Chapter 2

"Ginny, you should really be eating, I mean it's not natural for a girl your age to skip meals like this," her brother Ron told her in what was meant to be a condescending tone.

"Ronald, honestly, must you spray the entire table with regurgitated food every time you talk?" his girlfriend, Hermione asked.

"Yes, Ronald, and besides, if you would look up from your plate every once and a blue moon, you'd see that I have finished my breakfast, I just choose not to eat everything that is in a three mile radius of me," Ginny replied.

As much as she hated to admit it, she realized how snappy she had been since the "break-up" - for lack of a better word. She just couldn't fathom how stupid she was. She prayed that Ron wouldn't notice her sudden rudeness, not that it was never a problem because as long as she wasn't yelling at him, he really didn't bother with what kind of mood she was in.

"I think I'll go for a walk before classes," Ginny said as she got up from the table. What she really needed was some time to think. She was soon crushed, though, because as she walked out, she could see Pansy Parkinson making herself all too comfortable to none too displeased Draco. As much as she understood his newfound hate towards her, she couldn't help but hope that this was all a bad dream and she would end up in his arms again.

What she needed was air. She felt as if she was suffocating the pressure of her emotions, pushing themselves on her. She felt as if she was drowning in the past, a past she couldn't get out of. But as she felt the cool wind across her face, all of the problems went away. She could simply breathe. It was finally something that she wanted, something she truly needed. As she sat against a great oak, she found her self reassessing the situation once more.

"I could get used to this," Draco murmured against Ginny's shoulder.

"I already am," Ginny replied as she pushed herself forward to kiss him. They had just woken up, although it was still in the early hours of the morning. It was something they had grown accustomed to as their relationship progressed; they would fall asleep after sharing their love and would wake up before dawn and talk, sometimes the conversation was light, like this morning, and sometimes they would talk of grave matters, Draco's uncertain future and Ginny's pending one.

"If only you could cook, then I'd be in heaven!" Ginny joked.

"Oh, is that true? I guess I'll just have to give this back to my mother then," Draco said as he pulled a velvet, black box out of his nightstand drawer, "Go ahead, open it."

Ginny was speechless, and she hadn't even opened the box. Memories flooded back to her, from the beginning where she'd give herself to him and leave, hoping for the promise of something more, to now, a time when he'd far exceeded any expectation she ever had for him.

A gasp emerged from her lips before she could help herself as she opened the case to reveal an emerald and white diamond necklace; it was unlike anything she had ever seen in her life.

Without fail, every time they were together, Ginny found herself floored by his mere presence. But now, she felt as if she truly was fallen for him, she felt more than the admiration to which she had grown accustomed.

"Draco, this is amazing, I," Ginny started realizing that she had nothing to say, or at least nothing she felt safe saying, "I-I, I really love this, I mean, it's amazing, you are amazing."

"The ladies, they do like to flatter me," Draco claimed while brushing invisible lent off of his shirt.

"You big goon," Ginny laughed as she swatted at him.

"As long as I'm an amazing one."

"You are, and you always will be."

Ginny was shaken from her reverie with a start, the chimes signaling the start of the first classes could wake the dead. She walked through the halls, cursing herself for letting her time alone be about him. She wasn't always this bitter, but lately, lately everything had changed. And it hadn't even been a month! Would she never be able to go outside again? The things she took comfort in had become needless in the last few months; she had everything she could ever need.

Her footsteps led her to Professor Binn's classroom. Ginny knew that his snore of a class would lead to trouble and sure enough, it wasn't long before her memories invaded and flooded through her mind.

Ginny and Draco were in locked inside a passionate moment. After all, how could they not be after he'd explained that the pendant was passed down from generation to generation of the Malfoy family.

"My mother gave this to me, in hopes that I would learn to take my future marriage, pureblood of course, seriously. And I want you to know, that as soon as we are out of here, I want to take you out every night, just to show you what the world is missing out on. I want to keep you home, so only I can enjoy your company. I want to move in with you, just to watch you sleep. And I want you to be with me; because that is the only way I can see myself, with you."

Never had such beautiful words been spoken, and he was a Malfoy for Merlin's sake!

He broke apart from her lips, to trail kisses down her throat, and along her collarbone. She maneuvered herself, so that she was on top of him again and she murmured his name into his shoulder.

Ginny knew that if she let herself remember what happened next, she wouldn't be able to stop the tears this time. She had managed to screw up a wonderful thing, and for that, she was ashamed.

-

It wasn't that Draco Malfoy was "inconsolable", he just didn't care for Pansy's consolations. And she didn't even know that what was truly upsetting him lately.

To her, all off his problems came from his father, and all of them could be cured by sex.

Honestly! Where did she get off doing that to him? Maybe she had found out about the plan. What would cause her to say that? Why couldn't she just have said I know what you have been plotting? Why was this so complicated?

Draco knew that he deserved way worse than what happened with Ginny, he had been fooling her for months. But for what? At what price? And why was he even upset by this? Certainly, his pride had been hurt, but his heart? Since when did he have a heart?

A regal owl flew down to perch itself on Draco's shoulder. As he reached up to unfold the parchment on the animal's leg, he dreaded what this particular letter would say. He crossed his fingers, hoping that his father hadn't found out about his and Ginny's relationship.

As his eyes skimmed the paper, a wave of relieve washed over Draco as he realized that not only did his father not know about the recent drift, but he was incognito for the time being and could not receive any information. Thank the Dark Lord for that, he in truth couldn't afford to have his father finding out about this.

In any other situation, this over thinking would never happen. Ever. But with Ginny, well with her it wasn't even about the plan for destruction, it was about her. Everything these last couple of months had been about her.

-

Ginevra Molly Weasley had never felt so insecure and troubled in her life. But, her feet led her way through the shadows, as they had done millions of times before. She could picture the humiliation in her head, if he rejected her. But after the time they'd spent together? She loved him, and she wanted this, needed this, more than anything.

She felt a shiver of terror run through her as she slipped through the artwork into the head's common room. She walked the steps she had gone up time and time again, but a new feeling, desperation, crept along with her, step by step. She glided through the door, so obviously in a trance. Ginny watched her angel, as he breathed in and out, sleep evident in his form.

And as she watched him, all of her questions floated out of the window, she was in love, and that would not change. She missed him like nothing she'd ever imagined.

Overcome with passion, she graced her way towards him, to a bed that she loved and could lay in forever, just to smell his scent. She gathered her newly found courage and crawled into bed with him. This time was so much more important than any other night they had ever shared together. She knew that this could, and probably would, be their last night spent in bliss.

Her arm found its way to his heavenly face, and traced and invisible pattern on his cheek. This seemed to wake him, but he was not startled. He seemed to know exactly whose hand this was. He turned his gaze from the ceiling towards her. The sound of breathe being caught in the throat echoed through the room.

Draco softly turned so that his body was above hers, he bent from his neck and grazed the lips that he'd temporarily forgotten had uttered that terrible word, just weeks ago. It was as if they had never been apart, and as if they'd never be together again.

He worked his way down her jaw, slowly, just as if he was remembering her body. She was breathless. Her hands traveled all over him, through his hair, across his back, down his torso. She couldn't get enough of him.

It was as if he couldn't get her shirt off fast enough, and he couldn't take enough time showering her with his love, unconditional as it was. He forced himself not to think about anything but this moment, which wasn't hard considering the way she looked right now, and the way he wanted her. They still had half their clothes on and he felt a deeper connection and a deeper attraction with her than ever before.

It was amazing.

Draco savored everything from this night, her taste, the way she felt, the way she touched him, trailing light fingers about his body. He knew that he would never have enough of her, if only she felt the same way.

Their hearts raced together, as they breathed in and out, but they didn't stop. The both of them wishing that they would never have to stop. Nothing could be settled from this event, but their actions spoke volumes.

And as they fell asleep in each other's arms, Ginny was overjoyed, a feeling that hadn't come along in weeks. Draco was temporarily unburdened, but the dreams he had plagued his memory.

Draco grasped Ginny's shoulders so violently that the jerking movement

almost gave her whiplash. "Did I do something to offend you?" Ginny asked,

"I'm sure I can find a way to make it up to you."

"Do I look like Potter to you, Weasley?"

"Would I be here if you did?"

"That's what I would like to know. Do you not sleep with me enough? Do you have to go after your ex-boyfriends now, too?"

"What are you going on about?"

"You just called me /i Harry i ."

"If I wanted to be with Harry, don't you think I'd be with him?"

"Get out."

"Draco, this is absurd! It was an honest mistake! I don't even know why I said it!"

"Look, I've screwed you, and quite frankly, I'm done now, you are boring me. So just get out of my room."

Draco had never seen someone get dressed so quickly. If she wanted Saint Potter, who was he to stop her. They were sleeping together, nothing more. No, their relationship was even lower than that!

They made love twice more that night, each time more perfect than the last. And until the sun hit their eyes, there would be no questions, no problems, nothing.

But the night wouldn't last forever.