Disclaimer: I don't own anything. All Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Title: Sleeping in a Bed of Lies

Rating: PG-13

Summary: When Draco Malfoy appears on her doorstep one night, claiming that the two of them are married, Ginny is catapulted into a world of lies and deception where she doesn't know who to trust and who to fear.

A/N: First off, I would like to thank all of my reviewers.You guys are all amazing, thanks for your support and criticism!

Author: Punk up the Volume

Sleeping in a Bed of Lies

Chapter Three

Ginny awoke to a thin beam of sunlight floating in through her bedroom window. Rubbing her tired eyes and smiling happily, Ginny remembered the dream she had the night before. It had been completely ridiculous. Draco Malfoy, her husband? Impossible! Ginny rolled over and stretched out, taking a quick glance at the clock on her bedside table. It was still early, barely past seven. She had plenty of time before she even had to think about being at work. In fact, she still have some sick leave left. Why not call in sick and take the day off? Ginny smiled at the thought, even though she knew full well that she would never do that.

With a yawn, Ginny stepped out of bed and pulled her robe over her pajamas and ran a brush through her curly red hair. Pulling it back into a ponytail, Ginny smiled happily at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Coffee, she thought to herself, that'll help me wake up, a nice big pot of coffee. Opening her bedroom door and stepping out into the living room, Ginny screamed.

Laying on her couch was an unconcious Draco Malfoy, snoring away like he hadn't slept in days. Ginny could feel her heart sink. So it hadn't been a dream after all. As if stepping out of a dream into her horrible relaity, Ginny stepped into the kitchen, needing that pot of coffee more than ever. As she pulled out the filters, Ginny noticed a crumpled piece of paper sitting on the counter. Opening it, she smiled as she read:

Dear Ginny,

I'm sorry I couldn't wait until you were awake to leave, but there's important business up at the ministry. Duty calls you know. I'm sure Malfoy will be no trouble, ( I snatched his wand while he was sleeping) but give him hell anyway. If he trys anything, you have my permission to kill him.

Love,

Harry

Ginny couldn't help but grin as she thought about the note over and over again in her mind. As she sat down at her kitchen table with the paper, all she could think about was the one word that she had been waiting for Harry to say. Love. Ginny sighed happily. Maybe, just maybe, Harry was finally returning Ginny's feeling. Maybe...

Behind her, the clock hanging on the wall of the kitchen chimed. 8:00 already? Ginny shook her head and looked at her watch. She would have to leave for work soon if she wanted to get there on time. But first, she had business to take care of.

Ginny stood above the still snoring Draco. He is kinda cute when he's sleeping, Ginny thought to herself tenderly, hanging onto his pillow with a death grip like that. Not sure if she wanted to wake him up, Ginny hesitantly prodded Draco in the back. Standing back as he turned over with a frown, Ginny wondered if she even could wake him.

Poking him once again, Draco turned on his back, "No more camals, Marcus." Ginny stared down at him with a look of frustration. Finally, in an act of desperation, Ginny grabbed his shoulders and shook him until his eyes popped open in surprise.

"Good morning, sunshine," she said cheerfully, letting go of him. She picked up his cloak and threw it at him, along with his torn old shoes. "Time for you to go." At first, Ginny was prepared for an argument. She was sure Draco would put up a fight, begging to stay just one more night, but he didn't. With a distant look, as if he wasn't even really paying attention to her, he replied. "Yeah, sure, okay."

Taken aback, Ginny tried not to show her surprise at his quick concession. "Well...okay then. I have places to be you know."

Draco gave her a knowing smile. "Yeah, 'course you do. You are still the nameless horoscope girl for Witch Weekly, right, Aurora?"

Ginny shook her head in disbelief. "How did you know...never mind. You're just playing with my mind again. Out, I want you out. And don't come back either."

Once again, a stricken look appeared on Draco's face, but quickly disappeared. "Right, right. Whatever you want."

Ginny felt a small twang of guilt deep in her heart. I shouldn't feel sorry for him, she told herself. Not after all he put my family and I through at Hogwarts. I should have never even let him stay here. I don't know what I was thinking. I must have been delirious.

Pulling on his shoes and slipping his cloak over his shoulders, Draco grabbed the door handle, just as a knock rang out from the otherside. A look of alarm and panic grew in Draco's eyes, and he turned to Ginny frantically. "You've got to hide me." he begged.

"What?" Ginny questioned, confused as the visitor knocked again. "Why? Who is it?"

"Look, it's just some people who don't want me around, okay? Just please don't tell them I'm here."

"This is crazy," Ginny said quickly, pulling the door handle. Draco slipped behind the open door as Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas gave Ginny big smiles from the hallway.

"Hey, Gin," Seamus said in a friendly voice. "Long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah," Ginny started. Not since I broke up with you, she finished the thought in her head, not wanting to embarress Seamus in front of his partner. "How have you been?"

"Fine, but, uh, right now I'm not. We're actually here on Ministry business."

"Really?" Ginny asked with wide eyes, giving the pair her most innocent look. It had always worked like a charm on her parents, and she was sure it wouldn't fail her now. "Whatever for?"

"Well," Dean started, "We've gotten a report that Draco Malfoy stayed the night here. We're supposed to bring him into headquarters, ask him a few questions, standard precedure, you understand."

"I sure do," Ginny nodded as she replied in a sugery sweet voice. Quickly she glanced behind the door, where Draco stood still as a stone. He looked at her with large, fearful eyes, and then turned away, awaiting her answer.

"Well, actually, yeah," Ginny answered after a moment. "He did stay here, but gosh darnit, you just missed him. He left about ten minutes ago, saying something about going down to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things. Hey! Maybe if you hurry, you can still catch him."

"Thanks, Gin," Seamus said thankfully. "C'mon, Dean, let's go."

"Bye, bye now!" Ginny called after them, closing the door quickly. Breathing a sigh of relief, Draco stepped out from behind the door.

"Thank you so much, Ginny," he said gratefully.

"Don't thank me," she replied quietly. "There's a fire escape out side of the kitchen wondow. Just please leave, before you cause anymore damage to my life." "Alright," Draco obliged, walking into the kitchen. He pushed up the kitchen window and started to climb out, only to be pulled back inside the apartment by Ginny.

"What?"

"Before you leave, tell me why the Ministry is after you." she demanded.

Draco stared deep into into her eyes, searching for something. "You really have no idea?" he asked, hoping against hope, that she would remember something, anything.

"No, I have no idea."

Draco's hope dropped. "Then I can't tell you." Once again he started to climb out the window, only to be pulled back inside once again by Ginny. "What do you mean you can't tell me?" she questioned angrily. "I want some answers and I want them now. Why does the Ministry want you."

"Because I'm a dead man walking." Draco answered quietly, in almost a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, her voice hushed. "Stop talking in riddles and give me a straight answer!"

"Do you have any idea how big of a story it would be when the tabloids find out that someone the Ministry proclaimed dead is up roaming around. Do you know how much bad press it would bring in. Not only that, how much scandal they woud have to face if the dead man told what he knew? Do you realize the significance of this, Ginny? They want to find me, so that they can kill me for good, and so that any little secrets I might possess can never be told. Do you understand?"

Ginny didn't know how to respond. She stood, letting the words sink in as Draco left through the window and climbed down the fire escape. And this time, Ginny didn't even think about stopping him.

"Hey, Gin," Kimberly Winters greeted her happily. "How was your night."

"It was..." Ginny hesitated. "Interesting."

"Ooh," Kimberly joked, jabbing Ginny in the ribs, "Sounds like fun. Shack up with anyone in particular?"

"Um, yeah, this one guy." Ginny answered, opening the door to her small office.

Kimberly grinned. "Good for you, girl," she answered, running a and through her shiny black hair. "You need to get over that Potter prat and start living! Oh yeah, and there's a staff meeting tomorrow, eight o'clock sharp."

"Thanks, Kim," Ginny called as Kimberly walked away down the hallway towards her own office. Ginny shut the door and ran her fingers over the name on her office door.

Ginevra Weasley

"Aurora Moonbeam : Horoscopes"

Aurora Moonbeam. Ginny hated her alter ego, but it was all she had. After three years at Witch Weekly she had worked herself up from mailroom delivery girl to...what? The nameless face behind Aurora? She was stuck behind a desk, writing up fake horoscopes every day and she couldn't even use her own name. It wasn't mysterious enough, her boss, Tobias Rivers, editor-and-chief, had told her.

Ginny didn't care about names. She wanted to be out in the wizarding world, right in the middle of it, reporting, not pretending she knew about the phases of the moon. But how...how could Draco have possibly know that she was Aurora Moonbeam? Only her family and Harry and Hermione knew that. Ginny shrugged and started sorting papers on her desk. She didn't have enough concentration at the moment to do any real work.

Startled by a loud pop behind her, Ginny turned around to face a grinning Ronald Weasley.

"Did I scare you?" he questioned with a smile.

"No," Ginny exclaimed, smacking him on the shoulder. "What are you doing here? I'm trying to work!"

"No you're not." Ron accused, shuffling through a few papers on her desk. Ginny grabbed his hand.

"What do you want, Ron?"

"Well, I had a break from work, so I thought I'd stop by and meddle in your life a bit. Mum, hasn't had a chance lately, so I thought I'd fill in."

Ginny couldn't help but smile. "That's so gracious of you, but as you can see, some of us have things to do..."

"Look, Gin," Ron's voice became lower and more serious. "Harry told me all about last night. About...Malfoy. What exactly did he tell you?"

"Ron, I don't want to talk about this right now," Ginny turned her back on him and faced her desk. Turning her by the shoulders, Ron faced Ginny toward him and gave her a completely serious look.

"You may not want to talk about this right now, but I do. Look, in the past year, a lot of stuff has happened with the Malfoy's, and I want to know how much you know."

"I know enough."

"Oh, good," Ron breathed a sigh of relief. "That means you don't know a thing."

"He told me we were married." Ginny replied quickly. Ron looked at her in alarm. "He told you that?" Ron questioned.

"Well, yes," Ginny answered. "Didn't Harry tell you?"

"No." Ron said quickly and muttered under his breath, "Harry doesn't tell me lots of things. But, um, I came because Hermione wanted to know if you could meet her for lunch today at 'The Three Broomsticks'. She's been all cooped up in the house for the last few months and she's getting sick of it. With Ron Jr. on the way-"

"What makes you so sure it's a boy?" Ginny answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Daddy always knows."

"Yes, well, my star charts are telling me that you are going to be the proud father of a bouncing baby girl, and her name will be...will be...Ginevra!"

Ron laughed. "Yeah right. I wouldn't name my kid Ginevra in a million years!"

"Hey!" Ginny shrieked, hitting her brother once again on the shoulder. "Tell Hermione I'd be glad to see her. Tell her I'll be there around twelve."

"Right-o." Ron answered, saluting, as he disapperated with another quick pop. Once again, Ginny was left alone in her office. Sitting in her cheap swivel chair, she looked at her watch, counting the minutes until noon.
Top of Form 1

Bottom of Form 1