"What's Malfoy doing here?" Harry grimaced, seeing Malfoy and Ginny sitting out on the dock.
"Ginny's new pet," Ron said, dully. "I'll explain the rest when Hermione gets here. Fred and George are picking her up."
"Does this have something to do with his mum's death?"
"It had better. You'd know more about it then me. Mum tossed the Daily Prophet in the fire as soon as it came, so I didn't find out exactly what was up."
"Plastered with pictures of the body and scene. Nauseating."
"Probably why the paper ended up in the fire. Oww!"
"Sorry, 'bout that, bro. Haven't got apparating down pat yet." Fred stood up and offered Ron a hand up.
"Hermione elected to take the stairs. Seemed to think it was 'safer,'" George shrugged. "Odd girl you got there, Ron. Doesn't seem to trust us."
"I wonder why," Ron said icily, rubbing his shin.
The twins' reply was cut short, as Hermione appeared in the doorway, excited and breathless. "Ron, what is going on around here? First you owl me to come immediately, then Ginny's out there holding Malfoy-" Hermione never finished, as all four boys rushed the window.
"He's sleeping again," Ron said in exasperation. Malfoy was curled up, head in Ginny's lap, and motionless. Ginny stared out over the water, fingers idly toying with his hair.
"One good Reductor and he'll be in the pond," Fred remarked while fingering his wand. "How's that for a wake-up call?"
"Brilliant as always, dear brother," George answered.
"Don't risk it. You'll face the wrath of both Ginny and Mum. They've expressed that particular sentiment twice each this morning," Ron sighed as he returned to a chair.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" Hemione demanded.
"Yeah, mate. Go back to the Ginny's Pet part."
"What is Malfoy doing here?"
"Hermione, have you read the Dailey Prophet today?"
"No, I was a bit busy packing after I received the urgent summons from his highness, King Ron."
Ignoring the sarcasm, Ron explained, "Mum threw our copy in the fire and from what Harry says the pictures are not pretty. A dragon killed Narcissa Malfoy in her parlor night before last. Malfoy found her yesterday morning."
"So your mum's keeping him?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Odd, but I guess if anyone has a heart big enough to include Malfoy, it'd be your mum. Remember how Sirius teased her that if Voldemort showed up to her door a mite thin, that she would sit him down and feed him all the food in the house before hexing him?"
"Harry, pretend that you don't suffer from ADD," Ron scowled.
"Beg pardon, King Ron." Seeing his friend go red, Harry hurried to give him something else to vent his anger on. "So how does that make him Ginny's pet?"
"You read the Daily Prophet, Harry. You should know that he disappeared yesterday and no one could find him. This morning, I found him asleep in Ginny's bed, just like he is now. I hollered and everyone had an almighty row in her room until . . ." Ron trailed off.
"Until what?" Fred and George asked in unison.
Ron leaned forward and said in a hushed tone. "Malfoy's been whipped. They're healed over so it must have been a long time ago, but you can still see the marks. His chest, shoulders, and arms are covered with 'em, and from the way he backed up so fast, I'm betting his back looks the same. When he realized we were staring, he calmly asked for a shirt, as if he was asking directions or for a donation to St. Mungos. After Bill got him one, Mum marched them down to the kitchen. I listened in. From what Ginny said, its been going on for nine years. Every time he's beaten or his parents fight, he sneaks over here and sleeps on Ginny's floor."
"That explains what he was doing over here that day," Fred commented.
George nodded. "Right before our first year, we found a little kid hiding behind the shed, watching us play. He said he was Draco and he was lost. There was a gash on his forehead. He told us he'd fallen down. We offered to take him into Mum so she could fix him up, but he freaked. So we walked him home. As soon as we got to the edge of the Malfoy property, he took off."
"That's why we recognized the name that day when we rescued Harry from the muggles," Fred continued. "So mum's keeping him here then?"
"Cleared it with Dumbledore and he smoothed it over with the ministry. Even if Lucius hadn't disappeared, he couldn't get a hold of Malfoy now. The evidence of physical abuse causes the ministry to prevent anything he might try." Ron picked up Crookshanks and began petting him absentmindedly. Crookshanks had the mind not to scratch at this uncharacteristic treatment from one of his less than ardent admirers, but gave a rusty purr.
"So what do we do now?" Hermione asked. "Treat him like scum, ignore him, or try to be polite?"
"I'm all for treating him like the ferret he is," Ron shrugged.
"George and I second the motion," Fred spoke up.
"I think civility should prevail. After all we are Gryffindors and we should help those who need assistance and cannot help themselves-"
"Knock it off, Hermione. Next thing you know, we'll all be paying to be a part of the S.P.M. Society for the Protection of Malfoy. I personally refuse to join such an organization and waste my hard earned money. Harry, what do you think?"
"He isn't under his father's control anymore. Maybe he will be decent. I think we should let him decide. If he's civil, we'll be civil. If he's a jerk than we don't have to feel guilty about our comebacks. Sound fair?"
One by on the group agreed to the terms. As Ron gloomily put it, "One for all. All for one. We're the bloody musketeers."
As one the rest of the group saluted sharply, "All hail King Ron."
"That's not funny," Ron protested futilely.