Concerning a Woman Prisoner

Chapter 10

By: PaintedDragon

Things were defiantly starting to heat up in the war. Draco dreaded leaving the safety of his home whenever his master called him. There were times that he desperately wished to have joined Dumbledore that night at the end of his sixth year. Some of the things that he did to people were so heinous that he couldn't start to comprehend what he did, lest he go crazy. It didn't help that the Dark Lord put him high upon a pedestal and making him his favorite. If he couldn't finish his missions on his own, the Dark Lord would always make an example of him.

The only saving grace that he had was his wife. Ever since that morning in his bathroom, they seemed to be more relaxed around one another, and when they weren't teasing each other, they were conversing about the smallest things. He couldn't say that they were one of a kind, by any means. In fact, he would say that they were polar opposites. He found a small pleasure whenever he heard her tell him no. Whenever she told him he was wrong, he felt his adrenaline start to pump. He had to admit, he was really starting to warm up to her.

But as elated as he was when he was with her, part of him wished that he still hated her with every fiber in his being. If his master ever found out how close the two of them were getting, she would be taken away. The Dark Lord seemed to have an unnatural interest in her. Draco knew that if he wasn't careful, the Dark Lord would try to find a way to steal her away from Draco. If Draco showed too much interest in her, the Dark Lord would punish him for straying away from his loyalty. He was tortured enough for failing in his last big mission…

As busy as he was in the war, he tried his hardest to be with Ginny whenever he could. His excuse to himself was that she was unstable and that he needed to make sure she didn't try to kill herself again. But deep down, Draco knew…he knew that he just liked being around her. She was fun and exciting, and could make him laugh. He never showed it around her; he didn't want her to know that he felt something more between them. But late at night, when he would stagger in after his killing sprees, he would lay in bed, and think of her. The things she would do or say that would make him laugh or just plain happy would block out the horrible things that he did not too much long ago.

Ginny, on the other hand, wasn't warming up to her husband as much as he was to her. She did, however, notice that they were getting along a little bit better. She didn't really have to revert to physical violence anymore, and he didn't really make fun of her for being poor. It slightly bothered her that he didn't insult her as much anymore.

One day, during dinner, Ginny just blurted out her thoughts.

"Why don't you make fun of me anymore? I mean, it's a little weird that you don't make fun of me being poor anymore," she said, while eating her soup. Draco looked over his spoon at her and cocked an eyebrow.

"Because, Weasley, you're no longer poor. You gained quite a bit of wealth when we got married," he told her, before going back to his soup. She gave an exasperated sigh.

"Then why do you insist on calling me Weasley?" she asked. He smirked.

"Because it's a little weird for me to call you anything other than that, since that is how I knew you since you were little," he told her as if she was a stupid young child.

"I still am little," she said, abandoning her soup and crossing her arms over her chest to pout. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You are a married woman, Weasley. You're not a child anymore," he snapped.

"Bollocks to that! I'm only sixteen!" she cried. A look of surprise and slight interest flashed over his features.

"When's your birthday, Virginia?" he asked, leaning onto the table and placing he chin in his hand. His piercing eyes struck her and made her stomach flip. Her mouth went dry and she made a move to talk, but nothing came out. She reached for her glass and took a drink of water.

"Um, in about three weeks, actually," she managed to choke out. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Virginia?" he looked like he actually was interested.

"You didn't ask," she sighed, rolling her eyes. To her surprise, he chuckled.

"Why does it matter to you anyway, Malfoy?" she asked with caution in her voice.

"Because now I only have three weeks to coordinate a party," he told her, grabbing a roll and taking a bite.

"But I don't want a party. I'm only turning seventeen," she told him.

"Exactly, you're becoming of age, Virginia. That's a big thing. It's definitely a reason to celebrate, don't you think?"

"Why do you even want to have a party?"

"I don't. It's Malfoy tradition. And because I know you Weasley's are thick, I'll remind you once again that you are a Malfoy now," he told her. But instead of the superior act he always put on, he gave her a boyish grin. She glared at him and threw her roll at his smug face. He first looked surprised then his features darkened. He called for the house elf and requested that the rest of their dinner would be brought out. The elf disappeared and the soup vanished, but in its place was an amazing three course meal.

"You want to test me Weasley?" he spat. She raised her chin defiantly and smirked at him.

"What's the matter, Malfoy? Can't you handle- bloody hell!" she screeched as a glob of mashed potatoes landed on her chest. He grinned and buffed his fingers on his shirt. She grabbed a spoonful of peas and mixed them in with some carrots and mashed potatoes, then flung them straight at Draco's head. She giggled when her concoction landed in the middle of his forehead. He glared at her.

"You realize that this means war," he growled. He scooped up a handful of gelatin and threw it at her. She screeched and tried to duck, but her efforts were useless. Soon, the two teens were flinging their dinner at one another. Mousse, mashed potatoes, pot roast, and other food items were flying back and forth while the room was filled with screeches and laughter. They chased each other around the table and just let themselves have fun.

Draco finally caught up to her and trapped her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist. She shrieked and kicked her legs around and he lifted her up slightly from the ground.

"Put me down! Put me down!" she laughed. His face was right by her neck, and she felt his hot breath. It was sending shivers down her spine. She felt him flex his pectoral muscles against her back, and she felt herself get a little warmer.

"What do you say?" he whispered against her neck. His hot breath near her sensitive ear sent a very large shiver through her body. She knew he felt it, because the next thing she knew, she felt his teeth graze her earlobe. She let out and audible gasp and grabbed his arms.

"Did someone forget her manners?" he asked, his normally annoying voice striking her as sexy at the moment. He nuzzled his nose against her sensitive neck and she giggled.

"I'm very ticklish there" she murmured.

"You need to give me the magic word, little Weasley, or else I'll keep doing this" he smirked as he continued to nuzzle her neck.

"What if I don't want you to stop?" she giggled, wriggling against his body. He let out a soft groan.

"As light as you are, Virginia, eventually my arms will get tired," he told her. She was quiet for a few seconds.

"Would you please let me down?" she asked reluctantly. He let her down slowly, but still held onto her slight frame. He wanted to tell her that he was starting to like her, but he didn't want to scare her off. Instead he just held her there, smelling the mixture of apple and pear scents from her shampoo. She, on the other hand, was getting very nervous. She was starting to find the ferret attractive, especially when he got out of the shower and his hair would hang in his eyes. Just now, when he was holding her, she felt how sculpted he was, and that was her weakness.

He needed to tell her how she would make his day seem so less bleak and that she was his best friend in the world. He was starting to care for her and he really didn't want to, but he was. He knew he was going crazy, but she was the only normal thing in his life anymore. Everything was so fucked up for him, with the war and not being in school. She kept him from going crazy and he was really appreciating her for what she was worth. Maybe he only felt this way because he was worried that everyday he was going to die, but every night that he came home to her, he knew that it would be one more day he could live. Maybe if he had chosen any other girl, he would feel the same way. But right now, at this moment, he felt something very powerful for her- she had just made him feel like a normal, red-blooded teenaged boy and at that exact moment, everything was alright in his world. He never wanted this moment to end.

"I like you, Ginny," he whispered as soft as he could. Just as he hoped, she didn't hear him. Now she couldn't reject him.

For Ginny, she was starting to feel closer to her husband. Everything between them at that exact moment was perfect. But maybe it was because of her jaded sense of love that she knew that this wouldn't last except for that moment. But still, she was taking the moment as it came and was thoroughly enjoying it as much as she possibly could. There was a tenderness that he never before possessed. She never really had such caring portrayed before her, well for the exception of her mother. She took a deep breath and enjoyed his scent. It was a mixture of fresh cut grass and his signature cologne. Then she heard him whisper something. She couldn't tell what it was. She stayed where she was for a few minutes, but curiosity got the best of her. She spun around and faced him, placing her hands on his arms.

He looked down at her, and smiled softly to himself. Her eyes were bright and shining, and her lips glossy and parted slightly. He leaned in a little closer, and she mimicked him.

"Weasley could I-"he started, but was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Annoyed, she spun around, and saw his father.

"Dad," he said, slightly nervous. Lucius did not look happy at what he just walked in on.

"Draco…Miss Weasley," he said curtly, nodding at her. She cowered behind her husband. She would never forget the nightmares he gave her back from her first year.

"I was finally released from Azkaban, and I had heard that while I was gone, my son got married. I'm still hoping that it was a rumor, Draco, and what I just happened to walk in on was you taking advantage of a servant," Lucius said coldly.

"We are married, sir," Draco said quietly, hanging his head. He knew his father was going to have a few words to say about his choice of a wife. Pure wrath crossed Lucius' face, making it twist into a grotesque expression.

"Draco, may I have a word with you?" he snarled. With that he turned on his heel and stormed out of the dining room. Draco followed, after giving Ginny a sad look.

Ginny sat nervously in the parlor next to the study where her husband was. She heard angry voices but she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. She wrung her hands and bit her lip as she heard the arguing get more and more heated. She hoped that this horrible argument wasn't over her… Then she heard something shatter against the wall. That's when she jumped out of her chair and ran up the stairs, into his room.

She sat on his bed, biting her nails, waiting for him to come up. She was so worried about his well being. But he was taking so long. He and his father were arguing for over two hours. She was warm in his room and slowly, yet reluctantly she fell asleep.

She was woken up about an hour and a half later when Draco slammed the door open. She noticed that his right eye was bruised and swollen.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" he snapped, when he saw her on his bed. He couldn't say that he was completely upset that she was on there, but at that moment, he wanted to be alone.

"I was waiting for you, Draco what happened to your face?" she asked, rushing over to him, gently touching his face. Annoyed, he brushed her off and tried to walk past her. But she stopped him, and looked at him intensely.

"What do you bloody want?" he snarled. She wasn't scared this time. She wasn't going to let him back down. Somewhere in her min, she channeled Molly Weasley and gently, but firmly grabbed his shoulders.

"You're hurt and you need help," she said firmly.

"I don't want your fucking pity," he growled, his fierceness slightly scaring her. But she wasn't going to let him over power her.

"First of all, Draco, you need to stop that cursing. You have no need to use that tone with me," she chastised, "furthermore, I do not pity you. I'm worried about you and I want to make sure that you'll be ok." He pursed his lips together and glared at her. She pushed him onto his bed and called for the house elf. She requested a raw steak and turned back to him.

"Did he do this to you?" she asked softly, running her fingertips gently over his bruise. He winced, but gave her a grim smile.

"Actually, I thought it was a nice little addition to my face. It makes me look quite dignified don't you think?" he asked dead panned. He felt a little grateful that she cared so much. Actually, he was very grateful that she cared so much. His face was really hurting him, and he was slightly enjoying all the nurturing.

The house-elf popped back into the room with a raw steak on a platter. Ginny took it from her and thanked her. She turned back towards her husband and told him to lean his head back. He did as he was told, and she placed the cool steak on his face.

"Does this actually work?" he asked.

"It keeps your eye from swelling closed," she said gently, looking at him. He smiled at her and rubbed her back.

"Why do you insist on taking so much care of me?" he asked softly. She gave a large sigh and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"For better or for worse, in sickness and in health," she said, "Why did he do this to you?" He knew she was going to ask, but he didn't want to answer. He just didn't think that there was any nice was to tell your wife that your father wants her dead… He gave her a small smile and shrugged his shoulders.

"It was just a little disagreement. It's nothing to be alarmed about," he said with a crooked grin. She gave him a withering glare.

"I heard something break in there, Draco. That was hardly just a little disagreement," she chastised, leaning a bit closer. They had been flirting all day and even now she was just enjoying the attention. His hand was on her back and he began to rub it.

"It's nothing that you should worry about," he told her gently. Pressing firmly on her back, he got her to lay her head on his chest. A year ago, if someone told him that he would be married to Ginny Weasley and he would actually be enjoying her company, he probably hex that idiot to hell.

"What broke?" she asked, getting the hint that she should change the subject. She was enjoying the steady beat of Draco's heart. She always liked listening to heartbeats- they were so strong and so reliable. She always loved the sheer intricacies of the human body. When she was little, she would always be fascinated watching her brothers run and play. The way each limb would so smoothly extend and flex- it would keep her mesmerized for hours. When she got older, she would go to the nearest muggle dictionary and borrow medical books. She would read about each system in the body, and she would just eat it up. She loved how muggle doctors were almost like wizards in their own right. They have no prior knowledge of their patient yet they almost always are able to tell what's going on in that person's body. It was quite unlike a medi-witch, where spells and potions were created and performed in order to identify what was wrong in the body, and then cure it. But that never stopped Ginny from wanting to become a medi-witch.

"You know that one crystal vase your mother gave us for our wedding?" he asked tentatively. Ginny's head shot up surprised.

"Bloody Hell!" she screeched, "That vase has been in our family for years!"

"I didn't know that. Maybe the elves haven't thrown it out yet…" his voice trailed off as she screamed bloody murder. He was trying to hold in his chuckle as his wife started pacing back and forth.

"How am I going to explain this to my mum?" she muttered to herself. Draco let it go and started to chuckle. The more and more Ginny stressed the more and more Draco laughed. Finally Ginny turned to him and asked him what the hell he was laughing about.

"You!" he said between laughs.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! That vase didn't break- it was a mirror," he told her. Se glared at him, and walked over to where he was. She slapped him hard on the stomach, and then sat down to pout. He cried out at her slap, but continued to laugh. He scooped her into his arms and brought her back to him.

"Come on, Weasley, take a little joke," he told her, squeezing her. Reluctantly, she rolled her eyes and smiled. She placed her chin on his chest and looked at him. With a start she stood up and walked into the bathroom. She came back with a wet washcloth. She sat next to Draco and took the steak off his eye and put it back on the plate. Then, she washed his eye off, sat back, and smiled at him.

"The swelling is gone," she said softly. He smiled back, and once more pulled her to him.

"I really appreciate what you've done for me," he told her, holding her body close to his.

"All that I did was take care of your black eye," she said.

"You've done more than that, Ginny. You help me get through the night sometimes. You've made me laugh more than I've ever laughed in my life. When I'm pissed, you listen to me bitch. You're real and genuine, and it's so refreshing. Syltherins are usually the most fake people I have ever met, but what I see is what I get with you. You…you're my best friend, Weasley," he said tentatively.

"You're all I've got in this world, right now, Malfoy. You've taken your vows very seriously, and I admire you for that. I still see you as an inbred, albino ferret, but I don't think you're that big of a prat as I thought you were back at school. You're my best friend too, Draco," she told him, brushing his hair off his face. Then that's when it happened. Neither of them knew who initiated it, nor did they know who accepted it. All they knew was that they kissed.

It was, at first, a soft, slow kiss. It was almost as though their lips just brushed one another and it was just going to stay like that. But then, it got a little deeper and their lips pressed against each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he nibbled on her bottom lip. Tentatively, she ran her tongue over his bottom lip. He sighed and returned the favor. The kiss deepened and their tongues darted around each other's mouths. She ran her fingers through his hair and giggled when he nibbled on her earlobe. She felt as if her entire body was electrified as his soft lips ran over her neck, to the top of her chest, then back up to her lips. Then, just as quickly as the kissing started, it ended.

"I-I should get to bed," she muttered, making to get up. He stopped her.

"Please, stay with me tonight. It's been a long day and I just would like to have you with me. If you want, I could separate the bed…" his voice trailed off when she placed a finger to his lips.

"Ok…I'll stay," she said softly, sliding back down into his arms. That night, Draco went straight to sleep, and if someone looked really close, they would see a slight smile on his face.

Authors note: YAY! I got out another chapter in a matter of a few days. I deserve many reviews for this. Why? Because I'm in college and my midterms are in jeopardy. So, let me know if I should keep writing. Byes!