Finding a Reason

Ginny leaned against the stone wall in the corridor. The late afternoon sun refracted through the window and made her red hair shimmer as it curled loosely against her faded black robes. Her attention was focused on the pages of a small book in her hands and Draco wondered vaguely if it was a diary. If she were his sister, he would not allow her to keep a diary. He wondered if he could forbid her, given his current status. He suppressed a feeling of grim enjoyment imagining how that would wind up that brother of hers. He hadn't taken nearly enough advantage of the situation in that respect. Draco traipsed over and leaned against the wall next to her.

"You were right about the potions homework," she said without looking at him. "Of course," he said.

"Are you feeling alright? You know, after the library?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"That would imply that I ever felt not alright. Please. I've faced the Dark Lord, a scorned Hippogriff, and a very disgruntled second year. Involuntary participation in your little gymnastics routine is nothing compared to all that," he said. He looked sideways enough to see her give a small smile.

"Since when have you faced Voldemort?" Ginny demanded, turning toward him.

"I want to talk to you, but not here. Can you meet me in Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Draco asked, changing the subject.

"I'm going with Harry. Why can't you tell me now?" she asked.

"I realize how terribly difficult it would be to tear yourself away from him for one bloody hour, what with him being so witty and charming. But do try. You owe me that much," he said. His hastily shoved his hands in his pockets and his lips formed and thin tight line. Ginny had grown to recognize the minute physical responses whenever Draco was trying to control his temper. She admired how skilled he was at doing so.

"Owe you? Malfoy, I don't owe you anything," she said.

Draco lowered his eyelashes. Was she trying to push him? From childhood on, Draco had the ability to unravel people's emotions. He had reduced members of his own house to tears more times than he could count simply by making a vague reference to their deepest insecurities at just the right time. He had a little insight on everyone. And he always found the right time. It was just plain stupid for Ginny to challenge him.

"Weasley, you should be thanking me. Potter wouldn't have noticed you if you hadn't been the latest rescue mission," Draco said softly. Ginny met his eyes with a dangerous glare, but not before the flinch of her head and the downturn of her mouth revealed something other than anger.

"That's not true," Ginny said through her teeth.

"Oh, isn't it?" he asked sharply. But he knew that she was right. True, their situation had most definitely given Potter a swift kick in his oblivious arse, but Draco had noticed the way Harry watched her during Quidditch matches. At first, Draco interpreted Potter's expression as simply a longing to be reinstated as the Gryffindor Seeker. After that match, Harry's hand, barely touching the small of her back, had guided her through the doorway of the Great Hall. It was such a small gesture. Draco had not missed it, but he was most certain Ginny had.

"Why can't you mind your own business?" she asked waspishly. He couldn't blame her if she despised him for preying on her fears. It probably had yet to occur to her to despise him. He sensed that she was still turning his words over in her mind. Her demeanor betrayed her; her lip trembled when she spoke and her eyes were fixed on some point over his shoulder. He looked at her hands to see if they were shaking the way they had before. They were still, but he did notice something else.

"This," he hissed, grabbing her hand and placing his thumb on the ring, "had better transfigure back!"

"Of course it will! Hermione just charmed it so no one would notice. You should be happy the whole school hasn't found out. Your father would probably hang himself from the shame," Ginny snapped.

"Actually, I had wagered my mother would be the one to snuff herself over this," he said thoughtfully. "How astoundingly creative of the mudblood," he said. Both of them glanced at the ring briefly. The crest of Slytherin House had been transfigured into a small calligraphy "g" encircled by tiny blue roses.

"I don't think Lucius will care what it is," she said, pulling her hand away.

"If my father chose an engagement ring for you, it would have been made of ice being as hell would have frozen over. And it would be shaped like the Dark Mark like my mother's," Draco said conversationally. Ginny gaped at him. "Lighten up, Weasley. The Dark Lord is too busy branding his lackeys to bother with a jewelry collection."

"Harry!" Ginny said. Her face lit up. Draco felt exceptionally annoyed with Harry for this. He would never understand the ridiculous obsession with Harry Potter. All his life, he had listened to little girls speculate on who would snog Potter, go to balls with Potter, marry Potter. For God's sake. Was he alone in the realization that it was Potter's dead parents- muggle loving fools that they were -who were the heroes and not their useless, specky son?

"Hello," Harry said as he leaned in and gave her an awkward hug with one arm. "Alright, Ginny?" he asked in a low voice against her hair.

"If you'd be so kind as to not maul my wife right in front of me, I would appreciate it," Draco said sharply.

"Don't call her that," Harry whispered angrily.

"What? My wife? My WIFE? My spouse? My life partner? The person who agreed to marry me? The girl I snogged senseless in a broom closet in Azkaban, and in the courtyard, and--"

"Malfoy. That's enough," Harry said stiffly.

"Sorry, were you talking to me? You have to be more specific than just 'Malfoy' now," Draco smirked.

"You're hateful!" Ginny hissed, pushing between Harry and Draco and storming down the corridor. Harry rounded on Draco.

"Why can't you just leave her alone? At least think about yourself, since that's all you seem to know how to do. Knock this off before she does something rash that attracts attention from Lucius and gets us all killed!" Harry yelled.

"Think whatever you like. And when you kiss her, think about the fact that I kissed her first," Draco smirked and walked away.

**********

Ginny was sitting by the fire in the common room. Her books were spread out on the table, but she was in no mood to read. She was acutely aware of Harry entering thought the portrait hole, and silently prayed that he said whatever he had to say - good or bad - before going up to his room. Her stomach had been in knots since leaving him and Draco in the corridor. They had not spoken about their kiss, or shared another one, since they came back to school. The image of waking up next to Harry on the living room couch was still surreal. Harry had shaken her gently and said her name so softly she initially wove it into her dream, but for once waking up to Harry's voice was very much a reality. And it would most likely never happen again. That great stupid prat Malfoy had all but ensured that with his theatrics in the corridor.

"You never mentioned that you kissed him," Harry said evenly. She turned to him. He looked tired and curious, but she saw no resentment.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I should have told you before, before you...we... Oh, are you angry?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"No. A bit jealous, but then again, I should have kissed you a long time ago. I can't be angry at anyone else for that," Harry said, taking her hand and sitting on the couch next to her.

"He saved my life when he didn't have to. I thought I saw something there, but it's not really there. You heard him downstairs. He's just as hateful as ever," Ginny said. Harry leaned his head against the back of the couch. "I'm usually a very good judge of character," she said with a slight laugh. Even though they had kissed, their relationship was greatly undefined. She could think of a million positive things about Harry, but had not been able to articulate a single compliment. This had been her best flirting. How utterly depressing. Harry now leaned forward and toward her.

"Are you now?" he asked. His eyes widened in amusement. Well, he hadn't thrown himself out the window, so that was a start. "Is this the part where I am supposed to say something nice about you?" he asked. She felt the color rise in her cheeks.

I've been dreaming about it forever. I have plenty of ideas if you'd like. Dream Harry is very eloquent, she thought.

"When we were running out of the library last year, I thought you had the nicest laugh. I didn't mind being kicked out of the library with the prettiest girl in the school," he looked at her expectantly.

"It must have been a good Easter Egg," she said, smiling.

"Very good. I think about that day a lot. If you hadn't spoken to Fred and George, I wouldn't have had the chance to talk to Sirius and Lupin. Thank you," he said. His expression fell slightly. "You think that I'm a better person than I really am. I don't want to mislead you, Ginny," he said.

"I know who you are, Harry Potter," she said. She was not certain how else to respond. There was a great opportunity for truth, but a great opportunity for pain as well. Neither of them had brought up the prophecy since that night at the Burrow, and knowing Harry, she wasn't entirely certain he would ever be so candid about it again. He cupped her cheeks and pulled her close. She knew it would never cease to thrill her when he showed affection for her. Not that she needed or expected him to profess his feelings after a single kiss. When Ginny was younger, she memorized every word Harry had spoken around her, filed every expression in her mind. She knew every detail of his life that was available to her. As they gradually spent more and more time together over the past few weeks, she felt like she was actually a part of his life. The details had blurred into an unspoken security.

"You're amazing, Ginny," he whispered against her cheek, before capturing her lips in a kiss. She felt the heat creep from her neck, grazing her face like fire, and smoldering on her scalp.

***************

"Is she the only one?" Nott asked nervously as Lucius riffled through a stack of papers. Nott leaned against the mantle and looked nervously toward the door. Narcissica had managed to throw a few nasty hexes at him after he had he committed to St. Mungo's. Lucius had simply watched in detached boredom each time. Nott had no wish to face her this afternoon.

"Repugnant Weasley's! Arthur and Molly Weasley would be the only purebloods from families of seven children to have seven children of their own! The Septiens Charm is wasted on those Over. Bred. Fools!" Lucius slammed his fist on his large mahogany desk, sending papers flying over the edge. He did not look so detached at the moment. His face flushed with anger and his silver hair was tussled wildly around his shoulders.

"And what powers is the girl gifted with?" Nott asked.

"She has no special talents. Once the seventh child is born, it can be any one of the siblings until they turn seventeen. The Septiens Charm allows them to conduct magic through other items, without a wand," Lucius said.

"Did you not hear your son when he explained that she was only able to channel through the ring under threat?" Nott asked.

"I listen to everything Draco says. There is hope for him yet," Lucius said. He arched is eyebrow and looked considering for a moment. "The Septiens Charm is meant for protection. But all charms, as you are well aware, can be manipulated," he muttered more to himself than to Nott. Nott did not seem to notice this.

"She cannot control it, Lucius. All she can do is cast small protection charms which would - negate - anything of use to our cause," Nott said sternly. "She is more harm than use to us."

"I will decide what is harmful, Nott," Lucius said acidly. "And what is useful now is for you to notify the Ministry of Magic that the divorce proceedings are to be held here, with Ginny Weasley in attendance."

"And how am I to do that?" Nott asked, incredulously.

"I have great faith in your powers of persuasion," Lucius said, smiling coldly.

*****************

Ginny sat in the Great Hall with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron was preparing his third plate, and the others were keeping him company until their classes began.

"Really Ron, you shouldn't eat so much. You'll make yourself sick," Hermione said.

"Imagrowingboy," Ron said through a mouthful of sausage.

"Suit yourself, but you'll feel rather foolish when you weigh down your broom during the next match," Hermione said lightly.

"Impossible," Ron said, then swallowed. "Those brooms can support hundreds of pounds. I'll bet Crabbe and Goyle could share a broom if they fancied it."

"There's a disturbing image," Harry said, smiling slightly. He looked at Ginny and winked. She smiled back. She wanted to store this moment in a pensieve so she could watch it every night. Maybe, if she was very lucky, she would have a whole collection of similar moments.

"I can see you gawking at my sister, you know," Ron said amicably.

"Ron!" Hermione said severely.

"I'm just staring the obvious. I thought you would be proud," he said, giving her a glowing smile. The smile seemed to disarm her, and Ginny had noticed an increased usage of this strategy lately.

"Ron, have you decided what you want to do for your birthday?" Ginny asked.

"It's not for another month. I haven't the faintest idea," Ron said.

"Well, it falls on a Hogsmeade weekend. We, well the four of us, could always go out to dinner. Maybe to The Pixie Plantation?" Hermione said, blushing.

"The Pixie Plantation? Isn't that the stuffy place with candles all over the place? We can just eat here before we go. For free," Ron said. Ginny stifled a laugh. Her brother was about as perceptive as Hagrid was suave.

"That sounds like fun, Hermione," Ginny said. "And Ron, they serve Fairefruit Foster,"

"Really? They never have that here," Ron said with sudden interest. He didn't notice the grateful smile Hermione cast Ginny.

"Well, if you'd like, I can owl them our reservation," Hermione said.

Harry laced his fingers around Ginny's. It was not very comfortable, and she knew exactly why. Harry lifted her hand and frowned. Even with the charm, he knew what it was. "Why are you still wearing this?" he asked.

"Malfoy charmed it so that I can't take it off. He said it was expensive," Ginny said nervously.

"Why doesn't he just take it back then? You only needed it for that night at the Ministry," Harry pointed out. Ginny drew in a deep breath.

"He can't take it off," she said slowly.

"How can he forget how to undo his own spell?" Harry asked.

"If its dark magic, then he might not know the counter curse," Hermione said.

"Oh, blood brilliant, Ginny. You've been letting Malfoy practice dark magic on you?" Ron asked.

"This wasn't really his school ring, was it?" Harry asked. Ginny shook her head.

"Nice of you to mention this, Ginny!" Ron snapped. Harry looked at her, his eyes reflected concern, but his hand went slack around hers. She felt her heart break.

"Harry?" Ginny asked.

"It's not her fault, Harry. I helped her charm it so it would be less conspicuous. And so it wouldn't concern you or Ron," Hermione said.

"It's dark magic. Of course we're concerned," Ron said, eyeing the ring.

"It's fine. Malfoy said he was working on a spell to remove it. And I believe him. He wouldn't very well let me keep it," Ginny said.

"Yes, and you've had such a run of luck holding enchanted objects for the Malfoys!" Ron slammed his hand on the table. Ginny's felt as if all the air was been pressed out of her lungs. Her eyes watered. Mention of the Chamber of Secrets was rare, and only in tribute to Harry. The diary itself had never been referred to, even vaguely, in her presence. Not even once. She was disturbed and embarrassed that Ron would choose this moment to bring it up.

"I was eleven, Ron! I'm glad you think so highly of me now. Maybe when I conjure up Tom Riddle this time, he'll know a good counter spell to get this ring off!" Ginny snapped. Ron sat in stunned silence.

"Ron, it's going to be fine. Ginny can take care of herself," Hermione said calmly. "Ginny, can you use it?" Hermione, Ron, and Harry all looked at her curiously. She appreciated Hermione's faith in her, and for that reason alone chose to share her secret with them.

"Not intentionally. I've hexed people without meaning to," Ginny said.

"I know. When you thought I was Tom Riddle. Who else?" Harry asked.

"Malfoy, when he was being a prat," Ginny said.

"When is he not being a prat?" Harry asked, patting her hand. She was grateful for the contact. She braced herself and wondered if he was about to take it away again.

"I hexed Cho, too. I didn't mean to," Ginny whispered.

"Did you really?" Harry asked curiously.

"I saw her flirting with you and I didn't mean to," Ginny said.

"Ah, so you obviously meant to do it," Harry said. His eyes danced and leaned his head against hers. He gave her hand and small squeeze before rising from the table.

It was all Ginny could do not to lean forward and hug him. Or to just blurt out a series of questions to see if the answers shed any more light on what Harry's feelings toward her were. But she sat still and watched her brother and his friends gather their belongings.

Hermione looked sympathetic. "Ginny, I'll look in the library for some spells that might help take that off." It was Ginny's turn to smile gratefully. If anyone could find the counter spell, it was Hermione. Even though Ron and Harry were pleasant when they left for class, Ginny did not miss the concern etched in their eyes.

***************

Molly Weasley frowned at the letter in her hand. She handed it back to her husband through the fire.

"How long ago did you get this?" she asked.

"Just now, Molly. Write to Ron and Ginny. Tell them not to go anywhere -anywhere -- until we sort this out," Arthur said harshly.

****************

The seventh year Slytherins and Ravenclaws gathered around Hagrid and his latest magical creature. Across the lawn, the sixth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs congregated for Herbology. The nine am winter sky was impossibly blue, and the beginnings of each lesson combined with the sleepy students created a lazy stillness. The sixth years encircled the greenhouse, scouring the fields for different species of garden gnomes. Hagrid had managed to steer the lecture into the mating habits of the Blastended Skrewt and was awkwardly trying to redirect himself.

***************

"Is that Errol?" Hermione asked, squinting at the owl swooping toward them. Errol stopped and precariously balanced on Ron's arm.

"It's from Mum." Ron shrugged as read the front of the envelope.

"That poor bird! Even with your mum condensing trips, Errol still looks exhausted!" Hermione said. Suddenly Errol pitched forward. Harry managed to catch him just before he hit the ground.

"Oh, hell," Ron said, shoving the letter in his pocket. He took Errol from Harry and rolled his eyes. "Maybe Hagrid will have something to perk Errol up before I send him back to the Burrow."

**************

Ginny and Colin were not having much luck finding gnomes.

"It's too bad I didn't know about this project before. We have loads of gnomes in our garden," Ginny laughed.

"Really?!" Colin said with great enthusiasm. Even after years of exposure, Colin was forever amazed at details of growing up in the wizarding world. He put his wand on a tree stump and picked up his camera. "Stand over here Ginny. I want to get the greenhouse in the background." Ginny complied.

She was accustomed to posing for photographs for Colin to send home to his muggle parents. "Colin, is that your owl?" she asked as a snowy white owl approached.

"No. Hey, it's a Ministry owl!" Colin said, pointing to the blue and gold band around the owl's leg. "Oh, it's for you, Ginny," he said with a trace of disappointment, handing her the letter. She knew he had been anxiously awaiting a reply to his application to have his parent's fireplace linked into the Floo network. Just then a garden gnome snatched his wand from the tree stump and ran toward the greenhouse.

"Oh, great! Ginny, let me have you wand!" Colin said anxiously. Ginny handed him her wand and watched him chase the gnome. She opened her letter and scanned it. To watch Ginny from a distance, one would not guess the contents of the letter. It could have been some coupons or a particularly boring postcard by gauging Ginny's steady expression. Suddenly, she dropped to the ground, leaning her body against the tree stump. She felt her stomach and face fluctuate from heat to chill, and took deep, slow breaths to control a sudden wave of nausea. The only sound besides her breathing was the rustling of parchment in her hands.

***************

Hagrid continued to fumble over his words. He clearly had no idea how to segue from the topic of fertilization to something that might make him less dysfluent. "And yeh see, uh, thas jus how it happens. Does anyone have questions?" Hagrid said in a tone that pleaded for no questions. The seventh years' amused curiosity was suddenly interrupted by the sound of shattering glass splitting the air. Panes of glass from the greenhouse showered down around a violent, fiery explosion. Stunned students fled the Herbology garden, covering their faces to protect themselves from falling shards of emerald glass and flying pottery. Clouds of loose soil and plant potions that had been stored in the greenhouse swallowed the sixth years in a dense haze.

Immediately, the seventh year Slytherins began running toward the castle against the flow of the seventh year Ravenclaws, who were pounding toward the flame engulfed greenhouse. They were joined by one Slytherin. Remarkably, most of the students looked unharmed aside from torn robes and superficial cuts. The Ravenclaws dropped to the grass like well choreographed dominos, systematically kneeling by stunned students to cast levitation spells and heal minor injuries. Draco continued to run toward the flaming greenhouse, searching the chaos.

He saw her behind the remnants of the potting barn. Her hair was pulled back in a clumsy ponytail and her face had dark smudges of blood mixed with ash. She was dragging an unconscious Colin Creevy away from the greenhouse, sagging from his weight, and pausing to duck at the frequent small explosions as different potions ignited.

"Ginny!" Draco yelled running toward her and Colin.

"Malfoy! Can you levitate him? I've don't have my wand!" Ginny said breathlessly.

Draco swished his wand and Colin hovered several feet off the ground. Ginny grabbed Colin's hands and began pulling him toward the group of students and teachers that had gathered about 100 feet away.

"Give him to me!" Draco shouted. "Wait!" he yelled, he pushed her to the ground and covered her face as a flaming planter of mandrakes was propelled over their heads. He quickly waved his wand toward the mandrakes to cast a silencing spell. They watched the mandrakes soundlessly open their mouths. The greenhouse, however was not soundless. The iron and wood structure was creaking and leaning awkwardly.

"It's going to collapse!" Ginny said, moving to her feet. Draco followed. He touched his wand to Colin, who levitated awkwardly off the ground. Behind them, the greenhouse began to sway ominously. Draco grabbed Ginny's hand in one hand, and the scruff of Colin's robes in his other.

"Ginny, run!" he ordered. Damn the wards at Hogwarts. Here he was running for his life and ducking flaming pots when he could have just as easily apparated Ginny and Colin away from the greenhouse. He and Ginny ran side by side in a breathless silence all the way to a very concerned Madame Pomfrey.

"I think he was hit with a falling board, but he might have heard a mandrake," Ginny offered. "And his arm is broken. I felt it when I was trying to pick him up." Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonnegal were already leaning over Colin chanting various spells to identify his injuries.

"Thank you," Ginny said to Draco. Her cheeks were flushed, accentuating the dark smudges of ash streaked across her cheek.

"Quite the brave little Gryffindor," Draco said, lightly touching a bruise on her cheek.

"Not quite," she said tightly, inspecting her fingers after running her hands over her cheeks.

"You lost your wand, but still decided to go running around an exploding greenhouse. Why!?" Draco asked, trying unsuccessfully not to sound angry. Perhaps he had given her too much credit. Perhaps she was every bit as impulsive as her brother and that hateful Potter. Clearly she had learned nothing from her summer adventure.

"I had to move Colin. He could have been killed. Besides, I was already nearby. You, on the other hand, you came running," she said sharply.

"That's different," he said tightly.

"How?" she demanded.

"You could have been killed!" he snapped. She looked surprised. The corner of her mouth tugged upward for a split second.

"Really now, if you aren't careful, someone may think you're a Gryffindor," she said evenly.

"You could have died," Draco said harshly. He was very aware of the attention they were attracting, and expected Potter to burst from the crowd at any moment. Mortal Peril attracted Harry Potter much the same way death attracted threstrals.

"I had to help him. It was my fault," she said quietly. She covered her face with her hands and swayed forward and backward slightly. She stopped and looked around anxiously. "This is all my fault," she whispered again. He looked at her curiously. It had been a long time since he had seen that mixture of guilt and helplessness on her face, yet it had become disturbingly familiar. His eyes flicked from the ring to the smoldering greenhouse.

"How did this happen?" he asked in a low voice, avoiding the curious glances of a group of Ravendclaws walking by.

She pulled away from him and retrieved a letter from her robe. She handed it to him and waited while he scanned it.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to insult you. Potter loves you. He--," Draco's words tumbled out. Ginny cut him off.

"I know," she said simply. "What do you think of that?" she asked, nodding toward the letter.

"How long did it take for you to convince him that we never kissed?" Draco asked. He hadn't the faintest idea what to advise her to do. Well, he had one idea, but it was likely to get him killed so he thought it was worth further pontification.

"You just want me to tell you that I didn't deny it. Well, I didn't. He knows you kissed me before he did. Happy? Now, please. What should I do?" Ginny implored.

"I don't care what Potter thinks," Draco said in barely above a whisper. Ginny looked up at him. Once again, she did not seem surprised.

"I know," she said.

"Ginny--," Draco began. He was interrupted by a sickening crack followed by the splintering of wood and crunching of folding metal as the greenhouse collapsed to the ground. Debris flew far and wide and students quickly cast shielding charms over themselves. Draco quickly pulled Ginny into him and cast a shielding charm above them.

"What will Lucius do to you if I refuse to go?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not afraid of my own father," Draco said.

"I am," Ginny said sharply, grabbing the letter back from Draco. He had never felt pain from words before. His father had tempered an impenetrable armor against any criticism or such. But looking at Ginny he felt it. She was otherwise brave, except when it came to his father and the Dark Lord. She had good reason. They would kill her given the opportunity, and he knew he could not protect her from that. He had always known that, but at this moment, he saw just how dangerous their liaison had been. Where was this insight this summer? He was foolish to marry her; it had accomplished nothing. He had only managed to expose her to her deepest fears.

"I'm sorry, Ginny," Draco said, placing his hands on both sides of her cheeks and breathing in the scent of grass and earth mingled with her perfume. This was going to be the last time he talked to her, he resolved, as he memorized every inch of her face. "I'm so sorry for everything," he mumbled into her forehead. "I would never hurt you."

"Of course you wouldn't. What's wrong with you?" Ginny said, her eyes dark with concern, her hand touching his forehead.

"I won't talk to you after this. I promise. I won't even look at you," Draco continued, running his hands along her shoulders.

"I never asked for all that. You can talk to me. You'll have to, at any rate. It seems that I will be making a trip to Malfoy Manor this weekend," Ginny said darkly. "And despite your hatred for Harry, try not to flaunt this around him. I don't want him following me the manor. I'm sure that's what your father wants."

"I don't hate Potter," Draco lied. "Alright, so I do." He didn't make it a habit of lying, but he was exceptionally skilled at it nonetheless. There were two things that he desperately wanted to tell her right now, and his animosity for Potter was not on the agenda.

"Don't you?" Ginny challenged.

"I don't really want to talk about Potter," Draco said, regaining composure. Then several things happened at once. Draco looked at Ginny and said "I like you, Ginny. And you're in a great deal of danger." Her mouth dropped in surprise. Out of want, or possibly fear that she may say something he didn't want to hear, he leaned down and covered her mouth with his. She didn't push him away immediately. For an instant she seemed to fall into him. Surely the feeling of her hands touching his forearms was not just his imagination. That soft sigh seemed so real. Her lips moving beneath his could not be a hallucination. Suddenly, her body tensed and she stepped out of his embrace at the sound of her name.

"Ginny?! What in God's name is going on?!" Ron raged as he, Harry, and Hermione ran over. Draco expected Harry to pounce on him, and shifted his weight prepared for the blow. Harry merely looked at Ginny with an expression of hurt and confusion.

"Ginny?" Harry asked. She looked at him and her brother, speechless.

"Close your mouth before you say something stupid, Potter. I kissed her. She didn't kiss me back. That's all," Draco said stiffly.

"Why?!" Harry demanded hoarsely. Draco grabbed the front of Harry's robes and pulled him away from the group. He hastily swung him into a nearby tree and glared.

"Potter. You're an idiot. She loves you for some abysmally stupid reason. She didn't invite that kiss, so let it go," Draco hissed.

"Why did you kiss her?"

"Are you going to break up with her? If there is anything to break up, don't do it on my account, Potter," Draco said in a dangerous voice.

"Is that a threat, Malfoy? I should be threatening you. Leave her alone! And tell your father to do the same!" Harry spat, and stormed back over to Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Draco watched him give Hermione and curt nod, and shake his head at Ron. Ron glared at him. Suddenly Ron's hand shot out and grabbed Ginny's arm. Ginny began to scream at him and Draco saw the panic in her eyes. She was right to panic. Her protection spells were becoming increasingly more destructive and she had no more control now than when she thought Harry was Tom Riddle.

"Take it off! Ginny, stop clenching your hand!" Ron yelled as he tried to budge the ring.

"I can't! Don't touch it! You've no idea!" Ginny shrieked.

"Ron! Stop! You'll dislocate her arm!" Hermione yelled.

"It's too dangerous, Ron!" Harry said, closing his hand over Ron's. Ron stopped pulling, but did not let go of Ginny's hand.

"I blame Percy! That's how this all stared! We'll be lucky if no one gets killed over this!" Ron raged.

"No one here is dying Ron. Calm down. It's not Percy's fault," Harry said.

"You're right!" he said. His eyes flashed and he rounded on Ginny. "You're to blame for this, Ginny! If you had any bloody sense--" Ron began.

"That's enough, Ron," Harry yelled. Ginny was looking upward, trying very hard not to cry. She noticed Hermione doing the same and felt a vague appreciation for the empathy. Everyone turned at a sudden movement. Draco was walking toward their huddle, away from the large crowd of students who were still watching the greenhouse smolder.

"I'll bet you think this is funny, Malfoy! Maybe if you're lucky my sister will blow us all to bits by the end of the day!" Ron hissed.

"Perhaps. But rather than defacing the grounds with your repulsiveness, might I suggest not taking the dark arts into your incompetent hands?" Draco drawled.

"What's that supposed to mean," Ron asked.

"Did your sister tell you anything about the ring?" Draco asked in exasperation

"Of course she did," Hermione said, speaking for the first time.

"Then you know when it has worked?" Draco

"Under threat," Harry said pointedly.

"Bloody brilliant, Potter. You might want to enlighten your mate that manhandling his sister while she's wearing Voldemort's old ring is a rather stupid idea," Draco snapped. Ginny's eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh hell, Ginny! You're just destined to kill someone, aren't you?" Ron said.

"He never said anything about Voldemort!" she said angrily.

"You never asked," Draco said, before turning and walking away. He dreaded the upcoming weekend more than he had dreaded anything in his entire life.

**************

The whispers and stares after the greenhouse incident had not failed to unnerve Draco. He didn't want to imagine the reaction he was bound to get from Slytherin house. By now they surely had heard about him kissing Ginny sodding Weasley. So Draco fled to a place that never failed to offer him great comfort and joy. His vault at Gringott's. Professor Snape had given him a pass to visit his vault after Draco explained his unexpected trip home and need to make a withdrawal to buy a train ticket. In truth, Draco probably had enough gallons in his room to purchase train tickets for his entire house. Now Draco sat in the lobby of Gringott's holding a pouch of gallons, and trying to figure out another way to prolong the inevitable confrontation. Pansy was probably already sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room waiting to hex him right back through the portrait hole if he gave any reason that did not include the words "travesty with Polyjuice Potion" or "direct order from the Dark Lord".

"Well, if it isn't my favorite brother-in-law. Come to count your gallons?"

Draco turned his head to the person now sharing the bench with him.

"Hello, Bill. I'm touched I'm your favorite," Draco drawled.

"Well, you didn't have any competition. But I hope it's every bit as magical for you," Bill said.

"Then I take it Percy is still single?" Draco arched his eyebrow in amusement.

"I'm a bit sick of that. I just don't see why everyone thinks that anyway. He dated Penelope Clearwater, after all. Everyone just brushes that detail under the rug," Bill said.

"Speaking of details, you haven't tried to choke me yet, so I take it you haven't heard the latest development in my doomed marriage to your sister," Draco said. Bill gave him a curious expression, and Draco proceeded to tell him about the letters.

"Ah. Well, she clearly can't go to Malfoy Manor. Perhaps this divorce will have to wait until your father's house arrest is over," Bill said simply.

"You're taking this much better than that Neanderthal brother of yours. At the moment, he's a bit embrangled with ideas of my liking being married to your sister and Lucius popping over to the Burrow to decapitate the lot of you," Draco said, leaning back on the bench.

"Well, to be fair to Ron, I think you do like the idea of being married to Ginny," Bill said with a small smile. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Besides the fact that I haven't even graduated, what makes you think I want to pick out china patterns with your sister?" Draco asked.

"Harry's very upset that his girlfriend is married to Draco Malfoy. And for the satisfaction of hurting Harry, I think you would be willing to marry Moaning Myrtle. It's just a bonus that Ginny happens to be a beautiful and dead clever witch," Bill said.

"Well, it doesn't hurt that Potter's sulking over this," Draco considered. "But honestly this whole marriage idea was not really my finest hour; I don't care how pretty your sister is," Draco said. Bill made a noncommittal humming noise. "And Potter has her convinced that my father has nothing better to do than develop clever ways of snuffing out Weasley's," Draco continued.

"Hasn't he? Your father has been to the Burrow. He tried to curse Ginny before," Bill said darkly. Draco looked at him in surprise.

"Ginny didn't tell me that, and I asked her," he said suspiciously.

"She was very young. My parent's intended on telling her when she was older, but there was really no point in telling her after her first year," Bill said.

"You're mad! My father hates the Weasley's - no offense - plus that was only three years after the fall of the Dark Lord. Surely my father wouldn't have done anything to compromise himself," Draco argued.

"Malfoy, I was there. I remember him being in our house," Bill said pensively. Then he lowered his voice. "I can show you."

Draco followed Bill down a rickety staircase into the basement of Gringott's. They walked passed rows of small numbered drawers. Bill stopped and pulled out a small key. With a small creak, a rusty drawer slid open. Bill removed a small board from the bottom and reached underneath.

"Is that a pensive?" Draco asked, eyeing the small wooden box that Bill had retrieved.

"Very good," Bill said, and gave him a tight nod. "Are you ready then?"

"What good will it do?" Draco said hesitantly.

"Well, if you're looking to establish your father's innocence, then bloody little. But at least you'll have the same insight that Ron does," Bill said. Draco simply nodded. Bill located the memory in the swirling mist, grabbed Draco's wrist, and they were both pulled into the box.

Draco eyed the surroundings. He stood in the living room of the Burrow. In his opinion, bloody little had changed. The furniture was only slightly less dilapidated, the pictures simply contained younger versions of grinning, waving Weasley's.

The pressing difference between the modern Burrow and its early 80's counterpart was the toys. A small chest in the living room was over flowing with books and blocks and dolls. Draco looked inside. He had never had many toys as a child. His father said that it bread weakness. The Weasley toys looked worn, most likely handed down from Weasley to Weasley for decades, Draco thought uncharitably. There was one toy that did not look aged. Draco leaned closer. "It can't be" he thought. He glared and looked over to Bill.

"Is this what I think it is?" Draco asked as he contemplated the various ways of defying the laws of physics to destroy this doll. A doll with messy black hair, and a red jumper, and a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt.

"Ah, I had forgotten about Ginny's doll. I don't suppose any of the little girls you were friends with had one?" Bill asked. Draco though of his the children he was allowed to associate with. All children of Death Eaters, all over-privileged. Of course, they all knew who Harry Potter was, but he nearly laughed at the prospect of Pansy or Millicent toting around dolls of any sort. Perhaps that's where the lack of nurturing from mothers in Dark Wizarding families stemmed from. He pushed those thoughts away. The longer he spent with these Weasley's, the more polluted his mind was becoming. He had been taught appreciate many things. So what if human emotions were not on that list. His parents weren't perfect.

"No wonder she was so bespotted with him. Your parents corrupted her from the start," Draco said darkly.

"It's a baby doll, not the Dark Mark," Bill said.

"So his mother cast a particularly clever spell. You people. You were all raised to think him some type of hero. It's not like he has any extraordinary powers, and even if he does, he certainly could not have mastered then at the age of one. It's not like he did anything," Draco pointed out. Draco firmly believed that Harry Potter brought out the worst in him, and that was saying something. For years, he struggled to control, or at least balance, the pettiness of his injured ego each time Potter excelled at something. He tried not to let this anger conquer him. It would not help him slough his father's frequent deriding over each loss. He felt the need to clarify the events of night the Dark Lord fell. His version was the least Potter loving. Sometimes it helped just to say it out loud to another person. Not that Bill Weasley was likely to agree with him.

"They're here," Bill said simply, looking at the door.

The door swung open in walked Arthur Weasley, followed by Cornelius Fudge and Lucius Malfoy. Draco had expected his father to look different. There were a few less lines around his eyes, but his countenance was just as cold, his dress just as impeccable.

The men shivered from the autumnal dampness in the air and Snape waved his hand toward the fireplace with a certain familiarity.

"We have evidence that the Dark Lord moves. He is weak, but still alive. It is imperative that we capture him," Fudge said firmly as the men took seat in the small living room.

"The Dark Lord is dead," Lucius said sharply.

"You cannot deny that there is power still, Lucius," Snape said evenly as he unconsciously touched his arm.

"He is dead, Severus. How else could you explain the Imperious curse being lifted from those of us who were coerced against our will," Lucius said smoothly. Snape glared.

"I cannot imagine, Lucius," he said silkily.

"Gentlemen, we have to test this out tonight," Fudge said, patting a small pouch. The men stiffened. "If this potion works, we could send someone to face him. Someone to resist him," Fudge continued.

"I will again volunteer myself to seek out the Dark Lord," Lucius said.

"And how is that possible, seeing as you are thoroughly convinced that he is dead? And you are hardly a candidate for facing him for reasons of which you are fully aware," Snape said sternly.

"I have more than repented for the error of my way, Severus. And if the Dark Lord lives, then he must be weak. If a child can face him, than I certainly can," Lucius said.

"No one knows why the Potter boy lived. It has nothing to do with skill obviously, he's a child," Arthur said. Draco felt some satisfaction at this observation.

"How is the Potter boy? Is Albus in contact with the muggles?" Fudge asked.

"These muggles abhor our world. The Harry Potter does not know anything of his parents," Arthur said.

"I have offered many times to take the child in. He should be raised to know who he is. He'll never be of any use raised as a muggle," Lucius said tonelessly.

"He does not have to be of 'use' to anyone. He has done enough for this world already. Molly and I offered to take him in, but Albus has his reasons," Arthur said.

"I shall ask Albus again," Lucius said. "He and Draco could be raised as brothers." Draco reeled at his father's offer. A few more exchanges of protests were made, but Draco was too distracted to listen. He knew how the conversation ended, anyhow. He seemed destined to be opposed to Harry.

"The boy obviously has extraordinary powers. He will be perfectly fine when he returns to our world," Fudge said amiably. Both Lucius and Snape bristled.

"The boy has no extraordinary powers. His mother was intelligent, but not overly gifted, and his father....," Snape pursed his lips as if he had tasted something very bitter.

"I believe he had a conduit for a very powerful spell. It would be worthwhile to search the Gringott's vault..." Lucius began.

"Even Potter would not have been so abysmally stupid as to give his child a wand. And there would be no other object unless the Septiens charm is used, and Harry Potter is an only child," Snape said.

"Great things could be accomplished with such a conduit," Lucius said to no one in particular.

"Hello, father," a young Charlie Weasley opened the front door. "Gentlemen," he nodded.

"Hello, Percy," Fudge said pleasantly. "What are you doing home from Hogwarts?"

"Oh, I'm Charlie," he corrected. "Mum took Bill and me to Diagon Alley this afternoon. We're going back on the train tonight."

"Right, well, let's get--,"

"CHARLIE!!"

Draco spun around and saw a small girl with red pigtails run in from the kitchen.

Ginny.

Ginny at three years old, to be precise. Her pallid pink face lit up when she saw her brother. She had just a few freckles dusted over her nose. Her pigtails were pulled toward the back of her head and floated behind her as she ran. Draco had absolutely no idea what he should be feeling at this moment. This girl would grow up to be beautiful. She would grow up to despise him, and on occasion allow him to kiss her.

"Hallo Ginny," Charlie said, pulling his sister onto his lap on the couch. Snape's face bore no expression. Fudge looked at Arthur pleasantly. Lucius was looking at Ginny with great curiosity.

"I didn't know you had a daughter, Arthur," he said.

"Oh, who can keep track of the Weasely children! Seven in all! That is a very lucky number, Arthur!" Fudge said.

"Indeed," Lucius said tightly.

"Well, gentleman, shall we get on with this?" Fudge asked.

"Perhaps we had better go outside," Snape said, nodding toward Ginny and Charlie.

"Charlie is a third year, this isn't some top secret Severus," Lucius said.

"I didn't know about her," Snape said, jerking his chin toward Ginny. "We cannot open this within the same ward as a child. Unless it's Harry Potter of course," he added mirthlessly.

"Harry Potter!" Ginny squealed. She was now leaning against Charlie. Until now, she had been quietly drinking a juice box, looking at the men curiously. Upon hearing Harry's name, she sat up quickly, spilling her juice about. "I love Harry Potter! I'm going to marry him!" she squealed with the unabashed confidence of a child confiding to a group of grown men. Snape rolled his eyes. Arthur laughed.

"Are you really?" Lucius drawled. "Have you met Harry Potter?" Lucius asked. Draco snorted a laugh. His father was Slytherin to the core. Even extracting information from a toddler was not beyond him.

"No. But when he's finished being a muggle, he'll come back," Ginny said.

"Harry Potter lives with muggles, but he's still a wizard, Ginny," Charlie explained.

"I love him," she sighed. Draco rolled his eyes. Sodding doll.

"Perhaps you gentleman should go outside. You obviously won't need me since I don't meet your qualifications," Lucius said. The men rose and walked toward the door.

"Dad, can I watch?" Charlie asked.

"Arthur, do you mind if I use your grate. I don't want Narcissia to wonder where I am," Lucius said.

"Yes, to both of you," Arthur said. The men left and Ginny remained on the sofa, sipping her juice box, looking up at Lucius with wide curious eyes.

Lucius sat back in his chair. The silence in the house was deafening. He looked at Ginny appraisingly and Draco moved between them. Not that it mattered. If he could manipulate this world, he would have already decapitated that doll.

"So you fancy Harry Potter?" Lucius asked.

"Yes. He saved the whole world!" Ginny chirped.

"And you have six older brothers. That would make you the seventh," Lucius asked.

"Do you want to hear me count to ten?" Ginny asked.

"No," Lucius said tersely. Ginny's face fell, then darkened further as he crossed the room and stood over her. He raised his wand. Draco felt like he was going to be sick. He lunged over and grabbed for Ginny, but his hands simply groped at thin air.

"Who are you?"

Lucius' head snapped around. Draco followed his gaze. Bill walked toward him. A young version of Bill with short hair and a tense expression.

"I'm Lucius Malfoy. I have business with your father," he said smoothly.

"What were you going to do to Ginny?" Bill asked, standing between them.

"Oh, just a simple charm. My son enjoys enchanted toys. I thought she might as well," Lucius said casually pointing to a teddy bear. Draco bristled. His father never allowed him to play, let alone play with enchanted toys. Whatever Lucius has set to do, it had little to do with entertaining Ginny with a teddy bear.

"Don't bother. Ginny doesn't like objects that can think for themselves. They frighten her," Bill said.

"FRED!"

Fred ran into the living room, followed by an irate looking Ron. Draco could think of little to describe Ron at four that would differ from Ron at sixteen, except to say 'smaller'.

"Give it back!" Ron shrieked. Ah, a shrieking Ron. Now that was a memory he could file that away for future exploitation.

"Eat dragon dung!" Fred laughed, holding a small warrior action figure above Ron's head.

"Fred! You'll be degnoming the garden to a month if mum hears you talking like that!" Bill yelled. Ron reached up for the warrior and instead succeeded in grabbing a clump of Fred's hair. The two boys began wrestling, and were soon joined by another small boy.

"George! Fred! Do NOT gang up on Ron!" Bill shouted, reaching in to mediate the fight. In the commotion, no one noticed Lucius cast a spell on the teddy bear. Lucius quickly cast another spell and the bear began to spin around and lumber awkwardly toward Ginny.

"EEEEEE!"

Ginny screamed and covered her face. Her whole body shook with large, dramatic sobs. "Some things never change," Draco thought.

"Damn it!" Bill swore, sweeping his sister out of the path of the bear. "I told you she was afraid of enchanted objects!" he yelled at Lucius. Ginny flung herself limply in his arms, sobbing loudly.

"My apologies," Lucius said, but did not sound at all sincere. "I thought one of the boys might enjoy it. It seemed they were fighting over the same doll. I was trying to help."

"We don't play with dolls!" George said.

"Well, Ron does, since he's a girl! Here, Ron!" Fred said, reaching for the bear. A small spark flew during the contact. "Ouch, Ron!"

"I didn't do anything!" Ron yelled. Fred and George ran from the room with the warrior toy and Ron resumed his chase.

"Those enchantment spells backfire like that sometimes," Bill said. "That's why Ginny's afraid of them. You're lucky it was Fred and not her."

"Lucky indeed," Lucius said flatly. The door swung open and the men walked in looking discouraged.

"It needs some more adjustments, I wasn't fully able to resist the Imperious even with the potion," Fudge updated him.

"Give it time," Arthur said. "I'll owl Quirell and tell his we aren't quite ready for his services."

Lucius and Fudge bade the men farewell, leaving Snape. He eyed Ginny, who had stopped sobbing, but was still teary eyed and very sullen in Bill's lap.

"What happened to your sister?" Snape asked.

"Mr. Malfoy tried to enchant a toy and it scared her," Bill said.

"Did he?" Arthur asked curiously. "I really didn't think he was much of a hands-on parent."

"He's not," Snape said shortly. He walked over and kneeled on the floor, at eye level with Ginny. She looked at him cautiously. "I'm going to cast a spell. It won't hurt you." She burst into tears again, and Snape leaned back awkwardly, then shrugged and raised his wand. For an instant, a white glow surrounded Ginny, then vanished.

"You think he cursed her?" Charlie asked, patting Ginny on the head.

"He obviously did not. I thought he might have used the toy as a conduit. His reluctance to curse a child directly is understandable, given recent events."

"Professor Snape, Ginny didn't touch the bear. But Fred did. I saw a spark," Bill said nervously.

"Fred! Come down here, please," Arthur called.

Fred entered the room looking cowed. Snape did not give him the same disclaimer he had offered Ginny. He swished his wand toward Fred. Fred was surrounded by a white glow, which turned to a bright green.

Ginny began to cry loudly. Snape and Arthur were shouting. Bill and Charlie were speaking in hushed tones. George and Ron bounded down the steps demanding to know what was wrong with Fred.

Draco felt the ground spin under his feet. He gave Ginny one last fleeting glace as he disappeared into darkness. Upon returning, he looked to Bill. He had million questions.

"Your father tried to cast a binding spell. No doubt inspired by Ginny's early obsession. Fred spent the next month in St. Mungo's with all sorts of curse breakers. Your father completely denied it, and it was my word against his. He planted some terrible visions meant for Ginny. He set out to control her; to steer her toward Harry," Bill said.

"Are you quite sure those Cruse Breakers were certified?" Draco asked darkly.

"She'd never hurt Harry. And anyway, it's Fred who was cursed. And they were obviously lifted. Fred did drop out of school just so Harry could use the floo. You don't do that for people you mean to kill," Bill said.

"Do you know what the Septien's Charm is?" Draco asked Bill.

"Yes. And yes, we have all used it from time to time. Ron and Ginny have only used it unintentionally. After the twins pulled some particularly destructive pranks, mum and dad thought it would be best if we didn't call on that gift at all," Bill said.

"So you never use it," Draco asked Bill in disbelief. From the moment he heard the charm mentioned in the pensive he thought it sounded like a rather useful spell.

"Of course I did, when I could. But it only works until you turn seventeen," Bill said.

"And Weasely really doesn't know he can do this?" Draco asked.

"No, Ron doesn't know. Mum might have told him, but with him being so close to Harry and all, it just sounded like something that might land him in a bad situation," Bill said.

"Imagine that," Draco said.

***********

"No. No! She's not going to Malfoy Manor," Ron raged. Harry and Hermione sat on the couch, watching Ron pace before the fire. Hermione held both letters tightly.

Dear Ron and Ginny,

The Ministry sees it necessary for Ginny to attend the divorce proceedings at Malfoy Manor. Do NOT leave the school grounds until your father and I sort this out.

Love,

Mum

Dear Mrs. Virginia Malfoy,

The request for a divorce from Mr. Draco Malfoy will be granted Saturday, December 15, 1998. The hearing will be held at Malfoy Manor. Your presence is mandatory.

Signed,

Matilda Lonlihearts,

Department of Marital Disputes, Terminations, and Exorcisms

"I have to go. Alone," Ginny said in a small voice. She had not spoken to her brother in several hours, and suddenly felt the distant pang of being the outsider as she approached the trio. Ron and Hermione began protesting in unison.

"No! Have you ever heard of a Ministry proceeding taking place in a private home? There is something seriously wrong here!" insisted Hermione.

"Ginny! Think! Lucius is trying to get Harry to follow you to the manor! You can write back and tell them that you aren't going anywhere bloody near Malfoy Manor!" raged Ron.

"It's the only way," Ginny said in a small voice. She had not felt embarrassed about her poor decision since the day at the ministry with her parents. At the present moment she felt like she wanted to jump between a divide in a moving staircase.

"It's not the only way, Ginny," Harry said quietly. "You don't have to do anything."

"Then I'll still be married to him," Ginny said.

"I know. It doesn't matter right now. And we'll figure something out before it does matter," Harry said. He looked straight into the fireplace to give Ginny the courtesy of blushing in semi-private. Of course her marriage didn't matter at the moment, and most likely wouldn't be a hindrance to any social agenda for the next few years. It still made her stomach flip to know Harry's thoughts had even approached that realm, however indirectly. But she pushed that thought away.

After much debating and speculating on the strange turn of events, everyone went to bed. Ginny stared at her ceiling for a long time. Then she began to pack.