Author's note: As always, much of this belongs to J.K.R. and W.B. Sorry about the cliff hanger folks. If you want some answers, and I'm betting you'll have some questions after this chapter, come ask them on the e-group, at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WAiSaD or e-mail them to me, or post them in your review. And please review, they're all that keeps me going.
Antonio checked the counter on his camera before snapping the lens cap on. "All done, Cara."
Sighing in relief, Glin fell backwards, reclining upon the chaise lounge she'd been artfully perched on the end of and stretching her arms into the air. She knew she looked devastating with the teasingly sheer silver robes, resting against the rose velvet chaise. Which, for the fashion line she was modeling, was pretty much the point. She closed her eyes and did a bit of impromptu yoga.
Her relaxation routine was interrupted when a pair of cool, well-manicured hands began to massage the muscles of her shoulders. For the moment before her eyes flickered open, she hoped, inexplicably so, that it was Ron. Logically, she knew it wasn't, of course. Ron's fingers were longer, like those of a pianist, and they were almost always warm. The hands kneading her shoulders were not quite as long as Ron's, and they were chilly at first, only warming when her own body heat seeped into them. Looking up, she saw Antonio's finely sculpted features.
"Tired, mia bella?"
"14 hours of being a human mannequin certainly is a change from my busy schedule of sleeping until noon," she yawned.
"Has it been that long? You must be famished, my love." He clucked his tongue sympathetically. "I must remember to take better care of you, pet. Let me take you out to dinner."
"Let me change out of this first. Wouldn't want to spill on a 1300 galleon set of robes that don't belong to me." A twinge of guilt nagged at her, but she ignored it.
"All right then, go change into something delicious for me."
Opting not to change her makeup, Glin slipped into a pair of heather gray cashmere robes. Anticipating being tired, she'd purposefully brought them along because they were one of the most comfortable things she owned. It's broad neckline left her shoulders exposed, and had a modest little keyhole just over the center of her chest. She stepped into a pair of knee-high suede boots in the same shade of gray, and looked herself over in the mirror.
Finding her nose to be unsatisfactorily shiny, she pulled out her compact and dusted a little powder over her face. Deeming the results acceptable, she grabbed her handbag and left her trailer to meet Antonio.
Mario escorted her to his office. He was lounging in a leather desk chair, his feet on the black steel desk. He looked like some sort of jungle cat, a panther or a puma, perhaps. To extend the metaphor, he seemed completely comfortable in his lair. The top button of his robes were undone, showing a bit of the gunmetal gray tie and charcoal shirt he wore beneath the standard wizard wear. It was a popular trend, wearing muggle clothes beneath robes. It provided wizards with a great deal more protection from the non-wizarding world, and some of them actually proffered them.
The entire room was black- the walls, the books that lined the black steel bookshelves. Even the furniture was entirely comprised of black leather and steel.
"You know, staring isn't polite."
Her cheeks felt hot. "Sorry. I was just noticing your apparent penchant for black."
"It's always in style," he said with a small grin.
"Black, yes. I'd probably have gone with ebony over steel though. I'd give the place a homier feel." Her eyebrows knitted together as he shuddered. "What?"
"I detest wood. It's much too... I don't know... 19th century for me." He waved his hand dismissively. "That's irrelevant though. Let's get some food into you before you waste away. I expect 'Mirage' is acceptable?" He stood, and looped his arm through hers. "It's just down the street, so we can walk."
"All right then."
Remus rolled over in bed with the undeniable feeling that someone else was in his room.
Other than the former colleague who was curled up at his feet.
That's when he saw it. A shadow at the foot of the bed, just a flicker of black that shifted near the fireplace. He stiffened, and prodded the cat with his foot. McGonagall shifted slightly, but didn't waken.
"Moony, it's just me." A man with shaggy black hair emerged from the shadows.
"Padfoot?"
"That's right."
Lupin felt the muscles in his body sag with relief. "Any reason you're in my room in the middle of the night?"
"Maybe I just needed a place to stay," Sirius offered defensively.
Remus raked a hand through his hair, and sighed, more out of habit than anything else. "If that were the reason why not pick someone out of the throng of swooning women that seem to follow you everywhere?"
"As if it weren't enough that the gossip rags go on about that kind of bullocks, I have to hear it from my friends now?" Sirius sounded annoyed, and tired.
"If they're the kind of friends you impose upon at this hour in the morning, then yes, yes you do."
"Fine," Black barked. "I'll just go then."
Remus sat up. "Wait. I didn't mean that. It's just..." he searched for some justification for his behavior. "You left, and you never owled, not once. You contacted Harry a few times, just enough to assure us all that you weren't dead. Have you any idea how that feels, to know that your best friend in the world would contact some boy, a remarkable boy, but a boy nonetheless, before he would throw a stray word your way?"
"Moony, you know it wasn't like that. Harry needed me. James and Lily's son needed me. You were fine-"
"Was I really? How on earth would you know?"
"I asked Harry..."
"And Harry's suddenly become an expert on me, now hasn't he? Hasn't got any friends his own age, just crazy old Lupin..."
"I couldn't put you in danger, don't you see that?"
"You were perfectly happy to put Harry there though, weren't you? For him, the risk was worth it."
"Harry was already in danger. He lived his entire life that way. When I owled him, it didn't make things worse for him. It would have made things worse for you."
"Somehow I doubt that. Locked up in my own house, afraid every single day that they'd found you, or Harry or any number of people I knew. There was no one, Sirius, no one at all for me to go to, and that hurt."
"I know," Sirius replied hanging his shaggy head. "It's unforgivable, and there's nothing I can do to make it up to you. But I'm here now."
"How long will you be here?"
"I've got no clue."
"You're staying for the wedding at least?"
"I hope so. I need to arrange for some place to stay."
Which quite clearly implied that he expected Remus to find a place for him. "Talk to Ginny then. Draco's got a great deal of extra space in the manor."
"What has Ginny got to do with the Malfoy boy?"
"Haven't been reading the papers, have you?"
"It was a hassle to have them owled to Brazil," Sirius replied, puzzled. "Why d'you ask?"
"The quick run-down goes a bit like this. Ginny and Draco became involved, irritating Pansy Parkinson, Draco's ex-wife. Pansy tried to off the lot of them, but Draco's daughter, Marigold-"
"Isn't she dead?"
"That's what we all thought. She knocked Pansy out, and Ginny was rushed to the medi-wizards. She's only just recovered, and now she and Draco are some sort of a couple."
"Is that all?" Sirius asked dryly.
Lupin pondered this question for a moment before answering "And Ginny became the Minister of Magic. Glinda Goodrich and Ron had a brief, but torrid affair..."
"So everything's just hunky-dorry in Pine Valley?" Sirius laid the sarcasm on thickly.
"I've no clue what you're babbling on about, Padfoot."
At hearing his old nickname, Black felt some of the tension drain out of his shoulders. He hadn't been entirely certain that Moony would roll out the welcome mat for him. "Can I crash here for the night?"
"The couch in the den is a bit lumpy, but it'll do in a pinch," Remus advised. "There are some extra blankets in the closet in the bathroom."
"You're kidding. I walked through there on my way in. It's freezing in there!"
"It's illogical to leave fires burning all through the house when I'm sleeping in here."
"Some host you are. Move over."
Remus felt a pushing at his side. "You can't honestly mean to-"
"Oh come on, you prude. It's just one night, and it is a king-sized-"
"Queen-sized," Remus corrected. "And this will only add to the rumors!"
"What rumors?" Sirius asked as he stole one of Lupin's pillows and began pulling the covers up around himself.
"The rumors that you and I are... well...you know-"
"Poufs?" Sirius supplied. "There are also rumors that I've stole women's hearts all over Europe."
"Yes, well, that one's true," Remus said. "Stay on your side."
"Quite right," Sirius replied with an ironically wolfish smile.
Minnie woke up with a foot in her side, and grimaced. Usually Remus was more careful of her. She rolled onto her stomach and looked around. It wasn't nearly morning yet, but a little light from a street lamp peeked in the window. She turned to look at Remus...
And noticed there were two of him. Only one of him was more muscular, and had black hair, and wasn't really him at all. It was Sirius Black.
Minnie snuggled back down into the covers, smiling smugly. She'd always know they were poufs.
Bill thumbed through the stack of papers the goblins had owled to his hotel room. Being one of the top curse-breakers Gringott's had ever seen, he had his choice of assignments. Which was a privilege, if he really thought about it. However, for some unknown reason, he really would rather have someone else decide for him this time.
Okay, so the reason wasn't entirely unknown. It was Joanne. He really didn't want to go halfway across the world and never get to see her again. However, settling down into some mundane desk job wasn't exactly his style.
A knock sounded at the door to his room. "Come in. It's unlocked," he shouted absently.
The door flew open to reveal Joanne standing there, an look halfway between annoyed and amused crossing her features. "William Weasley, you certainly do know how to charm a woman, don't you?"
He looked up. "I'm sorry, Darling. It's just all this paperwork." He tossed the offending parchment onto his night side table. "There, it's forgotten."
"Somehow I don't think it is." She sat next to him on the bed. "What're you so worried about?"
"Nothing," he said, until he realized she wasn't going to accept that as an answer. "It's just that I have to go back to work soon."
"And..."
"And I'm a curse-breaker. Which means that I go places to break curses."
"And this would pose a problem because..."
"I don't want to go places," he said sullenly. "I want to stay here."
"Is this wanting to hang around centered around me?"
"No," Bill denied. "My family is here, and... Yeah, it's about you."
Joanne rolled her eyes. "Men. You miss absolutely everything." Crossing to the bureau where he'd tossed the parchment, she thumbed through it, pulling out a set of assignment papers, and tossed them onto the bed beside him. "Take a closer look."
"Athens. It's probably a typical cursed temple or something."
"Check out the subheading, you big lummox." She sighed, and flopped down behind him on the bed.
"'Athens, Georgia.' Isn't that near Russia?"
"Not the country Georgia, the state. As in the United States. As in Athens, Georgia, where I live normally in a rambling old Victorian house on Live Oaks Avenue."
"How'd you know about this?" Bill said baffled.
"What, you think I'm not above going through your mail?" She smiled, and tossed her hair.
"That's completely despicable... and illegal... and what are you doing?"
"I'm putting my hair in a twist," she replied baffled. She stuck a final pin in, and her hair was secure. "Why?"
"Take it down," he replied, his voice suddenly husky.
"Why don't you come make me?" She responded, throatily.
Bill leapt on her, pressing her down into the mattress. "Dinner can wait, can't it?"
"We'll order up."
Seated at the kitchen table, eating dinner in the breakfast nook, were Draco, Ginny and Marigold. Draco was serving simple fare, just spaghetti and meatballs with some broccoli and bread. He reached past Ginny to grab the salt and pepper shaker and noticed something glimmering on her right hand.
"What's that?"
"Hmm?" Ginny looked up from her spaghetti.
"The ring on your right hand. When'd you get it?"
Ginny looked confused for a second, then looked down at her hand. "Right, I must have forgotten about it. It's some sort of an Irish thing. Mum found it in the attic during her last little fit. Her fingers are too big so she gave it to me. It was probably my great-grandmum's, we think."
"You're wearing it wrong," Draco advised her.
"It's on my hand, I should think that would be sufficient," she replied, a bit wary.
He sighed. "It's a Claddagh, Ginny."
"What's a-"
But before she could get it out, Marigold had spouted into a definition. "A Claddagh is a traditional Irish ring. There's even a little rhyme about it. The hands are there for friendship, the heart is there for love. For loyalty throughout the year, the crown is raised above. When you wear it on your right hand, with the point out, it means your heart is free. With the point in, it means you have a boyfriend, and on the left with the point in, it means that two souls have joined forever."
"Where'd you learn all that?"
"Uncle Neville brought me a book on Irish fairy tales once."
They were silent for the rest of dinner.
Glin and Antonio walked to her flat, because it'd been such a nice night for walking. Dinner had been wonderful. Antonio was a gentleman, not pushing her to order what he wanted, just calmly deferring to her when the waiter asked him about her order. He hadn't caused any little scenes, hadn't tried to kiss her at all except for the brief kiss he placed on her temple while they were walking. It had been perfect.
He had been perfect.
So why did she have this little nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was something wrong?
It wasn't Ron. She'd broken it off with him, and had been trying to do so for quite some time. Ron wasn't an important issue. In fact, he wasn't even an issue at all. He was a non-issue.
She was lying. Ron was an issue. Still, she could have lived with the little pang of guilt that went with that. There was something else though. Something about Antonio that seemed too polished, too perfect.
It was quite possible she was going to drive herself crazy if she didn't stop thinking about it. She turned her attention to putting her key in the lock of her door. It opened, and she turned. "Antonio, thanks. I had a really great time."
"Perhaps too great, no? I think the wine is making us both very tipsy. Perhaps I can come in for a cup of coffee?"
Funny. She hadn't felt tipsy at all until he mentioned it. But she opened the door, and made them both a cup of instant coffee. She gulped hers, and was surprised to look up from the table and see that he was finished with his.
She led him silently to the door, and embraced him for a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly, she felt more and more dizzy, almost as if the room, her flat, and the entire city was spinning about. Then she felt something warm on her throat, almost like something had licked her. And then, a brief sting, and the world faded to dark.
Ginny turned to Draco, and gave a small wave. "I'd better be going then. Minnie'll start gossiping if I leave her at Lupin's much longer."
"Right." Draco crossed to join her at the fireplace, and kissed her. She'd anticipated a quick peck on the cheek, a brisk goodbye sort of kiss. That wasn't what she got.
Draco kissed her as if this was the only kiss they'd ever have, as if he intended it to last forever. He kissed as if he hadn't seen her in years, in a lifetime. It was as if he were trying to push everything about the two of them into it, as if he were trying to touch her soul with his.
He pulled away before it went beyond kissing, and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, breathing shallowly. Then he looked into her warm brown eyes with his sharp grey ones, and murmured. "Put it on the other hand, Gin."
Antonio checked the counter on his camera before snapping the lens cap on. "All done, Cara."
Sighing in relief, Glin fell backwards, reclining upon the chaise lounge she'd been artfully perched on the end of and stretching her arms into the air. She knew she looked devastating with the teasingly sheer silver robes, resting against the rose velvet chaise. Which, for the fashion line she was modeling, was pretty much the point. She closed her eyes and did a bit of impromptu yoga.
Her relaxation routine was interrupted when a pair of cool, well-manicured hands began to massage the muscles of her shoulders. For the moment before her eyes flickered open, she hoped, inexplicably so, that it was Ron. Logically, she knew it wasn't, of course. Ron's fingers were longer, like those of a pianist, and they were almost always warm. The hands kneading her shoulders were not quite as long as Ron's, and they were chilly at first, only warming when her own body heat seeped into them. Looking up, she saw Antonio's finely sculpted features.
"Tired, mia bella?"
"14 hours of being a human mannequin certainly is a change from my busy schedule of sleeping until noon," she yawned.
"Has it been that long? You must be famished, my love." He clucked his tongue sympathetically. "I must remember to take better care of you, pet. Let me take you out to dinner."
"Let me change out of this first. Wouldn't want to spill on a 1300 galleon set of robes that don't belong to me." A twinge of guilt nagged at her, but she ignored it.
"All right then, go change into something delicious for me."
Opting not to change her makeup, Glin slipped into a pair of heather gray cashmere robes. Anticipating being tired, she'd purposefully brought them along because they were one of the most comfortable things she owned. It's broad neckline left her shoulders exposed, and had a modest little keyhole just over the center of her chest. She stepped into a pair of knee-high suede boots in the same shade of gray, and looked herself over in the mirror.
Finding her nose to be unsatisfactorily shiny, she pulled out her compact and dusted a little powder over her face. Deeming the results acceptable, she grabbed her handbag and left her trailer to meet Antonio.
Mario escorted her to his office. He was lounging in a leather desk chair, his feet on the black steel desk. He looked like some sort of jungle cat, a panther or a puma, perhaps. To extend the metaphor, he seemed completely comfortable in his lair. The top button of his robes were undone, showing a bit of the gunmetal gray tie and charcoal shirt he wore beneath the standard wizard wear. It was a popular trend, wearing muggle clothes beneath robes. It provided wizards with a great deal more protection from the non-wizarding world, and some of them actually proffered them.
The entire room was black- the walls, the books that lined the black steel bookshelves. Even the furniture was entirely comprised of black leather and steel.
"You know, staring isn't polite."
Her cheeks felt hot. "Sorry. I was just noticing your apparent penchant for black."
"It's always in style," he said with a small grin.
"Black, yes. I'd probably have gone with ebony over steel though. I'd give the place a homier feel." Her eyebrows knitted together as he shuddered. "What?"
"I detest wood. It's much too... I don't know... 19th century for me." He waved his hand dismissively. "That's irrelevant though. Let's get some food into you before you waste away. I expect 'Mirage' is acceptable?" He stood, and looped his arm through hers. "It's just down the street, so we can walk."
"All right then."
Remus rolled over in bed with the undeniable feeling that someone else was in his room.
Other than the former colleague who was curled up at his feet.
That's when he saw it. A shadow at the foot of the bed, just a flicker of black that shifted near the fireplace. He stiffened, and prodded the cat with his foot. McGonagall shifted slightly, but didn't waken.
"Moony, it's just me." A man with shaggy black hair emerged from the shadows.
"Padfoot?"
"That's right."
Lupin felt the muscles in his body sag with relief. "Any reason you're in my room in the middle of the night?"
"Maybe I just needed a place to stay," Sirius offered defensively.
Remus raked a hand through his hair, and sighed, more out of habit than anything else. "If that were the reason why not pick someone out of the throng of swooning women that seem to follow you everywhere?"
"As if it weren't enough that the gossip rags go on about that kind of bullocks, I have to hear it from my friends now?" Sirius sounded annoyed, and tired.
"If they're the kind of friends you impose upon at this hour in the morning, then yes, yes you do."
"Fine," Black barked. "I'll just go then."
Remus sat up. "Wait. I didn't mean that. It's just..." he searched for some justification for his behavior. "You left, and you never owled, not once. You contacted Harry a few times, just enough to assure us all that you weren't dead. Have you any idea how that feels, to know that your best friend in the world would contact some boy, a remarkable boy, but a boy nonetheless, before he would throw a stray word your way?"
"Moony, you know it wasn't like that. Harry needed me. James and Lily's son needed me. You were fine-"
"Was I really? How on earth would you know?"
"I asked Harry..."
"And Harry's suddenly become an expert on me, now hasn't he? Hasn't got any friends his own age, just crazy old Lupin..."
"I couldn't put you in danger, don't you see that?"
"You were perfectly happy to put Harry there though, weren't you? For him, the risk was worth it."
"Harry was already in danger. He lived his entire life that way. When I owled him, it didn't make things worse for him. It would have made things worse for you."
"Somehow I doubt that. Locked up in my own house, afraid every single day that they'd found you, or Harry or any number of people I knew. There was no one, Sirius, no one at all for me to go to, and that hurt."
"I know," Sirius replied hanging his shaggy head. "It's unforgivable, and there's nothing I can do to make it up to you. But I'm here now."
"How long will you be here?"
"I've got no clue."
"You're staying for the wedding at least?"
"I hope so. I need to arrange for some place to stay."
Which quite clearly implied that he expected Remus to find a place for him. "Talk to Ginny then. Draco's got a great deal of extra space in the manor."
"What has Ginny got to do with the Malfoy boy?"
"Haven't been reading the papers, have you?"
"It was a hassle to have them owled to Brazil," Sirius replied, puzzled. "Why d'you ask?"
"The quick run-down goes a bit like this. Ginny and Draco became involved, irritating Pansy Parkinson, Draco's ex-wife. Pansy tried to off the lot of them, but Draco's daughter, Marigold-"
"Isn't she dead?"
"That's what we all thought. She knocked Pansy out, and Ginny was rushed to the medi-wizards. She's only just recovered, and now she and Draco are some sort of a couple."
"Is that all?" Sirius asked dryly.
Lupin pondered this question for a moment before answering "And Ginny became the Minister of Magic. Glinda Goodrich and Ron had a brief, but torrid affair..."
"So everything's just hunky-dorry in Pine Valley?" Sirius laid the sarcasm on thickly.
"I've no clue what you're babbling on about, Padfoot."
At hearing his old nickname, Black felt some of the tension drain out of his shoulders. He hadn't been entirely certain that Moony would roll out the welcome mat for him. "Can I crash here for the night?"
"The couch in the den is a bit lumpy, but it'll do in a pinch," Remus advised. "There are some extra blankets in the closet in the bathroom."
"You're kidding. I walked through there on my way in. It's freezing in there!"
"It's illogical to leave fires burning all through the house when I'm sleeping in here."
"Some host you are. Move over."
Remus felt a pushing at his side. "You can't honestly mean to-"
"Oh come on, you prude. It's just one night, and it is a king-sized-"
"Queen-sized," Remus corrected. "And this will only add to the rumors!"
"What rumors?" Sirius asked as he stole one of Lupin's pillows and began pulling the covers up around himself.
"The rumors that you and I are... well...you know-"
"Poufs?" Sirius supplied. "There are also rumors that I've stole women's hearts all over Europe."
"Yes, well, that one's true," Remus said. "Stay on your side."
"Quite right," Sirius replied with an ironically wolfish smile.
Minnie woke up with a foot in her side, and grimaced. Usually Remus was more careful of her. She rolled onto her stomach and looked around. It wasn't nearly morning yet, but a little light from a street lamp peeked in the window. She turned to look at Remus...
And noticed there were two of him. Only one of him was more muscular, and had black hair, and wasn't really him at all. It was Sirius Black.
Minnie snuggled back down into the covers, smiling smugly. She'd always know they were poufs.
Bill thumbed through the stack of papers the goblins had owled to his hotel room. Being one of the top curse-breakers Gringott's had ever seen, he had his choice of assignments. Which was a privilege, if he really thought about it. However, for some unknown reason, he really would rather have someone else decide for him this time.
Okay, so the reason wasn't entirely unknown. It was Joanne. He really didn't want to go halfway across the world and never get to see her again. However, settling down into some mundane desk job wasn't exactly his style.
A knock sounded at the door to his room. "Come in. It's unlocked," he shouted absently.
The door flew open to reveal Joanne standing there, an look halfway between annoyed and amused crossing her features. "William Weasley, you certainly do know how to charm a woman, don't you?"
He looked up. "I'm sorry, Darling. It's just all this paperwork." He tossed the offending parchment onto his night side table. "There, it's forgotten."
"Somehow I don't think it is." She sat next to him on the bed. "What're you so worried about?"
"Nothing," he said, until he realized she wasn't going to accept that as an answer. "It's just that I have to go back to work soon."
"And..."
"And I'm a curse-breaker. Which means that I go places to break curses."
"And this would pose a problem because..."
"I don't want to go places," he said sullenly. "I want to stay here."
"Is this wanting to hang around centered around me?"
"No," Bill denied. "My family is here, and... Yeah, it's about you."
Joanne rolled her eyes. "Men. You miss absolutely everything." Crossing to the bureau where he'd tossed the parchment, she thumbed through it, pulling out a set of assignment papers, and tossed them onto the bed beside him. "Take a closer look."
"Athens. It's probably a typical cursed temple or something."
"Check out the subheading, you big lummox." She sighed, and flopped down behind him on the bed.
"'Athens, Georgia.' Isn't that near Russia?"
"Not the country Georgia, the state. As in the United States. As in Athens, Georgia, where I live normally in a rambling old Victorian house on Live Oaks Avenue."
"How'd you know about this?" Bill said baffled.
"What, you think I'm not above going through your mail?" She smiled, and tossed her hair.
"That's completely despicable... and illegal... and what are you doing?"
"I'm putting my hair in a twist," she replied baffled. She stuck a final pin in, and her hair was secure. "Why?"
"Take it down," he replied, his voice suddenly husky.
"Why don't you come make me?" She responded, throatily.
Bill leapt on her, pressing her down into the mattress. "Dinner can wait, can't it?"
"We'll order up."
Seated at the kitchen table, eating dinner in the breakfast nook, were Draco, Ginny and Marigold. Draco was serving simple fare, just spaghetti and meatballs with some broccoli and bread. He reached past Ginny to grab the salt and pepper shaker and noticed something glimmering on her right hand.
"What's that?"
"Hmm?" Ginny looked up from her spaghetti.
"The ring on your right hand. When'd you get it?"
Ginny looked confused for a second, then looked down at her hand. "Right, I must have forgotten about it. It's some sort of an Irish thing. Mum found it in the attic during her last little fit. Her fingers are too big so she gave it to me. It was probably my great-grandmum's, we think."
"You're wearing it wrong," Draco advised her.
"It's on my hand, I should think that would be sufficient," she replied, a bit wary.
He sighed. "It's a Claddagh, Ginny."
"What's a-"
But before she could get it out, Marigold had spouted into a definition. "A Claddagh is a traditional Irish ring. There's even a little rhyme about it. The hands are there for friendship, the heart is there for love. For loyalty throughout the year, the crown is raised above. When you wear it on your right hand, with the point out, it means your heart is free. With the point in, it means you have a boyfriend, and on the left with the point in, it means that two souls have joined forever."
"Where'd you learn all that?"
"Uncle Neville brought me a book on Irish fairy tales once."
They were silent for the rest of dinner.
Glin and Antonio walked to her flat, because it'd been such a nice night for walking. Dinner had been wonderful. Antonio was a gentleman, not pushing her to order what he wanted, just calmly deferring to her when the waiter asked him about her order. He hadn't caused any little scenes, hadn't tried to kiss her at all except for the brief kiss he placed on her temple while they were walking. It had been perfect.
He had been perfect.
So why did she have this little nagging feeling in the back of her mind that there was something wrong?
It wasn't Ron. She'd broken it off with him, and had been trying to do so for quite some time. Ron wasn't an important issue. In fact, he wasn't even an issue at all. He was a non-issue.
She was lying. Ron was an issue. Still, she could have lived with the little pang of guilt that went with that. There was something else though. Something about Antonio that seemed too polished, too perfect.
It was quite possible she was going to drive herself crazy if she didn't stop thinking about it. She turned her attention to putting her key in the lock of her door. It opened, and she turned. "Antonio, thanks. I had a really great time."
"Perhaps too great, no? I think the wine is making us both very tipsy. Perhaps I can come in for a cup of coffee?"
Funny. She hadn't felt tipsy at all until he mentioned it. But she opened the door, and made them both a cup of instant coffee. She gulped hers, and was surprised to look up from the table and see that he was finished with his.
She led him silently to the door, and embraced him for a kiss on the cheek. Suddenly, she felt more and more dizzy, almost as if the room, her flat, and the entire city was spinning about. Then she felt something warm on her throat, almost like something had licked her. And then, a brief sting, and the world faded to dark.
Ginny turned to Draco, and gave a small wave. "I'd better be going then. Minnie'll start gossiping if I leave her at Lupin's much longer."
"Right." Draco crossed to join her at the fireplace, and kissed her. She'd anticipated a quick peck on the cheek, a brisk goodbye sort of kiss. That wasn't what she got.
Draco kissed her as if this was the only kiss they'd ever have, as if he intended it to last forever. He kissed as if he hadn't seen her in years, in a lifetime. It was as if he were trying to push everything about the two of them into it, as if he were trying to touch her soul with his.
He pulled away before it went beyond kissing, and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, breathing shallowly. Then he looked into her warm brown eyes with his sharp grey ones, and murmured. "Put it on the other hand, Gin."
