A/N: Thank you to those of you who have left such kind reviews, and much gratitude, as ever, to Gabriele, without whom this story would never be posted here.

Chapter 5

Ginny opened her eyes the next morning with dread heavy in the pit of her stomach.

When they arrived at Four Winds last night, Malfoy had delivered her into the hands of an ancient Peruvian house-elf named Lolly, and disappeared. Almost numb with nerves and exhaustion, Ginny had followed her up a broad staircase carpeted in white and then down a short corridor.

"Here is Mistress' bedroom," Lolly announced, stopping before one of the doors. "Master Draco's bedroom is there." She indicated the closed door across the corridor, her face a wide, vacuous mask that expertly betrayed no curiosity about the sleeping arrangements.

Ginny opened the door that had been earmarked as hers and felt a quick rush of purely feminine pleasure. Unconsciously, she had expected it to be furnished in Slytherin colours with a lot of dark wood and serpentine carvings. Instead, the furnishings were white, the walls a light shade of lavender. A wide window seat ran along one wall and through a doorway, she could see an en suite bathroom. A fire burned in the fireplace and a writing desk in one corner held a large vase of fresh lilacs.

"Lilacs in September!" she exclaimed.

Lolly twisted her hands. "Is lilacs not right?" she asked tremulously. "Would Mistress rather something else?"

"Oh no, they're lovely!" Ginny reassured her. "The whole room is lovely. It's just right, I wouldn't change a thing."

Lolly's ugly face seemed to spasm with pure joy. "Master is having Lolly redecorate this room yesterday." She bowed and backed out of the room. "Lolly will tell Master that Mistress says 'lovely'." Ginny could hear her muttering gleefully to herself all the way down the corridor, "Lovely, LOVE- ly, love-LEE."

She had collapsed into bed and was asleep almost at once. She dreamed of a wedding under a lilac tree, and forgot the dream as soon as she awoke. Now, she lay watching the morning sun slanting across the floor. On one wall hung a painting of a meadow with a small stream running through it, and the gentle sounds of the water gurgling and splashing over the rocks should have been soothing. Instead, her stomach was knotting itself up inside.

She was going to have to get up soon, or she'd be late to work. But when she got up, she was also going to have to see him, maybe even eat breakfast with him and what in the world would they talk about? She had never thanked him for the robes he had bought last night; she supposed she could start there. It wasn't going to supply an entire meal's worth of conversation though, let alone an entire year's worth. She thought briefly of skipping breakfast, just so she could avoid him, but that was ridiculous of course. Even if her stomach had allowed it – and it was already beginning to make noises about the meal she had skipped last night – it was impossible that they would be able to avoid seeing and talking to each other for an entire year. No, best to jump in feet first.

She forced herself out of bed. Opening the door of the wardrobe, she found that all her things that had been sent up from London on Saturday had been unpacked and arranged for her. The familiar sight of them made her feel a little better and, pulling out a set of work robes, she went to the little en suite to take a shower. She emerged from the bathroom half an hour later to find the bed made and the room tidied, presumably by Lolly. Draco's door was still closed this morning. Perhaps, she thought hopefully, he had already eaten.

The house was very quiet. The walls in this corridor were hung with a few portraits of witches and wizards from days gone by. A cursory glance told her that none of them was Lucius or Narcissa Malfoy, nor, in fact, did she recognise any of them. She was aware that they were ogling her and whispering to one another as she walked by them on her way down stairs.

"I can hear you," she snapped. The whispering stopped at once, and she lifted her chin high and swept down the corridor without another glance at any of them.

At the foot of the stairs, she paused. She was standing in the foyer through which she had entered last night, after stepping out of the Apparition Port. The room was wide and white, with gold-yellow trim and a ceiling that soared high overhead. The effect was bright and airy, not exactly what she had expected to feel in a Death-Eater's home, but a relief, nonetheless. To the right, an archway led onto a broad corridor, but she followed her nose through the left-hand door. She quickly found the dining room, where a sideboard held chafing dishes and platters with enough kippers, bacon, eggs and toast to feed several families.

Breathing a silent prayer of thanks that Draco wasn't there, she took a warm plate from one end of the sideboard and had just begun to fill it when Lolly appeared in the doorway, bearing a pitcher of tomato juice.

She caught sight of Ginny.

"Lovely morning, Mistress! Lovely!" Her face was wreathed in smiles.

"Good morning Lolly. Yes, it looks like it's going to be a nice one."

Lolly set the juice on the sideboard and gazed at Ginny with something akin to reverence. "Is Mistress needing anything? Lolly is happy to get it."

Ginny tried not to laugh at the little house-elf's evident infatuation with her. It seemed her compliment on Lolly's decorating skills last night had procured her a new admirer. Well, it would be nice to have an ally in the house, she thought.

"No, this all looks delicious, thanks." She hesitated and then, as Lolly made to leave the room, she asked, "Has – erm – Master Draco come down yet?"

Lolly shook her head, causing her bat-like ears to flop. "No Mistress. Master Draco is called away again last night. He is not at home."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Called away?"

Lolly saw at once that Ginny did not understand what she meant, and her eyes grew large. "Yes Mistress... Have some toast! A nice crumpet maybe?" She picked up the tongs and tried to push a piece of toast onto Ginny's plate, which already held two pieces.

"Do you know when he'll be back, Lolly?"

"No, Mistress. He goes away, sometimes for a day, sometimes for a week. When he comes home, he comes home." She lifted the lid on a chafing dish. "Bacon?" she said loudly.

"But where did he go?" Ginny was bewildered; clearly the house-elf did not want to talk about Draco's mysterious whereabouts.

Lolly dropped the lid with a clatter and twisted her hands together. "Forgive Lolly, but it is not for her to tell Master's secrets. Even to Mistress." She stared at the ground, cringing miserably.

Ginny took pity on her. "That's all right, Lolly. You're a good house-elf, to keep your master's secrets. I understand."

After, with evident relief, Lolly had made her escape to the kitchen, Ginny sat at the table alone, pushing her food around her plate, a sick feeling rising into her throat. She didn't need Lolly to tell her where he was, the foul git. He had been a Death Eater once. Now, he was "called away". That could only mean one thing: everyone knew Voldemort had been defeated in the last war, confirmed dead this time, but that didn't mean there weren't others who were eager to rise up and take his place. Apparently, there were still Death Eaters alive and well and at work somewhere, and her husband – she shuddered at the word – was with them at this very moment.

She would watch the newspapers carefully from now on. And husband or no, if she read about even a hint of Death Eater activity, she was going to report it to her father. He would know what to do.

Her outlook improved dramatically, later in the day. Jayne, one of the Junior Secretaries from the Department of Education in the office next door, was getting married and leaving soon, so the department had got up a sending-off party for her in the afternoon. The party was in full swing by the time the Aurors came over from their office, and unconsciously, Ginny found herself searching the chattering throng for a sign of Ted.

Ted was Senior Secretary in the Department of Education, at the Ministry. He had meltingly good looks; deep, brown eyes and dark, curling hair, and Ginny had taken one look at him, two years ago, and fallen headlong into a crush that nearly rivaled the one she had cherished for Harry, back in her school days. Not, she was forced to admit, that Ted had ever given her a second glance, or indeed, ever noticed her in the first place. A girl could dream, though.

Myra, who had come in with her, elbowed her sharply in the ribs. "There he is!"

"Ow!" Ginny elbowed her friend back. "Where? I don't... Oh! There by the punch bowl."

Myra grinned wolfishly at her. "I'm feeling very thirsty, just now."

Ginny grinned back. "Me too." They elbowed their way through the crush to the table at the far side of the room, and helped themselves to drinks.

Myra glanced covertly around. "Back up," she hissed to Ginny.

"What?"

"I said back up. Just take a few steps backward... no! Don't look, just step back."

Ginny laughed at her, but obeyed, taking a cautious step backward, afraid she was going to knock someone over.

"Another one. One more."

Ginny felt herself collide with someone, and her punch slopped out of the cup and down the front of her. She whirled around. "Oh! Sorry..." The words died in her throat. It was Ted she had bumped into, which, she realised at once, was exactly what Myra had intended.

"Hiya, Ted," said Myra cheerily. "Have you met my friend Ginny?"

Ted looked at her. He wasn't much taller than she, but had a solid, muscular build that made him seem big. He smiled, and Ginny felt her knees go funny.

"Hello, Ted. Pleased to meet you." She held out her hand and felt it clasped in a warm grasp that seemed to shoot little currents of something electrical up her arm.

"Ginny and I are old chums. We went to school together." Myra was chattering merrily away. "Of course, we didn't see much of each other once she made the House Quidditch team and started hanging about with Harry Potter."

Ginny shot her a look that clearly said shut up! But she seemed to have underestimated her friend. Ted looked at her keenly.

"Did you really play Quidditch?"

"Well, only at school. I hardly ever play anymore, short of tossing the Quaffle around in the backyard with my brothers now and then, if they're a player short."

"What's your position?"

"Chaser, mainly. I did about half a season as Seeker once, when ours was out of commission."

"And do you really know Harry Potter?"

"Oh does she ever!" Myra rolled her eyes expressively. "They go back a long way." She winked at Ted and leaned in close, and said in a loud whisper. "They're old sweethearts."

Ginny felt her face flame, and thought she would gladly do Myra an injury right now, if they weren't in a public place. But she glanced at Ted, and found that he was smiling at her, and he appeared to be intrigued.

"Really?" he said. "You and Harry Potter?"

"Yes," Ginny managed. "But that was a very long time ago. Water under the bridge, you might say."

"Do you keep in touch with him? What's he doing, these days? He sort of fell from the front page when the war ended."

"Yes," she said. "Well, that was on purpose. He works for Auror Special Forces now, out of Belgium. I see him now and then; he and my brother are best mates."

Ted's eyebrows went up. "But no... um..."

"No, we're not still involved, if that's what you're asking. Still friends, but only that."

"And do you still follow Quidditch?"

"Oh, yes! I'm a Cannons fan, mainly. I go to the odd match, when I can though, no matter who's playing."

Someone tugged at Ted's sleeve. "Ted, come over here. Pendleton wants a word with you."

A look of regret crossed his face. "It seems I'm being called away," he said. "But... you and I should get together sometime, and talk Quidditch."

Ginny felt as though all her breath had deserted her. "Yes, all right," she managed. "I'd like that."

"Great!" He beamed at her. "I'll come around to your office and say 'hi' then, soon." He was pulled into the crowd, and was gone.

Ginny slumped against the refreshment table, and looked weakly at Myra.

"Go on. Say it," her friend told her.

"Say what?"

"You know I'm brilliant. Go on, tell me."

Ginny smiled broadly, then leaned forward and kissed Myra on the cheek. "You are brilliant."

"He wants to see you again."

"I know!"

"He practically asked you out!"

"He did, didn't he?"

"Come on, let's go kiss the bride-to-be and get out of here."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to get you a new haircut before work tomorrow."