Real Love

Chapter 10: Happy X-Mas

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: hey. Hope you all like this one. Christmas in May yay! Some versions of this song I recommend are Sarah McLachlan's and The Fray's. They don't touch the original, but they're good. Anway, review if you can, and enjoy. Love you all! -Bella

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

-Happy X-mas, John Lennon

When Ginny had arrived home, none of her brothers had yet returned home for the holidays, so the absence of Ron had been less noticeable. It wasn't until Christmas Eve, with the house full, but missing its usual chaos and laughter, that Ginny realized she'd been expecting Ron to come home with them.

Ginny sat down on the bed in the orange room and looked around. Everything was still a mess, just as he'd left it last Christmas. His Weasley sweater poked out from under his bed were he had hidden it from their mother. Ginny tugged at the maroon sleeve and held the sweater to her chest. It still smelled like him from wearing it on Christmas.

The void in Ginny's heart without Ron there was wider than she could have imagined, and she finally understood what her mother meant when she had told her that she hadn't really dealt with everything.

She been so caught up in what had happened with Harry, and her confusion over the entire situation, that the fact that her brother was dead had never really settled in.

There was a small knock on the door, and Ginny looked up as Charlie poked his head in.

"Hey," he said as he entered the room.

"Hey."

"They say that, the hardest part is when you try to go back to normal life and realize what a presence in your life they were." He sat beside her.

"I think I thought he'd be here," she admitted to her brother. "I think I thought I'd open the door and he'd be sleeping in his bed, yelling for me to go away."

The door creaked open again and Bill peered in before coming in as well.

"You too huh?" He sat down on the spare bed. "I don't know how many hours I spent in here after the funeral. I helped him paint these stupid orange walls. He loved them so much…"

"I hated them so much," Ginny laughed. It was funny how death changed things. All the money in the world could convince her to repaint those walls anymore.

The door opened yet again and two more bodies slipped through. Fred sat down next to her, and George flopped down on the bed next to Bill.

"Come on guys," Charlie frowned at the twins' sober faces. "What are you two good for if you can't cheer us up?"

"How can we?" Fred lamented.

"We don't have anyone to pick on!" George added.

Ginny began laughing and crying all at the same time.

"We did have fun with him didn't we," Fred said wistfully.

"You were horrible to him!" Ginny exclaimed, still laughing through her tears.

"Were not!" George defended. "He loved it." He added cheekily.

"He did not!"

"Did to! Charlie didn't Ron love it?"

Charlie laughed and shook his head. "No. He didn't."

George sighed. "Well, at least we still have Percy."

"What about Percy?" Another body entered the room. "Did my invitation get lost in the mail?" He looked around at all the siblings.

"Not at all! You're just in time!" George grinned and patted the bed beside him.

Percy took a seat, and silence took over the room. Ginny knew that everyone else, like her was waiting for one more person to poke through the door. Tears were flowing freely through out the room, and Ginny was so happy to have them all there beside her. How they had even known how to find her she didn't know, and part of her wondered if they'd even been looking for her, or looking for Ron.

She inhaled sharply when at that moment, the wind, or something, blew open the door to the room.

Breakfast the next morning was harder. Their mother had only made it through serving them all before excusing herself to her room for a moment. Their father had followed closely after.

"My baby boy Arthur! My baby boy!" could be heard through the thin walls of the Burrow, and the siblings had all struggled to eat their mother's hard cooked meal.

Opening presents had been an equally somber experience of polite 'thank you' s and silent watching. When they were done three small piled remained under the tree.

One each for Hermione, Harry, and Ron.

"I had too," her mum had defended herself to concerned glances. "I'll take the boys' to the orphanage in the morning, but I had to."

She rushed off again, and this time it was Ginny that followed her.

"Mum," she called through the door. "Mum are you okay?"

"Come in Ginny."

She entered the room and found her mother wiping her eyes with a big white handkerchief.

"I'm sorry Ginny. Its just that sometimes I miss him so much…"

"Don't be sorry Mum. We all miss him. It's unbearable without him here."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "And to think he could have lived. If he just…"

"If he just abandoned Harry?" Ginny asked. "He died being the brave honorable friend you raised us all to be, and I don't think any of us would have had it any other way really."

"Oh Ginny!" Her mother wrapped her into a giant hug, and Ginny hoped she'd helped her, even just a little bit.

Their mother and father had gone to bed early and Ginny sat with her brother's around the tree. The solemn silence of the day became too much and she stood and picked up three lumpy packages from the piles under the tree. She tossed one to Fred and one the George and kept Ron's for herself. The stared at her, confused, as she ripped it open and held the sweater up too herself.

"Bloody fucking hell," she gave her best Ron impression. "Its pink!"

"Ronald Weasley watch you your mouth!" She recognized Charlie's Molly Weasley impersonation.

"It's pink!"

"I think its lovely Ronald! Look at mine; it's bluuuue." Ginny giggled as Fred spoke in a high pitched voice. "I read in Hogwarts: A History that blue was the favorite color of the first headmaster."

"Yeah, and know what wasn't his favorite color? Pink!" Ginny grumbled back, grinning.

Fred gave her an exaggerated scowl and turned to George. "Oh Harry! Look yours is green!"

"Surprise," Ginny noted as flatly as she could.

"Er..uh…yeah…uh…..Thank you Mrs. Weasley. It sure is swell. You really shouldn't have…"

Ginny couldn't take anymore and died laughing.

"How dare you laugh at my new pink shirt Ginny!" Percy's attempt and failure to pick up where Ginny left off sent the rest of the room in to hysterics as well.

"Well, that was fun Ginny, but now what will the orphans wear all winter?" Bill scolded her teasingly.

Ginny looked at the sweaters on all of her siblings, her own, and the three new ones and laughed yet again. "I don't even think they would like them either!"

"I don't know. Harry sure did." George cracked.

Ginny grinned and lifted Ron's sweater in the air to throw at him, when suddenly a ferocious looking owl swooped into the room. She screamed as it flew right at her.

"Whose is that?" Charlie exclaimed, clearly fascinated by the exotic creature.

"I don't know!" Ginny inched away from the bird, which his landed right beside her.

Fred reached forward but quickly pulled away when it snapped it's beak at him.

"Whoa!"

"It wants you Ginny," Charlie urged her on.

"Me?"

With all her brothers eagerly waiting, she hesitantly reached forward and detached its parcel from its leg. Before she could even stroke its head to thank it flew off.

"Well? What is it?" Percy questioned her.

"Maybe I should check it for curses first." Bill reached for the box, but she snatched out of reach, scowling at him.

Carefully she opened the smooth black box, and from the box she pulled a long silver chain with a beautiful silver ring dangling from it. She took the ring between her fingers and from the inside read aloud, "De m'amour soiez sure."

"What's it mean?" Fred asked aloud.

"I'm afraid I studied Latin." Percy apologized.

"Don't look at me," Charlie shook his head.

What Ginny knew but didn't say while her brothers agrued was 'De m'amour soiez sure; Of my love be sure.'

Draco sat in his father's ornate chair behind the over sized desk in his office. Christmas had come and gone and this was his gift. A house full of his father's signature. An estate of dark artifacts and a darker history. A legacy he didn't want.

He stared at the larger than life portrait of his father that hung on the wall. He could feel his disapproving eyes bearing down on him. So many days had been spent in that room as his father taught him about the Dark Lord, and the glory of Dark Magic, and the tradition that he would carry on for the family.

He'd been raised in the walls that had witnessed so much evil, and he felt comfortable in them. He'd been bred for evil.

She had not.

Everyday he spent back at the manor, his unworthiness of Ginny Weasley weighed down on him more.

At his fathers funeral he had tried to picture her there with him, surrounded by horrendous men and heartless women who would relish at the chance to cause her pain. Who had caused her pain.

The thought of what his father had done to her sent rage ripping through him every time he reminded himself of it.

It was Blaise who had recalled the rumor or Ginny's involvement with the Chamber of Secrets, and instantly he had known his father was responsible.

It pained him that he couldn't remember Ginny that long ago, and just the thought of the bravery she had so young to survive such an ordeal made him sick with himself.

Had he her courage, he would have done something for that poor girl. He wouldn't have stood there like a fool and then killed her to end his own torment. He would have done something.

From his pocket he pulled out the letter he had received the day before.

Draco-

I am writing you after hearing how successfully you helped Professor Snape in his mission to protect Harry. Snape has expressed extreme confidence in your ability and willingness to help our cause, and I am hoping he is correct. As I am sure you are aware, most of Voldemort's followers are awaiting trial for the crimes they committed under his command; however, more than a handful have again managed to escape the grasps of the ministry, as there is no evidence of them having committed any true crime, doubtful as that may be.

I am aware that your father had been allowing Voldemort to use your family's home as his headquarters for some time now. With the passing of your father, I am also aware that you alone now control the Malfoy estate.

What I am proposing to you is an undercover mission with the Order of The Pheonix to be sure that all those who still believe in Voldemort's plan are put away. It will involve working closely with the remainders of Voldemort's followers and a great deal of danger. I know you are young, and normally I would not ask for such a thing from someone your age; however, as the only son of the most powerful of Voldemort's Death Eaters, I fear that you are the only one in a position to follow through with this plan.

If you are willing, please meet with me in Snape's rooms the first weekend of the new semester. We will fill you in on the details then. I fear I have already put to much on paper.

Sincerely,

Remus Lupin

This was his chance. His opportunity for redemption. His opportunity to prove he was good enough for her. He wouldn't do something. He would do everything.

"5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!" Ginny chorused with her family and friends. As her brothers kissed their girlfriends and Fred and George set off fireworks, Ginny turned to the girl sitting beside her.

"I'm so glad you're home."

"I'm glad to be back." Hermione smiled.

Hermione had done so well in her treatment she'd been released nearly a week before schedule. She'd worked hard to come to terms with all the losses she had suffered in the recent year, and had come home the Hermione Ginny had always known.

Guilt had consumed Ginny when she had realized how poorly she had come to think of Hermione over the past few months, but it had been Hermione who reminded her that Ginny too had had a difficult year.

"Ow! Damn it!" Ginny heard from across the room. "Ginny come get this damn owl!"

Next to a bleeding Charlie, the same exotic owl sat, ruffling its feathers. She got up and approached it, and was willingly given the parchment it carried.

Sheilding it from her brothers' prying eyes she unrolled it.

W-

For Auld Lang Syne

-M

Ginny scowled. Why had he even bothered? Everyday since Christmas she had tried to owl him, and everyday her owl had returned, her message undelivered. Then he goes and sends her a cryptically addressed note, without so much as an 'I miss you.'

"Hey!" she cried as the note was ripped from her hands.

"M? Who's M?" George pondered.

"None of your business." Ginny held out her hand for her letter.

"I guess that this is from Mr. M as well huh?" Fred tugged at the chain around her neck."

She jerk away from him and scowled.

"Why so sour Gin? No jewelry this time?" Bill laughed at her as he took the letter from George and then passed it to Charlie.

It was Charlie who burst out into song, causing the impromptu sing-along, that gave Ginny the chance to steal back her letter and escape from the room.

It was freezing outside on her back porch, but being out of the house was enough reason to deal with it.

"Mr. M huh?" Another joined her. "Ginny I'm sorry I judged you so badly all year…"

Hermione's face was sincere and remorseful.

"Its all the past Hermione."

Hermione took a seat beside her, her breathe was crystallizing in the air, and she quickly cast a warming spell over the entire porch and Ginny felt the heat surround her. She smiled. She truly had missed Hermione.

"Mind if I ask what's going on with the two of you?"

"Mind if I ask?" Ginny laughed, but Hermione was ready to listen, and Ginny was ready to talk.

"He got a letter telling him his father died the day I left."

She looked to find that Hermione showed no joy on her face, and only smiled sympathetically.

"And I'm no fan of Lucius Malfoy. I almost died at 11 years old because of him! But he was his father and… But he just didn't understand why I was so sad for him, and he was so angry… I left and we didn't even say goodbye. It was heartbreaking to see him like that…"

"I suppose I'd be pretty conflicted too if I was Lucius Malfoy's son."

Ginny nodded in agreement. "That's just it. Its like the whole time we've known him he's been his fathers son, and then something woke him up, and now he's telling Weasleys he loves them." Ginny giggled.

Hermione's eyes widened. "He told you he loves you."

Ginny blushed. "Yeah…The night we found you we…"

"You found me?" Hermione exclaimed. "I thought Malfoy found you in the hall and…" A faint blush now crept over Hermione's cheeks.

"And you're supposed to be the smart one." Ginny grinned at her.

And then both girls blushed as Hermione blurted out, "So how was he?"

"Incredible," Ginny admitted, and smiled up at her best friend, who was smiling right back.