Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

**This was written for the 2009 D/G Fic Exchange on lj for Humbuggirl and will be complete in five parts. I'll post the prompt at the end. Hope you enjoy.**

**CONSOLATION PRIZE**

'And then he said I was a loud mouthed harpy so I sent a tiny jelly legs jinx his way and he-'

'So you attacked him?' Auror Ginny Weasley asked the portly woman in front of her. 'You cast the first spell?'

'Too bloody right she did,' the woman's equally portly – oh, who was she kidding? They were just plain fat- husband said from across the room. Ginny wished he would close his robe. She'd already asked him three times.

'Only because you said that my sister couldn't come to stay!'

'Buggering hell,' the man shouted, jumping up from the couch. 'Celia, you hate the woman.'

'She's my sister, Harold!'

'I don't care if she's bloody Dumbledore back from the dead, she's not staying in my house!'

Ginny sighed and rubbed her temples trying to ease the tension headache that had been building since she stepped foot in the house**.** It had been three weeks of non-stop domestics, and doddering old fools who saw Death Eaters in shadows. And it was all Malfoy and his stupid Auror brutality report's fault. He'd actually gotten her suspended without pay for a month. He'd just sat there with the stupidest humble expression Ginny had ever seen as the Auror Commissioner made her apologise and assure him she was going to attend anger management classes to ensure an incident like this never happened again. And then he walked out the office with an arrogant smirk plastered to his face. Wanker.

The whole month she had endured lectures from her mother, from Percy, from Harry, from Hermione and even from Ron, explaining to her in the most condescending tone they could pull out their arses that she shouldn't let her temper get the better of her. It had been a month of counting to ten, visualising the positive outcome and recognising that it was her own unfulfilled desires and expectations that made her angry rather than the great, smirking Malfoy git. Ginny thought going through those classes was punishment enough, but the Auror Commissioner informed her that no past relationship with a certain high ranking Auror was going to excuse her unprofessional behaviour and she had been stuck with lousy little domestics every since.

Ginny snapped out of her reverie as a full body bound Harold crashed through the glass coffee table. His wife fluttered over him, checking for injuries, just about stripping him of his robe in the process.

She hated Malfoy.

*~*

After a quick chat with Harry, where he reprimanded her for allowing the dispute to turn into a duel, (Her protest that it wasn't _really_ a duel seeing as Harold never had a wand, fell on deaf ears) and she was sent back to her cubicle with a pat on the arm. She had been there for the past three hours. She must have be the only Auror in England with absolutely nothing to do. She eyed her mug of quills and glanced furtively around at the surrounding cubicles.

*~*

Draco Malfoy stalked through the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They had been giving him the run around for the better part of two hours. Not one of them had taken him seriously. He halted his stalk as he came to the directory, one name caught his eye. Of course! It had to be. Who else would bother to make his life this difficult?

Draco turned on his heel and strode with renewed vigour back towards the Auror's mess of cubicles. Many of the Aurors peered at him from their desks. For people trained in the art of subtly, they were all surprising conspicuous. He would have thought that the Auror training program would have improved after the war with all the suspicion and paranoia that was floating around, but clearly it had gone downhill. He stopped after he passed a cubicle that looked like it had been squeezed in at the last minute it was so small. He took a few steps backwards and turned to study the cubicle's occupant.

Ginny Weasley was spinning around in her chair, a cup on quills balanced on her forehead.

He contemplated moving on without saying anything. He'd wasted enough time trying to get some response from this corrupt department as it was. But really, this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

'Good to see my hard earned tax galleons at work,' he sneered, startling Ginny. She lurched forward, grabbing the desk to steady herself. The cup crashed to the desk, quills falling down around her.

'Malfoy? What are you doing here?' she asked, stuffing her quills back into their cup. 'And how are your galleons hard earned? It doesn't take a lot of effort to collect interest.'

'How would you know, you've never tried it,' he scoffed.

'You didn't answer my question.'

'I have some business with higher level Aurors that yourself,' he said with a smile. Her face was bright red. He could honestly say he had never seen someone flush that deep a red so quickly before, and he had spent most of his adolescence trying to infuriate the Weasel King.

'Because you got me demoted!'

'You viciously attacked me. It was Auror brutality.'

'You're an arse.'

'Now, now, Weasley,' he said, wagging his finger at her. 'Best you control that temper. You did promise you would work on it.'

Her mouth dropped open and a fresh wave of red flushed her cheeks. She spluttered indignantly and spat a none to quiet, 'prat,' at his back as he just about skipped away from her. He entered an office. He flashed an arrogant smirk over his shoulder at Weasley, who looked as though she was about to have a coronary, as he closed the door.

'Malfoy,' Harry Potter said startled, dropping his quill. 'Don't you knock?'

'This made for a finer exit,' he replied settling himself down in the hard brown chair in front of Potter's desk. He sat straight, his legs crossed and waited for Potter to regain his bearings.

'Don't you mean entrance?'

'No.'

Potter sighed. 'You've already seen _six_ Aurors, Malfoy.'

'Each of them more incompetent that the last, that's why I'm here, scraping the bottom of the cauldron.'

'Malfoy,' Potter said through gritted teeth doing his best not to show his irritation, 'None of the wards were disturbed on your property. You're being paranoid.'

'In the past weeks, my office has been broken into twice, my labs were raided and a prototype stolen and now my Manor shows signs of trespassing and you think I'm paranoid? Are you sure there's no brain damage to go with that scar?'

'Get out, Malfoy,' Potter growled, standing up at his desk, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

Draco rolled his eyes and calmly got to his feet. Always with the theatrics. He left Potter's office, painting a smirk on his face for the benefit of the Aurors who followed his every move and made his way to the elevators.

If the Aurors were too dense to open a case, then he would find out who was breaking into his properties himself.

*~~

Ginny waited until Malfoy was out of sight before barging into Harry's office.

'What was Malfoy doing here?'

'Doesn't anyone bother to knock anymore?'

'It wasn't about me was it? Because I was off duty when I ran into him in Diagon Alley and I can't stay on these insignificant domestics any lo -.'

'Ginny!' Harry sighed. Ginny's mouth snapped shut. 'You need to stop letting Malfoy get a rise out of you. '

'But he's a prat,' she whined in her defence.

'Then stop letting him talk to you. Just walk away.'

'Like you always do,' she huffed, plonking herself down in the chair. She shuffled around trying to get comfortable.

'Just try,' he said exasperated. He picked up his quill and began scratching away, ignoring her. Ginny scowled at him but he continued to write up the report like she wasn't there. She glanced around his office, her eyes glazing over at the pictures of Dark Witches and Wizards. They pulled their most intimidating faces as they noticed her watching them. She watched the clock hands move slowly around the face, moving from, 'don't bother thinking about leaving yet,' to 'just ten more minutes'.

'I'm going home,' she said petulantly and stormed out of Harry's office.

She Apparated home and flopped down onto the couch. Her wand stuck into her back and her robes twisted uncomfortably around her. This day just kept getting worse. She laid there pouting for a few moments before throwing herself off the couch and stomped to her bedroom to change.

In her tracksuit bottoms and an old Quidditch jersey, Ginny felt more relaxed. She strolled back into her living room and flicked on the wireless. She hummed along to the music that filled her flat and went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine. She took a gulp and walked back to the living room, settling herself cross-legged on the couch.

'You're listening to WWN Fun with the Tonne,' a deep male voice said as Weird sisters faded out.

Ginny rolled her eyes. Fun with the Tonne, really? That's all they could come up with? She absently swirled the wine around in her glass.

'And that was an oldie but a goodie from the Weird Sisters. And now we have another caller Flooing in for his chance to win an all expense paid five day trip to the destination of your choice. That's right you even get to choose where you go. Terms and conditions apply,' Tonne said quickly, the words flowing together, 'but you get the Portkey, the accommodation, the food, nothing and they're throwing in five thousand Galleons spending money. All you have to do is be one of the first two people answer my question on the latest line of Weasley Wizard Wheezes products and you're in with a chance.'

Ginny took a sip of her wine. The new line only came out today and she had been forced feed, accidently consumed or been the victim of half of the new products in their testing stage. She could probably answer any question about the line they had. It was worth a shot, she decided rolling off the couch to Floo the wireless network. She definitely needed a holiday.

She listened with her head in the flames and she scoffed as a woman with an annoyingly high pitched voice failed to name Sherbet Lemon as the flavour of Dumbledore's, a lolly that promised a long, thick beard to even the most prepubescent of boys.

'You're on the air with Tonne,' he said, the logo of the station appearing in the flames. 'Who am I speaking too?'

'Ginny,' she replied excitedly, leaning further forward. It was just one little question.

'Evenin', Ginny, how's your day been?'

'Shocking,' Ginny answered with a sigh.

'Well answer the next question correctly and tomorrow could be a whole lot brighter. Here we go. Oh, Ginny, love, a hard one here. What product has the warning label of "Do not use when parent is in bad mood. May have unforeseen homicidal effect"?

Ginny smiled. She'd been witness to the reason behind that warning label. Her mother had not appreciated George swapping her fresh, free range chicken for a fake chicken that flapped its featherless wings to propel itself around the room, spouting off about the brutality of its life and the fundamental rights of poultry.

'Fun with Mum,' Ginny answered smugly.

'Congratulations, Ginny! You are the one of the finalist who will go head to head tomorrow, live in the studio, and duel for our grand fabulous prize. Thank you, Ginny, now just say on the flame and we'll have one of our happy little worker bees fill you in on the details. We'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Byebye now.'

The logo abruptly disappeared, replaced a minute later by a young man who yawned as he took down her details and told her to be at the station and five o'clock the next day.

*~*

Ginny rushed out of the Ministry of Magic at four thirty the next afternoon and Apparated to the radio station. She was lead to a small room with large windows, allowing her to see Tonne as he began his broadcast. There was already a man, who she assumed was the other contestant, sitting in room on a large black couch, reading over piece of parchment. A quill rested on the table in front of him. He looked up and smiled crookedly. His hair was slicked back making him look like a used broom salesman.

'Terms and conditions,' he said jovially, 'Turns out we can go anyplace we want as long as it's on this list.'

'Always the way it goes,' Ginny lamented as she sat down. The man smiled broadly at her. His teeth were stained.

'I'm Michael, by the way.'

'Ginny.'

'So, Ginny,' he started, sliding towards her side of the couch. 'You been studying?'

'Studying?' She hadn't thought studying would be required. It was a radio competition. What's that song? What colour is the sky? That kind of thing. How hard could the questions possibly be?

'Yeah, you know brushing up on your Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products. I went down to Diagon Alley especially to get a brochure and pick George's brain. You never know what they might have included.' He looked around the small room, rested his hand on her thigh, and then leant in towards her as he was about to let her in on a secret. 'You have to be careful about trick questions.'

'Right, they can get you,' Ginny agreed. She curled her lip and crossed her legs so his hand fell to the side.

'Then of course there's multiple choice. Sometimes an answer seems right but on closer inspection is actually wrong. Takes skill to sort those out,' he told her, tapping the side of his nose. 'Yep, those are a right pain.'

He was trying to psych her out! Ginny realised as he continued talking, going into depth about his study plan. She could not believe he was trying to psych her out of a radio competition. Was he going to side swipe her as they walked next?

She picked up her copy of the terms and conditions, and scribbled her signature on the bottom. She stared up at the ceiling while Michael lectured her on buzzer etiquette. She wasn't aware there was a buzzer etiquette before now, but apparently she was woefully ignorant in the ways of the competition world.

She jumped up excitedly as the door opened, but scowled when Malfoy walked in behind a short man with glasses. Malfoy's brow furrowed slightly when he saw her but he said nothing. What the hell was he doing here?

'Read and signed the terms and conditions?' the small man asked. 'Good, good. Well, the competition is fairly simple,' he explained quickly, 'Mr. Malfoy, here, will ask the questions and the first one to correctly answer three wins. There simply. Easy. Good, let's go.'

Ginny hurried out after him, brushing roughly past Malfoy. It was only when she was in sitting across from Tonne that she realised that Malfoy and Michael-the-chatter had not followed them. Malfoy's back was facing her but Michael appeared to be listening intently. She frowned when Michael vigorously shook Malfoy's hand, a bright, crooked smile on his face. Her frown deepened when Michael rushed out the room and Malfoy turned to smirk at her.

'We're here with the finalist in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Malfoy Corporation's Competition,' he announced. Ginny felt like she should have known Malfoy was behind the competition. Michael didn't seem surprised. She knew she should have read the terms and conditions instead of just signing.

'The winner,' Tonne continued, 'gets the fabulous prize of an all expenses paid trip to the destination of their choice. We have Draco Malfoy, Chairman of the Malfoy Corporation to ask the questions.'

Ginny watched Malfoy carefully as he stood beside Tonne. 'Thank you, Tonne. First question,' he glanced at Ginny and smirked. She felt her face flush and glared at him.

He was always smirking, Ginny fumed, trying to appear happy to be here to the others. It was too hard. She settled on a forced smile. She only had to last five minutes in a room with Malfoy without cursing the pillock and then she could sail off into the sunset for five days away in...Somewhere Malfoy wasn't. She really should have read the terms and conditions, then she might have some idea where she could sail off to.

'What Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product causes,' he asked slowly, pausing before delivering the effect of the product. 'Someone to transform into -'

'Canary Cream!' Michael cried, jumping up from his seat. Ginny stared at him. Malfoy hadn't even finished the bloody question. How could he know the answer? There was more than one product that transformed things. Had Malfoy told him the answers? She stared at Malfoy as he asked the next question. The git had given Michael the answers.

'Name two flavours do Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Sugar Quills come in?'

Ginny didn't even have time to open her mouth when Michael jumped out of his seat again, yelling, 'Chocolate and toffee!' Was it really necessary for him to jump out of his seat every time?

'Woah, Ginny,' Tonne interrupted. 'Looks like Michael came prepared.' Yeah, by Malfoy, she thought snidely. 'If he gets this next question right, he wins the trip!' He flicked his wand and then whispered, 'wrap it up, we're running behind,' harshly to Malfoy. Malfoy nodded and spoke quickly.

'What colour is Black-Eye fudge?'

'Pink!' Ginny yelled, Michael yelling 'Fuchsia,' a second behind her. She smiled smugly at Malfoy. He may have given away the answers but that didn't mean she wasn't in with a chance. She'd gotten in first. She just had to do it twice more. Easy as pumpkin pie.

'I'm sorry, Ginny,' Malfoy said condescendingly. If he had been anyone else, Ginny might have believed the sympathetic look that contorted his features. It looked so out of place on him. 'But Fuchsia is the more correct answer, so congratulations, Michael, you're going on a bloody fantastic holiday!'

Ginny's mouth dropped open. How could he do that? Pink/Fuchsia what as the difference? They were in the same family! Trust Malfoy to be the only male to care about a shade's specific name. She frowned as she and Michael were ushered out of the room, Malfoy staying to chat quickly with Tonne.

Ginny felt like crying as Michael was lead away to learn all about the fabulous trip he was about to go on. She was left alone, watching as Malfoy pretended to be a nice guy with Tonne, joking about how the twins had turned him into a Canary in his Hogwart's days.

Ginny couldn't believe the way the radio station employees were fawning over him as he exited the booth. Ginny lifted her chin defiantly as he approached her. When had the git gotten so tall? She silently cursed her mother's DNA. It was her contribution to Ginny's creation that had held her back. Why couldn't she have inherited her love of cooking?

'Such a shame you lost, Weasley. Rotten bad luck,' he said, smiling as he brushed past her.

Ginny stormed down the corridor after Malfoy. 'Malfoy! Get your bony arse back here right now.'

Malfoy turned to face her, feigning shock. 'I'll have you know that my arse is quite shapely.'

'You've always been a right arse but this is a slimy new low, even for you.'

'Weasley, if you've just stopped to give me compliments, I'm going to have to reschedule. I'm a busy man.' The bastard practically preened as he spoke.

Ginny stomped her foot. 'You gave him the answers, you little troll.'

Draco smirked and leant against the wall. 'So what if I did?'

'That's not fair,' she whined, deflating. 'I really needed this and you took it away because of a petty little grudge.'

'Oh come on, Weasley,' Draco said, pulling himself up and standing squarely in front of her. 'You're being a little bit dramatic, don't you think?'

'Not all of us can afford to just take off around the world.'

'It's not my fault you can't get the Galleons together to do anything worthwhile, Weasley, so stop pretending I'm the reason your life isn't all roses and puppy dogs.'

'But you cheated. You gave him the answers,' she insisted, crossing her arms and pouting.

'Slytherin,' he said simply. 'What did you expect?'

'I expected you to grow up,' she snapped. Honestly, it was like the man was still fifteen years old and trying to one up Harry.

'This coming from the woman who just stomped her foot when she didn't get her way.'

'I didn't just 'not get my way'. You,' she said jabbing him in the chest, 'took my way from me. I had a fifty/fifty chance of winning that holiday and you,' she drove her finger into his chest again. 'Stole it from me.' Ginny bit down on the side of her tongue, and blinked a few times, determined not cry. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

'I don't see what you're so put out about,' he growled. He grabbed her wrist to stop him from jabbing him a third time. 'You weren't even eligible to win. They shouldn't have let you even take part in the competition.'

Ginny stared at him. What was the git on about?

'Your brother is a promoter of this competition,' he said as if explaining it to a particularly dense child. 'Meaning you, his sister, are ineligible to enter.'

'But... no one said anything.'

'It was in the terms and condition,' he drawled.

'No one reads the terms and conditions,' she wailed, throwing her hands in the air.

'Guess you won't make that mistake again,' he replied snootily. 'Really Weasley- -umph.'

Ginny yelped as Malfoy was hit by a stunning spell. He was thrust into the wall and slumped to the ground unconscious. She looked up to see a large man hulking towards her, wand drawn.

'Stupefy!' he barked.

Ginny jumped to avoid the spell's jet of red light, landing hard on Malfoy's legs. She rummaged in her robes for her wand. Her eyes darted to the man advancing on her. Her fingers clasped the thin wood as the man snarled and pointed his wand at her.

'Expelliarmus!' Ginny cried.

The man was thrown back with the force of Ginny's spell, his wand flying out of his hand, bouncing off the ceiling and clattering to the floor. He clambered to his hands and knees, shaking his head. Ginny scrambled to her feet. She scooped up Malfoy's attacker's wand in the process. She stood in front of Malfoy's prone body and began to read the hulking man his rights.

'By the authority of the Ministry of Magic, I am placing you under arrest...'

The man looked up with a snarl. His green, piggy eyes met Ginny's and for a moment she faltered. He was huge and had no neck. There was part giant in his family somewhere along the line, she was sure of it. She was only five foot three and she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. Sensing his opportunity, the man lunged forward tackling Ginny to the ground. He jumped up and took off down the corridor. Winded, Ginny pulled herself up slowly, wincing at the pain in her ribs trying to catch her breath.

With her breathing back to normal, Ginny bent over Malfoy. 'Rennervate.'

He blinked as he came too, at a loss to where he was for a moment. He pushed himself to his feet, using the wall to support himself.

'You ok, Malfoy?' Ginny asked. She grabbed his elbow to steady him. Her touch seemed to bring him back to reality. He shook off her arm and pulled himself up to his full height, adjusting his crumpled robes.

'Did you just stun me?'

'What? No!' Ginny cried indignantly. Trust the bloody pillock to put the blame on her shoulders. 'I just saved your life. Some big bloke stunned you and tackled me. I'm going to bruise, I know I am.' She hated being a redhead sometimes. Bruises popped up out of nowhere.

Ginny watched with narrowed eyes as Malfoy hurriedly checked his pockets. He sighed in relief. 'What are you looking for?' she asked, curiously.

Malfoy's head snapped up. 'Just checking my money is still here. I do carry around more loose change than you make in a year.'

'Well that's a lovely way to thank someone who just saved your life,' Ginny huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

'Oh, right, thanks,' he said absently and abruptly turned on his heel and strode away from her. Ginny stood stunned for a moment. Had he just thanked _her_. Sure, she had all but asked for the thanks, but she didn't expect him to actually say it.

Ginny chased after him. 'Malfoy, wait!' She grabbed his arm to stop him. 'You have to come down to the Ministry and make a statement. It'll-'

'That won't be necessary,' he barked and continued down the corridor and out onto the street.

'What?' Ginny asked stunned. She followed him out. She dodged around other pedestrians and had to just about break into a jog to keep up with him. She sped up and darted in front of him, blocking his path.

'I'm sure it was nothing and I'm fine. They didn't get what they wanted so I don't see the point in dragging a whole lot of red tape into the situation.'

'Malfoy, as funny as it was to see you knocked on your arse, someone just knocked you on your _arse._'

'You're overreacting,' Malfoy said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He scowled as people turned their attention to the arguing pair, whispering and pointing. Why couldn't the bint just leave him in peace?

'You have me suspended over a little binding spell-' she began holding her thumb and forefinger a fraction of an inch apart.

'That caused me to fall forward and break my nose!'

'Exactly, I accidently caused you a tiny bit of pain and-'

'Have you ever had your nose broken?' he asked, annoyed. 'It's hardly the most pleasant way to start the day.'

'But someone who deliberately attacks you, - -and me!-and you let them off without even wanting to file a report?' That didn't track. Why wouldn't he want to report it? He got a kick out of reporting incidents in the past.

'The situation is completely different,' he sneered.

'Yeah, this person actually wanted to seriously hurt you.'

'Weasley,' Malfoy growled, leaning down into her face. She could feel his breath on her face as he spoke. 'I don't want to file a report so leave me the hell alone.'

'I'm filing a report with or without you.'

He looked at her perplexed. 'Are you daft? I said I don't want to. I don't care.'

'Well I do. Assaulting an Auror is a serious offence,' she informed him haughtily.

'Then leave me out of it.' He whipped his cloak, the material snapping at her legs, as he stormed away from her.

Ginny watched him disappear around the corner before Disapparating to the Ministry to make her report. It was strange, she thought as she made her way to her desk on the second level. Malfoy didn't _not_ cause trouble for other people. Malfoy didn't work with her brother to give away expensive holidays. Giving away a holiday was nice. Malfoy was not nice. He was up to something, she was sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**CONSOLATION PRIZE: PART TWO**

She sat at her desk drumming her fingers on the cheap wood. She had Malfoy's file open in front of her but no matter how many times she read it, it gave her no clue as to what he was up too. All she had to go on were a recent spate of breaking-ins that the Aurors weren't even taking seriously. The last investigation had actually resulted in Malfoy being fined almost five thousand Galleons for possessing Dark Artefacts. No wonder he didn't want to make a report. They'd probably charge him with assault. But someone had stunned in him full view of an Auror, clearly they were missing something.

She dropped her head to the desk, whimpering. She then promptly sat up, rubbing the red mark that was beginning to rise on her forehead. Sure Malfoy was a wanker, Ginny thought, but he hadn't done anything recently that she knew of that would make someone want to hurt him. Well, the Aurors were probably a little sick of seeing his ugly mug.

Although, he was hardly ugly, her mind informed her. Just a little pointy. Ginny scowled. She did not find the lecherous, pompous, smirking git attractive. He wasn't horrible to look at, she would concede, but really five seconds with the pathetic excuse for a man, stripped him of any remotely attractive feature.

She sighed. She was getting nowhere. Maybe he'd turned over a new leaf and was just being nice? Ginny scoffed. That wasn't it. He could be nice without teaming up with George. And he had to have initiated it. George wouldn't have gone to him with the idea.

George!

Ginny slapped the receding red mark on her head, wincing as she felt it flare up again. George would have to know more about why Malfoy was running the competition. She shrunk Malfoy's files and shoved them in her pocket. Maybe after talking with George, they could tell her something. She glanced at her watch. Seven thirty. Oh, maybe she could even wrangle some tea out of him.

*~*

George opened the door and Ginny was hit by a sudden wave of floral perfume. He had a pair of goggles resting on his forehead and the remnants of a bright blue slime stained his clothes.

'Gin!'

Ginny cringed as he yelled at her.

'To what do I owe this pleasure?' he asked, stepping aside to allow her entry.

'Am I interrupting something?' she asked, more than a little wary of going into George's flat. She peered around the door and saw the same blue slime that coated George was currently flowing out of the kitchen and seeping into the living room carpet.

'What?'

'I said, "am I interrupting something?" 'she repeated, going up onto her tiptoes and yelling in his ear.

'No need to shout, Ginbug,' George grinned. 'Can hear you just fine.'

Ginny rolled her eyes and carefully stepped into the flat, ducking under George's arms as he went to give her a hug.

'Makes a brother feel loved, that does.'

'So what are you doing?' Ginny asked following the trail of bright blue footprints and oozing slime into the kitchen. Ginny gasped at the sight of it. Blue slime splattered the walls and dripped slowly from the ceiling. Pots and pans were strewn around the room and the sink was overflowing with cups and saucers. In the middle of the table was a large cauldron with red flames curling up the sides. Boxes and glass jars filled with brightly coloured powders and liquids were spread out around it.

'Yeah,' George said scratching his head, 'Ron is an alright ideas man but he's not too good at figuring out how to make it all work.'

Ginny laughed turning from the disaster of a kitchen to her brother. 'Not the ideal partner, huh?'

'He's no Fred, but he's not as bad as you all think.'

Ginny smiled tightly, feeling the sting of tears behind her eyes. She sniffed and turned back to the mess of the kitchen. It was stupid to dissolve into tears whenever George mentioned Fred's name! It had been almost eight years since he died. She should be used to it by now. But no matter how different to Fred he may look to her, George was still Fred's identical twin and when he said Fred's name it was just different.

'Sorry, Gin,' George said quietly, or at least Ginny assumed George thought it was a quiet voice. 'I know you don't like it when I talk about Fred.'

'No, no,' Ginny said, rubbing at her eyes. 'Argh, I'm just being silly. I actually came by for a reason.'

'And what would that be milady?' he asked, glad for the change in topic. He returned his attention to the cauldron that had begun to bubble over. Pale pink globs of gelatinous whatever-he'd-made, slopped down the sides onto the newspaper he'd laid out to protect the kitchen table.

'I was finalist in the competition you and Malfoy ran,' Ginny said casually, or as casually as you could when yelling across a room to your temporarily deaf brother over the bubbling of a cauldron.

'Why'd you do that?' he asked, measuring out a teaspoon of a bright blue powder. 'You weren't even eligible.'

'Yeah, well, I didn't know that at the time, did I?' Ginny said snippily.

'It was in the terms and conditions.'

'Does everyone but me read the terms and conditions?'

George laughed, putting the spoon full of blue powder back in its jar.

'You just measured that out,' Ginny pointed out, pouting. Even George would have read the terms and conditions. Merlin, was everyone as reliable of Hermione these days?

'Has to simmer anyway,' George said wiping some slime off the kitchen seat so he could sit. He pulled out the one beside it and repeated the motion. 'Seat?'

Ginny scrunched her nose. 'I like my robes, thanks.'

'So pretentious.' He shook his head. 'I had thought better of you, Gin. Much better. I thought you were going to on to big things. Spectacular things.'

Ginny rolled her eyes. George's speech still sounded a little strange to Ginny's ears. It was almost like he heard Fred's voice in his head and spoke for both of them.

'What you would have preferred me iand/i Ron working with you?'

George winced. They would do nothing but bicker all day. 'Maybe not. Sometimes I do miss when Ron thought he had the chops to be an Auror.'

'Like when he blows something up in your kitchen?' Ginny suggested. 'Why aren't you in your lab anyway? I thought the point of buying a space to experiment was so this,' she gestured around his kitchen. A particularly large blob of slime fell from the ceiling landing squarely on George's head to help illustrate her point, 'didn't happen again.'

'We were having tea when he had the idea so we just-'

'You've already had tea?' Ginny asked with a frown. 'Bugger.'

'Oh, now I see. You only want me for my cooking,' he put his hand to his forehead, falling dramatically back into his chair. 'No, no. It's fine. Don't placate me. I can handle the truth.'

'Actually,' Ginny said, ignoring George's theatrics and becoming serious. 'I wanted to talk to you about Malfoy.'

'Malfoy?'

'Malfoy,' Ginny confirmed. 'Like I told you I entered the competition and the bastard deliberately sabotaged me!'

'Can you sabotage someone and not have it be deliberate,' George asked, before continuing without waiting for her answer, 'besides it's not like you could have won anyway.'

'That's not the point, George,' she said, her hands flew to her hips and her voice became stern.

'Bloody hell, you look like Mum when you do that.'

Ginny gasped. 'I do not!'

'Spitting image,' George assured her with a grin.

She smacked his arm and then scrunched up her face in disgust as blue strands connected her hand to his arm. She shook her hands to break the strands.

'My hand's all tingly,' she said staring at her now blue palm. 'Is that bad?'

'No idea,' George beamed. 'But imagine how I feel!'

Ginny laughed but quickly sobered. 'Stop distracting me,' she scolded. 'Why are you working with Malfoy?'

George sighed. 'He approached me and it didn't seem like a bad idea. Shop was busy as April Fool's today.'

'But why you, George? Why would he want to work with you?' she pressed.

'Gee, thanks,' he said affronted.

'You know what I mean,' Ginny said, dismissing his disgruntled expression. 'A Malfoy willingly working with a Weasley?'

'Yeah and making the Weasley pay.'

'What?'

'Yeah, right tight arse Malfoy is. Made me pay for everything.'

'Then why was he on the radio pretending you're such great mates?'

George shrugged his shoulders. 'No idea. Said I'd get my money back and then some, in a couple of months, he just had to get his prototype into mass production.'

'His prototype?' she asked, her curiosity piquing. Malfoy had been into see the Aurors about a prototype being stolen from his labs. She was still missing something though. None of it made sense.

'Did he say why you had to pay?'

'Not sure,' George said, standing up and fussing with the containers of powders laid out on the table.

'George,' Ginny prodded.

'I signed a contract, Gin,' he apologised, dropping the teaspoon of blue powder into the cauldron. 'I can't tell you. It was part of the deal.'

As the powder hit the liquid, a sudden burst of an overwhelming aroma of roses hit the air. George hummed in appreciation.

'See now,' he said, leaning over to stir his latest concoction, 'isn't that nice?'

As he spoke, light blue slime rocket out the cauldron, hitting him square in the face and then spraying over the kitchen. Ginny squealed as it splattered against her robes and dripped down into her hair. The surprisingly cool liquid, soaked quickly through her robes, making her skin tingle.

George smiled sheepishly. 'Maybe Ron wasn't the whole problem.'

*~*

She Appararated to work the next morning, and despite the long bath she had had night before and the half hour shower that morning, she swore her skin still had a blue tinge and she was sure it was still tingling. It was quite pleasant really. At first. Now it was just damn annoying.

Ginny sat at her desk and hurriedly filled out paperwork. If George couldn't tell her why Malfoy wasn't paying for anything it didn't mean she couldn't find out herself. She was an Auror. She had certain privileges that the general public didn't. Like subpoenaing Gringotts' records. She smiled smugly as she signed her name for the final time. Really, the form didn't need to be signed half a dozen times, what if she was in a hurry? She owled it off to the Wizengamot and leaned back into her chair with a satisfied grin. Malfoy couldn't hide much longer.

Two days later she was still waiting for a reply. She growled to herself when for the third time that day, her inbox only held insignificant office memos.

'Weasley,' the Auror Commissioner said tersely as he passed her. His face was a deep red which contrasted so very nicely with the blue of his robes, Ginny thought unkindly. .

Ginny cringed. 'Morning, Sir,' she all but groaned to his back. He didn't like her at the best of times, but why did he always have to walk past when she wasn't working?

'Ginny!' Harry called from his office. 'A word.'

Ginny raised her eyebrows. Someone was cranky this morning. She got up slowly from her desk, and shuffled into Harry's office. It wasn't her fault the Commissioner decided to rip him a new one.

'Shut the door,' he snapped as she entered the office.

She let the door close with a bang, which earned her a vicious scowl from Harry, and sat down. She waited for Harry to talk.

His lips were pursed as if a shout was fighting to escape. His hands were clasped tightly together in front of his chain, almost like he was praying. He took a deep breath. 'Did you try and have the Wizengamot get Malfoy's Gringotts' records?'

Okay, maybe it _was_ her fault that the Commissioner had ripped him a new one this morning.

'Maybe,' she said quietly. She gave Harry a small smile, hoping it would dispel some of his anger.

'What the hell were you thinking?' he yelled.

Or it could just throw him into a rage.

'Well he's up to something,' Ginny defended. 'I know he is.'

Harry paused for a moment. 'Really?' he asked hopefully.

Ginny nodded vigorously. '_Malfoy_ went to _George_ and started this competition on the radio.'

'Ginny,' Harry sighed, scrubbing his face with his hands. 'That's not illegal.'

'No, but, he was attacked and people keep breaking into his house and his office. He-'

'There's no evidence that half of those break-ins took place,' Harry interrupted, annoyed. 'And he was never 'attacked'.'

'Yes, he was!' Ginny insisted. 'At the radio station. A big guy stunned him and I—bugger.' She shot him a sheepish smile. 'I forgot to file the report.'

'Malfoy reported that he was assaulted and you forgot to file the report?' Harry asked incredulously. He was staring at like she'd just told him she'd made a thousand Galleon bet that The Chudley Cannons would win the next Quidditch World Cup.

Ginny cringed. The anger was back again. The redness in his face made the white of his scar more prominent. She made a mental note to tell him that later, he always hated it when his scar was noticeable.

'He didn't actually _report_ the attack to me so much as I was there. So-'

'Did he want to report it?' Harry bit out.

'He may have told me to forget about it.' Harry hung his head and groaned. 'But, but,' Ginny continued quickly, squeezing as many words as she could into the one breath. 'He was all smarmy and evasive and George said that he made him pay for the competition and sign a contract so he couldn't say why and since when does a Malfoy do something as nice as giving away a holiday?'

'Ginny,' Harry said in shock. His eyes were wide and she Ginny swore that his eyebrows had decided to migrate to his hairline. 'You can't subpoena someone's records because they're smarmy!' He held up his hand to stop her next line of defence from spilling out. 'Even if he is Malfoy.'

Ginny huffed and slammed her back into the seat, shaking her head. She could not believe Harry was doing this. She was right. Malfoy was up to something and there was a chance he was using George as a front. What if George was paying because Malfoy still had to launder the money or had it all tied up in support of Death Eaters.

'Look, Gin,' Harry said kindly.

Ginny's head snapped up. Where had that tone come from?

'I know Malfoy has been a bit of a pain lately and you're still a bit sore about the suspension, but that doesn't mean you have the right to invade his privacy. He isn't up to anything.'

'Do you remember Malfoy?' she asked scornfully. 'Pointy. Evil git. Worked with Voldemort. Any of this ringing a bell.'

Harry sighed and shook his head. He had this condescendingly little smile when he looked back up at her. 'That was school and it wasn't his fault. You know that. He deserves a second chance as much as anybody.' He got up from behind his desk and knelt beside her. Ginny looked down at him, eyebrows raised. What the hell was he doing?

'Ginny, please, you've got to pull your head in,' he pleaded. 'Now I took the fall for you this time. I told the Commissioner that I had you order the records but there's only so much I can do for you.' He stood up and looked down at her with a stern expression and crossed his arms across his chest. 'You've got to pull your finger out and your head in, otherwise you're going to find yourself out of a job. You're on thin ice with the commissioner as it is.'

Ginny's mouth dropped open at him in shock as he stood up. None of this was her fault. Malfoy started it when he pulled his radio competition stunt.

'Promise me you'll try,' Harry said, ducking his head slightly. He rocked back on his heels uncertainly. Ginny rolled his eyes. Why did he always have to pull out his kicked puppy look? It wasn't fair. It had been worse when they were together, but even with its muted effect everyone in her family fell for it. Her Mum, her Dad. Even Bill and he was immune to everyone's pout. Bill... Ginny suppressed a smile

'Fine,' she conceded, pouting as she stood. 'But it's still his fault,' she muttered as she exited the office.

She grabbed her cloak as she passed her cubicle and left the Ministry. She'd only promise to be better at work and stop using official channels to wage her highly justified war against Malfoy. He said nothing about her own time and unofficial channels. What was the point of having a brother working for Gringotts if she couldn't shamelessly exploit him?

*~*

'Ginny!' Bill greeted her with a hug. 'What are you doing here?' he pulled a stack of parchment off a chair for her to sit down and searched for a clear space to put them back down. Bill's office was a mess. Parchment was strewn across every available surface. Artefacts from tombs he had worked on now doubled as paperweights. His book shelf was overflowing, with a piles as high as Ginny's head, stacked around it. Every piece of wall was covered with paintings, drawings of ancient symbols and newspaper clippings of unearthed tombs.

'Can't a little sister just pop in to see her favourite big brother on her lunch break?'

Bill checked his watch. 'It's eleven o'clock. Isn't it a little early for lunch.'

'Okay, fine,' Ginny said, dropping the charade. 'I have a little favour to ask you.'

'No,' he said simply, leaning against his desk.

'You don't even know what I'm asking for yet?' Ginny protested.

'Go ahead, ask.'

Ginny scowled. He looked so smug. Bill raised his eyes brows, waiting for her.

'I want to have a look at Draco Malfoy's records.'

Bill exploded with laughter. Ginny's eyebrows knitted together in annoyance.

'You have got to be kidding,' he exclaimed. 'That could get me fired!'

Ginny smiled sweetly at him. She stood up and went to stand next to him. It annoyed her that even when sitting on his desk, he was still taller than her. He eyed her warily as she wrapped an arm around him.

'Hey, Bill, remember a couple months back when you forgot Mum's birthday and I covered for you?'

There was silence in Bill's office for a few moments. 'So it was Draco Malfoy's record you wanted?'

*~*

Bill stood guard over the door, pacing back and forth. The records were kept in a large underground cavern. Rows of filing cabinets stretched back as far as Ginny could see. Ginny sat cross legged on the floor, Malfoy's file open on the small table at the front of the room.

'Are you sure I can't just take this with me?' she asked Bill again. It was all just so complicated. There were whole ledgers in his file.

Bill rolled and eyes and stalked over to her. He flopped down on the floor beside her, cursing the fact the table was made for a fully grown goblin rather than a fully grown man. 'Just look at the summary page. It should give a basic run down on the most recent and relevant business.' He sorted through the mess of parchment, scanning for what he was looking for. He discarded all the ledgers and pulled yet more parchment from the file.

Ginny watched him closely as he read, waiting for him to give her some kind of sign.

'Merlin's shit stained pants,' he breathed. _That would be it_.

'What?' she pulled the parchment from his hands and quickly read it. With every paragraph she read, he mouth dropped closer to the floor. She looked at up at Bill in utter shock.

'Malfoy's broke?'

Reviews are love!


	3. Chapter 3

**CONSOLATION PRIZE: PART THREE**

Draco Malfoy was sitting in his desk pouring over yet another ledger of debts when his house-elf appeared in front of him with a sharp _crack!_.

'Master Draco must come to the parlour,' the house-elf squeaked. 'There is an Auror to see him, sir.'

Draco threw down his quill as he stood up. He sighed. What had they come to confiscate now?

Draco stalked into the parlour, the house-elf cowering behind him. There Weasley stood, gazing around with a stupid stunned expression on her face. Merlin, this was all he needed.

'Weasley. Why the hell are you in my house?'

'It's a publicity stunt,' she said triumphantly.

'What?' The bint had lost it.

'All of it. The competition, working with George. It's all about your image.'

'That's your grand theory. All companies work on their image.'

'Malfoy Corp is about to declare bankruptcy. You're selling off your properties to cover your debts. Your accounts are just about empty. You took out a second mortgage on the manor to try and stay afloat. '

'Get out of my house,' he growled, his eyes narrowing.

'You're hedging a lot on this one competition and now someone is trying to steal something from you, and I want to know what it is.'

Draco stared at her. How did she know that? He had been so careful. Only a few people knew how dire his financial situation was and the littlest Weasel should not have been one of them. Of course she was here to rub it in his face. She seemed so pleased with herself for figuring it all out.

'Congratulations, Weasley,' he sneered, looking down his nose at her. 'You get to have a big laugh because the fucking ministry has sucked us dry with reparations. My mother is being ostracised by her 'friends' and my father spends all day pouring over different account reports trying to cut costs. Is that what you want to hear? You want me to tell you that I don't know how I'm going to pay the bills next month if this falls through.'

'No,' Ginny said taken back by his outburst. 'I don't want that.'

'Then what the fuck do you want from me, Weasley?' he yelled.

'I want you to let me help you.'

_Hang on. what?_ 'Help me?'

'Help you,' she confirmed with a nod of her head.

'Help _me_?' He stared at her. _She_, the fourth bloody wheel of the golden trio, wanted to help _him_.

'Do you need me to write it down for you?'

'Potter and his band of twits don't think anything of it. What makes you think _you're_ going to make the difference.'

'I figured out you're broke, didn't I? Harry hasn't worked that out yet.'

Draco crossed his arms across his chest, his lips set in a hard line. He glared at her. He didn't want her to help him. It was a cruel joke that he had to rely on a Weasley to get his money back.

'I got more N.E. than Harry,' she tempted him.

'Goyle got more N.E. than Potter,' Draco scoffed. 'He got into the Auror program based on his little scar.'

'His experience with defeating Dark Wizards might have factored into it somewhere.'

'Did you want me to tell you what I'm doing?'

Ginny smiled.

*~*

'Couldn't we have Apparated to your library,' Ginny puffed as she begun up yet another flight of stairs. Ginny had thought they were gorgeous when they had first starting climbing them. But now she would be happy if she never saw white marble again.

'I could, you couldn't.'

'Ever heard of side-along Apparation? Pretty sure they've written whole books on it.'

Malfoy sighed and rolled his eyes. 'It's hardly my fault you're too unfit to make it up a few flights of stairs.'

'I saw that,' Ginny scolded from behind him. 'I'm giving up my time- oh thank the gods, finally,' she cried as Draco turned down a corridor. 'I'm giving up my time to help you and all you do is torture me.'

'You badgered me into letting you help because Potter wouldn't open a real case,' he said as he pushed open the heavy double doors to the library.

The library was the size of a small house. Ceiling high shelves lined the walls and stood in rows in the middle of the room. Large arm chairs with small round tables scattered between them sat to one side of the room in front of a fireplace. Ginny followed Draco further into the library, and noticed that entire book shelves were missing, interrupting the neat pattern of stacks, and rows lay bare.

'The ministry likes coming in here every time they revise their dark and prohibited book list. The elves remove the shelves that we don't need.' Draco said, answering her unasked question. He weaved through the rows with Ginny following at his heels.

'Oh,' Ginny intoned inadequately. 'You must have had a lot of books of Dark Magic.'

'Some weren't Dark,' Malfoy defended, 'Just old.' He finally stopped in front of a row of shelves, quickly picking out the book he wanted. 'Come on.'

They settled on the large arm chairs by the fire. A plate of chocolate biscuits had appeared on one of the tables. Malfoy absently took one and bit into it as he sat down, dropping his book on the table with a thump.

'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.' Ginny tilted her head to the side to read the upside down title. 'That's why you were attacked? What is it the original manuscripts or something.'

'Don't be daft. Original manuscripts don't exist.'

'Well excuse me. Why do _you_ have the complete works of Shakespeare anyway. Don't you despise everything Muggle?'

'There is great speculation that Shakespeare may have in fact been a Squib, hence the rather negative portrayal of Witches. Jealous of Wizards and perhaps bitter that no Pureblood Witch would have him.'

'Pfft. Whatever,' Ginny scoffed, waving his comment off.

'Did you just spit on my table?'

'No!'

'There's globs of saliva on the wood.'

'There's nothing there,' Ginny said, but wiped the table with her sleeve none the less. 'What's so important about Shakespeare, Malfoy?' she asked impatiently. She eyed the chocolate biscuits longingly. She hadn't had tea yet, or lunch for that matter, and it didn't look like Malfoy was going to let her in on his secrets in a timely fashion. She picked the biggest biscuit on the plate and munched on it, looking up at Malfoy expectantly.

'Of course you take the biggest one there.'

Ginny blushed. 'Get on with it.'

Malfoy tapped the cover of his book, muttering a spell that Ginny couldn't quite make out and opened the book. The page was blank. He tapped the inside page and words began to appear as if an invisible man was writing them.

'This is why they were after me,' Draco informed her, turning the pages in great clumps. He stopped on a page that had a series of diagrams of wand movements.

'A spell?' Ginny asked confused. She turned the book around to face her, studying the diagrams. 'A very complicated spell.'

'After the war you know how the ministry went and__Obliviated all those Muggles and set up fresh wards around highly magical areas.'

'No.'

'How did you not know that? You work for the ministry?'

'I was busy,' Ginny defended.

'Shagging Potter?'

Ginny scowled, returning her attention to the book. 'And?'

'All their technology stopped working until the magic subsided a bit.'

'Magical signatures interferes with the electrical frame works and radio waves,' Ginny said in understanding, although, if she was being honest with herself, she was simply parroting back what Hermione had told her many times. She still didn't have a clue where he was heading with all of this.

'Exactly,' he confirmed. 'After the war, I spend a lot of time at Blaise's and his step father, the one before the one he has now, I mean, had an obsession with Muggle technology. Found it all fascinating.'

'So does Dad,' Ginny interrupted with a smile. 'He fiddles for hours down in his shed trying to make different things work or figure out what Muggles use them for.'

Draco scowled at her. 'As I was saying,' he said, resting his elbows on his knees, 'Blaise's stepfather had all this Muggle technology but it would only work in one room of his house. Old Manors have about as much magical energy around them as Hogwarts,' he explained at her dubious look. 'And I was curious as to why that room let it work, so I took a television home and it only worked down in one of the dungeons.'

'You have dungeons?' Ginny asked excitedly. Her brow furrowed after a second. 'Actually that's kind of disturbing.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Are you ever going to stop interrupting?' he asked irritated.

Ginny looked at him affronted. 'I'm not interrupting, I'm making valid contributions.'

'Then stop 'contributing',' he said in a falsetto.

'I do not sound like that!' Ginny interrupted.

'Can I just get on with it? Merlin, it's like talking to a three year old.'

Ginny folded her arms, and leant back into the seat. She crossed her legs and stared at him.

'Good.' He mimicked her stance, albeit, a little more casually and continued. 'So I did some digging on the history of the Manor and the dungeons and found that the dungeons were built on what used to be a mausoleum.'

'Your family built dungeons on a grave site?' Ginny cried. 'That's just wrong.'

'Did we not just have a conversation about you interrupting?'

'Sorry, but it's wrong. You don't knock down graves because you need a little extra space for torture.'

Draco scrubbed at his face. 'Why did I agree to this?' he asked himself. He shook his head and then took a deep breath. He continued with a forced calmness, reminding himself that as annoying as Weasley was, she was the only one who had put any effort into solving his case. 'I found that a lot of wards and charms they used way back then when someone died were still holding. They don't make magic to last that long anymore but back then they wanted it to last forever. Or as close to forever as they could get.

'They don't use the spells now because they don't really know how to cast them and most don't really know how to mix the potions anymore. Some of the ingredients don't go by the same name and some aren't even made anymore, but, that's not the point. The point is these spells, they cleared the air and were meant to purify whatever came near the crypt. It was meant to help them ascend into heaven or some bollocks like that.

'And,' he said excitedly. He was leaning forward in his seat again and rubbed his hands on his thighs. His eyes had lit up with excitement and Ginny noticed that they really were quite pretty. 'they're still purifying and clearing now, except they purify the magic and electricity around it-'

'And allows the Muggle technology to work surrounded by magic,' Ginny finished for him.

He nodded but didn't say anything else. Ginny sat there, confused, for a few moments, turning the pages, scanning over the meticulous notes. She gasped. 'You figured out how to recreate the wards?'

He nodded quickly again. 'I had the elves do some research for me and found diaries and all sorts of manuals from back then. One of them was from someone who worked the grounds before the Malfoys came here. He wrote about how he had helped his master perform the spell on his father's grave,' he told her proudly.

He took the book from her and flipped it over. Opening the back cover, he showed her a list of books, their bibliographical details and place in the library recorded. Ginny grimaced as she noticed that the book list went on for pages and pages. He had even recorded which pages were particularly useful. The man was more anally retentive than Hermione!

'I used other books as well and figured out how to cast the spells and then worked on it till I had the right combination of wards and charms. I also made some adjustments to the potions and the Tele works in every room in Malfoy Manor, Parkinson Manor, Blaise's, Hogwarts, you name the place it works.'

'Oh my Gods,' Ginny said, agape. 'This is huge. How did you do all this?'

'I'm good at figuring out how things work. Fixing things,' he said immodestly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows at him. 'I remember.'

He shifted slightly in his seat. His jaw tightened and his eyes refused to meet hers. 'Yeah, well, I have the patent for the spell and I bought the rights from Muggle companies to reproduce their products with magical enhancement.'

'But you hate all things Muggle,' Ginny pointed out, closing his book of notes once more. The precise and inhumanly neat notes were starting to irk her. 'Why would you do something that benefits Muggleborns?'

'Just because I'm better than them doesn't mean I can't make money off them.'

'You're a prat,' she spat, 'but this could make you _billions_.' Ginny shook her head in disbelief. 'It'll revolutionise the Wizarding World.'

'I know,' he said with a self-satisfied smirk. 'And without this,' he said tapping his finger on the book, 'No other company can release their own version and by the time they figure it out, I'll have already put an upgrade on the market. I'll be ahead of them for a few years yet and by then it won't matter if they catch up-'

'Because you'll be rich again,' she realised.

'You make me sound so self-centred and superficial,' he lamented and then smirked as she curled her lip in response.

'You _are_ self-centred and superficial,' she informed him haughtily.

'Well we can't all be as selfless as Saint Potter.'

'Perish the thought.' She smiled at him and was shocked when he smiled slightly in return. He ran his hand through his hair, the slightly too long strands falling back into his face, obscuring his eyes. He tucked his hair behind his ears a couple of times before giving up and letting it fall wherever it liked. She couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled up as he pouted slightly.

'What?' he snapped.

'Hair just isn't bouncing and behaving today?' she laughed.

'Says the Ging.'

Ginny's smile dropped and she scowled at him. 'Knob,' she muttered. She took another biscuit. Crumbs fell down her front as she bit into it. 'So who's trying to steal your idea?'

'That's the billion galleon question,' he sighed.

'Who else knows about it?'

'You mean apart from every department at Malfoy Corporation, half a dozen Aurors, and a handful of my friends?'

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'Why didn't you tell Harry about this? They've just dismissed your claims that you're Manor and offices were broken into.'

'I did. He asked me about a biro but I don't think he cares whether I make my money back.'

'Nobody cares whether you make your money back, Malfoy,' Ginny scoffed.

'You do, apparently,' he reminded her.

'You owe me an all expenses paid holiday to the destination of my choice.'

'Of course.' He smiled at her again and Ginny couldn't help but smile back.

*~*

'Why are you here again?' Malfoy asked as Ginny wandered around his office. She ran her fingers over the plush leather of the couch that sat against the left hand wall and noted the art work that hung above it. His desk was a thick, dark wood and sat in front of large windows. Before his desk was a single leather chair. For someone who was running out of money, he sure hadn't skimped on the luxuries.

'I told you three times already,' she replied exasperated. 'You said you think someone from one of your departments sold the information about your Muggle/Wizard Hybrid spells and sold it to a competitor. I am trained in interrogating suspects, what're your qualifications for questioning any of them?'

'Slytherin,' he said with a shrug. 'I can spot deception from a mile off.'

'Then why has it taken you this long to find out who's selling you out?' she asked with raised eyebrows, her hands flew to her hips. 'Why have we sat through three days of staff interviews if you can just walk into a room and know who the slimy snake is?'

'I have rather a lot of people working for me,' he defended, 'even the keenest of senses have limits.'

'Probably help if you had met any of them before.' Ginny flopped inelegantly onto the couch, swinging her legs onto the leather.

For three days they had been interviewing every employee and they were no closer to finding out who had sold his secrets. She watched him from her place on the couch, as he read over yet more personnel reports. He made small notes in a ledger every now and again. Merlin, that quill was probably worth more than her flat. Really, she reasoned, he and Hermione would have gotten on well if he wasn't so much of a prejudiced arse.

A sudden rap on the door broke her concentration. Without waiting for an invitation, a tall black man swished into the room. She sat up quickly. Ginny recognised him from school as Blaise Zabini but had never had much to do with him. He seemed to keep to himself.

'Drake,' Blaise greeted, his eyes paused briefly on Ginny, and continued on to Malfoy. Malfoy laid down his quill and leaned back in his seat.

'Don't call me that,' he barked. 'What are you doing here?'

'Nice to see you too, Drake. Why is there an Auror lying on your couch?'

'That's Weasley,' he answered with distain, 'She's helping discover who's been stealing from me.'

'I thought the Aurors weren't taking you seriously.' He spoke with a slight scowl, titling his head to look in Ginny's direction. Ginny returned the scowl with fervour, affronted. It wasn't her fault none of the other Aurors wanted to give Malfoy the time of day. If he wasn't such a whinging arse, they might have put in a little more effort.

'The _Aurors_ aren't.' He sent a scowl in Ginny's direction as well. 'She just won't bugger off.'

'Hey, I'm helping you interview your lousy employees, a little gratitude wouldn't go astray,' she snapped.

Draco opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by a curious Blaise. 'You're interviewing your employees?'

'Yes,' Draco stated, still glaring at Ginny. 'We have been since Wednesday. We're onto accounting today.'

Blaise looked from Draco to Ginny. Both had their arms crossed tightly across their chests and neither was willing to drop the glare. It was a deranged battle of wills.

'Well, then,' Blaise said as he wandered over to sit beside Ginny. He crossed his legs and laced his fingers together in his lap. 'Maybe I'll stay and give you a hand. Fresh perspective and all that rot.'

'You've got nothing better to do?' Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows. Merlin, she wished she had something better to do. These interviews dragged on like a Quidditch match without a snitch.

'I think I have time to help out a mate,' he said seriously. He turned his attention back to Draco, ignoring Ginny. Draco smirked.

'First up?' Blaise prompted.

'Charlie Pickering.'

Charlie Pickering, it turned out, was a gangly, pimply faced eighteen-year-old, fresh out of Hogwarts. The stress of being faced with his boss, an Auror and a scowling, well dressed man, which, Ginny supposed, was the best way to describe Blaise, caused Charlie to sweat profusely. Bead after bead ran down forehead and neck, wetting his collar. Ginny felt sorry for him as Malfoy grilled him on his qualifications, his whereabouts on certain dates and his duties within the company. It was clear to Ginny that the boy didn't know the first thing about the prototype and Malfoy was just getting a kick out of being cruel.

'Thank you, Charlie,' she said loudly as Malfoy paused to write down a note. Ginny rolled her eyes. The boy had just revealed that his mother still did his laundry and they could ask her anything they wanted. 'We have all we need.'

The boy sat there stunned. He turned in his chair to look at her and then whipped back to face Malfoy with a look of fear on his face.

'Shoo.' Malfoy said. Charlie scurried from the room, missing the smirk that was plastered on Malfoy's face.

'That was mean,' Ginny scolded.

Draco shrugged and then scrunched up his nose. He could see a line of moisture spreading across the seat and up the back of the leather chair Charlie had been sitting in. He Scourgified it in disgust.

For the next few hours, accountants filed into Malfoy's office one by one, prompting Ginny to speculate that perhaps the abundance of useless number crunchers was the reason his business was in the toilet. Malfoy didn't appreciate the barb and proceeded to eat the final chocolate scroll Ginny had been saving. Blaise sat quietly on his seat, enjoying his chocolate scroll, and offered a few comments throughout the day.

With lunch come and gone, yet more accountants bustled into his office. They proved themselves to be completely useless to them and bustled out again. Ginny huffed when Malfoy put an accountant in the maybe pile simply because he was poor. ('Poor is motive, you silly bint!'). Ginny Accioed personnel files from him, 'accidently' hitting him in the head in retaliation.

At four o'clock Ginny hung her head into her hands with a groan.

'How many more to go?' she whined. This was killing her. Why had she been complaining about the domestics? They were great. Sometimes you even got a show. All she got here was the need to smack her head repeatedly against the wall.

'Three,' Malfoy deadpanned. 'Then it's on to PR.'

'Hard to believe this all started because of Drake's obsession with _Neighbours_,' Blaise said to Ginny. He stood to stretch out the kinks in his back. She heard the bones crunch as he raised his arms above his head.

'The great Draco Malfoy is obsessed with a Muggle soap opera?' Ginny asked perking up. This was just too good.

'I bloody well am not,' Draco snapped from his desk.

'No, it's true,' Blaise smiled, ignoring Draco's warning look. 'He can't wait to find out what the residents of Ramsey Street get up to next. Used to over at my place every night. Harold is his favourite,' he told her in a dramatic stage whisper.

Ginny laughed as Draco sat there glaring at an unrepentant Blaise. 'Good bloody mate, you are,' he muttered. Blaise just shrugged and winked at Ginny. Ginny almost felt sorry for the poor bugger who walked through the door next. Malfoy was is right foul mood now.

'Mr. O'Neil,' Malfoy greeted tersely when the door opened next. 'Have a seat.'

Marcus O'Neil's eye's shifted from the couch where Ginny and Blaise were seated and then to Malfoy. He sat down in the chair and his eyes darted between them again. Ginny looked at him. He hadn't seemed like much when he walked in. Average height, average build, brown hair. Slightly receding hair line. His only real defining feature was his somewhat too large nose. It made her think of Ron. He wasn't sweating like poor Charlie Pickering but he was definitely nervous. He kept crossing and uncrossing his legs and wringing his hands.

He answered each of Draco's questions promptly as if reciting it from a text book. He stumbled over his words as Malfoy pressed him on what he knew about the prototype.

'Look,' he began. He seemed unsure of who to address and kept throwing his head to the side to look at Ginny and Blaise and then, whipping it quickly back again. Ginny was afraid he was going to pull a muscle. 'I swear to you, I don't know anything. I just balance the books.' He was gripping the arms of the chair tightly, his knuckles white.

Draco nodded slowly. 'Very well,' he said stoically. 'You may go.'

O'Neil let out a great sigh of relief and smiled broadly at Malfoy. 'Thank you, sir,' he said as he made his way out of the room, taking small, shuffling steps. 'Thank you.'

The door shut and silence overtook the room.

'Well, he's going on the naughty pile,' Ginny said, breaking the silence. Finally someone who seemed guilty. It may have taken three days but finally they had a lead.

'I told you I'd find him,' Draco declared.

Ginny just shook her head, muttering about over confident pricks and rolled her shoulders back. She'd always thought the stereotype was unfair but accountants were boring! She felt dishevelled. She looked over at Draco and sighed. He didn't look like he felt dishevelled. He looked just as comfortable as he had that morning. His tie was still sitting firmly over the top button of his shirt. His shirt was still crisp and white.

'What?' he asked tersely as he noticed her staring at him.

'Nothing,' she muttered, waving her hand at him.

His brows knitted together and he stared at her and then glanced down at himself. Ginny watched him curiously as he got up from behind his desk for the first time since lunch, his wand grasped in his hand. He strode the few steps to the wall, his nose firmly poised in the air, and with a swish of his wrist, a full length mirror appeared on the wall. Ginny rolled her eyes, as he began to preen. He fiddled with his hair and straightened his already perfectly centred tie. He turned to the side, and studied himself carefully, making sure his tie was smooth beneath his black waistcoat.

Ginny tilted her head slightly at the view of his bum his current position offered. She had to admit he was right, his arse really was quite shapely.

'Like what you see?' Blaise whispered, startling her. Ginny had completely forgotten he was there.

'What?' she hissed.

'I asked you whether you like what you saw,' he repeated smugly.

'I have no idea what you're on about.' She turned away from him, staring resolutely at the floor. She wished there was a rug of some kind so she'd have a pattern to look at rather than the dull beige of the carpet. She wasn't perving on Malfoy! She scoffed inwardly. Malfoy.

Blaise was uncomfortably close to her now. His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he spoke. 'I'm sure Draco wouldn't mind you perving on his arse. He _is_ rather vain.'

'What are you two whispering about?' Draco asked annoyed. He flicked his wand and the mirror disappeared.

'Well,' Blaise started with smirk, before Ginny hurriedly cut him off.

'Blaise was just saying that he thought we were done for the day. Really, it's five thirty on a Friday, nobody is still going to be in their offices now anyway.' She smiled hoping that would convince him. She stood up jerkily, smoothing her crumpled robes. 'So I thought I might get going too. Not really much more we can do till Monday. So I'm just gonna...' she trailed off, pointing to the door. Draco nodded.

'So,' Blaise began as the door closed behind Ginny. 'How long have you wanted to shag a Weasley for?'

'I do _not_ want to shag her.'

'Please,' Blaise scoffed, picking up a glass paper weight and twirling it in his hands. 'All you two did all day was flirt.'

'I have a plethora of experience when it comes to flirting and I assure you there was none here today,' he said with finality. He poured himself a Fire-Whisky and then offered one to Blaise. Blaise took a sip and grinned at his friend.

'All day,' he reiterated. 'You would goad her into fighting with you, then you would both pout over whatever insults were thrown around. Then she would goad you and the whole process started again. It was rather amusing.'

'You've had too much to drink,' Draco scoffed. He rubbed his face and took a gulp of own his drink. 'And a Malfoy does not pout. At the very most I may have been brooding.'

'She checked out your arse, you know,' Blaise said with a grin. He placed his drink on the floor and laid down on the lounge, his legs crossed at the ankles and resting on the arm.

'Really?' Draco asked suddenly interested.

Blaise nodded. 'She really is quite fit,' he told Draco. 'Little on the short side for my tastes, but nice pair of tits.'

Draco hummed his agreement. 'Not my type though,' he persisted much to Blaise's chagrin. 'Fights me on absolutely everything. The woman is a bloody nightmare.'

'And you're such a peach.'


	4. Chapter 4

**CONSOLATION PRIZE: PART FOUR**

That night Ginny was curled up on her couch, in her favourite track suit bottoms and a spaghetti strap black top, waiting for her order of Chinese food to arrive. She hugged her stomach as it growled loudly and then stared at the Floo, willing it to flare up. She had ordered twenty five minutes ago and they promised delivery within half an hour. She glanced at the clock on her wall, and watched as the hand crept slowly towards half six. Why did time insist on moving so slowly?

Ginny jumped at the insistent rapping at her door. She crossed the room quickly, opening the door with one last glance at the Floo.

'Good you're home,' Malfoy said. He was holding a small stack of files in his hand. 'Got some files I wanted to look over. Personnel files for Monday.' He thrust them into her hands and brushed past her into her flat. He looked around, noting the tatty couch and open bedroom door. An empty fireplace lay directly to his right. Her kitchen and lounge room were separated by the white kitchen counter and a small round table. 'Could you have found a smaller flat?

'It's more than what you can currently afford,' she retorted. 'How did you get my address?'

He was saved from answering as the fireplace roared into life.

'That'd be my food,' Ginny said in relief, rushing to her Floo to let the delivery man in. She quickly handed him his Galleons and smiled as the scent began to waft up to her nostrils.

'Oh good, I'm starved,' Malfoy said walking over and taking the paper bag from her hands. 'I hope you ordered Honey Chicken.'

'Hey, that's my food,' she cried, grabbing for the bag. He took her food!

'I have been feeding you for three days and you can't share a bit of yours?'

'I didn't order enough!' she protested as he finally relented and allowed her to take the bag from him. She strode past him into her kitchen. She started unpacking the bag, pulling out the square boxes and piling them on the counter. He watched from the doorway as she paused and looked back at him. She looked into the bag. She huffed and threw the boxes back into the bag.

'Fine,' she conceded. 'I ordered enough for you to share.' She shoved the bag into his hands. 'Go put it on the table, I'll get the plates.'

She grabbed two plates and two wine glasses. She set them on the table as Malfoy unpacked the bag, opening each container to peer inside as he did so. She darted back into the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine.

'Red okay with you?' she asked, uncorking it and pouring it into her glass before he had a chance to answer.

'You're supposed to let it sit and breathe, Weasley,' Malfoy informed her as he shook off his robe and hung it over a chair. He sat down and grabbed the box closest to him. He licked his lips as used chopsticks to load his plate with honey chicken.

While they ate, they looked over the personnel files he had bought.

'I still reckon it's the last one we saw,' Ginny said through a mouth full of fried rice. 'He was the least convincing of the lot.'

Malfoy nodded his agreement and took a sip of his wine. 'I already have someone following him.'

'Someone following him?' Ginny asked sceptically. The last thing she needed was Malfoy sending some thug after her prime suspect.

'Don't be so quick to judge, Weasley,' he scolded with a small smile. 'I hired a private investigator to tail him for a bit.'

Ginny opened her mouth and then closed it quickly. She watched as he expertly picked up his fried rice, getting it to his mouth without spilling a grain. She took a deep breath.

'What're you paying him with?' she asked quietly. 'It's just I've seen your Gringotts records and I've seen what private eyes charge...' she trailed off as he stiffened and stood up from the table.

He walked over to her fireplace and turned to face her. 'Greg gave me a loan,' he said slowly, as if the words were being pulled from him.

'Greg?' She asked confused. She got up and approached him slowly.

'Goyle,' he clarified. He was still tense and refused to meet her eyes. She noticed a slight pink tinge to his face as he turned his back to her pretending to be looking at the photos arranged on her mantle.

She didn't like it when he was like this. She preferred him to be on the attack. This new, almost ashamed Malfoy was disconcerting.

'Fred gave me that,' Ginny said, desperate to change the subject, as she noticed Malfoy running his fingers over the Babushka doll that sat among the family photos on her mantle.

He tore his hand away from the doll as if it had burnt him. 'Please tell me you're not using it as an urn.'

'What? No!' she cried. She lunged forward, grabbing the doll off the mantle and holding it protectively to her chest. 'He gave it to me for my thirteenth birthday. Actually,' she amended thoughtfully, 'I'm pretty sure he won it in a bet.'

'In that case,' Draco snorted. 'I think he lost. What?' he asked at her look. 'It's made of cheap wood. It's not worth very much.'

She looked down at the doll. Her still blue eyes looked back at her. The doll's decorations were scorched into the wood, her clothes highlighted with purple and blue glitter. She had a simplified version of the Taj Mahal on her belly, the rounded tops filled with gold glitter. She smiled. 'Yes it is.'

'Why don't you have all the dolls set out on the mantle?' he asked. 'That's kind of the idea of a Matryoshka doll.'

'Because they don't have any glitter on them,' she said as if it were obvious. 'And it's a Babushka doll.'

'Oh, well now, that _would_ be a shame. No glitter,' he said with faux sincerity. 'And it's a Matryoshka doll.'

'Whatever.' She placed the doll carefully back on the mantle. 'It's from Fred.'

'It's alright,' he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

She smiled sadly up at him. 'I like it.'

He stared down at her making Ginny feel almost uncomfortable. She wished she was a little bit taller so her head at least reached past his shoulder. She was hyperaware of everything around her. He was so close to her now. Her eyes kept flicking to his lips and she had the insane urge to kiss him.

He seemed surprised when she reached up to him, pulling his head down to meet hers. As her lips pressed against his, she felt a sudden wave of horror that he was never going to respond, but then his lips began to move slowly with hers and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her close to him and Ginny went up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

She broke the kiss, breathing heavily. She was surprised at herself. For a kiss so languid, it had left her breathless. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her hard. His hands run up her back and curled around into her hair. Ginny gasped as his lips broke away from her and trailed down her neck.

It wasn't until her knees hit the back of the couch, that she realised he had slowly pushed them back. She pulled him down on top of her as she laid down. Draco's hand ran down her thigh and hooked under her knee, pulling it up by his hip as he settled between her legs. Ginny wrapped her leg around his hip, her foot sliding across his bum and down the back of his thigh. She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt and waistcoat as he sucked on her neck. He pushed his hand beneath her shirt, cupping her breasts. Ginny moaned and pushed her chest into his hands.

Draco sat up and pulled Ginny with him, settling her on his lap, straddling his thighs. He slid his hands across her stomach and bunched the material of her tank top in his hands. In one swift motion, he dragged in over her head and dropped it to the floor. Ginny pushed his shirt and waistcoat off his shoulders, running her hands down his arms.

She trailed her hands down his chest, rolling his nipples and tracing the faint outline of his abs. She threw her head back as Draco laid open mouthed kisses down her neck and chest, catching her nipple in his mouth. He dropped his hands and wrapped them around the back of her thighs, hoisting her up as he stood and carried her to her bedroom.

*~*

Ginny stretched in her bed the next morning, a smile on her face. She rolled over and her smile fell as she was greeted by cold sheets. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut, wondering why in the name of Merlin she had expected anything different from him. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wished it didn't hurt that he wasn't there. Finally, she rolled out of bed and made her way to the shower. A hot shower always made her feel better.

She stood under the spray and sighed. So he left before she woke up. What was the big deal? It wasn't like that had never happened before. He probably had an early meeting. Except it was Saturday and she had seen his schedule. He didn't have anything planned, which meant he just didn't want to be here.

She grabbed a comb and ripped it through her conditioner soaked hair. Ginny's head jerked as it snagged on knots. That's why there were tears forming behind her eyes, she decided. The bastard had knotted her hair and now it hurt trying to get them out. It had nothing to do with the fact he had snuck out of her flat.

She spent the rest of the weekend restlessly pacing her apartment, attempting to read the book Hermione had given her for her last birthday and trying in vain to cover the love bite on her neck. She slumped on the couch Sunday afternoon in a foul mood, the hickey still clearly visible beneath the make-up and charms she had applied. She refused to look at up at the silent Floo.

She would not pine, she decided. She would not sit around waiting for him to Floo her. Ginny Weasley did not pine. Okay, that was a lie. She _had_ pined for Harry for that brief three year period but besides that never! She would not pine for Draco bloody Malfoy.

She sighed and looked over at her empty fireplace and then glanced at the clock.

Bastard.


	5. Chapter 5

**CONSOLATION PRIZE: PART FIVE**

Eleven am Monday morning, Draco Malfoy was sitting behind his desk desperately trying to figure out how he would make payroll next month. All he had to do was make the next month and he'd be fine. His first run of Muggle technology fitted with his charms and wards would be announced in less than a week, and a month after that they would be ready for shipment. But none of that meant anything if his employees walked off the job.

He looked up at the knock on his door. He placed his quill in the ink well, and closed his ledger. 'Come in.'

Blaise Zabini sauntered into Draco's office and sat down munching on a chocolate biscuit. 'Morning, Drake.'

'How did you get that?' Draco asked pointing to the biscuit.

'Flirted with your secretary.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Knew I should have hired the bloke.' He waited patiently while Blaise finished off his biscuit. He leant back in his seat, enjoying the break Blaise's presence granted him.

'What's with you?' Blaise asked, eyeing him warily.

'My business is going under and someone is trying to sabotage my only way to save it,' he reminded him.

'No.' Blaise shook his head and leant forward in his seat, resting his elbow on his thighs and scratching his chin. 'You're ... pleasant.' He paused watching Draco's reaction. Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing. Suddenly, Blaise's face split into a wide grin.

'Have a good shag over the weekend, did we?' he asked. 'Please tell me it was Weasley.'

'Don't,' Draco said sternly, his eyes hard.

'Oh, it was.' Blaise said eagerly and rubbed his hands together. 'Tell me, is she a screamer? The hair makes me think she's a screamer.'

'I said, don't.' Draco growled

Blaise started and stared at Draco. 'That's gold,' He laughed heartily. 'Don't worry I won't steal her from you.'

Draco scoffed. 'Even if I cared, you couldn't.'

Blaise nodded with a wry smile. 'Of course you don't care,' he teased. 'You just don't want me to mention her or go anywhere near her, right mate?'

Draco glared at him. Blaise raised his hands in mock surrender. 'I'm just here to check your progress with your little loyalty problem. I spent all day here Friday, I think I deserve to be kept in the loop.'

'We haven't got any further on it,' Draco informed him stiffly.

'Riiiiight,' Blaise drawled. 'You were a tad busy.'

*~*

'Ginny!' Harry yelled as she tried to sneak into her cubicle. She cringed as he stormed towards her. 'Where the hell have you been?'

'My alarm didn't go off,' she apologised quickly. Merlin, he was overeating just a smidgen. Okay, she was a few hours late, but it wasn't like he'd never slept in before.

'Get into my office. Now!' he growled, pointing harshly behind him. Excited chatter filled the room, as the other watched Ginny being lead by an angry Harry to his office. She felt like she was back in school following Filch to___McGonagall__'s_ office.

'I don't mean just this morning, Ginny,' he yelled as soon as she closed the door. She slipped into the uncomfortable chair as he paced in front of his desk, his arms whirring around. He threw them in the air, to his hips and out to the side as he yelled.

'You've been A.W.O.L all week. Commiss-'

'I owled you,' she cut in. 'I told you I was going to be working out of the office.'

'Working on what?' he cried. 'You haven't been assigned anything.'

Ginny crossed her legs and then her arms defensively. Harry stared at her, imploring her for an answer. He leaned back against his desk. 'Please,' he all but whined, 'Please tell me you weren't working with Malfoy.'

'But I was right!'

Harry groaned and dug the heel of his hands into his eyes. 'I told you to drop it. I told you to pull your head in and leave it the bloody hell alone.'

'I know but, Harry, he ran the competition-'

'Fuck, Ginny. You're suspended until further notice.'

'What?' she cried jumping up from her seat. She just about went mad last time she was suspended. 'You can't do that.'

'_I'm_ not. The Auror commissioner is. I told you he was watching you, Ginny, and you still went out of your way to make me look bad.'

'I did not go out of my way to do anything, Harry,' Ginny fumed, her face flushing red and her voice rising to Molly Weasley proportions. 'You're letting your own stupid feelings about Malfoy cloud your judgement.'

'Yeah, well, I'm not the one with a hickey on my neck so maybe I'm not the one whose judgement is clouded,' he spat venomously.

Ginny stopped. Her hand flew to her neck and traced the rather prominent mark on her neck. Harry sighed, and his voice became quiet. He reached out to her, rubbing her arms.

'Ginny, we looked into it. The wards weren't disturbed.'

Ginny shook his hand off, her face was hot. How dare he patronise her. She was right. She had figured it out. Okay, she wasn't sure exactly who was behind it all yet, but she knew someone was and that was more than Harry bloody Potter knew. 'And you didn't bother to look any further into it, did you?' she spat.

'If there was anything there we would have found it,' he bit out. Ginny shook her head, huffing angrily. 'Go home.'

'Cheers for having my back, Harry.' She turned to leave but Harry grabbed her arm, hissing into her face.

'I did have your back. I took the fall when you tried to get Malfoy's Gringotts' records. I told you the commissioner was watching you.'

Ginny ripped her arm from his grip. 'I am a good Auror.'

'Maybe you should have shown that instead of letting the Commissioner see you balancing a cup of quills on your forehead!' Harry said to her back.

She slammed the door and stormed out of the building, leaving a buzz of whispered conspiracies in her wake.

*~*

Ginny spent the next three days owling Bill and attempting to blackmail him into allowing her access to Gringotts' records once more. If she could just have a quick squiz at O'Neil's records she could find out who he was funnelling information to. There was bound to be large sums of Galleons transferred from the buyer onto his account.

After a particularly nasty Howler from Bill threatening to lock her in a tomb for the next hundred years if she didn't leave him alone, Ginny sat morosely on the couch. She stared at the empty fireplace and ran her hand through her hair. She scrunched up her face as her hand met grease. Okay, it was time to stop moping. She was suspended, Draco Malfoy was a prick and there was nothing she could do about it... But she could shower.

As the water beat down on her head, washing the shampoo down her back, Ginny decided that tomorrow would be better. She would write to Harry and see what she had to do to get back in the Commissioner's good books and she would drop the stupid Malfoy case. It didn't matter anymore, she told herself, wringing out her hair. Draco could just figure it out himself. He clearly didn't need her. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in her dressing grown.

She wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. She sculled it and poured herself another. She flopped down onto the couch feeling clean and warm. She smiled. The wine might have helped.

She groaned as someone thumped on her door. She lugged herself off the couch and opened the door. She was met with the unwelcome sight of Draco Malfoy. She glared at him.

'Your hair looks brown when it's wet,' he said, oblivious to her glare and looking almost mesmerised by her head, 'like it's been burnt.'

'Gee. Thanks. Get out of my flat.' Really, that was it? She hadn't had some much as an owl dropping from him since they slept together and that was how he greeted her. What was wrong with him?

'No, wait,' he said quickly, desperately pushing his hand against the door and preventing her from slamming it in his face. 'I know who's behind the attacks on me.'

He bustled past her and settled at her kitchen table, spreading folders across the tabletop. Why did he always show up with folders?

'Please come in,' Ginny said to the now empty doorway.

'Would you get over here and take a look.'

'Since you asked so nicely...'

'You're the one who wanted to help,' he reminded her.

She tightened the knot of her dressing gown and hoisted herself up to sit on the table, resting her legs on the chair. The material fell to one side revealing a good portion of thigh. Draco scanned the line of her leg, as Ginny leaned over and picked through the folders, pulling black and white photos out. She pulled out one photo and the men captured rushed out of the frame.

'Who's in this one?' Ginny asked, waving it in front of his face to gain when he failed to answer her.

'What?'

'Who's in this one?' she repeated.

'That would be our old accounting buddy O'Neil and Blaise.'

Ginny's mouth dropped open. 'Blaise? As in Blaise Zabini Blaise?'

'Turns out I'm not the only one who's less than financially stable under the current regime.'

'Administration,' she corrected. 'But he's your friend,' she continued shocked.

Draco shrugged his shoulders and leant back into the chair. 'Guess money is more important than friendship to Blaise.' He looked up at her and smirked half heartedly. 'And stop looking at me like that,' he huffed.

'Like what?'

'All sympathetic and doe eyed,' he sneered. 'I don't need your pity.'

'Well excuse me for giving a damn about you.'

Draco stared at her before standing slowly, his hands resting on the table. 'I never asked for your help. You inserted yourself into my life like you had a right to be there, but that doesn't give you the right to judge me.' His voice was quiet and controlled.

'I'm not judging you, you idiot,' she yelled, jumping up from the table and standing on the chair so she towered over him. 'I'm judging Blaise fucking Zabini. I'm on your side.' She poked him in the chest to emphasise her point.

'I didn't ask you to be!' he yelled back.

'Merlin, you're an insufferable git,' she yelled, crossing her arms across her chest. 'All I've done is help you and now you're blowing up at me for no reason.'

'Yeah, you've helped so you get to laugh at poor, broke Malfoy. Got what he deserved.'

'That's right. I laugh at how you finally get to understand even a fraction of what it's like to suffer finically. I get such a kick out of that all I've done is help make sure that you get your billions of galleons back. I've been truly horrible to you. I don't know how you stand me.'

'Neither do I. All you do is badger me and barge into my home and make snippy little comments. And you're so damn self-righteous. Maybe Blaise has a valid reason for doing what he is. Did you ever stop to think of that?'

'Did I stop to think about what good reason your supposed friend has been trying to steal your idea and take all the credit for your hard work and almost getting you killed by hiring thugs to steal the blue prints from you? No, I didn't. Funnily enough, I was more worried about the trying to kill you part.'

'So you suddenly care about my welfare?'

'So what if I do?' she asked defiantly, glaring at him and breathing heavily.

He glowered up at her and suddenly grabbed the lapel of her dressing grown, pulling her down to him. She squealed and her hands flew to his shoulders to steady herself and he caught her lips in a bruising kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her off the chair and forcing her to wrap her legs around him to keep herself stable.

He could taste the red wine on her mouth as he kissed her, his tongue toying with hers. He plonked her down on the table and pulled at the cord of her dressing gown. The material fell away, revealing her naked body to him. He palmed her breasts, squeezing them.

Ginny unbuckled his belt, pulling it out of the loops. She pushed his trousers and pants down his legs, and tightened his legs around him. His ducked his head, taking a nipple into his mouth, before tearing himself away and thrusting into her. Ginny's head lolled back and a long moan escaped her.

He thrust hard, gripping her hips. She could hear the table scraping against the floor. Her nails dug into his back as she pulled herself closer to him, furiously bucking her hips beneath him. Every part of her seemed to respond to his touch. Draco kissed her hard, pushing her body further back onto the table.

She could feel her orgasm building and gasped when Draco reached down between their bodies to rub her clit in furious circles. She threw her head back at the added stimulation and could feel Draco watching her. One hand still gripped her hip, holding her in place and digging into her flesh, as he drove into her. He came with a grunt, spilling into her with a final hard thrust.

He stilled for a moment and then pulled out of her. His fingers continued to rub her clit. He kissed her, his tongue toying with hers. She dug her fingernails into his side and came with a cry of his name. He rubbed her lightly as she came down, breathing heavily. Draco rested his head on her shoulder, panting. He could smell the scent of apples in her hair and vanilla wafting off her skin. He chuckled.

'What's so funny?' Ginny asked pushing him back. He kissed her gently.

'Just thinking how much easier it will be to ask Potter for help when I get to tell him I've been fucking his girl.'

Ginny scowled and slammed the heel of her hand into his ribs.

'Ow!' he cried, clutching his ribs. 'Bloody hell, woman. I was joking!'

*~*

Draco left Ginny's early the next morning and went to the Ministry. He sat smugly in Potter's office as Potter had poured over the evidence he and Ginny had compiled. He should have known Potter wouldn't have just taken his word, even if it came with Weasley's and a stack of evidence. And so he found himself waiting for Blaise to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron. Potter sat a few tables over, covered by his invisibility cloak.

He looked in Potter's direction and saw two old women chatting merrily where Potter had just been sitting. Draco shrugged. He was sure Potter was floating around somewhere. He took a drink of his Butterbeer impatiently. He felt a hand clasp his shoulder and tensed.

'Potter, I don't need reassurance,' he drawled.

'I was just making sure you knew where I was,' Potter defended himself, recoiling his hand.

'I would have thought Weasley would be here,' he said, hoping that the other customers were to wrapped up in themselves to notice that he was, from their perspectives, talking to himself. 'Muttering I told you so over and over again.'

'No,' Potter growled. 'She was suspended.'

'Why?' he asked with feigned nonchalance.

'Why do you think?'

Draco's brow furrowed. Weasley had been suspended? For working with him? He supposed he should feel guilty about that but he didn't have time to dwell on it has Blaise walked through the door. Draco stiffened in his seat. He watched as Blaise carefully scanned the area before spotting Draco and making his way over.

'Sorry, I'm late, mate,' he said as he sat down. He picked up a menu and wrinkled his nose. 'Couldn't we have met at a nicer place?'

Draco raised his eyebrows. 'I would have but I'm afraid this is all that falls into my price range at this moment in time,' he drawled. 'but you know that.'

'Have you figured it out yet?' Draco asked, taking a sip of his Butterbeer. He didn't care about Potter's plan to slowly have him confess. He wanted answers and he was going to get them. His way.

Blaise looked up but just smirked. 'How long have you known?'

'Only last night. Greg's private eye was following O'Neil.'

Blaise sighed and gave a small laugh. 'I figured he might be the one to bollocks it up for me.'

'You are aware that it took me nearly a year to perfect.'

'And I have a team working around the clock on your prototype. We'll be competitive,' he told Draco, completely convinced. 'And we'll win.'

Draco tilted his head. 'What makes you so sure?'

'You think one little competition and shagging a Weasley is going to change decades of public opinion? No, we'll be the brand people choose. We're nicer.'

'Oh, yeah. You're real nice,' Draco scoffed. 'That was a _friendly_ thug you sent after me.'

Blaise shrugged and picked at the table cloth. 'If you hadn't have been so damn secretive, I wouldn't have need to resort to petty thuggery. You've always been a good mate, Drake, I didn't want to hurt you.'

'Just destroy any chance I had of rebuilding my business,' Draco retorted with a scowl. Blaise leaned over and picked up Draco's Butterbeer and took a hearty swig. 'Why?' Draco asked. That was the part he really couldn't figure out. Blaise's family wasn't as well off as they had once been but they were by no means struggling. He would still have millions sitting gathering interest at Gringotts.

'You have always had everything handed to you,' Blaise spat, suddenly angry.

'So have you!'

'But you've always had more. Even when you had everything stripped from you, you just fell on your feet,' he hissed. 'If it wasn't for me, you never would have figured anything out. I deserve a piece of the profits.'

Draco nodded calmly and then stood. Blaise didn't deserve a goddamn thing. He sneered down at Blaise. 'You may have given me the idea, Blaise, but I did all the work. You'll get nothing.'

'That's not quite true, Malfoy,' Potter said from behind him, pulling his invisibility cloak off his head. He wasn't exactly intimidating as a floating head, but Draco supposed it would have to do. He probably would have thrown the entire cloak off for dramatic effect but Potter had never been overly bright.

'You'll be getting a cozy little cell in Azkaban,' Potter finished. He clapped a disembodied hand on Blaise's shoulder. Blasie's face fell and his head snapped up to Draco.

'Good bye, Blaise.' Draco smirked, and strode out of The Leaky Cauldron, his robes billowing behind him.

That, Potter, he thought, is how dramatics are done.

*~*

It had been two weeks since Blaise had been arrested and Ginny was frustrated. She'd had an owl a little over a week ago with the wholly inadequate message of 'I'll Floo you.' Although, he clearly didn't have ten minutes to talk to her, Ginny thought bitterly, Draco had been on every bloody radio station, given interviews to every newspaper and magazine that contacted him, and was attending parties like he only had days to live, which he might if he didn't contact her properly. And soon.

Everybody was talking about Malfoy's ingenious way of integrating Muggle technology into the Wizarding World, allowing Muggleborns to enjoy the best of both societies. Even Ron had a nice word to say about Draco. His face was splashed in front of her everywhere she looked and he was just so smug promoting himself and his _brilliant_ idea. And they were all lapping it up! It made her sick.

Ginny was preparing herself lunch when she heard someone Apparate into her living room. Her head snapped up and she reached for her wand, before noticing it was Draco.

'How did you get past my wards?' Ginny demanded, her hands flying to her hips.

'Unexpected perk,' he answered with a smirk. He pulled a crushed water bottle from within his robes and tossed it to her. She caught it easily but looked at him baffled.

'That,' he said, walking over to Ginny and wrapping his arms around her waist. 'Is a Portkey to the destination of your choice for five days, all expenses paid.'

She pushed him away and pulled herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. She hated that her head barely brushed his shoulder.

'And you're going to pay for it?' she asked scornfully, crossing her arms across her chest.

Draco sighed and took a step closer once more. He put his hands on counter on either side of her thighs. 'Potter's little lunch time sting generated a lot of interest.'

'I've noticed,' Ginny muttered. Everyday there was a new picture shoved in front of her.

'There have been thousands of pre-orders and we're expecting it to increase by a further forty two percent when we actually launch.'

'Congratulations,' she said smiling sardonically. '_Forty two percent_.'

'So what do you say?' he asked, dismissing her displeasure. 'France? Belgium? Maybe a Caribbean island?'

'I can't just take off for five days,' Ginny insisted, half-heartedly.

'But a little birdie told me that you got suspended so you have plenty of time to flit away.' He pouted at her.

'You do owe me a holiday, you cheat,' she acknowledged with a small smile. Draco wrapped his arms around her waist again and leaned forward to kiss her neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck. 'And I suppose you're not a bad consolation prize.'

He captured her lips and Ginny smiled into the kiss. Ginny was shocked when Draco ripped his lips away from her.

'What do you mean consolation prize?'

**ORIGINAL REQUEST:**  
**Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic**  
Post-Hogwarts, post-war fic. Ginny enters a competition run by a radio station. Whether she wins or not is up to you. Draco and Ginny do not have to be in competition with each other, but I would like to see the competition bring them together.  
**The tone/mood of the fic:** Snark with a side serving of angst. Not overwhelming angst, mind. Dark humour is love. A limit on any fluff. I also like mystery/crime fics.  
**An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic:** Any or all of the following: a secret hidden in a book, a potion gone wrong, a Matryoshka doll, freshly washed hair, one or both characters in denial about how they feel, Draco in a waistcoat. Past conflict beyond what might have happened between them at school. Feel free to work in the theme of the exchange.  
**Preferred rating of the the fic you want:** PG13 and up, please. Smut is not strictly necessary, but is always appreciated.  
**Canon or AU?** Canon as much as possible, but EWE is also a must.  
**Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?):** Americanisms. OOC Draco - I like my Draco touching on surly, and sarcastic at times. Small curvy Ginny is preferred. I also like Ginny to have a bit of a backbone. No character bashing - particularly in the case of Astoria. No established relationship, if possible, unless as backstory. I'm not really a fan of D/G offspring in stories either. No abusive parents or exs. No self-harm or eating disorders. No songfics. No extreme squicky things. Oh, and I don't want a Quidditch fic.

7


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Harry Potter