Thanks to my beta reader, Sizarie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please read this note before the chapter!!!
Okay, I was flamed the other day, and even though the flames mostly just made me laugh they brought up some points that I would like to clear up before this story goes any farther.
First, some of you have commented that Draco and Ginny are a bit OOC, well, of course they are. If they were exactly like they were in the books, it would be horrible, because in the last book they were thirteen and fourteen. They're 27 and 28 now. Double the age they use to be, so they aren't the same people. However, later on in the story you'll learn about some events that shaped them into the people they are now.
Secondly, about the little voices thing I usually put at the end, they aren't suppose to make fun of any one or offend anyone. They actually have private meanings to me; each number represents something, like a part of my personality. Voice 17 shows up a lot because I'm really into cars, and because I'm very much that kind of person. However, voice 18 always stops us from "stealing a car" because I would never do that. I'm not going to explain it all, but if you don't like the voices, just don't read them.
Lastly, I know the story is a bit confusing right now, but that's just part of how I write sometimes. I start off confusing and try to clear everything up by about the fourth chapter or so. Then I start to throw in plot twists. ::shrugs:: I just felt like writing this story a bit confusing so it wasn't completely obvious.
Now, this note has gone on MUCH to long, so please go and read the chapter! Tell me what you think when you're done! Oh, and one last note to my flamers, if you don't like my work please don't read it, because I'm never going to stop writing. I love writing with all my soul.
Two days later, Ginny found herself standing on the porch of a HUGE mansion. Jean-Pierre had kept his word and gotten her an interview with Drake Manston. She rang the doorbell.
"COMING!" Yelled a young voice from inside.
"NO JEWEL! I WANT TO GET IT!"
"I'M GETTING IT!"
"NOT IF I GET THERE FIRST!"
There was a rumble of pounding feet before two children; probably about ten years old flung the door open. At first glance they just looked like two kids, at second glance you realized they were twins.
The boy had black silky hair that fell to his jaw, and was cut with an un-natural straightness. He had grayish-blue eyes and pale skin. He was about average sized for ten or eleven years old. The girl had silvery blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders, and was cut just as straight as her twin's. She had eyes exactly like her brother's, and was the same size. Both of them were wearing designer spring robes, in green, and they each had a silver earring that was a tiny serpent that dangled about an inch. The girl had a silver stud in her other ear.
"Yes?" Asked the boy. "Are you here to see our dad?"
Ginny started to nod, but paused, she wasn't sure who these kids were. "I'm here for an interview with Drake Manston."
The two looked puzzled. They looked at each other, as if the name was familiar and they were trying to place it. Suddenly the girls face lit up. "Oh, I know who that is, Aquilus! That's Dad's name in the fashion industry!" She turned to Ginny, "Come on in! I'm Jewel and this is my brother Aquilus. We'll go get Dad for you right now!"
Ginny stepped into the house, and the door closed itself behind her. "Thank you." She said to them, but discovered she was only talking to air; they were already running up the grand staircase that stood at the far end of the room.
Sighing to herself, she looked around before spotting a bench, and went over to sit on it while she waited.
"Hey 'Quill, did she look familiar to you?" Jewel asked her brother as they ran through one of the many halls in their house.
Aquilus nodded. "Yeah, I can't think where I've seen her before though. Did she tell us her name?"
"No, I forgot to ask. Maybe once Dad sees her he'll know where we've seen her before. If she has something to do with the fashion world, we might have seen a picture of her somewhere."
"Could be. Come on, let's hurry. I want to find Dad so we can go back to working on our project."
Ginny looked up as she heard feet approaching. Three sets by the sound of it. The twins appeared first, followed by a tall man, with silver-blonde hair. She began to stand up and walk over to greet him when she froze. There was no way! It couldn't be!
Ginny gasped. The figure of Draco Malfoy stopped rigid. The twins looked from adult to adult in confusion. Their dad was standing half way down the stairs looking like someone had just frozen the very blood in his veins, and the lady looked as though someone dead had just come back to life. Aquilus figured it out first. Turning to his twin he mouthed the word, 'desk'. At first she looked confused but then understanding dawned on her. They knew where they had seen the lady before. There was a framed picture of her in the top drawer of Draco's desk.
Draco felt like someone had just cursed him. Ginny was standing in the main hall of his house. HIS Gin was standing mere meters away from him, after eleven years of not seeing her. He watched as her eyes shifted to the twins, with a calculating. He could tell she was taking in their age, her eyes moved back to his, and he saw the conclusion she had come to on her face.
No! He screamed in his mind. It's not what you think!
But he couldn't get his voice to work; he couldn't explain.
Ginny felt an icy flood wash over her. He had left her eleven years ago. He had twin children that were ten or eleven. He had refused to tell her why he was leaving.
It felt like someone had twisted a knife in her heart. Stabbed a dagger through her soul. She met his eyes coldly.
"Hello Draco."
Draco swallowed noisily. "G-Gin. It's not like you-"
She glared. "I don't want to hear it."
"But you don't understand. I adopted-"
Ginny was boiling with rage. "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" She turned away from him, "I can't believe you did this! I can't believe I've been trying to get over you for the past decade when you had cheated on me!"
Draco moved slowly down the stairs, afraid that any sudden movements would cause her to run. "Gin, please don't yell. I'll explain, just calm down for a second."
She didn't answer.
But, she also didn't yell or run away, he noted. Keeping his eyes on her, as if they could
hold her to her spot he called over his shoulder: "Jewel, Aquilus, could you
leave for a minute?"
For the first time the twins didn't protest but just quietly backed out of the
room. Once they were gone a heavy
silence settled upon them.
Finally Draco broke it. "I was their legal guardian; their uncle." Her eyes stayed cold. "I never even looked at another girl when I was with you Gin. Their parents died and I got responsibility for them that day I left Hogwarts, in my seventh year."
Please, oh please let her understand. Let her at least believe me. That thought kept running round in his head as he steadily moved closer to her, his voice soft and soothing.
"Voldemort killed Cassandra and Sean. I was the only one who could take them without putting them in danger. I took them, and with my mother, hid in Australia for two years; until we felt all the threats towards them were gone or to weak to get near them." He paused here for a moment. Looking deep in her eyes he added, "I never cheated on you, Gin. I meant what I said that day."
Ginny didn't know what to say; by the time he was done talking they stood barely a foot apart. Could it be true? If it was, why hadn't he contacted her? He said he came back after two years, why didn't he come to her?
Oh, she wished he would stop looking at her like that! His gaze was so powerful; penetrating. It made it hard to think about anything else. The opal-gray eyes were just as she remembered. She never had been able to stand up to him when he gazed at her; it left her breathless, almost like she was drowning.
"Gin," he whispered, lifting a hand up to caress her cheek. She leaned into it, the icy warmth so familiar and foreign at the same time. A half faded memory that had been tucked away for years.
She couldn't speak. But her eyes spoke volumes for her, and his answered. For a timeless moment neither moved, the hearts beat as one, and forgotten feelings resurfaced. Then slowly, as if in a daze, he leant forward his hand moving under her chin to lift her face. He kissed her.
A dam broke inside Draco the moment their lips touched. Tears from eleven years of heartache fell down his cheek and mingled with hers in their kiss. It was a sweet kiss, made bitter by the tears, their lips were barely touching and the only other part of them in contact was his hand under her chin. It was perfect in it's agony.
Ginny felt herself breaking. Every little piece of her was being torn apart. Her memories, her emotions, her thoughts, they all seemed to be flying off in different directions. She was so confused. What was going on? They hadn't seen each other in over a decade and then suddenly it was like they were at Hogwarts again, but they weren't teenagers anymore. She had a career, a life, even on-again-off-again boyfriends. Why had she reacted the way she did? What did it matter if he HAD cheated on her? For that matter, was she really sure he hadn't? HE HAD TWINS!
Tears poured from her eyes in a torrent. They lips moved in a secret waltz, and the hand under her chin seemed to burn her very skin with its ice.
She pulled back.
He looked at her with those eyes again, a thousand emotions flickering across them faster than she could read them. She opened her mouth, her voice cracked. "D-Draco…" The word hung between them like an invisible barrier.
She couldn't take it anymore. Before he could stop her she had whirled around and ran out the door. She was just so confused.
Have you ever felt your heart healAnd break all in the same moment.
You love and hate;
He's both ally and opponent.
His eyes lock you up
While you fly far away.
His touch soothes you soul
Like waves crashing on a bay.
It's painful and refreshing;
Hurting nice.
There is nothing to describe it,
It's your fire and your ice.
Well, that's all for now. I think this chappy was a bit shorter than my others so I'll try to make the next one longer. Sorry about the wait for it!
Oh, and because I forgot to say it before! I love you guys! You brought me to my 100 review mark! ::swoons:: And Pen Pal just hit 700!!! ::faints::
Voice 17: Uhhh, she'll be out of it for a while, so I'll say good-bye! Have a nice day and don't forget to review! (and steal a car!)
Voice 18: ::Hits him on the head with a mallet::