Part 3

Ginny spent most of her time at the Burrow. She made a lot of galleons from quidditch but she didn't have her own home and she wanted one. She just didn't really know how to go about it.

Most of her family had moved into something readily available through their family but she didn't have that luxury. Only Percy had really scoured the markets and found a flat on his own but he didn't have time to help her, unfortunately.

But he did provide her with a few pointers.

Never only look at one place. Search everything in the area you want and beyond. Look at both magical and muggle properties. Be ready for some kind of compromise on your wish list and be sure to stand firm on those things that you don't want to compromise on.

She had quite a few galleons at Gringott's, having been with men who had refused to let her pay for anything, so her payrolls and champion bonuses from the Harpies had created a nice little nest egg for her. She didn't have that much but she had enough to buy her own place.

So she started her scouring of the wizarding flats for sale, without much luck. Flats in Diagon Alley was notoriously expensive, so she reckoned she had to expand her search.

She quickly calculated how much she could afford into muggle pounds and the started scouring the muggle newspapers. But the choices were completely overwhelming. One bedroom flats with a tiny balcony, two bedroom flats with no balcony, close to traffic, far from traffic and so on and so forth.

She felt completely stumped, unable to make a choice without having seen any of them. She needed advice from the only person she knew who could navigate London without a map, a wand and street signs, Hermione.

As if she had called for her, Hermione stepped out of the floo in the Burrow less than five minutes later, followed by Draco Malfoy. She needed Hermione's advice. Malfoy's, not so much.

She hugged them both though, having finally accepted that Malfoy would probably remain in Hermione's life and make little brainiac-babies together with crazy blonde curls.

Malfoy wandered into the kitchen with the flowers in his hand to find Molly while Hermione plopped down in the seat next to her. "Hey Gin. What's up?"

She pounced immediately. "I need your advice Hermione! I'm looking for a flat and its exhausting. I have no idea what I want, what I like or what I should like. And now I'm considering muggle London but I haven't got at clue where to begin. Could you find it in your heart to help me, please? I'm not sure I can ask anyone else." Her expression was beseeching and Hermione smiled.

"Of course I'll help you Gin, what are friends for?" Hermione grinned and Ginny pulled the three newspapers towards her. "Gin, you do realize that these papers are five days old right? The flats in here might not even be on the market anymore."

Ginny frowned. "But… How is that even possible?"

Hermione winked, looking very much like Malfoy in one of his more wicked moods. "Well, the centre of muggle London is a highly sought-after place to live, so the affordable flats just sell fast. We have to search online instead if you want a fighting chance."

Now she was just puzzled, what the hell was she on about? "Online? What's that?"

"The internet. A spectacular muggle invention. We really should have something similar in our world." She smiled and then turned towards the kitchen. "Draco?"

Malfoy walked in with the biggest smile on his face, a cheese sandwich in his hand and her mother following him with an indulgent expression, looking at Malfoy with an almost adoring smile.

"What can I do for you my dove?" Malfoy was still grinning happily. It was interesting how his entire demeanour had changed since he and Hermione had finally gotten together.

She rolled her eyes and yet Ginny could just see him melting. It really was astonishing. "Could you help me help Ginny find a flat?"

He shrugged. "Sure, wizard or muggle? A flat in wizarding London is already warded but the choices are limited and a flat in muggle London needs warding and connection to the floo but there are more to choose from."

Ginny blinked. "Honestly? I have no idea. That's why I need help."

Malfoy smirked and sat down on the sofa opposite them. "Business it is." He seemed almost gleeful. He cracked his fingers and pulled out a large rectangle from his small trouser pocket. Ginny suspected an undetectable extension charm. He pulled out something Hermione had once tried to explain to her was a computer and began tapping the different knobs in a rather random order to Ginny.

She glanced at Hermione who had moved over to look at the screen with Malfoy. They were pointing and talking back and forth about street names and areas in muggle London. They seemed to be discussing something. She was sure she heard Malfoy say something about a lack of a proper balcony would be inexcusable. Hermione actually wacked him over the head for that and he responded by kissing her cheek. They really were very much in love.

Malfoy had promptly swooped the entirety of the Weasley clan off their feet when he and Hermione had finally started dating. Except Ginny.

Not because she didn't want to get to know him but because she had been strictly forbidden to be around him by Marcus. Marcus had always ranted about how Malfoy wasn't a true Slytherin or pureblood and how someone ought to teach him a lesson. No one ever had and Malfoy was as arrogant as ever, just a tad bit more fun and approachable.

It was unfathomable to her to see the deferential way that Draco treated Hermione. With respect, love and kindness. Deep in her heart, it had hurt so badly. That meant that not all purebloods were like Marcus.

Her train of thought caused Blaise to pop into her mind again.

He and Draco was best friends, along with Harry and Theo Nott. She wasn't certain what to make of it but perhaps he wasn't all that bad after all.

Maybe she should go and see him in that café of his.

She looked at the latest apology-letter from Marcus that came by owl that morning.

Yeah. Maybe.

She had been speaking to her mum, a lot. She was living at home after all and her experience with Marcus had rattled her to say the least.

Her former infallible confidence had dwindled significantly and she found herself not wanting to go to the seedy places she used to haunt during the short stints when she was single. It was always so easy to find and hook them. It had been an unmitigated victory every time she had found someone new. Someone she knew came from money and class.

She had realized that perhaps she had gone about it in the wrong way. Maybe playing the high-class pureblooded-woman actually wasn't the way forward for her.

She winced at her inner monologue. She had never thought of herself as cheap, but she realized that she had been. In hindsight, everything was always clear.

She had never before considered if she was actually going about it the wrong way. But then what? Her plan had always been easy to follow. But now she wasn't so sure that she wanted that life anymore.

So, she spent her days asking her mum about her life, her happiness and what made her so content with what little she had.

It was a revelation.

Her mum, who had always had to scrape by, always had to buy second hand clothes or make them herself, wanted for absolutely nothing.

Every question Ginny had about the hardships of her life, was just swooped away immediately by the amount of love she had in her life. Her mum did recognize that she may be a bit of a mollycoddler but luckily, you didn't need much money to take properly care of your children when you had magic, she reasoned.

One day, out in the garden they were talking and Ginny, much to her own horror, let slip that Marcus maybe hadn't treated her all that well and that she hadn't been able to be herself. She shouldn't have said it. She just blurted it out.

Her mother stopped working and turned that piercing stare on her only daughter. "Ginny. Is there something you want to tell me? Are you okay?"

Ginny choked back the sob that was threatening to burst out of her and just nodded.

The Weasley matriarch smiled indulgently. "I don't know what has happened to you with that boy, but I can give you this piece of advice that my mother gave me. Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do, or what you can and can't achieve. Do what you want and be the person you want to be no matter what anyone says."

She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "But mum, what if I don't know what person I want to be?"

"Oh Ginny!" And before she knew what was happening, her mum had swooped her into a hug so tight and full of love that Ginny just couldn't hold it in anymore and that was when the tears started.

She cried for her lost opportunities and for the horrible situations she had brought on herself.

For letting herself believe that she was of so little worth and for tying her self-worth that closely to being with a man, no matter the cost.

For not listening to her mum before and blinding herself to anything but glamour and galleons.

She cried for hours on end, as if someone had just opened the floodgates and it just wouldn't stop. Her mum tried everything, so did her dad but nothing worked.

Finally, when George came by that evening, her tears stemmed. She realized later that her mum must have called him over.

He hugged her tightly for about an hour and apologized for having been a selfish arse when she had been hurting too. They spent most of the evening talking late into the night about Fred and how they wished everything was different.

George promised to help her find a flat too and made her promise in turn to come by if she ever needed him. Her heart was healing just a little bit. She had missed her favourite brother so terribly.

He noticed some of the deep scars on her shoulders and his expression became grim. She tried to gloss it over but he wouldn't let it go. "No one will ever hurt my family again Gin." She just gulped and nodded.

They parted the next morning, having talked themselves hoarse and promised each other to be better siblings in future.

For the first time in years, she didn't care how she looked that morning. She had glamoured the worst of her scars and put her hair up in a random bun.

Her face felt swollen and tired but she felt better that she had in ages. As if her soul was lighter somehow.

A massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders and now she had her favourite brother back.

All she had to now was just to get the rest of her life back together and find a flat for herself. She looked at the list that Hermione and Malfoy had given her.

Easy.

Right.

For weeks and weeks, she didn't show.

He'd kept a subtle lookout during his relaxed time at the café and she just didn't show.

Another two weeks later he finally gave up.

She wasn't coming. Alright. He would accept that.

Fuck.

So, the one woman he couldn't get out of his head had soundly rejected him.

She had even rejected getting to know him platonically. He sighed and took a sip of his cappuccino, scolding himself. Maybe he should have done more? Did he misread her signs of interest? He had no fucking clue, he had never been in this situation before.

A soft voice right beside him interrupted his inner spiralling. "Is this seat taken?"

He froze, his cup halfway back to its saucer and looked up. There she was, the sun behind her creating some sort of fucking halo, which made her look even more goddess-like than usual.

He forced himself to swallow the coffee and put down the cup. He blinked. "Yes, I mean no, of course not, please." He gestured to the seat a bit too quickly and the coffee cup on the table swayed ominously before it settled again on the saucer with a loud clank and only a few spilled drops.

He dropped his back against the sofa and just looked at her. He was a bit pissed that she had made him wait this long, so he didn't speak. He just waited.

And bloody well waited.

Again.

"I-" She swallowed and took a deep breath. "-well hi, first of all." She gave him a small smile and he couldn't stop the quirk of his own lips in answer.

He wanted to be annoyed with her but he just couldn't. He gave her a quick but thorough onceover. She looked sweet, timid and fresher somehow. There were more colour in her cheeks and more life in her eyes. And much less makeup.

To him, she looked completely radiant.

He wished he had those glasses on him. He hoped she wasn't glamouring anything anymore.

He schooled his reaction though, trying not to frighten her. She was like a rainbow-mist, always exquisitely beautiful but always just on the cusp of disappearing from his reach.

He smiled. A genuine smile for once. "I'm glad you could make it. How are you?"

She shrugged, trying to hide her inner turmoil. "Fine. Better by the day actually. You?"

He winked playfully. "I'm perfect now that you're here."

She blushed, turning her head away to look at the other patrons. "Are you really here every weekend?"

It was his turn to shrug. "Yeah, I like it here."

She looked around some more. "It's nice, but less posh than I would have imagined for you."

He leaned forward, eyes alight wicked things and stage-whispered. "Wait. Are you fantasizing about me Ginevra?"

Her heart stuttered in her chest and she wanted to tell him yes. But she didn't.

Instead, she schooled her expression as much as she could and only a sharp intake of breath escaped her. His magnificent eyes darkened to a sinful chocolate brown and she just wanted to pounce on him.

And again, she didn't.

He was dangerous territory. Unknown. She didn't know what was there beneath the surface.

She scoffed instead, probably unconvincingly but she didn't care. "Don't be a bint Zabini, it doesn't suit you."

He smirked cheekily and it was wreaking havoc with her insides. But he ignored her jibe. "Could I perhaps offer you a cup of coffee? Cappuccino? Or maybe the dark chocolate. It's positively delicious."

She bit her lip to stop the moan that was clawing at her throat to escape. Merlin, that man could talk. And he was only offering bloody coffee.

She pulled herself together. "A cappuccino please." Her words came out quite even, she was proud of herself for that.

"As the lady wishes." She shuddered at the endlessly appealing timbre of his voice.

Thankfully, she had time to collect herself as he got her the coffee at the counter. A young woman was standing there, eying both Blaise and her with some speculation. Ginny didn't like her scrutinizing.

The girl fawned over Blaise as she prepared the cappuccino, giggling and sticking her arse and tits out in his direction, Ginny ground her teeth. It was irrational, she knew that. She wasn't even sure what she wanted from Blaise.

And yet, Blaise seemed completely unaffected by the girl's attentions.

When Blaise returned, his smile was brilliant. "So, what's new with you?"

She took a deep breath, luxuriating in the feelings he inspired in her. "Well, I've decided to get a flat. Hermione, Malfoy and George, my brother, are going to help me."

They began a longer discussion about the place to search. Muggle or wizarding, size of the flat, must-haves and nice-to-haves and so on. She told him about the internet-thingy and to her surprise, he used it daily. She showed him the list that she'd gotten from Hermione and Malfoy and he scrutinized it closer than she was expecting.

Just like Malfoy, he immediately dismissed a few of the places that Hermione had insisted was just fine. She couldn't help the quirk of her lips.

She felt so comfortable around him, that she began to liken him to a friend in the same group as Neville, but then he would smirk, wink, touch her hand or something like that and her pulse would start to race.

No. He definitely wasn't friend-zone material.

And to top it all off, after spending the entire afternoon together, she hadn't had enough of him.

The Sunday after that, she arrived at the café on time and seeing his face light up at her entrance made her heart beat frantically in her chest. That day they spoke about their dreams for the future and she was sure she caught a furtive expression on his face when she said she wanted to have at least four children.

And so it went on and on, Sunday after Sunday.

One Sunday, he told her about his childhood, or lack thereof. That his mother had been obsessed with entertaining men until she'd caught another in the net after the previous passed away by suspicious circumstances. It had taught him to rely on only himself and no one else.

That would explain a lot.

The next Sunday, she told him about her family. About the explosions from Fred and George's room, her sorrow for her lost brother, the sheer volume of orange decor in Ron's room, how proud she was of Percy despite his waspishness, how much she looked up to Bill and how Charlie always knew the right things to say despite how far away he was in Romania. She told him about her mum and dad and how deeply in love they were despite their lack of money and their many years together and how she'd always aspired to that.

She didn't tell him about herself much. She didn't tell him about that time her entire existence seemed to turn into one massive clusterfuck and then the years after that.

The Sunday after that, he told her about life in the Slytherin dungeons during school and how he had successfully evaded scrutiny from his friends and quietly observed the chaos that was hormonal school-children around him. Only Draco and Theo had truly called him out on his aloof shite and gotten close to him. Harry had followed in his true Harry-esque style during a fucked up night out and the four of them had been like brothers ever since.

The many following Sundays seemed like a bit of a blur.

They talked about Harry a lot and she told him about them as a couple. How it was her fault what had happened between them. Blaise had a couple of surprising opinions on that topic, including that Harry had been seriously at fault as well, being the sleep-deprived man-whore that he really was at his heart. She just couldn't stop laughing at that.

She was starting to feel more like herself. She looked at flats most weekends with either Hermione or George but nothing had really caught her fancy yet.

And she was beginning to look at her mum with newfound respect. Her mum really was sort of a badass, in a homey kind of way. She knew how to fight, how to protect those she loved and she never complained about their lack of galleons despite having to put seven children through school.

She was trying not to think about Marcus but somehow he was always there in the back of her mind. He kept on sending her small notes, gifts and flowers as if he knew that she would think about him when she got them.

She didn't know what to think really.