"Just tell me, if it's not too much trouble, what that was for, Draco Malfoy!" Ginny said to her soon to be ex husband, through clenched teeth, as Rita gathered her composure.
Her big selling, drop dead gorgeous Bachelor of the Year already, excuse me, had a wife? And managed a more or less upright exit.
"Shh! Not yet." Draco whispered. "Not here. Let's go"
He stood up and grabbed tighter onto the hand Ginny was trying to snatch away. The he gave a quick nod to Natalee to say they were leaving, and he began to weave his way through the tables.
At least a dozen pair of female's eyes tracked their every move and she heard several whispered comments. "That's him!" "Merlin what a hottie"
"Not here?" Ginny echoed, as the door closed behind them. "Okay we tried your office, we tried your restaurant. What's next on the list?"
"It will have to be my house, I guess," he said. "Well I asked for that one didn't I?" she groaned. She didn't know why it bothered her to think of going to his house, but somehow it did.
She didn't think it would be a grand idea to venture into his private living arrangements, but she had to admit she was curious to see what kind of home he had set up for himself.
She her self had gone back to live at the burrow. And due to her mother's death she was still there. He on the other hand lost both his parents and had no family ties.
She wondered if he had an elegant bachelor pad. Or maybe it was a designer mansion?
Ginny didn't want to be so curious about him, especially after they just agreed on a divorce. Still less did she want to think there might be danger in being alone with him.
She was all over it; she had to be, for her own well-being. So then why was she so jumpy? Purely because this morning had been so much more complicated than she'd initially hoped?
Yes the best solution would be to discuss everything back at Draco's place, then get back to the inn, check out and leave town.
"I'm sorry about the quick exit, but I hate when everyone knows my every move" he said gruffly.
"I wish you'd been as concerned for your privacy when Witch Weekly approached you about that damn article". She growled in return.
"Damn straight!" he said. "One thing we actually agree on, at least. Hindsight is a wonderful thing."
"So why that ridiculous announcement to that woman, just now? If you want privacy in your personal life, why tell the world you have a wife, especially when we're not going to be married a day longer than we have to be?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
"Gin, you saw what it was like back there. And I'm sure your ears are as good as mine, so you heard too. I've had it up to here, seriously, and notifying a very vocal woman like Rita Skeeter of the truthful fact that you and I are married" he paused to gently rub his temples.
"It just seemed like a handy tool for dealing with it. You'll notice she didn't hang around." He finished.
"Well she said you have many responses from lots of woman" she scoffed. "Well I can bet none of them are my style. And it's not how I would choose to start a relationship" he bit back.
"In any case, even if there had been a woman who'd made my heart stop beating and the my breathing get struck from the moment I first looked at her."
What would it be like, Ginny wondered to have Draco feel like that about her? Once upon a time he had. His words hadn't been intended as a reminder, she knew.
It was purely her problem she'd taken them that way.
She said quickly, "They will start again when they find out we're getting a divorce."
Shrugging he began walking slowly "Who's going to tell them?"
Sighing Ginny followed him "People tend to notice when there's no visible evidence of a wife in a man's life, no?"
Draco turned and stared at her with a hopeful expression "Then can I beg you on hands and knees to stay here and help me a bit Gin? He said. " Help me out with this?"
"Stay here? Help? You mean act like we're still really married? Are you joking Draco?" she gasped.
"I don't think so," he stated seriously. "Work it out and get back to me." She said as she started to walk away but he leaned across and stopped her, laying one arm across hers.
She froze. His bare arms brushed her. At one time they'd been way more intimate with each other than this, so she shouldn't feel uncomfortable.
Problem was, his touch opened up too many memories, and too many lost possibilities. "I'm not joking okay?" he said with his voice dropping low.
"I want this whole thing to go away, and all these woman approaching me with advances, made we see it's not going to, not on its own." He sighed.
"Or not at least till its driven me crazy anyhow. Ginny I'm not the type to put my head down and wait out a storm."
She laughed at that one "No?"
"I like to take action. I need to. You knew that about me eight years ago." True. "And it hasn't changed. So I'm asking for help."
"Now that has changed." She couldn't help saying. "What has?" he asked clearly not understanding her meaning.
"You asking for help." She said. "Yeah, so?"
"Well that's never happened before." Ginny told him.
He shrugged, dismissing her claim as either untrue or unimportant, but she had a strong inkling in the back of her mind that he was wrong on both counts.
"Well it's happening now" he said, "Stay. Couple of weeks." "Draco, I …I can't." She stammered.
"You're on summer break still, since Hogwarts doesn't open till October this term. Your father and brothers can manage without you for a bit." His voice sounded pleading.
"My place is big enough for us to keep out of each others way," he said "And I'll be in the bank most days. The only thing I ask is you meet me a few times in public. Make it real romantic, so that everyone gets the idea. When the heat fades, we can see a lawyer, and you can head back home with those friendly divorce papers in your hand."
It sounded so easy when he put it that way, yet Ginny still told him "That's insane Draco".
Probably because her inner reaction was insane. Her heart shouldn't race like that. Her head shouldn't spin. And she should not consider for a second that he was offering her a second chance at their marriage.
Because he wasn't, and neither of them wanted one. After eight years?
When even without the Witch Weekly article he probably had half a dozen beautiful women ready to do his bidding at any given moment?
And most of all when the reasons for splitting up in the first place hadn't changed?
"It's not insane," he told her. "It's practical. There's no risk, is there, if we try this? After all, we're already married, and on the verge of a divorce that any sane person could have predicted before the ink on our marriage certificate was dry. Nothing worse we can do to each other than that!"
Ginny gasped "Is that what you think about marriage? About our marriage?"
If he hesitated, it was only for a second. "Pretty much" he said sounding quiet certain. Ginny felt both hurt and angry that he would look at their four years as man and wife so cynically.
No wonder he hadn't been in a hurry about divorce, before this. He clearly had no intentions of falling into the marriage trap again, so he didn't need the legal freedom.
For different reasons neither did she. Beyond the hurt however she was still thinking about what he actually asked for. For a favor. For help.
Self-sufficient Draco Malfoy, who once had a chip on his shoulder and would never admit he needed anyone in case someone noticed and who in fact never had needed anything, judging by the success he'd made of his life.
The same Draco Malfoy had just looked her right in the eye and asked her for help.
Ginny didn't have time to explore the reason why but it was the very thing that changed her mind. He had actually needed her and if it wouldn't cause problems for her family.
Maybe she would stay here close to Diagon alley a little longer and do what Draco wanted. Along the way, she may get a few answers to questions about their marriage that she hadn't known she had.
"I'll have to call the burrow" she sighed. "Is that the basis of your decision? Whether you're needed at home?" he asked scoffing.
"It's a factor in my decision Draco and that's final," she said. He was silent for a moment as if debating his reply but finally he just shrugged and said "We'll head out to my place then. Take a look at it, see what you think, and you can make the call."
Within a few minutes, they'd left Diagon Alley behind and headed off where the road offered stunning glimpses of green and white waves rolling to the shoreline.
"You're not in town?" she asked. "Not far out. Another couple of minutes…here."
"Come in and make the phone call to your family." He said leading her through the house. "They'll be fine, I'm sure" she said, and then realized it sounded like a commitment to stay.
"But if their not, then the deals off" she added, leaving her a way out.
He led her business like, into a large living room that opened to a magnificent view. "That there is my private line. I have a line in my office too and I need to make some calls myself, so just make yourself at home.
She showed her the kitchen and bathroom, then disappeared into a room. Ginny sat down at the desk and picked up the phone.
Her older brother Fred answered the phone and assured her, "We're fine, Gin. Absolutely. Don't worry." He said.
"You're making sure dad sees the healer when he's suppose to, right?" she asked worried.
" He went yesterday Gin" Fred said "He didn't want to of course. But George and I nagged him about it."
"And did Ron pick up his new robes? Because he has that function for the Aura department on Saturday and he needs them. I'm sure Harry reminded him. But I want to be sure."
"I'll check" Fred said "But you'll be back by then, won't you?" he asked
"Actually" she sighed, "I'm thinking of staying a little longer"
She could hear the deep breath Fred took in before he replied. "Why? Malfoy's not making any trouble is he? Won't he give you the divorce? After that article I thought he would be more than happy."
"Ginny if that prat is giving you trouble, I'll get all the boys and we can beat him up till he agrees to sign" Fred warned.
"Yes. No. I mean, yes, we're both only happy about it, but that's not it." God how could she explain?
"He's… asked me for help with some things, that's all," She continued to Fred. "And I kind of feel that I owe him"
Fred wasn't interested in what Ginny felt she owed him. "How long Gin?"
"Ten days, maybe a couple of weeks" she answered.
"A couple of weeks? Ginny, George and I have the joke shop to run, and Ron has his job, and dad is out of his mind cause your not here."
Bill and Charlie are too busy right now as well and you know how much help Percy is. To be honest, gin, Dad really was a lot of trouble when we tried to get him to the healer. I didn't want you to worry."
Ginny felt her temples pound. She closed her eyes trying to decide what to do. Okay so she would have to coach them on how to handle dad or just talk to dad herself.
But he just didn't seem to grasp it, with all the other commitments he had between his children and his ministry duties, and anyhow he always did say she overreacted sometimes.
And maybe she did. But she already lost her mother and she wasn't about to let she and her brothers lose him too. "Well maybe ten days" she said.
"Max, I guess it shouldn't take more than that to…uh handle this problem Draco needs help with. Maybe even a week.
Maybe she should tell Draco he was on his own. He'd been on his own for eight years already. Why did his sudden need strike her as so important?
She sighed into the phone and said to Fred. "Listen I'm going to ring Dad later and talk to him, and I'll owl you his next appointment date tonight. I'm sorry I didn't think this would keep me away from home this long. But I need to do this."
Fred didn't say anything and she finished, " I'm not expecting you to nag Dad. I'll do that myself when I get back." How? Arthur wasn't an easy man to talk to sometimes despite his easygoing nature.
"You all can handle things at the house, till I get there. Okay?" she told her brother. "Yeah I know" Fred said "But we just really miss you, okay?"
Which was why Ginny let herself remain the thing that kept the Weasley family together and functioning. Because she knew she was loved.
"I miss you all too" she said, then gave Fred the number to Draco's and rang off.
"I need to get back to the bank," Draco said coming up behind her. "How about I drop you off at the inn on the way? Then you can get your stuff and check out"
"You think you could find your way back here? I'll give you a map of course if you feel you can't," he said.
"No I think I'll manage it" she assured him. "And your father and brother's are okay?" he asked as they left the house.
"They seem to be," she said
She noticed that Draco had never actually asked if she agreed to his plan. He just assumed she would have. But she didn't feel like protesting about it now.
"So drop your stuff here," he said "Get settled in and help yourself to anything." "I can use the phone whenever I can" she asked.
"Sure. And I'll leave you my number in case you need anything" Draco told her. "Okay, thanks" She said.
"Then it would be really useful if you could meet me at the bank around one, so we could meet for lunch. It would be casual. Then tonight dinner at a fancy place would be nice and that dressier, so if you didn't bring the right clothes."
"I can give your name to a couple of shops and you could shop for something this afternoon."
"Okay, that would be helpful." Ginny tried to smile. "I'll cover the tab, of course. Feel free to buy as much as you need."
"How about you print out the full list of my duties and all wardrobe requirements, as a handy reference," she cut in.
He stopped and looked at her.
She glared at him. "Don't say that thing about sucking on a lemon again. Okay?"
"Actually, I was going to apologize to you" Draco sighed.
Her eyebrow rose in shock "For the lemon thing?" she asked.
"For putting too much on you. Do you need more time? Are you committed to this? He asked her looking concerned.
"Are you offering me an out?" She asked. "We've both agreed on an out where it counts, with the marriage." Not "our" marriage, she noticed.
Just "the" marriage. As impersonal as you could get. Not that she wanted to argue with that. But it was…sad. Even after so long.
"I'm committed," she said. Maybe if they could spend a few civilized days without a fight maybe she could go home without feeling like they failed.
Maybe she would discover why his admission of need seemed important.
"Great!" he answered. "We can make this work exactly they way we need to, I know it." Ginny would have liked a couple of words added, like "thanks" and "I really appreciate it" but she wasn't shocked when they didn't happen.
They made their way back to Diagon Alley and Ginny made her way to the inn's front desk and Draco headed off toward the bank.
As she checked out the man at the desk asked her at once, "You a friend of Mr. Malfoy's?"
"Sort of" she said. Not the answer Draco would have wanted, so she added, "His wife, actually." She saw the raised eyebrows across the desk, but didn't deal with them because she was too busy dealing with the strange feeling inside her.
Draco's wife.
She said those words so proudly and so happily for four years, all through it. Then she'd gotten her first teaching job at Hogwarts and he left. And she'd never said them again.
Who knew it would churn her up so much, saying them now?
There is chapter 2. I hope you like it and please review good or bad. Chapter 3 will be out soon. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed andI hope you keep reading...
Bra4goten