Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey

Chapter Fifteen: Coming Home

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again." - Margaret Elizabeth Sangster.

Are there words to describe the feeling of returning to the place of your birth, to walk on the grass of an open playground that you spent your entire childhood memorising, knowing where every strand of grass was, every hole, every slope, every clump of dirt?

Draco could only note the sensations, not one being possessed with the ability to properly articulate his thoughts or feelings. All he knew was that he was a free man, and he was returning home.

Home.

It wasn't a word. It was a sentiment, a notion, a state of being. But the image of home was not just found in brick and surrounding foliage; it was found in family.

He casually passed through the gate and chanced to look up, to take in the view. A tall, lithe figure stood in the doorway of the manor. The wind that so callously assaulted his cloak had not dared to touch the hem of her dress nor one strand of her long silver-blonde hair. Her pale and delicate arms were crossed artfully over her chest. Her stance was rigid yet graceful, and her pointed chin was held high and proud. She was the image of poise and confidence. Her pale blue irises met his grey, and the smallest hint of a smile graced her strikingly stern features, giving him pause.

"Mother," he greeted breathlessly as he finally approached her, trying to control the quiver in his voice.

Narcissa nodded her head solemnly as her straight blonde hair shook slightly from its perfect resting place. She uncrossed her arms and lifted them, holding them outward, to offer her son her embrace.

"Draco," she whispered back softly but in a much stronger and steadier tone.

He took a step forward, and she enfolded him into her arms. He breathed a sigh of relief into her silky blonde tresses, and he remembered a time when she was taller than he. He was no longer her little boy. His contrasting height against hers made him realise that he was now the man of the household.

She let go first and took a step back, looking her son up and down from head to foot. She seemed to drink in his changed and hardened appearance with cold and appraising eyes and then nodded her head in slight satisfaction as though she was assuring herself that he had been properly fed in her absence. Her eyes lifted to his face, and an almost imperceptible frown crossed her tight lips, darkening her features. She raised delicate fingers to his right cheek, tracing them along the ridge of his scar. Her cold blue eyes began to melt and grow soft, reflecting an unmistakable look of concern.

"Draco, what happened?" she asked softly, without reprimand, as her fingers still lingered on his cheek.

Draco brought her hand to his lips, lovingly kissing the middle two knuckles and then lowered both their hands in front, gently squeezing her palm. "It is nothing, Mother," he answered in an equally soft tone, but one that rang with finality.

He would never confess to her what he had done to himself. There was no need. She already had enough sadness in her life, and she did not need him to compound it.

Narcissa let out an annoyed sigh and lowered her head, shaking it in a rueful manner. She looked back up into his eyes, still holding his hand, and forced a smile. Only he knew it was an act, a performance for his benefit.

"Come inside, Draco," she ordered lightly and let go of his hand as she turned around to open the door. "I'll have Tippy draw you a bath, and then you can come join me for tea."

Draco nodded his head and effortlessly stepped in behind his mother to hold open the door as she gracefully entered the foyer.

"We have much to discuss," she said as she turned around and put a hand on his arm, looking up at him with unrestrained affection.

Draco swallowed hard and smiled, casting his eyes downward as he stepped inside and closed the door, following his mother towards his old room.

He was home.

~*~

"Ginny!" Molly Weasley squealed as she ran (or waddled) over to give her only a daughter a big, warm hug and a wet kiss.

The petite redhead grinned as her mother cut off all air to her lungs and crushed her slender form against Molly's much larger one. Harry stood with her in the door, grinning foolishly as Ginevra's family clamoured around her.

"I missed you so much, my little poppet," Molly gushed as she released her daughter from her iron grip but continued to hold onto her shoulders so that she could inspect her properly. "Dear, you are so skinny. Didn't you eat at all while you were there?" She clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"Molly, let her breathe," Arthur said with a chuckle as he good-naturedly pushed his wife aside and leaned down to give his daughter a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Dad," Ginevra greeted with emotion, hugging her father back fiercely. It had been so long.

"Yeah, Mum. Let the rest of us have the chance to coddle Ginny too," George said in a mock reprimanding tone as his father released Ginevra and stepped aside, allowing the tall redhead to engulf his little sister in his arms and drag her into the house.

"George," Ginevra breathed and kissed his cheek, squeezing her brother tightly. "Where's Bill and Percy?" she asked as she let go of her 'holy' brother.

"Bill and Fleur are visiting her parents in France this Christmas," a familiar voice mumbled, sounding as though his mouth was stuffed with marbles or food (she hoped the latter). "And Percy should be here shortly."

"Ron!" Ginevra cried, smiling broadly, and ran over to pounce on her youngest brother.

Ron caught his little sister and gave her a big bear hug and then let her down somewhat shyly, noticing that Harry and his family were observing their warm greeting with evil mirth.

"Hullo, Gin," he said with a goofy grin, stuffing a chocolate frog into his mouth. "It's great to see you."

Ginevra smiled and then laughed at her brother as the chocolate frog managed to squirm its way out of his mouth and fall to the floor, hopping to safety under their worn but very comfortable sofa. He scowled back and playfully shoved his baby sister, who pushed him back and then stole a frog from the semi-melted stash he held loosely in his hand. She popped it into her mouth and smiled triumphantly. Ron then crammed the rest of the frogs into his mouth with a grin, tackled Ginevra onto the couch, and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Harry, come in, will you," Molly said, ignoring Ron and Ginevra's antics as she went to the door and ushered her 'seventh son' inside.

"Where's Hermione?" Ginevra asked breathlessly as she kicked Ron to the end of the sofa, and Harry took the seat next to her.

"She's at her parents," Ron answered, looking somewhat gloomy, but then smiled. "She said she's coming to the Burrow after Christmas though."

"She really missed you, Ginny," Harry added with affection. "We all missed you."

Ginevra forced a smile and turned her head, unable to look her boyfriend in the eye. She felt guilty, but she couldn't bear to admit to herself why.

"All of you come into the kitchen," Molly ordered, waving her hands in a shooing motion. "Dinner is ready. I need to feed my little girl." She pinched her daughter's cheek and looked down at her adoringly.

"Mum," Ginevra whined but could not help but smile and feel warm at her mother's display of affection.

"C'mon, Gin. You've got to admit that you missed Mum's food," George said as he put an arm around her shoulder and sat her down next to him at the dinner table while Harry took the chair on the other side.

"Oh, trust me. I have!" Ginevra admitted with a grin and an emphatic nod of her head.

They all sat down at the dinner table as her mother began to flit about, putting pots on the table and slapping at George's and Ron's hands with the wooden spoon as they tried to sneak their fingers inside to have a taste.

Percy finally arrived with presents in arms to put under the tree (never one to do last-minute shopping) and gave Ginevra a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before he sat down beside their father, who smiled down at his industrious son and tussled his hair in an affectionate manner. Percy tried to look put out about it but failed. Instead, he threw a nasty scowl in George's and Ron's direction.

"It's good to have you home, Ginny," Arthur said with a smile, beaming at his young daughter as Molly began to pass around the plate of sliced chicken.

Ginevra blushed and lowered her head. "It's good to be home," she rejoined honestly.

She had never realised how much she had missed her family until she was reunited with them. There really was no place like home.

"Yeah, it must be great to get away from that git, Malfoy," Ron commented with a laugh as he piled mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I still can't believe he got off."

Ginevra frowned and shook her head, looking down at her fork. She couldn't very well explain to Ron, of all people, that Draco Malfoy wasn't a git. Well, at least he wasn't any more. They wouldn't understand. Hell, even she couldn't understand it.

"His father took full responsibility, didn't he?" George asked, glancing over at Harry for confirmation.

"Yeah," Harry replied absently with a nod of his head as he began to scoop various foods and pile them onto his plate.

"Yeah, but the stupid pillock should have still been punished," Ron said with a shake of his head, and a scowl slipped onto his face.

"Ronald, not at the dinner table!" Molly reprimanded with a frown and then looked over at Ginevra and smiled, passing her the peas.

"Sorry, Ginny," Ron apologised, looking genuinely shame-faced. "I didn't mean to stir up any bad memories for you."

Ginevra glanced up at him with a look of puzzlement on her face.

"I'm really proud of you, Ginny."

Ginevra's nonplussed expression disappeared entirely, and she blushed humbly, glancing up at her brother with unmasked gratitude at the words that he had so freely spoken.

"Thanks, Ron," she said shyly, smiling. She couldn't help but love the boy.

"We're all proud of you," Harry said beside her as he put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

Everyone looked up and nodded their heads in agreement, murmuring words of praise to the silent and blushing redhead.

Ginevra turned her head and looked down at her food. She couldn't help but frown at their words of adulation. Her family may be proud of her for what she had done, but the sinking feeling of guilt that weighed in her stomach made it difficult to accept. She didn't feel especially proud of herself. She felt empty and lost.

~*~

Draco escorted his mother to the well-lit, extravagant shop. She had persuaded him to join her on a last-minute shopping trip to Diagon Alley. He had already purchased his parents' Christmas gifts in Paris and had no need to buy anything else. They would not be allowed to visit his father at Azkaban until January, but they were allowed to send and receive owls, which would be monitored, of course. However, the new Ministry did allow scheduled visits once a month, so it wasn't as bad as it had once been. Plus, there were no more Dementors.

His mother had faired well at her term spent at the Ministry under lock and key. She seemed gentler than he remembered her, sadder too, in some ways, yet also more relaxed. He supposed they shared that in common. While captivity may harden most people, it seemed to soften the edges around Malfoys or at least his mother and himself. He could not account for his father. He doubted nothing short of a miracle could change Lucius' temperament.

Narcissa, however, had not lost her touch to effectively order the house elves around or him, her son. Their trip to Diagon Alley was, in part, her subtle way of recommending that he get a haircut. She admitted that she liked his hair long, but the way he wore it reminded her too much of Lucius. He didn't need his presence and likeness to his father to bring his mother any more pain, so he relented to her demands.

He leaned down to give the older woman an affectionate kiss on the cheek and departed, leaving her to shop. One thing he appreciated about his mother was that she did not spend hours lingering in stores. She knew exactly what she was going to buy and bought it. Rarely did she ever window shop.

He was on his way to meet his appointment with the barber down the street when a group of people suddenly stepped out of the shadows and began to accost him, blinding him with flashes of lights.

"Mister Malfoy, tell us how it feels to be a free wizard?" a reporter asked, and Draco rose a hand to shield his face from the bright, flashing bulbs.

How did these bleeding berks know that he was here? Snooping sods!

"Mister Malfoy?" another voice asked, and Draco immediately turned on his heel and Apparated into thin air with a pop.

He surreptitiously turned up on the other side of the barber shop (as he was not going to let the press make him miss an appointment involving hair care), nestled snugly behind a large open trash bin. It only figured with his luck. At least he didn't Apparate inside the bloody thing.

Stupid press, Draco thought to himself with a scowl as he raised his hood and drew his cloak closer about his person.

"Harry, I'm going to get some hot cocoa at Belinda's Café."

Draco immediately froze and turned his head in the direction of that unmistakably familiar voice. It was Ginevra Weasley ... and she was with Harry Potter.

"Okay, Ginny," he heard Potter say as the ruddy ponce leaned down and gave the redhead a kiss on the cheek.

Draco narrowed his eyes on the boy with the round spectacles and the dark, floppy fringe, and his nostrils flared. He was seething with several conflicting emotions, partly rage but mainly jealousy.

"How about we all meet up at George's at eight?" Potter suggested, and Draco's scowl only deepened when he saw Ginevra look up at the useless toss pot and smile.

"Sounds good. See you and Ron there later."

~*~

Ginevra almost ran to the coffee shop, trying to escape Harry as fast as she could. Since she got home, he had been trying to make up for abandoning her at Godric's Hollow for all those months by hanging out with her at every possible opportunity. She knew he meant well, but his actions only made her feel suffocated and nervous (and not in a good way). She just didn't feel comfortable around Harry any more. This time, however, they were not alone. She, Ron, and Harry had decided to go to Diagon Alley to do a little bit of shopping and meet up with her other brother, George. She and Harry had been hanging outside Madam Grey's for the past twenty minutes. They were waiting for Ron, who was inside shopping for Hermione. He refused to let Ginevra or Harry help him find a gift for his girlfriend. Ginevra figured he was too embarrassed or something to that effect, which made her wonder what exactly he was buying her. He could have at least let them wait inside in the warmth of the store. It was freezing outside.

The redhead opened the door to the café and walked inside, quickly finding an empty seat. The waitress, young, blonde, and ample-chested, came over and offered Ginevra a warm smile as she took her order for a large hot cocoa with extra whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of chocolate flakes. Ginevra then glanced out the window and watched a busker earn his living on the cold, well-lit street. The waitress walked over to the counter to give the order and then quickly made her way back to the redhead and conjured her drink and a napkin.

Ginevra snaked her hands around the mug, hoping to bring warmth and feeling back into her numb fingers. She took a tentative sip of the cocoa and smiled. She wouldn't have to apply a cooling charm. They had prepared it perfectly. She brought the drink back to her lips for another sip when she noticed an older blonde woman open the door and step inside the tiny café. She was tall and slender, very pale, with long, straight silver-blonde hair and crystal-blue eyes that took on a hue of grey in the soft light of the small establishment. Ginevra took a large gulp of her cocoa and almost choked. It was the woman from the paper that Harry had shown her earlier that day, a lady she dimly remembered from the battle at Hogwarts. It was Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother.

The stately woman took a seat near the window opposite of Ginevra and politely summoned the waitress. The busty blonde almost tripped over the several large bags filled with ornately wrapped parcels that the older woman had seated on the floor beside her foot. Narcissa frowned slightly at the younger blonde's lack of grace and picked up her bags, placing them on the seat next to her. She smiled tightly at the waitress and promptly ordered an Earl Grey.

Ginevra sat in silent contemplation, drinking her hot cocoa and trying desperately not to stare at the woman who sat only a few feet in front of her. She wondered if she should approach her and ask how Draco was doing. No. If he wanted her to know, he would have sent her an owl, Flooed her, or something. She would be foolish to believe that he cared. Still, she should inquire into his health. It was the polite thing to do.

She finished her drink in one large gulp and wiped at her mouth with the napkin. She wasn't exactly the picture of etiquette, but no one could accuse Ginevra Weasley of being filthy and covered in chocolate ... at least not in public. She stood up and straightened out her cloak. Thank Merlin she had worn something half-decent today. She took a shaky step forward, at first, and then managed to drag her other foot around to place it in front, slowly approaching the unaware blonde who was engrossed in the paper she had set in front of her.

"Missus Malfoy?" Ginevra asked hesitantly, and Narcissa glanced up with tea cup in hand, quickly and subtly appraising the redhead with calculating eyes.

"Yes?" she asked sharply but with proper formality, a small but polite smile on her lips. It was obviously forced.

"M-My name is G-Ginny, Ginevra Weasley," she stuttered, correcting herself. "I am sorry to interrupt you, but I was wondering if I could ask how your son is doing, h-how Draco is doing?"

The regal-looking woman pursed her lips together and lowered her cup, looking up at Ginevra with dark, cold eyes. To say that the woman was intimidating was an understatement.

"I'm sorry, but I am afraid I am not giving comments to the press at this point in time," she answered in a sharp, clipped tone.

Ginevra shook her head and waved her hands in front of her chest in a defensive manner. "Oh, I'm not from the papers. I--never mind," she said, cutting herself off, coming to conclusion that this woman before her would never take her seriously. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

She turned around, her shoulders slumped forward in defeat, and began to walk away when Narcissa's haughty tone broke through the chatter and noise of the people inside the busy café.

"Wait," Narcissa called out softly but with authority, and Ginevra turned around to find the woman still in her chair but was staring at her intently. "'Ginny'?" The look on the blonde's face indicated that she was waiting for confirmation that 'Ginny' was, indeed, the redhead's actual name.

"Uh, yes," Ginevra replied and began to tentatively walk back over to the table where the blonde sat. "'Ginevra', actually," she corrected, hoping that the older woman would not take offence.

She absently wondered if Draco's mother would appreciate her given name over her nickname. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to impress Missus Malfoy.

"'Ginevra'," Narcissa repeated, her voice neither harsh nor soft. "That is a much prettier name than 'Ginny'."

Ginevra slightly lowered her head, refusing to react to what was, most likely, an unintentional insult. Ginevra had been called 'Ginny' all her life. She did not believe it to be an ugly name; however, she supposed that 'Ginevra' did sound more ladylike and grown-up.

"You're Molly and Arthur Weasley's daughter, correct?" the blonde asked, not waiting for the redhead to interject.

"Yes," Ginevra replied simply, expecting a slight on her parents to follow. It never came.

They stared at each other in icy silence for a moment until Narcissa finally cut the tension and spoke first.

"You are the one who looked after my son," the regal blonde stated rather than asked.

"Yes, I was his ..." Ginevra paused, recalling how Missus Malfoy had stressed that Ginevra had merely looked after her son and had not been his jailer. "I looked after him, yes." She affirmed her statement with a nod.

Narcissa let the briefest of smiles pass her lips. It was a cold and tight smile, far from inviting, but it did not appear feigned like the one she had given her earlier.

"He is doing well," she stated, finally answering Ginevra's original question. "I shall tell him that you enquired about his health." She raised the cup to her lips to take another sip.

Ginevra fumbled with her hands. She had not thought about Missus Malfoy informing her son about their talk. She suddenly became more nervous than she had been when she first approached the taller, commanding woman.

"Oh, no," Ginevra spoke up, waving her hands once more. "That's okay." She let her arms fall to her side as she saw the stately woman raise a delicate eyebrow at her in curiosity. "I just wanted to know ..."

Narcissa lowered her cup to the saucer and folded her hands on the table. She had her head tilted ever-so-slightly as she looked up at and examined the nervous-looking redhead. She seemed to be appraising Ginevra, judging her, waiting for her to slip up and say something stupid.

"I'm sorry," Ginevra apologised, slightly bowing her head. "I should really get going." She glanced around nervously. "My friends are waiting."

With a curt goodbye, Ginevra turned around and almost ran, head first, into an elderly witch who had just entered the café. She mumbled a hurried apology and sheepishly excused herself, bounding out the door.

Narcissa's deep blue eyes followed the redhead's path. A look of mild interest registered on her lovely face as she lifted a pale blonde eyebrow on her brow. Her lips pursed into slight frown before she regained her normal composure and brought her tea cup back up to take another sip.

Something, most definitely, was up.

~*~

Author notes: I stole Kim's Tippy! I was beta-ing A Marriage of Convenience, and the house elf in her story popped into my head when I wrote this. I considered changing it, but then I decided to keep it and pay homage to Kim and AMoC (not a very good homage, mind you). ^_~

Okay, so not too much was going on in this, feelings-wise. I just really wanted to introduce Narcissa and show the contrast between how both Draco and Ginevra were received when they arrived back home. How they both feel about being separated will be expressed more in the next chapter.

Oh, I hope you liked my Cissa. That was my first time writing her. She's a perceptive bird, nay? ^_^