A/N: Not beta'd.

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The Safe House

Chapter Two

Draco sat up in bed. He could not go back to sleep. How could he go to sleep when his godfather was probably being tortured to death? And for what? That pathetic girl downstairs who had nothing better to do with her life than worship Potter. Why, Severus? Why? Who cares what he wants with her? Let him have her! And as soon as he thought that, he regretted it. He knew why the Dark Lord wanted Weasley, and he knew that Severus would not have chosen to sacrifice himself without thinking it through. She was walking around below, and he could hear her entering the kitchen. Well, at least she wasn't needing his help…yet. Tomorrow he would have to explain everything to her. And he would have to live in this house with her.

Sweet Merlin, she's crying. I'm the one who should be crying. She has just been saved from a terrible fate, and she is crying! Probably about Potter. What did I ever see in her? I can't believe I let Blaise convince me to even notice her in the first place. Thank God I never acted on it. One more thing Potter beat me t - AAH! What the hell am I thinking? I haven't even seen that little bint since Hogwarts. Go to sleep, Draco. Severus is fine. He is fine, and you will see him soon.

Draco awoke in just as bad of a mood as he had fallen asleep. He dreamt about Severus. He had watched him die countless times in his sleep, unable to do anything. One time, the Weasley girl was standing next to him, looking at him with pity and reaching out to him. That one woke him up. Finally, he fell back asleep for a few more restless hours.

ooo

Ginny sat up gingerly. The sofa was not as comfortable as she had hoped. Thankfully, she had slept hard and did not have even one dream. Snape must have slipped some Dreamless Sleep Potion in her. She could hear movement upstairs. A shower had just been turned off and then a door opened and shut. Just thinking of the toilet immediately brought attention to the fact that she hadn't visited one for many, many hours.

"Malfoy? Is there a toilet down here? Otherwise, I am coming up right now!" she called up the stairs.

"Down the hall on your right," he answered from the top of the stairs. He was shirtless and his jeans were undone. He looked upset still. His eyes were red. She muttered her thanks and almost ran to the toilet.

Ginny had returned to the kitchen to find some food and was surprised to see not only an abundance of tinned goods, but also a large supply of Muggle food items in the pantry. She opened a jar of pears and found a fork in the drawer and sat down at the small table, eating directly out of the jar. The kitchen was homey, painted a soft yellow with pale blue trim. She liked it and wondered who on earth owned this place, surely not either of the Slytherin men. The house was not really a cottage in the modern sense of the word. It was rather large compared to Shell Cottage, her brother Bill's home he shared with his wife and daughters. But she thought this house looked like a cottage, felt like a cottage with its warmth and cosy décor. The downstairs consisted of the large sitting room in the front, small office also in the front, a long hall with a loo that led to the large kitchen with pantries to the right, and what appeared to be a dining room sans table and chairs to the left. An arched doorway connected the sitting room to the dining room, and there were swinging doors between the hall and kitchen, and the kitchen and the dining room. A door at the back of one of the pantries opened to a dark staircase that she assumed led to a cellar. The kitchen window looked out onto the backyard where there was a greenhouse and chicken coup to the left. There was also a garden to the right and from the patio area, a path that led into some woods further back. The ground was covered in a light dusting of snow. She had no idea where she was.

No time like the present, Draco. Just go down there. She already knows your up and dressed. You can't hide up here forever. Besides, she seems to think this is your territory. Don't tempt her to come up here and find you.

He walked into the kitchen and observed her eating. "Good morning. I see you have made yourself some breakfast," he said with a smirk.

Ginny looked up from the jar of pears, fork halfway to her mouth, and glared. His hair had dried and hung loose, unlike the ridiculous slicked-back style he had worn whilst in school. He appeared softer, even the smirk seemed to be lacking any real condescendence. He had finished dressing in a long-sleeve t-shirt. Muggle clothes? Ginny wanted to see him as a changed man, but the moment he reached up to grab a box of cereal over the refrigerator, she saw just a glimpse of the Dark Mark on his arm. All kind thoughts immediately flew from her mind. He was the enemy. There was nothing that could change that. God, Ginny, were you so distracted by his naked chest you didn't even notice the damned Dark Mark?

Draco sighed as he sat down across the table from her and began to eat his cereal with water. Brilliant. She is looking at you like a monster. This is going to be just excellent.

"Okay. Well, do you want me to tell you now or later what is happening," he said slowly. He sounded put out as if he would rather just never tell her anything.

She looked up at him again. Probably would rather just kill me. Thank you, Snape, for making him protect me. And then she noticed the water in his cereal. "Do you not like milk?"

"What?"

"Never mind. Just tell me what I need to know, and then I will be on my way. Well, you may have to help me leave because I do not have a wand. Your little friends took it from me as I'm sure you know." That little admission pissed her off. She hadn't intended saying that last bit out loud, but she was embarrassed that she would need anything from him.

That had been the one thing that kept her from ever rising to his bait in school. She didn't need his money. She was perfectly happy without it, unlike Ron, and so his little insults had always just bounced right off of her. It didn't hurt that it seemed to annoy him when she would toss her hair and walk away from him. In fact, over time, he pretty much had left her alone. For one brief moment in her fifth year, she had thought he fancied her when she caught him staring at her in the library and at dinner and at a Quidditch game. It was confusing to think of him liking her when something about him had always intrigued her. But Harry had grabbed her the next week in the common room and snogged her senseless in front of her entire house. After that, she didn't even notice the stupid Ferret –except for when he was running past her the night Dumbledore was killed. As much as she had forgiven Snape for his participation, she had never really considered forgiving Malfoy. After all, he had never returned, never repented, and seemed to have disappeared into the mysterious world of the Death Eaters. Until now.

He began with clear contempt written across his pale face, "Well, firstly, they are not -"

"You know what? I want to know why you didn't come to our side if you were so scared? You couldn't kill Dumbledore. You claimed that you were protecting your family? Right. Snape is on our side, and I'm sure you could have come to him for help after what I saw last night. No, you are just a coward and a pathetic follower…" She had stood up during her interruption and was about to slap him when he stood as well, but he grabbed her wrist and in a low voice, which was scarier to her than screaming, he returned the interruption.

"Shut up, you ignorant bitch. It is none of your bloody business what I have been doing. If your precious Potter hasn't informed you of what is going on then that is your problem. And you know NOTHING about last night. Nothing about what he has done for you. I can't even look at you right now. You disgust me." He dropped her wrist and stormed back through the house and up the stairs and slammed the door.

Damn her! Damn her! Damn her! How dare she think that she knows anything about me! Protecting my family! What the hell has he told her? Draco paced back and forth in his room ranting in his head; he would not give her the satisfaction of hearing his thoughts. It was bad enough she had affected him. He normally would never have snapped so easily, but his godfather's fate was weighing heavily on his mind. And with that thought, he flung himself onto the bed.

Ginny looked up at the direction of the sound of his stomping. "AAH! I can't stand him! Fine, don't talk to me, you little Ferret! As soon as I am able, I will be out of here!" She screamed from the kitchen table. Now just find the healing potions and get yourself well enough to walk. You should be able to leave in two, three days max. You can do this. You don't even need to speak to him. Your family is probably scouring the country looking for you. You will be fine!

ooo

For three days, Ginny and Draco avoided each other. Ginny never even once went upstairs. She showered in the small downstairs loo, slept on the sofa, and ate in the sitting room when he was in the kitchen. Draco stayed in his room except for going downstairs to get food. Most meals he took upstairs, but sometimes he ate in the kitchen just to piss her off. It also allowed him time to snoop around the potions pantry and see what she had been taking. Apparently the little Weasel knew her potions.

"Goodbye! Have a terrible life, Ferret!" she chirped up the stairs on the morning of the fourth day of silence. She was very anxious to get out of the house, but she was also a bit terrified of what was waiting for her. She had been captured, and from the little bit of conversation she had overheard between Malfoy and Snape, she was in real danger.

She found a coat in a closet the day before and a hat and gloves. She had been wearing warm clothes and a scarf the night she was captured, but they were rather torn, and she figured she should bundle up before heading out into the winter for an undetermined amount of time. What am I thinking? I don't even know where I am? Okay, Ginny, just swallow your pride and try to talk to him again. NO! He has had three days, THREE DAYS, to come to me. Stupid git. He knows I am leaving. He will stop me if he has to, he promised, well, he kind-of promised Snape to protect me. I will be fine!

"Weasley! Stop, wait a minute." He called as he came down the stairs. He had his wand out and was dressed warmly in a grey jumper.

She had already stepped through the front door and wasn't sure of what to make of the wand being drawn. She lifted her eyebrows in question to him. No reason to break my vow of silence.

"Would you like a Warming Charm before you leave? It is rather cold out there," he said with a smirk that definitely reminded her of the Malfoy she loathed from school.

"No, thank you. I'm quite good. I found this coat." She sweetly smiled up at him as he crossed to her. Well there goes your vow of silence. Are you daft? Take the damned charm!

She turned on her heel and headed down the front path, occasionally looking back. Draco was leaning against the front door; arms and legs crossed looking comfortable and extremely smug.

What the hell is he staring at? Wipe that stupid smirk off your face, you big wanker! I am so telling everyone where you are hiding when I get home. Harry would just love to lock you up! You're lucky that the Dementors are no longer working Azkaban. Oh shite! That's right, Ginny, the Dementors are looking for people like you! Dammit, I should have taken his wand. Sorry, Fred. I am sure you would have taken the stupid Ferret's wand. Stupid, smirking, stuck-up, Slytherin OWWW!

"OWWW! Dammit! What the fuck?" Ginny screamed at the invisible barrier that she had just rammed into, knocking herself onto the ground.

"Hahahahahahahahahahah! Thank you… so much… for that. Merlin! I haven't laughed this hard for….God, I think ever!" Draco was literally bent over laughing. He had never left the front door. He was actually wiping tears from his eyes. After a few moments, he regained his composure, smirked once more at her, and returned inside the house.

"Funny. Very funny. So I am trapped…with him. I guess this explains why there was no rush in getting me out the door. Okay, Ginny, stop talking to your self and get up and go back in the house. You can outlast him. Make him come to you," she stated seriously. Even though her temper had definitely overcome her, she knew that had it been him, she would be laughing, too.

"Honey, I'm home," she sang as she entered the house and immediately headed up the stairs. "I decided to stay. I know how much you would have missed me."

No more sofa! She was taking the bed. After all, as a gentleman he should gladly give her the bed. Even she smirked at that. Gentleman, ha! Arriving at the top of the staircase, she noticed that there were four doors. Turning to the right, she opened the first door and was immediately met by a strong scent. A rather masculine scent. One, she hated to admit, rather attractive, masculine scent. She quickly scanned the neatly kept room, noticing the cream coloured walls, large floor mirror, and perfectly made double bed covered with large fluffy pillows and a dark purple duvet. Figures. Even his room is perfect looking. Wait, you did not just think that. Nothing about him is perfect.

He had laughed at her address to him upon returning, but stopped when he heard her heading up the stairs. Immediately, he left his breakfast and followed her up to his room. "What are you doing? Get out of my room. I was here first, the room is mine." He sounded pathetic even to his own ears.

"Why, Malfoy, I know it reeks of your Ferrety scent, but I will survive. And seeing as I clearly have no where better to be, I think I will just lie down for a bit." She stared directly into his eyes as if challenging him to stop her before hopping onto his bed. She shrugged off her coat and jumper, kicked off her shoes, and snuggled into the covers.

She peeked at him over the covers and said, "Oh, you can leave now. I will be fine. I'll come down later when I'm hungry." She sighed as she turned away from him. She was just starting to regret laying in his bed and having his intoxicating scent envelope her when the covers were torn back, and two strong arms picked her up and threw her over a broad shoulder. "What, what are you doing? Put me down right now," she screamed at his quickly retreating room. The next thing she knew, he had opened the door at the other end of the hall and dropped her onto another bed.

"Milady, your room. Take care to remember which one is yours in the future. I mean, I know I'm hard to resist, but I don't particularly care for Weasels….Oh, and thanks again for this morning. I needed that laugh," he smiled a real smile which almost shocked her into silence.

"You let me sleep on that sofa for days! Why didn't you tell me there was another bed up here?" Even she knew that it was completely her fault. He never actually forbade her from going upstairs. And then he laughed again and headed back down to his breakfast. Who knew he was capable of so much laughter?

"I liked the other room better," Ginny pouted as she lay back on the smaller bed.

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A/N: Please review. No threats of not finishing or anything. Just would like to get some feedback. Thanks!