Chapter 13
"Draco, darling, can you open your eyes for Mum?" Draco groaned as he opened his eyes slightly. "There you go, drink this." Draco let his eyes close again as Narcissa held a cup to his lips. He drank it reluctantly, as it tasted like rotten milk, but immediately started to feel better. "Come on, sit up." Draco allowed his mother to prop him up against the headboard.
"Morning." Draco smirked as Narcissa gave her son a stern look.
"You had to talk back to him, didn't you?"
"I'm not going to give in to what he wants. It starts with not smarting off to him and it ends with my becoming a Death Eaters. So, yes, I did have to talk back to him." Narcissa sighed heavily and sat down next to Draco on the bed.
"Draco ... I just want –"
"I know Mum, I'm sorry. I'll try and keep it better in check next time. Don't worry about me okay? You should be worrying about yourself." Narcissa smiled at Draco and ran her hands through his hair affectionately.
"I'll always worry about you. I'm your mother, that's what I do." Draco rolled his eyes but smiled. "Don't be angry with me, but Ginny sent you an owl. The owl wouldn't leave until I opened it, so I had to." Draco's expression darkened.
"What did it say?"
"She thought something was wrong with you ... that Lucius was hurting you. She was right of course, that was just after I had gone down to get you. I don't know how she knew." Narcissa stared out the window, waiting patiently for her son's reaction, which she knew would take a while. Draco had been taught to hide his emotions, so now that he had started showing them to his mother, it took him a while to sort out what exactly his emotions were.
"I felt like she was there, Mum. That's how I lasted so long ... I know she wasn't, but it felt like she was." Draco shook his head and Narcissa stared at him with a curious expression on her face.
"I wonder ..."
"What?" Narcissa cocked an eyebrow and smiled.
"I need to go check on something in my Study, get some sleep darling. Oh, by the way, I sent Ginny an owl telling her you would be okay, but you might want to send her something a little more explanatory." Draco nodded, but before he could ask what she was checking on, his mother had left the room. He reached over to his nightstand and pulled a quill, ink bottle, and a piece of parchment out of the drawer.
The Burrow
"Where's Ginny?"
"Shh! Mum!" Charlie whispered angrily as he shut the door softly behind him. Molly Weasley was standing in the hallway just outside his room; he took her by the arm and led her away from the door. Once they were in the kitchen, he sat down at the table. "She had a rough night ... I let her sleep in my room. Please don't wake her up yet."
"What do you mean she had a rough night?"
"There's a lot of stuff going on in her life right now and she had a little bit of a break down. She's fine now, just let it go, Mum." Charlie gratefully took the cup of tea his mother handed him and started blowing into it to cool it off.
"How am I supposed to let a statement like that go, Charles? Why would Ginny be having a break down?"
"Mum! In case you haven't noticed, which I know you haven't, there's a lot going on in her life that she doesn't tell us. I've gotten her to confide in me and I'm not going to risk that by telling the whole bloody family! It's nothing serious and she's fine now! I handled it, so can we please just let it go?" Charlie sighed and started to read the Daily Prophet, which had just been dropped on the table by Erol. (A/N: too lazy to look up the real spelling ... I hope that's it)
"I just want her to be my little girl again, Charlie."
"I'm sorry for the reality check, but she's not Mum. She stopped being your little girl a long time ago, you just didn't notice." Molly sighed sharply and turning away from her son, starting to make breakfast. Charlie shook his head and left the kitchen; he started back up to his room to fetch a book. When he got there he found Ginny, sitting up on the bed, stretching. "Morning, sunshine." Ginny looked up and smiled at her brother. "Feeling better?"
"A little bit."
"Narcissa sent an owl, last night, just after you fell asleep. Lucius was hurting Draco ... but he's going to be fine." Ginny sighed as tears started to well up in her eyes again. "Come on, little one. Please don't cry, everything's okay." Charlie sat down next to Ginny and enveloped her in a tight hug.
"I know, Charlie. I'm just ... scared is all. Scared for him. And a little bit scared as to why I knew what was happening from all the way over here ... bloody hell this is all just so ..."
"Scary?" Charlie chuckled as Ginny sighed and nodded. "This is going to sound really stupid, but you have to try and let it go. There's nothing you can do for him except be supportive and all that. In regards to how you knew ... I have no bloody idea, sorry. But it could just be some freak coincidence thing."
"I doubt it."
"Yeah, you're probably right, but that's not for you to worry about now. I say we wake everyone up and start a snowball fight." Ginny smiled brightly at her brother; Weasley snowball fights could put Dementors in a better mood.
"I'll get dressed and meet you in Ron's room. Bring a bucket of snow and we'll ... wake him up!" Ginny laughed a mock evil laugh and bounded off to her room. Charlie shook his head, smiling.
Three Hours Later
"All of you! Get inside now! You'll catch your deaths, I'm serious! Don't make me come out there!" Mrs. Weasley waved a wooden spoon threateningly at her five children. They all groaned and started to trudge back towards the house. Every inch of every one of them was soaking wet. However, they were all smiling from ear to ear as well. Mrs. Weasley gave them all the once over and sighed her disapproval. "You Charles Weasley, are the cause of all this! You'd better get them dry, or you'll be dealing with me tonight when I have five sick children in my house!" She waved the spoon at him several times before turning and walking back to the stove. Charlie chuckled and started for the living room, his siblings following.
"That was brilliant! Ginny you've got some arm on you, how come I got the short end of the genetic proverbial hockey stick?" George, Ron, Charlie, and Ginny simultaneously raised an eyebrow at their brother and then burst out laughing. "Well I'm sorry that I'm too refined for you common folk," Fred continued, sniffing pompously. His brothers and sister broke out into another round of rib splitting laughter.
"Charles Michael Weasley! What did I tell you?!"
"Sorry, Mum." Charlie shrugged his shoulders and dug a rather damp wand out of his pocket. He performed a couple quick drying spells and they all sat down in various places around the living room. Ginny grabbed a quilt from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders as she sat down on the couch. The twins sat down on either side of her, their body heat doing wonders at keeping her skinny body warm.
"So I heard you got a new Chaser?" Charlie settled into the cushy hunter green armchair opposite the couch.
"Yeah, she's bloody brilliant! Mattie, Harry's girlfriend, but only since the Halloween Ball."
"Harry's going out with her?" George sat up straight.
"We didn't know that!" Fred shook his head fervently.
"Don't hurt yourself, Fred." Ginny put her hands on either side of Fred's face, forcing him to stop shaking it and avoid more brain damage.
"What?! The Terrible Two not knowing the latest gossip? I'm shocked ... I'm appalled ... I congratulate whatever girls they are that have you this whipped." Charlie smiled cheekily at the twins, who in turn blushed the color of their hair and threw a few pillows at him, which he easily avoided.
"It's Angelina Johnson for Fred, and Alicia Spinnet for George," Ginny announced. The twins turned and glared at her. "OH puh-lease! Even Ron knows and he's like ... socially inept!"
"Hey, I resent that!"
"I would hope so ... anywho! What are they like?" Charlie chuckled at Ron's outraged expression and turned to Ginny.
"Angelina's really fun ... she's super outgoing. Let's just say I've caught her and Fred 'cleaning' out some broom closets recently." Ginny smiled evilly as the tips of Fred's ears turned bright red.
"Fred! I'm in shock! You know that broom closets aren't the choice spot ... bloody hell man I told you that on your first day of Hogwarts!"
"Charlie!" Now it was Ginny's turn to throw a pillow at her brother, who allowed it to hit him squarely in the face and shrugged. "Anywho, Alicia's really quiet, perfect for our George here." George raised an eyebrow at his sister, who giggled. "But she's nice."
"And what about our little Ronniekins here?" Ron turned and glared at Ginny, Fred, and George, as if daring them to say anything. His ears were already as red as could be, so Ginny decided there wouldn't be any harm in telling the truth.
"He's got 'Mione of course! What are you smoking?"
"Apparently not enough! I'd forgotten about Hermione! She's cute ... it took you this long to get together?! Come on now Ron! That's disgraceful." Ron glared daggers at the floor as his face turned the color of his hair. "Just kidding, Naldo." Ron rolled his eyes at his brother's favorite nickname. When Ron was 5 his favorite book (yes, he liked books at that age, but only when someone was reading to him and only adventure books), involved a character named Ronaldo. Ron pleaded with his mother to change his name, but she obviously refused. So Charlie, who thought the whole spectacle was absolutely hilarious, started calling Ron "Naldo".
"And what about you Charlie?" Fred wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Charlie laughed heartily. Ginny rolled her eyes; Charlie would never get married, bloody hell he didn't even like dating, that was a known fact.
"Yeah right, Naldo. We all know Charlie's going to live to a ripe old age as a cranky bachelor." Charlie raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. He did a cranky old bachelor impression, making everyone laugh. Lucky for Ginny, just as the situation was about to turn to her, Molly called them all into the kitchen for lunch.
Malfoy Manor
"I'm sorry, my lord. He refuses ... he won't even respond to torture."
"We will find something that will make him give in ... but I don't have time for it now, we have more important things to do. As you very well know, Lucius. However, as soon as the Black agents are finished with their current duties, send them to Hogwarts. We will find his weakness, no need to worry my child." Lucius bowed low before turning and quickly exiting the room. Voldemort smiled maliciously as the door closed with a soft click; Draco Malfoy would be the finest Death Eater this world had ever seen. If things went according to plan, which they would of course, he would be so much more than a Death Eater ... in time he would be an heir.
A/N: dun dun DUN! That little tid bit at the end ... well it was a whim and I think it turned out nicely, don't you? How did you all like it? I was too much of a lazy ass to go into details on the snowball fight. That and jealousy took over ... I haven't had a proper snowball fight in like 5 years. Mike! You owe me a snowball fight when I get to Chicago! ANYWHO! How did you like it? Too fluffy? Too dark? You tell me!
CC: Thank you much, how'd you like this one?
MoonlightPrincess: Yes, he can sing! Charlie is like ... perfect! He's my favorite character right now. I might have him visit Hogwarts just because I can't stand the thought of not writing him!
MzSammiz: Mucho thanko!
HarryPotterFan670: Yay! So glad you liked it! I'm flattered that I'm on your alerts! How did you like this chapter? Hopefully it lived up to expectations?
CoolMilena: Thank you, thank you! How did you like this chapter?
PaintedSecrets: omg! I'm so sorry! I was writing two different chapters/two different author notes at the same time and I got super confused. So so so sorry! Yes, Lucius is an ass. There's more ass like things coming. I actually did understand the review ... which kind of scares me, o well!
Disclaimer: Okay, here is what you need to write on the inside of your eyelids: Pia O'Leary does not own Harry Potter!