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16. A Sweet Misery

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Disclaimer: I own nothing!

 

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(A/N: Aw, fluff warning ahead. Just for this one chapter though – I wrote this for those of you sending me threats of bodily harm if I didn't update soon. Usually those work, but don't forget to tell me ya love me, too, lol. ^_~ Next one's gonna be longer and much, much darker – hope ya like is one!)

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Madam Pomfrey didn't even bother asking what had happened when a solemn Ginny and an unusually temperate looking Draco showed up at the Infirmary doors.

She didn't try to shoo Ginny out, either, as she directed Draco to sit on the end of one of the beds and take off his school robes.

Ginny hovered near, feeling tired and worn. She found herself automatically taking Draco's robes and draping them neatly over her arm when he peeled them off – not even noticing that it was somewhat of a wifely gesture she'd seen her Mum do for her Dad a million times.

Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue over the state of Draco's hand, but didn't ask for any elaboration. Ginny was surprised when the woman looked right at her and told her to get his cuff and jumper sleeve rolled up while she went and got her supplies.

Draco looked up at her from beneath his brows, a smile barely lifting one corner of his mouth, the type of smile that she'd never seen on his face before.

"She seems to think we're a bit of a couple, doesn't she?"

Ginny  didn't answer. She carefully laid his robes aside and hesitantly stepped up to the bed, her hip brushing the side of his leg as she gingerly reached for the bloodstained edge of his sleeve.

Draco obligingly held still as she pushed up the sleeve of his jumper, and then unbuttoned the white cuff of his shirt, and folded it back several times until it was above his elbow.

Ginny made sure to keep her head bent to her task, but she found herself staring at his forearm in fascination – she'd seen the ruined mark Voldemort had placed there before, with the scar slashing directly through it – but that wasn't what she was so taken with. Just seeing the bare, lean muscle of his forearm was making her weak, for some reason…maybe it was the simple fact that she'd been the one to bare it.

"Remind you of something?"

Ginny jumped as she realized she'd just run the tip of one finger down the silky skin, and pulled her hand away in embarrassment.

"Sorry – "

Draco caught her wrist in his good hand and tugged her near again – disturbingly near.

"Come on, tell me the truth – were you thinking the same thing I was just now?" He murmured in her ear.

Ginny cleared her throat and kept her face turned from his. She allowed her head to hang just a bit, near his throat, so she could catch that faint, warm scent of his cologne – "I don't know," she murmured back. "What were you thinking about?"

He laughed very softly in her ear, and she closed her eyes, unintentionally turning toward him farther, unknowingly stepping between his knees as she felt his hand slide down from her wrist to rest lightly on her hip.

"Don't you remember? This bed in particular, I believe it was – "

Ginny felt her eyes snap open and she bit the inside of cheek. "Are you talking about – I, er…don't remember," she said weakly, choking slightly.

Sweet Merlin, did she remember!

"Come on, Gin," he whispered, pulling back to look down into her eyes. "How could you forget…me, you, hot soapy water – " Ginny shivered and dropped her eyes.  "No? Well…ah. The gray silk boxers ring a bell?"

The sounds of Madam Pomfrey preparing to make her reentrance made Ginny step back hastily, her face flushed a bright, hot red.

Draco looked at her with pure male amusement as Pomfrey walked back in – but his small self-satisfied smirk dropped quickly when the woman began her ministrations.

Ginny put a hand up over her lips to hide her own smile when Draco yelped, and then hissed, and proceeded to whine about the treatment like the spoiled little boy she'd known years earlier.

"Bloody hell – hey! Ow…hey, I said 'ow!' That hurts!"

"Don't you start getting all vocal with me, Mr. Malfoy!"

"Ow!"

"Sissy," Ginny teased in hopes of drawing his attention from the pain.

"Sadist," he replied, not missing a beat, sending her a childish death's head glare from beneath lowered brows, one that she was sure had to be worthy of first year Draco.

"Ow!"

"Sissy," Ginny again coughed beneath her breath.

The nurse finished taping up Draco's hand in a moment and straightened, turning her back to him. She winked at Ginny.

"Oh, go on. I've been here many years, m'dears – in a school filled with teenage boys, you really think this is the first injury of this sort I've seen?" The older woman chuckled gaily and wandered off after admonishing Draco to not use the hand until morning.

It was odd seeing a pink flush on Draco's high cheekbones, faint as it was.

Ginny snorted with laughter before she caught herself, and clapped a hand over her mouth. "I don't know what I'm laughing at – I'm confused."

Draco was still staring after the woman in dismay. "What the hell was she talking about? What did she think I had done to – ah…"

"I do not even want to think about what she thought," Ginny announced, curbing another giggle. "I mean, what do teenage boys do with their hands – " she asked innocently.

Draco grinned at her, actually grinned at her, showing off that very slight dimple she rarely saw, and then ducked his head, as if he was embarrassed!

Ginny shook her head and then looked up at the ceiling in wonder. The Infirmary certainly was a place for miracles when it came to Draco.

"Thinking on wishing for another million galleons?" Draco drawled a few moments later.

She looked back at him with an arched brow. "Why not?"

He sighed and motioned back towards his arm.  "It didn't work before, did it? Well – going to make me decent?"

"How is it you can make the simplest things sound so lewd?" Ginny griped, but stepped back over to roll down his sleeve. It was just another excuse to touch him again, really.

She paused after she was done to look at him, and drew in a sharp breath at the heated, intent look in his hooded eyes.

Ginny wet her lips, and cleared her throat again.  "Well, how does your hand feel now?"

Draco kept his eyes on hers as he deliberately clenched his fist within its bandages. "How do you think, Weasley? It hurts like hell."

"Really?" Immediately her nervousness evaporated in the face of her concern. "Oh, I'm sorry…"

"Kiss it better for me?"

Ginny blinked at him, but the expression on his face was so full of suffering she sighed and leaned in to place a quick peck on his hand – and ended up catching his lips instead as he used his hand to push swiftly upwards beneath her chin.

He released a growling sound of abject relief when her lips settled fully against his, and she had to sigh in agreement – it had been far too long since they'd touched like this.

Draco pressed his mouth to hers gently, and then less gently as the kiss wore on. His arm reached out to gather her close, as closely as possible, and she leaned into him more than willingly.

After long minutes, Ginny reluctantly pulled away and dared lay a hand along his jaw.

"We have to do this more often," he told her seriously.

"Why? We fight less when our lips are busy?"

"Not that that isn't a plus…" He absently squeezed her hips with both hands as he smirked at her.

Wait – both hands? Ginny poked him in the abdomen with her index finger accusingly, trying not to pay attention to how hard and flat the muscles were there. "You rat! You made me feel sorry for you! Your hand doesn't hurt at all!"

"No, it doesn't, really…but I got you to kiss me, didn't I?" He stated smugly.

"I would have kissed you if you'd only asked, you know!"

"I did ask," Draco pointed out in defense.

"Draco," Ginny couldn't help but smile and shake her head.

He leaned in and kissed her hard before sliding off the edge of the bed, and grabbing his school robes. He threw them over one shoulder and held out his undamaged hand to her.

"Come on – I'll walk you back to your tower, princess."

"Hey – you are not supposed to know where our dorms are – "

Draco snorted impatiently and grabbed her hand, leading her out the Infirmary doors. "Right. Like everyone in this school has absolutely no idea that the Slytherin dorms are located somewhere in the dungeons," he announced disgustedly.

Ginny shrugged slightly and fell into step beside him. Her hand felt very small and snug in his – it made her feel safe for the first time in a long while. The emotion was fleeting though, as thunder suddenly boomed overhead.

"Sounds like it's going to start storming," he commented as he led her down the corridor.

Ginny only smiled and tried to ignore the sudden sense of foreboding creeping along her spine as the sky outside at last opened up and unleashed it's fury on the castle.

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TBC