Draco inhaled deeply as the first vestiges of sleep began to leave him. He expelled a soft whoosh of air through his slightly parted lips as he rested on his back with his eyes closed. He relaxed as he left behind the realm of sleep and entered the land of the living. He opened his eyes as the beginnings of morning shone through the slightly open canvas curtains and he realized, he wasn't in his own room.

Even in the early hazy morning light that gave little contrast, he could detect vibrant russet tendrils. Ginny had found her way to his side of the bed during the night. Her head of aggressive curls was tucked beneath his chin and her hair's length dominated his chest. The arm that she tossed across his chest clung to his shirt and her long leg was thrown possessively over his hip.

He smiled to himself at Ginny's inability to maintain decorum even in her sleep. He gently pushed her hair away from her face with the hand not currently wrapped around her small frame. Apparently Ginny was not the only one who could not maintain propriety as he seemed to be holding her to him just as tightly.

With her face free of the vines of hair, he noticed her slightly pinched eyebrows. In sleep she looked like a confused child, which to Draco, spoke volumes about the stress her waking state placed on her. Even with her tightened brow, he thought Ginny to be adorable. He found himself pretending that this is what it was like. What waking up with Ginny and being with her was like. Being able to hold her without being her friend, being more than her friend.

He spent a few moments just enjoying the soft twilight and the feel of Ginny in his arms before she began to stir, bringing with her reality. She yawned breathily before gently exhaling with a little moan and moving more of her hair from her face. She snuggled deeper into his chest, making herself more comfortable and at home in the nook between his arm and his shoulder.

Ginny looked up. As hazel met mercury, Ginny seemed to remember herself.

"Sorry about that Draco", she said as disengaged her rebellious limbs as proper bed sharing conduct was once more obtain. "I didn't mean to. I must have forgot myself in sleep." Draco gently waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. You had a rough night and it is your bed after all." Despite her embarrassment Ginny turned onto her side facing Draco and snuggled deeper into the mattress. It was truly too early in the morning to maintain excessive shame for her actions. They remained in a comfortable silence as the peaceful morning continued to wash over and sedate them, lulling them into a quiet complaisance usually reserved for the most intimate of relationships. Draco lay on his back, savoring the unique tranquility.

"It must be early." Ginny whispered softly into the room as though she understood -and regretted- the peace that she was breaking. Draco nodded his agreement.

"Five thirty at the latest," he replied, leaning gently to retrieve his wrist watch from the night stand where he left it some time during the night. He nodded again upon seeing the time. "5:24. You still have time to sleep if you'd like. No practice today, right?"

She nodded softly, tugging the comforter beneath her chin before sandwiching her hands between her right cheek and the pillow. "Yes but I think I'm awake anyway. Creature of habit and all." He nodded again, knowing the feeling. She woke up every day before the sun to be on the pitch, Saturday was usually no different. The quiet settled once more as they continued their Saturday lie in. After a time, it was Draco who broke the silence.

"Ginny?"

"Hmm?" she replied focusing her inquisitive chromatic irises on him.

"Why do you cover the bruises?" He asked turning his face from the ceiling to her so that he could read the truth in her eyes. The question had been on his mind since the first time that he saw Ginny sitting on that staircase waiting for Potter. She was a fully competent witch and simple healing charms -or not so simple in her case but still doable- were not out of her knowledge range. She exhaled softly knowing in her heart of hearts that the questions would eventually come.

"I guess I've gotten so use to covering the pain instead of actually healing." He quirked his eyebrow, silently asking her to expand on the statement. She took the hint, continuing. "After second year with Riddle, I was pretty fucked up. No twelve year old returns to normal after nearly having the life sucked out of them by a boy she thought was a friend... was more than a friend. I was too young to know how to ask for help. You know? I was just a kid. So I kind of tucked it away. I guess I kind of do the same thing with the bruises. Its' what I know how to do; conceal the pain so no one asks questions."

"Why didn't you say anything? About Riddle? About Potter?"

She gave a snort of derisive laughter. "To whom? My parents? They had no clue how to deal with me after the chamber. They just watched me out of the corners of their eyes and hoped and wished that I was okay. As for Harry, I just didn't want to take him away from them. My parents think of Harry as one of their own. He's family."

"But that's just the thing, Gin. He's not family. You are their actual child. Their own flesh and blood. You are their priority. And you just give it all up, give up your safety, give up your family, for Potter?... This all just... selfless of you." She gave a humorless chuckle.

"You'd think that wouldn't you? But I'm not all sunshine and sainthood and forgiveness. I've got some selfish in me. Do you know how long it would take me to convince my family that Harry hits me? Harry Potter hits me. I would be turned into a pariah in my own home. They would think it was my fault. What has Little Ginny gone and gotten herself into now? How could she turn Harry Potter into this? As though I must have done something wrong...As though there has to be something wrong...with me," she said with a soft sigh of resignation.

"And you said it yourself, he's The Boy Who Lived. They want to see the best in him and they've already seen the worst in me." She said with hot tears softly falling from the corners of her eyes, weaving between her entwined fingers, racing to find their way to her pillow.

"Just because they've seen you at your worst, doesn't make you bad. None of this is your fault. You're the victim here. A victim to Riddle. And Harry... And your parents" he said softly as an afterthought.

"Maybe so. Mom's been planning our wedding since the day she met him. I think she actually gave me the idea of loving Harry and then after he pulled me out of the chamber... I practically worshiped him. All of that obsession I poured daily into Riddle's diary had to go somewhere... And after he saved my life, it only made sense that it would go to him...Through the good and the bad... Harry has never done to me what Riddle did."

"Isn't he though? Isn't he doing what Riddle did? Using your love for him to hurt you?" She sat in silence for a moment, digesting the magnitude of what Draco asked her.

"Yes I do suppose he is." She whispered into the stillness, as she closed her eyes to stem the stream of hot tears. She startled a bit as she felt a hand reach for hers. Draco pulled her into his arm, back to the place where she felt so comfortable what seemed like eons ago. She buried her face in the crux of his arm and sobbed.

She cried unapologetically for some time, unable to tell if it was minutes or hours. Draco held Ginny close, smoothing her wild curls with his left hand and rubbing concentric circles on her hip with his right. He placed soft comforting kisses into her hair line.

Draco held her until her small frame was no longer shaking in his arms. Tightening his grip on her lithe frame, he leaned back to once more retrieve his forgotten watch from the night stand. He slid the metal ornament onto the wrist above Ginny's head and snapped it into place as she pulled back from him and sat up in the bed, shaking her head and hands as though to dislodge any residual thoughts.

"Better now?" he asked. She nodded, exhaling deeply.

"Ok. No more." She said with resolve. "Let's change the subject. Don't you have to go to the office today?" She sat cross legged in the center of the bed, pulling her hair into her signature messy bun and securing it with a, seemingly magically acquired, hair band. He nodded looking up into the face of the girl he was certain that he admired more than any living being. She was exquisite. Even with sleep rustled hair and tear stained eyes, Ginny Weasley was the most gorgeous creature on the planet. And he wished she could see that.

"Then I will make breakfast. What time is it?" She demanded, back to being the no-nonsense Ginny.

"Near seven."

"Good. That gives me enough time to have breakfast and go for a run before I have to be to the Burrow for Weasley brunch". She said with an eye roll towards the end.

"I thought Weasley brunch was on Sunday?"

"It usually is but Charlie is home from Romania and he leaves tomorrow so Mum wanted to be able to force us all into the house before he heads out," she replied as she untangled herself from the bed. Draco nodded sagely at her response before standing and stretching his tall frame.

"You can just leave the bed a mess and come into the kitchen, Draco." Ginny yelled as she went down the hall. Draco shook his head at her blatant disregard for routine as he heeded her command and followed her down the hall. She had already begun a pot of coffee when he reached the kitchen. He pulled out a stool at the island and settled down, observing Ginny as she bounced effortlessly around the kitchen. She inherited her mother's skill in the kitchen without a shadow of a doubt. Ginny looked at home when cooking. And she looked positively delectable doing it.

She was still sporting the monogrammed pajamas that he tossed to her the previous night. In a striped shade of emerald that highlighted the amber undertones in her hair and eyes perfectly, she was a vision. He teased her when he'd purchased them as a Christmas gift. He'd expressed revulsion for her night time uniform of hand me down shirts and boxers, stating that it just wasn't befitting of a woman. Really they were just not befitting of her. Ginny was royalty as far as Draco was concerned. His callous disregard may still stand for the Weasley family, just not with her. After getting to know her, it became apparent to him that Ginny was a princess; a princess who deserved to be regal from the very moment she woke.

Of course he could never tell her that and so he'd purchased a matching set of the robes for Luna in periwinkle to cover his sentimental nature. The matching set for Luna didn't help to distract him from the perfection that was Ginny. It in no way kept him from noticing how even in pajamas, the curve of Ginny's lower back led perfectly to her shapely derriere and legs. He could only imagine what those legs would feel like wrapped around his waist.

Draco placed his face in his hands blocking his view of the newly rising sun and most importantly of his best mate's finer assets. Waking to Ginny in his arms followed by her emotional purge had given him a headache the size of Europe. Especially without caffeine. While it was uncommon for most British wizards to stray from tea, Draco was most definitely a coffee man.

Almost as if she had sensed his thoughts, Ginny placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. He opened his mouth to thank her and request sugar when she scooped four teaspoons into his black coffee. He nodded his thanks in her direction as he held the very large and full mug between both hands, gulping as much as he possibly could without scalding his mouth and still managing to appear civilized.

"Oh no. I got your shirt all wet." Ginny said. Draco looked down in confusion, noticing for the first time that the entire left side of his shirt was soaked through with Ginny's tears. He reached behind his neck without a second thought and grabbed the t-shirt, pulling it over his head by the tag. He rose to get a clean shirt from Ginny's room when he caught her staring. "In lust?" he thought to himself -hoped to himself- leaving the kitchen to acquire a new shirt.

Just then, the roaring sound of the fireplace filled the open living room. Draco froze in shock as Ginny came bolting from the kitchen at the sound but not fast enough to stop the one, Molly Weasley from noticing a shirtless man who was not Harry, standing in her daughter's living room.