We Wasted Years

Ginny muttered under her breath, barely awake, and suddenly very angry. She lay still under the massive quilts that her mother had presented her and Caleb with for their wedding present and pulled the pillow harshly down over her head hoping it would drown out noise all together.

"Rise and shine you lazy bum, it's nearly eight already! Merlin, how does Caleb put up with you when you stay in bloody bed all day?"

The voice she heard belonged to her best friend Val. She was the only one, besides herself and Caleb, who had a key to their apartment and she was the only one who could mess with Ginny at eight in the morning and get away with it.

"What the hell are you doing here at the crack of dawn? Go away!" Ginny struggled to hold on to the quilts as Val tried to pry them off of her. Val was the one person Ginny knew who could match her spunk. She had long blonde layered curls that fell past her shoulders and warm green eyes that seemed to take everything in.

"How dare you treat your best friend like this, Ginny O'Brien, now get out of bed. I have so much to tell you...and it's not good," Val said seriously as she stalked out of the bedroom pulling the sheets along with her.

"Oh no, not Roger." Ginny groaned wondering what else he could have done to upset Val that he hadn't already done.

She pulled herself off the bed and went to her dresser to find her wand. It was lying next to Ginny and Caleb's wedding picture, taken a little over a year ago. She watched herself giggling while the handsome Caleb tickled her sides and she sighed happily. There was a mirror hanging above the dresser and Ginny dared a quick peek to see how she looked upon awakening. Surprisingly, she didn't look half bad. Her hair needed to be brushed, and maybe some mouthwash might be beneficial, but despite that, she was passable. Then again, it didn't really matter. Val was her best friend, supportive in everyway. Ginny couldn't believe she had lived so long without having Val around to keep a cool head whenever things got crazy.

Ginny was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of cupboards being slammed in the kitchen. She was alarmed at first, but she remembered that Val had sounded stressed when she had bounded into Ginny's room the way she had. Luckily Caleb hadn't been in there, too. Val knew better than that though, and coincidently Ginny had also told her last night on the phone that Caleb was going to go into work this morning.

Ginny hated when Caleb went to work on weekends. She understood that he was a top architect with a demanding schedule, but she could never comprehend the need to work more than five days a week. There was plenty of time to finish everything that needed to be done in five days time. The only reason she'd let Caleb go was that he kept telling her that he would be bringing a surprise home with him and that it was big. Distracted, he had somehow managed to slip out the door, right under her nose.

From in the kitchen the cupboards rattled again, and it was frazzling Ginny's nerves. She dashed into the kitchen where she found Val searching through the cupboards frantically, but for what, she didn't know.

"Bloody hell, I was awake when you came in pulling the sheets off my bed, do you really have to make such a racket?"

"I can't find the fucking sugar. Where is the fucking sugar?" Val shouted slamming the last cupboard shut. The one nearest the entrance where Ginny stood with her hands on her hips.

The cupboards lined the right wall and then they turned the corner and continued on the far wall. There was an island in the middle with an electric stovetop that blended nicely into the white counter top. Ginny loved her kitchen, which was mostly because of the canary yellow paint. She liked to keep her kitchen nice and clean, but one glance toward the counter space on the far wall and Ginny saw a mess.

"Why do you need the sugar?" Ginny asked as though afraid of the answer.

"I feel like shit, and right now I have a craving for some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies," Val told her as though she should have known that without being told.

"Don't worry about it. The sugar is over in the corner along with the flour and the oatmeal," Ginny said as she walked around the island to the corner cabinet where she pulled out all three items and placed them next to the stash that Val had already retrieved. "Did you preheat the oven?"

Ginny liked making cookies the muggle way even more than the way her mother had always done it with her wand. Val was the one who had taught her how to do it. She was also the one who had introduced Ginny to cookie dough. Val was a muggle, and actually Caleb was too, but they both were wholly aware of Ginny's...powers and each of them loved her anyway.

"No, I forgot. Damn it, I always forget that part," Val exclaimed with self-disgust.

"Here, I'll get them started for you. Just sit down at the counter, how 'bout?" Ginny motioned toward the other side of the island where there were three wooden stools. Val did as she was told without resistance. "Now calm down, and tell me what Roger did this time."

"Last night, well actually it all started with an argument we'd had last weekend; Ginny, I don't even remember what it was about, but it was stupid and he walked out on me in my apartment, remember?"

Ginny nodded, feeling anguish wash over her face at the memory of the phone call she'd gotten at two in the morning, from the weeping Val.

"Well, anyway, we hadn't seen each other since he left, and I was worried that he had had enough of me. But then he phoned two nights ago telling me he was sorry and that he was going to come by my apartment on Friday night, which was last night." Val paused to catch her breath, but only for an instant. "So, I made him a nice dinner, spent all evening slaving over the damned oven, honestly I don't know how my mum could always do it. Merlin, Ginny your mother still does it! But anyway, it was perfect, the best I'd ever cooked, and then nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Ginny repeated in shock, the cookies had momentarily been forgotten as Val began telling her story.

"Absolutely nothing. He never showed up. I ended up throwing all the food into the garbage at about nine thirty, just about the same time that he called," she said with a sour laugh.

"Merlin, what did he say?" Ginny could almost hear the pathetic excuse he would use before Val even had time to open her mouth.

"He'd gotten a flat tire on his way over and he was stranded on the highway. I laughed at him. How could he think I was that stupid? There were voices in the back ground, I couldn't make out what any of them said but most of them were much higher than Roger's voice so I told him to stay there all night for all I cared...and then I told him to forget about stopping by if he ever did find a way off the highway...and then I told him to fuck himself and then I hung up." Val finished breathless, once again, and looked up nervously at Ginny as though she had just confessed her sins.

Ginny was clueless as to how Val always had a habit of picking assholes to give her heart to; and they always returned it to her broken and bruised. Val was pretty and she was intelligent too, and independent. Ginny had never told her, but she was in fact envious of Val's strengths. Most of all, she envied Val's daring.

Val didn't box up her emotions like Ginny had been doing for the last seven years, ever since the last day of her sixth year at Hogwarts. But luckily, Val was helping Ginny to get back to herself and return to who she used to be before that fateful day when she was young, naïve, and swept up in the notions of teenage love. Where did that come from? Ginny thought she had done away with Hogwarts a long time ago.

"Earth to Ginny."

A voice called her back to the present and Ginny studied Val's swishing hand that fluttered back and forth in front of her face. She looked up dully, and saw Val's look of disappointment.

"Sorry Val, I'm back," Ginny apologized feebly.

"I know," Val nodded, suddenly looking vulnerable.

"Don't worry, Val, you'll find someone new. Someone much better, and soon, I'm sure of it. Take me as an example, I was a wreck remember? But look at me now." Ginny feigned a smile to comfort Val and make her feel better. Val had seen it all; had been there for Ginny all the way ever since she had graduated from Hogwarts; and now Val needed her.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry for barging in on you like I did...and then for making a huge mess in your kitchen," Val added chuckling quietly and putting her elbows on the counter to rest her chin in her hands.

"Actually, they sound delicious, let's get them started. They'll be our breakfast!" Ginny grinned as she gravitated back toward the mixing bowl on the back counter. "Come help me, it will take your mind off Roger for a little bit."

A few hours' worth of gossip and girl talk later, Ginny heard the door to her apartment open for the second time. She looked down at herself, almost with giddiness, knowing who it would be and she frowned when she saw that she was still in her pajamas. Her olive green spaghetti strap tank top was speckled with flour and her baggy flannel pants were covered with more flour, and then some. She'd thrown her auburn hair into a sloppy pile on the top of her head and she was almost positive it was lopsided. Her hand moved up instantly in an attempt to fix it and Val snorted and rolled her eyes as she turned back around to the oven to check on the next batch of cookies being baked.

"You are such a newly-wed." Val shook her head and rolled her eyes again.

Ginny turned around laughing, ready to make a comeback when suddenly strong arms wrapped around her waist locking her within their grip. Ginny yelped in surprise and jumped forward a little, but Caleb held onto her and brought his lips to her neck, barely tracing them over her soft skin.

"Caleb," Ginny almost squealed, her face was suddenly flushed as she halfheartedly tried to pull away from him, "Val is here."

"Hi, Val, what are you baking?" Caleb asked politely. "It smells delicious." At the same time, he whipped Ginny around so that she was facing him and with a big sparkling smile lighting his face he pulled her in close and brought his lips down to hers for a brief kiss. Ginny smiled snuggling into his firm chest, before she pulled back for real.

Caleb O'Brien was a sight, and it was almost as good to just ogle him even when she ached to touch him. He was tall, and every muscle in his body was toned into a firmness that only a construction worker could obtain through day after day of manual labor. Caleb wasn't a construction worker though, but he was an architect. An architect that liked to be a part of the construction processes as well as the drafting ones. He had dark almost black short hair and cool blue eyes that had a way of cooling her soul and bringing her peace. He was tanned, too, from spending most of the day outside, and Ginny had fallen in love with his goofy grin the moment she first saw it. It brought out a boyish side of him that was oh so sexy.

"We're making chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. You can be our first taste-tester." Ginny gave him a big cheesy grin as she brought one of the freshly baked ones over to him.

"I think I will," Caleb said with a laugh just as Ginny stuffed the cookie into his mouth.

A string of gooey chocolate dripped out of the corner of his mouth and Ginny wiped it away with a stroke of her finger. She sucked the chocolate off of it and it tasted so rich in her mouth that she took an enormous bite out of the cookie she was feeding to Caleb.

"Hey, that one's mine," he teased trying to grab for it.

"There's plenty to go around, you two," Val interrupted as she put another cookie on a napkin and slid it down the counter to Caleb. "So I take it they're good?"

"Of course, Val." Ginny turned towards her with wide eyes, "Isn't this one of your mother's recipes?"

"Yeah, she had a million of them," Val confirmed, licking her lips after just finishing one of the little masterpieces.

"You have to make a copy of it for me," Ginny informed her as though the cookies were the only thing between life and death.

"Sure, it's not difficult to follow, the only problem is that clean up is a bitch," Val said as she brought the empty mixing bowl to the sink.

"Don't be silly," Ginny scoffed pulling out her wand from her back pocket.

She muttered a spell under her breath and all of the dishes were suddenly in the sink, which had been filled to the brim with soapy water. Another spell and they began washing themselves clean; that one was her mother's favorite. A few swishes and flicks later and the kitchen was spotless once again.

"Merlin, I love when you do that. Why the fuck can't I have a wand? Life would be so much easier." Val sighed and threw her arms in the air in mock disgust.

"It does come in handy doesn't it?" Caleb added patting her bum. Her witchcraft fascinated him as well.

She had been so scared to tell him that she was a witch; it had been about six months into their relationship when she'd finally gotten enough courage and yet she had still been hysterical. But somehow, Caleb had taken it calmly, even asking her to demonstrate a few spells and to show her how it all worked. He was captivated by Diagon Alley, where they had spent the day a few times over the summer and needless to say, Caleb and her father got along splendidly. Each of them had the other's answer to random questions like what was the function of a rubber duck, or what in the world was Quidditch and how was it played?

The only problem was that each of them was more interested in finding out answers to their own questions rather than answering the others'. Ginny had been so relieved that Caleb was open to her lifestyle and even more that he tried to welcome it into their home as much as possible. She was so thankful.

"Let's go to the living room and sit for a little bit. My feet are killing me," Ginny admitted, leading them out of the kitchen. She plopped onto the tan leather loveseat, where Caleb soon joined her wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Mine too," Val agreed as she sprawled herself over the couch.

"Did you get very much done at work?" Ginny asked Caleb patting his thigh affectionately and looking at him lovingly in the eye.

"Enough, but that's not what you really want to ask me, is it?" Caleb challenged with a raised brow and a gloating grin.

"Of course not, she wants to know about the bloody surprise!" Val imposed from her spot on the couch.

Caleb gave Ginny an inquiring look as though to confirm what Val had said. She tried not to blush or to get too red in the face, but she giggled and ruined her facade.

"Tell me what it is!" Ginny demanded playfully pinching Caleb's sides making him jerk away from her.

"Ouch, you brat," Caleb teased grabbing her pinching hand and holding it in his. "Fine, I'll tell you. Okay, well for the past few months I've been working with a man named Gerard Kingsley, you might know him, but he's more famous over in the States."

Ginny shook her head, she had never heard of him. She glanced over at Val to see if she had heard of the man, but Val hadn't either.

"Anyway, he hired me to come up with a draft for one of his projects, and we've just recently made the finishing touches on the blueprint." Caleb paused heightening the suspense until Ginny broke out,

"And..."

"Gerard Kingsley is a huge wizarding name over in the States. He's practically leading the movement of wizarding expansion into the U.S. and he asked me to come up with a floor plan to build a wizarding school there in Philadelphia, so that wizards can get an education over there as well." Caleb was grinning, just waiting for Ginny's good appraisal. She was only too happy to give it to him.

"That's wonderful! I am so happy for you, Caleb." Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close, kissing him quickly on the lips.

"I know, but there's more," he said holding her hands so that she faced him and looked him in the eye. "Construction starts in Philadelphia on Monday morning."

"You're not going to oversee the construction of your plan? That's not like you," Ginny told him without a clue.

"I never said that," Caleb said. "Gerard and I have estimated that it will take about six months to get the school up and running."

"Help me out, I'm totally lost," Ginny pouted getting annoyed that Caleb was purposely not giving her all the details and that he was enjoying her frustration.

"You idiot, go pack your bags you're going to Philadelphia!" Val yelled coming across the room and pulling Ginny up off the couch so that she was standing.

"What? Philadelphia?" It had finally dawned on her.

She was going to Philadelphia.

"He's taking you to the States for six months!" Val squealed and Ginny almost screamed. The two of them were jumping up and down holding hands and making Caleb question their maturity.

When they finally stopped, Ginny sat back down. Caleb was so sweet to her. This was just another one of his ways of making her feel loved fully and unconditionally. Ginny hugged Caleb tightly, not letting go for a long time.

"This is lovely, Caleb O'Brien. I love you," she said, taken away.

"I thought you would like to be a part of this too. I wanted to do something for you to show you that I love you. Building this school seemed to be the best way to do it," he said warmly tapping the tip of her nose.

"Thank you so much. That was a wonderful surprise, Caleb. I had no idea," she said sitting back and looking over at Val who was admiring the pair of them. "Did you know about this?"

"Not at all, but I certainly caught on before you did," Val said laughing.

"Six months, it's incredible, six months." Ginny couldn't help but to keep repeating it hoping it would sink in. It was like a vacation, where she and Caleb could be completely alone. She looked over at Val, who looked a little gloomy suddenly, and then Ginny realized why.

"Oh no Val, I won't see you for six months."

"I know. That's what I was just thinking about. You read my mind, you booger," Val confessed, cracking a sorrowful smile.

"I'll miss you," Ginny said going over to Val on the couch and hugging her tight.

"There's always the phone," Val declared. "So I'll be calling you everyday."

"You better. I don't care if it makes you go broke. You'd better call," Ginny teased, wiping at the corners of her eyes.

She'd never really been away from Val ever since they had grown close years ago. Six months was a long time. Ginny looked back over at Caleb who seemed a little disappointed that she had gotten so worked up over missing Val, rather than being excited. It was hard to balance a husband and a best friend, but Ginny was doing her best. She smiled weakly at Caleb hoping he wasn't too upset with her, and he smiled back telling her he wasn't.

"So, when do we leave?" She asked bringing her focus back to him.

"This evening," Caleb said quietly, hoping that she wasn't upset about the short notice.

"Wow, that's soon. I'd better get going." Val stood up winking at Ginny to let her know that it was okay. "I'll just pack up the cookies in the kitchen and I'll get out of you're hair."

Ginny and Caleb went into their bedroom where Caleb pulled a large trunk out of the closet. He set the contraption on their bed and opened it up to begin the packing. But he didn't put anything in it. Instead he went over to Ginny and reached out lightly for her wrists, swinging them back and forth. She smiled up into his face, slowly becoming breathless.

"Should I have told you earlier about this?" His face was covered with concern.

"No, it's wonderful," Ginny answered a little too quickly. Caleb gave her a look demanding the truth. "I swear it is. It's just that Val's going through a hard time. She's just told me that she broke up with Roger, and now she'll be all alone without me here either, but don't worry, she'll be okay. She always is."

"Maybe I just didn't have the best timing," Caleb offered.

"It doesn't matter. I still love you anyway, and I can't wait. This is so exciting, -how are we getting there?" Ginny asked as she went into her closet to start the packing.

"We're taking a plane straight into Philadelphia from London, it'll be a long ride, we'll get there late tonight, but Gerard said that wouldn't be a problem. He has a house there, not too far from the site, so that's where we are staying, along with the others," Caleb explained.

"The others?" Ginny asked, gathering up a heaping stack of jeans and piling them into the trunk.

"Gerard's daughter and husband will be there too, and the contractor will be staying in his house as well. I'm not sure who else, but I've heard his house is more than big enough to keep us all comfortable," Caleb told her.

"Hey you two, I left a bag full of the cookies for you to take with you. Be careful and have a good time." Val winked as she stood in the doorway to say goodbye.

"I'll call you as soon as we get in, Val, I'll miss you," Ginny said, hugging Val once more before she left.

"Love ya, have a good time!" Val waved goodbye. "Oh, should I check up on this place and keep it all up and running for you?"

"We would appreciate it," Caleb nodded. "We'll pay you for it."

"Oh, don't worry about that, but I'll do it for you. Bye guys!"

* * *

Philadelphia was beautiful and Mayberry Mansion was breathtaking. It sat up defiantly on a hill surrounded by tall stonewalls that ran the perimeter of the property. The rolling hills reminded her of being at the Burrow so much that she'd suffered from a bit of nostalgia. She'd pushed it aside instantly this morning when she first looked out the grand windows of her and Caleb's master suite. The view faced the east and the sunrise in the background of the hills had melted Ginny's heart. She'd allowed herself only a brief moment of reminiscence, and only because Caleb was still pleasantly sleeping in their wonderful bed, but then the moment was gone.

Once Caleb had awoken they had spent a lovely morning together, just the two of them relaxing and goofing around in their room together, old-fashioned quality time. Honestly, she'd been iffy on the whole spending six months in Philadelphia-thing, but her first day across the Atlantic was turning out to be pretty nice, more than endurable. In fact, she even gave a tiny thought to what it would be like to live there permanently, but only a tiny one. She could never give up on the English.

Then, a little less than an hour ago, a house-elf had come knocking on their door with an invitation of a luncheon. It was funny to see Caleb's reaction to the waist-high creature wearing only a pillowcase. They'd spent the next forty minutes showering and making themselves presentable for Gerard's luncheon, which was to take place at one o'clock. Ginny looked at the glass-faced clock above the doorway and saw that they had five minutes until one.

"Five minutes," she called to Caleb, who was somewhere in the bathroom.

Ginny went to the oak vanity near the entrance to the bathroom and sat down quickly at the little poof of a chair. She checked her make up one last time, and then her teeth to make sure they looked white, and then lastly her hair. She pulled the fiery redness around her face, which somehow always made her girlish freckles more noticeable. This humbled her and she stood up from the vanity when Caleb came back into the bedroom. She smiled nervously when they made eye contact, Caleb stopped in his tracks, seemingly taken away by the sight of her.

"What's wrong? Is it too much?" She looked down at the white frilly summer dress in question.

She'd never met this Gerard person before, or any of the others, but she was sure that they were very well off and she was certain that they would all be very well dressed up too. Was it too short? It came half way down her thighs, but still long enough to be classy and tasteful at the same time. She looked back up to Caleb who had remained silent all this time.

"What?"

"Nothing," he uttered finally changing his direction and coming to her. "You're breathtaking." He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her into him tightly. Ginny blushed slightly but rolled her eyes all the same.

"You are, Ginny, don't even deny it," Caleb interrupted her bringing his mouth down on hers. Ginny sighed contently against his lips and wrapped her arms around his back. Their lips parted and they stood, heads bent together, just clinging to the other, not wanting to be the one to break the moment. Fortunately neither of them had to be the one to do it. Instead there was a quick knock on the door.

Ginny left Caleb's warmth to go open the door for who she was sure was another house-elf come to escort them to their destination. At least she hoped they'd send someone to guide them to the luncheon, a person could get lost in Mayberry Mansion for days if they were to turn down the wrong hall. Alas, she was right as she smiled graciously down onto what she thought might actually be a girl house-elf.

"Hello," Ginny eyed her warily.

"I've been sent to take you and sir to the dining hall," the elf said boldly, sticking out her chest in pride at receiving such an important command from her master.

"Okay," Ginny said dumbly, not knowing what else to say. She motioned to Caleb who was a little apprehensive about the house-elf, and then they were following her down the magnificently decorated halls.

It was impossible to try to remember which halls they turned onto and which ones they passed. There were just too many of them and they all were decorated exactly the same with royal blue. Caleb was holding her hand as they followed closely behind the little house-elf. She was pretty speedy for her tiny legs.

Ginny was beginning to wonder if anyone else was actually there within the mansion with them, because they hadn't come across anyone yet on their journey. Finally, the house elf halted right outside a set of French doors. She turned around to them and motioned them to wait right there while she peeked her head into the other room.

With the door open Ginny could vaguely hear people inside and suddenly she was very curious. These people would be whom she was spending the next six months with. The house-elf came back nodding to them to enter and then she went away back down one of the royal blue halls. Caleb who was still holding her hand entered first tugging her companionably behind him.

In surprise, Ginny realized that they had entered into what she though was an ante dining chamber. It was small compared to the elaboration she had anticipated, the only furniture being a tall fireplace on the right wall. It had wood planked on the walls making it seem like a log cabin. Ginny noticed the large man before her immediately. He was stocky with that tall, dark, and handsome look that might have worked for her if only she went for the older men. Despite that, he also looked fierce, definitely not someone to be messed with. It must be that Gerard fellow.

"Good day, Caleb," he bellowed cheerfully melting away Ginny's icy first impressions and shaking Caleb's hand. Then he turned to her,

"Mrs. O'Brien, I presume, it is a pleasure to meet you." He grinned and took her hand to bring it briefly to his lips.

"Nice to meet you, and really, we must thank you for providing a home for us to stay in while we're here. Mayberry Mansion is beautiful." Ginny sounded like a suck up even to her own ears, but everything she said was sincere.

"It is my pleasure. Your husband has done a fine job with our blueprints, best muggle work I've seen, if you don't mind me saying. Believe me, I wouldn't have you staying anyplace else," Gerard assured her firmly.

"Now, Caleb and Ginny, I'd like you to meet my daughter Elena and her husband."

Gerard turned around slightly motioning to two people who had been sitting on a wooden bench behind him. Ginny hadn't even noticed that they were there.

Ginny saw Elena first, she was beautiful, and everything about her screamed royalty; her dark hair looked like a sheet of silk. Caleb took her hand in a delicate shake as they exchanged words of greeting. Actually she never spoke, only Caleb vocalized his pleasure in their first meeting. She came to Ginny with an outstretched hand, looking her straight in the eye and still not speaking at all. There was something about her that Ginny couldn't quite put her finger on but suddenly her thoughts were pulled in the completely opposite direction as she looked to her left and saw the last person she'd ever thought she'd have to face again.

Draco Malfoy.

He was shaking hands with Caleb and she wasn't sure if he had noticed her yet, nevertheless, her heart pounded in her chest and she felt out of breath at just the sight of him. It was just like it used to be.

She was standing still, completely frozen throughout his little chat with Caleb, and even though she was standing next to them, she didn't hear a word of it. Then Caleb was motioning toward her and she found that she was able to make out the words he spoke,

"Draco, this is my wife, Ginny O'Brien."

Ginny's body went completely rigid as she slowly brought her eyes up to meet his for the first time in years. Her back was stiff and she felt as though she were going to faint, her knees were practically buckling underneath her, making her nauseous.

The moment of their connection was electric. Draco's eyes pierced knowingly into her own. She was overwhelmed by the silver familiarity that she had missed for so long. He was standing directly in front of her, locked on her, aware of none other in the room. Ginny could feel the tension radiating off of the two of them, oblivious to how this whole situation would look to the others.

Draco cleared his throat, but still kept his eyes on hers as though he would die without the contact. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ginny O'Brien," he muttered as civilly as he could, but she heard the revulsion in his voice when he had added her last name onto the introduction.

Suddenly the heat between them disappeared. Draco's eyes were cold, freezing her insides. Then his hand hesitantly moved to take hers from where it hung on her side. His hand was cold to the touch as though it hadn't been held and warmed by that of another in years.

In slow motion, Ginny watched Draco in shock as he lifted her hand to his lips just as Gerard had done. His lips were like ice. The moment was over in less than a second and her hand dropped once again back to her side. His eyes were no longer on hers and she felt cold all over. She felt tears welling up, but she could never let them out. It was impossible.

Gerard had shown five times more emotion than Draco had shown. Hadn't she ever meant anything to him at all?

There was a moment of awkward silence amongst the group, but it went unnoticed by Ginny. She hadn't moved yet, and she was staring at the far wall at an eye in one of the wooden planks, losing herself slowly to what used to be.

"Well, I suppose we can go in now. Now that everyone's met everyone else," Gerard exclaimed, interrupting the silence and then led the way through another set of French doors.

The others nodded and grunted in agreement, no one really wanting to say much more than was needed. Ginny remained silent, remained lost, but Caleb's touch onto her lower back returned her to the present. She looked up into his eyes as though he were a stranger, but then she remembered who she was, and where she was. Caleb smiled lovingly at her, but the smile she returned to him was more of a wince as he nudged her through the antechamber and into the formal dining room where the luncheon from hell was scheduled to take place.