Chapter Twenty-eight

Remorse meets Reality

"How have you been feeling?" asked Draco, realizing now that the moment had come that telling someone that somebody they know and care about is dead wasn't half as easy as he had expected.

He'd expected to breeze in tell her and walk out.

He hated tears.

What he hated even worse was the look of hopeful anticipation in her eyes.

"……………………are you even listening to me?

Silver eyes snapped back into focus, "Yes? What did you say?"

"I asked how everyone else was doing."

Draco looked carefully at her, then down at the scotch glass he was twirling between his palms. "Well…"

Ginny looked expectantly back at him, what was wrong with him? She wondered watching his back, as he drowned his own scotch, and stared out the study window, which over-looked, the Malfoy Lake.

"Do you remember the last time I came to the Manor?"

A worried frown crossed her forehead, as Ginny placating answered," Around four months ago, I remember. Dra.."

"Can you recall what you said, then?"

Swallowing nervously, her hand fluttering nervously to her slightly swollen stomach, Ginny nodded, then realizing he couldn't see her faced away from her as he was, she croaked, "Yes."

Draco, hated himself for dragging this out but she needed to know all the facts and not just what had happened, he could practically taste her fear.

"That night, Bellatrix Lestrange escaped from where she had been imprisoned, in the attic, at the Delacour house."

Ginny felt as if a huge constriction had taken residence in the area of her throat.

"Usually there are at a minimum three people, present at all times when a prisoner is held at any hideout. But Fred was badly injured on the battle field that day, he'd lost a lot of blood, and they sent for George since of course, blood potions don't work on twins. Macmillan, was the other agent on duty, unfortunately he received an urgent summons from the Head-quarters, assured that George would be back any second, Fleur told Macmillan she would manage."

Her crystal glass slipped out of her hand, as she clasped a hand over her mouth as if she was about to be sick.

Fleur.

Oh Merlin no!

She was pregnant for heaven's sake.

"Miss. Delacour, was cornered and disarmed by Lestrange, she was attached to the wall with a permanent sticking charm. Bellatrix used 'Incendio' as a parting gift on her way out," he felt more than saw her whimper as she continued to clasp her hand over her mouth. "Fleur was in St. Mungo's undergoing serious treatment for the past few months. She passed away last night. I'm sorry." He added quietly, as he turned around.

The sight greeting him not altogether unexpected, eyes blank with shock, knees brought up protectively, hands gripping her hair in what was surely a immensely painful grip.

Draco carefully made his way towards he, his hands lightly forcing her to unclench her hair, as he dropped to eye level.

His hesitation had Ginny been in any state to recognize it, was almost blatantly obvious in his usually masked face.

Steely eyes, filled with misgivings of what he was doing, but knowing that he had to do it none the less.

"There's something else."

God he felt like a monster, her huge honey-toned eyes were looking at him, asking him, begging him, no more.

He closed his eyes, and knew.

He had just done the unforgivable.

For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy, had broken the cardinal rule of Death-Eater and Order training combined.

And he hadn't even noticed.

It didn't matter how much he denied it.

He had somewhere along the line gotten personally emotionally involved in this mission.

There was no other reason why he would be doing what he'd been doing.

Hesitating to lay out facts?

Raging after her, when she'd gone to Knockturn Alley.

Avoiding interacting with his partner on a mission, because, he hated knowing how she felt about Bleeding-Potter.

Telling her about Blaise, and Pansy.

Showing her evidence of Dark Matter, Damn what was wrong with him!

Circe, he didn't even know when it began!

This was ridiculous he was a Malfoy, he was her partner nothing more, this stupid proximity, was doing weird things to his mind.

Draco Malfoy did not answer to anybody, what choices he may have made in the past, were directed in the welfare of his partner.

Yea, so was that kiss wasn't it? Tittered a small voice in his head.

I was drunk, he shot back.

A soft hand caught his wrist as he made to stand up, luminous eyes, sparkling with unshed tears, her voice so feeble, that he could barely make out the words, she was trying so hard to get out, "Who else?"

Merlin this was unfair.

She should be hearing this from, family, from someone who could help her, console her……….

God, she wouldn't even be able to go to her own brother's funeral.

Stormy silver met, pools of burnt-gold, as Draco kneeled back down, his hand still in her weak grip, he braced his other hand on the other arm of the elegant chintz sofa.

"Fred didn't make it." He said quietly, "I'm so sorry."

His wrist was abruptly dropped, from her frail grip.

Huge pools of molten honey, widened, horrified, before she started to violently shake her head,,.. it was took a moment before Draco realized the one word she was saying over and over again.

Like a prayer.

A plea.

A demand.

A fleeting hope.

She was saying, "No."

Slowly the tears fell, one by excruciating one, until the damn finally broke.

Draco tried, he really did, but he couldn't keep his hands still, not when her entire being was being racked, with shudder, after shudder, which felt like they would tear her slender form apart.

Consciously refusing to let him ask himself, just what he thought he was doing, Draco slid a hand to her nape, half rising to tuck her face into the curve of his shoulder, his other hand now free of her grasp, running soothingly down her spine.

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Shadows of dusk invaded the silent study.

Hours later, Draco, had reversed their positions so she was now curled in his lap, her face still buried against his shoulder, but quiet now, other then the soft whimpers.

By God he was a depraved soul, Draco sneered to himself in disgust.

Here laying over him was a broken hearted young woman who had just lost her brother, a sister –in- law and an unborn niece, and he had to consciously make an effort not to caress her shoulder, to not slide his finger's in her thick mane of riotous curls and bury his lips into hers and kiss away the look of stark pain in her eyes.

His hands tightened almost imperceptibly around her, and she let out a soft whimper.

He relaxed his hold, hands running soothingly over her back, as he whispered, inaudibly, "I'm sorry."

Absolute silence met his declaration.

Suddenly Ginny half-turned in his arms, providing him with a side profile of herself.

She was asleep.

Cinnamon colored eyelashes, curled on the surface of smooth porcelain cheeks.

The faintest dusting of freckles, danced lightly across her nose.

A soft crimson curl fell across her face.

It was as if his hands had their own mind, and before he knew it he was tenderly pushing the curl off her face, and tucking it behind her ear.

His eyes which had been following the movement of his hands, caught site of a small scar, off her collar bone, his fingers tracing along the small scar, he thought to himself how absolutely perfect, imperfection looked on some people.

His gaze then went down taking in the slight swell of her breasts, to rest, on the slight curve, of her stomach.

She was pregnant.

A part of his mind, remarked snidely regarding the obviousness, and intent of that condition, but it was so detached from his present frame of mind that he couldn't be bothered.

His lean fingers, stretched out to gently caress the slight curve, over the loose fitting peach sweater, barely sweeping over the slight swell, as he wondered, almost absently.

Could this be his redemption?

If so why did it feel so viciously, like the price of the debt he owed.

An eye, for an eye.

Unaccounted for lives, screams and tears for ………an innocent child.

An unborn, innocent, child.

One, which even in the sanctity of his own mind, he dared not comprehend, as his own.

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A/N: Hey there!!

Missed you ppl…..I know, I know, I am being horrible with updates! But this yr is really hectic 4 me…I am trying but having writer's block does not help!! And I figure if I just write it'll be full of glaring loopholes, so I have to sit on it a while………….plus I miss my reviewers!!!

I swear it feel like more than half my readers have forgotten all about the story!!

Yes that is a totally non-subtle hint!

PLZ DO REVIEW!!!!!

And a big hug to all of my readers who have reviewed! Means the world!