Chapter 17: Friends are such a drag…

Draco apparated into the front hall of Malfoy Manor and almost immediately Salazar came running up to him barking like mad. He reached down and scratched behind the dog's ear picking him up and walking toward his Study. He sat down behind the desk completely lost in thought unable to process what had happened. Was that what Ginny's been hiding? She's known all along and thought I was guilty! Without realizing it he picked up his phone and dialled.

"Hello?" A woman's voice said.

"Inez?" Draco said.

"Titus?" She asked. "What's up? Haven't heard from you in a while been busy?"

"Yeah," He said, "been super busy; attempting to avoid being thrown in Azkaban with my father and dating an old family enemy who wouldn't care if I were thrown in now!"

"Draco, honey what's happened?"

"I'm not sure." Draco said and related the evening's events.

"You should go speak to her maybe she just didn't want to pry, didn't think it was her place"

"That's just it though! She keeps putting up these walls between us. This isn't the first time. She doesn't talk about her family ever, the one time I brought it up she accused me of hating them bring things up that I did a decade ago!"

"Well, you did mention she was you're family's enemy, maybe she thinks you still think that way."

"How could I, I've been nothing if not amazing! I've been trying very hard to be everything that a gentleman should be, I have not once said anything about her family!"

"Maybe you should."

"What?" He asked.

"Your feelings for her family have obviously not changed."

"What do you mean? I'm dating her, of course they have!"

"No, your feelings for her have changed, however whenever you speak of them I can't help but hear your disgust."

"No!" Draco insisted, "I'm not like that anymore!"

"Oh, Titus!" She sighed. "What's that barking?"

"That's Salazar, my new dog, Ginny forced him on me, he's kinda cute though."

"You've got a dog! I thought you hated dogs!"

"No, I hate your dog." He said a smile threatening at the corner of his lips, he could hear her rolling her eyes.

"How are Narcissa and your father?"

"She's still in France, shopping." He said disdainfully. "Father? He's in prison, how much can there be to tell?"

"It seemed like the polite thing to say." She said affronted.

"Like you care about polite?" she laughed, "So just to be polite, how's Steve?"

"He's good. As much of an asshole as ever but you know… He's been really excited about the baby, painted the baby room and everything."

"You're pregnant!"

"Yes, found out last week!"

"And he's already painted the room?"

"I know, the next day he went at it, keeps bugging me about baby names." She paused he heard her yell at someone. "Sorry, I got to go; the dog's just peed in the kitchen."

"Sure, good luck with Steve!"

"I'll need it! Talk to her, if you really care about her! Bye!" She said and the line died.

He stared at the phone before he hung it up slowly. He looked down at Salazar who sat in his tiny leather chair chewing his toy cat. "She doesn't know what she's talking about. I didn't do anything wrong, so I'll not be the one go back there with my tail between my legs." He said and felt a heavy weight settle upon his heart.

A/N: Thursday, May 12, 2004