Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Ron and Molly are holding cells next to each other.
‘Mum, what's going on? Dad renounced me and now I'm not a Weasley?’
‘I'm sorry you had to find out like that. Albus promised he would tell you when the time is right.’
‘Now I have to see if Lord Prewitt will allow me to use the family name? I didn't know there was a Lord Prewitt.’
‘Charlie is newly appointed apparently.’
‘I'm sure he will let me use the family name.’
Molly stays silent.
‘Or will I use a different name? Why did you say Dumbledore would tell me?’
‘He is your father and he planned to have a meeting with you and I to discuss this situation.’
‘I'm his son? How can that be?’
‘He needed an heir-’
‘but you were married you should have been faithful.’
‘Sometimes things just happen.’
‘How many times did it “just happen”?’
When Molly refuses to answer Ron turns away from his mother without saying anything else. Tears stream down Molly's face silently.
*.*
Sunlight rouses him from sleep. He is perfectly happy to close his eyes again when something moves on top of him. Glancing down, Draco realizes that Ginny is still in his arms but they are no longer sitting up on the couch.
Through the night they have stretched out and are now snuggled comfortably together alone the length of the couch. Ginny is laying on top of him, her head rests on his chest. His shirt has risen and he can feel her warm fingers slowly drawing circles on his exposed skin.
‘Red?’ Draco whispers.
Ginny looks up with a small smile. ‘Morning.’
‘Have you been awake long?’
‘A few minutes I think. I didn't want to get up. Everything is so peaceful this time of day.’
‘It's my favorite as well. Are you feeling any better?’
‘I think I'm feeling much better. Thank you for finding me.’
‘I will always try to find you if I can.’
‘You are so sweet.’
Ginny leans in to brush her lips against his cheek. He sees her movement and turns his head at the same time. Their lips meet for a second before she pulls away and scrambles off of him.
‘I'm sorry I meant-’ she sits on the arm of the couch looking at him with wide eyes.
Draco stands as well. ‘Only say sorry if you don't want to do it again.’
‘Oh ok. I'll take it back then.’
Draco smirks before leaning closer, his lips brushing her ear as he says, ‘you can kiss me anytime you want, Red, never be sorry for it. I know things are complicated right now but I'm here as long as you will let me.’
‘I-’
‘We should get to breakfast. I'm sure we have been missed.’
Ginny stands as he gathers his bag. He is looking through his bag when she sees her face looking back at her.
‘Is that-?’
‘I was sketching while you talked with your father. I had a feeling you would need a friend after so I waited.’
Ginny pulls him into her arms and places a kiss on his jaw.
‘Thank you.’ Ginny leaves the room while he trails behind her. The smile on his lips doesn't leave for several hours.
*.*
‘Start explaining, young man, and you better do it quickly.’
‘Gran the Aurors are due any moment to take my statement and memories.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me about this?’
‘I needed to keep what I knew to myself. You know how discussing matters such as these can color testimony.’
‘You should have warned me. Imagine my concern when I received a letter stating that I need to be at the school for Auror questioning.
‘I'm sorry about that but again this was in regards to a very sensitive matter, and while I had my suspicions I wasn't sure until I returned to school.’
‘You should have written to me.’
‘I thought the Board was aware of the mail monitoring? I didn't want this to be intercepted.’
‘Your classmates seem to have no trouble contacting their families; that's how the Malfoy’s discovered the Lestrange girl.’
‘Lyra is my friend, but tell me would you have been available to Lord or Lady Malfoy if they approached with a letter from me?’
‘Of course not. Why would they have a post from you when you could just send it straight to me.’
‘Exactly. As a close friend of Lyra I was being extra cautious. We can discuss this in more detail after. Hello, Auror Bones.’
*.*
‘Morning Gin. Sleep well?’
Ginny blushes as she sips her pumpkin juice.
‘I thought we were walking to breakfast together?’
‘I forgot I'm sorry.’
‘Who caused this smile?’
‘I'm sure you can guess.’
‘Did he also not return to his dorm last night?’
‘I woke up in his arms and then I accidentally kissed him.’
‘Tell me everything?’
‘Yesterday, oh merlin, yesterday I learned a lot of things.’ Ginny buries her face in her hands as if trying to hide.
‘Gin? What is it? Has something happened?’
Ginny nods.
‘Does it have anything to do with Ronald going missing?’
‘He was arrested. Dad told me. Mum was too but I don't know why.’
‘You saw Arthur? When?’
‘Yesterday evening. After talking with him I just needed to be alone. Then, Dray found me.’
Lyra hugs Ginny, ‘don't cry tell me what happened?’
‘Not here.’
‘OK, let’s go for a walk.’
*.*
‘Why are you smiling like an idiot?’ questions Blaise.
‘I am not.’ Draco protests.
‘Yes you are,’ Theo chimes in.
‘You weren’t in the common room last night. Where were you?’
‘I don’t actually know, I think somewhere on the 4th floor? I guess we just fell asleep…’
‘We?’ Blaise and Theo echo.
‘Who is ‘we’?’ Blaise asks as a blush colors Draco’s face.’
‘I can’t talk about it.’
‘And that’s why you can’t stop smiling?’
‘It was nothing like that. Just a simple kiss.’
‘Sure it was.’
‘Sod off. I will see you both later.’
Draco gets up and walks out of the Great Hall.
*.*
‘Professor do you have a moment?’
‘Sure. What do you need, Miss Lestrange?’
‘I am in need of a space to brew a potion for a week.’
‘Is this a potion you have already brewed?’
‘It is sir. It would seem that the herritage potion I used is needed again.’
‘Who is asking?’
‘I’m not actually sure. I know Ginny for sure but mum mentioned that others may be in need as well.’
‘Others?’
‘That’s all I know.’
‘How will you obtain all the ingredients?’
‘Last time Fred and George got me the most crucial ingredient but this time I'm not sure.’
‘Alright, I will begin searching for it. For now I think we both need to determine how much needs to be made then I can give you a place to work on it.’
‘Thank you Professor.’
*.*
Tonks, Patel, Brown, Malfoy, Nott and Travers are all in the Headmasters office because they suspected that he would not leave willingly.
‘Dumbledore, you were instructed to be gone by yesterday evening, why are you still here?’
‘I do not believe I need to leave. I have not been fired.’
‘You will see in the suspension notice that you received the night before last that refusal to leave will lead to immediate termination.’
Dumbledre scoffs, ‘It does not say that.’
‘Here is a copy of that same document, look at paragraph 6 subsection B.’
‘That is preposterous, you cannot fire me on these grounds.’
‘If you had brought this up when I gave you the document we could have discussed this then. As you did not this is no longer up for discussion. Please vacate the premises or we will contact the Aurors for trespassing.’
‘I am needed here.’
‘Patel floo the Aurors.’
She walks to the floo and disappears. Andy has been hovering near the shelf of the strange figurines since she entered the room. Dumbledore begins going through his desk drawers as if looking for something, as he seems distracted Andi snags a figure from the shelf and pockets it.
Then she places a hand on the wall next to her urging the dust to cover the clean spot. Not even looking at the dust she knows that there is no trace that anything is amiss with the items on the shelf.
Patel returns through the floo with Auror Tonks and one of her colleagues.
‘Please arrest Mr. Dumbledore. He is now trespassing on school property.’
‘I have no desire to leave my post. The students need me.’
Since entering Lords Nott and Travers have placed anti magic wards around Dumbledore and Madam Brown is near the phoenix perch to prevent any kind of escape. The Aurors approach and Dumbledore looks confused that he is unable to leave as he had previously planned. Once the Aurors arrest Dumbledore and lead him away through the floo everyone relaxes.
‘Now that that has been taken care of we should boost the wards again since we are all here.’
The board begins looking for the Heads of House.
*.*