Full Summary: A badly banged-up and war-weary Draco Malfoy ended up under Ginny Weasley's care at the height of the War. She refused to look after her former schoolmate nemesis until she realized he has amnesia; maybe caring for him wouldn't be as tough as trying to co-exist with him at Hogwarts…
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is a copyright trademark of JK Rowling & the WB. No Profit is Made Off this Fic. I only own some of the OC characters, but the others aren't mine.
PhoenixRae's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating. I wanted to have this chapter up and running last night, but I was so tired and since I have a wedding to attend to this weekend (not to mention there's also that thing called work) I wasn't able to. Anyway, thank you so much for those who reviewed and read. Hope you like this next installment!
VI. the Calm After the Storm
DRACO BECAME A PERMANENT FIXTURE at the Burrow following Ginny's disastrous birthday party. Harry returned to Privet Drive in Surrey to honour his promise to the late Professor Dumbledore, but after a week he apparated back to the Burrow and remained with the Weasleys for the rest of the summer.
Tonks was sent away on a mission regarding the lead Draco tipped her on a week ago after seeing Lucius in the telly. The mission required her to be away from home for a length of time. Remus Lupin offered to take over looking after Draco, but with the full moon looming they couldn't take any chances. And throwing Draco in with the other captured Death Eaters deep in the bowels of the Ministry would be too risky as well; as far as everyone on Lord Voldemort's side was concerned Draco Malfoy perished at the attack on the Aurors who caught him. The only other safest place to keep him and will have some other member of the Order to look after him was at the Burrow.
Ron and Harry weren't too happy with the arrangement; the last thing Ron wanted was to make room for someone like Draco Malfoy in his room he normally shared with Harry whenever he was over their place. But Ginny was delighted to have him around. She still wasn't speaking to Harry after their confrontation, and Ron was trying his best to comprehend Malfoy's presence and relationship with his sister. He was only gone a few weeks and amnesia or not, he couldn't stand seeing Ginny being chummy with his worse enemy.
Hermione arrived a week before the supposed start of term. She went back to placate her overly worried parents the night she arrived back to the Burrow with her two best friends and left to live with the Weasleys as well for the duration of the supposed school year. She said it would look odd to their neighbours if she doesn't go away for school nearing the end of the summer; they were already used to her going to school elsewhere.
Unlike her two friends, however, Hermione didn't mind Malfoy's presence as much. She was more intrigued to find out exactly what kind of a person Draco Malfoy was without him being snarly with her and calling her names. She hated his favourite term for her: Mudblood, and if he uttered that word to her she swore she'd sock him good. She already slapped him back in their third year, and she wouldn't hesitate to do it again – and this time she'd give him a nice bruise to remember it by.
Luna frequented the Burrow as well. She said it was a tad bit boring at her place what with her father always preoccupied with getting The Quibbler out and in print all the time, he spent most of his time at work than at home, but Draco and Ginny suspected it was because of Harry's presence at the Burrow that made her visit often. It was apparent how the blond former Ravenclaw idolized Harry Potter, and from the starry-eyed glazed look in her eyes, it doesn't take a genius to figure out Luna Lovegood fancied the Boy Who Lived.
"Are you sure Ron and Harry are being nice to you?" asked Ginny after dinner Saturday when she asked Draco to accompany her for a walk around the backyard. The house became too crowded with how many people living there now she needed some time and space to breathe and think.
"Not all the time, but we tolerate each other," was his reply.
Ginny cocked an eyebrow and looked at him. "How's your memory? I've been busy like crazy this week I forgot to check on you if you remembered anything vital since that last flashflood of memories you had."
Draco didn't answer her right away. He seemed to be contemplating on how to answer her question. Ginny couldn't help but cocking her eyebrow higher than before. He was hiding something from her. After being around him this past few weeks she began knowing how to read him like a book, and usually when he clams up or takes his time answering he was often thinking on how to broach a certain subject up to her without making her worry too much.
"Draco…"
"What?"
"You remembered something again, didn't you?"
"So what if I did?" was his nonchalant reply.
Ginny made a face at him and cocked her head to the side. Crossing her arms over her chest and she studied the blond former Slytherin Prefect carefully.
"The last time you remembered something you flipped out, and you also helped give Tonks some lead regarding what the Dark Lord and his minions are up to. So if whatever you remembered is vital to helping Tonks and the rest of the Order – if not the rest of the Ministry people – end this ongoing war the better."
"It's not something as bad as what I remembered when I saw my father's face," he denied.
"I don't believe you."
It was Draco's turn to make a face at her. "You don't believe me?" he asked in disbelief.
"You remembered something else, something that makes you feel iffy, am I right?"
"Iffy?" he echoed.
Ginny let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes skyward. "You're being impossible, Malfoy."
"And you, Weasley, are way too inquisitive," he replied teasingly.
"Fine. Keep it to yourself, just make sure you don't flip out and start a yelling-fest with Harry or Ron or my parents." She resumed walking to the end of the backyard, stopping to gaze at the wide open space that stretched beyond.
Draco followed her and stopped beside her. He slipped his hands in his pants pockets and stood with his shoulders straight and his eyes focused on the wide empty space. They stood like that in silence for a good three minutes before Draco decided to break the silence.
"I remembered enjoying calling Granger Mudblood, but I can't remember exactly what that term means," he confessed his gaze still fixed on the wide empty space in front of them. "But I know it's something awful and I remembered the first time I called her that your brother, Ron, tried to hex me but it backfired and he ended up barfing out slugs."
Ginny remembered that incident all too well. It was her first year at Hogwarts; she was the newbie and often felt left out. It was the year she started conversing with Tom Riddle's diary not knowing it was infused with a lot of dark magic.
"Ron's wand was wonky. He broke it when he and Harry flew my dad's flying car to school when they missed the train," she explained.
"I vaguely remember that memory," he answered. "Didn't they crash it on to the Whomping Willow tree?"
Ginny nodded.
"Wow…that must've been nice to ride that," he said whimsically.
Ginny's brow shot up again. She turned wide-eyed at her companion and just stared at him in disbelief. She couldn't believe she just heard him say what he just said.
Draco noticed her giving him a funny look. "What? What did I say?"
"I never thought a pureblooded snob like you would even consider riding a Muggle mode of transportation."
Draco made a face at her commenting on the kind of person he was. He was still trying to digest that he was that vile person he was remembering, but to hear her tell him what he was thinking was true indeed was too much.
"I am not that person anymore, Ginny. And these past few weeks has opened my eyes to all the things I missed out on because I was brought up differently."
"Has it?"
"Surely you believe that I am no longer the person I was before the attack."
"To be honest with you this side of you I am seeing right now is all so new to me. You never once showed your vulnerable side to any of us. You were always flanked by your bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, and was far too busy tormenting everyone to be thought nice."
"Man, even I hate myself. I sound so damn conceited!"
"Conceited. Rude. Vile. A hundred percent git that I ended up hexing in fourth year," she said the latter part with a wide, proud grin plastered on her elfin face.
"Bat Bogey Hex," he snarled and gave her a scathing sideways glare. "I was really pissed off with that. I plotted countless times to get back at you for what you did, but you were too damn elusive."
"You remembered that too?"
Draco frowned and recounted back to what he just said. The words just rolled right out of his mouth, filled with confidence at the vivid image that played back in his mind when he recalled that particular incident back in his fifth year.
"I think I just remembered it now after you said you hexed me."
"Hmm, that's not bad," she smiled. "That means you really are on your road to full recovery. Before long you would remember everything and—"
"And be thrown to prison for allying with the Dark Lord," he cut her off before she could finish her sentence.
Ginny quickly clamped her mouth shut and stared at him.
"That was far from what I was about to say. And you're helping us find out what the Dark Lord and his minions are planning. I'm sure you'll be pardoned for your part as a Death Eater."
"I was the one responsible for killing Professor Dumbledore, Ginny. I let the other Death Eaters into the castle. I plotted the demise of the most powerful good wizard who was the only person the Dark Lord feared."
Ginny flinched when she caught the pain and guilt slice across his cool gray eyes. His voice sounded strained when he spoke of what he did. She had to admit she was pissed off at him for having a hand at the death of Albus Dumbledore, but it wasn't him who threw the killing curse at the old wizard; it was Professor Snape, a so-called reformed Death Eater who betrayed them all, who finished Professor Dumbledore off.
"You had no choice then, Draco. You were fuelled by your anger at having your once wonderful life turned upside down when your father was thrown to jail. You wanted to redeem the Malfoy name in the eyes of the Dark Lord hence why you agreed to do what you were tasked to do."
"You're making excuses for me again, Ginny. I told you not to do that."
"I don't care. You obviously are feeling guilt over what happened. If you are guilty then you are not really as black-hearted as other Death Eaters. You regret what happened. I know Professor Dumbledore will not come back, but you're doing something right now to repent for your folly."
"Everything is black and white for you, isn't it? No hazy shades of gray to hide from the good and bad, hm?"
Ginny made a face at him. He was taunting her. He didn't want to hear that deep down inside he was a good person. He was just raised believing having full power over everyone was the ultimate thing to have. Compassion for others means weakness, and that was a very punishable crime in the eyes of his father.
"Draco—" She was cut off from saying what she was about to say when Draco caught her up the arms and hauled her towards him. His lips covered her for a kiss that was meant to silence her, but something inside him kicked in and he wasn't content with just a chaste kiss.
His tongue darted out to lick the counters of her lips, cajoling them to part and welcome him inside. It didn't take much prodding before Ginny opened her mouth for him and soon the two of them were kissing passionately. He flattened her against his body, feeling her softness get crushed against him.
Ginny let out a contented sigh, snaking her arms up and around his neck. She pulled his head closer for a much deeper kiss. The last time they kissed on her birthday they were interrupted by Harry, Ron and Hermione's unexpected arrival, but this time they were far from the house and everyone was busy with something else inside to pay attention to the two of them making out in the backyard.
THAT WAS SOME KISS YOU AND MALFOY SHARED, Ginny," commented Hermione when they were alone in Ginny's bedroom later that evening.
Ginny's hand was arrested from combing her long red hair and looked at her friend through her reflection in the mirror.
"What?"
Hermione cocked an eyebrow and put the book she was reading facedown on pillow on her lap. "You and Malfoy didn't walk far away enough to not be seen necking when I looked out the kitchen window."
Ginny felt her cheeks burn. She didn't think anybody would bother checking up on them earlier.
"Who else saw?"
"Just Luna and myself," she shrugged and picked up the book she was reading once again.
"What about my parents?"
"Your mom and dad were busy discussing something regarding work. Luna and I wanted some oranges and were standing by the kitchen sink peeling some oranges when I happened to look up and saw you and Malfoy in each other's arms," she explained.
"It's not what you think though," Ginny resumed combing her hair and averted her gaze from meeting Hermione's.
The bushy dark brown haired girl cocked an eyebrow and studied his best friend's sister.
"You fancy him, don't you?"
Ginny paused before answering. Fancy him? Merlin knows how much she's grown closer to him since he was first brought to her to look after.
"Fancy who?" She decided acting nonchalant would be her best way of avoiding answering the question.
Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "C'mon Ginny, you're not fooling anybody here."
"Who says I'm fooling anybody? And it wasn't even that hot and heavy of a kiss we shared." She was brushing her hair harder now, causing her hair to get tangled up around her brush. "Oh bugger," she hissed and glared at the mess she created.
Hermione got up from the bed and walked to where Ginny was. She helped her untangle her hair from the comb.
"I kinda sensed you fancying him the night we apparated back here unannounced and caught you two kissing in the backyard," she shrugged, carefully untangling Ginny's hair without the aid of magic even though she was already legally allowed to use magic outside school. "I have to say that I was a bit surprised to find you in the arms of a Malfoy, Ginny."
"Why?"
"Oh, maybe because he's a Malfoy and you're a Weasley," shrugged Hermione. "You two have this forbidden love going on for the two of you. Not to mention Malfoy happens to be your boyfriend's worse enemy."
"Ex-boyfriend," Ginny corrected. "You remember that Harry and I split up at the end of the school year," she reminded.
"But he hasn't stopped caring for you, Gin." Hermione managed to free her hairs off the brush and took over brushing her long, red hair for her. "There wasn't a day that went by without Harry mooning over missing you. He still loves you, Ginny."
"I still care for him too, Hermione," sighed Ginny. "But after the events of the past few weeks…I don't know anymore," she shrugged.
"I am not the one to judge, Ginny. All I want is for you to not get hurt, that's all. Whomever you pick, whatever you decide, I can only hope for the best."