Title: Was I Ever Loved By You?

Author: Audrey (booksmartbrilliance@msn.com)

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Summary: Ginny Weasley has it all. Successful career woman, love interest of Harry Potter, the envy of her generation. Life can't get any better. Until something happens that brings everything crashing down around her and she's forced to look at life from a different angle.

A/N: Wow, this chapter came pretty fast. Except for the very last scene which refused to be written for a while.

Special Thanks to Priya Co-writer extraordinaire and the woman with all the brilliant ideas. Thanks for walking me through that last scene. Writer's Block doesn't exist with friends like you! Dani, thanks for listening to me rant and having a distracted writing partner for Detention. We are so going to publish it one day! Becca, Muah! You rule! Thanks for making me squee out loud! Potty for Potter, you're opinion on Ron meant a lot to me! Anna thanks for your feedback.

Chapter Eleven -- Matchmaker



Used to be that I believed in something
Used to be that I believed in love
It's been a long time since I've had that feeling
I could love someone
I could trust someone
I said I'd never let nobody near my heart again darlin'
I said I'd never let nobody in

But if you asked me to
I just might change my mind
And let you in my life forever
If you asked me to
I just might give my heart
And stay here in your arms forever
If you asked me to
If you asked me to

If You Asked Me To by Celine Dion

* * * * *

I open my eyes and then shut them immediately against the blinding sunlight. I groan as I roll over onto my pillow. It is entirely possible that I drank too much last night. This is probable due to the fact that my head feels like the Hogwart's Express has run over it, and then unceremoniously backed over it. I smile into the large, overstuffed pillow as I remember last night. Well...not all of last night, rather 'The Kiss' which was definitely the high point of the evening. I'm overwhelmed by a bubbly feeling of joy as I laugh into the pillow, that strangely enough smells like Draco.

Why does it smell like Draco? I lift myself up on my elbows and look down at it, and then at the rest of the room. I sit up so quickly that my feet get tangled in the satin sheets and I fall to the floor dragging them after me. I land hard on my bum and cry out in pain as I bite my tongue. "Outh!"

It's obvious by the satin sheets, four-poster bed, fireplace and elegant mahogany furniture that I'm not at the Burrow. My gaze lands on the picture of a regal looking blonde woman hanging over the fireplace and I immediately know where I'm at.

"Bloody hell!" I mutter. I peek over the top of the bed to find it empty. My attention is drawn to a door on the left where there is the sudden sound of a bath being drawn. I see the shadow of two feet pass on the other side of the door through the crack at the bottom and I panic.

I search frantically for my shoes on my hands and knees. I don't want to see him. This is so humiliating. What the hell did I do last night? I try to remember as I search in the mess of sheets, finally locating my shoes set neatly at the end of the bed. I remember 'The Kiss" definitely, but everything after that is fuzzy. What have I done? Slept with my boss? With someone I barely know? It's too soon.

I swallow and wince at the coppery taste of blood from my tongue. I strap on the second shoe and run for the door. I hear the bathroom door creak open just as I shut the door leading to the hall. The hall is lined with family portraits and I try to ignore their pointing fingers and accusatory glares as I sprint towards an opening at the end of the hall with an ornate door. It has to lead outside. Right now I just want to get away.

I throw myself against the door and pull. Nothing happens.

I curse and pull with all my might.

"Virginia?"

His voice surprises me and I lose my grip on the door which sends me flying backwards.

"Bloody hell, are you alright?"

I look up and see Draco peeking over the back of a couch at me. His hair is going in a thousand different directions and there are circles under his eyes. It looks like he's had a rough night.

I can't say anything at first. My head feels like it's going to explode at any moment. Draco is by my side a moment later. "Virginia?"

I blink up at him. "What happened last night?"

He smiles at me as he holds out his hand. "What didn't happen last night?"

I groan as I put a hand up to my forehead. He leads me over to the couch, pushing aside a sheet and a blanket. I look up at him. "You slept on the couch?"

He nods and snaps his fingers. A moment later a house elf is standing at attention. "Lexy, prepare some of my hangover potion for Ms. Weasley."

It nods and disappears.

"Then who was in my...in your room taking a bath?"

"I instructed Lexy to run a hot bath for you when you woke up."

"Oh," I say feeling incredibly stupid.

"Why?" he asked grinning at me. "You didn't think we'd..."

"Of course not," I say quickly as Lexy reappears and hands me a clear glass full of a cloudy yellow mixture, before being waved away by Draco. I look at it doubtfully.

"Drink it, you'll feel better."

I take a sip and try not to gag. I manage to finish the glass with him watching me. I hand him the glass with a grimace and he sets it on the coffee table. "So we didn't. What did we do?"

"You don't remember anything, do you?" He asks with a smirk.

"I remember the kiss," I say meeting his eyes.

He smiles at me, causing my heart to speed up. "Well, I watched in awe as you consumed enough champagne to celebrate enough New Years to last a decade. You consumed said champagne and did things that I think are best left unmentioned in polite company."

"I've slept in your bed, we're way past polite."

He laughs. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes!" I say, "Tell me!"

"Well, between trips to get more champagne we danced a couple of times. Then a good looking bloke cut in and asked to dance with me. You thoroughly embarrassed me by throwing a punch..."

"I did not!" I say, horrified.

"You did, but you missed and ended up on the floor, where you promptly threw up on his shoes. Shame too, they looked expensive. Then you decided to accompany Reanne as she played the piano. By the way, I didn't know you were an alto, I always figured you to be a soprano. Then, around three, when everyone was as pissed as you, you managed to talk some of us into playing strip poker. Unfortunately, you lost."

I hit him on the arm. "Liar. I don't even know what strip poker is."

"It's a Muggle game. Joan was telling everyone a wild story about life in New York and mentioned it, when you insisted on us playing it right then and there. The loser has to give over objects of their clothing."

"Shut it, Malfoy! You're making that up!"

"Really? Then how do I know about the heart tattoo on your..."

I sit up straight and stare at him, humiliated.

"No! I didn't! I couldn't have...NO!" I say hiding my face in the couch. "I'm never going to live this down!"

He looks at me for a moment, his face blank and then he starts laughing uncontrollably. I stare at him, horrified.

"Draco, it's not funny! I stripped in front of your friends!"

He shakes his head, still laughing. "No you didn't."

"But you just said..."

"We did dance, you did get tipsy, you did stick up for me with that good looking bloke, but you didn't get sick on his shoes, though I wish you had, there was no singing involved, and no strip poker played."

"Then how did you know about my tattoo?" I ask, my face scarlet.

He shrugs as he smirks at me. "You told me about it."

"How did I end up in your bed?"

"I was going to take you home, but it was already four in the morning and I didn't think your mum would appreciate me knocking that late. Not to mention the state you were in was shameful. I would have taken you by your brothers', but I didn't know where any of them lived. So I figured I'd just bring you here. Nothing happened."

I give a sigh of relief. "Thanks."

He laughs, "Well, you don't have to look so relieved, Weasley. It wouldn't have been that bad."

"It's not that," I say seriously. "I just don't think I'm ready for that, yet."

He nods, his face losing it's smile, "I don't think you are either. I would never take advantage of you like that. If anything happens between us, I want it to be because you're ready for it to happen."

I bite my lip as I nod.

"I know it's awkward, because we work together," Draco continues hastily. "And I would respect your wishes if you weren't interested in seeing me again. Don't think that your decision on this front would effect our working relationship in any way."

I smile at him. "You mean if we were together you'd still order me around and give me ultimatums?"

He smiles back, "What I mean is...you have the upper hand here. You know how I feel about you, but I'm not quite sure how you feel about me. If you want to end things outside a working relationship here, I understand. If you'd like to continue to see one another....well, I'd rather like that."

"I'd like that too," I say.

He leans over and kisses me softly. I reach for him, but he pulls back and looks at me strangely for a moment. "There's something you should know."

"Don't tell me you really are a secret agent for the Ministry," I say, grinning at him.

He frowns at me. "This is serious, Virginia."

"What is it?" I ask, slightly alarmed by his frown.

He looks into my eyes for a moment before speaking. "You snore. Rather loudly. I just thought you should know."

I laugh as I move to hit him playfully. He moves too fast for me and the next thing I know he's grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. I look up at him as he leans over me. He stops with our faces inches apart.

"I think we should keep this quiet at the office. I don't want people to think I play favorites."

"Does this mean no raise, no larger office, no company car?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Bugger. If I don't have any of those things and I can't brag about seeing the sexiest boss in Witch Weekly history, how am I supposed to impress the girls?"

"The same way you impressed me, with your natural abilities. Don't tell anyone, not even Creevey? Understand? It's important that we keep our personal and professional lives separate."

"In that case, would you stop talking about work?' I ask pulling him down for a kiss. Draco's right. I know better than anyone how the rumor mill works at the Weekly. If word got out that I was seeing him everything I worked so hard for in the last three years would be chalked up to the assumption that I had slept my way to the top.

* * * * *

"Where were you last night?" Ron asks as he haphazardly drops the last of my boxes from The Burrow on my bed.

"I had a date," I say, avoiding his eyes.

Ron frowns grumpily at me. "With Malfoy?"

"Maybe," I say mysteriously as I begin unpacking boxes.

"Ginny..." Ron says in a tone that has 'lecture' written all over it.

"Ron, don't," I say sighing. "I'm a big girl now, I can date whomever I choose."

"Just be careful, that's all. I don't trust him."

"Ron, you don't trust any of the guys I date. You didn't even trust Harry, and he was your best friend!"

"Yeah, and I was right about him, wasn't I?"

I shake my head and roll my eyes. "Why do you ask? What did I miss last night?"

"Nothing," he says quickly. Too quickly.

"Ron," I say looking hard at him as his ears turn bright red. "What happened?"

"Nothing happened," he says sitting on my bed and staring down at the carpet. His head snaps up at the sound of Gabrielle's voice.

"Ginny?"

"In here," I call, noticing how Ron quickly looks away from the door as she pokes her head in.

"I'm leaving now. Just hang the dress up in the work room when you're done."

I nod.

"Hello, Gabrielle," Ron says not looking up from the carpet.

"Oh, hello, Ron," Gabrielle says giving him a small smile.

There's a moment of uncomfortable silence and then Gabrielle says, "Well, I've got to go. Bye, then."

"Bye," Ron and I say in unison. I wait until I've heard the front door shut before I turn to Ron. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?" Ron says, not quite looking at me.

"Ron," I say exasperated. "What's with you and Gabrielle?"

"Nothing."

I pick up a pillow and throw it at him, catching him square on the side of the head.

"Hey!"

"Spill," I say.

He sighs, "I just don't get it, Ginny. One minute I'm invisible to women, the next they're practically throwing themselves at me."

"Which is a good thing," I remind him.

"Yeah, for a while. Then it gets old. They only want me because I'm famous. They don't want me just because I'm me."

"Sure they do," I say, biting my lip.

"I'm more than a pretty face, Ginny. I'm not just a piece of meat."

I laugh and he shoots me a hurt look.

"I'm serious, Ginny."

"I'm sorry," I say trying to catch my breath. "Does this have anything to do with Hermione yelling at you during the double date?"

"How did you know about that?" he asks narrowing his eyes.

"Gabrielle told me."

"Hermione's right Ginny. I never should have let you talk me into that."

"Come on, Ron. It's not that bad. I promise the girl I find will like you for you, not just for your looks."

"There's something else," he says sighing. "Ginny, I really messed up last night."

"What happened?"

He mumbles something.

"What?"

"I said, I kissed Hermione."

"You what?" I ask dropping the pile of clothes I was moving in surprise.

"It was an accident!" He says looking at me as if he's trying to make me understand. "We were fighting like we always do and then the next thing I know we were kissing!"

"Ron, that's great!"

"No, it isn't, Ginny. Bloody hell, she was slaughtered last night. She probably would have kissed Voldemort if he was standing in front of her. I took advantage of her when she wasn't thinking clearly. I went to go apologize this morning and she couldn't even look me in the eye! Made up some excuse about being late for work."

I sit beside him on the bed.

He looks at me his eyes troubled, "You know what the worst part of it is? I liked it. I liked kissing her, even though I knew it was wrong."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

He sighs, "No. Just leave it. I'd rather pretend like it never happened."

"Ron, who initiated the kiss, you or her?"

He frowns at me. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does."

"She did."

* * * * *

"Virginia?"

I jump as a pair of slender fingers snap inches from my face. I look up to see Colin frowning down at me.

"Hmmm?" I ask, trying to collect myself. I've been daydreaming about Draco all day. I can't help it, everything reminds me of him.

"Are you ready for lunch?"

"Oh, yes," I say, concentrating extra hard not to think of Draco as we exit the office. I will not think of Draco. I will not think of Draco. I will not --

I round the corner and run into Draco.

His papers fly up into the air and rain down around the three of us. I bend down and scoop them up, sure my face is beet red. Draco kneels in front of me, an amused smile on his face. "Onto a hot story, Weasley?"

"Something like that," I mutter, shoving his papers at him. Beside me Colin hands Draco the last two papers.

"Good luck, then," he says grinning at me and disappearing around the corner.

I stare after him until Colin snaps his fingers in front of my face again. "Virginia, are you feeling alright?"

I shake off my Draco-induced haze and manage a smile. "Fine," I say.

Bullocks to this. Not thinking about him is impossible.

We Apparate to the restaurant and order the usual. I notice Colin is being unusually quiet about himself, instead asking me questions.

"Did you have a good New Year's then?" he asks me.

"I did. How was yours?"

He shrugs. "The usual, made my rounds for the Weekly. By the way, I saw Harry with Monet at the Ministry party. He looked absolutely miserable."

"Oh really?" I say, surprising both of us with my tone of disinterest. He might as well have said 'It's supposed to rain today.' with all the enthusiasm I emitted at the news.

He smiles at me, "You really are over him, aren't you?"

"I suppose I am," I say smiling back at him. "I'm ready to move on and find someone to love me back."

I look up startled. He's knocked over his water glass.

"Really?" he asks, his voice strangely high pitched. Though, maybe it's just the ice water that's fallen on his lap. His cheeks are slightly pink as he mops up the water.

"Really," I say nodding.

"I'm really proud of you, Virginia. You've come a long way."

"Thanks," I say. "So tell me how are things going with you? Has your head wizard had anything interesting to say lately?"

He chokes on the wonton he's eating.

"Are you alright?" I ask, wand pulled out and ready to cast the Heimlich Charm.

"Fine," he says coughing slightly.

"Colin, is something wrong?"

He shakes his head. "No. Nothing's wrong."

"Because, if something was wrong, you could tell me," I say, having a momentary flashback to the last time we ate lunch here. The day I met Draco again. See, everything reminds me of him! There's no hope.

"Nothing's wrong," he says. There is a moment of awkward silence and then he looks at me as if he's suddenly remembered something. "So you said you wanted to talk about the contest?"

"Right," I say leaning over the table. "I have the perfect match for Ron."

"Who?" Colin asks raising an eyebrow.

"Hermione," I say.

"Granger?" Colin asks doubtfully. "But I thought they fought like cats and dogs."

"I have a feeling there's more behind it than that. Anyone that knows them can tell they're mad about one another."

He doesn't look quite convinced.

"Look, I promised Ron I'd find the girl for him, and I have. Now I just have to get her entered in the contest."

"What did you have in mind?" Colin asks.

"That's the brilliant part!" I say unable to control my excitement. "Since I'm in charge of the contest, all I have to do is tell Helen to add her name to the final list. Then we sit back and let fate do the rest."

"What if her name isn't chosen by the Match Box?" Colin says as the waitress places the check between us.

"It will. Hermione and Ron are perfect for one another. The Match Box will know that. We just have to get her name in."

"That's absolutely brilliant!" he says, picking up the check and grinning at me.

"Colin, what are you doing?" I ask, giving him a quizzical look.

"I'm paying for lunch," he says looking surprised.

"But....why? I mean, I always pay for lunch."

He smiles nervously at me. "Exactly, I owe you."

"Are you sure?" I ask doubtfully. "I don't mind paying, at least for mine."

"Yeah, my treat," he says, as he grins at me while pulling out some galleons and placing them on the table.

We Apparate back to Witch Weekly headquarters with me in an excellent mood. I poke my head into Helen's door on the way back to my office. At Draco's suggestion I've hired her as a temp in order to enter the names for what we around the office affectionately call Operation Matchmaker. I tell her to fill out an extra parchment in the name of one Hermione Granger and submit it with the final list of names to be entered into the enchanted Match Box. I spend the rest of the afternoon very pleased with myself. Not only have I found the perfect match for my brother, but I've also found the perfect match for one of my closest friends. Not bad for a day's work, if I say so myself.

* * * * *

"I'm going to head over there so I can get some shots of the models coming back up the runway," Colin says yelling over the loud music and murmurs of the crowd.

"Don't stay too long," I say, rolling my head meaningfully towards Lars. We're in the front row and Lars is staring open mouthed at the models walking down the runway and turning on their ten inch heels only inches away from us.

Colin nods and disappears into the crowd with his camera. I turn back to Lars who catches my eye and grins broadly at me. He gestures towards the leggy models who are naked, except for a few well placed pieces of fabric, and yells over the music. "This is great!"

It's the Ninth Annual Fernandi Fashion Show, and Colin and I are supposed to be covering it for the Weekly. It's one of the biggest fashion events of the year in the wizarding world, usually dictating what fashionable witches will be wearing all Spring and Summer. Looking at the barely-there swimsuits and the tropical motif, complete with real sand on the run-way, one would never guess that it's below freezing outside. Being a modern witch, and a multi-tasker, I've decided to kill two birds with one stone. Lars never said what kind of date it had to be. Plus, this way if things get too uncomfortable I've worked out a signal with Colin and he's supposed to come rescue me.

Lars steps up beside me, handing me the program with the names of designers on it. "You dropped this."

"Oh, thanks," I say taking it from him.

He looks down at his hands, suddenly looking shy.

"Ginny, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

I sigh, I've known this has been coming all night. "Lars, I told you only one date." Does the man ever give up?

"No, it's not that."

"Oh," I say feeling my cheeks warm. He gestures towards the program, and for a moment I think he's going to ask me to set him up with one of the models. Strap on a Press Pass and people think you can get anything.

"How well do you know Gabrielle Delacour?"

I blink in surprise. "Pretty well, she's my roommate. Why?"

"Are she and your brother serious?"

"No," I say frowning. "I think you can categorically say that their date was a flop."

He snorts, "Yeah. I almost offered to get Ron and Hermione a room so they could stop going at it and start going at it."

"Lars!"

"I'm telling you the sexual tension was horrible, Ginny. Gabrielle was a really good sport about it, though. She seems really sweet. Unless you had paid her to go out with your brother and it was all an act."

"No, no," I say smiling. "She really is that sweet. You know, she was rather impressed with your behavior too. Called you a gentleman."

"Really?" he asks, his face lighting up.

I laugh, "Really. Maybe you should owl her sometime. I think she'd lo-ouch!"

"She'd louch?" he asks frowning at me.

My eyes water as I blink frantically. One of the models has succeeded in kicking sand into my eye. "No, I have something in my eye," I say rubbing frantically at it.

"Don't rub it," he says taking my hands firmly in one of his larger ones. He puts the other on the side of my face and stretches the skin around my left eye. He looks down into my eyes studiously. "Look around," he instructs me.

I roll my eyes around a bit and am vaguely aware of people clapping. I roll my eye towards the stage and I spot a line of emerging models and designers. Suddenly the black curtain at the back opens and Gabrielle emerges with a broad smile on her face. The crowd goes crazy, clapping even harder. Her eyes meet mine and her step falters and her smile fades.

Lars leans over me even more. "I think I see it."

I look back at Gabrielle and the hurt look on her face and I suddenly realize what it must look like from the stage. She thinks he's about to kiss me.

Gabrielle turns around and runs for the curtain.

"Bullocks!" I say jerking my head and ramming my eye into Lar's thumb. I cry out in pain, and cover my eye with my left hand.

"Ginny, you shouldn't have moved," he says looking annoyed. "I almost had it."

I push him aside as I run on stage and towards the curtain amidst the sound of shocked cries from the crowd. I can't see properly and I barrel right into a toothpick-looking brunette, knocking both of us to the ground.

I scramble to my feet, apologizing profusely and run through the curtain. On the other side a guard moves to stop me but I flash my Press Pass at him and he lets me run through.

I spot Gabrielle up ahead and yell for her to stop.

"Gabrielle, wait!"

She doesn't stop, instead she makes her way to the back door. I know that if she leaves the building she'll be able to Apparate anywhere, and then I'll never find her.

I speed up and manage to catch up to her. I grab her arm and we skid to a stop.

She turns on me, her wand raised. "Just leave me alone!"

"Gabrielle..." I say trying to catch my breath, "It's...not....what....you...think."

She snorts. "I saw him leaning over you kiss you! What's there to think about? You could have at least told me you were...." She falters looking embarrassed and angry. "Instead you let me go on and on about him like an idiot! I thought we were friends, Ginny. You could at least look me in the eye. I think I deserve that much."

"No! He wasn't trying to kiss me, some sand from the runway got in my eye!" I say frantically, uncovering my eye and pointing to it wildly. It's burning and I can't see out of it for the tears. I can almost feel the impression of Lar's thumbprint on it. "He was just trying to get it out. In fact, he was asking me about you!"

"What?" she says, looking unbelievingly at me.

"It's the truth! Look at it!" I say leaning towards her.

"Oh," she says. "OH! Now I really do feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," I say. "You're not the one that attacked a model surrounded by cameras from every well known magazine and newspaper in England."

"What?" she asks confused.

"Never mind," I say. "I'll explain later. At the moment, I think you should go talk to Lars. He's a rather big fan of your work. Not to mention very keen on getting to know the genius behind it."

"Really?" she says smiling broadly at me.

I try to return the smile, though I must look a bit like Quasimodo. I'm still slightly hunched over from trying to catch my breath, I have one eye squinted shut, and I can only manage a painful cross between a grin and a grimace in return as I nod. "Really."

* * * * *

A/N: Please review! I live for them!

Darcel, BlondPrincess, ShortySC22, Angelic-pen, Curly-Q, MelziePotter, Shinomori, Tifa, AnnieBananie21, Arafel, Keita, Archana, and KeeperOfTheMoon ... Thanks for your support!

VoldemortsIllegitimateChild Colin Ferrall, eh? Go for it, sister! As for your story idea...write it!

Cassi0peia I want a Draco of my very own as well. *sigh*

cosmoz *blushes* Thank you! Anytime you'd like to chat or talk about your story IM me. I don't know how much help I'd be, but I enjoy trying. :) AIM: booknclevernss. Also...here's a little R/H for you.

Potty for Potter Now you're having prophesying dreams?! Straaaaange! I'm glad you liked the kiss, I had been worried about it.

Flav0ftheweek I love embarrassing people at public computer terminals. :) I hope that you enjoy this chappie as well. It was inspired by a comment you made. See...I do listen. :) I would absolutely love Fan Art, but I don't think people are that captivated. I'd especially love a drawing of the Witch Weekly cover featuring Ron. Now that would be Fan Art. :D

crazy eyes There's always hope!

Kaitlin-Scott I can't take credit for the gay guy idea. That was all Priya. She had me giggling while I wrote it. :)

Marina Pearl Thanks for making my day with your reviews at FA!

QueenOfMasks The gay guy was hilarious, wasn't he? I'm not so sure we've seen the last of him.

Chocolate Muse There's always hope I can drag Stud!Draco out. Thought it's going to take some large quantities of Morgana's Abersnythe.