I think I love Harry, too.
He's just such a sweetie. And check this mad skill out! I'm just shooting these things out left and right, aren't I? Of course, this might be my last update of the week, because I leave Thursday for Branson, Missouri. Some members of the Concert Choir at my school – me included – are going to Branson to open for this river dance like show. Doing a couple workshops too. Should be fun. So I'm leaving early Thursday morning and I get home at like, 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Stupid time change! Shakes fist. Anyways. Enough babbling.
4AnJ
Chapter 4: Somewhere
Dizzy
I'm so dizzy
My head is spinning
Like a whirlpool
It never ends
And it's you girl
Making it spin
You're making me dizzy
My head is spinning
Like a whirlpool
It never ends
And it's you girl
Making it spin
You're making me dizzy
You're making me dizzy
I'm so dizzy
Tommy Roe - Dizzy
Ginny and Draco eventually had to make their way back to the house. Molly had set out a plate full of sandwiches, a bowl of assorted fruit, and more bowls of snack-type foods for everyone to munch on. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the twins were already at the table as Draco sat down, watching Ginny help her mother with bringing out two large pitchers of lemonade. She flashed him a smile as she sat across from him, between Fred and George.
"Boys! Come along now, or we'll eat without you!" Molly called into the house, shaking her head and clicking her tongue as her last three sons appeared. "…Honestly. Making us wait like that." One of them – Percy, Draco remembered – leaned in and kissed her cheek before sitting on the other side of George.
"Sorry, Mum. Bill was just telling me of work opportunities in Egypt." The man with the ponytail sat down on Draco's left, across from George. The other sat on his left, nodding a greeting. Draco squirmed.
"Draco, you know Percy already. This is Bill and Charlie. Bill works as a curse breaker for Gringotts in Egypt, and Charlie works with dragons in Romania. But they finally managed to drag themselves away from work long enough to visit for a month," Ginny spoke up, grinning at her brothers. Charlie, apparently the one on Draco's left, snorted, reaching for one of the sandwiches.
"As if we'd miss Ickle Ronnikin's graduation." The tips of Ron's ears turned pink and he ducked his head, trying to ignore his brother's comment. Hermione let out a small giggle, slipping her hand into Ron's and squeezing gently. Ginny nudged Draco under the table with her foot, catching his eye as he glanced in her direction. His mouth went dry as that foot traveled up to his knee and back down, sending shivers down his spine.
"So, Draco," Bill broke through Draco's rather inappropriate thoughts, glancing in the blonde's direction. "What're you planning to do now that you've graduated?" Draco shrugged, stealing a glance at Ginny before answering.
"I don't really know, actually. I'm good at Potions, so perhaps a chemist. And I enjoy Defense Against the Dark Arts. I was actually considering studying to be an Auror…" Ron choked on a grape, sputtering and coughing as Hermione patted his back. Bill sent him an odd look, then nodded at Draco, taking a bite of his sandwich.
"You might make a decent curse breaker. Y'any good at Charms? Transfiguration?" Draco shrugged, reaching for an orange.
"I suppose so. I got good marks and all."
"You should pay a visit to the Egypt branch. We could use a few more curse breakers. Right now there's only me and four others. We're looking to take on apprentices now that Hogwarts is out for the summer. New graduates."
"Fresh meat," Charlie added, ducking a grape that Bill threw at him. "What you really want to do is work with dragons. Every day's different."
"Yeah. Their aim gets better each time they see you," Bill quipped, rolling his eyes at his younger brother. Charlie shot him a dirty look while Draco arched an eyebrow at Ginny. …Were they always like this? She grinned at him, jumping into the conversation.
"Charlie, do you think I could be an apprentice next summer?" Charlie blinked at his little sister, exchanging a look with Bill.
"…Maybe for Percy." Ginny snorted.
"What, and measure cauldron thickness? I don't think so. …No offence, Perce," she added as an afterthought, sending him an apologetic look.
"None taken. I realize you don't share my interest in working a desk job. I was never a hands on type of person."
"You sure seemed to be when Fred and I caught you groping Penelope Clearwater in an empty closet your seventh year," George teased, chuckling as Percy began stammering and blushing something awful. The topic changed from job future to who snogged whom while they were at Hogwarts, and Draco shot Ginny a grateful look. The remainder of the meal was finished in relative calmness. …Well, as calm as it could get at the Burrow. Ron, Hermione, and Harry spoke quietly amongst themselves, Fred and George bragged to anyone who would listen just how successful their shop was becoming. Percy was trying to explain why he wouldn't be able to spend his birthday at home this year to his mother. Charlie and Bill were arguing over which job was more dangerous, dragon keeping or curse breaking. And Draco and Ginny played footsie under the table. Eventually Fred pushed himself up, glancing at his siblings.
"So who's up for a game of Quidditch?" Everyone – save Percy, Hermione, and Draco – immediately agreed, and began making their way inside to fetch their brooms and the balls. Percy played the 'paperwork' excuse card, helping his mother clear the table before he disappeared to his room. When Hermione and Draco were the only ones left at the table, the garden fell into silence for a moment. Hermione broke it, pushing herself up.
"…Are you going to come down to the pitch and watch the game?" Draco blinked, looking mildly surprised by her question. But he nodded, following her as she started towards a path that obviously let to the makeshift pitch. Neither said anything for a moment, until Draco spoke up, eyes locked on the path in front of him.
"Why are you being nice to me?" Hermione glanced up, frowning.
"…Why shouldn't I be?" Draco let out a dry laugh, carefully keeping his gaze from meeting hers.
"Maybe because I've been a complete arse since first year. Maybe because I've treated you like dirt. Like you're worthless."
"…Everyone deserves a second chance," Hermione stated, finally succeeded in getting Draco to look at her. She offered a small smile, shrugging gently. "True, you haven't been a saint. But I don't believe that was what you're really like. It's just a façade to throw everyone off. Ginny saw through it. And I'm trying." Draco watched her for a moment, then nodded, returning his gaze to the path.
"Thank you."
"So what's wrong with him? He doesn't seem too horrible."
"You made him out to be the Dark Lord himself when we were talking this morning." The four oldest boys – oldest who were playing Quidditch, that is – talked quietly enough that Ginny, Ron, and Harry couldn't hear them. Fred scoffed, and George frowned, catching sight of the aforementioned Draco already sitting with Hermione at the pitch.
"He's changed a bit, I suppose. Last year, he wouldn't be caught dead here, let alone talking to Hermione while we all played Quidditch. Ginny must be a rather good influence on him." Fred nodded in agreement with his twin's statement, casting a quick glance in Bill and Charlie's direction.
"You suppose we should invite him to play? We have uneven teams." Charlie nodded, but Bill nudged his shoulder, pointing up ahead. Ginny seemed to have done the math, and was making her way over to where Draco and Hermione were sitting. They spoke for a moment, then she sat down next to him, laying her broom in the grass.
"Looks like Ginny's sitting this one out." The boys took a moment to marvel at how grown up their little sister had become. But it was a short moment, because Ron chose that second to give Ginny an annoyed look and yell for them all to hurry their arses up. So they did. Bill and Charlie were elected captains and each chose their team accordingly. Bill ended up with Harry and Fred, while Charlie got George and Ron. There wouldn't be any Snitch or Bludgers, so Ron and Harry set themselves up in opposite goals and the game began.
Hermione had originally intended to engage Draco in a conversation, but instead found herself focused on the game, cringing every time the Quaffle came near Ron. Draco wouldn't have been interested in the conversation anyways, as he was too occupied with Ginny. They had shifted into a position not unlike the one next to the lake. Ginny was curled up at Draco's side, only this time she had his hand in hers, running her fingers tenderly over the scar along his wrist. He kissed her periodically as they spoke in quiet voices, low enough that Hermione couldn't hear.
"Only one to go," Ginny stated after a moment of silence, looking up as Draco stiffened.
"…He's not going to accept this. I know he won't. …I'm too much like my father, I suppose." Ginny sat up a bit, cupping Draco's chin and forcing him to look at her.
"Listen to me. You're nothing like your father. As soon as Dad talks to you, he will know that. Everyone else already knows that. You saw how quickly Bill and Charlie warmed up to you."
"Ron doesn't know that."
"Ron's a stupid git." Ginny smiled softly, leaning in to kiss Draco on the forehead. "When he sees how much I care about you, it won't matter whose son you are. …And I think that's the first time you've ever called Ron by his first name." Draco snorted, tugging Ginny back down to cuddle against his side.
"I couldn't very well call him your brother, now could I? That could refer to any one of the six."
"Very true," Ginny agreed as she settled against her, once again, running her fingers over his wrist. She gazed at the thin, pale scar, and nuzzled softly against Draco's neck, placing a soft kiss just over his pulse. Draco's eyes fluttered closed and he held her tighter, not saying a word. It was best when they were just quiet. The silence was the best time. But Ginny broke it after a while, with a soft question in his ear. "…What was your family like when you were growing up?" Draco gave a slight start at the question, sending Ginny a questioning look. She only returned it, waiting for his answer. He frowned, stealing a glace at Hermione to see if she was listening. She didn't seem to be, eyes intently watching the game.
"…Cold. I learned when I was very young that crying would get me nowhere. I've only cried once since I was 5 years old. …Last summer." He paused a moment to collect his thoughts, closing his eyes as Ginny kissed the corner of his mouth. He unconsciously leaned against her, his head ending up on her shoulder. "My parents didn't even visit me at St. Mungo's. You would think if their only son tried to kill himself that they would at least drop by to see how he was… But they didn't. Didn't even show up to bring me home. They sent one of the house elves." He was vaguely aware of Ginny wrapping her arms around him, and he returned the favor, draping them loosely around her waist. His face burrowed deeper into her shoulder. "I doubt either one of them even held me when I was a baby. I've probably had a nanny since the day I was born. …You have no idea how lucky you are to have a family that you know cares. I would give anything to have grown up like this. Even with six siblings."
"…Before you leave, you'll be part of the family. Especially if Mum has anything to do with it." The pair fell silent as Draco relished in the contact, clutching her close to him as if he never wanted to let go. She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, letting her eyes drift closed.
At one point, Hermione glanced over at them, a small smile appearing on her lips. She looked on as Draco moved just enough to kiss Ginny before returning to his original position. Ginny's lips twitched into a grin, her eyes fluttering open momentarily. They locked with Hermione's, and she grinned wider, closing them again. Hermione made an approving noise and returned her attention to the game, grimacing as Ron took a Quaffle to the stomach. Ugh. She hated this game.
Lalalalalalalalalaaaaaaaaaaa!