Summary: The tragic death of their daughter has brought the Weasley family to do the unthinkable: bring Ginny back to life. Yet the risen Ginny is no longer the sweet girl they knew and loved. With the help of one Draco Malfoy, she lives the life she was condemned not to live since birth... and learns the ways of the darker side in the Wizarding community.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

Contra Mundum

Chapter Five: The Unexpected
By: Lillian

"Friendship is a single soul sharing two bodies."

-Aristotle

"This was not supposed to happen," she hissed into her husband's ear. Both watched as the disaster before them slowly played out. No, none of them would expect those unmannered Weasleys' to act the way they were acting, especially the men in the group.

"Too soon! It's too soon for them to meet once again! Everything will be for waste if they act hastily." Narcissa's usually calm face showed her worry at the situation. Lucius could do nothing but watch in secret glee, despite his wife's odd attachment to the Weasley girl.

"All the guests are watching, Lucius. All your guests are watching. We don't want this drama to unfold before everyone's eyes, do we Lucius?" Narcissa continued on, her voice lulling him into an almost trancelike state.

"You wicked woman. I hate it when you do that," he whispered softly into her ear. His lips brushed across her powdered cheek. "I shall go save your party, beloved. After that, I will no longer interfere on the game our son and you are playing." She faintly heard him whisper 'minx' before he interrupted the confrontation of the Weasley pack.

Cane in hand, he languidly made his way to the eldest in the group. "Arthur," he drawled out slowly, knowing full well the other man hated it. "And family." He acknowledged the rest of the redheads. "What seems to be… the problem here?" He eyed the family but paid particular attention of the lone girl in the group, dressed superiorly over her relatives. He hated playing referee. Now he understood how the Dark Lord must feel when his Death Eaters squabbled like children.

The tall one, (whatever was his name again? He was in his son's year, that's all he knew.), glared openly at him, making him smirk even more. Ah, the power he held amongst these people, the hate they exuded in their blue and brown eyes…. It just made him shiver in delight.

"None of your business, Malfoy!" the tall boy snarled. His mother then promptly smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! I did not raise you to be disrespectful to your elders," Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Lucius," she said then, using his given name as well.

"Molly," he replied in kind, smirking down at the family. "It has been many years since the House of Weasley attended a ball such as this."

Molly sniffed while Arthur cleared his throat. "We are honored to be in attendance, Lucius," he said diplomatically.

"I'm sure." He scanned the family once again. "You boy," he said lazily. "Ronald I believe." He smirked once again. "I do believe you've been upsetting poor Miss Weasley."

The boy in question had his hands in fists. He was not sure whether it was because his sister was upset at him and not the Malfoys, or the fact that he just called his sister poor. Either way, it was humorous to ruffle up the boy.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," the girl said meekly, staring low at the ground. She remained silent after that, but her fawning relatives grew excited at her speech.

"Does she speak more often now?"

"How long until she can come back to us?"

"Why does she refuse to speak to us?"

"Why?"

"Why!"

"Why."

Why indeed, Lucius thought to himself as he rubbed at his temples. The loud family was all hammering him for answers, answers that he could not give, nor would give willingly. "Enough!" he said. "Any dimwit could see you're scaring the girl."

The family turned back to the girl, who seemed so withdrawn with the people she grew up with all her life.

"Ginevra," Lucius said softly, so only those close by could hear. She looked up from the ground, her eyes suddenly devoid of emotion. It almost made him want to laugh; looking into her dull brown eyes, which would light up at the sight of his son. "Dance with Draco. I'm sure he's been waiting expectantly for you."

He didn't fail to notice the quick smile on the girl's face once he said it. By the looks of the other Weasleys, they didn't seem to notice. It worried him, the hold the Weasley girl was gaining on his family. It seemed only he was free from the girl's chains.

"Narcissa is just right over there, Molly. She can tell you of the girl's progress better than I. The rest of you, I bid you good evening. Enjoy yourselves. Just don't get too cozy," he warned. He eyed several of his comrades. "You never know who just might show up."

Arthur's face turned red, understanding what he was implying. "The aurors—"

"The aurors are here, enjoying the ball," Lucius replied flippantly. "Ah! Minister!" he greeted the other man that quickly approached them. He wore dark purple robes for the occasion, and his cheeks were a merry red flush.

"Fine wine like always! I do enjoy these get-togethers of yours," Minister Fudge said in a half-drunk haze.

"Yes, yes, Minister. Now, about that funding to Azkaban you were talking about earlier…". And just like that, he escaped the glowering faces of the Weasleys. He chanced a glance back at the red haired family and smirked when he saw Molly Weasley approaching his wife.

"Weasley," Draco greeted the small red head who approached his small group of classmates. The group wasn't sure how to act at this new development. A Malfoy, friends with a Weasley? It was unheard of!

Pansy Parkinson, who was always one to protect her property, clutched tightly at Draco's arm. "Drackey-poo, what's a Weasley doing here?" she asked in her annoying high-pitched voice.

Draco winced. "Don't call me that, Pansy, dear. And Miss Weasley is all right. She's not like her goody-two-shoes family."

Crabbe and Goyle nodded dumbly at that answer and went back to sipping their spiked drinks. Blaise Zabini winked flirtatiously at the red head, while quiet Theodore Nott just observed.

"Well then," Draco started. "What is it Weasley?"

Said Weasley fiddled with the fabric of her skirt, unsure of what to say.

Draco sighed. "Would you like to dance, Ginevra? I did promise you one dance, didn't I?"

She nodded. She was oddly silent, unlike her hyper self just a few days before. He freed his arm from Pansy's grasp and led the youngest Weasley to the dance floor.

"What's wrong?" he asked once other dancing couples surrounded them. "Not like I care or anything," he quickly added.

She smiled impishly at him, her past sadness evaporating from her face. "Oh, just this." She went up on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She pulled back and grinned when she saw his shocked face. They had long stopped dancing. She looked away from Draco's handsome face to the sound of a loud stampede. She raised an eyebrow when she saw what, or more specifically who, was causing the noise.

"Why the hell you do that for?" Draco hissed. He was looking at another direction, into the eyes of an upset Pansy Parkinson.

"Oh bugger. My brother is making his way over here," Ginny said.

Draco snorted. "Same thing with Pansy. Shall we escape their evil clutches and run off to the library?"

Ginny looked at the red-faced Weasley. "Oh yes, let's run for our lives!"

Draco took her hand, and the both of them managed to avoid the two angry teenagers amongst the crowd. Ginevra Weasley laughed all the way to the library, showing her lively emotion to those who were willing to see. She never felt so alive in her life before. It almost made her forget that she ever was dead when she was with Draco. Almost….