Angel
Disclaimer: These characters, the Harry Potter storyline, and the places and events in J.K. Rowling's brilliant series do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them for a while. I promise to give them back, and I will do my best not to corrupt them excessively.
Chapter One
Ginny Weasley's eyes clouded with tears one again as she looked down into the grave. She blinked them away and looked frantically around the site. It was time to leave, but it didn't seem right to go marching back up to Hogwarts Castle. An idea struck her and she began to turn, but a hand landed on her shoulder.
"He really did love you, don't you know?" Surprised, Ginny looked up into the swollen, red eyes of Lucius Malfoy. As unfazed as a father who'd just lost his son could be, he continued. "He didn't care what we thought." He glanced at his wife, Narcissa, standing with her arms crossed in red robes. "She'll never forgive him." Ginny wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I'm so sorry." She said, staring determinedly at the ground. Lucius squeezed her hand, and left. As she watched him walk away, Ginny was reminded of a conversation she'd has with Draco several months earlier.
Flashback
They'd been sitting by the lake one evening when Draco had affectionately mentioned his father. Ginny was taken aback.
"But everyone thinks you hate your father!" she exclaimed.
Draco smiled. "I know. He feels that he has an image to maintain. He's actually nothing like how he acts in public." He paused to tuck a stray strand of flaming red hair behind Ginny's ear. "He likes you."
"Why would he do that?"
It was a smirk this time. "I couldn't tell you that." End Flashback
Ginny blinked, and the memory was gone. She shook her head in an effort to will the memories away. Just a week ago, she and Draco had been a happy, if unlikely couple. They had walked the halls of Hogwarts, hand in hand, completely oblivious to the sneers and disbelieving looks being cast their way.
Tears were cascading down Ginny's cheeks, and her feet refused to move. With great effort, she managed the walk across the ground to Hagrid's cabin. *
Shortly after Draco's death, the groundskeeper, to whom Ginny had grown quite close, had told her to come to his small hut if she ever needed to get away from the castle. She certainly needed to now. She had only been sitting there for a few minutes, however, when there came a knock on the front door. Hagrid opened it to find Headmaster Albus Dumbledore standing on the stoop. Ginny didn't hear a word of their conversation until Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was warm.
"Ginny, if you don't mind, I'd like you to come with me. I think that I'll be able to answer a few of your questions."
Ginny looked up wordlessly and nodded. She returned Hagrid's hug and followed the Headmaster out.
*
About ten minutes later, Dumbledore motioned to the chair opposite his desk. Ginny sat and he followed suit.
"First of all," he began kindly, "I'd like to know how you're coping."
Ginny swallowed. "I just can't believe that he's really gone. No one will tell me anything, so that makes it all the more difficult to accept."
Dumbledore nodded. "The only way you can accept Draco's death is for you to understand. Mr. Lucius Malfoy stopped in here on his way home from the funeral. He wishes you to know the truth."
"As you know," the headmaster continued, "Draco, Ron and Harry had a chance encounter with a Death Eater, MacNair. You saw them being put under the Cruciatus Curse. Very wisely, you fetched Miss Granger and came back here to alert Professors Snape and Lupin. Professor Snape managed to distract MacNair while Professor Lupin got Draco, Ron and Harry back here to the hospital wing.
"Draco had gotten a much worse blast of the curse than Ron or Harry. He fought it for as long as he could. While Professor McGonagall was on her way to fetch Miss Granger and yourself, he let go."
Ginny swallowed back a lump in her throat, but the tears came anyway. Dumbledore handed her a handkerchief.
"Why Draco?" Ginny choked. "His father is a Death Eater."
"Do you read the Daily Prophet?"
Ginny nodded.
"Then you've heard about the Death Eater killings. Someone close to Voldemort has been murdering Death Eaters. They've started at the top and worked their way down. It has to be someone very close to Voldemort."
The puzzle clicked together in Ginny's mind. "Lucius Malfoy." She whispered.
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "He told me today. Now, Miss Weasley, this information may be told to Miss Granger and no one else. Harry and Ron already know. I'm sure you have a great deal to think over. You may go, unless you have any other questions for me."
Ginny got up and walked to the door, but she stopped and turned around. "Are Harry and Ron going to be all right?"
Dumbledore smiled. "They'll be fine."
*
Ginny rolled over again. She hadn't slept in four days, but there was little chance she'd get any rest tonight. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was something that had happened at the funeral. No, it had been just after. Lucius Malfoy had stopped to talk to her. That was it! There had been something in his eyes. Pity? Anger? Tenderness, Ginny thought, it had been tenderness. But what did that mean?
TBC
Disclaimer: These characters, the Harry Potter storyline, and the places and events in J.K. Rowling's brilliant series do not belong to me. I am only borrowing them for a while. I promise to give them back, and I will do my best not to corrupt them excessively.
Chapter One
Ginny Weasley's eyes clouded with tears one again as she looked down into the grave. She blinked them away and looked frantically around the site. It was time to leave, but it didn't seem right to go marching back up to Hogwarts Castle. An idea struck her and she began to turn, but a hand landed on her shoulder.
"He really did love you, don't you know?" Surprised, Ginny looked up into the swollen, red eyes of Lucius Malfoy. As unfazed as a father who'd just lost his son could be, he continued. "He didn't care what we thought." He glanced at his wife, Narcissa, standing with her arms crossed in red robes. "She'll never forgive him." Ginny wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I'm so sorry." She said, staring determinedly at the ground. Lucius squeezed her hand, and left. As she watched him walk away, Ginny was reminded of a conversation she'd has with Draco several months earlier.
Flashback
They'd been sitting by the lake one evening when Draco had affectionately mentioned his father. Ginny was taken aback.
"But everyone thinks you hate your father!" she exclaimed.
Draco smiled. "I know. He feels that he has an image to maintain. He's actually nothing like how he acts in public." He paused to tuck a stray strand of flaming red hair behind Ginny's ear. "He likes you."
"Why would he do that?"
It was a smirk this time. "I couldn't tell you that." End Flashback
Ginny blinked, and the memory was gone. She shook her head in an effort to will the memories away. Just a week ago, she and Draco had been a happy, if unlikely couple. They had walked the halls of Hogwarts, hand in hand, completely oblivious to the sneers and disbelieving looks being cast their way.
Tears were cascading down Ginny's cheeks, and her feet refused to move. With great effort, she managed the walk across the ground to Hagrid's cabin. *
Shortly after Draco's death, the groundskeeper, to whom Ginny had grown quite close, had told her to come to his small hut if she ever needed to get away from the castle. She certainly needed to now. She had only been sitting there for a few minutes, however, when there came a knock on the front door. Hagrid opened it to find Headmaster Albus Dumbledore standing on the stoop. Ginny didn't hear a word of their conversation until Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was warm.
"Ginny, if you don't mind, I'd like you to come with me. I think that I'll be able to answer a few of your questions."
Ginny looked up wordlessly and nodded. She returned Hagrid's hug and followed the Headmaster out.
*
About ten minutes later, Dumbledore motioned to the chair opposite his desk. Ginny sat and he followed suit.
"First of all," he began kindly, "I'd like to know how you're coping."
Ginny swallowed. "I just can't believe that he's really gone. No one will tell me anything, so that makes it all the more difficult to accept."
Dumbledore nodded. "The only way you can accept Draco's death is for you to understand. Mr. Lucius Malfoy stopped in here on his way home from the funeral. He wishes you to know the truth."
"As you know," the headmaster continued, "Draco, Ron and Harry had a chance encounter with a Death Eater, MacNair. You saw them being put under the Cruciatus Curse. Very wisely, you fetched Miss Granger and came back here to alert Professors Snape and Lupin. Professor Snape managed to distract MacNair while Professor Lupin got Draco, Ron and Harry back here to the hospital wing.
"Draco had gotten a much worse blast of the curse than Ron or Harry. He fought it for as long as he could. While Professor McGonagall was on her way to fetch Miss Granger and yourself, he let go."
Ginny swallowed back a lump in her throat, but the tears came anyway. Dumbledore handed her a handkerchief.
"Why Draco?" Ginny choked. "His father is a Death Eater."
"Do you read the Daily Prophet?"
Ginny nodded.
"Then you've heard about the Death Eater killings. Someone close to Voldemort has been murdering Death Eaters. They've started at the top and worked their way down. It has to be someone very close to Voldemort."
The puzzle clicked together in Ginny's mind. "Lucius Malfoy." She whispered.
Dumbledore nodded gravely. "He told me today. Now, Miss Weasley, this information may be told to Miss Granger and no one else. Harry and Ron already know. I'm sure you have a great deal to think over. You may go, unless you have any other questions for me."
Ginny got up and walked to the door, but she stopped and turned around. "Are Harry and Ron going to be all right?"
Dumbledore smiled. "They'll be fine."
*
Ginny rolled over again. She hadn't slept in four days, but there was little chance she'd get any rest tonight. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was something that had happened at the funeral. No, it had been just after. Lucius Malfoy had stopped to talk to her. That was it! There had been something in his eyes. Pity? Anger? Tenderness, Ginny thought, it had been tenderness. But what did that mean?
TBC