Chapter 16: Dinner and a Fight!

Ginny was in the middle of adding nutmeg to the mixture in front of her when she heard a knock on the front door. She walked across her apartment to open the door and found Draco standing there with a bottle of wine in one hand. She stepped back to let him in and he kissed her on the cheek as he handed her the bottle.

"Did we make plans?" She asked him as he removed his coat and hung it by the door.

"Nope, just wanted to see my girl," He said walking down the hall and into the living room.

She ignored the thrill that went down her spine and said, "well, you're out of luck because I'm busy slaving in the kitchen."

"What are you making me?" He asked putting his feet on her coffee table and leaning back on the couch.

"Nothing, I'm making a casserole for Sally." She said as she pushed his feet off the table. He leaned forward and pulled her unto his lap.

He put his chin on her shoulder and asked, "what, Potty's girlfriend can't cook?"

"She can cook," Ginny defended, "but she's having a dinner party tonight and she asked me to make my specialty, Cordon Bleu Casserole."

"Oooh, sounds good, when will it be ready?" He asked squeezing her.

"Never if you don't let me up." He removed his hands from around her before she finished and she got up grabbing the bottle of wine from the table. She crossed the living room and walked into the kitchen hearing him following her inside.

"What's left to do?"

"Not much I just have to blend all of this together." She said as she mixed the ingredients. A few minutes later she spread the mixture into two large pans and one small one and moved to the oven. "See that walnut mixture there," she pointed at a blue bowl "can you spread it over them?"

"Of course," he said haughtily and started doing his job as she set the oven and laughed, "what would Potty say if he saw me making his dinner?"

"He'd probably wonder what poison you were slipping in," Ginny said as she leaned against the counter and watched him work.

"I'd rather slip in Veritaserum," he said picking up one of the large pans, "there's much more to be gained from blackmail."

"A true Slytherin to the end, eh Malfoy?" She asked following him with the other pan.

"Always, Weasley." He said positioning the pans inside the oven while she retrieved the smaller one.

A half hour later they were startled from their discussion on whether the colour red or green was better by the timer. Neither of them were in the slightest aware of how they'd happened on the topic but decided a truce was in order. Ginny placed a warming charm on the large pans so that when Sally flooed they'd still be warm while Draco served two plates from the third pan.

After they ate and had some leftover pumpkin pie the two decided that some exercise was necessary and they were getting sweaty when they heard a knock on the door. They shrugged it off but a few minutes later they heard it again and once again they endeavoured to ignore it when suddenly the door opened. Ginny quickly lifted herself off of Draco and leaned over the sofa's arm and looked down the hall to see Harry and Ron walking in.

"Ginny, why didn't you open the door?" Ron asked until he walked into the living room at which time he stopped dead in his tracks. There was his sister topless dangling her breasts, covered in nothing but wisps of blue material, over Draco Malfoy's face.

Ginny quickly got off of Draco and looked anxiously around until Harry handed her the blouse he'd stepped on a few seconds earlier. Covered up she suddenly regained her ability to speak and dove right into a yell, "What the hell are you doing barging into my apartment?"

"Don't turn this around on me!" Ron yelled back. "You are the one fucking Malfoy." He said pointing to Draco as he buttoned up his own shirt who responded, "I wish" which threw Ron off and gave Ginny the chance to regain control of the situation.

"This is my apartment and my life, I can do whatever and whomever I wish in it! Now what are you doing here?"

"Casserole." Harry said suddenly.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"I'm here to get the casserole for-for Sally."

"Right! I forgot! It's in the kitchen. I'll go get it." She said.

"No!" Draco yelled standing up suddenly. "I'll get it!" He said walking quickly towards it, Ron's eyes following him all the way.

"Ginny!" Ron whispered frantically. "What's the plan? You're working some undercover mission for the Ministry right? You're playing him so you can get info into his evil Death Eater plans."

"Yeah…" Ginny said leaning closer to Ron she yelled into his ear, "And tomorrow I'll use my secretary skills to spy on the Minister of Magic himself!"

"Ow!" Ron said from where he cowered.

"Ginny, there's something you need to know." Harry said seriously.

"What Harry?" Ginny asked worried by his tone.

"Malfoy is under investigation by the Ministry, for misappropriation of funds. He's been stealing from the House-Elves."

"What?" Ron asked shocked that Harry hadn't told him sooner.

"I already knew that."

"What!"

"Harry, Hermione told me last week." Ginny said ignoring Ron.

"WHAT! HERMIONE, my wife, knew that you, my little sister, was dating Malfoy, and didn't tell me?" He asked and before anyone could say anything he apparated out of the apartment.

"Maybe I should have kept that part out." Ginny said guiltily, "She's going to kill me now!"

"So, if you've known what is he still doing here?" Harry asked.

"It's none of my business!" She said.

"Of course it is. When you are with someone who they are and what they do should be your business." Harry said he opened his mouth to speak again but Draco swung the door loudly and walked into the room the two casserole pans floating in ahead of him.

"Thanks," Harry said as he pulled out his wand and once he had the pans levitating he grabbed a bit of floo powder from Ginny's fireplace and disappeared in a flurry of green flames.

"So where were we?" Ginny asked as she undid her buttons again.

"As much as it pains me to say it, Potter was right."

"About what?" She asked nervously.

"It's your business and I know you Ginny. I mean the other day you threw a fit because some kid kicked a dog; I mean you almost got us kicked out of the park! The park, Ginevra! And all of a sudden the fact that I'm stealing from elves is not your business?" He asked.

"So you are stealing the funds?" She asked devastated.

"No! That's not the point! The point is that if it's none of your business you obviously don't care about me at all!"

"That's not true Draco!"

"Then tell me! Why do you keep pushing me away? Why do every time we start getting the least bit intimate- and I'm not talking about the sex-you back off, you get this look and then it's as if you shut down!"

"I- Dra-, no, I-" She started but had no idea what to say, he was right and she had no excuse; I can't possibly tell him the truth, then he'll hate me for sure, and it all would've been for naught.

"I've got to go." He said as he put on his shoes.

"No, Draco, don't go. I-" but there was nothing she could say.

He kissed her on the cheek and walked down the hallway tucking in his shirt and after the grabbed his jacket he waved and apparated away leaving her standing in her living room lost and alone.

A/N: Thurs. May 12, 2004