Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** (Spoiler) I am not J.K. Rowling. I own nothing.

**XXXXX**

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter One**

Ginny sat at her desk in the cubicle she had shared with Draco Malfoy for the past five years, frowning at the stack of papers in front of her.

It was after official business hours and the office had long emptied, the paper pushers having already retired for the day and the Aurors working the night shift already out patrolling. She knew she should be quick about her business in case any of the senior Aurors working late left their offices for the evening and caught her lurking, but she was too frustrated to bother at this point.

She let out a sigh as she lifted the speckled quill Malfoy had gifted her last Christmas, signing off her leave application before dropping it in her out tray, where it promptly folded itself into a paper plane and flew off to her manager's office. Her brother Charlie was visiting for the week, and at Malfoy's encouragement she had already spoken to her boss about taking some long-overdue leave. It had gone over well, considering how tight the staffing had been of late, and despite how adamantly Draco had insisted she deserved this time off, he had still managed to spend the last few days bemoaning the desk duty he'd be stuck with in the meantime.

Of course, her leave wasn't really the underlying issue, here. Draco Malfoy was.

"You're supposed to leave the office when you take time off, Weasley," said a voice from the shadows, and she leapt about a foot in the air.

"Malfoy!" she yelped, hastily pushing aside her second set of paperwork – the bastard had an uncanny knack for appearing out of thin air at the slightest mention. Ginny scowled and thumped him hard on the arm as he sauntered past. "Don't _do_ that."

Brushing off her attack he gave her one of his stock smirks and leant against his desk, which sat opposite to hers. "You know, you're not too observant for an Auror."

"Yeah, well, that would be my _mentor's_ fault, wouldn't it?" she shot back at him as she crossed her arms, tilting back in her chair to get a look at him.

Draco Malfoy had changed a lot since school, and she supposed that she was lucky he had or she wouldn't have lasted a day with him as her mentor. Gone was the snooty little brat that ran to his father the moment things went against him. Here was a confident man enjoying the prime of his life independent of his family – as he reminded her constantly, Malfoys simply didn't _do _public service. But Draco did.

These days Draco Malfoy was strong and capable, with an air of confidence to match. He'd grown up well, now that life as an Auror had roughed him up around the edges and he'd lost a little of his sense of entitlement. _Character_, Ginny thought her mother might have called it, had she been able to exchange more than a few civil words with him on any single occasion.

It had taken a long time for Ginny to figure that out, of course. After she'd completed her Auror training five years ago and been assigned Draco Malfoy as her field mentor, she'd been just the same as her mother; curt and aloof to the point of rudeness. But you could only have that kind of attitude toward your partner for so long before it got you killed...

**XXXXX**

They'd been on the trail of a suspected dark wizard, tracing his Apparition trail across Wales when they were met by an ambush.

She'd been too confident, then; overly eager to prove her worth, if only to be reassigned to anyone _but_ Draco bleeding Malfoy. Ginny still remembered him calling after her to stay close to him before that near-fatal, final Apparition.

She'd landed heavily, missing her mark, and immediately had to dodge a number of offensive spells. She'd panicked, able to do nothing more than feebly shield herself from the attack before Draco came in from the side, taking down the wizard they'd tracked and his two companions as she served as a pathetic distraction.

"You're going to get yourself killed," he had hissed at her later, after he'd given his report to the head of the Auror department.

Ginny had been sitting outside the office miserably, waiting to be called in and given her suspension – and that was being optimistic. She'd messed up, she knew she had, but she didn't need Malfoy to tell her off either. "Don't talk to me," she had snapped, angrily. "I'm already in trouble and I do not need a lecture from you."

She would never forget how he'd look at her then, as though she was entirely transparent beneath his gaze, and she'd sworn then and there that she'd never give him reason to look at her that way again. "You're not in trouble," he'd told her, leaning against the wall next to where she sat.

"I'm not?" she had replied, confused. "But I disobeyed–"

"Ginevra Weasley, Mr Carroway will see you now."

Ginny had looked back at Draco, unwilling to finish her sentence, as though she might somehow jinx herself. Draco had given her a short nod, striding back toward their offices.

**XXXXX**

Before her now, Draco's smirk widened. "You have a spectacular mentor," he told her matter-of-factly as he eyed the Certificate of Commendation she'd received from the Minister of Magic that fateful day, hanging behind her desk. "Some other adjectives you may prefer to use are: handsome, charming –"

"Modest?" she cut him off, rolling her eyes. "What are you still doing here, anyway?"

He reached across the desk behind him and revealed a small, flat wrapped box, giving it a shake. Something inside tinkered delicately.

Ginny tried to hide her scowl. "Ah, and who are you doting on tonight? Astoria? Corrine?" She snapped her fingers, as though she'd just had an epiphany. "Oh, I know; it's that witch from up in International Cooperation, isn't it?"

He raised a brow at her. "If you must know, I'm taking Mother to dinner. And you know I can't stand those political types." The smirk he gave her then made her stomach twist. "Don't be too jealous, you know you're still my number one witch."

"Whatever you say, Malfoy. Just try not to take advantage of your server when she catches on to what a sentimental mummy's boy you are. I know you just can't help yourself sometimes."

Ignoring her dig, he slipped the gift in his pocket and strode toward the aisle, pausing before he vanished behind the partition. "Don't forget dinner on Tuesday."

Ginny stifled a groan. _How is it he manages to 'forget' about our weekly dinners every time except this one?_ "I'll have to see how busy I am with Charlie," she replied instead. "You wearing your Death Eater robes on Friday?"

If his exaggerated eye roll was any indication, Draco was clearly still unamused by her ambition to have him attend the Annual Ministry function dressed as a Death Eater; _ironically_, of course. "You know I never go to that ridiculous Halloween party. Bring your brother to dinner," he told her with a wave of his hand; a generous offer considering how much her family disliked Draco. "If he can stand handling dragons _and _the rest of your family, then he'll be just fine at my place for a few hours."

"We'll see," Ginny said cryptically, fully aware that Draco had never gone to the Halloween party after the first year she'd forced him to attend.

With a nod, Draco took off for the evening. As the echo of his footsteps drifted away she dropped her head to the desk. Why did everything have to be so hard? And why did he have to be so damn charming?

"Stupid feelings," Ginny grumbled to herself as she tried to gather her thoughts, the ones that were screaming at her to go after him. But of course that was the last thing she should do; she'd seen enough of his brief affairs pan out to understand how he operated. As soon as the thrill of the chase was over he lost interest, and she couldn't even give him that.

Falling in love with Draco Malfoy had never been her intention, and nothing could have surprised her more – bar Ron having a somewhat civil word for the man. But really, the two of them had been nearly inseparable over the last few years, and since she'd realised how strongly she felt for him a few months ago their relationship had begun to feel like torture more than anything else.

_My hands are tied_, she thought to herself, and was instantly distracted by a very vivid image of Draco fixing her bound hands to her headboard before lifting her legs – _No, no, no!_

She hastily signed off her second application and tossed it in her out tray before she could think better of it, then watched it zip off glumly.

The only way she was getting out of this was with a transfer; her heart would be torn to shreds either way, but the quickest route was usually the easiest one.

**XXXXX**

Draco knew something was up. Ginny had been acting stranger and stranger over the last few weeks, and while at first he'd chalked it up to 'women's issues', he knew that it had gone on too long for that to be the case.

She'd left a few hints here and there; subject to mood swings, little or no sense of humour, introverted. Stress was the only other explanation, so Draco had selflessly convinced his partner to take some time off before she finally cracked; he'd seen her hit rock bottom exactly once before, and he had no desire to deal with her in that state again. Draco made a mental note that Halloween was in a week, and to lock himself in his flat with a bottle of Firewhiskey until the festivities had concluded.

He flipped the collar of his coat up as he made his way through the crowded streets. It was a chilly evening, but the restaurant where he was meeting his mother was only a short distance and he'd opted to walk instead of Apparate directly.

He wished he'd worn his hair loose to add a second layer against the cold wind, but Narcissa chastised him for his "dishevelled" appearance every time she saw him. Eventually it had become easier to pre-empt her rather than deal with her disapproving gaze for hours, not to mention the unsubtle hints in every preceding owl until she deemed his indiscretion acceptable once more.

"Draco!" someone called to him, and he saw a tall blonde wave as she emerged from a nearby store.

It took a moment for him to place her name, causing him to internally groan at Ginny's earlier quip. Outwardly, he donned his most charming smile. "Saskia Olsen. What a pleasant surprise."

And a pleasant surprise it was. He'd seen the witch briefly months ago, and he recalled it was one of his more memorable affairs. Looking at the leggy, beautifully made up witch before him, he absently wondered why the liaison hadn't lasted.

"Where are you off to, all alone?" she asked him after she kissed him on the cheek, a seductive glint in her eyes.

"Dinner with Mother," he replied, pausing as he looked her over, contemplatively. "I don't suppose you'd be free for a drink later?"

Saskia's smile widened as she gazed up at him, subtly moving closer. "I might be."

He couldn't help but smirk. "I'll take that as a yes," Draco said cockily. "Meet me at Buon Cibo, say around ten?"

She stepped back from him, her gaze hooded. "We'll see," Saskia said, before turning and strutting away.

Draco momentarily considered how lovely her behind looked beneath her jacket before he considered her final words; exactly as Ginny had said earlier this evening, though he hadn't given it much consideration at the time. Draco was a master of decoding women, and he hadn't met one he couldn't crack yet. "We'll see" was the universal phrase for playing hard to get.

Saskia would meet him at ten this evening, though she hadn't technically agreed to anything. He'd made a gamble but he knew it would pay off, because it always did.

Ginny was a different story. As a rule, Ginny didn't _play_ anything – after all, she didn't need to...

_"If he can stand handling dragons all day, he'll be fine at my place for a few hours."_

_"We'll see."_

So why say it at all?

**XXXXX**

**AN: **This story was written for **Ann**'s prompt for the DG Forum Fic Exchange, 2013.

If you've already read this over on the DG Forum's profile, I hope you enjoyed it. If you've already reviewed, then thank you very much! I'm sad that I had so many (sixty-one, at last count!) lovely reviews over the publishing period, and I didn't get to reply to a single one of them.

Thank you to Samurai-Kagome and my sister who both had a hand in making this fic so wonderful, and thank you to Hannah Askance for doing the "official" beta work so efficiently after the exchange closed.

**Ann's Prompt (#1)**

**Basic premise: **Draco and Ginny are separating after five years together. They could be married, engaged, boyfriend/girlfriend, lovers, gardening partners . . . it's your choice. And they don't have to separate at the end, they could remain together. The ending is your choice.

**Must haves: **A memorable Halloween moment from their early days. Humor.

**No-no's: **Avoid too much nostalgia and sappy characters. I don't really need to know the fine details of their relationship every step of the way.

**Rating range: **T or M

**Bonus points:** Draco being a Halloween aficionado.


	2. Chapter 2

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Two**

"Darling," Narcissa drawled as she made her way to where Draco stood at the bar.

"Hello, Mother," Draco said as he kissed her on the cheek, not bothering to comment on the fact she had arrived exactly fifteen minutes late, as usual. He led her to their table, pulling her chair out with a flourish as she seated herself.

"Where exactly have you brought me, Draco?" Narcissa asked him with a dubious look at the tableware as the waiter came over to pour water into their glasses. Notably leaving her gloves on, she picked hers up and examined it, careful to touch the surface as little as possible. "This isn't crystal" was her next flat remark.

Draco suppressed a groan. "Mother, this is a three-star restaurant and you know very well I wouldn't take you to anywhere less."

"That Weasley girl is ruining you, if you're frequenting a restaurant that doesn't even have decent silverware," she said in a disgusted tone, totally ignoring him.

He didn't bother to inform her that he'd never visited a restaurant that appeared in the Michelin Guide with Ginny. Instead, he grudgingly opted for a change in subject. "How is Father?"

"Oh, he's away on business at the moment. Lucius said he was very sorry to miss the small amount of time you bothered to allocate to your family." Of course, Draco had planned it that way. "And he asked when you will be joining him in his next business venture."

And there it was; the reason Draco had been pointedly avoiding his father for over a year. When he had first become an Auror, his parents had "humoured" him, as they called it – really it was just out of guilt from all he'd endured before Voldemort's defeat six years ago. After five years his career was right on track, but his father had decided enough was enough; it was time to give up on his silly hobby and join the family business, so he could eventually settle down with a respectable pure-blooded girl and repopulate the Malfoy/Black family tree.

That didn't sit well with Draco. He'd worked hard over the years to get to where he was and was proud of the independence he'd gained. He certainly wasn't about to throw that all away to be stuck under his father's thumb, or anyone else's.

"I'll write to him when I have time," Draco said evasively and Narcissa's mouth smoothed into a thin line, clearly displeased. Draco decided it was time for him to bring out one of his more ethically questionable manoeuvres. With a smile he placed the diamond bracelet he had purchased in front of her, paid for with gold from the vault his parents had gifted to him on his seventeenth birthday; the one he only touched when he needed to placate a woman.

Narcissa's mouth softened ever so slightly as she slipped the bracelet on, setting the topic aside, and dinner passed without further incident.

In fact, the rest of Draco's night turned out to be quite a success.

**XXXXX**

Ginny opened the back door of the Burrow the next morning and found the house eerily quiet without her siblings and their children running rampant.

"Mum, Dad! I'm home!" she called into the silence, wondering if the apocalypse had finally arrived.

She picked up an apple on her way through the kitchen, taking a bite and glancing around curiously; the ancient clock sitting across the room told her that her mum was currently travelling, but her dad should be around here somewhere. She'd lucked out this time, since her mother would go nuts after she announced her news, but if her father had prior knowledge the odds were that he could settle her down sooner, rather than later.

Ginny dropped her purse on the kitchen table and headed outside to Arthur Weasley's shed, rapping on the door once before giving it a hard push to encourage its rusty hinges.

"Ah, Ginny!" her father called happily as she slipped inside, and she carefully stepped around the clutter to give him a hug. He didn't appear to be working on anything in particular, which was a rather rare occurrence; and another stroke of luck for her since there was nothing to distract him. Maybe she ought to take Charlie to a Muggle casino this evening to see if her luck would hold out.

"No fantastic projects on the table today?" she asked affectionately, leaning against the table he sat in front of and taking another bite of her apple.

"I've had a few ideas that Hermione offered to help me with, but she asked me not to start without her," He said, then began to rise from his chair. "Now, where has your Mum gotten off to? She told me to let her know the moment you all started to arrive."

She put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Actually, Dad, I wanted to talk to you about something. Without Mum," she added.

"Ah" was his only response as he sat down again. After raising seven children who had long figured out their parent's dynamics, 'private' conversations were a common occurrence for him.

Ginny hesitated, wondering exactly how to break her news, then decided to be blunt about the matter. "I'm being transferred."

"Congratulations, Ginny. Well done for sticking with that Malfoy boy for so long; if there's anyone who deserves this promotion, it'd be you, love."

"Uh, that's not exactly the situation," Ginny said, not bothering to defend Malfoy's honour; it was a useless effort since these kinds of comments from her family and friends had practically become second nature. "It's not a promotion; I _requested_ a transfer... To Romania." She tacked the location onto her lame spiel in the hope that the news might be less distressing.

Arthur blinked at her, speechless for a moment. "Ro... Romania? Ginny, that's... that's a very big step to take, and you're very young, and... _Romania_?"

"I spoke to Charlie and he said his lease was almost up and that we could flat somewhere together," Ginny said quickly, but that seemed to only stump him further.

"_Charlie_ knew about this? And he didn't tell your mother or me?"

_Oops_. "Well, I couldn't very well request a transfer without having somewhere to live," she backtracked.

Arthur shook his head at her. "This is very out of the blue, Ginny. Why would you request a transfer now?" His expression darkened. "It isn't... you're not having problems with any of your co-workers, are you? Did something happen?"

Ginny blanched as she realised he was talking about Draco. This was not going at _all_ how she wanted it to.

"No, no, of course not," she fumbled. Ginny hadn't really considered her cover story for why she wanted to leave, and now had to clutch for excuses. "I just... I'm twenty-three, Dad, and I haven't done anything exciting. I haven't travelled and I haven't lived out of home all that long either... I just want to challenge myself." As the words came out of her mouth, Ginny was surprised to realise there was some truth to them.

"You lived through the Battle of Hogwarts. Don't you think that's enough adventure for the rest of your life?"

"I'm too young to start thinking about the rest of my life, Dad. This is just something I need to do." He looked torn, so she said the one thing she knew he couldn't resist. "I can't do this if you won't support me."

He was silent for a while, deliberating her argument, and Ginny struggled not to hold her breath. She hadn't been lying, after all; she really did need the support of her family.

Reluctantly, Arthur Weasley shook his head as though he were reading her mind. "No, I don't think so. I think you can do anything you set your mind to."

**XXXXX**

A few hours later Ginny and Charlie sat in the Burrow, drinking tea while Molly paced about the kitchen and Arthur sat in his worn armchair with a bemused expression.

"I don't see why you would go to Romania, of all places," she said as she cast her third _Scourgify _charm in a row on the same pan, which had seen better days. "We hardly see you as it is, and now we won't see you at all."

"Gee, Mum, it's like you've never had a kid move out of home before," Charlie commented dryly as he rested his boots on the chair next to him.

Ginny felt a little bad that this was happening right now. She had hoped her father would suggest that they give her mother a few days before breaking the news gently, but he had had other ideas and informed her as soon as she walked through the door. Charlie had arrived by Portkey minutes later, and Molly had barely spoken to him beyond a usual greeting; instead she had preoccupied herself listing every possible reason for her only daughter _not_ to leave the country.

Ginny shot her older brother an apologetic look, but he only seemed amused. "Look on the bright side, Mum. She finally got rid of that prick Malfoy."

"Charlie Weasley, do not use that language in front of me or I'll _Scourgify _your mouth," Molly berated him, waving her wand in his direction. "But I suppose that is one good thing in all of this."

Ginny couldn't help but slap a hand to her forehead. "Mum, my application was accepted, and I'm leaving with Charlie this weekend. It's done."

"And you just went ahead and did this all without even the slightest word to your father and me, or to any of your brothers," Molly said tartly as her wand moved toward Ginny's direction. Her Dad had helpfully skipped over Charlie's involvement. "What will Harry say when he finds out?"

Now Ginny was starting to get angry. "This isn't any of Harry's business, and if you tell him then I'm definitely not coming home for Christmas."

"Who's not coming home for Christmas?" a voice called from outside, just before George came through the doorway, trailed by Percy and Ron.

Charlie stood to clap each of their brothers on the back. "Ginny won't be, at the rate Mum's going. Hey Ron, is Hermione coming home for Christmas?"

"That's enough from you," Molly snapped before turning to the newly arrived sons to receive a hug hello from each.

Percy peered at Ginny over his horn-rimmed glasses. "What have you done now?"

"Yeah Gin, what could you _possibly_ have done that was worse than breaking up with your childhood sweetheart?" George teased her with a grin, ignoring Ron's scowl at the mention of what he might call Ginny's "indiscretion" if he knew any words longer than six letters.

She didn't have a chance to tell her brothers to piss off, because her mother answered the question for her – just as well since she really wasn't in the mood for dodging Molly Weasley's cleaning spells. "Your sister is _abandoning_ her family and leaving the country."

"Oh, that's cold," George remarked as he pulled out a chair next to her, helping himself to a plate of biscuits. "Almost as cold as when Charlie abandoned his family and left the country."

Charlie whacked George on the back of his head while their parents were looking the other way. "You're all overreacting. It's only Romania."

"_Romania?_" Ron asked, shocked. "But what about Harry?"

Ginny was out of her chair a second later, jabbing her finger into Ron's chest. "You mention this to Harry and I will hex you into next week."

"Ginny, stop threatening your brother," their dad called from his armchair, having already picked up today's copy of the Daily Prophet to read. Apparently, as far as he was concerned, the conversation was over.

"Fine," Ginny said, crossing her arms as she glared at Ron. After she was satisfied that Ron looked appropriately sheepish, she sat back down in her chair in a huff just as Molly launched into her second lecture of the afternoon.

It was going to be a long evening.


	3. Chapter 3

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Three**

Draco smirked to himself as he read the rose-scented letter that had slipped into his inbox over lunch.

_Draco,_

_The flowers are lovely. I'd like to thank you in person on Tuesday night._

_Yours,_

_Saskia_

He'd had plans with Ginny, of course, but as he recalled the way the blonde had looked naked in his bed a few nights ago he thought he could definitely postpone them.

He'd just sent his reply inviting her to dinner at his apartment when a shadow fell over the doorway, and he glanced up to see Ron Weasley lumber into his cubicle.

"Weasley. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Weasley shot him a scornful look, seemingly rather pleased with himself. "How's it feel to be left behind, Malfoy?"

Draco assumed a bored expression. "If paperwork means I don't have to run into you multiple times a day, then it suits me just fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm busy."

"It has to hurt, though," Weasley said loudly, ignoring him. "This officially means that no one can stand you."

For a moment Draco wondered what in Merlin's name the imbecile was blathering on about, until he decided he didn't care. "If you're quite finished making a spectacle of yourself, I'd like to get back to work." Draco paused, and when Weasley didn't move he shot him a withering look. "In case you're not sure exactly _what_ I'm implying: get out."

"It's just so funny. People are willing to leave the country just to get away from you!" Ron laughed boisterously before strolling out of the cubicle, presumably to go irritate someone else.

Draco leant back in his chair, his reply to Saskia forgotten. Ron would never miss an opportunity to irritate him, but he'd clearly become clinically insane as well as stupid, because he was making absolutely no sense. Who was leaving the country?

His eyes rested on Ginny's desk opposite his, and something struck him as wrong. Her trays were still haphazardly stacked with parchment, an inkwell pushed to one side and a few tattered quills sticking jauntily up from their holder.

There were things missing, though, and he wondered why he hadn't noticed before. Her pictures were gone; the one from at least ten years ago of all nine Weasleys crowded in front of the pyramids in Egypt – a miracle in itself that they all managed to fit in the shot – and the framed newspaper clipping of the two of them looking incredibly awkward as Ginny had received her commendation from the Minister just after they'd first become partners.

The photo of Ginny in her mermaid costume and him dressed as a Healer at the faculty Halloween party that first year...

Abruptly ending the memory tied to that particular photo, his gaze returned to the quills, and he saw that the one he'd given her for Christmas last year was missing as well. They'd never really given each other presents for any occasion, but he had been sick to death of looking at the ancient ones she insisted on using until they all but fell apart, so he'd bought her a new one and forced her to accept the gift.

Frowning, he dragged a new piece of parchment across his desk and carefully inked his quill.

_Ginny,_

_I had a very interesting visit from your youngest brother today. He's either entirely mental or I seem to be missing something._

_Don't keep me waiting. You know how I get when I'm not privy to important information. _

_DM_

He reread the note and considered what Ginny might send in reply – if at all – before adding another line.

_PS. If you think you can get away with ignoring my owl, you have another thing coming. See you at dinner tomorrow, and don't forget your brother – the bearable one._

Satisfied that he'd soon have an answer for the strange happenings around here, he tapped the letter once with his wand and it neatly folded itself into a paper plane then zoomed off to the Ministry's owlery to be sent.

Now all he had to do was wait for an explanation.

**XXXXX**

_Tap, tap, tap._

Ginny flung her arm across her face, attempting to ignore the incessant tapping at her window as she waited for Charlie to arrive before they went out. She had spent the better part of her afternoon trying to ignore the noise, unable to do anything but lie on the single, lumpy lounge in her cramped apartment and deaden her senses to the world.

She'd already turned her wireless to full volume and the Weird Sisters' latest record was blasting away, threatening to burst her eardrums, but all she could hear was the tap-tap of Draco Malfoy's owl as it perched on her window sill.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap. _

"Leave me alone you, stupid bloody bird!" she yelled, flinging her legs over the side of the lounge.

There was a moment of silence, then she heard a muffled voice. "Actually, it's Charlie."

"Oh," Ginny muttered, embarrassed, then hurried across the room to open the front door.

"Are you holding a concert in here?" Charlie said loudly as he covered his ears.

"Sorry!" Quickly she flicked her wand toward the wireless and the volume cranked down to a more reasonable level, soon replaced by a low ringing noise as her hearing adjusted. And still, that bloody insufferable _tapping_!

Charlie cracked his jaw as he navigated his way through the maze of half-packed boxes in her apartment, stripped off his dragon hide jacket and dropped it onto the back of the couch. "What's that noise? A metronome?" he asked curiously, glancing around. "And why did you tell me not to come by Floo?"

"I shut it off since I won't be living here anymore." She didn't mention the fact she'd had it closed early to make it harder for a_ certain someone _to get ahold of her. Then Ginny scowled and pointed to her window, her other hand on her hip. "And that owl hasn't given me a moment's peace since this morning."

Her brother narrowed his eyes at her. "Alright, who are you avoiding?"

"No one," she said, miffed that she was apparently so predictable. "I just don't particularly want to receive any mail today, s'all."

The look she received said that Charlie wasn't buying it. Before she could react he went to the window, pulled back the drapes and let the bird in. The eagle owl hopped across the windowsill, elegantly tucking it's wings into its sides as it stuck out a leg for Charlie to retrieve the letter.

Ginny leapt off the couch. "Hey, that's _my_ mail!" She made to grab it off him but he held it high above her head, so she punched him in the side.

She almost managed to yank it from his hands when the owl leant over and bit her hard, with an accusatory look, before flying off.

Charlie ripped the letter open as Ginny hurried to run her bleeding hand under the sink, then cleared his throat and began to read aloud. "'_I had a very interesting visit from your youngest brother today. He's either entirely mental or I seem to be missing something._' Hey, maybe Malfoy is smarter than we give him credit for –"

"Give me that!" Ginny pulled the letter from his hands, the parchment tearing slightly on one side. She stormed across the room and tossed it into the fireplace without glancing at what it said.

"So..." There was a long silence. "You're avoiding Malfoy, then?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ginny snapped as she went back to the kitchen and cast a healing charm on her still-bleeding hand.

"So, we'll be going to Malfoy's place for dinner tomorrow?" he asked innocently. She was speechless for a while as she glared at her older brother, until he prompted her to answer. "Well, I don't really see Bill and Malfoy being chummy, and I'm definitely the most _bearable _Weasley after him. You know that foolishness only increases with every child in our family."

"Only for the boys, you mean," she snapped. "And no, we will _not_ be having dinner with Malfoy tomorrow," Ginny told Charlie between gritted teeth.

"So you _are_ avoiding him?"

"I – no," she managed to stammer with a blush. "Why would I be?"

He looked at her for a long time, then exclaimed in surprise. "You _like_ him!"

"I do not!" she yelled, turning away from him as the blush on her cheeks deepened.

He held up his hands in a peaceable gesture. "Okay, okay. Though I still don't see why we can't go to dinner. I want to check out his apartment."

"We just can't," she snapped at him, then glanced at the clock that hung over her sink. "Now we're late to meet Bill and Fleur for dinner. Shut up and get your coat."

Charlie kept looking at her curiously, so she waved her wand at him threateningly. "You know, I might be an Auror now, but I still enjoy using my Bat-Bogey Hex now and then," she told him matter of factly, then tugged him out the door.

**XXXXX**

Ginny had ignored his owl.

A hundred questions flew through his head as he watched the clock ticking away on his mantle, and he took a slow, deliberate sip of Firewhiskey from the tumbler he balanced on the arm of his chair.

Where was she? Was she in trouble? Was she ignoring him? What had he done to upset her?

She had seemed just fine when he'd last seen her – well, as fine as she ever seemed to be these days – but clearly this was a problem beyond stress, and his fingers itched from the futility of the situation. Ginny was his partner. She should have told him if something was wrong.

The clock began to chime, drawing his attention. Ten in the evening, exactly twelve hours since she would have received his letter. Exactly twelve hours in which she'd made him feel like a fool, sitting around waiting for something that clearly wasn't coming. Twelve hours of agonizing inactivity.

No more. Maybe Draco had been a outwardly patient man at one time, but becoming an Auror had certainly changed that. He headed to his fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder, throwing it to the ground. "Thirty-two B, Newark Street."

The fire flared green, covering Draco in a fine coat of soot and... Nothing happened. Thoroughly confused, he glanced around. Had Ginny shut off her Floo?

Well, Draco was angry now. Uncaring of his appearance, he pulled out his wand and stormed out of his apartment, the door slamming behind him. Once in the hall, he Apparated to her street and the moment his feet touched the ground he stormed toward her building, his long legs easily eating up the distance.

"Ginevra Weasley!" he yelled, his fist thundering against her front door. "Open up right now, or so help me I will break this door down!"

Silence reigned for a long time. She might have been out, but Draco didn't care. He quickly cast a charm to unlock the door and slipped inside, carefully counteracting the security wards he'd helped her cast when she first moved in. There was something about the shadows inside that struck him as unusual, and when he flipped on the light he felt sick to his stomach.

Boxes. Piles and piles of them, stacked in such a haphazard manner he worried there would be an avalanche at any moment.

Her damn brother wasn't insane – at least, not any more than usual. Ginny Weasley, his partner – hell, his best friend – was leaving without so much as a word to him.

Draco sat heavily on the nearest box, running his hands through his loose hair. He felt like such a fool. How could she do this to him? Had they really _ever_ been friends? He'd never had anyone _leave_ him before, had no idea what he should do – if he even _should_ do anything.

He supposed if it was any other woman he shouldn't care too much. It would sting to be rejected, of course, but he had always made a point of avoiding attachment, even if that meant severing a connection before it's time. Ginny wasn't just some woman he could cut off, though. Ginny was different, whether she liked it or not.

At a loss for what to do, he glanced around the bare room. He hadn't spent much time here over the years, had always complained about how little space there was, so they'd always gone to his apartment when they spent time together – after all, he had a guest bedroom, which was convenient when they had to work late.

He began to pace, wondering at that. He'd never given it much thought at the time, but they had always spent an awful lot of time doing what _he_ wanted. Ginny often joked that she only went along with things because she couldn't stand him when he complained... But maybe that had never been a joke.

So, what did she really think of him? That he was the same entitled prat people had thought him to be through school – still thought him to be, to this very day – despite his best efforts to prove them wrong? She's called him such things to his face enough times in moments of anger, but the thought there was a truth to the words made him awfully irate. How dare _she_ think badly of _him _after how hard he had worked to be better than society's opinion of him?

Glaring across the tiny apartment, his eyes came to rest on the only closed door, one he'd only entered once and had sworn never to enter again. The bedroom.

Tonight was a night for oath breaking, it seemed. Draco was an Auror, and he needed to investigate instead of sitting on his arse and driving himself mad with speculation.

It took him a laughably short amount of time to do something so monumental. Four long strides and he was there, hand wrapped around the doorknob, and with the slightest flick of his wrist he had gained entry. Hesitantly, he turned on the lights and stepped inside, struck by how familiar it was. She'd moved the bed so that it now sat opposite the door instead of beneath the window, but the wrought iron headboard was whimsically climbing the wall from under her jewel toned patchwork quilt, just as he remembered. Pictures of people and places hung on every wall and sat across every surface, at least double the number he recalled from four years ago, a clutter of mismatched photo frames that made Draco shake his head.

There were only a few boxes in the corner, along with a half-filled trunk pushed against the end of her bed. The small vanity that sat at the far end of the room was bare, and Draco quickly rifled through her drawers for clues, only to find her meagre supply of cosmetics rattling around inside them. Conscious of the time, he went to her nightstand and checked there too, with no luck, then ducked to check under the bed – nothing there either.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, his fists resting on his knees, and came face to face with her empty wardrobe. The mirrors hanging from the open doors reflected his sorry appearance back at him. Draco didn't pay himself any attention, though. His gaze was glued to the inside of the thing; _Empty_, it seemed to mock him, and he fell back against the bed in defeat.

Draco wasn't sure how long he lay there. It was very late, and he absently wondered if Ginny might come home and catch him there, on her bed.

_Good_, he thought with a scowl. _Let her see what she's done and feel guilty_. Merlin, how he wanted to punish her for turning him into such a wreck.

Movement caught his eye and he turned his head to see many eyes staring at him from all of those mismatched frames. Redheaded wizards glared down at him with a disapproving gaze, but many occupants of some pictures seemed perfectly content to ignore him where he lay. Turning on his side, he examined the images more closely. There were many of her family and friends, but he could see his own serious expression in just as many. Photos from Christmases, birthdays, work functions, casual dinners... even the photo she'd demanded a stranger take of them outside a Muggle cinema. _I need proof that you're a real human being_, she'd told him with a grin before pulling him into the shot.

And sitting at the front of the collection on her nightstand was that damn photo of them dressed up at Halloween.

He stared at it as he lay on the bed that haunted his dreams, the unwanted memory crystal clear.

The moment Ginny Weasley had hit rock bottom hadn't been a pretty one.

**XXXXX**

Ginny had just broken up with her long-term boyfriend, Harry Potter, and while Draco had been grudgingly sympathetic he'd been pleased to see that she wasn't a bit upset about it, despite the months that the couple had spent fighting during and after her Auror training.

He should have known better. Ginny Weasley was a woman, after all.

Draco had attended the faculty Halloween party with her because he didn't want to ruin their fledgling friendship. He'd done her a favour, and Draco knew that she felt a strong sense of obligation because of her debt, but as they'd worked together closely over the past year that had slowly begun to melt away.

He didn't take having a Weasley owing him something lightly, but he'd already decided long ago that her debt would be paid with friendship. His previous partner had barely tolerated him before her eventual retirement, and Draco had known that the stuffy old witch was a better alternative to his other options; but he'd also seen how the other teams worked together, their sense of camaraderie.

Draco couldn't become a great Auror without that.

So, on October 31st, he found himself at a function room in the newly renovated Leaky Cauldron, dressed as a somewhat dignified Healer. At least until a very drunk Ginny had spilt a glass of red wine down his front.

"Have a drink," Ginny had been urging him before the thing toppled from her hands. "Oh," she'd giggled. "Someone's been a _very _bad Healer."

At first, seeing Ginny downing every liquid substance that appeared before her had been amusing, not to mention her berating the bartender for refusing her service with loud declarations that she "was a mermaid, and how could he expect her to survive on land without a drink?" but in hindsight, letting her run rampant had been a big mistake.

He'd merely scowled at her then. "I think you've had enough," Draco had said with a wary glance at their co-workers, taking her arm and helping her over to the bar as she shuffled along in her extremely tight, shiny green mermaid skirt. He ordered a glass of water and handed it to her. "Drink."

Ginny had pouted at him, yelled at him and called him a series of very creative names before he finally pointed out that mermaids needed water. Then she conceded and began tentatively sipping at the glass. Satisfied that she would be fine he'd relaxed slightly and begun to survey the room.

Really, it wasn't so bad that Ginny was absolutely plastered, since almost everyone else present was... Except for the very unwelcome troll that had begun to make a beeline for the bar.

"Ginny?" Harry Potter exclaimed as he pulled off his mask, then turned on Draco. "You got her drunk!"

"Didn't recognise you there, Potter," Draco replied coolly with a smirk. "Not that I have to explain myself to you, but I certainly did not." Tragically, the ill-mannered git didn't seem to be listening.

"Stay away from him," he'd urged Ginny, who shook her head vehemently as she grabbed hold of the bar for dear life.

"You're not the boss of me!" Ginny declared as Potter tugged at her arm, and Draco had been rather stunned to see the small girl hold on so tightly. He'd stood and looked on with a bemused expression, smirking widely when Ginny had grabbed her glass of water and tossed it in Potter's face.

"You have some nerve, Harry Potter. We're leaving!" she announced, then she'd grabbed Draco's arm and dragged him out of there, managing to push through the crowd of people dancing remarkably quickly despite the fact she could barely move her legs in her skirt, or walk in a straight line at all.

As soon as the doors flung shut behind them she began to wobble on her feet and teetered to one side, and Draco only just managed to grab her by the waist before she went down.

"Watch out," he'd begun to say, but stopped abruptly when her head fell into her hands and she began to sob. "Ginny..."

"I'm fine," she said, wiping furiously at her eyes, even as she began to sob harder.

Unsure what else to do, he'd taken her arm and Apparated to her flat.

When their feet touched the ground Ginny had made a strangled noise and immediately hunched over a nearby bush, breathing heavily.

He'd given her a few minutes, but when nothing came up following their sudden departure, he'd taken her arm again and helped her into her flat and to her bedroom.

"Harry doesn't think I'm any good as an Auror," Ginny said all of a sudden, with a hiccup. "He says I should be playing Quidditch, because I'm so good at it, but I know it's really that he thinks it's too dangerous for me."

Draco didn't want to hear about Harry bloody Potter, so he got her a glass of water from the kitchen instead. When he returned she was struggling to unbuckle the heels that she must have dismantled half of her eldest brother's to Spello-tape seashells all over, so he handed her the glass and knelt on the floor to take over.

"Harry says I'm lucky you're my partner, because anyone looks good next to you," she said, and Draco's teeth clenched as he wrapped his hand around her ankle and eased the first shoe from her foot. "I told him he was wrong, though. I'm lucky you're my partner because everyone else is less useless than you are." Her brow furrowed, then she laughed through a sob. "I mean, you're less useless than everyone else."

She put down the glass to flop across her bed, swinging her legs, and Draco struggled to get a hold of her other shoe. "How come everyone hates you?" she asked him. "You're not a bad person. Mostly."

Draco wrestled her shoe from her foot and glanced up at her, catching the sleek slope of her bare stomach and the twin swells of her breasts beneath her scalloped top, then looked away. "It's bedtime."

Ignoring him, Ginny sat up again, sliding across the bed toward him. "I don't hate you," she told him as she tugged on his hand, then leant up to kiss him.

That had been a shock, her lips pressing firmly against his, his eyes had gone wide as her arms had slipped around his neck, but when she nipped at his bottom lip he groaned and pressed her back against the bed, his lips trailing down her throat.

"Harry makes me turn the lights off –" she'd started to say, and the mention of Potter's name was like a slap to the face.

He leapt away from her and she blinked up at him sleepily, her lips red from his kisses and a faint blush on her cheeks. "Thanks for bringing me home," she said with a yawn, as though nothing happened, and curled up on her side.

Horrified, Draco had stood there with his mouth agape for several minutes until a sudden snore snapped him out of it, and he Apparated home like his life depended on it.

The next day, she'd had no memory of the night's events beyond being monumentally pissed, and Draco decided that denial was definitely the best course of action for everyone involved.

**XXXXX**

"Fuck," Draco said now, glancing at the tent that had formed in his pants.

Maybe it was the fact he hadn't dwelt on that night from so many years ago for so long, or maybe it was the fire whiskey he'd consumed earlier, but Draco palmed his erection without a thought to his current situation.

This wasn't something he normally did, having a steady stream of readily available women through his life, but right now he didn't care about that. All he cared about was the memory of that kiss, hot in his mind, and the sweet scent of cloves and jasmine – of Ginny – on her sheets.

He inhaled deeply as he gave himself an experimental rub, and the breath was released with a low moan. He thought about Ginny's hair as it cascaded over her shoulders and brushed against his bare skin, so bright and vibrant, fiery as anything. He thought about her pale skin hot against his, her generous curves pushing against him as she caressed his body with her fingers, her mouth.

Before he knew it his pants were undone, his hard length standing to attention as he rubbed it harder, imagining that it was Ginny's small, soft hands that stroked him so vigorously. Her thumb that grazed against the head of his penis to gather the moisture beaded at the tip, only to be followed by her tongue –

"You are a mess," a muffled voice said from the next room, and Draco almost fell off the bed. Then there was some hushed speech, and Draco barely had enough time to zip his pants up before Charlie Weasley burst through the door, wand at the ready.

"Malfoy?" he cried in surprise, then lowered his arm. "I almost hexed you into next week."

Draco didn't say anything for a moment, he was so caught off-guard. "I was waiting for Ginny."

The older wizard raised an eyebrow as he examined Draco. "In her bedroom?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," he replied with a sneer.

"Well," Charlie said, glancing into the room behind him. "Ginny is a little indisposed at the moment."

"Drunk, you mean." Draco hoped she hadn't tried to kiss her brother, too. Then he paused, thinking. "I don't suppose you can tell me what in Merlin's name is going on?"

Charlie shot another glance into the lounge room, then turned back to him. "I think you'd better hear it from Ginny."

"First your mental brother, now you –"

"Hey, don't stick me on Ron's level," he cut Draco off, holding his hands out in a peaceable gesture, then grinned. "We'll be at dinner tomorrow night, and she can explain then."

Draco narrowed his eyes at Charlie; this was too easy... But he was running out of options, and he had a more pressing 'problem' to deal with. "I'll see you at seven," he said, then strode out of the room.

As he left he glanced at the lounge, where he could see one of Ginny's legs dangling over the arm of the chair, her dainty ankle curving into her fuller calf.

He shook his head and went to the street, Apparating home.

As he dropped onto his armchair, picking up his Firewhiskey where he left off, he caught his reflection in the mirror tilted above the mantle of his fireplace.

Pathetic. That was how he looked; still covered in a fine coating of soot, his hair and clothes a dishevelled mess, his trousers strangely positioned due to his throbbing erection.

He thought about paying Saskia a visit, but nixed the idea immediately. Clearly, he wasn't himself.

Draco downed his drink and replaced his glass with the bottle, wondering if he would ever be himself again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Four**

Ginny's head was pounding.

Charlie had quite literally drunk her under the table last night; probably because ever since that horrific Halloween four years ago the only time she drank heavily was when he was in town. Unfortunately she couldn't sleep at all, despite the fact it was eight in the morning. Her mind wouldn't stop racing, and she could clearly see who it was racing towards.

All she could think about was Draco. She hadn't heard from him since his last owl, and if she were being honest with herself... Well, she was a little offended by that. Didn't he care that she was ignoring him? Then again, she wouldn't be surprised if he'd just_ assumed_ that she would be at dinner tonight, the bastard.

But, no. Draco was arrogant to a fault, but he always preferred to have a definite schedule, and she hadn't confirmed anything. So why wasn't he here demanding a response?

_He probably has alternate plans,_ Ginny thought bitterly. It wouldn't be the first time he'd rescheduled plans with her because he'd received a "better offer".

Stretching out beneath the covers of her bed, she couldn't help but wonder what witch had caught his attention this time. It was always someone new, some blonde with pin-straight legs that went on for miles, unlike Ginny's curvy, stocky ones, and Merlin knew he'd never looked at her like he looked at the witches he usually saw.

Absently, Ginny wondered if that was the problem. That at the end of the day she was still a Weasley, with her too-red hair, too many freckles and absurdly short stature. If the problem was how his parents sneered at her, just as her parents did at him.

She wanted to think that Draco was better than that, but she wasn't so sure. She wanted to believe that, ignoring his obvious issues when it came to adult relationships, that wouldn't stop him. That was just one of the reasons _why_ she loved him, after all; that he'd grown into a man who was unwilling to compromise himself or those he cared about for anything.

Then again, he cared about his mother, and maybe her feelings on the subject might far outweigh anything he might feel himself? Ginny couldn't fault him for that, really.

There was a knock at her door and Ginny narrowed her eyes. She stayed silent, hoping the visitor would leave – _it might be Draco,_ she couldn't help but think – until they began to knock rather incessantly. Clearly whoever it was had a death wish; everyone knew to leave her alone for at least a solid twelve hours after she'd been on the drink.

Grumbling to herself she pulled her quilt around her and climbed out of bed to see who was there, freezing in her tracks when the person spoke. "I know you're in there," said the disembodied voice. "We need to talk."

She held her breath, standing just beyond the bedroom doorway, her ankle wobbling as she tried to keep her balance. The knocking continued for a long minute, and he grumbled angrily. "Ginevra Weasley, you open this door or I'll –"

"Fine!" she cut him off with a wince as her headache peaked at the loud noise.

Ginny flung open the front door and marched into the kitchen. "Do _not _raise your voice until I find a decent hangover potion," She hissed.

Her visitor wisely said nothing, only shutting the door with a soft click as she rattled about her cupboard before finding something to mix into her tea.

"Well?" she asked minutes later, as she clutched her mug in one hand, her blankets in the other. "What is it you want?"

Harry Potter glanced at Ginny wearily as she sipped her tea. She made a mental note that should have a drink handy around him more often; _especially_ hot ones. "I hope you were out with Charlie last night," he said as he ran his hand through his irritatingly messy hair.

"I really don't think that's any of your business, Harry," she said firmly as she leant against her kitchen counter. She didn't offer him a seat; after all, she didn't want him to feel welcome, or to hang about any longer than necessary.

He said nothing for a moment, seeming to concede her point. Then, "I _want_ it to be my business."

Ginny blinked once. "Pardon?"

"I know you're still upset about us –"

"'Us'? Hold on a minute –"

"And I know you're as stubborn as Azkaban, but you can't just leave and give up on what we have –"

"Harry, we don't _have_ anything," she said, raising her mug slightly, and he stopped abruptly. "There is no 'us'. There has been no 'us' for four years. We've moved on from this."

"I haven't," he said, moving to take her hand but she snatched it away. He frowned, continuing. "It's always been you, Ginny. I wanted to give you some space until you figured things out for yourself, but I'm not letting you leave without a fight."

"Firstly, it's not up to you 'let' me do anything, even if we _were_ an item." She glared at him. "And you do _not_ leave a girl alone for four years, call it 'space' and expect her to come back to you at the drop of a hat."

He ran his hands through his hair again, clearly distressed, and she resisted the urge to slap them away. "But it's _what you wanted_, Ginny. You broke up with me, and you said you couldn't be with me unless I was willing to give you your freedom. And I did, I gave it to you. No one understands you like I do!"

"You don't get it!" She slammed her mug against the kitchen counter as she yelled at him, not caring that it felt like her skull was full of raging nargles. Harry didn't understand her – the only person that came close was Draco. "My freedom isn't anything that can be _given_ to me. It's _mine_."

"That's not what I meant." Harry grabbed her hands tightly, not relenting when she tried to pull away. "You know it's not. But I'd do anything for you." He lowered his head towards her, closing in. "I _love_ you."

Ginny lifted her leg, kneeing him squarely in the groin, and Harry dropped to all fours in front of her, eyes wide and gasping for breath. "Get out."

Harry struggled to his feet, clutching himself and looking at her with sad eyes. She said nothing, crossing her arms and keeping her feet planted in place as she attempted to look firm, but not threatening.

"_Ginny –_" he wheezed, but she pointed one finger to the door.

"_Out_."

Slowly, Harry limped his way out of her apartment, keeping his gaze on her. "This conversation isn't over."

"It is." Ginny pushed him through the doorway and slammed her front door shut with a deep breath, resting her forehead against it heavily.

She stood there for a few minutes, almost totally unable to process what had just happened. It had been unexpected – really, _really_ unexpected – and she did feel bad, but what was she _supposed_ to have done?

_What a shame it wasn't Draco_, she couldn't help but think bitterly, hitting her head once more from frustration.

Another loud knock came from the other side of the door, and she leapt back a metre, taken totally by surprise. "For the love of Merlin, fuck off!" Ginny yelled.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" her mum cried from the other side of the door. "I raised you better than to use such foul language! Was that Harry I just saw leaving?"

_Perfect_. Bloody_ perfect._

**XXXXX**

Ginny spent the better part of her day appeasing her mother while churlishly avoiding her constant interrogation about Harry. She didn't doubt that her mother would follow up with an impromptu Howler reminding Ginny just how lucky she was that Harry Potter wanted to take care of her for the rest of her life – well, more or less.

By the time Charlie arrived around supper time, she was almost too exhausted to move, let alone think. When she answered his knock and saw him standing there in a pair of black jeans, a white shirt and his dragon leather jacket she tiredly waved him in.

"You didn't scream at me before answering the door. You must be in a good mood."

She rolled her eyes before returning to her lounge where she had spent her brief reprieve curled up under her duvet. "I learnt my lesson. Mum came by earlier."

Charlie looked mildly sympathetic as she snuggled back into her nest and reached for a legless chocolate frog – attempting to wiggle its way across her coffee table – and put the poor thing out of its misery in two bites. "You're lucky you had six brothers to soften her up before you came along," he told her, reaching down to ruffle her hair just how she hated it. "Come on, you said we'd go out with Hermione tonight."

"Hey, you made me promise that after my third shot. You took advantage of me," she said with a yawn as she reached for another frog, peeling the foil away and taking a bite out of its hind legs before it could escape. "I feel awful after last night, and you _know _Hermione doesn't go out."

"You're a rubbish drinker," he said, dropping onto the middle of the lounge and totally ignoring the fact she'd spread out over half the thing. "Come on, you know you want to."

She gave him a hard shove. "We'll have plenty of time to go out once I move in with you."

"Liar." Charlie poked her in the side and she swallowed a yelp, having learnt long ago that her brothers would give up annoying her if she didn't seem annoyed. "This is the first time we've had real fun when I've visited. You'll be working too hard to go out once you transfer."

She didn't deny his accusation and ate some more chocolate in silence until she'd come up with another excuse. "But we're going out with George tomorrow, and you know how he gets."

Charlie shot her a sly look, as though he knew he'd won if that was the best excuse she had. "I'll tell you what," he said as he got up from the couch and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. "Go put on something nice. We'll have a quiet one tonight, sans Hermione, so we can go utterly mental tomorrow."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but went to her bedroom to shower and dress anyway. "That's what I'm afraid of."

**XXXXX**

Draco checked his lamb roast, which had been cooking in his – mostly unused – oven for the last half hour. Satisfied that the meat was cooking evenly, just as Ginny had shown him, he turned to survey his penthouse apartment.

He'd inherited the rather stuffy accommodations – one of many properties, in fact – from his grandfather several years ago upon his death, and Draco had taken great pains to update it on his meagre salary. Gone was the heavy, mahogany furniture that had adorned the space since the mid-20th Century, replaced by lighter, modern looking tables and lounges that helped to lift the large, newly repainted rooms. After living his entire life at Malfoy Manor, Draco had found himself craving something entirely different from his ancestral home. That wasn't to say he preferred to live in abject poverty... Or close to it, as most wizards of his acquaintance seemed to. Draco still held an appreciation for fine items; something which Ginny took delight in teasing him over.

So, his large glass top table had been set for three (_Why do you need to seat eight people?_ Ginny constantly nagged him. _You never have guests over, and next to no one comes for dinner except me!_), his white china set out neatly at each place (_China, 'for guests'? _What_ guests?_), and candles lit strategically about the room for ambient lighting (_You're killing me, Malfoy_).

_On second thought..._ Draco extinguished the candles with a wave of his wand, returning the lights to their normal setting.

He walked about the room to make sure that everything was neat and orderly. The chairs were tucked in evenly and the cushions on his lounge were angled exactly parallel to each other against each arm, the pictures Ginny had finally talked him into hanging a few months ago were perfectly straight on the walls. Of course, everything about his apartment was precise and perfect. A bottle of wine was airing on the kitchen countertop next to a cheese platter, and he had nothing left to do until the roast was finished in another – Draco glanced at the clock – forty minutes.

He had timed the roast perfectly, to finish cooking exactly ten minutes after his guests were due to arrive to give the meat enough time to rest. Naturally, he had taken into account that Ginny was always unintentionally five to fifteen minutes late for everything, unless he was there to hurry her along. So, he had estimated a ten-minute delay in his guests' arrival, giving them plenty of time to enjoy his cheese selection before dinner was ready.

Draco wondered if Charlie would hurry her arrival at all but, based off most of her sibling's lack of decorum, he highly doubted it. He worried, as he had for the better part of the night before and all of today, how Charlie would manage to drag her along at all. Ginny was stubborn as anything, and he was sure her brother wouldn't do it by conventional – or honest – means. It nagged at Draco more than it should; the slightest chance that Ginny, upon arriving at his apartment and realising where she was, would turn on her heel and Apparate the other way without so much as a word to him.

Again, he wondered _why_ she would do such a thing, a thought he had tried not to dwell on too much as he suspected he would not like the answer.

Perhaps her family had finally gotten to her, with their snide comments made behind his back – and to his face, when Ginny wasn't around to deter them. Not that he needed, or wanted, her to, but it was nice that she had stood up for him so steadfastly after he'd helped her out with her near-suspension all those years ago. He would never admit it to anyone – least of all her – that he did feel the smallest, most insignificant bit guilty that their friendship was such a significant point of contention in her life.

Ginny was well aware that he had only fibbed about her slip-up because he hadn't wanted to deal with the monumental paperwork that came hand in hand with the review of a liable Auror, not to mention the trouble it would be to replace her, but she had returned his entirely selfish deed with solidarity and kindness. Something he had never expected – or wanted – from anyone that wasn't looking for remuneration, let alone a _Weasley_.

But still, she'd given it to him more than willingly, along with a certain kind of companionship and trust that had developed over the years though he'd been sceptical about the tentative partnership at first, no thanks to his parents' and schoolmates' constant jibes.

Yet, apparently none of that mattered, if the way she was acting was any kind of indication. Draco straightened his cufflinks as he walked to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey – something that had quickly become habit, if a habit could fully develop over forty-eight hours.

Sipping his drink, he refused to jump to any conclusions despite the fact he so desperately wanted to. He absolutely refused to take this as anything but face value until he had the facts from Ginny herself.

Draco frowned about the room, irritated by the harsh lighting. He waved his wand, relighting the candles and dimming the overhead lights. If Ginny didn't like it, then she would just have to deal with it.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Startled, Draco glanced at the clock. He'd been so distracted that a half hour had passed unnoticed, but it was still far too early for Charlie to have arrived with his impudent sister in tow.

Brow furrowed, he went to his door and opened it, almost dropping the glass clutched in his hand. "S-Saskia?"

She leant against his door frame wearing a trench coat and boots, all long legs and sultry smile, her blonde hair slightly mussed. He cursed quietly as she purred a greeting in his ear and went inside, only just remembering that he had invited her. _Such a shame she has to go_, he thought to himself as he left the door ajar, ready to usher her out.

"No take-away tonight?" she asked after a dainty sniff. She turned to face him, looking utterly perfect standing in the main room. "There's something awfully delicious about a skilled man, especially when his hands are as good as yours."

"Saskia –" he began, but she'd already turned to survey his apartment. Her eyes narrowed on the pictures hanging about the room, the only notable new additions to his furnishings since her last visit months ago.

"Oh. She's still around, is she?" Saskia asked as she wrinkled her nose at a photograph of Ginny and him, the inhabitant in question wrinkling her nose back. "Merlin, that is a frightful shade of orange, isn't it?"

"I'd call it more of a copper." Draco frowned at Saskia as she turned back to him, only just catching the tiny replica Ginny making an extremely rude gesture out of the corner of his eye. "And she isn't. Not for much longer."

"How perfect," she said with a smile that almost instantly took on a sinister edge, making her way towards him again, her nimble fingers unbuttoning her coat. "I have you all to myself."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. He _had_ to get her out of there. "Well, actually –"

Her coat slipped from her shoulders, falling to the floor, and Draco's jaw dropped.


	5. Chapter 5

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Five**

"Is this really necessary?" Ginny asked as Charlie lead her towards their mystery destination. He had placed a charm around them that dulled her senses so that, after he'd properly covered her eyes, she was totally unable to guess where they were after he'd Apparated them from her apartment.

His arm guiding her along was the only thing keeping her from falling over in her heels as she'd traversed some stairs from what she thought was the street. Now they walked along what felt like a plush carpet, and the building was warm enough that she'd had to remove her coat as soon as they'd entered. In short, they could be _absolutely anywhere_. Merlin, she was a useless Auror.

"Don't worry, we're almost there," came Charlie's swift reply, though his voice wasn't confident enough for her to feel reassured.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" she asked suspiciously.

"I couldn't miss it if I tried," Charlie muttered ominously.

She nudged him as hard as she could, considering the only indication he was still around was his hand on her arm, and grinned when she made firm contact. "I don't see what the rush was all about. You barely gave me time to brush my hair properly."

Charlie nudged her back, but she blocked it. "You were taking _ages_. I understand Mum and Dad being late to everything, but they had the excuse of half a dozen kids to organise, and Merlin knows Ron _needs_ extra time look presentable. _You_ have no excuses."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," she replied with a sniff.

"We're here," Charlie said after a moment, stopping abruptly. "Huh, the door's open."

He led her into the doorway and uncovered her eyes... And Ginny almost collapsed when she realised where he'd taken her, the room all too familiar. She spun around to face her brother, shaking. "You little shi–"

"Oh my god," he said, cutting her off as he gazed wide-eyed across the room.

Slowly, she turned her head to see Draco, who would look handsome as ever if it weren't for the fact that his face was pale as parchment. And behind him...

"My eyes!" Ginny flung her hands up to shield them, but it was too late. The image of that slag, Saskia Olsen, standing in Draco's apartment in her slinky knickers was forever burned into her retina.

"I thought you said she was gone?" Saskia asked coolly. Ginny heard a rustle of fabric, and dropped her hands to see Saskia covering herself with her discarded coat. Then the penny dropped.

Ginny turned on Draco, her cheeks flushing with rage. "Couldn't wait to get rid of me, huh?"

Draco seemed stunned. He reached for her. "Ginny –"

"Don't touch me," she hissed, stepping away from him only to have Charlie's hand land on her shoulder, and she flinched away from him as well. "Or you. I can't _believe_ you would do this to me."

She stormed out of the apartment with her fists clenched, so angry her head ached. She'd made it halfway down the hall before anyone came after her.

"Ginny Weasley!" a voice called. She wanted to run, to get away as fast as she could, but her name on his lips was as compelling as the Imperius curse. It was all she could do not to turn around and throw her arms around his neck.And wasn't it just agonising that he had that kind of pull over her?

When he finally caught up to her, her eyes were burning with unshed tears, and she blinked rapidly to try to clear them; she'd never _cried_ in front of Draco before, let alone for anything so pathetic. He stepped in front of her, and she turned away, ashamed.

"Yelling and running around like a lunatic is very unbecoming," he told her. He raised a hand, as though to force her to look at him, but she stepped back. If he touched her now, the tears wouldn't stop.

"What," she bit out, her voice getting dangerously close to giving her away. She took a shaky breath, glancing up to see his concerned expression.

Draco held his hands out, palm up, as though he was worried he might frighten her. "Look, I didn't know Saskia would be there –"

"Please don't talk about her."

"– and I was trying to get rid of her when you came in –"

"Really, I don't want to hear it."

"No. Let me explain – why are you crying?"

Ginny touched her cheek gingerly and found that she had, in fact, lost her battle to maintain some kind of dignity. She quickly wiped away her errant tears. "I'm not."

He reached for her again – to do what, Ginny wasn't sure – but something must have made him think better of it because he let his hand fall back to his side. Draco's expression darkened. "I need you to tell me what's going on."

"It doesn't matter. You're obviously _busy_."

"I already told you, I'm getting rid of her. What's wrong?"

She wasn't sure what to say. So, she told the truth: "You."

Draco's brow furrowed. "Pardon?"

"You're what's wrong. I just... I can't handle it any more. Do you even care about _anything_?"

His whole body tensed. "Care to expand on that comment?"

"You think women are just... just _playthings_ that you can throw away when you get bored. What about Saskia, huh? You invite her over, then you make her leave as soon as you find something better to do?"Ginny said in a choked voice, then frowned; that hadn't come out right. _Why am I defending Saskia?_ she thought. _I don't even _like_ her._

Draco crossed his arms, a defensive gesture. "That's not how it works, Ginny."

"Really, Draco? You don't compromise on anything else, so I don't see why that would be any different. How can you be so _callous_?"

"It's not callous, Ginny, it's practical."

"Of course; because having feelings is so undignified."

Draco scowled at her then. "That's not true and you know it. Don't be so unreasonable."

"I'm not," she cried. "I'm being _honest_."

"What a pleasant change from your recent behaviour. What exactly would you call that?"

More searing hot tears ran down her cheeks, and she struggled to keep her breathing even as she struggled to answer him. "I... It was..."

He looked uncomfortable, as though he wasn't sure what to do – but it was fleeting. "You're a hypocrite; you can't even be honest with me now. You think you're better than me because you're a Weasley? Because you dated Harry Potter? Get over yourself, Ginny."

She blinked, as though she'd been slapped; that he would even _think_ something like that, let alone say it. She could feel her mouth twisting downward, and the words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. "At least people _like_ me. People only bother with you because _everyone_ knows your vault is the size of a bloody glacier and your Death Eater father has half the Ministry in his pocket."

The look he gave her then was like ice, his grey eyes utterly emotionless and cold. He'd never, ever looked at her like that, not even when they were in school together.

She'd known what would happen if she so much as mentioned Draco's position – the connection he had worked so hard over the years to distance himself from, the Galleons he almost never touched. She regretted it instantly. "I'm sorry –"

He stepped aside, his stare blank, as though she was nothing to him. "Please leave."

"Draco –"

"I won't ask you again."

Ginny watched him carefully, not knowing what to say to fix things. His gaze was frigid, and it made her want to cry all over again; she had to calm down, to think this though without him looking at her like that. She mustered up the small amount of dignity she had left and walked away from him.

Ginny was proud of herself that she made it safely back to her empty apartment without breaking down... Then she cried hysterically until she had nothing left.

**XXXXX**

Draco stood in the hall, barely able to contain himself. To discover what Ginny really thought about him after all this time? He wanted to let go of the tight leash he always kept on himself and break something. And, somehow, he felt like the villain in all of this; he had _never_ seen Ginny cry, not once.

He took a deep breath and returned to his apartment.

Charlie and Saskia were eyeing each other from across the room, the former looking extremely uncomfortable and the later as though she had just swallowed a puffskein that was slowly crawling its way down her esophagus.

When Saskia spotted him she immediately straightened, looking her usual self. "Draco," she purred, advancing on him. Before she could get her claws into him, however, Draco took her arm and led her to the door.

"Both of you, get out."

Saskia glanced up at him, lip trembling. "But Draco, she's finally gone and –"

"Do _not_ make me repeat myself," he told her firmly, and her expression darkened. She began suggesting a number of rather unpleasant things she could make him do instead, right until he pushed her into the hall and shut the door in her face.

Charlie's response to being thrown out was more polite. "She wasted five years of her life on you, and all you've done is hurt her. Get it together, Malfoy."

The older wizard cast a wary glance at Draco's front door and instead opted to Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. Draco didn't blame him.

As soon as he was alone, Draco retrieved his glass of Firewhiskey. He took a sip and the burning hot liquid momentarily distracted him from his barely controllable rage. Then, thinking better of it, he picked up the half empty bottle. "Screw decorum," Draco muttered, and took a long swig.

He hadn't meant to be so harsh on Ginny in the end – to send her away as he had without allowing her to apologise for what she'd said – but he had been abhorrently furious. He'd never been so angry in all his life and, if he was honest, he wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

Worried that he might have said something he'd regret, as Ginny certainly had, he'd told her to leave before he lost control of himself. He'd pay for it later, definitely, as he knew full well that time was Ginny's greatest enemy when it came to her pride. No doubt by morning this whole event would be a tiny blip on her spotless record of responsibility, as opposed to the giant ink stain it currently was.

So, this was it then. Draco was going to be alone; certainly for the foreseeable future, since the thought of seeing Saskia again – or any other witch, for that matter – made him want to stick his wand in his mouth and _Avada_ himself.

There was an unpleasant smell flowing through his apartment, and Draco realised that his roast was burning. The sensible thing to do might have been to take it out of the oven and salvage what he could of the meat, but Draco wasn't feeling terribly rational at that moment. Instead, he picked up his abandoned glass and flung it across the room; it shattered with a satisfying crack against the picture frames, liquid splattered like blood across the wall.

**XXXXX**

Ginny sat on her sofa staring at the wall, slowly decapitating chocolate frogs.

She was exhausted; mentally, physically, you name it. Her skin had probably gone bone white and splotchy as it usually did when she cried – one reason she tried not to do it often – making her freckles stand out even more than usual. To make matters worse, she hadn't bothered to do anything when she'd arrived home hours ago but kick off her heels. So now her hair was a giant tangle, mascara had doubtlessly run half way down her face, her stockings were torn, and she had chocolate smeared down the front of her dress.

Ginny didn't care, though. She just sat there, systematically amputating each chocolate frog until there was nothing left. It was kind of like how she felt on the inside.

"Gin. I'm sorry, okay? I just thought... I don't know what I thought. Don't be mad."

Charlie had been sitting outside for several hours now. The only indication he was still there were his errant apologies, called through the door every so often. She ignored them all, of course, being too tired to do more than lift her arm precisely the distance from her coffee table to her mouth.

She did feel a little bad for him, sitting in a hallway in the middle of the night. But, on the other hand, he didn't need to stick around if he didn't want to. It wasn't really her problem.

"Okay, Ginny, that's it. I'm blasting your door down on the count of three, unless you let me in."

Ginny briefly considered unlocking it to save herself the trouble of a broken door – repairing spells weren't really her strong point – but it just seemed like _such_ a long distance to walk.

"One..."

And she supposed she wasn't _that_ angry with Charlie, really. After all, he was a boy, with the added hindrance of being her brother, so she couldn't expect him to understand. How was he to know that, by being as big a pain in her arse as he might usually, he would end up ruining the nice, perfect memories of Draco she'd carefully left herself as a keepsake of their friendship? Not to mention any chance of her continuing their friendship in the future, if she ever managed to rid herself of her traitorous feelings.

"Two..."

She regretted everything that she'd said to him... Sure, the stuff she recalled saying about his girlfriends had a grain of truth, and she only regretted saying _that_ because she must have sounded like a scorned lover. But the rest... she'd gone too far, punching his weak spots when she knew full well they were nothing but insecurities.

"I'm not fooling around here, Gin."

Ginny had to apologise, to explain why she'd been so cruel. But how could she take back the hurtful things she'd said to him without confessing _everything_? She supposed that there really wasn't any way she could ruin things further –

"_Deprimo!_"

She lost her train of thought as there was a loud crash and a big whoosh of wind came from behind her, making her hair stand on end. Ginny didn't move, simply sat there until Charlie came around the lounge and knelt in front of her.

"I'm – _hic_ – a mess," she said with a sniff as he picked up the chocolate frog wrappers sitting in her lap and dropped them on the coffee table.

"You've looked worse," Charlie told her matter-of-factly. "Sorry about your door."

She wiped her eyes, trying to clean up some of her stray mascara. "S'okay. But you better fix it before you leave so I can get my bond back."

He smiled at her. "Look, Gin, I'm sorry. I didn't know –"

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand half-heartedly, but she was so tired it really just flopped to her side. "It's not your fault. Me and Draco... it's complicated."

"Yeah, I figured that one out quick." Charlie sat on the lounge beside her, pulling her legs onto his lap. It reminded her of when she was little, how Bill and Charlie had comforted her when Ron or the twins were being mean and she couldn't tattle on them to her parents. "Ginny, I've had my fair share of girlfriends –"

"Spare me the details."

"– but I'm no expert on... serious relationships. The way you and Malfoy were acting –"

"Stop." She held her hands up, thankful that he followed her instructions. "Draco and I are friends. Or, we _were_ friends. But it was never going to last long. We're just too different."

Charlie looked at her for a long time. "I know you cop a lot from everyone about working with him, but we all just want to look out for you. The thing we really don't like about it? You've never needed anyone to take care of you in your life; yet that's what Malfoy does. I don't know him that well, but, the way I see it, he's had your back for years now and nothing's gone wrong... until tonight, at least. They just need more time to figure that out."

Ginny tried to laugh, but her throat was so dry it sounded like a strangled cough. "I'm sorry, are we talking about the same people?"

"Regardless, you don't need their permission," he said with a shrug.

She frowned, supposing that was true. "But, even then... He _hates_ me."

"Maybe so. That never stopped you from befriending him in the first place." They sat in silence for a while, Ginny resting her head on his shoulder. "That's enough excitement for tonight; I'll let George know tomorrow night's off."

"Thanks, Charlie," Ginny said with a yawn as he helped her up. "You know, you're my favourite brother."

"Can I get that in writing?" he asked her playfully, and she used her little remaining energy to smack him hard on the back of his head.


	6. Chapter 6

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Six**

It was Ginny's penultimate day in Britain.

She looked around her empty flat, feeling a twinge of sadness. This was the end of an era; she would never step foot in this room again, never open her windows to the mish mash of scents drifting up from the florist below, never watch that tiny splotch of mildew slowly growing across her bedroom ceiling as she fell asleep.

Beyond that... well, there wasn't much she would miss about the place, she supposed. She had everything she needed, Charlie having Portkeyed the furniture she was to keep to their new flat in Romania already. She hadn't spent enough time in the apartment to feel terribly attached to it, otherwise.

Ginny didn't think she would miss her family that much, either. After everything that had gone on over the last few days, she was actually glad to get away from their constant badgering. She'd write to them often enough, as well as visit every month or so for birthdays and holidays, so it wasn't that bad – only a handful of occasions less than she already saw them currently, really.

Besides, she had Charlie and, while she didn't doubt she'd be ready to strangle him in a matter of weeks, at least he wouldn't pester her about her life as some of her other family members were prone to.

"You ready to head to the Burrow?" Hermione asked Ginny from the newly repaired doorway; Charlie had proved to be as useless at repairing spells as she was.

"Just a second," she replied, picking up her favourite quill, some parchment and scribbling a thank-you note to her landlord to leave with her keys. She dropped both onto the kitchen counter, glancing around the bare room one last time.

With a sigh, she returned her quill to her bag and adjusted the strap on her shoulder, the weight seeming to double with the addition Draco's last gift to her. She knew what she _would_ miss. She would miss _him_, more than anything.

**XXXXX**

Draco scowled when he heard a heavy knock on his door. He didn't have time to bother with whoever it was; it was his third day straight wallowing in his own filth and he'd only made it halfway through his liquor cabinet so far. Busy, indeed.

He didn't feel the burn as he took a swig of Merlin-knew-what. He'd made damn sure he was in no state to consider anything beyond which bottle to pick up next and how to make his writing legible enough to send his owl for take away before he starved to death.

"Go away," he slurred as he sunk further onto the floor next to his lounge, having already fallen off it twice.

"Malfoy, it's Charlie Weasley. I need to talk to you."

Draco rolled his eyes. _Of all the Weasley's in the world_... "I'm busy."

There was another hard knock as Charlie hit the door. "I'm not kidding around here, Malfoy. This is important."

He said nothing, reaching for another bottle and frowning when he realised it was empty.

"Malfoy, I have blasted open one door this week and I am more than happy to do it again!"

Draco scowled. _No one _threatened his personal belongings. He weaved his way unsteadily across his flat and pulled the door open with a glare. "Weasley, if you lay a finger on any of my property I will sue you for the little you've got."

"Good, I got your attention," Charlie said as he walked into the apartment. "Merlin, Malfoy, I'm not surprised you owled in sick to work. You are in _no_ state to be leaving the house. And you _still_ haven't fixed things with Ginny yet."

"Your observations are both unhelpful and unwanted," Draco sneered.

"I know, but as the 'black sheep' of the Weasley family I'm required not to care about that sort of thing," he sat down on Draco's sofa and looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

Draco stood in the centre of the room, glaring at his intruder, attempting to stay upright. "Well, what?"

"Have you come up with a plan to fix it?" Charlie asked, as though Draco was thick. He picked up a half empty container of Chinese food, making a face after he gave it a sniff. "Malfoy, I know rich people are supposed to be lazy, but this food has to be days old."

He scowled at Charlie. "I _can't_ fix it, Weasley. In case you didn't notice, your sister thinks I'm an immoral racketeer."

Charlie held his hands out. "I don't know what a racketeer is, but if Ginny had a manual, there would be three warnings: she's often impulsive, short-tempered and proud. Do you _really_ think that's true?"

"Even so." Draco waved a hand, stumbling across the room to find another bottle of liquor. "It's obviously something she's thought about, and I can't change that."

"Well, that's disappointing," Charlie replied with a shrug. "I thought Slytherins were supposed to be cunning, and stuff."

The older wizard reached forwards and snatched Draco's newly acquired bottle of whiskey out of his hands before he could unscrew the lid. Draco scowled at him. "Weasley –"

"Malfoy, all I want is for my sister to be happy, and right now she's more miserable than I've seen her in my life. You need to do something about that, but first you need to sort yourself out," Charlie took the liberty of vanishing Draco's mess – and his remaining supply of liquor. "Get your hands on a sober-up potion, yeah?"

Charlie got up to leave, turning back just before he reached the door. "Oh, and as for Ginny; she's already sold her flat, but I have a_ very_ good feeling that she'll be going out tonight since she's leaving the country tomorrow. This is her last chance to say good bye."

There was a firm click as the door shut behind Charlie. With a scowl, Draco sunk on to his armchair, gripping the arms so he didn't fall off again. The room swung about him.

_Bloody Weasleys_, he thought sourly. _Think they can do whatever they like_.

What kind of a clue was "she'll be going out tonight" supposed to be, anyway? London was huge, and Ginny could go to any number of places; they'd rarely visited the same venue twice.

And even if he did track her down before the end of the night (because there was no way that even the most painful torture would induce him to visit the Burrow without reinforcements), what then? How could be face her, after she made it clear that his wealth and connections were such a point of contention for her?

Reluctantly, he pushed himself off the couch and slowly made his way to the kitchen to retrieve a sober-up potion from his emergency supply.

Draco considered his problem as he downed the potion, fortunately unable to taste how awful it was. There wasn't much he could do about his family and friends; blood was blood, after all, and he couldn't expect Ginny to abandon her family and friends, either.

But he supposed he could definitely do something about his money. It was only sitting in a vault gathering dust after all, and he wouldn't have any use for it if Ginny was willing to give him a chance... It was a gamble, and Draco wondered if it was a risk he was willing to take.

Draco considered himself to be a connoisseur of women, but he _knew_ Ginny; if she didn't give him a chance, then he didn't deserve to collect.

Draco felt significantly more lucid afterward a few minutes, but knew the effects wouldn't last long – soon his hangover would hit him hard, and he'd need a potion for that, too. Possibly several, from the amount of liquor he'd managed to consume for three days straight.

Draco's brow furrowed. It was _Friday_.

Glancing at his clock, he realised he only had a few hours to prepare for tonight; he had a Halloween party to attend.

**XXXXX**

Ginny hadn't felt much like going out tonight – in fact, hadn't felt like doing much of anything except eating chocolate in bed for days, now – but she was glad that Charlie had forced her to pull an old costume together and dragged her from her old bedroom at the Burrow.

"I'm so glad I kept this costume," Ginny said to Charlie as they headed into the building where the party was being held, her hand smoothing over her tight skirt to make sure that her scales were sitting straight. "I don't know why I don't wear it every year."

Charlie pulled at the neck of his old Quidditch robes self-consciously. "I'm just glad these still fit."

She laughed as they entered the function room, where things were in full swing. The Weird Sisters' latest track was booming and a large number of people were dancing. They got drinks from the bar, and Ginny glanced around for familiar faces.

She spotted Hermione through the crowd, wearing a medieval style dress, and waved her over.

"I'm so glad you came!" she yelled over the music, giving Ginny a hug. She and Hermione had grown close after they'd left school; unlike Fleur, Hermione was the older sister that Ginny never had (what the witch was doing with _Ron_, she had no idea).

Hermione smiled back, then awkwardly offered Charlie her hand. He grinned, then hugged her anyway, Hermione awkwardly patting his back. "Where is your worse half?" he asked her, and Ginny noticed an extremely faint blush spread across the girl's cheeks.

"Ron is... around. With Harry, I think," she replied. Having only seen Ginny briefly that day to fix her door, she supposed Hermione's next question shouldn't have been totally unexpected. "Where's Malfoy? You two are always together."

Ginny almost spat out the wine she had just sipped. "Oh. He, uh... he never comes to these things –"

"They're on a break," Charlie cut in, jovially, and Ginny almost elbowed him in the gut if it weren't for the fact that Hermione clearly thought he was joking.

"Oh, I see. In preparation for your big move, right?"

Charlie winked at her. "It's Malfoy, after all; who wouldn't want a break from him?"

Ginny didn't miss the small furrow in Hermione's brow – the one that appeared when Hermione was thinking about something, like a crossword puzzle or her next chess move.

She wasn't sure whether to play along or yell at her brother; both seemed highly suspicious reactions. Luckily, Charlie changed the subject. "How are things going over at Regulation of Magical Creatures?"

Hermione lit up, as she always did when she talked about her work. "Really well. Kingsley has made sure my work is a priority with the Wizengamot and we've made great progress on amending the rights of underprivileged non-humans."

"I love a woman who takes control," Charlie said, smiling. "Especially when she pushes so hard for what she wants. It's a very attractive quality."

Ginny covered her face as Hermione stammered a response. She wasn't sure if Charlie was just trying to deflect attention from her, but as long as Hermione was focusing on _other_ things...

"I'm, uh, going to get a drink," Hermione said, not looking at Charlie, and bolted for the bar.

Ginny smacked Charlie on the back of his head. "_What_ was _that_?"

"I was distracting her," he replied defensively, swatting Ginny's hands away. "She had her thinking face on."

"In case you forgot, that is your brother's girlfriend. And you wouldn't have needed to 'distract' her if you hadn't said all that stuff about Draco and me in the first place." He ignored her, taking a sip of his Butterbeer and looking around the room. "Hello? I'm trying to tell you off."

He waved a hand. "Yeah, I get it. No fun." Charlie glanced around the room again, then narrowed his eyes. "Oh, no."

Something barrelled through the crowd, causing several cries of indignation, before Ron appeared in front of them... wearing what looked like his Auror robes. "How could you?" Ron glared at Ginny, clearly furious. "I never thought my own sister could be so cold."

Charlie slid easily into 'protective older brother' mode and nudged Ginny to the side, causing her to scowl. "Settle down, Ron."

Hermione arrived a moment later, profusely apologising to the guests her boyfriend had trampled, before attempting to tug him away from his siblings. "Leave it."

"I won't!" Ron yelled, wrenching his arm from Hermione's grip enough that she stumbled over the long hem of her dress; luckily, Charlie grabbed her arm before she fell over. Some of the wizards gathered near them shot furtive glances their way just as Harry showed up to complete their unfortunate group, and Ron pulled him forward to the middle of their small circle. "Go on. Tell me you don't want to be with him."

Ginny glanced at the people surrounding them, embarrassed, glad that only a few seemed to be paying attention to her out of control brother. "We are not discussing this here," she hissed.

"No, I'm not leaving until I get an answer!"

"I don't want to be with him," Ginny said quietly, eager to get away from her brother who didn't seem to understand that this was a private matter.

"That's not good enough!" Ron yelled, and Ginny flushed as more wizards glanced in their direction. Despite Ron's inappropriate behaviour, Charlie had edged to the side of the group with his arm around Hermione, apparently having decided that Ron was harmless enough because no punches had been thrown – _yet_. At least, she was _sure _that was the reason, and not that he didn't want to be caught in the crossfire; Weasleys didn't back down from that sort of thing. He seemed to be torn between sneaking glances at Hermione and eyeing something across the room, and Ginny really hoped that he wasn't planning on running for the nearest Apparition point.

Meanwhile, Harry looked extremely uncomfortable. "Ron, maybe we should –"

"It's _not _good enough," Ron yelled, ignoring his best friend, as though they'd never discussed this before. "Why don't you, Ginny?"

"I already told Harry; it's not going to work out," she replied through clenched teeth.

"Ron –" Hermione pulled away from Charlie and put her arm on his in an attempt to soothe him, but he was already on a roll.

"That's not an excuse!" Ron said loudly as he shook Hermione off and took Ginny's arm, pushing her towards Harry. "You don't know that it won't. You could make it work if you wanted to."

Ginny glanced at Charlie, who seemed to be rather distracted despite the scene they were making, judging from the way he was craning his neck to see across the crowd gathering around them. Obviously she wouldn't receive any help from him tonight. "No," she told Ron, then turned to Harry. "I'm sorry that my brother is such an excruciating bastard, but it's never going to happen."

Ron cut in before Harry managed to open his mouth. "Why not, Ginny? Give him one _good_ reason."

"Because I'm in love with someone else!" she blurted, clapping a hand over her mouth as soon as the words left her mouth. The admission got Charlie's attention long enough for him to shoot her a look that clearly said '_I told you so_', and Ron was so stunned he let go of her, his hand falling limply to his side.

Harry had continued to look awkward as he glanced around the crowd they'd drawn, but Ginny's admission clearly came as a shock. "With who?" he asked in disbelief.

"Potter, maybe it's time you stopped harassing women who clearly have higher standards than to be seen in public with you."

"Draco?" Ginny said, stunned, turning to find the wizard in question standing behind her. She glanced over the ominous black robes he wore and wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "Oh dear Merlin. You're actually dressed as a Death Eater."

"I'm being _ironic_," he replied with a smirk, before his lips thinned with contempt and he placed himself slightly in front of Ginny – _why do people keep doing that, anyway?_ "How many times does she have to say 'no'?"

"Draco," Ginny tugged his arm. "Let me handle this."

"No. Potter needs to learn he can't have everything served to him on a silver platter."

"That's rich, coming from you, Malfoy," Ron replied angrily, taking a step forward. "This is none of your business."

Ginny immediately shoved Malfoy back again, concerned by the malevolent look Ron was shooting him, holding her hands out to ward him – and Harry, who would certainly intervene if his best friend needed support – off. "Leave him alone, Ron. He's trying to be a _gentleman_." Ginny shot him a meaningful glance.

Her brother didn't take the hint. "Yeah, right; look at him, Gin. We all know he's a bloody Muggle-hating –"

Sick of the abuse they kept throwing at Draco, Ginny gave Ron a hard shove, her tone cold as ice. "Shut your mouth before I shut it for you."

There was an almost deadly silence amongst their small circle in the crowd, despite the loud music thumping in the background. The Harry and Ron stared at her open-mouthed, that she would take sides against her family like that.

Hermione frowned thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers as though the last piece of a puzzle had fallen into place. "You're in love with_ him_?" She immediately clapped a hand over her mouth as she realised what she'd just observed rather loudly, but it was too late. The damage was done.

"You _git_!" Ron lunged at Draco. "Keep your hands off my sister!" he yelled fiercely, his punch only grazing Draco's shoulder as Charlie grabbed Ron from behind, restraining his arms.

Ginny didn't get a chance to see what happened next. Harry attempted to push past her, clearly to go to Ron's defence, but she quickly shoved her shoulder into his midriff, sending him stumbling backward. She wasn't _physically _capable of doing much more than that, but she could at least stop him from advancing.

"Get out of here!" she yelled at Draco, wide-eyed, but Draco had already leapt into action. He'd drawn his wand, _stupefying _Ron before he managed to hurt himself – or Charlie – just as the other Aurors in the room had caught wind of the action and come to intercede.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when the security detail hesitantly moved either side of Harry, while two more took Draco's arm to guide him away from the ruckus, hopefully having seen that he had only been acting in self-defence.

A hand came down on her shoulder and she was looking up at Corvus Carroway, the head of the Auror Department. "I always knew you'd go out with a bang. I just didn't think you'd start a brawl in the process."

She flushed as he led her aside. "I can explain."


	7. Chapter 7

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Chapter Seven**

Ginny, Draco, Harry and Ron sat outside Carroway's office as he considered the punishment he'd be dishing out for each of them based on their actions that evening.

Ron was fuming so hard that Ginny thought that his eyes might pop out as he muttered, '_my own sister'_ over and over, while Harry sat staring at his feet, silent as the grave.

Draco sat on her other side, his legs crossed at the ankles as he looked straight ahead and slowly tapped his fingers against the side of his chair. Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap.

Ginny glanced furtively at him from the corner of her eye, wondering if he was mad at her, but of course it was almost impossible to tell. He wasn't scowling – at least not unless Ron happened to make eye contact with him – and she supposed she would be receiving the same treatment if he _was_...

She hated that he wouldn't look at her. A week ago, she'd thought that this was what she wanted; to cut Draco off like a gangrenous limb. It turned out that she was totally wrong. It was pathetic, but she'd suffer through anything so long as she got to have him in her life. He was her best friend.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, and the tapping stopped.

"Good –" Ron began, apparently thinking her apology had been directed at him, but she cut him off.

"Not you, numbskull." She shuffled her chair around so that she gave the other two her back, facing only Draco. He still didn't look at her; was too busy scowling at Ron. "Draco, I'm sorry."

He sighed, as though he were tired. "I don't know what you want from me."

"I want you to be my friend." The lie sat heavily on her tongue, but she didn't know what else to say that would keep him.

"We _were_ friends until you started acting like a crazy bint –"

"_Hey –_"

He looked at her with a guarded expression then held up his hand, counting on his fingers. "First you ignore me, then you get angry and yell at me for doing what I've always done, _then _your mental brother and ex-boyfriend try to assault me. What did Granger mean?"

Ginny looked away, unwilling to answer the question, and she saw his lips press tightly together from the corner of her eye.

"Do you know what _I_ want?" he asked her coldly. "I want my partner back. The _normal_ one."

"Stop implying I'm mental!" she hissed, crossing her arms.

"Well, stop acting like I'm stupid."

She frowned at him "I never _–_"

Draco took a deep breath. "Lying to me, avoiding me, yelling at me for having another woman in my apartment... Like I said, Ginny, I'm not stupid."

She sat there, in silence, not sure what to say.

He pulled a scroll from his coat pocket and held it out to her. "In any case, I have a going away gift for you."

"Draco _–_"

"Take it. Please."

The small concession of politeness while he was probably so mad at her made her do as he bid. Her fingers barely grazed his as she took his offering and removed the contents. She broke the wax seal and read the first piece of parchment.

"I don't understand," she said, stunned.

He gave a small laugh, some of the tension alleviating, and the warmth of it made her toes curl. "It's not Advanced Arithmetic, Ginny."

"But... but it's a charitable donation. A _big_ donation."

He hummed in agreement. "Just about the entire contents of my vault, I'd guess."

"I can't believe you're calling _me_ mental. _Why_?"

"I figured I'd have to be as mental as you, or else you'd get bored with me." She blinked at him, and he gave her a pointed look. "Well? Are you going to finish opening your present?"

"Oh." Ginny let the certificate rest in her lap, picked up the second with trembling fingers, and read the header aloud. "_Application of Transfer_?"

"Well, that might be unnecessary now, depending on how much trouble we're all in. But, in case they mistakenly decide you were innocent in all of this, I took the liberty of filling out your papers to come back and be my partner again. All they need is your signature."

Ginny stared at him dumbly, barely daring to breathe. "But _–_"

"I almost forgot; I did buy one last thing before whittling away my fortune," Draco said, digging through his pocket and producing a key. "Since you'll need somewhere to stay, now that you've sold your apartment. I believe you're familiar with the owner."

It wasn't hard to read between the lines; she could hardly breath, everything felt so surreal. _A key. To Draco's _flat_!_ A playful smile slid across her lips, and she took a leap of faith. "I hope the owner is aware that I won't settle for anything less than the master bedroom."

There was a strangled noise from behind them, and Draco smirked. Ginny turned to see Ron and Harry, looking as though someone had just passed over their graves. "He certainly is. He will take every concession to make you _comfortable_." The look Draco gave her made her blush. He took her hand, pressing the key to her palm, and lifting it to brush a kiss to the back. "But we'll have to set up your bed first."

"My bed?"

"I've had dreams about that head board," he told her, smirking again, and she shivered under his hot gaze.

"You slimy git!" Ron roared from behind them and leapt to his feet, Harry hesitantly following him. He only made it two steps when the door to Carroway's office opened and his assistant stepped out, her eyes going wide when she saw Ron advancing. "Sir!"

Carroway appeared in the doorway, his eyes narrowing at Ron, who was completely oblivious to his superior's presence. Carroway reached out and grabbed him by the neck of his robes as he stormed past and dragged him back into his office, Ron's incoherent yelling coming to an abrupt halt. "We need to have a long discussion about your anger management problems, Weasley."

Harry scurried into the office after them, and Carroway's assistant shut the door again, wide eyed.

Ginny turned to look at Draco, her brows raised. Whatever was going on with Ron aside, this was more than she'd ever thought she could have. It was as though she were dreaming, and she prayed to Merlin that she would never wake up. "Well, Mum's going to be mad that we managed to ruin Ron's career. I hope you know what you just got yourself into..." She paused before continuing, then let the words slip in a rush. "I didn't think you ever could."

He looked at her a long time, and for a heart stopping moment she thought he might agree. "I'll compromise for you, Ginny. I don't care, as long as I get to have you in my life." Draco said with a dry laugh, then hesitantly reached to brush a curling lock of her hair behind her ear. His fingers touched her skin for the briefest moment, and the brief contact made her shiver. "I suppose I'm lucky; how convenient that I fell in love with my partner."

His admission was heart stopping, but he didn't give her a second to respond. In a decisive movement Draco leant towards her, his hand sliding behind her neck, and she let him guide her mouth to his, a rush of heat flooding her wherever his skin met hers.

He was commanding as his firm lips moved against hers, and she melted into him as his tongue slipped between her parted lips. The man was skillful, and suddenly Ginny was filled with regret that they hadn't been doing this from the beginning; she'd never been kissed so thoroughly in her life.

Too soon he pulled away from her, but Ginny followed; rising to slide onto his lap, not wanting to lose his delicious heat, her arms sliding over his shoulders to hold him to her. She nipped his bottom lip playfully, and she couldn't help grinning when he moaned.

Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled back, pushing her hair out of her eyes and caressing her cheek. Slowly, his eyes roamed over her body, and that searing gaze made her feel hot and flustered all over again. "Better than I remembered."

"Pardon?"

"Do you know why I never went to the Halloween party again, after that first time?"

Ginny wasn't sure what this had to do with anything, and his fingers leisurely stroking the small of her back was entirely too distracting. "Because you have a giant stick up your arse?"

"No," he said, exhaling dramatically. "I was accosted by a certain redhead; who, by the way is extremely _hands on_ when she is drunk."

Her face heated, and she was sure that her skin had turned an altogether unattractive shade of scarlet. "_What?_"

"Mm. It's a shame you passed out too; you're awfully attentive."

Ginny punched him hard on the arm. "And you didn't _tell_ me?"

"No, I didn't, because I was sure that you would assault me when you found out; rightly so." He rubbed his arm exaggeratedly. "Don't think you can damage the merchandise just because you're living with me, now."

She couldn't help but smile, hearing him say the words. Uncaring of whatever had happened before, she leaned it and kissed him again fiercely. His response was immediate, his arms wrapping around her possessively. "_Draco_."

Ginny almost laughed when she felt his mouth twist into a smirk beneath hers. "Say my name again, Ginny."

"Draco," she whispered, tilting her head to trail kisses along his shaven jaw. His hands tightened on her hips when her teeth grazed his earlobe and down his neck.

"Do that again," he commanded her, and she did, enjoying the way his pulse raced beneath her touch. "I want you." His admission sent shivers down her spine, and Draco promptly followed them with his trailing fingertips as he caressed her back, clearly itching to touch her elsewhere.

Ginny leant backwards, shooting a furtive glance at Carroway's locked door; flushing when she realised that _anyone_ could walk in on them. "How long do you think they'll be?"

"Too damn long," Draco replied as he gently slid her off his lap and got to his feet, taking her hand and pulling her down the corridor.

Her body hummed in anticipation as she followed him, and she could feel herself blushing when he stopped in front of an interrogation room, pushing the door open. "Here?" she asked, uncertain.

"You know that I would rather hex off my own leg than enter the Ministry toilets," he said with an exasperated look and led her inside, shutting the door behind him with a firm click.

Before she could think, he'd lifted her up, placing her on the single table in the room; her skirt was too tight for her to part her legs, and with a growl of frustration Draco grabbed the slit on the side and tore it open almost the whole way up her thigh, then spread them wide and stood between them. His hands were on her immediately, going from her face, to her shoulders, to her hips as though he wasn't sure where to start. Ginny had no such qualms, and she grinned to herself as she took the lead. Her fingers pulling at Draco's robes until they slid from his shoulders, landing on the ground in a heap, then began tugging agitatedly at buttons on his shirt.

She broke away as she slowly revealed his smooth, pale skin, and she pressed kisses along his jaw, then his neck, then in a damp trail following the slow opening of his shirt. Finally, Ginny managed to get the thing undone and she pulled it off him, tossing it aside.

Merlin; she'd known Draco kept in shape like she did, but the man was _fit_. So tall and lean; she revelled in the feel of his muscles flexing beneath her fingers, beneath her mouth. Oh, yes, this was better than anything she'd ever imagined.

She yelped in protest as that wonderful body pulled away from her; that is, until his mouth was against hers again, devouring her and making her squirm in anticipation when his tongue slid against hers. She almost didn't notice his hands on her body; not until they slid across her bare stomach, the hard calluses on his fingers that had only appeared since she'd _really_ known him grazed her softly, making her shiver.

"It's very appropriate that you wore this costume tonight," he whispered to her between kisses, his hands finally moving to her aching breasts and kneading them.

Ginny small laugh turned into a low moan. "You seem to get luckier every time I wear it."

"Who knows what'll happen next year," he replied, then leant to lick the swell of one breast, rising just above the neckline of her top.

With a small smile she pushed him away, pulled her top over her head and arched her back for him, absolutely delighted by the hungry gleam in Draco's eye as he stared at her naked torso. "Merlin, you're beautiful," he breathed, then his arms wrapped around her and he leant down to take an erect nipple in his mouth, giving it a leisurely suck that made her feel dizzy, especially when he reached to the other and began to tweak it between his fingers.

"Draco," she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling her to him, gasping as she felt his hard length nudge against her through his pants.

At the contact, he let out another moan, pushing back against her. His arm went to her thigh, running up the length of it, before coming back on the inside and forcing her legs further apart. It made her shiver, her skin was so sensitive there, and she let Draco slowly lower her back against the table, eager for all he would give her.

She almost cried out when his mouth left her breast and began a lazy trail of kisses down her stomach, but she was quickly distracted when his hands gripped her thighs and slid her closer to the edge of the table. Draco dropped to his knees in front of her, letting her thighs rest on his shoulders. "Nothing on under your costume, it seems."

Ginny flushed, as though she had something to be embarrassed about by not wanting her knickers to be visible through the tight fabric, but Draco quickly found a very effective way of rendering her speechless. His breath was hot against her skin, and she whimpered as it teased her needy flesh. "Touch me, Draco."

He was only too happy to oblige as his tongue gave her a slow, leisurely lick, then swiftly found her clitoris and began to tease it. It was blissful, having him touch her like this. Draco was single-mindedly ruthless when it came to most things in life, and she was very happy to find out that that mentality definitely extended to sex.

"You're good at this," she couldn't help but comment breathlessly, throwing her arms over her head. Ginny felt his throaty laugh as he continued to suck her, and she was pleased that he decided not to reply when she felt his fingers at her entrance, gathering the moisture there. She found herself shivering in anticipation.

He deftly slipped two fingers inside her, and she writhed under him, his perfect mouth and his firm hand on her hip the only thing anchoring her to the earth. It was agony and bliss all rolled into one as his fingers and tongue took her to the brink of an abyss that she would gladly fall down, if it meant that he wouldn't stop.

"_No_," she whimpered when he suddenly pulled away from her, her body writhing with need. _So close._

"I want to be inside you when you come," he told her, and the heat in his beautiful, grey eyes was all she needed to be swept up in a new wave of pleasure. She heard his pants drop to the floor, and his cock was pressed against her, teasing her. Draco lifted her legs and let her ankles rest on his shoulders. "You're so wet for me, Ginny."

Slowly, agonisingly, he entered her, and she could feel the tension in his body as he fought to retain control; a battle he clearly lost, because a moment later he slammed into her fully and she cried out in shock and delight as he stretched her. She _loved _this, being able to drive him wild.

Gently, he placed his hands on either side of her head and let his body push downward, her knees touching her chest as he forced them to stretch out. "You feel so good," She said, looking into his eyes, wanting him to see everything she felt; all the things she couldn't put into words.

"Ginny," he whispered reverently before pulling back and thrusting into her hard, his eyes never leaving her face.

He must have liked what he saw, because he pulled back and thrust again and again, harder and harder, setting a gruelling pace that she could barely keep up with.

"Ginny," he repeated her name, and she thought it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard as the man she loved pumped into her again and again, claiming her, making her writhe uncontrollably as her orgasm began to build. She lifted her hands, clutching his biceps as he kept driving into her, and he hissed when she dug her nails into his skin. It only made his pace more frenzied, further spurred on by her low moaning, and she loved it.

Her orgasm was brutal when it hit her, as ruthless as Draco was, and she distantly heard herself screaming as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. He joined her a moment later, collapsing over her and letting her legs slip beneath his arms and wrap around his waist as he continued with slow, shallow thrusts, as though he was reluctant for it to be over.

They lay there breathlessly, naked on the table for a long time. With a start, Ginny remembered where they were. "Do you think anyone heard us?"

"I don't really care," he replied, propping himself up on his elbows above her and slowly pulling out. "That was worth all the gold in Gringotts, as far as I'm concerned."

Smiling, she slipped her hands around his neck to pull him down for a kiss. "I love you, Draco Malfoy," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, breathless.

She felt his lips gently brush against her neck, his hands holding her tenderly, as though she might shatter if he clutched her too tight. "I love you too, Ginevra Weasley."

He leant back and smirked at her again, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Still, when the rest of my brothers find out that I'm going to live in sin with you, you are going to be in a world of pain. You better hope Charlie gets to them first to soften the blow."

Draco snorted. "You think _I'm _going to have it hard? Wait until I tell Mother that you managed to bankrupt me."

She slapped his shoulder playfully, then a thought occurred to her. "Hey – aren't you going to inherit the Manor eventually, anyway?"

"I figure you have a few years to get accustomed to wealth before that happens," he said with a smirk, grabbing her wrist and pressing a kiss to her palm when she tried to slap him again. "Unless Father disowns me first, that is."

Laughing, Ginny gave him another quick kiss before she pushed him off her and began to look for her clothes. "Well, you'd better get started, then."

**XXXXX**

**AN: **A quick note to thank Hannah Askance (FIA alias 'waterwhistle') again for her wonderful beta services, and to plug her own fantastic entry to the DG Forum Fic Exchange titled _Tabula Rasa_, which is posted at FIA_._ Look it up, because it's a fabulous take on a tricky prompt (and _very_ naughty, to boot).


	8. Chapter 8

**Decapitated Chocolate Frogs**

**Epilogue**

"Well," Molly Weasley said standing in the family room at the Burrow next to Arthur, who was seated in his favourite armchair, wearing a bemused expression. "You mean to tell us you're _not_ moving to Romania, anymore? After you caused all that commotion?"

"No, I'm not," Ginny looked at her parents sheepishly. "Since _Ronald_ started a fight at a Ministry function, and it directly involved me, my transfer was put on hold. So, I decided to cancel it altogether."

"But you already gave up your apartment!" For the first time that afternoon, Molly actually looked happy. "So you'll be moving back home, then?"

"No, I won't be." Her mother's deflated look only lasted a moment, until she continued. "I'll be moving in with my boyfriend."

"Ginny, you mean – _Harry_?"

"No, I don't," she replied, and Molly looked thoroughly put out again.

Arthur readjusted his glasses, still seemingly confused. "What do you mean, 'your boyfriend', Ginny?"

This was the tricky part. "He's waiting outside if you'd like to meet him."

Her parents exchanged one of their meaningful _looks_ – the ones that she and her siblings had still never quite figured out – and she shrugged, heading outside to collect him.

Draco stood around the corner, looking extremely uncomfortable. "Really, Ginny, you couldn't have told them by yourself?"

"Not unless you ever want to see me again. You think they'd ever let me leave here if I came on my own to break the news?"

"Believe it or not, I gave your family a little more credit." He paused thoughtfully. "Well, your parents at least; not really for most of your brothers."

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. "You should beware my mum going forward, in that case. Get in here."

Molly's eyes widened when they came back inside. "Is this a joke?"

"No, it's not." Ginny gave Draco's hand a squeeze, prompting him.

"Hello, Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley."

Her parents stood there, speechless, until Arthur seemed to collect his thoughts. "How long has this been going on?" he asked tersely.

Ginny thought about that, smothering a laugh. "Technically, about five years. Officially? Fourteen hours."

Her parent's expressions were inscrutable, and Ginny wasn't sure what they were going to say as she and Draco stood nervously in the living room.

Luckily for them, Ron ambled into the house at that moment – still wearing his dishevelled robes from the night before. "Oh, _you're_ here," he mumbled when he spotted Draco, then went into the kitchen and began rifling through the cupboards.

"Uh..." Ginny exchanged a glance with Draco, confused that there had been no yelling. "Ron? Are you okay?"

"No," he replied, his mouth full of leftover chicken that he'd found in the fridge. "'Mione broke up wif me."

"_Ronald_, don't chew with your mouth open," Molly said exasperatedly, Draco all but forgotten. "What did you do?"

"Nofing!"

Her mother pursed her lips, clearly annoyed that Ron was so ill-mannered. Ginny was relieved when she pursued the more important matter. "Well, she wouldn't just leave for no reason."

"_Maybe_ it had something to do with him handling her like a sack of old Quaffles last night," Ginny said, crossing her arms. That set Molly off – that any of her sons would act in such a way – and she promptly launched into a long lecture about treating women with respect and not talking while eating.

Arthur slowly rose from his armchair and motioned for Draco and Ginny to follow him outside.

When they stood in chilly, open air and Molly's voice became shrill background noise, he turned to them. Nervously, Ginny linked her arm in Draco's.

"I've never seen eye-to-eye with your father, Draco Malfoy, just as most of my sons never have with you," Arthur said matter-of-factly. Ginny edged a little closer to Draco, nervously.

"Yes, sir," Draco said, clearly reluctant to agree, and she squeezed his hand encouragingly.

"I'm definitely not happy about this, but Ginny has gotten along fine with you for years, now, and I do trust her judgement. I can't ignore that."

Ginny felt a surge of relief. "Dad –"

He held up a hand to stop her, and turned to Draco. "Let me make it clear that if you _ever_ hurt my daughter in any way, you will regret it."

She looked at Draco, and saw his expression harden at the threat. "I don't doubt that I will, sir."

There was a tense moment, and she looked between the two men, hands on hips. "Dad, I can take care of myself."

Arthur looked at her affectionately. "I know. I didn't specify _who_ would make him regret it."

She smiled at him, happy that he had such faith in her, and gave him a hug. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Gin!" The sound of Ron yelling drifted through the doorway, and Arthur sighed.

"Uh, we're gonna go." Ginny took Draco's arm again and led him toward the front gate, waving back at her father. "See you soon!"

As soon as they were out of the gate, they Apparated back to their apartment.

Immediately, Draco's arms slipped around her waist. "I suppose that was less horrific than I expected."

She laughed, resting her hands on his chest and pecking him on the lips. "And just think; Ron and Charlie already know, so the worst is over."

"You're forgetting that we still need to tell _my_ parents."

"Oh," Ginny said, turning away from him. "Good luck –"

_Tap, tap, tap._

She glanced across the room to see a tawny barn owl perched on the window sill. "That's Hermione's owl."

Ginny opened the window and took the letter from the owl, unsealing it. She bit her lip as she scanned the contents.

"Hermione broke up with Ron; she thinks I might be _mad_ at her!" she exclaimed, then read aloud. "'_I took some time off work; Charlie offered me his spare bedroom, since he said you won't be needing it_.'"

"Well," was all she said after a moment, her eyes wide, and handed the note to Draco when he raised his brow at her.

"Well," he agreed. "That is an interesting turn of events."

Ginny nodded, then headed to Draco's study and quickly wrote out a reply on a spare piece of parchment.

_Mione,_

_You know you can always stay with me, if you need to (Draco won't mind, I promise)._

_Love,_

_Ginny_

_PS. Tell Charlie that he's an incorrigible sneak, will you?_

Draco had followed her in a moment later, leaning over her shoulder just before she folded the letter up and sealed it. "You did _not_ just invite Granger to stay with us."

Ginny walked back to the main room, Draco in tow, and gave her letter to the owl, then shut the window behind it. "_Hermione_ will be visiting us plenty, so you'd best get used to her." She smiled at him, running a hand down his chest.

"I suppose I can put up with _Granger_." Ginny couldn't help grinning at his challenge. "As long as you make it worth my while." he said, his grey eyes softening as his hands slipped around her waist, moulding her body to him.

"Something tells me I'm going to get the better end of this deal," she said in a mock-serious voice, even as her hand slipped below the waistline of his pants.

Draco smirked at her, then his mouth pressed down against her parted lips, making her melt. "We'd better discuss the terms of our agreement, then."

**The End  
**

**AN: **Thank you to MemoriesFade for her wonderful prompt; it was a pleasure working on my response and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.

Thank you to Samurai-Kagome, my big sister and Hannah Askance (waterwhistle) for their beta services and general advice throughout and after the exchange, who were so wonderful and supportive of me in what can only be described as a frantic effort to do something I've never done before.

A final thank you goes to everyone who reviewed this fic during the exchange and after, because your lovely words have made me feel as though I've done this prompt some justice and written something to be proud of.


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Harry Potter, Humor, Romance