Soon after Lacey had dragged poor Seamus off to swim she remembered that her bathing suit was still in her bag near the door. She wasn't trying to be sneaky as she edged around the courtyard where Draco and Ginny were talking but sneaky she was all the same. She had every intent of just getting her suit and going back to the beach when their words traveled over to her. Whispered confessions of love and adoration. Her feet were suddenly weak beneath her and she fell against a nearby pillar. Breaths came and went in quick gasps as they pain in her chest spread out and took hold of her every limb.

The tears came soon after and as they streaked her face with salt she could feel her world spinning apart and away from her. He didn't love her at all. He never had and never would. The man she had loved since she was six years old would never love her back because he was in love with another girl. It seemed such a silly problem – the age old 'I love him he loves her' – but it was so much more than that. He was supposed to love her and be with her. They were promised to each other, married, and he had assured her time and time again that they would be happy. Then this.

Feet slipping out beneath her Lacey slid down the pillar and onto the ground in silence. Her tears made no noise and her breath was silenced by her fear of being found. How had she ever convinced herself that she could live like this? When had it become okay for her to sacrifice her life and happiness to fix her father's problems? Truth was that she couldn't remember anymore.

As Lacey mourned the loss of her love and her life a sort of numbness overtook her. It spread through her limbs and covered her soul with a protective, icy layer of determined strength. She did not need to stay where she was not happy or wanted. She could go her own way and leave behind a life that was sure to be agony. It would be the simplest thing; to just walk away.

xxx

Seamus was sitting down on the beach alone when he watched Lacey waltz down the wooden steps from the house in a huff and barrel towards him.

"Lacey, are you alright?" her angry eyes prompted him. At his question all emotion vanished from her face and she looked him in the eye,

"I'm perfectly fine, however, I have just left a note for Draco informing him that I will be returning to England in order to divorce him,"

"Why would you do that Lacey? I thought he was trying to make things work," Seamus stood up and stepped towards her,

"If making things work includes telling Ginny he's still in love with her then yes, he's trying to make things work," her pain returned as she spat the words out of her mouth as if each one of them was a flame on her tongue.

"He what?" Seamus yelped, looking quickly towards the house then back to the gorgeous girl in front of him,

"Oh yes, it was quite the heart to heart they had, very much still in love with each other, no regard for either of us, so yes I'm ending things and leaving and I very much suggest you do the same," she ended her words with pride before walking down the beach to the edge of the property where she could disapparate.

Seamus stood in shock as he watched her thin form trot away then vanish. He was numb and angry and hurt all at the same time. Maybe he never had stood a chance with Ginny; not while Malfoy was still in love with her. Maybe he's known it all along.

xxx

Ginny still sat on the garden bench with her head resting on Draco's warm shoulder. She had come to terms with her love for him. He was everything she needed, wanted, dreamed of, and desired. Did she live for him; no, she lived for herself but she loved him. As she sat there with him she felt it deep inside her core that she couldn't leave him ever again. She would do whatever needed to be done to stay by his side forever.

"Ginny,"

"Mmhmm,"

"Do you suppose Lacey will be very angry with me?" Draco whispered, his terror came to the surface as his voice filled with dread. Dread for the anger of his wife.

"I don't believe that Lacey is capable of anger, of spite and hurt, yes, but not anger, she's far too clever for that," Ginny looked up into his stormy grey eyes and for a moment was lost in them before his low voice stirred her into remembering the situation,

"What am I to do Ginny?" the arm around her shoulders tightened as he pulled her closer.

"Talk to her, I don't know what else you can do," her words seemed too cold and logical for the situation but her hardened heart was finally coming in useful.

"Should I talk to her now?" Draco's voice shook and he took a deep breath, "And what should I say,"

"The truth," Ginny said simply, "Tell her the truth, she deserves it". Draco nodded, more to himself that to Ginny, before standing up and reaching for her hand.

"You'll come with me?" he looked her in the eyes and all of the anger that Ginny had felt; all the pain and suffering vanished. She hadn't lost herself when he'd left her, but she had lost something of great value. She nodded and took his hand. Together they walked into the house with the intent of going to find Lacey on the beach with Seamus.

They didn't get that far.

Seamus sat in the kitchen with an envelope in his hands. He was gripping it so hard that the parchment had crumpled and his knuckles were white. His eyes flashed to the pairs clasped hands but he didn't seem surprised. Ginny closed her eyes and took a breath; she hadn't thought about Seamus, hadn't imagined that she would have to deal with him so soon.

"Don't worry about me Ginny," his voice surprised her with its coldness, "I guess I always knew this would happen,"

"Seamus I…" truly she had nothing to say; no reasoning for her action. For what she had done was senseless and stupid. She had hurt people on purpose and dragged people she loved down with her.

"You've hurt a lot of people Ginny," didn't she know it, "Hurt Terry, hurt your family, hurt me, and now Lacey," Draco's eyes flashed and Seamus looked at him, "She's gone Draco, left a nice little letter for you and everything,"

"She's gone?" there was no relief in Draco's eyes or voice only shock,

"Yep, I'll be leaving soon as well; I just wanted to make sure you got her note,"

"Seamus…" Ginny tried again,

"Just shut up Ginny, just shut up and leave me alone," he stood up, tossed the envelope on the counter and stormed out of the house with his trunk to disapparate.

"I deserved that," Ginny whispered to herself,

"No you didn't," Draco tried to sooth her as he ran his thumb in circles on her lower back,

"Yes I did and no denying it, I've been dreadful," there were no tears.

"Alright perhaps you have but no worse than I've been," He pulled her around to look at her properly, "I suppose in a terrible sort of way we deserve each other, both heinous to our friends and partners, both hurting too many people to end up with anyone expect each other," the ironic poetic-ness of his words finally made Ginny smile.

"I suppose we do," she agreed quietly before standing up on her tip-toes to do something she'd wanted to do ever since he left her. She kissed him softly at first but it didn't take long for the tenderness to turn to passion.

(A/N - My dears I am so sorry. I've been suffering from a cross between writers block and terror. My terror is due to a recent bout of insanity in which I firmly believed that one of my original characters – you do not know her – took over dictatorship in my head. That does not excuse me from not writing this story but all the same you deserve the truth.)