Chapter Thirteen
It didn't look like a cemetery. Well…like any cemetery Ginny had been to. She had no idea of what country she was in and didn't want to ask Draco for fear he'd yell at her to not ask stupid questions. She looked around and noticed that there was only one small rectangular building standing alone besides the few trees. The rising shine bathed the building in warm light.
"It's there." Draco pointed towards the building.
Ginny moved closer to the building, noticing the gray/white granite and the elegant architecture. There were two pillars in front and a wide door with a plaque in the center. It looked like a coat of arms. Ginny turned around and noticed Draco had not moved from his spot a few yards back.
"Aren't you coming?" Ginny asked.
"Now what would the Malfoys do if they saw a Weasley intrude upon their Christmas feast?" He smiled. "Have fun, I'm leaving."
Without another word Draco disapparated, leaving Ginny by herself. She felt her heart race in her chest as she looked from the spot where Draco was back to the building. The last thing she wanted to do was enter a building where dead Malfoys were resting. What should she do?
Ginny stood there, trying to work up the courage to just open the door and have it done with, when the door opened on it's on accord. Ginny peered into the opening, but it was too dark inside for her to see anything. She slowly stepped inside and heard a noise in the distance. She stepped further in, holding up her glowing wand. The room was empty except for a stair way leading down. There was no where for Ginny to go but down, so down she went.
~*~*~
Draco returned to his dorm just in time to be awakened by his dorm mates. They exchanged presents and shouts of joy. Soon the floor of the room was littered in wrapping paper. Draco had opened his presents too, but discarded them and went down to breakfast.
As he sat at the table, poking at his food, his mind kept wondering back to Ginny. There were new feelings growing in him and he hated it. His thoughts were filled with her lighted face as she found the clues. His ears echoed with her voice, no matter how much he tried to shut her out. So busy were his thoughts that he hadn't noticed the change in the way Ron, Harry and Hermione were treating him.
All throughout breakfast the three of them glanced at Draco as if he were a bomb that was about to explode if they made any quick movements. They were still confused as to how Ron's younger brother is in actuality a Malfoy. They made only necessary conversation with him and were all glad when he abruptly left his seat at the table and headed out of the Great Hall.
There was only one thing he could do…try to find a way to get back to his world. The world where he was always in control of his emotions, where no one had a hold on his heart, and his mind was filled with what he wanted to think about. But no matter how much he tried to convince himself that he wanted to go back, a little part of him wanted to stay. He wanted to see what his life would turn out to be if he continued living as a Weasley, everyone liking him and talking to him. Having friends and siblings now seemed better than being without them.
His eyes were roaming up and down the books, but not a word penetrated his head.
"That stupid Weasley!" He shouted to himself. "If it wasn't for her I'd be peacefully thinking of other things."
A sharp look from the librarian caused Draco to cease his audible soliloquy. He headed out of the library and back up to his dorm, but the change scene had no effect on his thoughts.
~*~*~
Ginny was safely back in Malfoy Manor…well, as safe as she could be. She was replaying in her head what had happened at the feast. It was bizarre, to say the least. There were at least fifty people seated around a long rectangular table, the room being lighted with torches only—there were no windows. The table was piled with food and she heard at least three different languages being spoken all at once.
They all looked incredibly like each other. Their hair, if not blonde, were light shades of brown and red. All of their eyes had the same slant and their noses all ended in a point. Ginny was seated next to a tall man who came across as a distant relative from the north. She was expected to speak with him in a language she had never heard. She merely nodded her head and smiled and crammed her food with mouth so as not to talk.
When Ginny had first arrived the table was nearly full, but she was relieved to find out she wasn't the last one to figure out the clues. They hadn't begun eating until a large grandfather clock at the far corner of the room struck nine. She felt a sudden change in the air, but didn't know what had happened until she overheard someone's conversation.
"Looks like Alfred hasn't made it. I remember him begging us to not lock the doors at nine o'clock this time. He claimed he was only two minutes late."
"Well, two minutes late is two too many."
It was very odd to eat along side these people. Their noses remained pointed in the air as they brought their food elegantly to their mouths. They made polite conversation, nothing too personal, but for the most part ate in silence. At the end of the feast, which lasted an hour and a half, presents were handed to each member of the family. Ginny waited for the others to unwrap their gifts before she began to tear into hers.
"A necklace?" Ginny stared at the gold chain that laid within the box. She looked around to see if anyone else had received the same thing, but all the gifts were different. Hanging for the chain was a heart shaped pendant, which opened to reveal her picture inside. Ginny donned the necklace and soon after was being escorted to a fireplace with her parents. They used floo powder to get home, and here she was, writing in the journals all that had happened. After finishing she placed the notebook in the drawer and as soon as her head hit the pillow she fell asleep.
