III
One Sweet Night Full of Your Sweet Lies

-x- Draco Malfoy & Ginny Weasley –x-

'We are passing trains.
We are whiplash lovers.
We are burning wax,
melting all over each other.'

Sitting at a table in the back of the Leaky Cauldron, Draco Malfoy sipped at his butterbeer, his white-blonde hair and pale face hidden underneath a dark cloak. Contemplating going to bed, he'd just stood up to order a room when the door-chime tinkled and in walked Ginny Weasley, looking altogether too devastatingly beautiful for her own good.

Falling back into his seat again in shock, Draco stared at her as she walked up to the bar and greeted Tom in a subdued manner, shaking her long auburn locks back over her shoulder with a toss of her magnificent head. She exchanged quiet conversation with him for a few minutes before handing over the necessary amount of money for a room and a butterbeer, and then turned, scanning the near-empty bar for a suitable table.

Her large brown eyes scanned from one side of the room to the other before locking in on Draco with a tiny widening of shock. She squinted, seemingly unable to believe her own eyes, before heading towards him a little wobbly-like, obviously shaken.

Draco had wriggled uncomfortably under her gaze, but now as she headed towards him, his heart beat in his chest rapidly and he screwed his eyes up waiting for her to curse him into oblivion.

'Malfoy?' she whispered as she reached the table, placing her butterbeer down on the table with a shaking hand.

Somewhat startled at the lack of anger in her voice, Draco sat up and opened his eyes, looking at her curiously.

'I can't believe you're here!' she cried incredulously, 'Everyone's been looking for you for over a month! They were so worried that you'd been killed!'

Extremely confused at this point, Draco arched an eyebrow gracefully.
'What the bloody hell are you talking about Weasley?'

Ginny looked around warily before sitting down beside him, drawing her butterbeer closer and taking a shaky sip. 'I know about the spy thing… I know everything.'

'Uh,' Draco said, still confused, 'what "spy thing"?'

Ginny gave a hollow little laugh.
'Don't be coy, I know all about how you helped us out in the Last Battle.'

It suddenly dawned on Draco that to make sure none of them harmed him, Snape had most likely told them some story about him helping the Order.

He smirked. Snape had always pretended he didn't care about him, that he was just a burden Lucius had laid upon his shoulders, but Draco now knew better.

'Oh yes,' he said with a cough, glancing around warily for effect, 'that "spy-thing".'

Ginny smiled sadly.
'I can't wait to tell them that I found you, and here of all places.'

Draco found himself feeling slightly guilty.

After all, he'd spent so long regretting his involvement in the Last Battle – in which he'd actually helped kill Mad-Eye Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt among others – that it didn't seem right to be sitting here with Ginny Weasley, the girlfriend of the wizarding world's saving grace and martyr, Harry Potter, drinking Butterbeer.

'So how have you been?' she asked him, sipping her butterbeer delicately, in a manner he caught himself finding endearing.

'Oh, you know,' he said with a weak chuckle, trying to ignore the horrible bubbling of guilt in his stomach, 'all right I suppose… How about you?'

Ginny lowered her head sadly.
'It's been dreadful at home… losing Bill and Percy has the been the most horrible thing. I haven't ever cried so much in my life, growing up with six brothers I was never really allowed to, and Fleur's been howling non-stop… Mum and Dad don't speak much… Ron's been staying with Hermione and her parents to get away from it all… a-and with Harry gone…'

She broke off, her eyes filling with tears.

Draco didn't say anything, he couldn't. He'd never felt so helpless in his life, not even in the bathroom that day three years ago, crying into the sink next to Moaning Myrtle.

'H-Harry would have been glad you chose the right side.' She said after a rather long, awkward pause in which she'd been crying quietly.

Draco nearly groaned under the mounting pressure of guilt, anguish and helplessness that was consuming him. Instead, a large grimace appeared on his face, which Ginny took to be a sad smile.

'I'm proud of you Malfoy.' She said softly, reaching out and squeezing his forearm, 'we all are… it couldn't have been easy disobeying your father and Voldemort… we're so grateful.'

Draco flinched and turned away, unable to meet her gaze.

There was a scrape of the chair and she was in front of him, her lovely face looking up at his as she crouched down beside his chair. She didn't say anything, but just reached up and touched his face, sweeping a few stray strands of platinum hair from his pale eyes.

He wanted to shrink away from her touch, her soft fingertips caressing his face burnt him; he almost expected to have scorch marks where she was touching him. But he couldn't… there was something so inexplicably wonderful about her searching brown eyes and delicate face, that he did the one thing he knew he shouldn't do…

He leant down to her and kissed her.

It wasn't the type of kiss she deserved – it wasn't soft or delicate or full of affection like the kisses Potter would have bestowed upon her lovingly, it was hungry and powerful… purely lust-driven.

Taken by surprise by his sudden movement she fell backwards from her crouching position, taking him with her as her hands had clutched at his cheeks upon the contact of his lips upon hers.

They stayed in the awkward position for a few seconds before it became too uncomfortable and they broke apart, breathing heavily.

Smiling gently at him, she got to her feet and began pulling him up the stairs, to where he knew she had a room. His brain was screaming at him not to go, that there was only betrayal, deceit and lies awaiting them both… but he couldn't fight the feelings that had overwhelmed him.

Draco Malfoy, a coward even unto the end.

Stumbling into the room, Ginny pulled him in and kicked the door closed behind them. Stripping off her cloak and gloves, she turned to him and took off his. She stopped, startled, when she saw the expensive dress-pants and Oxford shirt he was wearing.

Then, unbelievably, she laughed.
'You're still a Malfoy aren't you? Do you even own a pair of jeans?'

He shook his head, relieved at being able to impart some kind of truth upon her. But to the horror of his brain and the roaring approval of everything else, she leant in and kissed him again, and all the lies, deceit and betrayal melted away in the awe-inspiring power of her beauty.

She was everywhere at once; kissing his lips, unbuttoning his shirt, kicking off her own shoes… she was astoundingly fast. Draco barely had time to keep up with her as he shrugged her long-sleeved knit shirt over her head and fumbled with the laces on his shoes.

And before he knew it they were on the bed, he lying on his back, she leaning over top of him, her torso and stomach naked except for her bra, her long red hair falling over top of his face.

And before he could think again, they were under the sheets, all their clothes and accessories strewn about the room... and then he lost consciousness of everything but her...

A/N: lyrics - 'Perfect Strangers' by INXS.

okay, okay -ducks- i know a lot of you don't like this pairing, but i defend myself with three.. defences? lol.
First off - I quite like the pairing, its your classic Romeo&Juliet kind of pairing and I'm a sucker for Shakespeare.
Second - YOU try finding seventeen HP 'ships and not include this one.
Third - it COULD happen. i'm not saying it ever will, but it could. Ginny's always struck me as the type to want something more than your average teen-love story.

Anyhow, hope you enjoyed it..
Ash x