Take A Deeper Look

Chapter Eleven: My Immortal

"Tadpole, are you ready to go yet?" her voice echoed through the crazy house to be answered by the thumping of footsteps running down the steps. "Better hurry or I'm going to leave you!"

Abby jumped into view, out of breath and smiling. "I'm ready!"

Ginny stared down at her, "Where on earth did you get that?"

She grinned, "Grandmum kept all your old uniforms - she shrunk this one down for me! Are we going now?"

The elder held out the flowerpot, "now, just toss this into the fire and yell out Hogwarts Hall. Make sure to keep your elbows in and close your eyes, because you don't want to get sick. Say it loud and clear, because you could end up in some strangers' house."

Abby nodded, pinching some out and tossing it into the fire to erupt it with green flames. She surveyed it before stepping inside and yelling loudly, "Hogwarts Hall!" Ginny watched her disappear before pinching some Floo for herself and disappearing as well.

The small girl brushed soot from the shrunken uniform, shaking it out of her hair before looking around. She heard her mother drop in behind her, but didn't turn around. "Wow! It's huge!"

Ginny laughed, motioning for her to follow. "Makes you feel tinier than you are, doesn't it?" Abby nodded, looking around some more. "Don't worry though, after seven years it doesn't seem all that big and scary anymore."

"D'you mean I can go to school here, Mum?"

With a sly smile, "we'll see, Tadpole. But you still have four more years to wait, so don't get all excited."

Abby poked her finger through a passing ghost quickly as they went up the stairs, and then pulled it out with a gasp. "Mum!"

Ginny looked back, laughing at her stuck daughter. "Trick step. You have to be careful in Hogwarts; there are all sorts of things that you don't see right away. The staircase is about to move, just hold onto my hand."

Abbys' eyes widened as she squeezed her mothers' hand when the staircase started to move slowly. "Creepy!"

"It can be. But after awhile, you start to know when they are going to change. C'mon," Ginny knocked on the nearest door before entering. "Hello?"

A withered face, half-covered by reading spectacles, poked her face from the door behind a large oaken desk. "Why, Virginia Weasley! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Professor Dumbledore," Ginny answered as she gave the woman a slight hug. "How has he been, Professor McGonagall?"

She pursed her lips, leading the way towards Albus Dumbledore's office. "Not well, I'm afraid. I don't think he'll recover from this one."

"No, I suppose not," Ginny sighed, then smiled when Abby gasped at the moving stairway up to the Headmasters office. "Thank you, Professor McGonagall," she pulled Abby into the large office, with the theme of astronomy objects from every corner of the earth.

"Ms. Weasley," Dumbledore smiled warmly when he saw Ginny. Then he focused on Abby, "and Miss Weasley."

Abby looked up at the man, "wow. That's a big beard."

Ginny poked at Abbys' side, "be polite, Abby. Professor Dumbledore, this is Abigail, but I'm sure you knew that already."

He nodded slightly, "I heard you visited Lohelm?"

"Yes. And he's in just about the same state as you are. I would take it that the spell works."

"I had no doubts that it wouldn't," Dumbledore replied in a low voice. "How have you been in Egypt?"

Ginny took the seat next to his bed, "I've been great, it's absolutely lovely there. Abby loves it to pieces, but I think she's got a crush on the school now."

"As do most people who enters its hallways. However, I must implore that you do not mention our conversation to anyone. I do not want to worry those in the school."

She nodded, "Lohelm asked the same of me at the village. Abby and I know better than to tell."

Dumbledore smiled at the girl, who was playing with one of the instruments for watching stars on his desk. "What is it you wanted to ask about her, Ms. Weasley?"

Ginny followed his gaze, and then turned back to the man. "She's got a strange ability; almost like telekinesis. I'm not sure what it is, and I'm not sure what to do about it."

Hmm-ing, the man nodded as if he knew something. "How does it function?"

"Right now all she can do is manipulate things. When she was in the womb, she could heal all of my injuries, no matter how serious. Abby!"

The red head jumped, almost knocking over the instrument. "Yeah, mum?"

"Show Professor Dumbledore what you can do; it's okay here."

Abby nodded, and then looked around the room, spotting the raggedy old hat her mother had spoken of before. "Sorting Hat," she put out her hand, and not seconds later, it was in her hands.

"Thank you, Tadpole. You can put it back now." Abby nodded her head a bit, causing the Hat to pop back into its proper place atop the bookshelves.

"I see what you mean . . ." Dumbledore looked as if he were in deep thought. "I wish I could give you an answer, Ms. Weasley, but there has never been a case of magic such as hers' in history. to my knowledge."

Ginny sighed, "I figured as much, but I wanted your opinion in any case. However, we'll be going so you can get your rest."

Dumbledore smiled, "why don't you and Abigail explore the castle a bit before you leave?"

She nodded at the doorway; "we'll do that. Goodbye, Professor Dumbledore."

"Goodbye, Ms. Weasley, and Miss Weasley."

"Bye!" Abby waved as she left with her mother, and then smiled up at her. "I like him, he's nice. Sad what is happening to him, though. Just like Lohelm."

Ginny bit her bottom lip; "I know just what you mean, Tadpole." She walked with her daughter through the empty hallways, nodding hello to many of the portraits. Everything seemed just as it had when she had left. Like no time had really passed, but Ginny knew much had.

Abby poked her head into a classroom, and then pulled it back out. "Mum?" Ginny focused on her. She pointed towards a large room, and slipped through the doorway, followed closely by her mother. "What is this place?"

"It's where Potions class is held, taught by Professor Snape," Ginny answered as she ran her finger lightly over the labels of the ingredients. "This is the class that everyone who wasn't in Slytherin disliked greatly."

Abby looked up, "even you?"

"I didn't in my first few years, but then I grew to really love it. It's a great class to take, but more often than not, it's just take it for granted." Ginny turned around, but Abby was no longer in the room. Heart quickening, she opened the door to the room and looked down the hall. "Abby!"

But Abby was already up the stairs, following a ghost that had introduced himself as Peeves. She had struck up a conversation and thought he was nice - for a dead guy. Watching the portraits follow her with their eyes and whispers, she stuck her tongue out at some. "Where are we going, Peeves?"

"It's a surprise. D'you like surprises?"

Abby nodded a smile on her face. She had heard of Peeves from her mother, but now couldn't believe all the horrid stories she had heard. "I love surprises. This week has been full of them!"

"Peeves!" the poltergeist stopped mid-air and turned towards the voice. "What are you doing?" Peeves zoomed out of sight before he could get in trouble.

Abby turned to the voice, her hands on her slim hips. "That wasn't nice! He was going to take me to a surprise!"

"Yeah, probably nice fifty yard drop. What are you doing here, kid?"

She stared at him; "I came to see Professor Dumbledore. He's sick. Who are you?"

He gave her the same stare he was receiving from her. "I'm Draco Malfoy. Who're you?"

She opened her mouth to say her name, but was cut off by an echoing shout of "Abigail!" Her eyes widened, and she waved before running towards the stairs she had walked up. "I'm right here!"

Ginny ran up the stairs, kneeling in front of her daughter. "Where did you go? Didn't I tell you not to run off?"

"I'm sorry. I was just walking with Peeves, he said he had a surprise for me!" she looked apologetic.

Rolling her eyes, she stood back up. "Knowing Peeves, it was probably a fifty yard drop."

Abby grinned, then pointed to Draco. "That's what he told me!"

Ginny looked up, meeting eyes with him, standing there in shock, "bloody hell." How was it possible he could look even better than she remembered?

"I think we've already had that conversation," he added once he snapped out of his stupor.

Abby looked between the two, confusion on her face. Then it seemed to strike her. "Hey! Isn't that the –"

Ginny covered her daughters' mouth, making sure she knew not to say anything. "What are you still doing here?"

Draco quirked an eyebrow at the girls' antics, "I took over for Snape when he retired."

No wonder the Potions room seemed different, she thought briefly. "Head of Slytherin as well?"

He nodded, walking towards her. "What are you doing here? Are you with her?" he looked down at Abby, then back at Ginny. There was an odd likeness.

"I came to see Professor Dumbledore; I needed to talk to him. And yes, I'm here with her." Ginny sighed inwardly, calming herself outwardly; she had not expected to see him here.

Draco looked her over as she dropped her gaze to the girl. She had darker skin, probably from all the sun she got where she was; he still didn't know where she had gone. "What are you doing back in England?"

Ginny focused on the figure standing a yard from her. "Ron is finally getting married, I came back for that. And Abby needed to be Blessed by Awthawae."

"Getting closer to the end, aren't you?"

She raised an eyebrow in question. "End of what?"

"Your list."

Realization flooded into her eyes. "I can't believe you remember that . . . Yes, I suppose I am. How have you been?" the double meaning was caught by both.

"I've had better days, but with Voldemort dying, things have become much easier. The spell seems to be working."

Ginny struggled with the look of shock that hit her face again. "How d'you know about that?"

He smirked that all-to-familiar smirk. "I was the one that found the spell. It was lost in one of the many books in the library."

"You're funny!" Abby caught both adults' attention, and earned a glare from her mother. "Why don't you just hug her already?"

Draco smirked an almost smile, and then looked at the slightly red Virginia. But without knowing how, he was moved towards her, his arms going around Virginias' shoulders.

Ginny rolled her eyes as her arms were put around Dracos' waist. "Abby, what did I tell you?"

Abby sighed, "You said, "Now, when we're in England, I don't want you to use your gifts. I don't want to tip the Ministry off about them." Did I miss anything?"

Draco stared down at Virginia in confusion, "that's a freaky little gift."

Ginny put her head on his chest unconsciously, "you're telling me. She does that to me all the time when I am trying to reprimand her."

"She's yours?"

Ginny nodded, not looking at him. "Abigail is her name."

He pushed her away from his body to look at her. "You have a daughter?"

"No, Draco, she's just a girl that looks oddly like me," she answered sarcastically, stepping away from his completely. "Yes, I have a daughter." Something akin to regret and anger flashed through the gray eyes she loved. "Tadpole, why don't you go explore some more? Stay away from Peeves! If you must, ask Sir Nicholas to show you back here." But Abby was gone before she had finished her sentence.

Draco watched the girl run off down the hall. "She looks just like you with that uniform on."

"She has more of her fathers' spirit than mine, though," Ginny replied as she watched her daughter laughed at the portraits. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She smiled, "you always were a horrid liar to me."

Draco glared half-heartedly, "Why did you have to leave?"

Her eyes softened, "Draco, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn't want to be one of those people that grew up regretting that they never took a really good opportunity when it was right there."

"Like me?"

She smiled a bit, "what are you talking about?"

"I let you go too easily."

"Draco, Voldemort would have found you eventually and killed us if I had stayed or you had come with me. You know that as well as I do," she hated saying that. Hated herself for even thinking of the fact.

Draco nodded slowly, "I know." He stared at her face leaning down to her slowly; pressing his lips to hers, as he once again knew he probably shouldn't. But when she didn't object, he brushed the thought aside.

Ginny finally got her wits about her, pulling back quickly. "No, Draco, I can't . . . I have to go," she ran ahead to where Abby was waiting around the corner, but called back quietly. "I'm sorry."


"This dress is ugly, Mum!" Abby faced mimicked her mothers' exactly.

Ginny sighed, "It's a curse, I say. Every woman's dress is always frighteningly horrendous except the brides'," she looked down at her daughter. "But not a word to Hermione, she thinks these pieces of fabric are lovely."

"Alright . . ." Abby lifted a piece of lace up from the dress, and then dropped it again.

Hermione swept into the room with a nervous, but bright, smile. "You two look lovely!"

"You look fantastic, Hermione!" Ginny said loudly over her daughters' mutters. "Is it almost time, then?" The excited bride nodded just as her father popped his head into the room.

Mr. Granger handed the basket of flowers his wife had sent him up with to a still fake-smiling Abby. Then he helped Hermoine down the stairs so the silky white material wasn't misstep upon and causing a trip.

Ginny was laughing on the inside at the feeling her older brother must be feeling as they entered the backyard-made-church.

She fell backwards onto her old bed, bouncing a bit before coming to a rest. Eyes closed, she lay still as a second pair of footsteps entered her ears. "Tadpole?"

"I should think not."

Ginny sat up quickly causing a slight head rush, "Draco!"

The blonde sat down on the bed, shifting to face her, "Hello to you as well, Virginia."

She stared openly, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you. You left abruptly for the second time yesterday," his lips formed a thin line at the statement.

Ginny closed the door and soundproofed the room with the correct spells to allow for privacy. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Are you staying in England?"

Way to get right to the point. She shook her head; "Abby and I leave in less than a day." She looked up to his face searchingly, "Draco, why did you come here? This is only going to make it harder on both of us."

"I needed to, Virginia," he searched for the right words. "I suppose I just needed to see you one last time."

Ginny's eyebrows scrunched together. "What are you talking about? I'm going to visiting more often. It's not too difficult to visit Hogwarts as well." What was she doing? She just told him that visiting right then was just going to make it harder! She unconsciously bit her lower lip.

"Don't," he caught her confused look. "I don't want to see you, Virginia; don't visit." Ginny's mouth opened in shock as he stood, making objecting noises. "I don't want to see you with your husband while I'm still in love with you."

She caught his arm when she stood quickly. "And you think I'm not? Gods, Draco, haven't you figured it out yet?"

"Figured what our yet?" his voice came out reminiscent of the voice she hadn't heard since before her sixth year.

Her eyes flashed slightly. "I have never loved anyone else like I love you. I know I never will," she let his arm go roughly, and just as he was Apparating, she spoke again. "And you're the only one I've made love to, Draco."

Draco didn't know if he had heard her right. At the moment, he was only thinking of how he had just lost her again. He could always go back, but he knew she would be gone by then, angered by his words.

And like it mattered if he had really heard her correctly. Sure he could be the only man she had ever made love to, but that didn't mean she hadn't had sex with other men whilst she was away at her job.

In fact, he assumed that she would. And had.

Delirious – Deeper

Norah Jones – Don't Know Why

Avril Lavigne – Anything But Ordinary

Jimmy Eat World – Sweetness

Switchfoot – Dare You to Move

Avril Lavigne – Falling Down

Evanescence – Taking Over Me

Vitamin C – Graduation

Hoobastank – Too Little Too Late

Boomkats – The Wreckoning

Evanescence – My Immortal

I'm so, so sorry that I haven't updated this in a year . . . Holy shit. I kind of lost my way in writing, and then I stressed about getting into University – I did and it's stressful!

A lot has happened in this past year – all of it involving the male gender. And then I got a serious boyfriend (dating a year! Yay!)

But a really big sad point in this past year that I've been gone is that my favorite person in the entire world died in January of 2005 . . . My Dad. It crushed me and I think writing is going to help me recuperate a little bit more.

Well, I should have the next installment as soon as I can, hopefully within the next week.