The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. –Ellen Parr
To say that the war against Voldemort was over was a gross underestimation.
No… the war was just in a lull, but far from over. London was becoming a quiet city where only Muggles could be seen wandering the street after dark and the Ministry was a place of fear and constant surveillance. Many who worked there came to work in groups rather than alone and the Atrium was no longer a place of gathering, but a place of security check points.
The newspapers were littered with talk of ministerial raids and corrupt ministry officials doing the work of the Dark Lord. It was becoming a normal occurrence to find your neighbor's husband or wife being dragged out of their house by two large, intimidating figures and transported to a secret place within the Ministry that only those further up the chain knew about. Photographs of fugitives and person's of interest filled the pages and made many a witch and wizard cautious of their fellow brethren.
Hogwarts was rumored to be shut down if threats continued to pour in from Death Eaters of all sorts, but Albus Dumbledore assured the parents and prospective parents that there was nothing to be worried about. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a safe haven and would be welcoming students in the fall. While most parents found this news comforting, it was being publicized that there was a unanimous concern about the students of Slytherin and their relations to known Death Eaters.
Most notably was Draco Malfoy, whose father's whereabouts were still unknown. Narcissa publically declared that she and her son were not Death Eaters and that anyone who thought so was not worth the parchment they wrote on. While many did not believe a word the woman said, surprisingly Dumbledore released a statement saying that children should not be punished for the sins of their fathers and mothers, not mentioning in any way Narcissa's statement.
To add to the overwhelming fear that was beginning to spread rampant through the wizarding community in England, people were still disappearing every week and security around the Boy-Who-Lived was growing, as was the paranoia that surrounded him. He was mentioned constantly in the papers and while no one had seen much of him after he had left Hogwarts, everyone knew exactly where he was staying, adding an alarming amount of panic and tension within the Weasley family, many of whom began safeguarding their own homes in case of an attack.
The Ministry was also doing its part in protecting what they knew was Voldemort's primary target. Moody would send several Aurors over to the Burrow constantly to watch after him and Dumbledore made frequent visits under the guise of business between himself and Arthur Weasley. Despite several vocal, as well as angered, protests against it, Harry was moved out of the Burrow after spending only three weeks there during the summer after his sixth year. Ron and Hermione were forced to stay at the Burrow for a while longer before they were allowed to accompany their friend.
Ginny Weasley spent most of her time either helping her mother around the house or writing letters to Hermione, who was her only link to what was happening within the old Black House that Harry had been sequestered to. Occasionally she would receive a letter from her brother or Harry, but for the most part Hermione kept her updated. Not that what Ginny learned was much. The letters were censured greatly by Tonks, who was the one who delivered the messages, making it even harder for Ginny to sit around the house and accept her uselessness at that point in time.
Prongs appreciated your last letter. He has been busy completing some business with Moony, so he has been unable to reply, but he wanted me to tell you that he misses you and he hopes your summer is much more interesting than his. Jack Russel misses you to, but of course he's too much of a git to admit it.
Anyway, I hope everything is going well with you. Answer soon! It's quite dull without a female presence and Mrs. Moony doesn't stay around long enough for us to have a conversation.
Tell everyone I said hello!
Your friend, the Otter.
Ginny sighed and placed the letter in a small box. She waved her wand over the box and it glowed quickly before she shoved it under her bed and sighed again.
That letter had come four days ago via Tonks and had not been very long, irritating Ginny. She knew she had to be patient. Hermione was only allowed one letter every five days and Ginny had sent a reply three days ago. Now she would have to wait patiently for a reply and that was becoming arduous.
She had long ago resigned herself to being the odd man out after she and Harry had called it quits. He had, in a very discreet way, told her that he would try to keep her in the loop, and he had kept his word until, of course, he had been transferred to the Black House. Now he was unable to tell her anything and she was starving for the tiniest bit of information to know that her friends and brother were okay.
"Ginny!"
"Yes Mum?!"
"Your brothers are here!"
Any other day, Ginny would have been elated to hear that news, but at the moment she was not in the mood to deal with the twins, who had been thriving despite the constant threat of attack to their store. Lee Jordon, old school friend, was no doubt with them accompanied by their girlfriends, Alicia, Angelina and Katie. Those three, Ginny could deal with.
Getting up off her bed, she walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs, followed closely by Everest, a Siamese cat her brother Charlie had found while in Romania. The cat had instantly latched itself to Ginny and followed her almost everywhere that it could, which Ginny did not mind. It was nice to have something around that she could just hold.
"Hello dear sister," Fred greeted the moment she entered the kitchen. George caught sight of her and snorted.
"Did you just wake up?" he asked curiously and she rolled her eyes, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
"It's ten in the morning on a holiday," she pointed out, sitting down at the table with the girls. "I have a right to wear shorts and a tank top if I choose."
Lee snorted and motioned to her.
"Cabin fever getting to you, dear?"
Katie shook her head.
"Leave her alone, you three," she scolded. "I wish I was in bed right now too." She noticed Mrs. Weasley give her a look from her spot by the stove and paled a little. "Not that I don't want to be here, Molly. I just… wish…" She trailed off and shot Lee a look while Fred and George grinned.
"Got the fiancé in trouble already, Jordon?" they asked simultaneously and Ginny grinned.
"Speaking of fiancés, when are you two going to pop the question?" she asked innocently, batting her eyes at her brothers while they became incredibly pale as Angelina and Alicia turned to them expectantly. The twins began backing out of the kitchen, fear written all over their face.
"Not fair," George muttered.
"To put us in a corner like that," Fred added.
"Could she be so cruel?"
Fred noticed Angelina stand up.
"I think it's a good time to leave, brother," he pointed out and George nodded.
"Agreed."
The twins disappeared up the stairs and Lee burst out laughing while Angelina and Alicia exchanged amused glances. Ginny just grinned and turned to the girls.
"So, how is life out in the real world?" she asked. "I've been stuck in here for a week."
Alicia shook her head.
"Diagon Alley is quieter than normal, but the boys are doing great," she answered. "I think most of the dangerous things are happening closer to the Ministry."
Angelina nodded in agreement.
"My parents haven't even heard of anything for a couple of weeks."
Ginny glanced over at her mother to see if she was listening before she leaned forward.
"Anything about Harry? Mum and Dad won't allow the Daily Prophet in the house so I don't hear a lot of information."
Katie shrugged.
"Not much lately. I think Lee saw him at the Ministry a couple of days ago, but they didn't speak. He said that Harry was surrounded by at least ten Aurors."
Ginny bit her lip at the amount of security around the boy, but did not say anything else. Angelina started another conversation with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny tuned them out quickly, looking out the window.
God, she wished she knew what was going on.
"You don't honestly expect me to wear that, do you?" Draco asked incredulously, glaring down the retailer who had just offered him a rather ostentatious suit that did not appeal to Draco in the least. The man hesitated and Narcissa pointed to the area where the man had retrieved the suit.
"Get another one," she ordered and he hurried off, shaking a little as he went. Draco rolled his eyes at the man's stupidity and fearfulness, turning to face the full-length mirror.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "I asked for a black suit and he brings me that monstrosity."
Narcissa snorted.
"Draco, darling, not everyone is accustomed to your taste," she pointed out. "You need to be patient."
Draco ignored his mother and waited for the retailer to return with a better selection. He pointed to one without even looking at it and quickly changed into it, admiring himself in the mirror.
"Why are you here?" he asked after a moment, glancing at his mother through the mirror. "Don't you have other business to attend to?"
Narcissa stood up, giving off the essence of a queen without actually being of that royalty. She approached him with calculated steps, stopping right in front of the platform he was standing on and looking over his suit.
"Am I not allowed to enjoy the company of my only son?" she asked silkily and he cringed on the inside. Her voice always carried an air of violence around it, just like her sister, Bellatrix, only she was better at hiding it. His aunt seemed incapable of concealing her enthusiasm for things of the macabre nature. Not that it bothered Draco at this point. He was quite used to watching his parents' torture innocent beings within the confines of Malfoy Manor. He himself, however, had no intention of following in his father's rather ambitious mission to serve the Dark Lord. He had every intention of living to see the war end. He did not care how.
"I was just curious, mother," he replied. "I have many appointments this evening."
"With who?"
Draco glanced over at the retailer, who was now busy with two other shoppers in the store. While they appeared to be browsing, he was not blind to the fact that one of them happened to be an Auror. The man had been following them around since they left the Manor and had finally worked up the courage to walk into the store and pretend to be uninterested.
"Just some schoolmates of mine," he responded and Narcissa followed his gaze to the Auror. Her eyes darkened instantly and she called over the retailer.
"We wish to purchase that one," she said. She grabbed the man's arm before he could run off, frightening the poor clerk. "And you had best watch what you say to that Auror. I do not take lightly to being spied upon," she hissed and the man nodded, hurrying off to ring them up. Draco shed the suit and put on his jeans and shirt.
"I suppose I shall have to see you later," he muttered and she nodded.
"Dinner Draco," she said curtly, walking over to the cashier. "Be on time."
Draco walked out the door, uninterested in her little threat.
"I always am."
Upon leaving the clothing store, Draco made his way down Nocturn Alley towards Diagon Ally, glancing into store windows and ignoring the fearful glances cast his way by passersby. He did not care what they thought about him. Dumbledore had given them all a clear advisement to not worry about his affiliations with his father, but he knew most of them believed he was a Death Eater.
His hand unconsciously went to his left arm and his fingers circled over his wrist quickly.
What an absurd idea, he thought bitterly. Why the hell would I tarnish my skin with that foul little sign? If I wanted the Dark Lord to know where I was, I'd paint a scar on my bloody forehead.
His entire being darkened at the thought of Harry Potter.
The boy was a menace in general and a health hazard in most cases. Potter was the main reason Draco was followed constantly by Aurors. Several news articles had been published that the Dark Lord would use certain students with in Slytherin, particularly Draco Malfoy, as a vehicle to destroy Harry Potter.
Another absurd idea, he thought with a grin. A pleasant thought, but absurd nonetheless.
While his dreams were lately plagued with thoughts of Potter coming to a very gruesome and hilarious ending, in real life, Draco had no intention of finishing off the Boy-Who-Lived. There was no incentive.
Sure, he was an annoying, self-sacrificing prick who had helped win the House Cup on occasions and placed Draco's life in danger on several others, but so was Weasley, and he hated the redheaded baboon more that Potter. Mostly because those damned Weasleys were always getting into everyone's business. The patriarch of the overpopulating clan of redheaded purebloods had been to the Malfoy Manor countless times to conduct raids, always to come back to the Ministry empty handed. Sure they never found anything, but Draco could have used the time for more productive things such as shagging Parkinson, rather than dealing with Potter's friend rummaging through his room with that damned smile on his face.
The lot of them could burn in hell for all he cared. Them and that little Mudblood bird that kept Potter and Weasley in check. They could all just go to hell.
Feeling a little better now about his situation, Draco continued walking down the street and ignored the three Aurors, who were now trailing after him. Instead, he focused on his meeting with Crabbe and Goyle. They had some information for him about a couple of projects his father was reportedly working on and he was eager to hear the news.