Chapter 6: Adulthood
Ginny had barely sat down to breakfast, before she was assaulted by a newspaper flying at her face. "And just what is this all about?" Ginny frowned and swatted the paper away. "Hermione, I haven't even eaten breakfast yet. You'll need to slow down. What are you talking about?"
Hermione slammed the paper down, and pointed accusingly at page 3. Taking her time, Ginny sat down and began slowly reading the article. She could sense Hermione's impatience from across the table, but purposefully ignored it. The article was about the new program where all registered werewolves would be provided with wolfsbane potion at cost, or even free if they proved unable to pay. The hope was that with access to the potion, werewolves would be able to live more normal lives, and the public would no longer fear them as much.
Ginny chugged a goblet of juice, and then finally looked up to speak. Hermione was on pins and needles. "I'm surprised at you Hermione. I thought you would know Harry would contribute to something like this."
Completely taken aback, Hermione could only manage a one word answer. "What?" Ginny worked to suppress her smile. "That's what this is about right? The list of donors to this program? See, right here. Harry Potter- in remembrance of Remus Lupin."
Hermione looked ready to throttle her. "No! This isn't about Harry! This is about your prat of a boyfriend standing right there in the photo, right next to Rasmus Jensen! Do you even know who he is? I would give my left arm to be able to brew with him."
Feigning ignorance, Ginny forced her expression to morph into confusion. "Draco? Of course I know who he is Hermione. And if you really want to brew with him that badly, I'm sure I could convince him. No need for amputation." Hermione looked as if she was about to scream, and Ginny could no longer contain herself. Her expression broke, and she was laughing gleefully in her seat. Hermione could only glare.
Getting control of herself, Ginny finally decided to end Hermione's torment. "Alright, alright. I'm finished. Yes, you're right. That's Draco in the photo. He's been working as an ambassador for the Department of International Magical Trading Standards or some such rubbish name. I don't know. It was only a temporary thing. This Rasmus person, he has a nephew who Draco met at some garden party last month. They apparently bonded, enough so that they crashed a festival together. There was some band there, and when the band was going to play in his hometown of...I forget, someplace in Denmark, he invited Draco along."
Hermione looked completely confounded. Ginny wondered what it said about her, that Hermione's expression only made her want to laugh even more. "But what does any of this have to do with him standing next to Rasmus Jensen?"
"Well, he met him that night, didn't he? They had to sleep somewhere, so they headed to his uncle's house. The next morning Draco just sort of ended up staying, poking around the potions lab. He didn't really tell me everything. But the main point is somehow, Draco got Rasmus to like him. The British Ministry had been trying to pressure Rasmus into selling them wolfsbane for next to nothing, and he was ready to poison the next Ministry official that bothered him about it. Draco sort of jumped in then. Talked to the Ministry. And within a week, Draco was a Ministry ambassador, but really he was just loafing around in Denmark as far as I can tell."
"But that doesn't make any sense at all!" Ginny shrugged. She understood Hermione's point. From what Draco had told her, it seemed the Ministry had paid him to do nothing but go out and drink with this Rasmus Jensen. But somehow it had worked. Draco had convinced Rasmus to provide the Wolfsbane, and the Ministry was suddenly quite interested in what else Draco might be able to do.
"I need to speak with him." Ginny could only stare, sure she had misunderstood. "I'm sorry. Speak with who?"
"Malfoy. I need to hear it from him. Have him explain how going to some festival suddenly qualifies him to be an ambassador and acquaintance with a world renowned brewer." In theory, Ginny had been hoping this day would come. When Hermione would be willing to speak to Draco. Now that it was happening though, all Ginny felt was anxiousness. This was not a good idea. It would not be a pleasant conversation.
"He's meeting you in Hogsmeade this Saturday, isn't he? We can talk then." Frantically, Ginny tried to come up with some excuse, but she had nothing. "Well come on Ginny! Finish eating already. Charms starts in ten minutes. If you started getting out of bed when I do, your mornings would become a lot easier you know."
Four days later found Ginny clutching the bench of their carriage, stiff with nerves. She hadn't warned Draco of Hermione's plans, and she was really beginning to regret it. She had thought about it of course, but ultimately hadn't. A part of her had been a bit worried he would refuse to come if he knew. Come up with some excuse as to why he was no longer available, and she would see him next month instead.
Hermione on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. Excited even. She would warn Hermione to try and keep a civil tongue. To remind her to let Draco talk without interruption if she really wanted to know about his latest job. But she knew it would be a waste. Hermione would only act affronted that Ginny could ever think she wouldn't be civil, and then end up interrogating Draco anyhow.
The carriage came to a stop, and Ginny took a deep breath before opening the door and exiting. She spotted Draco chatting to some girl Ginny vaguely recognized as a fifth year, a girl she was rather sure Draco had never spoken to before in his life. Ginny didn't like to think that she was a jealous or paranoid person. But this was certainly curious. Standing directly in his line of sight, Ginny waited impatiently for him to look up and notice her. It didn't take him long. He looked up, made eye contact, quirked an eyebrow at her, and then went right back to his conversation.
Ginny couldn't believe it. What was he talking about that could be so important? They hadn't seen each other since Halloween three weeks ago, and now he was just ignoring her? Before she could decide if she should be indignant or not, he caught her gaze again, eyes wide, and jerked his head to the side before looking back down at the girl. Oh. He wanted her to come over to him.
Hearing Hermione close the carriage door, she spun around and made a quick decision. "'Mione, I promise you can talk to him all you want, but not right now. I think something serious is going on." Hermione looked over to where Draco was now the one talking, looking worried and helpless as he did so, and frowned. "Fine, yes. I'll wait here. Isn't that Regan Bulstrode? Caught her out after curfew two weeks ago. Ravenclaw. How does she know Malfoy?"
Ginny's body tensed, dread pooling in her stomach. "Bulstrode? You sure?" Hermione nodded, puzzled at Ginny's reaction, but she didn't have time to ask before Ginny was walking away at a quick clip.
"…I'm really not who she needs to talk to." Ginny walked up to the conversation just in time to see Regan's hands fist, her face an already unflattering shade of red. "And I'm telling you, you are! You don't have to be her shoulder to cry on you stubborn arse. Just talk things through with her! She needs someone who knew him! Who cared about him!"
He worked his jaw soundlessly, apparently at a loss, and then shifted his gaze to Ginny. Ginny frowned. She stood there, plastering on a smile as he used her as an out, introducing the girls to each other. She was not going to be his bloody distraction. Obviously, this was an issue he needed to deal with and didn't want to. Well, she was going to force him. "Regan, so nice to meet you. Any relation to Millicent by chance?" Regan flicked her eyes in Draco's direction quickly, before turning to Ginny fully. "Cousin. Actually, we were just talking about her. She's been staying with my parents for the past few months. You might have heard. Kicked out by her father this past July. Tried to burn her off the tapestry he did, but of course my dad wouldn't put up with it. Told my uncle he was being an idiot and took off with the tapestry and Millicent until he comes to his senses."
To say Ginny was shocked was an understatement. She could see Draco out of the corner of her eye, stiff and unresponsive. Git. "Well good on your dad. Is she doing okay then?"
There was a sudden unspoken understanding that seemed to pass between the two girls, and an invisible bond snapped into place. "Well enough. My aunt is actually more a mess than her, sneaking in to see Millie when my uncle's off at work. He'll come around eventually I'm sure. Will have to I think, or he's going to end up losing everyone else in the process. Of course, she could really use some support from her friends. Feels a bit alone in all this, Daphne aside of course."
Regan had put a deep emphasis on the word friends, and tilted her head towards Draco. Ginny more than got the point. "Of course. We'd both be happy to talk to her. Wouldn't we darling?" Draco's eyes narrowed into slits as Ginny stared him down. "Ginny." It was terse and full of controlled anger, but both girls pretended not to notice. "Fantastic. Any time before January would be brilliant. The baby's due sometime then." Ginny felt the ground fall out underneath her as the pieces all clicked together. Outwardly, she only blinked.
"Is she here by chance?" Regan frowned. "Here? No of course not. She's probably at home right now. That or shopping for baby things. My mum's gone a bit crazy with it, taking her to any and every store baby related. We haven't had a baby in our family since me, you see." Ginny did see. Her father aside, Millicent seemed to have plenty of family support. But she had one guess who the father of this baby had been, and she knew exactly why Millicent would want to talk to Draco. Hogsmeade could wait.
"Is your floo at home open to visitors?" Regan's head tilted, and a grin stretched across her face. "No, not without these at least." Ginny waited as Regan dug in her pockets, pulling out small gold keys. Ginny's eyes shone. Perfect. "Just call out Newcombe Nest. It's my mum's family home you see. If Millie's there, she'll probably be in the study." Ginny thanked her, took the keys, and then grabbed Draco's hand.
He walked behind her reluctantly, his body nearly keeping her from going forward. But Ginny was stubborn, and she dragged him all the way over to Hermione. "Change of plans. We have to go visit a friend." Hermione took in the scene before her, and choose wisely not to comment. Draco didn't though. He perked up, and very genuinely said "Plans? No, don't be silly. We can always go another day. How could you even think of ditching Granger? So, what are we doing then?" Both girls looked at him in shock.
He continued on, speaking quickly. "We could head to Dervish and Banges, heard they came out with a new ink. Spelled to change colors. Bit of a useless trick for writing I suppose but the potential for drawing is quite interesting. Or we could go to Gladrags, still haven't gotten new boots I see. Suppose I could do with a new scarf myself. Would seem a bit odd to go round this winter with the school one after all. Maybe a dark green though. Something to show a bit of alum pride."
Hermione, unable to take any more, took her wand out and cast a silencio. Ginny could feel Draco tense up indignantly, his hand reaching for his own wand, and she grabbed his wrist tightly to stop him. "We'll try to be back before evening. Meet up in the Three Broomsticks at 3? If we're not there…" Hermione waved her hand impatiently. "Yes, fine. Just, go do what you have to do. And Ginny. Are you sure he's alright?"
Both witches stared at Draco, who looked a mix of panic and anger, and Ginny shrugged. "Suppose so. See you later." Hermione ended her spell before walking off, but even then Draco remained silent. He walked quietly to the Three Broomsticks with her, no longer shuffling his feet, but when they reached the fireplace, he froze.
Ginny's brow furrowed, and she kissed him. He didn't kiss back. "Draco, it will be fine." He shook his head, and gulped in a way that made Ginny realize he was near tears. "I can't face her. It's my fault Vince died. If I hadn't tried to go after Potter…." And suddenly all of his strange behavior made sense. "Draco I'm sure she doesn't blame you."
"Well she bloody well should!" His shout had carried through the pub. Ginny felt the awkward stares immediately, but Draco was oblivious. Was he really this worried about Millicent being mad at him? Why? Shouldn't she have been happy at Crabbe's death? If anyone had cause to celebrate his demise, Ginny would have thought it would have been her.
"He was a complete lunkhead you know. Only did what he thought he was supposed to. He didn't get subtlety or the concept of pretending. He really thought everyone around him bought into the Dark Lord's bull. That being cruel and nasty was the right thing to do." Ginny held his hand, standing patiently, as Draco continued to talk.
"Everything was so simple for him. I know you think he was a bad person. And in a way he was. He wanted something, he took it, damn the consequences. But he could never really understand that people were using him. People would make fun of him. They'd send him to do something. And he'd be happy to do it, never realizing that the person was snickering the whole time at how thick he was for doing their dirty work. I used to do it too. I'd just use him, never really caring what happened to him. Do you know why he turned against me last year? Because I stopped. I stopped getting him to do things for me. It should have been a good thing, but he only saw it as me abandoning him."
As he was talking, tears were forming in the corner of his eye, his voice cracking on the last sentence. Ginny realized in that moment something she hadn't all of last year. Draco hadn't liked what Crabbe had been doing. Didn't approve of how he had been hurting Millicent. But he had also still considered Crabbe a friend. Had been upset about not being about to help Crabbe realize he was being used by Voldermort. She felt a bit like an idiot. These Slytherins that she could care less about; he did care about them. Crabbe and Goyle had been by his side for seven years. Whatever their issues, it didn't matter. They had stuck with him through everything, even agreeing to polyjuice into little girls that year he had practically lived in the Room of Requirement.
"Draco you can't change the past. But you also can't run from it. Have you even visited Goyle since being released?" Draco ran his hand through his hair, and seemed to be trying to collect himself. "Yeah, I have. A few times. Talked him through some career options. Helped him get an interview as a caretaker in St Mungos actually. Mind damage ward. Some of the patients can be a bit aggressive, and the staff seemed happy to have a man of Greg's size around." Ginny didn't know why she should be so surprised, but she was. He had done all that for Goyle?
"Draco, I know you can do this. I'll be right by your side. If you don't go now, you'll only build it up in your mind more." He nodded, and she quietly passed him one of the two keys. Clutching it, he grabbed the floo powder, and shouted out Newcombe Nest. Ginny followed right behind him, gasping as she took in the room she was in. Every wall was curved. Knickknacks and photos perched on shelves that jutted out, and furniture sat in the middle of the room, no corners for them to be smushed into. The room was huge. In the middle was a spiral staircase, leading up to a landing that circled around the whole room. There were twelve doors off of the landing, reminding Ginny a bit of a clock.
Draco smirked over at her. "Impressive isn't it? I used to race around that landing for hours on my junior broom. Not with Regan of course. Her brothers. Liam was two years older than me and Jasper was three. Both moved out now, I suspect. Haven't seen them in ages. Come on then. Study's this way."
Ginny couldn't help but feel very strange walking through what was practically a stranger's home. That Draco had been here before as a kid and knew his way around was the only comforting part. At least if Regan's parents saw them, there was a chance they wouldn't immediately be hexed. Speaking of. "Draco Malfoy? Is that you?"
"Mr. Bulstrode, pleasure." The man let the door swing shut behind him and looked down on where the two of them were standing halfway up the stairs. "How the hell did you get in? Don't tell me the floo security wards are fritzing again. Do you know we had to haul in Buckley just last week to recast them? Course with all that mess behind us, security's not so much an issue anymore."
Draco held up the golden key so the man could see it, and the wizard grunted. "Right then. Regan following behind is she? And who are you?" Ginny felt her cheeks flush red.
"Erm, Ginny Weasley sir. Sorry for bursting in like this. See, we're friends of Millicent and just thought we'd see if she would be available to chat." Mr. Bulstrode eyed her for a minute, and then nodded.
"Weasely, eh? That brother of yours come back to the Ministry yet? You know, the one that was Fudge's assistant? Bit of a dull one he was, but hell of an organizer. Haven't seen so clean an office in all my years there. Kingsley could use him. Man keeps losing all my letters if he can be believed."
Ginny felt a tension leave her that she didn't know she had, and yelled up to him with a smile. "A few weeks ago sir. Believe he's back with International Magical Cooperation now. It's where he started out you know."
She had to fight back a giggle as Mr. Bulstrode blustered. "With those damn diplomats? Waste of talent that is. Could care bloody less about that department loosing track of a few letters. As if there was any international cooperation when we needed it the most!"
Draco nudged her side and the two shared a look of amusement. It was obvious that if allowed, Mr. Bulstrode would have no problem carrying on a shouted conversation all morning. "Millicent home then?" At the reminder, Mr. Bulstrode told them to feel free to go right into the study, and then bellowed for a house elf that was then instructed to bring them tea.
Entering the study, Ginny couldn't help but gasp. Millicent looked so big. Or well, her stomach did. Of course. If the baby was due in January, that meant she was already seven months along at least. Looking up from where she was laying on the couch reading a book, she took a second to realize who it was. And then the book was dropped on the floor. She was up and running to them before Ginny knew what hit her. "It's so good to see you!" Ginny slowly reached her arms around and returned the hug that she was shocked to find herself in.
Pulling back, Millicent beamed at her. Ginny was flabbergasted. "Good to see you too. I…I can't believe you're about to be a mum! How have you been?"
"Oh, as good as can be expected. Draco." Ginny felt very out of place as Millicent and Draco stared at each other, and couldn't help but think of last year when the three of them had been in her room. There was no bathroom to retreat to here though, not unless she planned to get lost in this house.
"Having trouble with owl post recently? Heard you've been abroad for a while." Draco sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he was here and he was going to have to speak. "No trouble. I got your letters. I just…what do you want me to say?"
Ginny watched as Millicent stood straighter and crossed her arms. "An apology would be a good place to start." Ginny inched her way backwards, and pretended to browse the nearest bookshelf.
"You want me to say I'm sorry? Fine! I'm sorry! I was an utter arse and a terrible friend and I am never going to forgive myself for not being able to save him! Is that what you want to hear? I can't make it up to you! I can't ever make it up to him!"
Ginny watched in shock as Millicent shoved him and Draco took it. Not even trying to retaliate. "Shut up you complete idiot! I meant an apology for ignoring me! What happened to Vince wasn't your fault any more than it was mine! Neither of us could save him! Do you have any clue how hard I tried to get him to realize there was another way? That being powerful didn't have to mean overpowering everyone else?"
Millicent spun to face Ginny, and Ginny could only look at her with wide eyes. "He wasn't evil you know. You only saw the worst parts of him. He just didn't understand things. He had seen blackmail work all his life. When it didn't work for him, he got angry and confused. I thought he had gone crazy. Was dangerous and horrible and no longer someone I recognized." Ginny felt her chest tighten as Millicent continued to talk. It was obvious the girl needed to vent.
"Do you know he used to bring me cookies? We were fourteen and it was the only thing he could think to do. He would steal them from the younger years, roughing them up until they handed them over. Fifth year, when we were all complaining about OWLS? He beat Terry Boot up for his revision notes, handing them over to me with pride, telling me now I could pass and not worry. The things he did scared me, and I kept trying to ignore him. But he never understood why. Last year, it just, it all came to a head. When I rejected him outright. He wanted to prove to himself that I was nothing. To get payback for years of me ignoring him."
Ginny really did not see how any of this mattered. All she was gathering from this was how big of a bully Crabbe had always been. That he had been like a violent toddler, unable to take no for an answer and not understanding why things weren't going his way. But it was also becoming obvious that Millicent and Draco were both blaming themselves for not being able to fix him.
Ginny looked at Millicent's stomach, and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure she even wanted Millicent to answer, but her curiosity won out. "How did this happen then? I thought in November we stopped him, and then after Christmas you said you had that…thing." Millicent's eyes went glassy.
"Yeah, I did. But that was sort of what started it. That first night back, I had it around my neck and stormed up to Vince to explain just what it would do to any man who tried to touch me. Instead of being scared, he just looked confused, and asked why I needed it. That if I was worried about getting hurt, that he would protect me. To just tell him the name, and he'd take care of the bastard. I sort of lost it, screamed at him about how he was the one I needed protection from. Reminded him that he had told everyone I was nothing but filth. That hadn't he nearly killed me half a dozen times over last semester? He didn't say anything. Just stared at me and then left."
Draco interrupted then. "So that's what all that was about." Millicent nodded, and Ginny couldn't help but ask to be brought into the loop. It was Draco who answered. "Vince spent like a week being, I don't know, serious and quiet. Then one evening he stood up on a table in the common room and announced he'd learned the cruciatius curse, and that if anyone said or did anything more against Millicent he'd torture them. Was sort of out of the blue given that nothing had been done to her, but we all just shrugged it off." Ginny couldn't help but think they must all be barmy. They had just shrugged it off?
Millicent picked up the narrative again, explaining how he had pulled her outside after that, telling her that he wanted to fix things. That hurting her hadn't helped him get over her like he thought it would. He wanted to know what he had to do to make her his. She had tried to use the next few weeks to explain to him what she actually wanted. That if he was going to get her flowers, he needed to buy them, not steal them from the greenhouses. That it was very nice to call her pretty, but he didn't need to call every other girl ugly to do so. At first, she would just smile at him or hug him to let him know he had done something right. "But well, you know…it started to get a bit more physical, and I…" Here she shot a look at Draco who raised his eyebrows. "I'll just go find your aunt, shall I? See if she's spoken to my mother recently."
Once the door was shut, Millicent looked back over at her with a blush. "Daphne's never had sex and she didn't get it, but…you know how it's sort of …nice to have no power? When you're being held down or tied up and you know he's just using your body." Ginny's face went crimson. She actually didn't know completely. Draco had never tied her up. But she was well aware of how much she liked him holding her down, yanking her around, smacking her arse…would she want to be tied up? She certainly enjoyed him having control over her. "Er, yeah I get what you mean."
"Well, I sort of guided him the first few times, and then he really started to get the hang of it. It was so much better than in first semester, and it was just…amazing. Even in the autumn it hadn't always been bad. The sex I mean. His cock was as big as everything else about him and he was so aggressive….I swear, I might have given him a chance in the spring just because I knew what potential he had in bed." Ginny couldn't help it. She laughed. It was all sorts of messed up, but she found herself actually happy. Happy that if Millicent was having his baby, it was at least a product of mutual pleasure. Not rape like she had initially thought.
And then Millicent's face fell. "The baby was an accident of course. I almost wonder if the universe knew somehow. Knew that he was about to die, and gave me this baby to let a piece of him live on. My father can't get over the scandal of it. Threatened to disown me. If not for my uncle…I was stupid I guess." Ginny swallowed a lump in her throat, and decided if she was going to tell anyone, it might as well be Millicent.
"Well if you think that was stupid, Draco and I were actually trying for a baby." Millicent's mouth dropped open in shock. "What? Why?"
"To save ourselves? Draco thought a baby could keep me out of Hogwarts next year, thus avoiding the death eaters, and would give him an excuse to bow out of missions and not be such an active deatheater." Millicent cocked her head to the side, and then smiled.
"That was actually really smart. And he knew it would work too." Ginny's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Well it's what his parents did, not to mention Greg's, Vince's, Theo's. You didn't think it a strange coincidence that so many of the less avid deatheaters suddenly all had children the same year? It was when the Dark Lord was starting to get violent, wanting his followers to commit murder. Those that didn't feel like risking Azkaban, suddenly all their wives were getting pregnant and they were bowing out in order to raise the next generation of purebloods. The Dark Lord couldn't really punish them for it, as continuing pureblood lines was one of his main goals."
Oh. Now that Millicent had said it, Ginny felt incredibly thick for not having put the pieces together herself. "You're good for him you know." Ginny bit her lip and shrugged. She hoped she was. But it was strange hearing it from someone else. Not one person had told her they were happy she was with Draco or that they were a good couple. Not until now.
"I'm serious. Just getting him to come here, I know it couldn't have been easy. I get why seeing me is hard for him. He sees me, and all he can think about is Vince dying and leaving me to be a single mum." Ginny couldn't help the thought that she could have very easily ended up in Millicent's position. What if she had gotten pregnant last spring and something had happened to Draco during the Final Battle? Ginny suddenly reached out and held Millicent's hand, needing Millicent to know she would support her. "I'm still in school so I can't visit very often, but if you ever need help or just someone to write to…" Millicent grinned.
"Thanks Ginny. But what I actually need to do is have a serious conversation with Draco. Think you can get him to listen?" Ginny's resolve instantly hardened. "Wait right here." Heading out of the room, Ginny brushed aside any nerves, and began banging on doors, calling out for Draco. A door across the landing slid open, revealing a witch in a beautiful green and gold robe. "He's in here dear. You must be the young Miss. Weasley."
After a quick explanation of Millicent needing to talk to Draco, he trudged back towards her, and gave her a long, pathetic look. She swatted his arm. "Go in there. Now. And remember not to upset her too much. She is pregnant you know." He sighed and opened the door to the study, Ginny giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before she left. Mrs. Bulstrode ended up giving her a house tour as the two chatted, and Ginny found herself thinking about what type of house she would want one day.
She was in the kitchen being fed lunch by the house elf, when Draco finally walked in. He flopped into the chair next to her and stole a piece of shepard's pie from her plate. "Before you ask, a lot of it was just talking about Vince. What he would want if he were still alive. After a bit of arguing, I got her to agree to accept some money for the baby. She doesn't need it or anything. I just…I needed to give it." Ginny took his hand, and squeezed. "Alright."
He looked over at her, his gaze more somber and thoughtful than she was used to. "Thanks Gin. You were right. I needed to do this. I just, it's hard to be reminded, you know? It's so much easier to just try and forget it ever happened." She did know. It was easier, not being at The Burrow. Not having to see George without Fred.
"Ready to head out? Millie's napping right now. There was a fair amount of crying, and I think it wore her out." Ginny nodded, and within ten minutes, the two of them found themselves back at the Three Broomsticks. It was strange being hurled back into Hogsmeade, a place full of chattering Hogwarts students. She knew she was one of them. Still a student and all. But she was also beginning to feel a bit out of place.
She didn't know how Hermione and Dean did it. They were adults now. And there were moments like this, where she suddenly felt too old for school. That instead of living with schoolmates, she should be living in a house with Draco. Being there for him when he came home from the Ministry. Letting him complain about work while they ate dinner. Going to bed with him at night.
Speaking of going to bed. Turning to him, she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards the staircase. As the two approached the bar, Rosmerta didn't even bother asking what they wanted. It was routine by now. In the middle of pouring butterbeers, she grabbed the key from a hook and threw it at them. Draco's hand snatched it out of midair with a smirk. Honestly, Ginny was a bit impressed. All those years playing seeker really had given him rather good reflexes. "It's on the house today. Heard Dougal got fined during a surprise inspection the other week. Curious, given he hasn't had an inspection in over a decade." Rosmerta and Draco shared a look.
"Well, what can I say? An anonymous tip to the right person goes a long way." Rosmerta actually laughed at that, and then looked between the two of them with an almost fondness. "You keep him in line, eh? And you, give that girl a ring already." Ginny flushed, but Draco only smiled. "Can't. Got to ask her father first." Before she could reply, a clump of students came up to order, dragging her back into the hustle and bustle of business. Ginny found herself stuck to the spot, beaming inside. "You coming love?"
They had two hours before Ginny had told Hermione to meet them. Two hours that they put to very good use.
Ginny's wand blazed to life, letting them know their time together in bed was up. Ginny's gaze leapt to his face, her mouth still securely around his cock. They shared a look, and Ginny swirled her tongue around him one last time before letting him go with a pop. Ginny came up for a kiss, and then rolled off the bed to grab her wand off the floor. Draco continued to lie on the bed, his naked body irritatingly distracting, as she used cleaning spells to vanish the wet spots on the sheets.
She hadn't left enough time to shower, so Ginny made do with a freshening charm, resigning herself to slightly sticky thighs. She very quickly pulled her clothes back on, walked over to the mirror to yank her hair into something a little neater, applied a glamour charm to her neck, and hoped it was enough. Did she still smell like sex?
Draco had redressed as well, but had done nothing else. Instead, he stood there and looked at her wearily. "Do we really have plans with Granger? Why in Merlin's name does she want to be around me?"
Ginny gave him a warning look that he rolled his eyes at. "Don't give me that look. Hatchet's buried and all. At least on my end. Sort of has to be after they saved my life. Still, that doesn't change the fact that she's an annoying swot."
Ginny opened her mouth to retort, and then snapped it shut. In all honesty, he likely was going to find what Hermione had to say annoying and possibly quite insulting as well. "Well you're just going to have to learn to deal with it. She's my friend and she's not going anywhere. And fix your hair at least." He huffed and ran a hand through it, but Ginny wasn't sure it had helped much. He still looked like he had just been well fucked, tousled as it was. Had he even managed a charm for his breath, or did it still smell like her? "Oh never mind. Come on. I don't want to keep her waiting."
Despite Ginny's best efforts, Hermione was already at a table, watching them come down with pursed lips. Ginny slid into the booth across from Hermione and spoke quickly. "I didn't lie. We came back after lunch. We really did spend the morning with a friend." Hermione didn't respond but instead stiffened as Draco slid in next to Ginny, putting him directly across from her. Ginny saw Hermione's eyes drop down to his neck, and winced. He hadn't glamoured his hickey. Prat.
"Granger. Ginny said you wanted to talk? I do hope it's good, given what you just interrupted and all." He had extended his arm to put around Ginny's shoulders, and was leaning back against the booth in an act of confident smugness. Ginny would have been mad at him, but she realized that this was his way of hiding his discomfort. Hermione was making no effort to pretend to be relaxed. Instead her back remained unnaturally straight, her lips and eyes narrowed aggressively. When she spoke, it was terse and antagonistic.
"I see your manners haven't improved much. Which leads quite nicely to the point I made the other day. You being qualified to be an ambassador is an absolute joke. What did you do? Blackmail someone? Pay someone off?" Any trace of his aloof façade disappeared. His arm retracted from around Ginny, his body leaned towards the table, and his expression turned icy.
"Accusing me of something Granger?" His tone did nothing to deter Hermione. If anything, it only seemed to strengthen her resolve. She leaned in towards the table as well, and stared him down. "Only speculating for now. Although the probability does seem high. It is how your father acquired every bit of influence he has."
"Right. Because the great Hermione Granger knows everything, does she? You don't know shit. You think wizards are actually ever going to take you seriously? With your self righteous, know it all attitude? Please. They'll placate you because you're friends with Potter, but that's it. Our world's small Granger, and connections run deep. You may be the smartest witch of our age, but it doesn't mean they'll ever like you."
Hermione's face had flushed red with rage. "Oh but they'll like you? A pompous arse with a criminal record who sneers at nearly everyone?"
Draco's eyes shone. "Yes. You want to know why? Because they know I'm just as prejudiced as them. Same values. Same upbringing. Do you know why Rasmus agreed to talk to me? Because he knew if I was supporting it, there must be another reason. The official reasons for the program made him sick. He despises Kingsely's bleeding heart. He wasn't going to help werewolves out of kindness. He'd rather they all be rounded up and caged as animals. I got him to help with the program by emphasizing how it will incentivize werewolves to publically register themselves. No more hiding, no more excuses for attacks. If a werewolf attacks someone now, it won't just be treated as an animal attack. The werewolf is now going to be dragged in as a criminal, fully responsible for his actions, and punished accordingly. Rasmus was nearly giddy once he realized werewolves would be publically known now. He's rather convinced most of them will mess up eventually, and their imprisonment is only a matter of time."
Hermione had gone pale. "But that…that's horrible. The program is meant to help them. It's-"
"It's whatever you want to see it as. And don't get all bent out of shape. I could care less if they end up imprisoned or not. If they all take their potion and end up living peaceful lives, then great. I care that creatures like Greyback are suddenly going to have a much harder time convincing the newly bitten to join a savage, wild, pack instead of shuffling off to the Ministry for help. This program decreases the risk of werewolf attacks and I'm happy to support it. So reel in that self righteous indignation."
She seemed to be struggling for words, and then turned to Ginny. "Are you hearing this? How can you even tolerate sitting next to him?" The truth was, even though Ginny hadn't known all the details, nothing he had said had really alarmed her. It made sense. Whatever Rasmus felt about werewolves personally, he was still the one who needed to agree to brew the Wolfsbane. So Draco had figured out a way to convince him. That was the job he had been paid to do. And the end result was still good. "Oh stop it. You're idealistic and he's practical. We all already knew this. And he might have a point Hermione. If you're only willing to work with others who are full of pure intentions, you're not going to get very far."
Draco shifted, his irritation fading, looking at Hermione curiously instead. "Granger, what exactly are you planning to do?" His question seemed to shock Hermione slightly, and Ginny watched as Hermione began to talk without a trace of enmity. "Well I plan to work for the rights of the many magical creatures that seem to have no voice of their own. House elves of course are my passion, but there are others as well."
And just like that, Ginny and Draco found themselves reluctant listeners as Hermione outlined all the abuses she had seen against this creature or that creature, and how she hoped to change or invent laws for their protection. They both kept from interrupting, wary of setting her off into ranting about another issue. When she finally finished, there was a moment of silence and then Draco spoke. "Well Granger, I never thought I would say this. But best wishes on marrying Weasely. Hope you have a dozen children. I'll even delay our wedding if you two want to go first. Anything to keep you out of the Ministry."
Ginny sent him an annoyed glare, but Hermione only scrunched her face up in confusion. "Never mind him, Hermione. We all know you have a long, fruitful career ahead of you before you become a mum. Ron's not expecting anything less."
Hermione only stared as Ginny and Draco used silent looks to communicate between themselves. And then her mouth dropped open in realization. "Are you implying that I would allow children to overtake my career? How ridiculous. If I do eventually decide to have children, I assure you it won't keep me from working just as hard as before. They can go to daycare, just like I did."
Both of them stared at her in utter confusion, but it was Draco who asked the question. "What the hell is daycare?" Shocked, Hermione found herself about to answer when she realized. She thought back to every mention of growing up in a magical household she had ever heard. And then it hit her. There was not a single instance of the mother not staying home with the children. Every career minded witch she had ever met had been single. From their Professors, to Umbridge, to Rita Skeeter. Even Tonks had ended her auror career as soon as she was pregnant.
"Daycare, it's a place you drop your kids off for the day while you work. In the muggle world, a lot of kids only see their parents in the evenings and on weekends. It used to be that all mums stayed home with the kids, but that was like fifty years ago." Draco immediately showed his disgust, but Ginny was trying to hold off and understand.
"So…so muggles used to have the mum stay at home with the kids. But now she works and drops her kids off at some place to be raised by others. And that's progress according to the muggles, is it? They like this daycare thing?" Hermione frowned. "Well, yes. Because it allows women freedom. Freedom to work and earn money and be respected in the world just like a man. I mean, some people don't like it. They think it's better for the woman to stay at home. But that only works if the family can survive on one income, not to mention all the single mothers out there who can't afford to not get a job."
Ginny sat quietly, but Hermione had an uneasy feeling that Ginny thought very little of the idea of daycare. It was Draco who broke the silence. "Fucking hell Granger. Always knew muggles were crazy." Ginny elbowed him in warning, and then met Hermione's gaze. "Ron's never going to agree to that you know."
She could have gotten upset, but as she looked at Ginny, Hermione realized with a sinking feeling that Ginny knew more about this than her. Valuing basic education had been similar enough to the muggle world, that she had never really been forced to confront the cultural differences between this world and the muggle one. But she was nineteen now, and new issues were beginning to pop up.
Ginny and Draco were only 17 and 18. But in this world, that just meant they were adults. There were no college years that delayed adolescence. Draco, Harry, Ron, and countless others were now working adults. Talk of marriage and kids was not some hypothetical idea for ten years down the road. It was now. She knew the Potters and the Weasleys had gotten married at her age. Mrs. Weasley had been 20 when she had Bill, and Harry's mum had also been 20 when she had him. At the wedding last year, while Bill had been 27, Fleur had only been 19. They married young and raised their kids at home, or stayed single and worked. What was it that Ron was expecting of her? Did he want her to be like his mum?
Overwhelmed, Hermione excused herself, and headed into the cold November wind to try and think things through calmly and rationally. Back in the Three Broomsticks, Ginny and Draco found themselves unexpectedly alone. "So, what exactly are you being sent to Germany for next week?"