A/N: This chapter has been updated and Beta'd. That rhymed!
Marry Me
The Rebound
When Ginny left Draco, she broke both of their hearts. A part of her wanted more than anything to run away with him, but she could never leave her family. When the war kept her from returning to school, returning to him, she resigned herself to let him go.
As she watched Harry's lifeless body being carried towards the castle, her broken heart crumbled into dust, leaving her feeling emptier than she had after the diary. Seeing him alive was like having a dream come true, and she realized that she didn't want to waste another chance with him. She had expected Harry to come back to her, but he didn't. He came to her room a few times, but he never really came back to her. He decided to enter training to be an Auror instead of going back to Hogwarts. Ginny was disappointed, but she wanted him to have his dreams. He deserved to have whatever he wanted.
She found herself thinking more and more of Draco once she was back at Hogwarts. She often read the letter that he had sent her about Fred. At first, her letters to Draco were completely innocent. She really did miss his friendship, his sense of humour, and if she was very honest, his attention.
Over the months, she also would occasionally see Harry or write to him, but he was getting very busy with his training. Or so she had thought. When she found out that he was mostly occupied with other witches, she raged with anger and created a very uncomfortable Christmas dinner at the Burrow. He assured her that she was forever, and he was just having fun whilst she was still in school. She knew that she was expecting more from him than he was willing to give, and it didn't take much persuasion for her to forgive him.
Still hurt, however, she started to reply to Draco more often, and she slowly let him back into her heart. The only problem was that Hermione was in school with her that year, and out of fear, Ginny chose to keep Draco a secret. She confided in her mother that she was interested in someone, and not so coincidentally, Harry showed up at Hogwarts, declaring his love for her. She decided to tell Draco in person that she wanted to give Harry another chance. She wanted her family to be happy again, and although Fred was gone forever, Harry was not. She needed to know if the fairytale was real. Her plans were soon forgotten, however, when she met Draco and he pulled her into a deep, passionate kiss. She wanted to feel guilty, but feeling him again was making her unsure of whom she was betraying. She couldn't think of anything past his lips, his hands, and then his body pressing against hers, leading her to a private room.
Walking away from him the second time was even more difficult than she could imagine. But it only made her more determined to have the perfect relationship with Harry. He would be worth every tear she cried as she ran back to Hogwarts. They would be everything she had envisioned during her fifth year. She would find her happily ever after with the boy her family loved.
After the war, Draco had deluded himself, for a short while, that he and Ginny would rekindle their relationship. He first wrote to her on the day of Fred's funeral, sending his condolences and his love. He didn't get a reply from her until school restarted, and the reply was not filled with words of love like he had hoped. Not ready to give up on her, he continued to write to her throughout the year. Eventually, their letters became more intimate, and they were corresponding more frequently. He was sure that it was just a matter of time before they would be together again.
He had been cleared of all charges by the Ministry, and he had even found a respectable job. He knew that their families would not be completely comfortable about the two of them dating, but he believed that they would recognize the love between them. Her last Hogsmeade weekend, they finally met and spent a very passionate afternoon together. He should have known when she told him to meet her secretly that things were not quite what they seemed. He should have known when she didn't want to talk about her plans for after school that they didn't include him. And he really should have known that when she said goodbye with tears in her eyes that she meant it to be forever. But he didn't want to see it, and when he received the letter telling him that she needed some space, he decided to respect her wishes.
Then, after months of no contact, he found out that she had joined the Holyhead Harpies. He sent her a letter of congratulations and suggested they meet to celebrate. When he attended the opening game, he found out first hand that she was back with Potter. He had stood at the edge of the pitch, flowers in hand, and watched as she leapt into his rival's arms and kissed him soundly on the lips. Before long, their pictures began appearing in the papers more and more frequently. They were the darlings of the Wizarding world, and Draco resigned himself to let go of her. After dating for several years, it was becoming more and more obvious to Draco that he was not really over losing Ginny. But when the papers began speculating about a wedding between her and Potter, he decided to make his parents happy and settle down.
x
Astoria Greengrass was on the sofa practically begging for Draco to make love to her. She was writhing, naked under his expert hands, and moaning his name. He normally would have had the patience to move them to the bedroom, but it had been a long while since he had enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh. Draco had been dating the younger Greengrass for six months, and Astoria, being a smart witch, had held out for a more serious commitment. She wanted more from Draco than a great shag, she wanted a husband. Normally, he would never have waited six days to be with a woman, but Draco Malfoy wanted a suitable wife. He considered himself lucky that he had already begun dating Astoria when he saw the newspaper headlines announcing Harry Potter's engagement to Ginevra Weasley. That way, Ginny would never think that his decision to marry had anything to do with her.
Draco had finally convinced Astoria to consummate their relationship, having assured her that things were moving forward between them. He had recently moved into his family's London flat. The Malfoys and Greengrasses had dined together at Malfoy Manor two nights before, and Draco's mother had dropped several hints at the joining of the two families. Astoria's mother had also informed her that the next day Draco had privately met with her father to request her hand in marriage. So Astoria had immediately floo'd to a boutique in Paris and purchased several pieces of sexy lingerie, one of which was currently on the floor next to the sofa that she and Draco were lying on.
[Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock]
"You've got to be joking! Who the bloody hell would be here at this hour?" Draco stood up from the sofa and zipped his trousers. "Sorry, sweets, I'm sure it's just Blaise out on a bender. Let me get rid of him. He will never go away on his own. Poor bastard, can't seem to get over losing Luna." (Says the man who still dreams of someone else.)
He walked down the hall and jerked the door back with a smart-arse remark rolling off of his tongue, "Oy! Go wank somew….Ginny?"
She looked up at him, and he could see the tear tracks down her cheeks. He wondered briefly how she knew where to find him. For a moment, he felt his heart soar, and he completely forgot about the naked woman on his sofa.
"Draco, I know it's late. I just didn't know where else to go." She started crying again, and that was enough for him to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life.
It took all of three minutes for Draco to get Astoria out of his flat. He had to use a Silencing Charm on her because of the screaming, but he didn't really care that his parents were going to be livid or that he was supposed to propose soon or that she would be gone forever if he did this. His Ginevra was back, and nothing was going to get in the way of their being together this time.
After his ex-almost-fiancée had left, Draco quickly escorted Ginny into the kitchen of the large flat. He offered to make some tea, and as he was nervously pacing through the kitchen, she sat on a stool with a blank look on her face. Once the tea had been poured and some biscuits nibbled, Draco decided to broach the obvious and ask her why she was there.
He picked up her empty cup and smiled at her warmly. "You don't have to talk about it, but I'm willing to listen all night if that's what you need."
She finally made eye contact with him again and said almost inaudibly, "I left him."
"Right. He didn't hurt you, did he?" Draco struggled with feeling both sheer joy at her revelation and utter despair at seeing her so broken.
She gave a hollow laugh and shrugged her shoulders, a sinister smile on her face.
Draco stilled at her reaction. He wasn't sure of this new Ginny. She had always been so strong and brave and idealistic. This woman was disillusioned, and he wasn't sure what to do for her. After another few minutes of silence, he decided that he would put her to bed.
Walking over to her, he gestured for her to follow him. "Come on, let's get you to bed. You can lie in tomorrow. There's a loo connected to your room, and a house-elf named Potty to serve you. We can talk tomorrow when I get back from damage control. I'll be down the hall if you need me."
x
The next morning arrived all too quickly, and Ginny was disoriented when she awoke. She stayed in the large, comfortable bed rethinking the night before. It took her a minute to realize that she was indeed in Draco's flat. The fact that she even knew where he lived caused a flicker of guilt. She was engaged to Harry, or she had been. She also knew that Draco had moved on, and the guilty flicker grew into a roaring fire when she recalled an irate, yet silent, Astoria Greengrass glaring at her the previous night. Before she could continue to berate herself, a loud pop sounded to her right, and there appeared a small house-elf with large green eyes.
"Miss, I have been instructed to serve you today, I have. I am Potty, Miss. Master has told me to help you in whatever way you would like." He bowed before her.
"Hermione would just love this." She flopped back into the bed.
"Is there something that you would be wanting, Miss?"
She sat up again and thought for a moment about leaving. "First, you can call me Ginny. And … I would love some breakfast. Anything that's quick and easy."
x
Draco had owled his parents before he went to sleep the night before, requesting to have breakfast with them at the Manor. When he arrived with no greeting from his mother, he knew that Astoria had already informed them of his actions.
"Mother, Father. Good morning. I need to talk with you about Astoria." He took his usual seat across from his mother and to the right of his father.
Narcissa didn't even look up from her plate, but Lucius dropped his knife and fork, which make a loud clanging noise as they hit his plate. "Draco, I have no idea what kind of game you are playing at, but the Greengrasses are a respected family, and you cannot treat their daughter that way."
"Yes, Father, I know who they are, but – "
"NO, you will go straight over there and tell her that it was all a mistake, and that nothing is happening between you and that Weasley girl."
"I am impressed, Father. You didn't call her 'filth' or 'blood-traitor'. You really are working on your diplomacy. But I will not be begging for Astoria. I love Ginevra, and I am not going to lose her again."
"What is wrong with you? Is she or is she not engaged to Harry Potter? And what do you mean 'lose her again'?"
At this, Draco looked to his mother who had finally acknowledged his presence. Lucius observed the silent communication between the two and slammed his hand on the table. "What is going on, Narcissa?"
She narrowed her eyes at Draco and then turned to her husband replying, "Your son thinks that he is in love with that girl and has thought so since his last year in school. She played him like a fool, and yet he keeps waiting for her." Then she turned her icy eyes to Draco. "It must have been quite the romantic reunion last night. Are you planning on being her adulterous lover or has she actually ended her relationship? You have clearly ended yours. I don't think Astoria will even consent to speak your name at this point."
"I did not intend to hurt Astoria, and I am sorry that it happened the way it did. There will be no pleading for her, Father. You will have to make amends with the Greengrasses on your own. Mother, Ginevra has ended it. And I do love her. I always have and I always will. The two of you will have to accept that I am going to be with her. I will not give her up!"
Both Draco and Narcissa had stood at the same time with the intent of storming out of the dining hall. Narcissa glared at her son before tossing her napkin onto her plate and exiting towards the kitchen. Draco rolled his eyes at his mother (ignoring how alike they were) and stomped back out of the house. Lucius simply threw his head back and looked to the heavens, thinking of how he could possibly deal with the Greengrasses.
x
When he arrived back at his flat, Draco was not sure what to expect from Ginny. He had declared his love for her to his family, and she might technically still be engaged to another man. The other man. It had always been Potter. And now she had returned, supposedly sans Potter, and was sitting comfortably on the sofa on which he had nearly shagged his ex-girlfriend just the night before.
Draco plopped down next to her and smirked, "Well, my parents think that you are a lovely young woman and are looking forward to having dinner with us."
"That's wonderful! My mum was just here and sends her love. Oh, and Harry says thanks for sending Astoria his way. This little swap will be delightful." She sounded rather catty and was not amused with his joke.
"Leave her out of it. She is innocent in this, and let's just say that I should not have been prepared to marry someone I did not love. So thank you for saving me from that mistake. Some day I am sure she will appreciate it as well. She deserves better."
Sensing the end of the subject and a need to lighten the mood she had destroyed, Ginny quirked an eyebrow and said, "So … Potty?" She smiled and, for a moment, looked like the girl he loved.
He chuckled and then turned his head back towards her. "I swear I didn't name him. He was a gift from Blaise."
The rest of the weekend consisted of eating, watching movies on Draco's Muggle television (that was a surprise), and bantering playfully. Draco avoided the topic of why she was there, simply choosing to ignore the fact that her break-up was not announced in the papers. He had a nagging fear that she wasn't as happy as she was acting, but that also was pushed to the back of his mind. The plan was made for her to stay with him until her training began. She was well hidden in his flat as no one outside of the wards could get past the lift. He'd had to reveal that he had optimistically added her to the wards when he moved in six months before. When he went to bed Sunday evening, he felt happier than he had in a long time.
Ginny tiptoed across the hall and quietly opened the door to Draco's room. She peered inside and noticed immediately that the room was filled with his scent. It was fairly dark, though a little bit of moonlight peeked through a gap in the curtains. After a moment, her eyes adjusted, and she could see the outline of his sleeping form. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and climbed into the bed behind him. He made a small noise at her intrusion but then returned to his deep breathing. She lay still for a while, remembering the nights in Hogwarts that she had shared his bed. Before long, she couldn't resist rolling to him and wrapping her arms around him. She started snuggling into his back and rubbed her leg against his. Thinking that maybe she shouldn't do that, she started to pull away when his hand grabbed her thigh and held her to him.
"Draco." She whispered, and still she could hear the desire in her voice.
He quickly turned and pinned her beneath him and began kissing her passionately. Six months of no sex had done much to increase his libido, but one kiss from Ginny sent him over the edge. His mind was clouded with lust and love, and he couldn't taste enough of her sweet lips. She returned his kisses just as hungrily and began pulling at his body. When she reached down into his pyjamas, he began to moan loudly. Not even waiting to get her undressed, he ripped her silky panties from her and helped her remove his pants. Suddenly, he stopped and started looking around for his wand.
Ginny grinded into him to get his attention and smirked, "Monthly potions, regulated by the Harpies. Trust me, we're fine." She had barely finished her last sentence before he had buried himself inside of her.
It wasn't until Draco had brought them both to climax three times, that he rolled onto his back and pulled her to him. Ginny was still panting and kissed his sweaty chest. "You have got better at that. Much better."
He smiled smugly and replied, "Thank you. I've had lots of practice."
"So have I - "
"Stop. I don't want to know. Unless, of course, it's to tell me that I am far superior, then please, by all means, do go on."
She laughed and then chose to remain quiet for a moment, testing him to see his reaction. When he snorted, she laughed again and said, "By all means, Draco, by all means, you are the best."
x
Draco regretted that he had to be at work the next morning, but he knew that it could not be missed. He was working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports. It had been a dream job, considering his past and his family's tarnished reputation, and he had been slowly working his way up in the department for the last four years. It also had afforded him an easy way to keep tabs on Ginny since he had access to information on all professional Quidditch players. Even more helpful, Blaise had become part owner of the Holyhead Harpies two years before and had maintained a friendship with Ginny since his return from hiding during the war. Draco reluctantly left the sleeping redhead in his bed as he readied himself for work. This week would be important, as he was up for a promotion.
For days, Ginny chose to "play house" with Draco, and she refused to talk about what had happened or acknowledge that she had just left her fiancé. By the morning of the fourth day, Blaise had shown up at Draco's flat whilst she was there alone and informed her that her entire family was ready to go to the Ministry and report her missing. He handed her several owls from her mother and Harry, rolled his eyes, and left. She immediately burned the letters and headed back up to Draco's bedroom to dress in the designer robes he had brought home for her.
Upon her arrival at the Burrow, her mother came screaming into the living room. She grabbed Ginny roughly, squeezing her tightly to her chest, and then shoved her away.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley! I am going to kill you for what you have done to Harry. He has been sleeping here all week waiting for you to return. Where have you been?"
"He's here?" Ginny shrieked and had turned towards the floo when she felt the Full Body Bind hit her from behind. "AAARGH!"
"I will release you, but you are going to sit down, young lady, and explain yourself. And no, he is not here right now."
The two Weasley women sat at the kitchen table, Molly eating some biscuits and Ginny refusing to eat or drink anything. Ginny had explained to her mother that she had left Harry for good, and she had been staying with a friend.
Molly tilted her head and questioned her daughter, "With whom have you been staying? We have been to all of your friends' homes. No one has seen you."
"Mum, it's a friend. That's all you need to know."
"You haven't!" She looked over the fancy robes on her daughter. "You have! You are staying with that Malfoy boy! I didn't want to believe it, but when Blaise said he could find you, I knew it. Where did I go wrong with you?"
"Mum, it's not what you think." Ginny felt her cheeks burning at her mother's piercing gaze. "Okay, fine, it's what you think. But I have not been cheating on Harry. Ha! Don't you even want to know why I would leave practically perfect Harry Potter?"
"No, I don't, because I'm afraid that I will be losing a son over your answer." Molly managed to look guilty at her brutal honesty. "I'm sorry, dear, I know you'd never leave him without reason. But if he has strayed, I know he's learned his lesson."
"Mum! I can't believe you! I'm your daughter! Do you know how hard it was for me to finally leave him? I haven't been happy in years." Ginny was standing with tears running down her cheeks.
"Ginny, you can't mean that. You were so happy to be getting married."
"You're right. I was. Because I thought that it would change… I leave for training in a few weeks. Please, just give me some time to sort things out. I promise to talk to you before I leave." She hugged her mother goodbye and headed to the floo calling out, "Grimmauld Place."
Ginny stumbled out of the fireplace and almost straight into Harry's arms. He held her close to him and whispered words of love and forgiveness into her hair. She froze in his embrace, unprepared to face him. She had been sure that he would have been at work during this time of the morning. He cupped her face and found her eyes cold and her face stoic. Changing tactics, he started crying, and he dropped to his knees as he apologized for hurting her. She stood still and let him have his moment. She could feel part of her wanting to just pretend it had never happened, pretend he really was the perfect man everyone thought he was.
Finally, she pulled away from him. "Harry, stop. Just stop. I know you are sorry, but I can't deal with you right now. I came to get my things."
"Gin, it was just once. You were gone and I was drunk. It was before we were engaged. I swear, it never happened again."
"That's just it, Harry. We have had this conversation before. Granted, it was years ago, but you swore that time, too. Maybe you need to stop drinking, stop hanging out in those pubs where every girl there wants to brag to her friends that she shagged the great Harry Potter."
"I always Obliviate them."
"Sweet Merlin, Harry. Do you even hear yourself? Them? As in more than one! That's my point. You can't even keep your lies straight. You do realize that you could lose your job, Auror Potter."
"I said that because of before. I have not cheated on you since we were engaged. I will not cheat on my wife, Ginny. I am not that person. I love you, and I am so sorry. Please believe me. I will do whatever you want. You can keep playing for as long as you want. You don't have to stay at home. Please, Gin. Don't do this to us."
"Harry, I love you, too. I just need some time. I'm staying with a friend. Please don't try to find me. I'm going back to the Harpies soon. You can owl me then." She shrugged free from his grip on her arm and went upstairs and began packing.
x
When Draco arrived home and called for Ginny, he was surprised that there was no answer. He asked Potty where she had gone, but his elf didn't know. He was heading towards the floo to contact Blaise when he heard the knock on the front door. Racing to the door, he yanked it open and found Ginny and Luna standing there amidst a mountain of boxes.
She smiled weakly at him, "I moved out. Can I bring my stuff in here for now?"
He let out a sigh of relief and opened the door wider, "Get in here. Hi Luna, still tormenting Blaise?"
Luna answered, as she passed, with an innocent smile that had long ago stopped working on her friends.
"Ginevra, go on in and get some food for the two of you. I'll get your things."
Luna gave Ginny a nudge and took her hand as they left the entryway. Draco began carrying boxes in, with Potty's help, and put them in the guest bedroom.
After dinner, Luna kissed Draco's cheek and whispered to him, "She needs to talk. I have my suspicions, but she didn't want to talk with me about it at their place. Be careful with her, Draco." She hugged Ginny, promised to see her soon, and left the two new flat mates.
He was prepared for Ginny to collapse into a ball of tears once Luna left. He was not prepared for her to attack him and try to seduce him atop the dining table. At first, he reacted only to her touches, but eventually he stopped her and just held her close to him.
He pulled her back to look into her eyes and stated, "It's time for you to stop running. You need to talk. I won't make you tell me anything, but I think you need to talk to someone."
"You won't want me when you know who I've become." She started crying and hung her head down. "I think he has broken me."
It took hours, but by the next morning, Draco had coaxed the entire saga of Ginny's relationship with Harry out of her. The sense of obligation that she felt to Harry was overwhelming, his lack of support of her career was surprising, and his cheating was enough to make Draco want to kill him. Over the years, Ginny had lost herself to this man. She had sacrificed her very identity to keep up the illusion that they were happy.
The next day, Draco found out that he had been promoted to Assistant Director of Public Relations in his department. He floo'd Ginny at lunch and informed her of the good news. He was exhausted from the night before, but his spirits were high, and he wanted to celebrate when he arrived home. When he exited the floo, he immediately saw the table set, candles lit, and Ginny standing at the end of the table wearing a beautiful, low-cut dress.
"Congratulations! I made dinner and a blackberry tart for dessert. I know it's your favourite." She walked over to him and kissed him before taking his things. "Come on, everything is ready."
"You are amazing! It smells wonderful." He grabbed her to him and kissed her again. This was the life he wanted. He would give anything for this to be real, for Ginny to be his. She seemed so cheerful to him, so much like the girl he knew.
"Thank you." She felt so much better after the night before. She almost felt giddy. A small voice inside of her was telling her that it was denial, but looking at Draco's happy face made her ignore that rational voice.
Later that night, after a delicious meal and a bottle or two of wine, Ginny found herself in the arms of her lover. It had been different this time. He had been sweet and tender, and she had let herself feel loved by him. They had taken their time, enjoying each intimate caress and every shared pleasure.
Lying together and feeling thoroughly happy, she had murmured into his chest, "I love you, Draco."
"I love you. You know that, though. I know that you are still dealing with things, but I want this, Ginevra. I want you. I still want to marry you if you will have me. … You don't have to say anything right now, just know that I am in this with you forever." He kissed her head and tried to ignore the feeling of her tears on his bare skin.
x
It had been three weeks of heaven for Draco. His parents had completely ignored him (finally), his work was going exceedingly well, and most importantly, Ginny had returned to him. Being with her again was the most satisfying feeling in the world. They seemed completely in sync with one another. Whether they were talking and laughing, flying at Blaise's house, or making love until the early hours of the morning, they were always happy and filled with love. Ginny insisted that they cook their meals together, and Draco actually enjoyed learning the mundane house chores that he usually left for Potty to do because it was time spent with her.
What Draco didn't know was that Ginny was feeling lost inside. As much as she loved Draco, she was still reeling from her abrupt break-up with Harry. She was struggling with wanting to forgive him. After all, she always had. Harry had much more control over her than even he understood. Most of her family was giving her space, but she had received a rather brutal letter from Ron informing her that she was destroying his best friend. Somehow, the papers had not caught on to the split, and it was just another draw to go running back to him. No one would ever know, and the wedding could happen in a few months as planned. Harry had even let go of his need for her to stay home and have babies right away. It was all very tempting, but the moment she heard Draco's voice, felt his touch, or looked into his eyes, she felt happy and peaceful, and bewildered. How could she possibly love two men at the same time?
When Draco had mentioned marriage, she felt trapped, and it was that feeling that had stayed with her at night. It was that feeling that had her running to Luna the week before, and it was that feeling that made her sign the lease to the flat downstairs from Luna without even considering what it would do to Draco. She had returned to the new flat to pick up the keys and her copy of the lease, which she was carrying in her hands, walking down the hall with her thoughts swirling frantically in her head, when the lift doors opened and revealed Blaise.
"Hey Red, did you just see Luna? No, wait, this isn't her floor." He paused and looked at her confusedly. Then he noticed the keys and paper in her hands, which he immediately snatched from her. After reading the lease, he looked at her angrily. "What are you doing to him?" He shook his head and handed her things back over. "I love you, but you're really testing the limits of our friendship. Draco is like my brother, and you're going to make him mental."
"I never told him that this was permanent!"
"No, of course not. You never tell him anything, except that you love him and then you don't. Or even better, you sleep with him and then run away. We both know he is a little girl when it comes to you. Dammit, Red. I mean it. You need to just leave him alone."
"I do love him, and just because you can't get Luna to come back to you does not mean that Draco doesn't get to have me." She was glaring at him as if she hated him, but he knew her well enough to know that the only one she really hated was herself.
"So he has you then? To have and to hold and all that rot? Cause that's what he wants. You ready for that?"
"I love him, and if he wants me then he –"
"Don't, Ginevra. I know you too well. I know you love him, but giving him false hope, that is not loving him."
She turned around and went down the stairs. Blaise sighed and put his head in his hands. As usual, when it came to Ginny, he probably just had made things a lot worse.
The next evening, Ginny was sitting at the dining table, anxiously waiting for Draco to return from work. Her toe was tapping rapidly against the floor and her hands were fidgeting with her shirtsleeves. She could see the floo light up from where she was seated. Draco came bounding in from the fireplace with a large bouquet of orchids in his arms.
He walked in and immediately crossed to her, giving her a lingering kiss, and presented her the flowers. "How was your day? Were you able to catch up with Luna?"
"Um, no. I ran into Blaise, actually. These are lovely; I'll put them in a vase."
It was at this time that Draco noticed her nervousness, and his heart began to sink. "No, let Potty do it. Potty!"
The elf appeared and looked quickly between the two. He looked very sadly at Draco since he knew what Ginny had been doing all afternoon. "Yes, Master?"
"Put these in the blue vase, please." Draco took the orchids from her and handed them to the house-elf who disappeared with a crack. He pulled out a chair and sat down, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. "Ginny, what is going on?"
"I …I," she sighed. "I found a flat this week and will be moving out … today." She would not look at him. "Draco, this has been wonderful, but I'm not ready to move in with you and settle down. I go back to training this weekend, and I'll be gone for months. Maybe when I get back, we can try this again." She finally looked over to him and saw him staring straight ahead. Slowly, the colour in his cheeks returned to normal and his body became rigid. He sat as still as a statue taking in her words.
Finally, with a quick inhale, he turned to her and said, "Well then, did you need any help or have you already moved all of your things?" His tone was all business, and it hurt her to see him like this.
"I only have one load left. We could go out to dinner, if you'd like."
"It's been a long day, Ginevra. I think I will just see you out and then go to bed."
She knew that she was being unfair, but she could not stop herself from pushing him. She wanted one more reassurance that he loved her before she left. It was utterly selfish, but in her grief, she could only see herself. "I thought you loved me, Draco! You won't even be civil? You know what I've been through. I was offering to go out with you and stop hiding away in your flat. I thought that you would appreciate that."
The composure that he was barely holding onto was gone in an instant. He jumped up from the table, knocking the chair backwards, and slammed his fist into the wall behind him. "Appreciate what? That you are not ashamed to be seen with me or that Potter already knows where you've been so it's okay if we are seen together? Which is it, Ginevra? Because only one of those sound like a good option to me. I am not your go-to guy for when he hurts you! Yes, I know what he's done to you, and it breaks my heart. Do I love you? How can you even say that? All I do is love you."
"Then you will wait for me! I'm not ready for this, Draco! I am not over him. I can't be with you right now, not like you want." She had rushed to him and grabbed his hands as she pleaded.
"Why am I not enough for you? We have been happy. We are always happy together. I never hurt you. I never betray you. I never let you down. How can you still want him?"
"I don't know." She fell back into her seat and began sobbing. "I know you are better, and that's why you deserve better than me."
"I get to choose what I deserve, Ginevra, and I choose you. I will always choose you!"
"I wish I could be what you want, Draco. I love you, but I just can't do this right now." She ran from the room, picked up a box and a small bag sitting by the fireplace, mumbled her destination, and left him.
A/N: Thank you Selena for pushing me to rework the opening and for all other great advice on this fic.
Thanks so much for reading! I have been working so much on my other fic, The Safe House, but I promise this one is still going to be finished.
Please review!