kneh13: It was interesting, wasn't it? It seems that poor Ginny and Draco cannot get their timing right. They have a long way to go…but I think you will enjoy them getting there. I hope! *smile* Yes, poor Hermione is gone and has left Ron behind. Ron will become very important to this story.
Yummersracin: EXACTLY! Ginny was out of character (I'd also say she's a tad bit confused too, no?)! She is trying to be something she's not. And that never works with love. It will end up biting you in the Assets…and Ginny sure got bit, didn't she? Draco turned her away. *sigh* They have so far to go. Post another? I think I shall. This chapter is Dedicated to YOU, Yummersracin!
Heather: Hi there! I think you have nailed a big part of their problem…his Mother is no longer there to smooth things over. And yes, Draco and Ginny *did* get together too easily in the first book. Read on…I think you'll find this a bit more to your liking! *grin*
Red ruby slippers: You liked Ginny, huh? I have to admit I liked her to in this chapter. She seemed so real to me. She's confused and lost. The craziness of her emotions I think reflected that.
AmericanGirl1114: Hmmm, Ginny only knows about Merlin because her family, Dumbledore and the rest told Draco and Ginny. They decided to leave out some of the other tidbits because they thought it might be a bit much to handle…especially learning that on top of the whole Merlin issue and not remembering, they find out Ginny is pregnant. That is why she doesn't remember Hermione dying. She wasn't told that part of it. There are a few more things she is missing too. Read on… the plot is just starting! LOL! Thanks for the review!
Jen: Yep, I agree. I can so see Draco's face during that scene! LOL! Hopefully there will be more scenes like that ahead! *smile*
Lisa: There was a lot going on this chapter, wasn't there? AND there was a really cozy scene between Draco and Ginny. *smile* They have such a long way to go. Hang in there with me! Thanks for the chapter length info; I can never tell when writing. I'll try to keep them a bit longer from now on! Thanks!
Ferretlover: I thought you guys might like some D/G action! Yes, Ginny was definitely a bit out of character…but for valid reasons. I liked her being a bit bolder too! *smile*
Indigo Child: Thank you for the three lovely reviews! I always look forward to your insight on my stories. As always, you have hit the nail on the head…you understand Ginny perfectly. And yes, her little attitude change had me laughing too. *grin* As for their raging emotions, it is all I can picture right now for them. Our sweet D and G must be sooooo confused. *sigh* Hugs! Thanks again!
Blackbow: Hi there! Thanks for the review. I really liked this chapter myself. *smile* I thought it was funny, gut wrenching and completely emotional. Lots of action… Please continue to let me know what you think!
pixydust3: I know! Ack! Poor Ginny! She is going through so much! She and Draco have a lot of things to work on. This chapter might be a bit sad too… Thanks for the review!
Chapter 4: Merlin ReturnsGinny wept for so long that her mother slid onto the floor with her. All the while Molly kept rocking her as she had when Ginny was a child. Eventually the tears subsided. Ginny would hiccup now and then; but, the worst of the catharsis was over.
Molly gave her daughter a sweet, motherly kiss on the top of her head and gently said, "Ginny, did you tell anyone at the Manor that you were coming here?"
Ginny slightly shook her head no and burrowed further into her mother's arms.
"Ginny, Draco must be worried by now. You've been here for over an hour."
Ginny simply shook her head no again.
"Ginny, will you at least let me up so that I can let him know over the floo that you are all right?"
Ginny shook her head yes and pulled back from her mother. Her mother extricated herself from Ginny and left the room. Ginny took a moment to look around the room and realized that her brother was still there watching her with sad eyes.
Ginny spoke for the first time, "Oh Ron! I am so sorry!"
A tear fell down Ron's face as he got up, walked to his sister and pulled her up off the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, put his face in her hair and let his emotions go. Ginny stood there and let her brother lean on her. They had both been through so much.
Ginny pulled slightly back from her brother when Molly walked back into the room.
"Ginny, I talked to Draco. I told him you would be home in about an hour, okay? So, sit down young lady and tell me what this is all about. Is it Draco? Hermione? Or, as I suspect, all of the above?"
Ginny removed herself from her brother's arms and sat down in one of the chairs around the kitchen table. She placed her head in one of her hands and pulled her bangs back in a move that spoke of her agitation. Molly sat down across from her and Ron moved to leave the room.
"Stay, Ron. Please," Ginny quietly said to her brother.
He stopped where he was for a moment, slowly turned around, shook his head 'yes' and took a seat behind Ginny.
"Remember the talk we had last night?" Ginny asked her mother.
Molly nodded her head in agreement and Ginny continued, "Well, I went to my room last night I thought long and hard about what you said. It's just all of this is so confusing. I mean, I remember nothing of Draco and me being happy. Bloody hell, let's be honest, I don't recall anything of it. What else don't I remember? Who the hell am I? So I thought that maybe I could become what Draco would want. I thought about all of his girlfriends at Hogwarts and that gave me some ideas." Ginny was pulled from her rambling by Ron's snort.
"What?" Ginny asked him.
"Just the thought of you dressing like some of the trollops he dated at Hogwarts. Made me laugh is all." Ron said with another snort. That snort quickly changed into a cough when he saw the look on Ginny's face.
"Bloody hell, Ginny, tell me you didn't." Ron exclaimed with disbelief in his voice.
"ymememdidmd," was Ginny's muffled replied.
"What was that, dear? I couldn't quite make that out," Molly Weasley said, laughter evident in her voice.
"I said that I did." Ginny huffily replied. Her brother pretended to faint from shock.
Her mother clapped her hands together gaily and said, "Well this should be quite interesting! Come now, spill the beans. Did you get the umm-desired effect?" Molly finished the sentence with some heavy eyebrow waggling.
"Mother!!!!" Ron said.
"What? She's a married lady. I'm a married lady. There is nothing wrong with this kind of discussion. Stop being such a fuddy duddy, Ron. Really, your sister is hardly a little girl anymore…even if she can't remember it."
"Well thanks! Here I was squeaked out thinking of my mother and sex in the same thought and now you've added Ginny to it. Could you just obliviate me now…please." Ron retorted as he pushed back from the table and left the room.
Ginny giggled and looked at her mother who had a self-satisfied grin on her face. "Mom, you did that on purpose!"
"Yes, I did. You should see what I do to make your dad get up and leave. Men, they are so easy to manipulate. Besides, I really don't think your brother needs or wants to hear this. So I gave him a graceful exit from the room. So tell me, daughter of mine, how did your manipulation go?"
At the reminder of Draco, the smile was removed from her face and a stern frown replaced it.
"Come now, Ginny, tell me."
"Well it started off all right. Remember that trashy, hot pink number that your cousin- what was his name? Edgar. That was it…- Remember that hot pink number that Edgar's muggle girlfriend used to wear to the family reunion?"
Molly snorted, "How could one forget? Pink dress, boobs barely covered, everything else barely covered. Oh! And that Merlin-awful bleached blonde hair style…Man, she was something else-," Molly stopped, gave Ginny a look and continued, "So how did it look on you?"
"Just as trashy. But you should have seen the look on his face when I walked in the room. The House Elves made a mess, glasses were overflowing and food halted mid-air. And Draco, well Draco, had this look of hunger in his eyes."
"Hunger is good." Molly assured her daughter.
"I thought so too. So I played into it a little. You know. I gave him sumptuous, slightly pouty lips and sultry glances. I gave him the works and then, out of nowhere, he jumps up, mumbles something about women and their games and leaves the room. I stood there dumbly as if I had been slapped. I sat down thought it through and came up with an alternative plan."
"And that plan was?" Molly prompted her daughter.
"To go the distance. I figured that he was used to women throwing themselves at him; so I did."
"Ginny, you can't even remember your relationship with the man. So you throw yourself at him? I think you took a wrong turn somewhere in your musings. Hmmm, even though I think I know where this is going, tell me, how did it end?"
"Well I came on to him. And trust me, he was into it. Then all of a sudden he pushed me away and said 'no' over and over. To top it all off, he proceeded to tell me that while I might be a goody-goody and willing to play nice because that was what everyone wanted, but he would not. That he respected himself."
"Oh Ginny…," her mother said with sadness in her eyes, "How did you respond to that?"
Ginny had two bright spots on her cheeks when she began speaking, "I told him that he didn't know what respect was."
"Ginny, did you even hear me last night? You can't keep attacking him because of who he is."
"I know! I know!" Ginny said as she put her hands up in a defensive nature, "I was angry and I let my tongue get away from me…really away from me."
"So you said more?" Molly inquired, although she already knew the answer. Ginny could see it in her face.
"I said a lot more."
"Well?" her mother prompted her again.
"He told me that a Malfoy was worth ten of me!"
"What else do you expect the poor boy to say?" Molly sagaciously said, "You attacked his pride. Go on. Tell me what you said."
"I told him that if that was the truth then I was worth more than him because I was carrying his child."
Molly gasped, "Ginny Weasley Malfoy, how could you? Throwing his own child back in his face!"
"I was angry."
"Did you say more?" Molly asked, almost afraid to hear to answer.
'Well I might have said that if bloodlines were so important that I would always win…because I had a heart that beat blood and his was made of stone." Ginny said the last part in a tapered whisper.
"Oh dear Merlin, Ginny! You need to get home and talk to Draco. Go on. I mean it! Right now! You get out of that chair, floo home and TALK to Draco. NOW!"
Before Ginny even realized what was happening, she was pulled from her chair and hastily moved into the sitting room. Molly opened the vase of floo powder and pored some into Ginny's hands. Before Ginny knew what she was doing, she was ensconced in a swirling vortex and heading for Malfoy Manor.
Only she never made it.
Ginny's head was throbbing when she woke. She opened her eyes and squinted. Her vision was a bit blurry and all she could see was the color grey everywhere. She tried to lift her head, but it wasn't cooperating.
She gingerly laid her head back down and tried focusing her eyes. Her eyes were swimming from dizziness and it was about to make her sick. This thought had barely finished in her mind when she turned to the left and threw up all over some nice, new and very expensive black leather shoes.
"Ahhh, Mrs. Malfoy, I see you are awake." A male voice said from up above as Ginny allowed the nausea to take over. She blacked out a few moments later.
Ginny woke a much later. She was still on her back in some kind of dreary looking room. The nausea, thank goodness, had gone away. Unfortunately, now she really needed a bathroom break.
Eerily enough, just as she finished that thought, the male voice began speaking again, "Well, Mrs. Malfoy, I suspect you need a trip to the little girl's room. May I show you the way?"
Ginny carefully sat up. She looked around the room and saw that she was in a sitting room. A sitting room, that by the looks of it, had not been used in a long, long time. Ginny put her feet on the floor and slid off the grey silk chaise she had been lying on.
"Do you require aid standing up, Mrs. Malfoy?" the voice asked again.
"Who are you?" Ginny asked. Her words a bit slurred.
"A friend," he assured her. "Do you require help?"
"No, I think I am fine. Where are you?"
"I'm standing to your left."
"Why don't you show yourself?"
"If that is what you want," he replied, "Then I will."
He stepped from the shadows and Ginny gasped.
