Chapter 7
Ginny woke up late to the sounds of her parents tromping up the stairs to their bedroom. She stretched her sleepy limbs, kicked the covers off and swung her feet to the floor. Hoping to claim the bathroom before her parents started peppering her with questions, Ginny hurried to the central door in the hallway.
She finished with her morning ablutions, changed into a simple outfit of shorts, tee-shirt and flip flops. Wandering down to the kitchen she heard the muffled voices of her parents.
"Morning Mom. Hi Dad. You guys have a good time?" Ginny inquired with only a hint of real interest.
"Morning dear, and yes it was lovely. I'm just glad it didn't last any longer. I'm not sure I could've taken anymore of that false French superiority!" Molly Weasley has recently sprouted a heated animosity toward the French. Ginny had a sneaking suspicion it was all misplaced anger at her French daughter-in-law and absent son.
Arthur Weasley didn't say a word but lowered his newspaper and looked with sad eyes at his youngest daughter. He attempted a small smile in her direction but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Slowly he pulled the paper back up, effectively shutting the rest of the world out.
"Dear, did you have somebody over last night?" Molly asked, her voice devoid of judgment or concern. Ginny blanched and wondered how her mother could have possibly guessed. Looking to the sink she saw two bowls and the pair of spoons resting there. There was no getting around this one!
"Uh, yeah, I had an old friend from Hogwarts come over…I guess." Ginny wasn't sure if she was ready to reveal that Draco Malfoy had shared a meal in the Weasley home.
"That terrific, anybody I would remember?" Mrs. Weasley answered innocently.
"Um, maybe. He was a year older…in Ron's year. Uh…I think his name was…" Ginny looked up hoping her parent would have lost interest, but they were both now staring at her with curiosity.
"Malfoy…Draco Malfoy." Ginny finished quietly, looking intently at the top of the kitchen table.
A sharp gasp from Mrs. Weasley and small cough from Mr. Weasley brought Ginny's eyes up.
Mr. Weasley face had paled a shade and Mrs. Weasley was staring at her daughter like she was looking at complete stranger.
"It was all very bizarre to tell you the truth. We met down at the pond. He told me where he has been hiding out this past year or so. It's all very innocent…in fact he seemed so innocent…well for the most part." Ginny knew this was not going to go over well.
"Seriously, there is nothing to worry about. I felt sorry for him so I invited him over for a quick supper. He came over, had a bowl of stew and then left. He's just moved in not far from here and I thought like he might need a friendly face for a little while." She finished feeling a bit defiant.
While Mr. Weasley had now gone completely pale, Mrs. Weasley's face had only reddened. Neither seemed to know what to say. Ginny had pulled a piece of toast from a plate on the table and was silently munching off the crust. Waiting for some kind of outburst from either parent she braced herself and refused to look at them.
After what seemed like hours Ginny finally risked a glance at her father who sat motionless, saying nothing. He had abandoned his newspaper and was blankly staring at the place on the wall that had once been occupied by the Weasley family clock. After Charlie had died Mr. Weasley had yanked it off the wall and smashed it to the ground. It was to be his only and last display of emotion regarding the death and destruction of his family.
Mrs. Weasley was still staring at her daughter, but with a quiet panic that frightened Ginny. "Mom, it's okay. He didn't do anything! If I'd thought he was dangerous I would never have invited him in, I promise."
"Ginny…do realize what could have happened? Forget that it was Draco Malfoy, forget that you are young and defenseless; you invited a grown wizard into this house without any supervision and completely unbeknownst to anybody! What if he had been a dark wizard? What if he had hurt you? What would you have done out here all by yourself? Just thinking about what could have…."
Mrs. Weasley could finish her sentence as her sobs choked her words to a close. Covering her mouth with her hands she fled up the stairs leaving her husband and daughter in silence.
"Dad, I'm sorry…I didn't realize…I guess I just didn't realize." Ginny finished quietly.
Taking a deep breath Mr. Weasley finally spoke for the first time that morning, "We're just happy nothing happened. Please try not to worry your mother anymore than you have to, I don't think I could take her losing another child."
Ginny looked at her father with a mixture of pity and annoyance. It was beyond her how he could turn this all into protecting her mother. If anything he was the more uptight one…he just didn't say it out loud.
Ginny mumbled another apology and moved to follow her mother upstairs. Mrs. Weasley was mopping up her tears, sitting on the chest at the end of Ginny's bed.
"Mom are you going to be okay?" Ginny asked quietly. She didn't want to set her off again, but didn't really feel like receiving another lecture.
"Ginny, sit down for a minute."
With a feeling of dread Ginny sat beside her mother.
"I know you must think I'm overreacting. In fact, I know I'm overreacting," Mrs. Weasley said with a sad chuckle, "but I am terrified of…of…not being able to protect you. Your brothers are gone, and your father is, well you know how he is. I can't bear the thought of something happening to you."
Ginny felt the familiar oppressive guilt weighing on her once again. "I'm really sorry mom, I didn't mean to freak you out. I know this is a hard time for you and dad, but I'm fine. Nothing is going to happened to me…" Ginny started to say.
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley, a fresh wave of tears pouring from here red and puffy eyes. "That is my point exactly! I can't protect you if you do things like invite strangers back to the house. I can't leave you alone for a minute and you go and do something totally irresponsible!"
"Mom, that's not being fair. Do you really think I would have invited Malfoy back here if I thought he was dangerous? I mean come on! I haven't done anything to warrant being called irresponsible!" Ginny's was standing with her fists clenched, trying not to let go of her temper. Maintaining control was the only way to keep this argument from turning really sour.
"Of course you don't think there is anything wrong with it…you're just as reckless as your brothers. Well you're a young lady and you should act like it. Never mind the danger you put yourself in, did you ever think that maybe a young woman shouldn't invited a young man to an empty house. Seriously Ginny, I thought you had a touch more propriety than that."
Ginny closed her eyes and started counting to 10…very slowly. She knew her mom was completely irrational; all she had to do was not lash out and this would pass. Feeling the heat rising in her blood Ginny continued to will her anger to stay at a low simmer.
Mrs. Weasley wasn't close to finished however. She continued venting her disappointment and shame over the choices Ginny had made last night, and came just short of accusing her of doing something "indecent" with Draco Malfoy.
Ginny for her part continued to keep her eyes closed and tried her best to tune out the emotional ranting of her mother. Every now and again bits of the accusations would permeate her shell of concentration.
"Alone in an empty house…what else could I think…so easily casts off values of…family reputation at stake."
When it seemed that Mrs. Weasley had yelled herself out, Ginny slowly opened her eyes and mentally patted herself on the back for not loosing it.
"And for the love Ginny, please try to keep your pictures off the floor. You know how much I hate trash on the floor."
Ginny looked down and saw that a handful of her pictures had blown off the wall. Confused she picked them up and turned to see if perhaps the wind had shaken them loose. But upon inspection, every window was shut tight.
"Sorry mum, I'll clean this up." Ginny said sullenly.
"Well, I hope some of this has gotten through to you. I would hate to have this same conversation again in the future." Mrs. Weasley huffed still sitting on the chest.
Something flashed in Ginny at the mention of the future.
"You won't have to worry about that Mom, I'll be leaving here soon anyway. It's not like I can live her forever." Ginny said with only a hint of impatience in her voice.
"Oh, and where are you going to go?" Challenged Mrs. Weasley.
"I've been thinking of getting a job in Diagon Alley and maybe sharing a flat with some girls. Maybe see if I can get paid for some of my pictures." Ginny said softly not daring to look at her already fired up mother.
"What happened to Medi-Witch training? It's what you've been dreaming of ever since I can remember"
"No Mom, it's what you told me I should do. You wanted me to be a Medi-Witch, not me." Ginny said a bit harshly, then wincing, knowing she had just re-ignited her mother's wrath.
"All this time you've been wasting taking pictures and painting…I thought this was just a hobby. I never would have let your father give you that muggle contraption if I had known it would turn you into this!" Mrs. Weasley whined.
"Mom it's not wasting my time. I love doing this and I think I'm pretty good at it. I just want to see what it's like out there in the art world." Ginny tried to explain in a calm and rational tone. But things were way past rational at this point.
"I'll tell you what it's gong to be like young lady. You'll end up living in some hovel with trashy girls who will do anything, ANYTHING, to make the rent. You'll get your heart broken by people who promise the moon and stars, but deliver nothing. How can you want that? How can you subject your father and I to watching our youngest child and only daughter choose poverty?" Crying again, Mrs. Weasley buried her head in her hands and wept.
Something clicked in Ginny's head and she realized what her mother's fear really was. "Mom…is this about money? Are you afraid I'll end up poor, like we were when I was younger?"
"OF COURSE I AM!" She wailed, "I've always hoped that my children would be well off enough so that I wouldn't have to worry about them. And even if one was perhaps, struggling, that the others would make up for it. But now everybody is spread out and only interested in doing their own thing. What if your father and I weren't able to help you? I can't even count on your brothers to do the right thing!" Mrs. Weasley moaned in despair at the very thought.
Ginny was silent for a moment pondering what her mother said. She thought it a bit harsh to think that Fred or George would just abandoned her if she really needed help. And there was still Ron and Bill! No her mother was just trying to scare her. Arguing would get her nowhere, she needed a new tactic. The face of Draco Malfoy flashed in her head and she suddenly knew she needed to employ any Slytherin cunning she might possess.
"Mom, I think I understand why you're so worried. So I'll make you a deal," Ginny began very slowly. She was quickly trying to come up with something her mother could agree to. "What if I gave myself a time limit? Say four years…and if I can't support myself then I go straight to Medi-Witch training."
Ginny wanted to up the ante a bit before letting her mom respond. "In that time I'll move out, get a job, and give this art thing a real go. You and dad won't have to support me, but I may need some initial start up money…which I will pay back! The deal is that you and dad won't give me a hard time and will support what I want to do. If I can't make it or don't have any real prospects in four years, I'll move back home and will become a Medi-Witch. What do you think?" Ginny honestly didn't have a clue what her mother would say.
Mrs. Weasley was looking at Ginny with red rimmed eyes and an expression of thoughtfulness. "Two," was all she said.
"Two what?" Ginny asked.
"You have two years. Your father and I will give you 500 Galleons for start up costs, which you will pay back monthly. If at any point in the next two years you are unable to make rent, pay bills or feed yourself, you move back here and enroll in Medi-witch training." The tone of Mrs. Weasley's voice left no room for bargaining.
"Let there be no mistake," continued Mrs. Weasley "we will always support you, even if we think the notion foolish. But do not flaunt this in our face, and do not think that just because you are living in a different home you are free to forget your family. Diagon Alley has lured many young people with the illusion of excitement, freedom and adventure. I just pray you won't get sucked down like the majority."
Ginny tried not to let her excitement show on her face, and with as serious a voice as she could muster replied, "Thank you mom, I won't let you down."
Mrs. Weasley stood, gave Ginny a brisk hug and left the room. She had no more than crossed out of eye sight before Ginny was leaping up and down in excitement. Tomorrow she would go to Diagon Alley and start her new life…one that she could actually get excited about. As the reality of the deal with her mom began to settle, Ginny found herself amazed that everything seemed to be falling into place.