CHAPTER 2!
DISCLAIMER – I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own the rights to any of the songs used in this story.
I miss you
Miss you so bad
I won't forget you
Oh it's so sad
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly
The day you slipped away…
Slipped Away – Avril Lavigne
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Ginny woke up the next morning, alone and tired, after dreaming restlessly of her sixth year at Hogwarts with her true friends.
"I never should have said anything to Hermione," she sighed, sitting up slowly and going over to the dresser.
She put a dressing gown over the pair of shorts and singlet she slept in and wandered into the kitchen. She pulled out the toaster and put in some bread, grabbed the milk and drank some from the bottle. Ah, the luxuries when Harry isn't home! She thought, smiling to herself. She put some jam on her toast and sat down to read the paper.
Nothing really interesting, blabbing on about how good Harry was, how lucky we were to have him, blah, blah, blah…
She put the paper down just as the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Ginny?"
"Hermione? How are you?"
"Good, how are you?"
"I'm great! I know this sounds strange, but I love waking up on my own!"
"After the story I heard last night, I'm sure you do!"
"Yeah, look, I just want to say thank you for understanding. I guess I just really needed someone to vent to, you know?"
"Well, I'm glad I could help. Listen, I don't have much time, I'm a bit busy this morning, but I just wanted to know if you wanted to catch up for lunch?"
"Um, yeah, that would be good. What time?"
"Around 1 at the Three Broomsticks? I need to take a trip into Hogsmeade anyway, so…"
"Yeah, that'll be fine. I wanted to go visit Fred and George anyway, see how they're fairing with the old Zonko's,"
"Mm, I still can't believe they bought them out. They've done so well for themselves!"
"Oh I know! Well, I should go Hermione, I've got some stuff to do around here, and then I want to do some shopping. I feel like a good splurge will do me good,"
"You go Gin, spend all of Harry's money!"
"I'm pretty sure I could spend millions and not even make a dent!"
"True, true. Alright, well I'll see you this afternoon, yeah?"
"Sure Mione, I'll talk to you soon!"
"Bye!"
"Bye!"
Ginny hung up the phone feeling considerably happier. Sure, she didn't really want someone fussing over her, acting like she was fragile or something, but the fact that there was now someone who knew what she'd been through was a nice thought.
She looked through her wardrobe, and snorted in disgust. She rifled through and pulled out her old black skinny jeans (which she had managed to save from Ms Davis' bonfire), a white shirt and some beaded necklaces, she fixed her hair and make up, grabbed her handbag and locked up the apartment.
The little apartment was the one thing that Ginny had chosen in her marriage to Harry, and after much screaming and carrying on, he had let her purchase it and decorate it to her liking. He didn't know about the secret room behind the bathroom that housed all her old Hogwarts things, including photos of herself, Blaise, Luna and Draco.
Draco…She hadn't seen him since the day Harry had banned him from her life. She'd shown up at his apartment, cool, calm and collected…
She knocked on the door, straightening her skirt and fixing her hair. He opened it and smiled widely at the sight of his guest, then took in her outfit and scoffed.
"Gin, babe, I think you just aged ten years!" he laughed, going to kiss her on the cheek. She pulled away and walked in.
"Draco," she replied coolly.
"So, what's up Gin? Life with the Minister not quite working out for you?"
"It's Virginia, and Draco, I've never been happier,"
"Virginia?" he scoffed. "You used to hex people for calling you that!"
"Well, I thought it was about time I grew up,"
"Ginny, you're only 19 for Gods' sake!"
"It's Virginia you imbecile!"
"Imbecile?" he repeated quietly, obviously hurt. "Well, why exactly are you here Virginia?"
"I think it's time we both grew up don't you? You had to know this would happen,"
"What would happen?"
"Draco, I'm the wife of the Minister for Magic. I can't be seen with Death Eaters, can I?"
"How dare you?" he said to her, his voice menacing. She almost took a step back, but held her ground, her heart breaking with every word that left his mouth, every tear that almost fell from his eyes.
"You know I was never a part of that!"
"Oh please Draco, I know you lied to me. Surely you know I lied to you as well?"
"When did you lie to me?"
"How long did I pretend to care about you?"
"P – pretend? It was all a lie?"
"All of it,"
"You actually expect me to believe that? Everything we went through, the things we – we did,"
"Oh please, my friends had left me! I needed someone to latch onto!"
"Ginny,"
"Virginia. I used you Malfoy. You were nothing! You are nothing but a piece of scum on my shoe!"
"What is he blackmailing you with to make you do this?" he asked.
She cringed at how right he was.
"Blackmail? Draco please, I thought you were intelligent! Don't tell me you honestly thought I cared about you?"
"You little slut! Get out of my house!"
"You call this a house? My, my, how the tables have turned!" she replied, laughing. "Goodbye Draco Malfoy. Thank you so much for your company. It was…entertaining to see you running around like a little puppy dog,"
She waved coyly and walked out. She heard glass shatter as he threw something after her. She managed to reach the limo parked out the front before she burst into tears…
He had told Blaise and Luna everything, and despite the wedding invite they had sent her, she knew they hated her, even despised her for the way they thought she had treated them. She wiped away a tear, and then smiled as she felt Harry's muggle credit card in her pocket.
"May as well shop away my sorrows!" she grinned cheerfully.
- - -
Draco Malfoy sat bolt upright in his bed. He was sweating profusely. He had dreamt about her again…
I used you Malfoy…I thought you were intelligent…I used you!He hadn't stopped thinking about her, ever. His friends were all at him to find a suitable partner, but she was the only one who would ever be good enough for him. All the while he had known she loved Potter. Perfect Potter, Saint Potter, Idiot Potter…
But he had something of Ginny's that Potter would never have, no matter what she'd told him, no matter what he'd thought…
The night before his Graduation, she snuck into his Head Boy's room. He was asleep, and she rested her head against his shoulders.
"Ginny?" he asked groggily, the touch of her skin waking him up.
"Hi," she replied. He felt something wet against his shoulder, and when he tilted her head up to face him, he saw she was crying.
"Ginny, what's wrong?"
"I'm going to miss you," she whispered. "I mean, I know I was just your acquaintance and everything…"
"Oh, Gin, you were so much more than an acquaintance,"
"Really?" she asked looking up at him. He grinned at her. She looked like an angel sitting there like that, he couldn't let her be miserable.
"Oh come here!" he said, and he cuddled her into his bare chest. "It's going to be alright. You've got Luna, and I'll write to you, and come and visit on Hogsmeade weekends and everything. It'll be fine!"
"I don't know what I'm going to do without you," she whispered. She looked up at him, and before he could say anything, she caught his lips with her own, pulling him onto her slowly.
"Ginny," he protested.
"Please, Draco. Do this for me?"
"I'm not going to take advantage of you, Gin," he tried to pull away.
"You're not taking advantage of me, Draco Aurelius Malfoy. I know exactly what I want,"
She pulled him down on top of her, and he could no longer resist the temptation that had been inside him for so long…
"Yes, I bet she told Potter she was an innocent little virgin," he sneered. "Little slut,"
He wandered into his kitchen in nothing but his boxer shorts, opened the fridge and pulled out the milk carton. He took the top off and drank straight from the bottle and grinned. The benefits of not living with anyone!
He replaced the milk in the fridge and grabbed a t-shirt off his couch, throwing it on. God knows how long it's been sitting there… he thought.
He was walking into his bathroom when there was a knock at his door.
"Who the fuck calls at – " he looked at his watch " – ok, 11 o'clock. Apparently it's later than I thought,"
He opened the door and came face to face with one of his oldest enemies.
"Granger," he sneered.
"Malfoy. I need to talk to you,"
- - -
Two hours, three shopping centres and approximately two thousand dollars spent on Harry's credit cards later, Ginny Weasley sat in the Three Broomsticks, sipping on a Butterbeer, surrounded by bags. She checked her watch and sighed.
"It's not like Hermione to be late," she said to herself.
"That could quite possibly be because she's not coming," a voice behind her sneered.
No! It can't be! She tilted her head up and gasped. It is…
"I thought I told you to stay away from me?" she said, her voice shaking.
"Oh, cut the crap. Granger told me everything,"
"Hermione? You spoke to Hermione?"
"Yeah. Well sort of. I tried to kick her out when she mentioned your name, but she tied me to a chair and Silencio'd me before I could do anything,"
"The great Draco Malfoy, caught unawares," she replied, grinning.
"Don't rub it in alright,"
He stood in silence, staring at her for a minute.
"Well, do you want to sit down?" she asked.
"Um…sure, why not? It looks like you've developed quite a taste for shopping?"
"It's amazing what you can do with muggle credit cards," she replied, holding Harry's cards up in a fan. "You should thank him, he's paying for your lunch,"
"Uh uh, no way. Potter is not shouting me anything! Neither are you!"
"Oh please, let me have my fun! Could you imagine the look on his face if he found out I shouted his arch enemy lunch?"
"I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with Harry darling," he whispered.
He bowed his head and she looked at him for a minute. "Draco, I'm so sorry. For everything,"
"For what exactly?"
"For everything! For treating you the way I did, for saying I used you! For calling you a piece of shit. It was all a lie,"
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because once upon a time I was the only one you could believe," she whispered.
"Can I get you anything?" a waitress came sauntering up to the table and eyed Draco hungrily.
"Two Butterbeers, and two chocolate sundaes," Ginny said.
"Our favorite lunch?" Draco asked, eyeing her with an amused smile.
"There are some things you never forget,"
"So…you look good. What's with the hair though? And the eyes?"
"Ah. Mr. Minister of Magic didn't like them, so I had to change them,"
"I'm sensing a little hostility here?"
"Hatred would be more like it. Do you know the arsehole paid his slut assistant to burn my clothes. In front of me!" she exclaimed.
"Hey! I paid for half of those!"
"I know, how much does it suck!"
"It sucks a lot!"
"I saved my jeans though," she said happily, indicating the black jeans she was wearing.
"They were always my favorites," he replied.
"Mine too. I wore them to my first ever Slytherin Party!"
"Oh God, I remember! You were so upset that night. I don't even remember why!"
"The funny part, Draco, is that I don't either,"
"You still slicing yourself up then?" he asked.
"Always were a tactless fool weren't you?"
He grinned and shrugged innocently.
"I did a little while back. Then I remembered the night I broke your nose and I stopped,"
"Promise?"
"I swear on my life Draco,"
"How much does that mean anymore?" he asked quietly.
"Truthfully? Not a lot," she replied.
The waitress delivered their order, still eyeing Draco. He reached across the table and grabbed Ginny's hand, shrugging apologetically at her.
"Sorry love, I'm taken,"
The waitress threw Ginny an evil look and walked away. Ginny pulled her hand away quickly.
"Draco! If I'm recognized, he'll kill me!"
"Oh please, Saint Potter?"
"He isn't really a saint anymore Draco. He's actually a bit of an arsehole,"
"I always did try to tell you,"
"That you did,"
"So what did you buy?" he asked.
They had fun for half an hour, while she showed him all her clothes that she'd bought.
"Surely he doesn't let you wear these?" Draco asked incredulously, as he held up a pair of shorts and a halter neck.
"He doesn't know they exist. I sneak out occasionally under the guise of meeting one of my non-existent friends, and go to one of the muggle clubs,"
"Are they any good?"
"Compared to the old Slytherin Parties?" she asked. He grinned at her. "Nah, they're actually pretty crap, but I can dance the night away with whoever I want, and know that no one will ever know who I am,"
"So have you ever cheated on Harry darling?"
"I'm a lot of things Malfoy, but I'm not a cheat," she reprimanded.
"Sorry, I should've known better," he replied, grinning.
"Yes! You bloody well should have!"
"You know you love me!" he replied, grinning. Then he realized what he said and ducked his head, showing a lot of interest in his melted sundae.
"Still a sore spot huh?" she asked.
"No. The only girl I've ever really cared about showed me some affection, then stepped all over me and married my arch enemy. It's not really a sore spot, more of a pain in my ass,"
"Look, Malfoy, I really did…Never mind,"
"No, tell me. You really did what?" he asked.
"No seriously. Look, I really did care about you ok? I was seventeen, I thought that he was what I wanted. Turns out he was exactly what I didn't need. So I fucked up okay? I picked the wrong guy! It's too late now,"
"There's always divorce," he said, smiling at her. They both knew it was a joke. She threw a spoonful of ice cream at him and laughed.
"Believe me, if I could, I would!"
"Really?"
"Oh yeah! I'm telling you, being with Harry is like living a life of celibacy,"
"No sex huh?"
"More like it's so bad it's not worth mentioning. I've gotta give him brownie points, he does try!"
"But he's just not me huh?"
'Malfoy!" she exclaimed, throwing more ice cream at him.
"What? It's common knowledge that women compare their lovers, and unless you had sex with someone else in your seventh year, hereby cheating on me, then me and him are the only ones you've had, therefore you're comparing us, and I'm better!" he replied, laughing. Then his face turned solemn.
"You didn't cheat on me in seventh year did you? Keeping in mind that if you throw more ice cream at me I shall be forced to attack and draw attention to who you are and who you're with,"
"What is it with guys and blackmail!" she replied, sulking. "No I didn't cheat on you in seventh year! It was a little hard considering everyone had come to the conclusion that I was your property or something!"
"Yeah well…hey, I just remembered, it's your birthday in two weeks, is it not?"
She pouted. "Don't even go there,"
"What's wrong?"
"Remember that party we planned? Like, the biggest party anyone has ever seen?"
"Yeah, you still doing it?"
"Nope,"
"What the hell? Why the fuck not?"
"Because it's unbecoming of the minister's wife to dance," she replied.
"Oh, I'll kill him. Fuck the minister! What are you doing instead?"
She muttered something.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that one?"
"A tea party," she replied, almost laughing.
"What? Ginny Weasley have a fucking tea party for her 21st? It's an injustice!"
"Well you should get used to it. And besides, what does it matter to you, you're not invited!" she replied, grinning.
"You little skank! You're having a tea party with your posh husband and all your posh friends and you're not inviting little old me?" he asked, batting his eyelashes at her.
"That's about it," she replied, smiling. "Whatcha gunna do about it?"
"You know what? I'm going to sit here, ignore you, and do my incredibly sexy pouty face!"
"You are so full of yourself, it's almost unbearable!"
"If I'm so unbearable, then why don't you leave?"
She looked at her watch.
"Shit! It's almost four o'clock! If I don't get home and hide this stuff I'll be murdered! I guess I am leaving then!"
"Please don't,"
"I have to, but I promise you I'll call, okay?"
"Alright. I'll see you later,"
They stood up and he gave her a quick hug.
"By Gin,"
"Bye Draco,"
She was halfway out the door when he realized.
"Hey! You don't have my number!" he yelled.
She smiled.
"I've had it for a long time honey, I've just never had the guts to call,"
And she left.
THANK YOU DARLINGS FOR THE REVIEWS AND THE SUPPORT AND THE CONFIDENCE. i absolutely adore you all. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx