Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Stayin' Alive, sung by the Bee Gees
Nerves
Whether you're a mother or whether you're a brother
I'm stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking
I'm stayin' alive, stayin' alive
-- Stayin' alive, Bee Gees
"I can't do this!"
"Yes, you can."
Ginny groaned, plopping herself down on the bed, burying her face in a sensible cotton pillow.
Hermione flipped through the dresses hanging in Ginny's closet, picking out ones she thought were suitable. "Gin, look at these – which ones do you want to wear?"
When Ginny didn't respond, Hermione tore the pillow off her face, shoving a few dresses in her arms and pointed toward the bathroom, looking shockingly like Professor McGonagall every single time she was giving someone a detention.
In the bathroom, Ginny stared at the clothes, not seeing them, but thinking about Narcissa Malfoy. It wasn't much that Draco asked her to meet his mother, was it? It wasn't like she had done the same. She smiled weakly as she remembered his reaction.
"Draco?"
"Yeah?" he said, turning her around within the circle of his arms. Ginny swallowed, she hated shattering the peace between them, especially after all the chaos of the day before.
"My, um, parents want, um, you to – they want us, um, " She took a deep breath and finished quickly, "us-to-have-dinner-with-them-on-Saturday."
"And your brothers?"
Ginny looked at him strangely. Why on earth was he so calm?
"Yeah, they're going to be there."
Draco stomach lurched at the thought of her brothers. "Do I have to?"
"Yeah."
"Can't this wait?" Draco ran a hand through his hair.
Ginny sprang out of Draco's lap. "That's what I said to you that one day when you practically coerced me to go to your mother's palace!" She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. She wasn't really that mad at Draco. "What do you say about that?"
Draco drawled, "I would have to say that you look absolutely beautiful when you're mad," and ducked when Ginny swung at him, laughing.
"Ginny?"
"GINNY!"
Ginny looked at the door, which Hermione was pounding on. "Yeah?"
"Gin, you only have three more hours till he's coming to pick you up." For some strange reason, Hermione thought it would actually take that long to get ready. "For Heaven's sakes, just put on a dress and let me see it."
"Alright, be out in a minute." She grabbed on of the dresses and looked at it. It was one that Seamus had liked. Some taste he had. Now that she looked at it again, it seemed stiff and overly formal, it's high neckline contrasting obscenely with the fluttery sleeves.
Tossing it somewhere behind her, she picked up the next dress, something gauzy and light. She tugged it on anyway, and opened the door.
Hermione stood there, a bag clutched in her hand. She scrutinized Ginny.
"It looks good, but it's winter. Why did I give you that anyway? It looks like something you'd wear to a summer picnic."
She pushed Ginny back inside with instructions to 'change into one of those nice evening gowns'. Ginny looked at the two gowns. They were nice, made out of some kind of glimmering material, perhaps silk. One was a brilliant crimson, the other, a deep green.
Ginny remembered this gown, the dark green one. She had just been passing by a store a day about a week after Seamus had left her, not even noting where she was going. At that time, she was dead to the world, living on ice cream and soap operas in her frightfully messy flat. But the gown had caught her eye, and on a whim, she tried it on and bought it. She had never worn it, and it was basically a dust collector in her closet.
Until now.
Hermione had left after making sure Ginny looked great and giving her a pep talk on how to deal with 'your boyfriend's mother'. Ginny couldn't see how Hermione could have experience in such matters, as she had known her boyfriend's mother since she was a teenager.
When Draco first saw Ginny, his eyes opened wide. He hadn't seen that particular gown before. Of course, it wasn't really a surprise, since their dates now normally didn't require such formal wear. Considering that he was simply wearing what he usually would to a business meeting, Draco looked good. Only Draco could wear a very normal looking shirt, tie, and pants that could emphasize how slender and god-like he looked.
"Hey, stranger."
"You got that out of a movie." Ginny accused, laughing and momentarily forgetting her nervousness.
"So I did." He kissed her hand, mimicking something out of Victorian times. "You're looking quite Slytherin-like today. Trying to impress my mother?"
"No, but if it did, I wouldn't mind."
When Draco took her hand and started for the stairway however, Ginny felt the butterflies cavorting in her stomach once again. She stopped in her tracks.
"Alright, Ginevra?" Draco's forehead furrowed in concern.
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. "Fine, fine."
The two flights of steps leading down to the lobby were far to short a time for Ginny, who was inwardly trying to turn time backwards.
Draco sensed her uneasiness as he straightened her up after they both apparated to the Malfoy Manor.
"Ginevra, my mother is really a nice lady. You'll like her."
Ginny nodded shakily. It didn't help that the manor was huge, looming out from the darkness. She was trying her best to suppress the urge to run far far away as Draco rang the doorbell.
Ginny was startled to see that it was not a house elf, butler, or maid that answered the door, but Narcissa Malfoy herself, tall and willowly. Even more shocking was that warmth that radiated from her, even though she looked so different from Ginny's own plump mother.
She kissed Draco on the cheek and turned to Ginny with a sincere smile.
"Ginny Weasley, I presume?" Narcissa's blue eyes were kind.
Ginny nodded, and then found her voice. "Yes, Mrs. Malfoy."
"Don't be so formal with me, dear. Call me Narcissa."
"Alright, Mrs. – er – Narcissa."
Draco smirked and whispered in her ear as they were ushered to the dining room. "See? What did I tell you?"
Ginny only had time to shoot him a piercing look before Narcissa started speaking once more.
"So how is your family, Ginny?"
"Big, as always."
Narcissa laughed softly. "How many brothers do you have, Ginny? Four, was it?"
Draco's snorted as Ginny said, "No, six."
Narcissa's eyes widened. "Seven children? Your mother must have the patience of a saint. Draco here was already a handful, and he's my only child." Ginny nodded in reply as Narcissa continued. "Not that Lucius wanted more children. One heir, and that was it for him."
Ginny was amazed at the light-hearted tone Narcissa could use when speaking of her traitorous late husband. It probably took an incredible amount of self-control on Narcissa's part, something that was probably inherited by her only son.
They reached the dinning room. Ginny could only stand still in wonder. If she had not known better, it could have been a ballroom: the high arched ceiling, the sparkling chandelier, and the shinny marble floor.
Draco looked at Ginny, trying to memorize her face. "It's nice, isn't it?" he stated proudly, sounding like he was back at Hogwarts fighting with Ron again.
Ginny turned to Draco. "You'll never deflate that head, will you?" She chuckled.
"Never. But you like me this way." That was not a question.
"Of course, pretty boy."
"Draco darling, stop teasing Ginny."
The food was equally elegant and diverse. Ginny had never seen so many different dishes on a table for a mere three people. It was such a different environment from the one Ginny had grown up in. Ginny was used to not getting hand-me-downs from her brothers, or not getting anything at all. The dinner table was always full and noisy. Here all that could be heard was a faint classical music that placed in the background, the soft clink of cutlery, and the three people talking. Draco had grown up with an assurance and confidence of his place in life, bathed in power and money.
Yet his father had not loved him as Draco, but rather as an heir, Ginny realized.
Draco nudged her.
"I'm sorry, yes?" Ginny smiled at Narcissa.
"It's alright, dear. I just asked you how you met Draco."
Ginny shot a look at Draco that clearly meant 'couldn't you have answered that?' but responded. "Actually, we first met in front of my matchmaking service. I crashed into Draco."
"Really? You don't happen to run Soul Mates, do you?"
"Actually, mother, she does. I couldn't find anyone there when I signed up and got mad at her." The couple continued their story, finishing each other's sentences in a very endearing way.
Narcissa inwardly congratulated herself on leaving the Daily Prophet where Draco could find it that day she told him she was dying. When am I going to tell him I'm not dying? Narcissa wondered. But she pushed that thought away. Ginny Weasley was certainly a lovely young woman, despite the unusual conditions that they had met.
"Wait till I show you Draco's baby pictures, they're absolutely adorable."
Ginny smiled sweetly at Draco, who looked uncomfortable at the mere mention of baby pictures.
"Mother, must you really, I'm sure Ginevra doesn't want – "
"Nonsense, Draco, " turning to Ginny, she added, "You do want to see them, right?"
"Of course."
Draco growled at Ginny.
Draco and Ginny left much later than expected. After dinner, Narcissa had got out the pictures as promised, ignoring Draco, who practically choked on his tea.
Ginny was still laughing when Narcissa kissed her cheek at the doorway. Draco stood stiffly while Narcissa did the same to him.
"Stop pouting, darling. I'm sure Ginny enjoyed herself."
"It was embarrassing." Draco muttered.
Narcissa sniffed at Draco's behavior but waved as they walked down the steps. "Come back often, both of you!"
"Your mother's nice."
"Told you." Draco smirked.
"Don't be like that."
"I will if I want to." His eyes glimmered mischievously.
"You're just upset that I saw you playing with rubber dragons in the bathtub and sleeping with a teddy bear."
It hadn't lasted. "Yeah, whatever."
They walked in a comfortable silence toward the front gate, holding hands.
"You know, she didn't used to be like that."
"Hm?"
"Like how she is now, all motherly and – "
"Human. More human."
"Yeah, like she wasn't human. She didn't show any emotion with…with my father around. I knew she loved me, but she hardly showed it. Always cold and stuffy, her nose up in the air." Only a few precious memories…
"You used to be like that too."
His eyes met hers and knew that she was right. How many times had he made fun of the Weasley family? But suddenly he felt defensive. How many times did he have to hide his jealousy and anger?
"I had a good reason."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Like what?" she challenged.
"My father."
A stolen childhood.
Expectations.
Pain.
Failure.
His eyes still held hers, and behind the shield he had put up, she could sense something else. In a way, it was something that she had felt the past three years. Something insecure, something filled with pain.
Longing.
Longing for a family. Not power, not money. Love.
Ginny gripped his hand tighter as they apparated back home.
Redemption.
"Ginevra, tell me about your brothers."
"You knew them at Hogwarts, you know."
"But I don't know anything besides the fact that you have a million of them and their all red haired and extremely hot-headed." Draco mumbled.
Ginny hit Draco lightly on the shoulder and he pretended to fall down.
"Draco! Be serious."
"I am serious."
"Anyway, Ron is has the worst temper."
Draco smirked. "I already knew that."
"Don't make fun of Hermione or the Chudley Cannons because he'll probably kill you. And I will be very angry and you don't want me angry." Draco's smirk disappeared. "Fred and George, they'll joke around but don't eat what ever they give you." Draco definitely remembered the disastrous fifth year with those candies that made you sick for a short time. "Percy is alright, just don't insult him or anything."
"Insult him with what?"
"His cauldron bottoms. For some reason he's obsessed with them again."
Draco had a sudden vision of a red head poking out from a cauldron. "Okay, no insulting Percy."
"Right. Charlie and Bill are both older, so they're not as judgmental, though they really disliked your father."
Draco groaned. "Tell me more."
"Boys, I fully expect you to behave when Ginny and Mr. Malfoy get here."
The Weasley brothers groaned loudly, except for Bill, who was tickling his son.
"But mum – "
"We created the perfect – "
"Shut up Fred!"
Mumbling came from Fred, who was still trying to shout through his twin's hand.
"MUM – "
"I mean it boys, no teasing, no pranks, " Here she shot a look at Fred and George, who were trying to look innocent, "and no threats! Your father and I will be the judge of him. Go and set the table. And clean up the living room!"
"Why isn't Ginny here anyway?" Percy asked, attempting to dust the mantle and knocking over an antique vase.
"What do you mean?" Charlie responded, catching the vase in midair and setting it carefully out of the way.
"Gin could just tell Malfoy to come here, right? It's not like he'll get lost when he's apparating." Fred said, flourishing his wand and making two plates drop on the floor.
Ron snorted. "Who knows? He's probably too stupid to – ouch. Hermione!"
Hermione waved her wand at the shattered plates. "Be nice." She turned to Percy. "Gin lives in the flat under Malfoy's, so it's reasonable for them to come together."
Everyone's jaw dropped, even Ron, who had forgotten that tiny detail.
"WHAT?"
"MUM!"
Molly came back from the kitchen. "Fleur, just stir that for a minute and – boys, are you arguing already? He's not even here yet."
"DID YOU KNOW THAT MALFOY LIVES IN THE BLOODY FLAT ABOVE GIN'S?"
"Don't swear, dear. Oh, really? That would explain how they met, wouldn't it?"
"MUM!"
"Hush. Stop making a racket or you won't get desert."
Everyone immediately shut up.
"Tell me – "
"Draco, stop worrying."
"I'm not worried." Draco said indignantly.
"Yeah, and I'm a mermaid." Ginny retaliated.
"I have to worry. Your brothers are probably going to kill me as soon as I walk through the door."
"Nonsense. Mum doesn't like blood on the floor."
"So they'll kill me outside."
"This is coming from the person who kept telling me that his mother was not scary. I could be laughing at you right now." Already outside the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, they walked along the road leading up to the Burrow.
Draco retorted, "Yeah, but I never laughed at you before, so you can't laugh at me."
"You were all 'I told you so' though."
"It's not laughing."
"You're impossible."
"Thank you."
Ginny tried to lighten things up. "Plus, you have a great butt. They can't possibly kill you."
"Ginevra, I'm pretty sure none of your brothers swing that way."
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"Is it true?" Draco couldn't help asking.
Ginny scoffed, "Your head's big enough."
"It's true then." Draco puffed out his chest in pride.
"Yes, you have a cute butt. We're here now." Ginny rang the doorbell.
Draco gulped.
It was very noisy. People were crowding around the door and Draco felt slightly claustrophobic. The house wasn't that bad – it wasn't a pigsty; it was just so different from the manor he had grown up in. The manor was lovely, there was no doubt about it, but as he stepped over the threshold with Ginny, the Burrow looked like a home.
Molly greeted them just as warmly. "Hello Gin, Draco." She kissed both of them on the cheek and gave them both big hugs.
"Hello Mrs. Weasley."
"Mum – " The next thing Draco knew she was gone. "CHARLIE!"
Draco saw her leap into a tall red haired boy's arms.
"Charlie! I haven't seen you in FOREVER!"
"Nice to see you too, Gin. If you recall, I saw you just a few months ago."
"It was a few too many months." Ginny laughed.
"Hey Malfoy, I'm Bill." Bill shook his hand, perhaps a gripping a little harder than what was customary. Draco chose to ignore it and respond civilly
"Ginevra's told me about you. Your wife is Fleur, correct?"
Bill couldn't even answer before he was interrupted. "So, Mr. Malfoy, is this palace to your liking?" Ron provoked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
"Well Weasley, I wasn't going to mention anything, but now that you bring it up – "
"Draco!"
"What? Ginevra, he started – "
"Honestly, you two are so immature."
"Granger."
"Malfoy."
"We have our eyes on you Malfoy. Never forget it."
"Reckon we should slip something in his pumpkin juice?"
"Nah, wait till they – " He was stopped by Hermione's elbow in his ribs. "Ow, that hurt, Hermione."
Draco and Ginny didn't notice anything at the other side of the fairly large table.
"What is it that you do, Draco?"
"I run a business dealing with racing broomsticks, Malfoy Enterprises."
"Is it doing well?"
These questions are quite tedious, but they're better than threats, Draco thought, as he looked at the Weasley brothers. "Yes Mr. Weasley, it's doing well and has been for quite some time."
"Really?"
Next to him, Molly was asking Ginny how she met Draco.
"He signed up for my matchmaking service."
Molly's eyes widened. "You started dating him then?"
"No!" Bill started snickering and whispered something to Fleur, who giggled. "I mean – it's kind of a long story, actually."
"So when did you start dating?"
"Around New Years."
Charlie cut in. "Does this have anything to do with that mysterious Christmas present you got?"
"Actually, yes." Ginny blushed.
Across from them, Harry sat, looking at Ginny's red face. Merlin's name, she must really like him. He picked at his food. It was ironic…
"What do you make of it?"
"What?" Harry turned to face Ron.
Ron tilted his chin at Draco and Ginny. "Them. Malfoy and Ginny."
"Okay, I guess, if Gin's really that happy."
Hermione scrutinized Harry's face. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. It's great, actually, that she's back into the scheme of things."
"But – " She was cut off by everyone moving away from the table.
Fred and George made their way toward the trio.
"Come on, it's – "
"Now or never."
"What are you two talking about?"
"Gin and Malfoy have to leave soon so – "
"We better give him a brotherly talk soon."
"As in now."
"Oh." Ron's eyes widened. "Let's do it." He brushed Hermione's protests of 'Ron! Your mother specifically told you not to do something like this' off with a casual wave of the hand and called back, "What kind of brother would I be if I didn't do this?" while Fred replied with, "When have we ever listened to her?"
Despite Hermione and Fleur's attempts to steer her away from what was going on, Ginny knew her brothers well enough to know that they would not let Draco go without a talking to.
"Oh, boys?" Ginny called innocently.
Draco, who was being frog marched from the kitchen toward the hallway, turn around and looked hopefully at Ginny.
"No Draco, I'm not 'saving' you," and his face fell, "but I do I do expect him back in one piece. Go easy on this one, I kind of like him." She laughed and went to the living room with Hermione and Fleur.
Molly was in there. She set a cup of tea in front of Ginny.
"He's a wonderful boy. Very mannerly and polite. Not at all like his father."
"I know."
"Well, mate, you know what's coming." Bill said, and deposited him on the stairway.
"This is our baby sister you're dating." Percy started pompously.
Fred rolled his eyes and pushed Percy out of the way. "The bottom line is that – "
George finished the thought for him. " – we don't want Gin to get hurt."
"Neither do I." Draco defended himself.
"She's been hurt before, and it was lucky that Seamus left for Ireland, that slimy git." Ron gritted his teeth. "Or we would have torn him apart."
Charlie was more mature than his younger brothers. "Mum obviously likes you and I think Dad has interrogated you enough so that he finds you satisfactory."
Ron growled. "He better be, or we'll kill you and dump what's left of you in Antarctica." He smiled sadistically at that thought.
Draco looked at the only other man in the room that had not spoken yet. Harry stood there, his piercing green eyes focused on Draco.
"Were you a Death Eater, Malfoy?" It was whispered, but everyone fell silent.
Draco rolled up the sleeve of his left hand to the elbow. There was no mark, not even the faint metallic mark that still resided on former Death Eaters, most of which were in Azkaban. It was an answer enough.
"So it was you." Harry breathed.
The Weasley brothers shifted uncomfortably. What was going on? No one knew.
Draco stood up from his perch on the steps. "We'll talk about that sometime later."
"So did you have a nice time? My brothers weren't too harsh on you, right?"
"No, I dealt with them. I wasn't even scared." Draco proclaimed loudly.
"You looked like a little boy who was about to wet his pants."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did no – "
They were at Ginny's doorway, and Draco had kissed her hard to make her be quiet, his hands running through her wavy hair, her hands playing with the hairs on the nape of his neck.
When they broke apart Ginny pouted, her mouth red from kissing. "That was cheating."
"But you loved it anyway." Draco smirked, lowering his head to kiss her once more.
Author's Notes: whew...that was long. My longest chapter yet. 15 pages in verdana 9. It would be longer in Times New Roman. ;) I was going to split it into two chapters, but it just didn't flow. It was very fun writing the confrontation between the Weasleys and Draco, and Narcissa showing Ginny the baby pictures. HAHAHA
I'm so glad so many of you liked the Daily Prophet part in the last chapter. That was fun too. I would say it was one of the most fun parts, right up there with the tango part. :)
I was inspired by thisbeautifulsunset on Saturday and the passing of summer into autumn and the song by Dido Sand in My Shoes and I'm going to write a one-shot Draco/Ginny. Look out for it in the next few weeks.
Yep, Emma (HALFBLOODGRL) , I live in the USA. You live in New Zealand, right? My cousin says its very pretty there. ;)
SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PUT THIS STORY ON THEIR FAVORITES:
Aimee Malfoy Alexandria J. Malfoy arabian00glow AthenaetVenus Bambiky Bfly-Ronaldita BoyLuver23 CCoLoMBiAnMaMi11 chatterbox911 ChloBug318 Cinnamon Black Clause crazzylady7589 deathcook dejena Devil'sSexyAngel die Loreley Dracoamor Dracosbaby7 DragoLoverGrl dreamy-crazyGirl eliana-moran Elle Esse Emma Carlton entrancer Escritor Fangs of Poison Fire331 FirePrincessofSlytherin16 Flirty Baby Girl fluffypinkpeep Forbidden freedomfighter393 Gin-Ginny Girl Without a Life Glittery Pink Faerie Princess GoldenFawkes HALFBLOODGIRL hecate-dark-magic hightemplar icejewel IL0VDRACO imissdumbledore IndrAella Jenner JUzElizabeth Kiss the Night kraftdiner1256 krissygrl101 Kylipso Lady Lithe Lalita15 Leandra Wynn LeftToWonder life2me lighting8star lightningrl17 llamasrock101 lucygirl07 Luminescent Pearl lycanthropeluvr malfoyfan1 maria-83 mell8 miss-serpentina Missy38 MistressOfDisguises Momentyne Moonyk mrbubblesandme Mrs.Ginny Weasley-Potter Nessa Telemnar Numbly Breaking oddball91 old blue ooarienetteoo peace-beb Peggz Perplexity princess cythera Psellia PsYcHiC SeLiNa Qserenity2000 rain stormraider ravenclaw-witch ravenclawfaery13193 RaveFireI Rmrkblyaudacious SapphireBaby Silvar SilverWingPhoenix SilvinArrow SlytherinVixen SonMina stevania-felton sunflowerchild SweeT-N-SmarT The Elven Daughter TheWitchHeckate Two.of.Spades wandless Wicked Cereberus WiDz wingedcinner xojulesxo XThisXBeautifulXDisasterX xxo-harrypotterfan-oxx zan189
THANK YOU SO MUCH READERS AND REVIEWERS
xoxoxoxoxo, falling into you