Part 8 - Counterplay
"Shite. How am I supposed to get out of this?" Ginny frowned at the chessboard.
"Counterplay."
"What?"
"Attack, threaten, do anything you need to regain the advantage. That's your side motto, isn't it? Fight at all costs?"
She raised her eyebrow at him. "Our side, Draco."
He rolled his eyes. "We'll leave that alone for a moment, look here." He motioned to the right side of the board. "You've been at a disadvantage on this side the whole game, just reacting to each of my moves. Well, now you have a chance to fight back - do you see it?"
Ginny leaned forward and studied the board. It wasn't often that he gave her hints like this, and she wanted to be sure to take advantage. "Hah! Got it!"
She moved her knight to capture his bishop and smiled up at him. He nodded approvingly, then went back to studying the board.
"Wait, look at me," she said.
His eyes snapped up to meet hers and he raised an eyebrow in question.
"You are on our side, Draco."
He shook his head. "I like how you declare things and think that makes them true."
"Did you just admit to liking something about me?"
He scoffed. "Back to chess."
"Wait. I have another declaration."
Draco leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of him. "Go on."
"We're friends."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Don't even try to deny it."
He stared at her for a while and though his face was tense, his eyes were shining with mirth. He moved a pawn without even looking at the board, keeping his gaze on her. "Checkmate."
Ginny swore and looked back at the board. "Did you distract me with that whole counterplay thing to - Dammit! You did! I take it back, we're not friends."
Draco was laughing out loud now and she stopped to watch him. His whole face was lit up and she smiled in spite of herself.
"I hate you," she grumbled.
"I know," he replied, still smiling. "Do you want to play again?"
Chapter 28 - The Gift
January 2000 - Grimmauld Place
When Hermione walks into the kitchen, she jumps when she sees Ginny sitting at the table. It's the first time she's come out of her room all day. She's completely still, looking blankly out the window. Hermione goes to the refrigerator and pulls out the items she needs to make sandwiches. When she turns back to the table, Ginny hasn't moved.
It's been a week since Draco's trial. At first, Ginny cried for a solid day. By the following day, she'd turned all her emotions off. Hermione preferred the crying, at least then, she'd seemed more like Ginny, and less like this shadow-version of herself.
"Uh, Ginny?" Hermione asks. "I'm making a sandwich. Do you want one?"
Ginny keeps her eyes on the window. "No, Hermione. A sandwich isn't going to solve any of my problems."
"Right," Hermione mutters under her breath before turning back to the counter. After making lunch for Harry and herself, she considers leaving, but changes her mind and takes a seat next to Ginny. Ginny doesn't react, predictably, and Hermione eats her food in silence.
Hermione starts when Ginny jumps to her feet. Before Hermione can figure out why, Harry appears in the doorway.
"Well, what did he say?" Ginny asks insistently.
Harry frowns and takes the seat across from Hermione. She pushes him the plate she'd made for him and he gives her a small smile before turning to Ginny. "Kingsley said it was already a big stretch for him to let Draco serve time for Lucius's crimes. He only got the Wizengamot to agree because of how ill Lucius is. And even if he tries to pardon Lucius's crimes - it's likely the Wizengamot would try to overturn-"
"Fine, I've heard all of this. I don't need to hear it, again." Ginny storms out of the room and Harry and Hermione wince, then look at each other.
"Kingsley wouldn't budge?"
Harry shakes his head, but he looks distracted, like he's thinking hard about something. He chews his bite slowly, then when he's done, he looks at Hermione. "Apparently she's already tried visiting him. Kingsley told me she's been to Azkaban twice and Malfoy refused to leave his cell to see her."
"She went alone? Dammit. I wish she would let us help her."
"I know, me too."
"I don't want to leave her like this, Harry."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe Ron should stay behind."
"Do you think she'll come to Australia with us?"
"Yes, I will."
Hermione jumps in her seat as Ginny walks back into the kitchen, holding a thick roll of parchment. "And you don't need you to talk about me like I'm a piece of glass that will break at any moment. I'm fine."
She shoves the roll at Hermione and Hermione takes it and is surprised as she reads through it. It's a detailed list of destinations from all around the world. Not just cities, but attractions, excursions, animals to see, and foods to try.
"Look it over, will you?" Ginny asks. "See if I missed anything."
"What is this?" Hermione asks, her eyes still on the parchment.
"It's a plan. I'm going to see the world. If you know of any places I missed, anything you've read about, or have suggestions on a different order, let me know."
"I - this is so elaborate. You put this together just this week?"
"You're not the only one in the world who can make a plan," Ginny retorts.
With Draco gone, Ginny seems to have taken on his awful personality. Harry is about to say something, but Hermione steps on his foot. "How long do you think this will take you?"
"Two years," Ginny says.
"And you're going to do this alone?" Harry asks.
She turns to him and asks flippantly, "Why, do you want to come?"
That catches Harry off guard. "Oh - er -"
"It's fine," Ginny sighs. "You're all going to move on, and you should. This is my way of moving on."
Hermione and Harry share worried glances, but seem to decide that now is not the time to fight this. "Okay, I'll look it over, later, if that's okay," Hermione says carefully, not wanting to get yelled at again. "We're on our way to Spinner's End right now," she starts to explain, but Ginny cuts her off.
"Yeah, you don't need to read it now. I have to pack, anyway." She turns and leaves the room again.
Harry reaches for the list and Hermione hands it to him across the table. He shakes his head as he flips through the pages.
"Is she going to be okay?" Hermione asks.
"Yes," Harry says insistently. He places the roll of parchment on the table and stands, cocking his head toward the front door. "Let's get this over with, we'll have plenty of time to worry about Ginny later."
Hermione nods and walks with Harry to the doorstep so they can apparate to Severus's house. She knows Harry doesn't want to go, since his last memories there were so awful, but he's putting that behind him today to support her.
The Ministry is about to seize Severus's house and she wants to go through it and make sure there's nothing personal or incriminating for some Ministry official to find. Even though it's well known that Severus was a spy now, he is still widely hated for killing Dumbledore and for the other things Voldemort forced him to do in the war. Hermione hopes, with time, to clear it all up, but the last thing she wants is some scandal to break in the paper before she's had a chance to do so.
As soon as they arrive in the house, she knows the trip was unnecessary. The room has been stripped completely bare. Severus never had many personal effects, but his shelves were still lined with books or interesting artifacts. Those are all gone now. The curtains are pulled back (which Severus never did) and the room is brighter than Hermione has ever seen it.
"Are we too late?" Harry asks.
Hermione is walking to the far table, where Severus used to brew potions. The cauldron he hung on the hook is gone, as are all the potions tools and ingredients. On the table are several piles of books, and a folded letter. When she gets closer, she can read her name on the outside of the paper.
Hermione's eyes instantly fill with tears when she sees his familiar handwriting. She picks up the letter and turns to Harry. He senses what she's about to ask before she gets the words out. "I'll leave you alone. I'll just be outside, walking around the town. I have my coin."
She gives him an appreciative nod before turning back to the letter. She waits until she hears the front door open and close before starting to read.
Hermione,
Something occurred to me a few days ago. There was a theme to your children's names: James, Sirius, Albus, Lily, Luna, and myself. Everyone is dead, with one notable exception. I'm not an expert on parenting, by any means, but I do know that, besides family members, it's not typical to name children after people who are living.
Hermione holds the pages down and swears. She hadn't realized that. She'd been so focused on the battle, and Harry, and brewing that damn potion. She feels awful. Hermione picks up the letter and continues reading.
I know you're probably feeling guilty right now - don't. When faced with my imminent death, I don't feel scared or apprehensive. I feel relief, above all else. I always considered it a punishment that I was left alive while everyone around me died. I've been forced to suffer through the ever-increasing horrors of a war that seemed like it would never end.
Hermione stops to wipe her eyes. After everything Severus went through, he never got to see the end of the war. He'd died just moments before Harry finally defeated Voldemort.
If you're reading this, I finally got relief. Don't grieve, this is what I've been waiting for, for years. I hope my death was useful to our cause, in some way.
I put aside all the books that should interest you. Take them, and don't scoff at the Dark Magic ones, remember - you need to understand the subject so you can adequately battle it. If your visions are true - which I'm certain they are - Potter will be in charge of the Auror Office one day. For years, their one weakness has been their unwillingness to study the Dark Arts. See what you can do to convince him to fill this gap.
Hermione smiles to herself and shakes her head. Even at the end, Severus couldn't help but poke at the inadequacy of the Aurors. She knows he means well, though, and is probably right.
And finally, I want to thank you. You brought light into a life that was otherwise filled with darkness. You are a truly remarkable witch, Hermione, and you deserve every happiness. I hope Potter can give it to you, even though he doesn't deserve you (though I expect no wizard alive does).
I wish you well in your aspirations to change the world and fix all of society's injustices. It's a big undertaking, but if anyone can do it, it's you.
I told you once I did all of this so that when I reach the other side, and find Lily, she'll hear me out. Wish me luck with that conversation. I hope I've done enough.
Your friend,
Severus
"You did enough." Hermione says out loud. "I don't know if you can hear me, Severus, but I hope you've found peace, wherever you are. It's the least you deserve for your help in bringing peace from this war to all of us." Hermione is about to pocket the letter when she sees a postscript on the back.
P.S. My only regret is that I won't be able to teach you Occlumency, like I promised. There is another accomplished Occlumens you can reach out to. He may resist at first, but you should lean on your mutual friend, and remind him that he owes you a favor.
Hermione shakes her head as she folds the letter and pockets it. He's obviously referring to Draco, but he's in Azkaban for the next fifteen years. If he's refusing Ginny, it's unlikely he'll let Hermione visit him. She doesn't even know if he can teach her Occlumency on the other side of a wall of glass, without a wand.
It takes Hermione a while to find Harry. She considers using the coin, but doesn't mind the walk. It's a bright, crisp day. She finds him on the playground, sitting on a swing. She recognizes the spot instantly from Severus's memories. It's where he'd been watching Lily and her sister, Petunia. The swings have been replaced, but it's still unmistakably the same location. She turns and sees the bushes Severus had been hiding in.
When she gets to Harry, his eyes are distant and sad. He wraps an arm around her waist. "I didn't know this was where…" his voice trails off.
"Yeah, this is where Severus grew up. He always talked about this town, and that house, like he despised it, but I think this is why he stayed."
Harry lets go of her so he can take his glasses off and wipe his eyes. Hermione sits on the swing next to him. "He knew he was going to die. He saw a hint in one of the visions in my mind."
"Oh." They are silent for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Well, what's the verdict?" Harry eventually asks. "Did he love you?"
Hermione smiles. "No. But he left me a lot of books. I just need to find a place for them all."
"I was thinking we could turn the parlor upstairs into a library. How many sitting rooms does one house need, anyway?"
Hermione starts. She remembers the upstairs parlor being converted into a library in one of her visions. She and Harry had been sitting there, each reading different books on the couch, with their legs entwined. She'd thought the room was familiar but couldn't place it.
Harry backtracks when she doesn't answer him. "Actually, uh, I guess I should ask, first, if you want to move in with me."
Hermione is in shock. She turns her swing so she's facing Harry, but he's looking at the ground.
"Or maybe you don't like the house, I get that. I can sell the house. We can get a flat. Or, if you want to be on your own, that makes sense too, I guess we haven't been together very long."
"I love it," she cuts in. Harry looks up at her incredulously. "I want to move in and turn the parlor into a library," Hermione adds, beaming at him.
"You do?"
"Of course." She stands and holds her hand out to him. "Let's go pack up the books, then go home."
An hour later, Hermione is sitting on the floor of the parlor while she organizes her books into piles. Harry has just finished bringing all the books up from the sitting room and is on the couch. He hasn't offered to help, and she figures he knows her well enough to know she wants to do this part herself.
His gaze is focused on the far wall and he's deep in thought. She wonders if he's thinking about Ginny and his conversation with Kingsley earlier.
"We need to redecorate this house," Hermione announces when she's finally finished organizing the books.
Harry motions for her to join him on the couch. "Well, yes, of course. We can get rid of that 'dark wizards live here' vibe."
Hermione settles against Harry and he wraps an arm around her. "I should have said, earlier, that I told Ron he could live here too. Not for good, obviously, just, for a bit, until he finds a job and has enough money for a place of his own."
"Oh, and here I thought it was a special thing. But no, you're just handing these invites out to all your friends." She smiles at him, so he knows she's just joking.
Harry returns her smile.
"That'll be good," Hermione continues. "Since I'll be at Hogwarts for most of the year, anyway, it'll be nice for you to have some company."
She'd worked this out with McGonagall before leaving the castle last week. Starting this summer, she'd go back to Hogwarts. McGonagall said she could live in the castle and study independently, until she felt ready enough to take the N.E.W.T. exams. Her guess was that it would take her the rest of the year to be ready for exams. Then next year, she could start looking for jobs.
Hermione had talked to Neville and he was planning to go with her, but he'd only be studying Herbology. She knew from her visions he would be a Herbology Professor one day and was preemptively proud of him.
Since she wouldn't be a student, she'd have the freedom to come back to London on the weekends and even take a few weeks off here and there, if she wanted. But first, she had to go get her parents and hopefully convince them to move back to England. She expected this to be complicated, which was why she hadn't committed to starting at Hogwarts until June.
She has no idea if she'll be able to restore her parents' memories. She'd seen them in the future visions, but it was unclear what their mental state was. And if their memories were restored, would they be livid with her? Would they ever trust her again? Would they turn into Muggles like Harry's aunt and uncle and come to despise magic?
Her mind is running away from her. She sees her mum snapping at her when she lifts her wand to perform a cleaning spell. Is that a vision or something her mind made up? Her dad flinches when Harry points his wand at a tear on Hermione's robe. Again, she can't tell if it's real or fake.
The images come at her in a rush. She looks around the room, desperate for something else to focus on.
She focuses on the window, which is different from the window in her visions. They must replace it in the future.
As she thinks this, she's hit by a deluge of visions. She and Harry are painting the trim of the room white, they are trying to put together bookshelves, they are having a fight about what color to paint the walls. Then the visions increase, it's like her brain is trying to show her every moment that will happen in this room all at once.
Hermione cries out in pain and drops her head into her hands. She's trying to turn the thoughts off, but she doesn't know how, and the pain is just increasing. It gets so bad she thinks her head might explode.
She tries to think of something else. Anything else. What was she thinking about before? Her parents. She focuses on the spell she'll need to do to undo the memory charm. The mechanics of the spell unfurl in her mind, then every Rune associated with the properties of the spell appear there, then every Rune she's ever memorized start flashing by, then every memory from her Runes' classes in school start to crowd her mind too.
Someone turns her forcibly on the couch and has placed firm hands on her arms. She hears a low, soothing voice. She tries to wade through the flood of thoughts in her head toward it. "Come back to me, I'm here, Hermione. Look at me."
It's Harry. She focuses on his eyes and tries to name the colors there. Pale green, forest green, brown, normal green, emerald...Why aren't there more words for green? Stop, just focus on each shade, you don't need to name them.
"Do you want to count?" she hears his voice again, coming to her clearer than before.
She nods. After several moments of counting with him and taking deep breaths, she's managed to calm her thoughts and the pain from before is gone. She collapses against his chest, feeling completely spent.
These attacks have been becoming more frequent. One moment she'll be completely fine, then her brain will start to spiral out of control and she hasn't figured out yet how to calm down on her own. Luckily, Harry has been there every time this has happened, but he won't always be there, will he?
Severus was supposed to help her with this, but he's gone. And Draco is locked up. She needs to ask Ginny to teach her Occlumency, but hasn't yet, for obvious reasons.
Harry has wrapped his arms around her tightly. When she looks up at him, she can see fear swimming in his eyes. She opens her mouth to speak, but he starts talking first.
"Don't you dare apologize."
She sighs and lays her head back against his chest. "Okay."
He squeezes her against him and she listens to the steady beating of his heart.
"I'm scared, Harry. That's the second time, just today. It's getting worse."
"I know, I know, try not to think about it too much right now. Okay?" he whispers.
She nods.
"We're going to get you help. I promise. We're going to figure out how to control this."
A few tears fall down Hermione's face. She hopes he's right. If not, there will be no independent study at Hogwarts, no N.E.W.T.s, no job, and probably no renovations of Grimmauld Place, either. She'll be in St. Mungo's, locked in the same ward as Lockhart and Neville's parents.
Ginny is throwing clothes into her bag. She knows this isn't the best method of packing, and she'll regret this later when all her clothes are wrinkled and she has trouble finding things, but she's having a hard time caring about any of that right now.
She is so unbelievably angry. She's angry with Draco for keeping his plan from her and telling her everything in a bloody letter after it was too late for her to help him. She's angry with Kingsley for not granting Draco a second pardon. She's angry with her family for being relieved about Draco getting locked up so they won't have to deal with him dating her anymore.
Speaking of dating, she's angry with Harry and Hermione for being together and happy. But she's mostly angry with the world in general. Really, it all went wrong when Draco was born a Malfoy, and when Voldemort decided to start a war, and when the Wizengamot and politics came into existence (whenever that was).
Ginny has tried everything and has run out of options. She tried visiting Draco, to change his mind, but he wouldn't see her. She tried pleading with Kingsley, but that went nowhere. She'd even tried going to see Lucius, to see if he could change Draco's mind, but she couldn't get into Malfoy Manor.
She yelled at the gates for hours and didn't even know if Lucius was ignoring her or didn't know she was there. Then, she'd had an idea to try to get into Draco's mind. They'd become so close, she wondered if maybe they'd shared their souls to some extent. But there was no path to Draco's mind, no matter how hard she looked.
So, the only thing left to do was run away. Draco had told her to stop thinking of him, and move on, but that wasn't fair. How could he possibly expect her to do something he himself wasn't planning to do?
None of this was bloody fair! She throws a shoe at her dresser and it makes a loud, satisfying boom.
Ron appears in her room moments later, looking worried. "What happened?"
She sighs. "I threw a shoe."
He comes in and sits on the bed Hermione used to sleep in. "Oh. I've been there."
She gives him a small smile. Out of everyone in her life, Ron is the only person she can stand right now. He's the only one who knows what she's going through. And he's also the only one who hasn't ever said the words "move on" to her.
"Harry told me you're going on a trip," Ron says, looking at her suitcase.
"Yeah, I'm going to see the world. Use all that gold, get away, I don't know if it will help, but I guess it can't hurt."
"Were you going to tell me?"
"Well, yeah, then - I don't know, I just decided this morning, for sure. I was writing a list of everything I want to see, just for something to do, but a part of me wanted to rebel against this 'see the world' plan, since Draco told me to, but, I don't know. So yeah. I'm going with you to Australia, then once you all come back here, I'll just, keep going."
She sighs and takes a seat on the bed next to Ron. He leans against her. "I'll miss you. Can I come visit?"
"Of course. You're the only one I'll miss, honestly."
"Come on. I understand having a hard time with the family, but what about Harry and Hermione? They feel awful for what happened, and they've always been supportive of you and Malfoy."
Ginny presses her palms into her eyes. "I know, but I can't stand them," she groans. "They're so...in love. I don't know how you can put up with it."
He looks back at her, bemused. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that they're trying really hard to hide it."
Ginny shrugs, but she knows he's right. Harry and Hermione have dialed down their public displays of affection. Besides the fact that they disappear into the same room each night, no one would have a reason to think they were together. But even without the overt kissing or cuddling, it was obvious to Ginny that they were in love. She could feel it in the air between them, and it broke her heart.
Ron leans back on his hands and nudges Ginny with his leg. "Also, I love them, and I'm glad they're happy. You love them too, you know."
"I know," she grumbles. "When did you become so mature?"
"I am older."
"Still, if my fifteen-year-old self only knew that one day, you would become more emotionally stable than me…"
He pushes her with his leg and she nearly falls off the bed. She lets out a small laugh, but when she looks back at Ron, his expression is serious. "What?" she asks.
"They may be in love and all, but Hermione is having a really hard time. I know you haven't noticed, but she's been having these panic attacks. Her brain starts running away from her and she can't control it. She's trying to brush it off, but Harry and I can both tell she's terrified. We are too."
"Wait what? What's going on?"
"It's related to the Seer thing, or maybe an after effect of the Pucey thing. Snape told her that her brain was running at an increased capacity, but she can't control it and her thoughts overwhelm her sometimes. Snape was supposed to help with Occlumency, but, you know. Then she'd hoped Malfoy could help, but he obviously can't."
"I can do it. Why didn't she tell me?"
Ron looks at her sardonically.
"I - yeah, I have been awful," Ginny drops her head and focuses on her legs. She feels terrible. "You should have told me sooner. She should have told me."
"Well, I'm telling you now."
Ron stands to leave but stops when he sees the letter on her dresser. It's from their mum. "You really should come to dinner at the Burrow tonight, especially since it's your last night in England for a while."
"Yeah. I know. But I can't handle anymore lectures."
"I'll be there. I'll speak up if it gets too bad."
Ginny gives him a weak smile, then nods. "Ron, if it weren't for you…"
"I know. My birthday's coming up in a few months. Gets me something good with that giant pile of gold, okay?"
She lets out a sigh. "Deal."
January 2000 - Australia
It's the last night Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione will be together for a while. After living with each other for so long, isolated from everyone else, Ginny thought she'd be relieved once they finally parted ways and ventured back into the outside world. But the prospect of being without the other three was a little scary. She'd planned to have Draco with her, but instead, she was all alone.
Her heart aches as she thinks this and she wonders if this pain in her chest is going to be a constant presence that she'll just get used to one day.
She's been in Australia for two weeks. Harry and Hermione have spent most of their time in Brisbane, with Hermione's parents. Luckily, Hermione was able to reverse the memory charm she'd placed on her parents easily, but her parents were understandably upset when they regained their memories.
Hermione and Harry have been catching them up, not just on the details of the war, but all the mishaps and drama from their Hogwarts years that Hermione had been keeping from them. She'd been worried if she told them the truth about how much danger she'd been in (especially in her second and fifth year, when she'd nearly been killed), they wouldn't let her go back to school.
While Harry and Hermione were busy, Ginny and Ron explored the continent together. They crossed off everything on her list, from feeding kangaroos, to snorkeling with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef, to seeing Ayers Rock - which was Ron's favorite. He thought it was funny how the Muggles had a big scientific explanation for why the rock glowed red at certain times of the day and year, when it was clearly being hit by a color changing charm from a nearby tribe full of indigenous witches and wizards.
While all of the traveling was certainly a nice distraction, it didn't keep Ginny from constantly thinking of Draco. She pictured him in his cell and wondered what he was thinking about. Was he allowed to read books? Did he have a chess set? Was he thinking of her?
During the past two weeks, her anger had morphed into depression. Most mornings, she wanted to lie in bed and wallow in how miserable she was, but Ron forced her up and out of the house each day. She didn't know what she was going to do when he went back to England.
Ron told her it would get better, and that she just had to take it one day at a time, reminding her that that was what they had done after Fred died. Although the pain of their brother's death was still there, it was duller and less debilitating. Ron was right, and though the 'one day at a time' thing was a cliché, it worked.
At the beginning of the trip, she had no idea how she'd last two weeks with how sad she was. But here she was, still sad, but also still here, and she was getting more used to the constant ache in her chest. Maybe after two years it would be even better. Maybe, she'd think about Draco just one or twice a day, instead of a thousand times.
Ginny is currently sitting on the beach with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They are watching the sky turn brilliant colors over the ocean as the sun sets behind them. The group is discussing their plans for tomorrow when they'll all part ways.
Ron is taking a Portkey back to England in the afternoon. He'll be staying at Grimmauld Place alone while he helps George and Angelina get the joke shop back up and running.
Hermione is staying in Australia with her parents for another month or two. She's still trying to repair their damaged relationship and convince them to move back to England. Harry had originally planned to go back home with Ron, since Kingsley said he was needed to help restore order to their damaged government, but he'd changed his plans.
Harry is too afraid to leave Hermione behind, worried she'll have an attack and he won't be there to coax her back to reality, so he's committed himself to a crazy work schedule. Starting next week, he'll Portkey back to London each day at 5pm Australian time, 8am London time. Then he'll work for five hours, doing whatever interviews or appearances Kingsley needs. After that, he'll return to Australia to sleep. It'll be exhausting, but he'll have the peace of mind of getting to spend most of the day with Hermione.
Ginny thinks Harry needs to stop helping Hermione with her attacks. If he doesn't leave her alone, she'll never learn how to stop them on her own. However, Ginny knows why he can't help himself. When Hermione starts to lose it, she's overcome with pain and cries out in anguish. It's hard to let someone you love suffer when you know you have a way to help them.
Ginny had tried to help Hermione at the beginning of their trip, but it became immediately apparent that she didn't know the sort of Occlumency Hermione needed. Hermione needed to organize and compartmentalize her thoughts. Draco had tried to explain the concept to Ginny, but she'd never understood it.
She only ever learned how to clear her mind, and throw people out of it, but not how to move around and hide certain thoughts. He'd teased her that she could never be a spy. She didn't care at the time since she'd never planned to be one. But now, she wishes she'd tried to learn that subtle skill more, since it was exactly what Hermione needed.
Ginny tries to focus on something else. She hates thinking about Hermione and how there's nothing she can do to help her friend. She knows Harry is reaching out to every expert on mental magic he can find and hopes he'll be able to find someone who can help Hermione. If Draco weren't in Azkaban, he could help her…
Ginny shuts off that line of thinking and thinks instead of her plans for tomorrow. Her next stop is New Zealand. She has a lot to see there and plans to stay for at least a month. If it takes longer, fine. She's not in any big rush.
"We got a gift for you, Ginny, for your big trip," Hermione's voice cuts into her thoughts.
Ginny looks over at her. Hermione is sitting between Harry's legs and lying back against his chest. A few days into their trip, Ginny told the two of them they could be affectionate with each other around her. She said she loved them, was happy for them, and wasn't bothered by the sight of them together. What she didn't say was that with Hermione's issues with her parents, and her gradual descent into madness, she had it as bad as anyone, and Ginny didn't want to be the one to deprive her of any comfort right now.
"What?" Ginny is about to respond bitterly and ask what they could have possibly gotten her that she couldn't buy for herself, but catches herself. She's trying to be less rude to the few people supporting her decision to turn into a vagabond for the next few years.
"We all went in on it together," Ron adds, trying to suppress a grin.
"What is it?"
Harry cocks his head toward the house. "Go see. I left it in your room."
He'd been gone for a few hours today. Had he been getting this gift? Or maybe they'd all gotten it when they'd disappeared two days ago. When she'd gone looking for them, she couldn't find them anywhere, and after they'd returned, they were vague when she asked where they'd gone.
As Ginny walks back up to the house they're renting, she stops for a second to take in the gorgeous sky above her. It's a brilliant orange and purple and she's reminded of how small she is. Just one single person in this massive world. It's comforting, for some reason.
Ginny runs back up to the house, moving her feet as fast as she can through the sinking sand and relishing the burn in her legs as she runs. When she reaches the door to their beach house, she's out of breath, but it feels good. She has to remember to exercise as much as she can, it always makes her feel better, and she'll need as much of that as she can get during her solo travels.
She walks slowly through the large, luxurious house. She'd gotten the nicest house she could find on short notice. When she was a girl, and perpetually poor, she'd thought if she ever got unlimited money, she'd be happy. She'd been wrong.
Ginny had hoped the nice house would make her feel a little better, but it had just reminded her of Draco and she sort of wishes they'd just brought their tents and camped. But that would have reminded her of Draco, too. Everything would remind her of him, that was just something she'd have to get used to.
When she arrives in the master suite on the top floor of the house, she scans the sitting room for a package, but doesn't see anything. She walks through the room to the adjacent bedroom and stops in the doorway.
It's him. Draco. He's standing at the window, looking at the ocean. Ginny's heart stops beating and she wants to run to him, but she's frozen in place. This isn't possible. This is a trick. This can't be real. She thinks of Polyjuice first, and she has a desire to run back to the beach to hex her friends. Did they really think this would help? She'd take no Draco over a fake Draco.
But as soon as he turns to look at her, she knows it's really him. No one else, even with Polyjuice, would be able to replicate the intensity of his gaze. And the way he's holding himself, that mix of grace and haughtiness that is so unmistakably Draco Malfoy - no one could impersonate that.
She slowly walks toward him and stops when she's just a foot away. He is watching her warily, like he's unsure how she's going to react. She's not sure herself.
They both stand looking at each other and Ginny's heart is pounding so hard, she can hear it echoing in her mind. Is this real? Or is she going mad, like Hermione? She reaches out to touch him and his arm is solid under her hand.
"Are you really here?" she whispers.
Draco closes the remaining distance between them, pulling her into a tight embrace. He wraps one arm around her waist and puts his other hand behind her head. He's holding her so firmly, she wonders if he thinks she'll try to escape his grasp. He doesn't need to worry, that's the last thing she wants to do.
She melts into him. She didn't think she'd ever be in these arms again. How was this possible? Her brain is working slowly and she's struggling to come up with potential reasons he'd have for being here. Her mind is filled with thoughts of him and has room for little else - his scent, the familiar feel of his body against hers, the sound of his heart beating, the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Ginny feels that his shirt is wet against her cheek and realizes she's been crying. She hadn't even noticed. "What's going on? Are you out for good?" Her voice is muffled against his chest.
Draco leans away from her. He drops the hand that was behind her head down and trails his fingers softly along the line of her neck. He's watching his fingers, instead of looking at her, but she can still see the sadness in his eyes.
It occurs to her that this may be temporary. Maybe he got out for a little while and will have to go back. She won't be able to let him go. Dread starts to flow through her. "Please tell me, is this just temporary? Do you have to go back?"
When he looks up at her, his eyes are lined with tears, and she begins to prepare herself for the worst. She starts shutting off her emotions as best she can.
His voice is flat when he finally speaks. "Potter made a deal with Shacklebolt. They faked my transfer to a prison in France, then snuck me out. As far as everyone in England knows, I'm still in jail, and will be for the next ten years."
"Ten? Not fifteen?"
"Shacklebolt said he'll be able to reduce my sentence and let me out on early parole, due to good behavior. In return, I have to stay away from England. And I can't be recognized, so whenever I go to popular destinations, I need to disguise myself."
"That's wonderful. You're free." Ginny's heart feels like it's floating, but Draco still looks sad. She doesn't know what she's missing. "Why do you look upset?" She places a hand on his cheek and he leans into her touch.
"I want-" he drops his head. He's nervous. She's never seen him like this. She places her other hand on his face and smiles at him, encouragingly.
"I want to be with you, but I can't ask you to stay away from your home and your family for ten years. It's too much."
"I'm staying with you. No question."
He takes her hands and pulls them down from his face. "You didn't even think about it."
"I don't have to. I want to be with you, wherever you are. We can travel for a few years, then settle in our favorite place, or even continue to move around. I really don't care where I am, as long as you're there."
Draco releases her hands and wraps his arms around her waist. Ginny links her hands behind his neck and rests her head against his shoulder. They stand there quietly, holding each other. Ginny sees that the sky is now a light purple and she thinks of her friends on the beach. How had they managed this? Draco said Harry had made a deal. What had he had to give Kingsley? Why hadn't he told her he was trying to get Draco out?
Ginny's thoughts are interrupted when Draco stands back. He moves his hands to her arms and is looking at her warily. "How angry are you? About the letter? And-" He cuts off and looks away from her, out the window.
She grabs his chin and pulls his head back to face her. "I am extremely angry, Draco," she says sternly. "You never told me what was going on, and I've been through hell these past few weeks, and, and-" she drops his face and turns away from him, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. She's still in shock and isn't sure if she wants to kiss him or hex him.
He comes up behind her and carefully places his hands on her arms. "Forgive me, please," he whispers into her ear. "I never wanted to hurt you."
The feeling of his warm breath on her neck sends chills down her spine. Her body is aching for him. She never thought she'd see him again, but here he was. Was she really going to give him the cold shoulder right now? There would be time enough for that nonsense later.
She turns around and throws herself at him. He nearly topples backward but catches his balance as he pulls her tightly against him and capturing her mouth in one, fluid motion. Ginny's movements are frantic as she tries to touch as much of him as possible. She's pulling his hair with one hand and clawing at his back with the other.
Ginny is so focused on the sublime feeling of kissing Draco again, that she doesn't notice him taking off their clothes until he pulls away to lift her shirt up over her head. She steps back to catch her breath and takes a moment to study him. He is still beautiful, even with all the scars and the faint outline of the Dark Mark on his forearm. She thought Azkaban would have changed him, but it was just a few weeks, she reminds herself, even though it felt like a lifetime.
He is studying her just as earnestly as she's studying him and after a moment, he takes his hand and places it on her waist. She smiles as she remembers his words from the Slytherin dormitory, about how he loved how perfectly his hand fit into this curve of her body.
Draco drops his forehead and rests it on hers. "Am I really going to get everything I wanted?"
A few tears fall down his face and Ginny raises her hands to wipe them away. "It seems like we both are."
Draco gently pushes her backward until her legs collide with the bed. She crawls to the top, keeping her eyes on him, but he stays standing, watching her intently. Ginny's heart is fluttering with anticipation and a part of her wants to lunge for Draco and pull him onto the bed on top of her, but the intensity of his gaze keeps her frozen in place.
He slowly crawls onto the bed and stops on the edge near her feet. He leans back on his knees and lifts one of her legs. With his eyes still trained on hers, he begins kissing a path from her ankle up to the top of her leg. Ginny presses her head back onto the pillow as she's overcome with an almost overwhelming wave of desire. When Draco reaches her groin, he gives her one, tentative lick (nearly sending her over the edge right then) before delving his tongue inside of her.
She had thought that by now, she and Draco had already experienced all the different types of sex. They'd shagged frantically, both overcome with need and desire, they'd had rough, angry sex, they'd had sweet and achingly slow sex. They'd done it standing, against windows, on the couch, and in various positions on the bed, but it had never before felt like this.
Every one of Draco's touches was deliberate and intense. It felt like their union tonight was solidifying something important. By the end, when Draco had completely unraveled her, Ginny finally found the right words for it: making love. It was sappy, but also the only description that seemed adequate.
As they lie in bed afterward, Ginny is bone-tired and she suspects if she got out of bed now, her legs wouldn't be able to support her. It's no matter, since she has no plans to ever leave Draco's side. Draco looks over at her and gives her one of his roguish smiles that always melt her heart.
She uses all her remaining energy to traverse the distance between them. He pulls her tight against his chest and she relishes the feeling of being completely engulfed by his strong frame.
"You never answered me," he whispers after a time.
"Hmm?"
"I asked you to forgive me, then, in response, you threw yourself at me."
She kisses his collarbone, then looks up at him. He's smirking, probably feeling very pleased with himself for being so irresistible to her.
"Was that not enough of a response for you?" she teases. "I thought you were good at reading between the lines."
Draco moves a hand to her face and strokes her cheek with his knuckle. "I am, but this one is really important to me. Can you say it? Do you forgive me? Because I am so, so sorry."
His eyes are wet with tears and Ginny nods quickly, eager to reassure him. "I forgive you."
"Yeah?"
"But I have one condition."
"Anything," he breathes.
"No more secrets and no more hiding."
He drops his eyes and a single tear escapes. "We'll be hiding for the next decade, Ginny."
She places a hand under his chin and tilts his face up so he's forced to look at her. Then, she wipes his tear away with the back of her hand. "No more hiding from me. Okay?"
"Are you sure? I'm a fucking mess, Ginny. I don't even think you realize the extent of it."
"Oh, I know." She smiles and he lets out a small laugh. "I know you, Draco, and I've seen what you've been forced to do, and I still love you."
He pulls her back against him and kisses her forehead. "I told you once you made me feel alive," he mutters, his lips moving against her skin. "It's more than that. You make me feel like me. You're the only person in the world I can be myself around, so yes, I'll meet your condition. No more hiding."
Harry has his chin propped on Hermione's shoulder and is looking out at the vast ocean, half-listening to Ron and Hermione talk about Malfoy and Ginny. They are discussing how it was surprisingly hard to convince Malfoy to agree to leave Azkaban. He seemed to think it was better for Ginny if he stayed away from her.
Ron had told Malfoy how much of a mess Ginny was without him, and Hermione had chimed in to say that if Malfoy really cared about Ginny, he would let her make the decision about whether she wanted to be with him, rather than making it for her.
In the end, Malfoy had told them he needed to think about it, and Harry had been worried he'd choose to stay in Azkaban. It really was a testament to how much Malfoy had changed that he didn't jump at the chance to be released from prison. All because he thought that would be the best course of action for Ginny. He certainly couldn't make fun of Harry for being too self-sacrificing anymore.
"Oi! Harry!"
Harry snaps out of his thoughts and turns to Ron, who has been trying to get his attention. "What?"
"Hermione said the Prophet has finally decided on a name for you."
"Oh. I'm quite partial to 'Undesirable Number One.'"
Hermione lets out a laugh. "Well, we knew that wouldn't last long. They've settled on 'The boy who lived twice.'"
Harry lets out a snort. "They're still calling me a boy? I'm nearly twenty. When are they going to start calling me a man?"
"I think you're very manly," Hermione teases while Ron laughs. Harry kicks sand at Ron.
"Oh, that reminds me. The chocolate frog company reached out to me, asking if they could make a card for me."
"They did? That's brilliant!" Ron exclaims, brushing sand off his shirt.
"Yeah, well, I said I'd only do it if they made cards for you, Hermione, and Ginny, too."
"What? No!" Hermione says while Ron says at the same time, "Really? Thanks!"
Hermione frowns at Ron. "Are you kidding, Ron? It's going to be awful. People are going to ask us to sign them all the time, and random children will be collecting us, it's weird."
Ron shrugs, "Well, I don't care. Though - I don't know what they'll put on my card. 'He camped for a long time and was nearby when Hermione and Harry saved the world. Excellent provider of moral support.'"
"I did not save the world," Hermione retorts, "That was all Harry."
"You were the Seer," Ron argues. "That should definitely go on your card."
"No, it shouldn't, since we're keeping that a secret."
"Yeah, yeah."
Ron leans back on his hands while Hermione settles back against Harry's chest. He wraps his arms around her when she shivers slightly. He wonders if she's thinking about being a Seer right now, and the visions of the future that are threatening to drive her mad.
No, Harry won't let that happen. He defeated the darkest wizard of all time and now everyone in the wizarding world is trying to garner favor with him. Surely, he can use his position to find someone who could help his girlfriend control her thoughts.
Actually, he did have someone, now that Malfoy was out. But he'd destroyed his relationship with Kingsley to make it happen. Now, he just had to convince Malfoy to help Hermione, and convince Hermione to open her mind to him.
"Hey, Ron?" Hermione sits up and looks over at Ron.
"Yeah?"
"On the topic of me being a Seer and everything...uh...I wanted to tell you that you're going to be okay."
His face breaks into a grin. "Would you like to be a tad more specific?"
Hermione sighs. "Fine. You'll get married and have two kids and be very happy. But that's all I'm going to tell you."
Ron's grin widens. "Is my future wife pretty?"
"She has burns all over her face and has to wear a mask in public, so she doesn't scare any children," Hermione replies in a deadpan voice. "But you love her anyway, of course."
Harry breaks into laughter at the sight of Ron's face, then Ron throws sand at them when he realizes they're joking.
"Will you give me a heads up when I meet her, so I don't muck it up?" Ron asks when Hermione and Harry are finished laughing.
"I will not," Hermione says matter-of-factly. She turns to Harry and mutters in a voice only he can hear, "By then, I may not be in a state to do so."
Harry pulls her back against his chest and kisses the side of her head as tears spring into his eyes. "Don't," he says sternly. She nods against him and lets out a long sigh.
A/N: Thanks to my beta, Lancashire Witch. Also, thanks to you all for reading! The next chapter will be posted Sat, Apr-17.