Revelations and Memories
A/N: My muse, Maggie, is simple girl. All she likes are plot bunnies and reviews. So be kind to Maggie and feed her review cookies please.
Huge Thanks to my beta SpicyKittens for her work with this piece. Heaven knows I can't use a comma for the life of me but she keeps me straight and finds the most insightful ways to help fill out thoughts that are otherwise incomplete. I greatly appreciate all her help!
No copyright infringement intended. All characters are the property of JKR, Scholastic, and any number of other companies with more money than I've ever dreamed of seeing. I didn't make any money off of this, so please don't sue.
10 hours, 12 minutes, and roughly 18 seconds; that's how long she had been the front page news. That's how long she had been locked up in her flat behind every ward she could think of. Reporters from every Wizard newspaper on 6 continents were just beyond the door to her building, and those wards, vying for her attention.
When they realized she wasn't going to answer the door, open the floo, or allow apparations in, they started sending owls. "Just one interview," they begged. "We'll pay top galleon for an exclusive." She stopped letting them in as well.
However, despite her unwillingness to talk to the press, she still was front-page news. Gin picked up today's Daily Prophet AM edition from where it laid on the coffee table and reread it for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley actually Mrs. Ginevra W. Malfoy
Ministry clerk reveals after finding marriage license among stack of forgotten parchments.
Jr. Clerk, Morgan Whitby of London, revealed to The Daily Prophet that while working to reorganize a post-war Ministry parchment filing room he ran across a most unusual document, the marriage license of the now departed Mr. Draco Lucius Malfoy and Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley Malfoy. Jr. Clerk Whitby reported his findings at once to the new Minister of Magic, none other than Arthur Weasley, the new Mrs. Malfoy's father. Wishing not to upset his daughter with questions, Minister Weasley summoned forth the proper departments to inspect the document. Upon inspection of the document it was found to be in no way fraudulent.
The document states that on the 25th of April of this year, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Weasley were wed by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Signed witnesses were Miss Luna Lovegood and Mr. Blaise Zabini.
Mr. Malfoy passed away this past August due to injuries sustained during the war against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Mr. Malfoy was believed to be among Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters throughout the war. It was revealed, only days before his death, that he had in fact been a member of the mysterious Order of the Phoenix. This information was corroborated by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall who confirmed she was the one who held the mantle of control over said Order at the end of the war.
When questioned about the marriage between former Death Eater turned Order spy Draco Malfoy and his daughter, Minister Weasley had only this to say. "While my wife and I were not privy to this information, I'm sure my daughter had good reason for withholding it. After all, we were at war. Had we known she would have had our full support and will so henceforth having recently lost her husband to injuries sustained during the war."
When reached for comment, Mrs. Narcissa B. Malfoy stated that while she was greatly saddened by the loss of her only son, she was well pleased to know that she had been left with a daughter-in-law; she had always hoped for her son to marry. She looks forward to coming to know the woman her son married. While her own departed husband carried a great dislike for the Weasley family, she herself saw no point in harboring discontent or ill will in light of recent events. Mrs. Malfoy said that she could not speak on the state of the Malfoy estate and the new Mrs. Malfoy's position in regards to said estate at this time. It was unclear if Ginevra wanted to take her rightful place as Mistress of Malfoy Manor and control of the rest of the Malfoy estate, including the family business, Malfoy Holdings. It was not a subject that required immediate attention. Her late son and husband did have the family's resources in proper order upon their respective demises.
Molly Weasley refused to comment until she had the chance to speak to her only daughter. Headmistress McGonagall, Miss Lovegood, Mr. Zabini, and Mrs. Ginevra Malfoy have all also declined to comment personally, beyond confirming what already public knowledge is at this time.
Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were married seven months before his demise. They had no children. They resided in separate residences, until injuries sustained during battle required Mr. Malfoy to remain at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, were he later died. Mrs. Malfoy is a decorated healer at the same hospital.
Tears leaked from the corners of Ginny's eyes as she laid the paper to the side. She knew that a time would come when everyone would find out. She had hoped for later rather than sooner; years later when the pain had time to ebb into something less violent. The pain was still too fresh to have to relive it all over again with everyone constantly asking, how they had gotten together? How had the children of rival families come to marry? What would she do now? Would she take her rightful place as a Malfoy? Why hadn't they told anyone once the war had ended? Had she really loved him? Too many questions, all of which cut to the quick.
A loud crack of an apparation drew her attention out from her musings. "Ginny dearest are you here?"
The slightest smile graced Ginny's face. There were but a handful of people that the wards would allow to apparate into her home at any given time. But with the current state of things, there were even fewer. "Yes, Mum," she called to the other room.
"Dear, you do realize there are no less than 20 reporters outside the building trying to gain entrance, and equally as many owls with parchments for you," a glint of mirth in her eyes as she joined her daughter in the sitting room.
Ginny couldn't help it, she sighed. "Yes, Mum. I know. I just can't face them right now. They all have so many questions, and all of them hurt." Before she could stop them, fresh tears streamed down her already puffy face.
Molly sat and pulled her in close and hugged her tight, stroking her hair. "It's all going to be alright my dear. Let it out luv. A good cry always helps to ease the ach of loss."
Once the tears subsided, Ginny pulled away from her mother's embrace. "I'm so sorry Mum. You shouldn't have found out like this. We should have told you as soon as the war was over. We should have known you would have been alright about it. But we were scared; so few people ever trusted him. We didn't think anyone would accept that we were in love. It was bad enough that we never had more than a few days together at a time during the war. Then he got hurt and couldn't be healed. We knew what time we had left was limited. We didn't want anyone to split us apart before we had to be." She stopped to hick-up, giving her mother the chance to stop her rambling.
Molly placed her index finger over her daughter's lips to still them. "I knew. Don't get me wrong. I didn't realize you were married until his funeral when I saw the wedding ring on the chain you wore around your neck. But I did know was that my little girl was in love. I saw all the signs." Molly couldn't repress the giggle that formed in her throat. "You honestly thought your father and I would have allowed you to move from Grimmauld Place in the midst of a war if we hadn't known someone was looking out for our only little girl." She paused to let the information sink in. "We saw the way you two watched one another during the times you were together with us for Order business. You always looked as if you were communicating in your own unspoken language without need for words and grand gestures."
"Oh Merlin Mum, I miss him so much." She buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck and cried as if he has been torn from her moments before; it hurt so much like it had then.
Molly smiled sadly over the top of her youngest child's head. "I suppose you always will Gin. But a time will come when you'll be able to look back and be happy reliving your memories of him. Have you been to introduce yourself to Narcissa yet?"
Gin has the decency to look ashamed of her self at her mother's question. "No. Truthfully I've been avoid her since Draco got hurt. She would appear and I would make a hasty exit. Draco always made her sound so cold and unfeeling. Truthfully I'm afraid of what she will say to me now that he's not here to calm her."
Molly shook her head. "You can't avoid her forever dearest. If you would like, I could go with you."
"Could you?"
"Of course Gin. I'll floo her tonight and set up a time Hun. Mother to mother, I'm certain we can work out an agreement that suites. Now you get some rest. I imagine your father and brothers will want to pop round after they get home from work. I was able to keep them from coming last night, but I doubt I'll be able to hold them off for another night." Molly kissed Ginny on the forehead and rose from her seat before she grabbed her cloak. "I'll send the time with Arthur when he comes by tonight. Goodbye dearest." She waved off before disappeared with a crack.
Much to Ginny's surprise, only her father came to call later that evening. He sat silently by the fire holding his daughter too him. Listening to her alternate between crying and telling him about the man she had loved. She had fallen asleep against him at some point. He had moved her to lie down on the couch and covered her with a throw her mother had made for Gin when she was just a child, before leaving her for the night. He couldn't help but wish things had been different for her. She may well be a grown, successful woman, but she was still too young to know such loss. His last thought, before leaving her to herself, was that if he had one wish it was that she and Draco could have know the fullness of loving marriage till they had both become old and grey with age. But alas, time rewinds for no wizard.
The next day, as promised, her mother showed up, dressed in her finest robes and escorted her daughter to meet with the only other woman that Draco ever truly loved, his mother. The meeting was bittersweet for both women. While both were visibly grieving from losing Draco, they were inwardly relieved to having someone who knew him as well as each of them did.
Narcissa welcomed Ginny and Molly into the manor and ushered them into her private drawing room. Unlike the portion of the home that Ginny had briefly seen at other times when she had snuck over with Draco, the drawing room was full of light. The curtains that normally hung closed in most of the rest of the house were drawn back to allow as much light in as possible. Great crystal chandeliers floated high above to bathe the room in a warm light. A small repast of finger sandwiches, fruit, and tea was set out on the coffee table that sat between the cream colored sofa and twin high back chairs.
The three women sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. The only sound breaking the stillness was the occasional clink of a tea cup as it was sat back down in its saucer. Ginny watched Narcissa carefully. Her posture was straight but relaxed, not a single hair out of place, and her make-up was flawless, but something about her cried out in misery and pain instead of the cold anger that Ginny had prepared for. Ginny took one last sip of her tea before placing her cup back on her saucer and setting it down on the table between them. "Mrs. Malfoy, I don't…"
Narcissa gave a softly sad smile. "Please, there is no need to make apologies Miss Weasley." Narcissa smiled, truly smiled. "Or rather, should I say, Mrs. Malfoy?" She gave a dainty laugh. "I understand your reasons for keeping your relationship to yourselves. I've had a fair number of hours to think about it, and knowing my son as we both do, I've come up with what I believe would have been his thoughts on it."
Ginny sat shocked. "You do? You have?" was all she could manage to put into words.
The older woman nodded solemnly. "I do and I have. You see I understand from the article, and from my recollections, that you fell in love during a precariously dangerous time. A time when Draco's father still very much professed to believe the tripe that fell from the Dark Lord's lips on an hourly basis. My son may have fooled his father into thinking he was loyal but that was simply because Lucius never truly knew our son. As such he would have insisted that your relationship simply would not last if it was public knowledge. He would have guarded it with his life had it come to it. Sadly, while my son was able to hide a great many things from a great number of people, I never was one of them. I believe this so much so that I could probably tell you down to the week when he decided to defect to the Order. I began to notice changes that only a mother would notice some months after. In fact, I am willing to wager my finely tended rose garden that your own mother must have noticed similar changes in you as well."
Molly smiled and nodded. She had indeed noticed the same things and had told Ginny so the day before. There is no discounting motherly insight and intuition.
Narcissa smiled fondly, her eyes glazed with happy memory. "I recall one day in particular Lucius had left to do Merlin only knows what for the Dark Lord moments, before Draco sauntered in after being gone all weekend long. His father had thought nothing of his disappearance for the weekend, chalking it up to an order from his master, but I knew better the moment I saw him. I now wonder if that wasn't the week you were married. He came bounding through the house, like a child. He was smiles from ear to ear, a laugh ringing in his voice, and the most radiant look of wonder and pride filling him. It was the glow of a man in love, or rather, a newly married man in love."
"He was like that for weeks after," Ginny said to herself as pleasant memories swept her to another time.
"Yes, he was," Narcissa agreed. "I take it I am correct about the timing of your wedding then?"
Ginny gave a blushing smile, "Yes."
"You see, Miss…Well that simply will not do. What do you wish to be called my dear? I can't call you Miss Weasley, for you are no longer that. I'll admit I've been the only Mrs. Malfoy for so long it's simply odd saying it to someone else, and besides it's all terribly stiff to speak to someone so closely related to you by last names. That is not what I wish for our relationship, and I'm certain that is not what Draco would have wanted either. I have lost the last of my family, and gained someone new. I wish to be a sort of mother to you that I could have been if my son still lived."
Two tiny tears trickled down Ginny's cheeks. No, he wouldn't have wanted stiffness. He had always hoped a time would come when he could bring the two women he loved together and give his mother a daughter to dote on. "Ginny or Gin is fine Mrs. Malfoy."
"Ginny it is then, but only if you'll provide me the same courtesy and call me Cissa. I enjoy my name but it's rather a snobbish mouthful don't you think?" she said with a teasing smile. "Now, as I was saying Ginny, please don't feel the need to come here and apologize for falling in love with my son. I know more than anyone the work you must have faced to make my rather foolish son admit he loved you. While I miss him as much as I would miss air if I could no longer breathe, I am overjoyed to have been left a daughter in his wake. He may well have been the only one that knew it, but I always wanted a daughter to dote upon and in his love for you he has given me just that. Such a wonderful son to make sure his mother had her dreams when he could not carry out all of his own," she said, no longer able to contain her own tears.
Ginny couldn't tell why, but she suddenly had the strangest urge to hug the woman in front of her. She could almost hear Draco's voice in her ear telling her to hug his mum because she dearly needed it, and he simply couldn't. Ginny stood and quietly rounded the table that had separated them. Kneeling in front of the now hunched woman, Ginny wrapped her arms around the other woman and feely let her own tears fall.
The two women Draco loved most would never be alone ever again because they would always have each other when they needed a reminder of him. When they recalled a funny moment shared with him, they would have the other to share it with, and in that his memory would remain strong. When they couldn't bare a moment without him, they would have the other to cry with and in that his memory would sooth them both.
While Draco was gone from the living, he was by no means forgotten. Draco's legacy would continue in the hearts of the two women he had given his heart to so easily. Suddenly, Ginny knew that things would work out, and in time she would heal, and she would never have to face the pain of missing him alone again.