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Disclaimer: Draco Malfoy, Virginia Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Ron Weasley, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley are not my characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling and to her alone. I am using them without her permission and without hope of financial gain. If someone sends me cash for this, I plan on sending it back. Comments are appreciated, but flames are not. It's already hot enough in Chi-town without fire being spread around.
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Scarlet Woman
Part 4
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Draco sighed, his hand resting lightly on the door knob. He moved his hand into his back pocket and swore slightly. The shopping list wasn't there. Thinking back, he remembered leaving it on the kitchen counter.
Well, it looks like I'm going to just have to remember what we need. He smiled to himself. If I went back now, it would certainly kill a great exit.
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Ginny picked up the magazine again. She wasn't really that interested in reading it. The years she'd spent living on the streets had made her care less and less about the more fortunate people in the world. Besides her trying to make a living off of them, they were just pretty statues, posed beautifully for people to gawk at. Stone models of perfection; real, but distant from true reality.
The picture of Harry smiled up at her, trying to get her to acknowledge him. She remembered when all she wanted was Harry Potter to want her attention. During the summer between her third and fourth year, her crush had waned, until it was just a figment of memory. Ginny thought that she'd mourned the loss of the crush more than the never-to-be relationship she had wanted with Harry. Maybe it had had to do with Draco, back then.
She sighed and leaned back into the couch, the magazine resting lightly in her hand. Draco Malfoy, the enigma of her life. One day he was kind and generous and the next, a cold and calculating prick. So what if they had had something during school? The true nature of their "relationship", if you could even call it that, had never been voiced or understood, at least on her end of it. Did it have anything to do with her decision to go with him last night?
She couldn't answer that question.
Ginny shook her head. It's just Draco, she told herself. He's not that important to me. He's just…
"Just not for me." Ginny moaned, falling sideways into the couch, her arm carelessly thrown over her eyes.
"This is getting ridiculous, you know. It was a long time ago; I should be able to get over this." She rolled onto her side. The apartment screamed Draco. Black, silver, and white. It was crisp, clean, and sterile. No feeling, no warmth at all.
"An ice castle for the Ice Prince," Ginny said, smiling to herself. The ice pack rested gently against her cheek, the cold numbing her bruise. She remembered the feeling of his thumb on her cheek and closed her eyes when she felt that sweet rush again.
"Damn it." She opened her eyes, stood up, and headed into the kitchen. She angrily threw the ice pack into the freezer, slamming it shut.
"I'm going to figure the bastard out, even if it kills me," she muttered to herself. She opened the pantry, looking for something to cook.
"He'd better remember the milk," she grumbled, grabbing a package of Ramen.
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Draco hummed lightly to himself as he walked through the grocery store. Tossing in cereal, milk, a carton of eggs, and other foods, he started thinking about what Ginny might want to eat.
I wonder if she still likes oatmeal cookies, he thought idly. Suddenly he snapped himself back to reality. Long time gone, Draco.
But he grabbed a package before heading to the register.
Draco handed the clerk a couple of bills. Getting his change and grabbing the shopping bags, he headed off to his apartment. The market was only a couple of blocks from where he lived. Draco enjoyed the short walk, mostly because it allowed him to think about things. The neighborhood was quiet and the police did their job efficiently, keeping the alleyways and back routes safe. Right now, though, wasn't the best time for Draco to be thinking.
His thoughts kept drifting to when he and Ginny had started their "friendship" back at school. He didn't even know what else to really call it. It hadn't been much more than taking cracks at each other, or at least that's how it was when they started. It moved onto having heated debates on topics they'd covered in school that day, then joking around while walking around the lake. It had ended as quickly as it had started when Draco had kissed Ginny on his last night at Hogwarts.
Draco remembered that kiss, even though it was five years in the past. The way she had drawn in a breath when he'd first softly cupped her neck, the gentle brush of their lips, the way she'd looked when they'd broken apart from perhaps the sweetest kiss he'd ever had. And she had slowly, smoothly backed away, turned towards the school, and walked out of his life.
She'd tasted like cookies and cream.
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Ginny looked through the apartment. She'd been there for a day and all she'd seen was the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Entering the hallway that led to the bathroom and the rest of the apartment, she slowly nudged a door open. Inside was an easel with a half finished canvas. Other art supplies littered the room; tubes of paint lay on a counter with a sink. There were other canvases stacked against the wall across from the door. Ginny backed out again.
"Guess I know how he's able to pay for this place now…" Walking further down the hall, she found Draco's bedroom. It was in the same colors as the rest of the apartment, with a large bed in the middle of the room. His closet door stood open, shoes and dirty clothes scattered across the floor. There was a half full bookshelf next to Draco's dresser. A picture frame sat facedown on a large ebony desk in the corner of the room. Ginny's curiosity took over and she stepped closer.
She reached out and slowly tilted the frame upright. She gasped, reeling back.
It was a picture of her.
Well, more specifically, of her and Draco. She remembered asking Colin to take it for them, right before Draco's graduation. They were smiling, laughing at some long-forgotten joke. Draco's eyes were lit with humor, and Ginny was surprised to feel… longing to see that happiness in his eyes again.
She put the picture back and quickly left the room.
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Draco shifted the grocery bags as he unlocked and opened the door. He found Ginny sitting on the couch, unhurriedly leafing through a magazine. She looked up when he closed the door.
"A little help here?" he grunted, trying to not drop the bag and get his keys back in his pocket. Ginny swiftly grabbed one of the bags about to fall. "Thanks."
Ginny nodded graciously and walked into the kitchen. She set the bag down and started unpacking.
"After we get all of this put away, we're going to go to Diagon Ally." Draco pulled the milk and a loaf of bread out of the bag and put them on the table.
Ginny nodded again and brought out the package of oatmeal cookies. "So you're still set on going?"
"I told you, Virginia. You're going to need a wand. Diagon Ally is the only place we can go in the area." Draco looked up to see Ginny worrying her lip. "I know you're nervous about going, but you have to. There's not much of a choice here."
"I know, I know. I just… it's been so long." She sighed and folded up the grocery bag.
"I can assure you, it hasn't changed much." He picked up the cookies and put them into the pantry.
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The Leaky Cauldron looked the same. Tom still stood behind the bar, slowly and methodically cleaning a mug. The patrons of the bar still sat hunched over their drinks, the air was still thick with pipe smoke and magic, and Ginny hadn't been more terrified in her life. She felt like it was her first time entering the bar; only she'd known it before she'd been there. It was very unsettling.
Draco rested his hand on the small of her back, offering unconscious support and, Ginny noted irritably, stopping her from running out the door. When he opened the wall to the Alley, she felt her stomach drop.
It was busy. People with large packages were walking up and down the street. A woman struggled to drag her son away from the newest broom in the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop window. Teenagers ate ice cream from Fortuscue's, while talking about the newest song by the Weird Sisters.
"I feel ill," Ginny whispered to Draco, leaning into his hand.
"Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon enough." His hand gave her a slight push towards Ollivanders.
The door opened and the bell hanging from the frame announced their entry. Mr. Ollivander walked out of the back, muttering to himself and cleaning his glasses. When he placed them on his nose and looked up, his muttering stopped almost instantly.
"Miss Weasley?" He squinted and leaned closer to Ginny and Draco. Ginny leaned back.
"Why, it is! If I recall correctly, you had a wand of oak, 13 and a quarter inches, with a dragon heartstring core. If I also recall correctly, you broke that wand almost…" He quickly counted on his fingers. "Two years ago. I don't believe I ever expected to see you here again."
"She's here to get a new wand." Draco took a step closer to her. "I believe you know something about that."
Ollivander looked at him. "Hmm... 10 inches, ebony. Phoenix feather core. Particularly good for Transfiguration work." He turned away from Draco after giving him another undecipherable look. "Now, Miss Weasley, I believe I have a wand much like your original that should work quite well for you." He walked back and grabbed a dusty box off of the shelf. "Here, give this a flick. 12 and a half inches, oak, with phoenix feather."
Ginny took the wand and gave it a quick swish. She felt the magic that was a part of her, and that had been dormant for so long, singing in her veins. But when it reached the wand, it seemed to go sour. Nothing happened.
"Hmm… Interesting." Ollivander took the wand and placed it back into its box. "Let's try…" He ran a finger lightly over the boxes, creating a small path in the dust. "Ah, yes. This should work. 11 inches, cherry, with a dragon heartstring. Wonderful for charms."
Ginny swished, and again she felt the magic go amiss. A lamp exploded, the shards flying through the air.
"That happens all the time. Reparo. Now, let's try again."
Ginny tested wands for what seemed like hours. Over and over, the wands fought against her, breaking the lamp again and sending boxes scattering through the room. She felt her heart sink deeper. Maybe she wasn't supposed to come back, no matter what Draco said.
Time changes things. Maybe it changed me…
"Well, Miss Weasley, if this wand doesn't work, I don't know what to do." He handed her a box. She opened it. The wand that sat in it gleamed darkly. It was ebony, 12 inches. She picked it up, swished, and felt magic rush through her fingers, through the wand and out. Red and gold sparks lit up the shop, spiraling through the air and floating down around Ginny. She grinned.
"Well. That's most interesting." Ollivander smiled. "That will be 7 galleons."
Draco handed him the money and they left the store, Ginny fingering her new wand.
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Draco had decided that he didn't want to hang around Diagon Alley much longer. As he'd walked down the street, his hand resting on Ginny's back, he'd felt people staring at him. Eyes followed him, creeping over his back and settling on him. They felt like unwanted caresses, running grubby fingers where he couldn't reach to brush them away. He hoped that Ginny didn't notice.
It wasn't his fault that he was well known in the Wizarding world, or that he was unwanted there. He'd fled after the War, after Voldemort's defeat, leaving behind most of what he knew. He'd come back once or twice a year, but other than that he spent most of his time in the Muggle world. That was when he'd discovered his love of art.
He'd always drawn some at school. Unflattering doodles of the Dream Team, as well as portraits of his mother, housemates, and Ginny.
He'd only drawn her once, though. It was in a sketchbook from his seventh year, tucked into a hidden drawer of his desk. He'd seen her sitting on the lawn, near the lake, working on homework. The sunlight was dancing in her hair, which was blown around her face by the slight breeze trickling across the lake. Her head had been bent over an assignment, and she looked stunning. He'd pulled out his sketchbook and drawn her, his pencil copying the subtle line of her cheek, of her neck, and of her flowing hair.
He had wanted to get rid of it at one point, but hadn't. He still didn't quite understand why.
"Oh, shit."
He was yanked out of his reverie. Looking up, he saw a circle of red heads.
"Draco." Ginny turned to face him, terror in her eyes. "It's my family. What are we going to do?" She turned frantically back to the crowd and then looked around them for a path of escape.
"Virginia, I don't know if they've noticed you. Why are you so worried, anyway?"
"Oh, Merlin. You don't understand," she moaned, tugging at his sleeve. "We've got to get out of here."
"There are anti-Apperation spells around Diagon Alley now, so I can't just get us out of here. We'll just have to try to walk past them." Draco put his hand on Ginny's shoulder and turned her forward. "Just walk." His hand returned to her back.
"This is never going to work," she moaned again, closing her eyes and walking forward. Draco slowly led her through the crowd, pushing slightly on her back to redirect her path. They snaked their way through people, sliding past the throngs that filled the street.
And right into the entire Weasley family.
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Ginny could suddenly feel the oppressing tension surround her. She could feel the malice hit her in a wave, suffocating her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her family stood in front of her. Her mother's lips were pinched together, tension knotting her face. Her father seemed to have developed a tick in his cheek since she'd last seen him. Fred and George smiled at her from behind her parent's backs, waving slightly. Ron was perhaps the worst to look at. His face was slowly getting to that tone of red seen only on fire trucks and bell peppers. Percy glanced in her direction, then turned and walked into a store.
"Virginia." Her mother said, her lips pressed tightly together. "It has been a long time since we've seen you around here."
"Molly, don't start…" Arthur placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, his eyes hard as steel.
"I'm fine, dear." She shrugged the hand off. "Have you enjoyed your life in the Muggle world?" The sarcasm dripped from Molly's voice, oozing into Ginny's heart. It burnt like lemon juice in a paper cut, slowly tearing her apart. Ginny looked at the ground and fought the tears that were threatening to spill.
"Molly, please…" Arthur grabbed his wife's shoulder again. "She made her decision years ago and we let her know how we felt then." He again looked at Ginny, eyes cold with malice and pain.
"Dad, it's not like she doesn't deserve it. Abandoning her family when they needed her, living as a… as a whore on the streets." Ron grimaced over the word, spitting it out. "She's dirty; she's not worth anything, at least not to me." He turned his full anger on her. "How could you do that? To your family? To yourself? Do you even miss us? Do you miss what you had? I don't understand you, Ginny. How could you?" His voice seemed to close up, becoming strained.
"I had no choice, Ron." She forced the words out of her mouth, barely hearing them herself. "I couldn't stay. And I didn't want things to end that way, not at all." She felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Ron choked back a sob. "You're sorry? You're sorry? Do you think we care if you're sorry? You fucked up, Gin. You fucked up royally and it's not going to go back to normal, not for a damned long time." He turned on his heel, and walked away. Ginny bit her lip, hard. She felt a sting of pain, and then warmth as blood leaked out around her tooth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again, then turned and walked towards the Leaky Cauldron.
Draco stared at the Weasley family, stunned.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, young man, but some things…" Arthur trailed off, finally realizing who had been standing behind his daughter. "Malfoy."
Draco looked at the man, then turned and followed Ginny. There were some times when tact was a very good idea, and Draco felt that this was one of them.
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When they got back to the apartment, Ginny sat down on the couch, feeling deflated and exhausted. She cradled her head in her hands as Draco walked up to the couch and sat down next to her.
He was silent. She could hear his breathing, small breaths in and out. It was an uncomfortable silence, but Ginny didn't risk breaking it. She felt that if she said anything, she'd break.
Draco sighed. "I'm sorry. You were right, we shouldn't have gone."
Ginny closed her eyes as tears leaked from her. She felt as if her heart were breaking. A small sob escaped her lips.
Suddenly, she was drawn into a strong hug. Thick arms wrapped around her, holding her close to a firm chest. She moved her hands to the white shirt covering it, clutching it tightly. She started to sob as Draco held her tighter, whispering apologies into her hair.
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Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out. The encounter with the Weasleys was a really tough scene for me to write. I hated having to put Ginny through that, especially since I'm the only person who knows the whole story around Ginny's leaving. I also lost the first draft of this part, so what you're reading is nothing like the original. I really have no excuse for taking over a month to get this out, especially since school has been out for about the same amount of time. The next part is coming soon, as I am becoming more motivated to write this story. I'm hoping to get it out before the end of the month but, since I suck at deadlines, that's kind of shaky.
Iden's Garden, GoddessOfMars (Sorry this took so long, especially since you're dying over there. Hopefully the next one will be out sooner), Dizzy Spacecadets, Psycho-Kitty-Purra (telling Ginny about his scars is definitely going to be hard for him, mainly because she's connected to them. But, I won't give more of that away ;D), Americasweetie (I love getting recognized in authors thank you's, too), bittersweetchocolate, blackrose, XxX NaUgHtY GuRl XxX, Keita, evil*fairy (Ask as many questions as you like! There's a lot of untold stuff in this story, at least at this point. It does hinge on the past, mainly. But, again, I won't let more out than that.) rock::star and fierydragon (you'll find out a bit in the next chapter.) thank you all for reviewing. It really does make me feel like a million dollars to see those 53 reviews up their. I owe it all to you guys. Thanks. :D I know a couple people were asking when I'd update, so I'll let you all know that if you go to my livejournal (livejournal.com/users/jenni1310), you can get update information, which I post up there from time to time.
And, as always, a plate of fudge to Sarah, who really made me get my butt in gear on this chapter. I don't know what I'd do without you. :D