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: Sorry this chapter took so long, RL has been unbelievably hectic! I had to change the song to this chapter when I heard the lyrics to Underneath Your Clothes. This song is awesome!
Special Thanks to Priya For being an absolute Saint when it comes to patience and for whipping my rough drafts into shape. Dani, thank you for giving me much needed pep talks when it came to writing PG-13 smut and being so very supportive, as always. Becca, Thank you for making me freak out when you said that I used your fandom dream! Also, I swear to God that I'm going to write the D/G version of Casablanca! Becky, I'm so glad I showed you this and even happier that you actually like it! Thanks for reading it for me!
Chapter Twelve – V-Day
You're a song
Written by the hands of God
Don't get me wrong
'Cos this might sound
To you a bit odd
But you own the place
Where all my thoughts
Go hiding
And right under your clothes
Is where I find them
Underneath your clothes
There's an endless story
There's the man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things
I deserve
For being such
A good girl honey
Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira
* * * * *
Lexy opens the door for me looking rather put out.
"Master will be with you shortly," she says leading me into the living room and indicating that I should sit. I comply and she disappears after hanging up my coat.
It's been a month since I've been back to Draco's posh apartment. Not that I haven't thought about waking up here again. The truth is, I've thought about it often. Much more than any self respecting, independent woman should. Something keeps holding me back, though. I want it to be perfect.
We've been seeing each other three, sometimes four times a week outside of work. I find myself memorizing everything about him. I love making him laugh, really laugh. I love the way he tucks his hair behind his ear like a girl does. I love the way he opens doors for me, the way he leads me into a room with his hand on the small of my back, the way he kisses me, the way he makes me feel like I am Virginia Weasley, sophisticated, talented, respected and loved.
I find myself thinking about him at all times of the day. Wondering what he's doing, if he's thinking about me, what we're going to do that night, if tonight is the night that we take things to the next level, if I'm ready, if he's ready, if I'm being stupid for falling for someone so quickly. Who am I kidding? Stupid or not, I've fallen.
Fallen head over heels, and then down the side of a mountain, and I've never been happier.
We're going to have to do something about keeping things quiet though. It's getting more and more difficult. Our business lunches have increased, as have the number of times that I've had to give reports to Draco during the week. We never do anything at the office, we are perfect professionals. We merely chat and make plans for that evening, but poor Colin thinks Malfoy is running me ragged.
I had to stop him twice last week from marching into Draco's office and demanding that he let up on me. I think he just misses our time together. What, between working on the next issue, the contest and dates with Draco I haven't had time to do anything, let alone spend time with Colin.
Lexy appears at the fire and puts more logs on it. She still looks rather cross.
"Will he be long?" I venture, trying to seem calm, even though I'm excited and curious about the something special I've been promised for tonight.
"Master is busy," Lexy snaps, throwing a log on the fire.
"Oh?" I ask, wondering if I should ask what he's busy with.
"Yes."
I sigh. Obviously, Lexy is not quite as talkative as other house elves. I remember Dobby from Hogwarts and how I often saw him chatting excitedly with Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Lexy, do you smell smoke?" I ask, sniffing the air.
Lexy looks up at me her eyes wide. She disappears without a word, causing the logs that were in her arms to clatter to the floor.
Curious, I follow the smell down the hallway to a plain looking wooden door with no handle. I can hear shouting on the other side. I push the door open and stop not believing my eyes.
The kitchen is an absolute mess. There are pots and pans everywhere. The counters are piled high with dirty mixing bowls, a pot on the stove is splattering its contents all over the wall and the oven is open and billowing smoke.
Draco is trying to take something out of the oven as Lexy is throwing her hands up in the air and yelling at him. "I told you not to Master. Didn't Lexy tell you she would do it?"
"Lexy move!" Draco says, spinning around with a pan in his hand. He drops it on the counter and sticks his hand in his mouth. "Bullocks!"
He looks up and his eyes meet mine.
"Need some help?" I ask trying not to laugh at the sight of Draco Malfoy with red sauce splattered all over his usually pristine shirt.
"Miss is supposed to stay in the living room!" Lexy says as she extinguishes the brown lump of something burning on the counter.
"Help?" Draco asks, pulling his hand out of his mouth. "I think it's quite obvious I know exactly what I'm doing."
"Ah, yes," I say walking over to him and taking his hand in mine. "Come on, you should put some burn potion on that."
"Yes, master should leave," Lexy says pushing him towards the door. "Lexy will fix everything."
A few minutes later I find myself dabbing burn potion on his hand. "What do you think you're doing, anyway?"
"Cooking Romanian," he says, raising an eyebrow at me as if I'm daft.
I shake my head, "Don't you mean, burning Romanian?"
"Bloody hell!" he says, wincing and pulling back from me.
"What?"
"That stings," he says, nodding towards the ointment in my hand.
I roll my eyes and take his hand in mine. I hold it up and start blowing on it gently, aware that his eyes are on mine the entire time. I feel my cheeks go warm and I put his hand down gently. "Better?"
"Much," he says his eyes still on me.
I look away as I put the lid on the burn potion. There's that familiar feeling of electricity in the air between us. It's exciting and startling all at the same time, and I feel the familiar feelings of confusion crowd into my mind as I stare down at the marble floor.
He breaks the awkward silence picking up the conversation where we left off.
"I'll have you know that I happen to like my food well done."
"Oh, you do, do you?" I ask looking up at him. "Face it. You just can't admit that there is something you don't know how to do, can you?"
"Romanian wasn't cooked in a day!" He says defensively. "It was my first time attempting that particular recipe. It's not every day I try my hand at cooking, you know? Most women would be duly impressed that I went to so much trouble for them, instead of teasing me unmercifully about it."
"Oh, I think I'm being quite merciful about it," I say grinning. "More so then Lexy. She looks ready to murder you in your sleep if you try it again."
Now it's his turn to grin. "She is pretty upset. I haven't seen her so incensed since the time I made her take a vacation."
"House elves get vacation?" I ask, making a mental note to tell Hermione that her efforts through S.P.E.W. hadn't been in complete vain.
"Well, she's not really a house elf. She's been free to leave for over ten years now."
"You mean she's followed you around for over ten years out of her own free will?"
"Exactly," Draco says nodding. He walks out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. He sits down on the edge of the bed. "Merlin only knows why she's put up with me this long. Not that I'm complaining. I don't know what I would have done without Lexy. I probably would have starved that first year. I didn't know anything about being Muggle, or being poor. Lexy made the most out of what I had and helped me survive."
I sit down on the bed beside him, curious about his time as a Muggle. It's something that he doesn't speak often about.
"Didn't you have any money?"
"I did," he says grimacing slightly. "I had managed to save a couple hundred galleons in the two years before I left. Not much good it did me as I was attacked and robbed my second day in America. I woke up in a hospital, penniless and hopeless. I'd never been more scared in my life."
"I can imagine," I say trying to imagine the boy I knew at Hogwarts out on his own in a strange country, without family, without money, and without his wand. He must have been terrified as a seventeen year old in a world he knew nothing about. I look at the man before me and my heart skips a little beat. I suddenly feel a strange sensation of pride for Draco. Despite everything he had turned out alright in the end. More than alright, really.
"But Lexy found me and I eventually got a job. The first of many. Then we got an apartment, which was tricky. Lexy had to hide in the closet when visitors came over and my landlady, Mrs. Smeade had a bad habit of turning up unannounced. There were a few close calls, but Lexy always managed to hide just in time." His face has a relaxed quality and it's obvious to me that his thoughts are back in America in that first apartment. He laughs and I find myself smiling with him. "Except one time she forgot to lock the closet door and Anna discovered her. I had quite a bit of explaining to do."
"Anna?" I ask remembering the conversation I overhead on the balcony on New Years Eve.
Draco snaps out of his reverie and looks at me for a moment. "Yes, Anna," after a beat or two, he continues. "She was the first woman I was ever crazy about."
"Oh," I say softly. I look down at his bed and begin tracing the symmetrical pattern on it with my finger nervously. "First? How many women have you been crazy about?"
"Just two," he says taking my hand in his. Again, I feel that electricity between us and I suddenly realize where exactly we are. Here we are in his bedroom, on his bed, and I know he's going to kiss me, I can feel it. And after he kisses me, I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from giving into these feelings that are surging through me. And part of me doesn't want to stop myself from giving in.
His lips are inches from mine and my mind is going into overdrive.
"Did you break her heart?" I hear myself ask.
He pulls back and just looks at me for a moment, his face blank.
I feel my face flush with embarrassment under his scrutiny as my body reacts with frustration. "I overheard Joan mention Anna and..."
"We broke each other's hearts," Draco says slowly and I feel sorry for asking, but I can't stop myself from voicing the next question.
"What happened?"
"We just grew apart," he says looking uncomfortable. "People change. Some for the better, some for the worse. One day you wake up and everything's different."
I nod, hoping he'll continue, or better yet, that he'll try to kiss me again. Instead he stands and holds his hand out to me. "Come on, let's see if Lexy has managed to save dinner."
I take his hand and we walk out of the room in silence.
* * * * *
"I tried to owl you a couple of times last night," Colin says the next morning. "Where were you?"
"Oh," I say snapping out of my reverie. "I had to work late."
Last night keeps replaying over and over in my mind. After we left the bedroom it felt like everything had changed suddenly. Dinner had been eaten with forced conversation, mainly about work, and then I had gone home early in order to get a fresh start on today. Not much good it had done, as I had spent all night tossing and turning, thinking about how close we had been to...
It didn't matter. I had blotched it. By bringing up the ex-girlfriend, no less. How stupid could I get?
"What?" Colin asks setting down his coffee indigently. "He had you working late, again? How many times is that this week?"
I sigh as I stir my coffee. "I don't know. It was a long night."
"You put in these long hours, working night and day to make his magazine better and for what?" Colin asks, his cheeks going slightly pink. "So he can blackmail you? Has he even once said 'Thank You'?"
I can sense that Colin is getting worked up about this and some other employees in the break room are giving us odd stares. "Well, yes. In his own way."
"Well, that's not good enough," he says getting up.
"Colin, what are you doing?" I ask startled as he makes his way towards the door.
"I'm being assertive on your behalf, Ginny. I told you if you didn't do something about it, I would. You've put up with him pushing you around for too long. My headwizard says that it is important to assert yourself. Otherwise you're the world's doormat."
"Colin, don't!" I call after him, but he ignores me as he marches down the hall towards Draco's office. I run after him frantically. Great, this is all I need after last night.
Colin stops and knocks loudly on the door. He stands there a second or two, allowing me to catch up, before swinging the door open and stepping inside.
"Colin, wait!" I yell, as I step in behind him.
Draco is standing behind his desk, reading a letter. He looks up slightly annoyed at the interruption. "What is it, Creevey?"
"I'd like a word with you," Colin says stepping up to his desk.
Draco's looks from me to Colin with an irritated look that clearly says "What's this all about?"
"Colin, Mr. Malfoy is a very busy man. Maybe we should come back..."
"You," Colin says looking Draco directly in the eye. "have been picking on Virginia ever since you got here. She's your Editor-In-Chief, not your slave. The hours you have her working are unreal! She has no time for her friends, no time for her family, and no time for her social life, which is very close to becoming nonexistent because of you! I know all about your blackmail attempts and, Malfoy or not, I'll report you to the authorities if you don't lay off. Virginia works very hard for you and it is unfair and unmoral of you to take advantage of her dedication."
There is a moment of total silence as Draco stares at Colin, his face unreadable. I'm staring at Colin open mouthed, feeling something between embarrassment and being slightly pleased.
"You're right, of course," he says at last. "I will amend the situation immediately. Ms. Weasley, I apologize for monopolizing your time. If that's all Mr. Creevey, I have a very important trip to prepare for."
Colin nods grimly as if he's just performed an unforgivable curse and then steps past me quietly into the hall. I'm torn between going after him and apologizing to Draco.
"Shut that door, will you?" Draco asks of me as he sits at his desk and begins scribbling out a letter on parchment.
I shut it and turn to face him. "Draco, I'm sorry. He just...well, he doesn't know. It must look dreadful on the outside."
"He fancies you," he says not looking up from his parchment.
"He does not," I say laughing softly.
"He does," Draco says matter-of-factly, folding the letter and tying it to an owl's leg. He looks up at me. "Why else would he stand up to me like that? I could have fired both of you on the spot."
"No," I say shaking my head. "Colin and I have been friends for years, we've never been more than that. He's just concerned I'm letting you walk all over me."
He looks up at me for a moment, and I can see a frown on the edges of his mouth. After weeks of categorizing all of his looks, I know what that means. Something is bothering him.
He pulls out another sheet of parchment and beginning on another letter. "Well, he can put his concerns to rest, I won't be taking up all your time any longer."
My heart jumps into my chest. He can't possibly be threatened by Colin, can he?
"Draco," I say feeling the anger rise to my cheeks, "Don't be stupid. I told you we're just friends, nothing more. It's no reason to stop seeing each other."
His head snaps up and for the first time since I've entered his office, I feel like I have his full attention, "Bloody hell, I'm not breaking up with you, Virginia. What I mean is I'm leaving for New York on a business trip, therefore, you'll have plenty of time to spend with your friends and family."
"Oh," I say feeling very stupid.
"Where do you come up with these crazy ideas?"
"When are you leaving?" I ask in a desperate attempt to change the subject.
"This afternoon."
"So soon?" I ask with a frown. "How long will you be gone?"
"It shouldn't take longer than a fortnight."
"A fortnight! That long?" I say, unable to hide my dismay. Already the empty nights are looming up in front of me.
He smiles at me as he folds up the second letter. "That's the longest. Hopefully I'll be able to wrap up these loose ends by the end of the week."
"But you're going to miss the contest! Oh! And you're going to miss..." I stop suddenly feeling very shallow and silly.
"Miss what?" he asks looking at me curiously.
"Nothing," I say looking away from him. He walks over to me and puts his hands on my shoulder.
"What?" he says in that tone bordering on exasperation and affection.
"It's not important," I say feeling the heaviness of his hands on my shoulders through my sweater.
"Virginia, tell me," he says sounding suddenly very tired.
"Well," I say sighing, "You're going to miss Valentine's Day, aren't you?"
"Miss it? How can I miss it? Every year there are couples parading around acting like prats because they've found love. Buying one another's affections with candy and flowers..." He looks down at my shocked face and smiles suddenly. He kisses me on the forehead. "I'm just teasing. I may not be here, but rest assured, I won't forget."
"I wish I could go with you," I say laying my head against his chest.
"Maybe next time," Draco says, "When there's no contest. I'd love to show you around."
"Draco, about last night, I..."
I'm interrupted by his secretary as her voice is piped in over the intercom. "Mr. Malfoy, I've arranged for you to take the earliest flight to New York. It leaves in twenty minutes, so if I were you, I'd Apparate now."
Draco reaches around me and hits a button, "Thank you, Lisa."
I have to force myself to drop my arms and let go of him.
"Well then," I say forcing a brave smile, "Have a nice trip."
He closes the distance I've put between us and kisses me, leaving me slightly breathless and aching for more. For the hundredth time I curse myself for being so stupid and in adept at dating.
"I'll owl you when I get back," he says stroking my cheek softly.
I nod as he steps back and grabs the letter on his desk.
"Goodbye," I say, trying not to be overdramatic, even though I want to throw my arms around his legs and keep him here with me.
"Goodbye," he says, "Oh, and Weasley?"
"Yes?"
"I'm going to miss you too," he says with a smile before Apparating.
It's with a heavy heart that I make my way down the hall to Colin's office. He's not there and I'm about to turn and go when I spot his planner lying open on his desk. The ten o'clock spot has "Photo shoot with Gregory Freeman" written in Colin's tiny scrawl.
After my initial meeting with Freeman at the New Year's Party I had given consideration to what he had said about Witch Weekly being more of a women's magazine. Traditionally that is exactly what we were, but times have changed and it never hurts to have a larger demographic. So after spending weeks persuading Draco to let me do a special issue targeted towards alternate lifestyle wizards, he finally gave in and I asked Freeman to do a cover for us. After all, gay or not, he is gorgeous.
Poor Colin, though. I can just imagine Freeman believing he's been inebriated by Morgana's Abersnythe and trying to pick up Colin.
As I make my way to the photo studio, a corridor or two over, I think about how sweet it was of Colin to speak up for me. Of course he had threatened to, but I guess I hadn't really believed him until he had marched in there and told Draco. That's one thing about Colin I had always envied, whether it was approaching the famous Harry Potter for a picture our first year, or standing up to his boss, Malfoy, he was fearless.
"It's just that I'm scared, I guess," Colin's voice says from behind the backdrop as I open the door.
"Scared?" Freeman's voice asks. "Scared of how she'll react?"
"Yes, exactly," Colin says, sounding nervous, "Virginia and I have been friends a long time and I'm afraid that if I tell her my true feelings that she'll...well that she'll run away from me screaming or something."
I pause, my hand on the doorknob, Draco's words echoing in my mind.
He fancies you.
Suddenly I realize how obvious it's been. The way he's been so nervous around me lately, the fact that he actually paid for lunch the other day, the way he had stood up to Draco, they had all been signs. I had thought he had been acting strangely, but I never imagined that it was possible my best friend may have fallen in love with me somewhere along the way.
"Of course she won't," Freeman's voice purrs. "She's a very nice girl, she's your best friend and she loves you. You have to tell her how you feel."
"I will, when the time is right," Colin says softly before giving a small laugh, "It's strange getting relationship advice from you. I mean, I barely know you."
"Well, we can fix that, can't we?" Freeman says and I can picture the wicked smile on his face.
Colin clears his throat, "Yes, well, for now, I think we should just take the pictures."
There's a moment of silence and then Colin speaks up again his voice tight, "Um...I'm sorry Mr. Freeman, this is a family magazine, you'll have to put your robe back on."
I turn around and step back in the hall shutting the door behind me, unable to make myself intervene on Colin's behalf. I could walk in there right now, but what would I say? What would I do?
In fact, I have no idea what to say to Colin now. Should I try to dissuade him from showing his true feelings to me? Should I tell him I overheard? Should I pretend like nothing has changed, that I'm still oblivious to the fact that he's in love with me?
I mean, what am I going to tell him? That I'm in love with Draco Malfoy? Someone I've been seeing for two months but couldn't tell him about? Technically, I still couldn't tell him about it because Colin was the worst secret-keeper I knew. If I told him now it would just hurt his feelings, and it would be all over the office by noon. Then Draco would be cross with me for letting people think that we were not the truly stuffy professionals we tried so hard to appear.
Colin is in love with me, and I'm in love with Draco, but I can't tell him.
Since when had things gotten so complicated?
* * * * *
"V-Day. Are you ready for this?" Colin asks as we stand outside the doors to the Wizard Wireless studio.
"V is for Victory!" I say a little too enthusiastically. I've been trying so hard to act as if everything is normal that I find myself overdoing it at times. I search for a comment that will take the focus off of me, "I can't wait to see Ron's face when he sees that it's Hermione."
Colin grins back at me, "Who would have thought playing cupid could be so much fun?"
The door in front of us opens and Helen ushers us in. "Oh, Ms. Weasley, thank goodness you're here. Mr. Weasley has been asking for you repeatedly."
"He has? Where is he?"
"In the dressing room."
"Okay," I say, wondering what is wrong with Ron. "I'd better go see what he wants."
"Just call me if he needs any MA," Colin says flashing me a bright smile. I manage a weak smile in return and hurry away from him feeling horrible. How does he manage to act so normal when this has to be tearing him apart inside?
I make my way across the large studio and knock on the first door with a star on it, "Ron, its Ginny."
The door is swung open and I am unceremoniously yanked inside. Ron would look very handsome in the dark tuxedo he's wearing were it not for his uncombed hair and the wild look in his eyes.
"Ginny, I'm sorry, I can't do this," he says. "I know I said I would. I know I took the bloody pictures. I know I'm letting you down, but I just can't."
All thoughts about Colin are swept aside in an instant as I put my hands on my hips and look him in the eye, "Ronald Weasley, you will do it. You promised me."
"Don't you see it would be unfair?" Ron says. "I'm already in love with someone else. I'd just be stringing this poor girl along."
I try not to smile, "What do you mean you're in love with someone else?"
Ron looks at me for a moment the anguish in his face would have been unbearable if I didn't already know the answer and the happy ending I had in store for them. "Ginny, I think I'm in love with Hermione."
"Oh, is that all?" I ask nonchalantly.
"Is that all?" Ron says his voice reaching a high pitch.
There is a knock on the door, "Mr. Weasley, you're on in fifteen minutes."
I walk to the door. "Ron, think of what Hermione would want you to do. I think she'd want you to keep a promise you made to your sister. A promise that my entire career is depending on. It's just one date. If it doesn't work out you can see how things go with Hermione."
"But..."
"Ron, relax. Everything is going to be fine," I say before shutting the door behind me. I search Colin out in the crowd of people milling about on the set, finally locating him near a table full of finger foods with a sign that says "Eat at Cho's" flashing over it.
"So, how did it go?" He asks, his mouth full of free food, and for a moment I forget about everything I know that he doesn't know I know and tell him about Ron. We share a private laugh and for the first time since this morning, I feel like everything is back to normal.
"Ms. Weasley, I've been assured that the names of all the finalists are in the Match Box," Helen says, then she leans in and speaks in a lower voice. "Also present is the Ms. Harmony Ranger that you told me to add a couple of weeks ago."
"You mean, Hermione Granger," I say pronouncing the name carefully. The last thing I need is for them to pronounce it incorrectly on the air.
"No, Harmony Ranger," Helen says frowning as she hands me a file. "Actually I didn't have to make a new entry for her. She had actually been disqualified as she is so much older than Mr. Weasley, but I managed to retrieve her file and entered her as a finalist per your request."
I look down at the picture of the gray haired lady in front of me. Ms. Ranger's picture alternates between smoking a cigarette with her liver spotted hand, and puckering up for the camera.
"This is the wrong person!" I say, my voice reaching the high pitch that Ron's had hit only a few minutes before. "I told you to add Hermione Granger not Harmony Ranger!"
"Ten minutes!" one of the stage hands calls. "Everyone get in position."
"What are we going to do?" I ask turning to Colin in a panic.
"Alright, don't panic. Helen, where are the entry forms?"
"Back at the office," Helen says looking stricken. "I'm so sorry, Ms. Weasley. I'm not going to get fired for this, am I?"
"Of course not," Colin says before I can say exactly what I have in mind for her, "It was a mistake, but what you can do is stall for us while we Apparate to the office and get an entry form for Granger."
"Stall? But how..."
"Think of something!" I call over my shoulder before following Colin as he Apparates back to the office. We search frantically for the entry forms in Helen's office.
"Ron is never going to forgive me for this!" I say as I thumb through a stack of applications hoping to get lucky and come across a blank one.
"Everything will be fine," Colin says, looking in another stack. "Maybe this really is fate and the box will pick someone better suited."
"There is no one better suited! He loves her Colin!"
He looks up at me, surprise evident on his face. "Really?"
"He told me so in the dressing room and I just blew him off because I thought it was going to be her anyway, but now..."
"Found one," Colin says handing me the blank application. I grab it and begin scribbling down Hermione's information.
"Okay, here it is," I say handing it to Colin, "now we've just got to find someway to get it in the box."
"Well," he says looking down at his watch, "We had better hurry, the Match Box is due to select a winner in five minutes."
We Apparate back to the station where I'm alarmed to find the program already underway. I watch on a monitor as a distracted looking Ron is being interviewed by a smartly dressed reporter. "So, how does it feel to be a national sex symbol?"
"S-sex Symbol?" I hear Ron stutter in surprised response, "All I did was take a few pictures in my boxers and answer a few easy questions, like what my favorite color is..."
"There!" Colin says pointing to the box that is on a different set on the other side of the studio. "Go add it now. I'll try to keep them occupied."
I walk determinedly up to the box on stage and pretend to do a last minute inspection of it. I reach into my pocket for Hermione's entry form and realize that I handed it to Colin. I panic and pick up the box, preparing to run with it, when suddenly a voice startles me.
"What the hell are you doing?"
I turn around to find the model I ran over at the fashion show staring at me. Her eyes widen in recognition. "You!"
I sigh, "There is a problem with the Match Box, I have to borrow it for a minute."
"Oh no you don't," she says grabbing the other side of the box. You ruined my runway career, I'm not going to let you ruin my first Wireless appearance."
"Let go!" I yell warningly. "I'm sorry about running into you, but this is an emergency."
"No!" she says, being surprisingly strong for someone so petite.
Suddenly there is a spotlight on us and I'm aware that all other activity in the studio has ceased. I let go of the box in shock at realizing that we're being filmed in our fight over it and the model goes flying backwards in her sparkly evening gown. There is a dull thud and then barely audible low moans. I bite my lip as I watch the monitor behind the camera show her lying limply on the ground.
"Bloody Hell, I hate show business," the producer says running up to me after retrieving the box. "Look, you're going to have to read the name."
"What? Me? I can't...there's a problem with..."
"You can read, can't you? Just read the name, that's all you have to do," he says thrusting the box at me and then running back behind the camera. "Camera two on the redhead."
On the monitor I can see myself looking horrified as I hold the box in my hands. I stand there a moment without moving, unable to think of any possible way of getting out of this. Suddenly an envelope shoots up from the Match Box..
"Read the name!" hisses the producer from off stage.
I sigh, feeling like I'm about to cry. Four months of planning, of trying to do something nice for Ron and I've failed completely.
I take the envelope and open it up slowly. My heart stops as I read the name written there. I guess I spend a few seconds staring down at the name in shock because the producer feels compelled to threaten me with a barely audible remark.
I smile as I look directly into the camera. "The winner is Hermione Granger."
"WHAT?" I hear Ron say loudly from the other set. "What did she say?"
I look into the monitor to find that the camera is now on him and the shocked expression on his face makes everything worthwhile. I smile feeling relieved and very grateful towards Helen, who managed to save the day anyway, despite her initial mix up. Suddenly I have the air knocked out of me as a crazed looking model tackles me.
"YOU!" is all she manages to get out in her rage. Seconds later she is being escorted from the building by security guards. Colin holds out his hand for me.
"Are you alright, Virginia?"
"I think so," I say dusting myself off.
"She's nutters, isn't she?" he asked looking after her. "Brilliant cover, by the way. What was the real name drawn?"
"Hermione was the real name," I say smiling at him.
"Seriously?"
"Yes, Helen must have managed to get it in while we were gone."
"Actually, I didn't," Helen says from behind. I turn to look at her.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I wasn't able to get anywhere near the box, let alone tamper with it."
"So if you didn't enter Granger's name and we didn't..." Colin says his eyes widening.
"She was already a finalist!" I say, realization dawning on me. "Colin, do you know what this means? Hermione had already entered herself in the contest!"
"You mean we went through all that trouble just to fail, and she still won anyway?"
"Exactly!" I say looking up at the monitor. Hermione has apparated onto the stage and is looking a bit embarrassed. Ron is staring at her open mouthed.
She walks up to Ron until they are standing only inches apart and opens her mouth to speak. "Ron, I..."
But that's all she manages before Ron grabs her around the waist and gives her a passionate kiss. The studio erupts into clapping and I can feel my heart soar as Ron pulls back and looks down at her. She smiles up at him her eyes shining.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ron," I whisper under my breath.
Next time, I think I'll leave the matchmaking up to fate. After all, it seems to be managing quite nicely without my meddling.
* * * * *
I should be happy. I mean, Ron and Hermione are finally together. How much more romantic can you get on Valentine's Day? So what if my boyfriend didn't send anything, even though he promised he wouldn't forget? So what if I'm sitting all alone at home in my pajamas eating a pint of ice cream and watching sappy romance movies? Just because everyone and their one-eyed cousin has a date except for me doesn't mean I should be unhappy, does it? I'm a success. I'm in a relationship. I'm in love.
Yes, L-O-V-E. Because if absence makes the heart grow fonder, Draco going to New York has made me realize exactly how much he's come to mean to me. The last couple of days I've felt as if a part of me has been missing. Something will happen and I'll want to share it with him, only to remember abruptly that he's half way across the world. I miss his smile, his smell, the feeling of his lips on mine. I just miss him.
I hate Valentine's Day.
I snap out of wallowing in my happiness when there is a knock on the door. I get up and drag myself to the door. I open it a crack and I can't see anyone. Suddenly, a dozen roses is thrust under my nose, and behind them stands Draco.
I swing the door open and throw myself at him, accidentally crushing the roses between us. I'm so happy to see him it takes me a moment or two to realize that he's saying I'm choking him. I let go and stand back, opening the door for him.
"That's an interesting look you've got going there," he says stepping inside. "Is that the newest fad for Spring? Essence of couch potato?"
"Well, I wasn't really expecting anyone," I start to say apologizing, but I stop abruptly, "Oh shut it. When did you get back?"
"Forty minutes ago."
"Well, I'm glad," I say. I missed you, I mentally add.
"I think the launching yourself at me out in the hallway said that quite nicely," he says smiling at me. "These are for you."
He holds the crushed flowers out to me and I take them. "Is this a bribe for my affections?" I ask remembering how he described Valentine's Day.
"No," he says pulling out a black velvet jewelry box. "This is."
My mouth drops as I take the box from him.
"Open it," he says softly.
I open the box carefully and my breath catches in my throat.
"Oh, Draco," I breathe, "It's beautiful."
"I saw it and thought of you," he says.
"I love you," I say looking down at it.
"What?" he asks softly.
I look up at him realizing what I've just said. "I-I mean, I love it."
He takes my hand in his and looks at the bracelet shimmering on my wrist for a moment.
"I don't think that I've ever been as miserable as I have this last week," he says looking up at me. "Everything reminded me of you. And it suddenly became very apparent that I'm not just crazy about you." He steps towards me, putting his hands on my arms, "I'm in love with you, Virginia."
I'm aware of his fingers on my arms, his lips inches from mine and I'm surprised that there is no rush of confusing feelings. No guilt, no doubt, no hesitation as I pull him down for a kiss. Our lips meet and I realize how much I've been craving his kisses in the week that he's been gone. He pulls me close to him so that our bodies are touching and the contact sends my mind reeling. This time I don't even try to stop myself as I press myself into him, losing myself in his kiss.
I close my eyes and tilt my head slightly to the right as his mouth traces light kisses from my ear to the nape of my neck. My skin tingles where his hands travel inside my pajama top and I think that I will forever have the memory of his touch on my skin. He pushes me gently backwards and we fall onto the couch with him on top. My eyes open and I'm aware of the feel of his lips through the thin fabric of my pajamas as he continues the line of kisses to my collarbone, down the center of my chest, down my stomach and then further...
"Draco, stop," I say, aware that my voice is soft and breathless. "I can't."
He looks up at me frustration and disappointment evident in his cool, grey eyes as he sits up.
"I'm sorry, I just can't," I say sitting up. "Not here. My mum gave us this couch. I won't be able to look her in the eye next time I see her."
He grins wickedly at me and leans over to kiss me on the mouth, "So don't look her in the eye."
"No," I say, sternly. I take his hand in my and lead him to the bedroom, "However, I do have somewhere else we can try."
* * * * *
Three amazing hours later I'm awakened by the sound of someone knocking loudly on my front door.
"Just ignore it, they'll go away," Draco whispers lazily from the bed as I pull on my pajamas lying in a heap on the floor.
"It may be Gabrielle," I whisper back. "Sometimes she forgets her keys. I'll be right back, don't move."
He raises an eyebrow at me, "I'm not going anywhere."
I can feel myself blush with pleasure as I go to open the door. I don't remember when I've ever been this deliriously happy.
I love Valentine's Day!
"Colin! What are you doing here?" I say in surprise after I've opened it to find an anxious looking Colin on my doorstep.
Colin glides past me and begins pacing up and down my living room floor. "Ginny, I have to talk to you. It's important."
I swallow and look nervously towards the bedroom door. "Colin, it's really late and I'm exhausted, can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, I have to talk to you now or else I'll lose my nerve and I'll never be able to tell you what I have to say," he says and something about his tone of voice makes me think that he's being dead serious. My happiness is quickly replaced by panic as this morning comes rushing back at me.
"Colin," I say begging him not to say what I think he's going to say, because if he doesn't say it, I won't have to deal with it. I can go on pretending like I don't know.
He continues as if he hasn't heard me. "I've been trying to tell you for weeks now, but it's just been so hard. You've been so occupied with the contest and Malfoy's had you working non-stop and I just haven't been able to get up enough nerve to tell you straight out. How long have we been friends? Over fifteen years, and in those fifteen years you've probably been the most stable person in my life. You're my best friend, Ginny, and I don't want anything to change that."
"Colin..." I begin, but there is the sound of a dull thud that comes from the behind the bedroom door.
"What's that?" Colin asks, looking towards it, "Is anyone here?"
"No!" I say quickly, "I mean yes. It's Gabrielle. She has a horrible habit of sleepwalking. I have to lock her up in her room at night."
"Really?" He asks, frowning at me, "That's so strange."
"It is isn't it?" I say walking to the door and opening it. "Colin, I think that it would be better if we talked about this tomorrow. We both could use a good night's sleep."
"Ginny, how long have I been seeing a head wizard? How long have I been lying on that couch and complaining about my life? How long have I been trying to improve myself and the direction my life is going in? Well, the other day...on the couch I realized something. Something that's been there since my first year at Hogwarts and I've just been too daft or unwilling to see it...until now. Ginny, I love you and I ..."
There's the sound of a crash from the bedroom and he turns abruptly.
"Do you think she's alright?" He asks looking from me to the door.
"Fine!" I say nervously.
"I think we should check on her, that sounded bad," Colin says walking towards the hallway.
"Colin, it's fine! She does that all the time," I say pleading with him.
"She could have hurt herself, though," he says frowning at me. He opens the door and steps in. I stand in the hallway and wait for everything to fall apart, but nothing happens.
He steps out in the hallway, "Virginia, there's no one in here."
"There isn't?" I ask, my voice cracking slightly. "It must have been our ghost. He's a terribly grumpy poltergeist, but he keeps the rent down."
Colin cocks his head to the side for a moment as if he's listening and then steps back in the room. I hear the creak of a door and then Draco's voice. "Hello Creevey."
I feel a sinking feeling in my stomach as I walk into the room. Draco is standing in his boxers just inside my closet. Colin is looking blankly at him.
"Colin, I'm sorry...I didn't mean for you..." I begin and stop not sure how to continue.
Colin blinks and then speaks in a very flat voice that doesn't sound like him at all. "Well, that explains all the late hours."
"Colin," I say following him out of the bedroom and through the living room. "Colin, wait!"
He turns and flashes me an angry look before letting himself out.
I sigh and collapse on the couch wanting to have a good cry. Now I've done it.
"Well that went bloody well," Draco says from my doorway.
"What were you doing back there?" I ask turning around to face him.
"Nothing," he says defensively. "Well, I might have accidentally knocked over your nightstand while looking for my pants."
I wipe away a tear angrily. "Now what am I going to do? He's never going to talk to me again."
Draco comes and sits beside me on the couch. He frowns and strokes my hair gently, "Don't worry, he'll get over it."
I look at him doubtfully. "Draco, he just told me he loved me!"
"He did?" Draco says sounding somewhere between annoyed and surprised. Then he turns his attention back to me quickly, "Virginia, don't worry. If I've learned anything about Creevey it's that he always bounces back."
"I hope you're right," I say, laying my head on his shoulder.
"Of course I am," Draco says soothingly. "I'm always right. Didn't I tell you he fancied you?"
* * * * *
A/N: Please review! I live for them!
Tifa, Fanatic, Paranoid, Darcel, Crystal, Char, ShortySC22, Lady Laughs-A-Lot, Blond Princess, Steph, Jen, tigerlily, Archana, Aly, Sokorra Lewis, Ashleigh_tyu, Serepida, Isadora, Crissy, Seema, fierydragon, and NicoleHP2000, Thank You so much for taking the time to leave a review.
Flav0ftheweek *squee* Two reviews! I'm so very flattered! I didn't even have to pay you, that's so unusual. ;) I agree about Draco on the couch being another good piece of fanart. I love the picture I get of him in my head at that point. I can't believe you're looking for someone to draw it! That's great! Models are dangerous people to mess with! Poor Colin, he does seem to be getting the worst of it, doesn't he? Yes! Poor Harry! I haven't forgotten about him either.
Dani Where would I be without you smutgirl? ;)
cosmoz I could have written so much more about Ron and Hermione getting together, but as one wise beta said, "This isn't their story." Maybe someday I'll write what happened behind the scenes of this one. R/Hr is meant to be!
Emerald-Eyez *mad schnoogles* Thank you so much for your review! I loved it so much that I've actually re-read it many, many times! It's so nice to know that Draco is coming across that way. That's exactly how their relationship is!
Cassi0peia Long, silly reviews are never a burden! In fact, they are the stuff that dreams are made of! I enjoyed reading your review so much. Ron is a dork, things are complicated, I love Gabrielle, Lars has grown on me also, and your description of him made me burst into a fit of giggles. I hope you continue to keep reading.
Lola When my very first reviewer makes a request, who am I to deny it? It also helps when the said event is in my story notes anyway. Hope it was good enough, I'm horrible at looooove scenes.
Marina Pearl Awww! Thank you so much for the huge compliment on the R/Hr. Being compared to JKR is always something that, while undeserved, makes my day.
Kaitlin-Scott That is so weird that you said it's like watching a TV show. Many times while writing WIELBY I find myself that it's not very different from an HP Sitcom. I'm glad the story cheered you up a bit.
Potty for Potter I'm so glad you like the story! Maybe it can hold you over until I can get enough time/inspiration to continue Out of Body, Out of Mind.
Juniper Holly Actually, I had to abandon real life for a while to get this chapter written, so good advice! I'm flattered you consider this one of the funniest. I'd love to know the other fics on your list, I'm always looking for other good fics.
RonWeasley1975 I really enjoy writing Ron, so I'm glad you like reading him.
Imanewser I've eagerly been awaiting your picture! Send it to me as soon as you scan it! I can't wait to see!
Drieanna I am so happy! I absolutely LOVE Bridget Jones and the book/movie was actually the inspiration for this series.
Kat Adams The baby is fine. I promise to mention more about it at Charlie's Wedding.