Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. Nor do I own Draco or Ginny or any of the characters. I do own the plot though, which I hope you all enjoy.

Speaking of plot, this chapter is being used as a spring board into the main part of the story. It's all set up now, they care for each other, and everything is set for the plot to move along. So, enjoy this chapter!

Without further ado:

Chapter 11

Ginny POV

The breathtaking fear that held me at the sight of Lucius Malfoy, my father-in-law I realized with disgust, slowly gave way to the hatred I was used to associating with the man. He had held me prisoner, tortured and nearly killed me just weeks ago. I hated him with a passion that took my breath away.

"I know he's your father, but I hate him," I told Draco, a fierce frown on my face as I stood in my closet looking over the clothes given to me.

"That I do not blame you for," Draco said, not even a hint of the lighthearted humor from earlier in the day. "I too hate him. As a young child I strove for his love, when I was older I learned to fear him, after he killed my mother I learned to hate him."

My heart ached for the man that had been forced into marriage with me. And it was by the hand of the man we both hated. Sure it was Voldemort's edict that gave Lucius the reason for it, but it was his idea that Draco should take me as a wife. In a way, I was grateful for it. The other option, I had learned, was to be a wife to the madman himself. And the care and tenderness that had grown between Draco and I could never have flourished in a marriage with Lucius. Just the thought made me sick.

As Draco went over what dinner was going to be like, I realized just how big a part I was going to have to play to keep not only myself safe, but Draco. Draco had grown up wearing a mask, pretending to like the life he lived. He even hid the hatred he felt towards his father behind a flawless facade. And now I was going to need to learn to wear that mask too.

I had at least a little leeway. The expected me to hate this, hate everyone around me and the life I was forced into. They even expected me to hate my husband. So even if my expression was not fully controlled, it wouldn't spell my death. But, as Draco informed me, outright glares of hate would still be enough ammunition for Lucius to take her punishment upon himself. The only emotions I could show that would be accepted were fear or acceptance.

So Draco was trying to teach me to hide my hate.

"I learned the art of hiding my emotions long ago. It was part of my childhood," Draco said as he helped me choose a dress for the evening. "It isn't easy to explain how I learned to do it, it feels as if I have always known. Just go inside yourself when you feel your emotions taking control. If you need to feign pride, think of something that made you proud. If you need to pretend to be happy, find something that makes you happy or at least calm and focus on that."

"Like the sound of my brothers laughing, or the smell of Mum's fresh baked cookies," I said, thinking of things that made me happy.

"Yes," he agreed with a nod. "Hold onto those memories and focus on them. Don't focus on the negatives, on what will happen if you fail. That will make you more nervous and it may show on your face."

"What if I can't," I asked softly.

"You have to," he said, his tone asking forgiveness for the harshness of his words. "If you feel yourself loosing control, you can't even look to me for help. I have my part to play too. I cannot show softness towards you out there. Outside these walls, past that door, I am a different person. You are one of the very few that sees the real me. My mother did and it was she who taught me to hide it. Blaise too. But out there nobody sees it."

He let out a sigh, zipping my dress and sitting me down on one of the cushioned benches. Kneeling in front of me, he took my hands in his. "They do not expect love to grow in these marriages that are forced between their side and yours. At most, they expect acceptance once children are in the equation, at least right away. The hope is that the wives will accept the views of their husbands and come to love them eventually but if they see such emotions between you and I after so short a time they will be very suspicious."

"So I have to pretend to be scared of you too?" I asked, frowning down at my hands in his. "You're all I have and out there I don't even have that?"

Nodding, he closed his eyes. "I wish I could have left you after that battle, hidden you from those men until they left. Your family could have found you then and you'd be safe," he said softly.

"Why didn't you?" I asked just as quietly, a large part of me wishing he had done just that.

He let out a short, humorless laugh. "I would like to say it's because you would have died if I'd left you there, even if it was only for a little while. It's true that would have happened, you wouldn't have made it. Your family would have found you're body. But that's not really why. Like I said, I have a part to play. It would have been very suspicious had it been found out I spared you. I would have been punished, or worse."

"Whatever the reason, you still saved my life," I said, leaving forward and kissing his lips ever so softly. "Maybe one day I'll be able to return the favor."

He smiled a bleak smile and nodded. "Perhaps," he agreed without much enthusiasm.

We sat there in silence for a long while. He didn't let go of my hands, just held them tenderly as if the single gesture could ward off the evil surrounding us. After a while, he stood and sought out a pair of heels for me to wear. Silently he slipped them on my feet, his touch lingering on my ankles after he clasped them.

I followed him after that into his own closet, trying fixing my hair in the mirror as he dressed. I soon became frustrated though for I was no good at putting my hair up elegantly without my wand. As it was, I hadn't seen my wand since the battle that changed my life. They had surely taken it away from me before I even gained consciousness that night.

Without my having to ask, Draco flicked his wand and wordlessly charmed my hair into an intricate bun with tendrils framing my face. Before long, were were both ready and sitting on the sofa in the living room, his arms around me, the only stability I had to cling to as my world fell apart once again.

My eyes were glued to the clock as the seconds ticked away, closer to seven with every small movement of the hands of the clock. "I'm scared, Draco," I whispered, breaking the silence that had fallen half an hour ago.

"Everything will be fine. It's just dinner with a few people," he said soothingly, his hand stroking my arm in long, slow moves. "There will be guests, but it's not going to be the Dark Lord himself. There would be much more pomp and circumstance if that were the case. The most dangerous one out there is my father and I know how to deal with him."

"And it'll only be for a few hours?" I asked, my voice small.

"Yes, dinner will be long, but no more than an hour. After that, we'll retire to the drawing room for tea and conversation. You'll just need to sit quietly beside me. Avoid eye contact and don't speak unless asked a question. I'll get us out of there as soon as possible though, no more than two or three hours out of here at most," he assured me before glancing at the clock.

Dinner was at seven sharp and the clock read six thirty five. Time was almost up. "You'll keep me safe, right," I asked, feeling scared as time ticked near.

"Always," he assured me, standing and pulling me with him. Then his lips were on mine, soft and gentle. The kiss didn't last long before he pulled away. "And that we will finished after all of this is done."

And suddenly he gave me the courage to get through this. Because I knew with him I'd be safe. And when it was all over, we would come back here and be together again. I felt more like my old self then, the one that was afraid of nothing and looked danger in the face and conquered it. Nothing, not even torture and near death, a forced marriage to a man I had hated, and undeniable danger every time that door opened could make me falter. Draco had given me my strength back.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking down at me with concern in his eyes.

"As I'll ever be," I replied, smiling a brave smile and leaning up to kiss him one last time before walking into the snake pit.

Sorry it wasn't the longest of chapters, but I feel it flows better than the last one. Let me know what you think! How was it?

Now, do you want to contribute to the story? Let me know who do you want the dinner quests to be and why? If I like your idea, you may see it in the next chapter!

As always, remember that a happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!