"So you want to leave London, but you don't know if you want to marry her?" Blaise was sipping a cup of tea and looking at Draco from across the table. "You've got to get your priorities sorted out."
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was only a Monday and he was exhausted. Though it was due partly to the fact that he hadn't slept most of the weekend. Instead, he'd lain awake, mulling over things.
It wasn't until this morning that he'd come to a decision.
"I think I'm going to break up with Ginny."
Blaise's eyes watered as he started choking on his tea. When he was well enough to talk, all he said was, "Excuse me? You're going to do what?"
"I thought about what we talked about the other day. I mean, I love her and everything but maybe it isn't enough, you know?"
"Christ," Blaise muttered. "Don't be that guy, Draco."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Think about it. You told Ginny you'd take care of her after what Harry did to her. She trusts you. She fell for you despite what happened in her past. Don't screw this up because you're afraid."
Draco looked at him. "I'm not afraid."
"Then what are you doing?" Blaise hissed. "You shouldn't be allowed to make decisions for your life anymore."
"Oh, well, thanks."
"Just looking out for you, mate."
The door to the shop opened then and Pansy walked in. She headed straight for their table and plopped down next to Blaise.
"Morning," she said, taking his cup.
"Draco's thinking about breaking up with Ginny."
"You're what?" Pansy snapped. She set the cup down. "Here, I don't want to break it over his head."
Blaise!"
"What? You were going to tell her anyway, right?"
"Damnnit! No, Pansy, calm down."
Pansy looked like she was going to hit him. She had good reason, but other reasons also told her not to. So instead she frowned. "Are you going to do it or not?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"Well, if you weren't acting like a complete bastard, I would," Pansy said, frowning. "Why would you even think of doing something as dumb as that?"
"Just stop, okay?" Draco said through gritted teeth. "I've got to think."
"There's nothing to think about," Blaise said.
"You aren't going to do it," Pansy commented.
Draco stood suddenly. "This has been nice, but I've got to get to work. I trust that when you two see Ginny, you won't tell her." He looked at Pansy. "Especially you. I haven't made up my mind yet."
When he left, Pansy said, "He's going to make the wrong decision, isn't he?"
"I hope not," said Blaise. "I really do."
**
Draco had been working for an hour when someone knocked on his door. Sighing, he got up from his desk and answered it. He found Ginny on the other side, her hands shaking.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Ginny tilted her head at him, her eyes dark. "No," she said softly.
"Blaise stopped by," she said, entering the office without being invited.
She sat on the couch as Draco shut the door. He sat beside her. "What did he want?"
Ginny looked at him and pulled something from her pocket. "He said he needed to tell me something, but I never found out what it was. An owl came for you." Her hands shook.
Draco unfolded the parchment and read carefully. His heart raced as he read the words and he suddenly felt sick. He dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders trembling.
"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered.
He looked at her. "I have to go there. I have to be with her. Come with me."
He kissed her hard, his fingers tangling in her hair. He loved her and he made his choice at that moment. She returned the gesture, and even though she knew he was only doing it because he was in pain, she didn't care. An ache to be close to him erupted inside of her. She pressed her lips into his neck.
"Your mother shouldn't be alone right now," Ginny said softly.
After canceling all his afternoon appointments, they were at Malfoy Manor. As Draco knocked on the door, he received no answer. He tried the knob, found it turned easily in his hand and walked inside.
"Mother?" Draco called.
Ginny had never heard him sound so weak in his whole life. Even when he was faced with unimaginable odds, he stood tall, strong. But those times, they were nothing compared to now.
The death of a loved one, no matter who they were, took something from you that you could never get back. Ginny understood that all too well, and as she grabbed his hand, she promised herself that she would help him through this.
"Draco?" a voice said.
In this empty house, her voice seemed to echo off the walls. Or, at least, that's what it felt like. They found her in the living room, wine glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.
Narcissa Malfoy was a beautiful woman. But now as Ginny looked at her, she seemed withered. Her hair was the only thing that made her who she was. It was sleek and shiny. But her face was tired, her eyes hooded.
"Mother," Draco said as he embraced her. "I'm so sorry."
It took a moment for Narcissa's composure to slip, for her tough exterior to break. She gripped Draco and held him tightly against her. Reaching out, Narcissa took hold of Ginny's hand.
"He wouldn't have wanted to admit it, but Lucius would have loved to have you as part of this family."
"Thank you, Narcissa," Ginny said softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was only a Monday and he was exhausted. Though it was due partly to the fact that he hadn't slept most of the weekend. Instead, he'd lain awake, mulling over things.
It wasn't until this morning that he'd come to a decision.
"I think I'm going to break up with Ginny."
Blaise's eyes watered as he started choking on his tea. When he was well enough to talk, all he said was, "Excuse me? You're going to do what?"
"I thought about what we talked about the other day. I mean, I love her and everything but maybe it isn't enough, you know?"
"Christ," Blaise muttered. "Don't be that guy, Draco."
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Think about it. You told Ginny you'd take care of her after what Harry did to her. She trusts you. She fell for you despite what happened in her past. Don't screw this up because you're afraid."
Draco looked at him. "I'm not afraid."
"Then what are you doing?" Blaise hissed. "You shouldn't be allowed to make decisions for your life anymore."
"Oh, well, thanks."
"Just looking out for you, mate."
The door to the shop opened then and Pansy walked in. She headed straight for their table and plopped down next to Blaise.
"Morning," she said, taking his cup.
"Draco's thinking about breaking up with Ginny."
"You're what?" Pansy snapped. She set the cup down. "Here, I don't want to break it over his head."
Blaise!"
"What? You were going to tell her anyway, right?"
"Damnnit! No, Pansy, calm down."
Pansy looked like she was going to hit him. She had good reason, but other reasons also told her not to. So instead she frowned. "Are you going to do it or not?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "Will you stop looking at me like that?"
"Well, if you weren't acting like a complete bastard, I would," Pansy said, frowning. "Why would you even think of doing something as dumb as that?"
"Just stop, okay?" Draco said through gritted teeth. "I've got to think."
"There's nothing to think about," Blaise said.
"You aren't going to do it," Pansy commented.
Draco stood suddenly. "This has been nice, but I've got to get to work. I trust that when you two see Ginny, you won't tell her." He looked at Pansy. "Especially you. I haven't made up my mind yet."
When he left, Pansy said, "He's going to make the wrong decision, isn't he?"
"I hope not," said Blaise. "I really do."
Draco had been working for an hour when someone knocked on his door. Sighing, he got up from his desk and answered it. He found Ginny on the other side, her hands shaking.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Ginny tilted her head at him, her eyes dark. "No," she said softly.
"Blaise stopped by," she said, entering the office without being invited.
She sat on the couch as Draco shut the door. He sat beside her. "What did he want?"
Ginny looked at him and pulled something from her pocket. "He said he needed to tell me something, but I never found out what it was. An owl came for you." Her hands shook.
Draco unfolded the parchment and read carefully. His heart raced as he read the words and he suddenly felt sick. He dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders trembling.
"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered.
He looked at her. "I have to go there. I have to be with her. Come with me."
He kissed her hard, his fingers tangling in her hair. He loved her and he made his choice at that moment. She returned the gesture, and even though she knew he was only doing it because he was in pain, she didn't care. An ache to be close to him erupted inside of her. She pressed her lips into his neck.
"Your mother shouldn't be alone right now," Ginny said softly.
After canceling all his afternoon appointments, they were at Malfoy Manor. As Draco knocked on the door, he received no answer. He tried the knob, found it turned easily in his hand and walked inside.
"Mother?" Draco called.
Ginny had never heard him sound so weak in his whole life. Even when he was faced with unimaginable odds, he stood tall, strong. But those times, they were nothing compared to now.
The death of a loved one, no matter who they were, took something from you that you could never get back. Ginny understood that all too well, and as she grabbed his hand, she promised herself that she would help him through this.
"Draco?" a voice said.
In this empty house, her voice seemed to echo off the walls. Or, at least, that's what it felt like. They found her in the living room, wine glass in one hand and a bottle in the other.
Narcissa Malfoy was a beautiful woman. But now as Ginny looked at her, she seemed withered. Her hair was the only thing that made her who she was. It was sleek and shiny. But her face was tired, her eyes hooded.
"Mother," Draco said as he embraced her. "I'm so sorry."
It took a moment for Narcissa's composure to slip, for her tough exterior to break. She gripped Draco and held him tightly against her. Reaching out, Narcissa took hold of Ginny's hand.
"He wouldn't have wanted to admit it, but Lucius would have loved to have you as part of this family."
"Thank you, Narcissa," Ginny said softly as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Leave a Review