Draco Malfoy Promises To Be A Good Boy This Year
Part Ten
Ginny Afraid And Healed
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Things have a way of working themselves out. Just when Harry and Ron and I thought we were done for, and that the girls were going down with us, everything turned out just fine. I heard the whole story from Ginny the next day. Classes had been canceled for a day so the Slytherins could have a stay in the hospital wing while their mild burns healed up. Since she had the whole day free, Ginny came to me and we were finally alone in the flat, which didn't happen very often. We curled up together on the sofa and she told me all about what had happened.
"It's so bizarre, Draco. When the Slytherins all woke up again, they claimed they had been playing with exploding potions. They said it went wrong. Every one of them said so, Draco. Now isn't that just odd?"
I thought about this. "Very odd. None of us put any kind of mind control or mind wiping spell in that potion. For them to all wake up and think it was their fault is quite odd indeed."
"So since the Slytherins admitted it was all their fault, the rest of the school wasn't even questioned. It's as if nothing even happened except that the whole Slytherin house is in the hospital wing and the common room is being sponged up. And we even got a free day out of it. Think of that!" She grinned at me.
"Yes, think of that…" I still couldn't believe it. It was too good to be true. And too strange.
Eventually, Ginny and I drifted off to sleep, still tired from the previous night.
I awoke later to the sound of terrified gasping. My eyes fell open and I saw Ginny clutched onto me as if she were dying, her mouth open in a silent scream. She was struggling to breathe, but nothing was coming out. "What! What's wrong?" I followed her gaze and saw that Thomas was standing over the sofa, looking down at us with the most perplexed expression on his face.
I took Ginny's head in my hands and forced her to look at me and not Thomas. "Ginny! Wake up!" I held her head firmly and locked my eyes on hers. "That's only Thomas! Stop this, please! You're scaring me!" I was frantic.
She gulped and tried to catch her breath. "A…bad dream I guess."
"Yes, only a bad dream." I gave Thomas a questioning look.
"I'm sorry, Draco. I just walked in the door and came over to see if you were asleep. I leaned over to check and Ginny was staring straight up at me. She started to hyperventilate. I didn't mean to scare her, honest!" He wrung his hands in a helpless gesture.
"It's all right, Thomas. It's not your fault."
Ginny seemed calmer. "He just looked like someone from a bad dream for a minute. I was just startled." She managed to smile at our friend. "I really didn't mean to frighten you, Thomas."
He ran a hand through his brown hair. "Likewise."
But was it more than that? Ginny didn't seem quite right to me. Her emotions seemed a bit out of whack, what with the whole stupid explosion plot, and some bad dreams she'd been having since I came to live in the flat. I had to do something about it. Perhaps the holidays would help us all. Plus, I had an idea.
*****
Christmas was a blast, for once. Of course, it was always nice when I was at home. I received piles of presents and there was a party and I always felt very important and special. I was ignored by my father in general, but my mother made it fun however she could.
This year, I received my usual loot from home, delivered by ten large owls, but my actual Christmas was spent with Ginny and the others. And it was the best one I can remember having.
My favorite memory from the day was when Thomas had us all pile onto the sofa together and he took a Muggle photo of us with a little disposable camera. I had a Santa hat on my head and was scowling darkly at Ron who was belting out "Jingle Bells" with Hermione, who had had a bit too much Muggle Champagne. Ginny was practically sprawled on my lap, a look of the utmost delight on her face as she held out one small hand from which a sapphire ring sparkled on her finger. Harry was sitting behind us on the back of the sofa, holding up a brand new Firebolt II, his present from his godfather, grinning like a maniac. Little did he know that I had a brand new Firebolt II of my own sitting in on my bed. Now we were equal.
As I look back at the picture, it's lovely to see Ginny so very happy. As I have noted, she had been a bit nervous lately. Of course she hadn't quite seemed like a normal fourteen-year-old girl since the Chamber of Secrets incident last year, but she had become so withdrawn and nervous, especially when Thomas was around. What could possibly be wrong? But I realized what would help her and what would be the best thing for her to have.
I took the portkey back to Hogwarts that Christmas afternoon while my little group was knocked out on the Snape Rug after eating too much pudding. Since they were trying to recover before the feast and dance at Hogwarts that night (to which I was also attending), it was the perfect time for me to put my plan into action.
I appeared in the closet not long after, a happy little bundle in my arms. I set him upon the floor and whispered to him. "Go find Mumma. You know which one she is. Go find Mumma-Ginny!"
The little figure tottled across the room to the pile of sleeping kids. He quickly found his mum and crawled on top of her. "Gin Gin Gin!"
Ginny woke with a start and gave a cry of delight. "Nattie!" Tears sprang to her eyes and she clutched hold of the little fellow. "I'll never leave you again, I promise! You simply must stay with me and Draco now."
I smiled softly. If Nathaniel made her happy, I would see to it that she was never separated from him again. I had arranged it all with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley so that we could keep Nathaniel with us in the flat. I even hired my old dear nurse to watch Nathaniel while Ginny and I were both in class. The Weasley's had been skeptical about my idea, but when they learned that their girl was curling up inside herself and becoming more and more withdrawn, they decided to give it a try. They saw remnants of First-Year Ginny reappearing in her mannerisms and her eyes. If Nathaniel could help focus her attention, so be it.
Everyone hugged and kissed and welcomed Nathaniel with lots of love. Thomas waited patiently, watching him with soft eyes. It was then time to introduce Nathaniel to our newest friend. "Thomas, this is Nathaniel Weasley-Malfoy…my brat." I smiled. And I would be such a better father to him than my father had been to me. There was nothing I wouldn't do for him. Nothing.
Thomas approached him and placed a hand on his little tousled dark head. "Nathaniel. A good name for the child."
Ginny shivered slightly and scooped Nathaniel into her arms. "We'd better all get ready to go to Hogwarts. We don't want to be late for the feast and for Draco's big return." It was true, I was returning. When the Christmas holidays were over, I was going to return to studying at Hogwarts. I was going to continue to live at Snape's flat, but there was no reason why I shouldn't study in the school. The Slytherins had had enough trouble lately to worry much about me.
Nathaniel clutched onto Ginny's hair and looked at Thomas with wide eyes. It was obvious my little family was very nervous around him, but I couldn't quite understand why. He was just a Muggle kid…besides, if he were some sort of delinquent he would have done something to us already. Robbed us blind or told Scotland Yard that we were practicing magic up here. But nothing of any kind had happened, except for a potion backfiring, which could have been caused by any number of things. Thomas had never been anything but delightful with any of us, so I couldn't understand why Ginny was so nervous around him. Harry was odd too, and spent a lot of time looking at Thomas and then whispering to Ginny. Apparently they couldn't figure it out either.
*****
Despite how young and innocent Ginny seemed to be, she had quite a maternal instinct and it was as if she matured whenever she had someone to care for, which was the objective. I'm sure it's not highly recommended that fourteen-year-olds take care of tiny children, but Ginny was really remarkably good at it. That evening, she carried him into my room and set about pawing through his little diaper bag to find something warm to put him in. She pulled out a little pair of red overalls and a long sleeved white shirt and bundled him all up for Christmas dinner.
I lounged on the bed, watching them dreamily. I wished we were older and he was really our child and we were a real family. But it was nice to pretend.
I played with Nathaniel's fingers and toes while Ginny dressed for Hogwarts in the bathroom. When she entered the bedroom again, I couldn't help but suck in my breath. Her violet robes were clingier this year, as she was filling out on top a little more obviously and growing more through the hips. I just had to gawk. "Wow."
She finished pulling up her hair and stood before me, one hand on her hip. "How do I look?"
I goggled. "What happened to that little girl I used to know? And who are you, you stunning thing?"
She smiled. "I can look grownup when I feel like it, Draco."
I gulped and held Nathaniel up. "Look at Mumma, Nattie. Doesn't she look hot?"
She laughed and tugged on my hand. "Let's go…dinner and dancing awaits!"
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