Greetings, my readers! I wanted to thank you all for the response to the last chapter. And without further ado, here is the next one. I hope you enjoy it!

WILFULLY: CHAPTER 10

Ginny Weasley was trapped in a tug of war.

She trusted Harry completely, which meant that his suspicions could not be disregarded. On the other hand, Draco… well, in the few months that she had come to know him, she had seen no inclination in him towards his family's old ways. Was it all an act, though? Her heart refused to believe it, and she felt deep down that she could trust him.

But could she really?

xx

"Why is your Dark Mark still alive?"

If her life had been like one of those muggle dramas on television, the world would have frozen around Ginny to let her process the magnitude of those seven words. But her life was not a TV show, and even though she found herself bound in chains of bewilderment, the argument occurring between her current boyfriend and her ex-boyfriend continued on without any care for her.

"Shove off, Potter!"

"Not until you answer my question, Malfoy."

"I don't owe you any answers," Draco snarled as he wrenched his arm away.

"About this, you do." Harry responded calmly, though he had pulled out his wand. "I'm the Deputy Head of the Auror Department and I've every right to ask you why your Dark Mark is active."

Draco stilled for a moment, then he raised his chin in open defiance. "My records are clean, and you have no evidence whatsoever pertaining to my involvement in anything even remotely suspicious." he declared. "So, let's not pretend that this is about you doing your job, when we both know that you just can't stomach the idea of me fucking the girl you happen to be in love with."

It all happened too quickly. Harry's face twisted in anger and he punched Draco. The blond stumbled a step back and then shot a curse at Harry, who was quick to retaliate. Purple and red jets of light erupted from the tips of their wands and met in the middle, sending bright sparks flying all about them.

The altercation, however, did spur Ginny into action. "No! Stop!" she shouted as she jumped in between them. She pushed Harry back and turned to glare at Draco threateningly. "Stop this right now!"

The spells halted now that she was in the way of fire, which was some relief, but the commotion had attracted an audience. Whispers grew closer as the shoppers of Diagon Alley peeked through the narrow opening of the alley to see what was going on. Merlin, this was bad. Rita Skeeter would most certainly make a field day out of this. And if Harry was to repeat his accusations then it would ruin Draco; the wizarding community had not entirely forgiven the Malfoys for their role in the war, and if they found out about this, they would most certainly demand him to be incarcerated in Azkaban.

Draco seemed to falter at the arrival of the spectators, which did not come as a surprise to Ginny. She knew how much his family's image mattered to him and how he had been working to alter it ever since the war had ended. His eyes moved from the people to her – she could not read them, though – and then he turned on his heels and stormed down the alley.

Caught somewhere between bewilderment and curiosity, Ginny moved to follow him – she desperately needed an explanation and he was the only one who could give it to her – when a hand grabbed her arm in an iron grip.

"Don't, Gin," Harry said.

"Let go of me," she retorted.

"Malfoy is hiding something," Harry insisted. "He can't be trusted. I can't let you go after him."

"I thought it was not your job to look after me anymore," she reminded him. Hadn't he just said that to her minutes ago when they had left the bookshop?

Harry took a step towards her. "Gin–"

"Do not follow me," she growled as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "Do not follow me."

Without waiting for a reply, she went off after Draco. She did pull out her wand on the way; she was not stupid, after all. Her mind was in a haze though, the revelation had struck her like a bolt of lightning, and she felt stupid for not seeing what had been in front of her all this time.

Harry was most certainly jealous, but his experiences with the Dark Arts gave credibility to his instincts. She could recall all those discussions in the Gryffindor common room she had had with Harry, where he had discussed his suspicions of Draco being a Death Eater. She had dismissed those as paranoia, just like everyone else, and he had turned out to be right.

But was he right this time as well?

Ginny had first seen Draco's Dark Mark on their third date, when he had taken her to the Malfoy Manor and they had undressed each other eagerly. She remembered pausing in shock upon seeing the scars on his body – the cut on his shoulder blade, the gash on his thigh and the darkened burnt skin on his lower back – and she had noticed, and then promptly ignored, the black skull and snake tattoo on his left forearm. Drowned as she was at the time in lust, she had felt no need to acknowledge his Dark Mark; she had known, after all, that he had once been a member of Voldemort's inner circle, and she'd also heard the tales of how reluctant he had been to serve from Harry. It didn't occur to her then, or in the months of dating that followed, that an inactive Dark Mark is supposed to be like an old, faded scar while his was anything but that.

She walked down the Knockturn Alley, scanning the area for any sign of her boyfriend. The place was just as creepy as it had once been, with shady looking robed figures strutting about, though the Ministry had shut down some of the more questionable shops after the war. Still, it was no secret that the trade of banned objects still went on in this area, albeit in a more underground manner. It was human nature to find a way to do what was forbidden, she supposed, and there would always be those for whom the lure of evil is irresistible.

A flash of very familiar blond hair sent her propelling around another corner, into a dank backstreet that was empty. She stopped warily but had no time to ponder anything, for someone grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a narrow gap between two buildings.

She shoved her assailant back with all her might and turned around, only to find herself face to face with Draco. There was a small bruise on his cheek, where Harry had punched him, but his expression was blank as he reached out for her once again. Ginny tried to duck underneath his arm, but he must have anticipated her move, for he grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her against the wall.

"Hello, darling."

Ginny brought up her wand and placed it right beneath his jaw, its tip digging into his skin. She would be damned if she let him get an advantage over her.

His stormy eyes flickered down for a moment before meeting hers once again. "You seem awfully defensive."

"I could say the same about you." Ginny felt something touch her stomach and she glanced down to realise that Draco, too, had pointed his wand at her. Stalemate, then.

"You're so sexy when you're fierce," he whispered.

She had no patience for this game of words of his. "Why is your Dark Mark active?"

"I don't owe–"

"I'm the girl you're fucking, as you so politely pointed out to Harry when you threw our relationship in his face," she pointed out coolly. "You do owe me answers."

Draco's nonchalant demeanour dropped at that. "Potter's jealous, Ginevra," he said. "He's trying to create a rift between us because he is still in love with you. I told you before that I will not compete with him."

"This isn't about competition," she said. "Harry asked you a very valid question, and I'm sorry but your reaction doesn't exactly paint you squeaky clean."

"My mark has always been like that," he told her.

"You're lying."

"I'm not!" He insisted. "You've seen it."

She had seen it. He was right about that much, but whether he was right about all of it, she could not tell. "Alright. Why is it like this, then?"

"I don't know." The words were emotionless, but there was something in his posture – a slight shift in his step, that for whatever reason told her that he was trying to hide something.

"Draco, I want you to be honest with me," Ginny said softly.

His expression shifted suddenly, as if he had just realised something and whatever it was, he did not seem to like it. "You don't trust me." It wasn't a question, and he did not wait for an answer. "Well then, there is really no point to this, is there?" He took a step back and lowered his wand. "Goodbye, Ginevra."

And then he disapparated.

That wanker.

xx

The sky was tinted in hues of bold orange and red as the sun slowly made its way down behind the distant hills that surrounded the fells, painting the tall trees that surrounded the Malfoy Manor in dark shadows.

It had only been a few hours since that hurricane of a confrontation at Diagon Alley, but to Ginny it felt like centuries. She had spent the time wandering aimlessly around the streets of London, in hopes that some miracle would help her make sense of what had happened.

Draco's claim that his Dark Mark had always been like this seemed to carry some weight; she had seen it be so for the past few months, hadn't she? What more she had seen was how traumatised by the war, how it still haunted his dreams and how much he wanted to leave his past behind. Besides, she could not quite explain the reason behind it, but her heart refused to believe that Draco was up to something wrong. The only conclusion she had reached was that she needed to speak to him again, which brought her to the front door of the Manor.

She was let in by a rather grumpy looking house elf named Soodey, who told her that Draco was in the Potions room and only agreed to give her the directions when she promised that she would not ask him to make tea. As she walked through the hallways, eyeing the massive portraits and the intricate tapestries, she realised how huge the Manor was and how little she had seen of it. Her visits had usually been limited to Draco's bedroom, his study, the Main Hall, the breakfast room and a living room or two. Perhaps she would ask Draco to give her a tour one of these day – that is, if things worked out between them.

She hoped it would.

The doors to the potions room were ajar. Inside, the walls were lined with shelves stocked with glass containers filled with various ingredients and what appeared to be bottles of already prepared potions. Draco stood in front of a counter, stirring the contents of a cauldron. He stopped suddenly and turned to glare at a trembling Yugo standing not far from him. "What is the matter with you today?" he demanded.

Yugo shook his head, but his emotions clearly got the better of him and he broke into tears. "I-It is so unfair, M-Master. W-Why did he have to d-die?"

"Who died?" Draco asked, his voice torn somewhere between concern and bewilderment.

"M-Mister Jack, and poor Miss Rose had to l-live without him," Yugo pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose rather loudly. "It's all the fault of that stupid ice block, Master sir. And the boat, of course."

"What in the name of Merlin's buttock are you talking about?"

"Titanic, sir, and Mister Jack's and Miss Rose's forbidden love," the elf explained. "Yugo saw it all on the television."

Draco's gaze went up, as if asking the heavens for strength to face a world that was clearly much more stupid in contrast to the genius he considered himself to be. "I knew it was a mistake to buy that stupid muggle device for you lot," he muttered dryly as he tossed some roots into a mortar and started mincing them with a pestle. "Go on, then. Take the day off. You clearly need time to mourn."

Yugo shook his head, wide-eyed. "B-But what will become of Master sir?"

"I will have you know that I am perfectly capable of functioning on my own."

The elf eyed him dubiously, as if he didn't think it was possible, but he did not voice his opinion. "Master sir can call Yugo if he needs Yugo."

"Don't I always?"

Yugo shuffled on his feet sheepishly and then disapparated with a loud pop.

Ginny, who had seen the small interaction from the hallway, found herself oddly touched. She had only heard tales of how the Malfoys had been cruel masters to Dobby, and how the house elves had been treated horribly by the ancient pureblood families. In the last few months, she had witnessed Yugo's loyalty to Draco and how the latter seemed to rely on the elf for various tasks, but she had perceived it to be a typical relationship between servant and employer. What she had seen just now was something filled with compassion; Draco's face had certainly been a mixture of fondness and nark – a combination of emotions that she often displayed towards her brothers whenever they made too many jokes at her expanse.

"The world is turning upside down and here you are making potions," she commented as she stepped into the room. As much as she wanted to, standing in the shadows and observing Draco was not going to get her anywhere. "It's nice to see that your priorities are straight."

He glanced up sharply at the sound of her voice, but otherwise seemed unsurprised to see her there. "I can only speak for myself, but Potter being a suspicious bastard is not news enough to turn my world upside down." He paused for a moment, then asked, "How'd you get in?"

"Soodey," she responded.

His lips twitched. "Did you promise not to ask for tea?"

"I did." She frowned. "Why does he hate tea?"

"You would too, if your grandfather had drowned in a cauldron full of it."

Ginny wondered if he was telling that truth or if it was some sort of dark humour that she had failed to understand. She opened her mouth to ask, then decided against it; there were some things that she was better off not knowing. "What are you brewing?" she asked instead.

"Shrinking solution."

"Why do you need shrinking solution?"

"I don't," Draco stated as he tossed what she now recognised to be minced daisy roots into the cauldron. "I find potion making to be therapeutic."

So, he was affected by the events that had taken place at Diagon Alley, so much so that he felt the need to do something that would calm him down. The realisation filled her with an odd relief; she hated herself for feeling so, but somehow the idea of a Draco utterly indifferent to the accusations that had been thrown his way felt dangerous.

"I never much cared for potion making," she told him. She had barely passed her O.W.L and had opted not to take the subject in her NEWTs.

"It requires a lot of patience, which is not your best trait." Draco nodded towards a cabinet to her right. "Fetch me a vial of leech juice from there, will you?"

Ginny obeyed, but only after shooting him a glare. "And you're good with patience, I take it?"

"I'm good with potions, darling." He said smugly as he added the disgusting leech juice into his concoction without even looking, but he must have added the correct amount, for the potion turned the correct colour of bright green. "In fact, it was the one subject where I scored better than even Granger." Some doubt must have shown on her face, for he added icily, "You can check the records at Hogwarts, if you like."

"No, no," She shook her head. Asking McGonagall for old records seemed like too much work. Besides, he was clearly very accomplished at the subject. "I trust you."

"Do you?"

Something in Draco's tone made her look at him, only to find his expression solemn. A silence lingered between them, and she found herself bound in his gaze, hoping that she would be able to decipher some truth from it.

"My Dark Mark has been like this since the day I got it."

"Why?" she asked. He had tried to shrug it off in the alley before, and it had felt like a lie. Would he do the same this time?

"I am not sure." He looked away and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "M-Maybe the Dark Lord altered the spell after he returned."

He really did seem uncertain, Ginny noted, but could that be the reason? Perhaps. Voldemort had gained countless new supporters during the Second Wizarding War, but he had been very particular about who he let into his innermost circle. As far as they knew, Draco was the only one who had been branded with the Dark Mark after Voldemort's return.

Unable to decide just yet, she shook her head and leaned against the counter, choosing to just observe him for a bit. He seemed to be uncomfortable under her scrutiny, but instead of commenting on it, he focused his attention on storing his potion in a couple of vials and cleaning away the remnants. It didn't last long, though, and less then a few minutes had passed before he stormed over to her. Patience, it seemed, was running low all around that day.

"Ginevra," He grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her against him. "Whatever it is that Potter thinks I'm involved in, I'm not. I have no reason to lie to you. Please, believe that."

"Alright."

Draco blinked. "Alright?"

"I believe you," Ginny said, her mind made up. She didn't know everything about Draco, but she knew enough to know that there was no way that he would be reverting back to his old ways. Whatever the deal with the Dark Mark was, it was not intentional on his part. "Don't ever betray my trust."

For a moment, he seemed terribly moved by her words, but he was quick to reign his emotions back. "Thank you." His fingers travelled down from her elbows to her wrists, and he asked in a soft whisper, "May I kiss you?"

A small smile spread on her lips inadvertently. "You may."

Their lips met, and she felt every fibre of her body burst into flames and he was her summer rain, ready to extinguish everything and yet bring it all to life. It was silly, really, how her thoughts had started turning into poetry whenever he took her face in his hands. His touch felt possessive, but not in a bad way; it was as if he had no intention of ever letting her go now that he had her, and she knew that her own touch brimmed with a similar feel. She buried her fingers in his hair and tugged hard, pulling him even closer.

A popping sound caused them to part.

"Sorry, sir." Soodey stood in the doorway, his skinny legs trembling as he eyed them nervously. "T-The Aurors are here."

"Aurors?" Ginny asked, perplexed. "Why would–"

"Potter," Draco muttered as he quickly tried to straighten his unruly hair. "You should go." Without waiting for a response, he stormed out of the room, all the masks of superiority and arrogance that he usually had on his face when he was out and about in public snapping back into place.

She stood in the potions room for a less than a minute before she decided to follow him. No one told her what to do. Besides, if Harry and Draco were going to have another confrontation, it was best that she stayed and tried to control it.

Sure enough, Harry was standing in the entrance lobby along with Nigel Wolpert. "Draco Malfoy," he was saying. "You are suspected of being involved in suspicious Death Eater activity. We'd like you to come to the Ministry with us for questioning."

"It will be in everyone's interest for you to cooperate, Mr. Malfoy," Nigel added, his hand inching towards his pocket in a very open threat. "If you don't, we have the written permission of the Head of our department to bring you in anyway."

"You see, Draco," Harry smirked. "I can meet you at your level."

"You can't be serious!" Ginny couldn't help but interject as she moved to stand next to her boyfriend. This feud was ridiculous, and she knew that these two idiots would keep on sparring pointlessly just because their stupid egos demanded it. Men.

Harry appeared taken off guard by her appearance, but he was quick to recover. "Gin, stay out of this."

"Like hell I will! Harry, this is insane, and you know it."

"I'm just doing my job."

"Oh?" Ginny challenged. "Is that what this is?"

Harry's eyes met hers for a moment – he was hurt by her words, but whether her insinuation was correct or not, she could not tell. "Yes, it is," he stated coldly and raised an eyebrow at Draco, as if waiting for his response.

"Ginevra," Draco turned to her. "It's fine."

It wasn't and she knew it, but she could not do anything but watch helplessly as the Aurors took Draco's wand and then escorted him out of the Manor and its wards so that they could disapparate to the Ministry.

xx

Ginny Weasley was trapped in a tug of war.

She trusted Harry completely, even though she was having a hard time understanding the motivations behind his actions. She trusted Draco as well – she trusted him to handle this situation and come out on the other side of it, proven innocent.

But this feud between the two men was not going to end anytime soon, and the prospect of it unsettled her. It was… a peculiar but dangerous feeling. Something was wrong. And something more would be.

Is Harry being unfair, or is he simply doing his duty? Is Ginny being foolish in trusting Draco? And what is Draco up to? To find out the answers to these and lots more, you'll have to wait for the next chapter, which I am super excited to write. There are a few interactions coming up that I can't wait for you all to read.

Until then, do review and let me know what you thought of this!

Cheers x