When Ginny awoke, her head was still pounding. She opened her eyes and squinted against the onslaught of sunlight that flooded in through the windows. Embarrassment washed over her as the previous night's events came rushing to the forefront of her mind.
She showered and dressed quickly before heading towards the dining room for breakfast. To her mixed relief and disappointment, Draco was not present. Narcissa was in her usual seat, sipping from a delicate china tea cup. She looked up and smiled at Ginny as she sat down.
"I do hope you'll forgive the men's absence," she said. "They got called away in the middle of the night." Ginny poured herself a cup of tea and reached for the sugar.
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to eat dinner with you last night," she began. Narcissa smiled again.
" Don't worry about it; I quite understand. I'm given to rather painful migraines occasionally myself. Are you feeling well now?"
"Yes, much better," Ginny said, buttering a piece of toast. After pausing for a moment, she lifted her eyes to meet Narcissa's. "Will Draco and your husband be home soon?"
"Oh, there's no telling when they'll be home," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Why, did you and Draco have plans today?"
"No," Ginny admitted, shaking her head. She bit into her toast and tried to push down the empty feeling that seemed to come around lately whenever Draco wasn't nearby. Narcissa finished her tea and replaced the cup on the saucer.
"Perhaps you'd be inclined to spend some time with me until he returns?" she asked. Ginny smiled and nodded. "I had intended to do a reading today, but you know what they say, two heads are better than one. I would welcome any help you had to offer."
"I'd be glad to help," Ginny agreed. She was thankful for the opportunity to make herself useful; at least this way she wouldn't dwell on Draco all morning long. She finished her breakfast and followed Narcissa to the small lounge where they'd done their first reading together.
"Could you prepare the bowl for me, Ginevra?" Narcissa asked, gesturing to the cabinet that Ginny knew held her supplies. She nodded and went about gathering the two bowls that Narcissa used in her readings. Ginny had seen them before, but was still in awe of the craftsmanship displayed on the outsides of the vessels. Narcissa was considerably wealthier than most people, and could therefore afford the best of everything. Where Ginny used inexpensive, easily replaceable brass bowls, Narcissa used one-of-a-kind, specially designed silver bowls.
Ginny sat them down gingerly on a small table, then sat down and waited for Narcissa to bring the purified water and the wax. Narcissa handed Ginny a large chunk of wax that made her wince – the color was a violent red, strikingly similar to Ginny's own haircolor. She watched as Narcissa poured the water into the bowl on her right, then motioned for Ginny to drop the wax into the bowl on her left.
The silence in the room was deafening as Narcissa began to heat the wax. She stirred it constantly with a silver ladle that matched the set of bowls. When the wax had melted completely, she handed Ginny the ladle and nodded. Ginny stared at the ladle stupidly before realizing that Narcissa wanted her to pour the wax into the water. She ignored the burning of her cheeks and dipped the ladle in gently, then let the wax fall into the water.
Almost immediately the long string of wax broke into two separate pieces, one of which floated to the rim of the bowl and stayed there, and one of which floated to the middle and stayed. Ginny didn't bother to hide her surprise at the symbols, and her eyes flew to Narcissa's.
"One more ladleful of wax," Narcissa urged gently. Ginny nodded and did as she was told, then put the ladle down to inspect the hardened wax in the water. She blinked hard, then looked away quickly.
"What do you see?" Narcissa asked eagerly. Ginny's cheeks felt as though they must be on fire.
"Before I tell you, I have to know who this reading is for," she said quietly. Narcissa nodded.
"You already know, child." Ginny looked up.
"Me?" Narcissa nodded.
"But not you alone."
Ginny took a deep, steadying breath before peering back into the bowl. "I see a butterfly, a moon, and a circle." Narcissa frowned.
"That's not a circle, Ginevra, it's a ring, and well you know it. Why do you intentionally misread the symbols?" Ginny stood quickly and moved to the small window, turning her back to Narcissa.
"I'm frightened." Narcissa stood and moved to her side, wrapping a motherly arm around her shoulders.
"You're frightened no more than he is," she said softly. Ginny sighed. "I know that the things that are happening between the two of you are creating confusion. You should know that that is always the case when one enters uncharted territory."
"Are you saying that he's never been in love before?" she asked curiously. Narcissa nodded and gave Ginny's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I find that hard to believe."
"Appearances can be deceiving, you know. I believe he once fancied himself in love, though he could tell you now himself that it wasn't love at all."
"I understand," Ginny said, nodding. "I once fancied myself in love as well, although looking back now, it seems like nothing more than a schoolgirl's silly crush. It's completely different than what I feel for Draco." Narcissa eyed Ginny thoughtfully.
"If you already know that you love my son, why do you keep fighting it so?"
"It's because I don't know," Ginny replied, her voice taking on a note of desperation. "How can I know that what I'm feeling is love if I've never been in love before?"
"How do you know that what you felt for this other boy was not love?" Ginny blinked hard.
"I just do," she said quietly. "If it had been love, it wouldn't have faded so fast, would it?" Narcissa gave her a sympathetic smile.
"It's possible," she admitted. "But not entirely probable. If I may be so bold as to ask you, perhaps you could tell me how you feel about my son." A wry smile appeared on Ginny's face as she stared out the window.
"I'm not sure I can even tell you," she admitted. "He makes me laugh. He likes Quidditch – we even favor the same team! He's smart. And I'm learning that he can be considerate."
"Why don't you tell him all of this, and see what he says?" Ginny looked mortified.
"I couldn't do that," she protested. "It's been my experience that the moment you tell someone how you feel about them, they disappear."
"I'm sorry that you've had that experience, but I truly believe that if you speak to Draco, you'll find that he'll surprise you. He's not like other men." Ginny nodded slowly.
"You're right, he's not. I'll think about it," she promised.
"That's all I can ask," Narcissa said, smiling.
Draco collapsed in a heap on his bed, glad to finally be back home again. He was too tired to even remove his robe before he drifted into a heavy sleep.
Sometime after lunch, Ginny knocked on his door. He didn't answer, but the door swung open slightly. She peeked in.
"Draco?" she called softly. When she got no answer, she pushed the door open and went inside. She placed the tray she'd been carrying on his nightstand and pulled the coverlet over him. She brushed some errant strands of flaxen hair away from his face and planted an impetuous soft kiss on his cheek. She turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her with a soft click.
Draco slept soundly, not waking until the morning sunlight flooded his room. Before he even opened his eyes, he could smell the chocolate. He sat up quickly and scanned the room, half expecting Ginny to be there.
His eyes didn't fall on her, but on a tray that was sitting on his nightstand. He lifted the lid of the tray to find a steaming mug of chocolate, warm buttered toast, and a plate full of scrambled eggs.
He ignored the food and reached for the mug, savoring the chocolate as he sipped. He finished the drink, then made short work of the food. He stood and stretched, then went to take a leisurely shower. Ginny was going to spoil him if she insisted on bringing him chocolate after every meeting, but he wasn't going to complain about it. A stupid smile was plastered on his face all through his shower.
After dressing, he made his way to Ginny's room and knocked on her door. He thought he heard mumbling, but he couldn't be sure, so he pushed the door open a bit. She was still in bed, the coverlet a tangled heap at her feet. He stepped closer.
"Ginny?" he asked softly. She didn't answer, but she stirred. He froze. Instead of seeing her baggy sweatpants, his eyes fell on bare legs – long bare legs, at that. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes traveled up. Her baggy sweatshirt was missing as well. The bedclothes he'd seen her in previously had been replaced by a scandalously short aqua colored nightie. He tried to swallow down the lump that had risen in his throat and stepped closer.
His mother had apparently made good on her promise to help him – too good, he thought. Next time I'd better be careful what I ask for. He reached out and fingered the lace at the bottom of the nightie, and his fingers lightly brushed the skin just above her knee. He froze when he heard her sharp intake of breath. Reluctantly he met her eyes.
He expected her to rage at him for being in her room uninvited, or at the very least give him dirty looks. Instead, he received another one of her sleepy smiles. His stomach pitched forward pleasantly as she stretched.
"Have I slept through breakfast again?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. He relaxed and sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I think so," he said quietly, nodding. She sighed, but made no attempts to move.
"That's two days in a row," she grumbled, closing her eyes again. "I don't want your parents to think that I don't enjoy their company."
"I'm sure they don't think that," he said reassuringly. "Besides, I've missed both days as well." She opened her eyes and stared sleepily at him.
"Look, Draco- about the other night-" she began.
"Forget it," he said, shaking his head. "Let's just forget that it ever happened and start over." She blinked and looked stunned.
"Oh," she breathed softly. She sat up slowly, and then stood. She started to move away from the bed when he reached out and grabbed her arm. With a gentle tug, she was sitting beside him.
"I didn't mean forget all of it," he said pointedly. She met his eyes and her cheeks turned pink.
"Which part do you want me to forget?" she asked breathlessly. He arched an eyebrow at her, then leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to hers. When he pulled away, he raised a hand to cup her cheek, caressing her smooth skin with his thumb.
"Not that part," he whispered. She opened her eyes and stared at him. "Thank you for the tray you left me." She blushed and looked down.
"What makes you think it was me?" she asked. He slipped his finger beneath her chin and gently forced her to look up.
"The house elves don't care enough about me to bring food that's meant to be hot and then charm the tray to keep it that way. They usually bring me a cold sandwich or a cold scone." He smirked at the embarrassed smile she tried to hide.
"I didn't want to keep sneaking in and wake you by accident," she explained. "You looked so peaceful, and I knew you must be tired." She was taken by surprise as his mouth descended on hers, effectively silencing her. He plunged his hands into her hair, holding her in place as he kissed her thoroughly. Slowly his hands slid down from her hair to lightly brush her shoulders, then slid down her bare arms.
Ginny shivered as his hands explored her exposed skin. His kisses were making her lightheaded; they were soft and insistent, but she could feel their potential to turn hard and demanding. His hands finally came to rest on her bare shoulders, and gooseflesh arose on her skin as his thumbs lightly stroked the base of her throat. He kissed her one last time, letting his lips linger for a long moment before pulling away to look at her.
"I'd better leave and let you get dressed," he said, not moving.
"Why?" she blurted. When he grinned, she gave an embarrassed laugh. "Ignore that."
"But you're so alluring when you're insecure," he teased, his eyes sparkling.
"Then I should be insecure all the time," she laughed.
"You're alluring all the time, even without the insecurity," he murmured.
"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying it so I'll keep bringing you chocolate?"
"I don't say things I don't mean," he said softly. Her smile faded, and they sat in silence for several moments before he cleared his throat. "It's inappropriate for me to be in your room alone with you while you're in this state of undress." She blushed and nodded, then stood and moved to the closet to retrieve her robe from its hook. She turned and caught him staring at her.
"If you're uncomfortable being alone with me while I'm in my pyjamas, why aren't you leaving?" He stood and closed the distance between them, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.
His breath was hot on her ear as he whispered, "I'm very comfortable being alone with you like this." She shivered.
"Why haven't you left yet?" she repeated. His arms tightened around her, pulling her close to him.
"I'm too comfortable," he answered, catching her earlobe gently between his teeth. She gasped, and he pulled away slightly to look at her. "Why did you wear this to sleep in last night?"
"I-" she hesitated, then sighed. "Your mother had it specially made for me, and I thought it would be rude of me not to wear it."
"It would have been rude of you not to have worn it," he agreed, nodding. "But it would have been even worse had I not seen you wearing it." She blushed, and he smirked at her.
"You know, for someone who's not supposed to be alone with me like this, you seem to be taking an awful lot of pleasure in making me blush." He grinned.
"You want me here."
"What?" she laughed, trying to push him away. He held tight, and succeeded in pulling her closer than she had been before. When their lips were almost touching, he spoke.
"If you really wanted to get rid of me, you would have kicked me out long ago. But I'm still here, Ginny."
"Yes," she whispered, her eyes meeting his. "You are."
"Kick me out. Tell me to leave, and I'll go."
"You should go," she said quietly. His eyes roamed over her face slowly, as if gauging whether she'd meant it or not. When he started to pull away, she pulled his mouth down to hers for a hard kiss. He groaned when she wrapped her arms around his neck, and crushed her to him. After several moments, he pulled away and stared at her while he tried to catch his breath.
"You should go," she repeated, slipping her robe on. "Before your Mother and Father find out you were in here." His eyes were still wide as he nodded.
"When you're ready, come to the library where we played chess. I'll be waiting." He turned and left quickly, before he changed his mind totally about leaving her.