Chapter 13

This is rather angsty for me, folks, FYI.

"What have you done!"

"Shut up, Granger. Ginny's sleeping," Draco whispered harshly, closing the door of Ginny's room behind him. Standing in the hallway before him were Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Bill.

"We heard her crying. What did you do!" Ron didn't bother whispering.

Draco's jaw clenched as the muscle there started to tick. He reached out and grabbed Ron's arm, none-too-gently, and dragged him down the stairs to the living room. The rest followed quickly and, within moments, they were all standing in the parlor, giving Draco looks that could kill. "You're going to wake her up, you idiot! It's taken her hours to fall asleep and there's no way in hell I'm letting you wake her up now!"

"It's taken her hours to fall asleep because you did … something horrible that made her cry! So what did you do!" Had Draco not been blinded by his intense anger and hatred, he would have been afraid seeing the look that Bill was giving him.

Draco laughed bitterly. "You think I did something! You think that her hysterics were caused by me! Wow … I knew you lot could be daft, but … I mean, come on Granger. You, at least, have got to have more brains than that!"

"Stop being a snarky bastard,"

"And explain yourself," the twins muttered darkly.

"You want to know why she's crying!"

"Yes!" the five yelled at once.

"Because her family doesn't support her decisions and she thinks she's lost your love. The best part is, she thinks she's lost your love because she's following her heart, for once. I've no idea why she's in love with me! Hell, it would be better for her if she weren't. But the fact remains that she is in love with me and I with her. You think yourself the perfect family, the family that puts my own to shame. Well you wanna know something? My family – my mother, Severus, Blaise – they would never try to come between Ginny and I. Sure, she's a Gryffindor and they don't really have any reason to like her. But that doesn't matter because they know she makes me happy. They do what families are supposed to do; they put my happiness above their own prejudices. They're another thing I don't deserve in this life. But Ginny does deserve a family like that! She deserves a family that will stand by her no matter what her decisions happen to be. You've hurt her. You think the Chamber was bad for her? Those were happy times compared to this. You need to get your priorities in order. This isn't about what you want anymore. This is about what Ginny has decided to do." With that, Draco brushed past them and stormed upstairs, cursing under his breath. Moments later, they heard his mumbles stop and assumed he must have gone to bed.

Ron flopped down on the couch, scrubbing his face with his hands and trying, desperately to sort out his thoughts. He hated the fact that his baby sister was going off to Voldemort's home in a few days. He hated the fact that she was in love with Voldemort's heir. He hated the fact that there was nothing he could do about any of it. He hated the fact that it was him who made her happy. But most of all, he hated the fact that everything Draco had just said was completely and utterly true.

… … …

"Where are you going?"

"I'm taking Ginny her breakfast," Draco responded without a smidgeon of emotion in his voice. Without even looking up to see the confused look that Charlie was giving him, he turned and walked out of the kitchen, two heaping plates of eggs and bacon in his hands.

"So she's not even eating with us anymore?" Ron cried indignantly.

"Are you really surprised, Ron? I mean, after the way you all acted, I can't really say that I disagree with her." Harry didn't miss the glare that both of his best friends sent him from across the table.

"Wow … for once, Potter, I actually agree with you. That said, I think I'm going to join Ginny and Draco for breakfast. I don't like to intrude on family arguments and I sense one coming on." Blaise would have smiled cheekily before rushing out of the room, had nearly the entire Weasley family not sent him an intense glare.

"Turncoat," Fred muttered under his breath, just loud enough so that he was sure that Harry was able to hear him, studiously avoiding his mother's gaze. Despite the fact that she probably agreed with him, she would never condone cruelty.

"I know what you're thinking Fred … but it has nothing to do with my not wanting Ginny to be safe. I love Ginny like a sister; you know that. If it were up to me, she wouldn't be going anywhere, except maybe a safe house. But seeing as its not and, furthermore, seeing as she's going to be leaving in two days no matter what the hell I want or do, I figure that it's better to savor the little time we do have left. Rather than make her last few days hell and have her leave on a horrible note." Harry gave them all a rather pointed look, before storming out of the room, heading towards the backyard to take a long walk.

The Weasley family – plus Hermione and minus Ginny – sat in silence for a few moments, letting Harry's words sink in. They all knew he was right. But next to red hair and freckles, stubbornness is the most prominent Weasley trait. It wasn't likely that any of them were going to back down any time soon, except for, perhaps, the two redheads that quickly exited the dining room in favor of the solace of their own rooms.

… … …

"Thank you," Ginny said in a small voice as Draco handed her a plate. With practiced technique, she began to push the food around the plate in such a way that Draco didn't really notice that she wasn't eating much. Draco stared down at his plate for a moment, after sitting down, and was about to say something, when Ginny held up her hand to silence him. "If you tell me that you're sorry one more time I'm going to hex you." She smiled warmly at him, taking his hand in her own and giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"You do realize that you're going to have to face them sooner or later?"

"No, actually … I may not. They may be stubborn, but I'm just as stubborn as they are. If they want to come and talk to me within the next two days, then I'll be happy to talk to them. If not …" Ginny sniffed slightly and shifted uncomfortably on the window seat, where she was sitting. When she began speaking again, her voice contained a renewed sense of determination … or was it stubbornness? "If not, then it's not my problem."

"Ginny—" Draco was cut off by an all too familiar voice at the door.

"Mind if I join you lot?"

"Of course, Blaise," Ginny answered hurriedly, unbelievably happy to be off that subject, for the moment at least.

"What's wrong with the breakfast table, Blaise?" Draco asked, completely good-naturedly, as Blaise sat down on the bed across from Ginny, next to Draco. To anyone else, it would have sounded like Draco was being mean, but Blaise knew him well enough to know that he was just being curious.

"I don't really fancy being melted by the glares of the entire Weasley family, thanks."

"Oh, Blaise … I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it Ginny. It probably wasn't helped by the fact that I … well let's just say that I didn't really help the situation." Blaise took a few bites of sausage before continuing, "But I don't really feel all that badly about it. I mean, they can't even accept the man you're in love with, so, being only an acquaintance of yours; in all honesty, I don't feel all that excluded or whatever. Besides, your family needs to sort … or shout things out without me there; I didn't want to intrude."

"What? Do you two have the same vocabulary or something! God forbid you actually listen to what I tell you once in a while." Draco and Blaise almost thought Ginny was being serious until they looked up and saw the ghost of a smile that flitted across her lips. "Draco said the exact same thing; 'I don't want to intrude on your family'," she imitated, lowering her voice. "How many times do I have to say it before you two understand that you're not intruding on anyone! Anyways, you're not 'just an acquaintance', Blaise. You're practically Draco's brother, or so I hear from him. And even if you were, that wouldn't give my family the excuse to be so … so completely … so … well asinine! If they weren't so bloody stubborn, then maybe the entire situation wouldn't be so god damn fucked up! You'd think they'd have more bloody maturity than that! Stupid arseholes."

Draco and Blaise were only able to hold down their laughter for a moment or two. "You never fail to surprise me, Gin," Draco stated softly through his chuckles, bringing her hand up to his mouth to kiss it affectionately.

"Wow … you ever would have thought that the baby Weasley, a perfect Gryffindor would have a mouth like a sailor!"

A/N: I know, I know, I'm a horrible person for not posting this sooner. But I've been a bit discouraged with writing lately … my dad has recently told me that becoming a writer is the last career he wants me to pursue, so needless to say … But it's up now and that's all that matters. Please review!

I've started another story, which I am co-writing with 'surely not i'. You can view all of our co-written stories by looking at our profile page. Our shared pen name is "Ebony Secrets". Please do check it out; it would mean a lot to me.