Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or Harry Potter related mentions in this story. Those all belong to JK Rowling - if they did belong to me, I probably wouldn't be here. Just saying.
To all my 'Guest' reviewers that I can't respond to, thanks so much for your reviews!
Ginny sighed, wrapping the thick, fluffy dressing gown tightly around herself as she moved to answer the door. She had expected that the house elf would have brought the snack she had requested from the kitchens, but it seemed perhaps her food was delivered at the door. Swinging the door open, she was both surprised and mortified to find Lucius Malfoy, dressed in his finest tuxedo, standing at her door.
"Miss Weasley, a word," he said, sweeping past her and into the room.
"Please, come in," she mock whispered, pulling her gown tighter around her. She closed the door, locking the deadbolt for good measure, and turned to face her boss, who had made himself comfortable on the sofa. "Sir?"
"How long have you been working for me, Miss Weasley?"
"Seems like forever," she muttered. "Not very long."
"What do you know about Germany and Malfoy International?" asked Lucius, placing his arm on the back of the chair.
"The Germany branch isn't doing well. There have been a lot of fraud investigations into Malfoy International, a lot of negative press, which I imagine isn't helping business along," Ginny said.
"No, it's not," Lucius agreed. "Do you know why?"
Ginny shook her head. "I'm assuming you do . . . sir."
"Nott Industries," Lucius said with a rueful smile. "Malfoy International has been run by the books for quite some years now. But Nott Industries seems to have a certain hold over some higher officials."
"The Minister?" Ginny questioned.
"No, not him," Lucius said, "which is why I have been so intent on meeting him. I don't believe he is quite aware of the corruption within his government. If he is, I would like to know."
Ginny waited for him to continue, and when he didn't, she sat in the armchair to his right. She wondered if perhaps she should excuse herself to put some clothes on. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable experience in the world to be so close to naked in front of her boss—especially considering his name was Lucius Malfoy. She patted her dressing gown down, smoothing her palms over the gold cotton.
"What do you know about Axel Gerber?"
"He is the youngest Minister to sit on the International Confederation of Wizards as well as the youngest Minister of Germany. He's passed many bills that prevent certain practices—"
"Dark Arts. I won't be offended," he assured her.
"Yes," Ginny said. "He speaks many languages fluently and all without the hint of a German accent—"
"And he is single," Lucius interrupted.
Ginny closed her mouth with a snap. "Yes."
"Attractive too," Lucius said. "And he likes pretty baubles."
"Yes," Ginny said.
"You've not been with me long, Miss Weasley. But you are smart," he said, looking away from her. "You have a great deal more commonsense than I thought. You are certainly more adept at this than previous assistants."
"Thank you," Ginny said.
"You are not conventionally pretty, though you've proved valuable. Your manners are abysmal, and your temper is a great inconvenience," he added as if she hadn't spoken. "Furthermore, you cannot lie and are not particularly cunning. Your social skills are lacking immensely."
Ginny realized that Lucius would never be able to pay her a compliment.
Lucius stared at her for a moment before calling for the house elf. "A tea service, now."
"Sir, I am going to assume that there was something I was supposed to glean from this conversation?" she asked bluntly.
"Perhaps you weren't as smart as I thought." He cocked his head to the side. "Go and get dressed, Miss Weasley. Fashionably late was undoubtedly a phrase coined by a woman."
Ginny's brow furrowed as she stood up and moved into the bedroom. She closed the doors and twisted the lock, the conversation running through her head like a broken record. He was trying to tell her something, and she couldn't quite fit the pieces together. It had to do with the German Minister, of that she was sure.
Sighing, she unhooked the dress from the hanger, slipping it on her body. It was a plain navy dress with a high collar, though the back dipped just under her shoulder blades. There was a small, discreet slit on the right side of the dress, and jewels trimmed the hem of the dress. She waved her wand at her hair, and it was instantly pinned back in a chignon—something that had become customary recently. It was the only spell she knew. She finished her look with minimal makeup. All in all, she managed to still feel like Ginny Weasley: conservative, no large split threatening to reveal things she would rather not, and the heel on her sandals were low.
She took a deep breath, still puzzled by Lucius's earlier speech, and entered the sitting room. There was no subtle glance over, only a blatant inspection of her attire. From the curl of his lip, she realized that he did not approve, and he seemed to shake his head slightly. She knew that it was conservative, though the fabric did cling to her skin, but she didn't quite expect such obvious disapproval.
"I see you're dressed, and perhaps not as smart as I thought." He took an envelope out of one of his interior jacket pockets, calling out for an elf. "This needs to reach its destination immediately."
Ginny was used to insults from her boss. He did it often and without preamble. But she wasn't ready for the disappointed tone. It was almost fatherly disapproval. It didn't cut into her like her own father's did, but she certainly felt a little ashamed that she hadn't deciphered whatever meaning he had meant her to figure out. Certainly, her frustration with the situation only increased, and she felt much like she had on her first day of working for him: clueless.
As they Portkeyed to their destination, the hotel the fundraiser would be hosted at too far to drive, she wondered what it was that she was missing from the conversation. Minister Gerber was the topic. She thought of all that Lucius had said and that she had said. Gerber was young and ambitious, perhaps unaware of shady business deals between his workers and Nott Industries. Lucius needed to know whether or not he was truly unawares or if he was a part of it.
Her thoughts stopped momentarily as they landed at the venues Portkey point. They stepped down onto a red carpet, Ginny being helped down from the dais by one of the attendants. She gingerly stepped onto a plush red carpet and kept a sedated pace behind Lucius as she attempted to take in the scene. Reporters stood behind a red rope, calling out to the various people adorning the carpet. She recognized some as the team members, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. It was surprising when some of them called out for Mr. Malfoy, and even more so when he actually stepped towards them.
"Sir, what brings you to New York?"
"Business. I wish I could be here more for vacationing purposes. It is a lively atmosphere," he drawled, smiling at the reporter, who blushed in response.
"Are the rumors true that there is discord in Malfoy Industries?"
"I assure you that business runs as usual. I am only here for my usual, routine analysis of the office," Lucius said. He waved to the woman and said, "But I must go join the festivities and celebrate our team."
"One last question, Mr. Malfoy," the reporter shouted.
"Yes?"
"Who are you wearing?"
Ginny snorted, the only sound she had made since the impromptu interview began. It wasn't surprising that he chanced her a brief glance. What was surprising, however, was that he answered. She had no idea who Giorgio Armani was, nor why the lady dithered and complimented him on his taste. But she moved on, following him down the carpet, attempting to blend in and not drag attention to herself. Lucius clearly did not feel the same way as he was currently waving and flashing smiles at various photographers.
They both paused when Michael Adams approached them, a beguiling grin on his face. "Sir, good of you to come."
"I wouldn't miss a chance to support our team," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"Ginevra," he greeted.
"I would prefer Ms. Weasley, thank you," Ginny replied frostily.
He seemed taken aback but schooled his features. "Miss Weasley, good to see you."
"Likewise, Mr. Adams," she replied, refusing to rise to his bait.
As he walked away to talk to a throng of reporters, Lucius raised an eyebrow. "A little cold, Miss Weasley?"
"Hmph," Ginny said, turning away. The man simply rubbed her the wrong way. "I think we should go inside and see the team."
Lucius simply shook his head and led the way into the red-lit ballroom. They had taken the team colors, red and white, and made the entire ballroom a shrine to it. The whole room had a modern atmosphere to it, lively music reverberating throughout the room, and the walls being bathed in alternating red and white lights. The chandelier that hung from the ceiling also had red and white baubles hanging from it.
She paused as she saw the baubles. Hadn't Lucius said that Axel Gerber liked pretty baubles? She stared at the man standing close to her, wondering if that was what he had meant. Did he mean for her to look like some sexed up arm candy that could distract men into telling her their secrets? She knew that was probably what he meant. After all, he had been thrilled at her attire for the last function she attended—which had only been two nights ago.
"Little Ginny Weasley!"
Ginny cringed at the moniker but smiled at Britain's Minister anyway, happy for a distraction from her thoughts. "Hello, Minister Shacklebolt."
"None of that now," the large man admonished. He gave her a gentle hug, unbefitting of his size but familiar to the youngest Weasley. He had been a comforting presence to her family at many trials in their lives, and they had been more than happy to campaign for him to take place as Minister. "I missed you at the last reunion dinner."
The reunion dinners were now a common thing amongst all the former Order of Phoenix members. Every two weeks, they gathered at the old headquarters and had dinner, catching up on the lives, unthreatened lives, of their old friends. And while Ginny, nor any of the younger Weasleys, had officially been a part of the Order, they were still recognized as integral parts of that unit. They had, after all, been as much a part of the battle as everyone else. Fred was believed dead at one point—but then again, Snape had been believed dead as well. There were a few minutes of heart wrenching despair that rippled through the Weasley family before Fred was 'resurrected' as he had dubbed it.
"Unfortunately I had to work," Ginny said, stepping back from him. Remembering where she was, she gestured to Lucius. "I believe you know my boss, Lucius Malfoy."
"You have been busy. This must have been a promotion," Kingsley said, a polite smile on his face. "Lucius, it has been awhile since I've gotten any complaints on you."
"I can only imagine that's a good thing," Lucius said tensely.
"Of course," Kingsley agreed. "Last check of the market showed that your business was doing quite splendidly."
"With employees like Miss Weasley, how could it not?" Lucius didn't sound complimentary, but he also didn't sound sarcastic either.
"Yes, she is a dedicated individual," Kingsley agreed.
By the look on his face, Ginny knew he was thinking about the war, about her antics in her sixth year. It seemed so odd that they would be standing with the enemy, the man who had tried on many occasions to kill them. The surrealism of it all didn't fail to amaze her, nor did the fact that there was no level of animosity. Kingsley wasn't his usual jolly self, but he was polite, controlled. How times had changed that they could now stand next to the man that Kingsley had called a coward when Ginny had, one sleepless night at headquarters, revealed the events of her first year.
To break the morose mood, Ginny turned to Kingsley. "So what brings you here?"
"I'm in town for some Ministry affairs and was invited as a guest of—"
"Minister Shacklebolt, Minster Gerber is approaching," a mousy man said from next to Kingsley—his assistant Ginny assumed. "Sorry to interrupt."
"Axel, sorry I couldn't meet you at the Ministry earlier. I had a late Portkey," Kingsley said.
As the two conversed, Lucius eyed Ginny speculatively. "You know, Miss Weasley, I'm beginning to think that I over estimated your skills of deduction."
Frustrated, Ginny couldn't help the words that spilled from her mouth. "I am sorry that I seem to be so clueless to your half sentences that I'm supposed to form into a whole command."
His lips quirked a little. "Temper, Miss Weasley. If you would only think hard on what I said, you would understand not what I'm commanding you to do, but what I hope you would do. And do well. What difference is a drunken hallway experience to a calculated plan with favorable and possibly pleasurable results?"
Ginny took a good look at Axel Gerber, and suddenly, Lucius's words fell into her head. He was single. He was attractive—and Lucius certainly had good taste in men. Axel Gerber was tall with broad shoulders and a full head of brown hair, which seemed to be perfectly coiffed to look rather careless. Striking blue eyes swept past her as he observed the Minister's companions, and she saw the slightest bit of scruff adorning his chin. And then it made sense.
She froze and stared at Lucius, disbelievingly. He was concentrated on the German Minister and did not notice that she had finally made sense of his cryptic message. He wanted her to—she felt dizzy. It all seemed so wrong, yet he expected that she would get that message. He expected that she would know and find no fault in his meaning. Had he really meant for her to seduce the head of a country? To have sex with someone for information?
"Axel, this is Ginevra Weasley. She was a part of the Order," Kingsley said. "Ginny, Axel Gerber—"
"The German Minister of Magic," Ginny breathed, an uncomfortable blush creeping up her cheeks as her thoughts swam of seduction. "Good to meet you, sir."
"I am not much older than you, Ms. Weasley. Call me Axel," he said, extending his hand.
She shook it. "Ginn—Ginevra."
Kingsley looked between the pair. "And this is Lucius Malfoy."
"Of Malfoy International?"
"Yes, sir," Lucius said, seeming to gauge the man's response.
"Pleasure to meet you. Your name is quite common in my office," Axel said.
"Is that so? I was not made aware of this fact," Lucius said curiously. "Nothing bad I hope?"
He frowned. "Well, I would hate to bear bad news, but I hear it isn't going well. I've heard you're having trouble securing contracts."
"I will need to investigate this issue," Lucius said. "But tonight is about my team. So all talk of business will simply have to cease."
Ginny recognized a well played maneuver. Instantly, the German Minister entered a light conversation with Kingsley about the sport, and it became obvious that Kingsley was his guest. They were seated at the same table—as were, coincidentally, Ginny and Lucius. Kingsley seemed happy to have her at his table, interjecting that Ginny used to play Quidditch at school.
"I was a Chaser," Ginny said when asked by the Minister. "I dreamt of being a Quidditch star."
"And now you're an assistant," the Minister said with a small smile. "Don't worry. I dreamt of being a musician. But these hands are more suited to write laws than play music."
"I'm sure you're a talented musician," Ginny said, cringing at the obvious flirtation.
"As you must be a gifted Quidditch player," he replied.
Ginny covered her smile with a muted thank you. Knowing what Lucius had been implying earlier made her feel both uncomfortable and awkward. She didn't want to continue a conversation with the exceedingly handsome man, despite, it seemed, Kingsley's best efforts. The man kept interrupting the silence with things he thought Minister Gerber would find interesting about her. All the while, Lucius sat next to her with a calculating gaze.
She hurriedly excused herself from the table. And when all the men moved to stand, she held out her hands to stop them. "No, please, sit. I'll only be a moment. Thank you though for that whole—uhm gentleman thing. Lovely."
"Was it something I said?" she heard the German Minister ask the other two men.
She didn't wait to hear any response, leaving the ballroom. She was immediately accosted by reporters as she made her way outside, and she managed to slip past the shutters of the camera—not unnoticed. The hotel they were hosting the event at had a beautiful garden, and she wandered around, getting herself well and truly lost.
Finally, after a few minutes of aimless wandering, she sank down onto the edge of a fountain, the splash of the water soothing to her ears. She didn't mind that she could feel the mist dampening her dress. She only needed to breathe and think, in peace. She couldn't think about her sudden discovery in the ballroom, couldn't process her rapidly growing unease.
Lucius Malfoy wanted her to seduce someone for information. Was this the seedy side of the business world? Was this what was expected of her as a female? Her unease spread throughout her body, her stomach roiling uncomfortably. She had done many things in her short lifetime, including fought in a war at the tender age of sixteen. She had been possessed by a mad man when she was eleven. She had even had a relationship with the savior of the Wizarding World, and while that wasn't nearly as devastating as a war and possession, it had been trying.
But to think that she was supposed to use feminine wiles—ones she didn't think she even possessed—to get information about a company. "It's not the bloody country for Merlin's sake."
"Ms. Weasley?"
Ginny's head flew up as she saw the German Minster approaching her. "Sir—I mean Axel, what are you doing out here?"
"It is a long time to be in the bathroom, even for a lady," he said. "Should I retrieve Mr. Malfoy or Minister Shacklebolt?"
"No, no, I'm fine. Really, unharmed," Ginny said with a false smile. "I only needed a bit of fresh air and perhaps something that wasn't red to look at."
"Understandably," he said. He seemed to hesitate before opening his mouth once more. "I was well informed of the war, Ms. Weasley—"
"Ginn—I mean, Ginevra," she said.
Because Ginny was too close to home, too close to what her friends called her. This was a man that her boss wanted her to sleep with, and she didn't intend on knowing him on any personal level. None.
"Ginevra, then. Lucius Malfoy, you fought against him," Axel said.
"Yes, I did. With everything I had," she replied, turning away. "It's a funny thing, forgiveness. Sometimes you don't even know it's being given. It just happens."
"Do you have problems with him?" Axel asked.
"No," Ginny said. "He's my boss. Sometimes he behaves like a tyrant, but it's really all for business. Without his demeanor, the business wouldn't be nearly as successful as it is today."
"I think you're very understanding, Ms. Weasley," he said.
"No, we simply see things differently." Ginny shook her head, laughing a little to herself. "He wants an outcome, and he uses his resources to get them."
"A little callous," Axel commented.
"I don't think so, not really. He just acknowledges things about life that other people won't," Ginny said. She shrugged. "It's why he is where he is today and not locked up in Azkaban like most people wanted him to be. He knows how things are, and he knows where he needs to fall in life to get the right outcome."
"Even breaking laws?"
Ginny smiled ruefully. "We've all broken a law or two. It was war."
Axel nodded. "I remember reading of it when I was in school, all the indecision that surrounded our Ministry's decision. I think it was perhaps one of the defining moments in deciding what to do with my future. The headlines were—they were horrific, and my country did nothing."
"While I think help would have been nice, your leaders were probably in the right. There was so much senseless killing. And like it or not, Voldemort," she paused, "would have found followers in your country as well."
He seemed to ponder this before nodding. "You are correct, I think."
"After the war, everyone in my family kept discussing this popular notion of seeing things in black and white instead of seeing the shades of gray in between," Ginny said idly, not caring who she was talking to. "Life can't be black and white. It would be too easy if I could automatically assume someone was wrong and evil from one action—or a few in some cases. But things aren't neat, and people can't be easily categorized."
"Are you trying to tell me something, Ginevra?"
She shook her head, tendrils of red hair falling from the chignon. "No, I'm just talking."
"In that case, would you care to continue this conversation elsewhere?" he asked. "I would love to hear more about your opinions and Quidditch. I do love that sport."
Ginny bit her lip, contemplating. On one hand, she could say no and go back in to face Lucius's scathing comments about her inability to get the hint. On the other, she could go with Axel and have a meaningless conversation with him. If she gleaned anything about the business, then that would only be a bonus. Being in the same room as an attractive male didn't mean sex. And Lucius wanted her to seduce information from him, didn't he? Wouldn't this be seen as a step in the right direction?
"Was my offer presumptuous?"
"I—no, uhm, not at all," she said, shaking her head quickly as if to remove the thoughts from her head by force. "Yes, I would like that."
"I believe we're staying at the same hotel," he said. "I offered Minister Shacklebolt and Mr. Malfoy to escort you back if I found you unwell."
"That takes care of that then," she muttered to herself.
She stood and dusted off her dress, allowing him to escort her further into the maze. There was something to be said about being escorted home by the German Minister. For one, there were three guards standing around them. Two, she didn't have to worry about the swarm of reporters since they were privately Portkeyed back to the hotel.
She didn't know how it happened. They had been sitting in his lavish hotel room, one that rivaled Lucius's, and she had been admiring the decor, all rich blue hues and cream accents. She had taken a spot on a chaise lounge, oblivious to the fact that he had taken a spot next to her when he handed her a flute of champagne. And when his hand touched her wrist, she had shivered at the contact. When his hand reached up and touched the knot of hair at the nape of her neck, the magic seeming to sizzle under his touch as the red locks fell around her shoulder.
"You have beautiful hair," he murmured.
Ginny didn't listen to much else after that, her long time away from the male sex catching up with her. His touch traveled through the red strands and to her shoulder, running up behind her ear to finger the diamond hoops. He gently removed them, and she hesitated for a moment—but only a moment. His finger on her cheek, urging her to turn towards him, and his lips on her neck were enough for her to decide. It didn't make sense. It was everything that she hadn't meant to do when coming here. But it was everything that she, being a woman in a time of stress, felt like doing.
He pressed his lips to her, the lingering taste of champagne on his lips. There was no spark, no rush of feelings. He was a man. She was a woman. And she didn't care that his hand was sliding up her back, grasping the zipper and tugging it. She only reached up and clasped her hand around his neck, pulling him towards her. Her champagne glass, nearly empty, was still in her other hand, and she pulled away, not wanting to spill all over the carpet. She reached out to the small side table next to her, placing the glass on the desk.
Even in her current state, Axel's hand running up and down the naked skin of her back, she couldn't help but to notice Malfoy International, an address, and German words she didn't understand. But Axel Gerber's signature was prominent at the bottom, and considering Lucius's worry, she could decipher what it was about. She bit her lip, her thoughts swirling, even as she arched into his touch.
"You're like a kitten."
Draco Malfoy. She was strongly reminded of him calling her a feline, not to mention the way she had felt drunkenly pressed against him as he carried her to bed. The thought shook her to the core—and not in the good way.
"I'm sorry," Ginny stuttered, jumping as if shocked. 'I just remembered I—uh have a previous engagement. It's getting late."
"Ginevra—"
"I'm sorry, Axel," she said, struggling to zip her dress back up. "I'm not this kind of girl, who sleeps with politicians and—"
He stood and helped her zip up the back of her dress. "Dinner tomorrow would be out of the question?"
"I don't know if I'll even be here," she whispered.
As she walked to the door, she heard him say, "If you ever visit Germany, Ginevra, don't hesitate to schedule a dinner with me—lunch if you prefer."
She twisted the doorknob and exited the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Her hair tickled her nose as she leaned against the door, breathing in deeply. Ginny had just committed the very act that Lucius wanted her to. She had found out the information and not by talking. There hadn't been much talking after she had left the fundraiser, none at all really.
Ginny blushed as she realized that there were two guards standing at the door, neither one looking at her. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and dashed down the hall, her shoes dangling from one hand. It was unthinkable that there would be anyone housed on the same floor as the German Minister. She was sure he would require privacy. So when she saw a man stepping off the lifts, she assumed he was part of the German Minister's crew. But dressed as he was, hands tucked into a navy blue jacket, it didn't seem likely.
And then she saw his hair. There were only two men she knew with that shade of blond. When he looked up at her, she froze on the spot, her eyes locking with steel gray eyes. His lips quirked, and she saw his glance fall on the two guards that stood behind her. She couldn't help but to flush red, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
"Well, well, it looks like Father didn't need to summon me after all." Draco approached her, eyes trailing across her rumpled hair to the shoes in her hand. "He was right though. The German Minister wouldn't tell him anything, only a younger person could persuade him."
"It's not what you're thinking," she said hurriedly. "I didn't—"
"There's a spell to cover that up, Weasley. You might want to try it," he said, reaching out to touch her neck.
She flinched. "I didn't—"
"No need to defend your choices to me, Weasley," he said, smirking. "You're not the first woman to use sex to get their way, and you certainly won't be the last. I never thought you had it in you."
"That is not what I did," she said forcefully. Somehow, having Draco Malfoy believe she slept with him bothered her. "I was going to but I couldn't. I'm not that person."
"Chin up, Weasley, at least your body is appealing to some," he drawled, stepping past her and to a door on her right.
She walked away feeling dirty, despite not having done anything. She had only stumbled across the information, not seduced him for it. Ginny repeated this over and over in her head, even as she applied a charm to her neck and scrubbed her body pink in the shower. As she did, she turned her brain off. She didn't want to think of why she had jumped to Draco Malfoy while kissing another man. She definitely didn't want to think about why she felt anything about him believing she had sex with Axel. She didn't want to think.
