“The threat was made years ago,” Blaise said as they walked through Ministry doors. “What does it have to do with now?”
Pansy said, “Maybe Lucius never reported it.”
“I don't get why he wouldn't,” Ginny said, shaking her head. “If my kid ever threatened me like that, I'd tell someone.”
“Maybe he knew,” Blaise said softly.
They stopped to look at him. Standing in the middle of the Ministry with people going by was one thing, but being stared at was another. Because Blaise looked a little scared at the moment.
“What are you talking about?” Pansy asked.
“What if he knew he was going to die one day, and he used Draco's threat against him? What if he told Narcissa about it before he died, and she decided it was important enough to tell the Aurors when they happened to show up?”
“That's really reaching,” Ginny said. “I don't think that's true.”
“How else do you explain what you told us?” Blaise asked. “Narcissa had no reason to tell the Aurors what happened unless she knew there was some truth to it.”
Ginny shook her head. “No, stop. I don't want to think that Draco's own mother would deem him a killer.”
“Could you blame her?” Blaise asked seriously. “I mean, look at what he's done in the past.”
“Oh my God,” Ginny said, wide-eyed. “You actually believe he's guilty, don't you? Fine, if you're going to think that about your best friend, then I don't want your help to get him out of here. I'll do it myself.”
**
“I cannot believe him,” Ginny snapped as she shut the door to their flat. Pansy settled on the couch and conjured up a bottle of alcohol. “Draco's going to crushed when he hears the news.”
The redhead took the liquor, drinking until her throat burned.
“More like happy,” a voice said from the hallway.
Ginny turned to see Narcissa Malfoy. She was holding a cup of tea and looking around. When Blaise appeared beside her, Ginny's eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing here?”
“That's not how you should treat Narcissa,” Blaise said, smirking.
“That's a surprise in itself, but I was talking about you,” Ginny snapped, glaring at him.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Whatever is going on between the two of you, could you please continue it some other time? I came here for a reason.”
“I'm sorry,” Ginny muttered. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Malfoy?”
“I came here to talk to you about Draco. As you're probably aware, Aurors Dekker and Simon came to my house. They left me know that they have my son, and I will do anything to get him back. I would even recant what I told them.”
“Wouldn't you get into trouble for that?” Ginny asked, taking a seat on the couch.
Narcissa took one and joined her. “There's a high possibility that I could. But I'm a Malfoy, darling. I wouldn't be in too much trouble for long.”
“Do you know how Draco's doing?” Blaise asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter.
“No,” Narcissa replied, sipping her tea. “They wouldn't let me see him.” She looked at Ginny. “You have to find a way to get him out.”
“We're trying,” said Ginny.
Blaise shot her a look.
They didn't have any ideas how to get him out of there, and if Narcissa didn't go down there to pull back what she told the Aurors, he'd never leave.
“We're not,” said Blaise. “We don't know what to do. Ginny's just hoping by telling you something positive, that you'll let us handle it. I'm not even sure that's a good idea. It could be dangerous.”
Ginny sighed. “He's right. I'm sorry. We're just having a little trouble thinking of a plan.”
“Then allow me to help.” Pansy shut the door behind her and looked around. Surprise overtook her when she saw Narcissa sitting on the couch, but she recovered quickly. “I went to talk to Arthur Weasley.”
“What?” Ginny's eyes widened. “You went to see my dad? Why would you do that?”
Pansy misinterpreted her friend's surprise for anger. “Because I thought he could help. Why are you getting so mad?”
“I wasn't. I was just surprised you'd go to my dad. He doesn't care about Draco, he's made that clear. What did he say when you talked to him?”
“He said he didn't realize the severity of what happened. He wants to come by later and talk to you. He wants to help and hopes you won't turn him away.”
“I should,” said Ginny angrily. “But after what he did, why should I hear anything he has to say?”
Pansy rolled her eyes. “He's sorry, Ginny. What more do you want?”
“I want Draco back,” she muttered, looking down. “Narcissa, I'm sorry. I wish we had better news for you. The situation is just a little difficult, as you know.”
“We'll figure something out, dear,” she said, squeezing Ginny's hand. “Right now, I think we could all use some rest. It's been a long day.”
“I'll owl you tomorrow and we'll meet for coffee,” Ginny replied, rising and opening the door. “Goodnight, Mrs. Malfoy.”
Narcissa leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “He'll be back soon enough. Then we can all go on with our lives as if nothing ever happened.”
**
Months went by, and living like nothing ever happened was difficult. While Draco walked around the flat, grumbling about judgmental bastards and such, Ginny set out to find out what actually happened the night Lucius died.
“It's strange,” she said to herself.
“What's strange?” he asked, not sounding too interested.
He was crouched by the fireplace, the crackling flames warming him. When his girlfriend didn't reply, he turned his head, gray eyes sweeping her face. She was leaning over a table, papers scattered around her. She pulled her legs underneath her and glanced at him.
“You didn't really sound like you cared,” she said as she tied her hair up in a messy bun. “So I won't bother telling you. Besides, if you knew, it wouldn't make a difference.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What did I do?” He couldn't believe the next words out of his mouth. “Are you regretting that I came back?”
Ginny's eyes widened. “Why would you think that? I love that you're back. Aren't you happy?”
Draco stood and walked over to her. He laid his hands on either side of her and leaned in so that their faces were inches apart. He touched her cheek and she let him, his thumb wiping away the sudden tears that filled her eyes. He kissed her, erasing any doubt.
“Tell me what you found,” he said.
So that was how they spent their night – pouring over paper after paper – and talking about how they would change their relationship after everything was figured out.
Pansy said, “Maybe Lucius never reported it.”
“I don't get why he wouldn't,” Ginny said, shaking her head. “If my kid ever threatened me like that, I'd tell someone.”
“Maybe he knew,” Blaise said softly.
They stopped to look at him. Standing in the middle of the Ministry with people going by was one thing, but being stared at was another. Because Blaise looked a little scared at the moment.
“What are you talking about?” Pansy asked.
“What if he knew he was going to die one day, and he used Draco's threat against him? What if he told Narcissa about it before he died, and she decided it was important enough to tell the Aurors when they happened to show up?”
“That's really reaching,” Ginny said. “I don't think that's true.”
“How else do you explain what you told us?” Blaise asked. “Narcissa had no reason to tell the Aurors what happened unless she knew there was some truth to it.”
Ginny shook her head. “No, stop. I don't want to think that Draco's own mother would deem him a killer.”
“Could you blame her?” Blaise asked seriously. “I mean, look at what he's done in the past.”
“Oh my God,” Ginny said, wide-eyed. “You actually believe he's guilty, don't you? Fine, if you're going to think that about your best friend, then I don't want your help to get him out of here. I'll do it myself.”
“I cannot believe him,” Ginny snapped as she shut the door to their flat. Pansy settled on the couch and conjured up a bottle of alcohol. “Draco's going to crushed when he hears the news.”
The redhead took the liquor, drinking until her throat burned.
“More like happy,” a voice said from the hallway.
Ginny turned to see Narcissa Malfoy. She was holding a cup of tea and looking around. When Blaise appeared beside her, Ginny's eyes narrowed.
“What are you doing here?”
“That's not how you should treat Narcissa,” Blaise said, smirking.
“That's a surprise in itself, but I was talking about you,” Ginny snapped, glaring at him.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Whatever is going on between the two of you, could you please continue it some other time? I came here for a reason.”
“I'm sorry,” Ginny muttered. “What can I do for you, Mrs. Malfoy?”
“I came here to talk to you about Draco. As you're probably aware, Aurors Dekker and Simon came to my house. They left me know that they have my son, and I will do anything to get him back. I would even recant what I told them.”
“Wouldn't you get into trouble for that?” Ginny asked, taking a seat on the couch.
Narcissa took one and joined her. “There's a high possibility that I could. But I'm a Malfoy, darling. I wouldn't be in too much trouble for long.”
“Do you know how Draco's doing?” Blaise asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter.
“No,” Narcissa replied, sipping her tea. “They wouldn't let me see him.” She looked at Ginny. “You have to find a way to get him out.”
“We're trying,” said Ginny.
Blaise shot her a look.
They didn't have any ideas how to get him out of there, and if Narcissa didn't go down there to pull back what she told the Aurors, he'd never leave.
“We're not,” said Blaise. “We don't know what to do. Ginny's just hoping by telling you something positive, that you'll let us handle it. I'm not even sure that's a good idea. It could be dangerous.”
Ginny sighed. “He's right. I'm sorry. We're just having a little trouble thinking of a plan.”
“Then allow me to help.” Pansy shut the door behind her and looked around. Surprise overtook her when she saw Narcissa sitting on the couch, but she recovered quickly. “I went to talk to Arthur Weasley.”
“What?” Ginny's eyes widened. “You went to see my dad? Why would you do that?”
Pansy misinterpreted her friend's surprise for anger. “Because I thought he could help. Why are you getting so mad?”
“I wasn't. I was just surprised you'd go to my dad. He doesn't care about Draco, he's made that clear. What did he say when you talked to him?”
“He said he didn't realize the severity of what happened. He wants to come by later and talk to you. He wants to help and hopes you won't turn him away.”
“I should,” said Ginny angrily. “But after what he did, why should I hear anything he has to say?”
Pansy rolled her eyes. “He's sorry, Ginny. What more do you want?”
“I want Draco back,” she muttered, looking down. “Narcissa, I'm sorry. I wish we had better news for you. The situation is just a little difficult, as you know.”
“We'll figure something out, dear,” she said, squeezing Ginny's hand. “Right now, I think we could all use some rest. It's been a long day.”
“I'll owl you tomorrow and we'll meet for coffee,” Ginny replied, rising and opening the door. “Goodnight, Mrs. Malfoy.”
Narcissa leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “He'll be back soon enough. Then we can all go on with our lives as if nothing ever happened.”
Months went by, and living like nothing ever happened was difficult. While Draco walked around the flat, grumbling about judgmental bastards and such, Ginny set out to find out what actually happened the night Lucius died.
“It's strange,” she said to herself.
“What's strange?” he asked, not sounding too interested.
He was crouched by the fireplace, the crackling flames warming him. When his girlfriend didn't reply, he turned his head, gray eyes sweeping her face. She was leaning over a table, papers scattered around her. She pulled her legs underneath her and glanced at him.
“You didn't really sound like you cared,” she said as she tied her hair up in a messy bun. “So I won't bother telling you. Besides, if you knew, it wouldn't make a difference.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What did I do?” He couldn't believe the next words out of his mouth. “Are you regretting that I came back?”
Ginny's eyes widened. “Why would you think that? I love that you're back. Aren't you happy?”
Draco stood and walked over to her. He laid his hands on either side of her and leaned in so that their faces were inches apart. He touched her cheek and she let him, his thumb wiping away the sudden tears that filled her eyes. He kissed her, erasing any doubt.
“Tell me what you found,” he said.
So that was how they spent their night – pouring over paper after paper – and talking about how they would change their relationship after everything was figured out.
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