CHAPTER SIX - A Family's Support
Ginny was so embarrassed. She had never met Mrs. Malfoy before; she’d only seen her snooty face at the Quiddich World Cup the summer before her third year. Ginny had been so concerned about her own family’s reactions that she hadn’t even thought that perhaps the idea of a red-headed Weasley blood-traitor being in love with her son might be a little off putting to Narcissa Malfoy. Ginny knew her brothers and Harry would be livid fools, but it finally hit her that Draco might be in for WAY more grief that she was, even with his father in prison.
Then… Mrs. Malfoy had been so kind and genuine. Ginny could tell that she loved her son a great deal. Interesting how some ideas you could get about others really were misconceptions. Mrs. Malfoy even seemed to know quite a bit about her. Ginny wondered how much he’d told his mother about her. Did boys really talk to their mothers about girls? She was almost sure her brothers didn’t. Maybe it was an only child thing. Maybe it was a psychopathic father thing?
As she’d pulled her head out of the Floo she quickly looked to the mirror that hung on the hall wall. Relief washed over her when she realized that there wasn’t too much soot on her face. She would have asked the earth to swallow her up if she’d met Draco’s mother looking like a damn charity case.
Ginny fingered the necklace around her throat and smiled faintly. That little piece of charmed silver had caused quite a stir when she’d gone down to open presents that morning.
***
It had probably been her big grin that had disarmed them first. She’d been so unhappy all break, and then she sat down on her little corner of the couch with a big silly smile on her face. That caught them off guard. Then, she pulled up her hair into a twist and slid a chopstick through it and everyone’s eyes moved down to the necklace.
Ginny’s mother was the first one to react. She’d gathered Ginny in a tight embrace and had whispered, “It’s so good to see you smile again. He must be an amazing young man.” Ginny had flushed at her mother’s mention of Draco, even though she didn’t know who she was mentioning.
Fred and George walked over next… they’d always had a soft spot for their little sister… she was too much like them. Fred had given her a sideways hug while George poked the silver ‘G’ and then gave a low whistle.
“Pricey, that is…”
“Yeah, pretty pricey… Muggle bought I’d wager…” added Fred.
“Must have a rich boyfriend, eh little one?”
“With good taste too…” Fred cocked a smile, “In jewelry and in girls. It looks really nice on you sis.”
“Yeah, brilliant Gin!”
She grinned at her twin brothers and then turned to the rest of the family with a content look. “Can we open gifts now?”
As if coming out of a daze, they’d all kind of nodded and then the noise picked up while Mr. Weasley handed out a present to each person (a Weasley Family Tradition). Opening presents had always been a noisy affair at their house, but this year it was louder than usual. All seven of the ‘actual’ Weasley children were there, along with their parents, Bill’s wife Fleur, Charlie’s girlfriend Katie, Percy’s wife Penny, Harry, and Hermione (who just had been made an unofficial Weasley by a promise ring from Ron the night before). It became just a loud, fun day. Ginny had tried to imagine what Draco probably saw while opening gifts… being an only child it must have at least been quieter. She wondered if it had been lonely growing up along and made a mental note to ask him someday.
She must have had a funny look on her face because during Charlie’s turn to open, Harry had leaned over to her and said, “Hey Gin… what’s up? You look kinda ‘spaced out’.”
Ginny smiled. “Yeah Harry, I’m brilliant thanks.”
She began fiddling with her necklace without thinking about it and Harry couldn’t help but ask, “So, your pen pal… he finally wrote, right? That’s why you’re so happy. You know, he’d better have a damn good excuse for making you miserable all break … some gorgeous and expensive necklace won’t make up for that!”
Realizing his voice was rising, he quieted down and Ginny was able to interrupt him. “Oh Harry, yes… he had a very good reason. He was scared. He’d found out, just like I thought he had, that it was me whom who’d been writing to and he was feeling like he wasn’t good enough to write to me anymore. That I’d be upset if I found out he knew and that I’d think he was taking advantage of me. But he was wrong. I’m going to tell him that this afternoon. He has to know how I feel about him.”
“Not good enough? You make him sound like an ‘upside down Malfoy’ or something.”
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t look away either.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s Malfoy?” Harry said the last line rather loudly and the whole room heard it and stopped what they were doing and saying. “He’s… he’s… he’s Malfoy!” He couldn’t hide the disgust in his voice.
Ginny flushed but not in an embarrassed kind of way. “Harry Potter! You know yourself what it’s like to be loved or hated because of your name.” Looking around at her brothers, she added, “Every Weasley in this room has been called a blood traitor or worse.”
“Yeah… by Malfoy.” Harry muttered, but Ginny went on.
“How is hating a Malfoy simply because he’s a Malfoy any different from them hating us because of our red hair and our last name?” She exhaled slowly. “I was planning on telling all of you…” she looked around at her still shocked family, “about my best friend Draco during breakfast, but here it’ll have to be!
We’ve been writing each other all term without knowing whom the other actually was. We’ve become friends. We’ve shared things we don’t tell anyone else. HE IS NOT the monster you all like to portray him as. He may act like an idiot… okay, he does act like an idiot, but you don’t understand him or why he shows such an asinine side to the world. He’s lived in a way none of us can imagine. He’s lived without the unconditional love from his idiot father, who though he had never been proud of him or praise him or shown love in anyway we’d recognize, didn’t fail to instill his own bigotry and cruelty into his son. Draco’s been without the skills to make friends or to trust the one’s he has made not to want him only for his money, his power, or his name.
Imagine, Harry, if they only reason we’d have anything to do with you is because we wanted something from you… if we were more concerned with what you could give us than who you actually are. You are the ‘Boy-who-lived’ after all. Imagine you had a father who berated everything you did. You were never good enough, always week, never as good as the Muggle-born witch in your year, or even the damn ‘Savior of the Wizarding world’. Would you still be the wonderful person we know and love and who we’ve embraced into our family if you’d grown up like that? Or, would you have shut off your emotions long ago… compartmentalized them so no one could reach them and hurt you. Would you act in a way that protected you from ever getting hurt?”
Harry moved to answer, his face still red, but Ginny silenced him with a raised hand, “No. You know what? I don’t give a damn what you ‘think’ you’d do. You’re not Draco. You can’t understand him anymore than he’ll ever be able to understand you.”
With one look at the flabbergasted faces of her family she added finally, “I’m not asking you to love him… or even to like him, but he’s my friend. He makes me happy, and I expect you all to respect me and my choice.”
Then, she sat down and opened her gift from Hermione… it was her turn to open and it was a lovely book.
The rest of them, other than Harry and Ron had looked at each other and nodded. They loved Ginny and trusted that she’d be able to handle herself… even with the son of a Death Eater.
Harry, on the other hand, had been inwardly thinking of all the hexes and curses he knew… imagining Malfoy as the target of all of them. Ron was just feeling physically ill, and his face showed it.
***
Having Ginny in such an improved mood had really made it better for everyone. Mrs. Weasley had wordlessly hugged her daughter several times, but even after brunch her father hadn’t said anything. He just looked at his only daughter, devising when the best time to approach her with his thoughts would be. Finally, he’d said, “Ginny, may I speak to you in the den please, honey?”
Ginny had looked weary at this request… and had glanced over at Harry, who was not hiding his thoughts well. In his head he was cheering, “That’s right! Tell her she’s not to speak to that git again! Then, maybe things will get back to how they should be around here!” She’d followed her father with a grimace directed at Harry.
Once they’d sat down, Mr. Weasley seemed as though he didn’t’ know how to start. “Ginny, you know I value your judgment.” Ginny thought she heard a ‘but’ coming on. “And, well… I just wanted you to know how proud I am for what you said in there. It’s always hard to stand up to people you love and respect. I know Harry and the boys are all people you care about, but now the Malfoy boy is too. You did him a great service by standing up for him in there.”
Ginny had been surprised but had just grabbed her father in a massive hug. “Oh, Thank you daddy! I was so worried you’d say I couldn’t see him anymore,”
“No, no, sweetheart.” He winked at her. “I know you too well. There’s too much of your mother in you. To forbid you would only make you want to do it more. And, as much as I dislike his father… you were right. People shouldn’t be judged by their parents… and if I had to live with Lucius Malfoy as my father I’d probably behave like an idiot most of the time too! Has this boy’s outward ‘attitude’ and behaviour changed at all since his father was finally kissed by a Dementor and shut away in Azkaban?”
“I think so, but I’m biased. I’ve liked him for nearly two years, but I think even Hermione, who’d be the most unbiased of the trio would say he’s been less insulting… less of a prat this year.”
“Well, honey. That makes me feel better for you then. It would be hard to reconcile a wonderful boy in private with an incorrigible prat in public. Give Ron and Harry some time… I think this may be harder on them than you’d think, especially since it’s pretty obvious that Harry’s finally realized what a treasure he could have had, and now he’s lost you to Malfoy.”
Ginny got a worried look on her face. “Oh, Dad. What should I do? Harry’s my friend, I don’t want to lose him… but I just don’t want to date him anymore.”
“Just be patient and know that your mother and I are here for you… and your brothers too… even Ron. We love you, and if the Malfoy boy…”
“Draco.” Ginny interrupted with a smile.
“… if Draco treats you well, I’m sure we’ll learn to love him too… someday… maybe….” He grinned at her.
Ginny felt so good after talking with her father and she’d known there were things that needed to be said to Draco, so she’d written him and had decided to Floo over to give him his Christmas gift.
Stepping into the Floo, she’d been scared. It had suddenly occurred to her that he’d never really had a ‘normal’ conversation, out loud, with him in person. And then she’d realized that she’d never met his mother and in a few seconds, there she was. Seeing only Narcissa Malfoy looking back at her made Ginny more flustered than she’d been before.
But Narcissa had been nothing but sweet. She didn’t seemed shocked in the slightest at seeing Ginny. Then, Narcissa had invited her in for tea. Her, a ‘blood traitor’… a ‘Weasley’. Ginny was floored. She was so glad she’d Floo’d over, but she knew her family would need a little more time to get used to the idea so she’d declined, handed over Draco’s gift, and with a “Happy Christmas” came home.
Still fingering the beautiful necklace, Ginny knew this was the beginning of something… and it made her nervous and excited. She’d really meant what she’d said in the letter. She didn’t care what the other Gryffindors or Slytherins thought. What was house pride when you were talking about ‘real life’… the rest of your life? Ginny was hopeful.
***
Right in the middle of the Weasley Christmas Supper a dark brown eagle owl came knocking at the kitchen window with a green letter stuck to it’s foot. Ginny looked around the table, grinned, and jumped up to open the window wide. The owl stuck it’s leg out for her and after she took the letter the owl hooted a gentle hoot and flew to the table to drink some of her pumpkin juice and preen itself. IT was obviously waiting for her to read and reply.
While her whole family watched, she opened it with large eyes.
Dear Ginny,
I can’t tell you how it felt to read your letter and see ‘my’ name there. I’ve been physically ill not knowing what was going to happen and now that I know, it feels like… well… like I can fly, without the aid of a broom.
Thank you SO much for the cloak pin. It’s brilliant. I love it. It looks great with my robes too. (You can’t expect me to stop being so completely overconfident in one day can you?) I’m really glad you liked the necklace. My mum said you looked beautiful in it. I knew you would. (She also said you’re not to worry that she thinks you are a mental patient. She thinks you’re lovely -- and not at all escapee’ material.)
I’d love to talk to you tomorrow, but Mum and I are going skiing for a few days. She planned it as a surprise for Christmas. (and actually, I don’ ski, I snowboard, but whatever…) Anyway, I was hoping when I get back from Klosters that I could actually ‘talk’ to you… if you don’t mind talking to me instead of just writing. I’m home on the night of the 30th and I was hoping I could visit on the 31st.
I’d like to hear your voice again… I almost can’t remember how it sounds… that is, of course, hoping that my head doesn’t get hexed off in the Floo by your brothers. Let me know about the 31st.
Love, Draco
Quickly finding a piece of parchment and snagging a quill from behind Percy’s ear, she quickly wrote back.
Dearest Draco,
Floo after lunch on the 31st -- around half twelve. (For future reference… I am NOT a morning person)
Don’t worry about my brothers. They’re all afraid of my Bat Bogey Hex. You know the one. You’ve seen it.
Have fun snowboarding in Switzerland. Wait… a Malfoy on a snowboard? Isn’t that too Muggle for you people? ;)
Love, Ginny.
She tied the note to the owl and it was off, presumably to Wiltshire, to Malfoy Manor. Now all she had to do was wait. The week wouldn’t go fast enough.
Ginny was so embarrassed. She had never met Mrs. Malfoy before; she’d only seen her snooty face at the Quiddich World Cup the summer before her third year. Ginny had been so concerned about her own family’s reactions that she hadn’t even thought that perhaps the idea of a red-headed Weasley blood-traitor being in love with her son might be a little off putting to Narcissa Malfoy. Ginny knew her brothers and Harry would be livid fools, but it finally hit her that Draco might be in for WAY more grief that she was, even with his father in prison.
Then… Mrs. Malfoy had been so kind and genuine. Ginny could tell that she loved her son a great deal. Interesting how some ideas you could get about others really were misconceptions. Mrs. Malfoy even seemed to know quite a bit about her. Ginny wondered how much he’d told his mother about her. Did boys really talk to their mothers about girls? She was almost sure her brothers didn’t. Maybe it was an only child thing. Maybe it was a psychopathic father thing?
As she’d pulled her head out of the Floo she quickly looked to the mirror that hung on the hall wall. Relief washed over her when she realized that there wasn’t too much soot on her face. She would have asked the earth to swallow her up if she’d met Draco’s mother looking like a damn charity case.
Ginny fingered the necklace around her throat and smiled faintly. That little piece of charmed silver had caused quite a stir when she’d gone down to open presents that morning.
***
It had probably been her big grin that had disarmed them first. She’d been so unhappy all break, and then she sat down on her little corner of the couch with a big silly smile on her face. That caught them off guard. Then, she pulled up her hair into a twist and slid a chopstick through it and everyone’s eyes moved down to the necklace.
Ginny’s mother was the first one to react. She’d gathered Ginny in a tight embrace and had whispered, “It’s so good to see you smile again. He must be an amazing young man.” Ginny had flushed at her mother’s mention of Draco, even though she didn’t know who she was mentioning.
Fred and George walked over next… they’d always had a soft spot for their little sister… she was too much like them. Fred had given her a sideways hug while George poked the silver ‘G’ and then gave a low whistle.
“Pricey, that is…”
“Yeah, pretty pricey… Muggle bought I’d wager…” added Fred.
“Must have a rich boyfriend, eh little one?”
“With good taste too…” Fred cocked a smile, “In jewelry and in girls. It looks really nice on you sis.”
“Yeah, brilliant Gin!”
She grinned at her twin brothers and then turned to the rest of the family with a content look. “Can we open gifts now?”
As if coming out of a daze, they’d all kind of nodded and then the noise picked up while Mr. Weasley handed out a present to each person (a Weasley Family Tradition). Opening presents had always been a noisy affair at their house, but this year it was louder than usual. All seven of the ‘actual’ Weasley children were there, along with their parents, Bill’s wife Fleur, Charlie’s girlfriend Katie, Percy’s wife Penny, Harry, and Hermione (who just had been made an unofficial Weasley by a promise ring from Ron the night before). It became just a loud, fun day. Ginny had tried to imagine what Draco probably saw while opening gifts… being an only child it must have at least been quieter. She wondered if it had been lonely growing up along and made a mental note to ask him someday.
She must have had a funny look on her face because during Charlie’s turn to open, Harry had leaned over to her and said, “Hey Gin… what’s up? You look kinda ‘spaced out’.”
Ginny smiled. “Yeah Harry, I’m brilliant thanks.”
She began fiddling with her necklace without thinking about it and Harry couldn’t help but ask, “So, your pen pal… he finally wrote, right? That’s why you’re so happy. You know, he’d better have a damn good excuse for making you miserable all break … some gorgeous and expensive necklace won’t make up for that!”
Realizing his voice was rising, he quieted down and Ginny was able to interrupt him. “Oh Harry, yes… he had a very good reason. He was scared. He’d found out, just like I thought he had, that it was me whom who’d been writing to and he was feeling like he wasn’t good enough to write to me anymore. That I’d be upset if I found out he knew and that I’d think he was taking advantage of me. But he was wrong. I’m going to tell him that this afternoon. He has to know how I feel about him.”
“Not good enough? You make him sound like an ‘upside down Malfoy’ or something.”
She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t look away either.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s Malfoy?” Harry said the last line rather loudly and the whole room heard it and stopped what they were doing and saying. “He’s… he’s… he’s Malfoy!” He couldn’t hide the disgust in his voice.
Ginny flushed but not in an embarrassed kind of way. “Harry Potter! You know yourself what it’s like to be loved or hated because of your name.” Looking around at her brothers, she added, “Every Weasley in this room has been called a blood traitor or worse.”
“Yeah… by Malfoy.” Harry muttered, but Ginny went on.
“How is hating a Malfoy simply because he’s a Malfoy any different from them hating us because of our red hair and our last name?” She exhaled slowly. “I was planning on telling all of you…” she looked around at her still shocked family, “about my best friend Draco during breakfast, but here it’ll have to be!
We’ve been writing each other all term without knowing whom the other actually was. We’ve become friends. We’ve shared things we don’t tell anyone else. HE IS NOT the monster you all like to portray him as. He may act like an idiot… okay, he does act like an idiot, but you don’t understand him or why he shows such an asinine side to the world. He’s lived in a way none of us can imagine. He’s lived without the unconditional love from his idiot father, who though he had never been proud of him or praise him or shown love in anyway we’d recognize, didn’t fail to instill his own bigotry and cruelty into his son. Draco’s been without the skills to make friends or to trust the one’s he has made not to want him only for his money, his power, or his name.
Imagine, Harry, if they only reason we’d have anything to do with you is because we wanted something from you… if we were more concerned with what you could give us than who you actually are. You are the ‘Boy-who-lived’ after all. Imagine you had a father who berated everything you did. You were never good enough, always week, never as good as the Muggle-born witch in your year, or even the damn ‘Savior of the Wizarding world’. Would you still be the wonderful person we know and love and who we’ve embraced into our family if you’d grown up like that? Or, would you have shut off your emotions long ago… compartmentalized them so no one could reach them and hurt you. Would you act in a way that protected you from ever getting hurt?”
Harry moved to answer, his face still red, but Ginny silenced him with a raised hand, “No. You know what? I don’t give a damn what you ‘think’ you’d do. You’re not Draco. You can’t understand him anymore than he’ll ever be able to understand you.”
With one look at the flabbergasted faces of her family she added finally, “I’m not asking you to love him… or even to like him, but he’s my friend. He makes me happy, and I expect you all to respect me and my choice.”
Then, she sat down and opened her gift from Hermione… it was her turn to open and it was a lovely book.
The rest of them, other than Harry and Ron had looked at each other and nodded. They loved Ginny and trusted that she’d be able to handle herself… even with the son of a Death Eater.
Harry, on the other hand, had been inwardly thinking of all the hexes and curses he knew… imagining Malfoy as the target of all of them. Ron was just feeling physically ill, and his face showed it.
***
Having Ginny in such an improved mood had really made it better for everyone. Mrs. Weasley had wordlessly hugged her daughter several times, but even after brunch her father hadn’t said anything. He just looked at his only daughter, devising when the best time to approach her with his thoughts would be. Finally, he’d said, “Ginny, may I speak to you in the den please, honey?”
Ginny had looked weary at this request… and had glanced over at Harry, who was not hiding his thoughts well. In his head he was cheering, “That’s right! Tell her she’s not to speak to that git again! Then, maybe things will get back to how they should be around here!” She’d followed her father with a grimace directed at Harry.
Once they’d sat down, Mr. Weasley seemed as though he didn’t’ know how to start. “Ginny, you know I value your judgment.” Ginny thought she heard a ‘but’ coming on. “And, well… I just wanted you to know how proud I am for what you said in there. It’s always hard to stand up to people you love and respect. I know Harry and the boys are all people you care about, but now the Malfoy boy is too. You did him a great service by standing up for him in there.”
Ginny had been surprised but had just grabbed her father in a massive hug. “Oh, Thank you daddy! I was so worried you’d say I couldn’t see him anymore,”
“No, no, sweetheart.” He winked at her. “I know you too well. There’s too much of your mother in you. To forbid you would only make you want to do it more. And, as much as I dislike his father… you were right. People shouldn’t be judged by their parents… and if I had to live with Lucius Malfoy as my father I’d probably behave like an idiot most of the time too! Has this boy’s outward ‘attitude’ and behaviour changed at all since his father was finally kissed by a Dementor and shut away in Azkaban?”
“I think so, but I’m biased. I’ve liked him for nearly two years, but I think even Hermione, who’d be the most unbiased of the trio would say he’s been less insulting… less of a prat this year.”
“Well, honey. That makes me feel better for you then. It would be hard to reconcile a wonderful boy in private with an incorrigible prat in public. Give Ron and Harry some time… I think this may be harder on them than you’d think, especially since it’s pretty obvious that Harry’s finally realized what a treasure he could have had, and now he’s lost you to Malfoy.”
Ginny got a worried look on her face. “Oh, Dad. What should I do? Harry’s my friend, I don’t want to lose him… but I just don’t want to date him anymore.”
“Just be patient and know that your mother and I are here for you… and your brothers too… even Ron. We love you, and if the Malfoy boy…”
“Draco.” Ginny interrupted with a smile.
“… if Draco treats you well, I’m sure we’ll learn to love him too… someday… maybe….” He grinned at her.
Ginny felt so good after talking with her father and she’d known there were things that needed to be said to Draco, so she’d written him and had decided to Floo over to give him his Christmas gift.
Stepping into the Floo, she’d been scared. It had suddenly occurred to her that he’d never really had a ‘normal’ conversation, out loud, with him in person. And then she’d realized that she’d never met his mother and in a few seconds, there she was. Seeing only Narcissa Malfoy looking back at her made Ginny more flustered than she’d been before.
But Narcissa had been nothing but sweet. She didn’t seemed shocked in the slightest at seeing Ginny. Then, Narcissa had invited her in for tea. Her, a ‘blood traitor’… a ‘Weasley’. Ginny was floored. She was so glad she’d Floo’d over, but she knew her family would need a little more time to get used to the idea so she’d declined, handed over Draco’s gift, and with a “Happy Christmas” came home.
Still fingering the beautiful necklace, Ginny knew this was the beginning of something… and it made her nervous and excited. She’d really meant what she’d said in the letter. She didn’t care what the other Gryffindors or Slytherins thought. What was house pride when you were talking about ‘real life’… the rest of your life? Ginny was hopeful.
***
Right in the middle of the Weasley Christmas Supper a dark brown eagle owl came knocking at the kitchen window with a green letter stuck to it’s foot. Ginny looked around the table, grinned, and jumped up to open the window wide. The owl stuck it’s leg out for her and after she took the letter the owl hooted a gentle hoot and flew to the table to drink some of her pumpkin juice and preen itself. IT was obviously waiting for her to read and reply.
While her whole family watched, she opened it with large eyes.
Dear Ginny,
I can’t tell you how it felt to read your letter and see ‘my’ name there. I’ve been physically ill not knowing what was going to happen and now that I know, it feels like… well… like I can fly, without the aid of a broom.
Thank you SO much for the cloak pin. It’s brilliant. I love it. It looks great with my robes too. (You can’t expect me to stop being so completely overconfident in one day can you?) I’m really glad you liked the necklace. My mum said you looked beautiful in it. I knew you would. (She also said you’re not to worry that she thinks you are a mental patient. She thinks you’re lovely -- and not at all escapee’ material.)
I’d love to talk to you tomorrow, but Mum and I are going skiing for a few days. She planned it as a surprise for Christmas. (and actually, I don’ ski, I snowboard, but whatever…) Anyway, I was hoping when I get back from Klosters that I could actually ‘talk’ to you… if you don’t mind talking to me instead of just writing. I’m home on the night of the 30th and I was hoping I could visit on the 31st.
I’d like to hear your voice again… I almost can’t remember how it sounds… that is, of course, hoping that my head doesn’t get hexed off in the Floo by your brothers. Let me know about the 31st.
Love, Draco
Quickly finding a piece of parchment and snagging a quill from behind Percy’s ear, she quickly wrote back.
Dearest Draco,
Floo after lunch on the 31st -- around half twelve. (For future reference… I am NOT a morning person)
Don’t worry about my brothers. They’re all afraid of my Bat Bogey Hex. You know the one. You’ve seen it.
Have fun snowboarding in Switzerland. Wait… a Malfoy on a snowboard? Isn’t that too Muggle for you people? ;)
Love, Ginny.
She tied the note to the owl and it was off, presumably to Wiltshire, to Malfoy Manor. Now all she had to do was wait. The week wouldn’t go fast enough.
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