Work Text:
True North
As he enters their favorite room in his enormous manor, he sees her standing by the large bay window dressed in her sleepwear looking beautiful in thought with a cup of coffee in her hand with her auburn hair falling over her shoulders. This little nook of a room, with its view of the palatial grounds where centuries old trees stand, flowers such as peonies are in full bloom along with the others that have been planted over the years by his mother and now his wife. If you stretched your neck just to the right of the window, one can also view the wooded, fenced area that grows a wide variety of vegetables that his wife insisted on because you never know, but with the wealth of his family, it was certain that one would never know.
The scene in front of him is eerily similar to the one from almost seven years ago at a reception area of a hotel in the art deco district of Miami. He hasn’t seen Ginevra Weasley so close in person in a number years not counting the projects that they were part of during the rebuilding of Hogwarts or during the charity events that boosted funds for organizations dedicated to the betterment of Wizarding society and nor at social events at Ministry of Magic where he is a part of team that is focused on bringing Muggle technology to the masses.
Draco Malfoy enters the reception area of the lush ambience hotel with his aviator Ray Ban sunglasses on and Merlin knows how he needed them to shield his eyes from the bright sun and the bright white exterior of the classic Ocean Drive beachfront hotel. He is more than ready to sit down at the bar and order an Old Fashion, but he stops in his track when in the midst of a dozen or so folks, he notices her. It turns out they are all part of the traveling group to the three points of the Bermuda Triangle and the newly retired, all-star Quidditch red-headed maven is standing by the tall windows of the lobby lounge with a glass of cold beer in her hand.
She looks beyond attractive, dressed in a linen shirt dress with just the right sized espadrilles to make her look slightly taller than her normal shorter frame. A frame that she took advantage of in her career by zipping through a sea of competitors to achieve fame and fortune in her decades long career. It is here that she stands listening carefully to the tour guide explaining their month’s long tour that consists of Miami, Old San Juan and finally the island of Bermuda, where they will find out if the myth of the compass pointing to True North are accurate.
“Draco,” he hears as he is pulled into the present. Ginny stares at her husband when she hears the door open and smiles brightly when bringing his name to her lips. Draco notices his wife’s reaction and walks promptly over to give her peak on the forehead. “So, what were we thinking about?” he says smiling and instinctually knows it must be something humorous because of the sudden smirk on her face.
“Oh, nothing,” she reacts laughingly and looks directly at her husband who was risen one eye brow and then she finally confesses, “Fine, you caught me. Do you remember that time in Miami? I had to rescue you from the Muggle woman who was pasted to your side at that Muggle dance club. You looked so helpless that I had to come to your aid. Why she didn’t believe I was your girlfriend is beyond me or maybe she saw right through me, haha!”. Ginny laughingly continued, “Who knew spending time in each other’s orbit would change things so suddenly. I guess we must thank Luna, I bet she planned this whole thing so we could end up being part of a strange caravan.”
Draco looks at Ginny as he pauses for her to take a seat and when she does, he sits down grabbing a cup coffee and nosh to say “Thank you dear wife. It is hard to forget especially being reminded routinely,” in the most sardonic way. Yes, indeed Luna had suggested this trip to both her dear friends so that they could find True North. It is now they understand that maybe True North didn’t mean the compass point but the literal meaning of True North. They both should have known that there was always a double meaning to Luna’s suggestions and True North was definitely one of them.
The Three Points tour group specialized in coordinating adventures to magical areas and interestingly catered to folks who were both magic and believers of magic. However, it was requested to keep personal information at a minimum for security issues. The company’s Bermuda Triangle journey started out in Miami or Magic City, a desired city by both and it certainly met their exceptions of art, architecture, serene relaxation by the pool and the beach. On the last full day in Miami, the tour had head out for an adventure to the depths of the Everglades to feel the vibrations of the wetlands as well as the power of the animals who secretly reside there. After dinner with the group, both Ginny and Draco ended up poolside for a dip just after ten at night. Being acquaintances and knowing each other by reputation for most of their lives, apprehension and tension filled the air.
As constant professionals in their careers, both had tight smiles as they laid their towels on the poolside lounge chairs. Ginny looked like a Grecian goddess with her one shouldered, white one piece swimsuit with a gold belt around the waist, neck looking long with her red hair wrapped in a bun on top of her head. She was a sight to behold to Draco, who in his dark blue swim shorts and white Hawaiian shirt looked debonair without even trying. Finally, it was Ginny who broke the ice, it was always her attitude in life to have fun and enjoy the moments and casually mentioned “So, here for a swim?”
Draco faces her and wonders before answering, should he retort to his old school boy self and keeping the motto of self preservation which he learned at home and at Hogwarts? No, he thought, they have all grown up, learned things the hard way, now was not the time to be petty. He smiled answering, which Ginny found endearing, “Yes. How do you like Miami?”
“Charming. I can’t wait to come back.”, she mentions to him, baffled by how they both ended up here in Miami of all places. She grew up thinking by the age of 28 her life would have been a routine of household chores and babies, often wondering what happened to that Ginny. In another dimension, that Ginny would have had a child or two and would be getting ready for bed, kissing Harry goodnight, just like the way her parents did. But, life is mysterious, how would a traumatic experience of a Wizarding war drive her to rekindle a teen romance. So much had happened, there was so much healing to do and one way for Ginny to heal was to focus on herself by setting her eyes on a career in Quidditch. Through her new path, she found success and most importantly financial independence, now retired, the world is her oyster. As for Harry, Ginny is happy that his life is settled with a family of his own with Cho Chang, but he will always be part of the Weasleys, an honorary son and member of an ever growing clan.
“Agreed.”, she hears, Draco says looking up at the night sky and asks, “Did Luna mention this trip to you?”.
“Yes, she did. It’s nice to know that you and Luna are friends. You know after all that happened.”, Ginny mentions very softly.
“Luna is special, I am indebted to her…for being a friend, a true friend to me,” he says continuing to look at the sky and finding the moon, his friend’s namesake. He doesn’t want to remember those days, but he has learned to face to his fears.
“Ginny.” Her name from his lips sounds so natural and he notices how she turns to him with a smile.
“Draco,” she says, his name also feels so natural from her lips, his heart soars.
They both get up to walk to the opposite ends of the pool and jump in, swimming in different directions, but somehow they end up meeting in the middle after a few laps. They smile, Ginny leaves the pool first, dries off and heads to her hotel room after saying a whispered “goodnight.”. After sometime, Draco comes out of the pool, his short, very blond hair dripping wet, he grabs his shirt, and starts heading to the hotel lobby. He turns when he feels the warm Miami breeze, he first sees the branches of palm trees swaying, he then notices the twinkling of the stars. At this, Draco wonders if those that are gone are guiding him towards something. He smiles at the moon as he heads back, rubbing the back of his neck, wondering if Luna has taken residence in his head now.
“So, when do you think we can make a trip to Miami?”, asks Ginny before taking a sip of her coffee, she has never been a tea person. She thinks of the time when the tour group is at the very tip of Miami, it is the first week of July at 9pm, the tour guide had pointed to the night sky directly to the Draco Constellation. After waiting for sometime in the dark, they all could suddenly feel the electric energy of the Triangle. “I want to feel the energy that we felt that night in Miami, Draco.”.
“Depends on you, love, maybe we can go for a week before we start trying or start trying there?”, he says with a wink. The couple has been married for three years, but truly been part of each other’s lives for the past six years and are anxious to start a family, but as Luna says “all in good time and when the time is right, it will happen.”.
“Maybe,” she says with a smile, “okay, how about Old San Juan? It was so relaxing, loved this part of the tour. Didn’t you? I felt so peaceful, the waterfront, the colorful buildings, the little shops, cafes and my goodness the food,” Ginny closes her eyes when she recounts all that she loves about San Juan. It was here after their encounter in Miami that they were within arms reach of each other whenever possible. An attraction was cautiously growing, so it came as no surprise that Ginny and Draco opened up about their past, present and future at this juncture.
It was a full moon night when they talked about their lives, hopes and dreams sitting together at the El Morro Fort. Here at this location, the very tip of Puerto Rico, where sailers and cruises first see the striking island, it is no surprise to feel the strong energy of the Triangle. The tour has come up to its mid-way point and as each day goes by, Ginny and Draco are becoming closer. As they strolled through the streets, fingers just out of reach but are aching to touch, they came to rest at this sight which looks at the expanse of the ocean.
Ginny talks about the dammed diary, which Draco apologizes for repeatedly and to which Ginny in her goodness forgives him for the actions he never took. Draco mentions that this knowledge he recently came to bear. She also spoke about her need to control the horrible atrocities that were occurring at Hogwarts and she confessed that she knew the action he took to help his classmates facing punishments. Actions which included whispering spells that others thought were harmful, felt soft as a feather, this giving the hint to students that the more they withered in pain, the monsters who took over the school would be fooled enough to let all the victims escape a painful night. She also shared how she wanted to stand on her own two feet and wasn’t shy about being proud of her merits. Ginny also disclosed something she mentioned to Luna but to Draco now also, the fact that knowing Harry was not in her cards because they wanted other things out of life and that she was happy with her decision, though some of her family wasn’t it.
At this Draco didn’t comment, he knew Harry Potter a little better than before, they were on friendly terms since they both worked for the Ministry. He still wasn’t on friendly terms with Ron, but somethings don’t change. However, because of Draco’s position and leading the team to bring Muggle technology to the Wizarding world, he had a close working relationship with Mr Weasley and none other than Hermione Granger-Weasley. He respected both now especially Mr Weasley. He had done away with all the misconceptions engrained in him about the Weasley family from his father. Teachings that belonged in the rubbish bin along with Voldemort’s ashes.
Draco had recounted how he felt about his role in the second Wizarding War, his shame and his insecurities. All the glory that was fed to him was turned on a dime and most importantly about how he barely escaped Azakban, all thanks to the people he thought were beneath him. His father was under house arrest until his passing just after the prior year began, achieving nothing but ridicule. On the other hand, Draco found it refreshing that his mother enjoyed living the life of traveler and seeing places that she wasn’t permitted to go during her marriage. With the Manor and other estates being solely under Draco’s charge, he decided to remodel Malfoy Manor while working and climbing the ranks of the Ministry of Magic.
Now that the Manor was looking the way he had envisioned to be as light and airy as possible to bring his future wife and raise their children, he felt confident enough to follow his friend’s advise about taking this trip. How much he learned from Luna, he could barely contain himself when commenting on his life post the war with Luna as a cherished friend. Draco did often time wonder if they were related seeing their hair color, but then again, Malfoys were cold hearted as the Lovegoods were warm hearted. Of course, at this, Ginny laughed and it rang out loudly in the quiet of the night. After a few hours spent together, they headed back, holding each others hands, walking along the beach, then the historical streets and finally the hotel. They took the lift together to the floor were their rooms where located, Draco walked her to her room, gave her peck on the cheek and said his goodnight. Ginny in her turn, couldn’t help but feel that this was the beginning of something special.
A tapping brought them back to their shared reality, an owl had just arrived with a letter in its beak. Draco let the owl in and let it rest, he opened the letter and said “interesting, an owl from my favorite brother in law.”. In turn, Ginny rested her hand under her chin and stated “oh a letter from Ron, how very interesting.”.
“Yeah, no, my favorite brother in law, Charlie.”
“You only like him because he takes care of your namesake, so he knows how to handle you.”.
“Nothing wrong with that reason alone.” At this exchange, Draco has noticed Ginny sticks her tongue at him, how silly and darling at the same time. But, he continues, “the letter says, he wants to work with me in bring technology to his dragon sanctuary so that they can have access to the research institutes throughout the wizarding world. This is great, I will connect with him later today.”. He stops reading the letter and removes something from the envelop and hands it to his wife.
Ginny stares at her green gemstone bracelet and looks up to see a very annoyed Draco. She isn’t surprised at his look, this was the first gift he gave her and she left it behind during their last visit to Bulgaria.
They were on the last leg of their tour and in beautiful Bermuda where the group went down 50 feet below to Bermuda’s Crystal and Fantasy caves. Walking across planks over crystal clear waters to see natural stones formed in various positions deep underwater or over head as the calcite mineral deposits frozen in time in different shapes such as a shark. Ginny had never seen anything like this before, the caves fascinated her and wondered how this place could be lost to time, only to be found when children over a hundred years ago lost a ball whilst playing cricket. Before leaving the Crystal caves, Draco stopped at the gift shop to buy Ginny the green gemstone bracelet as it matched her linen dress, the same one she had worn when he first saw her in Miami. He thought then that even if things didn’t pan out for them, she would have a memento of the time they spent together.
On the very last night in Bermuda before heading back to Miami, there was one remaining adventure to complete. Now being at the epicenter of the Bermuda Triangle, the tour ventured out to Alpha Island to confirm if the compass points to True North. Ginny and Draco were excited and nervous taking a helicopter ride to the high cliff overlooking the Great Sound. After everyone assembled at the cliff’s edge on the dot at 11:59pm, they opened their special compasses that were also gifted to them by the tour. The group moved in unison to see which direction North was positioned at, but instead the compass pointed to True North. Ginny and Draco standing next to each other, held hands and looked out to the open ocean, content, and not realizing that they had found True North in each other.
“Put it on me, Draco,” Ginny says holding her wrist out. He places the bracelet on and kisses her wrist and as he does looks at her in a way that she knows it should not happen again.
“How about this?”, Draco notes getting up from the couch, “what if we go to Miami now and then when we have our child we celebrate their first birthday in Bermuda with the whole family. What do you think?”. He looks at his wife, who by now has turned around and he can only see her back while she sits on the loveseat looking out the window.
“The whole family, Harry’s and Ron’s as well?”, Ginny wants to confirm. What’s the point of going somewhere without everyone especially to celebrate a special moment.
“Yes, the whole family including them, they're wives and kids. Come on, I know how everyone feels. But, Luna will be the first one the list.”
“Of course! Oh and don’t forget Mother, she especially needs to be there.”.
“How can I forget inviting my own Mother to her grandchild’s first birthday? Wait, don’t bring up my birthday last year, so I forgot.”.
“Mothers and wives never forget.”, says Ginny smiling.
Eighteen months later:
A sleeping naughty angel with soft golden hair, whose eyes are chestnut brown when opened, is breathing peacefully after her first birthday celebrations. As Selene Astrid’s parents look at her fondly, they find themselves as unit in Bermuda just like her father said, happily surrounded by loved ones. Here is where her parents found True North, all thanks to Selene’s namesake and godmother Luna.