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Draco found his legs carrying him up the drive of the Burrow. Ron had come to him, fuming mad, almost foaming at the mouth. He had hit and kicked, until Malfoy had been able to calm him down and explain that he'd only looked at Ginny's bruises to heal them for her. Ron had then left, still fuming. And now Draco found himself walking back up to the filthy place.

Gathering himself up, he knocked on the door. He waited a while, and then the door was opened by none other than Ginny herself.

"Draco?" she asked, sounding surprised.

"Weasley," he drawled. "I'm here to see your brother."

"Well, Malfoy," Ginny said, retreating back into her old self. "I'm afraid he's not in, so you'll have to go."

"No," he said, pushing past her. She winced, but shut the door behind him.

"Oh, Malfoy," she snapped. "Wait in here, then."

"Fine," he said ungraciously. He had not appreciated being treated like scum after he had brought her home. But Ginny was a Weasley - they were all unpredictable and ungrateful for anything good they were given.

"What do you want with Ron anyway?" Ginny asked. She was completely emotionless, and was standing a good three metres away from Draco, as if she were scared of him.

"How on earth did you know it was Ron I wanted to see?" Draco drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've got so many brothers I can't even differentiate their appearance from one to another. You're lucky you're a girl, or I wouldn't even remember you."

"Oh, and I'm supposed to be gracious you remember me?" Ginny spat. Her eyes were dancing with fire. Draco wondered how angry she could get before she tried to kill him.

"Well, most people are, and seeing as you and your family are so worthless..." Draco said offhandedly, looking out of the window.

"Shove it, Malfoy," Ginny snapped, and she flounced out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Draco frowned.

***

"You know, Harry, I thought I was stupid!" Ron mocked, leaning on the door so it would open while carrying a huge trunk in his hands. It was pouring with rain and he, Harry and Hermione were soaked. They'd been to the Ministry Of Magic and they were returning to the Burrow. Harry frowned.

"Well, how was I supposed to know-?" Harry was cut short be a low yelp from Ron and the crashing of the trunk being dropped onto the wooden floor. Hermione scowled and stepped forward, pushing past Ron.

"What on earth is wrong, Ronald?" she asked, clearly agitated by his behaviour. Ron growled and pointed. Hermione followed his hand. Then she gasped and whipped out her wand. Although Harry couldn't see what was going on, he pulled out his wand and pushed past them both.

"Malfoy?" he gaped. Malfoy smirked.

"Well done, Potter," Draco laughed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked angrily.

"Do shut the door, Potter, and pour me a glass of Firewhiskey. I've been waiting all night for Weasel," Draco commanded. Harry scowled and ignored him. Strangely, Hermione shut the door, and began fussing around with glasses. Ron ignored her.

"Malfoy, get out of my house!" Ron shouted.

Hermione hurried over to Draco, and slammed a glass of Firewhiskey in front of him. Ron stared.

"What're you doing?" he whispered, sounding completely paralytic.

"Well, Ronald, he is part of the Order now and you don't treat any of them this hostile when they visit, do you?" she asked, but her voice was rather high-pitched.

"You're off you're head," Ron told her. "Have you been on those drugs? The ones that are going around the Black Market? You know those won't be any good for-!"

"Ron!" Hermione squeaked, "That's quite enough! You know I haven't touched drugs in my life!"

Ron blushed. Harry looked between his two friends. Something was going on - but he didn't know what.

Draco did. He smirked, looking directly at Hermione's flat stomach. Hermione saw him looking, and pulled her cardigan down.

"I'm going to find Ginny," she said in a shaky voice, and then tottered out of the room. Harry gaped.

"Ron..."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to get on with this," Draco said lazily, leaning back in his chair and crossing his feet on the table.

"What?" Ron and Harry snapped in unison.

"Lupin has ordered that I am to live here," he answered. "The Manor was burnt down in a Death Eater raid in an attempted murder, and he's decided that the best place for me is here. So...I'll need a room."

"I'm going to kill Lupin," Ron hissed. Harry still looked confused. Draco snorted.

"Potter, don't strain yourself too hard," he drawled. "You might hurt your brain. Granger's pregnant, you imbecile."

Ron stared daggers at Draco. Harry flushed.

"I wasn't positive before who did the dirty deed, but after the death look I've just received from Weasel over there, I'd put my money on him."

Harry stared.

"I'll go and see if someone else will find me a room. Seeing as you two have lost all capability to function," Draco said, standing up and leaving the room.

***

Harry was sitting in front of the fire at the Burrow. Ron stormed into the room and slammed the door behind him. Harry looked up darkly.

"What now?" he snapped.

"I just can't believe what a prat Malfoy is!" Ron moaned.

"Ron, right now, I think you're the prat."

"What?" Ron asked, looking surprised.

"How could you get Hermione pregnant? We're in the middle of the war! You don't know whether you're going to survive - or whether Hermione will, and even if you do and she has the baby, it'll be brought up in a horrible world!" Harry cried, sitting up. Ron flinched.

"Harry, I thought we were safe. I did the contraceptive charm. I don't know what happened but it's done so we all have to live with it," Ron said, looking hurt. He fell back in his chair.

"You know there are things you can do," Harry said slowly.

"Harry! I can't believe you!" Ron shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Okay, okay! I was just saying!" Harry shouted back, holding his hands up.

Ron sat down again.

"How can I live in the same house as Malfoy, after what he did to Ginny?" Harry asked, sounding exhausted.

"I don't know. I don't know what Lupin was thinking. It's going to be a struggle not to kill him."

"I'm not sure I'm bothered whether I kill him or not," Harry said glumly, and stared at the fire.

***

Three weeks later, Ginny found herself sitting at the table opposite Draco, eating her toast automatically and staring through him. He was reading The Daily Prophet and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Do you mind, Weasley?" he snapped, throwing the paper onto the table and slamming his coffee down so that it spilled over the sides of his cup.

"Mind what, Malfoy?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Staring at me!" he snapped.

"I am not. I am staring through you."

"You're staring at me. As irresistible as I may be, I know your affections lie elsewhere - I've heard you and Potter at it almost every night I've been here."

Ginny paled. She put her toast down and went to the kitchen sink. Draco frowned. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He was even more astounded when she began scrubbing her hands with a pan scrubber.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked loudly, getting up and looking over her shoulder. Her hands were blistered. Confused, Draco took her hands and pulled them away from the sink. He felt her body become rigid at his touch. Every muscle was tense. He dropped her hands.

"What is wrong with you?" he whispered. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Nothing."

"I'll heal those for you if you want."

"No," Ginny answered, slowly backing away from him. She picked up her toast again, but didn't look like she had any intention of eating it.

"Are you going to eat that?" he asked. He didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed it and shoved it into his mouth. Ginny gaped. She turned and Draco stared as she left the room. As soon as the door was shut he heard her running up the staircase as fast as she could.

"It was only a slice of toast," he muttered, sitting back down.

He didn't have a clue what was wrong with her, but he had a feeling it had something to do with Potter. He sat down at the table and picked up his coffee. He gulped it, staring thoughtfully out of the window.

He'd been thinking for about twenty minutes when someone burst through the door. He jumped, and then leant back as they threw up violently in the sink. He waited for them to finish, and then leaned forward again.

"Morning sickness setting in, Granger?"

"Morning, Malfoy," she answered weakly, splashing cold water over her face and drying it with a towel. She slipped a mint into her mouth and sat down in front of Draco.

"You look positively disgusting," he sneered.

"Thanks," she answered sarcastically.

"You should of thought of this when you were falling into bed with Boy Weasel."

"Shut it, Malfoy."

"Does anyone else know?" Draco asked.

"No, just you, Harry and Ron," Hermione sighed, resting her head in her hands. "And out of you all, he's taken it the worst."

"Well, he is slightly retarded."

"No he's not, Malfoy, he's just sensitive," Hermione answered, choosing her words carefully.

"Pft," Draco replied.

***

Draco had been living at the Burrow for about six months. It was a wintry morning and the night before Harry, Ron and Draco had been doing rounds at the Ministry. They were sitting at the table eating breakfast with Ginny, Hermione and Charlie while Mrs Weasley cooked them fourth helpings. Hermione was onto her fifth - but she was allowed. She was eating for two.

Hermione's stomach was bulging. She could barely fit behind the chair. Mrs Weasley and Ginny insisted that she was having a boy, because she had gained no extra weight elsewhere, staying slim and fit - simply growing a massive baby belly. Apparently, these were tell-tale signs.

With a squawk, the post owls fluttered through the open window, dropping their letters next to the appropriate person. As usual, Draco didn't have any. Ginny looked surprised as a rather official looking A4 sized envelope dropped onto her plate of bacon, eggs and beans. She picked it up carefully and wiped all the food off of it. She tore the top carefully and pulled out the parchment. There were three sheets. Draco peered curiously. Ginny's eyes scanned the page, and widened.

"What is it?" he asked. Ginny looked up.

"Oh, just the results from St Mungo's," she lied. Draco could tell she was lying.

"No it's not - Ginny!" he shouted, but she was already on her way upstairs, clutching the letters and envelope tightly. Draco growled.

In her room, Ginny read the letter.

Dear Miss Weasley,

We have been monitoring you for quite some time now. We first noticed you when you appeared in the paper for the fleeting triumph that you and your friends earned while fighting in the Ministry Of Magic.

You stood out to us because you look almost exactly alike our Princess Seneria of the Indian Wizards, and we are desperately searching for a decoy Princess.

You may be wondering why it has taken so many years for us to contact you. The answer is simple. Our Princess was in no great need for a decoy while she was Princess, as she was kept out of the public eye completely. But her father has been assassinated and she is in line to the throne. She is to be crowned on the 21^st December this year.

We are sure that by now you know what we are asking of you. A large lump sum of money as your contract is agreed will be paid, and at the end of each month until your contract ends. Please, we will need you before the 21^st December.

Thank You for your co-operation.

Luc Darcy

Head of Welfare and Protection of State of India

Ginny read and re-read the letter over and over again. This could not be true. But the more Ginny thought about it, the more it appealed to her. And before she could stop herself, she'd written a reply in agreement and sent it back. She began packing her things. She decided she'd only take the bare necessities as she would be provided with everything else. It would be a good way of escape and she'd always been interested in politics.

After everything was packed, she joined her family in the kitchen again. When she walked in, they all looked up at her expectantly.

"I'm going away," she told them, sitting back down. They all stared. It was Draco who spoke first.

"Where are you going?" he asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"To India," she said. Mrs Weasley squealed.

"No you are not!" she yelled. "Why on earth do you want to go there?"

"I am! And I'm going because I've been invited! By the -," Ginny stopped. She didn't think the Indian Royal Family would want anyone to know about the decoy Queen, "...Queen. To become a Lady In Waiting. They've heard of my healing skills and want me there."

Everyone stared in disbelief. Draco was analysing her. She could tell he didn't believe her.

"Well, I'm sorry that you don't agree, but I am going and I'm just waiting for the PortKey they are sending."

"Ginny-," Mrs Weasley started.

Ginny ignored her, and flounced out of the room.

Everyone was silent. Ron looked around, and decided he'd go and talk to his sister.

Ginny was in her room, sitting in her window seat, when Ron entered. She looked up. Her face was cold. Ron felt hurt that she was leaving, and wondered what had happened to her.

"Ginny...Why is it that you're really going?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"If I tell you," she whispered suddenly, her face changing to looked innocent. "Promise me you'll not tell anyone else!"

"I promise, Gin, of course I do!" Ron answered. Ginny nodded.

"They've asked me to be the decoy Queen. In India," she told him, waiting for his reaction.

"But...Why you?" Ron said, trying for his sister's sake to remain calm, and look like he believed her.

"Because I'm almost identical to her!" she squeaked, as if it was the most obvious thing.

"But she's Indian!" Ron cried incredulously.

"No! She comes from an English family. The whole Royal line is English-," Ginny was cut off by an owl tapping on the window. She jumped up and let it in. It dropped a gold bangle onto the floor and flew back out. There was a note attached to the bangle.

If you take this to the PortKey point where you live, and charm it with Portus it will immediately bring you to us. Do it quickly. We need you.

Ron snatched the letter.

"This can't be happening! In the middle of a war, my little sister is leaving! If you go now, we might never see you again!"

"But Ron, I'll have protection. I'll be fine."

"But what if we get killed?" Ron whispered. Ginny's eyes filled up.

"You won't."

"Ginny!"

"Ron! I am not arguing any more. I'm leaving now."

"Ginny, please!"

"No!"

She grabbed her trunk and walked out of the room. Ron stared.

***