Aching Bones and Wasted Years
By liquid lily
Chapter One: The Summer Sends Its Love To You
Predictably he sneered and for once she didn't want to gag at the sight of it. He wasn't in his comfort zone in the dungeons of Hogwarts, nor was he backed by his lackeys; he even lacked his usual polished lock and slicked back hair. No, sitting in the kitchen at Grimmauld, surrounded by Weasleys and Order members, the trademark gesture didn't hold its usual weight.
"More potatoes, dear?" Mum asked the out of place blond boy while she held out the bowl. So far her mum had been the only one at the table to acknowledge Malfoy beyond glares and even then it was only to hoist food off on him. This time, like the others, he didn't answer. Mum retracted her offering and held it out to Ginny instead.
The kitchen was almost eerily silent. Even the normally cheerful and active Tonks was sitting stoically, her clenched jaw barely managing to chew the food she was shoving between tight lips. Remus had, Ginny suspected, a calming hand on her thigh under the table. Her dad too, had opted for reading the Evening Prophet rather than attempt conversation. She knew the rest of them were quite for a reason, but she almost longed for Phlegm's overwhelming presence at the table to take their mind off things. Unfortunately, Bill had opted to take his fiancé out to dinner.
Finally Harry's fork hit the plate with a clatter and his chair scrapped across the floor. "I'm going to the Dursley's," he announced.
The table latched onto the offered distraction desperately.
"Oh, Harry, you can't!" Hermione protested at the same time as Fred and George started emptying out their pockets for Harry's cousin.
"I promised Dumbledore I would," said Harry, quite effectively ending any further disagreements. Despite obvious efforts, eyes accordingly flickered to Malfoy before returning to Harry again. For his part Malfoy's gaze remained fixed on his plate. "I'll be back for Bill's wedding," Harry finished and then strode out the room.
Mum was on her feet in an instant, packing up as much food as possible as Ron and Hermione scrambled after Harry. "Well, best get together something for the boy to eat," she started, already getting into her usual rant about how the Dursley's treated Harry, and how he always came back to her twice as thin as he had been before.
Ginny sighed at the half empty table, but returned to shifting the food around on her plate with her fork.
Beside her, Fred and George rose from the table as one. "Well, if Harry's off, then I suppose we can leave too," George started out. "As much fun as this is, we're off to the shop."
"We've got the girls meeting us later," Fred continued, trading bawdy winks with Lupin.
Mum turned around wielding a wooden spoon dripping with gravy. "Oh no you're not, boys. I thought we agreed that you were staying here for the summer. Arthur," she glared at dad for support.
Dad shifted then licked his lips, a telltale sign that he did not agree. "Well, Molly, it is their decision now…" Mom let out an angry half huff half screech.
"No worries, Mum," said George, hitting the back of Ginny's chair as he stood. She glanced back in time to catch the hint of a glint in his eyes, and understood the message.
"Yeah, we're just having a night out," said Fred, picking up the explanation. "We'll be back later tonight. Wanna come, Gin?"
She jumped out of the chair as if shocked and made to head for the door, past her mum with both twins on her heels.
"Not so fast, Ginerva." The voice her mum used was so hard Ginny actually winced at the sound of it.
"Sorry, Gin," George whispered as he passed, clapping a hand on her back as he went.
"We needed a distraction," Fred said.
The second the twins had cleared the distance of the table Ginny whirled on her mum in a fit of passion. "Why are you always so unfair, Mum? I can take care of myself, why do you always treat me like a baby?" she screamed, trying to buy her brothers time to get out the door.
Really, she wasn't offended that the twins needed to use her. She had already known that there was no way anyone in the house would let her go anywhere, and she was always only too happy to help her brothers.
"Ginerva, you aren't as old as the twins," mum was shouting. Bits of gravy were flying off the spoon as she shook it. "You can't take care of yourself."
"I can too take care of myself!" Ginny continued, slipping into the usual argument with ease, even though it was still the first week of summer and she hadn't had any practice since Christmastime. "Don't you trust the twins to look after me? You're letting Ron and Hermione go with Harry to the Dursley's!" Ginny forced herself not to smile at that bit, really she didn't know if Ron or Hermione intended to go with Harry, or even if Harry would let them, but she knew the trio was planning something. For now though they would serve as a distraction for her, and the twins, and it served them right for not including Ginny in on their plans.
"They're what?" Mum shouted, dropping the spoon altogether. "Arthur, go get your son, now!"
With a sigh dad followed mum out of the room, and they could hear her stopping angrily up the stairs, and her furious yelling as she went.
Tonks clapped lightly while Lupin blew out a shallow whistle.
"Very nice work," Tonks told her with the first smile of the night.
Ginny however, didn't feel like smiling. "Whatever," she told the last remaining pair, ignoring the other occupant of the room altogether. He was still staring at the table as if completely unaware that there was anything going on around him. "I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you in the morning."
"Wait, Ginny," Lupin said as he rose from his seat. "Could you show Mr. Malfoy to his room on your way up?" he asked as he moved towards her.
Grey eyes met brown and narrowed. He sneered and looked away, but stood up anyway.
"Where?" Ginny asked, this time directing her gaze to Lupin.
The moment the pained look crossed his face; Ginny knew she wouldn't need an answer. Still she listened as he told her he would be staying in the room at the top of the stairs on the third floor.
Squaring her shoulders Ginny nodded and left the kitchen, not caring if he followed or not. Out in the hall the twins stepped out from behind the stairs and grinned at her.
"Thanks, Ginnikins," George said in a falsetto sweet voice.
"We'll bring you back a treat," Fred added as they bound past her, finally heading for the door.
"Pull the portrait curtains on your way out," she said as they moved away. "I set mum on the trio."
By the time they made it to the stairs, Mrs. Black's insults filled the house. Ginny ignored the sounds with a practiced ease, but she noticed with some satisfaction that her charge jumped slightly and had to compose himself before continuing on.
Immediately mum and dad passed them on the stairs, the former keeping up a continuous stream of voiced worries, and threats. Dad nodded as they went by, but otherwise just managed to look stressed and tired.
On the second floor Ron and Hermione were following Harry down the hall, each grin faced. Ginny paused to give her ex-boyfriend a hug goodbye and wish him luck. All three purposefully ignored the blond stranger behind her.
Finally they were standing in front of Sirius' old room. Ginny paused to take a deep breath and then opened the door.
"Do you mind, Weasley?" Malfoy hissed when she did not immediately move to allow him access to the room.
Her eyes had teared up at the sight of Sirius' old domains, which had been closed up since his death. Hurriedly she blinked the moisture away. "Right," she said and moved aside.
"What's wrong with you, anyway?" he asked, glaring at her in a manner which showed he didn't care at all, that he just wanted to make sure he didn't have an emotionally unstable girl on his hands.
"Nothing," she said, voice hardening. She sent him her own dark look. "Just…" she sighed, desperately wanting to leave him in the room alone and tell him he could rot in there for all she cared, but knowing she would still be courteous, even if he would not. "Hermione and I are across the hall if you need anything, and the twins are beside you. Lupin and Tonks are just down the hall, as is the bathroom."
He rolled his eyes and looked around the room, eyes first flickering to where, what could only be his trunk, sat at the foot of the bed. Obviously he was displeased, because the corners of his lips rose in distaste. "This is it?" he asked, taking a few more steps in. Then he turned to her and smirked. "Well, I suppose this must look like a palace to you, Weasley."
Biting the inside of her lip, Ginny forced herself to calm down before answering, but he beat her to it.
"Go away, Weasley, I want to be left alone," he said as he threw himself down on the bed.
"Gladly," she snapped and then turned on her heels and strode across the hall, not bothering to shut the door behind her. Let him get up and shut it if he wanted his privacy so badly.
The morning routines were carried out with their usual chaos the next day, and Ginny's was no different. She fought with her brothers and Hermione over the use of the shower, and then she scrambled about the room for the clothes she hadn't so much as unpacked as dumped on the floor. She was rummaging through a pile of laundry for a shirt when she uncovered Arnold and screamed.
She was at the door in an instant, a string of cures on her lips as she strode across the hall and banged on the twin's door. It wasn't long before the door swung open, but not the one she was expecting.
"Do you…" Malfoy started angrily, but then he stopped, looked down and smirked.
"What are you looking at?" she yelled back as he settled against the doorframe. He was already dressed and presentable, though she couldn't imagine when he had the chance to use the bathroom since she herself had had to wait an hour for Hermione to finish with it.
Ginny then became acutely aware that she herself was only half clothed, wearing only jeans and a colorful bra. Rather than be embarrassed she glared and placed a hand on her hip. In the other hand she still held poor Arnold.
The twins' door swung open, effectively grabbing her attention, and she focused on Fred's all too happy expression instead. "Look what you did to Arnold!" she demanded, forgetting about Malfoy and holding her shivering pet out to hopefully pander to his sympathetic side.
Fred rolled his eyes. "Lord, Gin, can't you put some clothes on? I don't need to know my sister has those." He shook his head, and made a face at her. Ginny stuck her tongue back out at him, but didn't really care what he thought. It wasn't like he didn't run around in his underwear in the morning too. Just because she had six brothers didn't mean she had to be excluded from that particular practice.
Down the hall George stuck his head out of the bathroom and took in the scene. "Mum! Ginny's walking around without her clothes again!"
If she hadn't remembered she had a living thing in her hand rather than a hard, and preferably painful object, she might have thrown Arnold at George. Even if she had, she only would have managed to hit the door since he had promptly shut it behind him again.
"Shut up!" she yelled and waited for George to open the door a creak again. "Just look at him!" Arnold's quivering form was held up again. "Change him back!"
Fred took advantage of Ginny momentarily turning her back on him to speak with George, and snapped the door shut behind her.
Ginny squealed and started banging her fist against the old wood.
"We're leaving for work in twenty, Gin," George said as he shut himself in the bathroom again. "Make sure you have some clothes by then."
Since both twins had left her alone in the hall Ginny let out another breathe of curses and threats to her idiotic brothers that made her mum yell out in protest from the floor below.
"Sorry, Mum," she yelled back, not at all apologetic, followed by. "Won't someone help Arnold?"
George opened the door again, this time in a towel, and flicked his wand in Arnold's direction. The previously bald pygmy puff was suddenly wrapped in a Weasley-like sweater the color of his usual pinkish fur.
"George!" she screamed at him, suspicious that the jumper really was made of her pet's old fluff.
Instead of an apologetic grin she expected George shot a glare across the hall and pointed his wand at the still lounging form of Malfoy. "Stop looking at my sister, ferret boy," he demanded.
Malfoy raised a brow, but turned into his room anyways. "Don't worry, Weasley," he drawled, "She's not much to look at. I was just enjoying the show." The door snapped shut behind him.
George exchanged a long look with Ginny, but she just shrugged back. Rather than be embarrassed or hurt by Malfoy's comment she dismissed it for his usual, unoriginal nastiness.
"Don't think I'm done with you," she shouted at the now closing door of the bathroom. "When you get out of there I'm going to hex your balls off," her voice rose steadily as the sound of the shower being turned on echoed through the hall. A door down she thought she heard a snort, but Malfoy's door was still closed.
"GINNY!" mum screamed from downstairs in a voice so loud she woke Mrs. Black and caused whoever was currently in the kitchen to run to keep her quite.
"Sorry, Mum," she muttered back as she turned back to her door to finish getting ready for the day. "Sorry, Arnold," she told her sweet pet, as she laid him back in his box bed so Crookshanks couldn't get to him.
Those first few days passed almost all too quickly for Ginny's liking. The twins, and her mum, were allowing her to work in the shop in Diagon Alley during the weekdays, so most nights she found herself coming home just in time for dinner to then collapse into bed so she could wake up early and repeat the process all over again. Staying true to form Hermione and Ron spent most of their time together, and waiting for Harry to return. Tonks, Lupin, her dad and even Bill and Phlegm were rarely all present at once, but by now all the children knew better than to ask after their whereabouts. Only one person still remained a mystery to the household and that was Draco Malfoy.
Since Ginny was gone most days, she didn't know what he did during that time, but Hermione told her he almost never left his room. Interestingly enough the only person he ever held a civil conversation with was Phlegm, since apparently they had known one another during the time she had spent at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. Also, surprisingly enough, Malfoy spoke perfect French, so most of their conversations at the dinner table were carried out in a hushed, fluid language that no one else understood. It seemed to be driving Bill crazy, but Ginny thought it was rather one more reason not to like her upcoming sister-in-law.
Of course, Malfoy was hardly settling into the Grimmauld Place atmosphere with any sort of ease. He and Ron got into daily scuffles that Lupin or her mum had to break them apart from. He had also been warned against calling Hermione a mudblood, but it had already slipped a few times, causing a number of tearful arguments between her and Malfoy. It seemed as if every time he stepped out of his door chaos broke loose, but if any of the children ever brought up making him leave to the adults all they got were firm no's in return.
"It's not fair," Ginny told Hermione for the third time that night. "He's such a prat. Why do we have to be nice to him?"
They were lounging in their room, on their respected beds, with Ron stretched out on the floorboards between them reading a Quidditch magazine.
"He needs to remain in hiding," Hermione answered, just as she always did. "Harry told you that Dumbledore wanted to help him if he would have it."
"Help?" Ron snorted as he turned a page. "He doesn't act like he wants any help. He hasn't changed at all, I think it's a stupid idea letting him into headquarters like this."
Hermione shot him a glare. "He may be an ass, Ron, but he's in danger, too. His mum appealed to Tonk's mum, and begged for a safe place for him to be. The Death Eaters want him dead now just as much as they want Harry," she let out a long breath. "I feel sorry for him."
"Sorry!" said Ginny as she sat straight up. "He would have killed Dumbledore if he only had the guts!"
Hermione held up an accusatory finger. "Ah, could have, but he didn't."
Ginny exchanged a doubtful glance with her brother and shook her head in wonder. "I still don't see why Tonk's believed him. You see how upset she is with his presence her. He makes her sick!"
"It's not just Tonks, Ginny," Hermione protested. "Dumbledore had already addressed the Order about Malfoy months ago. You know how he is—" she exhaled and started again. "How he was about this sort of thing. Dumbledore was all about second chances and learning how to trust."
In disgust Ron threw his magazine across the room and pulled himself up onto Hermione's bed. "Yeah, and we know how well that turned out the last time around."
Hermione's jaw hardened. "And I still stand by the fact that we don't know the whole story. Tonks even said that Snape was the one who told Malfoy's mum to appeal to the Tonks and the Order."
"Oh, boy," said Ginny. "Another reason to trust the git. Snape told him to come here."
Her eyes lingered a moment longer on her brother and her friend. Though both were clearly worked up, Ron had his hand leaning almost casually close to Hermione's leg, and Hermione seemed a great deal more flushed than usual, and she was actually twittering her fingers nervously.
Trying to decide between a groan and a smile, Ginny just settled on making an excuse to back out of the room and downstairs to help her mum with dinner. Bugger Malfoy, and bugger Hermione and Ron's stupid bloody relationship. Bugger this whole damn house, she thought as she strode out the door.
The twins were just coming up on the landing, when she stepped out into the hall, and George smiled at the sight of her.
"Ah, just the girl I wanted to see," he said, and then jerked his head toward Malfoy's door. "Fred, you take care of the git, then."
"Right-o," Fred agreed, and threw something that set off a loud noise and a great deal of sparks at Malfoy's door.
"Here," George was saying as he pulled something from the pocket of his robe. Ginny caught a flash of glass and an orange label and grinned just as Malfoy swung open his bedroom door.
"What the hell is your ruddy problem," the Slytherin yelled, his face contorted into an angry expression. George and Ginny turned slightly to see if the confrontation could turn out to be anything interesting.
Fred shrugged innocently and continued towards his room. "Mum wants you downstairs for dinner in ten."
Sneering again Malfoy turned to go back in his room and caught sight of George and Ginny still standing next to one another, and his eyes narrowed.
George snorted and turned back. "Anyway, here you go," he said and pushed the whole bottle into Ginny's hands.
She tried to push it back. "No you, idiot. Hermione," she jerked her head in the direction of the room to try to indicate she couldn't take it.
Unfortunately Hermione thought she had been calling her and strode towards the door. "What is it, Ginny?" she asked, standing in the doorframe.
Fred and George froze, while the latter shoved the bottle back in his robes.
"What was that, George Weasley?" Hermione demanded while she held out her hand. "Was that alcohol? Give it here then."
Across the hall Malfoy let out a snort, everyone ignored him.
"In case you didn't notice, Granger," George spat back, clearly unamused. "We're not at Hogwarts anymore so your prefect powers do nothing here, and we're of age."
Hermione's eyes latched onto Ginny's. "Ginny, don't tell me you're going to get involved with…with...any of that!"
"What's Ginny gone and done?" Ron said as he joined in the conversation just as Ginny defended herself with an, "I'm not, Hermione."
"You're brothers, Ron," Hermione said, giving the twins an evil look. "We're going to give your sister alcohol."
"What've you got then?" said Ron, in far too chipper of a voice. "Why'd you want to give it to Ginny for, she can't be drinking anything."
"Ron!" Ginny protested, deciding to take control of the situation. "I haven't done anything, the twins don't have anything and mum wants us all down at dinner!"
As if to agree with her suddenly Bill came striding up the stairs, and paused when he realized that the six of them were all standing out in the hall together. "Mum wants you all at the dinner table," then he looked around a blinked. "What's going on here?"
"Nothing," Fred said first and rather than head towards his room as he had first obviously intended he turned, passed Bill and went down the stairs. With one last long look Hermione followed, pulling Ron behind her.
George and Ginny waited for Bill to return to his own room to wake Phlegm from her afternoon nap and then George passed Ginny the bottle again.
After Ginny stashed it in the bottom of her trunk she turned out into the hall again to find Malfoy still lounging in his doorway smirking.
"What?" she snapped at him. She hated to admit it, but being in the empty hallway with him was very disconcerting.
"Nothing," he retorted, still smirking.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "What's with you? Why're you always just standing there nosing in other people's business?"
He shrugged and pushed himself off the doorframe. "It's not like theirs anything else to do in this bloody house is there?"
Down the hall a door opened and Phlegm stepped out with Bill on her heels.
"Oi, Draco," she cooed and strode forward to take Malfoy's arm and lead him downstairs while she tittered on in French.
Bill strode the few steps forward and offered his arm mockingly to Ginny. "Sister, dearest," he said as he held out the muscular appendage.
Smiling again, Ginny accepted and headed downstairs to dinner, all the while posing impressions of the enthusiastic Phlegm and broody Draco to make her favorite brother laugh.
Two days later and Ginny was asked to stop working at the shop to stay at home and plan the wedding full time with her mum and Phlegm. She had protest of course, but the other women had protested back, stating that they needed all the help they could get with the wedding only two weeks away. To Ginny's disgust and amusement Phlegm had also managed to take Malfoy under her wing to help her out with some of what she called the 'final details,' which were apparently over the other two Weasley women's heads.
Ginny might have been offended by her future sister-in-law's taste in companions if Malfoy didn't look absolutely disgusted to be there. However, she remembered, he had been doing nothing but complaining about how bored he was here since he arrived so it probably served him right.
Aside from having to share mutual space at meal times, and when working on the wedding in the parlor, Ginny and Malfoy had very little to do with one another. Actually, Malfoy and anyone had very little to do with one another. That was until one Friday night when Hermione had scurried off to Ron's room and a knock came at Ginny's bedroom door.
"Come in," she yelled out, expecting one of her brothers, or maybe even Tonks. Instead she found Malfoy once again, leaning against the doorpost, smirking at her.
Since it was already quite late Ginny had already put on her pajamas, which consisted of a pair of stolen gym shorts from one of her brothers, and one of Hermione's tank tops. She scowled at Malfoy's put together appearance and raised a brow.
"What do you want?" she asked, pulling herself up a little higher on her bed, and dropping the magazine she had been reading to the floor.
He shrugged, and came in, carefully shutting the door behind him. Suddenly alarmed, Ginny jumped out of bed and looked around the room for her wand.
"Relax, Weasley," he drawled, while he stepped a few paces into the room. "I was only going to say I saw what one of those twins gave you last week."
Ginny narrowed her eyes but fell back on the edge of her bed, abandoning her search for the wand. "So? What's it to you? You wanna tattle to my mum then?"
He scoffed, but he wouldn't turn away, Ginny caught the edge of desperation in his eyes. "No," he said finally. "I want some."
She smirked and leaned back on the bed, suddenly feeling as if the power had shifted. "Is that so? And why should I give any to you?"
For a moment it looked like he wasn't going to answer, but then finally he clenched and unclenched the hands at his side and gave her a half smile-half sneer which she took as his attempt to be polite. "Listen, Weasley," he said. "I've been cooped up in this bloody house for nearly a month now, and I think I've been pretty reasonable. I've followed all the damn rules, I haven't hexed the mudblood or pushed your brother down the stairs, or insulted your mum's cooking."
"You wouldn't," she retorted with a smile. "Insult my mum's cooking."
He rolled his eyes, and continued. "I'm bored as hell, and the most I have to look forward to all summer is planning a wedding for some French twit who's actually lowering herself to marry a Weasley."
"You know, Malfoy," Ginny interrupted. "If you're trying to get me to do you a favor, you're not having a very good go at it."
"I just want a drink, alright?" he huffed. "I just want to get bloody pissed so I forget where the hell I am." She was about to refuse, and maybe something of that showed on her face, because all of a sudden, his mask seemed to drop and she got a hint of real anxiety on his features. "Come on, Weasley. I, at least, get to get drunk on my own birthday."
She wanted desperately to say no, and she even tried to several times, but somehow she couldn't. How could she deny him on his birthday? It was just too sad. Grudgingly she got to her feet and went to the trunk at the foot of her bed.
"Fine," she said as she pulled out the bottle of firewhiskey. When she stood up she saw the glint of cockiness in his eyes and her own eyes narrowed. "But," she said, still holding it out of reach of his outstretched hand. "You don't get it all, I'm going to drink with you."
His features fell and the delicate sneer rose on his lips. "I didn't ask for company, Weasley."
"No," she answered, already wondering if this would be a bad idea. "But no one should be alone on their birthday, Malfoy," she said sweetly. "Besides," she added thoughtfully. "You've spent all summer so far cooped up in your room alone, you've got to want some change of pace, right?"
A war seemed to be waging on Malfoy's face. At one point he seemed to almost turn away as if the whole thing wasn't worth it if he had to share her company, but then Ginny held up the still full bottle tantalizingly.
"Very well," he said at last through what sounded like gritted teeth. "But not here, in my room. It's bad enough tolerating a Weasley, I won't do it for the mudblood."
Ginny had to very purposefully ignore all the insults in that sentence and calm herself down. "First off, it's not your room, Malfoy. You're just borrowing it. Second, I can't go in there its…" she paused again and shook her head. "I just can't."
"Why does everyone make such a bloody fuss about my room?" he demanded, white blond hair falling into his eyes as he shifted his stance from relaxed to threatening.
She just swallowed and shook her head again. "It doesn't matter, we can go up to Buckbeak's room then."
He immediately hesitated and grabbed his arm, at first Ginny mistook the meaning, and then she laughed. "Oh right," she amended, remembering back a few years. "Buckbeak doesn't exactly like you, does he?"
"What's that blasted thing doing here?" he practically shouted. "My father had it sentenced to death ages ago. It's supposed to be dead."
"Yeah, well, a lot of people who are supposed to be dead end up hiding out here," said Ginny. "And if we'll stoop to helping you, who're we to hold anything against a sweet old hippogriff?"
"Sweet," he hissed. "That ruddy thing attacked me! It nearly killed me."
Rather than answer Ginny just sighed. "Fine then, will the drawing room be more suitable for you?" When he didn't immediately protest Ginny nodded and side stepped him for the door. "Follow me."