Opening the Gate

Opening the Gate

~ Chapter 2 ~

You're feeling bad for yourself

His memory will always dwell

You're so obsessed with his love

- Green Day (Why do you want him)

Ron got up and yelled,

"I knew it!" then continued to tell them how happy he was. Hermione looked expectantly at Ginny.

"There are no two people more perfect for each other," Ginny lied.

Hermione smiled.

"Thank you, that means a lot."

"Well let's get all of your stuff upstairs," said Ron clapping his hands together and all four of them (Draco had sulked off earlier) made their way upstairs.

***

Draco was sitting on the floor, back up against his bed. Now they were all here. They'd all be keeping an eye on him. Just because of my father, he thought viciously. He had such a seething anger in him right now that was always brought on by them.

His eyes darted towards the door as it creaked open, and in fumed, to his surprise, Ginny. She sat down in front of him with a little "Hrumph".

"Mad?" he asked sarcastically.

"I don't know what he sees in her anyway," she spluttered.

Draco cocked his head to the side a little like he always did when he was confused; it had always annoyed his father.

"Harry and Hermione," Ginny sighed.

"Oh..." replied Draco. "Did you show him your black pair 'specially for him?"

"Shut up."

"Because that would surely win me over, no, you wrestle Hermione - in something skimpy - and the winner gets Harry."

"Malfoy, I'm not joking."

"Neither am I," a playful grin spread across his face, "We could even practice now."

Ginny laughed.

"Can you see Hermione wrestling?" she giggled.

"Ugh..." Draco looked disgusted.

"What?"

"Bad mental picture, Hermione in something skimpy."

Ginny burst out laughing again.

"I come in to sulk and I end up laughing about the whole thing. I don't know how you do it."

Draco shrugged.

"You make me..." he stopped and looked away, he felt so stupid admitting what he wanted to say.

"I make you what?" she looked at him seriously concerned. "You can tell me."

He sighed.

"You're the only one in this house who will look me straight in the eye and not judge me because of my father."

To his surprise when he turned back to look at Ginny she was looking at him angrily.

"You think everyone here judges you by your father?" Her expression was a mixture of anger and confusion, "It's not just because of that. It's how you've treated us all; sure your father plays in a bit, especially with the adults. But in the end," she touched his cheek gently, "it's all up to you."

"Ginny," Draco put his hand on top of hers, "my father taught me to be this way, I can't be good like Potter out there..."

"Then how come you're good to me?" Her brown eyes sparkled as he looked into them.

He quickly got up and walked over to look out the windows.

"Let's not talk about this now," he replied quietly.

After a few minutes of silence he heard Ginny get up and walk over next to him.

"You obviously have the better bedroom; the view from here is amazing."

They stood there watching the blood-red sun sink down below the trees for a few minutes more then she turned towards Draco.

"Thanks for letting me escape from Hermione."

"Come anytime," he replied gently.

Ginny smiled, and then left.

Draco cocked his head to the side as he watched her leave, wondering why was he so good to her.

***

Draco woke up with his head on his arms on top of his trunk, sprawled on the floor. He groaned as he got up. He strode across the room to his wardrobe and took out the clothes he was going to wear for cleaning out the Manor.

About fifteen minutes later Draco walked down the staircase in a black tee shirt and dingy jeans he didn't even know he owned. He felt very out of place and preferred his more elegant clothes.

"Glad you made it," snarled Harry as Draco made his way into the kitchen, "quite hoped you drowned in the shower."

Malfoy pushed his wet bangs out of his eyes.

"I had thought you had grown out of childish remarks like that one," he sat down at the table, "then I remembered this is you after all."

He caught Ginny's stern glance but chose to ignore it.

Harry opened his mouth, but just then Mrs. Weasley entered.

"You all don't have to crowd around this little table," she said, "go into the dining room."

All five of them got up and made their way into the adjacent room. The dining room was dark and had no windows. The only light was the dim chandelier in the center of the room, and the candles sparkling randomly about the room. The serving table, huge dining room table, and chairs were the only pieces of furniture in the room.

As soon as they sat down Harry and Hermione began to fervently kiss each other. Ron looked over at them, slightly disgusted and then began to examine the table. Draco looked over at Ginny who was looking down at her lap and looked slightly hurt. And to Draco's relief (though he didn't know why) Lupin came in and cleared his throat loudly. Hermione and Harry broke apart thoroughly embarrassed.

"Sorry to interrupt," Lupin smirked, "but Draco once you finish your breakfast I'll drop you at the Manor. I suppose you'll be working alone, unless..." He looked curiously around the room and to everyone's surprise Ginny spoke up.

"I'll go."

"Well, okay then, see you in a bit," Lupin turned and left.

***

Mrs. Weasley entered with breakfast. As Ginny leaned over to grab a piece of toast Ron grabbed her sleeve.

"Can I talk to you a moment?"

Ginny knew this was coming and followed him out into the hall.

"Okay your taking this a bit far, I know mum said 'make him feel comfortable' but going to his house? Even Harry's making him feel comfortable by treating him no differently."

Ginny cut her brother off.

"First of all mum said 'courteous' not 'comfortable'. And second, maybe I'm just trying to get away from the snoggers, did you see them? That was gross! Most people do these sweet, caring kisses while they look like they're trying to bite each other's heads off."

Ron stifled a laugh.

"Ginny, is it that or the fact that you like Harry and you are jealous?"

She looked appalled.

"How did you, what, who..." she spluttered.

"The watch," he replied, "It's been dead since a little after vacation and you didn't even notice did you?"

Ginny looked sheepish.

"But I guess I can't make your decisions for you," Ron's face was suddenly very serious, "but be careful, you know what his father did."

And he walked away leaving her standing there shocked. Wasn't it just last night that she had told Malfoy it was his fault, not his father, why no one trusted him? I guess his father played in a little more than she guessed.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she spun around only to find it was Professor Lupin with Malfoy standing next to him.

"Sorry to startle you," Lupin smiled, "but are you ready to go?"

Ginny nodded and followed them outside.

"So how are we going to get there, brooms?" asked Draco.

"Nope," answered Lupin and pointed to junky black car parked across the street.

"But its one form the Ministry right?" said Gunny, hopefully.

"No," their former professor got into the car, "Muggle through and through. Hop in."

Draco and Ginny each opened up the car doors and got into the back, and with a bang of the ancient engine they were off. Ginny stared out the window, trees and houses zoomed past. She looked over towards Malfoy. He had the window half down and as he looked out his hair was tousled by the wind, but unlike if she were to do it, it just looked regal. Then he turned and looked at her, sending cold shivers down her spine, then he looked at Lupin who was preoccupied singing with the radio to notice anything.

"Who ever said you could come?" Malfoy snarled at her.

"You did," Ginny snapped back.

Draco looked at her hard then his expression slowly melted.

"When?" he asked, no traces of anything sharp.

"Last night, when I was escaping from Hermione."

"Oh," he said slowly then he turned away, "you came to get away from her."

Ginny sat there confused; It sounded like she hurt him.

"Not like I care," he quickly spat.

Maybe not.

"Okay," Lupin stopped the car at a street by the name of Dire Circle. There was a ton of apartments stacked one on top of another as far as you can see.

"I don't know exactly where the entrance is so I'll drop you guys off here and you can find it."

Draco looked at Lupin skeptically.

"Then how did you find my father?" he scoffed

"Well," said the professor slowly, "We apparated."

Malfoy muttered something that no one could hear and the two passengers got out of the car.

"Pick you up at six," Lupin called as the car zoomed out of sight.

"Six o'clock?" Ginny ran after Draco who had already started up the street, "That means we'll be cleaning for... nine hours!?!"

He looked at her.

"Ginny, when you hear Malfoy Manor what do you think of?"

"A poncy git with blond hair?" she replied sarcastically.

Draco stopped and to her surprise, was grinning.

"Well, judging by all these houses it shouldn't take more than three houses," she said, looking around.

"I don't live here, this is a Muggle neighborhood. Here is the entrance to where I live," Malfoy pointed down the alleyway they were standing in front of, "Edrid's Block."

Ginny starred hard to was he was pointing. It was dark and dirty with dumpsters and alley cats everywhere. Trash was overflowing from every trashcan; it was disgusting and hardly looked like any sort of livable place.

"I don't see it," she said simply.

"That's because you're looking for it, Edrid made it so if his enemies were looking for his place there is no way in hell you could find it. But if you weren't, Ginny, concentrate on that clothesline there."

Ginny could feel Draco's steady breathing on her neck, she found herself wondering whether he kissed as viciously as Harry that's how she'd always pictured him...

Suddenly like a spark something started to appear. They resembled black ribbons winding and twisting in the space between the two building sides. The ribbons began to weave into a giant wrought iron gate. Then a few more black ribbons wound themselves into a wrought Iron sign above it that read "Edrid's Block". And with a final pop a little plaque appeared on the left side of the gate. Ginny leaned forward to read it.

Edridus C. Malfoy

Founder of Edrid's Block

1204 - 1272

"A Malfoy founded this place?" Ginny said, shocked.

Draco laughed.

"You sound surprised," he pushed open the gate and they entered, "of course!"

The town looked like it came right out of a medieval storybook. All the houses were pretty much Tudor with a thatched roof. There were taverns and market places. As they walked down the road there was a colorful assortment of people sneaking glances at the new visitor. The road wasn't even paved, it was just dirt, and the sky over them loomed grey and threatening.

"Uh, Malfoy," said Ginny, "I think it's going to rain."

He smiled.

"Edridus created this place to be exactly how he wanted it to be. It's always dark and grey here."

But just as he finished saying that it started to downpour in great sheets.

"But there is always a chance of rain!" Malfoy shouted over the roar of the rainfall.

"How much farther?" she called.

"Quite a way," he replied.

Just my luck, Ginny thought.

Draco was dressed for the weather with his black tee shirt, jeans, and he even had a heavy cloak. But she had fancy black boots that were getting covered in mud, a purple plaid skirt, and pink halter top. She was dressed for the warm weather outside of Edrid's Block.

She looked over at Draco who, to her surprise, was unbuckling the silver clasp to his cloak.

"Hold on," he said to her.

She stopped and he took the cloak off himself and put it around Ginny and secured the fastener. He pulled the hood up as a finishing touch.

The cloak was very light despite the fact that it was made of a heavy black velvet, it had a dark green lining around the edges and it was extremely warm.

The rain started to let up a bit. Draco looked damp and windblown. His pale cheeks were pink with cold. He suddenly stopped at a crumbling statue.

"Hold up," Draco called to her.

His tee shirt was clinging to him from the rain.

Ginny leaned over and put her hand onto the base of the statue.

FLASH

It wasn't raining, and the statue was standing tall. It was in the shape of a howling werewolf, made of a white stone. The villagers were all crowded around and looked frightened.

A man in the same cloak as she was wearing was pointing his wand threateningly at the stone wolf. He shot a bolt of light at the statue and it began to fall. All the villagers began to scatter, except for one.

A little boy with silver blond hair was staring, frozen in place, at it as it fell.

"Father?"

Crash. The statue had fallen right on top of him. Ginny looked down and gasped, a trickle of blood started to flow towards her feet.

FLASH

The statue was still in front of her but the man was gone and so was the little boy. She was shaking, Ginny looked over at Draco.

"Did you see it?" she asked him.

"See what?" he looked at her. "Let's keep going," and he started to walk off.

A few minutes later they were at another, smaller wrought-iron gate with the letters "M M" woven into the design

"Here it is," said Draco pushing the gate open, "Malfoy Manor."

It was a giant looming mansion on top of a hill, dark and uninviting. They started to walk up the path. Once they were at the top Draco pushed open the giant wood doors with a creak.

Ginny was stunned. They were in a vast entrance hall. The ceiling was so high you could barely make out the ornate designs on it. In front of her was a giant staircase and on either side was a bookcase full of dark looking objects. And on the left and right wall was a giant opening into other rooms.

"Jeez," Malfoy wrung out his shirt, adding to the puddle of mud and water that had formed beneath him.

He looked over at Ginny and smiled a crazy sort of smile.

"You can take off your wet clothes and your muddy shoes," Draco said to her, "then get over here and help me roll up this rug."

Ginny pulled off her boots and took off the cloak and hung it next to the doorway, but it was no use. Even though she had worn the cloak she was still wet through and through. She stepped over Malfoy's shoes to help him.

"I told you to take off all your wet clothes," he looked at her slyly.

"What do you want me to be running around naked? Would that amuse you?" she snapped.

"Quite truthfully, yes!" Draco laughed. "What Guy alive, other than your brother, wouldn't want to have a naked woman running around in their house?"

"What is with your snaps toward my brother?" Ginny said, offended.

Draco just ignored that comment so she just glared at him and bent over to roll the carpet up. He grabbed the other end and began to roll.

It was a gigantic oriental carpet and it felt much heavier then it looked. Once they had it rolled it up and out of the way Ginny was surprised to see a gigantic trap door.

"Leads to the dungeons," Draco pointed at it as he walked over to one of the giant bookcases. "That's where we're going to store everything, an Auror cast a spell on the room so that whatever you put down there will look the same even if you pull it back up a hundred years from now."

Ginny's eyes wandered from the trap door over to where they had put their shoes, the only thing was they weren't there anymore.

"Our shoes are gone!" she looked over to where Draco was standing, but he hadn't heard He was too busy trying to pry open the cabinets on the book case.

She spun back around to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, but they still weren't there. Then she felt a slight tug, tug on her skirt

"Malfoy..."

She turned to face him, but he was still pulling at the cabinet doors. She slowly started to look down to see what sort of deranged Malfoy creature was tugging at her skirt.

A house-elf.

She almost burst out laughing. She was frightened of a house-elf!

The Elf bowed.

"Sorry Mistress," it squeaked, "but us elves took the liberty of taking Mistress and the Master's things to clean them.

"Oh that's all right," Ginny smiled.

She was pretty, as far as house-elves go. It was obviously female; she had long eyelashes and giant hooped earring on her ears. Apparently jewelry didn't count as clothing for she was wearing countless silver bracelets.

"Thisbe?" called Draco.

"Yes Master Draco?" the house-elf rushed over to where Malfoy was and bowed again.

"Can you get some boxes to put this stuff in?" he gestured towards the bookcase.

Thisbe nodded and rushed up the staircase.

"You have house-elves here?" Ginny asked, amazed.

"Of course, hundreds," Malfoy waved a hand airily.

"Did you get the cabinet open?" she asked.

"Not exactly," said Malfoy. "After about the fourteenth try I realized it was just there for decoration."

Ginny pushed him aside and went over to the cabinet, then kicked the door and it popped open.

"Or not," he walked over to where she was standing.

"Master Draco?" Thisbe had returned with armfuls of cardboard boxes.

He took the boxes out of her hands and set them down on the floor.

"Master Draco?" Thisbe repeated.

Draco just looked at her.

"Thisbe was just wondering when will Master Lucius and Mistress Narcissa be returning?"

"Well," started Malfoy sarcastically, "seeing how my father is dead and my mother is mad, how about some time next week?"

"Deepest apologies Master Draco," said Thisbe timidly.

"Is Gyro in the dungeon?" asked Draco suddenly.

"Of course," nodded the house-elf. "Along with Moonbane, seeing as how the change is tonight."

And with that Thisbe left the room.

"What is that about?" said Ginny hotly.

Draco pulled over an empty box and started to put empty potion bottles from inside the cabinet inside of it.

"Draco Malfoy, you will tell me right now what is inside your dungeons and you will tell me right now!"

Draco looked at her and blinked. And was that shock on his face?

"You are just full of surprises," he said. "Okay, a while back, before experimental breeding was outlawed mind you, I had an, er, off-centered ancestor. She enjoyed trying to crossbreed house-elves. Gyro is the last house-banshee, and Moonbane is the last were-elf."

Ginny looked at him, horrified by such a horrible mixture of creatures.

"Just help me," Draco moaned and she too started to take things off the shelves.

There were a few books; not as violent as she thought would be found in the Malfoy household. One with a gleaming gold binding and was simply titled Poems. But most of what was on the shelf was objects. Globes of the earth and moon, frozen Ashwinder eggs, a model basilisk, bowls and jars of substances Ginny couldn't even imagine were used for, and little creature skulls.

Finally both of them could reach up as far as they could on the shelves, but they still hadn't gotten all of it down.

"Get on my shoulders," Draco said after a while.

"What?!"

"Just do it!"

He bent down and Ginny slid onto his shoulders. She could feel Draco's cold touch griping her legs, and she awkwardly put her hands on his head. He stood up and she almost fell off."

"You okay?" he called

"Yeah, yeah," she said shakily, gripping his feathery soft hair.

"Now take some of the stuff down," Malfoy directed.

First Ginny grabbed a silver dragon shaped sconce, all the while holding onto Draco for dear life. She simply put it onto, a lower shelf for them to get later. Then she took down the dragon's match. After that she got a goblet, sword and a gold chain.

"One more thing," she called down.

"What is it?" he asked.

Ginny looked up, and to her horror it was a gigantic bowl of some sort of liquid substance.

"Malfoy, hold very still, I have to use both of my hands," she ordered.

She could feel Draco nod. And with that Ginny outstretched her arms as far as they could go and grasped the bowl. And just as she did Draco jolted back and the contents of the bowl spilled all over them and the glass container shattered.

He quickly bent down so that Ginny could get off.

"Why'd you do that?" she screeched at him once he stood up again.

"Do what, Jump back?" Malfoy's eyes flashed warningly, but Ginny didn't care, she could take him.

"Yes! Now look at us, we're covered in this slimy gunk!" she shouted.

"Well I was trying not to let you fall," he was quiet but he was one of those people who could express rage without yelling, in a sort of dignified way.

Ginny hated that, no matter what Malfoy did he always came out looking like a million Galleons. Here they were, covered in an opaque green goop, Ginny was sure she looked horrible while Draco, he still looked pretty decent.

"I know where there is a wardrobe of old clothes, we could change out of these messy clothes, take a shower, and go clean out another room, okay?"

She nodded and then followed him upstairs.

"Here," Malfoy pointed to a door on his left, "is the study, I'll meet you there after we get all cleaned out."

They walked down winding hallways covered in portraits suspiciously eyeing them. Then they got to a room at the far-end of the Manor. The doorknob was in the shape of a silver serpent. Draco grabbed it and pulled open the door to reveal a small (relatively speaking) room with a giant redwood staircase. There were black suits of armor, and other statues. There was also a giant painting of two twins on one wall. She was suddenly reminded of Fred and George.

"This way," he called from half way up the staircase.

Ginny quickly followed him. And when they got to the top they were in another empty hall. This one was not as elegantly decorated with fewer pictures but the ones that were up were old and faded. A little way down the hall Draco opened a door and they both went in.

The room was most likely used for storage for at least the past one hundred years. There was very little furniture, and the furniture that was in there was covered in canvas sheets. There were lots of trunks piled up around the room, and paintings shoved into corners. There was a large full-length mirror caked with dust next to the door and in another corner was an elegant dressing screen.

Malfoy wandered over to a trunk and opened it. Ginny followed him over to see what was in there. She was automatically drawn to a beautiful antique Dress. It had a thin black strap that went up and around your neck. The top was blood red with a black lining around the top and waist. It had six silver buttons in two rows with thin line of black between them. It tied up the back. Then the dress had a green velvet bottom with a silver lining and a slit that went almost all the way up the side.

Ginny picked it up out of the trunk.

"Go try it on," urged Draco, his own outfit in his arms, and nodded towards the screen.

She climbed over boxes and crates to make her way behind the screen. Once behind there she proceeded to peel off her wet, sticky clothes and slide into the dress. Once it was on she stepped out from behind the screen.

Malfoy looked up from buttoning his shirt. He had changed into a high collared white shirt, and black dress pants, with an overcoat. He just stared at Ginny.

She ignored him and went over to brush off a mirror to she how she looked. She did a little twirl in front of it, then noticed that the backing wasn't tied up all the way.

"Want me to help you with that?" Draco asked stepping closer.

"Sure," said Ginny looking at him through the mirror.

He came closer, and carefully pushed her brilliant red hair out of the way. Then very delicately tightened each little string on the back of her dress.

He is very cold, she thought, unlike Harry who was always so warm. But Harry was always so rough when he touched but Malfoy, He's so delicate.

"There," he said as he pulled the last string.

"So where is the bathroom, I would love to get this sticky stuff off me," said Ginny quietly.

"Oh, it's the next room over," directed Malfoy. "So I'll meet you in the study?"

"Yep," Ginny replied, then left.

***

Draco had seated himself in his father's old desk and had his feet up as he read Ferocious Fungus: Death by Mushrooms, a bazaar book that just might help cleaning out the green house.

The study was a huge room with high ceilings with the same intricate design as the Entrance Hall. Each wall was covered, floor to ceiling, with books. There was a chez lounge in one corner but aside from that, the desk, and the carpet on the floor that was about it.

Malfoy had the desire to open up the desk drawers but his father had zapped him hard for going in there once. And though he was gone the memory lingered.

The door clicked open and Draco took his feet off the desk as Ginny walked in wearing that amazing dress and carrying in a plate with a sandwich on it. She came to the desk and sat right on top of the desk, putting the plate down next to her.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"A book on killer mushrooms, pretty boring," laughed Draco. "How did you know I like my bread toasted?" he picked up half of the sandwich and took a bite.

"Actually I like my bread toasted, but there was only enough food for one sandwich so we have to share," Ginny explained and picked up her half.

They both ate their sandwiches in silence and when they were finished Malfoy finally spoke up.

"Well, best get started."

Ginny nodded, and put one hand on his shoulder and then went to get down; she put her other hand on her dress...

Flash.