Nothing belongs to me.
XXX: Acceptance
The soft squeeze of Ginny's hand did nothing to ease the knot of fear twisting painfully in the pit of his stomach.
Draco felt her pulling him along as they stepped past the lopsided sign stuck in the ground. In the distance, they could see the crooked house, with its red roof and multiple chimneys.
"I don't really think this is a good idea." he said, unable to keep the note of panic out of his voice.
"Rubbish!" replied Ginny, only half listening as she wrenched the front door open.
They entered the kitchen, which, Draco knew, had been buzzing with chatter only moments before, but at the sight of the two arrivals, the Weasleys had frozen.
He glanced nervously around at the red haired family seated around the scrubbed wooden table, trying to read their expressions.
Fear. Disbelief. Anger. Outrage. Grief.
It was painful – the silence – and forever lingering. No one seemed to be breathing.
Draco desperately wished he could just fade away.
Then, there was the unmistakable sound of a chair being pushed back.
Molly Weasley got to her feet, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug. Draco returned the embrace appreciatively, and when he finally released her, he was surprised to see the ghost of the same something etched on every face.
Acceptance.