Something there that wasn't there before

-33-

-Ginny-

When we left honey dukes Draco took the bags and shrunk them, sliding them in his coat pocket. Hanna grabbed my hand and we walked along the path to the edge of town. "Do you think Ron would come finish playing chess with me?" I squeezed her hand and looked down at her. 'I don't know but we can send him an owl and see.' Hanna nodded and we stepped through the town limit. Draco pulled out the broomsticks and resized them. He handed Hanna hers and I watched her step over it and then kick off. I grinned watching her and Draco nudged my arm. "We can share." I smiled and stepped over the broom in front of Draco and he kicked off and flew up next to Hanna. "To our balcony Hanna. If you need us we will be right there." Hanna took off and Draco followed behind her. I took a deep breath and leaned back against Draco. 'I've never flown on a broom with someone before. That day we went down to the lake was a first for me.' One of Draco's hands moved to rest on my stomach. "Me either, but my father always made sure I was the best flyer I could be." I didn't have a chance to reply because we had caught up to Hanna and eased our way onto the balcony outside of our dorms. Draco waved his wand and made a small broomstick cubby appear on the balcony to store the brooms in. 'Do you want to run to the owlery?' "Yes!" I opened the door and off we went through our dorm and towards the owlery. We made it to the owlery and wrote out a note for Ron and then sent it off with the owl.
"Does Aunt Hermione not like Daddy?" I sighed and looked down at Hanna. 'It's kinda tricky with them. They have some bad history.' Hanna frowned but didn't say anything as we made our way back to the dorm. When we stepped inside the dorm Draco had re sized all of our goodies and had them set out on the coffee table. Draco was just coming out of our room when the floo fireplace roared and Ron and Hermione stepped out. "Uncle Ron!" Hanna launched herself at him and he caught her and dunked her upside down as she giggled, Hermione laughed and I smiled at the scene before me. I looked over at Draco and he smiled sadly as then ducked out onto the balcony.

-Draco-

I took a deep breath trying to force out the sadness I could feel wrapping around me. I head to balcony door open and then close behind me, I knew it wasn't Ginny because I couldn't feel her. "It's a bit warm out here isn't it? For the time of year I mean" I looked over at Hermione who pushed the sleeve of her sweater up. I could just barely see the bottom of the word mudblood that Bellatrix had carved into her arm. I gritted my teeth and looked out over the black lake. 'Yeah, it's an unusually warm day.' Hermione took a step closer to me. "I wanted to apologize Mal.. Draco, for the things I said when I first discovered that you and Ginny were.. are.." I shook my head as Hermione was struggling to get her words out. 'Don't be silly, you didn't say anything wrong. Everything you said was the absolute truth.' I laughed humorlessly and gripped the banister. 'I don't belong here, in this world. I don't deserve to be here. I was better off in the muggle world where I wasn't interfering with anyone's life.' Hermione reached to touch me and i flinched away. 'I'm here and all these things fell into my lap, a wonderful little girl that I could only dream of ever having. A woman that I love more than life and I don't deserve any of it.' I was breathing hard by the time I finished, I glanced over at Hermione and she was looking at me. "You love her?" I grinned and looked over at her. 'More than anything in this world or the next. I left that day that we found out. I went back to my muggle apartment and I was going to let her go. Because I knew I couldn't be the person she deserved.' "And somehow you're turning into the exact person that she wants." I glanced once again at Hermione's arm. 'Let me see your arm.' Hermione hesitated and then held it out to me. "Accio liquid bandage" a small vial much like the one that the liquid luck that Professor Slughorn gave Harry appeared in my hand. 'That's not liq...' I pored a drop onto Hermione's arm and muttered the same spell I've used countless times. The mudblood that was carved into Hermione's arm started to fade slowly. Hermione hissed. "Yeah, sorry about that. It does sting." I returned my attention back to her arm and muttered the spell once again. All that was left was a light pinkish red mark. "It should fade over time." Hermione lifted her arm and inspected it. 'How.. how.. heelers and professors have.. and it.. I'
I sent the vial back into my room and I leaned against the side of the building. "Wounds that are created with dark magic aren't easily healed. Especially when made with a cursed object. I don't think Bellatrix owned anything that wasn't cursed." 'But how did you heal it?' "My father gave me that vial. He liked to take his frustrations out on me.. but then clean up after his mess. Couldn't put a bad face to the name of Malfoy.. only the whole of us were cursed with darkness." Hermione sucked in a deep breath. "I don't know what it's made from, I would imagine something very different since it cures cursed wounds." I pushed off of the wall and started to go inside. 'You do deserve her, both of them.' I stilled and smiled over my shoulder at Hermione and then opened the door for her to go inside ahead of me. The moment I stepped in the door I heard Hanna yelling and then laughing as one of her chess pieces took one of Ron's out. Ginny was in the kitchen cooking and I walked over to her and kissed the side of her head. "I'm going to shower, dinner smells good."