(A/N This is where the trusting me is going to pay off. So keep up the trust. Oh, and I expect apologies from all of you for your lack of trust!)

Disclaimer: There's this pattern where everyday I wake up and I'm not JK Rowling, guess what it hasn't changed.

Memories

Blaise led Ron to where Draco was waiting for them.

"Ron." Draco nodded uneasily.

"How's life?" Ron asked before they apparated to his and Blaise's flat.

"Pretty horrid." Draco replied looking around their living room. "Wow, you guys did well."

"Well with Ron being a world famous Quidditch player." Blaise smirked. "What would you expect?"

"Whatever you're just as rich as me."

"Yeah, but I just wanted to brag about Ron and his Quidditch skills."

Draco snorted as he noticed Ron blushing brightly.

"But I believe we are here because you wanted to be filled in on what Ginny has been up to." Blaise continued sitting down on the couch and leaning against Ron. "Would you like anything to drink before we start talking."

"Brandy." Draco replied sitting across from them.

"Sounds good." Blaise replied waving his wand and conjuring up three glasses.

"So where should we start?" Ron asked Blaise.

"Five years ago September 23 sounds like a good enough date." Blaise replied taking a sip of his drink. "Ron and I are wandering around the castle as we heard sobbing. We were just walking by your room so it wasn't a shock as to who was sobbing. Little Ginny was bawling her eyes out, the love of her life had just left and she didn't know when she would see him again. That was the first night she cried after you left. We stayed up all night, hanging out in the joke shop. Eating and telling jokes. Anything to keep her mind from wandering to you."

"Of course it did." Ron continued. "Every two minutes. She would laugh and then stop and frown. And one of us would tell another joke or funny story. It would have been a lot easier if the twins had been there."

"So that was the first night?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"Then there was the day when she finally told her parents." Blaise continued. "Didn't she get a howler?"

"Yes, she did." Ron replied. "How could she date a Malfoy? His family hated our family. His father was scum."

"She didn't come out of her room all day."

"Sobbing her eyes out." Ron continued. "Of course two days later she got an apology."

"It was wonderful." Blaise smiled. "Ron wrote their mother, telling her how disappointed he was in her. How could she yell at his little sister when her heart had just been broken? Sure your father might be a bastard but you aren't. She was quite confused that Ron would stick up for you."

"In fact she was a little worried about me." Ron replied with an amused smirk. "Thought I might be feeling off."

"So then Ginny got her little letter of apology and she was better for a day." Blaise continued.

"But of course, she had lost her first love." Ron continued.

"So after a few months we thought she was getting better."

"Until Christmas."

"What happened Christmas?" Draco asked.

"Somehow she got her hands on some liqueur."

"We found her in the common room, drunk off her arse, in one of your shirts, crying." Blaise continued.

"Then we got there and she started babbling about raids and deaths."

"She had another dream." Blaise clarified. "She was afraid somehow you were killed, or kidnapped."

"That was the last time she drank for a while."

"For a few years actually."

"What happened next?" Draco asked.

"Well, she was still really sad." Ron replied. "Really sad. For the rest of the year. Collin tried to distract her. He was really good to her. He would always make sure include her when he was around her."

"So after we graduated and we weren't there for her, he watched out for her for us."

"She was still really sad, heartbroken. But she could get through the day without frowning sadly at the thought of you."

"Then came the month after your father died."

"And you didn't come back."

"And Ginny went to a pub."

"Thank goodness Hermione found her."

"Otherwise who knows who she would have gone home with."

"The thing she couldn't understand was why you hadn't come back. After all Voldermort was gone, your father was dead. Why didn't you come back?"

"I don't know."

Blaise raised an eyebrow but didn't press the subject. "So there she was in a pub, burying her sorrows in vodka, of all drinks."

"Hermione happened to see her through the window as she was walking by and hurried in. Apparently Ginny was cursing you. Quite upset that you hadn't contacted her."

"Then there was the Collin debacle. I could have killed him." Blaise said shaking his head.

"Are you talking about where he slept with her?" Draco asked.

"How did you know?"

"She decided to throw that in my face."

"That sounds like Ginny." Ron replied laughing. "She was really hurt that you hadn't gotten in touch with her and she was trying to forget you."

"Of course then she started dating that prat."

"My best friend." Ron replied glaring at Blaise.

"He's still a prat."

"Yeah but only I'm allowed to say that." Ron replied before turning back to Draco. "Which brings us to today. Where she was once again getting drunk because of you. She doesn't believe in love anymore."

"What?" Draco asked loudly.

"She doesn't believe in love." Ron repeated. "Apparently someone broke her heart and never fixed it and she just thinks love is lust in disguise."

Blaise watched as Draco's face fell. "She's still in love with you."

"Then why is she marrying Potter?"

"Because she is comfortable with him." Ron replied. "He has always been there for her, in his weird self-revolving way."

"Of course you can't forget her paintings."

"Oh yeah." Ron replied. "She ripped so many canvases because of you."

"Of course one of those actually sold."

"I bought it." Draco replied.

"Looks like he has kept tabs on Gin." Blaise smirked. "So, buy any of her other paintings, attend any art shows?"

"Yes, to both." Draco replied. "I bought two of her paintings and I have attended all but one show."

"He's already done more than Harry." Blaise snorted.

"Then there is the fact that she never takes off that necklace." Ron continued.

"That's true." Blaise nodded. "She has worn it everyday. Her and Harry have gotten into some rather nasty fights over it."

"She never took it off though." Ron repeated. "She loves that necklace. There are times where she will play with it while reading."

"So your turn to talk, why didn't you come back? Why are you back now?"

Draco sighed as the two of them turned on him. "I have no live. I ran and hid for three years. I live in a basement apartment and I work in a bar. I have no life. I have no friends. I have nothing. And I wrote her a few times over the past year but she never answered."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "If you hope to get back with Ginny then you better get over your little pity party."

"It isn't a pity party. I just want to be good enough for her."

"She never asked you to be anything."

"She just wanted you to be there."

"You know, you two are really annoying when you team up."

"You would find it humorous if it weren't you we were teaming up against." Blaise replied smirking.

"Do you want my sister back?" Ron asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, then what are you going to do to get her?" Ron asked.

"I don't know."

"Well then step one is to figure out something." Ron replied. He thought for a minute. Wait, what do you mean you wrote her. She never got a letter from you."

"Was that Malfoy I saw you dancing with?" Harry asked Ginny as he entered the bedroom.

"Possibly." Ginny replied.

"He wasn't invited."

"What do you want me to do about the fact that he showed up?" Ginny asked sighing. "I didn't invite him either."

"And you disappeared with him."

"No I didn't." Ginny snapped. "I left and he followed after me. I didn't ask him too."

"Then why did you have two glasses of wine."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ginny asked

"If you hadn't asked him to follow you then why did you have two glasses of wine."

"Why are you asking me all these questions?" Ginny asked. "I didn't know he was going to be there. I haven't spoken to him in years."

"I knew this would happen, that's why I got rid of those damn letters he sent you.

"Yes I owled her. You know she mentioned never getting any mail. What would have happened to them?"

"He wrote me!" Ginny yelled. "You took my letters! How could you?"

"Ginny, I love you. I didn't want to lose you to him."

"I can't believe he wrote me and you took my letters. Who do you think you are?"

"You were the one screwing him tonight."

"What?" Ginny asked her eyes flashing. "I did not do anything with him. Where the hell would you get that idea."

"Please, you were gone forever, of course you were shagging him."

Ginny slapped Harry across the face. "You steal my mail and the accuse me of sleeping with someone when I didn't. How dare you!" Ginny tore the ring off her finger. "I'm leaving. Keep your damn ring, it's hideous." she tossed the ring at him as she flew to her dresser and pulled out some clothes. She hastily stuffed them in a bag and ran out of their room, leaving Harry standing there.

"She never got any mail from you." Blaise shook his head. "She would have told us."

"I only wrote three letters and then I sent her a book the other day."

"Three letters?" Blaise asked lifting an eyebrow. "Only three?"

"Well she never answered."

"Why didn't you come see her? Why didn't you come see us? Hell, why didn't you write us?"

"Well I figured if she didn't want to see me than you wouldn't want to see me."

Ginny stood into the street, trying to decide where to go. Ron and Blaise's was the only logical answer.

She apparated and ran into their living room. She ran right by Draco without noticing him.

"Do you know that that prat of a fiance or ex-fiance of mine had the audacity to keep letters from me and then accuse me of cheating on him." she yelled at Blaise and Ron. "He accused me of shagging Draco tonight. Just because he saw us dancing. After he stole my letters because he didn't want to lose me!" Ginny took a deep calming breath. "I need to stay here tonight."

"That's fine with us." Blaise replied. "But, um, you will have to share the couch with someone."

"What? Who?" Ginny asked.

Draco let out a little cough from behind her and she turned around. She sighed as she closed her eyes. What was he doing here?

"Malfoy." Ginny nodded, and she was not amused. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"Catching up." Blaise replied. "Quite interested in you."

"I'm going to stay with Hermione." Ginny replied as she started to make her way into the kitchen.

"No you aren't." Ron replied catching up to his sister and pulling her back with him into the living room and onto the couch. "Stay and chat awhile."

Ginny sat at the end of the couch staring at her hands. She didn't know what to say, to do, to feel. Eventually her hand made its way up to her necklace and she started to absentmindedly play with it as she Blaise and Draco discussed something back and forth.

Ron nudged her in the side. "Draco asked you something."

"That's nice." Ginny replied not paying attention.

"Gin." Ron replied nudging again.

"What?" she asked looking up crossly.

"I just wanted to know how your art shows have been doing." Draco replied.

"Good." Ginny replied sharply as she looked back down.

"So Ginny, are you still getting married?" Blaise asked.

Ginny glared at him. "I gave him his ring back, the odds don't look good. Enough about me though. I'm tired and I'm leaving to go to Hermione's."

"No." Ron replied holding her in her seat. "I insist you stay here with us. In fact the couch is very uncomfortable so you and Draco can take our room and Blaise and I will share the couch."

"No."

"We insist." Blaise replied.

"No." Draco agreed.

Ginny looked up at him sharply. "I suppose I'm not good enough for you to share a room with."

"That's our cue." Blaise said quietly pulling Ron up and disappearing with him in the back of their flat.

"Not good enough? You don't want me."

"Because you deserted me!"

"You told me to leave!"

"And you didn't come back!"

"I wrote you."

"Well I didn't know that till just now!"

"And now you do."

"You still never came back."

"I'm here now!"

"And what if it's too late?" Ginny asked.

"Then kill me now and save me a life without love."

"Don't be so over-dramatic." GInny replied rolling her eyes.

"I'm not."

"There is no such thing as love."

"You know that isn't true."

"What can I say? People change and my view of the world has changed." Ginny replied.

"I've changed too."

"Really? Because you seem like the same self-centered bastard you have always been."

"I know how to smile." Draco replied smugly.

Ginny stared at him for a minute. What an odd comment to just make out of the blue. Where the hell had that comment come from? Ginny didn't know what to reply. All of a sudden she let out a little snort before she started to laugh. "You could never smile." she laughed again. "Let's see it then."

"I'd have to be happy first." Draco replied.

"Excuses, excuses." Ginny smirked. "Look's like you haven't changed."

"You want to see me smile?" Draco asked.

"I think I told you to prove it."

Draco thought quickly what he was about to do would either get him killed or he would get a really nice payoff. Draco moved beside her on the couch. "Are you ready to see me smile."

"I suppose, though a sight like that might make me go blind." Ginny replied.

Draco smirked back before he grabbed her and brought her closer. "Are you ready?"

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked uneasy at the fact that she was so close to him.

"I told you I had to be happy to smile." Draco replied. "So I'm making myself happy." Draco brought her closer to him and kissed her for the second time that night. But it was a bit more dangerous for him this time. He hadn't buttered her up.

Ginny pushed him away. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"I think I am smiling." Draco replied smugly.

Sure enough, the boy had learned to smile.

"Good you learned how to do something that most people can do naturally." Ginny replied standing up and moving to the chair. "If you ever touch me again I will make it so you can never have kids."

"Why are you fighting this?"

"Fighting what?"

"Us?"

"There is no us."

"Why not?"

"Because you broke my heart. Why can't you get that?"

"I do get that. So let me fix it."

"I don't trust you."

"What will it take for you to trust me?" Draco asked.

"If I wanted to open an art store, what would you say?" Ginny asked.

"Go for it?" Draco asked confused.

"And if I had an art show, would you come?"

"I have already been to them."

"If we were going to some public occasion, would you tell me what to wear?"

"What's your point."

"Just answer the damn question." Ginny replied.

"No. I wouldn't tell you what to wear." Draco sighed.

"Where have you been for the past five years?" Ginny asked finally.

Draco raised an eyebrow at the like of questioning but, nonetheless he answered her. "Everywhere. I started out in Australia where I studied for a full year. Then I was sent to New Zealand where I helped with the Death Eater attacks there. After three months there I was sent to Ireland and then Scotland. I've been to Iceland and Greenland, Italy, France, America, Canada, Mexico, Africa, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Austria, Spain, and now I live in Greece." Draco counted the countries one by one off his fingers before continuing his story. "When I was in Italy I was brought back here where I helped with another Death Eater attack and subsequently killed my father."

"That's horrible." Ginny gasped quietly.

"It happens." Draco shrugged. "I was taught how to defend myself from some of the top Aurors and then I was taught to defend myself with marshall arts, all in all I could kill anyone. Of course Dumbledore didn't want me to kill anyone, but since when do I play by the rules. I was there when Voldermort died, although most people don't know it. For the past two years I've been living in Greece in a disgusting basement apartment. I work the night shift in a bar. And even though I have plenty of money I don't use it, I just live off the money I make. Which considering it isn't the best bar, isn't much."

Ginny eyed his dress robes skeptically.

"I've had these." Draco told her. "Of course I do tend to sometimes, dip into my bank accounts when I go to an art show. I can't let the good paintings get away because some dude thought it looked psychedelic."

"It's good to see you are well." Ginny said getting up. "I'm going to bed, you can take the bed, and I'll sleep on the couch in their room." Ginny walked out of the living room and back towards the bedroom. She was exhausted and in so many ways; emotionally, physically, mentally. She really wished there was somewhere that she could go and not have to deal with boys, at least boys who appeared to like her. She just wanted to escape from everything and sleep.

Ginny collapsed on the small couch in Ron and Blaise's room. She knew what their plan was. Get them in the same room and sharing a bed and soon they would be shagging like bunnies, it wouldn't work. She accioed the blanket from the bed over to her. If he was so tough then he could go without a blanket for one night. Ginny glanced at her bag which she had dropped by the door and decided she had better change. She didn't want to sleep in this damn dress, the fact that she was still in this damn dress.

Ginny grudgingly got up and grabbed her bag. She made her way to the master bathroom and quickly changed into what she had brought to sleep in. Just her luck it happened to be Draco's old shirt. Great, just great. Ginny sighed as she ran out of the bathroom and jumped on the couch. She tucked the blanket around her, old habit from sleeping with Harry. Amazingly with in a few minutes she was asleep.

Draco sat in the living room and got himself another brandy. Was it possible to drink yourself to death in one night? Of course someone would probably heal him before he was actually able to die. Damn them. He wasn't tired but he was disappointed. He had hoped to talk to Ginny more. Hell, he had hoped to do more with Ginny. She had left Potter, but was that going to last? For all he knew she had just done it in a fit of anger and tomorrow she would be back with him.

In a moment of anger Draco apparated to Harry's apartment. He knew where it was, all of Britain knew where it was. Harry was sitting in the kitchen with what looked like a large bottle of vodka beside him.

"Potter." Draco said in a voice that was barely civil.

"Get out."

"What's this I hear about you taking letters I had written to Ginevra and not letting her know they were there?" Draco asked advancing towards Harry.

"You don't deserve her." Harry replied.

Draco yanked Harry up and against the wall. "I told you once before I didn't want to have these damn pissing contests with you. If I were the same person I had been in school you would be dead right now. You took something of mine and I want it back. However that something is a person so I can't just take it. But, understand one thing, if you get in my way, if you make this hard for me, don't think I won't kill you. Just because you killed Voldermort doesn't make you god and I can kill you. Do you understand me?"

"She won't want you." Harry spat in his face. "You broke her heart and she will never take you back."

"At least I had an effect on her heart." Draco smirked back as he let go of Harry. "You don't even have an effect on her knickers."

"Well, I'm the one engaged to her."

"I believe she called you her ex-fiance tonight."

"You saw her?" Harry asked angrily.

"Yes." Draco smirked. "I believe she is staying where I am. So I better be off."

Harry lunged for Draco but only hit air, Draco had already disapparated.

After Draco apparated back to the apartment he made his way back and eventually found Blaise and Ron's room. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed as he watched Ginny sleep. He felt himself relax and felt her presence once again wash over him, and he felt as close to whole that he had in a long time. He sat there for a long time watching her sleep. Memorizing every new freckle, every new thing about her. And he cursed himself, because of his cowardliness he might never get her back.

Finally Draco shrugged off his dress robes and kicked off his shoes and pulled off his shirt and he lay down on the bed. It was time for him to try and get some sleep, if that were possible.