Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would have some one sleep for me. Every day. So that I would get eight hours of it like I'm supposed to.
WOOT! I got 100 reviews (does a little dance around the dorm while roommates look at me oddly) THANK YOU ! To all of my reviewers, thanks so much, and I'm sorry this is two days late, but I got sick, over Thanksgiving break, how sucky is that?
GoldenFawkes: Some D/G action for you, thank you so much for reviews on other chapts as well
louey31: woot, thanks, I'm glad you liked it
Sweetmly117: here's some more for you, thanks for the review
hart-break: sorry for the wait, but here's some d/g drama in this chapter
Dracosbaby7: hey, thanks for the awesome review, here's another chapter!
Angelique Collins: yeah, I thought Draco and Ron would be a fair match
Alexandria J. Malfoy: I thought the whole skewered thing was a nice little bit of eww in the chapter
DCoD: Wow, I'm glad you liked it. This chapter is a little more serious, but still, enjoy
Read and review, y'all!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was May. May 20th. The weeks had flown by fast until this point. England was now, officially, out of the red zone, they were also out of the yellow 'warning' zone, and were functioning well with in the parameters of any other country.
Businesses had come back, the employment rate was down to 7, still rather high, but it was still decreasing, and the economy was at 20.3. Even the weather was nice. Once April had past the air had warmed up, the rain had abated slightly, and flowers had begun to come out.
May 20th. It had really been six years now, he thought as he fiddled with the top button on his green silk shirt and checked his reflection in the mirror in his office. Six years since that last battle, six years since Lord Voldemort, six years since he had a family. Well, make that five and a half, he thought as he heard a loud horde of noise that could only be a herd of kids and adults. He decided to leave the top button loose and grabbed his laptop case and his sunglasses.
He opened his office door and stared as the entire 'family' was escorted up by Shelia.
"Hey, boss. These folks here said they were to take you to the ceremony," she said.
Draco stared at them all. "You didn't have to, you know," he said, but still touched that they did.
"Oh, nonsense," said Mrs. Weasley. "Do you have a jacket to bring in case it gets cold?"
He smiled at the bit of mothering; he couldn't help it. "I'll be fine," he said. "Shall we head off?"
They didn't all fit in the elevator, so they took two trips and then exited the building into bright sunshine and a cool breeze. Draco slipped on the sunglasses and fell into step beside Harry, who had his own sunglasses on.
"Paparazzi, three o'clock," said Harry, out of the corner of his mouth.
"And eleven o'clock. You know, maybe it isn't such a good idea for me and you to be in the same place at the same time today," said Draco.
"Most likely," agreed Harry. "Where's Ginny?"
"Already there setting up," said Draco. "So, you have your first game in a week. How do you feel about it?"
"Don't ask," said Harry. "I get all nervous."
"Alright, how's Padma?" Draco asked, knowing things had heated up between him and the reporter. Harry had even brought her to the last family dinner where the family had practically interrogated her before accepting her with open arms. But she was a reporter and had pulled through it fine. The girls were, perhaps, the most ruthless at the questioning, but it was only because they were trying to look after Harry who had already been through so many girlfriends, who had all broken his heart, and Padma had understood that.
"She's meeting us there," said Harry, evasively. "And by the way, thanks."
Draco looked at him, but couldn't see his eyes due to the glasses.
"For what?" he asked.
"I know what you did," said Harry. "It took me awhile to see it, but then I got to thinking about that day when I met Padma again, you don't usually lose papers, and it wasn't just chance that she was interviewing you right then, was it? Or that the Minister calls just then. So, 'fess up. You hooked us up, didn't you?"
Draco grinned. "Maybe."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Means that while I wasn't hoping for a long term relationship between you two, I was giving you both a chance to realize that there are nice people out there."
"And for yourself?" Harry asked, knowing that Draco's motives were hardly ever altruistic.
"Did you know that the economy tends to do better when a popular figure is in a good relationship? That means that if you and Padma ever break up, you have to warn me first so I can prepare for a regression."
"You got us together for the economy?" asked Harry, incredulous.
"And for the paparazzi to stop following me and start following you two," Draco admitted. "But you don't mind."
"What if I do?"
"You don't," said Draco, with a smirk on his lips. Dragon ran from where he was at the front of the group with Pansy back to Draco, who scooped him up. "Hey kiddo," said Draco to the boy, who was content to be carried the rest of the way to the Ministry.
"You do realize that your picture with him is going to be in all of the tabloids tomorrow," said Harry.
Draco nodded, but couldn't bring himself to care.
May 20th had become a wizarding holiday, Remembrance Day. The States had been far removed from the war and so the day had been celebrated there with parades and the loud playing and singing of "Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead", a Muggle song from the movie the Wizard of Oz. In England it was celebrated with a somber ceremony in the late morning, and then picnics or lunches spent with family. Draco sort of missed the song; he thought it was fitting.
The memorial this year was going to be held outside the Ministry of Magic building as the groundbreaking ceremony for the new wing on the Ministry, the museum dedicated to all those who fought in the war, and nearly all of London was invited. In fact, nearly all of London had arrived by the time Draco and company arrived, but they had designated seating in the front because Draco was to give a presentation so they didn't have to arrive early to reserve seating.
The set-up outside the Ministry looked much like the arrangement for the ceremony outside of Hogwarts six years ago, though with not as many chairs. Ginny was waiting for them at their seats and Draco snagged the one next to her because she had his notes, or at least that was a convenient excuse. Ginny was looking particularly pretty in a dress that was the color that caused debates on whether it was dark blue or purple. That and he couldn't bear the thought of sitting through a bunch of boring speeches without her quirky remarks and silent giggles.
"Everything all set?" he asked, sinking into the chair next to her.
"Of course," she said handing him the folder containing his speech. "You're on after Lupin introduces you. Unfortunately he is after a whole row of people including the former Minister Fudge."
He groaned; she laughed then stopped as the Assistant Minister took the podium on the temporary stage.
"Can I please have your attention?" he asked to quiet the crowd down. "Thank you and welcome to the sixth anniversary of the defeat of You-Know-Who."
"Do they really still call him that over here?" Draco asked in a whisper to Ginny.
"Only the politicians. They think it will jinx their speech," she whispered back. "Most people have gotten over it though."
"I would like all of us to take these next few moments to reflect on those who have fallen in this war." He stepped back and bowed his head as silence fell over the group. He stepped back up to the podium not ten seconds later. "Thank you. And now a few words from our Minister of Defense."
"That wasn't a few minutes," said Ginny in his ear. "I think they're afraid people will start falling asleep if they keep quiet for too long. Of course we know it's the other way around."
Draco's lips twitched but he fought the smile.
"Thank you, Mr. Weldon," said the Secretary of Defense. "And thank you all for coming this morning to the Remembrance Day Memorial. As Secretary of Defense it is my job to insure that the peace and sovereignty of the English Wizarding World is not threatened….," the Secretary droned on and Draco zoned out. The wind was gently blowing and Ginny's hair, which was down in loose curls, brushed against his arm, completely noticeable through the thin silk of his shirt.
He pulled his mind back to reality when Fudge took the stand then let it wander again as Fudge jumped into a self-gratifying speech, starting with, "I'll keep this brief." An hour later and he was immensely glad when Lupin took the stage and began to speak, his quiet words holding no pride, only sincerity.
"We have seen many difficult times," he said, his soft voice carrying nicely with the magnifying podium. "And we have seen dark and dangerous ones as well. Many of us in our struggles have forgotten what the good times were like, but now we need no reminder because I believe that I can say without any fear of falsehood that these are good times again." There was genuine applause and Lupin paused until it had past then continued. "As much as we may not like to remember the dark times, it is important that we do. Not just so we may avoid the trap of prejudice and hate that plunged us into the terror, but so we that we do not forget those who gave their lives that we today may reap the benefits." More applause, though quieter as his words struck the hearts of the audience gathered.
"I am pleased to announce," Lupin resumed, "that a plan nearly three years in the making, will finally see its official beginning today. Long has the Ministry desired to see a memorial to commemorate the events of this long battle and today you will get to see the dream become a reality with the help of our own Draco Malfoy."
"Hey, that's you," Ginny said softly in his ear.
Draco's lips twitched again.
"And now, to give you all a much better explanation of what exactly is taking place than I could ever give, here is Mr. Malfoy himself."
Draco rose, hearing Ginny's whispered 'Good luck' over the applause and jogged up the stairs to the stage. He shook the Minister's hand then took the podium.
"Good morning," he said. "A few months ago the Minister contacted me with the idea for a memorial for those who had died in the war and I immediately knew that this was one of the greatest things that I would ever take part in. The only problem I could think of was: How are we to give the greatest men and women of our time the amount of honor that we owe them? So instead of boring you all with a long-winded speech, I decided to show you the answer. The answer begins with a wall right back there."
Draco pointed to the back of the audience and as the members turned, he pressed a button on the metal box Ginny had placed earlier on the podium. A wall of light shot up in the back as the audience gasped in surprise and appreciation. The light was a mix of Muggle 3-D holographic imaging and magic. The wall looked so real that the cracks of brick were visible.
"On that wall is a time line and a display of the artifacts of the war." He pressed another button and the faint image of a timeline and display cases appeared. "As the visitors walk forward they are able to read about different events that took place in the war, such as the first appearance of Voldemort to the birth of Harry Potter," he smirked in Harry's direction as the Boy-Who-Lived glared, "to the final battle." He pressed the third button and two more walls appeared at the sides of the audience. "The room will be lit by natural light," said Draco, flipping a switch and looking up as the holographical ceiling was put in place. It would be made of clear planes of glass held up by sculpted marble pillars that also appeared. "And by candles at night." Intricately woven candelabras appeared at measured intervals on the walls.
"The memorial will also hold a dedication to those who survived," said Draco, pushing another button as lights appeared in the middle of the audience, this time forming little islands of pictures in cases. Draco let the audience members play with the lights that had appeared right in them by running their hands through it and laughing before continuing.
"The answer ends with a wall as well," said Draco, calling their attention back to him. "A wall at the end that lists every one who fought in the war, those living and those who died." He pushed the final button and the last wall appeared, finishing the structure. Draco let them take in the entire building of light before turning the box off. The light disappeared leaving them in sunlight once more. "Work on the Memorial starts today and in eight months it will be fully functional and open to the public. Thank you."
Draco stepped away from the podium to thunderous applause and headed back to his seat while the Minister concluded the ceremony.
"Excellent job, mate," said Fred, once the ceremony was over and people began leaving.
"Bloody brilliant," agreed George, both of them slapping him on the back.
"It was rather exciting," said Blaise, nonchalantly.
"You had to mention me, didn't you," said Harry.
"Of course," said Draco. "I plan on having an entire section of the wall dedicated to you, although your mummified remains would have been such a better attraction piece."
"As long as you don't start charging money," said Harry.
"It would help insure a stable economy," said Draco shrugging.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next week found Draco once again checking his reflection in the mirror in his office, but this time instead of wearing a green silk shirt and dress pants, he was wearing a long-sleeved orange t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Both were courtesy of Ginny who told him that they were so he didn't look all snobbish when he showed up in dress robes at the Cannon's first Quidditch match of the year. He grimaced, never being that fond of orange. Potter was right; he should have bought them better colors.
Ginny opened the door with her eyes shut.
"Are you done changing?" she asked.
"You know, you could have knocked," he said.
She opened her eyes and smiled. "It's more fun this way." She stepped in all the way and looked him over critically. He took the opportunity to look her over as well. She had on baggy jeans and a tight orange sweater. Her hair was thrown back into a ponytail and, as usual, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was.
"Will I do?" he asked, tearing his mind away from wandering to far in Ginny's direction.
"I suppose," she said grinning. "Although you took so long primping we probably missed half the game."
"We have not," said Draco indignantly. "And it was a phone conference that ran late, I was not primping."
"Sure," she said. "I believe you. Now can we go already?"
He laughed at her impatience, but slid his cell phone into his pocket and they took the Floo to Warren Stadium. Warren Stadium was one of three permanent Quidditch fields hidden from the Muggle eye; however, because they were kept hidden, they were much smaller than the stadium that would be set up for the World Cup, which was being held in a remote plain in Northern England.
They arrived underneath the stands, slapping Floo powder from their clothes. Wizards and witches had parked their carts there and were shouting out sales for sweets and souvenirs. Draco bought two omnioculars and handed one to Ginny.
"Where are we sitting?" she asked.
"Top center," said Draco. "This way." They started for a stairwell, but Draco caught sight of a burly, brown haired man and froze.
"Shit," he whispered under his breath. "Shit, shit, shit. This way, Ginevra," he said grabbing her arm and turning her around, but it was too late.
"Malfoy!" came the shout behind him.
Draco stopped and closed his eyes.
"Who is it?" Ginny whispered to him. Draco opened his eyes to see her concerned face peering into his.
"Theodore Nott's older brother. The only reason he wasn't a Death Eater was because he was in Africa doing who knows what. Stay here, alright?"
"Why?" she demanded.
"Because if this gets messy, I don't want you hurt," he said, and gave her a push to head off and then turned around.
"Oh, hello, Richard," he drawled. "Come to see the game have you?"
The larger man took a few steps closer so that he was right in Draco's space and his hot breath blew into his face. Draco just stared at him with his 'Lucius' expression on, one of disinterest, disgust, and danger.
"You, Malfoy, will pay for what you did to my family," Nott growled.
"Unfortunately, I don't conduct business at Quidditch games," said Draco. "You'll have to stop by the office, but call ahead first so you can schedule an appointment, alright?"
Nott tensed and for a split second Draco thought he was going to take a swing at him, but then there was the bright flash of a camera. Both men turned their heads to see Colin Creevy, photographer for the Daily Prophet standing with Ginny.
"You will pay, Malfoy," said Nott. "Mark my words."
He knocked into Draco on the way out, his shoulder hitting Draco rather painfully in the chest and there was another flash.
"Thanks, Colin," said Ginny to the blond who never really grew anymore after sixth year.
"Anytime Ginny," said Colin. "Hiya, Draco. Don't suppose I can have a real picture of you now, can I?"
Draco smiled slightly. "I can do one better." He pulled out a business card and handed it to Colin. "Go down to the team locker rooms. This will get you past security and you can get a pre-game picture of the Cannons."
"Wow. Thanks Draco!" the photographer enthused. "I better get going if I'm going to make it." He practically sprinted away and Draco turned to Ginny.
"Thanks," he said.
She shrugged. "I just didn't want to miss the game because I had to escort my boss to the hospital," she said, leading the way up the stairs.
"I could have taken him," said Draco, following her.
She laughed. "He had fifty pounds on you, Malfoy. Not really a fair fight."
"I know some dirty tricks," said Draco. "Slytherin, remember?"
"How could I forget," she said. "Setting up Harry and Padma for the economy?"
"And to keep the paparazzi away from me," said Draco.
"Exactly my point," said Ginny.
"What?" asked Draco. "They like each other."
"So the end justifies the means?" she asked.
"Sometimes," said Draco. "Only sometimes."
Draco was glad when they reached their top box because his legs were starting to burn from walking up that many stairs. The family, minus the younger children, who were being babysat by Rolly at Draco's house, were already there, talking excitedly.
"Ah, the man of the hour arrives," said Fred as he and Ginny stepped into the seating area.
"Fashionably late," said George. "Though not so fashionably dressed."
"Ginevra's fault," said Draco.
"Good job, Ginny," said George.
"We were wondering if he was ever going to stop dressing like a rich prat," said Fred.
"I am a rich prat," said Draco.
"Point taken," said Fred.
"Dully noted," said George.
Draco smirked and then stared as he caught sight of Snape. "Is he really wearing an orange scarf?" he asked Fred and George.
"Hermione did that," said Fred.
"Said he needed to show some support or he'd be taken as a Ballycastle Bat fan," said George.
"I think it's a good color on him," said Blaise, coming over.
Draco just shook his head and joined his godfather who was sitting in the front row corner chair looking anything but enthused.
"Nice sc-," he started.
"Don't even," said Snape, coolly. "Or you will end up with a particularly nasty potion in your coffee tomorrow."
"Are you threatening me, Sev?" Draco asked, eyes wide in mock surprise.
"Yes," said Snape.
Draco couldn't help but laugh and then the rest of the family took their seats as the announcer's voice rang out over the crowd.
"Attention please. Warren Stadium would like to welcome you all to the first match of a new season: the Ballycastle Bats against our own Chudley Cannons!" There was a huge cheer from the orange clad spectators below and Ginny, who was sitting on the other side of Draco, gripped his hand in excitement.
"And now please give a warm welcome for our visitors. Playing for the Bat team: Derek Williams, Jeffery Higgins,.."
"How much of a chance do we have?" Ginny asked, rather loudly in his ear to be heard over the 'boos' that the crowd was emitting at a rather impressive decibel level.
"Depends," said Draco. "They have better Chaser's, just because they have been playing together for six years now, but our Keeper is better."
"How good is their Seeker?" asked Ginny.
"Davis is good because he has such incredible speed. He watches the other Seeker and once the other Seeker spots the Snitch, he pretty much chases them down and steals it from under their nose. Harry knows that so he won't go for the Snitch unless he is sure that he can get it."
"And now the players of the Chudley Cannons. Beaters Rick Bradbury and Jason Wells, Chasers Sadie Marks, Stephen Corning, Alison Stiles. Our Keeper Oliver Wood and our Seeker, the Boy-Who-Lived, the savior of the Wizarding World, the Defeater of You-Know-Who, our very own, Harry Potter!"
Draco rose to his feet and cheered along with the hundreds of fans in the crowd. Seven orange blurs raced out onto the field, swooping once around the players in black with the red bat symbol on their backs and then flew up right in front the box Draco and the family was in and saluted.
Harry was grinning, so Draco figured it was his idea. He scowled at the players who grinned and then flew back down.
"And the team gives homage to their financial supporter, Draco Malfoy," said the announcer in his magically amplified voice. The spotlights that had been roaming around the stadium came to rest on their box and Draco scowled even further.
The lights left as the announcer continued. "And now our referee takes the field, the world renowned Harris Wendon!" More cheers, gradually growing louder until it reached a crescendo as the referee set the box of Quidditch balls on the ground, then blew his whistle, kicked open the box, and leaped onto his broom.
The players immediately launched themselves into the game. The Bats got control of the Quaffle first and sent it down the goal, but Wood easily saved it and sent it to Marks who sent it to Stiles, who passed it to Corning, but it was intercepted by the Bats. Beside him Ginny yelled near profanities at the players in black along with the rest of the crowd beneath them and Draco couldn't help but smile.
Corning recovered the Quaffle and sent it to Marks who scored and the Cannon's pulled ahead at 10-0. The goal was met with fierce cheering from the crowd and the occupants of the top box went crazy, well, most of them. Draco merely cheered and Sev applauded politely.
Draco looked through his omnioculars to watch Harry who was circling the field, his eyes darting all around the sky for the Snitch. He suddenly got a rather wicked look on his face and zoomed straight towards one the Ballycastle Bat Chasers and Davis, the Bat Seeker, took off after him.
"Does he see the Snitch?" Hermione asked, anxiously.
"He's testing him," said Ron, calling it for what it was. "He wants to see how good Davis is."
Harry veered right at the last possible second; Davis was right on his tail.
"Damn he's good," said Draco. Ginny gave a noncommittal 'Mmmm' as she too tracked Harry's progress.
"I'd like to see what he does on a Wronski Feint," said Charlie.
"Second hour," said Draco.
"What?" asked Charlie, looking over.
"In the second hour he's pulling a Wronski," said Draco, who as the sole supporter of the Cannon's, knew some of the game plan.
"Sweet," said Bill.
For a couple of seconds about half an hour into the game, it looked as if there wasn't going to be a second hour. Harry spotted the Snitch and spiked into the air at an incredible rate, Davis bolting after him, but Bat beater sent a bludger straight at Harry's head and he was forced to roll and when he had recovered, the Snitch was no where in sight. There was a moan from the crowd but a round of appreciative applause.
By the second hour the score was at a relatively low 50-80 with the Bat's in the lead. Twenty minutes into the hour Harry went plummeting straight for the ground causing the audience to go wild as Davis pulled even to Harry, but then Davis switched positions so that he was right over Harry's back.
"That's illegal!" Draco yelled, jumping to his feet with the rest of the Weasleys when he realized what was happening. Davis was preventing Harry from pulling out of the feint, a move that was sure to be a foul when it was used again, but this was the first time in history something like this had ever happened.
The crowd went silent as every eye fastened on the plunging figure of the boy-hero. Even Wood was staring, letting the Quaffle sail right past him and through the left hoop.
"Damn it, Harry. Pull up," Draco muttered. Ginny's hand latched onto Draco's arm and he tensed as Harry's impact with the ground drew closer, but just when Harry's was about to hit, he pulled a ninety degree right turn so that he went skimming over the grass, so close that his shoes left gouges in the turf where they dragged. Davis wasn't so lucky. He was expecting the Seeker to pull up and straight and as he pulled up sharply the back of his broom hit the ground and he landed flat on his butt, skidding to a stop.
Draco let out the breath he realized he had been holding as Harry rose into the air, taking a quick lap around the field to the thundering cheers that had broken out from a relieved and extremely impressed audience. The cheers turned to laughter as Davis stiffly resumed his position on his broom.
Enraged by the attack on their Seeker and encouraged by his victory, the Cannon's fell to the game with a renewed energy and resolve and within fifteen minutes they had pulled ahead 140-90. By the third hour the score was 180-120 and then Harry pulled another Wronski, but this time he had actually seen the Snitch. Davis held back, afraid he would be ploughed into the ground again, and so Harry easily pulled out of the dive, the Snitch caught in his gloved fingers and held aloft for the crowd to see.
Pandemonium broke out as the crowd screamed its approval. Severus was on his feet clapping, Mrs. Weasley was crying, the couples kissing, and Ginny laughing in relief then turning to jump into Draco's arms. Draco caught her, rather surprised, but spinning her around in the limited space available.
He set her down and they both turned to the field, hooting as Harry landed his broom, ran to Padma, who had been covering the game on camera, and twirled her, dipped her, and kissed her soundly, not caring that the camera men were zooming the recording devices right in their faces. The crowd hollered all the more, and after presenting Padma with the Snitch, Harry regained his broom and took a victory lap with the rest of the team.
The crowd didn't dissipate for half an hour after the game. They kept cheering and the Cannon's were forced to take three more laps around the crowd, finally zooming straight into the locker rooms and finally the fans got the hint and started packing up. The occupants on the top box filtered out as well. The married couples were all heading out to separate dates, and Mrs. Weasley went home stating she was tired and Sev had a potion to tend to, and that left Draco and Ginny alone in the box.
"Do you want to get some dinner?" Draco asked Ginny, who was lounging across two chairs.
"Let's go some place where we won't be known," said Ginny.
"Do you want to be daring and hit Muggle London?" asked Draco.
"Sounds nice," said Ginny.
They took the Floo back to Diagon Alley and then exited the Wizarding World by the entrance by the Leaky Cauldron. Dusk was falling but it was a pleasant evening so they wandered aimlessly before finding a cute little diner that didn't have the best food, but it was a cheerful, well-lit place that seemed popular with young couples. They both ordered a cheeseburger with fries and Draco took a coffee while Ginny had a soda. She blew the straw wrapper at him and he retaliated by flicking a sugar packet at her.
It was fun, he decided as he licked a bit of ketchup off his finger, to forget that he was the CEO of three companies and a dozen more overseas and just to act like any normal twenty-three year old. Ginny looked happy as well. She was constantly smiling and the conversation was never forced, easily switching between serious subjects and ones with absolutely no rhyme or reason to them.
"I'm serious," said Ginny. "I could see you as a Potions Professor."
"You've got to be kidding me," Draco laughed. "I mean, I like potions and I'm good at them, but teaching them? Do you want to know why Sev is how he is today? It is the Potions classes and all those close calls that made him the snarky bastard we all know and love. Would you really like to see me like that?"
"Well, you have the bastard part down," said Ginny.
"Hey," said Draco, indignantly.
"I'll amend that," said Ginny. "You can play the bastard part really well."
He smiled. "I'll accept that," he said.
"So what could you see me as?" Ginny asked.
He thought for a moment. "A Healer," he said.
It was her turn to laugh. "No way," she said. "I don't like the sight of blood. I get nauseas and sometimes I throw up."
"Are you serious?" Draco asked. "I remember you being fine running the infirmary after the last battle, and you didn't look sick at all."
"Only because I was too busy to think about it," she confessed. "I'm a right girl when it comes to blood."
"But you do have the nice part down," said Draco. "You have to admit, you get that whole kind, caring thing from your mother."
"Unfortunately so," said Ginny. "It was taken advantage of in my childhood by my brothers who knew that if they were ever sick, or faked being sick, I would pretty much do anything for them. I learned my lesson pretty early on though. What was it like as an only child?"
Draco shrugged. "It was alright, I suppose. I mean, I got everything I ever wanted, scratch that. I always got it before I even wanted it. It was a lot of trying to live up to expectations, and I'm sort of glad I didn't have siblings. When I was a child, everything had to be about me. As I grew older, I just wanted to have a normal life, do my own thing without Lucius' telling me what to do, and that was the only time I ever wanted a brother, if only to keep Lucius' off my back. Rather cruel, I suppose, to want another human to take the pressure off of me, for Lucius' to be mad at him and not me."
"I don't think so," said Ginny. "No one should have to go through that."
"Maybe not," said Draco. "But sometimes I wonder, if Lucius' hadn't treated me like that, I wonder if I would have denied the mark or not."
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think you would have," she said. "We are not only defined by our experiences but also our own inherent nature. You could have easily gone the wrong way, become hard and bitter because of the way Lucius' treated you, but you didn't. If anything you chose the harder path, and that makes me believe that it wasn't Lucius that made you turn, it was your own self."
Her bright hazel eyes were sincere, and he noticed that there were flecks of gold in them. He smiled and reached across the table to take her hand.
"Thank you," he said. He had a feeling he hadn't meant anything more than he meant those two words. She smiled back.
He walked her to her apartment as it was dark out, but too nice of a night to Apparate.
"Thank you for dinner, Draco," Ginny said once they reached her apartment building.
"No problem," said Draco. "It was fun. I needed that."
"I did too," said Ginny. She reached out to give him a hug, but somehow their lips got in the way, and before Draco fully realized what was happening, one of his hands was encircling her waist pulling her closer and the other was on the back of her neck, tilting her head up to his. Her own hands slid up his arms and neck until she buried them in his hair. He groaned against her lips which parted and he crushed his mouth harder against hers, delving deeper into the kiss, feeling her respond by pushing herself closer into him. For one surreal moment, Draco swore he was bewitched. His body was numb, except for the places where she was pressed flush against him. Those parts felt as if they were burning with a cruel heat that sent shocks of ecstasy straight to his brain which was vaguely noting that the world seemed to be spinning itself round and round.
He came back to earth with a jolt and staggered back a step as the fingers, which had been tangled in his hair, pressed against his chest and pushed. He blinked, breathed in a ragged breath, and forced his eyes to focus on Ginny, who was looking some what dazed. She licked her slightly swollen lips, an act that made him want to step forward and claim them again, and attempted to smooth out her clothes.
"Look, Draco," she said. "I-we can't, that is…We can't do this."
He stared at her, his brain trying to assemble itself and take in exactly what she was saying.
"I mean, you're my boss," she said. "That and I am far to busy to think about a relationship right now."
"Okay," he said slowly. She seemed to be growing more distraught by the minute.
"It's not you, Draco," she said. "Merlin knows it isn't you, but I can't do this right now. I'm not ready for this. I hadn't been planning, I mean, I never thought, I…this was a mistake, alright? We're colleagues and friends, nothing more. Let's just forget this ever happened. Thank you for tonight, it really was lovely."
And with that she ran into her apartment. Draco stared after her, wanting to do nothing more than to run after her and kiss all of her doubts away but then the logical side of him showed him exactly what he had done. He had kissed Ginevra Weasley. No, it was more than that. He had fallen for her, and fallen hard. He knew the reasons he could never be with her, and it was time for him to remember them. They may be secret, but they were reasons none-the-less.
He sighed, ran a hand over his face, and decided that a walk around town might clear his head. With that he set out at a brisk pace, destination: no where.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, sorry it was late (I was sick), but it has the much-sought after D/G interactions and that was the first real kissing scene I have ever written. So, let me know what you think, what you feel, were you moved, disgusted, just plain confused? Read and review!