It Only Took a Tragedy

School was going to be in session in two days, and Ginny was frantically trying to get her homework assignments done that she had put off until the very last minute. She was sitting at her desk writing a history report, when she heard a tapping on her window. She recognized the silver owl - the note in its mouth was from Draco.

She opened the window, and the owl dropped the parchment into her hands then hurriedly flew away, not even bothering to rest before making its journey home like most owls did. Ginny assumed that it was a rented owl for speedy deliveries.

The letter told her exactly what she was expecting it to say - that the book was at Draco's manor. It went on to say to be sure to come late at night. Ginny didn't want to break more rules and risk getting caught again, but she felt as though she had no choice. If Voldemort wanted her family dead, how long will it be before he succeeded? She had no time for fooling around, that was for sure.

***

Ginny, with homework done and belongings packed, went downstairs and told everyone in her family goodnight. "Why are you going to bed so early?" Ron asked curiously. He was playing wizarding chess with Mr. Weasley, and was beating him.

"Oh, I'm just worn out. I need to get back on a good schedule for school anyways." Ron glared at her. Even though she had fooled her parents, her brother knew that something was up. He was paying very close attention to her ever since she had disappeared the day of Lucius' funeral, and seeing her come out of Knockturn Alley had made him even more bothersome.

"Well, that sounds like a good idea. Goodnight, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley while she was sowing Ron a new sweater.

Her father said, deep in thought, "Night, Gin," as he tried to figure out a way to escape Ron's check.

"Night."

She went into her room, closing the door and turning off the lights as if she were really going to bed. She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into the jeans and tank top she had worn that day. Ginny got under her sheets and pulled them all the way up to her neck to conceal her clothing- just in case anyone should perhaps check on her.

It seemed like she was in that bed for days, lost in her thoughts, staring up at the ceiling, and checking her clock. Time really does creep by when you're bored. Finally, around 11:30, she didn't hear any more sounds coming from downstairs. She listened a little longer to be sure. A few minutes later, she heard the door next to hers shut, signaling to her that Ron had gone to bed. It was safe to leave.

She sighed deeply as she repeated the process a little over two weeks ago of sneaking out. She had never deliberately broken so many rules. She was supposed to be the good child. Percy, I'm doing this for Percy. Repeating that phrase was the only thing that seemed to keep her from panicking.

Luckily, this time she climbed down the old tree, the sky was crystal clear and the moon provided adequate light to see her footing. She landed on her feet smoothly and started walking on the gravel path.

She stepped off the path and decided to walk in the grass - in the quite, stormless midnight, the crunching of the rocks seemed painfully loud. But when she got to the end of the path that lead to the main road, she realized she had no idea were she was supposed to be going. "Great, Virginia. Just great."

She looked down the road, which was full of potholes, and over the hill that Fred and George named "Beaver Mountain". She could see something coming her way in the distance, but without wearing her glasses, she couldn't see make out who the blurred figure was. But however it was, he was sure going fast.

Once the figure got closer, Ginny noticed a boy with slick, blonde hair. She knew right away who it was. Draco Malfoy, of course. "Bloody hell! Is that a Firestorm?" Ginny said excitedly once he stopped. He jumped off the broom, and she examined it. Being around nothing but boys had made Ginny almost as crazy about Quidditch as any of them.

"Weasley! Nice to see you too," he said sarcastically. It always bothered him a little if he was not the center of attention.

"This must have cost a fortune," she said in amazement. "I would kill for one of these. This year I'm on the Gryffindor Quidditch team - a beater. My stupid Cleansweep is so slow and jerky."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I didn't think many girls were interested in Quidditch."

"You obviously haven't met the right kind of girls," she replied, smiling. "I've always loved riding broomsticks, but I've always been too shy to play Quidditch for the team."

He hopped back onto his broom. "Are you saying that you're the right kind of girl for me?" She grinned, but didn't answer him. "Hop on, Weasley."

She climbed onto the back of the room and put her arms around Draco to keep her balance. "Thanks for picking me up." She laughed. "I honestly had no clue where your house was."

"I didn't think so. Women do not have any sense of direction."

"Hey! I have a sense of direction! It's just... wrong most of the time," she said sheepishly.

Draco looked to Ginny behind him. "If I go at top speed, I can get to my house in two minutes. Do you wanna see how fast this broom can go?" He was ready to show off.

"Oh, yeah!" She wrapped her arms around tighter while she anticipated her ride on the fastest broom the market had to offer.

"Alright. Here we go!" He lunged forward, racing upwards at lightening speed. Ginny laughed in excitement.

"Oh my Merlin! This is so fun!" she yelled as looked at the scenery below her. The cool, summer wind was blowing her hair back, while she noticed Draco's hair was so gelled down it wasn't even moving a centimeter. She decided once she landed she would mess it up just to tick him off.

"Pansy cannot stand heights or fast speeds. She's such a sissy." When Draco said that, Ginny's heart sank. Oh right, Draco has a maybe pregnant girlfriend. Wait, why do I care? I have Harry. Harry Potter is my boyfriend. Draco slowed down and pointed to the Malfoy Manor. "That's my house."

"It's beautiful!" Ginny knew Draco was rich, but by the appearance of the landscaping, the immense size of the pearly white house with marble floored balcony, and all the expensive statues and fountains that lead to the main doorway, to her he lived like royalty.

"Thank you," he said as they landed on the balcony. He opened one of the double doors golden doorknobs and smiled at Ginny. "After you. This is my room." He lit the chandelier above his bed, revealing to Ginny the bedroom of her dreams.

"Wow. You are so lucky. My room is so crammed you have to be careful not to hit your head or trip on anything when you go in." She flopped down on a leather armchair by the bookshelf.

Draco's hand ran over a row of books by where Ginny was sitting. He realized that he hadn't read any today. "To you, I look lucky. But as they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Living here all my life has made me rather jaded to material items. What I long for is what you have."

Ginny looked at him curiously. What could she possibly have that Draco wanted? "What do you mean?" she asked.

Draco's gray eyes looked into Ginny's brown one's. She could sense his hurt as he said, "What I mean is, I never know if people truly like me for me, or if they only want to befriend me for my status and money. Even my own family treats me that way. My mother is trying to get on my good side since I own all our wealth now, and my father... well, he was always pushing me to be smarter and more cunning and more powerful. He did it only because he wanted his name to be respected. I can't trust anyone. Not friends, family, or girlfriends. Trust doesn't exist when your name is Malfoy."

Ginny didn't know how to respond. She wanted to say she was sorry, but she knew that sorry doesn't heal pain. She really didn't know what Draco went through. Ginny would take loving friends and family over wealth and power any day.

They were in silence for a few minutes, before hearing a knock on the door. "Come in," said Draco.

It was a tall, blonde woman with a sapphire dress on. Around her neck was a diamond necklace, and on her ears were matching diamond earrings. There was a tiny, fluffy dog wagging its tail at her heals. She took a puff of a cigarette before saying "Hello, Draco dearest!"

He put on a fake smile and greeted her. "Hi, mother."

The woman, who in Ginny's opinion looked way too young to be Draco's mother, grinned at her. "Well, Draco, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Draco sighed. "Narcissa, this is Ginny Weasley. Ginny, this is Cobra... and Narcissa."

Narcissa frowned at her son and flashed him a glare, but quickly changed her demeanor into a pleasant, friendly one. "Draco, call me Mum. Ginny, you are such a pretty girl! Such beautiful red hair!"

"Thank you," Ginny said politely, but she couldn't help but think that Narcissa was very phony.

"Would you like something to drink?" she asked Ginny.

"Yes, please."

She turned to Draco. "Draco?"

He sighed. "Yes."

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute."

"Thank you," said Ginny right before Narcissa left.

When she came back, she handed Draco and Ginny their drinks. "I hope you like blueberry punch, dear," she said to Ginny.

"Oh, that's fine."

Ginny was about to take a drink when Draco yelled, "Ginny!"

She took the glass cup away from her mouth and asked, "What?"

Draco's eyes flashed back and forth from Narcissa's to Ginny's. "Uh.... I need to say a toast first." Narcissa shifted uneasily and flashed Draco a look that said, "Why are you procrastinating? Let her drink the damn potion!"

Draco stood up and held up his drink. Ginny followed his lead while grinning at him curiously. She didn't know why he was acting so strange. Do rich people always toast before they drink?

"To...," Draco tried to think up something fast. "To this wondrous life we lead! May we live it in... peace, harmony, and love.... forever!"

"Cheers?"

"Cheers!" he replied. But when they tapped glasses, Draco purposely did it too hard, and Ginny's drink went spilling all over her shirt.

Narcissa was furious, and it looked like she could have strangled her son at that moment. "Oh, Draco! You idiot!" Her temper called down a bit when she noticed Ginny looking frightfully at her. She said calmly, "Look what your clumsiness did to poor Ginny's shirt."

Draco was relieved that his plan worked. "I'm sorry." He didn't know why he chickened out of giving her that potion - it would have been so easy - but apart of Draco didn't want to loose her. Memory potion is a total metamorphosis of the person who drinks it. You can tell them anything and they'll believe it without question. He could have told her she was a Death Eater ready to do anything Voldemort pleased, but that would have been almost as bad, if not worse, than killing her. Anyone associated with Voldemort, no matter how favorable they are to him, eventually ends up at his mercy. Voldemort is the embodiment of death to everyone who crosses his path.