Unforeseen Events

by nabiya

7 years after Harry died battling Voldemort, Ginny still hasnt let his memory go. Until a very persistent, very annoying Draco Malfoy comes to disrupt her neatly organized life.

1. Chapter 1

Unforeseen events – A Draco/Ginny ship

Chapter 1

Not a day had passed since that fateful battle where Ginny did not think about Harry Potter. How their lives had been; how they had only just decided to try again in their relationship the night before; and how he had told her…..

"Calling Healer Weasley, there's an emergency on the ground floor. Your presence is required immediately" Ginny came out of her reverie the moment she heard the magically magnified voice coming from somewhere very near her head.

Walking hurriedly to the receptionist at the front desk Ginny marveled at how quickly she could put Harry out of her mind, compared to years ago when the wounds were still very fresh.

"Gladys, what's the case?" She asked hurriedly, taking the folder that the receptionist (Gladys) handed her. Noting the slight smile curving around the older woman's lips and the glint in her eye, Ginny chose to ignore it…for now.

"Young man, late twenties, fell of a prototype Quidditch broomstick earlier at his factory, broken knee, dislocated shoulder and possible internal bleeding." Her smile growing as Ginny turned to go to the examination room "Oh, and Ginevra dear, he's very good looking, so you might want to be more careful with this one" with a wink she turned back to the line of waiting patients.

Shaking her head slightly with a smile on her face, Ginny turned into examination room 3. Still musing about Gladys' ability to try to set her up with patients even after years of failure, Ginny opened the door and nearly bolted out again.

Sitting on the stretcher/bed/table a grumpy looking Draco Malfoy was trying not to heal his own injuries with a simple charm. At the sound of the door opening he turned his head to look at his doctor, "It's about time you got-" breaking off when he saw the head of bright red hair. "Well, well, hullo there Weasley. Are you my healer then? This is going to be interesting" Giving her his signature smirk he watched her walk in after a slight hesitance.

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. Now, how exactly did you sustain these injuries? Fell of a broomstick? Something you're quite used to, isn't it?" she asked his with a straight face. His smirk got even…smirkier (was the word that came to Ginny's mind, even though there is no such word). Taking out her wand she muttered a charm and ran it over his body, from head to toe, front and back.

"Right," she said before he could say anything further "I'll just do a simple charm to fix your knee and shoulder; however there was already something a bit wrong with your lips so I'm not sure if there's anything I can do about them. I'm afraid that self-satisfied look is going to be stuck on your face." She walked to her desk, feeling a bit shocked at her reaction to seeing Malfoy again. Picking up a heavy tome she wasn't surprised when Draco said something else.

"I see you still haven't put our past differences aside…I guess I can't really blame you for that, I did nothing to make you think that I was anything other than a self absorbed, spoiled, rich boy." The tone in his voice sounded so sincere that Ginny had to fight not to turn around and apologize. Her hands shook as she found the right incantations to cure his injuries.

"I don't feel anything for you, Mr. Malfoy, be it negative or positive. I'm merely here to heal you and send you on your way home." Turning to face him once again, Ginny did all she could to avoid making eye contact with him.

Muttering the proper incantations and healing him at once she handed him a salve and gave instructions to apply it twice every day for the next 2 weeks. He walked out without another word to her, leaving her to her own jumbled thoughts.

"Why on Earth did I react that way? He didn't do anything to deserve what I did. I should have been civil. But..." she shook her head lightly and rubbed the bridge of her nose, she could feel another one of those headaches beginning to brew in her head again. She walked over to the glass window and leaned her forehead against the cool glass, closing her eyes she allowed her mind to wander.

There was a knock on her door, she went to open it and found herself face to face with the greenest pair of eyes she had ever seen, the very eyes that she had fallen in love with when she was eleven. She saw the rest of the face, the rugged good looks, still shaggy hair, and soft lips in a hesitant smile…the face of Harry Potter.

Since she graduated she had only met him once, at Hermione's going away party 5 months after the end of her school years. They had danced and talked of light topics, things that did not really matter. Both consciously avoiding the topic that both knew the other wanted to discuss. At the end of the night she had left, feeling drained and had not bothered to say goodbye to anybody.

Now he stood at her door, looking irresistible in a deep red jumper and black trousers. "Ginny, I'm sorry to intrude on you like this…but I really needed to talk to you. We can't avoid it any longer…"

Opening her door wider, Ginny smiled and allowed him to come in. "Err…excuse the mess, I only just moved in last week. The twins have been helping me move in…as you can see." She was feeling awkward about this predicament that they were in. They never had problems talking to each other before, maybe now it was hard because the one thing both wanted, they could not bear to talk about.

Harry stood in the centre of her living room, looking about a bit lost, a smile on his face when he saw the framed picture of the trio with Ginny, Luna and Neville taken during Christmas of his seventh year. "I remember that photo, we had all just opened our presents and each got a Weasley jumper in the Gryffindor colours." He said chuckling as he saw Ron looking disgusted in between trying to kiss Hermione who was blushing. Ginny was standing in one far corner in the frame while Harry was at the other end, both stealing glances at each other.

"And that was the year that you crushed my hopes of us being together again…" Ginny thought to herself.

"Sit down, would you like something to drink?" she asked him, suddenly recalling her manners. He sat down on the sofa and shook his head no "It's alright, what I really came for is to talk to you…come sit here with me, will you?" he asked her softly. Holding out a hand he looked at her with a silent plea in his eyes.

Those eyes…she forgot all reason and took his hand, sobbing slightly when he pulled her into his arms. "Oh, Ginny…I'm so sorry, love. I shouldn't have done this to you…" he murmured to her tightly against his chest. Her hands wrapped around his neck and she looked up at him with a single tear running down her cheek. 'Don't cry, love…please, don't. You're tearing me up." He said to her in a husky voice. At his words she immediately tried harder to rein in the flood of emotions that was terrorizing to consume her.

He placed his palm against her cheek, brushing the tear away, holding her face in his hands he leant down and kissed her for the first time in 2 years. Crying again she kissed him back softly, trying to send all her love to him in that one single kiss. Harry pulled away after a while and leant his forehead against hers. Looking into her eyes, he said one thing "I love you" and this time she kissed him back.

A tear had fallen down her cheek as she remembered that day 7 long years ago. Harry was gone now…gone from her forever. She hastily wiped the teardrop away and walked out of the room, to once again bury her in the distracting work of healing.

Chapter 2

"Pass the mashed potatoes, dear" Mrs. Weasley was once again reveling in the act of feeding her poor starving children. She looked forward to these weekly dinners with all her children. All her children that were still…living.

Mr. Weasley had died in the final battle, and so had George. When the news first came about their deaths, the family had mourned for ages. Mrs. Weasley looked to be in a zombie-like state, barely living, and only then just for the sake of the rest of her children. Bill, Charlie and Percy had all come home to stay with her for the first month, to keep her company and not miss the sudden departure of her beloved husband. Fred wandered around as if he himself were dead for months after the death of his twin; his partner in crime; his other half. It was a trying time for the entire family and they had all stuck together through the entire ordeal. Eventually Mrs. Weasley began to settle into a new pattern, she would wake up early and the first thing she would do every morning is to gather fresh flowers from her garden and walk to her husband and son's burial spot up the hill, near the orchard. She would sit there for an hour every morning just reflecting on life and sometimes talking to Arthur. Telling him about things that have happened, or reminiscing about the times they had shared together.

She would then walk home and cook breakfast for her children, and after they left for work, she would read a book, or sew, or spend time in the garden. Occasionally, her friends from the village would visit her and they would gossip. And every night before bed, Mrs. Weasley would say a prayer for her children and extended family.

"You really should eat more, dearest; your face is getting smaller by the day!" Molly chided Ginny, who smiled prettily at her mother and took a bite of roast chicken. Satisfied, Molly turned to Fred.

"Now, darling, you're a father now…you should set a better example for George." Fred just grinned at her and looked down at his 3 year old son and over his head at his wife Angelina Weasley. They both gave each other a tender smile.

"Yes, mother…I guess the last trick wasn't very appropriate for dinner now was it?" he said referring to the trick where he had made Ron's skin turn a deep shade of red.

"I would say so! That's just wrong, Fred! I'm a grown man now; you have no right to do that to me." The very indignant Ron exclaimed on the other side of the table.

After the war had ended, and things had begun to settle again, Ron had tried out for the Chudley Cannons and he was accepted. After a season with them, they began to rise up to the top of the league again, and since then they had won the league 4 times. He was also keeper for the England national squad where he played alongside Fred's wife, Angelina. He was supposedly England's 3rd most eligible bachelor, according to Witch Weekly, after Draco Malfoy and Marcus Flint. But he had surprisingly remained single in the past years, not getting too involved with any women. Ginny suspected this was because he was still heartbroken over Hermione's departure, but of course Ron denied this every time she tried to mention it.

3 year old George let out a bubble of laughter when Ron's face turned a very Weasley shade of red. "Uncle Won turn red again!" he asked as he looked up at his mother with a questioning look on his face.

The family burst into gales of laughter, and despite Ron's look of indignation they all could not help it. They had all avoided mention of the joke, but now that Little George had brought it up, they could not resist rubbing it in for Ron.

Fleur Delacour-Weasley sat beside Molly trying to force her daughter, Nicole to eat the brussel sprouts that Molly had prepared. Nicole sat there with a determined look on her face, her arms crossed and her red Weasley hair complementing her fair complexion perfectly. Anyone looking at her would know that she was the daughter of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour.

Ginny watched her family with a jumbled well of emotions in her heart – love, happiness, sadness, and worse of all, a feeling of being unsatisfied. Something was missing from her life, and she had a sinking feeling she knew what it was. She stubbornly erased the thought from her mind as she turned to her mother and asked her about a certain sewing technique she was having trouble with (not that she was, she just needed to distract her treacherous thoughts).

Chapter 3

After being weighted down with packages of food from her mother and kisses from her niece and nephew, Ginny finally Floo-ed home that night. She dumped the food on the kitchen table and walked to her room. Too tired to care, she shed her clothes as she walked. Finally, in just her underwear she sat down at the foot of her bed. Staring down at her hands, she finally gave in to her emotions and a tear slowly made its way down her cheek. She abandoned all pretenses and cried her heart out as she lay on the bed, clutching a pillow tightly to her chest. She cried like she had her heart broken, she cried for Harry, she cried for her father, her brother, her lonely mother living alone, for Fred who would never look at his twin again, for Ron who never learnt to love after Hermione, and ultimately for herself and how lonely she was feeling.

Various thoughts raced through her mind as she let loose the dam of tears, and now that she had, she could not control them as each aspect of her life which had been bothering her came up and made her cry even harder.

In the end, she fell into a fitful slumber, where she was plagued by images of Draco Malfoy falling off his broom and she just stood by with all the people she had lost, laughing at him as he fell over and over again.

As the next day was a Saturday, and Ginny had a day off from the hospital, she took the liberty of waking up at 10 and having breakfast before she cleaned up. Considering the fact that she couldn't cook, Ginny had an unusually large supply of cereal and milk. She also had tons of food packages sent over from her mother who moaned that her only daughter didn't inherit her skills in the kitchen.

Pouring cold milk over her big bowl of cereal, she hastily added in the strawberries that she had sliced on top of the colourful concoction. Just as she was about to consume the spoonful of sugary treats into her mouth, a knock came from her front door. Cursing the visitor's timing, she shuffled over to the door in her bedroom slippers and the oversized Chudley Cannons shirt that she had thrown over herself.

She cracked the door open to see the person standing outside and was annoyed to find a very agitated Ron Weasley. Tempted to slam the door shut, she pulled it open the rest of the way instead. "Morning, Ginny." He said as he walked in, not bothering to wait for an invitation.

"Morning…" she said as she shut the door. She walked back into the kitchen to find Ron sitting in her chair, eating her cereal. "Excuse me? Accio bowl." She said as she pulled her wand out of her pocket.

Laughing uncomfortably, Ron remained seated, watching his sister with a painful expression on his face. Finally, after not being able to feign ignorance any longer, Ginny looked up and asked him exasperatedly, "What? What is it?"

"I'm glad you asked." He told her curtly. "Gin, you know we've gotten very close over the past few years…and we always shared everything?" She nodded hesitantly and he continued, "Gin, I never told you…I…always…I mean…that is to say…Herm-"

"You always loved Hermione, and you were heartbroken when she left and that's the reason you never dated any other women." She said simply, still eating her cereal.

"Wh- How did you know? I never told anyone!" he sputtered indignantly as his ears began to turn a familiar shade of red.

"It's bloody obvious, Ron. I always knew." She said as she waved her wand over her now empty bowl to clean it. When she finished her task, she looked up at him once again; an assertive look on her face telling Ron that she was all business now. "So what do you plan on doing now that you've owned up to it?" She asked.

"P-Plan?" He asked her with a lost look on his face. "I don't have any plan. I just, I had to come talk to you…I received an owl from her last night. She's coming back…and she wants to know if we can meet up…"

Ginny smiled at her brother's lost look, "And what did you say? You did send a reply didn't you?"

"I didn't. I don't know what to do, Gin." He dropped his head into his hands and sat like that for a minute or so. "She didn't contact me for 7 years…and now…I'm not just someone she can rely on to always be here for her when she feels like coming back."

Rising from her chair, she went up to her brother and patted him on the back, "I'm sure that's not what she thinks of you, Ron." She waited for a response that didn't come. "Give her a chance, Ron…You may regret it later should…" She trailed off as her throat began to feel tight and tears threatened to come to her eyes.

Ron said nothing as he turned and gathered his little sister in his arms and allowed her to cry. "Shhh…don't cry, Gin. You're nose will get runny, and your face will turn red…you know how much you hate that." He told her in an effort to take her mind off Harry.

She swatted his arm as she pulled away, and her face was indeed red. Ron decided to hold back this piece of information as she still looked shaken. "I like your shirt, though. You should wear orange more often. I'll send you a few more Cannons merchandise."

This earned him a smile from the dishelleved girl standing in front of him. "I'll write Hermione. But I'd like it if you joined me to meet her…I don't think I can do it alone. Not yet, Gin."

Seeing the pleading look in his eyes, she gave in, nodding hesitatingly, "okay, just make sure it isn't a day I have to work. And that you inform me at least 2 days before!"

"All right, I will. Now stop being a nag and go get dressed. You smell like the twins' old room." Seeing the shadow cross over her features at the mention of the twins, Ron stood up and crossed over to where she stood, fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt, and enveloped her in a warm hug. "Don't dwell on it, Gin. We've been through this a million times, and it's not going to make it feel any better, but you've got to get on with your life. We both do…It's time for a change around here."

He broke away from her and pushed her in the direction of her room. "Come on, I'll write to Hermione while you get ready and we'll go to Diagon Alley for a day of rest and recreation."

And sure enough, when Ginny had retreated to her bedroom, and Ron heard the sounds of the shower coming to life, he summoned a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing a note to Hermione. He was unbelievably nervous, and kept crossing out words and whole sentences. "What do you say to a woman you loved and haven't spoken to in 7 bloody years?" he mused aloud.

In the end, he wrote the entire thing again, deciding to keep it short and simple.

"Dear Hermione, I received your letter. I'm glad you wrote me before coming down here. I'll be happy to see you again; Ginny and I will meet you at the Leaky Cauldron next Friday at 1pm for lunch.

Yours, Ronald."

Satisfied with the letter, he rolled it up and tied it to Hedwig's leg. Hedwig had come to Ginny when she found herself without a master, and Ginny had made Hedwig her own; keeping her close as one of the few things that Harry had left her.

"To Hermione, Hedwig." Ron told her affectionately, as he stroked the beautiful owl's head. The bird flew off through the kitchen window and Ron waited for Ginny to come out.

"I'm glad you decided to write to her, although I do wish you had asked me first before you included me in your meeting! I said inform me 2 days before, not 2 hours after!" Ginny told him exasperatedly later as they walked out of Flourish and Blott's, where she had bought a book on new healing techniques and Ron had purchased an unauthorized biography of himself.

"Did you know I dated 12 women in 5 months? Or…that I was the top student in Hogwarts, beating Hermione!" He said, reading from the sleeve of the book, a look of amusement on his handsome face.

"Ronald! I'm talking to you!" the red-haired witch cried from beside him.

Laughing as he tucked the book into his jacket pocket, he put an arm around her shoulders, "Gin, I thought you wanted me to meet her! And you know perfectly well I can't face her alone without doing or saying anything stupid. I just need you there to keep things neutral. Please, Gin." He gave her a look which showed how much he wanted her to be there.

Exasperated, Ginny threw her hands in the air, nearly knocking his head with her book as she did so "Oh, alright! But I won't be there long, I've got to work and you know how I feel about leaving the hospital for too long."

"Right! I'll make sure you leave after the ice is broken. I owe you, Gin." He said, giving her a one handed hug before he let go. "I forgot!" he cried as he smacked his forehead with his hand. "I've got to meet my manager at the stadium in 5 minutes!"

"Oh, okay…you should go then. I'll see you soon, and tell me if Hermione writes back!" she said to him as he nodded, bent down to give her a kiss on her cheek and spun around before apparating to the Cannons' stadium.

She was faintly disappointed that he had left; Ron had managed to lift her spirits in the few hours they had spent together. They had indeed grown closer since the end of the war; Ron had lost a brother, and Ginny- a lover. They both turned to each other to exorcise the grief of loss, and had discovered a sibling love that they had never shared before. And now, every time either one faced a problem; they would each turn to the other for advice or just a shoulder to cry on.

She looked at the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, where a small group of people had gathered to peer into the window. Her curiosity getting the best of her, she approached the store-front and peered in at the display. An impressive new racing broom had been set up, it's tail sleek and dark, the handle made of dark ebony. Ginny had never renounced her love for Quidditch, despite the fact that it reminded her too strongly of Harry. She gaped in wonderment at the beautiful broom and edged closer to see what model it was and read the plaque underneath it.

In silver letters, the name "Draconian" was written in bold, cursive writing. She looked down at the plaque where her suspicions were confirmed. This was the first model made by Draco Malfoy's company. Built to be faster than any other racing broom; more sensitive and also the added bonus of the ability to understand the owner's intentions when riding, it was bound to be the most popular racing broom of the decade.

When Lucius Malfoy had died in the war, Draco Malfoy had inherited all his material wealth, becoming the richest 19 year old in the British Wizarding world. He was well known for his aid to Harry Potter in the final battle, and while most of the wizarding community has accepted him to the "good" side, there were still those who questioned his intentions, and even more who wanted him dead for his betrayal to the Dark Lord. Draco Malfoy had spent years in hiding before finally emerging into society 3 years ago. Since then, he had bought over the Nimbus company, the Cleansweep and also the Shooting Star. In the course of one and a half years, he had turned the 3 companies into the most successful racing brooms suppliers in the world. And now, he has introduced his own touch to the world of Quidditch – the Draconian.

"I see you've found something you like, Ms. Weasley." Ginny didn't bother to face the speaker, as she recognized that drawl perfectly well.

Still admiring the Draconian, Ginny said to him "It certainly is impressive. I just wish the person who made it wasn't so narcissistic to name the broom after himself."

He remained silent for some time, and Ginny turned to see if he was still there. Only to find him watching her intently with his signature smirk in place, "Ah, well you see: I would have named it Black after my mother's family and also to suit the design of the broom, but the board of directors insisted on Draconian. And how could I resist when it has such a commanding ring to it?" and before she could reply he leaned in and said in a low voice, just beside her ear "Just like its maker."

She refused to let him see her back away and turned her face upwards so that her mouth was near his ear as well, "I don't particularly care." Her voice warm and low, contrasting with her words.

He smirked and straightened up, looking down at her with a renewed look in his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you don't." And with this, he turned on his heel and walked away. When she emerged from the crowd to go after him, she saw that he had gone.

Later that day, when Ginny Apparated into her flat, her arms laden down with her purchases, she found a letter waiting for her on her kitchen table. Setting her things down on the table, she went about her ritual of making a pot of tea to calm her nerves and also to fill her flat with a homely, lived-in smell.

Pouring herself a cup of hot, scalding tea she finally sat down and picked up the letter. Curious, as the only thing written on the envelope was "Ginevra Weasley" in a handwriting she did not recognize. She unfolded the parchment and began to read.

"To Miss Weasley,

I would like to show my gratitude for your help with the injuries I sustained the other day by inviting you out for dinner. I'm sure you would find something else you like if you agree. Please send an owl in reply with the day you are available and what time I could pick you up.

Yours,

Draco Malfoy."

A look of disbelief crept over her beautiful features as she read and re-read the letter. "Presumptuous little ferret!" she said out loud as she set the letter down on her table. He had already assumed that she would accept his invitation, even after all her effort to discourage him.

She lost no time in summoning parchment and a quill to her and wrote a reply to him. "To Mr. Malfoy, I appreciate the "sincere" invitation. However, I have strict beliefs against healer-patient socializing outside of the hospital.

G. Weasley."

She called Hedwig, who had returned from her earlier drop-off, and tied the letter to her leg. "Malfoy." She said simply, too annoyed to say anything else. The bird flew out her window the second time that day and Ginny went back to her tea.

Chapter 4

Two days had passed and Ginny had not received any more letters from Draco. Going back to work had pushed him to the back of her mind and she had not given him a single thought since she had sent off the letter.

She stopped by Gladys' desk before leaving the hospital on Monday night and was surprised when Gladys told her she had received something. She returned a few seconds later carrying a vase of white orchids, and a huge smile.

"Oh, what are you smiling about?" Ginny asked her, trying to keep the glee out of he voice but failing as a smile broke out.

"Beautiful, aren't they, luv? Wonder who sent them…the note only had your name on it." The older woman mused as she watched Ginny's face closely.

Fingering the exotic flower, the young woman smiled sincerely. It had been a very long time since she had received flowers, and nothing as beautiful as these. "It doesn't matter who sent them…I still love their thoughtfulness…"

"Whoever it is has got good taste too." Gladys went on. Ginny just laughed and said goodbye before Apparating back home.

When she arrived in her living room, she almost dropped the vase she was carrying as the small flat had been filled entirely with white orchids. "Oh…my…" was all she said as she slowly turned and surveyed the room.

She sat on her sofa, still perplexed at who could have gone through so much trouble to send her these flowers. She looked down at the coffee table and found a clue to that question: an envelope lay there, with a single red orchid on it.

She leaned forward and picked it up, admiring the beauty of the red orchid as she did so. Tearing the envelope open in her haste, she finally unfolded the parchment. A note read "Among the many beautiful blooms, the red one is the one I want." It was unsigned and the writing looked familiar, but Ginny, being tired after a 27 hour day at the hospital could not place it. She finally gave up and walked to her bedroom, where she placed the vase she had carried from the hospital onto her bedside. She read the note once more after she took a bath and fell asleep in her towel, finally giving in to the fatigue.

The light from the sun crept over the body of the sleeping woman. It made her hair alive with the mixture of red and gold, her skin glowed softly and her lips curved upwards in a slow smile as the warmth enveloped her. "Harry…" she murmured and suddenly, Ginny's eyes shot open, she sat up and held her head in her hands.

She looked at the bedside table to see what time it was and saw the lone red flower and the note that she had read, over and over again. This time, she re-read it and the strange, unwelcome feeling of guilt crept into her heart.

She recognized the writing now, after sufficient hours of sleep. It was Draco Malfoy's. Guilt consumed her as she pondered the thought. She had been so happy to receive flowers, and she had even compared it to when she was seeing Harry; how Harry had never given her any flowers, much less this amount of exotic flowers. She felt even worse that they came from Draco. She could not, and would not be disloyal to Harry's memory and have a romance with Draco. Not that she wanted to, anyway.

A sob escaped her, and before it would turn into a full fledged waterfall, she gathered her senses and chucked the note into her bedside drawer where she could not see it.

As she prepared for work she realized that she had been haunted by thought of Harry these past few days. She knew the reason was because she never had proper closure about his passing, but she still denied it to herself when the thought came up.

Apparating from her room, she consciously avoided the sight of the orchids in her effort to not think of Draco. The day passed on uneventfully and she managed to drive him away from her mind. Until she received an urgent memo saying that her presence was needed in the emergency ward immediately.

She ran down 3 flights of stairs and took a deep breath before entering the emergency room. Two senior healers were bustling around the room as attendants hovered around the prone body of a man on the table. She felt her heart rate increase as she saw the white blonde hair on the patient's head. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the body, unable to look away but yet willing herself to avert her eyes.

"Healer! We need your help, pronto! You are one of the few healers who learnt the muggle healing technique, and it seems this man's wounds cannot be magically healed without causing further damage to himself." Healer Johnstone told her urgently.

This seemed to shake her out of her momentary lapse in controlling her thought, and she approached the table rigidly. "What's the case?" she asked as she pulled on the rubber gloves that an attendant had given to her.

"He was attacked outside his office by an unknown source. Looks like there was more than one, and they used numerous near fatal spells on him. On top of that, they used a muggle device on him, a pistol? And shot him from the back where it nearly punctured his left lung and grazed his heart. We can take care of the spells and the lung and heart, but the bleeding wont stop!" Ginny paled at this and listened for the rest, "And we need you to operate muggle treatments on him. It's the only way."

She took half a beat to think about it before calmly telling the attendants to fetch her a number of things she would need to stitch up the wound and to clean it out.

(A/N: I'm not a medic student..i don't know what to write..lol)

An hour later, Ginny emerged from the emergency room, her facial features calm, devoid of any emotions that would even suggest that she had been operating on a man using skills she herself was unsure of. A man who almost died while she was trying to stop the blood from flowing out. A man she knew. A man she was rude to when all he did was try to ask her out.

She walked into the ladies and splashed cold water on her face. Bending low before she finally lifted her eyes to her reflection. Her face was pale, her hands were shaking and her breath came in short gasps. She was having a delayed reaction to what she had seen.

"I need a vacation." She said to herself when she noted the tense set of her shoulders and unhealthy look in her eyes.

The door to a cubicle opened behind her and she almost jumped. "You're right, you work harder than anyone else in this hospital." Pansy Parkinson said as she washed her hands. "It gives the rest of the healers a bad name." With this she walked out, but not before giving the red head a reassuring look. Oh, not a smile, far from it. It was more of a look of understanding and compassion.

Pansy Parkinson was one of the directors of the hospital. She was in charge of the finance department and was darn good at it. The two women had maintained a borderline friendly relationship since Pansy had come to work there, but both had done nothing to take their "friendship" further. They were both comfortable with being just colleagues and nothing more.

Ginny walked out of the bathroom, and towards the lounge to get herself a cup of tea when she was intercepted by Healer Johnstone. "Ms. Weasley, I'd like to congratulate you for your successful effort with Mr. Malfoy. It was a risky move, but it worked out great."

Smiling softly as she looked up at the handsome Healer she asked him in a tone of voice which suggested she did not particularly care but was obligated to ask. "How is Mr. Malfoy doing?"

"He's fine. He's still unconscious, but his condition is stable. As of now, he is recovering rapidly, the bleeding has stopped and we only hope for the best." Henry Johnstone recited all this very quickly before he stopped and looked down at the woman beside him with a strange look in his eyes.

"Miss Weasley, I know this might seem presumptuous to you, but I was wondering if you'd like to go to dinner with me tonight?" His tone was light but Ginny could see that he was really worried that she might reject his offer. He opened his mouth again and said quickly, "I noticed you have been working far too much and too hard these past few weeks, and I'd like to take you out for a relaxing night out as friends. Nothing more if you aren't ready for it."

Ginny pondered this question and decided, "I'd love to, Mr. Johnstone, I'll see you at my house at 8."

He beamed at this and hastily told her that he would definitely be there at 8 and that she should wear something comfortable, before he left to check on one of his patients.

At seven o'clock that evening, just before leaving the hospital Ginny received a memo from the director's office, with instructions to be there immediately.

"Healer Podmore wanted to see me?" She asked the secretary when she came to the designated floor.

The young woman looked up at her, "Yes, he's waiting for you. You're to go in immediately."

Ginny nodded at this and walked through the impressive oak doors, inside she found a warm, cozy office. The occupant – an old man, balding and plump – sitting in an armchair by the fireplace (which was odd considering it was a warm day) and eating toffees.

"Hullo, Ginny, please join me here. I figured that since it is nearly time for you to go anyway, I should make this quick." He said from where he sat, without bothering to stand or even look at her.

Ginny approached the old man who had been a mentor to her for all these years, "Yes, Healer Podmore?"

"Tosh! Healer Podmore! You know better than that, m'dear, as I have told you millions of times, call me Archie!" he stood up to look at the young woman who was taller than him by a few inches. "Now, Ginny, the reason I called you here is to applaud you on your work with Mr. Malfoy earlier. I hear you were excellent! And it seems the results of the operation are better than we anticipated."

Ginny smiled softly at this, and Archie continued "This is why, I have decided to make you head of our M.H.U. – the Muggle Healing Unit. This is a unit that the board of directors have been planning to start for quite a while now, and who better to head it that you?"

He beamed up at Ginny whose small smile had spread and she had a look of disbelief plastered across her face. "Are you sure? I-I mean…me? Ginevra Weasley? Head of my own unit?"

"Yes, you have proven to be an important asset to the hospital and you are the most well trained in the muggle healing techniques, as you have proven today. I have met with the other directors and we have agreed to finalize the plans and make you head." He told her excitedly.

"Oh my…I don't know what to say!" Ginny finally told him as she processed the information.

"Thank you would suffice. And I am aware that you are going to be very late for an appointment if you do not leave immediately." He told her with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Archie, thank you so much! I will not let you down!" And she turned to leave the office when she heard something that stopped her in her tracks.

"And one more thing, Ginny. Mr. Malfoy will be under your personal care until he is treated thoroughly." She spun around to protest, but stopped when she saw that Archie had resumed his seat and was once again popping toffees in his mouth.

Shaking her head ruefully, she stepped out. But not even the thought of baby-sitting Malfoy could ruin her happiness at this moment.

Chapter 5

A sharp shot of pain went through his body as Draco Malfoy regained consciousness at the very moment that Ginny stepped out of the shower later that evening. He cursed as he tried to raise his head but found that it caused him too much pain to do so, and laid back down.

As his eyes began to focus he realized where he was and this caused him to think of the reason he was lying there in the first place. Anger rose up in him as he remembered how weak he had been, how he had not been able to fight back. He had not been thinking clearly, all because of a stupid woman.

Then and there, in that lonely hospital bed, Draco vowed to himself to never let a woman distract him as he had been again.

An attendant entered the room and smiled when he saw his eyes were open. "Hello Mr. Malfoy, it's great to see you are in possession of your wits once more." She said as she bustled around the room, turning on lights and patting his blankets and pillow. "Now, now dearie, don't look so scandalized, here, have a drink of water…"

Draco was about to chastise the woman for being so familiar with him, but stopped as he realized he was indeed very thirsty. His arms felt like lead and it took all his energy to sit up slightly to drink the water that was offered to him.

Groaning as his head hit the pillow once more, he closed his eyes and cursed his luck once again. "How bad is my condition?" He asked her, not wanting to delay the truth any longer as he could not take lying in a hospital bed for very long. "How long do I need to be here?"

"I am in no position to tell you anything, luv, but now that you're awake things look much brighter! You'll be up and running anyday now!" This woman was really too cheerful for his tastes. She was one of those "always a silver lining" type of people, Draco thought ruefully, and having happy, overly optimistic people around him when he was feeling particularly cranky did not help either.

"Where's my Healer? I need to talk to him." He told her firmly.

"Her. Healer Weasley is currently unavailable…for good reasons too. Merlin knows she hasn't been on a proper date for ages!" she continued, not noticing the play of expressions on Draco's face.

He had been shocked to learn that Ginny was the one who treated him, and even more so when he heard that she was out on a date. The previous anger he felt for himself paled in comparison when he thought of her with another man.

Although it's not like you wanted her for long term, she's just a pretty toy you want to play with for a while. He told himself. But now that he learnt another man was "playing" with "his" "toy", he realized how much he hated having "his" things taken from him.

He had forgotten that the attendant was in the room, and was surprised when she shook his shoulder. "Mr. Malfoy! I've got to give you your potion. Healer Weasley told me to give you the sleeping potion to help you through the night, the pain will intensify the longer you stay awake." She was holding out a cup of what appeared to be sleeping potion and Draco eyed it warily. He never did trust potions since he was a young boy. His father had drilled that into his skull and he had learnt the hard way when Lucius slipped in some Veriteserum when he was 14 and had received the most vicious trashing of his life afterwards.

She watched him closely and he resignedly took the cup and sighed before swallowing the potion. Before he finished the last drop, his eyes were already drooping and he only registered the fact that the woman caught the cup as it slipped from his fingers. His head hit the pillow and he was once again in a dreamless slumber.

The doorbell rang at precisely 8pm that night and Ginny rushed to get her shoes on before answering it. She held the door open and Henry Johnstone stood there, wearing a white, cotton shirt and straight tan pants, his dark hair combed neatly and his smile warm and friendly. He was the perfect guy to bring home to your parents, but this did not make Ginny feel happy or glad, just mildly annoyed. Though she did not know why.

"Ms. Weasley, I can't say how beautiful you look tonight…I brought you these." He said, holding out a bouquet of daisies. She took them and walked to the kitchen to place them in a vase. Somehow, she didn't have the same feeling of gratitude, happiness and appreciation like when she had received Draco's orchids.

"Call me Ginny, I don't feel comfortable going to dinner with a man who calls me by my full name." She said, smiling up at him as he shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"I feel quite silly for bringing those daisies now I see you've got a room full of white orchids." He told her from where he still stood in the living room. His sincere statement made her feel guilty for her earlier thought.

"Don't be silly, they're just from a persistent admirer who won't take no for an answer. I love the daisies." With this, she led him to the front door, where she took a light wrap and proceeded out the door. "So, tell me Henry, where are you taking me?"

"It's a beautiful restaurant in muggle London, and I'm sure you'd like it." He told her easily.

She was just about to ask him how they were getting there when she saw the white sedan in front of her building. "Yours?" she asked and he nodded. He opened her door for her before entering on his side.

"My father would have loved this…he enjoyed Muggle artefacts…cars even more!" she said, wistfully looking out the window.

They arrived at the restaurant just in time before it started to rain. The hostess led them to a table for two in the middle of the room, and Henry being the perfect gentleman he was, pulled out her chair for her.

Halfway through their main course, Ginny began to run out of things to talk about. She nervously chewed on the piece of fish she had just popped in her mouth in an effort to find an excuse to cover up the silence.

"So, Henry, how come you own a car?" she asked him in a low voice, for fear of being over heard by their neighbours.

"Oh, my dad is a muggle, and I've always loved cars…They're a hobby of mine, actually." He told her. He stopped there, not bothering to elaborate.

She coughed lightly as she reached for her wine glass. This date was turning out to be the most boring thing she had been on, or maybe she just forgot how the whole dating thing went. She shook these thoughts out of her mind before grasping at the first topic which came to mind.

"Healer Podmore called me in today, I'm to be head of my own department." She didn't mean for this to come out in a bragging tone, but somehow it must have.

"Really? But that's fantastic! We must celebrate!" Henry raised a hand to capture the waiter's attention, so he could order a bottle of their champagne.

"No, Henry, it's not necessary. I'm sorry to have to do this, but I forgot that I promised to meet my mother for supper." She noted the change in his face, one of happiness to one of disappointment, but she knew that she had to leave or else she would die of boredom. "I'm really sorry, once again, Henry. But I cant possibly leave her waiting…she'd be terribly upset."

"It's okay, I'll drive you home." He said, standing up and walking over to her side of the table.

"No!" she almost shouted, "I mean, that's quite alright, I'll just Apparate over from the alley next to the restaurant."

He looked reluctant to let her go, but nodded his agreement, the look of disappointment still evident on his handsome face. "Okay, then. I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow, I had a great time. And congratulations, again."

She smiled as she rose up on her toes to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I had a nice time too, and thank you for taking me out, Henry."

With that she walked out the door, and to the alley. Once there, she decided that she would Apparate to The Burrow just to take some of the guilt off of her conscience.

Chapter 6

The effects of the potion wore off at the same moment the attendant pulled back the curtains on his windows, thus causing the sunlight to cover his warm body. "Bloody hell…" he swore as he pried his eyelids open.

"Rise and shine! It's time for breakfast, and afterwards Healer Weasley will come in to check up on you." She said all this in a cheery tone, a huge smile plastered on her freshly scrubbed face. He was feeling better compared to last night, but the sight of that woman being so unbearably happy was annoying him to no end.

After helping him sit up and promptly placing a bowl of porridge on his lap, she walked out of the room, leaving him to brood moodily about annoying, happy people. He looked around the room and registered the fact that it was bare and entirely void of any personal touches. Usually hospital rooms would be filled with flowers, presents and cards, but as he had expected, he had received nothing. Not surprising considering the fact that he had no real friends.

He pushed the thought away and thought about his work and the potential pile of paperwork that would be waiting for him to go through and sign. He pushed the table away from him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his limbs felt very heavy but it was still better than last night.

Just as he was about to stand up the door opened again and in walked the reason he was in this cursed place.

"Good morni- What are you doing? Get back in that bed!" Ginny said forcefully as she strode across the room to where Draco was standing (well, nearly falling over actually). "You shouldn't be out of bed yet! Don't you realize how weak you are at this moment?"

"I am not weak." Was all Draco said as he mustered up all the energy he had left and forced himself to stand up straight.

Ginny sensed the proud egoistic side of his was about to appear so she decided to take a different tactic, "Yes, of course you aren't, Mr. Malfoy. I'm wrong, but I would prefer it infinitely if you would get back in bed." She saw his expression change and continued, "I would be in heaps of trouble if anything were to happen to you."

He looked down at the red-headed woman and decided that getting her into trouble because of his stubborn-ness was not worth it (and also because he really was feeling drained), and sank back onto his bed. "Are you sure that's what you're really worried about? Or are you just worried I might get hurt? For your own personal reasons…" He could not resist baiting her, she was so sexy when she got riled up.

"I assure you, Mr. Malfoy," she replied, stressing his name, "I have no personal inclinations in regard to you at all. So you can just stop flattering yourself and lie back down."

He smirked when he noted the flash of indignation in her eyes, and lay back into the pillow. "So, what do you need me to do, Healer? Take off my robes so you can inspect me?" His annoyance at the attendant earlier was now replaced with an unexplainable inclination to annoy her. And apparently, it was by being a perverted patient.

"No, thank you. I'll leave that to your attendant, Merlin knows Mrs. Wingfield would love to get her eyes on your 'beautiful body'" When she saw his smirk widen she quickly said "In her words, of course. And also 'that Mr. Malfoy has got the body of a Greek God'"

Draco was wonderfully amused by Ginny's playful behaviour, he had seen this side of her often, but only from across the Great Hall when she was with Potter or her little band of friends.

Ginny was too elated to remember to be distant or aloof with Draco. Healer Podmore had just made the announcement to the staff about Ginny's promotion, and had introduced her to 2 foreign healers who would be under her supervision. They were apparently the best at muggle healing in their respective countries, Mr. Chong from the Chinese Wizarding Hospital and Ms. Prianka from Sri Lanka (hey! That rhymes!). They both seemed amiable enough and very eager to start work.

"A Greek God, she says? I wonder which one…I am rather hoping it's Apollo, and not an old dudder like Zeus." His smirk becoming more prominent when he noted the blush creeping up Ginny's neck as she examined the stitches on his chest.

"I'm certain it isn't Hades…she doesn't seem the 'type'" was the reply he received. She looked up from her "close inspection" and her eyes locked with Draco's silver ones. Her skin flushed when she realized that he had caught her staring at his chest.

"Okay, Mr. Malfoy-"

"Please, if you're going to be my Healer and I'm going to be stuck here for at least another week, call me Draco. To me Mr. Malfoy will always be my father, and that is really disconcerting." He said this all hurriedly to leave no room for argument from her part.

She smiled softly, but was still avoiding direct contact, "Alright then…Draco. You'll be here for two weeks actually. And you will be required to come back twice a week for a check up, considering you were healed using muggle techniques, it is important that we keep up the muggle treatment."

"twice a week? But I have work to do! I cannot be expected to play healer and patient with you, Ginny! I hate to think of the condition of my company with my absence as it is now!" He burst out at her, the idea had never struck him that he would have to stay here longer than a week, and be expected to return after that.

"You certainly had no trouble playing patient in your third year." She replied curtly. At his blank expression she elaborated, "You almo- you got Buckbeak killed for that little stunt you pulled!"

He had noted her slip and grasped at that, "Almost? You said almost. Are you telling me the giant oaf managed to out smart the minister of magic?"

"How dare you call him that? After all he has done for us, for you, even! Don't you remember how he saved your life after the last battle!" She was aware that her voice had risen, but she could not and probably would not allow him to call Hagrid a 'great oaf'.

He had the decency to blush, but at the moment he opened his mouth to apologize for his callousness the door to the room swung open and Pansy Parkinson walked in. "My, my, Miss Weasley, your voice can be heard 2 floors up. You really should learn to control your temper, and shouting at a patient, no less."

Ginny scowled when she noted the crisp perfection of Pansy's robes and hair. Her make-up applied expertly and her manner aloof and sexy. Ginny never felt this animosity for Pansy since they had worked here before, but seeing Pansy in total control of herself in comparison to her made her feel like making a rude hand gesture at the other woman.

"Pansy. Long time no see. Come to watch me be nagged by my Healer?" Draco asked her, his intention to apologize pushed to the very back of his mind.

The two women in front of him were complete opposites in appearance. Pansy looked proper and seductive in her crisp robes, her short black hair in a perfect bob, not a strand of hair out of place. Ginny on the other hand looked like a sunny summer's day in England. Her white robes messy and crinkled even though she had only been at work for a few hours, her long red hair looked wild, like she had just tumbled out of bed. My bed…Draco thought to himself. Her eyes were shining with anger from her recent blow up at him and to him, at that moment, she looked good enough to eat.

"Hello, Draco. I managed to get some time away from the enormous pile of work and visit you today." She said to him, sweeping down and planting a kiss on his lips, "How are you?"

Ginny saw the kiss but told herself that it did not bother her. He had just asked her out to dinner to thank her for her treatment, and that doesn't mean that he was actually interested in courting her. She made some notes on the chart at the foot of his bed before slipping out of the room quietly, subconsciously avoiding the possibility of watching Draco and Pansy make out.

Draco saw Ginny slip out and cursed inwardly at Pansy's timing. "Morning, Pansy. It's good to see you, I was just having a healthy argument with Gin-Healer Weasley. I always love a good fight in the morning." He said with a smirk as he said so.

"Really? I distinctly remember you liked something else in the morning too…" she purred.

The door shut behind Ginny, but not before she caught what Pansy had said. A flash of annoyance passed through her but she ignored it and went on with her daily rounds.

Chapter 7

"Pansy, you know that part of us is over." Draco told her, his tone neither condescending nor leaving any room for argument.

Her smile faltered but she hastily covered it up, "I don't know what you're talking about, Draco. I was merely pointing out that you had other…morning habits that I could remember."

He cursed inwardly, why did he have to hook up with her all those years ago? Stupid needs… "Things have changed, Pansy, I've changed. You are still as beautiful as ever, Merlin knows half of the wizards out there would give up a hand and a foot to have just a conversation with you."

Pansy rose from where she sat beside him, a wistful smile on her face, "Well…maybe this witch only wants one wizard."

He felt guilty for pushing her away, they had been confidants from a very young age and Draco knew how Pansy felt for him. Unfortunately, he just could not love her the way she loved him. He sighed and ran a hand through his long hair in an act of frustration, "Pansy, you're very special to me. But you and me…I don't feel it's a good idea."

"I know…but I wish I could be the woman you want. Even when we were together, I knew…" Her voice trailed away as she walked to the windows, her eyes fixed on a pair of birds twittering on the tree outside the hospital. "You never did return my feelings."

She turned to face him, and he kept his stern countenance but his eyes soft when he said what he said next "I do love you, Pansy…but just not in the way you want me to."

"I know. Just don't ever bring this up with me again." She said, attempting at a joke but failing as Draco saw her eyes shine with unshed tears.

"I promise. Now, leave me alone so I can recuperate." His smile contradicted his words and Pansy smiled at this. She bent low to give him a peck on the cheek before walking to the door.

Before the door closed behind her she turned to look at him with a knowing look, "Good luck on your next 'venture'."

He chuckled as the door swung shut and he was once again left to his own devices. His chest hurt slightly as he tried to move again, so he gave up. He couldn't do anything and cursed out loud.

"My, my…Mr. Malfoy, what a colourful mouth you have." The attendant called Mrs. Wingfield bustled in, chiding him for his recent outburst.

"Did I receive any Floos from the office?" He asked her the first thing that came to mind.

She looked down at him, above her rectangular glasses, "You did, from your secretary, and since you've asked for it I'll give it to you now."

She waved her wand and an envelope appeared in front of her, she handed the black envelope with his name written on it in Green ink, which was the trademark stationary used by Malfoy Industries.

Ignoring the woman standing next to him, he tore the envelope open and read the contents. He cursed swiftly when he finished and barely registered the sharp intake of breath from Mrs. Wingfield. Anya had written that the board of directors would like him to take a sabbatical until he was fully recovered. They felt that he had been working far too hard, ever since he had taken on the company 3 years ago he had not taken a vacation. And they had added that now that his first broom was out, and was turning to be a success (the national Quidditch teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Bulgaria, France and Norway buying the Draconian for the next season), he was well overdue for a break.

"Bad news, Mr. Malfoy?" Mrs. Wingfield asked his tentatively.

He looked up, startled that the woman was still there, "Quite, could I have some parchment and a quill?"

When she had given him the items he requested, he began a long, scatching letter to the board of directors. Halfway through, he re-read what he had written and shook his head. Crumpling up that bit he took a new piece and thought for a while before he dipped the quill into the ink bottle to once again start a reply. He wrote calmly and after half an hour, finally satisfied with the letter he sealed it and requested for it to be sent to his secretary, Anya.

After that tiring (well, he did just have a operation) incident, he rested back into his pillow. A few minutes later and he had fallen asleep once again. This time, he did dream. He was chasing a woman through a maze of some sort. He could not see her face, but from what he saw of her back, she had a very shapely body. He didn't know why he was chasing her, nor did he know where he was. He just kept going after her.

"Ginny, you've done a good job on your first day here. Now, I insist you go home and take a rest. You've been on your feet all day!" Archie Podmore chided her as she came out of an examination room where a young boy had made a huge fuss about using magic to heal him. Apparently, magic made him nervous ever since he had played with his father's wand and caused a little tornado to appear in the middle of his bedroom.

She smiled warmly at the old man, "Alright, Archie, but only after I check up on Mr. Malfoy. He's my next and last stop for the night, I promise." She added when she saw the disbelieving look on Archie's face.

"Okay, but after that, I do not want to see your face in here until tomorrow morning!" he said before patting her shoulder affectionately and walking off.

She stopped in front of the door to Draco's room and stared at it for a few seconds. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves she pushed it open. Draco was asleep, his hair was a tousled mess, and as she approached him she noted how his mouth curved downwards in a scowl. "Even in sleep he can be moody." She muttered as she smiled, Draco was indeed a very handsome man, but he was so used to getting what he wanted all the time that it made him appear arrogant.

Her eyes trailed downwards, his chest rose and fell softly, his breathing was uneven, but that was due to the recently punctured lung of course. She was startled out of her musing when his hand moved to grab her wrist.

"Would you care for a closer look?" Her eyes darted to his and she noted a strange look in them, she opened her mouth to protest but was shocked to silence when he pulled her down towards him. She gasped as she lost her footing and threw out her free arm to stop herself from falling on top of him. He let go of her wrist but only to put his hand firmly behind her head, his fingers entangling into her lush hair as he pulled her nearer to his face.

She could have stopped him if she had been able to think straight at that moment. His eyes bored into her own, searching for something she did not know what. When their lips were a fraction of an inch away, he stopped, his eyes questioning, asking for permission. Ginny knew that she was already too far gone, even if she wanted to she would not have been able to stop it from happening.

He cast one last searching look before he tossed all reason from his mind and pulled her down the rest of the way. The moment his lips touched hers, a mini explosion went off in her mind. Her eyes fluttered shut and she gave herself over to the kiss, her mind had stopped working and she was only reacting to his ministrations. The kiss began soft and questioning, and quickly turned into a full-blown passionate kiss.

His other arm wound around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Alarm bells went off in her head and she abruptly pulled away from the kiss. She extracted herself from his arms and stood up hastily, her hand shot up to her mouth and she touched it tentatively.

"I-I'm sorry." She said, the first thing that came to her mind. She cursed inwardly the moment the words left her mouth.

"! Don't you dare apologize for what was a perfectly wonderful kiss!" he burst out at her, frustrated that she had taken it the wrong way.

"I'm sorry…I mean…Never mind." She said the last bit forcefully. Her face cleared of emotion as she went to the foot of his bed and picked up his chart, flicking through it and consciously avoiding Draco's eyes.

"Ginny! Look, I wasn't planning on doing that." He pushed down on the bed to sit himself up. He grimaced when a sharp pain went through his body from that small action.

"Lie back down! What do you think you're doing? You're in no condition to get up yet!" His reaction to the pain had momentarily erased her worries and she went beside him to push him softly back onto the pillows.

He grinned at her actions, though his chest was still hurting. "I think I like being fussed over." He grabbed at a topic change in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Ginny bit her lower lips, and as she was still avoiding his eyes, she didn't see them dart down and linger on her lips. She decided that since he was trying she would accept the olive branch, "And I think I just can't help being fussy…I must have inherited it from my mother."

He sighed inwardly when her mouth curved upwards in a soft smile. "I must remember to thank her if I ever see her, then."

Ginny's smile widened at his words, "She wouldn't give you a chance, she'd be too busy fussing over your pale skin and trying to force food onto you."

"I don't think I would mind that much." Ginny finally looked up and into his eyes, her smile soft and sincere, startling him when he received the full blast of it.

"Oh you wont be saying that if she does start fussing!" she told him, her smile fixed on her face now.

"So, congratulations on the promotion, I heard the attendants gushing over you earlier." He changed the topic because he realized that it was heading to more personal areas.

"Yes, thank you. And I read in the evening paper that you're taking a sabbatical?" she asked this innocently unaware of how he felt about that bit of news.

He sighed and closed his eyes for a while, "I didn't want to, but when I thought about it, I realized the board of directors are right, and I do need a rest. This incident is just one of life's ways to tell me to slow down."

A laugh escaped Ginny and his eyes shot open, "You find it funny, do you?" he raised an eyebrow in question which caused Ginny to laugh even harder.

"Sorry- but you just- sound- old!" she said this all in between laughs as she held onto the bed post.

He thought back on it and laughed along with her, "I suppose you're right. I've been thinking like an old person too."

Her laughter died down and she looked down at him with a glimmer of a smile, "Alright, Mr. Malfoy, you seem to be doing okay. As long as you don't partake in any form of straining physical activities for another week or so, I expect you to be on your feet soon enough."

He could sense her pulling herself away from the cozy nest of a truce that they had managed to build and reluctantly allowed her to go. "I don't think I'll be playing Quidditch anytime soon, so you have nothing to worry about. And I distinctly remember asking you to call me Draco."

"Yes, well then, good night…Draco. I'll come back to check on you in the morning." She retreated to the door and pulled the door open hastily.

"Sweet dreams, Ginny." He said softly. She pulled the door shut behind her and closed her eyes momentarily before walking to the apparation point to leave the hospital.

Chapter 8

The bubbles floated lazily over the surface of the water, they had been charmed to stay intact as long as the tub was filled with water. A slow, jazzy number was playing on the wireless standing on the sink, and the bathroom was lighted with dozens of floating candles.

The red-headed woman was lying in the tub with her head resting on the side, her eyes half closed and humming along to the music. Occasionally she would extend a hand out of the water to take a sip from the champagne glass standing on the stool beside the tub.

Ginny had managed to clear all unpleasant thoughts and feelings from her mind, Archie was right; going home and resting was just what she needed to rejuvenate herself. She had conveniently pushed the "kiss" to the back of her mind and locked it in a little trunk where it would not be allowed to pop up and catch her when she was unaware. At this moment, the only thing she allowed herself to think about was about her promotion and how to deal with the new unit.

"And now, another jazzy hit from "The Warbles" called "I'll charm your socks off", for all you young, single and crazy people out there, enjoy." The charming, smooth voice of her brothers' friend, Lee Jordan, announced at the very moment a loud knocking came from her front door, and her wards went off causing a loud, ringing sound to join that of the thundering.

Ginny nearly swallowed a mouthful of her water when her cozy little cacoon had been burst unceremoniously. She stood up and reached for her robe, picking up her wand as she walked out of the bathroom. She stepped cautiously across the threshold joining the living room and the little corridor to her room, her wand poised and her mind ready to curse, jinx or hex the intruder.

"Bloody hell! I told you it's too late to visit her, now that racket is going to wake the entire building!" Ginny sighed in relief when she heard the voices of her brother Ron and his friend Seamus Finnigan, but she rushed over to the door and pulled it open.

The sight that awaited her would have been hilarious if it hadn't been for the fact that there were Muggles living in her building, and this would definitely cause havoc if anyone saw it. Seamus was standing there, his hair apparently hexed to flash green and silver, and Ron had sprouted a mane befitting an adult male lion.

"Really! Get in, right now!" She opened the door wider, suppressing a fit of giggles when she saw that Seamus's hair had also been charmed to look like snakes.

When both the "men" were safely inside her living room, she unarmed the wards causing a silence to blanket them. The men had cleared the effects of their hexes and both looked normal now.

"So, to what do I owe this honour?" Ginny asked them lightly as she conjured up a pot of tea and biscuits.

Seamus shrugged as he picked up the cup of tea in front of him, "We were at the pub and Ron decided to come over, considering we were quite near." He made a face at the cup, as the pattern of butterflies had started flying about and hopping from flower to flower.

"Yes, well…I just needed to remind you that we have to go to the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow afternoon, at 1?" Ron told her, picking up a biscuit and popping it into his mouth.

Ginny had to think for a while before she finally remembered, "Oh, yes! You're right, I almost forgot!" Seamus looked from Ron to Ginny with a confused look on his face, "Hermione Granger will be back tomorrow and we're to meet her." She supplied, taking pity on the poor boy.

"Is she? That's fantastic! I haven't seen her since her going-away party." He replied, a grin gracing his handsome features. (A/N Oh, yes….Seamus is handsome….)

Ron looked up and had an idea "Why don't you come with us, Seamus? That way there'll be four of us and it wont be so awkward."

"For Ginny, or for you?" the other man asked, his eyes glinting mischievously as Ron's ears turned a tell-tale red.

"So, will you come along? You can meet Ginny at the hospital and leave together." He decided to avoid that topic altogether and pretend like Seamus had never even asked the question.

Seamus looked across the coffee table at Ginny who was grinning at her brother's discomfiture, "Is that okay with you? I'll drop by around 12.55 and we'll go?"

Ginny liked Seamus, he had always been a good friend and a gentleman to her, and he was also very good looking so it did help a bit. "Yes, of course, just come up to the M.H.U. and ask for me, I'll see you there."

Ginny stood up to get something from the kitchen, and it was at that moment that 2 of the people in the room became acutely aware of her attire. Seamus blushed a deep crimson, and Ginny held the bathrobe tighter around herself. Their eyes met and she blushed even harder when she identified the look of admiration in his eyes.

Seamus was the one to break the eye contact and turned to Ron, casually asking him about the Cannons' preparation for the next season.

Ginny walked to her room and changed into a pair of khaki trousers and a white shirt. She walked back to the living room to find the men in a heated argument concerning Quidditch, which wasn't very surprising as Ron played for the Cannons and Seamus played for the Falmouth Falcons.

Ginny plopped herself on the sofa between them and nuzzled into Ron's side, "So, Seamus, I picked up the prophet a few days ago and saw a picture of you with a very sexy witch…do tell, what is going on with that?"

Seamus grinned and tickled her bare foot which was resting on his knee, "Nothing anymore, it was just a one-time thing. She was boring…no conversational skills whatsoever."

"Bad lay, you mean." Ron said from above Ginny's head, she spun around with an indignant look on her face as the 2 men guffawed.

"Seriously! You chauvinistic pigs!" Ron laughed harder at her outburst and stood up.

"This has been a great visit, but I'm afraid I have to get home. Things to do, people to see…"

"You mean, hair to curl, robes to iron, don't you?" Seamus asked him, "Wouldn't want Hermione to see you all messed up."

"Sod off. And goodnight, dear sister, I'll see you tomorrow." He said, mocking a bow before he stepped out the door.

"I'll see you at the hospital then, goodnight, Ginny." Seamus said as he headed after Ron. He stopped before he reached the door and turned to her again, "You look good, you know? Whatever you're doing, keep it up, 'cos it's working." He winked at her and walked out.

The door shut behind him and Ginny was left standing there, gaping at the door. Did Seamus just flirt with her? Seamus Finnigan? Her brother's best mate, the same boy who had helped her and Dean get together years ago. She shook her head and decided that he was just a little drunk for their night out at the pub, that was all.

She magicked the tea set away and headed to her bedroom. It had been a long day and she could hardly wait to curl up under the duvet and fall asleep.

Chapter 9

He had woken up early that morning, not entirely sure of the reason why, but he guessed it had something to do with the fact that Ginny would be coming to check up on him. He thrived on her daily visits because he got so bored the whole day and she was the only one able to supply him with intelligent conversation.

His secretary, Anya had come to visit him the night before and had come bearing sweets of every kind from Honeydukes' personal supply. He had grinned in appreciation because he had been tiring of the bland food the hospital insisted to serve to him.

This morning, as he picked an especially delicious looking chocolate from a box near him, a different healer came in to check on him. He was surprised but did not let it show, and resumed his aloof countenance.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. I am Healer Paul Chong, I'm under Healer Weasley's unit and as she is unavailable to check on you today she has requested that I check you." The tall oriental man said.

"Right. Get on with it then." Was the reply from a stony faced Draco Malfoy.

Healer Chong did not let the lack of response intimidate him, he approached the bed and picked up the chart at the foot of the bed. Nodding once he went to stand beside Draco, "Allow me to check and re-dress your wound." He said, Draco automatically unbuttoned his shirt and waited for the man to get the job done.

Why didn't Ginny come today? Was it because of the kiss? Did she not want to see him again? The questions played in his mind as Healer Chong dressed the wound. He glared at a point above the other man's shoulder, thinking stonily that Ginny could be the one dressing him right now.

"Alright, is there anything else you might need to make yourself more comfortable?" The healer asked when he was done.

I could have sworn she enjoyed the kiss as much as I did. She cant pretend not to. Why is she avoiding me? He had not heard the other man's questions as he had a ton of his own playing in his mind.

"Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy." This time the man managed to shake Draco from his reverie, "Is there anything you need to make yourself comfortable?" he asked again.

"Can you get me a bottle of firewhiskey?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"No. But if it's a voice in your head you need to get rid of, then I could always get you a sleeping potion." Was the equally sarcastic reply that came from the Healer.

Draco was shaken out of his indifference for a fraction of a second, he smirked when he realized what the Healer had said. I do need to shut that voice up.

"I don't need anything. You may go now." He said finally, adopting the manner he used on those he deemed unworthy of his time.

Healer Chong merely looked at him for a second and turned to leave the room. Watching the retreating back of the Healer, Draco realized that he would not be so angry at the other Healer had he not been anticipating Ginny's presence so much. It was weird, this constant feeling of dependence he had for Ginny. He never needed anyone, least of all a Weasley. He was just bored, that's all. He constantly told himself this.

He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill and began to draw sketches of a new broom he was thinking of producing when he came back to work. Not much of a vacation, but it was either work or imagining things.

Ginny came out of the meeting with the board of directors with a huge grin on her face. They had just told her that they admired her work and are giving her free rein on her unit, which means as little interference as possible. She was also told that they were allocating her a team of 10 attendants and that she was free to choose another healer to work with her, besides Healer Chong and Healer Prianka.

The meeting had caused her to miss her daily check up on Draco, and she was relieved that it provided her with a valid excuse to not see him. She was still reeling from the connection she had made with him the previous evening.

She had never thought it possible that she and Draco Malfoy would indulge in a civil conversation, much less such a passionate kiss. The fact that he was the one who had instigated the kiss made it even more unbelievable.

Ron and Seamus' visit had managed to take her mind off of Draco, until now. She was thankful to Ron for being there for her, even if he had only been there to remind her about Hermione.

She considered checking up on him anyway, even though she had already assigned it to Paul to do. But she decided against it, she needed to distance herself from her patient. He was getting too close to her, getting under her skin. The last thing she wanted right now was a man getting under her skin, what with her career finally getting off, her family just beginning to settle down and she had just accepted that she was contented with single life.

Passing by the door to Draco's ward, she paused, but after a moments hesitation she walked on to the nurse's station.

The morning came and went, and Ginny realized that it was already 12.55. Exactly on time, the magically magnified voice of Gladys was heard, "Healer Weasley, you're presence is requested at the reception counter."

Ginny grinned as she closed the folder she was reading, hung up her white coat and headed out to meet Seamus.

"Hey there, Gin. Ready to go?" Seamus asked her after he had kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Yes, let me just sign out for a second." She walked over to Gladys who was grinning like a mad woman at the sight of this famous Quidditch player kissing Ginny.

The older woman gave her a sly wink before handing her a quill to sign out for lunch. "It's nothing, Gladys. Seamus has been here before, yet you insist on pretending like there is something going on between us." Her curt tone was spoiled by the unmistakable upward curving of her lips.

"I can keep on hoping, luv. Now you go enjoy yourself, and say hello to your brother for me." Gladys answered, still giving Seamus an appreciative look.

"What was that all about?" He asked her as they pushed open the doors to the Leaky Cauldron a few minutes later.

Ginny smiled up at him when he held the door open for her, "Nothing, just an old woman's fantasy."

They would have gone on if not for the fact that a huge something ran into them and had enveloped them in a huge hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Hermione." Seamus told the woman who was holding on to them, a huge grin on his face.

"Seamus! Ginny! I had no idea you two are together! So when will I be expecting my invitations?" She asked as she stepped back to survey the currently blushing duo.

"You have the completely wrong idea, Seamus and I have nothing romantic going on. At all." Ginny told her, still blushing madly. She felt rather than saw Seamus stir beside her, he had taken a step away from her.

"Completely wrong idea." He echoed as they made their way to a table in the back where Ron was waiting with drinks.

Hermione took the seat beside him and turned to give him a careful smile, his ears turned a bright red as he took a sip and returned it. She began fiddling with her hands under the table as the conversation flowed around them, and Ron seeing this reached out tentatively and covered her small hands with his own. The fiddling immediately ceased as their fingers interlocked.

Hermione turned to him and surveyed his profile as he continued rambling about broomsticks and how his manager was a real prick. She noted that he had matured very much into a very desirable man. His hair had grown out, and it curled softly, she ached to finger one of the locks or better yet to run her hands through them. His lopsided smile was still in place, and she was thankful for that piece of familiarity. His freckles came out more now that he was in the sun all the time and she loved every last one of them.

The serving girl came and lay their food down on the table. At that moment, Ron turned to look at Hermione. She jumped slightly at the unexpected move, and caught herself trapped in his searching look. His eyes darkened to a deep, ocean blue as he moved closer to her. She noted the little flecks of gold in them and was amazed that she had never noticed them before. His fingers tightened on hers and she suppressed a gasp as she felt a jolt of electricity run down her spine (A/N: ooh..somebody's been reading too much romance).

A cough from the man sitting at the table beside them brought the couple back to their present surroundings, and Ron moved reluctantly back to his original sitting position. His fingers squeezed hers once more before he let go and busied it with his utensils.

Hermione was still unable to move as she looked down at her hand, lying limply in her lamp. It suddenly felt so cold and bare and she wished to have Ron's big, warm and callused hand holding hers again.

"So guess who is the new head of her own department at St. Mungos!" Ginny announced loud enough to shake Hermione out of her reverie.

"Ginny! Really? That's so exciting!" Hermione exclaimed when she had processed the none-too-subtle announcement.

"Yup, you really deserve it. Working all those years there and suddenly, BAM! You get the promotion of a lifetime." Seamus said beside her, a look of pride on his face.

"Thank you, I just wish something else didn't come with it," She said, pulling a face as she did, "Draco Malfoy is my new top priority patient."

"Ironic." Was the only reaction she received from Ron.

"Please elaborate…" Ginny encouraged as Seamus snickered beside her.

"Nothing, except he owns the Cannons now too." The shocked reaction that came from the two women at the table did not surprise him as the news hadn't been made public yet. "He bought it over a couple weeks ago. Stupid moron."

The rest of the lunch continued in a whirlwind of conversation and before she knew it, Ginny had to leave them for her next shift. "I'm really sorry…I'll see you again soon, Hermione. Come by to the Burrow. And Seamus, it's not necessary for you to follow me. Really!" she rushed out as she stood to leave.

At the look from Ron, she changed her mind and pulled Seamus to his feet. "Oh, okay..Let's make Gladys happy then." She said and received confused looks from all three people sitting at the table.

She swooped down on Hermione and gave her a big hug before winking to her brother and leaving them with a cheery wave. Tugging Seamus (who was all too willing anyway) across the room to the fireplace she turned and watched the couple at the table for a while. "Look at them Seamus. If nothing happens between them after that look we saw at the table, I swear I am going to hit Ron with a Bludger."

Seamus laughed at this and pulled the fiery woman close to him, "I'll bat it at him myself."

They Floo-ed to the hospital and landed in front of a waiting Gladys. "About time, you got here, young lady! You're nearly late and I was fretting about signing you in myself!"

"Sorry, Gladys…We got a little caught up in conversation." She said as she signed the book that the older woman held out to her.

"Right, is that all you were caught up in then?" She asked before turning to head back to her station.

Seamus and Ginny watched her leave, her mouth agape at what Gladys had implied and he grinning widely beside her. "I was definitely caught up in more than that." He told her, surprising a reaction from her to tilt her head up to him. Before she could say anything, he had leaned in and kissed her open mouth softly. She was even more surprised and could hardly do anything as she allowed him to kiss her.

A while later he pulled away from her and straightened up, a smile on his face and his eyes glittering. "I had a wonderful lunch, and dessert that I will definitely have again if I am given the chance." He told her before Dissapparating.

She was still too shocked to say anything and merely headed to her department to check on her patients.

Chapter 10

"Good evening, Mr. Malfoy. How are you today?" Ginny asked as she walked into Draco's room.

"Back to Mr. Malfoy, are we? I thought our little…dalliance might have improved our relationship." He asked snidely, a smirk gracing his handsome features.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Ginny went to stand next to him and held out her wand, "Okay,I'd like you to sit up so I can check your breathing." He did as he was told and remained silent for some time as she moved her wand over his chest.

She was thankful that he didn't push the subject, until – "You know, that can be kind of kinky if you look at it from a different perspective."

She was torn between the urge to laugh and the desperate desire to hit him over the head with a Bludger. "Mr. Malfoy, you know my feelings about personal relationships between Healer and patient."

He smirked, still not looking at her, "You certainly felt something else last night. So don't pretend to be coy, Ginny. You and I both know what you really want, and let's be honest to ourselves here. Nobody else could do it better than me."

Her jaw dropped at his comment and she poked his chest involuntarily with her wand.

"Ouch! Careful with that stick, woman!" he yelled as he rubbed the spot with a comical expression on his face.

"Oops, sorry." She said, no tone of apology in her voice evident. He tilted his head up to look at her and she smirked at him.

He went blank for a split second and laughed. A real, from the heart laugh, which resulted in a coughing fit where he was forced to lie back down on the pillow.

"Serves you right. You know better than to laugh like that with a recently punctured lung." She reprimanded him, the sneer replaced by the ever familiar mother hen look of Molly Weasley.

"You had that sneer perfected! I never would have expected it from a Gryffindork." He said after he recovered somewhat.

Her reaction was priceless, he thought, her head snapped up and her chin jutted stubbornly forward, oh how cute that chin looked, and her eyes narrowed as she sent him a killing look. "Gryffindork? Excuse me, Mr. Lets-Put-Petty-House-Rivalries-Behind-Us."

He never thought he could find someone throwing his words back in his face as comical as he found it now. He felt like grabbing her by the arms and pulling her small body to him for the kiss of a lifetime.

Before he could carry out his plan she had already moved to the foot of his bed to check on the chart, "You're making wonderful progress, and we will be starting on your physical exercises starting tomorrow."

He could not resist baiting her and quipped, "What kind of physical exercise did you have in mind?"

Her eyebrow shot up and she sent him another sneer, he appreciated the way her posture had shifted and how she stood at an angle with a hand on her hip. "Oh, I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, we'll be getting very physical." She said, stressing the words.

Even though he knew better, the words and her tone make him swallow as his mouth went dry. He could just imagine getting physical with this fiery little witch.

"We'll really get to play Healer and patient this time…" she said as she moved gracefully to the door, turning back to wink at him.

The door shut behind her and Draco was left sitting in bed, speechless. If he had been in denial before, he was in full acceptance now. Ginny Weasley was getting under his skin. And he resented the fact that he had allowed it to happen. The littlest Weasley had somehow managed to weasel her way there and had burrowed in and he knew now that n matter how much he tried to push her away, she would only end up getting in deeper. He swore as he came to this realization.

Ginny stood outside the door, amazed at how daring she had been. What had come over her? She thought as she re-played the conversation. She had kissed two men whom she insisted she felt nothing for in the past 2 days! And now she was flirting openly and suggestively with a man whom she could not stand to be in the same room with. She puzzled over this as she made her way to check on her next patient.

The tall man leaned in to claim her lips in a searing kiss, branding her for life. "You belong to me." He said when they parted, his hand was still buried in her hair, the other lightly stroking her back, making circular patterns and subsequently turning her legs to jelly. "Say it."

"I belong to you…only you…" she said and was rewarded with another deep, soul-searching, explosive kiss. Her mind reeled from the power he exuded and her hands held on to his shoulders like her life depended on it. He pulled her close to him and their bodies molded together perfectly, a moan was heard and she realized that it came from herself. He parted their kiss and smirked down at her before turning and walking away.

She stood there for the longest time, a hand held up to her lips, her mind re-playing the kiss and the way they had fit together so perfectly, over and over again.

Ginny woke up from the dream in the middle of the night, shaking her head she tried to remember how the man had looked like, but every second the dream trickled away from her memory. In the end, all she could remember was how he had thoroughly kissed her and left her lips feeling swollen and well used.

She shook her head free of the dream and went back to sleep. Waking up a few hours later, she had forgotten the dream completely and went about her morning rituals as usual. She walked into the kitchen to find Hedwig sitting on her table with a letter tied to her leg. "Hello, Darling…what do you have for me today?" she asked the bird affectionately as she untied the scroll.

She read the contents and grinned as she did so. Hermione wished to meet with her the following Sunday, to discuss matters and catch up. "Right…to discuss Ron and find out if he's with anyone." She said to nobody in particular.

Snatching up a quill and parchment she scribbled her reply in the affirmative and sent it off with Hedwig. This would be interesting, she thought to herself as she prepared herself breakfast, "hmmm…Sunday morning…that would be the day of our family dinner…" she realized and chuckled to herself of what havoc she would create for her dear brother that day.

Chapter 10, part 2.

"Good morning, Ginny. Let's go back to that now." Draco said when said witch came into his room, not giving her a chance to reply.

"Alright, Mr. Malfoy…I'm going to help you out of bed and we are going to work on you walking from there to the foot of the bed." She announced cheerily.