Title: Call Me Ginevra
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I don't own any characters except those you can't research on the lexicon and aren't mentioned in the books. The plot is my own. Any resemblances to other plots are pure coincidence. Think about it this way, great minds think alike.
Full Summary: The war has the Weasley's worried about poor little Ginny. After checking her resources McGonagall claims she has the best caretaker for Ginny. Too bad it turns out to be Narcissa Malfoy. While at Malfoy Manor Ginny faces growing up, a strict regiment and Draco on a day-to-day basis. Can Ginny and Draco brave the unknowns of friendship? Will the buds of relationship form? What will Harry do when he finds out that only Ginny holds the key to defeating Voldemort?
Pairings: Draco/Ginny (I guess this sort of answers the "buds of relationship" question in the summary, huh?)
Rating: Eventually M, but pace yourself. (I will give fare warning of the chapters which that rating applies.)
Chapter Note: This one was much easier to write than the last one and flowed a lot better from my brain through my fingertips, I hope it reads that way. Again, there are some parts where you want to skim because there's not a whole lot of dialogue but please refrain if you can.
Author's Note: Here's the deal… Although I love you all very much, and your frequent reviewing motivates me to write, I can't possibly make you all happy and stick with the plot SO… hear me out:
Look about two inches up, see the pairings? See what it says? That's right. And I will maintain that. When you end this fic you will think "Ah! I get it!" Just remember in this world, the ends justify the means (and the plot knows where I sleep O.O). So although you all will hate me for who knows how many chapters it will take, you will get what you deserve for being such consistent readers and faithful reviewers.
Chapter Seventeen: Home Sweet Home
Ginny refused to leave her room the next morning. Narcissa had personally come up to check on her and Ginny had just handed the letter to her bitterly. After reading it Narcissa simply nodded and left Ginny alone, sending a house elf up every so often with a soothing draught and food. She hadn't eaten anything all day but she'd taken the soothing draught and a six hour dose of dreamless sleep. She'd have to attend the ball that day unless she wanted to come up with a way of displaying symptoms to an illness she didn't have, so she decided to get rest when she could take it.
She woke up to the setting sun and pushed back the covers. Slowly she sat up and watched as the shadow on the floor of her hair moved like the branches of trees shaking in the wind. She knew she was still in shock. Everything around her was moving too slow. The world seemed too right and too peaceful for this to have happened. Maybe she had dreamt it at some point last night. Maybe she hadn't taken dreamless sleep potions at all and maybe she just slept in.
She turned to look at her nightstand and found the letter sitting there, crumpled and boasting its terrible message. Sneering she grabbed it up, squeezing it in one hand into a ball as she picked up her wand in the other and lit the fireplace in her room. Walking over she tossed the note inside and watched as it burned.
The orange fire ate away at the paper until it was nothing but a memory.
Just like she and Draco now were.
Her bottom lip quivered and she rushed to the bathroom and started up her shower. She knew she would feel less silly for crying if she could pretend her tears were the water from the shower instead. As the water heated she grabbed hold of the tub next to it, her palms resting on the rim and her fingers grasping it tightly as she bent over it. She felt like she was going to be sick. Finally she felt the steam wafting over to her and began to undress.
She walked out of her bathroom thirty minutes later. She had taken a pepper-up potion and used a few potions to decrease her puffy eyes and do away with how bloodshot they were. She had dried her hair and used a spell she was familiar with now to sweep her hair into a simple up-do for fancy occasions like the balls. She wasn't in the mood to exert much energy into her look and left her makeup natural.
She found breathing laborious as she dressed, not quite willing to go down to the party. She knew she had to but facing all of those people with a fake smile on her face was something she wasn't sure she'd be able to do. She couldn't imagine how Narcissa did it. Everyday that she learned more and experienced more her respect for Narcissa grew. And now, upon finishing getting dressed and putting her shoes on, she would have to be like Narcissa and put on a good show.
She hated that she sounded like a pony in a circus but that's exactly what she had to do. She was bridled into a situation that prevented her from publicly believing what she wanted to and because of the damage it might do Narcissa and her family, she couldn't right the swelling gossip of the "reformed Weasley girl" who was living in the Manor with the Malfoys. Narcissa had kept most of the Prophets away from Ginny so she couldn't see what they were writing but eventually Ginny found out.
One reporter had even come close to guessing the truth that Ginny was really there to spy and didn't believe in anything like Lucius and Narcissa did, but Lucius himself had come out denounced that.
Ginny had come to know Lucius better living under his roof as well, and at times she wished she hadn't. She had never known just how much he suffered from insanity until she had seen him in action. Narcissa was battered and raped anytime she so much as stepped an inch over the line in front of any one of his friends and Draco was kept on so short of a leash he could barely breathe.
Ginny hissed at the pain in her gut as Draco once again drifted into her thoughts. He wouldn't stay away and although she hadn't been upset about that at first, she had actually felt better remembering the good times, she was now moving on through the acceptance phase and becoming bitter.
No.
No, she wouldn't let herself be bitter. She should've seen this coming.
As she left her room in the dark, shutting the door behind her as she stepped in the hallway she regretted only one thing.
She wished she hadn't fallen so in love with him before he left.
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The ball was carrying on like she expected it to. She and Narcissa had stood at the foyer greeting each and every guest as they walked through the door and introducing them to Claire and Laurent who were standing beside them. Lucius even made a few appearances before dashing into the living room once it was filled enough with creepy old men.
Ginny hated the people Lucius invited. All the men were Death Eaters and she had to dodge their attempts to fondle her at the drink table and make up excuses to not dance with them. Some, she couldn't get out of. The male Carrow, she'd forgotten his name, was very verbal about her beauty and made her skin crawl whenever she was in a three foot radius of him. Mr. Zabini still shot daggers via glaring at her from across the room and Blaise, thankfully was nowhere to be seen.
Her smile was long gone as she stood at Narcissa's side, keeping her drink constantly filled so that whenever someone was speaking to them they avoided asking her any questions. She couldn't risk letting her voice crack during those frequent times when she was biting back tears. Narcissa had even had to send her upstairs for something to give Ginny a few minutes to recover after someone mentioned Draco being away for so long and probably getting himself a girlfriend.
No matter what she did she couldn't avoid the truth and she hated it. Taking a deep breath, she had walked back downstairs and was swept into a dance with Mr. Crabbe again. He had actually become less perverted the more frequently the balls happened and wasn't a bad dancer. Ginny just had to make sure to get a dance in with him before the middle of the night to ensure he wasn't halfway drunk and touchy-feely.
After the music stop they separated and he bowed, commenting on how lovely of a dancer she was. She smiled kindly, nodded, and made for the garden. It was a beeline but she made good time getting there and felt immediately better out in the cold air.
She inhaled deeply and found the fountain with ease, sitting on the edge. She felt tired and lightheaded after being in the ballroom for so long. Pretending to be happy took more energy than she had originally anticipated. She leaned forward and pulled the skirt of dress tauter so she wouldn't wrinkle it sitting down. The dress was lovely, a pale green silk that wrapped around her body and clung to her curves in all the right places. It had only one strap on the left side but could somehow contain her bosom.
Sighing, she ran her hands over her face. If she'd had her way she wouldn't have woken up that morning. If she were lucky, she'd be able to bid goodnight to everyone early and force herself to sleep through the night with some more dreamless sleep draught.
"Ginevra?"
Looking up quickly she saw Laurent stepping towards her from the pathway leading back to the Manor. Smiling halfway, she dropped her hands and rested her elbows on her knees, crossing her arms in front of her. "Hello, Ren." She tilted her head to one side as he sat down beside her.
"Getting some fresh air, yes?" He looked up at the sky as he braced his weight onto his hands behind him.
Ginny nodded. "Something like that, yeah."
"It is a crazy night, no? Everyone inside just dancing and drinking away. I haven't been to a ball in so long, you see, this seems like it is all new to me."
"I bet." Ginny sighed, tapping her bottom lip with her fingers as she moved to rest her chin on her palm.
Laurent frowned. "Ginevra, what is it that makes you so sad? You are so different from yesterday."
Ginny's jaw clenched. She reminded herself that the first steps toward recovery included not denying the truth. Therefore, she should probably tell Laurent what had happened. She paused, hesitating with the fear that maybe he was working for Lucius gripping her heart. Well, it didn't matter. He was probably gay anyways, with how boys were now-a-days.
"I…" She stopped, pursing her lips. "That boyfriend I told you about?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Laurent nodded. "Well he isn't my boyfriend anymore." She bit her bottom lip, thinking of how to go on.
"You see, I was writing him. And I guess I said some things that I shouldn't have, told him how I felt too early, and he sent me an owl yesterday saying we were over and he'd found someone else."
Laurent frowned. "I am sorry to hear this. Je sais mauvais que me sent." Ginny frowned and Laurent shook his head, smiling. "I know how bad it feels." He translated. "Remember? My prior girlfriend, she took my heart with her when she left me. Sometimes I wonder if I have gotten it back or not." He shrugged and sighed. "I think the beauty in love is that you must do so entirely in order to receive it. And even then you might not. My mother always told me it taught us humility."
Ginny smiled sadly in reply, feeling something stir in her. Her throat constricted, burning with the desire to fill the silence of the garden with sobs. Was she supposed to learn humility from this? She'd already been pretty full on the humility meter. She hadn't thought that she deserved Draco in all his greatness. She hadn't thought that she was beautiful enough for him or the world that she lived in but Narcissa and Draco both played her for fools if that wasn't true. They were the ones to put into her mind that she could rise above the surname that had so long made her poor, homely, and temperamental.
Ginny sighed and pushed a lock of red hair behind her ear. The noise from inside was filtering through the whispers of the leaves and she oddly felt comforted by the low level of white noise.
Laurent seemed to sense that at some point during their conversation Ginny had loss whatever happiness had been left and he stood. "You know Ginevra," He said, his French accent pronouncing her name like "Jeen-ev-rah" and smiling as he did so, "This boy that you were with was obviously no good for you. If he can throw away the love of someone so easily than he is an idiot and doesn't deserve you."
Ginny nearly blanched. Had this Frenchman acquired the power of Legilimincy in the short time that he was outside? Praying that it was just a typical male thing to say to a girl who had just been dumped, she cracked a sideways smile, eyes confused.
"You see all a man ever deserves is two things." He started. "They deserve the opportunity to make themselves better and they deserve the opportunity to be loved by a good woman." He nodded defiantly and put his hands on his hips. "This, this boy you were seeing is no man. Maybe some day but not yet. He is nothing but a rodent!"
Ginny couldn't help the bubbly laughter that floated out from her lips. The fact that Laurent referred to Draco as a rodent when Draco for some time had been best known to her as "bouncing ferret" was just too coincidental. Clutching her stomach, tears rolling over her eyelids in memory, she nodded and stood, steadying herself on Laurent's forearm. "Ren, you know how to make a girl feel better."
He smiled proudly. "I should, I have three sisters."
Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Really? I have six brothers, I win."
Laurent laughed and the tone of his voice and the warm waves of happiness that emanated from him made her feel a little better. It was as if she couldn't stay sad around Laurent who was so blindly trying to cheer her up. Something about him reminded her of Ron.
"Yes, I believe with six brothers you win. How could you possibly live all together in one house? I had three sisters and it was a trial for me to be with them in the house at once."
Ginny shrugged. "It's easy when it's my brothers. And three of them are already out of the house, two of them barely stay there anyways, so it's just me and my brother Ron. He's only a year older than I am."
Laurent smiled. "I bet that was nice. One thing I love was that my sisters were all younger than me. Suzette you see was two years younger, Alana was a year younger than her and then Sabrina was three years younger than her. I could protect them all from boys with bad intentions." He touched the side of his nose and they shared another laugh.
Behind her from the direction of the house was a distant pop and Ginny rolled her eyes. They had opened another bottle of champagne. Sighing, she knew that although she and Laurent were enjoying their conversation, this would be the most opportune time to say her goodnights and excuse herself. She had Laurent escort her inside and after they shared a dance which Claire demanded, Narcissa let Ginny go upstairs.
Maybe it was the drinks, maybe it was the hour, but Ginny had forgotten quite a few things on the walk upstairs to her room. She had forgotten the painful feeling inside her gut from losing Draco so out of nowhere. She had forgotten that when she walked back inside, no one had opened a new champagne bottle.
Later she would find that most importantly, she had forgotten or not noticed at all that Laurent had referred to all of his sisters in the past tense.
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Ginny,
You did marvelously at the party, I'm very proud of you. Trust me, I know how hard it is to carry on as if something tragic hasn't taken place. I have been in contact with your parents and I'm happy to inform you that you're going home today. Well, it's not really home but we'll talk about that when you wake up. I've already told the house elves to pack your things while you're at breakfast today so dress in what you'd like to wear when you go home.
See you at breakfast. Laurent and Claire are out with Lucius this morning so it will be just the two of us.
-Narcissa
Ginny felt a swell of joy inside her body eventually burst into a thousand pieces and cover her in happiness as she read the letter over and over again. She couldn't believe it. She was actually going home? Today? She kicked off the blankets from around her body and jumped out of bed. She ignored the chill the temperature of the room and how it brought goosebumps up on her skin. Running to her bathroom she showered faster than she ever had in her life.
She had convinced Narcissa that she really didn't need to wake up six thirty in the morning to be ready by eight thirty and had a personal alarm for seven fifteen instead. She made it to the dining room by eight and waited patiently in the hall (being too early could be a bad thing, Narcissa had told her), and eventually aforementioned woman appeared.
"Ginny! You're here early." She smiled knowingly and they walked in together.
"I couldn't help it." Ginny quickly got to her seat and lowered into it. "I mean, really? Today Narcissa? That's fantastic!" Ginny smiled broadly. This was exactly what she needed after the entire fiasco with Draco. They ate together and Narcissa explained that yes she was going to visit her parents, but it would not be at the Burrow.
"They've had to be in hiding you see, so they can't possibly be at your house. However, Minerva is coming over at noon to get you and take you to wherever it is they are."
Ginny frowned. "You don't know where they are?"
Narcissa smiled. "I don't, no. You do though. This is a place that you must be taken to by someone who knows where it is already and can get inside." Realization dawned on Ginny. She knew where her parents were.
Smiling, she nodded. Narcissa said a few words about how things were to be done, how Ginny would get there and such. It had been decided that Narcissa and Ginny would portkey Ginny's things to McGonagall's classroom and McGonagall would get them there. At noon, McGonagall would arrive at the Malfoy Manor and apparate with Ginny, taking her to see her parents.
"Do you know if any of my brothers will be there? Was anything mentioned of them?" Ginny set her fork down on the table, done with her food and looked up at Narcissa.
Narcissa's lips thinned into a small frown. "I'm afraid that didn't come up, though I'm sure there's a good chance that they will be."
Ginny nodded and finished her orange juice, excusing herself to go pack up some things she wanted to keep on her.
She got to her room and found her wand, setting it on her bed, pulled out a hair-tie from her bathroom kit and wrapped it around the grip of her wand and accio'd her sunglasses. She bit her bottom lip in thought. There seemed nothing else that she had to keep on her person while she was traveling. Snapping her fingers, she dug through her trunk and pulled out a robe. Springs months could be cold and if they were apparating, Ginny would have little time to adapt to the weather conditions of her destination.
After she had set her robe on her bed a house elf came in and shrunk her trunk and other luggage, taking it with her as she left. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Ginny looked around her room. Even though a good deal of clothing and her essentials had been packed up, the room still looked like hers. She realized that the books in the bookcases, the desk, the nightstand, the chairs, event the window coverings somehow mirrored her personality.
She clasped her hands together. What would her parents think of her? Of course they would still love her and be happy to see her, but would they be upset that Ginny was acting differently? Would they feel like their only daughter was being brainwashed by the Malfoys?
She sighed, at least she didn't need to tell them about Draco anymore. Blinking back tears, she grabbed up her things and made her way to the drawing room where she and Narcissa were going to have one last lesson before her "Spring Break" and where McGonagall would meet them.
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Ginny had to quickly regain control of her body, releasing the frazzled but grinning bespectacled woman from her grasp.
"Well, that certainly was a greeting I did not expect from a former student." Minerva McGonagall let a wrinkled hand settle over her heart. Her eyes gave away the enjoyment at seeing Ginny even if her words were still as professional as ever.
Ginny chuckled lightly, clasping her hands in front of her. She was so close to home now she could practically smell her mother's perfume or feel the fabric of her father's reading coat. She had been away so long that she was surprised that those memories had stuck with her. Maybe now, she thought, she could have some of her mother's famous stew again.
Narcissa smiled and offered a seat to McGonagall. McGonagall however, held up a hand and shook her head. "I'm afraid, Narcissa, that time does not appear to be on our side. I hate to say it but Miss Weasley and I must depart now to avoid any sightings. I wish we could stay longer,"
Narcissa smiled and it was her turn to shake her head. "No, no that's fine, Minerva. I understand."
McGonagall nodded, turned to Ginny and adjusted her glasses. "I'll be waiting in the foyer for you." She said and patted Ginny's shoulder. Turning back as she exited she called out, "I'll floo you, Narcissa, when we get her settled."
Narcissa waved goodbye to McGonagall and turned back to Ginny. Ginny realized then that she would not be seeing Narcissa for almost a week. Her stomach clenched and she crossed the room swiftly, wrapping her arms around the older woman's thin waist. Narcissa made maternal noises and embraced Ginny's shoulders, rubbing her back lovingly. "You have a good time while you're there." She whispered into Ginny's red mane.
Ginny nodded and pulled away, dabbing the edges of her eyes with her palms. "I'll miss you while I'm gone."
Narcissa smiled and Ginny thought that she had never seen the woman so happy and sad at the same time. She hadn't expected to bond to Narcissa the way she had, Narcissa had become like a second mother, or an aunt to Ginny. And now Ginny knew that what Narcissa had said in the beginning had been true. She had taken Ginny in to help but also because she had wanted another child.
"I'll miss you too, Ginevra. Promise me you'll be safe and mind your manners."
Ginny smiled brightly, eyes glistening with fresh tears and nodded. She slowly picked up her things and with one last smile to Narcissa, she walked into the foyer where McGonagall waited for her. Her former Head of House turned to her and waved her over. "I'm glad you've seen the truth, Ginevra." She whispered, rubbing Ginny's arm fondly. "I think it's the best thing that could've happened to you."
Ginny nodded, yes it was. She had figured out why things had happened the way they did. She understood now the hard choices the people around her had to make nearly a year ago and respected them much more for it. "Professor?" Ginny looked up into the woman's eyes.
McGonagall smiled. "I think you can just call me Miss for now."
Ginny smiled sadly. Right, no Hogwarts, no Gryffindor, no professors. "Right, do you know whether any of my brothers will be there?"
McGonagall smiled and took Ginny by the shoulder, leading her onto the front patio where they apparated before Ginny ever got her answer.
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Ginny inhaled sharply as she looked up at the scene unfolding. Two empty Muggle houses were being pushed apart as if a giant had grabbed them and pulled on either side. Between them a building emerged and Ginny felt a swarm of memories wash up on her. Her eyes swept up the walk that led from the street to the battered, black painted door with a silver knocker in the shape of a twisted serpent.
Like she remembered, there was neither keyhole nor letterbox and the exterior of the house was still dirty, the windows grimy and revealing nonexistent shadows to the street.
Taking a step forward, she followed McGonagall through the entryway and nearly collapsed when she saw her father sitting in the drawing room, glasses poised on his nose and a book in his hands. "Dad?" She whimpered.
He turned to her and dropped his book on the floor, standing and maneuvering his way around the sofa. "Oh, Ginny…" He trailed off and pulled her into an embrace.
Just as she remembered, she thought. He was tall, thin, balding and his crooked nose reminded her of Fred and George. His robes smelt of dust and his cologne which ticked her nose. His reading robe was still soft and reminded her of the times they had stayed up late together while he read her something called "The Lord of the Rings". Her eyes were wet when they finally pulled back and she could barely make out shapes through her tears.
"Molly!" He called out, voice thick with his own joyous tears. Ginny turned to the kitchen and ran through the entryway, to find her mother setting the table. She looked up and promptly dropped all of the silverware from her hands. "Oh Ginny!" She exclaimed, bumping into the table with her hip as she made for her daughter. She was wearing what Ginny recognized as what Molly thought was her "good dress" and the apron Ginny had made for her.
The two embraced and Arthur came up and wrapped his arms around them both. Molly's sobs could still be heard from the huddle and McGonagall found this an appropriate time to coordinate with Kreacher (who had been brought back to Grimmauld Place after Hogwarts was made into a hospital of sorts) on where to put Ginny's things. The three Weasley's pulled back and the next ten minutes were spent on Molly fussing over how Ginny looked so different.
They were afterwards quickly drawn into a conversation of everything that had happened to Ginny since she arrived at Malfoy Manor and Ginny was only too happy to share. She started with the lessons, the tour, the dinners, the arduous schedule, her garden and then moved on to things like their visit to America, the Malfoys using Muggle utilities, and all of the balls.
"Learned to dance have you?" Arthur teased playfully and Ginny continued on, talking about how beautiful everything was and about how different people acted when they were at the balls. She even told them about how strange the Zabini's were, leaving out the tidbit about Blaise trying to force himself on her.
A soft cough came from the entryway to the kitchen and all three turned to look at where McGonagall now stood, hands behind her back. "I'm sorry to interrupt," she began, her accent prim and proper. "But I wanted to say goodbye." She turned to give Molly and Arthur both knowing looks. "I'll be returning again this afternoon at four." And with that she swept out of the front door and left Ginny and her parents to catch up alone.
After Ginny had spent a good two hours with her parents, Molly finally insisted that she had to start cooking and Arthur followed Ginny up the stairs to her room so she could show him some of her things. She pulled out assorted books and gadgets that the Weasley's were far too poor before the war to buy and Arthur muttered things to himself in amazement as he turned every item over in his hands, inspecting it.
Ginny grinned as he did so, taking that time to put away her clothes. All of her things seemed so out of place in the large dank house. She wondered, looking around at the dust that had collected since she had come in with her family to clean it out, how her parents had gotten along being so separated from everything. Ginny didn't know if she would have been able to do that, be away from everyone and everything.
She put away some casual dresses; most of what she brought had been sweaters and slacks, and put her shoes down at the bottom of a large wardrobe. She finished and looked back to find that her father had sat down on the edge of her bed, holding something in his hands. Ginny moved around and saw that it was the sweater her mother had knitted for her, the one she had been in after the Ministry attack.
She smiled and sat down on the bed next to her father. He looked over at her, eyes dewy with tears. "I didn't know you had taken this with you." He was rubbing the cheap fabric with the calloused pads of his thumbs. He smiled slightly. "I would've thought you'd want to leave this here."
Ginny frowned. "Why would I leave that behind? It's my favorite sweater."
"Even more than the new ones you've gotten?" He looked to her, worry etched in the lines on his face. He looked so old, she thought.
Ginny smiled, leaned into his shoulder and sighed. "Those new clothes could never compare to one of mum's sweaters. Never."
Arthur wrapped his around Ginny's shoulders and gave her a sideways hug, patting her back as he stood up. "Well I'm going to go help your mum with the dinner. Be down by four, alright?"
Ginny nodded and Arthur walked out of the room, leaving her door half closed for some privacy. Suddenly feeling very tired, Ginny set her wand to vibrate after forty minutes and set it on the bed side table. Laying down, she quickly fell into a light sleep.
A light buzzing sound woke Ginny up from her nap. She reached over and shook the incantation from her wand, letting it roll off the edge of the bed onto the floor. Slowly she pushed herself up on the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. She had left it curled for today, deciding that she wanted nothing more than to fit in seamlessly with her parents. She walked over to the door and frowned as she heard voices downstairs.
She remembered McGonagall had mentioned coming back at four and figured it was just her parents and her former professor talking. Walking down the stairs, she stopped once the front door came in view. "Ronny?" She gasped.