Proximity Shadows

"Night is a time of rigor, but also of mercy.

There are truths which one can see only when it's dark."

- Issac Bashevis Singer

It was a Friday night and the club was packed. The music was loud, pulsating through the air and the throng of people were gyrating to the beat, their skins glistening beneath the myriad of lights. The sickly-sweet smell of perfume, sweat and alcohol was thick in the air. Ginny was sat in a private booth with Hermione, Ron, Zacherias Smith, Colin Creevey and Parvati Patil. Harry and Luna were already on the dance floor.

Ginny had promised the flamboyantly camp Zach that she would dance once she'd finished her champagne. It was an evening to celebrate Ginny's birthday, Ron's promotion to Senior Auror, and Harry and Luna's engagement; it was decided very early in the evening that champagne was to be the drink of the night.

It had made Ginny feel giddy and mischievous. She drained the rest of the Bollinger, placed her glass on the table with gusto, and coyly gestured at Zach to let him know she was ready to be danced with. Parvati stood as well and the three of them strode into the throng of witches and wizards, they found a tight spot on the dance floor just as the music shifted into something filled with heavy bass and a strong, tribal beat.

Draco had been watching Ginny from a shady corner as she laughed and drank with her friends. Circinus was one of his clubs in the Wizarding world. He hadn't planned on staying there long tonight, but Blaise had convinced him to remain and play instead of working. However, after only an hour, Blaise had been distracted by a particularly beautiful witch and left the anti-social Draco sipping Firewhiskey alone. He had been tempted to leave but watching the crowds of intoxicated people interact had been oddly theraputic and then the woman that had been haunting his thoughts all week had burst through the club; her cloud of red hair making her instantly recognisable in the din.

It had been too dark when Ginny had been sitting in the booth with her friends, but now she had taken centre stage he could examine her properly. The lights overhead made her skin glow pink, purple and electric blue; the strobe made her movements fragmentary and staccato.

Her eyes were half-closed as she reached up behind her to cling onto the blond male she had arrived with, her body moving in sync with his. Her other arm was extended, her hand resting on the shoulder of Parvati Patil.

Ginny wore a pair of black, waist-high jeans and a tight red t-shirt that ended just below her bra, leaving a small expanse of her torso exposed. When she turned her back to him, Draco saw that her skin was covered in ink. It was impossible to tell what her tattoo was from this distance.

She had broken away from her companions, who were now dancing dangerously close to one another, and had begun swaying alone to the music, her arms raised high above her head. She seemed to be drinking in the atmosphere, absorbing all the emotion and hedonistic behaviour in the club, tasting the very essence of the music. She was beautiful. She was beautiful in a completely new way.

It had been five days since his strange meeting with her on the grass in the middle of the night, and it seemed that in this light and at this time she was someone different. The pulsating lights, the buzz of alcohol and the consuming music seemed to have transformed her into a raw, sexual being.

Stepping out of his shadowy corner, Draco prowled towards the dance floor, his stance becoming almost serpentine as he found himself closer to the redhead. The three men who'd surrounded her fell away at the arrival of the six-foot three-inch blond whose eyes seemed alight with an animalistic intent.

With his large hands he swept her damp hair back, his palms remained pressed against her skin, tightly framing her face.

Her large dark eyes flickered open and she found herself looking up at Draco Malfoy, his jawline covered in stubble, his eyes heavy-lidded, and his lips slightly parted.

He dragged both of his hands through her silky hair, allowing them to trail down her bare arms before spinning her round, her back nestling against his taut stomach. She felt him grip at her hips, pinning her to him, moving her body against his.

She could feel the shock and confusion emanating from her friends; she shot them a quick wink before wriggling around so she was facing Draco once more. She felt reckless, her rebellious spirit flying free and found herself not caring what her brother thought of her behaviour.

Her hands travelled up Draco's torso and found themselves wound into the hair at the nape of his neck. His crisp white shirt rubbed against the strip of exposed skin between her t-shirt and jeans and Ginny felt her nerve endings begin to frazzle. She could feel the strength in his body, the power that had nothing to do with physical prowess or fitness. She was only five feet tall; she felt utterly consumed by Draco.

She could smell his cologne, his skin, his clothes. Draco was hijacking all of her senses and sending them into override. Ginny felt his fingers tracing the inked lines over her back, then they disappeared briefly into the waistband of her jeans and lightly skimmed the top of her lacy panties, sending a jolt of heat to her core. Her stomach filled with warmth and anticipation but his touch was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

Draco couldn't fathom why he was so drawn to this woman; this strange, entrancing woman whom he'd never even had a proper conversation with. This evening, however, was not the time to know her intellectually, or to understand her. In this kind of darkness it was time for him to explore her sensually, to understand how she worked: What made her shiver with excitement? What did the skin along her spine taste like? What did she sound like when she came?

Draco bent down and kissed the side of her neck, his tongue trailing up the smooth flesh until he reached her ear.

"Come home with me."

Her skin was singing. She nodded her consent.

Putting up her hand Ginny gestured over to her friends.

"One minute."

Winding through the crowd, Ginny found herself back at the booth, her friends' faces a mixture of disbelief and drunken glee.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you sly old hinkypunk!" crowed Zach, clapping his hands together gleefully. "Are you seeing Draco Malfoy?"

Parvati let out a shriek of laughter.

She shrugged and took a sip of Ron's champagne; her brother was, thankfully, absent from the table.

"Do you even know him, Gin?"

How Hermione was able to sound so level-headed and concerned whilst that inebriated was a mystery to Ginny. She wanted to be annoyed at how over-protective her friend was, but she couldn't bring herself to find energy it would require.

Because, truthfully, the answer would be no. She didn't know him at all, really. She knew his reputation, knew him in the twilight hours when he gazed at stars, and now she knew how it felt to have him pressed against her. To have him wanting her. She was getting to know him; slowly and strangely she was building a picture of who Draco Malfoy was.

Since she couldn't find the words to explain this to her friends, and since she hadn't told anyone about sketching him under the stars, Ginny simply said, "We're neighbours. I'll owl you tomorrow, guys… Have fun!"

Scooping up her bag she re-entered the crowd. Draco was still standing where she had left him, waiting for her to return whilst fending off the advances of a tall woman with long dark hair, whose legs were almost as long as Ginny's entire body.

Draco drunkenly smiled at seeing Ginny return to him and brushed aside the clamouring brunette. His arm snaked around the redhead's waist as he led her to the exit.

Once outside, the fresh air seemed to remind Ginny of how much champagne she'd consumed. She felt wide-eyed and reckless.

"Kiss me."

Her words were hoarse and whispered. Draco didn't hesitate. Beneath the streetlamp, he pushed her roughly so her back was against the wall. He pinned her there with his hips, one of his hands holding her wrists high above her head. His lips soon found hers, and it was as though he were a man dying of thirst being gifted with not just water, but some kind of nectar. Her mouth was pliant and yielding. He nipped at her bottom lip, pulling it down so her mouth was slightly parted, then taking advantage he slipped his tongue in to meet hers. His free hand found itself drifting up from her mid-thigh to her navel and finally rested upon her naked ribs, his thumb cheekily hooked under her bra, roughly stroking her breast. She felt her nipples hardening and her panties becoming wet. Her clit buzzed with arousal and they had barely begun.

"Unless you want me to fuck you against this wall, we have to go now." His voice was gruff, his language terse, but his eyes were filled with desire and wonder. He felt excited about the prospect of sleeping with Ginevra Weasley. She ignited him in a way no woman had for an incredibly long time. It was like being a teenager again; his skin was tingling, his cock throbbing and his imagination running wild. Holding her tightly, he Disapparated directly into his apartment.

OOO

Milky light from a fat, round moon gambolled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, dowsing the entire flat in an ethereal, muted glow.

Ginny broke away from Draco's embrace and dropped her bag to the floor. She began walking into his bedroom. The blond eagerly followed, unbuttoning his shirt as he went.

Ginny peeled off her crimson top, revealing a dark green bra, her small pert breasts straining against the lace. Draco shook himself out of his shirt and began unfastening his watch as he stalked toward the petite redhead.

Without taking his eyes off Ginny he placed the watch on his dresser, and then closed the final few metres of space between them. Sinking down to his knees, Draco found he was the perfect height to reach around Ginny's back and deftly undo the clasp on her bra. The scrap of lace fell to the floor and suddenly he found he was eye-level with her dark pink, rosebud nipples. They were swollen and dark and begging for him to touch, to play, to taste.

His hands skimmed her flat stomach, causing her to breathe in sharply and then let out a small giggle - she was ticklish - however, her laughter soon became a surprising loudly moan as he put his mouth to her left nipple and sucked hard, his tongue swirling around the hardened nub. His hand massaged the other breast, rolling and pinching her, loving the sound of whimpers as she threw her head back in barely contained pleasure. The lavender scent of her skin engulfed him. Her knees shook slightly and Draco became aware of the fact that she may buckle if they continued there.

Standing, he unbuttoned her jeans and firmly pushed her back onto his bed, where he could slide the incredibly tight trousers off her legs. She lay there in white lace knickers and blood red stilettos, hair fanning around her head, with large dark eyes staring up at him, her lips parted and plump from his kisses. He felt his erection straining against his navy slacks.

Ginny had never felt so wanton, so desperately in need of a man's touch than at that very moment when she lay before Draco Malfoy. His toned chest, his strong, muscular shoulders and his hooded eyes all promised pleasure. It was as though he were some dark incubus, reading her desires, knowing her better than she knew herself. She wanted to bite him, to mark him. She wanted to feel him all around her, and in her; Ginny wanted him to consume her like smoke and flame.

Kneeling beside the bed, Draco grasped Ginny's thighs tightly and pulled her towards him, and her legs slid over his shoulders. The apex of her thighs inches from his face, he could smell her arousal. It was heady and feminine, the strongest aphrodisiac he knew. Ginny jumped a little as a sharp pain ran through her inner thigh;Draco had nipped her. Propping herself up on her elbows, she found herself fascinated with watching Draco lick and kiss her legs, his teeth grazing along her pale flesh.

Not being able to wait much longer, Draco ran his tongue over her lace clad pussy. The heat, the moisture and the roughness of her panties created a wonderful sensation, which caused Ginny to buck her hips up sharply. He licked her through the white lace a couple of more times, enjoying the breathy moans the redhead was biting out, before sliding her thighs off his shoulders and roughly spreading her legs wide. With firm, expert fingers Draco ripped a hole in the fabric of her panties and Ginny let out a shocked gasped. He was so carnal, so primal. She felt like his prey.

The instant his tongue made contact with her clitoris, Ginny felt herself melt. The heat of arousal coursed through her veins. He licked up and down the length of her sex slowly, his tongue sharply flicking at her clit every time he reached it. He heard her whispering his name each time she jolted with pleasure.

"Draco, let me taste you..."

Relinquishing his hold on her, Draco sat back on his haunches and Ginny lifted herself off the bed.

"You're wearing far too much, Mister Malfoy, I'm afraid you've come terribly overdressed for the occasion."

Smirking at the redhead's teasing, Draco stood. Before he could attempt to divest himself of his trousers, Ginny's nimble hands were unbuckling his belt and tugging the buttons out of their holes. She shimmied the slacks down to the ground, and Draco kicked them off. Next she made quick work of his socks, before roughly pulling down his boxers, allowing his erection to spring free. He was thick and long and already glistening. Sitting herself on the edge of the bed, Ginny opened her legs wide so that Draco could stand between them. She licked the tip of his cock and, despite trying to hold back, Draco let out a guttural grunt. It took all of his willpower not to grab a fist of her copper hair and thrust himself hard into her mouth.

Instead,Ginny licked him from top to bottom, her hand gently massaging his balls. The dull ache that had been building there was starting to ease, to make way for surges of pleasure. She twirled her tongue around the head of his penis, tasting him, before allowing herself to slide her lips over his cock and take him in her mouth as far as she could go. She allowed her lips to travel up and down his shaft a few times in quick succession, before slowly, tantalisingly, sliding down his cock until she had taken all of him in her mouth. She was staring directly up into his gaze, her eyes watering a little. Before she could make another move, Draco shoved her shoulders, pushing her back onto the bed and was climbing on top of her, kissing her, his hands tangled in her hair, his thigh pressing firmly against her pussy. She writhed against him, moaning into his mouth.

"Ride me."

Scooping her up, Draco repositioned them so he was flat on his back with Ginny straddling him. He could feel her wetness on his thigh, could smell their scents mingling in the air. Ginny positioned herself above his erection and slowly slid onto his throbbing cock. She could feel her body expanding for him. She was tight and it was a strange, painful, yet pleasurable sensation, having him nestled so deeply within her.

Once accustomed to him, Ginny lifted herself up and slid down once again, this time a little faster. She felt him hit a sweet spot inside of her that caused a strong surge of pressure. Throwing her head back, with her hands gripping onto Draco's thighs and back arched, Ginny began to ride the beautiful blond man beneath her. She was stunning. In the twilight, her skin looked iridescent, her hair wild as it fell down her back. Ginny's moans filled the room; yelps of pleasure and shouts of her lover's name reverberating against the walls.

Looking up at her, Draco dimly had images of a pagan goddess.

Strong, sensual and free.

With each thrust, Ginny could feel her pleasure building. Draco flipped them over with more grace than she'd have thought possible and pulled her up on her knees, one hand on her clit, the other holding a fist full of hair as he entered her from behind. They became more urgent, more frantic, Ginny pushing her hips back hard to meet each thrust.

Draco wanted to look into her eyes as she came. He wanted to know how she looked at the very moment of orgasm. An orgasm caused by him.

Pulling out of her, Draco rolled Ginny onto her back and finally yanked off the vestiges of her knickers. Bringing both of her legs up, he pulled off her shoes and kissed the arch of her right foot. She smiled at his tender gesture. Seconds later he had put both of her legs up against his chest and was entering her once more, leaning down on her legs so they were now crushed up against both his and Ginny's chests and he could access her mouth. He was everywhere, the pressure inside her was building. In this position each thrust was so deep she was sure she was going to split in two. The pleasure was so intense that every nerve ending, every cell, every fibre of her being was screaming Draco's name.

Draco could feel himself coming close to climax.

"Come for me, Ginevra, look at me!"

Dark brown eyes met icy grey. Her moans grew louder, and Draco's thrusts seemed deeper, his groans matching Ginny's in volume. Blood was singing in her ears, her skin was slick with sweat and saliva and with one final thrust Ginny came.

Her screams of pleasure and the tightening of her muscles around Draco's cock pushed him over the precipice, and he too felt himself come so hard he could barely see the gorgeous redhead beneath him.

Breathing ragged and deep, Draco pulled out of Ginny and felt himself collapse beside her. He could feel her hand tickling his back lightly, her fingers exploring the scars that littered his flesh. Being a child of a family who supported Voldemort had not been easy, and now he bore a few lasting reminders of the poor decisions of his youth and his parents' choices. He was not one to dwell on the past; he was a different man now, but he hoped his scars didn't scare her away.

He rolled onto his back. "Don't they bother you?"

Ginny shook her head sleepily. "Not at all. I think the fact you wear your bad decisions and face ownership for not only who you are, but how far you've come is admirable. I wasn't so brave."

She turned on her side, revealing the tattoo which covered a majority of her back. It looked almost as if done in water colours; bright, blurred colours. It was a plethora of flowers.

"Each one represents someone in my family. Their favourite flowers, or flowers associated with their birthdays or something, you know?"

"It's beautiful."

Ginny turned back to face Draco, his fingers lazily caressed her breasts. More tender, and exploritory, than sexual this time but her nipples still stiffened beneath his touch.

"Thank you. It's there to hide the ugliness of war. Not only did others injure me, but I injured them too." Her voice seemed distant. "And I don't like that side to me. It's ruthless and-"

"-Necessary."

She smiled down sadly at the blond beside her. "Yes, that too."

She kissed his forehead, still slick with perspiration. "Sorry, Draco. I really should go...I have a meeting with my agent in...three hours, and I need to not look like I was awake until five in the morning."

"Yeah, okay. Understandable."

Draco watched as she jumped out of the bed and began pulling her clothes on again. Picking up her panties, she seemed to decide there was no point bothering with the ripped lace again and stuffed them into her bag. With the bravado of the champagne wearing off, the heat of lust cooling and the hangover beginning to kick in, Ginny suddenly felt uncharacteristically shy and awkward.

"Right...I'll, erm, be going..."

"Ginevra?"

She looked up, cheeks burning pink, to see Draco standing inches away from her. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I will see you soon."

Once she'd left, Draco stepped into the shower, knowing he couldn't help but stay true to his word; he couldn't not see her soon. She was fascinating – intoxicating - and he wanted to know everything about her.