Chapter 32- Breaking Away
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Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
Ginny woke to the sounds of her family moving about the house. The familiar creaks of floorboards and off-key notes of her mother singing in the shower were usually a comfort. Not today. She stared at the ceiling for a long time and then placed a pillow over her head. Today, she was going to Luna's, and then on to sunny Spain. She should be excited, not guilt-stricken.
She threw the pillow across the room, muttering, "Thanks ever so much, Sir William-bloody-Scott! Like I wasn't feeling crappy enough already without your pithy quote running through my brain."
"Talking to yourself is a first sign, isn't it Fred?"
"Of what, George…insanity?"
"No, you looby, hunger. Come down to breakfast, Ginny!"
Her identically annoying brothers lounged in the doorway, grinning at her. She sat up, and out of nowhere became misty-eyed. They rushed toward her, Fred throwing an arm around her shoulders while George patted her on the back.
"Now, now, don't turn into a watering pot. We'll see you again before you take the train back to school. C'mon, favourite sister, stiff upper lip and all that rot. Mum will want to go along if she thinks you'll be unhappy without her," said Fred.
The sheen of tears dried as if by magic. No way did she want Mum to 'come along.' The thought made her giggle hysterically. The boys were pleased they had cheered her up so well. Nodding in unison, they promised to make her whatever she wanted for breakfast.
"Okay, then…French toast."
Her brothers shook over-long red fringes out of equally merry brown eyes, performed snappy salutes and headed down to the kitchen. Ginny rolled out of bed. Mechanically, she got dressed and double-checked to make sure she had included everything she'd need. After smirking over the memory of Hermione's astonishment that she packed without a list, she waved her wand to locomoter her bag down the stairs.
In the kitchen, Mum, Dad, Bill and the twins sat around the farmhouse table, drinking coffee and reading the paper. They had obviously finished eating and were remaining just to see her off. It was one of the things Ginny loved about her family most. They made her feel special.
Fred hopped up when he saw her enter and brought over a covered dish. George was right behind him with juice, butter, and syrup. They served her with a flourish and sat on either side to watch her eat. She could've done without the intense scrutiny that went along with the intense love. She felt like a bug under a magnifying glass.
That's because you feel slimy and icky for being such a liar!
Ginny disregarded the inner voice that had been giving her hell ever since she'd agreed to mislead her folks about who she was really visiting in Spain. She ate and gave every appearance of enjoying the food, although it was tasteless from stress.
Fred and George congratulated themselves on another 'Weasley culinary masterpiece.'
Across the table, Bill announced, "The Prophet has a small article estimating that Zabini Jewellers profits have seen a twenty five per cent increase this quarter due to the new ad campaign they've been running." He snorted. "Slytherins will do anything for a galleon. Even sell their children."
George took one look at Ginny's set face and intervened before she could blast her intolerant git of a brother. "Merlin, Billy-Boy, sell them? Wonder how much Blaise would be? Probably too much for us, Fred, even if we split the cost and shared the girl."
The twins' waggling eyebrows were not appreciated by their mother. "Really, you two! I hate to say it, but Bill has a point. Those ads were very suggestive and completely inappropriate." Molly said anxiously, "I hope your friend hasn't been trying to influence you into doing wrong things."
Ginny threw her father a 'DAD!' look.
He tried to be diplomatic. "We're not saying you shouldn't be friends with Blaise, dear, it's just that, well, bad company corrupts character, and we hope that you'll use good judgment in regards to friendships."
Ginny pushed her plate away. "Sounds like you're saying exactly that, Dad. I can't believe this. You've spent time with her. Blaise is a perfectly nice person!"
Bill leaned forward, features taut. "Sure she's nice, because Zabini wants to be your friend. Why would she want to do that, though? What's in it for her? Slytherins don't do anything without an ulterior motive. There's always a catch. What's the catch here? Is the girl using you to try and get information for You-Know-Who?"
Fred and George were shaking their heads in disbelief.
Ginny jabbed a finger at her pony-tailed prat of a sibling. "You're prejudiced. Admit it. You think the only good Slytherin is a dead one."
Her brother laughed shortly. "You exaggerate, but not by much. I've been keeping an eye on enemies of the Order, and guess what? They're all amoral Slytherins. So excuse me if I don't care for the thought of my baby sister being pals with one!" He turned to their parents. "I hope you're not inviting that girl to our home again."
Ginny stared in disbelief when her father said to her, "I hadn't wanted to bring the subject up unless you did, sweetheart, but I'm afraid it's too dangerous a chance to take."
Her mother immediately chimed in, "You must understand, dearest, that your father and I almost lost you, and have lost dear friends, and family. Harry, too has lost so much due to Slytherins." Molly said, "We've tried to overlook your friend's parentage, but I'm afraid in light of the recent activities of You-Know-Who..." She paused, and then said firmly, "I won't lose another person I love because I trusted the wrong person. I won't. I'm sorry."
Slowly, Ginny stood and looked at each person. The twins' eyes slid away, unwilling to back her any longer. Bill's steely gaze was filled with self-righteous indignation, and her parents were pleading silently with their eyes for her to excuse, and tolerate their fears and prejudice.
With only the slightest quaver in her voice, Ginny said, "I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry that you're so afraid of what might happen that you're willing to hurt me, and my friend, just because she's a Slytherin. I'm sorry for you, because you're playing right into You-Know-Who's hands by acting this way. The only thing I'm not sorry about anymore is going to Spain."
Resigned and determined, she kissed everyone on the cheek and marched into the lounge with her bag. Grimly, she threw the powder and Flooed to Lovegood House.
When she exited the fireplace in the spacious library, Ginny replied to Luna's greeting with, "Do you have the complete works of Shakespeare?"
Luna rose from her chair and drifted over to a shelf, asking with an airy wave, "What are you looking for?"
Ginny scanned the volumes, picked up the one she was looking for, and flipped pages until she found the relevant part. "I remembered part of a quote, and had to look it up. It's from The Life and Death of King John. Not one of the better plays, but I'm not using the quote in context. It just fits me." She read aloud, "What in the world should make me now deceive?"
"Wasn't John talking about…death?"
"Yes." Ginny smiled lopsidedly. "Maybe I am too. The death of my fantasy that one day, if I worked things right, and said things persuasively enough, my family would tolerate having a Malfoy for their baby girl's boyfriend."
Luna took the book from her hand and re-shelved it. "Something's happened. Best have a seat and tell me all about it." She gently pushed Ginny into a leather chair, conjured a pot of tea on the desk, and poured her friend a cup. After adding several cubes of sugar, she passed it over. "Drink, then talk."
Funny how tea made things better…was it physical, or psychological? Uncaring, Ginny recounted the seemingly irreconcilable differences between her and her family when it came to anyone Slytherin.
Luna frowned in sympathy. "My father isn't much better. He ran a recent series of articles on Ministry Corruption, and the officials involved were all Slytherin. Blaise is the only one he concedes isn't a greedy opportunist. He calls her the exception to the rule." She sighed. "Even admitting that, he almost had a fit when, before we came up with our plan, I asked in a letter if I could visit Blaise over holiday."
"What did he say?"
"That she could visit me, but he wasn't allowing his daughter anywhere near Malfoy because of the…you know…pictures."
Those damned pictures! If she had a chance to do things over…she would do it all again, just for the chance to be held in Draco's arms and to hear him tell her that he loved her. Ginny said, "I wasn't being entirely honest when I said that quote was about the death of a fantasy. It's more than that. If I didn't want to be with Draco so badly, I wouldn't deceive my family, no matter how bigoted they were."
Luna confessed, "I wouldn't deceive my father if it was just to visit Blaise, either. Does that make us bad people?"
Ginny surprised herself by giggling. She hadn't thought it possible to laugh after being so upset. It felt good. "No."
"Good."
Ginny decided to put all thoughts of family and the future aside. She asked, "So, did you pack anything sexy for going dancing?"
Luna blushed. "Yes. I would've bought a new bathing suit, too, but Blaise told me her mother went on a shopping spree and picked up loads, so we might as well use them."
Ginny said smilingly, "Did you stop to think that she might be trying to manoeuvre you into one of those skimpy bikinis she wears?"
"Of course…and this way I can be innocent of trying to raise Wesley's blood pressure."
"I'm impressed with your Slytherin-like cunning."
Luna made a face. "I only hope I can be as bold as a Gryffindor about wearing a bikini."
"You're a Ravenclaw. You'll think of a way."
The friends shared a smile.
Wesley stepped out of the fireplace in a Hawaiian print shirt. Luna quickly moved to hug and kiss her boyfriend. They were still snogging when Terry Flooed into the library.
"Hope I don't have to remind you two of the rules," Terry said with a grin.
Everyone had promised to adhere to certain restrictions during their time together. Wesley laughed. "No excessive public displays of affection, no night-time wandering, and no having it off. I would say that sounds like no fun, except bella Luna and I prefer private excessive displays of affection, unlike a certain jungle couple we know."
Terry said, "You have a point. Why did we agree to that again?"
Ginny spoke up. "Because in the worst case scenario—we're caught—we'll at least be able to say we were only spending time together."
Luna added, "The rules make things more comfortable, too. No one has to worry about coming into a room and seeing…things…they'd rather not."
An awkward silence fell. Terry cleared his throat. "Are we ready to go?"
One by one, first the girls and then the boys took a handful of Floo powder, and vanished from Lovegood House to reappear in a huge hearth in a beach house in Spain.
A house-elf materialised to welcome them. Minky said that she would take care of the luggage since they were awaited outside. With a smile, the elf pointed toward double doors at the end of a formal parlour filled with Spanish artwork and ornate furniture made of highly polished dark wood.
Ginny walked across the tiled floor, pausing to touch a sunflower brightening an arrangement on a table. On the terrace, she stopped to take a breath of scented air. The view was breathtaking. Somewhere around the side of the house, the voice of a photographer calling directions was heard.
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Clad in a black Speedo, Draco stood beside the rectangular pool tiled in a mosaic of blues, gazing out to where the Atlantic shimmered in the distance. It was dead boring listening to Ansel, the photographer, verbally walking them through the final shot.
He stifled a yawn and looked forward to the end of the shoot. Ginny would be arriving soon, and Draco couldn't wait to see her. Returning to this house had unearthed a lot of buried memories he wanted to cover up again. He planned to do that with happier ones that would start the minute he saw his girlfriend's face.
Last night, Eddy and Cissy had Flooed to Morocco. They were staying with some old friend from Hogwarts days who had invited an intimate group of twenty to celebrate her birthday with a week of 'glam parties, and fabulous shopping.' He and Blaise had played wizard chess and gone to bed early, pretending that returning to the house they hadn't stepped foot in since the summer after third year was no big deal.
When the house was dark and silent, though, Draco had admitted to himself that he dreaded going to Spain. He stared at the ceiling, resisting the urge to go bunk with his mate. He'd smiled when the handle to his door turned.
Blaise slipped inside. Her face was composed, but her eyes were scared. She whispered, "Can I stay with you tonight?"
In answer, he pulled back the covers. She hurried over, and got into bed. Reflexively, they turned to lie in the same position they'd slept in so many times that holiday years ago, on their sides. Blaise even wore the same kind of red silk pyjamas. Draco tried to make light of the situation. "I'm not wearing a top. Want me to go put one on?"
She relaxed and replied dryly, "Don't worry about giving a good girl bad ideas. I just don't want to be alone. I won't even notice your perfect pecs or your awesome abs…much less your penultimate…." Blaise shook with silent laughter while her voice trailed off.
His brows drew together. "Penultimate? Almost the best—I'm afraid to ask what you were about to describe, or who's got the ultimate one." After hearing her snicker, he couldn't stand not knowing. "Tell me."
"Penultimate…pulchritude. Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course Terry is the most beautiful boy in the world, but don't pout, because you're bloody gorgeous…and number one to Gerd, Frey."
Love really was blind. He smirked at the back of her head, which wasn't nearly as satisfying as to her face. They lay in companionable silence until he asked, "Freyja?"
"Hmmm?"
"I always wondered why you wouldn't sleep alone in that house. Care to tell me why?"
She shifted to face him. "Because someone kept trying to break Freyja's lock and come into my room. I was afraid to sleep alone."
His stomach twisted. Draco didn't ask if she knew who the person was. He didn't want his fear confirmed. Instead, he said wryly, "I hope you find it easier to sleep with two other girls in the same room, because nocturnal wandering is against the rules this visit, mate."
She said wistfully, "Maybe we could all have a slumber party sometime."
"Maybe." Draco didn't know if he'd be able to sleep with Ginny lying next to him, but it was a nice fantasy to drift off to sleep with.
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Impatient with himself, Draco shook off his reverie. He told the photographer now staring at him in irritation, "I dive in at one end of the pool, swim underwater to the other end where Blaise is floating, and emerge to place a string of black pearls around her neck. She's so grateful that she throws herself at me, and the shoot is over. Isn't that what you said?"
Ansel looked put out. That meant he'd heard right. Bet Potter couldn't listen with half an ear and be able to retain the information. Draco fleetingly hoped Potty and Weasel were miserable at school, slogging to finish their load of schoolwork—and that it was raining.
"Humph! Very well, if you two are ready, take your places." The man spat to his blonde assistant, "Bubbles, check the light meter one more time." Satisfied, the photographer nodded imperiously.
Draco obligingly stepped to the edge of the crystalline pool and dove in with only the slightest ripple. His pale, defined musculature moved smoothly. At the shallow end where Blaise was floating with her eyes closed, he emerged from the water. On cue, she looked enraptured to see him and then gasped with exaggerated awe at the sight of the necklace in his hands. He almost laughed and ruined the shot, but turned it into a roguish smile as he fastened the black pearls.
The grateful girl threw her arms around his neck and pressed her body close while lifting her mouth toward his. The photographer shouted, "Brilliant, brilliant…I am the best in the world and my photographs will win awards this year. I can feel it!"
Draco laughed, unaware they had an audience until Bubbles chirped, "Hulloo! Where did you lot come from? Are you models too?"
Blaise shrieked, "Terry!" and pushed away from him to swim toward the steps and clamber up and out of the water. Draco watched Boot's face look stunned before he scowled at the sight of his girlfriend's bikini. Perhaps the little black Italian job was a bit revealing. It hadn't seemed like a big deal…before.
While his friend slipped on a coverlet and greeted their guests, Draco found Ginny staring at him unsmilingly. Freckles were standing out against her creamy skin. Bollocks.
Determined to talk things out with the girl that was looking like she wanted to hex his arse, Draco walked up the steps and out of the pool. He noticed that his girl now looked torn between wanting to admire his god-like body and wanting to do him bodily harm. He smoothed his hair back. Ginny swallowed hard. She watched his muscles shift. He gave her his best 'come and get me' smile. The tip of her tongue licked pink lips.
He said, "Walk me to my room, Ginny. I'll change into a different suit."
Tarzan had already dragged Jane off. Lovegood and Roberts stood watching like they were at a bloody pantomime. Draco inclined his head to acknowledge their existence before taking his girlfriend's hand in a gentle but implacable grip.
The moment they entered the house, Draco quickened his steps. His girl's continued silence was starting to worry him. The boys' bedroom was on the opposite side of the central courtyard from the girls' room. The group had figured that three single beds in each of the separated chambers would help prevent 'sleepwalking.'
Inside the dim room, he turned to have it out. Draco never got a chance to speak. Ginny launched herself, pressing him back onto the nearest bed and kissing him until he couldn't breathe. After taking a breath to enable him to keep snogging, he tried to soften the embrace, tenderly stroking fiery strands. His Freckles wasn't having it. She sucked on his tongue and started moving in a way that almost made him pretend the rules were more like guidelines, really.
Instead, Draco ignored the inner voice that sneered at his gentlemanly resolve and rolled Ginny onto her back. He lifted his mouth from hers to say huskily, "I'd hoped to be done with that bloody shoot before you came. I never wanted to upset you. You've got to know it wasn't real, that you're the one I love."
She smiled hesitantly. "I know. I saw it was a joke more than anything." She looked away. "It was like before…all I could think was that everyone at school will look at the new ads and the rumours will start, and I went a bit mental."
He felt it again, that warm feeling he was starting to get used to. Draco grinned.
Ginny said defensively, "If you didn't look so bloody gorgeous, or wear an indecent suit that would tempt a saint, maybe I would've kept my hands off you."
He brought her hand up and pressed it against his heart, "Don't ever keep your hands off me, Red." The little vixen started tracing the definition of his chest. She had that 'mine, mine, mine' look on her face.
She pressed a soft, quick kiss to his lips. "I love you, and I'm glad that I came."
It was his turn to look away. "I don't have a lot of happy memories about this place. I want to make new ones…good ones…with you."
She touched his cheek, the soft look in her eyes soothing the raw edges that being in this house had exposed.
He smiled. "I'll grab a decent suit and walk you to your room so you can change. We'll go have a snog—I mean a swim—in the ocean."
Ginny's laughter made him chuckle while he pulled black swim trunks from a dresser drawer and headed into the adjoining lavatory. He returned to find her gazing curiously at a white canvas hanging on a yellow-washed wall.
"Did Blaise do this when she was younger?"
He snorted, "Looks like it, doesn't it, with that red circle and the bright splashes of colour? Modern art's not my taste, but Eddy heard Joan Miro was trendy one year." They snickered together at the woman's shallowness. Draco shrugged. "At least she didn't pick paintings that matched the furniture."
He smirked over the damp spots on Ginny's clothing and opened the door. In the corridor, Draco looked to the left. "We could take the long way, walk through the house, but I thought you'd like the shorter, more scenic route."
He walked a few paces to the right to open the door to the inner courtyard.
"It's beautiful, like a Roman atrium."
Not for the first time, Draco reflected how nice it was to have a girlfriend with brains as well as beauty. He said, "That's where the whole concept originated. Zabini's Italian great-grandmother designed the space. That's why it's mosaic madness." He gestured to the mural of sea creatures on the walls, the waves depicted on the tiles beneath their feet, and the tiled top of a dining table beside a tiled centre fountain.
"I think it's wonderful. All the pots of plants and flowers add colour and warmth. Please say we'll eat out here?"
They would eat anywhere she liked as far as Draco was concerned. She smiled when he nodded, following him through the arched doorway leading to the chamber that had been transformed into the girls' room.
The Ape-Man and his woman were chatting with the blonde couple in the corridor. Blaise was still in the suit Boot had disapproved of, and Terry-Boy's tee and trousers sported damp patches.
Ginny winked when she caught Draco eyeing her clothes. She said, "I'm afraid to see the suits your mum picked up, if they're all like the one you're wearing, Blaise."
Wesley joked, "A Gryffindor not bold enough to show a bit of skin? Inconceivable!"
Draco didn't see the humour. He waited impatiently while plans were made to meet on the back terrace in a few minutes. Resigned to the fact that spending time with his girl included putting up with the two following behind him, Draco retraced his steps to the chamber the boys would share.
Roberts, the clown, jumped on the bed furthest away from his. "Very comfy. I approve." He sat up. "Hey, Malfoy, you don't snore, do you?"
Draco caught the fleeting glance of amusement that flashed between his unwanted roommates. He said tonelessly, "No, I don't, but I know a few good hexes for anyone that does." Satisfied by their wary expressions, he told the pair, "Minky unpacked your clothes…your suits should be in the bottom drawer of the dresser by your bed."
In the outside corridor, waiting for the others to change, Draco leaned against the wall and looked forward to seeing Ginny in a bikini.
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La Casa de Sol y Sombra is such an interesting name. I wonder if it has some deep, secret meaning or if the family just went to bullfights a lot? I bet they always sat in a private box in the Sombra section, since shade costs more.
A bikini shaken by pale fingers in front of her face brought Luna out of her introspection. The girls were looking through a large assortment of bathing suits spread out on a white coverlet on one of the three matching single beds. Ginny had rejected most of them as 'too skimpy.'
The leopard print bikini Luna was getting a close look at didn't have a scarlet letter on the tag like Ginny currently ranted that it did. She said, "The only letters I see on the tag are D&G. I think it's for the company, not Draco and Ginny, though." An arrested look stole over the freckled face.
Ginny muttered, "Maybe it wouldn't be that bad."
Blaise held up a length of sheer, leopard print fabric. "Look, it's got a pareo to go with. You can wrap it around your hips, and your modesty will be preserved." She lowered her voice to coax, "Go try it on. It's your size. It sets off your skin and hair…the lavatory's right through that door."
After her first victim had been lured into trying the bikini on, Blaise reached for another suit and held it up. Luna shook her head so vigorously that pale locks flew wildly. "Oh…oh no, no, I'm not ready to dare to bare just yet. I think I'll wear this nice blue tankini with the pretty flowers on it."
Once Ginny returned looking sexy and rather proud of her boldness, Luna dashed into the loo. When she re-entered the room, Blaise looked up. She asked,"Get the back for me?"
Luna fastened the back tie to the retro floral bikini. "I don't think Terry's going to think that bikini's much of an improvement over the other one."
Blaise held up a long, sheer Pareo with wide bands of white and red. "Sure he will. See? It's got a cover up." She tied the material low on her hips before tossing Luna a similar blue wrap.
Ginny held up her wand. "Want me to use a sunscreen spell before we hit the beach?"
A few waves of a wand later, the girls headed toward the back of the house. Signs of remodelling were evident in the long, spacious lounge that comprised the back part of the house. Slip-covered sofas and chairs filled the space and a wall of glass showcased an ocean view. Through French doors at the side, they found the boys waiting on the sun terrace, where flowering vines twined through trellises against the stucco walls.
Luna's heart raced at the sight of Wesley. His long trunks had a white hibiscus design in the same shade of bright blue as her suit. For some odd reason, every time their clothing matched she wanted to snog him breathless.
His eyes, bluer than the water visible past the garden and the sands beyond, glinted. "I can't wait to see your hair floating in the water like a mermaid's."
Suddenly, a mental image of her as a siren on a rock jutting out from the ocean popped into Luna's mind.
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The blonde mermaid looked up from combing her long hair to see a handsome golden-haired boy staring at her on the beach. Leaning forward to get a better look, she pushed her hair behind a shoulder to keep the strands from obstructing her view of bright blue eyes. He smiled charmingly and the cutest dimples she'd ever seen peeked out.
Irresistibly drawn, the siren dove into the water and surfaced near the shore. The grinning youth began to disrobe. At the sight of his revealed body, she sighed, "Oh Wesley!"
-
An indulgent chuckle made Luna blink. Wesley hugged her, whispering in her ear, "Daydreaming about me, were you?"
Ruefully, she nodded.
He asked impishly, "If you were a mermaid, did you have on a top made of shells?"
It took great effort to keep her face solemn as she shook her head.
He gave a silent whistle, stepped back, and announced, "Last one to the beach is a Hufflepuff!"
Luna and Wesley were the first to reach the sand. Blaise and Terry, who had been kissing when the others started to run, were the last. The Slytherin girl threw a tote full of beach towels down beside the other girls' pareos and muttered while she untied her wrap, "Why am I always a Hufflepuff?"
Terry slung her over his shoulder and strode into the water, making the girl hanging down his back giggle.
Luna's eyes widened when Wesley raised a golden brow. "I'm feeling very piratical, Buttercup."
She backed toward the water, slightly alarmed by how her heart jolted at the look on his face. Rushing forward, her Sexy Pirate Roberts scooped her up and into the refreshingly cool waves. He dropped her with a splash once they'd reached waist-deep water.
Wesley dove into a gentle swell and surfaced a short distance away. He slicked back his hair and opened his arms, beguiling better than any siren, "Bella Luna."
Before she knew it, Luna was in her boyfriend's arms, pulling his head down to hers and grateful that he was tall enough to stand and keep her afloat while she kissed him again and again. This was why she'd lied to her father about 'Auntie Lorinda's' invitation. So she could spend day after glorious day exploring Wesley's heart, and mind, and mouth. It shouldn't feel divine to be so devious, but it did.
The couples eventually returned to the beach. While they'd been in the water, the house-elf had obviously decided that some towels on the sand were insufficiently grand enough for her mistress.
Minky had conjured a gauzy pavilion that shaded a round table and chairs. Lunch was left under covers bespelled to keep the assortment of sandwiches, crudités, and fat red grapes fresh. To one side, a table with a basin next to a perpetual water pitcher stood waiting with soap and a stack of fluffy white hand towels.
Draco sauntered over to cleanse his hands. "Wish I'd known your house-elf would go all out for guests before, Blaise. We never got the royal treatment the last time we came, did we?"
Luna didn't begrudge Draco or Blaise their wealth. Not when she liked the benefits so much. She sat beside Wesley, enjoying the quiet conversation while they ate. Gradually, Luna became aware of something and asked Blaise without thinking, "Are you really peeling Draco's grapes?"
Everyone's eyes travelled from the half-peeled fruit in Blaise's hand to the peeled grapes on the Draco's plate.
Ginny told her boyfriend, "Peel your own grapes."
"No way," Blaise said adamantly. "He's a danger to himself and others with a knife."
Luna found the slight tint of red on Draco's cheekbones quite amusing. She wasn't brave enough to smile openly, however.
Ginny was. "I'm good with sharp objects," she said.
Blaise handed her the knife.
"There's an interesting bit of symbolism," Wesley murmured, before standing and pulling back Luna's chair. They took a walk down the beach.
The cool water lapping around Luna's ankles felt good as they strolled. So did Wesley's arm around her waist. They walked in silent companionship for a long while. The Costa de la Luz was undeveloped in the wizard-owned areas. There wasn't another soul in sight.
Luna began to daydream.
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She and Wesley were marooned on a desert island.
Her hero gave her his shirt to protect her softer skin while they trekked inland to gather food and water. Luna watched his muscles flex while hacking through the underbrush with a conveniently found machete. She admired the way his skin glowed with perspiration as they travelled into the heart of the tropical island.
After reaching the spring complete with waterfall, they swam together. Under the cascading spray, he held her close and kissed her.
-
"Are you daydreaming again?"
Luna covered her face with her hands, nodding. She could hear the smile in his voice.
"Were we kissing?"
She reluctantly nodded again. Gentle masculine fingers encircled her wrists and lowered her hands. Luna opened her eyes. His blue gaze was bright with amusement…and love. She said, "We're so isolated here, I imagined we were marooned on an island."
Wesley chuckled. "I like the way you daydream." He cupped her heated cheeks in his palms. "Why don't you come have a swim with me before we head back? Cool off…and tell me what else you've dreamt."
Luna unfastened her pareo. It fluttered to the sand as she ran into the waves.
-
That evening, the group decided to dress casually in shorts and tees for dinner. The girls conjured paella for the meal. More accurately, Blaise conjured the paella, which she said would normally be too heavy for an evening meal, but since they weren't going dancing tonight, they'd go for it. Luna contributed individual chocolate soufflés while Ginny set the courtyard table.
Minky, terribly jealous of anyone conjuring in 'her' kitchen, had nonetheless graciously overseen the proceedings with grudging approval between tidying the rooms and setting faery lights to float around the courtyard. After sternly ordering Blaise not to touch the dishes, the elf left for the evening.
Once the three couples were alone in the house, the boys helped the girls serve dinner. They ate and drank butterbeer while chatting sociably around the table.
The conversation took a philosophical turn when Ginny asked, "Is anyone else disturbed by how easy it is to lie in order to have what you want?"
When the silence that greeted the statement lengthened uncomfortably, Luna said, "It was hard for me to lie to my dad, until I remembered how he wouldn't think of me even visiting for the day, because Mal—uh...just because."
Draco said, "Don't worry about my tender feelings, Lovegood. I've had fathers go into hysterics at the thought of a Malfoy near their virginal darlings before."
Luna saw Ginny place her hand on Draco's arm, watched him give the girl a half-smile. She said adamantly, "That doesn't make it right. When people act that way, it makes it a lot easier to lie to them."
Beside her, Wesley smiled ruefully. "I hadn't thought of it as lying—more a stretching of the truth. I am spending the holiday in a Spanish beach house with Terry and a schoolmate." He toyed with a strand of her hair, before winding it around his finger. "My father wasn't too happy to learn I'm dating the boss' daughter. He actually told me that he hoped I'd meet a girl out here." He stared down at the blue shade his finger had turned before releasing the digit. "I'll send him a postcard telling him I'm having the time of my life with the girl of my dreams without a single qualm."
Terry looked at Blaise and caressed her cheek. "I used to feel bad, because my folks wouldn't give Blaise a chance." He shook his long hair away from his face. "I'm not going to try anymore. If they don't like it, that's too bad. If I get found out, I'll say that they deserved to be lied to. They don't respect me or my feelings, so why should I respect them?"
Blaise smiled sadly at her boyfriend. "I wish you didn't have to lie to be with me, but I'm so glad you're here." She smiled at everyone. "I'm so glad you're all here."
Draco said, "Either that or you're lying."
While the others laughed, Ginny said seriously, "I lied to get here. I've lied to be with Draco in the past and Merlin knows I'm going to lie in the future." She looked from person to person. "It might seem hypocritical, but…I'd like us all to agree not to lie to each other. While we're here, we tell the truth, and if the truth will hurt, we just don't say anything. Agreed?"
They all nodded.
Draco broke the pensive mood. "If our musketeer moment is finally over, may we have dessert now? There's a hammock I want to try out when this couple time is over." He smirked. "I'm only telling the truth."
Blaise giggled. "There are three double hammocks, each on a different side of the house. Terry and I call the one by the pool."
Luna jumped up to get away from disturbing truths and to go get the chocolate soufflés.
Wesley entered the kitchen behind her and took the tray from her hands. "Looking forward to trying out one of those hammocks with me?"
She widened her eyes and bit her lip. He began to look concerned. She pressed her lips together. Right before they reached the table, Luna turned and murmured, "Honestly? I can't wait."
She enjoyed the look on Wesley's face more than the dessert.
-
-
The curly-haired girl leaned forward and placed a large shell on top of her sand castle in lieu of a flag. On her knees, she put a hand up to shade her eyes in order to see who had walked up to stand beside her. It was Mr. Malfoy.
The man gave her effort a look of condescending approval. He drawled, "All alone? Where has your little playmate gone?"
She used a bit of twig to carve a window in the side of her castle, not bothering to respond. He knew very well that Draco was off with that witch again. After all, Lucius had been the one to invite the woman to dinner after they'd met at some Death Eater party on La Costa Del Sol. The older witch had taken one look at the gorgeous boy and suddenly became incredibly interested in taking in the local sights.
Draco had come home the last few evenings smelling of wine and staggering drunk. He'd also begun having nightmares. The cradle-robbing Marisol wasn't making her friend happy. The girl planned to do something about it very soon.
Long white-blond hair fell forward to brush her shoulder, when the man crouched beside her. Lucius said with cruel amusement, "Blaise, Blaise…pretend indifference all you like, but I can feel your anger." A pale, cold finger slid down her cheek with mock-sympathy. "Are you feeling lonely?"
Still refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response, she scooted away and lined up shells on either side of the drawbridge. Blaise glared when the man reached out and grabbed her curls to wrench her head back to meet his pale gaze.
"Don't ignore me, little girl."
She spat, "Don't bother me anymore."
His grip loosened with surprise at her fierceness. A slow smile crossed the features that reminded her of a statue's—beautiful, hard, and without warmth. "Bothering you is so entertaining. You'll be an amusing daughter-in-law one day, once that insolence is…." He paused and deliberately stood on her castle. "Stamped out."
-
The dream jolted Blaise out of sleep. She lay, breathing rapid, shallow breaths while Ginny and Luna slept on in the dark room. She curled into a ball and wished that memories had no power to haunt.
That summer started off so well. She and Draco had been left to their own devices while their parents partied on the other coast. They hadn't minded. The fourteen-year-olds had learned to windsurf, and spent every day surfing, swimming and exploring the beach.
Then Lucius had brought Marisol into their lives, and her friend had gone off to play adult games, while she waited, and worried, and started re-reading the book she'd taken from the Malfoy library on her twelfth birthday.
Blaise slid out of bed and stood deliberating what to do. She could wake Ginny or Luna up and…what…? Say 'let's have a cuppa because I had a nightmare'? They'd want her to tell them about the dream, share things that nice girls with nice families never had to deal with…or do….
Silently, she exited the room and began walking down the corridor, crossed the lounge, and entered the passageway leading to the boys' bedroom. The door was open.
A pale finger of moonlight entered the chamber through the shuttered window and illuminated Terry's sleeping face. Blaise almost slipped inside the room, into her boyfriend's bed, so she wouldn't have to face her fears alone.
The 'rules' kept her from doing it. She was already 'night-time wandering.' In the mood that she was in, Blaise was afraid the other two 'rules' would be broken as well if she tempted fate. Physical comfort really appealed right now. All those times she'd felt superior to Draco—what an ignorant little girl she'd been.
Blaise sighed her love's name and retraced her steps to the lounge. The white slipcovers looked ghostly in the moonlight. The liquor cabinet beckoned. It was the Zabini family cure-all. Who was she to defy tradition?
The hard part was deciding what to drink. There was such a wide variety. Decisions, decisions…. A noise made her jump.
"Blaise?"
Terry was standing in the doorway, long brown hair mussed from sleep, wearing navy silk pyjama bottoms. He covered a yawn. "I thought I heard you call my name." The sight of his bare chest and feet caused her toes to curl. "What are you doing up in the middle of the night?"
"I had a nightmare, couldn't sleep. I was going to wake you, but you were sleeping so peacefully I decided not to." Blaise gestured to the cabinet. "I was planning on having a few drinks to knock myself out."
He frowned. "That must've been some nightmare. Want to talk about it?"
Strong arms encircled her. Blaise rested her head on Terry's shoulder. "No. I just want to forget about it." Her body started to shake with the effort to suppress tears. "But I can't!"
"Baby, don't cry. I love you."
Terry placed butterfly kisses to her eyelids, her cheeks, before reaching for her mouth. She kissed him back, wanting desperately to sink into his embrace and remember nothing but how much she loved him, and loved kissing his lips and stroking his hair, and skin.
They slowly moved over to a soft, wide sofa. Blaise kept her mouth fused to her boyfriend's while they sank down together. She sighed as his frame aligned with hers in a way that felt so right. Everything else seemed unimportant when she was in his arms. All she could think about was getting closer to Terry.
He groaned. "Merlin, baby, you feel so good, but I don't want to—I mean, I do want to make love to you, one day, when it's right, but for now…."
Blaise tried not to cry. "You want me to go back to my room?"
His smile made her forget to breathe. "No. I want to lie here with you, make you feel safe and help you get back to sleep."
Her heart turned over. Physical comfort was nothing compared to this—to feeling loved. She tenderly kissed his lips, brushed silky strands away from the face she adored. "Do I get a goodnight kiss?"
His white smile flashed in the near darkness. "How about a deep, satisfying one that lasts as long as you want it to?"
She answered his question by pressing her lips against his.
-
The next day, sunlight flooding into the room caused Blaise to blink and hide her face against her boyfriend's chest. Masculine hands smoothing across her back caused delightful shivers. Raising her head, she smiled at Terry and slithered up to kiss him. "Good morning." His eyes were so blue.
"Waking up with you makes it a great morning."
A coldly furious voice drawled, "Did you think that the rules were made to be broken, Zabini, or did you and Boot just decide they didn't apply to you?"
Draco stood with Wesley just inside the doorway. He looked ready to hex and Wesley's expression was one of concern.
Blaise stood with Terry. She said, "I know we broke the first rule, but we didn't break the other two!"
Wesley said, "Then why were you sleeping on the sofa together?"
Red faced, she sputtered, "None of your business. I…I had a nightmare…and came out to get a drink to help me get back to sleep…and Terry heard me…and…and it won't happen again so I don't want to hear another word about it!" Blaise turned to make a grand exit. Ginny and Luna were standing in their robes blocking the doorway. She pushed past them and ran down the corridor. Inside the room, she snatched a bikini out of the dresser and bolted for the bathroom.
When she entered the bedroom afterwards, the girls were waiting. Luna held up a turquoise and white bikini. "Do you think this would look good on me?"
Blaise knew her friend was trying to cheer her by wearing it. She said, "It will look amazing on you."
Ginny smirked. "I found a black bikini that actually covers important areas, Blaise. What was your mother thinking?"
"She thought that front tie would make a bloke's fingers twitch, if you know what I mean."
As she sailed into the loo, Ginny said over her shoulder, "It's only fair. Draco makes my fingers twitch all the time."
The moment the door closed, Luna said, "Nightmares are hard to get over. I think I must've woken in the night for almost a year after my mum died." She pointed to the beds now placed together. "Ginny and I decided we'd pretend we're having a slumber party. That sounds like fun, doesn't it?"
Blaise thought it was so sweet; she just might do something embarrassing like cry. She blinked them back. "Yeah, almost as much fun as we're going to have today."
Ginny walked into the room. "How are we having fun today?"
Luna had gone into the lavatory, so Blaise waited until she returned to say, "Today, mates, we're going windsurfing."
She led the way to the courtyard. Draco imperiously ordered them hurry so breakfast could be served. He was starving. Blaise sat beside Terry and raised his hand to her lips. Minky made a disapproving noise while serving a slice a frittata.
Across the table, Wesley grinned. "Eat. Can't live on love, you two."
Terry smiled. "Maybe not, but I definitely live for it."
No one argued, or claimed to do differently.
It was the truth.
-
-
A/N: If readers noted the PotC line that seems to be a fave with Slytherins and Wesley's Princess Bride joke Draco didn't get, I'll say like the grandpa, 'yes, yes, you're very smart.' . :D