Finding a Reason

The rhythmic churning of the carriage wheels halted, creating a stark contrast against the deathly silence of the forest. One would expect crickets and beating wings and swishing leaves, but there was no evensong tonight. The only sound was that of someone stiffly tapping on the door. Ginny sat up with a start. Her heart palpitated as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Despite the cool summer night, the small area inside the carriage was oppressive and Ginny's hair clung to her neck in damp curls. Her ring caught in her hair as she tried to detangle her curls from her collar. Moonlight poured in through the barred window, casting a shadow which obscured Draco's face. Ginny could not tell if he was awake. The tapping on the door intensified and Ginny hesitantly leaned forward. Draco's hand swiftly caught her wrist. "Wait," he whispered. He slowly moved in front of her and opened the door. The carriage driver peered inside. He looked fairly irritable and Ginny wondered how long he had been knocking before she woke up.

"There's been a Death Eater escape at Azkaban. We can't go any farther, not tonight. I'll take you back to the last inn we passed," the driver said curtly.

"Who escaped?" Draco said anxiously.

"Bellatrix Lestrange, dangerous one she is. I shall take you to the inn, then?" the driver said in a tone that left no room for compromise.

"Yes," Draco said, sitting back. Ginny was looking at him with curiosity.

"You thought it was your father?"

"Yes." Ginny had to restrain herself from speaking to fill the chasm of silence that followed. She might have been able to extinguish the impulse if Draco had not been meeting her gaze.

"If your father escapes, you're not going to help me are you?" she asked evenly.

"He won't escape. Bellatrix wouldn't have left without if it were possible for him to escape." Draco gathered his cloak and opened the door. He lowered himself out and offered Ginny his hand. She glared at him and deftly lowered herself from the carriage. He had purposefully avoided her question. He honestly did not know what he would do if his father escaped. What he did know was that if Lucius found him before this marriage was annulled Ginny's irritation would be the least of her worries.

They walked in silence along the cobblestone path to the inn. The cobblestones were worn from centuries of use. Crushed wilderness hugged the perimeter of each stone while moss highlighted each fissure. Jagged edges of splintered wood poked through the newest layer of paint and betrayed any attempt to conceal the age of the inn. The inn keeper was a thin, younger wizard. Draco looked in distaste at his dragon skin vest. And there should be a law against using that much Sleakeasy's. He was looking at Ginny in a way that Draco did not care for. Not that he cared for Ginny, but she did walk in with him. Did the inn keeper really think he was worthy competition for Draco Malfoy? "Hullo, love? Do you know how to play snap poker? We could use an extra player," the inn keeper smiled, revealing several missing teeth.

"My wife does not play cards," Draco snapped. The man was not amused and turned his attention to another person.

"Should I get my own room?" Ginny whispered.

"Yes, that'd be very convincing since I just called you my wife," Draco said lazily.

"Well no one asked you to," she said irritably.

"Oh, well then be my guest, have fun with that little card playing git."

"That's not what I meant."

"No, you asked for it. I'll get a room as far as humanly possible from yours. Then if Fazen shows up, which is damn likely the way your luck is running tonight, you can figure it out yourself!" he snapped, ignoring her startled expression. He turned his attention to an older witch behind the desk. She wondered for a moment if he was really going to get a second room, or if perhaps he expected her to run over and cry and beg him not to. She wouldn't. "My wife and I would like a room," Draco said evenly.

***

"Bloody hell! This is a disaster!" Draco said. Three brick walls showed the cracks of age and fading of time, but exuded a rustic charm in the torchlight. The fourth wall was freshly painted a plain white. Draco observed that the fresh paint was most likely meant to conceal something. He then offered several suggestions that made Ginny feel queasy.

"It's clean and the door locks. It's fine," Ginny said.

"I'm sure it looks like bloody Buckingham Palace to you, but trust me, its rubbish," Draco snapped. "And you can sleep on the couch. I paid for this after all!"

Ginny did not protest. When she came out of the bathroom, Draco was curled up on the undersized couch. He looked uncomfortable and Ginny felt some satisfaction because of this. She had not forgotten that he would have abandoned her had Lucius escaped Azkaban tonight. Without a word, Ginny crawled into bed. Her head spun with the day's events. She put her face down into the pillow and inhaled a familiar musty smell. It reminded her of the cold, musty softness of the cellar at The Burrow. Percy had once turned over an old trunk in the cellar to make a desk. Even when he was a child he was very serious, rigid even. But it was at this desk that Percy had taught Ginny how to write her name in cursive. He patiently charmed little hearts and baby dragons on letters that she sent to Bill and Charlie when they were at Hogwarts. When Percy left for Hogwarts, he told Ginny she was 'in charge' of his desk. Ron was greatly put off by this and Ginny had felt very important. Ginny sobbed into her pillow. She missed Percy. This late night anxiety invited a flood of regret. She felt like she didn't know him at all anymore. It was easy to stay close to her other brothers with tales of Quidditch and Dragons, Wizard Wheezes and Great Adventures. Maintaining a relationship with Percy was more of an effort, one that she ruefully regretted not making. She felt her tears pool in the pillow crease. She jumped slightly when the mattress sank from the weight of Draco climbing on the bed next to her. At first, he said nothing. He propped his head up on his elbow and looked at her.

"Alright, Weasley?"

"Does it look like it? I'm having a lousy day," she said. He could not see her face from beneath a mass of red hair. He expertly gathered her hair, and pushed it aside.

"Ah, but it's getting better. Sure, you were nearly violated - twice - and your poncy brother is rotting in Azkaban. And it's likely that your fantasies of Potter are shot since he's too noble to gallivant around with someone else's wife. And you owe me money. And we're in substandard lodging where someone was most likely murdered in the last 12 hours, although the killing curse wasn't tossed by you which is a refreshing change. What was my point again?" Draco smirked.

"You must think all I do is whine and cry," Ginny sniffed.

"Pretty much, yes. But if my life revolved around Potter, I'd be depressed too."

"My life does not revolve around Harry."

"How long did you cry when he asked another girl to the Yule Ball?"

"Two hours."

"How long will you cry if he doesn't ask you this year?"

"I won't."

"Sure."

"Clearly you aren't here to cheer me up. What do you want?"

Draco didn't answer this. Instead he began talking. "I had no intention of hurting you in the library that day."

Ginny turned to look at him, quite surprised. "I know that, after the veritasium."

"I had never dealt with a crying girl, and never since unless you count me restraining myself from hexing Pansy when she was whining about her dead cat, which I don't," Draco took a breath. "I warned you about the dementors and you tried to kill me."

"I know."

"Did you mean to?" Draco asked, trying his best to sound casual. They had shifted and were both lying on their backs, staring at the ceiling. Ginny considered this question. She knew the answer. She had never doubted it.

"Yes," she said. She expected some nasty comment, but none came. Slowly, he rolled on his side and placed his arm over her middle, bending his head into the side of her neck. His fingers on her forearm were warm, but unfamiliar. She was not comforted by this embrace, but accepted it and wondered if it was comforting for him. She wondered how his breath could be so even and his face so relaxed when she herself felt like she would have a heart attack from the strangeness of the events of the day. He smelled like sweat and expensive soap, and vaguely of fruit which Ginny wondered was his hair gel. The day in the library and the encounter with Fazen aside, she had never been this close to him before. With the exception of a few snog sessions with Michael Corner, and a nervous hug good bye to Harry at the end of her fourth year, she had never been in such close proximity to any boy who was not one of her brothers. As she fell asleep, she wondered how a boy with such soft eyelashes and translucent skin could be so mean and spiteful. She wondered how many Slytherin girls had run their perfectly manicured fingers through his hair. She wondered if he had liked it.

The morning sun flooded through the window, creating a blinding illumination from the soot and smudges on the glass. Ginny blinked and sat up, regaining her senses. In their sleep, they had each shifted away from one another, facing opposite walls. Ginny briefly tensed before remembering where she was. She immediately wished she could go back to sleep, preferably in her own bed, for a very long time. The last 24 hours had been a disaster. Surely her parents had heard about the marriage by now, given Draco's scandalous explanation for their midnight wedding. All this and she felt no closer to reaching Percy. Ginny watched Draco's chest rise and fall, stray silver hairs brushed across his face. This person was the single most hateful boy she had ever known. He said horrible things to and about pretty much everyone but a small inner circle of death eater's children. Even toward the Slytherins, Ginny knew he could be quite unpleasant. But God only knows what state she would be in if he hadn't seen her last night. She didn't deserve it. She had tried to kill him, after all. He would not be wrong to retaliate, or at least step aside if Fazen or the like tried to curse her.

She could smell toast and warm butterbeer. She became acutely aware of the hollowness in her stomach as she had not had a proper meal in nearly a day. She decided to see if there was a complimentary meal, like the hotel her family had stayed at in Egypt. She would need to save her money if she expected to get Percy home. She spotted the room key on the end table next to Draco's sleeping form. She quietly reached down and picked it up.

"Where are you going?" he asked casually, without opening his eyes. How does he do that? Ginny wondered.

"I was going to try to find something for breakfast."

"No, you weren't."

"Yes, actually I was," Ginny said. He was already annoying her. There wasn't much hope for the rest of the day.

"You have 7 gallons, which I know you are saving so you can hop in a carriage with that poncy brother of yours. Going to make Percy walk now? Teach him a lesson about being a courier for Mr. Crouch?" Ginny was surprised that Draco knew the circumstances of Percy's incarceration. He did indeed deliver a package containing illegal potions. It was a simple, stupid error that, fortunately, would be rectified as soon as they got to Azkaban.

"Sometimes hotels have fruit bowls set out," Ginny said, feeling herself flush. "There's no harm in looking." Draco's eyes flew open. And he began to laugh. If Ginny had been less kind, she would say he nearly giggled. Had it not been at her expense, Ginny might have marveled at the first real smile she had ever received from Draco. "What!? What is so funny, Malfoy?"

"Yes, Ginny, some hotels do have continental breakfasts," he laughed, wiping a tear from his eyes. "This, however is hell. Do you realize this is the last stop before Azkaban? Frequented only by the dregs of our world. The only people who come here are criminals. They come here to dodge aurors after committing crimes, and they come to ponder who to kill next." He sat up, still laughing. He looked at her. "They're right busy with all the slaughter to bother with crumpets and tea."

"Are you quite finished?" Ginny snapped. "And how do you know how much money I have? Were you going through my things!?"

"Yes," he said offhandedly.

"Why?" she asked, she demanded.

"I wanted to see if you had anything of use, or of harm. Weapons, potions. The usual arsenal of a rescue mission. You're pretty boring, Weasley," he smirked.

"When?"

"Pretty much all the time. Except for that time you tried to murder me."

"That's not what I meant! When did you go through my things?"

"When you weren't looking, obviously," he said as if she had asked something very stupid. She swore and dropped the keys back on the table, scowling. Draco rolled onto his back and raised himself up on his elbows. "Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few gallons. "I want a bagel. And a butterbeer." He did not wait for her response before rolling onto his side and pulling a blanket over him shoulders. Ginny stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

He had given her enough money for a full breakfast for six people. Sodding Malfoy. Was he so wealthy that he really couldn't estimate what a couple of bagels might cost? When she returned to the room, he was dressed. His hair was slicked more severely that usual, fresh from the shower. She still felt a bit put off by his continental breakfast monologue, not to mention the fact that he had gone through her things and decided to bring up her second year meltdown.

"Still hate me?" he smirked, taking both butterbeers from her hands and setting them on the table.

"Is it safe to go?" Ginny asked as she sat on the end of the sofa. She ignored his question. Hate was a pretty strong emotion. And not very useful if she expected him to help her.

"You mean did they catch my auntie?" he smirked, spreading marmite on his bagel. "No. But I recon they will. She's more of a pawn. Not much of a self starter, you see. Lacks the initiative you want in a death eater." He laughed. Ginny could tell he was amused by himself.

"Thanks," she said, accepting a glass of butterbeer from him. He drank his right out of the bottle.

"You get the only glass. I broke the other one. Perhaps I have some redeeming qualities after all," he said, smirking.

"And you're trying to be chivalrous?" she asked, amused.

"No. I just found it repulsive, so I immediately thought of you. I figured you would like it," Draco said evenly. Ginny looked at the glass in question. It was a promotional mug for Witch Weekly, with a small waving picture of Harry Potter. The caption boasted The Boy Who Lived reads Witch Weekly!

"I can't wait to see Harry's face!" Ginny laughed softly. "He'll hate it!"

"Oh, I can't wait to see Potter's face when he sees this," Draco said tapping the ring on Ginny's finger. "He'll really hate that." He studied her face for a moment. He smirked and shook his head slowly at her. "He won't be pleased. At. All."

"No, he won't, but not like you think," Ginny said, feeling herself blush.

"Oh, no? And he's told you this?"

"Of course not. I just know. He's very close to my brothers. My mum and dad are very fond of him, and, well he's practically part of the family. Somewhere along the way, he'll eventually decide that I'm his little sister too."

"I think that if something happened to you, he'd be a wreck, and not in a brotherly way. If something happens today--"

"He'll find me, you know," Ginny glared at Draco, cutting him off. "He always will, but that doesn't mean anything. He'd never want me like that." She doubted her feelings for Harry would ever subside. They were forever just beneath the surface, easily stirred with the slightest smile from him. Over the summer she had congratulated herself for getting beyond, if not letting go of, the complicated and unrequited feelings for Harry. But admitting it out loud was a step she had not yet taken, and it certainly wasn't going to start in the present company. Her glared faded to a frown as she looked down and busied herself with smoothing out her robe.

"Never say never Weasley," Draco said in a tone that could almost be considered gentle. "He's the effing Boy Who Lived with a penchant for springtime showdowns with the Dark Lord. It's a busy job," he smirked.

"Why the testimonial for Harry? Is that what this is?"

"Of course not. I really don't care. I'm just saying that you're a good girl, and you shouldn't live and die by how anyone, particularly a freak like Potter, regards you." Ginny didn't quite know how to respond to this. In Draco-speak, this was a fairly generous compliment. She didn't want to discourage any degree of civil behavior. "Most likely, you will end up with Potter, if that's what you want. He's pretty thick and I'm sure your perfect little love affair will have a painfully slow evolution. Just don't go throwing yourself at him. It's unsightly."

"Unsightly?" she asked, bemused.

"Yes. Everyone will say, 'Oh, look, there's Draco Malfoy's first wife throwing herself at Harry Potter, why would Draco marry someone so mental to begin with?'"

"I see. I promise I won't disgrace you then," Ginny said dryly.

"Shall we go?" Draco said as he stood.

*******

The first half of the carriage ride was spent in silence. Ginny tugged at the ring uncomfortably. She could not take it off. She wanted to ask Draco why, but she was interrupted by a tapping on the carriage door. She and Draco exchanged curious looks as he opened the door to the moving carriage.

"Hedwig!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Potter's owl?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Yes, yes," Ginny said, distracted by untying the ribbon from Hedwig's leg. Draco was annoyed by this. He snatched the letter from Ginny's hands.

"Let's see what the great Harry Potter has to say," he smirked. "Dear Ginny, I just finished snogging my muggle cousin senseless. It makes me miss that great stupid prat you call 'brother'," Draco mocked.

"Give it here Malfoy!" Ginny yelled, but at the same time, she shifted into the seat next to him, relenting that he wasn't going to give her Harry's letter until he was good and ready, and maybe even wait a bit after that.

Dear Ginny,

Bloody hell! What were you thinking? "This is Ron's writing, everyone must be at the Burrow," Ginny said breathlessly. Please tell me that there is a very good reason that Dad's officemates from the Ministry of Magic sent a wedding gift for you and Malfoy. Mum nearly died when Fred and George opened it and found a bassinet. "Your brothers opened my first wedding gift? How tacky," Draco said. Mum cast about 50 locator charms for her grandchildren. You can thank your lucky stars there were none. We got your owls about Percy. Come home immediately. Percy was released to Dad, Fred and George at about 4 am this morning. You can tell Malfoy I'm going to ---------

Ginny, it's Harry. Are you alright? Went to get Percy yourself did you? Don't worry about Ron. He's just worried. We all are. We're looking for you. We have a good idea that you are close to Azkaban, based on all the locator charms your mom cast but the wards make it impossible to tell exactly where you are. We'll get to you as soon as possible. We can't fly because of the wards, although I couldn't fly anyway. Don't worry about the Firebolt.

Harry

Ginny stared at the letter. "Percy's home! Couldn't they have answered my owl before I let you talk me into getting married and being scandalized by the entire Ministry! And what are you doing to Harry's letter?!" Ginny shrieked.

"I told him to stay put. That I would have you back to the Burrow when you were finished freeing your father-in-law. Oh, and I may have told him to sod off, as well," Draco looked satisfied with his answer as he hastily pushed Hedwig out the window, holding Ginny at arms length before she could edit his letter.

Ginny glared at Draco for a long moment, and then didn't make eye contact with him for the rest of the ride. Azkaban was every bit as dreary as she had heard. The high walls were gray and foreboding, stained with centuries of elements and moss from the concealment of the forest. From the ground, the building appeared to have uniform rows of black bricks. Upon closer view, they were simply tiny windows, no more than 10 inches wide. As they approached, hands waved frantically from the windows. A chorus of shouts emitted from all directions as screams were echoed in the forest behind them. A guard approached them, looking very cross.

"What business do you have here?"

"We're here to retrieve a family member," Draco said. The guard snorted a laugh and led them through the front doors and into a small, dirty office. A grizzled old witch came in.

"How can I help you?" she asked.

"Was Percy Weasley released?" Ginny asked before Draco could speak. The woman looked at a ledger.

"Yes, claimed by his father and two brothers. They thought they were rather entertaining," she said in a humorless tone. "He left in such a hurry, he forgot his personal effects." She pointed to a small clear bag with Percy's watch in it.

"I'll take that to him, thank you," Ginny said, putting the watch on, flooded with relief that Percy had indeed and very truly been released.

"We did not come all this way for an imitation gold watch," Draco snapped. "My wife and I are here to claim my father, Lucius Malfoy!"

"I remember you. You were here the other day. Caused quite a nice tantrum you did, tried to bribe my guards. No doubt ran out of here and got married as soon as you could," the witch sneered. Ginny felt her face flush, but Draco's face remained expressionless.

"We are not here to talk about the particulars of my love life, either." He said flatly. The room was silenced. Ginny had never felt less comfortable, yet Draco leaned back in his chair with a look of arrogant boredom. He had stated his business. He would stare her down. She wasn't worthy of his repartee.

"Your father has been very busy," she sneered, scanning her eyes down a list of charges. "Yet, he walks free. You must be very wealthy."

"Exceptionally," Draco said evenly.

"Surprised he didn't leave with your auntie last night," she pressed. Draco seemed to look through her. "Sign this. It states that you will take him straight to Malfoy Manor where he will be under house arrest until the ministry sees fit to release him." Draco accepted the form and studied it for a long time. He signed, and then passed it over to Ginny. She looked at him and he nodded his head to her. She signed and returned the parchment to the old witch. "Wait here. This should be processed in an hour or so."

"An hour! No one looks very busy here to me!" Draco said acidly.

"Money may buy carriages, and pretty little brides, and freedom for Death Eaters, but it does not buy time. Especially here!" the witch said, her pleasure was quite clear. She rose from the desk and left, slamming the office slamming the door behind her.

"She's more likely to go crawl into a bottle of Firewhiskey than work, the sodding old hag," Draco spat.

"I didn't." Ginny said.

"You didn't what?" he asked.

"She thinks I married you for money. Like some sort of scarlet woman," Ginny said.

"Fuck what she thinks! Fuck what Potter thinks! Fuck that stupid watch! Why did you bring that up? You knew Percy was home. You read Potter's letter!"

"I just wanted to be sure! You're hacked off because she has the upper hand. Don't take that out on me!" Ginny yelled.

"She spends the better part of her life at Azkaban, where the prisoners are likely to have better conversations with themselves than her, and better snog sessions with the dementors. I'm returning to the biggest mansion in Europe to order myself something worth more than her yearly salary from Madam Malkins. How exactly does that give her the upper hand?" he asked smugly. Ginny looked away, disgusted.

The office door swung open and two guards prodded and young wizard in muggle jeans and a white t-shirt in. "'E's ere for life, this one," the guard laughed as he kicked a chair out from under a table and directed the prisoner to it. The prisoner glared at the guards, then at Ginny and Draco. The two guards began sifting thought some papers and bracelets with small boxes attached.

"Wander guards," Draco whispered to Ginny. "They use those when someone harms muggles. It makes muggles invisible to him, to protect them if he ever escapes." Three more guards walked into the office. The prisoner had his eyes trained on the floor. Ginny looked at Percy's watch. Not even 10 minutes had passed. She turned to Draco, who's eyes were wide and his lips were sealed in a straight line. He slowly reached over and took Ginny's wrist.

"Get on the floor," he whispered.

"Draco?" she whispered back. He didn't have time to explain. The prisoner suddenly pulled out a wand and released himself from the shackles.

"He's got a wand!" one of the guards yelled in alarm. Draco pushed Ginny on the floor behind the desk, and threw himself on top of her. The weight of his body crushed her, the room erupted in chaos as curses were thrown from all directions. The wards were sounding off and more guards were casting curses through the windows, some inexpertly hitting the other guards. A large portrait fell from the wall and it's occupant covered his head as he ran off the canvas. Ginny willed herself not to panic, which was quite difficult. Draco was still over her, and both of them were pressed under the desk. Draco tapped his wand on a large grate in the floor and lifted the top off. He leaned his head inside with his wand hand, leaving his other hand tangled in Ginny's hair.

"Lumos," he whispered. The small grate led to a storage closet containing a small desk, stacks of parchment, and quills. No signs of a prisoner area. "Ginny, go!" he said pointing to the vent. He did not need to ask twice. At that moment, a guard was hurled over the desk landing nose to nose with Ginny. He was quite dead. Ginny gasped and Draco covered her eyes. She awkwardly spun herself around and swung her legs through and jumped.

Draco landed next to her. Curses were still being used above them; they heard glass breaking, men shouting, and the dull thud of bodies slapping the stone floor. Draco tapped his wand to the opening and the grate resealed itself. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No. Are you?"

"No. There's no door in here?" Draco looked around puzzled. He was right. There was no visible door, at least. The entire space was only 4 feet wide at its widest.

"We'll just have to wait," Ginny said, lowering herself to the ground. She winced at the curses and screams above her. Here she was in Azkaban, married and scandalized, and all for naught. Her family would not thank her for this. She sank her head in her hands. If she had the energy, she might have cried. It may have actually helped to exorcise some of the immense self loathing. But at the moment, no such release was present. Perhaps it was this confusion, or the mortal peril above her that made her forget where she was, and who she was, and most significantly, who she was with. She felt Draco sit next to her. She let him guide her against his chest. He leaned his head down into her hair and she could feel his breathing, long and deep breaths against her skin. Closer. She looked up at him, and he gave a slightest smirk, shifting one of his hands behind her head. Closer. She could feel his heart beating against her skin, her own body gliding backward and forward with each rise and fall of his chest as he leaned his forehead against hers. Closer. He lowered his mouth over hers and kissed her slowly, his breath still audible, as if breathing her in was every bit as much part of the kiss. His one hand had stayed in her hair, the other gently on her waist. She moved her hands to either side of his head. He pulled her legs across his so she awkwardly sitting in his lap. His mouth was warm, and his hair softly grazed her forehead as he drew her against him. She felt completely weightless, and had she not been sitting on the floor, she suspected she may have been weak in the knees. She wondered how many girls he had kissed. Then they parted. He leaned his head against hers. The commotion above them had ended, though neither of them could say when. As their movement ceased and breathing slowed, they were momentarily wrapped in utter silence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "The first chance we get, we'll leave. Lucius' life is not worth ours." Draco said. Ginny did not answer. She did not know how. She supposed it would be generous and respectable to argue with him, volunteer to stay as long as it took, but he did make a point. It would be foolish to risk her life for Lucius Malfoy. The room above them was slowly reanimated with hesitant footsteps and soft swears. Ginny feared the worst for the body count.

"Mr. Malfoy?" the old witch called through the grate.

"Yes. We're here. Have you gotten your prisoner under control?" Draco snapped, pushing the grate aside.

"Control," she snorted. "Well, he's dead."

"That sounds controlled to me," Draco said airily, sliding the desk under the opening. He climbed through the vent fairly unscathed, followed by Ginny. In years to come, she still could not decide what sickened her more, the half dozen bodies and miscellaneous parts strewn about the room, or the figure standing beside a meticulously dressed and humorless Lucius Malfoy. Ginny let out a small scream before she could stop herself and briefly considered jumping back down into the storage room. Lucius looked at her in annoyance, then followed her stare. His expression dissolved into a cruel smile when he saw it too: Tom Riddle.

Ginny's breathing once again became ragged, and she was unable to move. In his mind's eye, Draco saw a younger version of the girl. He recalled the day that fear was directed at him. He had been inexplicably moved by it. He stayed out during a dementor invasion for her. He drank veritasium for her. Anything to assuage that fear. Once done, he was not a changed man. Had not crossed to the good side. He watched her hands tremble under her robes as they did that day long ago. She did not try to hide them this time. Draco pulled her a few steps back, and behind him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Draco demanded, looking Tom Riddle in the eyes. Ginny may have nightmares about him, and Lucius may be is little lackey, but Draco was unimpressed at this older version of Potter with the same dreadfully unkempt hair. Not impressed at all. "Is this some sort of game, Father?" he spat at Lucius.

"Game?" Tom asked. "I missed Ginny. I miss writing to her." He looked past Draco at Ginny and smiled. "Ginny, do your brothers still tease you? Has the great Harry Potter noticed you? I suspect he did. Especially after you so generously led him into the chamber for me. Surely leading a person to their death will make them notice you."

"He didn't die!" Ginny shrieked. Draco and Lucius looked at her, then one another with identical arches eyebrows. Even something as mundane as sharing the same distraction was an unusual amount of closeness for the father and son.

"No, but you did, didn't you?" Tom asked in a dangerous tone. "A part of you died."

The old witch returned, oblivious to the tension of this interaction. "I haven't got all day, let's get on with it." Then, noticing Tom, she went to tap him, "And who--"The instant she touched him, he turned into a small little dog, and dropped dead. "Jack!" she shrieked.

"Riddikulus!" Draco shouted and the boggart vanished.

"Oh," the witch gasped, clutching her hand to her chest, "they must have set one lose with all that blasting. Oh, dear Lord, thought it was my little Jack there." She looked relieved. "I should have known, but that boy just looked so real. Who was he?"

"No one. My daughter-in-law has a very vivid imagination," Lucius said icily.

"Yes, well, everything's been signed. Give me your hand," the witch said. Lucius pulled up his sleeve. The witch tapped her wand on the wander guard and it dissolved with a small hiss. Without another word Lucius stormed out toward the carriage. Draco nodded his head toward the old witch, then followed Ginny through the door.

If Ginny could sort awkward moments in her life, this would be fairly close to the top, in good company with memories of a singing dwarf. She sat next to Draco, trying to ignore Lucius glaring at both of them. "That ring," Lucius said, breaking a ten minute silence, "is worth 50,000 galleons." Ginny stared at him. She suddenly felt very embarrassed. "When I was told my son had arrived, with his wife, I thought surely it was a case of mistaken identity," he said.

"So you immediately rectified the situation, so that some other poor bloke could leave. Is that what you were doing in the office in your Sunday best, Father?"

Lucius's mouth curved into a thin smile. Ginny recognized that smile. Many times, she had found it endearing or irritating on Draco. On Lucius it looked unremorseful; frightening. "I said 'there must be some mistake'. My son is 16 years old, with no income, and yet he has convinced Ginny Weasley to marry him."

"I'm independently wealthy," Draco assured Ginny. Lucius ignored him.

"Then I received a Howler from Molly. Please tell me she is confusing the circumstances of your marriage with her own," Lucius said sharply, casting a glance at Ginny.

"Neither is true! My parents were married for nearly 2 years before Bill was born!" Ginny said, quite scandalized. Lucius was caught off guard by her outburst.

"Bill? The dandy?"

"No, that's Percy," Draco said.

"None of my brothers are gay!" Ginny snapped. "Bill is especially not gay. He's dating a Veela for goodness sake!"

"See if she has a sister," Draco said. When Ginny glared at him, he added, "For Percy. People are starting to talk."

"And were you so stupid as to sign anything at the ministry?" Lucius asked pointedly.

"Of course we did. How else could we get the license?" Ginny asked.

"My father has many creative ways of creating alliances," Draco said dryly.

"Fools! The minute reach the end of these wards, you both will apparate to the ministry for a divorce!" Lucius said. Ginny wondered if Lucius knew that Draco could apparate, or if this carriage ride was a cover for her benefit.

"A divorce? Why can't we just have this annulled?" Ginny asked.

"You signed my release. You made a legal decision together. Once done, you can not annul a wizard marriage. You must divorce," Lucius said. He glared at Draco. "Your carelessness is an atrocity!"

"A simple 'thank you' is suffice, Father," Draco said, seemingly unaffected.

Ginny sat in silence, trying her best to look impartial. She knew Draco was exceptionally intelligent. Surely he knew the implications of this when they signed the release papers. If Lucius wasn't in the carriage, she would have hexed Draco right then and there. She smirked to herself, running though all the hexes she would use once this sham of a marriage was over. She was broken from her thoughts by a tingling sensation on her wrist. Percy's watch was emitting a soft white glow. She smiled to herself. Percy's watch was charmed along with her mother's clock. Someone was looking for her. She knew she could easily reveal who was casting the calling charm, but it seemed suddenly very childish and personal. She didn't want either of the Malfoy's to watch her. Draco noticed the glow and tugged at her hand. "Guess you're rather predictable. Nicked Percy's watch and someone guessed it."

"Yes," Ginny smiled.

"Who is it then?" Draco said, touching his wand to the watch. A small cloud of smoke rose from the watch, winding into thin spirals showing Harry Potter. The smoke letters slowly faded and Ginny's heart sank. Draco met her eyes for a second. His expression of simple curiosity, as if wondering if she was going to cry again. Ginny felt Lucius glare on her and the watch.

"It just means he used it to look for me. It's Percy's watch. It won't summon Harry to you," Ginny said sharply to Lucius. He met her gaze and glared at her until she uncomfortably shifted her gaze out the window and subconsciously covered the watch with her right hand.

The carriage began to slow down and Ginny recognized the clearing where she had lost control of the Firebolt. Lucius, Draco, and Ginny sat in silence for a few awkward moments.

"I am under house arrest, as you are well aware," Lucius said coldly to Draco. "Go immediately to the ministry of magic and file for a divorce. I expect you back at the Manor before nightfall. Alone."

"Yes Father," Draco said, ducking out of the carriage door. Ginny stared at Lucius. She imagined she should say something to him, but there were no words for her father-in-law who had once tried to sacrifice her to the Dark Lord, and obviously spent some time killing muggles. No, she helped Draco release him from Azkaban. That was more than he deserved. She silently ducked out of the carriage. The carriage swiftly disappeared into the distance, leaving Draco and Ginny in the clearing. She began to walk. "Weasley. Wait," Draco pulled her backwards a few feet.

"Malfoy?"

"The wards end here. The locator charm will work, and Potter and a half dozen angry Weasleys are going to show up looking for my blood."

"I won't let them--," Ginny began. Draco snorted a laugh.

"I'm not asking for your protection. I could hex Potter into oblivion if I felt like it," he said arrogantly. "I won't be able to talk to you once Potter comes to claim you." He emphasized the word claim. Ginny could tell he was doing this to antagonize her.

"So what is this then, Malfoy? Thought you'd get in a few last minute insults?"

"Maybe I want to say goodbye," Draco smirked. He closed the space between them, and placed his lips on hers before she could protest. "Goodbye, wife," he said softly against her lips. Before she could react, he stepped forward purposefully, deliberately. Within seconds a series of small pops were heard as Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Bill all closed in a semi-circle around Draco. Of course, they must have placed a tracking charm on him as well.

"Ginny!" Ron yelled as he ran over to her. She met him part way, walking only far enough to escape the ward. She stood beside Draco, who had not moved. "What were you thinking?! I want answers!" Ron demanded.

"As do I," said Draco shortly. "Like what did you steal from me to cast a tracking charm?"

"On that letter you wrote to Harry, you great stupid prat! You're completely mad! Both of you!" Ron yelled. He lifted Ginny's hand and pulled at the ring. "Take that off!"

"I can't!" Ginny cried.

"Easy Ron, that's no way to greet our baby sister the morning after her wedding," Fred said, ignoring Draco.

"Really, though, I assumed we'd all be invited," George said.

"Except maybe Harry, that'd be a bit awkward," Fred laughed.

"Are you quite finished?" Ginny said angrily.

"Yes, they are," Bill said curtly. "Ginny, are you hurt?"

"Why would she be hurt?" Draco snapped.

"Let's see, you forced her to marry you, spent the night in a dodgy motel, then you dragged her into a prison riot at Azkaban," Ron said angrily. "You're lucky to be alive!" he shouted at Ginny.

"Enough Ron," Harry said, speaking for the first time. His voice was neutral, but his eyes betrayed him and flashed angrily. He walked over to Ginny, but would not meet her gaze. "She looks fine. They're expecting us at the ministry. We should go," he said evenly, taking Ginny's arm.

"Sod off, Potter," Draco said, shoving him aside. "I'll take my wife, myself," he smirked as he took Ginny's hand and disapparated.

*****

A very concerned Arthur and Molly Weasley stood in front of the Ministry of Magic. Molly ran over to her daughter and embraced her. Ginny could hear her brothers apparating around them. "Ginny!" Molly said. "Oh, it's all ok now, everyone's fine. Percy's home, and we'll just get you inside and--"

"And stupid!" Ron interrupted. "And impulsive!"

"Ron!" Arthur snapped. "Ginny, come along. Malfoy, you too." Draco thought of several things he would like to say to Ron and Arthur. He was quite certain at least one would make Ginny cry, and pretty much anything he said would invite Ron to pummel him. He wasn't afraid of sodding Ron. But Ron, his best mate, his father, and three of his brothers was a bit trickier. He thought the better of it and held his tongue.

The older witch who had married them was sitting at her desk. She did not look amused when she saw Draco and Ginny being led in by Arthur and Molly. Molly had made Ron and Harry stay in the waiting area, and sent her other sons home. "Thought you'd be clever?" the old witch said. "Why?" There was absolute silence. Ginny could hear the soft whir of the ceiling fan, and a bird chirping jovially outside the window.

"It's simple really," Draco drawled. "Ginny and I wanted out marriage to be secret. It would be a bit awkward if the Slytherin Seeker had to answer to his wife."

"Think you're funny?" the witch spat, turning red as Draco nodded slowly. "Well, it's about to get even funnier! Since you decided to free a Death Eater, thus sealing your marriage, you will need a full divorce. You will need to be separated for 6 months first!"

"Six months?!" Ginny and Molly shrieked in unison.

"So you're saying Weasley and I are married until February?"

"Yes. There will be no petition for divorce today. I am very sorry Arthur and Molly," she said turning to the Weasley's. "I have always liked your family, and I can't imagine what came over Ginny. This is a tough way to learn a lesson indeed."

The group silently filed out onto the square promenade at the entrance of the Ministry. "No one is to mention a word of this. What happened yesterday stays right here," Arthur said seriously.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said, bursting into tears. Draco shifted his weight. So they were married. It was just on paper, and it wasn't like it was forever. It was a bit embarrassing that she was so distraught, particularly with the glares he was receiving from her family and Potter. And he was married into this useless brood. It should be him crying, not Ginny. Honestly.

Molly gently took Ginny's arm and disapparated with a small pop. Arthur gave Draco one final glare, then followed. "What are you two staring at? Aren't they waiting for you back at the Hovel?" Draco snapped.

"The Burrow! It's the Burrow!" Ron yelled before he disapparated. Only Harry and Draco remained, standing a few feet apart.

"You don't deserve her," Harry said flatly.

"I know," Draco said swiftly. "Neither do you, but you must know that, eh Potter?" Draco's eyes flashed as he smirked. Harry gave him a questioning look, but Draco disapparated without further clarification.