Chapter One: Regaining Things Once Lost
a/n: I know Lucious is spelled wrong throughout the fic but the spell check was being a pain so I let it slide this time.
Draco Malfoy sat alone in the corner, always alone at these Death Eater meetings. He had no interest in killing innocent muggles and mudbloods for some power hungry wizard who was barely alive. His father was the one forcing him to go, his father was the one making him go through all this pain.
Draco Malfoy, I am sad to say, never got to experience the freedom others had. He had never been able to choose his own friends, his own enemies, and he was not even able to choose who he loved. Those decisions were made by his father. Every girlfriend Draco had ever had was someone his father had chosen, only once had there been an exception, and that exception now lay dead at Lucious Malfoy's feet. That exception had been a girl by the name of Virginia Weasley, called Ginny by her friends and family. That exception had been Draco's only taste of true happiness.
Miranda Linetti observed the blonde haired boy who always stood in the corner at all the death eater meetings with interest. She had known this boy his whole life, was betrothed to this boy from birth, though she had barely spoken to him since the last days of Hogwarts three years before. She wondered what made him so quiet. At Hogwarts she remembered him always being the center of attention, always drawing a crowd around him as if he were a magnet. Their parents had been friends and decided their children should marry, but Miranda could tell something had happened to Draco Malfoy, something had made him this way, and she couldn't help the feeling that that something had to do with her.
"How dare you even be in the same room with a Weasley?! You have no business being in a relationship with anyone other than Miranda Linetti! If I have to get that Weasley wench out of the way to make you see that than don't even think for one minute that I won't!" Draco recalled his father saying.
He wished now that he had listened. Sure, Ginny would probably be married to Potter and have nothing to do with him, but at least she'd be alive. Miranda was pretty enough, with her dark red hair and her sparkling blue eyes, but Draco had loved Ginny. The pairing seemed odd to most and Draco admitted, even he couldn't believe it at first, but no one could be more perfect for him. Miranda just wasn't Ginny, and he would never marry her, he would not let his father force him to marry someone he didn't love!
Miranda knew that Draco would never love her, she wasn't sure she would ever love him, but for pity's sake it might help if he would at least talk to her! She had to find out what had happened to the old Draco. The Draco she had known back at Hogwarts flirted with every pretty girl he saw, and Miranda had been one of them.
She was everything the old Draco wanted, and more than that if he got to know her, but he had become so withdrawn, she could tell he would never give her a chance. He saw her as nothing more than a pretty face; didn't try to know her for who she was; didn't think there was anything there to know.
"I'll show him!" she thought to herself. Oh she would let him see that there was a lot more to Miranda Linetti than meets the eye. She wasn't just some little slut who went around sleeping with every man she saw! She had friends like that but that had never been her, though obviously Draco thought otherwise. She would have to prove him wrong, or else their marriage would never work, no matter what Luscious Malfoy said or did to his son.
Miranda Linetti was a slut through and through in Draco's eyes. Nothing compared to his Ginny. Ginny could always make him laugh and cheer him up no matter what his day had been like. Miranda could never replace her and he didn't plan on giving her the chance. Apparently the girl had other ideas though; Draco saw her walking towards him, determination flashing in her brilliant blue eyes.
"Listen Draco! You have to give me a goddamned chance you know! I may not be whatever you dreamed of in a girl, but our parents are making us marry so you'd better give me the chance to be what you want me to be! I won't change for any man but at least find out if you like me in any way!" she demanded. Draco simply nodded and walked out the door, Miranda followed.
"Tell me what's wrong," she said.
"Not here, we can talk at my flat ok?" he asked. Miranda nodded her head and followed him the three blocks it took to get to his flat. He stopped and unlocked the door, leading her inside.
Draco plopped himself down on the couch, Miranda followed, sitting right next to him. He inhaled deeply and told her the story of Ginny.
"Oh I'm really sorry, I didn't know. I can see why you hate me," she said, her voice shaking. Draco saw tears welling up in her face.
"What do you have to cry for?" he said coldly. Miranda looked hurt for a second before collecting herself and beginning her own tale.
"I was once in love too you know. His name was Milo Franks; we dated for two years, when one night he proposed. I was elated and agreed as soon as I calmed down enough to get the words out. Almost as soon as I said it my father Apparated to our flat and murdered him, it was terrible, I couldn't eat for days. My father didn't care though, my happiness never mattered to him. He let me date Milo and never once even mentioned my betrothal to you. It was as if he simply wanted the excuse to kill yet another innocent person," Miranda said.
Draco felt guilty for suggesting Miranda's life had been easy and carefree, and even more so once he saw the tears trickling down her cheeks. Draco got her a tissue and some water.
"I should leave," she said once she had calmed down. Without another word she Apparated back to her flat in London, leaving Draco with even more to think about.
"I guess I was a bit too quick to judge her," he said to no on in particular, or so he thought.
"Draco," said a soft voice Draco knew very well. It was Ginny's.
"Ginny? But, I thought…..didn't father kill you?" he said to her, stunned at the sight of his love. Ginny simply laughed at his shock.
"Well you see…I knew you're father would try something, so the day before my supposed killing I did a cloning spell, I don't know how I managed to do it right, but I ended up somewhere in America and you were with the cloned version of me, who your father killed. The clone could think and was pretty much exactly like me, but had he waited another day to kill me the clone would have been gone and I would have been back here in an instant, so its really lucky he chose when he did," she explained. Draco still looked extremely confused.
"Basically I switched places with a cloned version of me and now I'm back and I am alive as you can see," she said grinning. Draco suddenly got over his shock and stood up, grabbing Ginny and pulling her into his arms.
"I should have known it wasn't the real you the second I woke up," he said laughing. Ginny looked at him, her head tilted sideways.
"Oh really why's that?" she asked him. Draco laughed and kissed her forehead.
"Because my dear, that clone of yours woke up at the crack of dawn, bright and chipper and making me breakfast. You are never awake much before noon and my only hope for breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal. I don't know how I didn't see the switch," he said. Ginny hit him playfully.
Later the two sat snuggled on the couch when something occurred to Draco, Miranda.
"Um Gin, my father is still going to make me marry that Miranda Linetti. I don't think I can get out of it," he said guiltily. Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Well have her over here and we can talk about it all right?" she asked. Draco nodded and pulled Ginny closer.
"I love you Ginny," he said, she looked up and grinned.
"I love you too sweetie," she replied, kissing him softly on the lips. Draco deepened the kiss, holding her tight, It had been horrible thinking he would never see his love again, and now that he had her in his arms he wasn't about to let her go any time soon.
While Draco and Ginny were snuggling on their couch Miranda was lying alone in her bed staring up at the ceiling. After a few hours she finally fell asleep, waking up hours later to a loud knocking on her door. She pulled on some robes and ran a brush through her red hair as she hurried to get the door.
"Ron! What are you doing here?!" she asked Ron Weasley, her friend who worked with her as an undercover agent for the Ministry of Magic. They were part of the select group of Aurors infiltrating the Death Eaters.
"I thought I'd drop by, you know seeing as Harry is busy planning the next attack and Hermione is working on more spells to help our side, I have nothing better to do really," he told her, though Miranda didn't quite buy it, If he had been telling the truth then chances were that his ears wouldn't have turned that shade of red.
"Well, would you like some coffee or something?" she asked. Ron nodded and followed Miranda inside her flat.
"So what's up? How's everyone? Percy become Minister of Magic yet?" she joked. It was widely known that Percy hoped to hold that position someday, Ron laughed.
"Not yet, and not ever, if Fred and George have any say in it. They find new ways to bother Percy every day; I swear if Mum wouldn't have their heads for it they would have turned Percy into a snail or something by now. As it is they torment him by sending him pranks all the time. Last week Percy was complaining because a Hogwarts toilet seat ended up in his message bin. He said it was something to do with sanitation issues, he'll never admit it was them," he said. Miranda laughed, Fred and George never ceased to amuse her, and it seemed the older they got the more childish they became.
"I wish I had a family like yours, I'm an only child and it's so dull. No horror stories about siblings for me," she said wistfully.
"You've no idea what you're saying Miranda," Ron said, laughing.
"Not a clue and I admit that freely," she said.
"Glad someone around here can admit when they don't know something," he murmured.
"What's that all about?" Miranda inquired. Ron just shook his head in response.
"Tell me or I will hex you!" she threatened.
"Ok I give up! It's just Hermione. Lately everything's been my fault. I think I might have to call off our engagement. I mean she barely speaks to me anymore. She talks to Snape more than me!" he said sounding half irritated, half saddened.
"I'm really sorry about that Ron. Well if things don't work out and you need a place to stay, just come here. I've got plenty of room, if you don't mind the couch," she offered. Ron smiled weakly.
"Thanks Miranda," he said. She shrugged off his gratitude and told him it was nothing and got up to get some more coffee.
Just as she got up there was another knock and her door. She opened it to find Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley, who was supposedly murdered a week earlier by Draco's father. Miranda dropped her coffee from the shock of seeing them. Ron came over and just stood frozen in place.
a/n: I know Lucious is spelled wrong throughout the fic but the spell check was being a pain so I let it slide this time.
Draco Malfoy sat alone in the corner, always alone at these Death Eater meetings. He had no interest in killing innocent muggles and mudbloods for some power hungry wizard who was barely alive. His father was the one forcing him to go, his father was the one making him go through all this pain.
Draco Malfoy, I am sad to say, never got to experience the freedom others had. He had never been able to choose his own friends, his own enemies, and he was not even able to choose who he loved. Those decisions were made by his father. Every girlfriend Draco had ever had was someone his father had chosen, only once had there been an exception, and that exception now lay dead at Lucious Malfoy's feet. That exception had been a girl by the name of Virginia Weasley, called Ginny by her friends and family. That exception had been Draco's only taste of true happiness.
Miranda Linetti observed the blonde haired boy who always stood in the corner at all the death eater meetings with interest. She had known this boy his whole life, was betrothed to this boy from birth, though she had barely spoken to him since the last days of Hogwarts three years before. She wondered what made him so quiet. At Hogwarts she remembered him always being the center of attention, always drawing a crowd around him as if he were a magnet. Their parents had been friends and decided their children should marry, but Miranda could tell something had happened to Draco Malfoy, something had made him this way, and she couldn't help the feeling that that something had to do with her.
"How dare you even be in the same room with a Weasley?! You have no business being in a relationship with anyone other than Miranda Linetti! If I have to get that Weasley wench out of the way to make you see that than don't even think for one minute that I won't!" Draco recalled his father saying.
He wished now that he had listened. Sure, Ginny would probably be married to Potter and have nothing to do with him, but at least she'd be alive. Miranda was pretty enough, with her dark red hair and her sparkling blue eyes, but Draco had loved Ginny. The pairing seemed odd to most and Draco admitted, even he couldn't believe it at first, but no one could be more perfect for him. Miranda just wasn't Ginny, and he would never marry her, he would not let his father force him to marry someone he didn't love!
Miranda knew that Draco would never love her, she wasn't sure she would ever love him, but for pity's sake it might help if he would at least talk to her! She had to find out what had happened to the old Draco. The Draco she had known back at Hogwarts flirted with every pretty girl he saw, and Miranda had been one of them.
She was everything the old Draco wanted, and more than that if he got to know her, but he had become so withdrawn, she could tell he would never give her a chance. He saw her as nothing more than a pretty face; didn't try to know her for who she was; didn't think there was anything there to know.
"I'll show him!" she thought to herself. Oh she would let him see that there was a lot more to Miranda Linetti than meets the eye. She wasn't just some little slut who went around sleeping with every man she saw! She had friends like that but that had never been her, though obviously Draco thought otherwise. She would have to prove him wrong, or else their marriage would never work, no matter what Luscious Malfoy said or did to his son.
Miranda Linetti was a slut through and through in Draco's eyes. Nothing compared to his Ginny. Ginny could always make him laugh and cheer him up no matter what his day had been like. Miranda could never replace her and he didn't plan on giving her the chance. Apparently the girl had other ideas though; Draco saw her walking towards him, determination flashing in her brilliant blue eyes.
"Listen Draco! You have to give me a goddamned chance you know! I may not be whatever you dreamed of in a girl, but our parents are making us marry so you'd better give me the chance to be what you want me to be! I won't change for any man but at least find out if you like me in any way!" she demanded. Draco simply nodded and walked out the door, Miranda followed.
"Tell me what's wrong," she said.
"Not here, we can talk at my flat ok?" he asked. Miranda nodded her head and followed him the three blocks it took to get to his flat. He stopped and unlocked the door, leading her inside.
Draco plopped himself down on the couch, Miranda followed, sitting right next to him. He inhaled deeply and told her the story of Ginny.
"Oh I'm really sorry, I didn't know. I can see why you hate me," she said, her voice shaking. Draco saw tears welling up in her face.
"What do you have to cry for?" he said coldly. Miranda looked hurt for a second before collecting herself and beginning her own tale.
"I was once in love too you know. His name was Milo Franks; we dated for two years, when one night he proposed. I was elated and agreed as soon as I calmed down enough to get the words out. Almost as soon as I said it my father Apparated to our flat and murdered him, it was terrible, I couldn't eat for days. My father didn't care though, my happiness never mattered to him. He let me date Milo and never once even mentioned my betrothal to you. It was as if he simply wanted the excuse to kill yet another innocent person," Miranda said.
Draco felt guilty for suggesting Miranda's life had been easy and carefree, and even more so once he saw the tears trickling down her cheeks. Draco got her a tissue and some water.
"I should leave," she said once she had calmed down. Without another word she Apparated back to her flat in London, leaving Draco with even more to think about.
"I guess I was a bit too quick to judge her," he said to no on in particular, or so he thought.
"Draco," said a soft voice Draco knew very well. It was Ginny's.
"Ginny? But, I thought…..didn't father kill you?" he said to her, stunned at the sight of his love. Ginny simply laughed at his shock.
"Well you see…I knew you're father would try something, so the day before my supposed killing I did a cloning spell, I don't know how I managed to do it right, but I ended up somewhere in America and you were with the cloned version of me, who your father killed. The clone could think and was pretty much exactly like me, but had he waited another day to kill me the clone would have been gone and I would have been back here in an instant, so its really lucky he chose when he did," she explained. Draco still looked extremely confused.
"Basically I switched places with a cloned version of me and now I'm back and I am alive as you can see," she said grinning. Draco suddenly got over his shock and stood up, grabbing Ginny and pulling her into his arms.
"I should have known it wasn't the real you the second I woke up," he said laughing. Ginny looked at him, her head tilted sideways.
"Oh really why's that?" she asked him. Draco laughed and kissed her forehead.
"Because my dear, that clone of yours woke up at the crack of dawn, bright and chipper and making me breakfast. You are never awake much before noon and my only hope for breakfast is normally a bowl of cereal. I don't know how I didn't see the switch," he said. Ginny hit him playfully.
Later the two sat snuggled on the couch when something occurred to Draco, Miranda.
"Um Gin, my father is still going to make me marry that Miranda Linetti. I don't think I can get out of it," he said guiltily. Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment.
"Well have her over here and we can talk about it all right?" she asked. Draco nodded and pulled Ginny closer.
"I love you Ginny," he said, she looked up and grinned.
"I love you too sweetie," she replied, kissing him softly on the lips. Draco deepened the kiss, holding her tight, It had been horrible thinking he would never see his love again, and now that he had her in his arms he wasn't about to let her go any time soon.
While Draco and Ginny were snuggling on their couch Miranda was lying alone in her bed staring up at the ceiling. After a few hours she finally fell asleep, waking up hours later to a loud knocking on her door. She pulled on some robes and ran a brush through her red hair as she hurried to get the door.
"Ron! What are you doing here?!" she asked Ron Weasley, her friend who worked with her as an undercover agent for the Ministry of Magic. They were part of the select group of Aurors infiltrating the Death Eaters.
"I thought I'd drop by, you know seeing as Harry is busy planning the next attack and Hermione is working on more spells to help our side, I have nothing better to do really," he told her, though Miranda didn't quite buy it, If he had been telling the truth then chances were that his ears wouldn't have turned that shade of red.
"Well, would you like some coffee or something?" she asked. Ron nodded and followed Miranda inside her flat.
"So what's up? How's everyone? Percy become Minister of Magic yet?" she joked. It was widely known that Percy hoped to hold that position someday, Ron laughed.
"Not yet, and not ever, if Fred and George have any say in it. They find new ways to bother Percy every day; I swear if Mum wouldn't have their heads for it they would have turned Percy into a snail or something by now. As it is they torment him by sending him pranks all the time. Last week Percy was complaining because a Hogwarts toilet seat ended up in his message bin. He said it was something to do with sanitation issues, he'll never admit it was them," he said. Miranda laughed, Fred and George never ceased to amuse her, and it seemed the older they got the more childish they became.
"I wish I had a family like yours, I'm an only child and it's so dull. No horror stories about siblings for me," she said wistfully.
"You've no idea what you're saying Miranda," Ron said, laughing.
"Not a clue and I admit that freely," she said.
"Glad someone around here can admit when they don't know something," he murmured.
"What's that all about?" Miranda inquired. Ron just shook his head in response.
"Tell me or I will hex you!" she threatened.
"Ok I give up! It's just Hermione. Lately everything's been my fault. I think I might have to call off our engagement. I mean she barely speaks to me anymore. She talks to Snape more than me!" he said sounding half irritated, half saddened.
"I'm really sorry about that Ron. Well if things don't work out and you need a place to stay, just come here. I've got plenty of room, if you don't mind the couch," she offered. Ron smiled weakly.
"Thanks Miranda," he said. She shrugged off his gratitude and told him it was nothing and got up to get some more coffee.
Just as she got up there was another knock and her door. She opened it to find Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley. Ginny Weasley, who was supposedly murdered a week earlier by Draco's father. Miranda dropped her coffee from the shock of seeing them. Ron came over and just stood frozen in place.