A/N: don't own don't sue

The lyrics at the beginning are from 'The Weakness In Me' by Joan Armatrading

Well its kind of a cliff-hanger I suppose, anyway thanks to reviewers, they're all replied to at the end as usual and enjoy

Chapter Eleven – The Weakness In Me

I'm not the sort of person who falls in and quickly out of love
But to you, I give my affection, right from the start
I have a lover who loves me - how could I break such a heart?
Yet still you get my attention
Why do you come here, when you know I've got troubles enough?
Why do you call me, when you know I can't answer the phone?
And make me lie when I don't want to
And make someone else some kind of an unknowing fool?
Make me stay when I should not?
If you're so strong then resolve the weakness in me
Why do you come here, and pretend to be just passing by?
I need to see you - I need to hold you - tightly
Feeling guilty
And I'm worried, and I'm waking from a tormented sleep
'Cause this old love, you know it has me bound
But this new love cuts so deep
If I choose now, I'm bound to lose out
One of you is gonna have to fall
I need you, baby
Why do you come here, when you know I've got troubles enough?
Why do you call me, when you know I can't answer the phone?
And make me lie when I don't want to
And make someone else some kind of an unknowing fool?
Make me stay when I should not?
If you're so strong then resolve the weakness in me
Why do you come here, and pretend to be just passing by?
I need to see you I need to hold you tightly

What was she doing here? She had no right to be here. She didn't want to be here. But she was here. Sighing she took a step closer to the knot of people bunched together, her gaze fixed on the reason for her presence. He had his back to her but she could see the tension in his hunched shoulders and his slightly lowered head and she knew his hair would be falling into his eyes; he had let it grow out since she had last seen him and it now fell in shaggy waves to his shoulders.

Crystianna was there to his left and slightly behind him, one crimson-nailed hand on his shoulder, looking perfect as usual. Her rather short black skirt showed off her shapely legs and her tightly cut black jacket over her crimson bodice pulled in her tiny waist and emphasised her perfectly straight red hair flowing down her back in an intricate French braid. Watching her Ginny felt infinitely conspicuous in her knee-length black pencil skirt, turtle-necked ribbed bottle green sweater and knee-high black wedge-boots with her wavy, barely-curled hair rather scruffily held back from her face by a pencil she had nabbed from work on her way.

"You don't really belong or want to be here do you?"

Ginny jumped and blushed, turning to face none other than Narcissa Malfoy looking immaculate and very superior in a simple black dress and huge black hat with a black gauzy veil draped over her silver hair and face. She smiled tightly at Ginny and held out her cigarette towards her, Ginny shook her head and smiled gently half in awe at the woman before her.

"It alright dear, I don't want to be here either." Ginny stared at her. "But I suppose I gotta make an appearance at my own husband's funeral."

Ginny opened her mouth to give her apologies but Narcissa waved a hand almost impatiently and smirked at her, looking so much like her son Ginny swallowed and took a half-step back.

"Oh don't bother, hardly anyone up there…" She gestured over Ginny's shoulder at the crowd still stood around the open grave. "Wanted him alive either, so it really is rather pointless saying you're sorry he's dead when you couldn't really care. Even if it is his widow you're talking to."

Ginny blushed again and Narcissa smiled at her kindly, taking a drag of her cigarette under the veil.

"So how did you know him?"

Ginny thought for a moment before shooting a furtive glance at Draco's back and nodding her head at him slightly. Narcissa's eyes flickered briefly over her son before meeting Ginny's again.

"I went to school with your son."

Any hardness still in Narcissa's face crumbled and she reached out a hand, touching Ginny's shoulder lightly almost affectionately.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Ginny stared at her, thoroughly confused and yet oddly touched by the gesture as Narcissa smiled down at her through the veil.

"My son doesn't have many friends…"

Ginny opened her mouth to argue but Narcissa held up a hand to stop her again.

"No I know it isn't because of him, no matter how awful he was at Hogwarts, he always felt that being as awful as his father would get him to notice his son for once." She looked up thoughtfully, seeming to forget Ginny was even there until she looked back down at her. "But once in a while he did manage to find someone worth wasting his time on."

Ginny blushed yet again and tried to drop her eyes, but something about Narcissa's gaze held hers like a magnet; maybe it was because they were the exact shape and shade of her sons.

"Thank you for being here for him. He needs all the friends he can get right now." Ginny cocked her head to one side and Narcissa grinned ruefully. "Hey he may not have liked his father, but he loved him in his own way."

Ginny felt tears prick the back of her eyes at the memory of their last encounter and she hurriedly lowered them before Narcissa caught sight of them.

"Well I guess I better get back before they miss me, although I doubt it; even dead Lucius manages to take over and be the centre of attention."

Narcissa finally released her hold on Ginny and straightened up; taking a last drag on her cigarette she flicked it onto the grass and crushed it beneath her high-heeled boot. Straightening her hat she grinned at Ginny and took a step forwards to go past her, she paused as she drew level and reached out a hand. She plucked the pencil from Ginny's hair making it tumble in curly waves over her shoulders and into her eyes.

"Trust me honey, wear it down more often."

Looking at her thoughtfully for a moment she picked a white rose from the small bunch Ginny was clutching and tucked it behind her ear before patting her cheek lightly. Smiling she handed the dumbfounded red-head the pencil and swiftly made her way back up the sloping gravel path towards the funeral. Ginny sighed and studied the group on the hill once more. She caught a brief tantalizing glimpse of Draco's profile as he turned to put an arm around his newly returned mother and she bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

Catching sight of a baby's headstone by her foot she knelt down and wiped some moss away from it. Sighing she gently placed her flowers over it and stood up, brushing off her skirt and making her way out of the graveyard. She was so deep in regretful thoughts she didn't notice the blonde's eyes watching her progress through the gravestones. And he in turn didn't see his mother watching him watching the retreating red-head, a knowing smirk playing on her lips as the priest finished his sermon and gestured for the coffin to be lowered.

"Good afternoon, the Apollo Hotel how can I help you?"

Hearing the revolving doors behind him moving Draco hurriedly stepped out of the way of the new arrivals; a group of American tourists who were staring around in awe. They couldn't have stood out more in their shorts and climbing boots each with a back-pack and a camera dangling around their neck. Draco ignored them; his eyes underneath his dark glasses were fixed on the receptionist who was smiling politely at a waiting customer. Turning she waved a hand over her shoulder at one of her colleagues who was in the small office at the back of the reception desk.

As the customer smiled gratefully at her she grinned and went back to tapping in reservations on the computer in front of her. When she was done she quickly printed off and signed a few relevant forms before placing them in a tray besides her station and moving back into the office. Taking his opportunity Draco quickly crossed the marble foyer and leant against the curving polished mahogany desk, flipping idly through a nearby brochure for the hotel he waited for someone to notice him. She did.

Laughing along with her colleagues Ginny handed her back the mug of tea she had grabbed on her way in and moved through the office door towards her station. She faltered when she saw who it was waiting for her but she hurriedly hitched a professional smile onto her face and slid down into her seat. Sliding her electronic key into the computer she kept her eyes on the screen as she greeted him, slightly unnerved by his dark glasses; being unable to see where his gaze was making her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

When he booked a room for two to share she managed to hit the wrong key in surprise and she flushed, correcting her mistake and asking how he was to pay. Draco, having many connections in both this Muggle and their Wizarding world because of his family, handed over a normal Muggle credit card which Ginny dutifully swiped and handed back the receipt. He took his time signing it and Ginny passed the time waiting staring morosely at the keyboard in front of her wondering who he was sharing with.

As she checked his signature and slid the receipt into the file with the sheet of his details in she handed him the key and signed the bottom of the form sadly. It took her a while after he'd left and she's sat staring into space for ten minutes to realise exactly what it said underneath the elegant scrawl of his name. Scrabbling through the files she dug his out and flipped through the forms until she found the small white ticket.

"Excuse me?"

Jumping Ginny dropped the receipt and stared silently as it drifted under the desk; cursing silently she forced herself to smile at the woman before her and quickly rushed through the actions of booking her and her husband a room for the week. When the couple had finally thanked her and left she ripped off her headset and dived under her desk for the receipt. She was still kneeling under the desk staring at the receipt when her colleague stuck her head under the desk to stare at her.

"Ginny."

She looked up at her briefly.

"You're under the desk."

Without replying she handed her the receipt. Grace stared at her for a moment before sighing and scanning it.

You finish at eight
You know where I'll be
DM
x

Grace handed the receipt back to Ginny who accepted it silently; she was still staring at it dumbly when someone rang the bell loudly and shouted over the desk for assistance. Jumping she hit her head on the underneath of the desk and she crawled out from under it with stinging eyes and a huge bump building at the back of her head. The man who had asked for assistance eyed her suspiciously as she dusted herself off and rubbed the back of her head and she paused.

"I dropped something." She muttered lamely before taking her seat and returning to work.

Having finished work ten minutes ago she walked slowly down the corridor towards the room she had given Draco, her heart pounding and her throat curiously dry as she stopped and stared at the door her mind turning things over slowly. She had replayed their last argument a lot over the three months since her departure from the college, mainly at night when she couldn't sleep because of it.

Taking a deep breath she raised her hand to knock on the door, almost falling into it when it was pulled open before she could touch it. Draco slouched against one side of the doorframe; he was once again clad in only his black slacks, his hair still wet from a previous shower and dripping over his shoulders.

"I wondered how long it would take you to knock. You've been stood there for about five minutes just staring at the door you know."

Seeing she couldn't really speak he rolled his eyes irritably and pulled her into the room.

Chantal J – one update for you

im no muggle – I know I'm so excited, my friend's only read one of the books which is the new film and my favourite so he promised to take me to see it so I get to see it twice yay. Anyway the next update will be soon too cos I've already started it :D

Draco-ginny-lover – thank you very much, update for you

Alicandra Black – thank you quite a few times, the joy of updates

Calla-ForEvEa – well it takes him a while but he gets there in the end

Angel Tears Fall – there's got to be someone to be evil in there somewhere so there we go, she serves her purpose :) updated as requested

Tenshisangel – thank you, updated for you