Hey guys, sorry the chapter took so long and that it's so short. I've been so busy the last few weeks that i've had absolutely no time to write. However, for the next few days I am on holidays with little to do, so who knows, there might be another one up soon!

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Almost a week had passed since the strange encounter with Draco Malfoy and his daughter, and Ginny had all but forgotten about it. So it was with some surprise that she felt a tug on her robes and looked down to see two tearful grey eyes staring up at her pleadingly.

"Hey sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked, squatting down to gently wipe the tears from her angelic face.

"Grandma is dying. You have to come and help her!" the little girl- Lilla, Ginny recalled- said, and broke into a fresh wave of tears.

Ginny's heart broke for the little girl, and so didn't resist when she took her hand and led her through the corridors. Soon they came to the restricted part of the hospital and Ginny hesitated. If she was caught back here, she could be fired. But the insistent tugging of the small hand she held in her own persuaded her, and she pushed open the door. A moment later they stopped outside a room, and Lilla reached up to open the door. It swung open and Ginny was met by a tired looking Draco Malfoy.

"Lilla, there you are!" he said with relief, and looked at Ginny. "Thank you for finding her."

Ginny looked at him in surprise, but didn't comment. The poor man looked like he was going through enough. Strangely enough, she felt almost... shy. "Actually, um, she found me. She wanted me to come and see her grandmother... er, your mother," she said uncomfortably, realising just who lay in the bed behind him.

Draco furrowed his brow. "Why would she do that?"

"I think she thought that I could help, but I'm sorry. I don't have the qualifications or the knowledge to try and help."

He nodded vaguely, his mind obviously on his mother. Ginny had never seen him look so distracted, so vulnerable, and it nearly brought tears to her own eyes. He turned away from her and moved over to his mother, holding her hand gently as he gazed down at her. Ginny moved closer and looked at the woman. It was clear that Lilla had been correct. She was dying. And it wasn't gradual either. As Ginny watched she could see death creeping ever closer. Her breathing was short and ragged, and she was fearfully underweight, to the point of emaciation. Her skin was paler than usual, and there were huge hollows around her eyes. The once beautiful Narcissa Malfoy was now barely recognisable from the woman she was five years ago.

As she watched, the woman's breathing got shallower, and Ginny knew death was not far. She turned to leave, to give the family some privacy, but was interrupted by a soft "don't go."

Ginny started. He hadn't turned around or even looked at her, but she was sure she hadn't imagined it. At the same time, the thought of Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince and son of a Death Eater [even if he hadn't been convicted of it himself], and could hardly believe what he had said. Nevertheless, she sat down, and Lilla climbed onto her lap. Ginny put her arms around her and the girl buried her face in her shoulder. Ginny rocked her gently, and they waited.

--

Draco Malfoy wondered at himself. Why had he asked her not to go? It wasn't as if he liked the girl weasel, he was sure of that. But Lilla seemed to take comfort from her, and that was good enough for Draco. He couldn't look after her at the moment. His mother was dying. She didn't have long now, he could tell.

"I love you mother," he said softly, gazing at her thin face willing her to wake, but she didn't. And she wouldn't ever again. A few minutes later, her breathing stopped, and her heart grew still. He stared for a moment before putting his face in his hands. He did not cry. A Malfoy would not cry. But if he ever had occasion for it, it was now.

He felt a soft hand on his shoulder and jumped. Ginny Weasley had crossed the room unnoticed and now looked down at him with sympathetic eyes, a sleeping Lilla held against her hip. And for the moment anyway, he could not pretend a hate he could not feel. He could not feel anything but grief, and he allowed her to sit with him, though they did not touch again. Her presence was enough.

--

The funeral was a brief, private affair, with only the two Malfoys and Ginny attending. Ginny felt uncomfortable about being at such a sorrowful event for someone she barely knew, but Lilla needed her. Draco was lost in another world, and could barely look after himself, let alone his daughter, so Ginny assumed the responsibility. They had not talked about it, and Draco had not thanked her for it. She did it anyway.

Despite the fact the Malfoy Manor had been returned to them [minus any and the many Dark Artifacts they had found], Draco and his daughter had not returned to the Malfoy Manor. While Ginny could not say for sure, she thought it was probably because the Malfoy heir simply did not like the place, though she had no idea why. Instead they lived in a large penthouse apartment in London. The place was obviously worth a small fortune, and Ginny felt a little uncomfortable spending more than a few minutes in such a place [particularly as it was Malfoy's]. However, Ginny could not leave the grieving family alone, even though she knew that once he recovered Draco Malfoy would send her packing with a sneer on his face. It was a trait she'd gotten from her mother, who was always taking care of strays.

They apparated back to the apartment; Lilla holding on tightly to Ginny. Draco stripped off his dress robes and flung them on a chair, seemingly unaware of Ginny standing there awkwardly as he stalked into his room with naught but his boxers on, her cheeks flaming. She turned away quickly and sat Lilla down on the couch, turning the huge plasma screen TV to the kids channel. The little girl stared blankly at the TV, and Ginny sighed.

--

"I'm really sorry about this Amanda," Ginny said through the Floo Network a few minutes later.

"Don't worry about it Ginny. These things happen sometime, and you have so much holiday leave i was planning to force you to take time off soon anyway. You take as much time as you need," the Healer said, smiling down at the anxious face gazing up at her from the fireplace. "Really. Just look after your friend. We'll be fine without you for a bit, don't you worry," she teased.

Ginny flushed. "Thanks Amanda, I really appreciate it."

Ginny dusted the ash off her pants and looked around. She really had no idea how Draco was going to react with her staying there to look after his daughter, but, as Ginny had seen nor heard no sign of the girl's mother, she felt it was necessary.

"What would you like for dinner, Lilla?" Ginny asked after a few moments. When she received no answer, Ginny shrugged, and headed towards the kitchen. She'd see what was in the cupboard.

An hour later Ginny wiped her hands on the apron and grinned. She was sure she'd outdone herself this time. The Malfoy's cupboard had been fully stocked with pretty much everything, and she'd been able to take her pick. She'd made a dish she and her mother were famous for, and was sure she'd never made it so well. Of course, that just could have been due to her sheer delight at using the modern kitchen. It was a lamb and fetta stirfry, and while it wasn't particularly complicated to make, it tasted heavenly.

Lilla came into the kitchen then, looking slightly brighter than before at the aroma permeating the house. Ginny handed her a small bowl, and then dished out a bowl of her own. As they sat down, Ginny started as Draco entered and got himself a bowl, before sitting down next to his daughter.

--

The next few days passed uneventfully, until Ginny returned to the apartment after visiting her family [who thankfully hadn't picked up on the fact that she had been so busy despite the fact that she hadn't been at work] to find Lilla asleep on the couch and one Draco Malfoy sitting next to her, a half empty bottle of firewhiskey in his hand.

"Hi Weaslette," he sneered, swaying slightly as he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. Noticing the other, empty bottle of firewhiskey on the coffee table, Ginny sighed and plucked the other bottle out of his hands.

"Oi! I hadn't finished with that!" he slurred, as Ginny made her way into the kitchen and poured the remainder of the bottle down the sink. She hated firewhiskey. It turned the most decent of men into blubbering idiots. And while Draco Malfoy certainly wasn't the nicest or the most decent of people, it obviously still turned him into a blubbering idiot.

She returned to the living room to find him passed out on the floor.

Great.

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Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter should be from Draco's pov, yay! Please review, it inspires me when you do :P