A/N: Thank you SO MUCH! Once again, I broke a record on that last chapter! I'm so happy I was able to convey Ginny's cringy embarrassment, even though I felt soooo bad for her while I was writing it. a permanent cringe was on my face the entire time I was writing. It hurt haha. Also, I'm so thankful that people are enjoying the little twists and turns in the story, no matter how frustrating they may be. Definitely trying my hardest to make it as realistic as possible, and life is never predictable soo yeah. :D Thank you so much for the reviews. It means so much to me.

Also, I tried really hard to post this chapter last night but a different suite in my apartment building caught on fire...huh. Everyone was totally fine but I spent from 10 pm until 2 am outside in my pajamas...needless to say by the time we were allowed back in I was ready for bed haha.

Also, I need a disclaimer for this chapter:

On top of (obviously) not owning Harry Potter, there are also some lyrics in this chapter. I usually think putting lyrics in a story is kind of cheesy, and it probably is here, but I thought long and hard about it and I HAD to.

The song is titled 'Carin At The Liquor Store' by The National. I've had this scene in my head for months now with this song playing in the background and it inspired so much of it, I couldn't imagine writing it without it. ALSO, I would HIGHLY recommend listening to it once the lyrics show up in the chapter. I think it adds so much to the feeling of the scene, but that's just me haha. Even if you don't listen to it I think it's a pretty wicked scene regardless.

Anyways, I think that's all! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"RIIIIIIINGGG."

Ginny's alarm clock sounded at ten in the morning. She groggily peeled her eyes open and winced at the burning sunlight. For a few dazed moments, she had no recollection of the previous night and she wondered why she was dreading this day so much. Then it came back to her.

"Ginny, what the hell!?" Draco's voice echoed in her mind as her brain over exaggerated his disgust towards her.

"Nope," she muttered out loud, "Not ready to deal with this today." And promptly snapped her eyes shut and fell back into a restless sleep.

An hour later the alarm clock shouted at her again. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath.

"Listen, Gin, I'm sorry if I mislead you in any way…but we can't – this can't – happen."

She moaned loudly and pulled the blankets over her head and forced herself to fall asleep; sleep was the only thing to stop her malicious brain from mocking her with the painful memory. This happened four more times. Finally, at 2 pm, Ginny let out another agonizing groan as she flipped the blankets off from her. It would have been easy to stay in bed all day, or even for the rest of her life, but unfortunately, she had to attend the Malfoy's ball that was held in their honor in a mere five hours. She begrudgingly pulled herself out of bed and stumbled to her mirror. Her reflection was daunting; her skin was pale, dark circles traced her tired looking eyes, and her hair was in a hundred knots. She scowled at herself and quickly wondered if she could fake sick to get out of this dreadful party. She sighed loudly and resolved that despite her crushing embarrassment, she would regret it for the rest of her life if she missed the ball.

She dragged herself into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee and stared at the foreboding balcony. She could practically see herself sitting on the sofa, leaning over to kiss Draco as he revolted away. She narrowed her eyes at the imaginary figures and told herself she needed a new balcony.

After a couple hours of staring blankly at her untouched lunch, she decided it was time to start getting ready for the ball. Harry would be arriving at her flat at 6:45 and Ginny felt guilt overtake her. Not only was she probably going to a miserable company; she also tried to make a move on his arch-enemy. She kept telling herself that they were not committed to each other and that it was merely a learning experience; now she knows things with Draco will never work out so she is free to give Harry her undivided attention.

She had a long shower, used her skin-brightening potion to fix her ghoulish appearance, and began working on her makeup. As she brushed her eyelashes with mascara, making them appear much longer than usual, she felt determined to make herself look as beautiful as physically possible. For the simple reason to subtly remind Draco what he is missing out on; even though it appears he doesn't care. She pulled out the dress she bought that week with Luna and traced her fingers along the soft material. It was an emerald green satin dress that shined when the light hit it just right. As she put it on she felt satisfied. It was long, even touching the ground as she walked, her back was nearly completely exposed, and the plunging neckline gave the illusion that she had more cleavage than she actually had. She smiled at her reflection as she traced her hip bone. The dress fit her so perfectly that if you looked close enough you could almost see them. It was by far the most elegant and expensive article of clothing she had ever owned.

She looked at the clock which read 6:30. She put the final touches on her hair, which she had styled in loose curls traveling down her back, and anxiously awaited Harry's arrival. She couldn't believe that she had to spend the entire evening socializing with both Draco and Harry. Grumbling, she cursed herself for choosing the worst possible timing to try to kiss Draco. She had gotten so lost in thought she didn't even hear Harry walk through her front door and into her bedroom, where she was sitting on her bed, fidgeting with her cheap fake diamond necklace.

"Hey, I let myself in, I – " Harry stopped mid-sentence as he spotted Ginny, with a trance-like expression, sitting on her bed. He quickly stammered out, "G-Ginny, you look…wow. I've never seen you like this. You look unbelievable."

Ginny slowly raised her eyes to Harry with a blank expression. She observed how handsome he was, how happy he was to see her, how fucking available he was. If she told him that moment she wanted to marry him he would bend down on one knee and propose. She gaped at this almost-perfect man in front of her and it was unbeknownst to her how she ever contemplated throwing him away for Draco Malfoy. She stepped slowly towards him and Harry's face grew concerned.

"You alright, Ginny?"

She reached him and gently ran her hands through his jet-black hair before passionately pressing her lips to his. Much to her delight, he did not jolt away. She pulled him in deeper, appreciating every inch of his body, as she hungrily bit his lower lip. Finally, Harry pulled away.

"Gin, what's gotten into you?" He asked, laughing and looking flushed.

"Nothing, come on, let's have some fun," she muttered seductively and began unbuttoning his white dress shirt as she pulled him back into another desirous kiss. He hesitated in pushing her away again initially, but eventually, found the motivation to pull away.

"Hey, come on, we've got to go. The party starts in ten minutes."

"I don't care," Ginny said hurriedly and tried to pull Harry in towards her but he managed to withstand her petite force.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Harry asked again, concerned.

"Yeah…I'm great actually," She said as she gulped, "Things just make more sense suddenly…"

"I don't understand?"

Ginny suddenly snapped out of her weird behavior and lightly brushed him off, "Don't worry about it," she laughed. "You're right, though. We should get going." She grabbed his hand and they apparated outside of the majestic Malfoy Manor.

The manor was grand in every way imaginable. Extravagant fountains were strewn throughout the elegant courtyard. Majestic shrubs were carved into dignified magical creatures; from dragons to phoenixes. Floating candles illuminated the walk way leading up to the handsome mahogany doors. Ginny and Harry both observed their surroundings in bewilderment. Even Harry appeared to be impressed. A butler stood at the front doors. nodding politely as they opened the door for them.

Harry's eyes widened as he took in the view of the exquisite ballroom and muttered into Ginny's ear, "Wow, it's a lot brighter than I remember." It was true; it appeared the Malfoys had done some renovating since Harry was there during the war. What was once described as a dark, dreary, foreboding dungeon had been turned into a luxurious pearly white area with golden highlights added wherever possible. The golden dance floor shimmered in the light as happy beautifully dressed couples danced upon it. Ginny observed all of the people; there must have been over two hundred! And there were so many familiar faces. She saw Professor Slughorn eagerly talking to a bored looking woman she didn't recognize, Dedalus Diggle, who was once part of the Order of the Phoenix, was happily talking to Professor Flitwick in a secluded corner. Harry appeared very relieved at the site of all the friendly faces, signaling that the Malfoys were not evil.

Ginny quickly spotted Luna, Blaise, Draco, and Fiona, happily chatting over glasses of champagne. Ginny gulped as she watched Fiona drape her arm around a jubilant Draco. She looked stunning, wearing a black and silver ball gown, but Ginny was relieved that her dress could potentially rival Fiona's this time. Luna was the first to notice Ginny and Harry, and she happily called out, "There they are, hey guys!".

Ginny noticed Draco's happy grin falter as he made eye contact with Ginny. Time froze as she watched his eyes widen and quickly scan her dress, his mouth falling open a little bit. Finally, his eyes fell back on her eyes, and time resumed. His joyful smile resumed and he continued his conversation with Fiona. Ginny mustered up her own fake, friendly smile as she linked arms with Harry, and they strode towards the group.

"Hello!" Ginny said, "Luna, you look incredible." She really did. She was wearing a floor length Ravenclaw-blue dress and her hair was sleek and straight. She reminded Ginny a little bit of Fleur on her wedding day.

"Look at you! Good call on the dress," Luna said, pulling Ginny in for a hug.

"I think it is safe to say that all of these women look stunning tonight," Blaise said smoothly, gently kissing Luna on the top of her head. He looked so happy to be with her.

Draco ran a hand through his hair nervously as he turned to Ginny, "So, um, I know you've just arrived but my parents are waiting with Pierre Descartes, the French investor. He's unable to stay late so he would love to speak with us as soon as possible," he spoke almost too formally, and Ginny had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Sure, whenever is fine," she nodded.

"Come on, Fiona, Harry, shall we try some of the hors d'oeuvres while we let these three charm some old men?" Luna suggested with Fiona and Harry both snickering behind her.

"Alright, you ready?" Blaise asked Draco and Ginny. Draco looked confident however Ginny's face fell a little.

"I'm a little nervous…what do I even say?"

"Just be yourself," Draco said, "I'll cover most of the discussion, I assume, but if he asks you any questions just answer honestly."

Ginny nodded, "Let's give 'er a whirl, I suppose."

They waltzed up the long majestic ivory staircase with golden handrails which lead to a private seating area. They walked in silence and Ginny tried to avoid Draco's eyes without seeming too obvious. She kept telling herself to remain professional and that the sooner this night is over the sooner she can move on from this awkwardness. She was almost lost in her pep-talk until she felt Draco instinctively rest his hand on her lower back, as he so often did. This time, instead of smiling happily to herself, her neck quickly snapped towards him and she shot him an icy glare warning him not to touch her.

"Sorry," he muttered, as he quickly pulled his hand away from her. Blaise gave them a puzzled look.

As they reached the top of the stair case Ginny's heart leapt as she saw Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy. They both looked very posh, both with their silver blonde hair matching Draco's. Narcissa was still glamorous despite her age; she radiated elegance as she spoke calmly to the two unfamiliar men in front of her. Lucius, who once terrified Ginny, had a sense of humbleness about him, and she briefly noted that he was no longer carrying around that silly serpent staff. One of the other men noticed their presence and nodded curtly in their direction.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy, it is good to see you again,"

"Hello, Mist Kant, a pleasure to see you as well," Draco said formally and shook his hand. Ahh, so this is Mister Kant. The man who made all of this possible. Ginny thought to herself. She scanned his appearance. He was short and stout with a balding head and a thick handlebar mustache. He sort of reminded Ginny of a very wealthy walrus.

"Draco, darling!" Narcissa sang and she waltzed towards their group, pulling Draco in a motherly embrace. "And Blaise, so nice to see you. How is your mother doing?"

"Very well. She keeps asking when you will visit her for tea," he stated, as he welcomed her hug.

"Miss Weasley," Lucius nodded towards her with a gentle smile pulling at his lips, "It's great to finally see you again under more favorable conditions."

Ginny smiled and nodded, shaking his hand. "You as well, sir."

Narcissa examined Ginny up close and smiled brightly, "My, my son was not lying when he said you grew up to be a beautiful young woman. I remember when you were just a child, my, where has the time gone?"

Ginny noticed Draco roll his eyes and she blushed at Narcissa's warm words, "Why, thank you. You look astonishing as well."

Narcissa clasped her hands over Ginny's and beamed, "Welcome to our home. You are welcome here anytime."

"Shall we get to business?" Draco asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Yes, excellent idea," Mister Kant said turning to the last man Ginny didn't' recognize. "Draco, Ginevra, Blaise - this is Pierre Descartes. He is the founder of several successful businesses throughout France and is interested in yours, especially after hearing the great success you three had this previous week."

Mister Descartes was a tall, slender, pale man with a head full of thick black hair and dark eyes. He appeared intimidating and serious, and Draco gulped slightly before confidently breezing towards the man.

"It's great to finally meet you, sir. I've been following your work since I was a boy. You've always been an inspiration to me," he said honestly and shook his hand.

The man opened his mouth and with a French accent he drawled, "It's always nice to be an inspiration."

Draco nodded, unsure of what to respond with, and turned to Ginny and Blaise, "These are my partners, Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zabini."

They both shook the man's hand and took a seat in a circle on the comfortable sofas. Ginny's hands felt clammy as she realized this was the first meeting she's ever attended. Draco typically dealt with the meetings alone. She felt terribly unprepared. Despite being annoyed at Draco, she was relieved she had such a competent business partner. She sat beside Blaise who appeared cool and confident, probably having no fear at all.

"So? What are you propositioning me with?" Mister Descartes asked, a hint of coldness was in his tone.

Draco trembled a little as he conjured a briefcase with his wand, pulling out a stack of papers Ginny had never seen before. He cleared his throat as he handed the man a few papers, "As you can see here; our presumed cash-flow budget is very profitable considering the average profits off of each potion we create. It takes into consideration our operating budget, which is typically very low, as well as our Static…" Draco, Mister Kant, Mister Descartes, and Lucius continued talking in what seemed like a different language as Ginny and Blaise tried to keep their eyes from glazing over.

Finally, Mister Descartes paused as he set down the papers. He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on his fists as he narrowed his eyes towards Draco and drawled, "Well, these are very impressive numbers and I can tell you've done your research. What exactly is your goal in France?"

Draco nodded and took a deep breath before speaking confidently, "Well, first we would like to open a store in Paris. After six months, if the profits are good, we would like to expand to Lyon and Marseille," he proposed. "And from there on we would like to begin expanding to other countries."

Mister Descartes nodded, "That is quite the ambition for such a young group of people," his cold gaze turned towards Ginny and Blaise and they instantly fixed their slumping posture, "Tell me, girl, do you ever feel that perhaps you or these young men are too immature for such a conquest?"

Lucius interjected, "Pierre, I have full confidence in my s – "

"I wasn't asking you," Mister Descartes cut him off and turned his gaze back to Ginny, "So?"

Ginny frowned over the fact that she was getting singled out over the boys but confidently shook her head. "No, that has never been a concern. We might be young but we are determined and passionate about this; we will stop at nothing to make it happen."

Draco smiled at Ginny's response before Blaise piped up, sounding more mature than his usual goofiness, "I can assure you, sir, our age will never be an issue."

Mister Descartes clenched his jaw together in thought before speaking, "Alright, I'll tell you what," he paused, and Draco leaned forward excitedly. "After a month I want you to send me all of the updated numbers. Assuming you have continued to turn a high profit; I will be happy to meet you at my office in Paris and we can discuss further expansion."

Smiles broke over all of their faces and Draco happily shook his hand, "Thank you, sir, you won't regret it."

"I hope I don't," he nodded, "I must be off, though. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. Lucius, Narcissa, thank you as always for being such gracious hosts." And with that, he turned on his heel and swept down the stairs without another word.

"Congratulations, you three!" Narcissa beamed warmly.

"Yes, congratulations." Mister Kant began, "I must say, I had similar concerns as him when I first signed with you. But I can tell you are quite the unique trio. I expect I will continue seeing great things from you."

The next few hours were spent socializing with the rest of the guests. Things with Draco began to get less weird throughout the night. It was hard to be too angry at him when he just totally nailed the most important business meeting of their lives so far. She was thankful that most of their time spent together was having small talk with strangers so she wasn't forced to think about unrequited crush too much. Finally, they felt they had socialized more than enough, and returned to their respective dates.

As Harry and Ginny danced together she happily filled him in on the good news and noted that he seemed pleasantly supportive and held his reservations regarding her business trip to France until after they weren't in public. She looked over Harry's shoulder and saw Luna giggle gleefully as Blaise dramatically twirled her. She smiled warmly at the happy couple. Once the song ended Harry politely excused himself from Ginny so he could talk to Slughorn, who had been badgering him all night fill him in on his Auror duties. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and strolled away.

She continued watching Blaise and Luna dance, and she admired how easy things were with them. They seemed to be a match made in heaven – both being so unique and quirky, it's no wonder they couldn't find anyone compatible enough to date until they met each other. As the old cliché goes: They fit like two pieces of the same puzzle. Her gaze shifted towards the beautiful Fiona and handsome Draco as he expertly dipped her sensually. As he peeled the stunning model back towards him she ran her hands through his hair and gently kissed him on the lips. Ginny looks at her feet, sadly, as she tried to hold back her jealousy. After that meeting with Mister Descartes she realized that jealousy could be interpreted as immaturity, thus she vowed to attempt to refrain from it. Still, she couldn't get rid of the sinking feeling in her stomach when she thought about Draco. How could he lead her on like that? She was so sure he liked her...

She smiled as she saw Blaise head in her direction as Luna had excused herself from the dance.

"How are ya doing, Ginny-bean?" He asked, nudging her ribs.

"Ginny-bean?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, trying out a new nickname."

"Ohh, I see," she giggled.

"It's quite the party, isn't it?"

Ginny took in her surroundings and nodded, "I can safely say I never thought I would attend a ball held in part in my honor…. Especially not at the Malfoy Manor."

"They're pretty spectacular people, huh?"

"My god, Blaise, it's like everything I've ever known has been turned upside down; I'm going to be rich, I'm now closer to you than I am with any of my brothers, Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy are infinitely more welcoming than my mother…I don't even know what life is anymore," she said with a light chuckle.

"Yeah, me neither. But whatever it is…I'm loving it," he said wistfully as he watched Luna playfully dance with a young toddler.

"Yeah, it's not too bad," she sighed, trying to sound as enthusiastic as Blaise, though unable resist watching Draco and Fiona.

"So, how are you? You seem a little…off tonight."

"Oh? No, no, I'm fine," She said, silently praying she hid her emotions well.

He looked down at her skeptically and traced her gaze to Draco and Fiona dancing. He furrowed his brows, "Are you sure?"

A sad sigh escaped her lips and her shoulders slumped, "I dunno."

His face transformed into concern as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Hey, what's going on?"

She looked in his eyes for a second before directing them to the ivory floor. For some reason, she felt like she couldn't lie to Blaise. She took a deep breath and with heavy shoulders muttered, "Last night…I..tried to kiss Draco and he shut me down."

Blaise's face fell dramatically and he instantly pulled her into a comforting hug, "Fuck, Gin, you're kidding me."

"I wish," she replied into his chest.

"I really, really thought he would have gone for it."

She inhaled deeply and said, "Yeah, I heard. I thought he would have to."

Blaise looked towards Draco and scowled and turned a protective glance towards Ginny, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah – I mean. It was probably a blessing in disguise. I'm basically with Harry, after all," she said as if she was trying to convince herself.

He stared at her frowning for a minute until he suddenly grew a mischievous grin. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a long velvet box. "These," he started, as he opened the box to reveal two large cigars, "Are Draco's favorite cigars. I got him and I one to celebrate if the meeting went well. How would you like to smoke his?"

Ginny couldn't help but laughing at Blaise's funny revenge. She didn't smoke, but she couldn't deny that it would be a satisfying subtle jab at Draco. She looked up Blaise and flashed him what felt like the first genuine smile she gave all day and said, "Totally."

"Great, let's get Luna then go outside."

They stole Luna away from her mini dance partner, much to her dismay, and grabbed a bottle of champagne. Ginny tried to steal Harry away but Slughorn wouldn't stop yapping in Harry's ear long enough for her to invite him. So, the three went outside without him. Blaise lit Ginny's cigar and she took a large puff, resulting in a coughing fit.

"God, how do you smoke these?" She said, cringing at the taste.

"Here, you just do little puffs. See, Luna's got the idea!" They looked at Luna who looked entirely out of character as she puffed expertly on the oversized cigar.

"Do I look classy or what?" She asked, as she expertly smoked.

"You look ridiculous," Ginny laughed, leaning against the ledge of the beautiful balcony. She wasn't sure if it was the refreshing air or the slight high off the cigar, but she felt better than she did all day.

"Draco is an idiot," Luna muttered as she poured three glasses of champagne.

"Draco is a fucking idiot," Blaise repeated, "I could have sworn he's been infatuated with you for ages."

"Did he ever actually tell either of you he liked me?" Ginny asked doubtfully, and the two hesitantly shook their heads no. "I thought so. I guess we all just interpreted what he was doing wrong…"

"There's no way," Blaise said confidently, "I've seen the way Draco is with women…you were different."

"Well, clearly I wasn't," Ginny said coldly, "You should have seen his face, he looked disgusted…oh, god I'm so mortified." She put her face in her hands and groaned.

"Don't worry, Gin," Luna said comfortingly, "We all make an ass of ourselves at some points…"

"It's true! I made such an ass of myself on Luna and I's first date she couldn't even look at me for weeks!"

"He's not lying, Gin. It was really, really bad."

"At one one point I actually choked on an ice cube and spat my drink on the dinner table. It was disgusting," Blaise said, shaking his head in shame as he recalled their dreadful date.

Ginny laughed at her friend's attempts, "I guess you're right," She gulped before saying her next words, "It really sucks, you know? Having to see him with Fiona? And I know I have no right to be upset. But still…it just sucks seeing Draco kissing and fawning over her. She's beautiful – we get it!"

"You're hotter than Fiona," Blaise said bluntly, which prompted Luna to swat him on the shoulder.

"You're lucky you're talking about Ginny and she's sad right now otherwise I would slap you," she said warningly, although couldn't refrain from smiling.

"Yeah, but you're the most beautiful woman in the world," he said coyly, and Luna blushed.

"Oh my god," Ginny rolled her eyes, "You are both soo cute I could vomit." She took a puff off her cigar, finally getting the hang of it, and looked at the stars. "Do you think it'll be weird at work?"

Blaise shrugged, "Honestly if I know Draco at all, he'll be able to pretend it never happened. I guess it depends on whether you can."

Ginny frowned before stating, "I think I'll need a couple days before I'm back to normal."

Their conversation was interrupted by Draco waltzing outside narrowing his eyes at their cigars, "Hey? Where's mine?"

Ginny couldn't help but chuckle at Draco's appalled face and Blaise replied, "Well, I like Ginny more so she's my new cigar buddy. Sorryyy."

Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed Blaise's out of his hand, inhaling deeply. He turned to Ginny and casually said, "How's your night, Ginny? I've barely talked to you." Blaise and Luna both visibly cringed at the oh-so-casual-awkward question.

"It's good."

"Where's Harry?"

She clicked her tongue and shrugged, "Dunno, inside somewhere."

He seemed to pick up on her short answers and looked at his feet. He looked at Blaise and Luna's uncomfortable faces and it dawned on him that he was likely the topic of conversation before he arrived. He turned back to Ginny and asked, "Would you like to dance with me?"

She furrowed her brow towards him and answered icily, "I'm okay, thanks."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

She looked down at her feet and shook her head, "No, no. I should find Harry, I've barely seen him all nig – "

"Ginny," he interrupted and grabbed her hand looked at her with pleading eyes, "Please."

She swallowed hard and looked at Blaise and Luna who both shrugged, showing they were both clueless as to what she should do. She looked back in Draco's eyes and frowned as she remembered being rejected last night. She really didn't want to be offered a pity dance – but she also knew it would be weirder at work if she turned him down. She rolled her eyes and nodded. He grabbed her by the hand, leading her to the glamorous dance floor.

A slow, sad, piano ballad filled her ears as she positioned herself stiffly with Draco. She made sure you could fit at least a ruler in between their bodies and avoided his stare. He gripped his hand around her waist and his touch made her shiver. She didn't want to be this close to him.

'I was a war; I was a creature
I get on the ground the second I'd see you
You cannot command your love.'

"I know I've said it before…but you look absolutely beautiful when you wear green," He muttered quietly.

"Hmm, thanks," she replied insincerely.

'I wasn't a catch; I wasn't a keeper
I was walking around like I was the one who found dead John Cheever
Hand in glove'

He looked into her eyes sadly, "Are you mad at me?"

"No, why would I be mad at you, Draco?" She drawled coldly.

'So blame it on me
I really don't care
It's a foregone conclusion'

"Because I was a royal ass last night. I should have explained, I-"

"Draco," She snapped, darting her eyes towards his. "Sorry, but the last thing I want to hear is you explaining why you don't like me."

"No, Ginny, you don't understand – "

"I get it. Don't worry about it." She shot, clenching her jaw.

'I see you in stations and on invitations
You'd fall into rivers with friends on the weekends
Innocent skies above'

"Ginny, I like you so fucking much."

Her eyes shot towards his and her heart stopped. "Wh-what?"

'Carin at the liquor store, I can't wait to see you
I'm walking around like I was the one who found dead John Cheever
In the house of love'

"That was the hardest thing I think I've ever done…not kissing you back. If I had it my way I would have done it. A million times over."

"I don't understand…"

"But I can't - we can't."

"Why?"

'So blame it on me
I really don't care
It's a foregone conclusion'

"Ginny, you heard Mister Descartes earlier tonight. He's hesitant about working with us because of our age. We are already a risky investment…it would look awful if we were dating."

Ginny frowned as she made sense of his words. He was absolutely right. If news broke out that she and Draco were dating no one would take them seriously.

'It wasn't so bad, I wasn't that sick
Got taken by love, I wasn't that quick
Foregone conclusion'

"When I first propositioned you to work with us, I-I never thought I would fall for you…"

"Yeah, you and me both," she said, giving a weak smile.

"But I did. But it's too risky to do anything about it. I'm so sorry. I want to…but I can't. I should have told you before. I didn't think you felt the same…" He said honestly. She could see the pain in his eyes as he spoke, and for the first time, she realized that Draco could indeed experience heart ache.

She nodded and she felt tears bubble in her eyes but she refrained from letting them shed. Instead, she removed the distance between them and rested her head on his shoulder as he tightened his grip around her waist. They slowly swayed to the music.

'It's gonna be different after tonight
You're gonna see me in a different light
It's a foregone conclusion'

"You're my best friend, Ginny. I'm able to tell you things that I can't tell anyone else. You're funny and talented, down to earth…not to mention so damn pretty. You're everything I've ever wanted in a girl…and I can't do anything about it. I hate it."

She clenched her eyes shut as she tried to keep the tears in. The sliding guitar echoed in her ears and she felt like they were the only people in the room. She gently stroked her hand through his hair, trying to tell him she understood without speaking, in fear of crying if she spoke.

"And it hurts, Ginny," His voice cracked, "I hate how much it hurts seeing you with Harry. It would hurt seeing you with anyone. But…I need you to be happy. I have no right to feel hurt if you're with someone else. I've tried distracting myself with Fiona but it's not working."

She finally mustered the strength to whisper, "It hurts me, too…seeing you with her…"

"I know…I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I get it," she said sincerely.

'So blame it on me
I really don't care
It's a foregone conclusion'

"I wish more than anything that we could be together…at least try it out, you know? But we can't. We've worked so hard building this company, it could ruin everything…you understand, right? " He felt her nod on his shoulder, "Thank you. I needed you to know why last night happened the way it did. If we were under any different circumstances…well, it wouldn't have been you making the first move. I would have done it ages ago."

Ginny couldn't help but give a light giggle, "If we were under different circumstances I don't think we would spend this much time together." She felt him play with the ends of her hair.

He chuckled back, "I guess you're right."

'I'm already seeing stars in the air
It's a foregone conclusion'

The beautiful song ended and she reluctantly let go of his shoulders. Her eyes were watery but she was proud she managed to keep it together during that bittersweet reveal. She gave him a weak smile.

"You alright?" He asked and she nodded.

"Y-yeah, I think I'm going to get some air."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I'll be fine," she gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder, "Thanks, Malfoy."

"Anytime, Weasley."

She walked outside, glancing back one last time and saw Draco transform from the sad, sensitive man to the charismatic entrepreneur he worked so hard to be. He gave her one last smirk before resuming to his guests, cordially thanking them for their attendance. The cool November air cleansed her as she took a seat on a marble bench and reflected on what had just happened.

Condensation left her mouth with every heavy breath she took as she basked in her emotions. This, she thought, this is the feeling I've been searching for. She closed her eyes as she embraced Draco's voice replaying in her head. It dawned on her that she would never feel this way about Harry. The realization of what was missing from their relationship didn't clue in until she felt it from Draco. Even if she couldn't be with Draco it wasn't fair for her or Harry to stay together…to settle for each other. It was better to be alone than have anything short of the way she was feeling at that moment. She needed passionate, unequivocal, chemistry…not just someone who was merely available. No matter how hard she tried that spark would not light for Harry.

"Hey."

Ginny whipped her head around and saw a very irritable Harry.

"Haven't seen you much tonight," he said, scowling. "Nothing I love more than being left alone in the Malfoy Manor."

Ginny nodded her head slowly and mumbled, "I know, I'm sorry."

He stood in front of her and crossed his arms disapprovingly, "So? What's the deal? Is everything alright?"

She couldn't look him in the eyes. She knew what she had to do but she couldn't handle seeing his condemning glance. Absentmindedly, she kicked a pebble as she sadly shook her head. "I don't think this is going to work, Harry."

He clenched his jaw, nodding as if he had been expecting this all night. "It's Malfoy, isn't it? I saw you two dancing."

"No! I mean, well, maybe a tiny bit," She couldn't lie right to his face, "but nothing happened and nothing is going to happen."

"I should have known not to let slimy git around y-"

"HARRY," she snapped, looking into his eyes for the first time, "This isn't about Draco. This is about me and you."

"What do you mean?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Harry…we aren't compatible together."

"How can you say that?" He spat.

"We haven't been since Hogwarts. We are two completely different people. We want different things in life."

"No, we don't!"

"Yes, we do," she shot boldly, "the fact that you can't see it is simply evidence that it's true."

"What do you want out of life, huh? To go get wasted with Malfoy and Zabini for the rest of your life?"

"Are you joking me? That's really how you view all of this?" She asked incredulously, "I want to be a success. I want to be my own person. I want to make a name for myself – not just be Harry Potter's girlfriend or be another Weasley."

"I never asked you to 'just' be my girlfriend!"

"I know, but honestly…picture our lives in five years. How will you feel when I'm off traveling for work months at a time? Because I'm not going to give that up."

He looked at his shoes, it seemed that argument struck a chord. "But Ginny…I love you."

"No, you don't. You love a memory of me; an image of what we could have together," she said sadly, "And I don't…"

She trailed off, hoping he wouldn't make her finish her sentence.

"You don't what? Say it," he egged her on.

"I don't love you."

She could hear him inhale deeply and see him clench his fists. "So what was that this morning? You were all over me…"

Ginny winced as guilt stabbed her in the heart, "I'm so sorry…I was stupid." She gulped, "I guess I was trying to force something that wasn't there."

"I can't believe this."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly as her voice began to tremble; tears forming in the back of her throat.

He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently before he spoke, "This is your last chance, Ginny. If you don't take it, I'm gone. Forever. I won't wait around this time. Are you sure about this?"

She hesitated, but not because she wasn't sure. This was the most certain she had been about something in a long time. She just couldn't stand looking at his angry expression. But she had to do it. She slowly raised her gaze to meet his and said with the utmost certainty, "Yes."

He nodded and drawled coldly, "Fine. I hope you get everything you've always wanted," he turned on his heel and strutted towards the door.

She clenched her eyes shut and put them in her hands. She didn't want it to end on that note, "Harry, wait!"

He pivoted on his feet and snapped, "What?"

She took a deep breath, attempting to collect her thoughts. "You're a wonderful man. Somewhere out there, there's the right girl for you. I'm sorry that it's not me, but she's out there."

He pursed his lips and nodded, leaving without another word.

After a few minutes of sitting there, analyzing the crazy turn of events that happened, she headed back inside to find her friends sitting at a table. Fiona was brushing Draco's hands with her fingertips, and surprisingly, she didn't care in the least.

"There you are, we were going to come find you!" Blaise said, with his arm lazily draped around Luna's chair.

"Yeah, um, I think I'm going to go home. I'm really tired."

"Are you sure? We were just about to get this party started!" Luna cheered happily. Clearly, she had drunk too much champagne.

"Yeah, sorry, not tonight," she forced a fake smile on her face.

"Where's Harry?" Draco asked looking concerned.

"Um…he went home," she said vaguely, although they all nodded in a sad understanding.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Draco asked, sending sympathy her way with his eyes. She nodded.

"I really am."

A/N: Weeeooooooeo what a night for Ginny!

Just a note - I tried to make the french investor have a french dialect in my accent but I failed at it haha. It just wasn't coming out right. So I gave up.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it. Don't forget to review and follow! :)