Chapter 25: A World Turned Upside Down
She stretched lazily before snuggling back against the warmth that was surrounding her. Sighing in contentment, she wondered when the last time was that she felt so warm and safe, wrapped securely as she was in Draco’s arms.
With a start, her eyes snapped open, and her eyes darted around, almost in panic. The images from the night before flashed through her mind, and she fought to hold back the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. As realization slowly set in, she became painfully aware of the fact that she was lying with her head pillowed against his shoulder, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his cloak draped over them. Carefully moving, so as not to wake him, she wriggled out of his grasp, and sat back a few feet away so she could better assess the situation.
They were sitting under the oak tree by the pond on the far edge of the field in the center of the maze. The herd was grouped in the center, most of the silvery creatures were lying on the ground, still sleeping. Turning her attention back to the man beside her leaning against the tree, she was surprised to see how different he looked while asleep. There was a more relaxed look about him; there was no hint of his stiff, hard demeanor that usually hung about him. The soft dawn sunlight was filtering in through the treetops, casting a soft glow about him that gave him an innocent –almost angelic – air. Ginny shuddered, the idea of Draco as innocent or angelic indicated exactly how shaken up her world definitely was. She bit back a slight laugh, knowing that is she started to giggle, she wouldn’t be too far away from hysterics, and she was determined that she wouldn’t break down.
She sat back on her heels, straightening out the straps of her silk nightshirt that had shifted during the night and brushed her wild tumble of hair out of her eyes, and sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. As she contemplated, she allowed herself to stare at him sleeping, enjoying the sight of him completely vulnerable. Her eyes fixated on his closed eyes, the harsh line of his brow, so often frowning or raised in disdain, softened, and the slight smile on his lips captivated her.
Sighing softly as she noticed that smile, she brushed her fingertips over her own lips, remembering the sensations that overwhelmed her the instant his lips made contact with hers. So much had changed in her world, in the matter of a few hours that she could hardly recognize it anymore – she could hardly recognize herself anymore.
She’d used her magic in a way that she hadn’t allowed herself to even consider for so long, because she’d been so convinced that it was wrong. But the second she’d felt the power on her fingertips, and the incredible freedom that came with it, she knew that they were wrong, and that it was completely right for her to use it. Especially when she felt the nature of the spell that was bearing down on them all – it had felt corrupted and tainted; it was almost painful for her to come in contact with it.
But the aftermath…the leftover energy in the body had drawn her with a powerful magnetic force towards the other powerful source in the area – her polar opposite, the man sleeping peacefully next to her. The energy that had ripped through her had been an unstoppable force that was both controlling and incredibly freeing at the same time. But now, in the morning light, what had seemed inevitable, uncontrollable and exactly right under the darkness of the night sky was now a source of great confusion.
He was a Malfoy, he stood for things that her entire family had risked their lives to defeat, he was arrogant, conniving and she could never be sure what the motives lay behind his actions. There were so many reasons why she should run as far away as possible from him…yet he also had those amazing piercing eyes that seemed to see right through the icy mask she wore, he was one of few that was able to prick her temper and unleash her fury, who had been there for her on the one night of the year that she was the most fragile, who had been able to rescue her from her nightmare and had brought her to the one place in the world that she felt safe and secure.
She sighed softly, unsure of what to do. Just as she was about to stand, his eyes opened, and his hands reached out to her. With eyes half-closed, his hands reached out and before she could muster the strength to move away from him, he pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her. He kissed her neck softly, brushing her hair out of the way, his fingers lingering ever so slightly on her neck.
“You wouldn’t leave me,” he whispered sleepily, his breath warm against her ear. She sighed softly, all her confusion fading away as he kissed her temple and his fingers entwined with hers. She held her hand out, palm flat, and pressed it against his, gasping as she felt magic surge to her fingertips, and a crackle of energy spark between their palms.
“What is causing that?” she asked in wonder, pulling her hand away and looking to him.
“I don’t know, really. We have very opposite kinds of power, but we used them together. I’m not really sure that’s ever been done before, and I don’t really know how long this,” he paused, trailing a finger along her palm, with a smile as she gasped at the sparks, “Is going to last.”
“It’s incredible,” she breathed, watching in wonder as his finger moved along her hand, feeling the magic within her growing stronger the longer they were in contact. She met his eyes again, and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. “I could feel you last night, you know. I could feel your power, your heartbeat.”
“I could feel you, too. That’s never happened to me before. I’ve never let it happen before,” he said softly, his eyes piercing into hers. Shaken by the possible implications of what he was saying, Ginny turned her head away. Unable to resist the magnetic pull within, she leaned her head against his chest, and placed a hand over his heart. She listened, and felt, the slow, steady beat of his heart.
“This is so weird!” Ginny gasped, with a slight laugh.
“Weird, am I?”
“Not you, just this! Could you have ever imagined us like this, together?” she asked, holding up their entwined hands as a form of proof to punctuate her point.
“Never in a million years,” he answered, his tone characteristically blunt. “You are, after all, a Weasley – and a Mudblood-lover, as well!”
Ginny turned to him, her eyes glinting with indignation.
“What is so wrong about being a Weasley?” she asked dangerously.
“And a Ministry witch. Oh, and a Gryffindor and one of those disgusting Potter-fans. Oh, and did I mention, a Weasley?” he added, a great smirk on his face. With an outraged growl, Ginny pushed away from him, standing up and prepared to storm off with thorough indignation. As she was about to begin her tirade in response to his quips, he suddenly leapt forward, grabbing her around the waist. She shrieked in surprise as they tumbled to the ground. She wrestled against him for a moment, until his strength and mere size overcame her, and he was holding her down, looking at her with an amused smile on his face.
“But you are also a walking contradiction, and I find that amusing,” he murmured, silencing her protest as he captured her lips with his.
* * * * *
“I have to know something,” he stated suddenly, breaking the silence the two had been enjoying, laying as they were, watching the quiet actions of the unicorns and enjoying the peace of their surroundings. Ginny frowned slightly, his tone very insistent.
“What is it?” she asked, shifting slightly in his lap as she turned to meet his eyes, which seemed so piercingly serious.
“You and Potter…Did you…I mean…” he stammered awkwardly. Ginny raised an eyebrow as she watched him, a small smile growing on her face as she watched him become more flustered. “Damn it, Ginny, I need to know. Were you ever involved with Potter?”
“Don’t be stupid, Draco. Of course I was.” She could feel him tense as she said that, and had to bite back a giggle, the idea of him losing his composure too appealing.
“Oh,” was all he said.
“Of course, many people don’t consider that one, fumbling little peck on the cheek involved, but for Harry, that was commitment,” she laughed, hearing a slight sigh of relief from Draco. She grasped his hand, reveling in the jolts of energy that still crackled when their hands made contact. “Actually, that was right before the night he defeated Voldemort. Afterwards, he went all red and embarrassed, and then told me that the most important thing in his life was stopping him and that he couldn’t get involved right now.”
“And after he won?” Draco asked softly, his chin resting gently on her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck.
“Everything had changed. I was different, and he couldn’t understand why. He tried to fix things between us, but I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t really see me.”
“I see you,” he whispered softly, nuzzling her neck.
“I know,” she whispered back, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
* * * * *
“How nice that your friends are able to join us for the holidays,” Gabrielle’s mother, Elizabeth commented, smiling as she refilled Harry’s teacup. Smiling nervously, Gabrielle nodded, meeting Harry’s eyes before quickly looking away, turning her gaze back to the window. Upon the unexpected arrival of her fiancé and his two closest friends, she had been perched at the window overlooking the path from the house out to the woods, desperate to catch sight of Ginny and Draco’s return. She was desperate to have Draco, the master of all scheming, around
“I’m sorry we appeared on such sort notice, Mrs. Malfoy, but Harry didn’t want to spend Christmas without Gabrielle,” Hermione explained, elbowing Ron to try to nag a similar comment from him.
“It’s not a problem – the more, the merrier!” Elizabeth said.
“Where did you say that my sister and Mal – err, Draco – went?” Ron asked suddenly.
“I believe that they were attending a function at Judge Strums’ house last night. We expect them to return sometime this morning,” Elizabeth answered flawlessly, shooting a warning glance at her daughter as Gabrielle shifted nervously. Gabrielle couldn’t help it; she was uncomfortable with all the lies that had been spoken within the first few minutes of her fiancé’s meeting her family. They were all told to protect the “great family secret”, of course, and therefore excusable, but it still made her feel terrible. She needed Draco there, helping her through this, with his flawless ability to bend the truth and his quiet assurance that this was the right thing to do.
“Oh, look, there they are!” Danika announced, as she had been peering over Gabrielle’s shoulder. Two figures were emerging from the woods; a tall, light-haired man, and a small woman with bright red hair, shining in the sun, wrapped in a black robe that was hanging off of her. Gabrielle was amazed as she watched them; their pace leisurely, despite the cold and lightly falling snow, and their demeanor seemed playful and friendly. Her eyes widened in panic as she saw them pause, Ginny pushing Draco into a snowdrift, before dashing ahead of him. Her cousin, jumping up from the snow, quickly took off after her, catching her around the waist, lifting her up and dumping them both into the snow.
“Where?” Ron demanded, jumping up from the sofa where he’d been sitting – sulking, really – and practically tripping over himself to get to the window. Gabrielle turned to shoot a nasty look at her sister for saying anything, and cringed in horror when she looked back at the pair outside in the snow.
It seemed that they had managed to pick themselves up from the snow drift, and were now very much snogging in the middle of the path, fully visible from the window overlooking them, yet completely unaware that they had an audience.
She heard a strange, high-pitched hiss from somewhere, and was easily able to identify it’s source. For standing next to her was Ron Weasley, his face bright red, mouth hanging open, and a look of mingled shock and outrage on his face.
She stretched lazily before snuggling back against the warmth that was surrounding her. Sighing in contentment, she wondered when the last time was that she felt so warm and safe, wrapped securely as she was in Draco’s arms.
With a start, her eyes snapped open, and her eyes darted around, almost in panic. The images from the night before flashed through her mind, and she fought to hold back the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. As realization slowly set in, she became painfully aware of the fact that she was lying with her head pillowed against his shoulder, with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his cloak draped over them. Carefully moving, so as not to wake him, she wriggled out of his grasp, and sat back a few feet away so she could better assess the situation.
They were sitting under the oak tree by the pond on the far edge of the field in the center of the maze. The herd was grouped in the center, most of the silvery creatures were lying on the ground, still sleeping. Turning her attention back to the man beside her leaning against the tree, she was surprised to see how different he looked while asleep. There was a more relaxed look about him; there was no hint of his stiff, hard demeanor that usually hung about him. The soft dawn sunlight was filtering in through the treetops, casting a soft glow about him that gave him an innocent –almost angelic – air. Ginny shuddered, the idea of Draco as innocent or angelic indicated exactly how shaken up her world definitely was. She bit back a slight laugh, knowing that is she started to giggle, she wouldn’t be too far away from hysterics, and she was determined that she wouldn’t break down.
She sat back on her heels, straightening out the straps of her silk nightshirt that had shifted during the night and brushed her wild tumble of hair out of her eyes, and sighed heavily, unsure of what to do. As she contemplated, she allowed herself to stare at him sleeping, enjoying the sight of him completely vulnerable. Her eyes fixated on his closed eyes, the harsh line of his brow, so often frowning or raised in disdain, softened, and the slight smile on his lips captivated her.
Sighing softly as she noticed that smile, she brushed her fingertips over her own lips, remembering the sensations that overwhelmed her the instant his lips made contact with hers. So much had changed in her world, in the matter of a few hours that she could hardly recognize it anymore – she could hardly recognize herself anymore.
She’d used her magic in a way that she hadn’t allowed herself to even consider for so long, because she’d been so convinced that it was wrong. But the second she’d felt the power on her fingertips, and the incredible freedom that came with it, she knew that they were wrong, and that it was completely right for her to use it. Especially when she felt the nature of the spell that was bearing down on them all – it had felt corrupted and tainted; it was almost painful for her to come in contact with it.
But the aftermath…the leftover energy in the body had drawn her with a powerful magnetic force towards the other powerful source in the area – her polar opposite, the man sleeping peacefully next to her. The energy that had ripped through her had been an unstoppable force that was both controlling and incredibly freeing at the same time. But now, in the morning light, what had seemed inevitable, uncontrollable and exactly right under the darkness of the night sky was now a source of great confusion.
He was a Malfoy, he stood for things that her entire family had risked their lives to defeat, he was arrogant, conniving and she could never be sure what the motives lay behind his actions. There were so many reasons why she should run as far away as possible from him…yet he also had those amazing piercing eyes that seemed to see right through the icy mask she wore, he was one of few that was able to prick her temper and unleash her fury, who had been there for her on the one night of the year that she was the most fragile, who had been able to rescue her from her nightmare and had brought her to the one place in the world that she felt safe and secure.
She sighed softly, unsure of what to do. Just as she was about to stand, his eyes opened, and his hands reached out to her. With eyes half-closed, his hands reached out and before she could muster the strength to move away from him, he pulled her into his lap, his arms wrapping around her. He kissed her neck softly, brushing her hair out of the way, his fingers lingering ever so slightly on her neck.
“You wouldn’t leave me,” he whispered sleepily, his breath warm against her ear. She sighed softly, all her confusion fading away as he kissed her temple and his fingers entwined with hers. She held her hand out, palm flat, and pressed it against his, gasping as she felt magic surge to her fingertips, and a crackle of energy spark between their palms.
“What is causing that?” she asked in wonder, pulling her hand away and looking to him.
“I don’t know, really. We have very opposite kinds of power, but we used them together. I’m not really sure that’s ever been done before, and I don’t really know how long this,” he paused, trailing a finger along her palm, with a smile as she gasped at the sparks, “Is going to last.”
“It’s incredible,” she breathed, watching in wonder as his finger moved along her hand, feeling the magic within her growing stronger the longer they were in contact. She met his eyes again, and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. “I could feel you last night, you know. I could feel your power, your heartbeat.”
“I could feel you, too. That’s never happened to me before. I’ve never let it happen before,” he said softly, his eyes piercing into hers. Shaken by the possible implications of what he was saying, Ginny turned her head away. Unable to resist the magnetic pull within, she leaned her head against his chest, and placed a hand over his heart. She listened, and felt, the slow, steady beat of his heart.
“This is so weird!” Ginny gasped, with a slight laugh.
“Weird, am I?”
“Not you, just this! Could you have ever imagined us like this, together?” she asked, holding up their entwined hands as a form of proof to punctuate her point.
“Never in a million years,” he answered, his tone characteristically blunt. “You are, after all, a Weasley – and a Mudblood-lover, as well!”
Ginny turned to him, her eyes glinting with indignation.
“What is so wrong about being a Weasley?” she asked dangerously.
“And a Ministry witch. Oh, and a Gryffindor and one of those disgusting Potter-fans. Oh, and did I mention, a Weasley?” he added, a great smirk on his face. With an outraged growl, Ginny pushed away from him, standing up and prepared to storm off with thorough indignation. As she was about to begin her tirade in response to his quips, he suddenly leapt forward, grabbing her around the waist. She shrieked in surprise as they tumbled to the ground. She wrestled against him for a moment, until his strength and mere size overcame her, and he was holding her down, looking at her with an amused smile on his face.
“But you are also a walking contradiction, and I find that amusing,” he murmured, silencing her protest as he captured her lips with his.
* * * * *
“I have to know something,” he stated suddenly, breaking the silence the two had been enjoying, laying as they were, watching the quiet actions of the unicorns and enjoying the peace of their surroundings. Ginny frowned slightly, his tone very insistent.
“What is it?” she asked, shifting slightly in his lap as she turned to meet his eyes, which seemed so piercingly serious.
“You and Potter…Did you…I mean…” he stammered awkwardly. Ginny raised an eyebrow as she watched him, a small smile growing on her face as she watched him become more flustered. “Damn it, Ginny, I need to know. Were you ever involved with Potter?”
“Don’t be stupid, Draco. Of course I was.” She could feel him tense as she said that, and had to bite back a giggle, the idea of him losing his composure too appealing.
“Oh,” was all he said.
“Of course, many people don’t consider that one, fumbling little peck on the cheek involved, but for Harry, that was commitment,” she laughed, hearing a slight sigh of relief from Draco. She grasped his hand, reveling in the jolts of energy that still crackled when their hands made contact. “Actually, that was right before the night he defeated Voldemort. Afterwards, he went all red and embarrassed, and then told me that the most important thing in his life was stopping him and that he couldn’t get involved right now.”
“And after he won?” Draco asked softly, his chin resting gently on her shoulder, his breath warm on her neck.
“Everything had changed. I was different, and he couldn’t understand why. He tried to fix things between us, but I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t really see me.”
“I see you,” he whispered softly, nuzzling her neck.
“I know,” she whispered back, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
* * * * *
“How nice that your friends are able to join us for the holidays,” Gabrielle’s mother, Elizabeth commented, smiling as she refilled Harry’s teacup. Smiling nervously, Gabrielle nodded, meeting Harry’s eyes before quickly looking away, turning her gaze back to the window. Upon the unexpected arrival of her fiancé and his two closest friends, she had been perched at the window overlooking the path from the house out to the woods, desperate to catch sight of Ginny and Draco’s return. She was desperate to have Draco, the master of all scheming, around
“I’m sorry we appeared on such sort notice, Mrs. Malfoy, but Harry didn’t want to spend Christmas without Gabrielle,” Hermione explained, elbowing Ron to try to nag a similar comment from him.
“It’s not a problem – the more, the merrier!” Elizabeth said.
“Where did you say that my sister and Mal – err, Draco – went?” Ron asked suddenly.
“I believe that they were attending a function at Judge Strums’ house last night. We expect them to return sometime this morning,” Elizabeth answered flawlessly, shooting a warning glance at her daughter as Gabrielle shifted nervously. Gabrielle couldn’t help it; she was uncomfortable with all the lies that had been spoken within the first few minutes of her fiancé’s meeting her family. They were all told to protect the “great family secret”, of course, and therefore excusable, but it still made her feel terrible. She needed Draco there, helping her through this, with his flawless ability to bend the truth and his quiet assurance that this was the right thing to do.
“Oh, look, there they are!” Danika announced, as she had been peering over Gabrielle’s shoulder. Two figures were emerging from the woods; a tall, light-haired man, and a small woman with bright red hair, shining in the sun, wrapped in a black robe that was hanging off of her. Gabrielle was amazed as she watched them; their pace leisurely, despite the cold and lightly falling snow, and their demeanor seemed playful and friendly. Her eyes widened in panic as she saw them pause, Ginny pushing Draco into a snowdrift, before dashing ahead of him. Her cousin, jumping up from the snow, quickly took off after her, catching her around the waist, lifting her up and dumping them both into the snow.
“Where?” Ron demanded, jumping up from the sofa where he’d been sitting – sulking, really – and practically tripping over himself to get to the window. Gabrielle turned to shoot a nasty look at her sister for saying anything, and cringed in horror when she looked back at the pair outside in the snow.
It seemed that they had managed to pick themselves up from the snow drift, and were now very much snogging in the middle of the path, fully visible from the window overlooking them, yet completely unaware that they had an audience.
She heard a strange, high-pitched hiss from somewhere, and was easily able to identify it’s source. For standing next to her was Ron Weasley, his face bright red, mouth hanging open, and a look of mingled shock and outrage on his face.
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