DISCLAIMER: If you recognize any of the characters it clearly shows they aren't mine. If they were mine I'd be swimming in a pool of gold.. But since I can't swim I'm neither swimming in a pool of gold or water. It all belongs to the great J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 13
"Say, mum, have you seen Ginny today?" Ron asked Mrs. Weasley.
"No dear. I haven't. Why, is something wrong?" she asked, her worries going up the roof.
"No. I went over to her flat today. She seemed a bit off this morning."
"Ginny needs to take a vacation," Mrs. Weasley said.
Ron laughed. He sat down at the dinner table at the Burrow, his long unruly hair covering his face and the smell of peppermint emerging from his cloak.
"Ron, have you been at Honeydukes today?" Mr. Weasley asked Ron and he strolled by him.
"No. Why?" he asked.
"Your cloak, it smells like... smells like peppermint," Mr. Weasley said sniffing Ron.
"Pe..peppermint?" Ron stuttered.
Hermione sat in front of Erin at the Ministry. Erin was halfway through finishing her tuna sandwich and carrots when Hermione placed her pumpkin juice on the table and said,
"Erin, did you notice something about the supposed, Pansy Parkinson?"
Erin swallowed the remaining piece of her carrot and stared at Hermione.
"Noticed what?"
"The way she was behaving. I mean, clearly there must be something going on but I just can't place it," Hermione said staring straight at the building in front of them.
"I'm sure there is. Did you see her this morning at St. Mungo's? She seemed so at ease," Erin said balling up her paper bag.
"You'd figure she was staying at a resort," Hermione snorted.
"Resort?"
"It's a Muggle thing. Muggles take holidays off and go on vacations where they get pampered all day long," Hermione explained. "Honestly Erin, for a half Muggle.."
Erin may be half Muggle but her mother grew up in the wizarding world and Erin grew up having not much knowledge of the Muggle communities.
"Thank my mother," Erin chuckled.
"I will when I see her," Hermione smiled.
They walked clutching their cloaks closer and higher up to their chin. The chilly wind came like so quick and a snowstorm began.
"So you're saying that you found my little Pansy, am I right?" Mrs. Parkinson sobbed.
"Yes ma'am," Seamus said.
"Uh.. W-w-w-w-wh-where d-did you f-f-fi-find her?" she sobbed harder. Parkinson hugged her shoulders tighter holding back his tears.
"We found her behind some trash cans in Hogsmead," he said, clearing his throat at the sight in front of him.
Mrs. Parkinson had doubled over, clutching her heart and sobbing harder than she already was. Blaise stared at Mrs. Parkinson. He stood up and obtained a box of tissue. He walked back and handed it to Mr. Parkinson who handed it to his wife.
"Tara, get the tissue," Mr. Parkinson said.
Mrs. Parkinson looked up. Her makeup had begun running down her face staining her silk white blouse. She took the tissue and patted her face.
"W-w-where is she n-now?" she asked.
"She's at St. Mungo's. Ward 53," Seamus said.
"Ward 53!" Mr. Parkinson bluffed out. "But, that's impossible. You mean, her memory was erased completely!"
"Yes sir," Seamus said quietly. Blaise looked up at Seamus.
"Pansy might've meddled in things she knew weren't up to her standards," he said flatly.
"The Dufoy's," Mr. Parkinson started. "Have you talked to the Dufoy's? The Malfoy's?"
"We have four more on the case Mr. Parkinson. I'm not sure at the moment but I'll keep you informed."
"Marion and Frederick Dufoy," Mrs. Parkinson said. She had stopped crying.
Seamus stood up and shook everyone's hand. He was led outside by two house elves.
"John, do you think they hurt my baby?" Mrs. Parkinson asked her husband.
"Tara, it's unimaginable. We saw her body. We saw her being buried six feet underground. Unless..." he said.
"Unless.. That wasn't her body," Blaise said. He placed his foot on his leg and leaned on the couch. He devoured his Firewhiskey in one gulp.
Mr. Parkinson looked over at Blaise.
"One way to find out, Mr. Parkinson, is if this.. Pansy, has the Mark," he said nodding his head in respect to the Mark.
"That's brilliant. But you haven't thought of one thing, Blaise. If she had the Mark, she would've been taken to Azkaban by now. Mr. Finnigan would've told us," he said pressing his finger on the coffee table. "And if they know that if the Death Eaters (he nodded at Blaise) don't have the Mark on them that the Dark Lord is dead. Yet, we all have the Marks."
Blaise sighed deeply.
"How's Nixon?" Mrs. Parkinson asked rubbing her arm where the Mark still remained.
"She's doing fine. The months seem to be rolling by fast.."
"Do you know the sex of the baby yet?" Mrs. Parkinson smiled.
"No. She won't tell me. She burned the parchment where the result was written on," he said filling his glass with more Firewhiskey.
"Oh. Well that's too bad," she said standing up and smoothing out the wrinkles on her clothes.
"Hello, I'm Erin Campier. You must be Mrs. Diana Zabini," Erin said smiling.
"Yes, yes I am. How may I help you dear?" Mrs. Zabini said.
No older than thirty-eight, Mrs. Zabini stood at the front door of the old Zabini Manor in Essek, England. Her wavy pitch black hair touched her elbows. Her skin the color of skim milk. Her voluptuous body draped in black with luscious crimson painted lips. Her piercing green eyes and long lashes could entangled any man in a sexual affair despite their marital arrangements as well as hers. Like a black widow, her husbands came and went with no trace of their whereabouts. The smell of expensive soft perfume issued from her body, nothing offensive but desirable.
"I'm here to ask you a couple questions about your relation with Pansy Parkinson Malfoy. Is that alright with you?"
"Yes, it's quite alright. Please, come in," she said holding out her hand towards the sitting room, showing off a very expensive 14k sapphire, in white gold, wedding band and professionally done manicure. Her white gold wrist bangles clinked and clanked as she walked in front of Erin.
Mrs. Zabini sat on a plump sofa and a house elf strolled in with a tray holding a fine china pot with small tea cups.
"Tea?" Mrs. Zabini asked.
"Please, thank you," Erin said smiling.
Mrs. Zabini looked like a very intimidating women and in fact she was. Mrs. Zabini filled a cup for Erin and one for herself adding whiskey to hers.
"Helps me relax. Bad habit though. Very bad if you're a woman," she said chuckling.
"I'm sure it is. I wouldn't drink. My father died from alcohol poisoning," Erin admitted.
"Sorry to hear that," Mrs. Zabini said. "Uh.. What did you say your last name was?"
"Campier, ma'am," Erin said.
"Campier. That sounds familiar. Pureblood?"
"No. Half blood," she muttered.
"Oh. Then it must be someone else. Was your father a Pureblood? Dennis Campier?"
"Yes, yes he was. Why?"
"I was just wondering.. That's all. Now, what's this about, Pansy?" she asked changing the subject.
"Well, I assume the Prophet let everyone know that Pansy Parkinson was found behind some trash cans at Hogsmead. Do you know if she might've quarreled with her husband to the point for him murdering her? Or to erase her memory and create a body to make it look like Pansy?"
"Quarreling? Yes, but not in front of everyone. From what I heard from Mrs. Malfoy, Mrs. Parkinson, Mrs. Dufoy, Mrs. Bulstrode, Mrs. Dolohov and a couple others, that Pansy was sterile and Draco wasn't happy about that. I did see them having a small argument at a party at the Dolohov's."
"What were they celebrating?"
"The birth of Dolohov's new granddaughter, Lizzie," Mrs. Zabini said finishing her tea. "So many children, I suppose Draco wanted a large family since Narcissa, his mother, couldn't have anymore children after Draco. Complications during the pregnancy and at birth. Too weak. The poor woman.
"Draco doesn't seem like the type to make everyone think Pansy's dead. Pansy did leave on vacation to the States. Draco wasn't too happy. He's not abusive if that's what you think. Ask Ginevra Weasley."
"Well, Mr. Malfoy? How are we going to get out of here?" Ginny asked Draco.
"Apparate, of course, or have you forgotten you're a witch who is working for the Ministry as an Auror?" Draco smirked.
"True. But, Apparating isn't appealing anymore after you've experienced side along Apparating with two toddlers," Ginny said smiling.
"Well, we're Apparating out of here. Where to Ms. Weasley?" Draco asked.
"Ay.. Uh.. I don't know. Your mum's?" Ginny asked.
"Sure, why not. I'm sure you'd like to see your little girls," he said smiling.
"Yes. I do. I really miss them," she admitted.
They both Apparated out of the little coffee shop and into the Malfoy Manor. From the looks of it no one was around.
"Where do you think they went?" Ginny asked.
"Knowing my mother: shopping," he said, sighing in frustration.
"Diagon Alley?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. Most likely," he said, sitting down on a chair.
Ginny looked around for a while. She had never really seen the Malfoy Manor carefully. Everything seemed to be made from such elegance and intricate materials. Like Hogwarts, the Malfoy Manor was full of old magical enchantments and secrets. It's grounds went on forever hidden from the naked eye and Muggles of the like.
She walked around admiring every corner and gap. Draco stared after her wondering what on earth she found so interesting about the Manor.
"Do you have a greenhouse?" she asked.
"Right out that door. Through the library, turn left, past a hallway full paintings. You'll reach a sitting room, pretty pointless if you ask me, past another library. You walk down some stairs and cross another hallway, through a portrait, down more stairs and finally through double doors. You cross the grounds and there will be ten greenhouses holding different types of plants. Some for antidotes. Some for poisons. Some for fragrances and others because mother thinks they're oh-so-wonderful."
Ginny blinked.
"All I got was 'right out that door'," she said pointing to a door at her right.
"Come on. I'll show you," he said jumping up and balancing himself on the balls of his feet.
His cloak swished and swashed behind him and the heaving clanks of his crocodile skin boots created an odd look to Draco. Ginny skipped behind him trying to catch up to his huge steps. They went through the library, in which Draco had to stand and wait for Ginny to close her mouth from the amazement. They turned left and reached the hallway full of portraits. All by famous painters and by non famous as well. Ginny couldn't believe how intellectual these people were, or so it seemed. They went into the sitting room that was entirely decorated in lace, potpourri, expensive china wear and roses from top to bottom. The second library seemed entirely dedicated to the Dark Arts which aroused something in Ginny's head. The walked down some stairs in which Ginny had already started to become exhausted and crossed a hallway, through a portrait of a drunken friar, and more stairs to which Ginny just had to stop and rest.
"Tired already?" Draco asked smirking.
"Entirely," Ginny heaved.
"You're in front of the double doors. We just need to cross the grounds and hellooooo greenhouses," he said smiling like a dummy.
"O.. Okay," she sighed, raising a finger up.
She stood up feeling the soreness in her legs already and waited for Draco to open the doors. He gave her an umbrella and they crossed the grounds. Ginny couldn't help but walk in circles at the sight around her. Trees, a lake, stables, archery posts... You'd imagine she was back at Hogwarts. They reached the greenhouses.
Ginny went inside the first one and was greeted by a very hungry looking Venus Flytrap.
"My father objected to buying that plant. Said it would try and eat mother or myself. But did it? Not that I'm aware of," he said.
Ginny petted the Venus Flytrap who cooed from the sensation.
"You know," Ginny said as she walked around and admired the plants, "You're being insanely nice to me. Why's that?"
"Why's what?" he asked, even though he knew perfectly well what she was talking about.
"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"
"What.. I can't be nice for once?" he asked, feeling somewhat offended.
"It's just not like you, that's why. It's strange, really, but I don't mind," she smiled.
"Oh, I see. Well, I am nice to my dear mother. But that's her. I love her to death and will kill anyone who tries to hurt her."
"I love you so much Ginevra Weasley," he whispered in her ear, as she slept silently and peacefully in his bed.
He moved the piece of hair off of Ginny's face and moved onto his back facing the cold ceiling.
"Draco.." Ginny moaned.
"I'm here love. I'm here," he said softly.
Ginny stirred and covered her naked body with the black sheets from under her.
Throughout the night all he did was think of what would happen if anyone found out. Of how his father would react to all this and what the rest of the student body would say as well. Ginny insisted that he return to his classes as Professor McGonnagal had instructed since she was now the Headmistress.
"I wish I could make her happy," he whispered to himself. "I wish I could be want she wants me to be. To be the only one for her."
He drifted into a deep sleep only to be awakened by a pleased Ginny.
"Draco? Oohh Draco," she said in a sing-song way.
"Hmm.." he moaned.
"Draco. Get up. It's Christmas. Look what I got you," she said slightly jumping up and down on her knees on his bed.
"Inne, go ack to shleep," he muttered.
"Draco, c'mon. Get up. I want you to see what I got you," Ginny said smiling.
"Ffiiinnee," he groaned.
Draco stretched as far as possible and sat up on his bed.
"What is it?" he said sounding a bit irritant.
"I want you to see your present. It's Christmas," she said.
"Ginny, I told you I didn't want anything," he said.
"I don't care. I wanted to. It's the thought that counts."
She handed him the box. It was a bit heavy. Draco studied her face for a few seconds before taking the box and placing it on his lap.
"I.. I didn't know what to get you," she said turning pink, "so I asked Blaise, since he's your best friend."
"I got you a little something too Red," he said.
"Oh, you shouldn't have," she said shrugging.
"Like you said," Draco started, "'It's the thought that counts.'"
"Draco," she said throwing whatever was near her.
Draco looked at what she had thrown at him and said,
"I'm keeping these Red. Black and green undergarments."
"Give them here Draco," she said holding out her hand. "I don't want to walk without my panties to the Gryffindor Tower."
"Oh well. You shouldn't have thrown them at me. Now, should I open my present or should you open yours first?" he said.
"Have you given me mine yet?" she asked.
"Oh. Right. Accio present!" he said.
A small box wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a red bow zoomed over to the bed and he caught it in his hand. He handed it to Ginny. She admired the wrapping. So professionally done.
"You open yours first," he told Ginny.
Ginny looked up at Draco and carefully opened the small box. She took off the top lid and gasped. A delicate white gold chain lay there with a small emerald stone in the middle of a small heart was attached to it. Ginny picked it up with two fragile skin milk colored fingers and held it up to eye level.
"It's.. beautiful. Thank you Draco," she said slowly.
"Take the white spongy stuff of the box. There's something else," he said not taking his eyes off of her.
Ginny looked up at Draco and then at the box. She slowly took the white spongy stuff out of the box and another white gold necklace lay there. Instead of an emerald stone, a small ruby was attached to it. Also in a small heart.
"Draco, you shouldn't have," she gasped.
"Slytherin and Gryffindor," he said softly.
"Thank you!" she said jumping on top of him and giving him a kiss. The taste of chocolate lingered in his mouth. "Now, open yours."
Draco sighed in a playful frustrated tone and took the green wrapping off of the box. He opened the top lid and out poured a velvet traveling cloak. Embroidered inside was his name 'Draco L. Malfoy' in green letters. He examined every embroidery and traced the silver lacing on it. He looked up at Ginny and down at the cloak. He stood up and put it on carefully. The material was excellent and very expensive. She must've gotten it at that boutique he took Blaise to get a cloak for both their mothers.
"Wow.. Umm.. I.." he stuttered.
"Speechless? I thought so," she said turning pink yet again.
"Get up," he said. "Get up..up up up."
He pulled her on her feet and onto the cold stoned floors. He wrapped her naked body in the cloak , held her hand and twirled her around.
"You look tempting in this," he said grinning. "I could just tear you apart."
"Oh really? What if I take it off and we cover ourselves in it instead?"
"Well then, we'll have to zip it up and see what happens next," he whispered in her ear.
He grabbed her arse and held her up against the wall.
"Harry. It's nice seeing you. What are you doing out here in the bitter cold?" a woman's voice said.
"Natasha?" he muttered.
"The one and only. Shouldn't you be home all warm enjoying a hot cup of chocolate with crumpets?"
"I'm on my way home. What about you?" he asked shivering.
"Oh. I'm going to look for a place to stay. One of those Muggle hotels," she said stuffing her hands inside her cloak pockets. "My aunt isn't in her Manor and my friend isn't in his flat. Honestly, I need to find a place to live."
"Well, I insist that you come with me. I know we barely know each other but please," he said, his beautiful green eyes piercing her Amethyst colored ones. "Your eyes. They're different."
"Oh," she chuckled, "I'm one of those bizarre ones. They change according to my mood."
"What mood are you in then?" he asked, falling in step with Natasha who was now walking with him.
"I'm peaceful yet irritated. Strange, I know," she said laughing a bit.
"I see. So will you accept my offer?" he asked.
"Sure. Why not. Thank goodness for my boots. Otherwise my little toes would be soaking wet," she said. "Thank you by the way, for your hospitality."
"No problem. Have you eaten by the way?"
"Chips, peanuts, and some Vodka," she said laughing.
"Well, we'll get something on the way. I'm not much of a cook."
They walked in the cold wind and snow talking about things.
They finally arrived to Harry's flat. Natasha looked around and said,
"You can't tell it's a bachelor's house," she said touching a wooden table.
"How's that?" he asked placing their purchases on the small dinner table.
"For one, it's too clean" she said.
"Oh. I'm rarely here. I pretty much just come here to sleep or when I want to be alone," he said.
"Well, that's ok. At least you have an apartment. I was living in the states due to some business," she said softly.
Harry began preparing dishes for the both of them: chicken in lemon and herb seasoning, pilaf rice, and steamed baby carrots; a glass of red wine accompanied the dish.
"Well, at least I know how to place the food on the dish," he said. Natasha laughed.
They ate their food and decided to retire for the night. Harry unfolded the sofa bed and placed clean sheets and a pillow on the bed.
"Sleep here or would you like my bed?" he asked Natasha.
"It's up to you. Really, I don't mind. I've slept on floors before."
"I'll sleep here then. You can take my bed. It's bigger than this," he said leading her into the bedroom.
"And yet it is," she said. She walked around the room and finally sat down on the bed. "You don't mind, do you?"
"No. Really, go ahead. I don't mind sleeping outside. It's warmer in here. Wouldn't want you to get a cold or anything."
"Thank you Harry," she said smiling. He walked out and closed the door behind him before saying, 'Goodnight.'
Late that night Harry woke up to a naked Natasha straddling his hips. Beads of sweat were forming on her forehead.
"Gods Harry," she moaned.
"Am I the luckiest man alive or what?" he gasped.
"You bloody well are," she said in a raspy voice.
She arched her back and grinding harder into Harry than she already had he flipped her over and slammed into her arse.
"Oh bloody hell, harder Harry," she moaned out load.
"How hard?" he chanted.
"As hard as possible," she said grabbing his hand and making him rub on her clit.
And as if the gods intended for this to happen the phone rang at that moment: 2:57am. Natasha seemed to not have noticed until Harry stopped having come as well as Natasha who fell flat on her stomach on the sofa bed.
"Bloody hell was that amazing,"she sighed.
Harry lay next to her trying to catch his breath. For that moment in time he felt like a man, not scrawny little Harry. Not the Harry he felt like from his years at Hogwarts. But a different Harry. A more mature, built, woman shagging man. And he liked the feeling.
He eased himself up and picked up the cordless phone. He checked the caller ID and placed the phone back on its cradle.
"Is something the matter?" Natasha asked.
"No. It's fine. It was nothing," he muttered. At that same moment a flash of thunder struck the snowy night.
The following morning Harry woke up to an empty house. Natasha had left. Without a word or a single note. Why should it matter though? He barely even knew the woman and there he was that morning shagging her like a wild animal.
"That woman. I swear," he muttered to himself and laughed.
"Well, 'ullo Harry dear," Ron said trying not to laugh.
"Na-.. RON! What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Visiting you, what else? Smells like sex in here. Who was here Harry?" Ron asked, curiosity sparking inside him.
"No one. No one at all. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry," he said getting up and walking over to the kitchen.
"No.. Someone was here, otherwise you wouldn't have slept in the living room and there wouldn't be a bottle of (takes the bottle of wine and sees it to eye level) fine wine so it seems with two glasses of wine and mmm, is that chicken?"
Ron picked at the cold chicken and took a dinner roll which he ate in two bites.
"Doesn't your mother feed you?" Harry asked.
"Of course she does," he said.
"Doesn't.. Hermione feed you?" he asked again.
"Yes, she does."
Harry and Ron hung out the rest of the day at the Burrow. Ginny never showed. They both finally began to worry and went to her flat. They flooed into her flat only to find Draco sitting on the couch talking to Ginny as if they had been friends for a long time.
"GINNY! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS HE DOING HERE!" Ron shrieked.
"Ron, calm down," she said pushing him closer to the door before he lunged onto Draco.
Draco stood up and said,
"You know what. I'll owl you later about the Honeydukes thing. Bye," he said. He Apparated out of Ginny's flat.
Ginny shot Harry a look, who looked away shamelessly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked Ron.
"I CAME TO CHECK ON MY BABY SISTER! NOW WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS HE DOING HERE!" he shrieked louder.
Annette and Victoria walked into the room. They stared at Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They understood that when there was yelling they should leave, which they did.