Unaffected

Chapter Nine

Natasha peered down her nose at Ginny, who managed to remain collected under the woman's scrutiny. Ginny extended a hand, but Natasha sneered at it before turning her attention back to Draco.

"Draco, where have you been? Your mother sent me out on some errands, but I'd forgotten my purse, so I came back... and then I find your old Professor here and now - this," she said, eyeing Ginny and Lily with obvious distaste. The little girl wrinkled her nose and reached for her mother's hand.

"I went to pick Ginny and Lily up," he explained, pulling away from her. "They're going to be our guests this evening." Ginny thought she would die when Draco turned his back on Natasha to scoop Lily up in his arms. He turned his back on her and made his way to the dinner table, sitting Lily in the chair between he and his mother.

"Well, don't they know how to floo all by themselves?" Natasha asked icily, forcing a smile. Draco glared at her, but his mother spoke before him.

"Ms. Potter and her daughter are guests in my home, Natasha. I trust you remember how to behave around guests? If you don't, you may always excuse yourself to finish my errands." Natasha promptly closed her mouth and sat on Draco's left, pouting as she did so. "Ginny, darling, won't you take a seat next to Severus?"

"Thank you. You have a lovely home," she said, lowering herself gently next to Snape. Natasha snorted softly, but another icy glare from Draco shut her up.

"That's very kind of you, dear," Narcissa smiled. Ginny folded her hands in her lap and crossed her ankles together demurely. She was glad she'd chosen her black dress; Narcissa was impeccably dressed, and if she had gone any more casual, she was sure she would not have been dressed for the occasion - whatever that might be.

"How are you this evening, Professor Snape?" she asked, turning to her former teacher. His lips curled up in what she supposed was the nearest he could come to a smile.

"I am very well, thank you, Ms. Potter," he said quietly. Ginny was stunned; he'd never been so kind to anyone that she knew of.

"Are you a teacher?" Lily piped up, her eyes brightening. Snape nodded slowly, and Draco smiled at her.

"Professor Snape teaches potions at Hogwarts."

"Potions?" she looked at him with renewed interest. "Do you make the potion for Mister Remus? He told me a teacher at Hogwarts makes it. Is that you?" Ginny bit down on her lip, wondering if her daughter's enthusiasm would be too much for Snape. To her surprise, he remained perfectly calm.

"Yes, I am the one who makes the Wolfsbane potion. Do you know what it does, child?"

"It makes Mister Remus not hurt anybody when he's a werewolf." Ginny blinked; she'd never told Lily that! She made a mental note to talk to Remus and find out what he'd been telling her daughter. Snape peered at her with open curiosity, which was something else Ginny had never seen him do.

"What else do you know about potion making?" Draco eyed Snape thoughtfully, then turned his eyes back to Lily, who was frowning in concentration.

"I help my Mum make burn potions sometimes. They're orange," she said matter-of-factly. Snape's lips curled again.

"You're exactly right." He turned to Narcissa and gave her a strange look that only Draco caught.

"Did you teach my Daddy?" Lily asked curiously. Ginny covered her face with her hands, and Draco grinned.

"I did teach your father, and Draco as well."

"My Mum tells me that her and my Dad weren't very good making potions in school. She says her friend Miss Mione was really good. Is that true?"

"Your father wasn't terrible at it," Snape conceded finally, surprising Ginny enough to make her drop her hands back into her lap. "But your Mother was much better than he was. Miss Granger - Mione - she was possibly one of the more gifted students I've taught."

"But you didn't like them, did you?" Lily asked, disappointment in her voice. She was a very astute child, and she had learned from watching her mother how to read people's body language. Snape's stiffness made her painfully aware that he wasn't being totally honest with her. He turned to look at Ginny.

"Does she always ask this many questions?" he asked softly. She nodded and gave him an apologetic smile.

"It's something that I normally encourage," she said, arching an eyebrow at Lily. Lily promptly shut her mouth and smiled at Draco, who grinned back at her.

"So am I correct in assuming that you were married to Harry Potter?" Natasha asked, examining her nails lazily. Ginny nodded.

"Seeing as how he was the only Potter around, it kind of makes sense, doesn't it, Tosh?" Natasha winced. She hated Draco's pet name for her.

"I was just asking for clarification," she snapped. "I heard from my brother that he always wanted that bushy-haired girl he was friends with."

"May I inquire as to who your brother is?" Ginny asked politely.

"Viktor Krum," she said proudly. Draco rolled his eyes, and Ginny felt fairly certain that everyone had seen, except Natasha.

"Oh, how lovely," Ginny smiled. "But I'm afraid he was misinformed. Harry never held any interest in Hermione past friendship."

"Really, Tosh, that's not good dinner conversation," Draco said reproachfully. She ignored him and gave Ginny a catty grin.

"Actually, he wasn't misinformed," she said, arching an eyebrow. "She told him that herself."

"Miss Krum," Ginny said sweetly. "I happen to know that is incorrect."

"And how would you know that?" Natasha asked angrily.

"Because I personally read over Hermione's letters, both to and from your brother, at her insistence." This shocked Natasha into silence, and she settled for just glaring at Ginny.

"Well, now that you've detracted your claws," Draco said to Natasha. His voice was full of amusement, and his mother was having difficulty hiding her smile. "Why don't we eat? The house elves have prepared a wonderful meal this evening."

"Your brother plays Quidditch," Lily said, looking at Natasha. Natasha ignored her and took a sip of wine.

"Yes, her older brother plays," Draco said, placing a steaming roll on Lily's plate for her. "Do you know what team he plays for?"

"No. He doesn't play for the Cannons." A laugh slipped from Draco's lips, and Ginny couldn't prevent one of her own. For a moment, their eyes met over the table. Natasha saw and interrupted furiously.

"As if he would sink so low as to play for those losers," she said viciously. She was the prompt recipient of three sets of very hard eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and continued to nurse her wine.

"Natasha, you will refrain from insulting our guests, or I will be forced to ask you to leave the table," Narcissa said firmly. Natasha's eyes flew wide in surprise, and she turned to Draco, waiting for him to defend her to his mother, as was his custom to do. This time, however, no help came. He was too busy helping Lily fill her plate.

"Draco, she has a mother to do that," she said, forcing a smile. He turned and eyed her thoughtfully.

"Yes, she does, but seeing as how her mother is on the other side of the table, I thought I'd make myself useful." Narcissa beamed.

"Since when have you ever wanted to be around children?" she asked, baffled by his attention to the girl. "I thought you hated children, and that they got on your nerves!" Narcissa appeared to be cutting her food, but Draco knew she was listening intently. Ginny was either totally uninterested or a better actor than his mother, because she didn't look bothered in the least.

"She's different than other children," he said finally, watching Lily eat. She held herself with the same grace and poise as her mother, and he realized that the child was being a more appropriate dinner guest than his own fiancée.

"I would have to agree," a deep voice said, surprising them all. Professor Snape didn't look up as he spoke, but continued to cut his meat into tiny portions. "The child is quite fascinating. She seems older than she is."

"Thank you," Ginny said softly. He nodded almost imperceptibly, and she went back to her dinner without looking at Natasha. The rest of dinner passed uneventfully, which was a relief to Ginny. Lily knew not to speak while she ate, and consequently remained silent. Narcissa occasionally interjected some casual talk about the weather and the headlines in the Daily Prophet, but nothing was discussed at length. When dinner was over, Narcissa suggested that they all head to the lounge for coffee and tea.

"Perhaps Lily and I should be going," Ginny suggested, rising from the table. She dropped her napkin on her plate and pushed her chair in. Narcissa frowned and shot a quick glance at a gloating Natasha.

"I won't hear of it," she said firmly, wrapping a thin arm around Ginny's shoulder. She guided her to the lounge, ignoring the way that Natasha had attached herself to Draco's arm. Lily walked beside Professor Snape. Draco watched as the child reached up and grabbed his hand with hers, and saw Professor Snape's head snap down to look at her.

Draco grinned to himself. Apparently it was a comfort mechanism for both the child and her mother. Snape pretended not to notice, but Draco noticed that he didn't pull his hand away. Natasha rubbed up against him, and he groaned inwardly, before pulling her into a side room and closing the door.

"Must you behave like a spoilt child?" he snapped. She blinked, then her eyes turned hard.

"As I recall, you've never had any complaints about my behavior before," she said icily.

"I have, I just never bothered to voice them to you," he said angrily. "What has gotten into you this evening? We have guests, Tosh!"

"Quit calling me that!" she said furiously. "You know I hate it!" He looked stung.

"I didn't know you hated it."

"Well, I do! And maybe I'm acting this way because you've never paid attention to another female since we've been together -until tonight!"

"What are you talking about?"

"That woman! You can't keep your eyes off of her! And her little brat..." Draco stepped closer to her, his lips drawn in a tight line.

"Don't you dare speak ill of that child," he hissed through clenched teeth. She took a step backwards, surprised. "She has done nothing wrong. She's had her father taken away from her. She's done nothing to deserve the life she's been handed, and you will not say another word about her."

"Draco, wait-" but it was too late; he was already out the door and down the hall. He strode into the lounge, ignoring the inquisitive look that he was getting from his mother, and sat down on the sofa beside Lily. When Natasha entered the room, her cold gaze fell on Draco. Sitting on the couch like that, they looked like a little family. Draco, the brat, and the bitch. The thought made her laugh, and everyone turned to look at her.

"Would you like a drink, darling?" Narcissa asked her son. He nodded and moved to the bar, and Ginny watched as he took out a crystal glass and poured liquid into it from a silver decanter. He sat back down on the couch, and Ginny winced from the smell of the liquid.

"Am I offending you with my drink?" he snapped. She shook her head and turned her face away while he downed the pungent stuff. She knew what it was; Harry had enjoyed the occasional glass himself when they went on their weekly date nights. It was something the Muggles called brandy.

She knew that Natasha had put him in this foul mood, and was saddened by it. He had successfully repressed the old, nasty Draco for close to a week, but being around this woman for mere hours had caused it to reappear. She glanced down at her daughter, who was shooting murderous glances at Natasha. For the most part, Natasha didn't seem to notice. Ginny rose from the couch and sat her teacup delicately on the bar, then smiled at Narcissa.

"I can't thank you enough for the wonderful dinner, and the chance to see this beautiful manor," she said. Lily understood what her mother was trying to do, and moved to her side. "But it's getting close to Lily's bedtime, and I believe she's rather anxious to get home." Lily's eyes lit up as Narcissa looked at her.

"Mister Draco gave me a new nightshirt," she whispered. Narcissa beamed at her and planted a soft kiss on her head, then turned to Ginny.

"It was lovely having you. I'm so happy you came. We must do this again soon." Ginny nodded, although she highly doubted that she would ever be coming back to Malfoy Manor. She realized as she was walking out the door that she wasn't sure how to get back to the fireplace that was connected to the floo network. Narcissa seemed to realize this at the same time, and looked pointedly at Draco.

"Draco, darling, would you please help Ginny find her way back to the fireplace?" Ginny held up a hand and shook her head.

"That isn't necessary," she said, not looking at Draco. "If you could just tell me where it is, I'm sure I can find it myself." Lily looked up at her. It wasn't like Ginny to refuse help when she needed it. Draco finished his second snifter of brandy and stood.

"It's not a problem," he said smoothly. "I'll show you where it is." She stiffened slightly, reminding herself that it wasn't the real Draco; it was a Draco under the influence of alcohol. She reached for Lily's hand, but before she could grab it, Lily had run to Professor Snape and flung her arms around his legs. He was visibly startled and hesitated for a moment before patting her back gently. She ran back to her mother and grabbed her hand tightly, and they followed Draco down the hall in silence.

"I'm glad you came tonight," he said quietly, as they reached the fireplace. She forced a smile and nodded.

"Thank you very much for having us. Lily," she said, looking down at the little girl. "Please thank our host for dinner." Draco winced; her voice had gone back to being professionally aloof - just when he'd gotten used to the idea of being her friend.

"Thank you for dinner Mister Malfoy," she said dutifully. He wasn't sure what hurt him more - the distanced, polite tone of her voice, or the betrayed look on her little face. Without waiting for him to say goodbye, they were gone.

Draco had never felt worse in his entire life.

**

The following week passed by in a blur for Ginny. Things didn't seem the same as they had before; something had changed, and she wasn't sure what it was. Her patients were still the same with the same problems and fears, with small exceptions here and there. Narcissa had a lot more positive things to talk about- like her twice-a-week dates with Professor Snape. Hermione was happier than she'd been in two years; she and Remus had started seeing each other regularly. It seemed that life was moving on for everyone - except Ginny.

Draco hadn't made any more appointments. He hadn't sent any owls, and he hadn't visited. She knew that even though the child didn't voice it, Lily was hurt beyond all belief. She still didn't understand her daughter's attachment to Draco, although she had to face facts. She missed him, too.

She'd only been seeing him as a patient for a week, but he'd grown on her tremendously. She'd loved the idea that she was helping him out of his cold shell and become comfortable with people, and life in general. The healing part of the job had been what had gotten her this far in the first place.

She sighed noisily and sipped her tea. Today was Friday, and she had one session left before she could go home and relax. Ron was taking Lily overnight; he had begged to keep her because Blaise had wanted to experience having a child before she actually gave birth to one. She'd finally agreed when Lily had begged her. She smiled to herself. The little girl was far too precious to be denied anything.

"You know, it seems like every time I see you in here, you're smiling at something," a soft voice ripped her from her reverie, and she jerked in surprise. Her tea splashed down the front of her uniform. She pointed her wand at it and muttered "Scourgify!" before looking up in surprise.

"I'm sorry," she said, standing. "I haven't got time to chat, I have a patient coming in in a few minutes." He closed the door behind him and folded his arms across his chest.

"No, you don't."

"I don't?" she echoed flatly, her heart racing at top speed. He gave her a lopsided grin and shook his head.

"I just checked with your secretary. It seems that your last patient sent a cancellation owl, and she was on her way down here to tell you when I showed up. I volunteered to come and tell you."

"Oh," she said quietly, sitting back down. She began putting her things away carefully, deliberately taking her time. She hoped he would get bored and leave; for some reason, his standing there was making her nervous.

"I'm not leaving, Potter," he said simply. She looked up, startled. He shifted his weight and sighed. "Look, I came to apologize for Sunday night. Natasha was acting like a spoiled little brat, and I'm sorry that you and Lily were exposed to that sort of behavior. I'm also sorry that I was nasty afterwards." She accepted his apology quietly, with a slight nod of her head.

"Thank you for apologizing." She met his eye steadily, and he squirmed. She could tell he wanted to say more, but she wasn't going to push him. She stood and grabbed her cloak off of the hook. "Well, I'll be seeing you, then."

"Wait," he said. His hand shot out and grabbed her arm gently, and she gasped in surprise. "I... I wanted to make things up to you."

"Really, that's not necessary," she said, forcing a smile. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get home."

"I do mind, damn it!" he said, frowning. "I came here and apologized to you, and it wasn't the easiest thing in the world for me to do! I thought you and I were becoming friends, and I don't want anything to ruin that! You're the first real friend I've ever had!" She looked deflated.

"I thought we were friends, too," she admitted. His expression softened, but he didn't release her arm.

"Well, we are," he said, his frown smoothing away. "Why don't we start acting like it?"

"What do you suggest?"

"Are you doing anything tonight?"

"No."

"Could I come and see Lily? I'd like to apologize to her as well."

"She's spending the night with Ron and Blaise." He was visibly disappointed.

"Well, that leaves you alone, then. Why don't we do something together?" he suggested. She gave him an apprehensive look.

"What does Natasha think about you being my friend?"

"She's visiting her brother. She's in some godforsaken town that I've never even been to."

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" He led her out of her office as she spoke.

"It's the best idea I've had all week - with the exception of the idea I had this morning of crawling to you on my hands and knees and begging you to forgive me." She giggled.

"I think I like that idea, too." He grinned, and her heart skipped a beat. He stepped into the fireplace and held his hand out to her. She slipped her hand into it and he hugged her close as they flooed back to Grimmauld Place. When they stepped out into the sitting room, she realized that he was still holding her. She looked up and held her breath; he was giving her a look that made her heart leap into her throat. In the next instant, though, it was gone, and he had released her.

"Why don't you go change, and we'll have a night on the town?"

"I don't know," she said uncertainly. He grinned.

"Come on," he coaxed. "You deserve a night out with an adult." She laughed.

"Alright," she said, smiling. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"Draco," she laughed. "I need to know how to dress. Is it casual, funky, dressy, what?"

"Funky?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. She blushed.

"It's a Muggle phrase."

"I know, I was just teasing you. If you must know, I'm taking you to my favorite club. We're going to dance and get pissed." She rolled her eyes playfully as she went upstairs.

"Men," she huffed. He laughed and sat down on her couch to wait for her. He was surprised when he heard her light steps coming down the stairs after only fifteen minutes - Natasha always took at least an hour to get ready, no matter where they were going or what they were doing.

"Alright, I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she laughed. He stood and turned, and his breath stuck in his throat. She was wearing those green pants again, and a black shirt that showed an obscene amount of cleavage. She caught his stare but misinterpreted it. "Is this not appropriate? I can change." She frowned and turned back towards the stairs, but he caught her arm.

"No, you're fine," he said, letting go of her. She smiled and looked relieved.

"Good," she said, following him to the fireplace. "I haven't been out at night in so long that I was afraid I'd be terribly out of fashion."

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," he said, pulling her close. She was finding it very difficult to breathe as he grabbed a handful of floo powder and said something she couldn't hear. When they stepped out of the fireplace, they were in the corner of a very dimly lit club. The music was loud and throbbing, and it penetrated Ginny to the core. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the clear summer sky, and stars shone everywhere. She was amazed.

"This has always been a favorite haunt of mine," he yelled over the din. She smiled and leaned towards him.

"What is this place?"

"A dance club for wizards. Come on," he motioned for her to follow him and headed towards the bar. When they got there, he perched himself on a stool, and she took the one next to him. He ordered two drinks, and handed her one. She eyed it suspiciously. "Don't worry, it's not too bad. It's very mild and sweet." She took a tiny sip of it. She'd grown up with two natural-born pranksters and had learned through experience not to trust anyone.

"It is sweet," she agreed, taking another drink. She turned in surprise when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Would you like to dance?" A tall, dark-haired man with blue eyes stood in front of her. She glanced at Draco, who was engaged in conversation with a pretty raven-haired witch. She turned and smiled at the man, and he held out his hand. He led her to the dance floor and they began to move to the music. The song was a fast, pumping beat, and she was grateful that he hadn't asked her for a slow dance. When the song was over, she thanked him and moved back towards the bar.

"Hey," he yelled, grabbing her wrist. She turned in surprise. "I didn't say I was done yet." She yanked on her arm, trying to pull it out of his grip, but he was holding her too tightly.

"Let me go," she said, her cheeks turning red.

"Make me," he said, smirking at her. Before she could reach for her wand, she felt someone behind her slide their arms around her waist. The man let go of her wrist and his eyes widened as he took a step backwards. "I'm sorry, man, I didn't know." With that, he disappeared into the crowd. The arms released her, and she turned to face a very angry looking Draco.

"That guy," he seethed, grabbing her hand and leading her back to the bar. "He's trouble. He's been with just about every witch that comes in here, and not always with her permission." She exhaled slowly and squeezed his hand before sitting back down.

"Thank you for saving me." He shrugged and tried to dismiss her thanks, but he was secretly pleased that she was grateful. He'd saved Natasha like that once, and her reaction had been to freeze him out of her bed for a solid week, insisting that she could have stuck up for herself. Now, if only he could shake the feeling he'd gotten when he'd put his arms around her, he'd be fine.

"Would you like a refill?" he asked, pointing to her empty glass. She nodded, and he motioned to the barkeep, who filled both of their tumblers. She took a long drink, then looked over at him.

"Is this what you do all night when you come here? Just sit and drink, and rescue empty-headed twits from big, surly characters?" she teased. He laughed.

"I would hardly call you an empty-headed twit," he said, taking another drink. "But no, I generally just drink long enough to get loosened up, and then I dance."

"How long does it usually take?" she asked, watching the barkeep fill both of their glasses to the rim again.

"About five glasses, and then I'm good to go. Although it helps if I have six."

"Six it is, then," she said, raising her glass in a mock-toast. He arched an eyebrow but said nothing, and clinked his glass to hers. Several drinks later, they were both laughing hysterically at something he'd just said, but couldn't remember. She slapped his shoulder lightly and snorted.

"I think we're relaxed enough to dance now," he yelled, laughing. She wiped away the tears of laughter and nodded, then followed him onto the dance floor. He was moving without inhibition, and she shot him the most dazzling smile he'd seen from her yet. He didn't stop to think about what he was doing; he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. She didn't hesitate before raising her arms to encircle his neck and kissing him back.

They stood in the middle of the dance floor like that for an entire minute before he realized what he'd done. He pulled away gently and stared at her. She was just as breathless as he was, and he realized with sudden clarity that she had kissed him back. She hadn't pushed him away; she'd returned his kiss! He sucked in a deep breath at the blush that was staining her cheeks, and she looked down at her feet. He tilted her chin up with his forefinger and searched her face.

"I'm sorry," she blurted. "I didn't mean to- I mean, you and Natasha- I mean-" he cut her off with another kiss, slower this time. She braced herself by resting her hands on his chest, and felt tiny chills as his hands caressed the small of her back. She pushed him away gently and met his confused eyes. "I don't think we should do this, Draco."

"You don't want me to-" she shook her head.

"I do, and that's why we shouldn't." He sighed. She was right. He had Natasha, and they were going to be married. He gave her a smile of understanding and put his arm around her shoulders as he led her back towards the fireplace.

"You know, you probably won't even remember this tomorrow," he said, grinning. "You're snookered." She giggled.

"You're right."

"Are we still on for Quidditch tomorrow?"

"Of course! Fred and Ron would kill me if you didn't show and they wasted a perfectly good ticket!" He nodded. "Do you really think neither of us will remember this tomorrow?" she asked hesitantly. He nodded, feeling a strange burning sensation in his stomach.

"We're both pretty snookered," he lied. He wasn't feeling the effects of the alcohol as much as he was sure she probably was; he was used to drinking this much. That wasn't to say that he didn't have a good buzz going, though.

"You're right," she said, smiling. She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before turning to face the fireplace. Before he could lose his nerve, he spun her back around and crushed her to him, kissing her wildly before releasing her. She gave him a surprised look, but to his relief didn't appear to be angry.

"Goodnight," he said quietly. Her bottom lip was trembling.

"Goodnight," she whispered, before disappearing into the darkness.