Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter related
Chapter Two - Is it worth it?
Draco found Ginny inside their home, she was sitting curled up on the couch, still in her dress. Draco didn't approach her straight away, instead he watch her prefectness from a distance. She was crying but he'd never seen such a beautiful face before.
"Gin?" He whispered, coming inside the room. He didn't move or respond, "Ginny?"
"I'm a strong, sensitive and amazing woman and I will not let your jailbait father bring me down".
Gin, I know, you are all those things and more", He sat beside her and pulled her into his embrace, "He had no right Ginny".
"He didn't", she sobbed, it had effected her more than most things would because it was her boyfriends family, and it matter what they thought because Draco cared what they thought, "And if that's how Im treated, Draco I don't know if this is worth it".
Draco felt a cold chill in his stomach, he didn't want her to throw away their relationship because of his father, "No, this is worth it. But you shouldn't have to put up with that and you wont I will never ask you to do that for me again".
"But they're your family, you can't choose them over me", tears were still falling.
Draco considered this, "Well, I'm not", he lied, "You don't have to see them until I talk them around. They will love you once I show them how much I love you".
"You still love me after what your dad said?" She smiled through the tears, he knew she was giving him shit but he did still over her after what his dad said and he told her.
With a serious face, he stared intently into her eyes, "I love you with all my heart. I don't ever wan another person. You are the most perfect, beautiful, kind, strong, sensitive, amazing person I've ever met and nothing that dick said will change how I feel".
Ginny's smile vanished and was replaced with a look of awe; she looked at him for a second then threw herself at him, kissing him passionately. She was straddling him, holding his face close to hers.
"I love you, Draco", she moaned through the kiss. That tipped Draco over the edge; he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
"Darling, your 21st birthdays coming up, what would you like to do?"
Harry didn't reply, he was sitting at the table eating, which on a rare occasion he did.
"Well I was thinking maybe going back to Hogsmeade and have a few drinks with our friends", she said cheerily, hoping he would approve.
"Lavender, I don't really care", he said.
"But it's your birth-".
"I DONT CARE!" he yelled, getting up and sliding his bowl off the table violently, "Do you just choose to ignore what I say?"
"No, Harry, please don't get angry, I just thought it might be nice to do something", she cowered.
"Well, I don't care. If you want to organise something go ahead but I don't care", He walked away, back to the lounge.
Lavender held back the tears until he had left the room. She cried because love could make her so miserable. Her love of Harry made her life a nightmare because he held so much resentment for her and himself.
Every couple of weeks, the Griffindor girls got together to had lunch together in London at a muggle restaurant or cafe to catch up and discuss their lives. This worked well as Ginny and Hermione were career women and didn't get much time for their friends and Parvati and Lavender needed time out of the house. After the girls had left school, they realised how much time they actually spend together and decided they needed to keep in touch.
As usual, Ginny and Hermione were there early. "I know he's your brother so you probably don't want to hear this, but I told him things have to change or else it's over. Im not putting up with him expecting me to baby him. I mean Im his partner, not his mum!"
Ginny nodded knowingly, "He's always relied on mum. He could never do anything for himself".
"I Know!" Hermione exclaimed, "I love him but Im not sure he loves me in the same way".
"He does love Hermione, he just isn't independent".
"How do I manage that? I'm so busy, I can't run around after him all the time and still keep my job, and if I did management it I'd resent him making my life like...." She paused and looked around her shoulders, "Lavender's" she whispered.
Ginny nodded again, "That girl is in denial".
"I know, but I don't dare tell her because that would make it worse. She'd get angry at me".
"I know I told her that Harry might need some space one time when I was over there and he started yelling, but she told me it was none of my business. I haven't really gone over their since then".
"I don't blame you".
"Here they come", Ginny whispered then they both looked up and waved to their friends, who responded the same way.
"Hey girlies", Parvati said happily, she was glowing.
"Hey Parvati", Ginny and Hermione said in unison.
"Hey Lav", Hermione added.
Lavender smiled, "Hey how's things?"
"Awful really", Hermione replied, "I've been dying for a good bitching session". This made the girls laugh.
"Well, lets order then", Ginny said as the waitress came to the table.
After ordering, Hermione launched into her issue with Ron. Parvati commented first saying, "He's got no money".
"He has money", Hermione replied aggressively.
"Not as much as you", Parvati said.
"So? That thing doesn't matter to me. I'm just annoyed that I'm in a depressing relationship. I think I'm going to end it".
"Aw no", Lavender said, "But you love him. You can't just throw that away because things aren't perfect". Her voice was low and fully of emotion.
"Perfect? It's barely a relationship. He treats me like his mother", Hermione's voice was disgusted.
Lavender frowned, "Well, I'm just glad Harry doesn't treat me like that. He never had a mother so he wouldn't know how to treat a mother". The girls did not say anything; they just sat in silence for a while before Ginny interrupted.
"Well, Draco's dad got out, as you know", she looked at Hermione.
"I was determined to win that appeal but McGonagall had to find his testimony. Signed and everything!"
"Yeah, he seemed quite calm about that. I think he was just glad to get out", Ginny said.
"Have you seen him yet?" Parvati asked.
Ginny nodded, and suddenly she felt a sting in the back of her throat as if she were about to cry. But she swallowed it and went on, "He asked us to dinner and completely humiliated me. He was so cruel, even Draco told him to stop and left with me".
"But you knew that would happen", Hermione said, "His son dating a dirty 'blood-traitor', of course he was an ass".
"It didn't change how it made me feel. I felt like a child in his presence", She whispered, and Hermione patted her on the back.
"What happened when you got home", Parvati asked.
"I went off at Draco of course but then he told me how much he loved me and I crumbled again", she said, fighting the tears, "We had great sex afterwards though", she laughed.
"I'll bet", Parvati smiled broadly.
"But guys, I don't want me to be the reason he falls out with his family, I couldn't take that".
"But his family is evil and he'd be better off without them", Parvati said.
"But it's his family. That's just too much. And then, if he doesn't disown his family, I will constantly have to be involved, it's the way the family is. I can't take seeing them", Ginny said seriously.
"What are you saying?" Hermione said concern in her voice. She knew how Draco made her feel. She lit up around him. He made her feel much more special than Harry ever did. The love she had for him was intense but beautiful at the same time.
"I don't know if being with him is worth it", she said slowly.
"What?! Ginny, no, it's worth it", Hermione assured her.
The girl's food came and they discussed Ginny's problem, finally coming to the solution that Ginny should listen to her heart.
"Man, today is all bad news, two of my friends wanting to dump their men. Makes me feel bad about my new". Parvati said, once they had finished eating.
"What news?" Lavender asked.
Parvati broke into a giant smile and held her left hand out for the girls to see. There on her wedding finger was a large stone on top a gold ring.
"OH MY GOD", Ginny screamed, grabbing her friend's hand.
"Wow, that thing is huge. Did he sell his house?" Hermione was looking at it wide-eyed.
"No", Parvati said defensively, "Seamus makes a lot of money. He could easily afford this".
"I didn't know you guys were that serious" Ginny said, "You were with Dean like a few months ago".
"So?" Parvati pulled her hand out of Ginny's grasp, "Dean wasn't going to work out".
"You guys were together for a year, it took you that long to work that out", Ginny gaped at her.
"No, it was fine until I realised I wanted a family, preferably daughters, and he wasn't going to be able to provide for them".
"And Seamus will?" Hermione frowned.
"Yes", Parvati grinned, "But that's not it all, I want you guys to come to our engagement party this weekend".
"Well assuming me and Ron are still together, yes we will come. But then again he may be too busy playing Quidditch with Harry so maybe I shouldn't speak for him".
"Aw please tell him Seamus really wants him to come. He's so excited to celebrate with his old school friends".
"Fine, but yes on my behalf anyway", Hermione said.
Ginny racked her brain to see if there was anything they had to do, "Um, I don't think we have any plans. So at this point, as long as Draco doesn't have plans we will come".
"Great!" Parvati smiled, "Lav?"
Lavender swallowed, "I'll ask Harry".
"But will you come if he doesn't?"
"Um.... I might. I'll have to see what happens".
"I can come tell him he has to come", Ginny offered, but rather than helping she started Lavender off.
"Ginny!" Lavender hissed, "I don't need you to tell MY boyfriend what to do".
Ginny rolled her eyes and kept quiet.
"If he doesn't want to come, I will respect that and stay with him. He's stressed as it is. He doesn't need me or ANYONE putting pressure on him. Especially when he doesn't respect them".
"What?" Ginny raised her voice and stood up, "You didn't just say that?"
"Gin, it doesn't matter. If Harry and Lav can't make it, it doesn't matter. Right Parvati?"
"No, I guess not", Parvati said with confused frown on her face.
"Ok, well Ginny look at the time, we better get back to work aye?"
"Yeah", Ginny said, scowling at Lavender, "better not impose my company on someone who has a problem with me all of a sudden". Lavender stared back at her blankly.
Hermione began to steer Ginny away when Lavender yelled out, "Hermione. I just remembered that I need your help with something".
Hermione stopped and looked at her best friend, pleadingly.
"You're kidding me? She's become even more of a psycho", Ginny looked disgusted.
"But she's still our friend".
"Aw what ever, just don't let her make you mental", Ginny waved her friend away and marched off to apparate to work.
Hermione watched her go, feeling guilty but she knew Lavender was at a point in her life where she really needed friends. The last time they didn't watch her she nearly died. Hermione waited for Parvati to say good bye to them both before she approached Lavender.
"What is it, Lav?"
Lavender looked down for a moment as if she were crying, instinctive Hermione moved forward to hug her but Lavender looked up with the same blank look she sported so often, "Harry's birthdays coming up".
Hermione looked at her, confused, "That's right, I had forgotten". Admittedly, in the last year, Hermione had not spend much time with her friend.
Lavender stared at her in silence again.
"So what is it you need my help with?"
"I want to through him a party. I was thinking at the pub in Hogsmeade", Lavenders voice was that of a bored person.
"Ok...." Hermione was frowning but it didn't seem to faze Lavender.
"I need your help to plan it".
Hermione nodded, "Yeah ok, that's fine. But-", she held one finger in the air in front of Lavender, "under one condition. You come to Parvati's party even if Harry decides not to, ok?"
Lavender looked at Hermione for a moment before nodding.
"Good, aw and you have to talk to me more ok, I need to know your ok", she put a friendly hand on Lavenders shoulder.
Lavender moved her head in a nodding fashion, "I'm good".
Hermione bowed her head in acceptance of this comment, "See you this weekend then".
"Ok, thank you Hermione", and without a good bye she walked away.
Hermione's heart broke as she walked away. She pitied her for what Harry had done to her. He had turned a lively, sweet, hyper girl into a drab, alone, walking corpse. Something had to be done.
When Lavender got home, she found Harry was home, sitting on the couch, reading the Daily Prophet.
"Harry? Why are you home?" she asked.
"Got fired", he replied without looking up. Lavender did not ask anymore questions. She walked straight into the kitchen, where she spent most of her life.
Harry flicked through a few pages of the prophet but stopped sharply, recognising two people moving in a picture a few pages in. Cho and Bevan. It was evident by this photo that they were still together, and happy. Harry looked at the title and ground his teeth, "Ministry gains young, talented wizard as 2IC". Harry glared at the picture of Byron. He was wearing dress robes with a bowtie and had his arm around Cho who was looked voluptuous compared to how he remembered her at school. She was glowing; he could see that even though it was a black and white picture. She looked great, he thought, and happy.
Harry tormented himself more by reading the article.
'New comer to the Ministry, Byron Doewell, made a stir at the Ministry of Magic within the first weeks of his appointment to Head of the Department of Mysteries a month ago. Doewell, pictured here with his Fiancé Cho Chang at a benefit for orphaned children, made radical changes to the processes in the department that got him noticed by Minister for Magic Gerald Hordsby for his talent and initiative. His appointment to this role was heavily scrutinised due to his young age, but Minister for Magic Hordsby has confirmed that he supported Doewell in this position today when he announced his decision to place Doewell in the 2IC position at the Ministry. This makes Doewell the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry, in charge of running the business side of the Ministry while the Minister is in charge of the political side.'
Harry through the paper on the ground and scowled. Bevan had made his way to the top the Ministry in three years and Harry was now unemployed, his last job being a clerk at a potion ingredients shop. Then thought infuriated him. He stood and walked into the kitchen where Lavender was washing dishes. He clenched his fists and walked up right behind her.
"This is all your fault", He seethed.
Lavender was startled and jumped at his voice. Turning around she asked, "What's my fault?" When she saw his face she screwed up her eyes and cowered below him as he threw his fists at her. Punching her for everything that ever went wrong in his life, for everything he wasn't doing, for being all he got for his suffering and efforts for this world.