Chapter Five:

The sun slowly crept through the windows and crossed the floor, landing lightly on the bed where the married couple slept. Ginny was laying on her back, her rythmic breathing the only sound. She slowly stirred from sleep, and thought it funny she felt weight on her stomache. She blinked her eyes open to see an arm!

"Wha--" Ginny saw that the arm was attatched to Draco, who's face was a mere two inches from hers. He was sleeping soundly on his side, his arm draped across her. When Ginny began to stir, Draco moaned, then pulled her closer to him.

A thousand thoughts swept through Ginny's mind. If she woke him up she'd be completely embaressed by the situation. Or he might just be rude enough to make some snide remarks. She could try to push him away. That's what she'd do.

Ginny mustered up all the courage and stelth she had. She tried removing his arm by lifting his hand up off her, but it was securely grasping her lingerie. She began to pry his fingers off it, one by one, but to no avail. She resorted to roughly pushing him away, her bare hands leaving small imprints on his chest. She didn't care if he woke up now, she just wanted him away from her!

"Mmm, you smell so good." Draco, appearing to be asleep still, nuzzled his face into Ginny's hair.

A warm tingling sensation swept through Ginny's body, starting from her head and ending at her toes. Now that she thought about it, it wasn't all that bad being in his embrace. His chest was smooth, and his arms were warm, and...

But wait, she thought. This is Malfoy!

Ah, a small voice in her head said, but he's also your husband.

"Ahh!" Ginny screamed out loud, roughly pulling Draco from his sleep.

He shot up, his hair ruffled by the night's sleep, and breathed irregularly.

"What!" He said breathlessly. "What is it?"

"I thought I saw a mouse!" Ginny squeaked.

Draco promptly stood up and grabbed the magazine from off his nightstand. With the magazine rolled in one hand, he crept around on the floor. Ginny began to laugh, trying to muffle her giggles with the bed sheets.

"What?" Draco now lookd irritated.

"I said I THOUGHT I saw a mouse." Now Ginny began to laugh loudly, nothing holding her back.

"Ginny!" Draco yelled, tossing the magazine on the bed. "You took away twenty precious minutes of my sleep!" Not getting any response from her but laughter, he continued. "I don't have to take this...I'm taking my shower."

He left her still swimming in laughs, and slammed the bathroom door behind him.

Breakfast was silent, but Ginny kept a firm smile on her face. Draco would occasionally look up from his paper and notice the smile, then frown himself. He could have laughed at himself, he knew it was a funny situation, the only problem was he had been having a good dream. But now he had completely forgotten it, thanks to her commotion!

"Here's the Muggle money to buy your new clothes with." Draco said, as if they had just been talking about the subject of money. He pushed a small plastice rectuangular object towards her.

"It looks like plastic." Ginny picked it up, and frowned.

"It's called a 'credit card.' All you do is bring what you want up to the counter and give them this. You'll have to sign something, but don't forget to sign 'Virginia Malfoy.'"

"Thanks." Ginny smiled.

"Goodbye, DEAR." Draco said, then left for work.

~*~*~

Ginny was in the smaller sitting room, listening to the WWN, when Molly came in with the Owl Post. Ginny flipped through the many letters sorting them into two piles. Draco's pile was growing rapidly, when Ginny saw a letter adressed to her. It was from the Interior Designing Co. Rain had given her misfortunes in trying to find furniture in the surrounding towns. She related the cheap ripoffs she came across, and bad deals. She then continued to say that she'd go directly to France in search of the "perfect" furniture, and not to be expected until tomorrow.

Ginny threw the letter aside, and saw herself staring up at her.

"What?" Ginny looked at Witch Weekly and on the front was a picture of Draco and herself at their wedding. Curious, Ginny flipped to the inside article and read:

It is true, Witch Weekly's Bachelor of the Year has betrothed himself to one Virginia Weasley. ("Bachelor of the year? Now that I think about it, I remember some Slytherin's sniggering about something.") Though Virginia is no beauty, we may be assured that Darco Malfoy had deep feelings for this firey maiden. ("Not beautiful?")

Their wedding was the event of the season, ending in Chinese imported dragon fireworks and two running unicorns.

Ginny stopped reading...she had no interest in this article. It was obviously just printed to appease the gossips. Ginny had never been written about in an article, and quite frankly, wouldn't welcome the experience again. Although, she knew that being a Malfoy had disadvantages she hadn't thought about before. The Malfoy family were very active in politics and social ranking. She'd have to go to parties, and be received by the best wizarding families. Ginny groaned, and threw the magazine to the side, landing on top of Rain's letter.

~*~*~

Draco walked into work expecting cat calls and jeerings from his co- workers, but all he got were stares and smiles. Draco raised an eyebrow, then continued to his desk. He was about to read his research on the project he'd been working on, when his co-workers surrounded his desk.

"May I help you?" He asked.

"'From afar he'd had his eye on her while attending six of his seven years at Hogwarts.'" One of them quoted.

"What are you rambling about?" Draco asked impatiently.

The one who did the quoting dropped a magazine in his lap. Draco peered down at the article and skimmed over it. They were outright lies! He wanted to scream, but then again no one except his and the Weasley family knew the marriage was arranged. Lucius didn't want it to get around that he admited even his blood had a flaw.

"So." Draco said, keeping a calm voice. He continued his work, much to the disapointment of his "friends."

As soon as noon struck, Draco walked to a fire place and used floo powder to get himeslf to Diagon Alley. He enjoyed eating in one of the bistros and nabbing a snack or two at the candy shop. He had finished lunch and was licking an icecream cone when he passed by a travel agency's office. "Take a tour of France to all the Wizarding Wonders! Enjoy sunny afternoons on the beach, visit the Wizard's Town of Mystique! Now only 3,600 Galleons for two!"

Without knowing what he was doing, he walked into the agency and promptly bought one package. He stared down at the prochure he had in his hands, and didn't want to admit to himself he was willingly doing something nice for Ginny.

"She's my wife, after all." He thought, though not at all as bitterly as he would have liked.

~*~*~

Banging, and crashing came from the second floor. Ginny was on the verge of ripping her hair out by the roots.

"Argh! I can't take this any more!" She yelled, then ran out of the house, and waiting for her was the black car.

"Madam." The Chauffer said, opening a door for her.

"I thought you took Draco to work." Ginny said.

"I know when my employers need me." He smiled, then closed the door when she got in. "To town?" He asked, and Ginny nodded.

They drove for only a few moments when they reached a huge building. Ginny looked up at it a little frightened.

"It's called a shopping mall." The drive explained.

Ginny then knew he was waiting for her to get out. She got out, and walked slowly up the steps to the doors. They were huge, and made of glass. People were coming and going as they pleased, without taking any notice of the frightened red head. She opened the door, and walked in, met immediatly by the cool air inside.

Noises were everywhere. There were dozens of stores on either side of her, it was like an in door Diagon Alley! There were food stands, and candy shops. Shoe stores and cothing stores. Ginny wished there were five of her so she could enter as many shops at once as she could. She settled on a department store, and entered the brightly lit room. Makeup counters were spread out in front of her, and the women behind the counterse beckoned her to true their latest fragrances, and fine lipsticks. Ginny even got a free makeover!

She moved on to some clothes racks and felt the soft materials and wondered where to go to have them fitted for her.

"May I help you?" A woman asked, coming up behind her. She looked only a few years older than Ginny, but very friendly.

"Yes, I need to buy some new clothes, and I have no idea how to do it!" Ginny confessed. "I don't even know if this will work." Ginny held up the credit card Draco had given her.

"Let me check, dear, to see if you're past your limit." The sales clerk took the card from Ginny and walked towards a desk. She swiped it through a machine ("Wow, Dad would FREAK!") then smiled widely. "You have no limit! Is this your Father's?"

"No, my husbands." Ginny replied.

"Well, I'll help you find clothes that would suit your body type Mrs..." She looked at the card. "Malfoy."

They then proceeded going through all the clothes in that section of the store. Ginny had no say, or so she felt. The sales woman was very nice, and she'd pull clothes from off racks and then comment on the color, or the style, or the maker.

"You look like you have long, thin legs. You shouldn't hide them behind dull jeans."

Ginny blushed, then looked down at her jeans that she'd had for a year.

"You're not very, er, well endowed, but that's the style these days."

Ginny blushed even more, and crossed her arms over her chest.

After the saleswoman had all the clothes, she smiled, then led Ginny to the back of the store. She ordered Ginny to take the clothes and try them on. She did, and one by one she had on all the clothes that fit very nicely. After Ginny had purchased her clothes, and shoes to go along with them, she headed back to the car. Honestly, Ginny had enough of this Muggle shopping thing.

By the time she got back home, the Demolition Group was gone, and Ginny had the house to herself once again. It still didn't feel like home, though.

Ginny thought how proud Draco would be if he came home and she was wearing something new. She couldn't figure out why, for the life of her, she wanted Draco to smile in approval. Maybe she felt she had to live up to the Malfoy name...

Ginny went directly to Draco's room and sorted through the clothes. She decided on a short skirt and peasant top. The khaki skirt hugged her thighs, and revealed miles of milky white legs. The peasant top was white, and had frayed sleeves. When Ginny looked in the mirror she almost didn't recognize herself. Maybe Draco won't recognize me either, she mused. He's going to come home to another woman!

~*~*~

Draco got into the black car, and promptly began doing paper work. He thought that his Father would give him a high ranking position in the Ministry, but he said starting low built character.

"I have plenty character!" Draco argued.

When he arrived home he gave Molly his things and told her to put his paper work in the downstairs study. He was planning on spending the rest of the evening after dinner doing his work. He was almost certain Ginny wouldn't mind. And that's when he saw her!

She came walking down the stairs, those legs going on forever. They seemed to move in a certain hypnotic rythm. Draco could only pry his eyes off of them to admire the top.

"Do you like it?" She asked, standing a few feet in front of him.

Draco had never been at a loss for words, but now one wondered if he had a tongue in his mouth to speak with.

"Oh," Ginny said in frustration. "I hate these shoes!" She hopped on one foot to take the shoe off the other, and began to do the same for the next, when she tripped and fell into Draco's arms.

Her skin felt so smooth, and cool. He moved his hand from her lower arm up to her shoulder. Ginny had a black shoe that seemed to be made of straps and lace in her hand, resting on Draco's chest..

"They hurt." Ginny said, nodding towards the shoe.

Draco couldn't believe he had a gorgeous woman for a wife. The article had said she wasn't beautiful, but that was the biggest lie it printed! Then he remembered his co-workers hooting and hollering how beautiful they thought she was too.

"Take them off." He ordered.

"What?" Ginny was confused.

"I don't want you wearing clothes fit for a prostitute." He released her, then began walking away.

"Excuse me! Um, did you just give me another order?" Ginny called after him. "I'm talking to YOU!"

Draco felt something hit the back of his head, and turned around and saw one of the shoes laying at his feet. He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, then looked incredulously at Ginny. No one had thrown a shoe at him before...no one.

"Sorry?" Ginny said, a mixture of amusement and fear on her face. "Like I sad before, I'm not your slave, nor your servant. I'm your wife...now if you want to talk like a normal human being, and tell me why I can't wear these clothes...then maybe..."

"There's nothing to talk about." Draco said calmly. "Look at that skirt! It shows...EVERYTHING!"

"Yeah, and just a moment ago you were goggling at 'everything.'"

So she had noticed. He thought.

"I don't have to explain things to you." Draco was beyond calm. How did his Father control his Mother? It didn't look difficult at all. But Ginny was just impossible! He smiled, then walked up to her, like a cat stalking its prey. "Ginny, what do you think guys think when they see women like you?" He grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her close to him. "They think, 'Curses, look at those legs, I'd love to just--'"

"Ok, ok!" Ginny said, trying to push away. "I get the picture!"

Draco held her in his arms for a few moments longer, then gently let go.

"Is that what you think?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"Ginny...you seriously don't know what you do to guys, do you?" He looked at her, then smiled. "I don't know why you said you'd marry me...honestly I was hoping you'd refuse, but now..." He let the sentence hang, then left for the dining room.

"Well you don't know what you do to me." Ginny whispered, then followed.

(A/N: Ok, I'm here at work writing my author's note. Don't tell my boss, k?

I'm sorry, it seems I've acquired a nasty case of social lifeitus. I'm sure it's just a phase and will pass, teehee! But that's the reason I haven't had time to work on my stories. A couple of friends of mine are home from college and we've been hanging out, and yes, I do get an occasional date…very occasional.

Well, thanks guys for all your advice, I take each one into serious account and hope I can include most of them in here some how!

Thanks again! Love ya!