"Ginny, shut up, okay? Just, shut up for one minute!"
"Why Draco? You never want to talk about these things! You act like you're afraid of me, of what we have, when I know that you revel in our relationship every single bloody day!"
Draco Malfoy spun around from the window and faced Ginny Weasley, the anger showing in his scowl, his tense shoulders and his fisted hands. "For God's sake Ginny, give me a break! Why do you have to do this every time we're about to spend a good lot of time with each other?!"
She placed her right finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, her left hand on her hip, her red curls dropping over her face. "Draco," she said with forced calmness. "It has been four years. I don't know how long you expect me to wait for you to decide that you're ready to spend the rest of your life with me."
He grabbed her upper arms and her eyes flew open. "Ginny, you know how I feel about you! How can you be pressuring me like this? Every second you're on at me, wondering when I'm finally going to give you what you want! Do you realise just how selfish you're being?!"
"No, Draco, I don't! Because I don't understand how you can stand before me and tell me how much you want to be with me and then not even take the step to making it a reality!" Draco let out a frustrated noise and pushed her away from him so that she fell into the soft couch behind her. He returned to the window and looked out at the dark streets. The electricity had gone off in their area a short while ago and that was when they had gone all cozy and things got heated. Then she had stopped and brought up marriage. Again. Draco growled and leaned his forehead against the glass, holding onto the frame. He didn't know how long he had been like that when he realised she was crying. As usual, she tried to hide it, but he could still hear the small whimpers coming from her. Damn, but her hated making her cry. Finally, a long sniff issued from behind him.
"Fine." she said, quietly, but a note of finality in her voice. What does that mean? he wondered.
"I am not going to spend my life pretending that I'm happy with the way things are. That I'm not tearing up inside because I don't know what to think, if you really want to be with me or not. I'm tired of waiting for you, Draco. Maybe they were right and I really shouldn't have gotten into this with you. Who knows." There was a pause. "You'll always be in my heart..."
Don't turn around, dammit! Don't melt over the way her voice turns you to play-dough inside. Act like a Malfoy for once in your pathetic life. A voice said to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists.
The door shut behind her quietly and he heard her footsteps retreating down the hall. "Ginny." he whispered.
*****
"Hermione! Man, is it good to see you! Wow, you look great! What did you do to your- Oh my God! Look at her! She absolutely darling!" Ginny snatched the giggling baby from Hermione and pressed kisses onto her cheeks. She looked up at Hermione and grinned, shaking her head. "Wow. Just look at her! She's amazing!"
"I know." Replied Hermione, smiling. "Ehm, Gin? Would you mind if I came in? It's a bit chilly out..."
Ginny's eyes widened and her face flushed. "I'm so sorry Herm! Come in! Here, let me take your coat." She turned and pointed her wand at the fireplace. "Incendio!"
Hermione rushed to the fireplace and shoved her blue hands toward the flames. "Oooh. That is so good." She sat down in the couch and pulled off her scarf. "So. Ginny! How are you?"
Ginny sat across from her friend and sat the baby Lillian Potter in her lap. "I'm fine Herm. Life isn't so bad. I have my job at the Agency starting again in a few weeks. Lav and I have been shopping around a lot recently and... well, here I am!"
Hermione was quiet and Ginny looked up. She saw that Hermione was eyeing her carefully and knew that her pretence was futile. She sighed and brushed some wayward strands out of her face. "I'm handling it." She said quietly.
"Oh, Ginny." Hermione moved closer to her best friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen. No, don't look at me like that, you know after the initial shock that I got used to you and Draco. Even Harry was sorry to hear about the breakup."
"Herm, I miss him so much, but I'm still mad at him and I know that if I could do it over again, I would. Give him the choice, I mean. I just can't believe he's chosen life without me, instead of life with me permanently. It's a tough blow." She played with Lily's soft feet and smiled when her face broke out into a toothless grin. "She's grown so much. Harry's eyes, your hair, only it's a mess like Harry's, and your..." she looked up and grinned at Hermione. "Your freckles. At least she doesn't have them as much as I do. You can barely see them."
"I know. Every morning I wake up and I just stand over her, watching her sleep. She's so beautiful."
The girls spent another hour together, until Hermione had to leave. "Sorry to just leave you, but I promised Harry that we'd be home when he returned."
"Oh, no problem. I understand completely."
Hermione wrapped her daughter in her coat to ward off the biting wind and stepped out the door. "If you need anything, we're here for you, okay?" She hugged her friend, then left. Ginny stood at the window, watching Hermione strap her baby in and drive off.
She sighed and shivered, despite the warmth in the room. She remembered the last time she had visited Harry and Hermione at their home, with Draco. She smiled at the memory.
"Oh Draco." She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. She gritted her teeth. "That's it. I'm not going to spend the night moping around." She grabbed her jacket and went to the fireplace. She threw in some floo powder and stepped in. "Oscar's!"
*****
Draco walked briskly into the bar, knowing that he would be better off at home, but unable to stay in the quiet place, listening to the portraits whispering to each other.
"Charlie!" Draco greeted the bartender, then motioned to one of the back doors of the bar. The bartender raised an eyebrow, but said nothing except to call to one of the waitresses. She turned and looked at Draco, a smile spreading on her made up face. She handed Charlie the tray she was carrying and pulled the small apron from around her waist. She sauntered toward Draco and took his hand in hers. "Come with me." She whispered into his ear. He pushed away her hand and followed her into the back room. She entered another room. "Shut the door behind you." She ordered, removing her shoes, then her stockings. Draco turned to lock the door and jumped when he saw her. She had taken off the cap that had been on her head and let down her hair. Her red hair. It wasn't nearly as rich or vibrant as Ginny's, but it was close enough and Draco's eyes frosted over.
"Put the cap back on." The woman looked at him in confusion.
"Look, Mister, it's not so cold in here, I don't need to wear the-"
"I said put the fucking cap back on!" He snarled.
She glowered at him, but did as he said. She then turned and went to the bed, as though he hadn't just bit hear head off. "Come and get it." She called in what was supposed to be an alluring voice, but didn't quite make it.
Draco stood where he was. Malfoy, what on earth do you think you're doing? a voice piped out in his head.
What does it look like I'm doing? I'm about to drown my woes with a good roll in the hay with some woman I'll never see again.
This isn't right. You've never been unfaithful to Ginny before-
Ginny and I are not together! Get that through your thick scull! She walked out on me and tried to force from me something that I wasn't ready to give!
Draco shook his head and looked at the woman sprawled out on the bed. "Get up." He dropped some notes on the dresser and pulled open the door. He scowled at his own weakness, but strode out of the bar, his head down, hands stuffed into his pockets.
He kept walking along the dark streets, the cold wind blowing his shoulder- length, silky blond hair into his face. He didn't stop until he came to a familiar part of town. A small café that he and Ginny had frequented. He looked in at the warm comfortable people seated on the couches and armchairs and stools. He smiled as he saw a woman who resembled Ginny from the back, her hair plaited and flung aside. She had turned to take a cup of coffee from the waitress and now she turned back so that he could see her face. It was Ginny. The smile dropped from his face and an icy shield that rivalled the cold weather guarded his emotions. Ginny threw back her head and laughed, the sound filtering out of the opening and closing doorway. She leaned forward and touched the knee of the man she was talking to. Draco's gaze slid back, on that thought, to the man. He was tall and had sand-coloured hair. He had his back facing Draco, so he couldn't see his face, but Draco had seen enough. His eyes narrowed and he glared at his girlfriend and the guy she was cozying up to. So, Ginny, couldn't wait to get yourself out of one relationship, huh? That's a pretty fast move, I wonder how long it'll take for you to go crawling into his bed and offer him what was mine just a few weeks ago. I should have known better. The 'sweet, innocent' act got me for a while there, but I'll know better next time. You can be sure of that.
Draco Malfoy turned on his heel and, without a backward glance, left the only person who had ever meant something to him.
"Why Draco? You never want to talk about these things! You act like you're afraid of me, of what we have, when I know that you revel in our relationship every single bloody day!"
Draco Malfoy spun around from the window and faced Ginny Weasley, the anger showing in his scowl, his tense shoulders and his fisted hands. "For God's sake Ginny, give me a break! Why do you have to do this every time we're about to spend a good lot of time with each other?!"
She placed her right finger and thumb to the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, her left hand on her hip, her red curls dropping over her face. "Draco," she said with forced calmness. "It has been four years. I don't know how long you expect me to wait for you to decide that you're ready to spend the rest of your life with me."
He grabbed her upper arms and her eyes flew open. "Ginny, you know how I feel about you! How can you be pressuring me like this? Every second you're on at me, wondering when I'm finally going to give you what you want! Do you realise just how selfish you're being?!"
"No, Draco, I don't! Because I don't understand how you can stand before me and tell me how much you want to be with me and then not even take the step to making it a reality!" Draco let out a frustrated noise and pushed her away from him so that she fell into the soft couch behind her. He returned to the window and looked out at the dark streets. The electricity had gone off in their area a short while ago and that was when they had gone all cozy and things got heated. Then she had stopped and brought up marriage. Again. Draco growled and leaned his forehead against the glass, holding onto the frame. He didn't know how long he had been like that when he realised she was crying. As usual, she tried to hide it, but he could still hear the small whimpers coming from her. Damn, but her hated making her cry. Finally, a long sniff issued from behind him.
"Fine." she said, quietly, but a note of finality in her voice. What does that mean? he wondered.
"I am not going to spend my life pretending that I'm happy with the way things are. That I'm not tearing up inside because I don't know what to think, if you really want to be with me or not. I'm tired of waiting for you, Draco. Maybe they were right and I really shouldn't have gotten into this with you. Who knows." There was a pause. "You'll always be in my heart..."
Don't turn around, dammit! Don't melt over the way her voice turns you to play-dough inside. Act like a Malfoy for once in your pathetic life. A voice said to him. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists.
The door shut behind her quietly and he heard her footsteps retreating down the hall. "Ginny." he whispered.
*****
"Hermione! Man, is it good to see you! Wow, you look great! What did you do to your- Oh my God! Look at her! She absolutely darling!" Ginny snatched the giggling baby from Hermione and pressed kisses onto her cheeks. She looked up at Hermione and grinned, shaking her head. "Wow. Just look at her! She's amazing!"
"I know." Replied Hermione, smiling. "Ehm, Gin? Would you mind if I came in? It's a bit chilly out..."
Ginny's eyes widened and her face flushed. "I'm so sorry Herm! Come in! Here, let me take your coat." She turned and pointed her wand at the fireplace. "Incendio!"
Hermione rushed to the fireplace and shoved her blue hands toward the flames. "Oooh. That is so good." She sat down in the couch and pulled off her scarf. "So. Ginny! How are you?"
Ginny sat across from her friend and sat the baby Lillian Potter in her lap. "I'm fine Herm. Life isn't so bad. I have my job at the Agency starting again in a few weeks. Lav and I have been shopping around a lot recently and... well, here I am!"
Hermione was quiet and Ginny looked up. She saw that Hermione was eyeing her carefully and knew that her pretence was futile. She sighed and brushed some wayward strands out of her face. "I'm handling it." She said quietly.
"Oh, Ginny." Hermione moved closer to her best friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry that this had to happen. No, don't look at me like that, you know after the initial shock that I got used to you and Draco. Even Harry was sorry to hear about the breakup."
"Herm, I miss him so much, but I'm still mad at him and I know that if I could do it over again, I would. Give him the choice, I mean. I just can't believe he's chosen life without me, instead of life with me permanently. It's a tough blow." She played with Lily's soft feet and smiled when her face broke out into a toothless grin. "She's grown so much. Harry's eyes, your hair, only it's a mess like Harry's, and your..." she looked up and grinned at Hermione. "Your freckles. At least she doesn't have them as much as I do. You can barely see them."
"I know. Every morning I wake up and I just stand over her, watching her sleep. She's so beautiful."
The girls spent another hour together, until Hermione had to leave. "Sorry to just leave you, but I promised Harry that we'd be home when he returned."
"Oh, no problem. I understand completely."
Hermione wrapped her daughter in her coat to ward off the biting wind and stepped out the door. "If you need anything, we're here for you, okay?" She hugged her friend, then left. Ginny stood at the window, watching Hermione strap her baby in and drive off.
She sighed and shivered, despite the warmth in the room. She remembered the last time she had visited Harry and Hermione at their home, with Draco. She smiled at the memory.
"Oh Draco." She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. She gritted her teeth. "That's it. I'm not going to spend the night moping around." She grabbed her jacket and went to the fireplace. She threw in some floo powder and stepped in. "Oscar's!"
*****
Draco walked briskly into the bar, knowing that he would be better off at home, but unable to stay in the quiet place, listening to the portraits whispering to each other.
"Charlie!" Draco greeted the bartender, then motioned to one of the back doors of the bar. The bartender raised an eyebrow, but said nothing except to call to one of the waitresses. She turned and looked at Draco, a smile spreading on her made up face. She handed Charlie the tray she was carrying and pulled the small apron from around her waist. She sauntered toward Draco and took his hand in hers. "Come with me." She whispered into his ear. He pushed away her hand and followed her into the back room. She entered another room. "Shut the door behind you." She ordered, removing her shoes, then her stockings. Draco turned to lock the door and jumped when he saw her. She had taken off the cap that had been on her head and let down her hair. Her red hair. It wasn't nearly as rich or vibrant as Ginny's, but it was close enough and Draco's eyes frosted over.
"Put the cap back on." The woman looked at him in confusion.
"Look, Mister, it's not so cold in here, I don't need to wear the-"
"I said put the fucking cap back on!" He snarled.
She glowered at him, but did as he said. She then turned and went to the bed, as though he hadn't just bit hear head off. "Come and get it." She called in what was supposed to be an alluring voice, but didn't quite make it.
Draco stood where he was. Malfoy, what on earth do you think you're doing? a voice piped out in his head.
What does it look like I'm doing? I'm about to drown my woes with a good roll in the hay with some woman I'll never see again.
This isn't right. You've never been unfaithful to Ginny before-
Ginny and I are not together! Get that through your thick scull! She walked out on me and tried to force from me something that I wasn't ready to give!
Draco shook his head and looked at the woman sprawled out on the bed. "Get up." He dropped some notes on the dresser and pulled open the door. He scowled at his own weakness, but strode out of the bar, his head down, hands stuffed into his pockets.
He kept walking along the dark streets, the cold wind blowing his shoulder- length, silky blond hair into his face. He didn't stop until he came to a familiar part of town. A small café that he and Ginny had frequented. He looked in at the warm comfortable people seated on the couches and armchairs and stools. He smiled as he saw a woman who resembled Ginny from the back, her hair plaited and flung aside. She had turned to take a cup of coffee from the waitress and now she turned back so that he could see her face. It was Ginny. The smile dropped from his face and an icy shield that rivalled the cold weather guarded his emotions. Ginny threw back her head and laughed, the sound filtering out of the opening and closing doorway. She leaned forward and touched the knee of the man she was talking to. Draco's gaze slid back, on that thought, to the man. He was tall and had sand-coloured hair. He had his back facing Draco, so he couldn't see his face, but Draco had seen enough. His eyes narrowed and he glared at his girlfriend and the guy she was cozying up to. So, Ginny, couldn't wait to get yourself out of one relationship, huh? That's a pretty fast move, I wonder how long it'll take for you to go crawling into his bed and offer him what was mine just a few weeks ago. I should have known better. The 'sweet, innocent' act got me for a while there, but I'll know better next time. You can be sure of that.
Draco Malfoy turned on his heel and, without a backward glance, left the only person who had ever meant something to him.