Another chapter, sorry to say it is another rather short one.

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Draco stared at his father, and then back at Virginia, who had a tear silently running down her cheek. She still held her cut hand, trying desperately to stop the blood flowing from the wound.

"She…what?' Draco asked.

"She killed your mother, Son. She told me this morning that something of mine would not last the day. She told me, and then your mother died. She…she…she did some sort of magic spell, just like the one I caught her doing now" Malfoy accused. Draco once again looked at Virginia, who was looking up at him with tear filled eyes, shaking her head, silently begging him not to believe his father.

"Draco, No…" She managed to sob, Draco did just looked at the floor. He did not know who to believe. His father was the most dangerous and powerful man in the town, if Draco was to go against him, then his life could be ended with in days. But Virginia, she meant something to him, something unexplainable. She was not a witch, but he could not go against his father.

"The whore tried to force herself onto me, she made comments about bedding the both of us" Malfoy exclaimed.

"What, no…Draco, believe me, I wouldn't…" Virginia began, hoping that he would listen to her. Draco looked up, and stared at the wall in front of him. What was he suppose to do, he was not silly enough to go against his father.

Turning to Virginia, he took a deep breath "You killed my mother?"

"No, Draco, No"

"You killed my mother…and then you tried to console me. Like you were my friend, you spoke to me like you cared. How could you do that to me. You killed my mother.!" Draco practically yelled, reaching down and taking Virginia's arm, he hauled her up to his face. "I … trusted…you"

He looked deep into Virginia's eyes, hoping that she could see that it was all just an act. Hoping that Virginia did not think it was real. Virginia stared back at him, tears rolling down her cheeks and dripping off of her cheek. Draco wanted nothing more than to reach out and wipe her tears away, but he knew he would not dare with his father in the room.

"I want you away from me" He told her, lowering his voice, with a slight, almost unnoticeable edge of kindness. Virginia nodded slightly. Draco dropped her arm. "And stop crying, you have no right to be crying, I am the one who lost their mother, not you."

Virginia took a step back from him. Looking at Malfoy and then back at Draco, she turned and fled the house.

"your services are no longer needed here Virginia" Malfoy replied. Virginia just left the house silently.

Draco watched as the door closed behind her. He hoped that she understood that that was not what he really felt. He knew that there was no way that Virginia was a witch, he knew that she would never be the one to kill his mother. Virginia understood the bond that Draco had had with his mother, she would never come between that. Never.

"I am sorry that that had to happen son, I understand that you and her were…close" Malfoy replied, trying hard to show his son a little sympathy. Draco saw through it in an instant. He knew his father did not care, and he was a little disgusted by what is father was implying by the word close.

"She was nothing but the help" Draco replied dismissively, but deep down, his heart ached even from saying the words. Virginia was definitely more than the help.

"It has been a long day" Malfoy began "What with the death, and then with the unpleasantness of this afternoon. And now, we have no one to cook our dinner" Malfoy complained.

"I have no desire to eat tonight father, it has been a long day, I was hoping to just sit by the fire and read for a little while before retiring" Draco told him. Malfoy nodded.

"Yes, food does seem a little out of place tonight, doesn't it?" He asked, then turned. "I shall retire now, good night son"

"Goodnight father" Draco replied, watching his father move up the stairs and out of the kitchen. As soon as he heard the door close up stairs, Draco ran to the door.

~*~

"Virginia!" He whispered hoarsely from the doorway. Looking around, he could see her sitting, her back against the house.

"I was hoping you would not be gone yet" Draco smiled softly, sitting beside her.

"Well, I do have to wait for my brothers to come back form the fields…I thought it best to explain to them that I am not returning to work tomorrow."

"I am very sorry about that. If it were up to me, then you would never have lost your job. I was only saying what I thought my father wanted to hear." Draco whispered to her.

"All of it was just for your father?" Virginia asked. "All of it?"

"You didn't expect me to honestly believe him do you?" He asked "I know him, and I know you. I know you are not anything that he said you were."

Virginia smiled to herself then frowned again "How am I going to tell my mother that I lost this money. We don't have enough to look after all of us."

"We will think of something Virginia. We will think of something"

"Don't get into any trouble with your father because of me Draco, if he takes his anger out on you, then I would never be able to forgive myself. I don't want anything to happen to you"

"He will not take his anger out on me. He will take it out on someone else…" Draco replied, then looked to the horizon where the sun was falling slowly. "Why didn't you tell me my father was…attacking you?"

Virginia sighed, and ran her fingers lightly over the open, bloody cut on her hand. Draco took his wrist in his hand and brought it closer to him so he could examine it closely.

"He only attacked me for the first time this morning." She whispered. Draco kept his eyes on her wound, running his fingertips around the edges of the cut. "Then, your mother died, it was just not the right time to bring up something like this."

Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a soft kiss to a piece of clean skin. "I am sorry that he hurt you"

Virginia took a deep breath as Draco lips to her skin. The pressure was gentle, almost unexpected from someone like Draco Malfoy. She stared at her hand, and just waited, waited for him to do something, anything, to change the mood between them.

Draco looked up into her eyes, and then leaned forward just slightly, he paused, and then leaned forward again and kissed her cheek. Ginny's eyes shut softly.

Virginia could feel that Draco's face was still close to hers. She could feel his heat, but she still did not open her eyes. She still did not open her eyes, because she knew what she would see. And she knew that she would also be confused by what she saw.

Draco had just kissed her. He had just twice pressed his lips against her skin, and now, he was still close enough that he could do it again. Her heart beat crazily in her chest. Would she want him to kiss her, to kiss her properly.

His hand rested lightly on her cheek, and she could feel it's slickness. Opening her eyes, she glanced at his hand. There was a thin splattering of blood there, looking down t her own hand, it had begun to bleed again.

Pulling his hand away from her skin, she looked away from him.

"I am sorry, that was, uncalled for." Draco whispered, and leant against the wall of the house again.

Virginia looked away again, and aw that he brothers was coming from the fields.

"my brothers are coming" She told him, pushing herself up and wincing when her hand struck the ground.

"I guess you have to go then." Draco replied, standing. With Virginia losing her job, he knew it was highly probable that he would never see her again. Draco never ventured onto the poorer side of town, and Virginia was not of high enough society to be seen in the town square.

"Thank you for everything…for teaching me to read" Virginia told him, and then moved across the yard to where her brothers were packing away their farming equipment.

Virginia, wait" Draco exclaimed, running up behind her. He knew he could not let her leave yet.

Taking her arm in his hand, he gently turned her to him. Neither of them realised that they were being stared at as Draco leant forward yet again and pressed his lips softly to hers. Virginia did not move away.

"I must go" She whispered when he pulled away from her.

"Goodbye" Draco whispered.

"Goodbye"

Little did either of them know that they were being watched. Not only by Virginia's brothers.

From an upstairs window, Malfoy scowled at his son and closed the curtains.

~*~

The townsfolk sat around the church, listening to the town meeting. The normal town business was discussed, and then, Malfoy stood, and moved to the front of the congregation.

"Gentlemen, do not be alarmed" he began "But I have reason to believe that there is witchcraft and the devil running rampant in Salem"

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