Chapter Ten
More Therapy
Luna's POV
I could see why Ginny liked him. Ginny never admitted these things. But I was her best and oldest friend. I knew these things. I could tell.
I wasn't upset that Ginny never asked me out. She didn't really like girls. You might be wondering why I never told her this. Simple reason. I was her best and oldest friend. You can't tell someone like her what she does or doesn't feel. Ginny wasn't in love with Hermione. She wanted to be in love. She wanted to feel whole, something that hadn't happened since the incident.
No one talks about it. When Ginny was taken. Gone for a week. No one talks. They pretend it didn't happen.
I hate it. My emotions are a bit twisted right now, but I know that it was wrong. Probably the real reason she was here. Her parents wanted her miraculously cured. They wanted her to be the perfect little doll again to be with the perfect man. Harry.
Ginny didn't like Harry any more.
You might wonder why I'm talking so much about Ginny. If I talk about her, it makes me forget why I'm distraught.
But I see why Ginny likes Draco. Is that off subject again? I can't remember.
I was sitting in his study in the soft leather wingback chair. I was thinking of Ginny's favorite color. And Colin's. Why was I thinking about him?
Draco walked in. He sat opposite me and studied me for a moment or two. I returned the scrutiny. He's good looking with his angel hair and peircing eyes. He could have easily had any number of girls at his beck and call.
He was fascinated by Gin though.
"Your father's doing better."
I started at the words. He smiled at me over his steepled fingers. "I know you worry."
I felt instantly more generous towards him. He had gone out of his way to tell me this. He was much changed.
"Thank you." I replied.
He waved it away. "He's out of intensive care. The nurses promise to keep me posted. They're applying burn salve. He should be ready to return home by next week. He won't be able to work for a while but I can make sure he's well taken care of until such a time as he can return to work."
I was genuinely touched by him.
"Why do this for me?"
He looked surprised. "What do you mean?"
"All this? Why do this for me? Why help my father? I thought you looked down on me."
Draco ran a hand through his perfect hair. "I'm not a perfect person. I don't pretend to be. But I've learned a lot. Mostly from a man once called Ross Perot. He's dead now, I believe. But a few months ago I read a book about his experiences prior to the hostage situations in Iran in the late eighties. I read one line that particularly sticks in my memory."
He leaned back and quoted it to me. "'He did not believe in civil rights. He believed that was how you treated a human being.' I know nothing I do now can excuse what I've done in the past. But it's something. And I can sleep at night now."
He smirked at me. "Besides, with out you, your father is short a worker. Since I have taken you hostage, in a manner of speaking, I think it only fit to reimburse him for his time and effort."
I smiled. Ginny could do worse. Much worse.
(A/N: The book Draco quotes is On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follett. It's a great book that everyone should read.