“George! What are you doing here?”
It wasn't Ginny. She was too busy trying to drown herself because she was so mortified that her brother had come here unannounced and seen that.
“I was just coming to tell Ginny that – I can't do this.” He slipped his hand over his eyes. “Okay, okay. As long as I don't look, not that I want to–”
“George, get on with it!” Draco said, his voice a little too high. He was embarrassed at being caught.
“Right,” George murmured. “Well, Mum wants her home. She told me to go get her – to get both of you, actually.”
“George,” Ginny said softly, “turn around. Draco, hand me my clothes. I need to talk to my brother, and I need him to be able to look at me.”
“I don't think that will be possible after what he witnessed.” Draco snorted with laughter as George turned his back on them.
Within a few minutes, Ginny said, “Okay, you can turn around now. I swear I'm clothed.”
George groaned, whirled around, and looked. “That's a relief. I thought I was going to have to stab my eyes out with my wand.”
Ginny smiled faintly. “Now what does Mum want?” They exited the bathroom, with Draco in tow, and went into the kitchen, where Ginny made them some tea. As she poured the steaming liquid into mugs, she said, “She has to stop inviting us over. Doesn't she know every time we visit, it only leads to us leaving shortly after we've arrived?”
“That's because you don't get along,” George said.
“Has anyone forgot that she punched me in the face?” Ginny said, her hands shaking as she set the mugs down. “I could have died because of her.”
“She's got a point,” Draco remarked.
George sighed. “Well, as far as I know, the two of them won't be there. It'll just be you guys.”
“We've heard that before,” Draco said. “We show up, then they do, and someone says, 'Oops, we forgot to inform you.' It's kind of a mood killer.”
George laughed and shook his head. “I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I'm your informer. Oh, and Gin? Luna and Neville will be there.”
Ginny hadn't seen them since the banquet. She asked, “What are they coming for?”
“I dunno. Mum just wanted to invite them. Luna's very excited, I hear. But then again she's generally that way these days.”
“Why?” Ginny asked suspiciously.
George blinked. “Oh, it's nothing. I mean, I don't know anything. You'll have to talk to Luna when you get home. I'll let Mum know you're on you're way, and I'll see you later.”
With that, George disappeared, leaving Draco and Ginny alone. Neither of them said anything, just started to laugh while they cleaned up around the flat, in the bathroom, and their bedroom. It took half an hour, and then they Apparated, and soon were in front of The Burrow.
The front door opened, and instead of Molly, Neville stood there, grinning broadly. He took two long strides and enveloped Ginny in a giant huge, like they hadn't seen each other in years.
“How are you?” he asked, pulling back. He looked at Draco, extending his hand.
Ginny answered while Draco shook his hand. Neville's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Pansy's name and he said, “I never liked her. I don't understand hat Harry sees in her. I don't get why you weren't enough for him. You're great.” He eyed Draco. “He seems to think so, too.”
Draco nodded and gripped Ginny's hand. “So what's this news that Lovegood's got to tell us?”
As Neville went back inside, Ginny pinched his hand.
“What?” he snapped.
“Her name is Luna,” she hissed as she pulled him inside.
Draco nodded as she marched in the house with him. He half expected to see Harry and Pansy materialize from thin air. When they didn't, he relaxed. It wasn't that he was afraid of Harry, he just didn't want to have to kick his ass again, this time in front of guests.
Instead, Molly, Arthur, Bill and George all greeted him. He slipped into the living room with Ginny and sat on the couch.
“I'm not as nervous,” he admitted, smiling faintly.
“That's because they aren't here,” said Ginny. “If they were, things would be tense. I'm glad Mum didn't invite them.”
“Me too,” Draco said, nodding. “Hey, I'm sorry about before. You know, the whole Luna thing.”
“It's okay,” a voice said softly. Luna had wandered in, looking as dreamy as always. Also, there was something different about her – she seemed to be glowing.
Ginny smiled. “You look great. What did you want to tell us?”
Luna grinned widely. “I think I should wait for Neville to come in here. Oh, there you are.” He stepped beside her and she said, “Can we tell them now? I think Ginny's going to burst.”
Neville nodded. Luna turned to look at Ginny, and before she could open her mouth, there was a loud knock on the door.
No one moved. Ginny said, “Mum, someone's here!”
“Could you get the door?” Molly called from the kitchen. “I'm busy at the moment.”
Draco put a hand on hers. “I'll do it, you talk with Luna. I'll be right back.” He left and walked to the door. Whoever it was had stopped knocking. He gripped the knob and turned it, frowning. “Oh, come on,” he hissed.
Harry blinked at him, emerald eyes wide. “This is ridiculous,” he said, and turned to leave. Someone gripped his wrist and appeared in front of Draco.
Blaise.
“What are you doing here?” Draco asked.
His best friend smirked. “Let's just say I kidnapped Potter, and for what reason, you ask? Well, believe it or not, I'm tired of hearing about this.” When no one said anything, he added, “Pansy keeps stopping by my place, and she's complaining about your girlfriend, mate.”
“Ginny?” Draco said, raising an eyebrow. “What's she done? We haven't seen these two for awhile.”
Blaise's eyes narrowed. “That's interesting. Pansy said your little vixen has sent a threatening letter.”
Draco shook his head. “Then she's lying. Ginny would never do that.” He glared at Harry. “Is that what she told you, Potter?”
Harry looked at him. “Pansy said she received a letter from Ginny telling her to —”
Draco, slightly shaken, turned his head and called back into the house. Ginny emerged, her eyes wide.
“What's going on?” she asked, pushing the hair from her eyes. “Blaise, why are you with Harry?”
“It seems,” Blaise began, stepping back so she could come outside, “that there's an alleged claim about you threatening Pansy.”
Ginny shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about? Why would I threaten her? I have no reason to.”
“You're such a liar,” Harry snapped. “You're still pissed off that I chose her over you. She showed me the letter. You told her to stay away Draco or you'd get revenge on her for what she did to you last month. I mean, really, Ginny? I always knew you were spiteful, but I didn't realize you were a jealous, insane cun-”
Ginny didn't wait for him to finish before she punched him in the face and Apparated.
**
Draco found her, hours later, in the bathtub. It was empty and she was curled up in it. She didn't look at him when he entered, nor did she move when he touched her. Her face was smudged with makeup, her eyes puffy. He tried to talk to her, to tell her this was all wrong, but she never said a word. It was like she wasn't even there, except she was.
Draco sighed, and as he straightened up to leave, he saw the bottle on the sink. It was some kind of alcohol, and it was just about empty.
Fear slid through him, and he wondered as he shut the door, if she really was the person he knew and loved. Or maybe she was just pretending after all.
It wasn't Ginny. She was too busy trying to drown herself because she was so mortified that her brother had come here unannounced and seen that.
“I was just coming to tell Ginny that – I can't do this.” He slipped his hand over his eyes. “Okay, okay. As long as I don't look, not that I want to–”
“George, get on with it!” Draco said, his voice a little too high. He was embarrassed at being caught.
“Right,” George murmured. “Well, Mum wants her home. She told me to go get her – to get both of you, actually.”
“George,” Ginny said softly, “turn around. Draco, hand me my clothes. I need to talk to my brother, and I need him to be able to look at me.”
“I don't think that will be possible after what he witnessed.” Draco snorted with laughter as George turned his back on them.
Within a few minutes, Ginny said, “Okay, you can turn around now. I swear I'm clothed.”
George groaned, whirled around, and looked. “That's a relief. I thought I was going to have to stab my eyes out with my wand.”
Ginny smiled faintly. “Now what does Mum want?” They exited the bathroom, with Draco in tow, and went into the kitchen, where Ginny made them some tea. As she poured the steaming liquid into mugs, she said, “She has to stop inviting us over. Doesn't she know every time we visit, it only leads to us leaving shortly after we've arrived?”
“That's because you don't get along,” George said.
“Has anyone forgot that she punched me in the face?” Ginny said, her hands shaking as she set the mugs down. “I could have died because of her.”
“She's got a point,” Draco remarked.
George sighed. “Well, as far as I know, the two of them won't be there. It'll just be you guys.”
“We've heard that before,” Draco said. “We show up, then they do, and someone says, 'Oops, we forgot to inform you.' It's kind of a mood killer.”
George laughed and shook his head. “I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I'm your informer. Oh, and Gin? Luna and Neville will be there.”
Ginny hadn't seen them since the banquet. She asked, “What are they coming for?”
“I dunno. Mum just wanted to invite them. Luna's very excited, I hear. But then again she's generally that way these days.”
“Why?” Ginny asked suspiciously.
George blinked. “Oh, it's nothing. I mean, I don't know anything. You'll have to talk to Luna when you get home. I'll let Mum know you're on you're way, and I'll see you later.”
With that, George disappeared, leaving Draco and Ginny alone. Neither of them said anything, just started to laugh while they cleaned up around the flat, in the bathroom, and their bedroom. It took half an hour, and then they Apparated, and soon were in front of The Burrow.
The front door opened, and instead of Molly, Neville stood there, grinning broadly. He took two long strides and enveloped Ginny in a giant huge, like they hadn't seen each other in years.
“How are you?” he asked, pulling back. He looked at Draco, extending his hand.
Ginny answered while Draco shook his hand. Neville's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Pansy's name and he said, “I never liked her. I don't understand hat Harry sees in her. I don't get why you weren't enough for him. You're great.” He eyed Draco. “He seems to think so, too.”
Draco nodded and gripped Ginny's hand. “So what's this news that Lovegood's got to tell us?”
As Neville went back inside, Ginny pinched his hand.
“What?” he snapped.
“Her name is Luna,” she hissed as she pulled him inside.
Draco nodded as she marched in the house with him. He half expected to see Harry and Pansy materialize from thin air. When they didn't, he relaxed. It wasn't that he was afraid of Harry, he just didn't want to have to kick his ass again, this time in front of guests.
Instead, Molly, Arthur, Bill and George all greeted him. He slipped into the living room with Ginny and sat on the couch.
“I'm not as nervous,” he admitted, smiling faintly.
“That's because they aren't here,” said Ginny. “If they were, things would be tense. I'm glad Mum didn't invite them.”
“Me too,” Draco said, nodding. “Hey, I'm sorry about before. You know, the whole Luna thing.”
“It's okay,” a voice said softly. Luna had wandered in, looking as dreamy as always. Also, there was something different about her – she seemed to be glowing.
Ginny smiled. “You look great. What did you want to tell us?”
Luna grinned widely. “I think I should wait for Neville to come in here. Oh, there you are.” He stepped beside her and she said, “Can we tell them now? I think Ginny's going to burst.”
Neville nodded. Luna turned to look at Ginny, and before she could open her mouth, there was a loud knock on the door.
No one moved. Ginny said, “Mum, someone's here!”
“Could you get the door?” Molly called from the kitchen. “I'm busy at the moment.”
Draco put a hand on hers. “I'll do it, you talk with Luna. I'll be right back.” He left and walked to the door. Whoever it was had stopped knocking. He gripped the knob and turned it, frowning. “Oh, come on,” he hissed.
Harry blinked at him, emerald eyes wide. “This is ridiculous,” he said, and turned to leave. Someone gripped his wrist and appeared in front of Draco.
Blaise.
“What are you doing here?” Draco asked.
His best friend smirked. “Let's just say I kidnapped Potter, and for what reason, you ask? Well, believe it or not, I'm tired of hearing about this.” When no one said anything, he added, “Pansy keeps stopping by my place, and she's complaining about your girlfriend, mate.”
“Ginny?” Draco said, raising an eyebrow. “What's she done? We haven't seen these two for awhile.”
Blaise's eyes narrowed. “That's interesting. Pansy said your little vixen has sent a threatening letter.”
Draco shook his head. “Then she's lying. Ginny would never do that.” He glared at Harry. “Is that what she told you, Potter?”
Harry looked at him. “Pansy said she received a letter from Ginny telling her to —”
Draco, slightly shaken, turned his head and called back into the house. Ginny emerged, her eyes wide.
“What's going on?” she asked, pushing the hair from her eyes. “Blaise, why are you with Harry?”
“It seems,” Blaise began, stepping back so she could come outside, “that there's an alleged claim about you threatening Pansy.”
Ginny shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about? Why would I threaten her? I have no reason to.”
“You're such a liar,” Harry snapped. “You're still pissed off that I chose her over you. She showed me the letter. You told her to stay away Draco or you'd get revenge on her for what she did to you last month. I mean, really, Ginny? I always knew you were spiteful, but I didn't realize you were a jealous, insane cun-”
Ginny didn't wait for him to finish before she punched him in the face and Apparated.
Draco found her, hours later, in the bathtub. It was empty and she was curled up in it. She didn't look at him when he entered, nor did she move when he touched her. Her face was smudged with makeup, her eyes puffy. He tried to talk to her, to tell her this was all wrong, but she never said a word. It was like she wasn't even there, except she was.
Draco sighed, and as he straightened up to leave, he saw the bottle on the sink. It was some kind of alcohol, and it was just about empty.
Fear slid through him, and he wondered as he shut the door, if she really was the person he knew and loved. Or maybe she was just pretending after all.
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