Chapter Ten: Distressing Damsel
"I'm worried about her," said Hermione sadly. Ron took a firm hold of her hand.
"She's probably fine. Just those teenage mood swings, that's all."
Hermione nodded and continued to prepare dinner. Ron gave her a smile, which quickly disappeared when her back was turned. In truth, Ron didn't believe a word he said. Something was definitely up with Ginny, and it ached that she hadn't come to him yet. When they were younger, Ginny would always run up to Ron and ask him to make the bad things go away. Sure, he'd tease her about it, but he still comforted her in the end. But Ginny was being so inscrutable lately that it was actually scaring him.
He held two pictures in his hand, and stared at them lovingly. One was an old picture, taken in his second year. He, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were standing just outside the Hogwarts express when his father decided to have one last picture. His eyes trailed over to Ginny, who grinned happily and waved at him.
The other picture was taken earlier this year, before Ginny left for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. The picture was only of Ginny and Ron, who had his arm around her neck and tousling her hair. Picture Ginny, of course, did not look pleased.
He smiled, suddenly missing her. Because while she was still his baby sister, she was no longer 11. She had grown up a lot, and experienced much more than most people would never want to. The thought brought a frown to Ron's face. Ginny had grown up; she didn't need her big brother to look after her anymore.
He glanced back at the second picture. Eyes taking in the grown woman Ginny had developed into, Ron knew that he had lost her somehow.
* * *
It was just a little after Draco had left Ginny in the Three Broomsticks, though he felt he had been walking down the streets forever. By his fifth block, he had admitted to himself that he had found an unusual solace in the girl that he never knew existed — let alone to someone as screwed up as him.
The thought brought an unnatural grin to Draco's face, and for a moment it scared him. The feeling was gone as quickly as it had appeared, however, because Draco never got scared — at least not over a girl. But it was laughable all the same. To know that he, Draco Malfoy, found comfort in Ginny Weasley. Especially when it had been her brother and his friends that had been such a pain in the bum during his years at Hogwarts.
His grin melted into a mischievous smirk. He'd love to see the look on Ron Weasley's face if he ever found out that his precious little sister had spent an afternoon — alone — with Draco Malfoy. The smirk seemed almost permanent as he turned a corner into Diagon Alley.
"Well look who it is!"
Draco glanced around and saw an old woman advancing towards him from her flower shop. Draco's smirk evaporated upon seeing Madam Rosa's pink and wrinkly face scrunched up into a delighted smile.
"Hello to you too, Rosa," he tried to say, but only managed a small grunt as Rosa pulled him in for a tight hug. She pulled away and frowned at him.
"You haven't been by to visit me in ages," she pouted, and brought her glove-covered hands to her waist. The purple and green dress she wore clashed horribly with the pink from her face.
"Sorry, I've been busy," he said truthfully, and muttered a low, "thank Godric."
Rosa didn't seem to notice and began to flutter her gray lashes his way. Draco involuntarily winced. The old woman was very flirtatious, and while he was obligated to kiss her hand as a sign of respect, he rather hated to make contact with her skin; the feel of her brought shivers down his spine.
"What brings you here?" she asked him.
"I'm off to St. Mungo's," he said with a straight face, and Rosa frowned.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry about your Mother, dear." Her words would've meant a lot more to Draco if she hadn't added a wink at the end, or say it with such a simper.
"Uh huh," Draco said stiffly and forced a smile. "So, as you can see, I've got to be going." He made to move away when Rosa called him back, her face no longer holding a smile.
"Take care of yourself, Draco."
Draco blinked. The old woman's tone lacked it's usual kind and flirtatious atmosphere. Instead it was sharp and stiff. He watched her as she went back to watering the plant in front of her shop. He knew it was ridiculous, but it nearly sounding like she was threatening him.
* * *
Dumbledore watched, with a hint of amusement, as Harry began to drum his fingers on the arm of his chair. Since Harry's graduation, he and Harry kept close ties with weekly tea, though today Harry had come to Dumbledore earlier and more tense than he usually did.
"Problems, Harry?"
Harry stopped his drumming, and looked at Dumbledore as if he were just realizing he was in his office. Snapping back into reality, Harry shook his head.
"No sir."
Dumbledore gave him a smile, and began to rearrange the objects on his desk. Harry's finger drumming continued, getting louder and faster by the second.
"Actually — yes," said Harry, finally caving. Dumbledore hid a smile.
"I'm worried about Ginny," Harry admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "These mood swings, they're not like her."
"She's growing up," said Dumbldore, interlacing his long fingers. "I seem to remember you having such mood swings, not so long ago."
Harry smiled weakly. "It's just... weird. I was always able to protect her, you know? But now, it's like she doesn't want me to."
"Perhaps you no longer have to," said Dumbledore wisely, eyeing Harry with his piercing stare.
"Maybe," said Harry thoughtfully. "But... it's hard..."
"Letting go?"
Harry blinked. His eyes locked with Dumledore's and slowly he nodded.
"Yeah... But I don't think I want to let go just yet."
"Ahh, Harry," said Dumbledore, giving the Boy Who Lived a warm smile, "sometimes you just have to."
"So you think I should?"
Dumbledore chuckled, and began to twirl his long beard with his fingers.
"I've no clue."
* * *
Ginny knew how worried she was making her friends. Deep down, she was worried too. She was still dreaming of Tom, but nothing could wipe the smile from her face — the very smile that Draco, of all people, put on her. She kept humming a merry tune as she continued to walk down the street of Hogsmeade, enjoying the silence autumn brought. After their chat, Draco and Ginny headed their separate ways, with Draco saying he had something important to do. Ginny secretly hoped it didn't have anything to deal with the liquor he bought.
The thought of him made Ginny's smile, if possible, grow.
"What is it about you?" she thought aloud, gazing dreamily up at sky. Why did he succeed in cheering her up when all of her friends had failed? They barely knew each other. They barely said more than two sentences to each other when they were both attending Hogwarts. So why was he all she could think about? Draco Malfoy was a git, there was no doubt about it. Is it possible that it was merely just an act?
She frowned suddenly. What if this Draco was an act? But then again, why should she care?
She began to twirl a lock of of hair in her fingers and pursed her lips thoughtfully. Years and years of living with Ron had taught her never to trust a Malfoy. Yet hadn't she just poured out her whole story to him? Perhaps it was his ignorance of her past that made Draco so easy to talk to. He didn't have anything but her own word to hold against her. Not like Ron or Hermione, who were too close to Harry to truly see who had been the victim in that relationship.
And Draco was actually civil to her — nice, even. He couldn't have an ulterior motive. He hadn't planned to meet her in Knockturn Alley, or even bump into her that time in Hogsmeade.
...Right?
She shook her head at the ridiculous idea. What would he get out of what she's told him? Nothing, absolutely nothing. She probably didn't even mean anything to him.
She suddenly found herself frowning. She didn't know which thought saddened her more — that he's using her or that he doesn't really care. She sighed. Why does she even care?
"Hello there," said a kind, old voice, bringing Ginny back from her thoughts. She had been wandering around without thinking again, and somehow managed to get to Diagon Alley. The owner of the voice was kind-looking old lady, wearing a horribly chosen dress, and was currently tending to some shrubberies by her flower shop.
"Hello," replied Ginny, and made to walk away when the woman spoke again.
"Lovely day, isn't it?"
Ginny nodded, glancing up at the gray sky. "Very lovely."
"Yes...," said the woman slowly, peering at Ginny through the corner of her eyes. "You must be Ginny Weasley, am I correct?"
Ginny blinked. "Er, yes," she said, studying the old woman. "Do I... know you?"
The woman laughed, and waved a hand in the air, causing a few dirt particles to soar through the air.
"Heavens no," the woman said, still giggly. "But I know you."
Two red brows shot up from Ginny's face.
"You do?"
The woman nodded, her warm smile suddenly looking very cold. Ginny felt a shiver run down her spine, and suddenly felt very nervous.
"Ginny Weasley," hissed the old woman, though she was beginning to look younger by the second. Her gray hair was rapidly darkening and her wrinkles were smoothing out. Ginny could only widen her eyes as the woman's transformation was completed. She looked like no one Ginny had ever met before. She was tall and pale, with long, raven-black hair.
"Who are you?" she managed to ask.
The woman's blood-red lips were parted into a devilish grin, and her dark eyes twinkled — though not in the same manner Dumbledore's eyes did.
"Call me Rosa."
Chapter Eleven; Letters, screams, and Narcissa Malfoy.
----------------------------
Ugh! That chapter sucked, and it was SHORT too! *dies* I'm so sorry that I made you guys wait for THIS. *continues to berate herself for 30 minutes* But anyways... The plot's surely thickening now! Or bubbling, at least. But thanks to Joya, kitkat, Miss B, and la la daaa naa maa for your great compliments. ^^ Remember that reviews are GREAT motivators! Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.
"I'm worried about her," said Hermione sadly. Ron took a firm hold of her hand.
"She's probably fine. Just those teenage mood swings, that's all."
Hermione nodded and continued to prepare dinner. Ron gave her a smile, which quickly disappeared when her back was turned. In truth, Ron didn't believe a word he said. Something was definitely up with Ginny, and it ached that she hadn't come to him yet. When they were younger, Ginny would always run up to Ron and ask him to make the bad things go away. Sure, he'd tease her about it, but he still comforted her in the end. But Ginny was being so inscrutable lately that it was actually scaring him.
He held two pictures in his hand, and stared at them lovingly. One was an old picture, taken in his second year. He, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were standing just outside the Hogwarts express when his father decided to have one last picture. His eyes trailed over to Ginny, who grinned happily and waved at him.
The other picture was taken earlier this year, before Ginny left for her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. The picture was only of Ginny and Ron, who had his arm around her neck and tousling her hair. Picture Ginny, of course, did not look pleased.
He smiled, suddenly missing her. Because while she was still his baby sister, she was no longer 11. She had grown up a lot, and experienced much more than most people would never want to. The thought brought a frown to Ron's face. Ginny had grown up; she didn't need her big brother to look after her anymore.
He glanced back at the second picture. Eyes taking in the grown woman Ginny had developed into, Ron knew that he had lost her somehow.
It was just a little after Draco had left Ginny in the Three Broomsticks, though he felt he had been walking down the streets forever. By his fifth block, he had admitted to himself that he had found an unusual solace in the girl that he never knew existed — let alone to someone as screwed up as him.
The thought brought an unnatural grin to Draco's face, and for a moment it scared him. The feeling was gone as quickly as it had appeared, however, because Draco never got scared — at least not over a girl. But it was laughable all the same. To know that he, Draco Malfoy, found comfort in Ginny Weasley. Especially when it had been her brother and his friends that had been such a pain in the bum during his years at Hogwarts.
His grin melted into a mischievous smirk. He'd love to see the look on Ron Weasley's face if he ever found out that his precious little sister had spent an afternoon — alone — with Draco Malfoy. The smirk seemed almost permanent as he turned a corner into Diagon Alley.
"Well look who it is!"
Draco glanced around and saw an old woman advancing towards him from her flower shop. Draco's smirk evaporated upon seeing Madam Rosa's pink and wrinkly face scrunched up into a delighted smile.
"Hello to you too, Rosa," he tried to say, but only managed a small grunt as Rosa pulled him in for a tight hug. She pulled away and frowned at him.
"You haven't been by to visit me in ages," she pouted, and brought her glove-covered hands to her waist. The purple and green dress she wore clashed horribly with the pink from her face.
"Sorry, I've been busy," he said truthfully, and muttered a low, "thank Godric."
Rosa didn't seem to notice and began to flutter her gray lashes his way. Draco involuntarily winced. The old woman was very flirtatious, and while he was obligated to kiss her hand as a sign of respect, he rather hated to make contact with her skin; the feel of her brought shivers down his spine.
"What brings you here?" she asked him.
"I'm off to St. Mungo's," he said with a straight face, and Rosa frowned.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry about your Mother, dear." Her words would've meant a lot more to Draco if she hadn't added a wink at the end, or say it with such a simper.
"Uh huh," Draco said stiffly and forced a smile. "So, as you can see, I've got to be going." He made to move away when Rosa called him back, her face no longer holding a smile.
"Take care of yourself, Draco."
Draco blinked. The old woman's tone lacked it's usual kind and flirtatious atmosphere. Instead it was sharp and stiff. He watched her as she went back to watering the plant in front of her shop. He knew it was ridiculous, but it nearly sounding like she was threatening him.
Dumbledore watched, with a hint of amusement, as Harry began to drum his fingers on the arm of his chair. Since Harry's graduation, he and Harry kept close ties with weekly tea, though today Harry had come to Dumbledore earlier and more tense than he usually did.
"Problems, Harry?"
Harry stopped his drumming, and looked at Dumbledore as if he were just realizing he was in his office. Snapping back into reality, Harry shook his head.
"No sir."
Dumbledore gave him a smile, and began to rearrange the objects on his desk. Harry's finger drumming continued, getting louder and faster by the second.
"Actually — yes," said Harry, finally caving. Dumbledore hid a smile.
"I'm worried about Ginny," Harry admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "These mood swings, they're not like her."
"She's growing up," said Dumbldore, interlacing his long fingers. "I seem to remember you having such mood swings, not so long ago."
Harry smiled weakly. "It's just... weird. I was always able to protect her, you know? But now, it's like she doesn't want me to."
"Perhaps you no longer have to," said Dumbledore wisely, eyeing Harry with his piercing stare.
"Maybe," said Harry thoughtfully. "But... it's hard..."
"Letting go?"
Harry blinked. His eyes locked with Dumledore's and slowly he nodded.
"Yeah... But I don't think I want to let go just yet."
"Ahh, Harry," said Dumbledore, giving the Boy Who Lived a warm smile, "sometimes you just have to."
"So you think I should?"
Dumbledore chuckled, and began to twirl his long beard with his fingers.
"I've no clue."
Ginny knew how worried she was making her friends. Deep down, she was worried too. She was still dreaming of Tom, but nothing could wipe the smile from her face — the very smile that Draco, of all people, put on her. She kept humming a merry tune as she continued to walk down the street of Hogsmeade, enjoying the silence autumn brought. After their chat, Draco and Ginny headed their separate ways, with Draco saying he had something important to do. Ginny secretly hoped it didn't have anything to deal with the liquor he bought.
The thought of him made Ginny's smile, if possible, grow.
"What is it about you?" she thought aloud, gazing dreamily up at sky. Why did he succeed in cheering her up when all of her friends had failed? They barely knew each other. They barely said more than two sentences to each other when they were both attending Hogwarts. So why was he all she could think about? Draco Malfoy was a git, there was no doubt about it. Is it possible that it was merely just an act?
She frowned suddenly. What if this Draco was an act? But then again, why should she care?
She began to twirl a lock of of hair in her fingers and pursed her lips thoughtfully. Years and years of living with Ron had taught her never to trust a Malfoy. Yet hadn't she just poured out her whole story to him? Perhaps it was his ignorance of her past that made Draco so easy to talk to. He didn't have anything but her own word to hold against her. Not like Ron or Hermione, who were too close to Harry to truly see who had been the victim in that relationship.
And Draco was actually civil to her — nice, even. He couldn't have an ulterior motive. He hadn't planned to meet her in Knockturn Alley, or even bump into her that time in Hogsmeade.
...Right?
She shook her head at the ridiculous idea. What would he get out of what she's told him? Nothing, absolutely nothing. She probably didn't even mean anything to him.
She suddenly found herself frowning. She didn't know which thought saddened her more — that he's using her or that he doesn't really care. She sighed. Why does she even care?
"Hello there," said a kind, old voice, bringing Ginny back from her thoughts. She had been wandering around without thinking again, and somehow managed to get to Diagon Alley. The owner of the voice was kind-looking old lady, wearing a horribly chosen dress, and was currently tending to some shrubberies by her flower shop.
"Hello," replied Ginny, and made to walk away when the woman spoke again.
"Lovely day, isn't it?"
Ginny nodded, glancing up at the gray sky. "Very lovely."
"Yes...," said the woman slowly, peering at Ginny through the corner of her eyes. "You must be Ginny Weasley, am I correct?"
Ginny blinked. "Er, yes," she said, studying the old woman. "Do I... know you?"
The woman laughed, and waved a hand in the air, causing a few dirt particles to soar through the air.
"Heavens no," the woman said, still giggly. "But I know you."
Two red brows shot up from Ginny's face.
"You do?"
The woman nodded, her warm smile suddenly looking very cold. Ginny felt a shiver run down her spine, and suddenly felt very nervous.
"Ginny Weasley," hissed the old woman, though she was beginning to look younger by the second. Her gray hair was rapidly darkening and her wrinkles were smoothing out. Ginny could only widen her eyes as the woman's transformation was completed. She looked like no one Ginny had ever met before. She was tall and pale, with long, raven-black hair.
"Who are you?" she managed to ask.
The woman's blood-red lips were parted into a devilish grin, and her dark eyes twinkled — though not in the same manner Dumbledore's eyes did.
"Call me Rosa."
Chapter Eleven; Letters, screams, and Narcissa Malfoy.
----------------------------
Ugh! That chapter sucked, and it was SHORT too! *dies* I'm so sorry that I made you guys wait for THIS. *continues to berate herself for 30 minutes* But anyways... The plot's surely thickening now! Or bubbling, at least. But thanks to Joya, kitkat, Miss B, and la la daaa naa maa for your great compliments. ^^ Remember that reviews are GREAT motivators! Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.