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.

Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and thanks for being patient for updates.

The next morning, Ginny woke with deep, dark rings underneath her eyes. Her sleep, when it had finally come in the early hours of the morning, had been troubled with thoughts of her new life, of how her parents would be disappointed in her, and of how easy it had been for her to forget herself because of a man's touch. The last thought had been fleeting but survived long enough to make her feel a pang of loneliness, one that had made her feel desolate enough to turn to the sidebar in the sitting room. Though she had never been much for the taste of stronger alcohols, preferring sweeter and lighter drinks, the brown liquids had done her well with the right amount of ice to dull the burn.

It wasn't that she was craving a relationship. It was simply that she didn't have very many friends. Growing up in a large family had ensured that she had lots of brothers around to support her—although time and time again she had questioned where they had been in her first year. But apart from them, she had very few people to socialize with. She spoke to Hermione whenever the older girl could spare some time from her busy life. And her correspondences with Luna were always amusing, but Luna would never sit around and gossip with her about inane things, unless it concerned some as of yet discovered creature. All in all, her choices in friends were pretty limited. She had spent so much time concentrating on her career, and now she wondered what that said about her considering the turn her career had taken.

Lucius's hinting at seduction, his hinting at exactly what she had almost done the night before, still made her queasy. Of course, it could be that she was slightly hung over. But in any case, she was still not entirely pleased with how things had happened. She wondered, and had been wondering since she stepped foot into her room, what he thought of her hasty disappearance. Did he think she had slept with Axel?

The thought irked her. He had fired his assistant for sleeping with a man. Even if it was his son, it was a bit hypocritical of Lucius to push her to do the same. Perhaps Romilda was trying to seduce Draco for some gain, her social standing most likely, but a gain for her nonetheless. Did that make her actions any different from Ginny's the night before?

She groaned, burying her head in the pillow, before she rolled out of bed, taking the sheet she had been wrapped up in with her. She slowly made her way across the bedroom and opened the doors that led to her private balcony. The sun was just rising, and she sank down on the cream colored circular chaise, large enough to fit three people. Snuggled down in large pillows, sheets cocooning her body, Ginny tried to prepare herself for the day ahead. Draco was here, after all, and he had found her in a compromising position.

"Hilly," she called tentatively.

The elf popped onto the balcony, her eyes darting to the small table next to the chaise. She immediately vanished the turned over bottle and glass Ginny had been drinking from the night before. "Yes, Miss?"

Ginny blushed slightly, feeling awkward. "Er, would it be possible for me to get a pack of smokes?"

The elf nodded. "Hilly will bring them to Miss."

"Thank you," Ginny said, even though the elf had already popped away.

Smoking was not something she did often. But she found the Wizarding version to Muggle cigarettes soothing. It could be the fact that they were laced with a calming agent, but, on the bright side, they weren't nearly as bad for her health as the Muggle version. She had picked up the habit after a rather rare night of binge drinking with her brothers. They didn't want their baby sister smoking, but after she wrestled George to the ground and stole his pack, they conceded defeat. Ever since, she would find herself, on occasion, craving the way her body responded to the slim, potion laced cigarettes.

Hilly returned with a selection of smokes. She recognized the cheaper brand that Fred and George smoked as well as the more expensive brand that she had seen Magnolia smoke from time to time. She had never tried them and decided that now would be a good time to do so. Plucking them from the basket Hilly held out, she removed one, surprised to see Hilly holding a small flame at the tip of her fingertips. Lighting the cigarette, Ginny took a small puff and sunk back into the pillows to watch the sunset.

Over two hours later, Ginny made her way down to breakfast freshly showered and dressed. She had taken a little more care in her attire today, choosing one of the suits that had been well tailored to her body. The navy blue suit was fitted, the trousers flaring slightly and the jacket conforming to her body. Satin lapels made it seem a little less plain, and she had paired it with a silky gray blouse underneath. She touched a hand to her habitual chignon, thinking she was much better equipped to face the Delilahs of the world.

She stopped short in the dining room as she saw two blond heads on the outdoor patio. She had never expected Lucius to actually dine in the restaurant, thinking he was more the type to have a private breakfast in his rooms. And as she tried to make an escape before either of the Malfoys saw her, gray eyes focused on her, and she had no choice but to walk the path towards their table, nodding when the waitress asked if she would like a menu.

The two men rose as she joined them, and she sat in a chair, still unused to the gentlemanly gesture. "Good morning."

"Get enough sleep last night, Weasley? Or did you sneak out to have a little—"

"How are you feeling, Miss Weasley? You did rush out of the fundraiser rather unexpectedly," Lucius said, cutting his son off without so much of a glance in his direction. "I assumed when Gerber did not return that he had escorted you to your room."

Draco snorted into his teacup, mumbling something that suspiciously sounded like, "He did a little more than escort."

Glaring at the younger blond, Ginny turned to her boss, nodding. "I do feel better. Thank you."

"I assumed the international travel had an adverse effect on you. It can be trying until you get used to it," Lucius said, almost sounding caring. "I am sure you couldn't afford it in the past."

And just like that, the concern disappeared.

"I'm sure that must have been it," Draco said, lazily leaning back in the upholstered chair. "It had nothing to do with her desire to spend some one on one time with a high, political figure."

Lucius's gaze snapped to hers, one eyebrow lifted. "Pardon?"

"I—it's not what he's making it sound like, sir," she said, not being able to help what was sure to be a tomato red blush from forming. She felt like snapping Draco's neck in that moment. "I didn't do what you wanted me to do."

"And what pray tell did you think I wanted you to do?" asked Lucius.

She saw genuine curiosity on his face and was suddenly mortified. "I thought, that is, I garnered you wanted me to—er, well, you know."

Draco began to chuckle. "Did you somehow become a prude in the last few hours, Weasley?"

"Shut it," Ginny snapped, unable to hold back her temper. She took a deep breath, staring at the canopy hanging from the slats of the cabana. "I would rather not discuss this here, sir."

"I cannot seem to garner a care for what you would rather, Miss Weasley." Lucius had an expression on his face, akin to the ones she had seen on her first day on the job. "I would like to know what it is you did on my supposed bidding."

"You er, implied, that you wanted me to seduce the Minister," Ginny said, so softly that neither man could hear her.

"For Merlin's sake, speak up, Weasley," Draco said, clearly receiving enjoyment from her embarrassment. "It's not all that hard to say."

"I thought you wanted me to get information from the Minister," Ginny tried.

"I did," Lucius said with a nod. "I am, however, curious as to what methods you think I expected you to apply."

"I, well, I just, didn't you want me to—"

"The fun is gone now," Draco drawled. He sipped his tea and cleared his throat. "Your dutiful assistant, under what she presumed to be your orders, had sex with Axel Gerber last night."

Simultaneously, three things happened. Ginny cried out a denial, Lucius emitted a strange sound as his eyebrows slammed together, and the waitress, who had been bringing over a cup of tea for Ginny, had the fine china slapped out of her hand when Ginny raised her hands in protest. Draco sat back and watched the chaos with undisguised pleasure.

"I'm so sorry," Ginny said, rushing to help the waitress.

"It's okay, Ma'am. I'll just get you another cup," she said, scurrying off while darting furtive glances behind Ginny.

Ginny turned and stared at Lucius, surprised and very confused as to why he seemed so shocked and, oddly enough, upset. Hadn't this been what he wanted her to do?

She sank down in her chair, blurting out, "I didn't sleep with him."

"That is true," Draco noted seriously. "She left after. I did expect you to be a post-coitus snuggle type of girl."

Ginny suppressed a growl. "I didn't shag him."

Lucius was quiet, and Ginny nervously fidgeted in her seat, thanking the waitress who hesitantly reappeared at her side with a cup of tea. Glad for the distraction, Ginny set about preparing her tea, mindful of the fact that two sets of gray eyes were trained on her. It was perhaps this awareness that made her unaware of the fact that someone was approaching her right side. And just as she was about to open her mouth and try and explain what happened to her boss, a strangled noise escaped her mouth.

"Ginevra, good to see you," Axel said. He plopped a pouch on the side of the table. "These belong to you."

Ginny cringed as she saw an earring peek out of the pouch. "Thank you, Minister Gerber."

He moved his hand away from the table when she called his formal name. "Yes, well, have a good day, Ginevra. You too, gentlemen."

It spoke volumes that Lucius, despite wanting to get in the Minister's good graces, said nothing. He was so intent on staring at Ginny, his eyes dropping to the pouch on the table, an indiscernible expression on his face. Whereas before, she had caught brief glimpses of shock and something akin to disappointment, he was now completely masked. The same could not be said for his son, who had a grin on his face, the likes of which Ginny had never seen before. If it wasn't at her expense, she would have thought it attractive.

She wanted to stab herself for even thinking it.

"We will discuss this in private," Lucius finally said. "Miss Weasley, I suggest you eat something. It seems you had a trying night."

Ginny shoved the pouch into her purse, her face flushed with heat as she listed off her breakfast order. The next half hour was a ridiculously quiet affair. Every clack of the fork against the plate seemed to ring in her ears, and every bite of her toast seemed loud to her ears. All the while, she couldn't help but to think of what she had misconstrued. Had she gotten all his hints wrong? Her stomach churned at the thought, and she pushed away the heavy meal, resorting to a few pieces of fruit.

Despite her situation, Ginny couldn't help to ogle at the sheer size of Lucius's suites. Whereas hers was a little smaller than her flat, Lucius's suite could comfortably fit three of her flats in it. The room didn't look that big on the outside, and Ginny had to imagine that there was a lot of magic aiding the size. And as the pictures had showed, it was decked out for royalty with opulent golds and bronzes.

She sat down in the settee to the right of Lucius, happy to note that Draco had wandered off through one of the many doors. They sat in silence, and Ginny, not wanting to disrupt Lucius's pensive mood, made her eyes wander, her fingertips rubbing against the soft fibers of the chair. It seemed Lucius had been using his sitting area as an office, if the parchments and quills scattered across the lone table were anything to go by. She found that odd, considering there was an office in the massive space.

Finally, after minutes of silence, Ginny squirmed in her chair. "Sir, I want you to know that I didn't sleep with him."

"Was my son lying then?" Lucius stared at her with cold eyes.

"Yes, about some of it anyway," Ginny muttered. She cleared her throat. "I went to his room, and well, I did see something pertaining to the company."

That seemed to distract him from what it was that happened in the room.

"Do tell?"

"I'm not really sure what it was," she said, feeling a little frustrated that she wasn't multilingual like the Malfoys. "It was written in German, but I picked out Malfoy International. I checked this morning and the address matches where the offices are."

Lucius leaned back, and Ginny noticed his cane was missing today. "Hmm, I wonder."

"His signature was at the bottom. I don't know if it was a letter or not," Ginny said.

Lucius glanced at her and nodded as if answering some private question. "Miss Weasley, are you familiar with Pensieves?"

Ginny nodded slowly. "I've never used one, but, yes, I know of them."

"I would like to view that memory, Miss Weasley. It is of importance," Lucius said. "If indeed Axel is signing off on these raids, then it means he is well aware of what is happening. If that is the case, well, it is damning information."

Ginny bit on her lip, contemplating the proposal. The idea of Lucius viewing that moment, an intimate moment in her mind, was terrifying. She didn't need Lucius to see as Axel unzipped her dress, or, a more awkward situation, seeing her reactions to Axel's touch. She had never been an exhibitionist, and she wouldn't try out that particular fetish with her boss.

"Miss Weasley, I will not judge you on your choices," Lucius said. "I simply want to see the document. That is all."

Easier said than done. But she knew, by the look on Lucius's face, that it was a demand wrapped in a nice bow that looked like a request. She had no skill for Occlumency, and she had felt Snape riffle through her mind before. It had not been a pleasant experience—especially since she had been fighting against him. She didn't know if Lucius had any talent in Legilimency, but she wouldn't put it past him. He was a powerful man, and she knew he had certain talents that Voldemort kept him around for.

"I'm not sure how to do this, sir," she said quietly.

"I will do all the work, Miss Weasley. You simply have to think of the moment," Lucius said, calling for a house elf. "I will need access to a Pensieve."

"I will agree to the viewing of the memory, but—"

"Yes, Miss Weasley, you will accompany me on this uncomfortable journey. I imagine you would feel less violated that way," Lucius said.

She wondered if he was reading her mind, suddenly averting her gaze.

"No, Miss Weasley, I am not reading your mind," Lucius said.

"She clearly doesn't know she reads like a book." Draco entered the room, dressed in a pair of khakis with a light blue sweater. An apple dangled from his hand, and he bit into it, giving her a wink. "One of those easy readers for kids."

"I don't think I'm the one the word easy should be used in conjecture with," Ginny said, blushing when Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Don't assume, Weasley, you'll always be incorrect. I'm the difficult one." He bit into the apple, swallowing before adding, "It's the women who throw themselves at me."

"Poor things. They must have tripped and fallen over your ego as you spoke to them," Ginny shot back.

"Children," Lucius drawled, though he seemed amused. "I suppose the world should be thankful you two were not in the same year at Hogwarts. You might have sped the war along by simply blowing up the school with your pettiness."

"A little dramatic, Father," Draco said. He tossed the apple carelessly into the wastebasket. "Well, as much as I would love to stick around for the amusement of seeing Weasley in action, I'd like to keep breakfast down. So I'm going to do a bit of exploring, visit a few friends, perhaps take a page from Weasley's easy reader and have a sh—"

"Out," Lucius snapped. As Draco walked away, Lucius called, "And don't get any witches pregnant. We don't need an international scandal on our hands."

Ginny grinned, not being able to help herself, even as Lucius turned his eyes on her. "Sorry."

"Yes, I see that," Lucius said, sarcasm evident.

A second later, a house elf popped into the room with a large stone basin weighing him down. He let the object levitate onto the desk and bowed his head before popping out of the room. Ginny barely saw him leave, too concentrated on the ominous gray stone that would soon hold her future embarrassment. She had never had to do anything like this for Magnolia, and she had certainly never had to anything like it in the war. The spying on the German Minister did seem a little like her break-ins to the former Headmaster's office however.

"Come, Miss Weasley. The process will not be painful, but I've heard the extraction can be uncomfortable when being done by someone else," Lucius said, staring at the wall behind her.

She wondered where he had heard such a thing but refused to think on it. Ginny had heard the things done to captives of Voldemort, and it wouldn't do her any good to dwell on it when one of the captors was now her boss. The war had become history, and even though it was still painful to think of the friends she lost, it would only cause her more turmoil to repeatedly bring it to the surface. She had enough confusion in her life to start questioning her morals of working for a former Death Eater.

Walking to the table, she tried to think back on only her moment with Axel as Lucius instructed her to do just that. Her tenuous grip on her concentration faltered for a moment when she saw Lucius point his wand at her, and it took everything to not draw her own—or run. Instead, she tried to grasp the memory, trying to concentrate as Lucius closed his eyes and murmured a few words, his wand hovering in front of her temple. Soon, a silvery substance materialized, and she watched with avid interest as Lucius maneuvered it into the bowl.

It shimmered and swirled, the silver color almost crystal and mirror-like. But when she stared at it, there was no reflection. She wanted to reach out to touch it, feel it slide within her fingers, but she curbed this irrational thought. That is, she curbed it until Lucius told her she would need to touch it in order to enter the memory. She steeled herself and lightly pressed a finger to it.

It was unnerving, like traveling by Portkey. But what was even more unnerving was seeing herself on the chaise, Axel fused to her back as he removed her earrings. She saw herself arch into his touch and was suddenly struck by how right both he and Draco were, she was very much like a cat. She even, mortifyingly, made an almost purring sound. She hurriedly looked away, not being able to bear the sight of herself.

"You have beautiful hair," he murmured.

"Miss Weasley," Lucius said in order to get her attention. "Where did you see the document?"

Ginny noticed he had no scruples with viewing the couple in front of him. "It's uh over there, on that table."

The two approached it, and she saw Lucius minutely shake his head as the couple next to them began to engage in what could only be described as a thorough snog. When Axel began to pull memory Ginny's zipper down, Lucius turned to her with a raised eyebrow, his glance falling to memory Ginny.

"Are there any nudity issues I should worry about?" Lucius asked.

"No," Ginny squeaked. She cleared her throat, her face painfully hot. "That's it."

"I see," Lucius said. He went back to viewing the document, only pausing to look at the couple when memory Ginny let out a gasp and placed the champagne glass on the table.

"You're like a kitten."

She thought she heard Lucius murmur something that sounded suspiciously like, "Typical of a Gryffindor."

"I'm sorry," Ginny stuttered, jumping as if shocked. 'I just remembered I—uh have a previous engagement. It's getting late."

Lucius spoke over the voices next to them. "It seems our esteemed Minister—"

"Ginevra—"

"—knows exactly what is happening."

"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—"

Lucius smirked. "Miss Weasley, are you aware that a simple 'no' would suffice? Most gentlemen know that 'no' does in fact mean no."

Ginny refused to answer.

He stood and helped her zip up the back of her dress. "Dinner tomorrow would be out of the question?"

"I will have to look into this matter further. It seems this trip—"

"I don't know if I'll even be here," she whispered.

"—was not a waste after all."

"If you ever visit Germany, Ginevra, don't hesitate to schedule a dinner with me—lunch if you prefer."

Ginny sighed in relief, knowing that it must be over now. They would be back in the hotel room soon, and she could go to her own room and die of embarrassment. But to her horror and Lucius's surprise, the memory seemed to shift, and they were standing in the hallway with Draco facing them. Ginny wondered if a memory could just eat her that way she would die right there.

"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."

"You must have been distracted during the extraction," Lucius said beside her. He cleared his throat. "I had not realized where the evening would go, Miss Weasley."

"It's not what you're thinking," she said hurriedly. "I didn't—"

"If I had, my son would have never been summoned," he finished.

Ginny realized that was the closest thing she would get to an apology from Lucius Malfoy—in person at least. She had held onto that letter he had written to her when offering her the job.

"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."

Abruptly, the memory ended, and she found herself standing on the plush carpet of Lucius's hotel room. A glance in the mirror hanging across the room verified that she was indeed flushed red, her entire body almost trembling from a mixture of frustration and mortification. There was an underlying feeling of resignation as she knew that the situation was out of her control at the moment. But the other two emotions weighed more heavily on the scale.

"I have much to muse on, Miss Weasley." Lucius pointed to an envelope on the table. "Michael has sent me a letter with his demands, and I must see to that. You may have some time to yourself. I will summon you when I need you."

"Yes, sir," Ginny said tiredly. She itched to get her fingers on a cigarette.

"My wife reminded me that I had not informed you of an expense account," Lucius said.

"No," Ginny said.

Lucius handed her a small envelope, the size of a birthday card. "I believe this is yours then. An afternoon to yourself could probably be spent brushing up on your wardrobe."

Ginny walked from the room, ripping the envelope open as soon as the door closed behind her. Inside was a small note from the financial department that explained what would count as a company expense. Her eyes widened as she realized just how much the company would write off. It also stated that Malfoy International had accounts with all major Wizarding establishments in all countries with a branch, and for Muggle establishments, she could use the card enclosed. Inside was an inky black card, a little bigger than a business card, and exactly like the one she had seen Narcissa use on their shopping trip.

Smiling, she decided that a little retail therapy on the Malfoys wouldn't hurt.