Chapter Two

The first two weeks as a Healing Intern had flown by! Ginny was learning so much and enjoying healing patients from some of the magical binds they'd gotten themselves into. She and Pansy had seen some pretty weird things and from what Pansy had told her, there were only more to come.

Ginny was at home in her flat, getting dressed for Pansy's dinner party. Pansy had said it was not a formal event, just a fun get-together for which she was cooking. Ginny had offered to come early to help and Pansy had graciously accepted her offer. They were doing something Muggles did called grilling. Pansy's husband Philip was doing the grilling and Pansy and Ginny would take care of everything else.

Ginny flooed to Philip and Pansy's house. It was a lovely home in the English countryside. It was the kind of place Ginny would like to live in, not at all the kind of place she would imagine Pansy to ever live in. The country house was charming and well decorated.

"Ginny!" Pansy shrieked as she ran into the living room and threw her arms around her. Ginny was still getting used to this new friendly Pansy, but she hugged the older girl back. "Welcome! Come on, I can't believe you haven't met Philip yet. Honey!" Pansy called, taking Ginny's arm and dragging her out a set of French doors onto the deck over-looking the pleasant green countryside.

"Philip darling, this is Ginny Weasley." Ginny looked up to see a very rugged, handsome dark-haired man. He looked like someone out of a Muggle magazine!

"Hi there! Pansy has told me so much about you," he drawled in his strange, American accent.

"Likewise," Ginny said softly. She cleared her throat. "It's nice to meet you."

"Okay, that's done then. We'll be inside! Try not to burn the place down, love!" Pansy slapped her husband playfully on the bottom and dragged Ginny back inside through a different set of doors into a gloriously large kitchen. It was Ginny's dream kitchen.

"Philip wants things done the 'Muggle' way so here we go," Pansy remarked, pointing Ginny over to a pile of vegetables. Ginny took this to mean Pansy wanted the vegetables cleaned and sliced so she began.

Half an hour or so later, the guests began to arrive. Ginny remained in the kitchen, finishing the preparation of the last of the food. Pansy was greeting the guests and showing them to the deck.

Ginny brought out the few remaining trays and went back in to wash her hands off.

She found she wasn't alone in the kitchen. A quick glance showed her a tall, blond man was in there, looking around and carrying a glass of wine.

"Food's outside," she remarked to him, turning on the faucet to wash her hands.

"Ah, if it isn't Ginny Weasley," drawled a voice she vaguely recognized. She turned.

"Draco Malfoy?" she asked, stunned.

"In the flesh," he smirked, as if it were fortunate for Ginny he was there. "Pansy told me she was working with you."

"Yes. Well, good to see you. The party's outside," Ginny turned and headed out the door, not believing she'd just exchanged a few words with Draco Malfoy and no hexes or curses had been thrown.

Ginny remained close to Pansy and Philip most of the night, not really knowing anyone else. She kept catching Malfoy gaping at her. She would just make a face or roll her eyes.

After a few hours, some people began to leave. Ginny started towards the fireplace but was stopped by Pansy.

"Oh no you don't. The fun's just about to begin," she said, grinning slyly. "It's hot tub time!"

Ginny struggled to find an excuse. "I don't have a bathing suit with me, I--"

Pansy cut her off, dragging her towards the stairs. "I am sure I have something that will do.

Come on." Ginny reluctantly followed the pretty blond up the stairs and waited as she searched through drawers in a dresser.

"Here. This will do just fine I believe," Pansy said, throwing two small pieces of materials at Ginny, who winced.

"This? This is so… skimpy!"

Pansy shrugged. "You've got the body- show it. Draco has been eating you alive with his eyes all night. Make him drool a little more. He'll be begging you to go out with him before you leave."

Ginny's eyes widened. "Malfoy? Wha… I don't want him to ask me out!"

"Girly, you have a lot to learn. I've seen the way he's looked at you all night. Hell, I saw the way he began noticing you when you were a fifth year- he and every other straight male at Hogwarts. Come on, he's a great guy and almost as handsome as my husband!" Ginny laughed, knowing this was the truth.

"Pansy, I am only doing this because we're friends and co-workers and I enjoy hanging out with you. I am certainly not trying to get a date. And, did you invite me here to set me up?"

Pansy looked extremely guilty. "I did invite an awful lot of bachelors, didn't I?"

Ginny tried to scowl but couldn't help letting a laugh escape. "There's a bathroom down the hall- you can change in there," Pansy smiled devilishly.

Ginny couldn't believe she was wearing the slinky two-piece. It was a bandeau top, green and white striped, and short-shorts bottoms of the same stripes. She grabbed a towel and tucked it in around her waist, figuring that part of her was going to be covered, darn it!

She slowly descended the stairs and could already hear the laughing and merriment coming from the back deck. When she got outside, however, she was surprised to find only Philip, Pansy, and Malfoy in the tub. Apparently, everyone else had left. Ginny glared at Pansy who motioned her over to the tub.

"Care for a drink?" Pansy giggled.

Ginny helped herself to a bottle of butterbeer from the cooler and slipped out of the towel and quickly into the water.

Pansy whistled, obviously getting tipsy. Ginny shot Draco a glance, only to see him smirk. She rolled her eyes.

"So how is being a Healing Intern?" Draco asked her, sipping his glass of wine, not letting his eyes break from her own. She glanced down.

"It's hard work but also good fun. Pansy and I… we see a lot of odd things. You can't imagine some of the places witches and wizards get things—well anyway—odd stuff," her eyes widened as she realized she'd been about to tell him about one case in particular where a wizard had some how gotten his owl up an 'exit only' hole! The drinks were wearing down her inhibitions.

"What is it you do these days, Malfoy?" she asked, looking him dead in the eye and trying to appear bored.

"Well naturally I handle all of my family's business affairs, now that, well… father is incapable."

Ginny became embarrassed with herself for asking. She knew very well that his father gone mad and nearly killed himself. He was currently in a special psych ward in St. Mungo's. As Ginny's specialty was kids, she had yet to see Lucius Malfoy in his new state.

They continued to chat and listen to stories from Philip and Pansy. Once her skin began to prune,

Ginny knew she'd been in too long. She moved to sit on the deck, with only her feet in the water. She wrapped her towel around her to keep her warm in the cool night air.

In the past few hours, she had learned much about her companions. Pansy shared a much more detailed account of her stay in America during the war. Draco remained silent most of the time, listening as Philip and Pansy shared a story he had, no doubt, heard countless times before.

"Well, I really must be going," Ginny said standing.

"Oh, all right!" Pansy said, huffing.

"But I did have a wonderful time. Thanks for inviting me!" Ginny replied, remembering her manners. In all honesty, she had had a nice time. She turned to head inside and put her clothes back on. "What should I do with this?" She pointed to the towel and bathing suit she was wearing.

"Keep the suit. It looks good on you!" Pansy shrieked as her husband attacked her. Draco took that as his cue to leave as well.

"See you," Draco shrugged as he wrapped a towel around his waist. Ginny couldn't help but stare at the water dripping down from his hair, his face, down his chiseled abs… she shook her head and turned away, hurrying inside.

She had changed her clothes and was exiting the bathroom when she ran into someone. Knowing who it must be, she paused and looked down. A hand lifted her chin.

"It was nice seeing you, Ginny," Draco Malfoy grinned, his gray eyes twinkling and his hair still dripping slightly. He had changed into his clothes however, a fact for which Ginny was grateful,

given the feeling in her gut at the moment.

She managed to stammer out something that sounded like "you too" and turned from him quickly and dashed down the stairs. As she was preparing to floo back to her flat, a hand grabbed hers and with a flash, she was somewhere else.

"What the-" she cried, ripping her hand from its captor. She turned, hands on her hips, to see Draco walking out of the fireplace in front of her. "Malfoy? Just what do you mean bringing me… wherever this is?"

"I wanted to talk, learn more about you. Pansy and Philip did most of the talking back there, didn't they? I thought we could be alone for awhile," he started back towards her.

"I really need to be going," Ginny gasped as he closed the distance between them.

He held out his hand to her. "Come on in. This is my town home. It's just us." He sounded so sincere she found herself trusting him, strangely enough. She let him take her hand and guide her to a nearby sofa. "May I get you some water or something to drink?"

"Water's fine." Draco vanished for a minute and returned with two elegant glasses filled to the brim with water and ice.

He settled himself on the couch with her and just stared at her. She shifted uncomfortably. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"You," he said, eyeing her as he took a sip from his water.

"Me? Well gosh there's not much… I'm an intern, I--"

"Actually, let's not talk," he said taking the glass from her hands and setting it on the table with his own. His eyes never left hers as he closed the gap between them. The next thing she knew his lips were on hers and his tongue was begging for entrance into her mouth.

She closed her eyes and let him in. His hands came to her face, caressing their way down her neck and finally wrapping around her middle, drawing her closer to him, so that she was almost sitting on top of him.

She pushed back slightly from him and looked with wide eyes as he gave her a sly grin. "Been wanting to do that since I first set eyes on you tonight," he drawled, nuzzling his nose into her neck and dusting it with kisses.

"Malfoy, I--"

"Merlin's sake, Ginny! We just made out, call me Draco!"

"Draco," she corrected. "I don't know what--"

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that! I know better," he smirked. She blushed.

"Well yeah, but I…" Ginny found herself speechless.

"Look, I know you're a smart girl and all that but do me a favor. Don't think right now. Just do."

Draco got the last part out in barely a whisper as he claimed her mouth again.

After they broke apart from another marathon kiss, Draco lifted Ginny and stood, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her into his bedroom and laid her down on his bed.

"Stay," he whispered. She looked uneasy for a second and so he put a finger to her lips. "Just sleep. Nothing else has to happen. I just want you to stay."

Ginny, dumbstruck, just nodded. She knew it was late, two AM last she'd seen the clock, and she didn't have anywhere to be tomorrow-- or today as it was. Besides, she thought to herself satisfactorily, it had been a while since she'd gotten any action, so what if something happened?

She found herself thinking she might like the idea. She certainly enjoyed kissing him.

Ginny didn't sleep around or anything, but she thought she could handle a one-night stand. She snapped out of her thoughts as Draco's hands tugged on the hem of her shirt. She raised her arms without question. Draco tossed the garment aside and looked at the lacy bra, shaking his head. He turned and headed to a chest of drawers.

"Want a t-shirt?"

"Maybe later," she said with a wicked grin, as she undid the clasp of her bra. He threw her one anyway and headed back towards the bed, tackling her as he jumped into it. He threw his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. He began his kissing assault once again and Ginny gave back as good as she got.

A while later, Ginny flopped down onto his bare stomach, both of them slightly sweaty and trying to catch their breath. After a few minutes, Ginny rolled off of Draco and sighed as she rested her eyes. Draco propped up on an elbow and began tracing his finger down her body.

"That was… incredible," he whispered.

"It was, wasn't it?" she sighed.

"You still going to stay?" he cooed, nuzzling her ear with his lips. She debated this and decided that it was time to get going, despite the warm tingling his lips on her ears sent down her body. She tried to explain her way into her clothes and back to her flat but Draco wouldn't have any of it.

They slept in until around noon and Ginny was getting dressed when Draco finally opened his eyes.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked, propping up on an elbow to watch the redhead.

Ginny blushed. "Yes. I need to get going. Errands to run and all that."

Draco smirked. "When can I see you again?" Ginny looked startled at this. Draco, however, missed the surprise that registered in her face.

"Well, I am really very busy with training and all," she fumbled.

"I'll owl you then?" he said, not phased by her non-committal attitude.

"Sure. Yeah, you do that," she grinned, her back to him, and rolled her eyes. Why was he going through the ropes when she was pretty sure he never meant to get in touch with her again? Draco had moved swiftly from the bed and had his arms around her, nuzzling her neck as she finished dressing. He nibbled lightly on her ear, and turned her around for a chaste kiss before letting her go. Ginny smiled, awkwardly, and gave a slight wave as she stepped towards the floo.