DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything except the story-, which isn't really mine as I borrowed the idea from FlamablePajamies' story Malfoy Enterprises.
Author's notes: Thank you all for your lovely reviews! Sorry about the late, late update. I was really busy and then I fell ill.
Tald - This story hasn't finished yet
ZumZumZoo - Don't we all wish that we can have boyfriends like him? wink
Moonlight152, coldflamez, Flavor of the Week, PassTheButterBeer43521, Lily Dwarf, Chip, LaDyBeRnAdEtTe, Dracosbaby7, ayumi-dono, Pam- I'll update as soon as possible. Providing that my brain doesn't freeze on me
Mary Potter - Thanks for your offer! I'll bug you when I need help, then
Sunflour - Yeah, I know it's going a bit too fast. But in later chapters there will be an explanation I hope it'll be good enough!. Let's see how the story flows
Ginny was still in seventh heaven when she floated in to the office the next day. And the next. And the following days. Draco and Ginny had dinner every night, whether it was Ginny cooking or Draco bringing her out to eat. He usually left after a rather hot and heavy goodnight kiss. One Friday morning, as usual, she was the earliest except for the janitor. She entered her office to see a man with white blonde hair sitting in her place, his back towards her.
"Hi sweetie," Ginny sang. "Did you sleep well last night?"
The man turned around in her chair. Grey eyes identical to Draco's met hers and Ginny stopped in shock. He looked identical to Draco in every way, except for the lines that age had painted on him. She opened her mouth to scream, to shout, to say something but all she could do was gape like a fish. It was like a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.
"Good morning, Miss Weasley," Lucius Malfoy greeted her. "I had a very good night's sleep, thank you."
Ginny finally found her voice and screamed.
Ginny felt herself coming to. She could hear voices coming from sources near her.
"Bloody hell, father! Why did you have to do that?!"
"Language, son. Your mother does not like you speaking profanities. I merely wanted to meet the girl my son is so enthralled with right now."
"If you wanted to meet Ginny, all you had to do was ask me to arrange a meeting or something! Look at what you've done now!"
Ginny couldn't stop a groan from escaping her lips. Draco immediately drop to his knees beside the couch she was on.
"How are you feeling, kitten?" He asked her worriedly.
"Like I just walked through a ghost," Ginny whispered.
"You had a pretty bad shock. Just lay down for awhile and rest," Draco said as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear gently.
"Was that your father I saw just now?" Ginny asked him quietly.
"Uh, yes," Draco said, looking uncomfortable. "I'll explain more to you later. Rest now."
Ginny sat up. "I think I'm alright now." She saw Lucius standing at her table and said, "On second thought, I don't think I feel so good."
"Miss Weasley, are you feeling better now?" Lucius asked her. He was standing so casually there, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Ginny could only stare at him. For goodness' sake, the man is suppose to be dead. "Are you a ghost?"
Lucius laughed. "I assure you, I am as solid as you are, Miss Weasley."
Draco helped Ginny to her feet and turned to his father. "Father, can we please continue this another day? I'm taking Ginny home now. She needs to rest."
"It's okay, Draco, I'm fine. Really!" Ginny said weakly.
"You're going home now, and that's an order," Draco said sternly. "I'll see you at home later, father."
"Um, good day, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny croaked. She couldn't wait to get out of Lucius' sight.
Draco led her to the reception hall. Ginny saw Pansy raising an eyebrow but Pansy did not say anything except for a "Good morning, Mr. Draco."
Draco nodded his reply and told Ginny, "Go home and get some rest. And have some chocolate. I'll try to see you tonight. I need to go home and settle things with my father first. I'll explain everything later."
Ginny sighed. "You better have a good explanation for this, buster," she said and Disapparated.
Draco didn't appear until around dinnertime. Ginny had spent the day walking up the walls, over the ceilings and down the other side. She was as restless as a caged panther and her mind was going round and round the fact that Lucius Malfoy, right-hand man of Voldermort was alive and appeared to be quite healthy. When she heard the distinctive 'pop' of Draco Apparating into her living room, she rushed out from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner to greet him.
"Honey, I'm home," Draco sang.
"Draco!" Ginny flew into his arms. "What took you so long?"
"Sorry, pet. I had a lot of things to settle with my father first," Draco said apologetically.
"Yes, about that," Ginny frowned. "Why is your father walking around solid, when the entire world thinks that he's dead?"
Draco sighed and rubbed his temples. "Can we talk this over dinner?" He looked at her tiredly.
Ginny took in his tired stance and took pity on him. "Okay, I just finished preparing dinner. Can you set the table please?"
"Thanks, sweetheart," Draco said and kissed Ginny's forehead.
While Ginny prepared to serve dinner, Draco conjured up a tablecloth, plates, glasses, cutlery and everything else with a flick of his wand. He had even conjured up a bottle of wine, opened and sitting in an ice bucket and a single red rose in a cut-glass vase. Ginny arched an eyebrow at his fancy display as she placed the dishes on the table.
"I know you're used to fancy courses and all but my cooking skills are really limited," Ginny said timidly as they started in on the food.
Draco took a large bite from the chicken, managing to make it look dainty and graceful somehow. He closed his eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the taste. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ginny looking at him for his judgment. He smiled and pronounced the food more delicious than anything that he has ever eaten before.
Blushing, Ginny said, "Liar."
"You don't believe me?" Draco raised his eyebrow.
"Maybe."
"Well, they always say that the atmosphere counts as seventy percent of how good the dinner is. I have a beautiful woman sitting in front of me who cooked so ever lovingly this wonderful dinner for me."
"Hmmm, are you trying to avoid telling me something?"
"Uh, no. Should I?"
"Tell me then, why is your father walking around in broad daylight, solid as wood when the whole Wizarding society thinks that he's dead?"
"Oh, that," Draco gave a huge sigh. "Remember when right after our first date? I disappeared for a couple of days and you were so mad at me?"
"Yeah, I thought that you had purposely avoided me because you were ashamed to be associated with a Weasley."
"Oh, kitten. I'd never be ashamed to be associated with you. Anyway, that was when I found out that my father is still alive. I went home that day and found my father sitting comfortably in the study. I thought that he had decided not to move on after he had died. He looked solid, though and it was confirmed that he's still among the living and breathing when he held his wand. I also found out that all this while the man who I thought was my father was never my father."
"What?" Ginny blinked in confusion.
"The man who was Voldermort's right hand man and had taken on the appearance of Lucius Malfoy was never my father. My father has actually been working somewhere north in China as an Unspeakable. The Chinese has a lot of unknown ancient magic knowledge, you know."
"Are you telling me that for the past how many years of your life, you've been calling a man 'father' when he wasn't your father at all?"
"Um, yeah. When I was about two, still too young to know the difference, my father had actually went to China to work as an Unspeakable. He had not maintain any connection with the Ministry of Magic in England because of the whole hush-hush business. The Chinese are a secretive lot. Somehow, Voldermort got wind of it and sent a Death Eater to pose as my father. And it so happened that that Death Eater was the bastard child of my grandfather, so, of course, the identical features. My mother was place on the Imperius curse. Nobody noticed the change."
"Does the Ministry know of it?"
"No, not at the moment. But I think the Daily Prophet will find out soon. Somehow or other."
Ginny shivered slightly as she remembered what his fa- no, the man who had acted as Draco's father, had done. She could still remember Tom Riddle and her own foolishness. She became so deep in her own memories, her embarrassment, that she didn't hear Draco talking.
"Ginny? Ginny!" Draco snapped his fingers in front of Ginny's face, trying to get her attention.
"Huh?" Ginny shook her head and looked at Draco. "Yeah?"
"Are you okay?" Draco looked at her, his face full of concern. "You looked a bit pale there."
"I'm okay. Just-" she faltered as she saw Tom Riddle's face swimming to the front of her mind's eye.
"Just?" Draco prompted as he saw her pale again.
"Nothing. Nothing at all," Ginny gave a weak smile. She said over-brightly. "Let's clean up and you go on home, then. It's been a long day. I'm just really tired."
Draco just nodded, not saying anything. He looked at her worriedly. She didn't seem fine at all. A wave of the wand and everything disappeared, dirty dishes and all. Ginny's goodbye kiss lacked the passion and sweetness that it normally held. She didn't seem to be with him at all.
"Floo me if you need anything, okay?" Draco said as he gave her a brief, tight hug.
Ginny gave a laugh that sounded a bit too high. "I'm a big girl, Draco. I know how to take care of myself."
Draco just gave her a look.
"Okay, okay. I will," Ginny promised, crossing her fingers behind her back like a little girl
Draco gave her a kiss on the forehead and Disapparated. Ginny sunk onto her knees as soon as he disappeared. Her mind still furiously trying to work everything out. Then suddenly, Tom Riddle's face came to fore again. Ginny shook her head, desperately banishing the image. She wobbled slowly to her room and sprawled onto her bed. She frantically grabbed at the two stuff toys that seemed to be her only connection to this world. Slowly, the tears ran down her face as she once again remembered her first year. She cried herself to sleep, hugging the toys to death, but even then, she did not find peace. Her dreams were vivid and so frighteningly real that she thought that she was living through her nightmare of a life again. She was screaming in her sleep when she heard someone's voice calling her name.
"Ginny!" The owner of the voice had grabbed hold of her upper arms and was shaking her.
"No! Get your hands off me! I'm not your toy anymore, Tom!" Ginny screamed. She struggled against the person.
The person- a man, was definitely stronger than her as he didn't seem to be affected by her thrashing. In fact, he held her all the more closer. "Ginny!"
"Let go, you bastard!" Ginny screamed and fought even more.
"Ginny! I'm not Tom! It's me, Draco!" Draco said as he tried to shake her awake.
Hearing his name, his voice, the walls of illusion that had surrounded her slowly crumbled. She stopped struggling. 'Draco. He's here. He'll save me.' Ginny's eyes slowly opened and took in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom and Draco was cuddling her in his arms, soothing her with his quiet murmurs, his voice slowly dragging her back to reality.
"Draco?"
"Shhh. I'm here now. Don't worry," Draco said as he rocked her backwards and forwards.
"Oh Merlin! I was so scared! He wouldn't let me go!" Ginny said, sobbing. She clutched wildly at Draco's shirt, inhaling his familiar cologne.
"Who wouldn't, Ginny. Tell me," Draco said soothingly. He rubbed her back in circles.
"Him! Tom!" Ginny cried more.
"Tom?" Draco frowned, unable to comprehend.
"Voldermort! In my first year," Ginny explained, her sobs slowing down to hiccoughs.
"Want to tell me about it?" Draco asked quietly. He remembered that she had somehow been involved with the Chamber of Secrets.
"No." Ginny said. Then she broke down again and told Draco all that had happened in her first year. "-and I was such a fool! I believed him!"
"Ginny," Draco said firmly. "Whatever that has happened in your first year is over and done with. No one got hurt permanently so you can stop blaming yourself."
"But they nearly got killed! I released that monster!"
"If you really feel so guilty, then I'll go with you to them tomorrow so that you can apologize to your hearts content, okay?"
"Does a sorry fix everything?"
"Never. But it does make you feel better," Draco said. "Of course, that doesn't mean I'll apologize to Potter or Weasley or Granger anytime soon."
Ginny giggled. She snuggled deeper into his arms, trying to block her mind from the nightmare. "Will I ever let it go?"
"I can always enter your dream and beat the monsters away with a mallet," Draco offered.
Just the thought of Draco acting so cartoonish had Ginny in giggles. "Yeah, you're mister knight in shining armor, alright. What were you doing in my apartment anyway?"
"I left my cloak here and thought I'd come back to retrieve it as well as see how you are. I'm glad that I came back."
"Me too."
"Come on, let's get you in bed."
"Stay with me tonight?"
Draco gave a playful sigh. "I should really just shift into your apartment, you know. I seem to have spent quite a few nights with you already."
"Are you complaining?"
"Who, me? Not at all, sweetheart. A beautiful view to wake up to in the morning," Draco said while smiling charmingly. He turned around to strip to his boxers.
"Beautiful alright," Ginny said under her breath as she took in the strip show that Draco was giving her.
"Like what you see?" Draco teased as he climbed into bed with her.
"Definitely," Ginny said, yawning and snuggling into his arms. "My personal snuggle bear."
"Great, now I'm being treated like a stuffed toy." He smiled at Ginny who was slowly being lulled into sleep. He sang softly in a foreign language.
"You have a very nice voice. Very nice indeed," Ginny commented, as she fell asleep.
The next morning, Ginny and Draco had breakfast together before Ginny Disapparated to the office while Draco went home to change his clothes. While Draco wanted to tell the whole world, Ginny decided it would be better if their relationship was kept a secret for awhile. She didn't want people thinking that she got the job just because she and Draco were in a relationship. Of course, the skeletons in our closets always jump out at the most inopportune time.
When Ginny stepped into the lobby, Pansy gave her a conspiratorially wink. Obviously Pansy knew but was ordered to keep quiet about it. However, when Ginny stepped into the Vixen design department, her fellow colleagues were immediately surrounding her like bees on honey.
"How is he in bed?" asked one of the clerks, a pretty brunette who wasn't much older than herself.
"Huh?" Ginny blinked, unable to answer.
"Why you bad girl, Ginny Weasley!" Another of the female staff winked at her.
Ginny managed to give a weak smile before hurrying into her room and closing the door towards the gossipmongers. She gave a sigh of relief as she leaned against the door. Of course, not the entire staff was happy with Mr. Draco Malfoy's latest choice in a bed-buddy. There were those who intentionally gave out barbs about her being just a temporary entertainment. By the time lunchtime came round, Ginny was exhausted from the pressure of being Mr. Draco Malfoy extraordinaire's girlfriend. This wasn't improving her mood as she wasn't feeling top grade this morning.
When he popped up in her fireplace to invite her out for lunch, she readily agreed. He took her to another Muggle restaurant, a Chinese one this time. After they ordered, and the waiter had left, Ginny pounced on Draco.
"Draco, darling," Ginny started, a dangerous gleam in her eye.
"Yes?" Draco smiled.
"Why does the entire design department think that I'm your bed mate?"
"What?" Draco choked on his Chinese tea.
"Why was I asked the most ridiculous questions this morning about your -er- prowess in bed while others attacked me saying that I am your temporary entertainment?"
"Um, I don't know?"
"Did you spill the beans, sweetie?" Ginny smiled sweetly. "If you tell me the truth I won't be mad."
"Ginny, I really didn't tell anybody! How could I? When could I have? I was with father yesterday and with you last night. I didn't get in till around 11 just now."
"Then how does the entire office know that I am seeing you on a personal basis?"
"Pansy?"
"And how does she know?" Her tone clearly indicating that she was upset.
"Maybe my secretary overheard my father and I talking yesterday. I don't know! Gin, don't be upset. It's not the end of the world, you know. In fact, it's probably better this way. Now I can bring you around everywhere without needing to make up an excuse!"
"I know! But now everyone thinks I got the job because I slept with you!"
"Okay, how 'bout this, I fire those who so much as thinks that?" Draco gave her a weak smile.
"You'd have to fire about more than half the company," Ginny said, raising an eyebrow.
"So?"
"Your company would crash without enough workforce."
"I'll hire other people, then."
"If they don't have the necessary qualifications or experience?"
"Then I'll fire them!"
"Draco!" Ginny laughed.
"What?" He smiled as her mood lightened.
"You can't simply fire people!"
"Yes, I can. I'm a Malfoy after all."
Ginny just shook her head at his high handedness. They discussed other topics while eating. Suddenly, Ginny remembered something.
"Draco, how did you know Daniels?" Ginny asked.
"Huh?"
"I mean, that day. On the day you brought me here for the first time?"
"Oh, um," Draco mumbled as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Yeah?"
"I sort of, um, bought over the company that you and Daniels work for and fired him."
"What!" Ginny squeaked. "When did you do that?"
"Um, about five minutes after your interview?"
Ginny's eyes widened. "Why?"
"Because he was an asshole?"
"Draco!"
"Well, he is an asshole," Draco shrugged.
"And you're not acting like one?"
"Fine, fine. It's because the company was going down the drain and I was helping the owner out. It was a matter of business. I was hoping to find a fashion designer somewhere in there at first, till you came for the interview."
"What a coincidence. But did you have to fire Daniels?"
"To reduce the costs, yes. I fired several other people as well. These people were just a liability on the company."
"And no other reason?"
"Well..." Draco trailed off.
"Well what?"
"Also because he fired you when you wouldn't sleep with him."
"Draco!" Ginny said, exasperated.
"What?!"
"While I really appreciate what you do for me and all, you don't have to go to such extreme heights!"
"He wasn't doing his job properly either, love," Draco reminded her.
"So it's because of that, right? Not because of me, right?"
"Right."
"Good."
"Okay?"
"Fine."
"Are you sure?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I feel bad for him."
"Don't be."
"Can't help it."
"You're too soft."
"Too soft, am I? Well, if you don't like it you can just leave, you know."
"Why are you behaving like this?"
"Behaving like what exactly?" She narrowed her eyes.
"Like this! What happened to sweet, all-woman Ginny?"
"Are you saying I'm not sweet and all-woman now?"
"Uh, no, I'm n-not saying that."
"But?" She prompted.
"Is it that time of the month?"
"What time of the month?" Ginny was looking decidedly evil.
"Um, y-you know. Never mind about it. Let's just pay the bill and go, okay?" Draco was beginning to be nervous.
"That's it? This is how our relationship is going to be?" Ginny's voice was getting softer. The dead quiet kind.
"Um, honey, is there something wrong?" Draco asked carefully.
"Yes! You won't share your problems with me!"
"I don't have any problems!"
"Don't you raise your voice like that at me!"
"Wha-?" Draco was bewildered.
Ginny stalked off in a huff. Draco hurriedly threw a couple of crisp bills onto the table before rushing after her. Ginny ignored a bewildered Draco the rest of the day. Draco kept wondering what went wrong.
The next morning, however, heralded a sheepish Ginny with a box of homemade chocolate cookies ringing the Malfoy Manor doorbell. A house-elf opened it and pointed out Draco's bedroom to her when she asked. She barely had time to absorb in everything that was Malfoy Manor. Huge portraits in golden gild frames hung on the walls. Everything was on the rather large and expensive scale. Walking into Draco's bedroom was a bit shocking. She had expected something like Malfoy Enterprises' lobby. It proved to be completely different in colour theme however.
Draco's room was actually two rooms divided by a high and wide doorway. Cream-coloured, inch-think carpet silenced her footsteps as she slowly made her way into the room. The cream coloured walls blended with the white silk curtains that covered the ceiling-high windows and doors that opened out to a balcony. White couches were placed in front of the huge fireplace and had an ornately carved coffee table, completely made of frosted glass. A glass set of Wizard's Chess was placed in the middle. There was an extensive collection of books Draco had next to the fireplace, all placed neatly in a varnished wood bookcase. She continued walking till she reached the doorway that led to Draco's sleeping chamber. There, she had to swallow a gasp at the seductive picture his room made.
Everything was the same as the room outside but this smaller-but-still-large room had only one piece of furniture and two doors. A high four-poster bed was covered with blood-red silk sheets and comforter. Sleeping between the sensuous silk sheets was a naked Draco. Ginny wondered if he was fully undressed.
'Bad Ginny!' Ginny scolded herself. 'No naughty thoughts about yummy naked Draco!'
'Why don't you go find out?' She licked her lips unconsciously as Bad Ginny suggested it.
Slowly making her way to the bed, Ginny thought that her heart would burst out of her chest from all the pounding it was making. She was surprised that Draco didn't wake up from all the noises she was hearing. Mischievously, she crawled onto the bed and onto Draco. Draco still hadn't awaken yet. She slowly sat down onto a covered part of his yummy abdomen. Slowly she leaned forward and watched his face expressions carefully while her hands created intricate patterns on Draco's chest.
"Mmm," Draco mumbled.
Ginny continued exploring his face and chest.
"Stop teasing," Draco mumbled, still in dreamland.
Ginny unconsciously wiggled her backside into a rather awake anatomy of Draco's. She jumped when he automatically lifted his hips against her and she felt his "awakening". His hands had found their place on her waist and was making her ride him.
"Draco!"
"Hmmm, Ginny!" Draco mumbled.
"Draco!"
"Ginny!"
"DRACO!"
Draco's eyes opened as he was shocked out of his rather good dream. "GINNY!" His eyes widened when he saw that his dream had come true. Ginny was riding him. Why was she clothed, though?
"Draco?"
"Ginny?"
"Kindly remove your hands from my waist."
"Oh!" Realization dawned on him. "Sorry." He hastily removed his hands from her waist. While she climbed off him he hurriedly grabbed a pillow and covered his lap. The comforter was making quite an awkward tent. "What are you doing here?"
Ginny blushed. "To apologize?"
"About?" Draco's mind was still muddled from sleep. He couldn't shake himself out of the good dream he was having.
"Yesterday?"
"Oh yeah."
"I guess you were right. It's that time of the month again," Ginny said as she blushed furiously. Her eyes couldn't keep themselves off Draco's chest.
"Oh!" Draco blushed at the mention of girly topics. "Um, it's okay."
"I-I made cookies. Chocolate chip. As a peace-offering," Ginny said as she handed him the slightly squashed box.
"I-" Draco was speechless. Nobody he dated before ever gave him a present. All they ever expected was presents from him and hadn't bothered to return the pleasure. "Thank you." He kissed Ginny softly on the lips.
"Welcome," Ginny smiled brightly. "I know you probably get a lot of these and all. You probably had them flown in especially from New Zealand or Switzerland or somewhere. They're homemade."
Draco was even more touched. She had made these herself! He opened the box with slightly shaky hands, which he smartly hid from Ginny and laughed at what he saw inside.
"What? Sorry if they aren't good enough," Ginny said softly. After seeing his house, Ginny had no idea how to react. This was the Draco Malfoy who was so rich, he could probably buy all the cookies in the world.
"They're perfect," Draco said as he smiled at her. The cookies were in the shape of his face when he had his hair slicked back, when his hair was loose, his old Nimbus 2001 broom, the Slytherin House sign, the Snitch and other things that she related him with. There was even a few heart-shaped ones in there.
"Well? Why aren't you eating them then? Go on," Ginny urged.
"They're too pretty to eat," he laughed.
"Don't be silly. I'll bake more for you if you like," Ginny said as she grabbed one of the Snitches. "Open wide."
Draco readily opened his mouth for her to feed him. He closed his eyes as he enjoyed the taste of Ginny's handmade cookies. His eyes suddenly opened wide when there was an explosion of chocolate in his mouth.
Ginny laughed at his expression. "Good, huh? My invention for the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. Exploding Flavours."
"This is good," he said after swallowing. "How's your brothers' business?"
"Pretty good. They're thinking of expanding all over the world now. Of course, Hermione's worried that they'd blow up everyone one of these days, what with all their experiments."
"I suspect that their products were also used in The War?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah. Didn't you hear about the camp of Death Eaters who turned into canaries?" Ginny laughed. "They still are. The twins 'forgot' to insert the ingredient for a time limit."
"Wow. Does that mean I'm going to be a canary too?"
"Why?"
"Because your entire family thinks that I'm a Death Eater? And that I'm dating their precious Ginevra?"
"Oh, well you wouldn't be turned into a canary. I think ferret will be what they have in mind."
A little later as Draco and Ginny was on the balcony having breakfast. It had a spellbinding view of the manor's gardens. Draco had quickly thrown on a pair of boxers and a black silk robe before joining Ginny on the balcony.
"Do you always sleep in the buff?"
"Do you always enter your boyfriends' room without letting them know in advance?" Draco's stomach dropped as he thought of what Ginny's boyfriends had done with her when she had entered their rooms.
"Why? Afraid that I'd find something I shouldn't know of inside there?"
"Yeah, how about, I don't know- another girlfriend?"
"If you do I'll let you eat Aunt Stella's cookies."
"What's wrong with her cookies?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just that certain parts of yours would rot off."
"What!" Draco hurriedly dropped the cookie he was eating. He prodded it around the plate, expecting it to grow a mouth and chew off his privates.
Ginny laughed. "Don't worry. This one's safe. It's only when you make me angry. Then you have to watch out! You never know what would turn up in your food!"
Draco looked at her with wide-eyed horror.
"Sure you don't want to stay?" Draco asked, wiggling his eyebrows as Ginny turned around in the doorway.
"I'd love to but I promise Hermione to go shopping with her for baby things. Wanna come with us?"
"Uh, I don't think Granger would want to be so chummy with me just yet. Especially since she's pregnant and all. She wasn't Hogwart's best student for nothing you know," Draco said.
"Aw, does Drakkie-poo think he can't handle wittle 'Mione?" Ginny reverted to baby talk.
"Nah, just afraid she'd go into early labour at the drop-dead gorgeousness of yours truly," Draco said with a smirk.
Ginny laughed. "You wish, darling. You wish."
"I don't wish. I know." He winked.
"Bye, sweetie," Ginny said as she gave him a peck. "One more thing, my family's having a family dinner tonight. You'll come, right?"
"And risk being turned into a ferret?" Draco said in an incredulous voice. Then he quickly answered when he saw her downcast expression, "Of course I will. Ferret or no." 'Zeus, I am whipped, that's what I am.'
"Thanks, Draco," Ginny said with a smile. "See you later, then."
Before Draco could ask her what he should bring, she had Disapparated.
"You've invited Draco over for dinner tonight?!" Hermione yelped.
They were currently browsing through baby clothes. Hermione and Ginny coo-ed and giggled over every single article they had picked up to see.
"Yeah. What's wrong with that?" Ginny shrugged. She picked up a pair of blue cotton mittens dotted with white stars. "How about these?"
"What's wrong?! How can you ask me that?! Do you know on how many levels of wrong that is?!" Hermione squeaked. She glanced at the mittens and said, "It'll look nice if we had matching socks."
"No, I have no idea what's wrong," Ginny said calmly. She picked up a pair of baby blue socks. "These?"
"Your family will kill him, that's what's wrong!" Hermione replied. "Okay. Let's go pay for this stuff." She indicated at the pile of clothes the two had chosen.
"I was rather worried about that," Ginny admitted. "But Draco knows how to take care of himself." She glanced at the pile and remarked, "That is rather a lot for one kid, isn't it?"
"I hope so. Or you'll be returning him to Narcissa Malfoy in pieces," Hermione said as she shook her head. "Nope, I think we have just enough."
"Of course they will. If they want me to go after them, that is," Ginny said sweetly.
Hermione saw her evil look and shook her head again. "It's going to be one interesting night."
"Don't worry, Hermione. What could go wrong?"
Draco was fretting over what to wear and what to bring. He was rather pressured to make a good impression on the Weasleys, which was of course, quite ridiculous seeing as how he had made their lives miserable with his childhood self.
In the end he settled for a pair of black jeans and a dark blue silk shirt that Ginny loved. He left his hair unslicked like how Ginny liked it. He even used the cologne that Ginny liked.
'Merlin. I am whipped alright. All this for a slip of girl whose family is going to kill me slowly and painfully tonight. Oh, who cares as long as she's happy?'
He brought along a bottle of Muggle wine as he didn't know what else to bring. He Disapparated after glancing at his reflection one last time before Apparating onto the Burrow's front porch. His eyes took in the sight of a very high house imitating the leaning tower of Pisa. He could hear the sounds of children screaming and the loud chatter of adults coming from inside.
"Let's rumble!" Draco mumbled as he rang the doorbell.
Ginny had announced previously that Draco was to join them for dinner that night.
"I've invited Draco for dinner tonight and I want everyone to be nice to him," Ginny announced as soon as all six of her brothers and her honorary brother had arrived.
"You've invited the ferret for dinner?!"
"Be nice to Malfoy?!"
"Since when have you become so chummy with Malfoy?!"
And a whole lot of questions were bombarded at her before she could answer any of them.
"QUIET!" Ginny screamed. It worked like a silencing charm. When everyone fell silent, she smiled and said, "Draco is now my boyfriend-" she glanced sharply at everyone, warning them to keep quiet. "And I have invited him to join us for dinner tonight." She continued to smile as she looked around her brothers, before glaring like a dragon. "And so help me Merlin if one of you makes a wrong move tonight, I will hex you to the core of the sun!"
"But, Gin-"
"No buts! Anyone and I mean, anyone who steps out of line is going to get it," Ginny warned, staring at her brothers in the eyes. "Comprende?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Good." The doorbell rang just at that moment. Ginny smiled serenely. "Ah, that must be Draco. Why don't you guys help dad to set up the tables in the garden?"
Again, she didn't wait for an answer before walking towards the door to welcome Draco.
"Hello, Ginny," Draco greeted, kissing her on the cheek. He wasn't willing to take any chances with her brothers.
"Hey, sweetie. Come on in. Dinner's about to be served."
"Where's your brothers? I had half expected it to rain curses and hexes the moment you opened the door." Draco laughed weakly as he peered around the house.
"Don't worry, they're all in the garden. I had a talk with them just now."
The both of them walked together into the kitchen to see seven women, four of who are in various stages of pregnancy, bustling about preparing dinner.
"Mom, this is Draco," Ginny announced the moment they stepped into the kitchen. "Draco, meet my mom."
Draco smiled charmingly and said, "Good evening, Mrs. Weasley. You look younger every time I see you, ma'am." He gallantly bend and kissed the back of Molly's outstretched hand. "For you." He pressed the bottle of wine he had brought into her hand.
Molly smiled warmly at Draco and said, "Thank you, dear. You need not have brought anything, though. Welcome to our home, Draco. How have you been doing?" She silently assessed her daughter's choice in a boyfriend. So far so good.
Draco was well aware of what Molly was doing. He stood up straight and minded his Ps and Qs. "Quite well, Mrs. Weasley, thank you. I hope you and Mr. Weasley are doing well too."
"Never been better, thank you, Draco. Please, do call me Molly," Molly smiled even more warmly. Apparently, Draco had passed the first test. "Why don't you two go ahead to the garden? Dinner's about to be served soon."
"Ladies," Draco nodded towards the other women in the room. He gave them a brilliant smile before stepping out of the back door.
Immediately, all of them sent Ginny looks promising a good chat about him later.
Outside, Bill and Charlie were having their usual table fights. There was a considerable amount of children running about. Draco could barely keep track of all of them. The moment Draco entered the area, everyone kept quiet, excluding the children.
"Daddy, meet Draco," Ginny said cheerfully.
"Mr. Weasley," Draco greeted as he reached out a hand.
Arthur looked critically at the boy for a moment before shaking the proffered hand. "Draco. Welcome to our home."
"Thank you, sir." Draco was once again aware of being scrutinized by several pair of eyes.
"We'll just be a moment before Molly serves dinner. Why don't you grab a chair and catch up with everyone?" Arthur said with a gleam in his eye. "Ginny, go help your mother with dinner."
Ginny immediately knew this was a conspiracy to break Draco level by level. She gave him a hopeless shrug before returning to the kitchen. Draco gave an inner sigh before turning around to greet Bill and Charlie. The two brothers who had graduated before he had even entered Hogwarts. Hopefully they would be fair in their judgment against him, seeing as he hasn't been a part towards them when he was a kid.
"I'm Bill," the taller red head greeted him. "Heard a lot about you. Quite a few good stuff, too."
"Then you must not have been talking to my friends," Draco said, laughing.
Bill smiled at Draco's joke. Not bad. One brother down, another five to go.
"Charlie," the next brother said. His hand was gripped in a bone-crushing handshake.
He smiled and returned an equally strong shake. "Nice meeting you. You wouldn't happen to be interested in Chinese Water Dragons, would you?"
"Are you kidding? Those dragons are practically extinct!" Charlie said, wide-eyed in amazement.
"A friend of mine found two in pretty bad condition. Seems that their eyes are very valuable in the black market. I'll set up a meeting with him soon, then?"
"Yes, yes. It would be interesting to study a new species," Charlie said as he smiled.
Oh yeah. Two down, four to go.
The twins came next.
"Malfoy," Fred- or was it George? - Greeted.
"Fred, George," Draco said with a nod of his head.
"How have you been, Malfoy?" The other twin that Draco decided to call George.
"Not bad. How's business?"
"Booming, absolutely booming. We're thinking up a new project and this one will take the Wizarding World by storm!"
"There's a but in there, isn't it?"
"Yeah. As good as business is, we don't have the resources," Fred admitted.
"What will you say if Malfoy Enterprises invests in this little project of yours? We have plenty of resources, more than you'll ever need. Information, financial, test subjects, et cetera."
While the twins were ecstatic about the offer, they were a bit suspicious. "What's in it for you, Malfoy?" George said.
"How about you don't test it on me and that thirty percent of whatever that comes out of it goes to Ginny?" Draco calmly replied.
"Nothing for you?" Fred asked in disbelief.
"Just don't try it out on me," Draco said, nodding.
"Care that much about Ginny, then?"
"More than you'll ever know."
"Can't say we won't pull one on you every now and then," George warned.
"All in the name of fun, right? As long as it's not permanent or painful."
"Of course, if Gin-Gin gets hurt..." the twins trailed off.
"I'll gladly let you turn me into a ferret and bounce me all the way to Merlin's grave."
"Glad we understand each other," the twins nodded.
Four down, two to go.
Draco decided to save Ron for last. He turned towards Percy instead. "Percy."
"Malfoy."
"How's your proposal on limiting the harvest of porcupine needles?"
"Oh you know about that?" Percy said in amazement.
"Yes, an acquaintance of mine who works in your department told me about it."
"Ah, not bad, Malfoy. Not bad at all. You see, we really should stop because..." and Percy continued on and on for five minutes straight about why they should limit the harvest of porcupine needles. "So, you see, it's a problem for both the Magical community and the porcupines! The Muggles are beginning to think that porcupine shed needles!"
"Yes, yes," Draco nodded. "I see your point." What else could he say? Launch into a ridiculous argument with Percy?
"Glad you do, Malfoy. Not many people understand the significance of it." Percy beamed. He was about to start on it again when luckily; his three-year-old daughter tugged on his pants and whispered into his ear that she had to go to the potty. Percy smiled at Draco. "Ah, excuse me, Malfoy."
"Yes, yes," Draco said. He was relieved that Percy's daughter had saved him from a long lecture. He squared his shoulders before finally facing the last brother. And, oh yes, Perfect Potter.
"Weasley, Potter."
"Malfoy."
"How's Auror work?"
"Nothing much after The War. A few riff raffs here and there."
"Good."
They stood around in silence for a while more before Ron spoke up.
"Malfoy-"
"Yes?"
"You do know that if Ginny gets hurt, you'll have to deal with us?"
"Take a number, Weasley," Draco said.
"Oh we will alright. One wrong move and you're going down," Harry said, smiling tightly.
"Don't worry, Potter. Ginny threatened to do me in herself," Draco said, smirking.
At that, Harry and Ron howled with laughter. "Out of the pan, into the fire. I think we're the lesser of two evils, Malfoy."
In the kitchen, the women were crowding around Ginny.
"Damn, he's looking good!" Angelina remarked. She was carrying Fred's third child, the first two being twin boys.
"Who knew the ferret could turn out so well?" Alicia said. She was carrying George's second, third and fourth child. Talk about fertile traits.
"Yummy, huh?" Ginny commented as all of them stared at Draco's profile as all her brothers slowly interviewed him.
"Very," Hermione said, before blushing furiously.
"Don't worry, Hermione. All of us think he's drool material," Penelope said, patting Hermione's back. "Right, Fleur?"
"If I wasn't married to Bill..." the Veela trailed off, winking at Ginny.
Ginny smiled good-naturedly before warning, "Hands off, girls. He's mine."
"Ooo... Someone's being possessive. Must be good in bed, huh?" Catherine teased. She was currently pregnant with Charlie's fourth child, though it barely showed.
"Well, I haven't test the myth about him being the Slytherin Sex God," Ginny admitted. "But you girls should see him when he's in the buff. Definitely drool material."
"Gin, girl, while we are all faithful towards are darling but sometimes irritating husbands, we have to admit, you have one delicious package there," Angelina laughed as they all returned to preparing dinner.
"What do you think, girls? Is he for keeps?" Ginny asked them, still staring at Draco from the window.
"Well, we haven't exactly talked to him, have we?" Penelope said, shrugging.
"What do you have in mind, Ginny?" Hermione said, seeing Ginny's lips in a very Draco-like smirk.
"What say you that you girls have a little fun tonight?" Ginny said, turning around with an evil gleam in her eye.
"I thought you warned your brothers off lover boy there?" Alicia said, folding her arms.
"Oh I did. But I didn't warn you girls off, did I?"
"I'm beginning to like the sound of this," Fleur said.
"Who says the Weasley ladies was innocent?" Ginny smirked. "Let's see what he's made of."
