance to have a baby if you run from the man that will try with you."
An indignant huff issued from Ginny as she looked at Luna and opened her mouth to speak. She was interrupted by a voice she knew all too well.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley! How dare you leave without telling anyone! And Luna, I can't believe that you wouldn't tell her mother what was going on!" Mrs Weasley yelled, walking up to the two girls.
"Mum," Ginny started, but just shook her head in protest. "I'm not leaving."
"Yes, you are. You are coming back with us right now. And sitting out here in a storm! You two will catch your death," the older woman scolded.
Ginny hadn't noticed that there were two men there with her mother. But, when one stepped up and requested that they talk alone she saw that it was Draco and Blaise. She sighed and nodded sadly to Draco, getting off the pile of boulders and walking with him to the other side of the road. They sat down on a bench, and before she knew it she was being hugged tightly by her old enemy.
"I'm going to need a leash to keep you with me or something, aren't I?" he asked once he pulled back from hugging her. "You can't keep doing this to me, Ginny. You're too much a part of me for me to survive you leaving again. Why did you go this time? Harry's not here, so you're not back with him."
Ginny looked into the grey eyes currently evoking sadness and pain that were pleading with her. They were the same eyes that had shown hatred and loathing to her throughout their years at Hogwarts together. For all of the details they knew about each other's lives there were two things that she hadn't shared with her best friend and lover. "Once I tell you everything you won't want to be near me."
His finger hooked under her chin and he kissed her softly. When he pulled away from the kiss he nodded for her to tell the bad news.
She leaned her head back to let the rain fall down on her face again. Taking a deep breath she started to tell him her story. "In my first year I stumbled across a diary that inhabited the soul of Tom Riddle. You know him better as Voldemort. He was preserved as a sixteen year old boy that listened to my woes. Latching on to my vulnerable Harry loving state he manipulated me and possessed me to release the basilisk. Thus, I was the one who had a hand in petrifying my friends. While he possessed me something happened. He affected my mind and my beliefs; I blame him for my pureblooded viewpoints. There was a big side effect of him possessing me too," Ginny spoke quickly, pausing to gauge his reaction. She mumbled out the biggest problem.
"I didn't quite catch that last bit," Draco said, bowing his head closer to her.
"I'm pretty much infertile," she blurted, looking away from the Malfoy.
Draco looked at Ginny in disbelief. His mouth hung open in an unattractive manner, but he could honestly say he hadn't seen this coming. When he suggested having a family with her he thought she ran because she was tired of the pressure. Instead, it was the fact that she couldn't give him a family. "Do you remember the first day we became friends?"
Ginny lifted her head to eye him confusedly. "Which day would that be?"
"The day I accepted you as a real friend, Gin."
"Yeah, you found me in the library at Grimmauld. It was right after the final battle and you had come back to the Order since the Death Eater's knew you had a hand against them. You had just gotten out of the shower and your hair was wet. I thought you were the most beautiful man I'd ever seen."
"Ginevra, are you all right?" Draco asked, moving a wet piece of hair from his face.
All Ginny did was nod at him. She was transfixed by how real he looked. He wasn't the usual pompous prat with perfect hair and clothes. His hair hung long, brushing his shoulders and it was damp. She imagined running her fingers through the dampness, imagined how soft it was. Shaking her head to rid herself of the thought, she nodded again to him.
"Very chatty today, aren't you? Did I interrupt something?"
"No, I was just trying to find somewhere quiet and alone," she answered, finally getting her head back right on her shoulders.
"Oh, I'll leave you alone then," Draco said quietly, turning to leave.
"Wait," Ginny said, reaching her hand out towards him. "I'd be alright to talk if you wanted."
He looked around to see if there was anyone that she could be talking to instead of him. "You sure? You won't be framing me for something will you?"
"No," she said, a tear sliding down her cheek. "That's more something that Fred would've done. Lure you into a room and act all sweet. Then he would've given you a Canary Cream or pulled another trick on you."
Draco watched as tears slid down Ginny's cheeks. "I can leave if you want. I'm not good at comforting people."
"You lost one of your best friends, aren't you upset?" she nosed into his business.
He looked down uncomfortably at his feet before answering. "Crabbe was a moron, but he was still one of my friends, I am upset on the inside. When Harry saved my life and not Crabbe's I felt so guilty. I had grown up with him, and we had tortured other people for so long. He saved my arse many times when it came to other people wanting to hurt me. After my sixth year he and Goyle distanced themselves from me and I think it was for the best."
"Why would you think that?" she sniffled.
"I never treated them as equals. Crabbe dying finally brought that to the forefront, I was a prick. Why am I telling you this?" he asked, trying to understand where all of these emotions were coming from. He never stated his emotions, much less to a Weasel.
Ginny just shrugged and wiped her nose ungracefully. "I guess because I asked how you were. Does anyone do that for you?"
"Well, no one but Blaise. In my family you don't show your emotions, it's weakness."
"I'm apparently already lower than you on the food chain so you showing me weakness won't change anything," she said sweetly, shining a smile at him through her tears. "I lost a lot of people I was close to in the battle, and George's ear. We grieved and buried them, and now we're supposed to move on? I can't do that. I lost my brother, one of my best friends, and my best friend Colin."
Draco nodded at her, listening to every word that she said. "I can't imagine how that could feel. I lost a bunch of people that I didn't like in the first place, and only one person that I really will miss."
Her eyes examined him thoroughly. She rose from her seat and walked over to Draco, wrapping her arms around him. She felt him tense under her affection, but just kept squeezing him until he started to loosen up. "I'll gain a friend then?"
He tensed up again at her calling him a friend, but let loose and wrapped his arms around her. He nuzzled his nose into her hair and smelled her; it was like he had wandered into an orchid because she smelled of flowers. "You got me here for as long as you keep me, Ginny."
Ginny pulled away slightly to look into his eyes. Blinking away tears, she nodded and smiled at him compassionately. She had broken the barrier.
"I gave you my everything, Ginny, and you still left me. After trusting you with my heart and secrets you crushed me. You scorned me, again. I want you to tell me if you're going to live without me. Are you going to leave me forever this time? What do you have to say about me? Am I not good to you? Have I not proven that I will love you no matter what? I don't care if you were possessed and can't have children. It's the fact that you ran and couldn't face me just because things looked difficult that upsets me the most," Draco stated calmly, someone slapping Ginny harder than if he had yelled. He took a deep breath and finally said what he needed to say. "This is not an ultimatum. You need to do this for us though, not just me and don't think of yourself. I remember holding you when Fred died and being there for you. I will be there for you through every ordeal we face, but you need to decide if you can do it."
Ginny watched in shock as Draco stood up and walked over to Blaise. He nodded to his friend and they Apparated away just as quickly as they showed up. She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder.
"You can't run anymore, Ginny. I know it's easy to do, but if you want to be happy again like you were when you two were together, you have to go after him," her mother stated from behind her.
The rain kept falling around her when she decided to go back to England. Being away from him for a week was wreaking havoc on her life, and Ginny knew she'd have to break down her own barrier for him.