Title: We All Needed Something To Cling To
Author: quiet liban
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe and characters contained therein belongs to JK Rowling and her associated publishers. Not copyright infringement is intended.

Summary: Ginny Weasley wishes things were different.

-We All Needed Something To Cling To-

Ginny did not even look up as the thunder cracked. She shifted unconsciously and continued to read her book. The witch lights in the lounge room were dim, and the fire place cast uncertain shadows across the room, but Ginny was unperturbed. She continued to read.

Books had never been her favourite things. They were better suited to the likes of Hermione or Luna. They were people who could get lost in the words without being afraid of what effect they would have on the real world.

She was not enjoying her current book, but there was little else to do at the safe house besides reading or cleaning when she was not on watch duty. Ginny had certainly had enough of cleaning Gabrielle Delacour's house. So she had turned to the strange muggle book that Neville had recommended last time she had seen him. It was only a small volume, and it did not look overly intimidating, but the story it contained conflicted with something inside Ginny. She had been struggling through it for the last three days, the main character causing her to shiver with his twisted logic and unchecked righteousness. She knew why Neville had told her to read it, and that made her feel uneasy too. She had begun to wonder when Neville Longbottom had gotten to know her so well.

She turned the page, disgusted by the way the main character justified his murder before there was another crack. This time it was a shorter, duller, less powerful sound and Ginny knew it was not thunder.

She put the book down and looked up to see the dark haired form of Daniel Greiger escorting a soaking white blonde man in. Ginny picked up the book and continued reading.

"Nice to see you too Ginny," Draco Malfoy rested a piece of parchment on the back of her couch. He took up his wand and cast a drying spell. Ginny did not respond.

Draco glared at her, "You know, I come all the way to France to deliver a message, and there's not even a 'hi Draco would you like a cup of tea?"

Ginny did not look up, "Alice is in the kitchen, maybe she'll care." Ginny could feel Draco watching her, before leaving the lounge room. Ginny listened to his receding footsteps, before putting down her book, and taking up the folded parchment. Sometimes Ginny wondered why they did not use owls, the missive was so short, and it clearly stated what headquarters wanted from her. An owl would save them from sending someone across to the continent, and save Ginny from Draco's obnoxiousness.

There was a small scrawl in Harry's handwriting in the bottom right hand corner. Ginny glanced at it and she felt something twist inside her as she read the words. A part of her missed him, but she wasn't sure whether or not she missed the current him.

She re-read headquarters' orders before snorting at them, tossing the parchment into the fireplace. The flames leaped up and consumed it, and Ginny closed her eyes. She was too young for this war. Too young to watch someone she loved turn into a heartless shell of a creature. She had always been too young. She was the little sister. Her six older brothers had always tried to keep her from harm's way. That was why she had been taken out of headquarters and put in a safe house under the Fidelius Charm. A dark shadow crossed her, and Ginny opened her eyes. Draco had returned.

"You burnt it," he stated dismally. He held a steaming mug of tea in his hands. He was watching the parchment disintegrate into ash. Ginny watched it too, quietly closing her book. The exploits of Kitten Latch too haunting, when a possible real life Kitten Latch stood in her lounge room. Admittedly, Draco was more likely to be inherently evil, than the character who had just killed his neighbour by drowning him in a swamp.

"Yes," Ginny turned her attention to Draco Malfoy. He made her nervous, but she didn't want him to know that. The less the Malfoy heir knew about her the better. She did not understand Charlie's trust for the young man. She knew that having your life saved by someone did cause you to be eternally grateful, but to trust without doubt? Ginny did not trust anyone without doubt these days. Secretly, she had always thought he was a spy from the Ministry. It would be too easy to look at him and say Death Eater, but Ginny did not think Draco had any great love for Voldemort or his followers, except for perhaps his father.

She wondered about Draco, wondered how he had transformed himself from the snotty brat of Hogwarts to the earnest ministry worker that had saved Charlie's life to an invaluable member of the Order. The changes were miraculous each time and that disturbs her. Ginny does not believe in miracles, not since the moment her mother died. Even if miracles existed, Ginny would not trust them. That is why she cannot understand how or why Draco Malfoy appears so changed.

"What did it say?" Draco asked, and Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"You mean to say you didn't read it?" Ginny doubted that very much. Draco Malfoy liked to know things, especially things that required him to travel from England to France. It was hard to get over borders these days, and that made Harry's message slightly more precious, however forced it seemed.

"I meant the note from Harry, I know what the missive from headquarters said," Draco put his mug down on the mantelpiece, moving to stand before the fire. His shadow slid over Ginny and the couch.

Ginny was amused. "What do you think it said Draco?" He turned around at the question and stepped towards her. He looked exhausted. She knew that they all did, but the bags below his eyes made his face look hollow. Draco Malfoy had never been a gorgeous specimen of the male species, but his long hours were not helping.

"He wants you back," Draco's voice was hushed, and he looked away. Ginny smiled bitterly.

"Harry's twisted," she said absently. The words of the scribbled note, not reassuring her like she knew Harry thought they would. She was surprised that Draco knew of the note. It did not seem like something Harry would tell him. His small message had been hidden under their special concealment charm.

"He still hates me," Ginny looked at Draco surprised by his words and the ruefulness of them. It was true. Harry Potter stilled loathed Draco Malfoy, and anyone Slytherin in the Order for that matter. He truly detested them, and Ginny had been frightened by his glee when Snape had to be hospitalised. Draco had been the only Slytherin in the upper ranks since then, and that had only been at Dumbledore's insistence. Harry had been violently against Draco's appointment as a Secret-Keeper, let alone the Secret-Keeper for her location. He had been overthrown by the other Weasleys and Dumbledore. Even Ron had let her be sent to France under Draco's care. That thought still made her uneasy. Ron and Draco never had and never would get along, but he had let her go without protest. Still that did not mean that she had to trust him. She knew whose son he was, and she did not expect family bonds to be broken so easily.

"Most of us still do," Ginny told him, watching him flinch as she used the inclusive pronoun. Guilt stabbed her quickly, but she shook it off. He and his family had caused her so much pain.

"Your brothers don't," Draco responded. Ginny snorted softly. She opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it, settling for a glare.

Draco's pallid grey eyes met hers. They were chilling at that moment. He remained silent. Only the sound of their breathing, and the crackling of the fire destroying their soundless void, she did not want him anywhere near her at that moment.

He walked out of the room without a word and Ginny continued to glare after him. As soon as he crossed the threshold into the kitchen she wondered if she should follow him and apologise. It was the right thing to do but somehow Ginny didn't feel like being decent. She picked up the book again. Staring at the cover, Kitten Latch suddenly haunted her consciousness and she put it back down before getting up and going to the kitchen.

"Draco," she began when she saw him talking to Alice Baker. The blonde pair stopped talking and Alice smiled. The smile quickly dropped when she saw the sombre expression on Ginny's face.

"What Ginny?" Draco asked her tiredly, an edge of steel in his voice. Ginny stopped by the pantry. She felt like she was thirteen again and her father was tired of her inane suggestions of what might happen if Mum let Fred and George open their joke shop. She did not really want to apologise to him. Although she knew it was she should do. He was on their side. He had proven himself when he had saved Charlie from a Death Eater hit at the ministry, but she had to keep reminding herself. He had joined them despite his past, his family and his character. It was the last that always made doubt echo in her mind. Especially when he looked at her with those chilling grey eyes, those eyes were impenetrable. They told no secrets and gave no mercy. Ginny sighed, she had to work with him, and that meant that she had to at least pretend to trust him.

"I don't hate you," Ginny said, and she hoped it was sincere. Alice looked at her uncomfortably, the younger girl glancing between the pair.

"I should leave," Alice said, and went to walk pass Draco when he reached out, stopping her as he shifted away from the bench.

"No, it's okay Alice. Ginny and I are done talking," the voice was cold, "I was going to bed anyway. Good Night."

Ginny moved out of his way, feeling his brief body heat as he walked passed. Alice looked at her uncertainly, and Ginny went to the pot of tea. She remained silent aware that Alice was watching her get a cup from the cupboard.

"What's going on?" Alice asked confidently. Her hazel eye's catching Ginny's as the other woman turned around.

"Nothing," Ginny told her firmly. "Dan, Draco and I are leading an attack on Friday. That's all."

Alice looked at her sceptically. Ginny rolled her eyes. "Honestly Alice."

"Fine," Alice left it. "I thought the whole idea of sending to a safe house was to keep you away from harm. Not send you directly into it."

Ginny nodded. "I know. It's one of Harry's orders, I'm sure of it. For all he says he loves me. Hermione and Dumbledore would have never sanctioned an attack abroad. Anyway it's not that dangerous. Just a simple 'pick up and deliver.' Can you pass the sugar?"

Alice nodded, "It does sound like Harry thing. Still, it doesn't make much sense." She handed Ginny the sugar bowl.

"I know, but we are the only branch of the Order in France. They couldn't have sent a team from home to take care of the Flints, too suss. Hey, have you seen Gabby?" Ginny asked. The blonde haired French woman usually hovered whenever there was a visitor. Not that there were generally many visitors, but Ginny thought that Gabrielle might want to see her relative.

Alice shook her head, "Not since she went out to check the wards." Ginny looked at Alice.

"It's in the middle of a storm."

"It's Gabby."

Ginny sighed. Gabrielle Delacour was mad, absolutely barking mad. "Well if you see her, tell her Draco's here. I suppose that mad woman will want to see him." Ginny turned to the fruit bowl, looking at it for a moment. The apples looked shiny and delicious, but Ginny was not sure about them. The way food just suddenly appeared in this house unsettled her. She had never seen the groceries delivered not once, Ginny was beginning to think that Gabrielle when shopping in the dark of night, but that was ridiculous. Not even wizarding shops were open all through the night. She turned to the biscuit tin instead, taking out two shortbreads.

Alice shook her head at her as she bid the other girl goodnight, but she ignored it. She did not think a day went by when Alice or Daniel did not look at her like she was peculiar.

Ginny wandered back into the lounge room to pick up her book. She paused putting down her goodies to load some more wood on to the fire before turning into the hallway of the small cottage. She groaned when she heard a squeal as her foot set down on the hardwood floor. She had forgotten about the squeaky floorboard.

"Lumos," she muttered as she entered her room, and a dozen witch lights stationed about her room came to life.

It took less than a second before she heard a grumbled "nox," leaving the room in darkness once more.

"Oh you bastard," Ginny swore at the figure curled in her bed, "Get the hell out of my bed."

The lights flicked on once more, and Draco sat up. "Oh it's you." He reached for the pile of clothes next to the bed, pulling up a shirt and scrambling it on, the dark blue material suited him.

"And it's my bed," she told him. "You do know what that means right?"

Draco looked at her mischief alight in his eyes, "We share?"

Ginny stared at him in disbelief before outrage simmered through her veins. She breathed in deeply to get control of herself putting her tea down so she did not have the impulse to hurl it at him. Ginny narrowed her eyes. "And give Alice more reason to speculate? I think not."

Draco smirked, before becoming serious. "Look I'll sleep on the couch." He started to shift under the covers but Ginny stopped him.

"No, don't bother," she told him bitterly. He should not have been there, contently lying in her bed. He looked so wrong in amongst her sparse belongings. The scrap photographs of her family and Harry on her bedside table not fitting with the young man sitting in her bed. "Just..argh, why did you think you had the right to make yourself at home in my room?"

Draco just stared at her, his grey eyes sizing her up. Ginny stood firmly, not letting those eyes unnerve her and make her feel guilty for being so nasty to him. It was not fair that his eyes had the power to make her feel like pitiful piece of humanity. He began to say something, but Ginny shook her head. "Look, fine whatever. I'll sleep on the couch, but Merlin, next time ask." Ginny reached over and took her photographs. Taking them with her, not sure why, but she did not want to leave them any where near where Draco would be sleeping.

"Ginny wait," Draco began as she turned to leave. Ginny ignored him. She had had too much of Draco and his eerie eyes for the evening.

"Please?" She heard him sigh when she did not turn around. Again she felt an annoying stab of guilt. Ginny wanted to smack him, but decided violence would make her feel guiltier.

She set the photos on the coffee table, looking at the blue couch in the living room. Transfiguration had not been her strongest subject during her time at Hogwarts, much to the dismay of Minerva McGonagall. Her head of house had been slightly ashamed to have a student in her house so good at potions. Although it did mean the deputy headmistress was able to rub such knowledge in the potion master's face.

Ginny started to clear her head, focusing on the couch, imagining it slowly morph into a bed, she picked up her wand, breathing in deeply, beginning the incantation-

"What are you doing?" Ginny faltered at the heavily accented question and the couch had bed legs and a sheet was tucked over the seat cushions when she opened her eyes.

"Trying to transfigure this," she gestured at the couch, "into a bed Gabby." Ginny looked at her French aunt-in-law. The blonde woman was eight years older than her, and had kindly agreed to let the Order use some of her properties in France if need be. It had been the only time Ginny was glad that Bill and Fleur had actually gotten married. She was glad she hadn't ended up in a safe house in Greenland, which had been another possibility.

"Oui, oui. I see zat, but why?" the emphasis on the last word making Ginny feel like an idiot. She couldn't transfigure a couch into a bed, how one earth was she meant to lead an attack?

"Draco," Ginny paused bitterly, "is sleeping in my bed." She watched the delight spread over the elder Gabrielle Delacour's face.

"Draco iz 'ere?" Ginny decided to be amicable towards the question, and instead of rolling her eyes, she simply nodded.

"He arrived earlier, while you were checking the wards," Ginny looked at Gabrielle again, not even her hair was wet. "You were checking the wards right?"

"Oh, oui, Ginnee. Ze wards z'are very strong now," Gabrielle paused. "I am so 'appy that Draco iz 'ere." Ginny wondered why she was so ecstatic to have Draco in her house. She rather wished they had sent someone else. Why couldn't they have chosen Dean or Padma? Or even Dennis?

"I don't know why," she commented darkly, retiring on her half-transfigured couch, as Gabrielle turned to leave. The woman stopped.

"'e iz famille, Ginnee. 'ust like you are famille." Gabrielle told her. Then she looked at the exasperated Ginny. "You sleep in my room. I watch next and I tranz-figurr ver-ry much better zan you."

Ginny took a moment to take in Gabrielle's English, wishing that she had put aside her differences with her sister-in-law to let Fleur teach her a little French so she at least had a vague idea what Gabrielle was on about.

"Are you sure?" Ginny looked sceptically at Gabrielle.

"Oui, oui, Ginnee, I am ver-ry much sure. Famille."

Ginny was once again confused, but instead of asking for a clarification she knew she would not get, Ginny gathered her belongings, and tread quietly down the wooden hallway. She forgot about the squeaky floorboard again, and the sound startled her, causing her to jump and trip when she landed. Her book and the photographs skidded down along the hall. Ginny swore loudly. She got up and rubbed her knees shaking her head before looking for where her photographs had gone. She looked up and saw Draco. She groaned. He held up a single photograph, those grey eyes looking at her with concern. In the photograph Harry was smiling at her brightly, only the shadow of his sadness shining through his green eyes. Ginny looked around for her book and the other photo. She found it not far from she had fallen. She picked it up, checking that the photograph of her family was still inside the book.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked Ginny. Ginny looked at him properly then. He was shirtless, and scars marked his pale skinny chest. He held the photo out towards her, and Ginny didn't know whether or not to take it. Surely it was tainted now that Draco Malfoy had touched it.

"Yeah," she gave a brief smile, "I'm fine, wish Gabby would fix the floors though." The fragmented conversation with the other woman entered her mind. She found it strange that the French woman would include her so closely into her family.

Whilst the Weasley family were tight, they rarely included anyone else in their world. Harry had been the exception. Ginny knew that Fleur was finding it hard to break into the fold, and since her mother was gone…Ginny stopped there.

Draco nodded, "Gabby's mad, she's always been. Luna reminds me of her sometimes." Ginny blinked at him as she drew herself out of her thoughts. "Listen Ginny," Draco paused, waiting for her to look up at him, "about before. It's the room I always used to stay in, when we visited, it's just habit."

Ginny had forgotten that Draco's family had visited this house. It made her slightly nervous to remember it on a night like this. She knew that the Fidelius Charm should keep it hidden, even from those who knew it existed before the charm was cast, but it was still a risk. She also didn't expect an apology from him, but it appeared that was what he was doing. She didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth, wanting to say that she did not mind, that she was just pissed off at headquarters and worried about Harry, but she found that she still did not want to be nice to him. "Yeah, whatever Draco. Good Night." She took the photograph from him.

"G'Night Ginny," she heard as she turned in to Gabrielle's room. It smelt of cats, and she sneezed, but she crawled onto to the four poster bed. She stared at the picture of her family, nine redheads. Bill with his long hair, and earring, at which her mother was frowning at with disapproval, Fred taunting Ron, a look of complete humiliation on his face as she and George laughed at him. Her father in quiet discussion with Percy, while Charlie was walking down the path into the front garden; Ginny was glad that she had invited Colin over that day. It was the only photo of the Weasley children in which they were all grown up. She wished suddenly that she was at The Burrow. Not that there was anyone there these days. Too obvious of a target, Ginny blinked, surprised at the wetness in her eyes. She put the photo down, and picked up the one of Harry.

She wished that he did not have to be the hero, but it was a foolish wish. Sometimes though she marvelled at how much easier it would be if Harry were like Dean, or Justin. It would be so much easier if he were just someone who was fighting because it was right and not because some insane power-hungry maniac had a grudge against them. But then, she supposed they had all changed anyway, but the change in Harry was just so much more pronounced. The missive Draco had delivered proved it. A year ago an offensive attack was unheard of. Now, she was being ordered to lead one in a foreign country. She was afraid for Harry, and afraid for herself. She put the photos with her book on the floor. Sighing she crawled in between the sheets, and pulled the quilt around her.

Ginny closed her eyes and wished for a dreamless sleep.

A/N: The Gabrielle Delacour in this fic is an OC of sorts. She is the aunt of both Fleur and her younger sister Gabrielle.