I don't own Harry Potter! Aaaarrrrrrrrgh!

AN: This is a much shorter chapter, but since the last one was so long, I figure it's ok. Moving right along! Also, I have no idea how that Zabinny got in there. It was not my doing! And it is not really going anywhere, I swear!!!! Harry/Ginny all the way!

Later that evening, after Harry had owled Ginny with the news that something had happened at the farm and she should call Hermione, Zabini approached Ginny cautiously. She nearly dropped the phone, he crept upon her so quietly.

"Sorry," he said tersely as she scrambled to put it back on the receiver.

"No, it's ok," she said cautiously. "What is it, Zabini?"

"I heard you talking about…Malfoy earlier," he began hesitantly. Now came the hard part- how did he get the information he wanted without also arousing her curiosity? "Is he alright?"

Ginny crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, eyeing him steadily before she reached into a pocket for her cigarettes. He watched her as she lit one, then folded one arm back across her middle. She blew the smoke away from him, for once.

"Why?"

"He used to be my friend," Zabini ground out and Ginny narrowed her eyes.

"You two were never really friends."

Zabini set his jaw. Damn it all. How did she know that? She was so busy making cow eyes at Potter the whole time they were in school…

"You didn't know everything that happened in school."

"I knew enough," she replied, shrugging. Took another drag. "I was friends with more than just Gryffindors and some rag-tag Ravenclaws, anyway."

"So what, just because we were uneasy acquaintances means I can't care about how he is now?"

"Which one?" Ginny asked instead of answering him.

Zabini jerked his head back. She looked smug. Damn it to fucking hell.

"I just said-"

"No, you said Malfoy and then implied you meant Draco. But Hermione and I were talking about both of them and since you just so clearly told me you were eavesdropping, I think you're fishing for information. So I'll ask you again, which one?"

"Either," he growled. "Both. Does it matter?"

"Why does it matter to you?" she replied and her eyes were hard.

Zabini started to feel distinctly out of his element.

"It matters. Did it ever occur to you that those so-called acquaintances are all we have left in our lives, now?"

Ginny's expression softened some, but she continued to gaze at him through narrowed eyes. She inhaled deeply and the smoke blew from her lips and nostrils in a heavy cloud. She looked like some Hindi goddess, surrounded by incense and gilded red and gold with her hair falling about her face that way. Zabini felt more than uncomfortable and glanced away.

"Draco is fine," she finally said. "And Hermione is working with Lucius to improve his…comprehension," she said slowly. Zabini looked back at her. "That tell you what you wanted to know?"

"Yes," he said softly, though his hands clenched at his sides.

"Good. That's all I know." She put her cigarette to her lips again, but paused in the motion as she saw his eyes following her hand to her mouth. "You can go clean something now," she said. "Or whatever it is you do in your room, if you'd rather."

It was a dismissal and Zabini knew it, but he didn't follow directions that well and Ginny knew that, too. He started to take a step forward and she had her wand out and trained on him in a second.

"Get out," she said and the mesmerizing spell of her candor and smoking was over, though he continued to look at her in a way that was entirely too familiar for her tastes. And when he finally stalked from the room, she was more convinced than ever that he knew something about her, about her past…about the torture she'd endured at the hands of those men all that time ago. But whether it was because he'd been a part of it or because he'd merely stumbled upon the information, she still couldn't tell.

Hermione's advice of telling Harry what had happened crossed her thoughts again and she stubbed her cigarette out angrily. She wouldn't call him, not yet. This was something she needed to see through to the end on her own. Hermione understood that much. One week, she told herself. One week and then I'll tell Harry.

Seconds later, she heard the vacuum start up. She smiled wryly to herself. At any rate, she suspected that after that week was over she would have the cleanest floors in all of London. Then she put her hand to the phone and dialed Hermione.

Hermione wiped the cool rag along Lucius' brow again just as the phone beside her rang. She reached for it hastily, afraid of disturbing her patient.

"Hello?" she murmured, her eyes on Lucius' face. He still looked relatively peaceful and knocked out cold. The fever had gone down, at any rate, and that was a very good thing, indeed.

Hearing the phone, Draco poked his head into her room.

"I'll watch him," he said and she looked to him gratefully before sliding from her chair and exiting the room. She handed the rag to Draco carefully, not letting her fingers touch his as they had earlier that day; and he took it just as cautiously before turning all his attention to his father.

Hermione left the door open as she walked across the hall to the living room.

"Ginny," she said. "What is it?"

"Oh, the usual," her friend replied darkly.

"Zabini?"

"Merlin, I don't even want to talk about it. You know he was just in here, fishing for information about the Malfoys?"

"Why on earth-"

"Exactly what I said. Anyway, I told him a very little, but I don't think it satisfied him. Look, let's just talk about you. Harry owled me again."

"And you decided to phone rather than show up at six in the morning? Thanks so much," Hermione said, rolling her eyes before she collapsed into the nearest arm chair.

"Thought you might appreciate that."

Hermione snorted. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Harry didn't tell me anything, really, just said something had happened and you might want to talk about it."

"How sweet of him."

"Oh, come off it, Hermione."

"He promised he wouldn't tell anyone."

"It's Harry, Hermione. And this is me. Now talk."

"Fine," Hermione grumbled. "Lucius had an episode and I think we might be close to a breakthrough with him. Turns out he developed his, well, catatonic state to deal with the pain from an untreated curse."

Ginny was immediately on the alert. "And what happened? What did you do?"

"Fed him painkillers and muscle relaxants. He's sleeping now. I told Harry I thought I should pull out my old books, look for some answers there."

"You're not taking him to Mungo's-"

"Lord, no."

"Good," Ginny breathed. "Well, do you want some help?" She paused. "You said I should come out for a lesson anyway."

"What would you do with Zabini?"

"Leave him," Ginny said promptly. "There's food in the refrigerator and the icebox, he knows how to cook enough to keep himself alive for one day and one night. And with the extra spells…" She shrugged. "So what do you say?"

"If you're sure you don't mind leaving him, then. I just don't think it would be a good idea for him to come here-"

"I would never," Ginny replied. "You don't have to worry about that. I don't want him anywhere near you or the Malfoys, either."

"Did something else happen?"

Ginny was silent for a minute and Hermione prompted her again. She sighed.

"He gave me one of those damned looks again. I had to pull my wand on him to get him to leave me alone."

Hermione frowned. "Did you talk to Harry yet?"

"No, and I won't, either. I told you I'd wait a week and I meant it. Now, tell me when you want me over tomorrow."

Hermione's frown deepened, but she decided not to push her friend. Ginny had issues enough without adding a fight with Hermione to them. They'd bickered enough the last week, anyway.

"Better make it the day after," she finally said. "I want to research some on my own, first."

"Fair enough," Ginny replied. "Don't you have an appointment coming up soon, too? I could watch them for you if you wanted-"

Hermione shook her head. "No," she said. "I do, but with what's just happened I think I need to postpone it. If I end up going at all," she added quietly.

Ginny went quiet and Hermione waited nervously for her response. She and her friends had argued over many things, but the one that Ginny had always been most understanding of was Hermione's need to look different, to change herself. After a long moment, Ginny spoke again and her voice was light and airy, though a tad breathy.

"Really? Changing it up again? Going to cut it all off this time?"

Hermione smiled wryly. She'd tried that one night and Harry had stopped her. Ginny had walked in on them, wrestling for a pair of scissors and immediately thrown Harry halfway across the room with some quick wandwork. Harry hadn't argued with Hermione over her hair in front of Ginny after that.

"No," Hermione said quietly. "I meant that I might just let it…go," she finished lamely.

"Oh. I see."

"It's just that these two are such a handful and I'd feel so bad leaving Lucius to anyone else while he's like this-"

"It's ok, Hermione," Ginny said, cutting her off. "You don't have to explain that to me. You never did."

"Thank you, Ginny," she replied.

"Don't- you know I don't care. Just be sure you stock up on that detangler you use. Want me to pick you up something from the Alley? George has really branched out at the shop," she offered and Hermione smiled again.

"That's ok. I'm fine. So, day after tomorrow?"

"Right. I'll bring a change. The extra bedroom still set up?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "Although I'll most likely be up there with you."

Ginny froze. "What?"

Hermione laughed, that slightly gasping sound that forebodes impending hysteria.

"Lucius is in my room at the moment," she explained. "We couldn't get him up the stairs. So." She shrugged. "Fancy sharing a bath with Draco?" She laughed again and Ginny spoke sharply.

"I'll help you move him back upstairs," she said quickly. "When I come over, I'll move him for you. That's your sanctuary, Hermione. You don't need a bloody former Death Eater displacing you that way, even if he is suffering."

Hermione sobered and sighed. "I know. Look, we'll talk about it when you get here, say, eleven? You take care of yourself, Ginny."

"Oh, always," Ginny said sarcastically. "You too, love. I'll see you then."

"I will. Cheers."

Hermione hung up the phone and a shadow fell over her. She looked up and saw Draco at the entrance to the living room.

"What is it?"

"He's woken up," he said. "He's asking for you."

Hermione's brows shot up and her face mirrored the concern in Draco's eyes. "Let's go see him, then," she murmured.

Draco stepped aside to let her pass. Orange and juniper wafted beneath his nose as she brushed by him and he closed his eyes for a brief moment, then followed her into the bedroom, to his waiting father.

AN: And whatever will happen next? I wish someone would tell ME. *sigh* Hand over the cookies, people. Now, or your favorite character gets it.