Draco's lips were devouring me, stealing the air from my lungs and making me feel weak against him. He took away all of my reasoning, all of my will to be anywhere but there, leaving me docile and wanting his kiss.
He never hurried, but took his time, as if he were sampling a rich dessert and wanted to make it last. He focused all of his attentions on me. From the moment our lips met, to the moment they parted, he savored the kiss, determined to draw out every single shade of the moment.
Which is why I had to get the strength to push him away. I knew that on some level he cared for me, but I didn't believe that it was love. I needed love. I deserved love. Having known complete freedom, I couldn't give it up for anything less.
The baby kicked, breaking the moment just before I would have surrendered. I breathed deep, shuddering breaths, knowing that my need lay in my eyes for him to read, but unable to do anything to veil the hunger. He closed his eyes, but I had already seen his passion reflect mine. It was like looking in a mirror, one that reflected back in time, back to our secret room in Hogwarts, where we allowed ourselves such dangerous play.
"I can't do this again." I swore, shuddering. "I won't do this again."
"Speak for yourself." Draco said, already moving against me again. "I almost forgot what you tasted like, Gin."
"Stop." I pressed my hand against his chest, a flimsy barrier at best. His words made me think of how HE tasted, how his body felt against mine, the feelings that ruled my inner self when we touched. I knew, that if we kissed again, I would be lost once more. No matter how angry he made me, I still wanted him.
"Do you really want me to?" Draco asked, almost reading my mind. His mouth was quirked in a strange smile, pure mischief in his eyes. Here was the Draco that only I had seen before, the one I fell in love with.
"I can't lie to you. You know I don't want you to stop, but it won't change anything. I still won't marry you."
The play left his eyes, replaced for a moment with hurt . Then, that too was gone. His face was cool, expressionless if you didn't know what to look for. To me, it radiated slyness, warning me that he hadn't given up yet.
"Then don't lie." Draco crooned, taking my hand from his chest. Slowly, he moved his arm, pushing my hand to the small of my back, bending me closer into his body.
"What are you up to?" I didn't trust him when he was in this mood. His smirk reminded me of the time he talked me into giving up the last Bavarian donut, making me think that it was my idea, at that!
"I have an idea, Love." He released my hand and began to rub the small of my back.
I nearly passed out in delight, as, unerringly, his palm found the exact spot that had twinged, continuously it seemed, for the last two months. He worked his magic, and I had to fight to keep my sanity, knowing that, like a dog that was getting it's belly scratched, I would be prone to agree to anything he said.
"Stop that." I ordered, cross, knowing that he was trying to sucker me.
"I'm not doing anything wrong, Gin." He smiled. "You like your back rubbed, don't you?"
"It annoys me when I can't think straight, Draco."
He realized that his ministrations were having the opposite effect than he planned. Rather than sedating me, he was actually pushing my guard up.
Grinning a 'you can't blame a guy for trying' grin, he released me and scooted over to his own side of the bed, placing his hands on the quilt in plain site.
I rolled my eyes, the sat up. "What is your idea, Malfoy?"
"Just this. You have to admit that it IS my child, correct?"
I nodded, still wary.
"Then, you also have to admit that I have certain rights, as the father."
Again, I nodded, not sure where he was going. I kept my mind sharp, however, knowing better than to trust his silver tongue.
"I have a proposition for you, Love." He smiled wide, and I narrowed my eyes.
:::Here it comes.:::
"You stay here, allow me the chance to woo you, so to speak. I won't push you to marry me, but in return, you actually consider it. Don't close your mind off the idea. It would be a trial run, so to speak. No actual commitment, other than the promise to stay here until we can decide what to do about my father."
:::Interesting. It's not as bad as I thought.:::
"Where would I sleep?"
"Here, with me." He held his hand up, silencing me for a brief moment. "Gin, the entire plan is to keep you and the baby safe. The only way to do that is if I'm with you at all times. No offense, but your family is too honorable to use the forbidden curses if needed. On the other hand, I would happily murder anyone that tried to hurt you two, even if it was my own father."
His words rang true. He was willing to use any tool in his means to get what he wanted, including the truth. Draco really would kill his own father to keep me safe. The knowledge sent shivers down my spine, frightening me at the same time sheer relief burst in my chest. He would keep me safe.
"And what about those times where you can't be with me?" I asked, knowing that it was inevitable that at some point, I would be alone.
"Then your place in society will protect you."
:::What does he mean?::: I furrowed my brow, not understanding.
Seeing my confusion, he went on. "We will be the only two people who will know that you haven't yet agreed to marry me. We'll throw a large party, announcing our engagement, and the forthcoming birth of our child. All of the Wizards society will recognize you as my lover and my fiancé', and that fact will keep you safe.
"My father can't risk bringing attention to himself, you see. If you disappeared, I would let it be known that my father had threatened you, and your brother and Potter would make an extremely public investigation into my father's affairs. Dark wizards, you see, work best in the dark, and they can't do that if aurors are throwing light on their activities."
It was plausible. It was even thought out a bit, but still, I wasn't sure.
"And you think that this is the only way?"
"Yes, Gin, I do." He finally met my eye, and I had to believe him. His gray orbs held no sign of cunning, and reflected only true belief back at me. Whatever the case, Draco sincerely believed that this was our only choice.
"And what about kissing and hugging?" I arched my brow, wondering what he would say about his wandering lips.
"I must be allowed to woo." He said it straight-faced, that old fashioned, ridicules word! The mischief was once again in his eyes, and he rolled back over, causing the bed to dip in the middle so that I rolled against him. "After all, I want you to experience how it nice it would be, being Mrs. Draco Malfoy."
"So your allowed to kiss me? That doesn't seem quite fair, Malfoy."
"You can kiss me too." He teased, holding my chin in his hand when I would have broke eye-contact.
"That's not what I meant."
"Well, it's only fair, that if I kiss you, you should be able to kiss me! I promise, Love, I won't run away from you."
Against my will, I could feel my mouth twitching. Any minute, I would break down and laugh, ruining any chance I had to make demands. He knew it, too. The triumphant gleam in his eyes told me all that I needed to know. Draco Malfoy held all of the cards.
"Alright." I finally allowed, giving in. "But, you can't use sex appeal to get your way."
"Would I do that?"
"Yes."
He shrugged, smirking. Satisfied, I nodded my consent.
"Alright. I'll stay here, and allow you to try to convince me to marry you. Happy?"
"Ecstatic. I'll send out invitations to our engagement party tomorrow."
He seemed to forget something, as lay back on the mattress. I allowed him to cuddle close to my back and pull the covers over us both, then reminded him. "I thought that the castle was a wreck, and needed to be fixed. How could we hold a large party?"
His body tensed against mine, and I knew that I had him. He coughed, then swallowed before he spoke. "I thought that we could move into my manor tomorrow. I only brought you here because there would be less witnesses. I .. Um.. Actually live in a fairly new mansion about a mile away from this castle."
I didn't smile, preferring to let him believe that I was outraged. Draco wasn't the only one who could manipulate people into getting what he wanted.
"We WILL discuss this in the morning, Malfoy." I said firmly, my tone warning that he was in trouble. "Since you did lie and tell me that there was no other place for you to sleep."
"Actually, Love, I didn't lie. I simply told you that this was the only habitable room in the castle, and that it was where I slept when I stayed here. I just didn't tell you that tonight was the first night I slept here."
"You're still in trouble."
He was silent, holding his breath for a minute. Then, I could feel him slump against my back. "Yes, dear." Draco sighed, his warm breath dancing over my neck. "Good night."
"Good night, Draco." I smirked, feeling that I had somehow won.
He had convinced me to stay with him. He had even convinced me to announce our engagement, false though it was at this time. But… I had the last word.
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"I can't believe that you agreed to marry the prat." Ron growled, watching as Draco came into the room. He had arrived early that day, demanding that Draco release me from the imperius curse that I must be under.
Draco just snorted, and led him to the sitting room, still smarting from the concessions I had wormed out of him already. It definitely paid to be eight months pregnant when dealing with a man. They were too nervous to really fight with you, afraid that you might go into premature labor with the first sign of excessive emotion.
"Your brother is here." He growled when he saw me. "As bad-tempered as ever, I might add."
Of course, I had already heard Ron's voice, and I was standing up, my book forgotten on the floor.
"Ron!" I laughed, rushing over to him. "God, I missed you!"
I hugged his waist, comforted by his solid warmth. I had missed all of my family, of course, but I missed Ron the most.
"Where have you been?" He demanded, his arms returning my hug. Then, he stood back, eyeing my encumbered frame. "You're huge."
I could hear Draco groaning behind me, remembering how I had broken down and bawled when he said the same thing. But, I ignored him. I was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the world to Draco. After all, I was pregnant with his child! But Ron? I expected him to be rude. After all, we were talking about the man who, when I was thirteen, said I would never marry since my rather skinny body resembled a broomstick.
Now, I just laughed at Ron's statement, knowing that he didn't mean anything by it. He was simply being my brother, after all.
"Not for long!" I smiled, leading him to the couch. "I feel like I'm going to burst any day now!"
Draco was practically choking behind me, unable to understand how Ron got away with a remark that would have put him in the kennels.
"Well, don't do it here." Ron grimaced. "I don't want to witness my niece or nephew coming into the world, thank you very much. When you go into labor, I want to be in the waiting room of the hospital or the nearest bar getting drunk."
"I'll see what I can do." I shook my head, knowing that Ron will never change. "How are Mum and Dad?"
"Much better, now that they know you are safe. That wasn't very nice, Gin, taking off like that! They were frantic!"
"I didn't see that I had any choice."
"Well, considering that you ended up here, with Malfoy, after all, I don't know why you bothered to run!"
"Weasley, that's between myself and Virginia. If you don't mind?"
"I do mind! I still think that she's under some kind of imperius curse!"
"Idiot." Draco spat. "She wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with you, if she were! The imperius curse makes you into a mindless zombie, unable to even think clearly enough to fight the person who is controlling you!"
"And how would you know so much about it?"
"Unlike you, I did my homework!"
"ENOUGH!" I finally shouted, not wanting to hear any more. "Draco, I can speak for myself! And Ron, I am NOT being controlled by anyone other than myself! Now, I would like to have a nice, stress free visit, but if you two are unwilling to get along, then I will have to ask you to leave, Ronald."
Ron clammed up, his mouth hanging wide with disbelief. I could hear Draco snickering behind me, so I sent my elbow sharply into his gut, my eyes warning Ron when it looked as if he might start laughing at Draco.
"I really don't care if you two never grow to like each other. But for my sake, I would appreciate it if you were civil."
They eyed each other warily, before finally settling down. I signaled for tea, which appeared on the table in front of us, and we talked, keeping our discussion to family members and our upcoming engagement ball. Twenty minutes had passed when an owl came by with a message for Draco.
He read the note and stood up, relief evident on his face as he seized his opportunity to be free of the tension filled room.
"That was from the architect. It seems that he found an interesting room filled with medieval artifacts when he was renovating the dungeon. If you don't mind, I need to be there before things start disappearing with the help."
Then, remembering his father, he grimaced, turning towards Ron. "Will you stay here until I get back? I don't trust my father, and this might be a trap." His face tight as if the question was killing him.
Ron understood, nodding, "I trust your father less than I trust you." He said, "I was even considering moving in here, to protect her from you if I needed to."
"Don't push it, Weasley. I'll be back in an hour, or so."
Without a thank you, he was gone, leaving me and Ron alone.
"Well, then." I blinked, bemused. "I'm not sure that I would ever see the day he asked you for a favor."
"He didn't do it for himself." Ron said, cutting me off. "He did it for you. I still hate him, but at least I know he has your best interests at heart. After all, as you said, he actually asked me for a favor."
I nodded, then forced a smile on my lips. Picking up my wand, I pointed it upstairs, and called out, "Accio, Notebook!"
As it floated down the stairs, I turned to Ron. "While we wait, you can tell me who from our family I should invite to my engagement party."
He blinked, then nodded, knowing that I was trying to pass the time until Draco came back. It was just too odd that something like this would happen now, when I just surfaced. The castle was old, after all, and had been in the Malfoy family since it was first built. There should have been some reference somewhere to the hidden chamber's existence. After all, even the Chamber of Secrets had it's own legend of mystery, even if no one had believed in it until I had gotten trapped inside.
"Well, Mum and Dad, of course, and the rest of us kids. Harry and Hermione, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall would probably like to be invited, though I do not know if they would come. Oh, and I suppose that Snape should be invited, since he was head of Draco's house."
From there, we worked quietly, adding some names, then taking others away. One hour passed, then two. Eventually, we lay the notebook down and went into dinner. We would reach for our glasses, or our forks, our eyes darting nervously to the grandfather clock against the wall. Neither of us said a word, but all the same worried that something might have happened. We couldn't understand what was so important that Draco wouldn't send word, and why was he taking so long to return.
Finally, I led Ron to the room across the hall from mine, and bid him goodnight. Then, entering my own room, I climbed into bed and began to read, hoping that soon, Draco would come home.
Another hour passed, and then a loud 'Pop' sounded in the room. Looking up, I gasped as Fred and George appeared in the room, each holding up a side of Draco.
I pushed the covers off and stood up, watching as they lay my bleeding lover in the bed.
"What happened?" I asked, afraid to know at the same time.
"Ron contacted us through the Floo network, asked us to go looking for the bounder." George said, his expression telling me more than he wanted me to know. "He didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Thought that Malfoy might have lost track of time or something, and that he needed us to remind him that you were here, worrying. Well, we agreed, of course. Can't accuse us of losing a chance to rough up a Malfoy. Unfortunately, we found him like this in the dungeon, surrounded by a bunch of rusty armor and some decaying casks of god knows what."
"Yeah." Fred growled. "We didn't even get the chance to hit him at all."
"Someone beat him? Why?"
By this time, Ron had come in, having heard the twins' voices.
"That is what we're going to find out, Gin. You can count on it." He promised, his face harsh. None of them liked Draco, but all were willing to work to find out what was going on for my sake. Touched, I could feel tears welling up in the back of my mind, and impatiently, I brushed them away. Fred threw his arm over my shoulder, hugging me.
"Don't worry, Ginny. You're not alone anymore."
For the first time in a long time, I relaxed. Yes, Draco had been beaten badly, and yes, I had an evil dark wizard after me, but my brothers were here, willing to help. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe.
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TBC