DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but these silly ideas running around in my head. And those ideas are questionable.
Author's Note: This one-shot is a companion to "Almost Birthday" as they're in the same universe. But, you don't have to read the other one to follow this story. It'd be nice if you did though! Heh. I do hope you enjoy this – and apologies in advance for any errors since I'm a little under the weather. Happy Birthday, Ginny!
"Mum! Mum! Look what I found!" Cecelia shouted, scurrying into her mother's office.
"What is what, CeCe?" Ginny Weasley said, looking away slightly puzzled from the computer screen. Her best friend and sister-in-law Hermione Granger had gifted her a computer as an early birthday present. Hermione had told her it would be easier than having to constantly fill the typewriter with paper and erase mistakes. Ginny wasn't so sure about that, as she had barely gotten three sentences down on her latest draft of her article. All of the extra buttons on the keyboard were making her anxious.
Ginny Weasley - well technically, Ginevra Weasley-Malfoy - was the Senior Quidditch Correspondent for The Daily Prophet. The season would be starting up in a matter of days, and she was rushing to make her deadline in time so her article would make it to print. Only, it was proving to be challenging with her children running up and down the stairs and in and out of her office. This evening's Weasley birthday gathering couldn't come soon enough.
"This," Cecelia gestured with her head at the small wooden box in her hands. "It was in the trunk that Dad got down for me from the attic the other day. I was getting ready to put in my schoolbooks but found this box."
"Oh, I haven't seen that box in years!" Ginny replied with a chuckle. Her daughter looked at her curiously, familiar brown eyes staring up at her. Cecelia Malfoy had many Weasley features, but her ever-growing dark blonde hair was not one of them. Ginny couldn't believe in a couple of weeks her daughter would be aboard the Hogwarts Express with her cousins and friends, off to her first year at Hogwarts.
Cecelia quirked an eyebrow, looking a lot like her father. She handed the box over to her mother, who blew away at the dust gathering on top of the dark wooden box. Very carefully, she opened the lid and scanned the contents. There were a few mementos from her Hogwarts years, such as the corsage she had worn to the Yule Ball, now completely darkened and dried, and some after her schooling, such as a photo with Gwenog Jones, before they had become teammates and friends.
"It's my memory box," Ginny finally answered with a smile. "I completely forgot I left it in my trunk that you're using. Some of these things are actually from when your Dad and I first started dating."
"Really?" Cecelia said, awe escaping into her voice. "I want to see!" She quickly came around the table to stand next to her mother, leaning on the arm of the swivel chair to peer into the box.
"Isn't this from the gala Dad said he first met you again at?" Cecelia asked excitedly, leafing through the gala program that was older than her.
"It is," Ginny said, before looking through the rest of the box. She cast aside several of her keepsakes, including a pair of concert tickets from their first date, before returning with a paper that looked like it was ripped from a notepad. She smiled ruefully for a minute scanning its contents and then handed it to Cecelia.
Cecelia took the paper, and turned once over before returning to the front, eyeing the letterhead. She couldn't understand what a paper that had random words hurriedly scribbled over it had to do with anything.
"What does Uncle Blaise and Cleansweep Broom Company have to do with any of this?"
"Well, your father likes to say we first met again at that Gala. What he never mentioned was that we had actually met the day before," Ginny explained with a nostalgic smile.
"What?!"
"Only he didn't recognize me," she explained mysteriously to Cecelia. "And I didn't recognize him."
Ginny Weasley pulled open the clear doors to the tallest building in Diagon Alley. Over the past several years since the War, many buildings had been reopened, renovated, and newly built. This building not only housed The Daily Prophet, but many of the offices for some of Wizarding Britain's most successful companies.
Subconsciously adjusting the purse strap on her shoulder, she heard her high heels clack against the linoleum as she walked up to the reception. A tired looking security guard sat behind it, looking as if he wanted to be anywhere but there.
"Good morning, sir," Ginny chirped, a smile lighting up her made up face. She had taken great care to dress professionally for this meeting, rather than roll up in a faded Holyhead Harpies shirt and jeans that looked like they were ready to crumble. Instead, underneath her thick cloak, she had on a professional looking black dress that accentuated her body and with a powder pink blazer. She had even tamed and styled her crimson curls that were usually safely secured in a braid or ponytail.
"Good morning," the guard - named Wilbert judging from the shiny gold name tag pinned on his uniform - said dully. "Please state your name and business." The man, whose crown was thinning, didn't even bother to look up at her.
"Oh, um, Ginevra Weasley," Ginny stuttered a bit, put out by Wilbert's droll attitude. "Here to see Mr. Blaise Zabini."
Wilbert sluggishly perused the appointment book in front of him, likely enchanted with all of the appointments of the businessmen occupying the building.
"I don't see a Weasley in here," Wilbert responded after a few moments.
"Surely, you must be mistaken," Ginny exclaimed. "Mr. Zabini told me himself to come today to discuss a business matter."
Wilbert's vacant expression never wavered. "Ma'am, the last time I let someone up there he wasn't expecting, he threatened to have me executed."
Ginny was beginning to lose her temper with this man, and it was evident as her voice continued to rise. "I'm sure he did, but we had a meeting scheduled, THAT he scheduled himself so I'm telling you…"
"That Glenda obviously forgot to owl down to you Wilbert, because we have a meeting scheduled right now," a new masculine voice cut in, joining the conversation. Ginny looked up to see who the voice belonged to.
Standing before her was a tall, handsome man in a pristine charcoal three piece suit. His striking platinum tresses were neatly styled, while his unique pale blue – or were they grey? – eyes looked down at her with amusement. He had striking chiseled features from his thin pointed nose to his high cheekbones. The man's lips looked soft as they were curled into a smirk. There was something familiar about him, but Ginny couldn't quite put her finger on it. Whoever this savior was, she was more than happy to be rescued by him. Even if she didn't really need rescuing.
"That isn't what she just…" Wilbert began.
"Wilbert," The man looked at him pointedly.
"A meeting with you," Ginny repeated slowly, unabashedly flashing him a flirtatious smile. She was perfectly fine having a meeting with this man rather than one of the owners of the Holyhead Harpies
He smirked, something that Ginny thought suited his face far too well. "I promise I'm much better looking than whoever you're supposed to meet."
"That's up for debate," she said. Which was true, as Blaise Zabini was far too good looking but far too arrogant for his own good. "I could've sworn you were just on your way out."
She had seen him out of the corner of her eye walking towards the doors, but paid him no mind. Now she was thanking whatever gods and spirits were out there for having him walk up to her.
"Oh, that's not a problem," he replied with his smirk still in place, his smooth voice welcoming her. "The Advisor to the Minister will just have to wait."
"But I'm not sure the Minister can," Ginny shot back without missing a beat, her own mischievous smirk forming on her face.
"Are you trying to up name-drop me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. A hint of incredulity seeped into his voice, though he looked mildly impressed.
"If I were, I think I just did," Ginny replied. "But, I'll let you in on a little secret," Ginny leaned over, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I don't really care about names that much."
"Well, if you don't care about names, why don't we skip the introductions and get down to breakfast?" He offered, leaning against the reception counter. Luckily, Wilbert had stepped away long ago when the man had started chatting her up.
"What if I already had breakfast?"
"I'm talking about tomorrow morning, in my kitchen," He elaborated, his voice lowering an octave. It sent shivers down her spine. "Or yours, I mean. You look like you have a nice place."
Ginny laughed at his attempt to recover from his straight forwardness. "As tempting as that is-" He had no idea how enticing his offer really was to her "-maybe another time. I've really got to get going."
He nodded, looking a bit put out, before covering up his face with an expression of indifference.
"Good luck with your meeting."
It was an hour later, and she had been fielding various proposals given to her by Blaise. Her name and reputation was growing both on the Quidditch Pitch and off in the newspapers and magazines. As one of the more personable athletes in professional Quidditch, Ginny was shoved far too often into the entertainment spotlight, thanks to her skills and her name. She never would have thought that the Weasley name could actually help her one day. This resulted in companies were asking her left and right to endorse their products and become their spokesperson. All of this was completely new to her, and she wanted to tread lightly.
Ginny rose from the chair and turned to face the window. She crossed her arms and sighed as she glared down at the bustling street below her. The hour had taken forever to pass as they narrowed it down to five serious, possibly lucrative, proposals. Now it was time to meet with the legal consultant. Only, she couldn't understand why Blaise Zabini hired Draco Malfoy to be his legal consultant, of all people. The Zabini name managed to get away unscathed after the War, why did he choose to tarnish it with Malfoy's? If anything, he managed to weasel himself out of the law as much as he could.
"You've seriously got to be joking about Draco Malfoy…" Ginny said, her voice fading as she saw Blaise no longer in his seat. Instead, he was opening the door for the legal consultant, their voices wafting over to her.
"...only doing this because Weasel King will have a heart attack after hearing that the littlest Weasley and I are in the same room together. And she probably won't even be able to string two words together…"
"You?!" Ginny cried in disbelief.
The platinum knight in charcoal armor was the legal consultant. It was none other than Draco Malfoy. Her stomach gave both an excited and nauseated flop at the sight of him. On the one hand she felt her heartbeat gallop, but on the other hand she wanted to hex him for the idiotic comment she overheard. Ginny resisted the urge to rub her temples to calm her overworked brain.
Fortunately, the look on his face portrayed exactly how she felt.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"You two know each other?" Blaise asked in confusion, his eyes darting from each of their perplexed yet mildly amused faces.
"So, you weren't meeting the Minister?" Draco inelegantly snorted.
"You're telling me you were really going to blow off his Advisor?"
"You don't know the Advisor," Blaise commented in confusion.
"But I do know the Minister," Ginny added smugly. Considering he was a part of the Order of the Phoenix, Ginny had gotten to know him pretty well, as did all of the Weasleys. Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt had become a friend of the family, and would occasionally appear at Weasley family events.
"Look, why don't we just get down to business? I have a lot of other things to do than to sit around with a Weasley all day," Draco suddenly said, snapping Ginny out of her daydream. A daydream about the enemy in front of her.
Looking back up at his face, she saw the all too familiar sneer on his face. She suddenly couldn't believe that it hadn't dawned on her who it was that she was flirting with it downstairs in the lobby. That hair and those eyes were synonymous with the Malfoy name. She had been on the road for far too long, she decided.
"You know, I would've thought you would have come up with a more creative name for Ron by now," Ginny snapped back, rolling her eyes.
"I'm flattered you value my intelligence," said Draco smugly.
"Oh, it's not that, I just think insults from fifth year seem to be a bit dated."
Out of the corner of her eyes, Blaise looked like he was trying not to erupt in laughter at the exchange.
"Truth be told, I try not to think about your brother that much," Draco replied in a bored tone.
Ginny snorted, indicating that she thought otherwise. How was Malfoy the same charming, smooth man she had met downstairs? It was impossible. She forced herself to bury any attraction she felt for him deep inside.
"Look," Ginny said, replicating his cool attitude. "You better had be good after Blaise spent half an hour convincing me."
"Oh trust me," Draco added with a smirk. "I'm bloody fantastic. In all facets of my life."
Ginny was eternally grateful that the two men had turned to settle down at the conference table as her face flushed Weasley red at the innuendo. It was going to be a long meeting.
Ginny had assumed she would be rid of Malfoy after they finished signing all of the paperwork for her the endorsement they had settled on, after arguing relentlessly about which offer she should take. Ginny liked Osric's Omnioculars because they had a simple and easy campaign that didn't require too much from her. Draco liked Ceres and Co.'s Quidditch Kits because they had modified (rather shortened) them for females and apparently would have enjoyed seeing Ginny model them, which only made her eyes narrow and adamantly refuse. Blaise liked Cleansweep Broom Company. In the end, they settled with Blaise's choice. It made the most sense as it was the brand Ginny had grown up with and their latest models were surpassing the newest Firebolt model.
With the headache of signing and reading through contracts, she had been looking forward to the British and Irish League Quidditch Gala the next day, which came at the midpoint of the season, at the beginning of February. After she had been primped all day by makeup artists and stylists, Ginny was excited to spend the night with her friends and colleagues, drinking and dancing the night away.
Of course, after she had finally found Luna in the throng of people, her eyes had settled on the bane of her existence. Standing next to Blaise, whom Luna was dating, was Draco Malfoy. Ginny had thought she had gotten rid of him, but he seemed stuck to Blaise like a soul sucking leech.
It wasn't even that Draco was a completely terrible person, Ginny discovered as they talked throughout the night. Sure, he was just as arrogant and snarky as he had been before. But he had apparently outgrown some parts of his immaturity that she remembered from Hogwarts. And while he did throw a few barbs about her family, they sounded half-hearted and uninspired. But the worst part was, was that she couldn't find it within herself to hate him. He still annoyed her to no end, but mostly because of her own conflicting feelings. On the one hand, she enjoyed his snark and how handsome he currently looked in his formal dress robes, but on the other hand she wanted to slap herself back to reality and remember just who she was enamored with.
The rest of the night passed in the same manner. Draco would take turns between unintentionally charming her and intentionally irritating her to no end. Even though she mingled with others throughout the night, somehow she always found herself back in Malfoy's presence. It was almost as if he was a magnet and kept pulling her in with captivating force.
It was over a month later, and Ginny found herself walking around the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She was a little irritated that it was still cold in New York. She had been here a couple of times in the past, but had thoroughly enjoyed the humid summers of the East Coast. Instead, she found herself in a coat and scarf accompanied by jeans and boots. The exhibition match was tomorrow, but for today everyone had time to sightsee. Her teammates had wanted to enjoy more of Time Square, but having seen it already, the redhead decided to split from the group and explore on her own.
She found herself in front of a Vincent Van Gogh painting, and was mesmerized by the rolling wheat fields and curling white tufts of clouds. An odd pang of homesickness coursed through her body. The painting reminding her of her humble beginnings at the Burrow. Tearing her eyes away from the painting, Ginny decided it was best to move onto the next collection before she felt the need to ring her mother.
Except she was met with another reminder of home.
Ginny found herself standing a couple of feet away from Draco Malfoy. She was astounded at the fact that in one of the busiest cities in the world, that she would run into her former rival, of all people. Well, he was never truly her rival, but more so out of loyalty for her brother and friends. She was also surprised to see him in Muggle clothing once again, and was even more annoyed to see that he looked rather good in them. His hair was styled sophisticatedly and he knew how to wear his navy pea coat and slacks. Git.
"Malfoy?" Ginny called out incredulously.
Draco turned his head uncertainly, until it clicked as to who was calling his name out. "Weasley."
"What in the world are you doing here?" she asked, walking up to him.
"Enjoying art," Draco replied dryly.
"Ugh, you know what I mean."
"I'm out here consulting for the British Museum."
"Oh." That only raised more questions than answer it, she realized.
Ginny stood there uncertain of what to do, and awkwardly shoved her hands in her pockets. Here she was over 3,000 miles away from home, with a man she had known for most of her life yet barely knew anything about. What was a girl to do?
Draco, seemingly unruffled, turned back to the art piece he was looking at. He seemed to be studying it intently, his eyes scanning the fine strokes etched into the canvas. Ginny found herself gazing at Draco as if he was one of the statues in one of the many galleries in the building. His carved face stared intently at the object in front of him, leaving him in deep thought. Her eyes trailed his silky blond hair, his high cheekbones, and his defined jaw.
Her body tensed when she realized what she was doing and quickly turned her head to look as if she was staring intently at one of the paintings on the wall across from them. She knew she couldn't stand there expectantly for very long (and just what was she really expecting, anyway?), so she turned in the opposite direction to enjoy the rest of the museum. After all, she came inside for a day of culture, not to ogle at a very puzzling man.
Ginny heard footsteps follow her, and stop next to her as she focused her attention to the next painting. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco studying this painting too. It was rather nice to not see a sneer or a smirk on his face. Though he was still a blank canvas in her eyes, he looked much more reserved than the Draco Malfoy she knew in public.
"What do you think of this painting?"
Her head snapped to attention, whipping to look at him. Was he asking her opinion? Surely it must be some kind of joke, designed to get a rise out of her.
Instead, she was met with curious grey eyes, and she could tell that he was honestly asking her what she thought of it.
"It's alright," Ginny replied dumbly, afraid to say the wrong thing. Draco likely knew all about the painting and she didn't want to make a fool of herself. Since when did she care what Draco Malfoy thought of her?
"No, really, Weasley, give me your honest opinion," he prodded.
"It's nice, I suppose," Ginny said, taking a deep breath. She eyed the painting closely. The painting was made in a series of dots, depicting trees, lush green grass, and what looked like sand. A little boat was docked in the lake with houses in the distance. The place looked calm and serene.
"It's pretty impressive that the artist created this whole scene with a series of points. It looks like a nice, calm relaxing place. But aside from the technique, I'm not sure there's much else."
Draco looked at her and then back at the painting. Several seconds passed before he said anything. Ginny didn't realize she was holding her breath until he spoke again.
"I agree, Weasley."
She exhaled with relief. From that point on, they examined the rest of the paintings on that floor together, each of them giving their opinions on what they thought was good and bad.
Ginny learned that Draco was astute at interpreting many of the paintings. And he actually seemed impressed with some of her own analyses, which made her beam from within. She still wasn't sure why it mattered what Draco thought of her. But, it was a strange, fuzzy feeling that she had nearly forgotten what it felt like, and tried to hide it as far down as she could.
Eventually, they made their way outside, the cool, whipping air stinging their eyes and nipping at their noses. While it was bright and sunny in the city, the chilly wind snuck up on them, betraying the city's appearance of looking warm and inviting. Ginny reached into her deep pockets for a green and gold beanie knitted by her mother, and quickly placed it on her head, not caring that she looked like a little girl. It was cold, damnit.
Adjusting her scarf so it was covering more of her neck and mouth, she walked up to where Draco was currently preoccupied. She had assumed that he was buying coffee from the cart right outside the museum, but instead he was ordering a hotdog. In fact, he ordered two, as he handed one to her.
Ginny gladly took it, realizing that she was hungry. Their conversations about painting and life had given her an appetite.
Biting into the steaming link, her eyes closed as the salty meat mingled with the soft bun and condiments. Even though they ate some of New York's finest food at their events and during the late nights when the girls would go out and explore, there was nothing quite like the street offerings of the Big Apple.
"I thought that these would've been beneath you," Ginny teased, after quickly consuming half of it. She realized she must have looked ravenous, but it was a bit too late to look apologetic.
"Oh, they are," Draco agreed, finishing his hotdog almost as fast as her. "Theo insisted I eat them when we were here last time. I'd be a fool not to have another one. They're bloody fantastic."
She laughed. "I suppose you have to come down to our plebian levels once in a while. It must help to keep your head from swelling."
"It is how I stay so humble," Draco reasoned.
The little troll timer on her kitchen counter grumbled and swung his bat haphazardly, indicating that it was time to take the roast out of the oven. It was her day off and Ginny had been preparing a comforting, homemade meal (which was carefully orchestrated from Molly Weasley's detailed instructions) for her guests. Luna and Ginny had taken to having dinners whenever they were in town at the same time due to their busy schedules. Now that Luna was dating Blaise, he tended to join their outing as well.
Tonight, she decided to switch things up and have them over to her flat. They were currently sitting her sofa, enjoying a nice cheese plate and wine. She flashed them a smile as she quickly got up and walked over to the kitchen, flicking her wand over to the timer to shut it off. The troll stopped in its tracks and froze.
Just as she set the roast onto the counter for it to cool, there was a knock on the door. She looked at her guests through the bar window, but they looked at her with the same confusion that Ginny was sure was written on her face. Slipping off her potholders, she walked out of the kitchen to open the door.
Standing before her was Draco, looking refined as ever in the finest robes that galleons could by. And with a bottle of wine in his hand, Ginny noticed a second later.
Before she could invite him in, Draco breezed past her while she gasped in indignation. The tall blond strutted into the kitchen, setting down the glass of wine, pausing to take a whiff of the roast.
"That smells heavenly, Weasley," Draco's smooth voice reached to her, as he returned from the kitchen with one of her wine glasses. How had he found that, she wondered.
"Just what are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ginny demanded, placing her hands on her hips. A voice in her head congratulated her on making sure to put on a nice fitting blouse and her good pair of jeans rather than the faded jersey and shorts she was wearing earlier. And she had brushed her hair too!
"Having dinner, of course," Draco explained matter-of-factly.
She heard the twosome behind her chuckle and rolled her eyes in defeat. There was no use in arguing with Draco, Ginny realized. It always seemed like he was riling her up, like he enjoyed it, and she wasn't about to take his bait anymore. Besides, maybe it would be nice no longer being the third wheel to Blaise and Luna. Instead, she walked back into the kitchen and returned with the entire meal hovering behind her, including Draco's bottle of wine.
Once everyone was served, Ginny charmed the bottle open. Her eyes squinted at the label as Draco reached over and took the bottle from her hands, their fingers nearly touching. Ginny willed herself to ignore the tingle she felt at the ghost of his touch. It was a very expensive brand she realized, one that she had only actually drank once or twice before. It was far beyond her means, even with her above average wage.
"I didn't know you were in town," Luna started, as they all began to dig into dinner.
"Me either," Blaise added, though Ginny had a sneaking suspicion that he did.
Draco shrugged. "My business trip ended early, and I have some time to kill before my next assignment… And I'm glad I did, because this roast is wonderful."
The redhead's heart swelled with pride. Ginny mentally noted to bring her mother home a gift on her next visit to the Burrow. She tried to keep her face calm and collected.
"What happened to the Brazilian?" Blaise asked with a sip of wine.
Ginny's ears perked at this. Draco was seeing someone? Of course he would be seeing someone, what good looking man like him wouldn't be? Her heart beat faster, betraying the nonchalance she was trying to portray to her guests. Luckily, Draco was sitting next to her, and she hoped it would be hard for him to see from his angle.
"In Brazil," Draco plainly stated after a mouthful of creamy potatoes.
Her heartbeat returned to its slower cadence, and she tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, Ginny quickly reached over for her glass of wine, and exhaled into it, hoping that no one noticed.
They continued to converse pleasantly, catching up on their busy lives. Halfway through the meal, Draco leaned over. Ginny's body betrayed her as it involuntarily shivered at his warm breath tickling her ear.
"By the way, Weasley, I was right. Your kitchen is very nice."
On a spare weekend in July, the foursome had gotten together for an outing. Ever since that dinner over at Ginny's flat, Draco joined every outing with her and the couple. Currently, they were hiking up a hill outside of Ottery St. Catchpole, one of her favorite hikes in the area. Ginny had grown tired of their mundane dinners. She wanted to be active and enjoy the outdoors. Besides, the decadent meal that they had last time (Draco's choice), was threatening her waistline. That would not do for a star Quidditch player.
"Come on, guys, this isn't even that long of a hike!" Ginny called out, much further along than the rest of the group. She was enjoying the familiar woods, the clear blue sky, and the fresh air filling her lungs with life. This was Ginny's element.
"Speak for yourself, Weasley," Blaise grumbled. He adjusted the pack on his shoulders as they continued to climb uphill.
Even Luna, who was normally pleasant, looked a little irritated. "I don't think I would have agreed if this is what a eleven kilometer hike feels like."
An hour later, they had finally reached the top. Below, they could see the woods and smaller rolling hills sprawled out for them to see. Ginny's big eyes took the sight in. It made her feel alive to be up here, to be one with nature.
"See? This was totally worth it!"
Ginny turned around to see that the rest of her group was not as enthused. Luna was bracing herself on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Blaise had crumpled on the ground with his rucksack still underneath him, clearly exhausted from the unusual exertion.
Draco was taking his last steps up to the group. He quickly shrugged off his own pack and shoved an arm in to retrieve his canteen. He quickly through the pack aside with a grumble, and it landed in the dirt with a dust cloud encircling it.
"I thought you said you were in shape, Draco," Ginny smirked.
"Oh, shove it, Ginny," Draco wheezed. He unscrewed the lid of the canteen and quickly began gulping down water.
Early that week Draco had bragged that he had hiked rougher terrain in the past while on the group Floo call, and that this would not be a big deal at all. Ginny silently nodded, though she highly doubted that was true. She wasn't even sure if he owned the proper attire for such an occasion.
When he arrived early that morning to her flat, just as she was tying up the laces of her reliable trainers, Ginny was surprised to see Draco in a pair of jeans, a fitted white t-shirt, and expensive looking trainers. She didn't think Draco owned anything else besides expensive robes and fancy Muggle clothing. At least he had enough sense to wear reflective clothing. Though judging from the spotlessness of his trainers and the new quality of his clothes, she doubted that he had owned these garments for very long.
Currently, Draco was still gulping down water. His hair was thoroughly tousled and his usually fair skin was slightly darker from the sun that had been beating down on them all day. His face was lightly flushed from the heat and sweat. She could see a layer of sheen across his forehead and face. Without warning, Draco raised an arm (and it looked like a strong arm as Ginny's eyes shamelessly followed his movements) and dumped the remaining contents over himself in an attempt to cool himself off.
Ginny tried not to let her mouth completely drop. The water matted his hair, droplets trickling off platinum strands onto his soaked face. She didn't miss how the water practically made his shirt translucent, sticking to his lean but firm body. Draco ran a hand through his wet hair, brushing it back.
Forcing herself to tear her eyes away Draco, Ginny made a feeble excuse about examining a plant that Neville had once pointed out to her on a past hike. Without waiting for a response, Ginny quickly ran off to the right, hoping that the pink blooming on her cheeks could be explained away by the heat.
She swore she heard Blaise's rumbling chuckle behind her, but didn't pause to find out.
It was already August and it hit Ginny for the first time as she was getting ready for the evening. It meant that the beginning of the Quidditch season was only a few days away. But tonight, she was going to be celebrating her birthday.
Her teammates were trying to convince her to go to Barcelona with them for a wild send off to their short lived vacation. After last year's fiasco in Ibiza, she decided she wanted to have a quieter birthday. Luckily, Luna had owled her the day before with some last minute front row tickets to The Manticore Maidens show, which had been sold out for weeks. Ginny wondered why Luna hadn't told her about it when she was lamenting over the concert while lying on the floor of Luna's living room one night. Perhaps she had intended it as a surprise gift.
Ginny was looking forward to some one on one time with her best friend. After the weekend party at the Burrow, she would be on her hectic schedule of training and playing Quidditch games all over Wizarding Britain and Ireland. It was hard to make time to make sure to see all of her loved ones whenever she was back in town, Ginny thought as she decided to straighten her thick red mane.
The past several months had passed in a blur. One thing she seemed to remember was a blond shadow that seemed to be all over the place. It seemed once she had run into him at the Quidditch Gala, there was just no getting rid of him. He would show up randomly to her Quidditch matches. She knew because she could spot his white-blond hair from a kilometer away. She would run into him at the Ministry occasionally when she visited family. And then of course, there were the dinners and outings with Blaise and Luna. Draco would even show up to her promotional events for Cleansweep Broom Company, though that probably made the most sense because of his involvement.
In that time, the topsy-turvy feeling in her stomach only grew, no matter how much she tried to deny it. It became thicker and more knotted and complicated. She still wanted to dislike him for being a conceited prat. But there were many moments when he was nearly friendly and more than tolerable. Whenever he would give her a genuine smile or laugh at what she had meant to be an insult triggered something inside of her. Somehow their arguments had turned into small talk and later more meaningful conversations.
They had flirted on and off, which was enjoyable. Who wouldn't want a good looking man interested in them? But that was that. Ginny never let it go any further. Draco never attempted to make an advance. Frankly, she preferred it this way. She knew deep down inside, despite all of her Gryffindor courage, she was scared. She didn't know what it could mean if they ever took their sort of, kind of, friendship to the next level.
Ginny idly wondered what Draco was doing at this moment, as she put on her favorite high top boots that laced up all the way to the top. She hadn't seen him for a few weeks. That wasn't strange as she was often traveling and so was he for his job. Ginny was internally grateful for the literal distance between them. Ever since their last encounter hiking, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to thoughts of Draco whenever she had a moment to spare.
Ginny groaned and decided to brush it all off. Pulling on her leather jacket and grabbing her purse, she Disapparated with a disgruntled pop.
She crumpled up the paper in her hand in frustration. After carefully following the coordinates from Luna's letter, she had arrived at a chic little eatery a short distance from the concert venue. Just as she was about to enter, an unexpected owl flew over to her, unceremoniously dropping a note in her hands. Luna had canceled on her at the very last minute, citing that she had to attend some magiczoology convention, but conveniently gave Ginny her concert ticket.
Ginny sighed. Her plans were already falling apart.
Looking at her watch, she had about an hour and a half to stuff her face before heading down to the concert. The little restaurant Luna had made reservations at seemed too formal for Ginny's t-shirt and jeans. It was also not Luna's style, either. Unwilling to go inside, Ginny walked up and down the street, hoping to find a place to pop into for a quick bite.
Ten minutes later, Ginny was positively annoyed. Every single restaurant and café was full, didn't have enough seating, or had lines going out the door. This is bloody ridiculous! It was a Tuesday night! There shouldn't have been that many people out on the streets. The concert had drawn out the crowds, unfortunately for her. Giving in with resigned shrug, Ginny decided to eat in the chic little restaurant. At least Luna's reservations would still hold up.
Ginny opened the door and stood patiently at the podium. The maître d returned to his posting with a sullen expression on his face. His tie with his semi-formal robes made Ginny look even more out of place. She brushed off her uncertainties and cleared her throat, hoping to capture the man's attention.
"Hello, I have reservations for two?"
"Name?" He asked in an overly bored, artificial French accent. She could figure out the difference between authentic and fake French accents, thanks to all those years of hearing Fleur speak, and all those years of making fun of Fleur behind her back.
"I believe it's Lovegood?"
"Non."
She bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Fine, try Weasley."
"Alright…" the man said, stopping to peruse his list. "Oui. Weasley." Only it sounded more like "Wesslay" coming out of the man's mouth.
"Weasley," Ginny corrected with a roll of her eyes.
"I can seat you once your full party is here," he explained in a bored tone, ignoring Ginny's correction.
"Well, the thing is, it's only a party of one now," Ginny explained lamely.
"But there is a reservation here for two," the maître d repeated, practically rubbing her failed plans in her face.
"Yes, but as I just said, the other-"
"The other half of the party is here."
Ginny whipped around when she heard the familiar voice. Her honey eyes met his smoky ones. What were once cold and aloof were now a warm amusement of haze. Draco, of course, looked pristine in his luxurious dress robes and styled hair. Ginny felt even shabbier in her casual wear and neon yellow Manticore Maidens shirt.
Her irritation was only increasing. She hadn't seen Malfoy in a few weeks and suddenly, out of nowhere, he appeared to be her platinum shining knight once again? Who did he think he was? She didn't need him!
"Listen, Malfoy, I don't need-"
"Ah, Mousier Malfoy! We are so happy to have you," the maître d interrupted, suddenly springing to life. "Please follow me and I will seat you."
"What were you saying, Wesslay?" Draco asked with a smirk.
Ginny had half a mind to 'accidentally' stomp on his foot on the way to their table. She would never admit it, but she was grateful that he had been there to get her a table. At least she could eat quickly and enjoy herself later in the evening.
"Where in the world did you come from, Malfoy?" Ginny asked, sipping her water after they had handed back the menus to the waiter.
"Lisbon."
"Yes, I know you were there on assignment for the Ministry," Ginny waved it off, unimpressed by the glamorous location. "I meant, what are you doing here, in this restaurant?"
The waiter returned quickly with their food, placing piping hot piles of food in front of them. Their front of the house may be snooty, Ginny decided, but she greatly appreciated the speedy service. The duck she had ordered (at Draco's recommendation) was simply divine.
"I have a date later in the evening nearby, and happened to arrive early," Draco explained, his expression nonchalant as it always was. "I heard your shrill voice and figured it wise to rescue the maître d from your temper."
"Oh, a date?" Ginny repeated, trying to sound as casual as he looked. She wanted to slap herself for how her voice rose an octave. She had no idea why it bothered her so much. Draco had dated in the past several months that she had known him and it never really bothered her before. What was different now?
"Yes, you know that outing in which two individuals get to know each other in a romantic sense," Draco explained dryly. "Though, you seem to be having a dry spell lately."
"I do not!" Ginny exclaimed, her cheeks growing warm. His eyes mischievously twinkled at her. Twinkled? She thought in her mind. When in the world had Malfoy's eyes ever 'twinkled'?
Ginny sniffed her glass of water to verify that there were no potions slipped into it, and then took another gulp to drown the jumble of nerves inside of her. "I've simply been busy."
"Doing what? Going to restaurants on your own?" Draco teased.
"I had plans with Luna," Ginny growled. "But she decided to pull out at the last minute. We-I… I'm going to The Manticore Maidens concert after this."
"That's even more depressing," Draco supplied. "No one goes to a concert alone. Even if it's to listen to that mindless noise."
"I'm perfectly fine being uncultured swine," Ginny retorted. "At least its music to dance to, not classical music that puts you to sleep."
Putting her awkwardness aside, Ginny and Draco fell into an easy conversation. Their plates vanished with a flourish of the waiter's wand, only to be replaced with one dessert in front of Ginny. It was a large chocolate mousse, with a generous helping of whipped cream, drizzled with raspberry syrup. A brightly lit candle hovered over the dessert.
"Luna must've remembered," Ginny murmured happily.
"Remembered what?"
She looked up to see a stone faced Malfoy.
"It's my birthday," she explained with a sigh. "Hence the candle."
"Well, that's nice," Draco replied blandly. Ginny rolled her eyes at that. He couldn't even be a normal human being and wish her a happy birthday? "Now, hurry up because I want a bite."
"What makes you think I'm sharing?"
"Because you're a Weasley and you're a Gryffindor."
"I grew up with six brothers. Ginny doesn't share food."
Ginny closed her eyes for a minute, preparing to make her birthday wish. What should she wish for? After contemplating for several moments, she simply wished for an unforgettable year.
Opening her eyes, she was a little startled to see Draco gazing at her intently. The ambient lighting of the restaurant in combination with the bright flame of the candle made his eyes look silver. She found it hard to break the gaze, unsure of what was happening.
Ginny swallowed thickly, feeling her throat dry up. Breaking eye contact, she looked down and blew out the candle. As soon as she blew it out, the candle vanished, leaving her to enjoy the dessert.
Despite saying she would be quite happy to enjoy the mousse on her own, Ginny moved it to the center of their table. Draco reached across the table, his large, slender hand hovering over hers. For a split second, she thought he was going to take her hand in his, and found herself hoping that he would. Ginny desperately hoped that her expressive face wasn't betraying her.
Instead, Draco picked up one of the spoons lying next to her hand. She sighed in relief and picked up her own spoon too. As if nothing happened, they continued their conversation about the latest Falmouth Falcons game. Draco was going on about how their Seeker was losing their touch, when Ginny started tuning out what he was saying. In the middle of his rant, he had taken a generous spoonful of the quickly disappearing dessert. She followed the spoon to his mouth, and suddenly noticed how nice his lips were. They looked soft and kissable.
"Weasley?"
"Wh-what?" Ginny said, snapping out of her reverie. Now she was most definitely sure her face was burning red. What in the world was she thinking? She had truly gone off her rocker. Perhaps, the pint she was looking forward to having at the concert was not the best idea for later that night.
"Are you alright?" Draco raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amused but mostly concerned.
"I'm fine," Ginny muttered. "Continue with your rant."
They parted ways after finishing dessert. Draco ended up paying for the whole thing, much to Ginny's irritation. She insisted that they split the bill, despite the fact that she paled when she saw the bill. After all, they were two friends who simply ran into to each other and had dinner. He insisted that it was his gentlemanly duty to pay for the bill. Eventually, Draco won out.
She arrived at the concert venue and handed the security guard her ticket. Shoving her hands into her leather jacket, Ginny made her way to the front of the stage. The seats that Luna had gotten were fantastic! Considering that everyone would be jumping out of their seats once the band came on to play, she was even more grateful that she was in the first few rows. She had never been this close before, having had nosebleed seats and requiring the use of Omnioculars. Ginny felt a twinge of guilt that her friend wouldn't be here to enjoy it.
A pint of beer appeared before her, arriving promptly after she had ordered. The bright lights of the stage dimmed and the opening act appeared. As they played on, the alcohol warmed her body, loosening Ginny up. This was exactly what she needed before the start of a season and after that strange dinner with Malfoy.
Ugh, why was she thinking about him again?! This was her own personal time with the band. Ginny squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to get rid of any thought of the fair haired irritating man. Opening her eyes, the crowd exploded and she saw the band finally taking the stage.
The Manticore Maidens were known for their outspoken lyrics and unique style. The core band was made up of three women, with a backup band playing the other instruments. Marilyn Denshaw played the drums, she was known for her neon blue bob and bright makeup. The tall woman with a red hot Mohawk and tattoos covering her arm, was Elspeth Fitzgerald, who played the electric guitar. And then there was Violet Sheppley, who was the lead singer. She was a short girl with one side of her head shaved, her brunette hair on the other side flowing more than halfway down her back. She had on bright red lipstick along with her many ear piercings, a nose piercing and a tongue piercing. She was Ginny's favorite.
A couple of songs into the set, and Ginny fully relaxed. They were playing her favorite song, "Explosive Renegade" and she was feeling it. She put her hands up in the air and waved them with the rest of the crowd, enjoying the music. Ginny jumped up and down with everyone else, feeling an excited burst of energy course through her body.
"This is the music that you love so much?" A silky voice spoke in her ear.
Startled, Ginny almost jumped out of her skin and ran into the man next to her. The man, filled with tattoos up to his neck and a large eyebrow piercing, looked at her like she was mental.
"Merlin's balls, Malfoy, what are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see what all the fuss was about," Draco explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He looked completely out of place in his elegant dress robes, hand shoved into his trouser pockets.
"What happened to your date?" Ginny asked, now swaying to a slower song.
"It was a short one," he said casually, turning to look at the band. Draco was the only person in their vicinity that was not dancing around or singing along with them. She couldn't help but notice how the flashing stage lights highlighted his carved features.
"How did you get all the way up here?"
"The band was a former client."
"Of course they were," Ginny muttered.
Shortly after, the band took a break for intermission. Nearly half of the crowd cleared out, either making a beeline for the loo or to grab more food. Ginny found herself drawn to the merchandise table. She found herself wanting one of everything – the latest tour shirt to the cap to the tote bag. Eyeing the prices, however, quickly turned her off to buying the long list she had created.
"Aren't you going to buy something?" Draco asked, looking down at her.
"Oh, yeah… There's just so many things I want…" Ginny trailed off. She couldn't justify buying this much useless stuff for herself. Instead, she settled for this year's tour shirt – this time a fluorescent yellow – and they made their way back to their seats.
"You know, they're not half bad," Draco broke the pleasant silence, sipping on his own pint. "The band, I mean."
"Really? This is the first time you've heard them?" Ginny asked with a look of disbelief. "They were your client, for Merlin's sake!"
"I just needed to read over their contracts and make sure they weren't getting swindled," Draco shrugged.
Ginny laughed. While she was laughing, Draco eyed her curiously. She wasn't quite sure why she was laughing, but it mostly had to do with Draco. He was one of the strangest people she had ever met, which was quite a feat considering her Hogwarts years. But he was also one of the most intriguing. It was refreshing, she realized. Draco was unpredictable and kept her on her toes.
The band came back and began one of their faster songs, a slight departure from more of their rock influenced tunes. The women were all Muggleborns, and had brought the sounds of Muggle music to the Wizarding world with their albums.
Ginny found it hard to keep still. The music was infectious, she wasn't altogether sober, and being in Draco Malfoy's presence was making her feel funny. She swayed her hips with the music and followed the fast tempo. While a part of her felt a little self-conscious of her dancing skills in the presence of the handsome blond, she was enjoying herself too much to let that stop her.
She turned to look at Draco, who had allowed himself a small smile. While he wasn't dancing like she was, he was tapping his toes and nodding his head with the music. Ginny suppressed a giggle. It was a step in the right direction, at least.
As quickly as it began, the concert ended, at least in Ginny's opinion, despite the two encores that they had graciously returned for. They exited slowly, though a bit behind the crowd. Draco insisted they take their time, instead of getting consumed by the suffocating crowd of people. The field was now empty and the stage barren. A slight breeze picked up, rustling in and out of her hair.
Ginny was humming happily. The concert had been simply amazing. And her unexpected company wasn't too bad either. She was still a little sweaty from all of that dancing and her throat was beginning to get hoarse from all of her enthusiastic screaming.
Without warning, Draco's hand slipped into hers. He stopped in the middle of the field, jerking her back to turn to look at him.
"What is it?" Ginny looked up in confusion into his eyes.
"Did you have a good time tonight?" He asked, rubbing circles into her hand with his thumb.
"Y-yes," Ginny managed to get out, a little surprised by the intimacy of his movements.
"You know," Draco began, looking earnestly down at her. She gulped. When had he become that tall? "I was thinking… we had dinner, we went to a concert. That was sort of a date of sorts."
Ginny laughed uncertainly, her voice sounding husky from overexertion. "It's just a coincidence. Besides, don't dates usually end with a goodnight kiss?"
"Perhaps," Draco murmured. Before she knew what was happening, Draco closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned down and her eyes flickered shut. He came closer, his lips lightly brushing against hers, before he pulled away. Though it was chaste, Ginny's heart was pounding from the electric feel of his lips against hers. She sighed in frustration as her eyes popped open.
"Dinner, concert, kiss," Draco listed, still having Ginny in his arms. "I finally got you to go out on a date with me," he grinned deviously.
"What?!" Ginny exclaimed. "This is just a technicality!"
"Still counts," he shrugged.
It was like a lumos spell went off in her head. Suddenly, the night's events began to make sense. When she arrived at the restaurant, Ginny had wondered why Luna would have picked such a fancy place; it wasn't her style. She had been wondering from the beginning how Luna had gotten such amazing tickets. It clicked now that she knew Draco had worked for them in the past. He must have gotten the tickets for the both of them.
"How did you know the Maidens were my favorite band?" Ginny asked.
Draco laughed at the suspicious look on her face. It was one of his rare, genuine laughs, and it was music to Ginny's ears. "Luna."
She gaped like a fish. "You mean…"
"Yes, good ol' Lovegood was in on the plan. Actually, she pushed me to do it. She said my aura was glowing bright pink. Whatever that means."
"You tricked me!" Ginny exclaimed, thumping him lightly on the chest. That was a mistake because she it confirmed her suspicions about his firm body. "Bloody hell, Malfoy, why didn't you just ask me out!"
"Would you have accepted if I did?" Draco asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Ginny looked down, unable to meet him in the eyes. She hated when he was right. "Probably not," she admitted sheepishly.
"Exactly. I got impatient after four months," he explained casually.
"You actually thought about this for that long?" Ginny asked, awestruck. If she had known he had been feeling the same way, than perhaps she would have made a move herself. His whole concocted plan was flattering, which she would have thought was creepy had it been anyone else.
"Ever since I saw you that day in the lobby, I couldn't get you out of my head," Draco answered earnestly. He placed a hand on the side of her face, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek.
"Even after finding out I was a Weasley?" She whispered.
"Believe, me, I tried. It only made you all the more interesting," Draco chuckled.
Ginny's arms snaked around Draco's neck, her hands playing with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. "Are you going to kidnap me for our second date?"
"So there's going to be a second one?"
She didn't miss the eager tone in his voice. It was so unlike the Draco Malfoy she had come to known, and was quickly enjoying this new side to him. With a laugh, she pulled him closer and stood on her tiptoes to capture his bottom lip captured between hers, eliciting a groan from him, much to her delight. She kissed him hard and deeply, her hands becoming entangled in his platinum locks.
Eventually, they pulled away, and she glanced into his now murky eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Ginevra," Draco said breathlessly.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoy this little fun one-shot! The lobby scene was directly inspired from an episode of "Suits", including some of the dialogue. The Ginny doesn't share food line is of course, Joey Tribbiani's line from "Friends". The two paintings are really at the Met Museum (though I haven't been despite visiting NY): Wheat Field with Cypresses by Vincent van Gogh and Gray Weather, Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and I hope you leave a review, it would mean a lot!