Disclaimer: All HP characters/world belongs to JK Rowling. A/N: set around HBP/DH with some AU changes. Edited: 24/01/2019 – omg so many typos, have finished a Bachelor of Arts in Writing and two Early childhood degrees, and got hit with #Drinny feels – thanks for pointing out the discrepancies.
1
What Would Her Mother Say?
Ginny Weasley, sixteen, was almost as tall as Fred and George; shorter than Ron, and at least equal height to Charlie, minus the physical scars. When she wore her Zu heels Hermione had bought from a Muggle store for her birthday, she towered over Bill. All holidays she'd avoided Percy and she wasn't the only one.
She ran her fingers through her knotty hair, staring at her reflection in the Burrow's kitchen window. The Burrow was still, no noise from her brothers, parents or the ghoul in the attic. Squinting her brown eyes to the left of a dirty smudge, she saw some garden gnomes pottering beneath the hedges, before the sun began to rise. She had barely slept.
She glanced at her mother's clock to see all its hands pointed to her family asleep in their beds. She slipped out the back door and pulled open the shed where Fred kept his comet-two-sixty: she needed to be reassured, feel the rush of wind against her cheeks. The next day, Fleur would be getting her wedding dress altered so her train wouldn't be dragged through the bogs. The stress of organising the wedding was also driving her mother mad.
She had overheard her mother reprimanded Fred and George after dinner because they'd brought an entire trunk of untested merchandise with them from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, ready to test them on unsuspecting guests or siblings who happened to walk by. Their mother had been the most recent test subject, reaching over to pick up a black marble which splattered ink all over her with a loud PARP. She had retreated up the stairs, away from her mother's disgruntled cries.
Ginny heard Ron, Hermione and Harry playing Wizard chess in Ron's room, followed by her brother's frequent sigh of exasperation as he explained the rules. She saw Fred and George hadn't heeded their mother's warning to confiscate their belongings, and watched her mother pick up her wand.
"Just one minute..." George mumbled, studying what looked like a chipped tea-cup.
Mrs Weasley waved her wand and washing up utensils flew at them.
Fred and George attempted to catch their belongings which lifted into the air.
"OK, OK," Fred said when Mrs Weasley stepped forwards wielding the scrubber.
Fred and George hurried down the hall with a nervous glance over their shoulder.
"And tell Ginny I need her so we can alter her bridesmaid dress before the wedding."
Ginny climbed further upstairs and heard Cecilia Warbeck singing on the wireless.
Her escape attempt would have to wait until dawn, she sighed.
Now, Ginny flew high above the Burrow, 'much too high', she imagined her mother would say. Ginny smirked, even the garden gnomes were barely visible now. Still, at least she could think, and she pulled Harry's letter from her jacket pocket, hovering on a thermal.
Ginny, please forgive me. I'm sorry for what I did and how things ended between us. I wish things could go back to how they were. I'm hoping we can work this out because I'm not ready to let you go, but if not (and I know I am asking a lot from you) then I hope we can still be friends. Love Harry
Harry had enclosed a picture from when they had first begun to date – it had been after the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match. Ginny sat on his lap, butterbeer in hand, and Harry's arms around her stomach. They were laughing. Ginny didn't smile, the photo did not jolt any feelings whatsoever.
She read the P.S message at the bottom of the letter. It was a request that she stay on the Gryffindor Quidditch team despite their break up. "You are one of the best chasers we've ever had." It said.
Ginny ripped the letter into shreds, and let the pieces fall to the ground.
She met a hawk circling for prey, its beak glowed beneath the sun's orange rays and she burst through the clouds and laughed when a flock of crows squawked in fear.
"Dummies," she muttered.
Mrs Weasley was calling her.
What in the name of Merlin was the time?!
Ginny jerked herself awake so her hair fell across her eyes, and her vision blurred. She threw her bed covers off, still wearing jeans and a t-shirt from the night before. She glanced at the mirror on the way out of her room and didn't muster a smile.
"What?" Ginny demanded at the top of the stairs.
It wasn't her mother, but Harry. He stared at her. Ron and Hermione fidgeted next to him.
"See you at breakfast, Harry," Hermione pulled Ron after her and gave Ginny a feeble smile.
"Ok," Harry smiled back half-heartedly.
"In-case you hadn't noticed, I was sleeping," Ginny glared at him.
Harry hesitated. "I wanted to see you."
"You've seen me," Ginny snapped.
"You look –" he began.
"Don't start Harry. I don't want to hear it," Ginny interrupted.
Harry tried again. "We're going to play Quidditch after breakfast. Want to join-"
Ginny was not going to humour him, even if it was perfect weather outside. "No."
Harry climbed the first stair, suddenly he was standing two steps below her.
"I know you're still mad. If I knew my actions would have caused us to break up, I'd never have..."
"Don't Harry," Ginny put her hands up to stop him.
"Ginny please," Harry begged.
"Just go," and she stormed off to her room, slamming her door in his face.
Ginny had run downstairs to get something to eat when Hermione had told her Harry was in the bathroom. She was on the verge of going back to her room, when Ron grabbed her.
"Maybe you should cut him some slack," Ron said. "He's trying to make things right."
"Don't get me started, Ron. I have my reasons." Ginny shook herself free.
He gave her a quizzical look but didn't argue.
Ginny slipped back upstairs and locked her door, she didn't need any more surprise visits from her ex-boyfriend. Her reasons were still valid, she told herself.
What Harry had done had been reckless and stupid.
Malfoy was an egotistical, slime ball, and a Slytherin, and maybe she was overreacting...but no, Harry had used a curse he knew nothing about in an attempt to feel better about himself. Snape wanted him expelled, but Dumbledore had overruled him. It still came down to the fact that Harry Potter had almost murdered Draco Malfoy in the girl's bathroom.
Since the attack, Pansy Parkinson, a bratty girl who was in love with Draco, hung off his arm and constantly gave Ginny looks of disgust whenever she passed. Ginny had heard rumours, and Ron said 'Malfoy had deserved it'. Hermione filled her in on the extent of the damage, thousands of scars scattered Draco's entire body and face. Ginny held her books close to her chest, averting her eyes when Pansy turned up her nose and brushed Draco's hair from his eyes. He didn't flinch or yell at her, just clung to her as if she were his mother.
It was his grey eyes she got lost in - they were hollow and blank, as if the world swept him by.
Ginny collapsed into her bed, cramming freshly baked mini cinnamon rolls into her mouth one and a time. She heard Harry, Ron and Fred and George outside her window on their brooms. Crookshanks hissed at the gnomes and she imagined Hermione running after him so no blood would be spilled. Ginny closed her eyes, recalling her break up with Harry, and wiped the cinnamon from her lips.
"You had no-idea what that Sectumsempra spell did, yet you still used it, Harry. It's not about Malfoy, it's about us. Don't you remember what Riddle's Diary did to me in second year? You talk about the author like he's some friend, just like Tom Riddle had before he possessed me to open the Chamber of Secrets and left me to die!"
"Look, I feel bad enough as it is, I got rid of the diary like you asked, nobody's going to find it."
"You kept it, Harry. You used it to get ahead in potions after I told you to destroy it."
"Ginny, I'm sorry. I know it was a mistake," he said, watching her pace back and forth.
"We were the mistake, Harry," Ginny said, turning to face him. "I can't be your girlfriend."
"What? Ginny, no," Harry said, re-adjusting his glasses.
Ginny gave him a piercing look and walked out of the common room, leaving him standing there, confused and bewildered.
Ginny avoided the common room at all costs, she had already had two run-ins with Ron since she'd refused Harry's apology and Hermione's desperate looks only meant she too had promised Ron she'd attempt to change Ginny's mind, but she was never getting back with Harry.
Ginny climbed from the Gryffindor portrait hole and heard a "Psst!" to her right.
Luna Lovegood emerged from behind a tapestry, her blond hair kept tidy in long plaits. She wore her cork necklace and carrot ear-rings which bounced above her shoulders. Ginny smiled at her striped blue and white pajamas which she had covered with a yellow t-shirt. Luna grinned at her, lifting the tapestry further to reveal Lavender Brown, who wore a floral pink dress and bangles.
"Filch just left with Mrs Norris," Lavender hissed. "Come on," she almost yanked Ginny's arm from its socket. Luna hurried along in her furry bunny slippers, as Ginny's adrenaline kicked in.
"How about a midnight swim?" she suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye.
They disappeared down the moving staircase waiting for Nearly Headless Nick to float past. They entered the fifth-floor corridor. Lavender's hand tightened around hers. Standing in front of the fourth door to the left of a statue of Boris the Bewildered, which was only accessible to Prefects, Head boy and Girl and Quidditch captains, was Draco Malfoy.
"Draco's had the same idea as we've had," Lavender whispered.
Luna leaned against her shoulder for a closer look.
Ginny felt a lump in her throat as Draco Malfoy muttered the password.
A door materialised in front of him.
Ginny was surprised to see Pansy wasn't glued to his side.
He had grown three inches during the break, and his hair was shorter with less of a fringe. They ducked out of sight when he looked over his shoulder before entering.
The door was still ajar, and something took hold of Ginny, she wasn't about to let her plans go to waste.
"Quick!" she pushed Luna and Lavender forward.
"We can't go…in?" Luna squeaked, like it was a weirder idea than her choice of wardrobe.
"Sure, we can! Besides, I'm not leaving you out here with Mrs Norris to find you," Ginny said.
There was a meow and they looked down to see Mrs Norris staring up at them with evil red eyes.
"Quick the cloak!" Ginny threw Harry's borrowed invisibility cloak over them while Mrs Norris hissed.
Filch stepped out of the shadows and threw his hands up in triumph, then he poked the tapestries and air with his broom handle.
"I know you're there! Come out and show yourself!"
Lavender bit her nails and Luna touched the invisible material in awe. Ginny wedged her wand into the door to stop it from closing all the way, then she listened, footsteps were getting closer.
Professor Snape rounded the corner, his black robes billowing behind him.
"Argus?" Snape gave Mrs Norris a withering glance causing Filch to collect her almost as though he were afraid she was within kicking range. "What's going on?"
"I heard students out of bed, Severus," Filch admitted, disgruntled.
Snape's lips thinned but he did not scout the hallway.
"Mrs Norris picked up their scent," Filch resumed his paranoid prodding.
"Well, it's past midnight, " Snape drawled. "Some of us have early classes tomorrow," he said.
Filch looked disheartened. "But Severus, students are out after curfew, they need to be reprimanded!"
"This should be sufficient," Snape raised his wand, a jet of red light flushed every nook and cranny.
Ginny, Luna and Lavender went through the door before the spell revealed Snape of their presence.
The Prefect Bathroom looked even more enormous than she remembered.
Harry had taken her there once after a quidditch match, she still remembered the password.
Malfoy's grey jumper lay on the tiles beside the rectangular bath which was as big as a backyard pool.
Hundreds of taps surrounded it, all different sizes and colours.
The mermaid on the glass-stained windows was fast asleep, the way Ginny liked it.
Malfoy had his back turned.
He was attempting to take off his shirt, but his tie was done up too tightly.
Draco swore, leaving it for a minute and instead turned on the taps, so that blue, pink and yellow bubbles came out of the faucet filling up the deep white basin.
When did Malfoy ever whistle? Ginny thought.
Lavender edged closer to the basin, curious to see more of the Slytherin Prince.
Ginny hissed at her to get back under the cloak.
Malfoy unbuttoned his shirt, completely unaware of his audience.
"Gorgeous," Lavender breathed, grinning over her shoulder at them.
His white shirt fell to the tiles, revealing his pale back, still covered in faint scars.
Luna spotted a dragon tattoo on his right shoulder blade, and elbowed Ginny.
Ginny was distracted briefly when Malfoy undid his belt, and dropped his pants to the ground, standing in his underwear. Luna covered Ginny's eyes and her own, not that it mattered, because Lavender kept up a running commentary. They heard a splash and for one crazy moment Ginny thought Lavender had fallen into the pool. She pushed Luna's hands away to see Malfoy's blond head bobbing among the bubbles!
"Ah this is the life. So good and Granger's face is going to be priceless when she sees me here."
The lamps dulled, casting nightmarish shadows behind the pool.
Luna gathered some bubbles together and scrutinized each individually.
"Ah-huh, I thought so, Nargles," she said, and pointed her wand at the mixture.
Ginny gasped when Luna's bubbles turned blue and large butterfly-like creatures erupted out of them.
Malfoy yelled, surprised, turning to see Ginny, Lavender and Luna staring back at him with wide eyes.
Harry's Invisibility cloak soaking up the bubbles on the tiles below.
"How'd you GET in here?" Malfoy demanded.
He seemed conscious that most of the bubbles were on the tiles and not in the bath with him.
"Through the door," Ginny sassed, as the glittering blue butterflies burst into dust above them.
Lavender with Malfoy's irritable gaze on her, swept her hand through the warm bath water.
"GET OUT," Malfoy thundered, lunging for his wand which lay with his clothes.
"Time's up Malfoy," Lavender said, swiping his wand from his grasp. "Give him a towel, Luna, he is soaking," she said.
Luna exchanged his wand and conjured a fluffy white towel from the end of hers. She held it up for him to have, only after he'd risen, naked, with some bubbles clinging to his groin.
Ginny stared, taking the 7th year all in.
"I fancied a bath," Malfoy sneered. "As Head boy I'm entitled to it. What's with you, Weaslette?" Ginny blinked, her retorts forgotten.
Luna gave him his underpants which he grabbed and put on.
"Have a great night, Malfoy," Lavender grinned.
Malfoy grabbed his shirt.
Ginny held out his tie, but he wasn't paying attention. "My wand?" he snapped, holding out his hand.
Ginny waved his Slytherin tie in front of his nose. He snatched it with a grimace.
Lavender had pulled her dress over her head to reveal her laced purple lingerie.
Ginny picked up his wand, and escorted him to the door, if only to warn him of Snape's spell.
"If you tell anyone about what you saw tonight, I will personally kill you," he said.
Ginny held his gaze, she was used to threats, she was a Weasley after all.
She handed over his wand, torn between warning him and letting Snape bust his ass.
"Stay Malfoy," she slammed her hand against the door.
He looked at her like she was mad.
"Filch is out there, and Snape cursed the corridor so who knows what will happen if you go out there."
He scrutinised her with suspicion.
"I'm Head Boy, I'm allowed to roam the corridors at night, and the thought of you three stuck in here makes my night better, not worse, Weaslette."
Ginny's gaze hadn't left his.
"I'm inviting you to join us, besides the bath is big enough for all four of us."
Ginny raised her clothes over her head, stepped out of her pants and fingered the line of her blue bikini.
She saw Lavender and Luna were already enjoying the water. Malfoy's sneer was still prominent, but he had not opened the door again. Her smile gave her courage and she whispered, like a siren. "Join us," pulling at his loose tie. Malfoy seemed even less sure of himself when she had waded into the bath, blowing bubbles from her enclosed hands. Luna tried to catch a new batch of blue butterflies she'd created, and Lavender had engaged in a conversation with the now awake mermaid.
Ginny took a deep breath and pulled her head under the water, emerging with sleek red hair.
"We told you to go, Malfoy," Ginny heard Lavender say.
"Aw, come on Lav, he's already wet..." Ginny reassured her, happy he hadn't left.
"Well, only if he plays nice," Lavender said, waiting for his reaction.
Malfoy looked like he was still struggling with his inner thoughts, maybe Ginny would need to push him in with them. She tried not to look too pleased at this thought.
Ginny thought Draco's inner thoughts would go something like this: They wanted him to join them? No way! Not in a million years...Looney Lovegood was blowing bubbles through her hands like a child and that Lavender girl had dated Weasley of all people! And Weaslette, there was nothing appealing about her...she was pretty-looking he guessed, he had never really noticed – she was a traitor...his father had told him so... she was friends with that mudblood, Granger.
While Malfoy was still deliberating, and Ginny was deep in her fantasies, Luna and Lavender began to discuss Ron as they swam.
Lavender was taking things slow.
"He's going to take me out on a real date," she explained.
"Where?" Luna asked.
Ginny glanced at Malfoy who had moved closer, but hadn't committed fully.
"It's a surprise," Lavender grinned.
Luna was content diving under the water and popping back up every few minutes.
"Made up your mind yet, Malfoy?" Lavender called out.
Before Malfoy retreated, he gave Ginny what she almost classified as a smile.
Ginny, Lavender and Luna heard the alarm ringing after him.
"I think we underestimated, Malfoy," Ginny swam over to Lavender.
"The way you were looking at him – it looks like you wanted to do more than talk," Lavender hinted.
"What if I did," Ginny admitted. "Are you going to judge me?"
Lavender climbed out of the bath, siphoning water from her hair with her wand. Luna sat on the edge of the bath singing a lullaby to the mermaid. Ginny continued, as if saying it aloud would confirm what she was doing was ok. She towelled herself off.
"I know Malfoy's not the most suitable choice. Ron would flip, so don't tell him. I'm not sure what I want, but I know I can't be with Harry. I just need to see if anything is there. You know?"
"Whoever heard of a Slytherin and a Gryffindor dating?" Luna asked, getting dressed.
"No-one," Lavender waved her wand and stopped on a halter-neck blue and white polka-dot dress.
Ginny didn't think she could ever forgive Harry for what he had done.
A/N: Tweaked the story a little. Reviews welcome.