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Title: What Ginny Forgot

Summary: "After one too many hits to the head from a Bludger, you've forgotten the past ten years," Malfoy said slowly, staring at her as if she were dumb. "You've forgotten you have kids and you've forgotten me. Your husband. Which is rather rude, you must admit." D/G

Disclaimer: None of it is mine!

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The silence that stretched between Draco and Ginny left her feeling incredibly small. It also heightened the normally soft sounds in the room: his uneven breathing, the pounding of her heart, the people walking by outside the room, a child crying further down the corridor.

Once the Healer had left, giving one last encouraging smile before shutting the door behind him, there seemed to be nothing left to say. Physically, her body was once again back to normal, or as close to it as possible. No longer was her head pounding, her stomach rolling, her palms sweating. It seemed that now that there was only one choice left—she had to remember—her body wasn't trying to fight her.

Ginny glanced at Draco, who seemed to have trouble looking up from the floor.

She understood, of course. What was he supposed to say? Better yet, what was she supposed to say? After everything she had blurted out while in pain, confessing her fears of losing him, of knowing about the divorce papers, of not wanting to remember, what could they possibly say to each other?

Slowly, Ginny released her breath and leaned back against the pillows. It was Christmas morning, the children were likely waking up now if they hadn't already during the commotion of their parents leaving, and here Ginny and Draco sat, unwilling to leave the temporary calm the hospital room offered them. At this point, Ginny was more than a little surprised her body was still functioning. How could she still be able to properly think after everything that had happened? So much had occurred over the past twenty-four hours that she was half waiting for her body to shut down from lack of sleep.

At the thought of sleep, Ginny let her eyes flutter shut. It was much easier to deal with this situation when she was able to ignore everything around her, pretending the darkness that her eyes provided was a refuge. Hadn't she done the same thing only hours ago when she had visited Azkaban?

Her stomach somersaulted and she opened her eyes. There was still so much Draco didn't know, so much she didn't know. It had to be dealt with, whether they liked it or not. The idea had terrified her in the shadows of her bedroom—had truly scared her since the accident first happened, if she was being honest—but there was no denying the fact that Ginny had to face her fears and remember.

"Draco—"

Whatever she had wanted to say was forgotten when he lifted his head, not quite meeting her gaze. Merlin, even now he looked so beautiful. Clenching her hands in the sheets, Ginny fought the urge to rush out of the bed and into his arms. If she felt better now, was there a chance she could make it through the day with the children, with him, and not have any issues? No headache, no tears, no guilt? Maybe they could have one last day together…

Draco seemed to know what she was thinking, for he stood from his spot and sat down on the edge of the bed. He reached over and gently uncurled her left fist, so that he could properly look over her hand. Ginny could remember waking up at St. Mungo's only a week ago; the shock that had overwhelmed her when she looked at her hands and realized she didn't recognize them, not completely, came to mind. But Draco recognized them, that much was clear. His touch was tender as his thumb brushed over her skin, uncaring of the veins that showed underneath her freckles or the uneven suntan.

When his thumb traced the sapphire of her wedding ring, she stopped breathing.

He noticed, his grip tightening slightly. Then, he spoke.

"Where should we go?"

Ginny stiffened.

"What?"

Draco's lips twitched into a frown and he released his hold of her hand. The loss of his touch made her stomach drop and Ginny fought to keep the disappointment from showing on her face.

"We need to go somewhere you can relax. Our house likely won't be the best—"

"No," Ginny cut in, reaching for his hand again. She let her hand drop before she could grab him, feeling strangely awkward. Clearing her throat, she continued, "It's Christmas, Draco. The children need at least one of us home. It isn't fair to them."

Draco let out a sharp laugh, one that reminded her far too much of Lucius.

"You expect me to leave you alone?"

"Well, yeah. The children are going to know something's wrong if neither of us are there."

"Something is wrong, Ginny," Draco snapped. "We need to deal with this. It's not as though we can go home and play pretend for another day. The time has certainly passed for that."

She flinched; she forgot how cutting his words could be when he wanted them to be. Angrily, he ran a hand through his hair before abruptly standing. Ginny followed his movements with her eyes.

Though she supposed she should be touched that Draco wanted to be with her while she tore down her mental walls, she couldn't help but balk at the idea. There was simply no way she could justify taking Draco from the children on Christmas morning. They already endured a week from hell, living with a mother who didn't remember them. How could she take away the father that did know them, that recalled every last detail about them, on such a special day? Ginny wouldn't allow that to happen, even if she had to Stupefy Draco and have Blaise come by to grab him after she made a hasty escape.

That seemed more than a little dramatic, but Ginny couldn't help it. Desperation had begun to fill her at the thought of the children being without either of their parents on Christmas. She had already made so many mistakes…

Draco sighed softly, and the sound beckoned Ginny's attention back to her husband. He was by the window, staring out of it, looking as lost in his thoughts as Ginny had been only seconds ago. Then he sighed again and turned back towards her.

"I'll send an owl to my mother, letting her know what the Healer said."

"Draco—"

"I'm not sure where it would be best to go, however. It would have to be quiet and away from curious eyes," he murmured, hand rubbing his chin absentmindedly.

"Draco, listen—"

"Or simply somewhere you'd be comfortable. I was wondering about the Quidditch pitch. It is your favorite place to go, but it might not be the best location since that's where the accident happened. I also think it wise if we don't tell your family about this. Your mother will worry horribly, and I can't imagine you dealing with that also—"

"Listen to me, will you!" Ginny cried out, standing from the bed.

Thankfully, dizziness did not sweep over her as it had whenever she made sudden movements the last few hours. Draco stopped speaking, his eyes meeting hers for the first time since the Healer had left them. She licked her lips, unsure of where to begin now that she had his full attention. He was trying to force her hand, to not give her a choice, to make sure he was with her when her memories returned, and Ginny wanted to be appreciative, really.

But she had already made up her mind.

"You're going home, Draco. You're going to go home and make sure the children are okay. They should be your first priority."

"You're my wife," he responded, frowning. "I should be with you."

She swallowed thickly.

Ginny couldn't help but wonder if he was so insistent on staying with her because, perhaps, he wouldn't have done so before. The thought made her want to sit back down. Instead she lifted her chin and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm more than capable of doing this by myself."

His eyebrows rose slightly, expressing his skepticism. An unwelcome blush stained her cheeks and Ginny rolled her eyes. When her head had felt ready to explode, forcing her from her sleep and making her desperate for relief, she had needed help, that much was true. And Draco had been there beside her, as frantic as she was to fix everything. But it was different now. They knew what to do, how to fix it. And, at the moment, she was free of pain.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Ginny said softly, taking a hesitant step towards him. "For bringing me here and for wanting to come with me, and… I'm sorry for blurting everything out like that earlier. I hadn't meant…"

She trailed off. Draco didn't move towards her but his expression softened.

"Ginny… If I had known you knew about the papers…" He paused, unsure.

Now it was her turn to look unconvinced. Instead of pressing to find out what, exactly, Draco would've done, Ginny opted for a different route.

"I didn't tell you I knew because I was afraid it'd make everything more complicated between us. And I'm—I'm happy I hadn't, to be honest. But, look, I—I was afraid earlier, at home." Terrified, more like. But she didn't need to elaborate, for she knew Draco understood. "But I'm not now. Or not as afraid as I had been, I guess. I need to do this, I know that now. I hadn't realized that I was the reason my memories weren't coming back. But now I know, and I know I can fix this myself, but I need to know you're taking care of the children. I need to know they're happy as I deal with this. I need to know you're with them."

Twisting her hands in front of her, Ginny took another step closer to him. She looked up at him.

"Trust me with this," she implored.

He stared back at her, hard. His eyes moved over her face, going from one of her eyes to the other. Then his gaze lifted. Draco reached out, and his fingers dusted over her forehead. She could only assume he was searching for the tender spot from her accident that had disappeared days ago.

The tension in Draco's body left him.

"Where will you go?" he asked.

"The Burrow."

Ginny hadn't thought on it, but the answer came without hesitation. She recalled leaving St. Mungo's a week ago with Ron and Molly, frightened and lost. The idea of going to the Burrow had eased her worries then. After she spoke, the same relief came to her.

"Let me go with you there, at least. Then I'll head home."

It was the only way he'd let her do this, Ginny knew. So she nodded, hoping the small smile that graced her face was enough to comfort him with the plan they had agreed on.

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The sun was warm on the back of Ginny's neck as they walked up the dirt path to the front door. Dew glistened on the grass from the morning light, and the chickens were clucking in their coop, comfortable despite the chill that hung in the air. Smoke rose from the chimney, promising warmth once the pair entered the house, and Ginny could spy some of the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree from the front window.

Draco wouldn't stop looking at her from the corner of his eye as they approached the Burrow. Every time she'd try to meet his gaze, however, his attention would be directed towards the lopsided house. Ginny wanted to say something to him about it— she wanted to say anything, really—but the words kept dying in her throat as soon as she thought of something.

Far too soon, they were at the front door. It opened easily for Ginny and she stepped in first, then Draco followed. The house was abnormally quiet, likely from how early it was, and Ginny snuck a glance at the clock on the mantel. She cringed when she saw it was past six. Orion, Gray, and Lyra were certainly awake by now. Were they very worried as they sat with Blaise and Narcissa at breakfast? Or had they accepted what the adults had told them and were busy opening presents?

Automatically, Ginny headed towards the kitchen. She rubbed her arms to get some warmth back into her body, aware of the fact that she was still in pajamas. As she got a glass of water, she wondered if Draco or St. Mungo's had put the loose-fitting pants on her that she now wore. After gulping down the water, Ginny turned and warily glanced at Draco. He was staring at her.

"This is it, then?"

She refilled her glass, waiting for him to continue.

"I leave you and continue on with my day, waiting for you to send an owl letting me know when you'd like to see me again?"

Placing the cup on the counter, Ginny shook her head. Her hair, almost untamable at this point, covered her face, giving her a moment to collect herself. Then she pushed it away. Draco's eyes hadn't left her in that time.

"This is the best option."

"Your parents aren't home. You knew that, didn't you?"

She frowned, surprised by his guarded tone. But… but it was true. Effortlessly, Ginny recalled that every Christmas morning her parents left early to go to Bill's. Bill and Fleur were always the earliest risers of the Weasley children, though not as early as Arthur and Molly. Ginny had known that, another hidden fact that swayed her actions without her even knowing.

"You shouldn't be alone."

"Draco, please," Ginny almost groaned. "I'll be fine. It's almost seven, you should—"

"Head home, yes, I know that's where you'd like me best," he hissed. "But I can't leave you like this. What if something happens to you? Hmm? You'll be here alone and no one will know. Do you realize how much you frightened me earlier? I thought, fuck, I had thought—"

He stopped speaking abruptly and reached out to grab onto the back of one of the chairs. His knuckles were white. Desperation made her voice pitch high when she spoke.

"I wish I could go with you, go and see the children, not do this. I hadn't thought our first Christmas together we'd be…" Ginny broke off, frustration making her lip tremble. This wasn't their first Christmas together. He had already had plenty of Christmases with her. "If I could go with you, I would. Don't you believe me?"

His lips pressed together, and he looked away from her. Draco was holding back from saying something he shouldn't, Ginny knew, and the familiar mantra echoed in her head: make him fight, don't let him hide away, make him stay. The mental chant made her stiffen as she prepared herself for a fight with him.

But then he glanced back at her, resignation clear on his face.

"Of course, I do."

Draco inhaled sharply through his nose, his jaw clenched. Then he let go of the chair and approached her. Ginny stared. Some part of her was aware that normally Draco would shut down, that she'd have to fight and scream to get his attention, that even then he'd be stubborn in his argument. Deep down, Ginny knew this was different of Draco: agreeing with her easily, allowing her to win when he didn't want her to, willing to talk out the disagreement instead of ignoring it.

"Ginny…"

He stood in front of her, eyes hooded as he stared down at her. Ginny's mouth went dry, heart hammering as she waited for Draco to continue speaking. Because, suddenly, she needed to hear what he was going to say.

"What are you two doing here?"

Ginny shrieked at the additional voice, jumping slightly. Her hand knocked the cup behind her, sending it flying into the sink. The glass shattering and water spilling everywhere were barely processed as Ginny spotted the intruder.

"Charlie!"

Her older brother grinned at her sleepily as he leaned in the doorway of the kitchen. She hadn't even thought about the fact that Charlie was home for the holidays this year, even though she had seen him just last night.

"Happy Christmas," he greeted, covering his mouth as he yawned.

Despite his drowsy appearance, his eyes were burning with curiosity as they bounced between Draco and Ginny. Draco's expression cleared of emotions, and he took several large steps away from her. Letting out a slightly shrill laugh, Ginny pushed off the counter towards Charlie. He held out his arms, and she stepped into his embrace.

"Happy Christmas," she muttered into his shirt, tightening her arms around him.

Ginny used the moment to collect herself before stepping away. Even though she wanted to smile brightly at her brother, she knew the façade would be seen through easily. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Didn't mean to scare you," Charlie told her, though his grin begged to differ.

"What are you doing here? Aren't Mum and Dad at Bill's?"

"Slept in. Mum tried to have me up at five, that mad woman. I'm not sure she realizes that Victoire, Louis, and Dominique like to sleep in on Christmas morning now; they're not little kids anymore. I was about to head that way soon."

He looked between the pair again, his eyebrows lifting high on his forehead.

"Enough about me. Why are you lot here? Where are the kids? Decided to leave them to fend for themselves this morning?"

Her lips cracked into a smile. Exhaustion kept her from coming up with a lie so, instead, she met his eyes and waved distractedly at her head.

"Having some issues with this brain of mine."

The teasing tone she used didn't stop worry from immediately coloring Charlie's face.

"Are you okay?"

Charlie looked over her shoulder at Draco. Ginny glanced at Draco too but his face was still perfectly blank. She sighed and turned back to Charlie.

"I'm fine. Draco's about to head back home to be with the kids. I just… need some time here to rest."

Charlie nodded slowly, but his eyes were narrowed.

"Can I help somehow?"

Ginny opened her mouth to respond—No, go see Bill and the kids, don't tell Mum, okay?—but Draco beat her to it.

"Actually, yes."

Closing her mouth with a snap, Ginny turned around to meet Draco's gaze. He wouldn't meet hers, however, instead staring intently at Charlie. She felt Charlie tense behind her, always ready to help out when asked, and she fought a groan. Anything she said to try to oppose what Draco asked of Charlie would fall on deaf ears now.

Great.

"If you could stay with her for a bit," Draco began, his voice oddly light. "I'd… greatly appreciate it. I'll send someone over—"

"Draco—" She tried to interrupt, but he paid her no mind.

"—so that you'll be able to go to Bill's. An hour? Maybe two? I don't want her to be alone."

"Of course," Charlie agreed, his hand coming to rest on Ginny's shoulder. "Should I write Mum?"

"No," Ginny said at once, glowering at Draco. "No, Mum doesn't need to know. It's nothing serious."

Draco glanced at her then but didn't contradict her.

"I'll take you up to your room?" Draco offered when the silence in the kitchen stretched on.

Ginny nodded reluctantly before turning and smiling at Charlie. Her older brother looked between the two, his face clouded with confusion, but he didn't stop them when they walked past him.

The route to her bedroom was familiar in a way that nothing else would be, engrained in her since she was young. Already, the tension that had filled her in the kitchen was ebbing away. Each step brought her closer to comfort and, she knew, to answers. Hours ago, the prospect frightened her. Now, it strangely brought relief.

No more pretending. No more uncertainty. No longer would she be in the dark. She would know her children again. If everything with Draco was ruined, if her memories came back and she realized she was a horrible person, if she hated herself after all this—at least she'd remember Orion, Gray, and Lyra.

Entering her bedroom, Ginny crawled into her bed without checking to see if Draco was behind her. She knew he was. The bed welcomed her, comfortable despite disuse, and she buried her face in one of the pillows.

It smelt of cinnamon and honey, like the pies her mum enjoyed making when she was restless. There was also another scent, and Ginny could only assume it was her niece, Rose, who liked sleeping in this room over the summer.

The door clicked shut, and Ginny rolled over to face her husband. Unlike in the kitchen, his face was now relaxed. He took a long look around her bedroom before meeting her stare. What was he thinking? Was he on the same train of thought she was now—how only a week ago he had entered this bedroom but under completely different circumstances? It was strange to remember how off-balance Ginny had felt when Draco had stood in front of her after rushing back from the States, the husband she didn't know, the man she hated, reading her expressions without her permission, picking up on a conversation she didn't recall, watching her intently, waiting for something.

Did he remember that moment the same as she did?

She wanted to say something to break the silence, but nothing would come. This felt like goodbye, in some twisted way. Everything would be different once her memories came back. Ginny almost regretted how quickly she had pushed him to go back home, to make sure the children were okay. If this was goodbye… was this really how she wanted it to play out?

Without hesitation, Ginny stood from the bed and rushed over to Draco. She threw her arms around him and pulled him close.

"Draco…"

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for anything I've done. I want to understand. I want to fix this. I don't want us to change. Stay with me. Go to the children. I love you, I love you, I love you…

Draco's arms wrapped around her, his hand guiding her head to his chest. She could hear his heart racing. Ginny wondered if there were things he wanted to say now. Would they even make sense to her? Was this really the right thing to do? Maybe he should stay, maybe he'd be able to help her…

Ginny stepped out of his embrace before she could talk herself out of letting him leave.

"Thank you. For… for being on my side."

He cocked his head in surprise.

"That first day, when we were fighting and I went to Harry's… if you hadn't agreed to help me, this—everything would've been a lot harder for me."

His lips curled in a small smile, as if the memory was one that brought him joy.

"I like when we're on the same side," he admitted, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.

"Me too."

She tried to memorize his face as they spoke. What if once she remembered everything he didn't look at her like this? What if he didn't smile at her or laugh with her? What if they weren't on the same side anymore?

No. Ginny couldn't think like that. She would make it work. She would fix it. Her memoires returning didn't mean their marriage was over. If anything, the past week proved that Draco wanted to keep working on their marriage. Nothing had to change.

Right?

Draco reached out and cupped her cheek. His touch calmed her racing mind and she relaxed, leaning into his hand before meeting his gaze. Ginny's breath caught in her throat when she saw how stormy his eyes had become while she was lost in her thoughts. Slowly, his thumb brushed over her lips; his touch made them part. She struggled to keep her breath steady. Where his thumb had touched her, her skin now tingled.

Without second guessing herself, Ginny lifted her hands and wrapped them in the cloth of Draco's shirt. Her touch was all the permission he needed. Draco lowered his lips to meet hers; the kiss was gentle, warm, innocent in some strange way. Her eyes fluttered shut as she inhaled.

Mint.

The scent overwhelmed her and she tightened her grip on his shirt, unwilling to let him step away. One of his hands reached up, brushing her hair from her face, as he deepened the kiss. Ginny shivered; even as warmth flooded her body, her heart sank. If they hadn't been saying goodbye before, they certainly were now.

Then Draco was gone, no longer there to anchor her.

Ginny swayed and opened her eyes. Draco was almost completely out of the room, his hand on the doorknob. His head was bowed, and when he spoke it was directed to the floor.

"Rest, Ginny. I'll send Charlie up in a moment. And…" He paused. "Don't be afraid."

He closed the door behind him.

Unconsciously, Ginny twisted her wedding ring with her thumb as she stared at the door. An odd feeling settled over her as she walked back to the bed, relaxing back onto it with a frown.

Loneliness.

Even when she had initially lost her memory, Ginny had never felt lonely. But now, without Draco beside her, she did. She had asked him to go home to the children and he had. Nonetheless, the dark emotion lingered, heavy in her chest. Resting her left hand on her breast, Ginny stared at the ceiling.

It was Christmas morning, and she was alone.

The Burrow was so quiet that she could hear Charlie's muffled voice; Draco must've just entered the kitchen. She knew her older brother would be coming up to see her soon, ready to question her over her and Draco's bizarre behavior. Rolling onto her side, Ginny squeezed her eyes shut.

She wanted to get this over with. She wanted to go home to see her children, to spend Christmas with her husband. She wanted answers. Finally, she wanted answers.

Sleep came to her easily, as if it had simply been waiting all along for Ginny to admit defeat and close her eyes.

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And Ginny remembered.

She remembered sitting with her friend Maggie at St. Mungo's, so thankful that she had stayed behind in the locker room with her. If she hadn't, Maggie's old boyfriend could've killed her when he attacked her. He almost had; the scar along Maggie's neck proved it. Easily, the memory of Ginny sitting with George as he talked about new inventions for his shop came to mind. It was replaced with her eating lunch with Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Rose and thinking about how much she missed Harry. It was like they weren't even dating anymore. That memory was swapped for another: she was listening to her coaches drone on about improper conduct outside of the pitch. The talk wasn't directed completely at her, but she was aware of their eyes on her—there had been plenty of bad press already over rumors that her relationship with Harry wouldn't last.

Ginny recalled standing in the shower, the hot water running down her body as she stared blankly at the wall. She hated herself—she hated the gossip and the press and all the bloody rumors because they were right. Harry had come home over two hours ago and had immediately started working on his reports. His eyes hadn't met hers once, not when he said hello, not when she told him about her day, not when she sat across from him at the kitchen table and offered to make tea. They weren't going to make it; this relationship was dead where before it used to be full of life—his dedication to his job had torn them apart.

She would never let work be the most important thing in her life ever again.

The memory of Rose falling asleep against her chest, of the uniquely innocent smell babies carried, came to her. Rose was one already and growing up so fast, just like Victoire and Dominique and Molly, just like Teddy, who she wouldn't see nearly as much if she broke up with Harry. The realization was painful.

It was so simple, suddenly, to reminisce about bringing her kitten, Witherwings, to the Burrow. Arthur had cuddled the kitten against his chest, his eyes closing contently. The pair had fallen asleep on the porch as Ginny and her mum spoke about visiting Charlie in Romania. She remembered sunshine next as she sat in Neville's garden with Luna and laughed over the garden gnomes Neville couldn't get rid of.

"I'd feel awful hexing them," he said as Ginny snickered into her hand. "Look at them, Gin."

In a flash, she saw herself sitting across Hermione and Luna at Ron and Hermione's house. Rose was playing with toys on the floor beside them. Her small hand would randomly reach out and grab onto Ginny's pants, giving the cloth a soft tug. Ginny smiled down at her niece before turning her attention back to her friends.

They were staring at her expectantly.

"What?" she asked, eyes wide. "What were you saying?"

"Luna wants you to befriend Draco Malfoy," Hermione informed her, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Ginny blinked, looking between the pair.

What?

"I'm sorry," Ginny began slowly. "I missed something, didn't I? Luna, why would you want me to be friends with Malfoy?"

Hermione shrugged, her amusement over the situation shining through. Turning her attention completely to Luna, Ginny tried to figure out if her friend was joking. It was not a simple task. Smiling dreamily, Luna stared at Ginny with her head tilted.

Speaking of…

"Luna, why are you even friends with Malfoy?"

It was only a few weeks ago that Luna had surprised Ginny by having Malfoy join them at Split Potion for lunch. Ginny hadn't had a chance to interrogate Luna over her mad decision to invite the former Death Eater to their weekly get-together—between Ginny's Quidditch schedule and Luna's adventures out of country there simply wasn't time. But she had been awfully curious whenever she thought on it. The trio hadn't spoken of anything important during the meal, though Ginny and Malfoy bickered the majority of the time. But… Luna hadn't seemed to mind. She would only jump in when they became particularly vicious with each other.

Ginny thought of Malfoy's lifeless eyes and shivered.

"Hadn't you noticed?" Luna responded. "Draco's rather lonely. I went to an event with Rolf for the naturalist committee and found Draco was forced there for work. I began talking to him, much to his displeasure. When I invited him to tea, though, he accepted."

Frowning, Ginny looked away from Luna to the mug cupped in her hands. Malfoy was lonely? How was that possible?

"What did you say to him that got him to agree?" Hermione asked.

Ginny glanced up, curiosity nipping at her. Luna shrugged happily.

"I told him I didn't blame him for me being locked up in the dungeons below his house," Luna told them lightly.

Jaw dropping, Ginny looked to Hermione and saw she was equally surprised by the admission. Luna continued speaking, unaware or uncaring of Hermione and Ginny's reactions.

"And that I'd like for us to become friends. I'm afraid that Draco's been pushed to the side because of his decisions during the war, despite the fact that he was a child when it all happened. It shows clearly. He's quite smart but works in a shamefully low position at the Ministry, despite having been there for years; we agree it's because of his father's past influence in the government. He can't get promoted despite putting in for promotions numerous times. No one trusts him to do a good job."

Hermione and Ginny were both frozen, listening to Luna chat idly. To be honest, Ginny had never once thought of Malfoy after Hogwarts. She tried not to think of any former Death Eaters, unless, of course, Harry mentioned in conversation if he had arrested or dueled them.

"He'd be an excellent choice to help Harry reform Azkaban," Luna continued. "He won't listen to me when I tell him that. I think you could get through to him, Ginny."

"Why? Why him? Bloody hell, why me? We could barely get through the meal the other week."

"His father is locked up there," Hermione mused, eyebrows furrowing. "And he is smart, even if he's a prat. He was right behind me in grades at Hogwarts, remember? If he were to work with Harry, if they were both willing, it could help heal some of the old wounds from the war. Two enemies coming together to fix a broken-down prison system—Azkaban was a staple of the old administration, wasn't it? Fudge loved the Dementors, wouldn't speak against them…"

Luna nodded along with Hermione before focusing on Ginny.

"And I think he enjoys you, Ginny."

Ginny frowned. He enjoyed her? What did that even mean?

"Did he tell you that?"

"No. But I could see it in his eyes, couldn't you?"

Thinking back on the meal, she tried to remember more about Malfoy. His eyes had seemed lifeless in the beginning, but at the end of the meal, after all their fighting, had they been?

The room around Ginny faded. And other memories came to surface. The heartache of breaking up with Harry almost overwhelmed her, feeling so fresh that her chest hurt. Ginny could remember staring at the last box on the floor of their shared flat, his flat now, and knowing this was the right decision even if it was painful. Molly's face, forlorn, came to mind at the news of the breakup; her mum didn't want to believe it. Then Ginny recalled sitting across Percy at his desk at the Ministry, teasing him about how utterly boring his office looked. He smiled at her, because it was true, before hiding it. Then he asked her how she felt moving back in with their parents in her late twenties and the moment was ruined.

Ginny remembered Luna coming to the Burrow the first day she had moved back home, happy that they were neighbors again—even though Luna had long ago moved out of her father's house. Then, suddenly, she was flying. The wind whipped her hair as she flew beside Maggie, sharing a grin after performing a particularly difficult move without injury during a grueling practice. The first meal she shared with Harry at the Burrow, awkward and painful, came next. She knew they'd see each other all the time and she had to get used to it, but Ginny couldn't comprehend the loneliness the sight of him brought—she didn't miss him, per se, but she missed the company.

But they had talked about Azkaban. Luna had told Harry about potentially bringing Malfoy on board. Harry, so hesitant, asked Ginny what she thought of the plan. Was Malfoy a good choice? Would she be able to convince him to help? Was she even willing to help still, after… everything? Ginny had thought of Hagrid, stuck in Azkaban her first year, and of Sirius, wrongfully convicted, and of Malfoy's father, wasting away. And she agreed to talk to Malfoy, to continue helping Harry with the project because it was the right thing to do, and a true smile bloomed on his face, directed at her for the first time in months. Relief made his shoulders sag, and they had laughed together and it felt good—

Then, suddenly, Ginny remembered Draco.

They were sitting across each other in a restaurant, surrounded by tables full of happy couples and chattering friends. Ginny had been more than a little surprised that when she wrote to Malfoy about meeting up he had actually agreed. Now, a week after he sent her an owl approving her suggested time and place, they were avoiding each other's eyes. Why had she picked such a public place? Why had she agreed to do this at all? She hadn't felt this uncomfortable since the first time Harry came to the Burrow after their breakup.

Shaking her head, Ginny pasted a large smile on her face and looked at Malfoy.

"So, Malfoy," she began before trailing off.

He had focused on her when she began speaking, his eyes piercing, and it made her lose her train of thought. Luna was right—they certainly weren't as lifeless as Ginny had previously believed.

"Staring is rather rude, Weasley. Though I suppose I'm not too surprised your parents never taught you manners."

Heat rushed to her cheeks. The scowl came to her mouth naturally, but she forced it away. She was trying to convince him to help Harry. Ginny refused to fight with him, even if the git deserved it.

"Malfoy," Ginny tried again. "Thanks for meeting up."

"I've reached a rather low point in my life," he informed her, his eyes leaving hers as he examined the menu. "This is simply another event to signify this. No thanks needed."

Her grip on her glass of water tightened.

"I'm sure Luna mentioned to you Harry's plan for Azka—"

"Ah, yes," Malfoy interrupted. "Potter's brilliant idea to reform the most inept detention center out of all the wizarding communities. Tell me, is he very proud of himself for thinking up this plan to go to the Ministry and ask a favor before passing all the dirty work on to me? Does he view himself very noble?"

It happened without her stopping to think about it: Ginny ditched her plan to be civil and polite.

"After all, I don't believe our beloved hero has ever been told no. I'm sure he's simply exhausted himself—"

"I'd forgotten how much you have on your plate," Ginny snapped. "You've been working so hard at the Ministry—what is it you do again?"

Malfoy's lips twitched.

"Wasting all of your time sitting at a desk, working for someone who pays you no mind, who doesn't value your work," Ginny paused. "You must be very pleased with yourself."

Malfoy leaned forward, eyes narrowed. She braced herself for his retort, adrenaline pumping through her system. But, instead, the hostility on Malfoy's face disappeared and he seemed to relax. His gaze darted over her face.

"I was wondering how long you'd hold up that amicable act. Not long at all," he observed. "Once again, I can't say I'm too shocked. You're rather predicable."

Malfoy's attention went to the menu again. As Ginny stared in confusion, he continued speaking.

"I told Lovegood I would do her the favor of meeting up with you. Let's make this quick and painless, shall we? I have no intention of teaming up with Potter. I'd much rather spend a few months in Azkaban as it is now than do that. Where is the waiter? You would pick a place with such horrible service…"

Determination replaced the bewilderment that had coursed through Ginny. Oh, he thought he'd get off that easy? Did he know who she was? Picking up her own menu, Ginny readied her retort—

Everything melted away. She could remember her hand against Hermione's stomach, laughing when the baby kicked. There were nights when she'd go out to the pub with George and Ron; they'd tell the most ridiculous story they could, trying to best the others. George almost always won. Ginny recalled bringing sweets over to Bill's house, surprising Victoire and Dominique. Her toes were dug into the sand as the children ran by the edge of the water. Bill brought out some pumpkin juice. Victoire asked Ginny to help her build a castle out of pebbles as Bill swung Dominique onto his shoulders.

It was nice.

And there were memories of more meetings with Draco. Every time they met up at a fancy restaurant, Ginny questioned why she was even there. Or, more so, why he was still answering her owls and showing up. Maybe she still met up with him because she couldn't convince him that the plan for Azkaban was a good idea, and she was determined to sway his opinion. Maybe he still met up with her to watch the frustration slowly build in her before she ended up snapping at him—sometimes storming off to the washroom to calm down or throwing her linen at him, causing him to frown scornfully at her.

Ginny recalled leaving Split Potion with him, the meeting as unsuccessful as the other handful of attempts over the past month. They stood under the overhang, both eyeing the rain unenthusiastically. Her attention was drawn to Malfoy when he pulled a silver case out from inside his cloak. When he popped it open, a row of cigarettes was revealed. Malfoy moved with ease, lifting one to his lips and lighting it with the tip of his wand.

After he exhaled, the smoke hanging between them, Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're not going to offer me one?"

Malfoy took another drag while considering her. A single eyebrow rose high on his forehead.

"I'm surprised you smoke," he admitted.

His eyes were sharp as they looked her over.

"You know nearly nothing about me," Ginny retorted.

"I know you play Quidditch professionally. Or as professionally as being a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies can be considered."

She rolled her eyes, but an amused smile graced her lips. When Malfoy noticed the smile, a look she didn't recognize colored his face and she forced her amusement away. He was not funny. Ginny wasn't going to let him think he was entertaining… even if it seemed that his insults now lacked their normal maliciousness. Sometimes they seemed more teasing and mocking than anything else.

Reaching over, she snagged a cigarette from the case.

Mimicking Malfoy, Ginny put the cigarette to her lips before lighting it with the tip of her wand. Malfoy was right; she didn't smoke often. If any of her teammates or coaches saw her, she'd be dead meat. But… if it was a way to share something with the prat, she'd do it.

Smoking the cigarette also gave her a moment to think. It hit her as they stood beside each other, not touching but almost, that maybe she had been going about this whole thing wrong. Luna had told her that Malfoy enjoyed spending time with her. Ginny hadn't believed it, not at first, but now she couldn't help but examine the facts.

Was there a chance that what Luna had said was true? Did Malfoy actually like spending time with Ginny?

He was still meeting up with her, after all. Whenever she wrote him, he wrote back almost right away and was always willing to get together. Sometimes she thought he even seemed… relaxed around her. And, though Ginny didn't like to admit that Luna could be right about this crazy idea, Luna had always had a bizarrely accurate gift of reading people.

Was there a better way Ginny could be going about this? These dinners clearly weren't working.

"Look, Malfoy," Ginny mumbled, the cigarette dangling from her mouth. "We need to start doing something else."

"What are you referring to, exactly?"

Ginny inhaled before lowering the cigarette beside her. The smoke burned inside her lungs. She let it out slowly before meeting his gaze.

"As fun as it is eating food with you and having you ignore everything I say, there has to be a better way to spend our time."

He made a sound in his throat, but she wasn't sure if he was agreeing with her or not. Biting her lip as she let her cigarette burn down, Ginny's thoughts raced. Now that the idea had entered her head—Malfoy really did like hanging out with her—she couldn't stop herself from looking at her own feelings on their strange arrangement. Over the past month, she had spent more time with Malfoy than Luna or Neville or Hermione. Everyone was so bloody busy, and Malfoy was the only one who agreed to meet whenever she sent him an owl.

And she hadn't ever really hesitated on writing him about meeting up after their initial meeting.

Her stomach squeezed at the thought.

While their meals were still weird, they did bounce ideas back and forth about what Harry should put on his newest draft that he planned on giving to the Ministry— often followed by insults or sarcasm. Harry had written up, with Hermione's help when she wasn't busy with Rose, at least six different drafts. Malfoy had even begun to have a bottle of wine ordered and ready to share if he beat Ginny to the restaurant. And while they never strayed too far from topic, it was still…

Nice? No. It was… entertaining. In some strange way. Though they usually just fought there were still some times that they'd sit in silence and it wasn't uncomfortable. Sometimes he'd say something that would make her grin. Sometimes she'd say something that would make his eyebrows shoot upwards. There weren't many instances that she caught Malfoy by surprise. Ugh, her ancestors must be turning in their graves right now.

The sound of the rain hitting the cobblestone filled the silence between them. She took another drag before speaking.

"The Arrows are playing next weekend. Fancy going to the game together instead of doing another dinner here?"

Malfoy didn't respond for a long moment. His gray eyes flickered over her, analyzing her in a way that was foreign to her. If it was anyone other than Malfoy looking at her that way she'd almost think… The thought left her when Malfoy nodded slightly. Surprise flitted through her. Ginny hadn't actually expected him to say yes. She ignored the fact that she was rather pleased about it, that it meant Luna was right, that this was taking their odd relationship to a different level.

The rain was replaced with a clear, night sky. Her face still felt warm from laughing so hard, surrounded by her family and friends; everyone had come together to celebrate her birthday at the Burrow. Even Charlie. She recalled spending almost every day with Charlie during his trip home. They went to Diagon Alley to visit George's joke shop, they went to the Ministry to see Percy and Arthur, they spent time at Shell Cottage with Bill and the kids. They passed out on Ron and Hermione's couch after having some drinks and reminiscing about their childhood with George, Ron, and, very shockingly, Percy.

Then, suddenly, she was fighting laughter as she left a Quidditch game with Malfoy. Spending time together at Quidditch games was much more fun than their earlier meetups at restaurants. And, yeah, they definitely didn't talk about Azkaban at all, but it was because the Chudley Cannons had surprisingly played a great game, putting up an amazing defense for the first time in, well, ever.

"I'd hardly call that game worthy of praise," Malfoy drawled.

While Ginny was hardly able to stop the giggles from escaping, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes twinkled, Malfoy displayed very little emotion.

"Oh, don't be a git," she managed to get out. "You're just upset because I heard you cheering for the Cannons."

His lip curled.

"I was not cheering for the Cannons."

"Sure," Ginny laughed. "I must've completely made that up, Malfoy."

She started laughing again. Ron wouldn't believe her when she told him that Malfoy had been excited for the Cannons when their Chaser scored, making the game a tie. Ginny could hardly believe it herself.

"How about this?" Malfoy said suddenly. "A deal, between the two of us."

Ginny pursed her lips and pointed a finger at him.

"Are you trying to bribe me for my silence?"

Something akin to amusement flickered across his face. Ginny tilted her head, wondering if she saw that right.

"Indeed."

They stopped walking and Ginny turned to face him completely. The crowd moved around them, as though they were two rocks in a river, forcing the tide to part. When she met his gaze, warmth flashed through her before settling low in her stomach.

She inhaled sharply at the feeling.

"If you don't spread the lie that I cheered during this game—" Ginny snorted. He continued on. "—then I give you permission to call me by my first name."

"You give me permission?" Ginny repeated without thinking. "What an honor."

Who did he think he was? Bloody prat. Ginny rolled her eyes and kept walking, aware that Malfoy was following behind her. Looking over her shoulder, their eyes locked. In that brief moment she realized, in some way, maybe it did mean something to him. He certainly never called her by her first name. They never had! But… but their relationship was different now than it had been at Hogwarts.

Malfoy—Draco—wasn't the person she had thought he was. As much as Ginny hated to admit it, it was true. The more time she spent with him, the more she was forced to realize that Malfoy was so much more than anyone knew. Perhaps this was him extending a hand of… friendship. Or something more than they currently were. If he was telling her she could call him by his first name, even if he did it in his own arrogant way, it meant he respected her enough to cross a line they had never crossed before.

She felt him behind her and found herself turning and saying "Fine, Draco, you've got yourself a deal." And she swore, for a moment, his cheeks had gone pink.

Ginny was no longer at a Quidditch match. She was sitting next to Maggie in the locker room, complaining about their overbearing captains. Then, in a flash, Ginny was rushing to St. Mungo's; Hermione was in labor. The whole family was there, even Harry. Most of the wait, Ginny sat beside Harry, talking about his latest draft in a whisper. Molly continued to look at the pair excitedly; even after being broken up for a couple months now, her mum truly believed Harry and Ginny would get back together.

But when Ginny looked at Harry she no longer felt the staggering loneliness she had before. As they discussed Azkaban, as Harry spoke about his lack of confidence in the project if Malfoy didn't join, Ginny didn't once feel like she really missed her ex-boyfriend. If she wanted to get back together with Harry, she would miss him, right? If she had made the wrong decision, she'd realize it by now, surely. It was refreshing to recognize… they were better separate than together. And they could still do things together even if they weren't in a relationship. They could be happy and normal and work together and everything could be okay.

She was no longer at St. Mungo's, meeting Hugo with the family.

Suddenly, Draco was such a heavy presence in her memories that she could hardly process the meaning of it all. They were in Diagon Alley, looking over some of the newer Quidditch equipment together. He bought her a pair of gloves she had been meaning to buy for ages, indifferent as he told her it was a late birthday present. She was sitting on her bed at the Burrow, alone and bored, and a large eagle owl arrived at her window. He had written her a short, sarcastic letter that made her laugh more than it should have. Getting ice cream together, the hem of her dress brushing against her thighs, they were enjoying the summer weather and talking about the latest Ministry scandals—it was so hard to stay on topic and talk about reforming Azkaban nowadays, but neither of them seemed to mind too terribly.

Then they were in the center of a crowd; everyone around them cheered when the Chaser threw the Quaffle through the hoops, and Draco was staring at her, expression unreadable at her admittance. But it was true, he wasn't the same person he had been during the war, he deserved to know, and… and Draco was pressing his lips to her own. His expression was vulnerable when he pulled back, but she wasn't disgusted. No, no, the smile on her lips was certainly the unexpected answer to the question his kiss had asked.

Abruptly she was at a Ministry event, far more dressed up than she liked to be. It was her first charity event and, while she had been initially excited over getting ready and going to something close to a ball, she had been dreadfully bored the first hour. Luna was supposed to be her date but had to cancel last minute; Rolf wanted her to join him to study a large infestation of ghouls in Scotland, and Ginny couldn't really guilt Luna to refuse her husband. It left her with no one to entertain her though, as none of her brothers would join her. At one point, she had been so over the event that she had looked to escape, her eyes finding the nearest exit.

That's when she had spotted him.

And he had seen her.

Malfoy—Draco—had made his way over to her right away. It was a rush of surprising emotions that hit Ginny then; she was happy to see him, excited to have someone she enjoyed spending time with able to keep her company, relieved that he had come over to her right away, and… nervous. The last time they had been together he had kissed her for the first time.

No, not first time. Only time. Last time. It couldn't happen again. Ginny couldn't go around kissing Draco, even if she wanted to. Which she didn't.

But he remained by her side over the next hour of the event, muttering to her from the corner of his mouth, making her laugh when she didn't want to. She found her eyes lingering on him randomly, appreciating the curve of his lips, the cutting line of his jaw, his long fingers as they drummed on the table. It was halfway through the event, when desserts were being served, that Ginny's attention was forced away from Draco.

Someone had pulled out the seat beside her and fell into it. Their arm brushed Ginny's and she looked away from Draco to the stranger, surprise making her eyes wide. Her stomach dropped.

Bloody Blaise Zabini sat beside her, a wide smile stretched across his mouth as his dark eyes looked over her. He leaned back in the seat casually and interlaced his fingers over his stomach.

"Ginevra Weasley!" he called loudly.

The woman at the table behind them jumped at the volume of his voice. Ginny glanced at Draco, who had previously been smirking but whose expression was now closed off, then back to Zabini. Zabini bared his teeth as his grin widened.

"Please," she said dryly. "Have a seat."

Zabini leaned forward excitedly.

"I haven't seen you since Hogwarts. What a surprise it was for me to find you sharing a meal with my dear friend, Draco! It's nice to see that bad blood from the past no longer lingers between us."

Her eyebrows rose skeptically. Ginny had never got on well with Zabini at school, though he hadn't been anywhere as bad as Draco had been. She was actually surprised that Draco and Zabini got on well at all—they hadn't seemed like friends at Hogwarts. Since Draco wasn't yelling for Zabini to leave them alone, though, she was forced to assume they were friends now.

"I'm not sure you're included in that sentiment," Ginny told him when Draco said nothing.

Zabini let out a startled laugh before turning his attention to the other person at the table.

"Draco, mate, have you been sneaking behind our backs all this time to spend some alone time with this…" Zabini trailed off for a moment, his head tilting to the side.

Draco's eyes narrowed a fraction. Ginny wouldn't have even noticed if it weren't for the fact that she had her gaze fastened on his face—she had never seen him interact with someone who knew him. Was he warning Zabini to not say something?

If it was a warning, though, it didn't matter. Zabini reached out blindly, his hand finding Ginny's shoulder. She jumped at the unexpected contact.

"This lovely Weasley," Zabini finished.

Draco's lips twitched and he tapped his fingers against the table. He was clearly unamused by Zabini.

"Mr. Malfoy! Mr. Malfoy, so sorry to interrupt, but have you met—"

A man Ginny didn't recognize began talking quickly in Draco's ear. She tried to focus on the conversation but Zabini tapped her on the shoulder. Pursing her lips, Ginny met his eyes.

"Is it true then?" he asked.

"What?"

"You've been the one Draco has been spending all his time with. Is that true?"

Ginny blinked.

"We're not together all the time," she replied.

Zabini rolled his eyes.

"Of course, not all the time. Does saying that make you feel better?" He paused but not long enough for her to respond. "I'm surprised to see you without a date. You were always rather popular with the boys at Hogwarts, weren't you? Did you lose some of your charm? A bit ruined after your relationship with the great Harry Potter?"

"Fuck off, Zabini," Ginny growled.

The words left her mouth without her thinking, and she saw Draco's head snap towards them. Zabini, though, seemed hardly offended. Instead he let out a delighted laugh.

"I'm simply curious, no need to get angry, Ginevra."

"Zabini," Draco's voice cut across the table, ignoring the man talking to him.

Zabini waved at Draco, as if to silence him. Then he leaned in close to Ginny, and her eyes narrowed. Draco, she saw from her peripheral vision, was beginning to show traces of panic; she hadn't seen such a look on his face in almost a decade.

"If you were in need of a date, you must know that one gentleman at this table would've been more than happy to accompany you." His eyes meaningfully left hers to look at Draco before looking back to her. "A simple kiss, I'm sure, would've done the trick."

Her face, which had been warm from anger, drained of blood. Was he—did he—there was no way Draco told him about the kiss, right? Horror bloomed in her chest as Zabini's smile grew. This was some twisted joke, wasn't it? Draco kissed her and then, what, laughed with his mates about it? Is that why Zabini had brought up Harry? Was she viewed as some prize to be won?

Inhaling sharply through her nose, Ginny stood from the table. She was afraid to look at Draco—at Malfoy. Hexes were already on the tip of her tongue, but, no, this wasn't the place. So, instead, she turned and walked away without another word. It was one of the first times Ginny had kept her rage at bay, all too aware of the people around them. This wasn't the place.

"Oh, come now, I was just—Draco, really, I was joking. She doesn't get my sense of humor, is all! Draco, ah, don't be hasty—"

Ginny couldn't hear Zabini's voice any longer as she navigated through the tables. Conversations from the tables drifted towards her, but she could hardly focus. Her hands were shaking and her body felt both hot and cold at the same time. She needed to get away from all these people.

She had been spending time with Draco at least once a week now for over two months. Merlin, Ginny had thought they were friends. When he had kissed her she had… she hadn't hated it. In all honesty, Ginny found herself thinking about it far more than she should. But if Zabini knew—if Draco was telling just anyone—if Zabini was going to mock her for it… Bloody hell, what had she been thinking?

Ginny had been hanging out with a Malfoy for months! Had considered him a friend! Had tried to make him laugh and had talked about her job and gone to Quidditch games with him and…

Once she was out of the ballroom, Ginny moved as far away from the random people in the foyer as possible. The event was being held at some Ministry official's manor and it was lovely, really, but Ginny wanted to be anywhere but here now. She went down the corridor, past the bathrooms, wishing she could get the fuck out of this place, when she spotted doors that led outside. Yanking them open, Ginny stepped out into the gardens.

No one else was here.

She kicked the door shut behind her before stepping out of view. Then Ginny leaned against the wall and dropped her head in her hands. Ugh, she was such an idiot. First man to kiss her after Harry and she lets it be Malfoy? What if Draco told Harry? What if he had done this all to rub it in Harry's face?

That seemed a bit dramatic, but… but… No, it was dramatic. And it didn't really add up, did it? She was the one making a big deal out of this, wasn't she? Merlin, she was twenty-seven! What did it matter if she had kissed Draco? And why did she care if he told his friends about it? Most people did that. Perhaps she should be more worried that she hadn't told anyone about it. What did that say about her? It was only a kiss.

A kiss she wouldn't mind repeating.

The sound of the door opening stilled her thoughts and she looked up.

"I didn't tell Zabini."

Draco stepped away from the door, towards her, cautiously, as though approaching a wild animal. She found it hard to respond, perhaps because he had never looked at her this way before. Hesitant. Wary. Nervous.

"I didn't," he repeated. "Blaise… wanted to see your reaction. He finds enjoyment in sticking his nose in other people's business, and I haven't been giving him much information about what I've been doing in my spare time the past few months. He's rather annoying but, sadly, he is a friend of mine, and he had an idea I might've been spending time with you. That's the only reason why he said anything at all, why he even came to our table."

"Why haven't you told him where you were, then?"

But even as the words left her mouth, Ginny knew it didn't matter. Draco had been spending most of his time with Ginny, and she with him, and they had kissed and—and she wanted to do it again. Without any thought at all, Ginny reached for Draco. Her hands wrapped in the fine cloth of his dress robes, and she had to tug him towards her to get him to move from his spot. Merlin, she never realized how much muscle he had despite his lean figure—it took more than a bit of strength to get him to move.

His eyes were sharp as he stared down at her.

Then she kissed him.

He moved as soon as her lips grazed his, as though the touch brought life back to him. Draco wrapped one hand in her hair and the other settled low on her back. Ginny knew she should make the kiss quick like their last one, but…

While their kiss at the Quidditch game had been a quick taste of each other, this… this was much different.

Perhaps it was because she initiated the kiss this time, because the caution that Draco had displayed before wasn't present. He pressed close to her, his chest brushing her breasts, his lips coaxing hers open, an intensity in his actions that she hadn't seen or felt before. Heat rushed through her at the contact. The warmth was unexpected and almost foreign; it had been ages since raw lust had raced through her system. It made her heart race. Ginny didn't realize how much she had ached to be touched, to be wanted, until then.

While there was no way to determine his true feelings for her, Ginny couldn't deny that Draco desired her. Even if she ignored the passion he displayed now as he pulled her closer, there were other signs. She could feel his heart hammering in his chest as she released her grip on his robes in order to explore him more. His hands moved as they kissed, tracing her body, sending sparks over her skin everywhere he touched her. He pressed into her and she let him, stepping back only half a step before finding support from the wall behind her.

They broke apart when they needed air. Their heavy breathing filled the silence. Well aware that she was shaky from the rush of adrenaline that came from Draco touching her, Ginny lowered her hands so he wouldn't notice his effect on her. Then she met his eyes.

A smile colored her face when she saw how disheveled Draco was.

Suddenly she was no longer outside with Draco. Now Ginny sat on the floor of the Burrow, cradling baby Hugo against her chest as her mum and Hermione chatted in the kitchen. Luna was across from her, entertaining Rose with a flower she had plucked from outside. Ginny was trying not to laugh at the confusion coloring Rose's face each time Luna made the flower change colors. Then she was flying, the air rushing through her hair, as she kept an eye on Maggie. Any moment now Maggie was going to throw the Quaffle to her, and, if Ginny managed to get it past the Keeper, there was no way the Harpies weren't going to win this match.

In a flash, Ginny was helping Arthur in his shed, affection filling her as her dad excitedly talked about maybe getting 'one of those telly things' like Hermione and Ron had. Ginny was now meeting with Draco for tea, a smile blooming on her face when he pulled out the chair for her. Instead of sitting across from her like normal, he sat in the seat to her left. More than once, their hands brushed, making her cheeks warm. The scene melted away, and, in the blink of an eye, she was at the Ministry, meeting with Harry and Luna quickly during his lunch break. Harry was showing them the latest draft that Hermione had helped edit. When he asked if Ginny was making any headway with Draco, she found herself lying—Malfoy's not ready yet, but there was a good chance that, soon enough, he will be— and she was almost ashamed of herself. It was hard to recall the last time she had spent more than a few minutes talking to Draco about reforming Azkaban.

Abruptly everything around her disappeared and the only light Ginny saw was the flames of several candles lit in a slightly familiar room. She was at Draco's house. Ginny's body was hot, her breathing erratic, her heart racing. All she knew in that moment was Draco as he pressed his lips against the softness of her neck. His one hand was under her dress, warming a path slowly up her thigh, and the other was gently pushing her legs apart so he could settle more comfortably in between them. She shivered when his lips left her neck; he lowered to his knees, lightly biting the sensitive skin on her inner thigh.

"Draco—" she gasped, wrapping a hand in his hair on instinct.

The fact that she called him by his first name, such a rare occurrence, caught his attention. His eyes flickered up to her own, dark and stormy.

"Yes?" he drawled.

The warmth of his breath hit the thin cloth of her knickers, stirring up something hot and shameless deep inside of her. They had only ever intensely snogged before and if she let this happen it would surely change their relationship. She should put a stop to this, really, she should.

"Weasley?"

Ginny focused on him, realizing the rush of feelings hitting her made it hard to think. He was waiting for her to make a decision, as though he knew exactly what was going through her mind. Her body ached for more though, half begging to feel his lips all over her, and she took an unsteady breath. It was just sex, right? Sex was—it was—not a big deal. They'd be fine, this was fine, they were both adults, and Ginny knew Draco's tongue and his lips, they could do amazing things, and she hadn't been properly shagged or touched or kissed there since before she broke up with Harry—

Something must've shown on her face for Draco smirked and then he kissed her inner thigh again, this time much closer—

She remembered being at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with George and Angelina and Angelina commenting on how happy Ginny seemed to be. Then Ginny was at Rolf and Luna's newest house, a small cottage that suited the pair perfectly, and she caught herself staring wistfully at the cheerful couple. When Ginny was young, she assumed by now she'd be happily married just like Rolf and Luna. It was unsettling to think about how different her life was than how she had assumed it would be.

Ginny recalled waking up at Draco's house many times, wrapped in his silk sheets, playing with his hair until he finally stirred from sleep. They'd cook breakfast together or go get pastries in town. But the feeling of uneasiness, of becoming more and more aware of the situation she was in, began to sneak into every memory. And Ginny had never been one to deny her feelings; she liked Draco. She liked everything about their situation, so much so that she wanted more.

She wanted him, all of him.

So she hid away at the Burrow, in an attempt to detangle herself from Draco. He was rather like Devil's Snare, she supposed, in that he had crept up on her without her even realizing. One moment they had hated each other, then the next they were eating meals together, discussing reforming Azkaban, and then, abruptly, they were familiarizing themselves with each other's bodies in a way that meant so much more than either had expected…

When Draco came to find her, taking a seat on the floor of her childhood bedroom, begrudgingly playing with Witherwings, Ginny couldn't help but wonder if he was feeling as lost as she was. When he asked if she was avoiding him, she braced herself. It was time to tell the truth, but not here, not in her bedroom, not in the Burrow.

Ginny was suddenly in the field by the trees, her favorite spot to spend time in as a child. Surrounded by the forest, the tall grass brushing her fingertips as she walked further into the meadow, Ginny felt at home. And it felt right to have Draco beside her. A storm was approaching in the distance. It was far enough that Ginny knew they wouldn't be caught in the rain anytime soon, but it made the wind harsh, whipping her hair from the haphazard braid she had put it in. Leaves fell from the branches as the trees moaned and swayed from the sudden gusts, and she inhaled deeply.

Draco did the same beside her.

Raw magic burned her nose, and she shivered. This was why she loved this place.

"Are you going to tell me the truth now?" he asked, his words filling the space between them.

She could feel his eyes on her and turned to meet his stare. Nervousness pooled in her stomach. Ginny never had issues admitting she liked someone—when she liked someone, it always overtook her—but this was different. This was Malfoy. It was… it was Draco, who was by far the most complicated person Ginny had ever invested herself in. Everything could go wrong. If she told him she liked him, that she wanted more from their relationship, he could easily shut her out. He could realize what a mistake sleeping with her had been.

But he had come to find her when she had been avoiding him. He had kissed her first. That meant something, right?

Licking her lips, she pressed forward, determined to stick to her earlier decision of telling him the truth.

"I… I like you. More than just the shagging and snogging and—" She took a deep breath. It wasn't calming that she couldn't read his expression. Bracing herself, she continued. "—more than just our stupid bickering. Which, honestly, is rather fun sometimes, right?"

A single eyebrow rose, the only indication that he heard her.

"This is stupid, I know. Our whole relationship has just been… confusing and a whirlwind and I'm sure this isn't what you wanted when Luna invited you to lunch with me all those months ago, but…. but this is where I'm at. That's why I've been avoiding you. You're right. For once. I've been avoiding you."

Ginny realized she was rambling and took another deep breath in order to stop. Twisting her hands in front of her, she took that moment to listen to the rainfall in the distance. It calmed her, deep down, and she took a hesitant step towards Draco.

"I want us to be more… if that makes sense."

Draco cocked his head to the side and put his hands in his pockets. He hadn't looked away from her the whole time she spoke. As she stared at him, she thought there was something different in his eyes. A tranquility she had never seen before. Then Draco breathed in slowly before reaching out. His fingers brushed away some hair from her face before trailing down her cheek.

"I want us to be more too," he told her.

It felt like the words had been forcefully drug from his throat, as though he hadn't wanted them to escape, but Ginny didn't care. Over the course of almost two months, Draco had only touched her five times before finally kissing her. Then he couldn't keep his hands off her. Then, in the short span of time over the past month when they learned more about each other than either thought possible, he had been silent when it came to voicing his thoughts.

Was it really that surprising that he had difficulty telling her his feelings now? But he did. He did tell her.

Relief came over her so suddenly she felt lightheaded. The feeling of Draco's fingertips pressed against her jaw helped steady her. She let out a shaky laugh.

"I'm happy to hear it," she said, her voice catching.

Draco's lips twisted into a smirk but it looked somehow softer, more like a smile than anything else she had ever seen on him. His hand left her face and caught her own hand, tugging her closer. Ginny stared up at him. The sky went white from a flash of lightning, highlighting Draco. When she pressed herself closer to him, rising on her toes to get nearer to him, he was already lowering his head to meet her halfway. A crack of thunder swallowed all other sound when their lips touched.

But, no, it wasn't thunder. It was the sound of something breaking, forcing Ginny awake.

~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~

"Ah, shit, sorry."

Ginny peered at the blurry form in front of her before rubbing her eyes. Then she noticed it was Charlie, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking oddly flushed. What was going on? Sitting up slowly, Ginny took a look at her surroundings. She was in her bedroom at the Burrow… Where was Draco? He had just been here—no, no, that was her dream.

Her memory.

Running her hands over her face, Ginny offered Charlie a tired smile when he continued to hesitate in the doorway. He visibly relaxed at the sight of it and moved further into her room. She noticed then that he was carrying a tray with some food on it.

"Dropped the orange juice," he explained as he placed the tray on her bedside table.

Charlie waved his wand and the mess on the floor disappeared. When he continued looking around her room awkwardly, Ginny moved over in the bed and patted the space beside her.

"Come on, get in."

He grinned and sat in the spot she had vacated. Automatically, she rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her. Their breathing was in sync before he spoke.

"How's it been going, then? Remembering everything?"

"Yeah…" she said hesitantly. "It's weird. It's like a dream, but… It's not, you know? I remember… breaking up with Harry, having to move back in with Mum and Dad, practicing Quidditch all the time with Maggie."

She licked her lips as Charlie nodded.

"Sounds confusing. And weird. It was all so long ago," Charlie murmured comfortingly, tightening his hold on her. "Sorry you're going through all this, Gin."

Ginny shrugged.

"I mean... I've remembered a lot of good things. You coming home for my birthday, and us spending the week together. Hermione having Hugo. Rose being a little baby. Molly, Victoire, Dominique, all so young. And Draco. I remember Draco."

Charlie made a sound in his throat and pulled away from her in order to grab the tray from the table. Out of everyone, Ginny had always considered Charlie the most empathetic brother, despite the fact that he got along best with dragons. He always let her talk out her thoughts without interrupting and always kept her secrets best. And, somehow, he never seemed to judge her and always seemed to understand, even when there was no way he could.

Like now.

"He loves you a lot, you know," Charlie noted, as he placed the tray on the bed in front of them. "Was a bit of a wreck when he finally left here."

Ginny eyed the bacon and pancakes on the tray before reaching out and grabbing a piece of the meat. She popped it in her mouth so she didn't have to respond right away. There was still so much she had to remember, and it seemed more and more that her family and friends had no idea of the turmoil in her marriage. It was hard to respond to the observation that Charlie made when she was still left in the dark about so much.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"'Bout two hours," he replied, as he snagged a piece of bacon. "I wrote Mum telling her I was going to take a nap so she wouldn't Floo back here. I'm going to have to leave soon, though, or we'll all face her wrath."

She nodded, yawning. Merlin, she was so tired still. It felt like she hadn't slept at all. With how much she remembered, though, Ginny couldn't really be surprised. Was she even really resting?

"I'll be fine alone."

Charlie snorted.

"You think we'd let you be here alone?" he asked. At her look of confusion, Charlie shrugged. "Draco's going to have someone else come by here soon. Not sure who, though."

"Has he written?"

"Yeah. In case you woke up, I think. He said the children are fine, that they miss you, of course, but not to worry. He said Orion is asking some questions, but Lyra and Gray are distracted by the presents."

Her heart squeezed at the thought of Orion, the only child she had told the complete truth about her memory loss. He would certainly realize something was going on, something more complex than whatever Draco had told him. Desperation hit her; the desire to see her children, to be back at the house with her family, was so overwhelming it was hard to breathe for a moment.

Charlie cut a piece of the pancake with a fork and held it up to her. He stared at her meaningfully.

"I suspect it's best for you to eat this and go back to sleep."

Taking the fork from him, Ginny ate the food he offered. After a few minutes, and with some help from her brother, the plate was empty. Exhaustion was already washing over her as she settled under the covers. Surprisingly, Charlie got under the covers with her and opened his arms to her.

Her eyebrows rose.

"You should head to Bill's."

"I'm not leaving yet. Gotta wait for the other person to come still. Come on, now."

Just as she did when she younger and had a nightmare, Ginny wrapped her arms around Charlie and rested her head on his chest. He pulled the comforter up so the majority of their bodies were covered. Warmth basked her and, combined with Charlie's steady breathing and the tiredness that was already settled deep in her bones, Ginny fell back asleep.

~.*.~.*.~.*.~.*.~

Author's Note: Hello, hello! I'm super excited to get this chapter out to you. It went through multiple rewrites before I finally figured out how I wanted this to all play out, so I hope you enjoyed it! As always, thank you SO much to idreamofdraco for helping me out with this chapter. She's an amazing beta and friend and really helped me along with this.

And, oh man, everyone, you've helped me pass 300 reviews on this story. I never expected this to happen when I first started writing What Ginny Forgot almost a year ago and, honestly, I am so honored to have you all along on this journey with me. Every review, every message you send, means the world to me. So thank you for taking the time to write a review, even if it is only a word or two.

The holidays are coming up but I'll hopefully have the next chapter out before then. If not, happy holidays!

Also, to the Anon who posted such a lovely, heartfelt review on the last chapter—I'm so glad to hear from you again. Your words were beautifully written and I am happy that your path to self-discovery is helping you grow, even if it is a scary and tough path to take.