Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter Universe.
~~~~~~~
"Draco?"
Ginny rolled over in an attempt to go back to sleep. However, after a shout, a bang, and a swear word, she could no longer go back to sleep. She raised her head, her head feeling as if someone were bashing it in with a dull object. She saw three figures standing in the doorway, not quite being able to recognize a face as of yet.
"Serena, go and put your things in your room."
"This is too good."
"Serena Verity Malfoy, what did your grandmother say?"
"I'm going."
Suddenly, Ginny recognized the voices. She found it odd that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were standing in her bedroom doorway with Serena. Her mind went into overdrive as she thought of something happening to Draco, causing Serena to have to come and live with her. Her thoughts were running rampant, different scenarios of Draco lying in a ditch coming to mind.
"Ms. Weasley?"
"Ginny?"
"I will find Draco. I'm assuming he is within the vicinity."
Lucius Malfoy disappeared from the room.
"Young people shouldn't consume alcohol." Narcissa approached the bed with a tentative step. "Ginny? Are you awake?"
Ginny began to register, through her post-drinking haze, the fact that she was not in her own bed. While her bed was utterly comfortable, this bed was beyond comfortable. It was as if she was sleeping in the clouds far above. There was also the fact that her night gown was ridiculously tight and uncomfortable. She considered the thought that perhaps she had gained some weight over night. However, she then began to think of Narcissa Malfoy.
Figuring the best course of action would be to rethink her steps from the night before, she backpedalled. She was going to a pub with Pansy and Luna for a girl's night out. There was a really handsome man there to greet them. Ron, Blaise, and Draco were there. Luna and Blaise left. And Pansy and Ron were doing some rather crude dancing. She said she was going home. After that, everything was dark and fuzzy. A man offered to carry her home. She agreed. That was it. Her memories were gone.
"Ms. Weasley, I must insist you wake up." Narcissa shook Ginny as gently as possible. The last thing she needed is to shock the woman into attacking her. "It is late in the afternoon."
"Bloody hell, where am I?" Ginny sat up, immediately regretting her decision. Her head was absolutely throbbing. "I will never drink again in my life."
"Glad to hear, Ginny," Narcissa replied. "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing in my son's bed?"
Ginny's eyes widened, wandering down to her body. No sigh of relief left her lips as she realized she was clothed, which was odd, very odd, especially after what happened the first time she was in Draco's bed. One would think she would be thankful that she was clothed. Oddly enough, she wasn't. Deciding not to think further on the subject, she answered Narcissa's question.
"I'm not sure." Honesty was the best policy. "I was out with the girls last night, Pansy and Luna. And I think I drank too much."
"I would say that would be a good conjecture." Narcissa gave the bottles and glasses on the side table a pointed look. "I suppose you won't be able to travel with that headache you're sporting."
"I could probably Floo." Ginny shrugged. "I'll find a way home."
"Lucius or I will escort you, Ginny." Narcissa gave her shoulder an affectionate pat. "I need to make sure that my granddaughter's mother stays in tiptop shape for the Greengrass Ball tonight."
"Oh, I'm not going." Ginny pushed the blankets off her body, wondering in vain where her shoes were. "If it's the afternoon, I missed an entire day of business. I must go in and bake for tonight. Perhaps some late night wanderers will have a sweet tooth, particularly for the overload of chocolate dipped cookies I have."
"Not going?" Narcissa seemed appalled. "You cannot deny the season opener."
Ginny cringed at Narcissa's tone. "I don't want to become caught up in the upper society dramatics. I really don't think it's my place."
"It's not your place?" Narcissa's aghast look before was nothing to this look. "Your daughter will be a part of that society. A good mother would want to be there to help her with her troubles."
Narcissa's words were like a slap in Ginny's face. "Mrs. Malfoy, I really like you. Honestly, I do. I think you're a wonderful and lovely person. You took care of my daughter where I could not. And so for the sake of not overreacting to your statement, I will walk away right now."
Ginny hadn't known what she had expected from the Malfoys. After Serena's birthday, she rather thought she was on speaking terms with them, civil speaking terms. Apparently, she was not on speaking terms with Narcissa Malfoy. The thought that she would suggest Ginny was a bad mother for not coming to a society ball was revolting. It made Ginny so mad that she didn't watch where she was going, almost falling down the stairs. However seconds before she fell, she was tugged into a hard body, a familiar feeling overcoming her.
"Knight in shining armor, son?"
She spun around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Thank you, Draco, and hello, Mr. Malfoy."
"Do you normally stomp through hallways and fall down stairs? Or is it the effect of my home?" Draco hadn't relinquished his hold on her waist as of yet. "You could have plummeted to your death."
"I'm on the run," Ginny said. At his raised eyebrow, she waved her hand dismissively. "I just want to go home. Have you seen my shoes or my purse? I can't recall where I put them or how I ended up here."
"I kidnapped you," Draco drawled.
Ginny laughed. "I find that hilarious."
"Who exactly are you on the run from?" Draco caught movement behind Ginny, his eyes wandering to his mother's tense form. "I see. What did my mother do to have you so upset you almost broke your neck?"
"Ms. Weasley, I never meant to insinuate you are not a capable mother. I-"
"What?" Draco focused a heated gaze on his mother. "Mother, I highly doubt that Ginny's motherly capability has anything to do with you."
"I think they do," Narcissa said hotly. "She is my granddaughter."
"And she is Ginny's daughter." Draco's exaggerated the word daughter, his hand falling from Ginny's waist. "What led to this outburst, Mother?"
"I was simply saying that Ms. Weasley would be wrong to not attend the Greengrass Ball," Narcissa explained. "I am not wrong in that notion."
"It's not any of your business whether or not she goes to the ball, Mother," Draco said.
Ginny moved to speak but Lucius pulled her aside. "It's best to allow them to resolve their problems. In the meantime, perhaps we should find your shoes."
Ginny followed Lucius down the stairs, memories of the night before flooding her mind at the sight of the stairs. She remembered that she had gone with Draco to avoid Pansy and Ron's shenanigans. She had gotten all teary eyed over pictures of Serena as a child. She also remembered drinking herself into oblivion with Draco while browsing through Draco's private album, falling asleep after.
"I'm assuming those are your shoes." Lucius pointed out the silver jeweled shoes. "And your purse would be the one resting on the table, unless Draco was entertaining more than one female last night."
"I don't think he was," Ginny said. "Then again, I could hardly remember how I got here in the first place."
"Was this the manner in which Serena was conceived?"
Ginny spluttered. "No."
"Am I to believe she was conceived out of love?" Lucius chuckled at the thought. "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."
"Me too," Ginny replied with a smile. "The circumstances in which Serena was conceived will always be my secret."
"Except from Draco," Lucius added.
"That stands to reason as he was a participant." Ginny slipped on her shoes, retrieving her wand from her purse. "You and your wife seem very curious."
"Is it that strange that we're curious?" asked Lucius.
Ginny contemplated the thought. "I suppose not. If Serena ever showed up pregnant by a boy she loathed, Merlin forbid, I would be curious myself. But I am rather stubborn. I don't plan on divulging those details. Draco can if he would like to."
"I assure you my son will not disclose your secret." Lucius watched as Ginny hastily moved towards the door. "Am I to assume you're leaving without saying goodbye?"
"I'd rather not be around when those two stop fighting," Ginny said, pointing to the arguing pair. "I may not be as nice towards your wife as I would like."
"Weasley!"
Ginny groaned. "Malfoy?"
"My mother has something she would like to say," Draco said.
"Ms. Weasley, I am sorry for my words," Narcissa recited. "I should not have been so tactless. I am sure you are a wonderful mother. Though, I do hope you reconsider your decision to not come to the ball."
Ginny sighed, figuring she might as well be civil. "Apology accepted. Besides, even if I were going, which I am not, I have nothing to wear."
"Wrong thing to say," Lucius muttered.
Ginny wondered what he meant. But she didn't have to think on it any longer. Narcissa had immediately brightened, bounding down the steps towards Ginny. She kept saying things about a wonderful dress designer, the Malfoy tab, and a gift as an apology. Ginny couldn't make sense of the words.
And before she knew it, she was standing in a shop, the need to vomit overwhelming her as they landed on the floor. She asked for a bathroom as soon as a shopkeeper came in sight, rushing off as the woman pointed in towards the back of the store.
As soon as Ginny had cleaned herself up, she approached Narcissa. "What do you think you're doing?"
"You said you needed something to wear." Narcissa gazed at her innocently. "I was simply fulfilling your need for a dress. This is Maggie. She sells beautiful gowns. I am sure you can find a one of a kind dress here for the ball tonight."
"Firstly, I'm not going," Ginny said stubbornly. "Secondly, I cannot afford a one of a kind dress. Thirdly, you really should not Apparate someone away while they are unaware."
"Darling, you are Serena's mother. I am doing myself a favor by buying you a gown to wear." Narcissa picked out a beautiful sea foam green gown. "I wouldn't want my son to look bad for his choice in picking a mother for his heir. Though, I suppose since Serena is a girl, she isn't a usual heir."
"What does that mean?"
Narcissa continued to browse the gowns. "Well, usually, the Malfoy heir is male. The female children usually disappear from sight."
"You're right," Ginny agreed.
"With the relationship between Serena and Draco, though. I highly doubt he would ever deny her the rightful place as his heir. Lucius and I would not disagree either." Narcissa held a blue ball gown up to her body. "Serena is a suitable Malfoy."
"Mrs. Malfoy, the room is ready." Maggie showed the two women to a back room. "I will bring in the dresses that I have right now."
"Very good," Narcissa said.
"Mrs. Malfoy, this is a bit much." Ginny sat down in the arm chair, her stomach feeling unsettled. "I still do not intend on going to the ball."
Maggie entered the room once more with a rack of beautiful dresses floating behind her. Soon, Ginny found herself being clothed in gown after gown. The gowns were straight out of fairytale books, large and quite uncomfortable too. But Ginny wasn't able to resist as she saw her reflection in the gowns. Besides, one night wouldn't hurt.
"No, not white." Narcissa brushed off one of the dresses. "I want her to dazzle, stand out in the crowd. All eyes should be on her."
Ginny blushed. "Black would be nice. I wouldn't mind blending in."
"No, blending in is not good." Narcissa picked out the gown of her choice. "Here it is. This is the one. I am positive."
<center>~~~~~~~~</center>
Ginny had to admit, Narcissa Malfoy knew style. When she had looked in the mirror before Apparating to the Greengrass Manor, she had never felt as beautiful as she felt ever, in her life. The dress brought out some hidden beauty, which Ginny had never seen before. Even Ron had said that she looked beautiful. He had also said he was happy to have some company as he was Pansy's date for the night, which Ginny found shocking.
The gown was this beautiful silver color, which did make her look slightly pale. But according to Narcissa, pale, flawless skin was the in thing now. The strapless sweetheart neckline enhanced her bust, not to the point of being inappropriate, though. The skirt of the dress flew out from her waistline, dotted with black embroidering entwined throughout.
Her hair was left to flow down her back in loose ringlets, cascading like a shimmering waterfall, the sides pulled back and held with a diamond clip. She was wearing little to no makeup, a factor which she liked. Oh, and the shoes. Ginny hadn't thought she was ever a fashion person, much less a shoe person. But the diamond encrusted metallic sandals could bring tears to any girls' eyes. Not to mention the fact that the diamonds were as real as the teardrop diamonds in her ears and around her neck. Her outfit had cost well over two thousand galleons.
Now, she stood with Ron, waiting on the steps of the Greengrass home for Pansy. Ginny idly toyed with her dress, her hand moving up to adjust the necklace around her neck, the other clutching her bag and clinging to her dress, a gesture of nervousness.
She didn't know where any of the Malfoys were, including Serena. Narcissa had only said she would see her at the ball, which Ginny had found comforting at the time. She had thought that perhaps Narcissa would have waited for her. It was obvious from the minute she touched down in the lighted gardens that she was wrong.
"Hello, Ronald." Pansy walked on the pathway that led to the front steps. As soon as she reached towards Ron, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, offering an arm. "You look very handsome."
"You will be the most beautiful woman at the ball," Ron said with more smoothness than either Pansy or Ginny thought he had. "Sorry, Ginny."
"You do look fantastic," Ginny commented, which she did. She was wearing a blue halter gown with silver embroidering, the color bringing out her eyes. "I take no offense."
"You won't be short of dates," Pansy replied to Ginny. "Is that a Maggie Original?"
"An apology gift from Narcissa," Ginny said.
"What did she have to apologize for?"
"As much as I would love to stay out here and tell you, I think we should get inside." Ginny picked up the skirt of her dress. "I'll tell you the story inside."
The group of three handed over their invitations at the entrance, Ginny receiving a handsome escort. Apparently, in high society, a woman had to be accompanied by a male escort upon entering the ball. It was a little old fashioned for Ginny. But she didn't mind being escorted in by the tall brown haired man.
Eyes were on her, Ron, and Pansy as soon as they entered the ballroom. It was obvious that Narcissa had gotten her wish. Ginny definitely stood out in the crowd. Luckily, there was the shock of Pansy and Ron coming as a couple to divert some of the attention. Enough so she could slip away unnoticed to a small corner in the room.
As she was far from the crowd, hidden away, she observed the room. Women were dolled up in large gowns with gaudy jeweler in their ears, on their necks, and around their wrists. It was a sight to behold. It would be more appropriately called a spectacle. But within the crowd, she easily spotted her daughter playing with Xavier, who was standing next to her father.
Choosing to associate with someone she knew, she joined Blaise. "Hello."
"Hello, Ginny," Blaise said. "Luna went to the loo."
"Well. It gives me time to get to know the man who stole my best friend's heart," Ginny said. "So far all I know is that you're great with kids and Luna. And she thinks you're dishy."
Blaise smirked. "That's my Luna. Though, I have to say she has changed since you've been back."
"How so?" asked Ginny, curious.
"She's more-Luna," he answered. "When she found out about your death, she was crushed and tormented. She lost a bit of herself. A week ago she mentioned Nargles while she was planning our Christmas Ball."
"Nargles infest mistletoe," Ginny explained with a smile. Her smile faltered. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Good thing," Blaise said. "Merlin knows I've tried to get her to talk about Wrackspurts and other unknown creatures for years now. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her. It's good to have her fully back."
"She picked a good husband," Ginny stated.
"Mum!"
"Serena, it isn't nice to interrupt elders while they're talking," Blaise said, grinning.
"Uncle Blaise, Mum is the only elder I see," Serena said with an innocent smile.
"Is that anyway to talk to your favorite uncle?" asked Blaise.
Serena giggled before pouting. "Uncle Blaise, you haven't said how pretty I look."
"She gets that from her father," Ginny whispered to Blaise, who laughed. "Serena, you look more beautiful than any other little girl in the world."
"Mum, you haven't met all the girls in the world." Serena hugged Ginny, nonetheless. "But thank you."
"You are a cheeky little girl," Ginny scolded. "And don't think you've gotten off without a punishment for that little stunt you played with your father and Ms. Davis. I plan on having a word with your father about it."
"But Mum," Serena whined. "He seems a lot happier."
Ginny crouched down. "I know you thought what you did was right. And maybe it was. However, it was not your place to intervene. Your father is capable of making his own decisions."
"Not according to Grandfather," Serena said boldly. "He keeps ranting on and on about some mistake that Father made while in school. He was making a mistake with that woman. I hated her. She'd always take him from me. And Father did anything she asked. I'm glad she's gone. I hope she falls off a tower."
"Serena," Ginny warned, ushering her out onto the balcony so as not to gather any attention. "I know how it must have felt. You were so used to your father giving you all the attention. But then Ms. Davis came along and took that from you."
"Exactly," Serena said. She stared Ginny in the eyes as her mother knelt down, not seeming to care that she might ruin her dress. "She was horrid. She always got me these pink dresses that looked ugly on me. And then Father would make me wear them."
"Do you love your father?" Ginny placed a hand on the girl's shoulder as she nodded yes. "Well, then you have to allow him to be with whomever he wants to be with. I cannot begin to fathom how you became such a smart girl though."
"Maybe I get it from you," she said timidly. "Father is so stupid. How can he not love you?"
Ginny was floored. "Serena, why did you really break up Ms. Davis and your father?"
"Isn't obvious, Mum?" Serena threw herself at her mother, wrapping her arms around Ginny, sobbing. "You and Father belong together. I want you to be around all the time. One day, I'm going to have the perfect family with a Mum and a Dad. You're going to live with us. And we'll have a pet cat named Frenchie. It has to be a girl. Then, you guys are going to give me baby brother or sister."
Ginny said soothing tones in the little girl's ears, trying to wrap her head around Serena's admission. She didn't know how to break it to the girl that if it weren't for her, her mother and father wouldn't even be speaking to each other. It would break her poor little heart to hear such a thing, especially with the big dreams she had.
"Serena," Ginny said, her voice sounding strangled. "Your father and I-"
"No, I won't hear it," Serena said. She stepped back and wiped her eyes. "I know that Father loves you. One night, he was throwing things in his study asking why you left him alone."
"Serena, I don't think that means your father loves me," Ginny tried to explain. "I know that you want the perfect family. I do. But at the time, your father was probably stressed out and wanted help with some things in his life." Ginny wasn't about to tell her daughter that she had probably been the reason. "I don't know any easy way to tell you that your father and I will never be together like that."
"No," Serena said, tears trickling down her face. "He loves you. And you love him."
"Serena, that's enough."
By the looks of it, Draco had been hiding behind the plant for quite some time. Ginny could sense turmoil in his eyes, especially when he saw the tears in his daughter's eyes. It was ingrained in every parent, every person for that matter, that a child crying is heart wrenching, which it was, particularly when that child happened to be your own flesh and blood.
"Dad, tell her," Serena yelled, not loud enough to disturb the guests inside. "We'll be a happy family."
"Serena, it-that isn't a possibility," Ginny interrupted.
"I hate you both," she shouted, running down the steps and collapsing onto the bench in the garden.
Draco moved to follow her but Ginny stopped him. "I may be new to this parenting thing. But when I was six and had temper tantrums such as this, I liked to be alone after. The last thing you want to do is coddle her and make her cry more, not to mention be embarrassed. Besides, neither of us can explain to her that her dreams aren't going to become a reality."
He sighed, leaning against the railing. "I never knew she loathed Tracey that much."
"In her shoes, Tracey was taking you away from her," Ginny said. "I don't think she liked the change very much."
"I wish she would have told me. It would have been a less messy break-up," Draco replied, watching Serena lay on the bench. "And I didn't realize how much she was affected by not having a mother. I assumed she loved the way things were."
"You probably also didn't know she wanted siblings or a cat," Ginny pointed out. She rested her hands on the railing, her gaze landing on her daughter. "I suppose she kept these things from you because she loves you. I bet she thought it would make you sad to hear her say that she wants more than just her father."
"It did," Draco said. "Before we arrived at your bakery, she had been asking about you. I was at a loss, really. There isn't much that I knew about you to tell her. And I was, quite honestly, perplexed that she had brought up the situation."
"Did she ever tell you what brought it on?"
"She wanted a family like Xavier's," Draco replied. "She wants a mother who dotes on her and her father. And she wants a father who attends to his wife and daughter."
"The cookie cutter family," Ginny remarked.
"I can't say I haven't been expecting her outburst, though." Draco righted himself, brushing off his elbows. "It simply came at an inopportune time."
"I can take her to my flat," Ginny suggested. "I highly doubt she wants to go back to the party."
"No, I'll take her home," Draco said.
"Your mother would have a heart failure if you left early," Ginny said.
"Regardless of what you may think," Draco said, slipping into his cold demeanor, "I care more about my daughter than some bloody society party."
Before Ginny could comment, Draco had gone down the steps, scooped Serena in his arms, and Apparated away. She let out a groan of frustration. Things had been going so well between the two. He had actually been open to her about his fatherly troubles. Then she had to go and mess things up.
"Bollocks," she muttered. "I'll be damned if I leave things this way."
She strolled inside, her eyes landing on her brother and Pansy. She quickly cleaned off her dress before making her way through the crowd. She was briefly stopped by the Greengrass family, recognizing their two daughters from Hogwarts, Daphne and Astoria, both who were known for sleeping with Draco at the same time, a disturbing image for Ginny. But she did eventually make her way to the couple.
"Pansy, do you know where Draco lives?"
"Of course, what happened?" asked Pansy.
"Ginny, are you alright?" Ron looked at his sister's panicked expression. "You're not looking too good."
"I need to set some things straight with Draco is all," Ginny said. "Do you think you can tell me the location so I can Apparate there?"
Pansy seemed unsure. "Maybe you should give him some time to cool off. It may not be the best idea to barge in there and have an all out yelling match."
"Well, give him the choice to not let me in," Ginny reasoned.
"Fine," Pansy said. "But don't you dare mention my name."
After being given the exact location to Apparate, a house near his practice field, Ginny fled from the ball. Though, she couldn't avoid several ladies stopping her to admire her dress and, oddly enough, invite her to their tea parties, which Ginny politely declined in favor of her job. Although, they did manage to wrangle a commitment from her to bake several of different types of treats for their parties, as long as they came in to place the order.
Finally, Ginny reached outside, Apparating to her location. She probably made a sight to see, a woman in a ball gown, traipsing through the tiny town. But it had been the only option as Draco had wards all around his property. She managed to walk up the steep hill in her heels, the skirt of her dress in hand, and still look decent when she arrived outside of the gates.
Having only seen certain rooms in his house, Ginny hadn't expected it to be so large. Then again, it was Draco Malfoy. He had to pick a house that was beautiful and large on the outside and inside, which is exactly what the house was. It had the feeling of a high class, modern, manor. The feature which she liked the most was the garden as it sported a large number of different flowers and a large fountain in the centre.
She knocked on the gate, jumping in shock as a house-elf appeared. "Hi, I am here to see Draco."
"Master is not seeing guests," the house-elf said.
"Could you please tell him it's Ginny? It's really urgent."
The house-elf seemed reluctant but disappeared anyways. He was back in seconds, leading her through the gates. It was a beautiful night, the moon casting its gaze across the garden, the pathway up to the house glittering in the light as if sprinkled with some kind of fairy dust. The soothing sound of running water reached her ears as they climbed the stone steps to enter the house.
"What do you want?" Draco was in the foyer, a mask on his face. His sleeves were rolled up, his top three buttons undone. He was the picture of relaxation, minus his tense shoulders. "I rather thought our conversation was over."
"I wanted to apologize. I couldn't let you run off thinking that I thought you were a bad parent," Ginny said hurriedly. "I never meant it that way. I just thought that you might want to stay."
"While my daughter is upset?" asked Draco, sneering. "That would be the definition of bad parenting, Weasley."
"Don't call me that," Ginny snapped. "And I was only thinking of you."
"How thoughtful," Draco drawled.
"Your mother is quite high strung. She is probably having a conniption right now. Oh, and how often is it that you actually get to be out at balls, socializing, without Serena?" Ginny put her hands on her hips. "I thought that maybe you would like to find Tracey and hash out some form of apology."
"I'm not apologizing to her," Draco said, his tone never changing. "And excuse me for not believing a fucking word you say."
"Why is it that what I think about your parenting skills matters, Draco?" Ginny sighed. "I can understand me being paranoid about what you must think of me as a mother. I cannot, however, understand you caring about what I think, no matter how flattered I may be."
"Don't delude yourself, Weasley." Draco's eyes narrowed. "I will never care what you think of me as a father. I am not the one who abandoned my child."
"I never abandoned her," Ginny screamed in irritation. "I spent night after night crying, thinking about how I failed her. I thought for years that I wasn't strong enough for her. Every time her birthday would pass, I would think of how she would have survived if maybe my body hadn't been so weak. I could care less that my mother told me it had nothing to do with me. For years, I thought her death was my fault and my fault alone."
"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," he retorted.
"Fuck you. This is why I didn't bother coming to you after the ordeal," Ginny said, fighting back tears. "I was going to come here and give a courtesy call, tell you what happened. But I was so scared. I thought that you would be a cruel bastard and blame me for everything, which I thought you had every right to. But I couldn't face you. I couldn't hear those words come from your mouth."
"Well, maybe, if you hadn't been so cowardly, Weasley, you would have found out the real truth." He stepped closer to her. "Your idiotic Gryffindor courage failed you when you most needed it."
"I thought that being back would cause the pain to stop," Ginny whispered. "Now, though, it seems like I'm experiencing all different kinds of overwhelming pains."
"Do you want to talk about pains?" Ginny could feel his breath on her cheek. "You said you cried yourself to sleep at night. I was up for twenty-four hours tending to a screaming, irritable baby. I had to deal with the shame of having a child outside of marriage. I had to, still have to, keep the hurtful comments of Serena's birth from her. I deal with my pain and her pain every single fucking day."
"Finally," Ginny yelled. "Finally, you come out with it and let me know what you're really feeling. I've been waiting for this for weeks now. Go on, Malfoy. Lay it on me. Do your worst. Tell me that I failed. You can't hurt me worst than I've hurt myself."
"I wouldn't bet on it," he said darkly.
"What? Are you going to try and hurt me, kill me even?" Ginny closed the space in between them, looking up at him. "You can't do anything to me that I haven't already done myself."
A curious expression flashed across his face before a smirk flickered to life. "Tried to take the cowardly way out, Weasley? You might have done the world better, one less Weasley to deal with."
This time the tears fell down her face. "You are truly a cruel bastard, Draco Malfoy."
Those were the last words she said before she ran out the door.