Property of Draco Malfoy

Ginny was cleaning out her wardrobe, packing away childhood things, when she came across the faded, cut-off denim bib-overalls. Smiling faintly as she pulled them from the darkest corner, she shook them out and allowed a memory to wash over her. A memory she had squashed into a tiny corner of her mind for the last three weeks.

It was the last time she would take a walk along the edges of the Forbidden Forest as a student. Her school days were over.

The sound of a branch snapping made her whirl to face someone she had never thought to see again.

"Ginny Weasley, all grown up," came the silken drawl. His eyes flickered over her. "Never would have guessed something so Muggle-like would look so good on a witch." Draco Malfoy sauntered over to her and circled around her.

She had matched her favorite cut-off overalls with a white tank top that she'd had for years. It was butter-soft, fit her like a second skin, and fell to just above her navel. The overalls covered the navel in the front but left bits of creamy flesh to show on either side of her waist.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" She felt chagrin that of spitting the words at him, her voice was soft. She was confused. He wasn't sneering at her. He was gazing at her in a way that made her pulse race.

"Why so confrontational? Can't a wizard visit an old professor? I saw you heading toward the forest and wanted to say hello." He smiled. "Hello. You look delicious in that outfit."

Ginny felt a delicious shiver float across her skin. "I-I have to go," she stammered, trying to move around him.

He caught her hand. "Where do you have to go to? Got a hot date? I could be jealous."

Ginny snorted at the thought of the Slytherin Prince being jealous of anything. "No, I just want to get away from you!"

"Aw, I'm being nice. Don't be difficult." Cool gray eyes swept up and down her form again. "You just look too tempting to let go." He tugged her hand. "Let's go find someplace to get to know each other better." He murmured suggestively, "Much better."

Ginny weakly tried to pull her hand away. "Let go of me. Why are you doing this?"

"You've a beautiful woman. Why shouldn't I want to get to know a beautiful woman?"

No one, other than her parents, had ever told her she was beautiful before. Boys had said she was pretty, but none of them had ever looked at her as if they wanted to devour her instead of food. Aside from Harry, she had never wanted anyone to look at her way...until now.

"Come on. I have a picnic basket all ready to find a spot to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. Come with me," he coaxed.

"I-I really shouldn't."

"Scared the big bad Slytherin is going to gobble you up?" he teased with a smirk. "I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave."

Ginny's chin came up. "I am not afraid of you!" She wasn't attracted to him, either, despite the butterflies in her stomach. He may have switched sides at the end of the war, but her family would always see him as the enemy.

"Prove it, then," he challenged. "You never know, you might enjoy yourself, and I may just prove something to you."

She had proved she wasn't afraid of him. He had proved she was attracted to him. So attracted, that she drank more wine than she should. So very attracted, that she allowed the wine to go straight to her head. Freed of inhibitions, she had found herself sharing things she had never told anyone before, laughing in a way she had not done in such a long time. He talked with her in an open manner she would have never believed possible and kissed her in ways she had only dreamt.

Ginny remembered pulling off his shirt and pressing her skin to his, feeling sensations that overwhelmed. Her memory became hazy after that.

The bib of her overalls fell forward and humiliation stained her face when she, once again, remembered waking up alone, a cool breeze blowing over her bare body, in the meadow where they had spent the afternoon and evening, quite naked, with her coveralls lying next to the basket. At the front of her waistband, silvery letters spelt 'Property of Draco Malfoy.'

She ran her fingers over the letters and gasped when she felt a wrenching sensation in her mid-section. Somehow, the writing was a Portkey!

She landed on her feet in an opulent drawing room, still clutching the coveralls in her hand.

"Well, it certainly took you long enough," drawled a familiar voice.

Ginny spun around. Sitting in a wing chair, with a book in his lap and a glass of Firewhisky at his elbow, was Draco Malfoy. "Wh-what do you mean?" she spluttered. "Where am I? How did I get here?"

"I mean that it took you long enough to touch the words in that lovely garment you're holding so tightly. You're at Malfoy Manor, of course. I enchanted the words I put in the waistband, so that you, and only you, could see them. Once you touched them, you would be transported directly to me, wherever I was." He toasted her with the glass of whisky. "Here you are." His smile was wry. "As I said, it certainly took you long enough."

"You wanted to see me again?" she asked, stunned. She had hated herself for allowing him to take what he wanted. She had hated him for abandoning her like so much rubbish.

He frowned. "Of course. Didn't you find the note?"

"Note? What note?"

"The note I left that day."

"There was no note," Ginny replied slowly.

He shot to his feet. "It wasn't there?"

Ginny shook her head mutely, sinking onto a sofa because her legs didn't feel as though they would support her much longer.

Draco sat next to her on the sofa. He didn't touch her, but seemed to be supporting her anyway. "All this time, I thought you didn't want to see me again. I really did leave a letter on top of your clothes, explaining why I had to leave you there and that if you wanted to see me again all you had to do was to touch the words in those cut-off trouser things."

"They're coveralls," Ginny replied faintly. She remembered the cool breeze against her bare skin woke her. Had it also whisked the note away?

"They are also one of the sexiest garments I've ever seen anyone wear, but I think that's because you were wearing them." He reached up and tucked a long red curl behind her ear. His expression was somber. "I thought, perhaps, you were ashamed to have been with me."

"Ashamed?"

His hand lingered in her hair, gently tangling his fingers in her curls. "Yes, ashamed to have given something precious to someone so undeserving."

Brown eyes locked with gray. "You changed sides. You made the right choice, against your father, against everything you'd been taught to believe." She placed her hand against his cheek. "You're more than deserving."

He covered her hand with his. "I've wanted to be with you for years. It was impossible not to. I felt like a moth being drawn to the fire in your hair." He chuckled briefly. "So much time wasted. Can we start over?"

"Start what?" she whispered, not daring to hope.

"Something like this," he replied softly, as he bent his head to capture her lips with his own.

OoOoO

Sigh... I really loved writing this one, and I really Heart Kerichi for getting out her red pen and her polishing cloth and making my idea so much easier to read!

Please take a minute to leave a review and let me know what YOU think!