An Addictive Solution

Chapter Twelve

Ginny was sitting in the kitchen at the Burrow, lost in thoughts while her mother placed a huge pie in front of her to cheer her up.

"Is it chicken pie?" she asked, remembering the day Draco had taken her to Hogsmeade.

Her mother nodded. "Soon you will be moving to that awful place and I'm sure they don't eat nice rich food there!"

Ginny smiled, wondering what the Malfoy Manor was like. Was it really an awful place like she always imagined it to be?

"Maybe I won't have to move there..."

"Oh, and do you honestly think that Draco will live anywhere else?" Molly asked, handing her a plate and a fork. "I doubt it. He's a Malfoy; he will want to live at the Malfoy's place."

Ginny sighed and didn't move, the fork still in her hands. "Maybe if I don't marry him..."

Molly let the knife she was holding fall onto the table and faced her daughter. "That's not even a point for argument. You will marry him, because I can't lose you!"

Ginny got up and went to hold her crying mother.

"I didn't want this for you," Molly cried into her shoulder, while held her strongly against her. "I didn't want you to leave at all! For me, you will always be that little girl who let me dress you up..." Ginny smiled at the memory. "But the way it is, honey," Molly raised her head to look at her daughter's eyes, "we can't afford to choose."

"He is rich; you will be able to have everything we couldn't give you. And here will always be your home; somewhere you can run to. We won't get rid of your room, that's for sure!"

Ginny looked at her mother, imagining how things would work out. She felt so helpless, and so tired. Suddenly, a violent pain shot through her and she felt the familiar dizziness overtake her again. She had to lean on her mother so she wouldn't fall, and she heard when Molly screamed for Ginny's father.

Soon she was in Arthur's arms, and she felt he was crying. "Tomorrow this will be over..."

"Do you think so?" Ginny asked faintly, while her father took her to her room. "Don't you fear it will be worse?"

"You shouldn't have talked to Wakler today, Ginny," Arthur said, placing her carefully in bed. "I knew he would make you feel bad about this..."

"I was already feeling bad about this." She sighed heavily. "He just made me see some things I couldn't understand before."

"Tomorrow it will be all over..." He tried to tranquillize her, his failing voice not convincing her.

"Tomorrow it will start, Dad. You know it better than I do." She looked at him with desolate eyes. "Let me give up now."

Arthur shook his head violently. "I can't watch you die..."

"It will save us from so many problems..." Ginny tried to change his mind, unconscious of what she was really asking.

"No!" he screamed, startling her and himself. "Don't ask me that! You will get married tomorrow, and I won't let you give up now! It will be alright, I know it will!"

And he left, leaving her with all her fears.

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She had refused to have many guests at the wedding, so there was only Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall beside her parents to watch the ceremony. She had insisted that her brothers not to be there, so they were waiting at the Burrow to go later to the Malfoy Manor by Floo powder.

Malfoy had agreed to her request, and his mother had prepared just a small reception to greet a few people. He hadn't invited anyone and Ginny didn't bother to ask him why. She was too numb to even feel anything.

She could see the judge in front of her, and felt Draco holding her close to him, but she couldn't catch what was being said. She could feel her dress weighing her down and she wished she could have worn one of her old dresses instead of the one that Narcissa had insisted she wear.

Molly said she was beautiful and was now crying beside her. She wanted to hug her mother and comfort her, but she knew she couldn't do that. Narcissa was watching it all, looking as cold and unsympathetic as ever. The (almost) warm woman she had seen that day outside Dumbledore's office was gone.

She saw the judge look at her and turned to Draco, who was raising her hand and placing the ring on her finger. His hands were firm and she couldn't discern any emotion on his face. Her hands were trembling while she placed the ring on his finger, and she was about to burst into tears.

As soon as she let go of his hand, he took the pen the judge was handing to him and signed a big book that was in front of them being held up by magic. He gave her the pen and she took it slowly, hardly believing what was happening.

Wasn't the groom supposed to kiss the bride? Shouldn't she say something? Were marriage ceremonies always that cold? Or was it cold because they didn't love each other?

Wrong; she loved him. At least, she loved the Draco that gave hints as to what he was feeling. She didn't know if she could love that cold and imposing Draco standing beside her.

She was taken aside to make room for her parents and the witnesses to sign the book, too. She looked up at Draco, but he was too busy saying something to the judge. She didn't even hear the words. She could remember Wakler's voice echoing through her mind, "They have a weak spot for the weak"; "Lucius' son could never love. He was not raised for that."

Could it be possible that he was right? That Draco was marrying her for pity, just because he wouldn't want to have it on his conscience that he could have saved a girl and hadn't? Was it possible that he didn't like her, not even a little bit?

She looked to her father and watched him hold her mother. Would she ever have something like that? "He knows he will be ruining his daughter's life when he hands you to that boy."

"There they are!" Molly exclaimed, heading to the fireplace in the other room to meet with two of her brothers. "Ginny, dear, they are arriving!"

Ginny turned her back to Draco and followed her mother, feeling like everything was happening in slow motion. She could hear the judge's laughs very distantly, and she could hear Draco talking to Narcissa and Arthur, but she could only recognize the voices, not what they were saying. She felt terrible. It was her wedding, and she wouldn't be able to remember anything about it.

She tried to smile when she saw Charlie running to hug her, with Bill close behind. Fred and George were beside her mother while she arranged their ties; Ron was holding Hermione's hand and checking to see if she was okay, for she had just come out of the fireplace.

And there was Harry, trying to clean off the dust in his hair. He soon saw her looking at him from behind Charlie's embrace, and he smiled at her warmly.

The Harry she had loved for so long, and now could never be hers. She soon forgot everything she had thought that night after her date with Draco. He was still her hero, the one she dreamt of for so long. And now she would never know if she had had a chance.

She let go of Charlie and went to Harry, who was still smiling at her.

"You look beautiful, Gin," he said, his voice hoarse.

Was it possible he was in as much pain as she was? She felt she wouldn't be able to say anything and just stayed there while he held her, and she put her arms around him and held him back, strongly.

"If he ever hurts you, Ron is ready to kill him," he whispered in her ear. "And I'll be there to help Ron."

Ginny smiled, not wanting to let go of him.

"I wish I could have done something... I wish we had found the counter-curse..."

Ginny didn't break the embrace, but stepped back a little to look him in the eye. That was when she realized, "You looked for it too, didn't you?"

His green eyes were full of pain. "Of course I did; Hermione, Ron and I, actually. We couldn't find anything," he sighed, "but if you ever need a counter-spell to any hex you can think of, just talk to me."

She smiled, forgetting about her sadness after seeing his smile. He had tried to help her. She was the one who should have looked for it; she was the one who should have tried anything - but she had never even thought of it. It was also her fault. She had put her life into other people's hands and hadn't even realized it.

"I think I thought everything would be fine in the end," she said, more to herself than to him. "I thought that someone would save me, like you saved me back in the chamber."

"I wish I had." He held her closely again.

"So do I," she whispered, and finally said what she had been too afraid to say until then. "I wish it was you."

"How touching!" She heard Draco's voice behind her. "But she is my wife now, Potter, and I don't like to watch my wife being held that closely to you."

Ginny let go of a hesitant Harry, who faced Malfoy. "You don't deserve her."

"Maybe I don't, but it doesn't matter now," he said harshly, pulling her closer to him and hurting her wrist in doing so. "You should have made your move before. It's too late now. You'll have to live with that." He said this last part looking Ginny in the eye, finally showing some emotion, and it was rage. "Your other brothers are waiting. Isn't it touching? The whole family is here!" He took her away from Harry and then said when only she could hear, "My mother already went to check if we have enough food..."

"I want to go to my room," she complained, trying to break free from his grasp.

"Our room, darling." His voice was full of sarcasm. "But you won't be going anywhere soon. Be a hostess." He let go of her arm brutally. "And smile."

"You are a making a scene!" she hissed, seeing that everyone was watching them and her father was walking toward them.

He came closer and held her, taking her aching wrist and kissing it softly, and then whispering in her ear, "It's my house; I can do whatever I want."

With that, he kissed her cheek and left, smiling at her father on his way to the other room.

"Ginny, are you all right?" her father asked, worried, when he finally got close to her.

"Yes!" she said, trying to sound convincing while smiling, her eyes full of tears. "I'm fine. I just said something I shouldn't have said, that's all." She then looked at Harry, who looked away from her.

How stupid she had been! She had scared Harry and made him feel uncomfortable. She should have known he didn't feel anything for her, except a fraternal feeling. Maybe he even loved her, but only as a little sister!

And now she had ruined everything, she thought, while she smiled at Percy, who had finally arrived.

She greeted him and soon was beside Bill, listening to him ramble on about how his little sister was beautiful and grown, but not grown enough to be married. It was good; she was finally listening to what people said. Maybe the shock had passed now.

But she still felt numb. She looked around her, and her attention was caught by one tiny bouquet on the table among the various dishes. The table was full of bouquets like this, but this one seemed special: it was composed of little tiny blue and red flowers and was held together with straps of brown fabric. It was enchanted to glow and it seemed perfect for what she had in mind.

She waited until Bill got tired of talking and went to take the bouquet. It was the size of her hand and it seemed very delicate. She headed to Harry, who was alone by the fireplace.

"Harry?" she called softly. He looked at her, startled, awakened from his thoughts. "I want you to do me a favour."

He acquiesced, wondering what she wanted, and that was when he saw the little bouquet in her hands. "Give this to Cho for me?"

He looked from the bouquet to her and smiled back. He took it and peered closely at it, smiling wider when saw the colours of it. "It is perfect."

"I know. And it will finally give you something to tell her." He looked at her, puzzled. "Girls like to hear things like 'those flowers reminded me of you' or 'they match your beauty,' you know, stupid lies like that..."

"Thank you, Gin," he finally said, understanding what she meant with that gesture.

She was finally letting go of him.

But she didn't notice a pair of grey eyes following her closely throughout the entire conversation.