Chapter 13- Family

*****Draco*****

Tonks- Dora- approached Draco slowly as he worked on his summer work on the couch. Her brown hair was in a messy bunch on top of her head. Not her normal look, but she'd been through a lot, from what he'd gathered. "Ginny can't come?" Draco guessed from her current expression.

"Oh- sorry, I haven't been over there. I'll try. Do you- want to see your mum tomorrow for your birthday?"

"At the manor?" Draco asked. He didn't say 'home.' Draco had only spent about a week at the three-bedroom, one-storey house with the e-lec-tricity, the telly, and the telephone on the wall. Ted Tonks had used it a few times to talk to his mother.

Ted Tonks, Hufflepuff, undeniably good person, and with a surprisingly pleasant sense of humour.

"No, in a public place with me there. And, fair warning, I will have to report just about anything she says to- the group of people concerned," she said.

"To the Order of the Phoenix, I know. And Ginny didn't tell me," Draco added.

"Well, you're a smart kid. Are you okay with this?" she asked.

How could he know what was 'okay' anymore?

"My father is still in Azkaban?" Draco asked, uncomfortably. He wasn't sure where the line was between being a bad son and being a bad person, and if he had to pick one.

"Yeah, he is," Tonks confirmed.

"I would like to see Mother, thank you," Draco said.

"I'm sure you know it, but she really loves you," Tonks said. Tonks was a Hufflepuff too. He had thought she was more Gryffindor at first, but no. "She wants you safe, regardless of who wins this war, and she told me that in the middle of the auror division. Well- off in a corner surrounded by an impressive number of secrecy spells really, but still. Granted, I don't think she gives a damn about anyone but you and her husband, which I don't agree with, but I admit that she is an interesting woman."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Draco said. He'd tried to use this quiet summer to think when he wasn't surrounded by his year mates. He cared about Ginny, as evidenced by his running through the Forbidden forest for hours looking for her. And he cared… at least a little about everyone he'd met, didn't he? He didn't want any of them dead. Except for... Tom. Which meant he had something important in common with all of those people in the Order of the Phoenix. He hoped they won. That didn't mean that he wanted to be involved- and he hoped he could keep Ginny out of it as well. Ginny's parents agreed with him there, but Ginny was exceptionally strong-willed.

*****Draco*****

Lunch was uncomfortable.

"You look like your father," was the first thing that Draco's mother said, and it was directed at Dora Tonks. It was true, much more obvious without the colourful hair. And the lack of bright hair meant that Tonks wasn't doing well, Draco understood.

"Thank you," Dora replied curtly.

"Happy Birthday, Draco," was the second thing his mother said, and the last thing until their order was taken, and even until food arrived. She was usually one to talk to fill uncomfortable silences. Draco hadn't really learned that skill, but he also wasn't comfortable with silence. At this rate, Dora wouldn't have anything to report.

"I hope to receive my OWL results soon," Draco said over his sandwich.

"I'm sure you did very well," his mother said. Followed by more silence. Well, there wasn't much happy to discuss. No society affairs or Ministry news, except that the idiots were finally acknowledging Tom's return and sucking up to Potter and Dumbledore. Draco disliked reading the Prophet, but did regardless, because it was important to know what the idiots were doing.

His mother stood when they were finished. "Above all else, stay safe," she said with a hug that Draco returned tightly. "And have a happy birthday," she said, handing him a long box- it was broom-shaped, and Draco had been trying to ignore the whole meal. They hadn't, had they? Draco's hand slipped right onto a piece of parchment as well. She could have put it in the box, he noted.

Tonks sighed loudly when they made it back to her parents' house. "I'm sorry Draco, but I'm going to have to read that letter your mother slipped you. To be honest, if it's from your father, we could really use some information from a Death Eater."

"I was- going to mention it if there was anything important in it," Draco said softly, holding out the letter.

"You can open it, kid. I'm really sorry it has to be like this, Draco. A son should get to read a letter his mother gave him without a host of strangers reading it too. If- well, when- I do have to pass it on, I can eliminate anything too personal first."

"Thank you," Draco said, trying to open the letter without his hands shaking.

It was his father's writing. Somehow writing from the prison. Malfoy favours must have extended to visitation. Disgrace. The whole family was in disgrace, it said. Draco was offered redemption that he'd have if those people hadn't hidden him away so he couldn't take his 'rightful place'.

Rightful place. They wanted Draco to be a Death Eater. But he was hardly sixteen! That explained the Firebolt. Buying his affection, his loyalty, his happiness. Because he was sure it was a Firebolt even before he opened it.

"You can take it," Draco said, not wanting to see the note any longer. "Mother could have hidden it better if she'd wanted it hidden- just so you know. Can Ginny come over?" Draco asked.

"I think so. I'll just take this over to Headquarters and send her back if I can, okay?"

"Thank you."

Draco stared at the excellent broom. He'd wanted one since before they were in stores. The top broom on the market, and Potter had one.

Ginny stepped gracefully out of the floo less than a minute later.

"Draco? Are you okay? Tonks wouldn't say how seeing your mum went. Is she okay?"

Draco noted that Ginny had come alone, without even Tonks in sight. She probably had to deal with the letter just like the rest of the Order. So they had privacy for a few moments at least. Draco swept the witch into a fierce hug. He rarely initiated hugs.

"Draco, are you okay?" Ginny asked.

"Thank you," he whispered at last.

"For what? Draco, I'm not patient. I freak out. You're scaring me."

"For talking to me, getting me here. Saving my life probably. So that I'm not… being dragged before… Tom…." He used the name Ginny always called him now. It seemed better than anything else. "And being… coerced into his service."

"But you're not even seventeen."

"And from the way my father's letter sounds, if I were at home, I'd have been marked already."

"I- we won't let that happen to you," Ginny declared.

"You- that damned marriage contract is the best thing that has ever happened to me, Ginny Weasley," Draco whispered his confession.

"Aww," Ginny cooed back. "Flattery will get you places, you know," she hinted suggestively. She was flirty like that sometimes.

"I'm serious, Ginny. I'm- scared. I don't want to think about what my life would be like without you," he said. They were children, but not really. Of age, but not really.

"Good, because you won't have to," she said, pushing away just a bit before leaning up and kissing him. There was a more of a height difference than there had been almost a year ago. "Happy Birthday," she said when she broke off the kiss. "I'd hoped to get to see you today," she said, handing him a small, wrapped rectangular gift, too small to be a book. "Open it, open it," she encouraged excitedly.

Draco smiled and opened the package even more slowly. It was a small stack of pictures, of Ginny.

"I borrowed Colin's camera and made him show me how to develop them properly, but he didn't get to see them. Luna took them for me."

The first was Ginny standing in front of a bookcase, wearing a knee-length blue dress that Draco hadn't seen before, but it suited her perfectly. Probably using things supplied by the Room of Requirement. She was waving at him and smiling. The second was in the same dress, with her shining horse patronus dancing around her as she laughed. She was a very talented witch. And beautiful. The third was Ginny in a long, purple gown and reclining on a couch and looking… very flirtatious. He watched her blow a kiss at him from the picture.

"The a- Room of Requirement is where we took them," Ginny explained. "I had to work quickly because it was in the last few days after everything. But I'd already been thinking of the idea, and just sending them to you even if we were still fighting. I hadn't quite worked up the nerve though," she said.

Only one more, Draco noted with disappointment.

That...

Ginny was wearing… not much. It was green and… mature. A brassiere and knickers, with some shear other material from the underside of the brassiere to her thighs. She shifted around on the velvet couch, showing more than Draco would have thought that she'd have to show. He was very glad that Creevy hadn't gotten to see that. Draco found himself even jealous of Lovegood.

Looking up at the real witch in front of him, Ginny was redder than he had ever seen her, Redder than Draco thought he must be.

"Just make sure not to let anyone else see that one, and don't rip them up the next time we have a big fight," Ginny said.

"I would never," Draco promised. No one else got to look at her like that. No one ever would. He liked that.

"Can you stay for dinner?" Draco asked, hoping she wouldn't have to leave soon. "Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted are having a dinner for me, and they wouldn't mind," Draco said. It was easy to fall into calling them that, even muggleborn Uncle Ted.

"I think I can. I'd love to. Did your mum bring you something for your birthday?" Ginny asked.

"From my father. A Firebolt," Draco answered stiffly.

Ginny's eyes went wide for a moment, "Well, that's great, isn't it?" she asked calmly. "You'd been wanting one for a while," she pointed out.

"And I get it now. It's a bribe from my father. To believe everything he does. To become a Death Eater," Draco explained.

"Well, that won't be happening," Ginny assured him. "Because I can't marry a Death Eater," she said plainly. Her father had said the same thing months ago. It didn't really alarm Draco anymore when marriage came up. Marriage to Ginny Weasley would always be interesting. They would fight and make up, talk, and snog, and more. "And hey, this works great for me. Since I intend to make the quidditch team as a chaser this year, and hope I can still borrow your Nimbus 2001- since you have a Firebolt now," she smiled sweetly.

"You can ride it. Hell, you can have it," Draco decided. He didn't want it.

"That's too much, but I will continue to impose on your generosity until I can make a professional team and buy my own broom. Though I suppose we'll be married before then, and then the Nimbus technically will be half mine anyway, so…" Ginny smiled at him.

Draco shook his head, "I meant the Firebolt. I'd rather ride the Nimbus," Draco had already decided. "I know it was a bribe to the quidditch team to let me on, but it didn't come with the expectation of me becoming a murderer. I don't want anything to do with this," Draco said, grabbing the box carefully from the ground next to the couch, and depositing it in Ginny's hands, her eyes comically wide, mouth dropped open. "And he'd hate you having it," Draco said. And he smiled at her. Draco had rarely defied his father.

"I- will take very good care of it. And I'll understand if you change your mind before the Gryffindor Slytherin match, so long as you still let me borrow the Nimbus," Ginny said.

"I don't even know if I'll play," Draco spouted without really thinking. "What's the point? I'm not good enough, and there's a lot of other things going on." The… Potter's crowd had the right idea of it, learning to better defend themselves. Though he wouldn't seek out trouble like they did.

"Hey, mister, you're not going to convince me that quidditch isn't important. It's supposed to be fun," Ginny said.

"That's alright for you. I mean, it's great for you, really. You've played on a team less than a year, and you're better than me at a position you don't even like." Draco said. The truth came out easier than he would have thought. "For you, it's more important than most of your classes. If you develop further and are as good at chaser, you'll make a professional team at least as a flexible reserve player. I have to pick NEWT classes, and I don't know what I'm going to do," he complained. "And none of it seems important because Tom and Bellatrix might be at my... at the Manor with Mother right now, and I can't- do anything about it, or I'll be trapped worse," he whispered.

"Hey," Ginny said, shaking his arm. "I think your mum would want you to have a happy birthday, here, where it's safe. And you're still with family," Ginny pointed out. "Family by blood, marriage, and… future marriage, or whatever you want to call me," Ginny shrugged.

"We're family?" Draco said in half-question, not minding the sound of that.

"How long do you think we have alone?" Ginny asked, dragging him over to the biggest armchair.

"I don't know. Depends on if people know where you are. Tonks will probably come back by after the meeting. Andromeda and Ted will be home before dinner," Draco listed. "Wha-?"

Ginny shoved him down onto the chair, deceptively strong for her size. She sat on top of him, facing him, one leg straddled on either side of him. "Good, then we have some time," Ginny said before kissing him.

If distracting him was her aim, then she was very, very good at it. They talked some, between kisses, updating each other on the bits of summer that were mostly refreshingly boring- cleaning, homework, flying for Draco, of which Ginny was jealous.

A male cough startled Ginny into falling on the floor on Draco's feet- which Draco promptly pulled out from under her and crossed his legs- as if Ginny hadn't just been sitting on them. Picture of innocence far too late.

Ginny scrambled up and sat on the couch.

"Sorry sir," Draco said to Ted Tonks.

"I came home early to throw together a cake, and then I'll run out for take away," Uncle Ted announced. "And I think we'll make a no guests in bedrooms rule. Acceptable?"

"We weren't-" Ginny and Draco both started, looking at each other. Ted had already walked into the kitchen.

"Merely preemptive. I was a teenage boy myself once, and I raised a teenage girl. I haven't had the pleasure of speaking to Molly or Arthur in a few years, and when I do next, I don't intend for it to be about getting the two of you married before Ginny starts to show," he said easily, moving around things in the kitchen. Malfoys blushed even more unfortunately than Weasleys. Everyone was so ready to jump to conclusions when they were hardly doing anything. Ginny was still fourteen. For a bit longer.

And if they did want to do something, it wouldn't be that difficult at school. Lots of empty classrooms and broom cupboards. And the Room of Requirement- if it wasn't already occupied by other students wanting the same thing.

"Can I help you in the kitchen, Mr. Tonks?" Ginny offered.

"Only if you call me Ted, young lady. Or Uncle Ted, I've gotten rather fond of that," he called.

Ginny smiled and walked towards the kitchen, waving at Draco, who was not feeling like getting up quite yet.

*****Ginny*****

Ginny helped make the cake. She didn't mind working in the kitchen when it was voluntary, and Draco seemed to enjoy watching when he finally joined them. The two of them just sort of awkwardly talked and held hands on the couch after 'Uncle Ted' left the house again. They had skipped the hand-holding stage, so maybe it was nice to try it out.

Ted came back with pizza, his favourite food that he had gotten Draco fond of as well. It was apparently Italian, but not like in Italy, whatever that meant. It was rather good- thin bread with tomato sauce, cheese, and a variety of foods on top. They ate when Andromeda returned home shortly after. And then Draco got presents from them, books and clothes, particularly a Slytherin coloured scarf.

"She'll like you more than me soon, kid," Tonks greeted. "I imagine that I was such a disappointment being a Hufflepuff," she said, grabbing some cake.

"Now, dear, you know that's not true. Slytherin would have been a terrible fit for you or your father, and I would never love you less for it," Andromeda scolded. Sirius had said that everyone else in their family was in Slytherin, so it made sense that Andromeda was part of that. Sirius who was dead now.

"Was this yours?" Draco asked cautiously, holding the scarf.

"It was. I thought you might like it, and I hope you don't mind the implication. I haven't worn it in more than twenty years. And I might be biased, but I think people had better craftsmanship then," she said, brushing her fingers lightly over the serpent embroidered on one end.

"Sorry to break this up, Ginny," Tonks said, "But I've got to get you home. Your mum's worried. Sooo… out you go, whisper in the floo, everyone else has to stay in here, sorry," Tonks announced.

"Don't forget the broom," Draco said, turning all eyes towards him again.

Ginny nodded, "Happy Birthday," she wished once more, "Thank you for dinner and cake," she said to the Tonkses.

Ginny very nervously flooed back, holding the Firebolt. It felt really wrong getting the immaculate broom near any fire.

"Love you, Mum, going to my room," she called. She saw Professor Lupin look at her strangely as she raced up the stairs. But everyone had looked at her differently now, so that didn't mean anything.

"Ginny, where were you?" Ron asked. "They had an Order meeting, and I couldn't find you. And you missed dinner. Oh, great, someone brought Harry's Firebolt?" he asked.

"It's- not Harry's," Ginny said. She hadn't even thought through how weird it would be to explain why she was holding the highest rated broom on the market. The Order would want to know about it so they could gossip more about Draco. And if Draco really didn't change his mind, everyone would notice when she flew it in quidditch practice and the games- because now she was even more sure to make the team that she was practically already on.

"What? Who else would own a Firebolt?" Ron asked. With Hermione and Harry not there yet, and Fred and George officially in the Order, it was really just the two of them.

"It's Draco's birthday, and his dad sent it, but Draco didn't want it," Ginny decided on.

Ron looked confused, "Draco Malfoy didn't want the best racing broom in existence? Come on, what really happened? Did you- steal it from him?" Ron asked. "Wait, you were at that house again? I don't care if his dad's in Azkaban, his crazy aunt isn't! And you know that - that You-Know-Who was there last summer. How could anyone let you do that?" Ron demanded. "It's probably some sort of trick and the broom's jinxed."

"Draco isn't even at Malfoy Manor. He's at an Order safe house. And sometimes a broom isn't just a broom. He didn't want the baggage that went with it." Ginny said sort of vaguely, though Draco would say it was obvious. "And even Lucius Malfoy wouldn't hex a broom meant for his son, and it definitely was meant for Draco. Draco just doesn't want anything to do with it or him. Because Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater," Ginny let out. And she probably shouldn't have said that, but everyone but Ron was already going to know all about the letter.

"He just turned sixteen," Ron dismissed.

"And I didn't read the letter from his father exactly, but the Order's all read it now, and Draco said that if he'd been at Malfoy Manor, he'd have been forced to take the Dark Mark already, and he's relieved that he's not, and he's scared for his mum. And his life is a lot harder than yours or mine right now," Ginny ranted. "In some ways, it's harder than Harry's."

"But-" Ron didn't seem sure what his objection was. "Okay, just because I don't really think he would be a Death Eater, doesn't mean I'm going to like him. And you can't just believe everything he says, because he's got the strongest motivation to lie to you," Ron said, arms crossed, and trying to stand as tall as he can.

"And what would that be?" Ginny asked.

Ron cringed, "Because he's a bloke who wants to snog you. Which is the grossest thing, by the way," he complained.

"Which part?" Ginny pressed. "That someone wants to snog me, or that I do snog him? Often," Ginny teased.

"Ginny!" Ron whined.

Ginny almost wanted to ask how Ron knew they hadn't done anything more than just snogging- except then Ron would do his best to never leave her alone again, which she did not want.

"Fine- how about a game of chess?" she suggested, because beating people at chess always cheered Ron, and distracted him.

*****Draco*****

Draco looked up to the knocks on his half open door. "May I come in?" Dora asked. Draco still wasn't sure what he was supposed to call her, because Ginny said 'Tonks' but that seemed weird when he was living with the elder Tonkses and they called her 'Dora.'

"You're staying the night?" he asked, seeing the witch in her pajamas, mousy brown hair loose around her face. Dora stayed maybe about half the nights, maybe more than that in the days since his birthday. Though they usually didn't interact much, he was used to her being around, and her parents talked about her even more often when she wasn't there.

"Yeah, Mum and Dad keep my room, so I figured I might as well. It makes them less worried if they can see me. You okay?" she checked.

"I'm fine. Your parents are worried about you?" he asked. Direct worked best in this family, at least with the Hufflepuffs.

"Yeah, it would help if my body wasn't being a stupid mood ring right now. We- hardly met before the whole ugly brown look, but I never look like this- ever." Dora told him what he had already gathered. "So my parents are worried that I'm spiraling deeply into depression, and I've been put on desk work while I recover, which I hate and suck at," she complained.

"Are you- spiraling into depression?" Draco asked. She had been kind to him. But he wasn't exactly sure why she was in his room. The room he had for the summer. For as long as he wanted it, Ted had said. Uncle Ted.

"Not so much spiraling, just sort of… stagnant in persistent unhappiness, I'll call it," she shrugged, sliding down against the wall to sit on the ground. So, she was staying for a while then. And he was indebted to her.

"Anything I can do?" he asked, trying not to sound as reluctant as he felt.

"You wouldn't understand-" she started before she groaned, "which is a bullshit response that adults use when they don't know what to say, so please don't take it personally. I swear I'm not always this old and grumpy."

Draco nodded, for lack of anything better to do.

"But I hope you appreciate that cute little redhead who's crazy about you," she said. "Even if it sucks that you didn't get to choose each other, and I'd totally hate that," she commiserated. "You're doing very well with it, and I don't want to… make less of it."

Ah… "Do you want a redhead to be crazy about you?" Draco asked. There were a lot of Weasleys.

Dora laughed, which sounded nice, "No, his hair's more of a sandy brown with some grey," she said.

"Grey?" Draco asked without meaning to.

"Early grey," she clarified.

"Would I know him?" Draco asked. He knew enough of the old or prominent families, and successful Ministry workers.

"Yeah. And you had better be nice about it. You- had him for a class," she said, staring at her wiggling toes.

Who could that-? "Lupin?" Draco decided quickly. "But he's-" what on earth could he say now?

"A werewolf?" Dora suggested bluntly.

"I wasn't going to say it, but yes. And- isn't he- how old are you?" Draco asked, because he didn't know- didn't even know how old Andromeda was. Tonks- Dora- didn't look very old though. She could probably pass for a seventh year if she wanted to- even without the face-changing thing.

"Twenty-three," she answered. "And he's thirty-six. Maybe he looks a bit older, but transforming every month takes a lot out of a person," she shrugged.

"Have you… tried asking him?" The man probably wouldn't want an attractive young witch to laugh in his face if she was planning on just waiting on him to notice her.

"I've tried, multiple times. I thought I wasn't direct enough at first, so then I used the words 'I like you' and 'wanna go out on a date?' It didn't go well."

"Does he like men?" Draco asked, the only thing he could think of.

Dora smiled, "No, that would be much less hurtful. I'm even pretty sure he likes me, but he won't say yes."

"So he's crazy then?" Draco asked. Their banter was almost like his with Ginny.

"He says he's too old, too poor, too… werewolf-y," Dora complained.

"Ah- so too Gryffindor," Draco said, prompting a real, full laugh from Dora.

"I haven't laughed in weeks," she said.

"You don't think he's right then?" Draco asked.

"I'm an auror," she said. "And more importantly actually, I'm a member of the Order. And I'm a danger to myself who the Ministry probably only let in because I can change into whoever I want, and I can't even do that right now. If I live to die of old age, that's a really long time to spend with someone. And if I die in the next oh- anytime between tonight and a hundred years from now, I don't see why my age would matter. And he's in the same position- a werewolf Order member. And especially since Sirius died- and I've got some guilt over that too that I'm trying to deal with. But now I'm like- what's the point of not really living life? When he was younger, Sirius loved life so much- and he got to have so little of it. You know Sirius Black was innocent and our mums' cousin?" Dora checked.

"Yes," Draco answered.

"He was also Remus's best friend. And I never even talked to him about liking Remus- I so wish that I had- but I know he would have been for it. I didn't talk to him enough, probably because he was depressing to be around because he hated that- ah- something I can't say. I didn't even tell Mum about Sirius, because it was an Order secret, and I didn't really want to recruit them- they weren't members during the last war, even if they supported Dumbledore and ran in the same crowds. And- I don't know- it was stupid. I just figured there would be time later, and then there wasn't. And I know Mum's confused and hurt and everything because of that. And I had to get the house protected, because Bellatrix wants our family dead. And if I was just a better auror, she'd be in Azkaban or dead, and Sirius wouldn't be. I had been fighting her until I fell over my own feet down a bunch of stone steps. I don't know if I was hit by anything after that, but if I'd never woken up, it would have been my own stupid fault. So, that's also contributing to the depression- strike that, the deep sadness, but I know Sirius wouldn't want it to, and I'm mostly coping with that. I just wish that I could talk to Remus- or spend lots of hours with him not talking- either way. Does that make sense?"

He really didn't want details about what she wanted to do with the older wizard-werewolf, but it did make sense. "It does," Draco agreed anyway.

"It's not just a little crush that's going to go away, you know? My... patronus changed, it's a wolf now. Not a werewolf, just a wolf, but it's for him. Scared me a bit," she said.

"Yeah," Draco said, not knowing what else to say. He thought he had a difficult and complicated life sometimes, but he hadn't been through any of that. He hadn't had any sort of romantic feelings unreturned, and hadn't lost someone either.

"I've- got an opening for a favourite cousin," Dora said, "That's dark humour, ignore it when it makes you uncomfortable."

"Aren't I your only cousin?" Draco asked. "Only close one anyway?" he asked.

"No," Dora said. "Dad has a younger brother with three kids. They're all pretty young and don't know about magic, and I've only seen a few times, but still," she shrugged.

"Thank you," Draco said. "Well- I hope Lupin sees sense, if he's what you really want. Thanks, for arranging me to stay here, and for the talk," he said uncomfortably. He owed the woman a lot.

"Oh, speaking of talks," she grinned. "You and Ginny sure are cute together. Does Dad need to give you a different sort of talk?" Dora pressed.

"No!" Draco might have yelped. "Definitely not. We're fine," he said. Why did everyone think they were just about to jump into bed? Dora laughed again, and Draco didn't so much mind her teasing him if it made her happy. It wasn't so bad to have an older cousin on his birthday. "Goodnight, Draco," she said. "And thanks for listening," she added as she walked out of his door.

*****Arthur Weasley*****

Ted and Andromeda Tonks were good people. Their daughter, Tonks, had long been a good friend to his older boys, and was a good member of the Order- if a little… accident prone and eager. And she was being a well-meaning friend to Ginny in this difficult life change. And Ted and Andromeda had been accommodating.

Arthur wished he was just here to see them. The house itself was a wonder, a blend of magical life and muggle things. A real, working tellyvisor! Or at least, Arthur assumed it worked.

"Hello, Arthur, been too long, hasn't it?" Ted greeted as they clasped hands.

"Yes, just that," Arthur agreed.

"Well, I must be off, and Andromeda is already out. Have a good day, Draco," the other man said.

"Yes, Uncle," the boy in question replied politely, and Ted Tonks walked behind Arthur to the floo and off to work. Saint Mungo's, noble profession, both of them.

And Andromeda had been a Slytherin in their younger days, Arthur tried to keep in mind in the spirit of fairness as he looked at the son of Lucius Malfoy, the Death Eater Arthur personally despised most. The boy seemed much older than when they'd last spoken around Christmas. Which, if anything, made Arthur feel worse.

"Thank you for coming, sir," the boy said.

"Yes, well, I have the day off today. Still plenty of things to do, of course, but bit of free time," Arthur said. He wanted to hear what the boy wanted to say. This boy who his daughter wanted to spend her birthday with in a few days, when a year ago everyone in the house was crying over it, including his little girl. "Have the- run of the place yourself most days, do you?" Arthur fumbled.

"Yes, but there are wards so I can't go outside the property, and no one can come over without their permission," Draco Malfoy detailed. Reasonable precautions, and it was the safest place for a boy who claimed he wanted to be here. But it still must get lonely. Arthur was used to his family of nine, and more. Even when the children were at Hogwarts, Molly was always there.

"Are you- alright by yourself?" Arthur asked despite his- whatever his feelings or intentions were.

"I- would love if Ginny could visit more often, but I'm used to being on my own. I see my Aunt and Uncle more than I did my parents as a child, and I'm not a child any longer," the boy outlined.

"Sixteen," Arthur pointed out.

"Old enough," the boy said.

"Old enough to what?" Arthur pressed.

"To- be independent under more normal circumstances. If I didn't have the most evil wizard on earth recruiting me. Old enough to plan for the future," he added.

"A future that will have my little girl in it," Arthur pointed out.

"She's arguably an adult as well. We nearly were married a year ago for that very reason."

"But, thankfully, we live in a world where she's not. And neither are you," Arthur said in a way he wasn't sure sounded mature himself.

"Ginny's happy, isn't she? Happier than I've ever noticed her being," the boy said.

"Happier than she was a year ago this time," Arthur allowed.

"My future does involve Ginny, and I'm glad. We can be happy together. Have a real marriage," this boy declared.

"Time and necessity does change almost everything," Arthur agreed enough. He wanted his little girl to be happy, even with this boy.

"A year can change a lot. The next year may change even more, and it may be difficult to arrange another meeting between us before then, which is why I asked to speak to you now," the boy said without really saying anything. "Thank you for coming."

"And this reason is?" Arthur asked again.

"A proper marriage should have a proper proposal. Not tomorrow. Maybe not in the next year even, but eventually. And as her father, I wanted to seek your blessing for that. And your wife's. Take time for consultation if you need."

It was the way of things, asking permission for courtship, asking permission for marriage. Arthur had done the same years ago. Even if belatedly on both accounts, but his new relatives hadn't known that.

Arthur didn't have any say in the actions, only in his response to them. His little Ginny would get married. If her brothers didn't hurry, she might even get married first. Bill might, but young relationships were difficult to judge how long they would last- without a contract stipulating it. And then Ginny might have children herself. He and Molly would want to be there, through everything, and this might be a pivotal point in that process. On whether or not they would see their grandchildren regularly, or if they would feel lucky to see them an hour a year.

"I don't make a habit of speaking for my wife," Arthur began. "But, you may have my blessing if… you promise to treat my girl with the highest respect you can imagine. And to remember what we talked about at Christmas. She'll still be a child after you're an adult in our world," he tried.

"She's not a child, sir. We're only a year apart. She's at least as mature as I am. She hasn't been a naive little girl since she was eleven, and I blame my father for that too."

It still hurt his heart to think of it.

"I know," he allowed. Ginny and Ron had both been in too many dangerous situations already. He might have thought that Ginny would be safer not dating the Boy-Who-Lived, as much as he and Molly loved Harry. But Ginny was a strong-willed girl who had long since picked her side. And it seemed she had dragged this new boy with her at least as far as into neutral territory. Or maybe the boy wanted thaat on his own, with enough information and time away from his father.

He had the Tonkses. The boy would be alright.

*****Draco*****

Draco wasn't sure what to think. He'd gotten the blessing because it seemed like the right thing to do. He wasn't ready to talk to Ginny about further in the future than the next Hogsmeade visit, especially when they had spent so much of the last term fighting. But they had to get over it, and to get over the next argument too, and the next. It had seemed like the best time for it. And Mr. Weasley certainly took it seriously.

And it wasn't like he'd ever sworn an Unbreakable Vow over any of it. Just a few half-agreed to promises to his future father-in-law. It only felt like the same thing.

Note: Draco's birthday is listed in places as June 5th, which would be right around the end of term, but that's not in the books, so not canon to me, so it's a bit further into the summer now. All we really know is that he's a summer birthday, because he, like Harry, couldn't take his apparition test when most of the others in their year could.