Ginny let out a quiet scream. What would have possessed him to bring her to the brink of death, then quickly yank her away? It was some sick punishment, his way of telling her he still cared. When would he learn that they would never work out? Her brow wrinkled as she let her thoughts wander back to their relationship.
"Ginevra, stop sulking," Malfoy drawled as he looked over reports, lounging in his desk chair.
"I'm not sulking, Malfoy," she retorted, frowning as she looked over George's letter. "He says that if our 'friendship' continues I'll be hurting them as well as myself."
"Bullshit," he snorted, scratching out a sentence with an expensive quill. He looked up at her, eyes smoldering. "I'm the only one who can hurt you."
"True love hurts," Ginny replied, setting the letter to the side as she rubbed her temples. She crossed her legs, scratching at her ankle as Malfoy signed the document with a flourish.
"Come here," he said, motioning to his lap. She got up from the couch, rolling her shoulders as she arched onto her tiptoes, reaching for the ceiling. Malfoy's eyes travelled from her toes to her hair, settling on her torso with a hungry look in his eyes. "You look delicious, love."
"Thank you," she murmured, settling on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his. He attacked her lips ravenously, knotting his hands in her long, thick hair. Her hands pressed against his chest, nails digging into his shirt. He roughly tugged her head back, exposing her delicate neck. His kisses fluttered across her soft skin, and the occasional vicious bite made her moan.
"You belong to me," he muttered against her pulse, pulling back to look into her amber eyes. "Only me. Never forget that." He wrapped one hand around her upper arm, squeezing firmly. "Who do you belong to?"
"You," she whispered, pulling his face back to hers.
They were never intimate in public. They never held hands, never kissed, barely even acknowledged each other when others were around. But as soon as they arrived home they were all over each other, needing to feel each other's touch. It was a sick game they played, a game that assured both that their love was real.
"Ginevra?" Draco's voice was harsh, drifting into her musing. His grip tightened on her arm, yanking her quickly back to the present.
"Yes?" Ginny responded, gritting her teeth as she glared at him, pushing off his lap.
"Why aren't you listening to me?" He crossed one leg over the other.
"I was thinking. Am I allowed to do that?"
He glowered, standing up in a flash.
"Do not act cross with me," he threatened, slowly sauntering toward her. She took a step back, her gaze cool on him.
"You don't scare me."
Malfoy pinned her against the wall, lazily placing one hand above her head and the other at her waist.
"I should," he breathed, leaning close to her ear. She closed her eyes as she sank down the wall.
"Leave," she said quietly, twisting her hands together.
"No, I don't think so," Malfoy said as he sat on the edge of his desk.
Ginny began thinking back to her time at Hogwarts, when her family loved her and never worried about her wellbeing. She saw Fred and George laughing as they opened their joke shop, Ron beaming as Hermione accepted his proposal and kissed him, Bill gingerly touching his scars as Fleur helped Molly cook.
"Ginevra, did you hear me?" Malfoy's voice was dangerously low. Her face remained blank, happier in the past. He swiftly pinned her wrists above her head, straddling her and squeezing his knees into her waist. "I asked you a question," he growled into her ear.
"Yeah," she muttered, shaking her head and looking up at Malfoy. "Sorry. Let's go to bed."
Malfoy's brow wrinkled, then smoothed out as he stood up and tugged on Ginny's hand. He pulled her behind him as he nudged open their bedroom door with his foot. He went into the bathroom as Ginny walked to the closet. She shed her clothes slowly, leaving them in a pile before twisting her hair on the top of her head. She padded to the bathroom, wrapping her arms around Malfoy and pressing her bare chest to his back as he brushed his teeth. His shirt was off, and his hair stood on end as if he had raked his long fingers through it repeatedly.
"I'm sorry," Ginny murmured, her lips moving against his shoulders. His eyes were sad as he looked back at her in the mirror.
"What's wrong?" he asked, spitting into the sink.
"I'm not sure..I guess I just miss my family."
"I'm your family now," Malfoy said, turning to look down at Ginny.
"I know that, and it's great. I'm just so used to having at least seven people around at all times."
Malfoy rolled his eyes, gently placing his hands on Ginny's hips.
"Barbaric," he muttered as he dipped his head down to kiss Ginny's neck. She frowned, crossing her arms as she pulled away.
"My family isn't barbaric."
Malfoy quietly groaned and tipped his head back, staring at the ceiling.
"I know. Come on." He swatted her bum and turned her toward the door, steering her forward with his hand at the small of her back. She walked to the bed, crawling under the plush blankets and turning to face the wall.
"Ginerva, don't be mad," Malfoy drawled as he tucked his arms behind his head. She was quiet as her anger seethed, tears pricking at her eyes.
"I'm not," she said flatly, forcing herself to drift off to sleep.
Ginny frowned, shaking her head as if to force the memories out. If he hated her, he should have let her die. But he didn't. Which meant he still cared. "If it still hurts, you still care." Malfoy's voice echoed in her head. Did she still care?
She groaned and threw her head back against the pillow, exhausted. Her eyes began to slowly droop, and the last thing she saw before falling asleep was Malfoy's pained face.
She was nervously peeking at the mirror, arranging her veil and tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her dress was like a second skin on her: tight, but sexy. Her flowers sat on the nearby table, a colorful splash in her plain, beige room. Molly stood behind her, fussing at the hundreds of buttons lining the back of her dress as Fleur, dangerously pregnant, sat in an armchair with Victoire on her lap. Lavender ran into the room quickly in just her bra, grabbing her dress before dashing out again. Hermione peeked out of the window at the gathering of people below.
"Are you ready darling?" Molly asked, popping the last button in place before straightening her own dress. Ginny nodded slowly, tilting her head to look at her sapphire earrings.
"Nervous at all?" Hermione asked from the window, turning at look at Ginny.
"A little," Ginny admitted quietly, shifting her gaze to her shoes. They were Narcissa's old shoes, worn only once. Malfoy's mother had come to enjoy Ginny's presence, and had graciously given the shoes as a gift. Ginny placed a hand gingerly on her abdomen, only slightly swollen. No one else knew, and Ginny would keep her baby's existence a secret.
Molly went to join Hermione at the window, then turned to Ginny.
"It's time," she said, eyes glittering with unshed tears. Fleur and Hermione stood up, grabbing their own bouquets. Fleur tugged on Victoire's hand, giving her a basket full of flower petals to toss on the aisle. Molly squeezed Ginny's hand, walking with her to the door as Lavender joined the other bridesmaids behind Ginny.
The bridal party trooped down the long flight of stairs, all hugely smiling in excitement except for Ginny. Her face was collected, properly arranged in a cool happiness. Her cinnamon eyes roamed the vast hall, taking in the expensive pieces of art and decorations that were placed by an expert eye around the room. The group walked to the double doors at the back of the Manor, stopping as Ginny took a deep breath. The doors opened, and Ginny tilted her chin up to the sunlight, allowing a small smile to grace her face behind her veil.
Malfoy stood at the altar, hands wrapped in a skinny blonde's dyed hair.
Ginny dropped her bouquet, her mouth in a tight line. Everyone around her was smiling, tears in several women's eyes as they took in Ginny's beautiful form. No one recognized Malfoy and his whore. He turned, his eyes burning holes in Ginny's face. He winked, pulling the blonde's hips closer to him.
"No!" Ginny's scream woke her up. She was sweating, the sheets underneath her damp. "No." She placed a hand on her heart, willing it to slow down. Just a nightmare. She fisted the sheets beneath her, taking a deep breath. Her brow knitted together as she thought about her dream. She obviously still cared, as much as she hated to admit it. Malfoy was right. Even though she had tried to erase her memories of him with drugs and alcohol and other men, he was always at the edge of her mind. Damn him.
She gingerly swung her feet to the edge of the bed, wincing as her head began to swim. Looking down at her chest, she almost vomited. There were twisting wounds reaching from her ribs, across her breasts, and one that stretched to her neck. The lines were swollen, almost pulsing with blood that was held back by a thin layer of skin. She couldn't bring herself to touch them. She took another deep breath, forcing the bile down her throat. Stumbling to the bathroom, Ginny sank into the tub, struggling to pull the jumper off. She used her feet to turn the water on, sighing as the water cradled her sore body.
Confrontations with Malfoy always ended this way. It wasn't that they had an abusive relationship; it was more that they used pain to make their points stick. Ginny knew she would never hurt Malfoy permanently, and knew he would never do the same to her. Why he used Sectumsempra on her was a mystery. Was that what he felt when she broke up with him?
Ginny frowned, turning to rest her head on the side of the porcelain tub. She turned her attention back to the present. Obviously her kids and their parents had learned Ginny was unable to watch them today, but how? She stared at the sink. Had Malfoy actually talked to Muggles? He wouldn't. They were below him. He was confusing her, which was nothing new. The way he acted...he slept with her, almost teased her, became violent, then saved her. Why? Why would he let her live?
She sank under the water, bubbles escaping from her mouth and nose. The world was quieter, almost lifeless. What would it take to let go? Her kids would find someone else to watch them. Her family would never know she was gone unless Ronald decided to show up unannounced again. Malfoy...he'd find out, but would he care? She surfaced as her lungs began to burn. Water streamed off of her temples as she opened her eyes. Her fingers were pruned already she noticed as she lifted herself out of the tub. Ginny wearily pulled a towel around herself, gently patting her scratches. Her joints groaned as she stretched, walking toward her purse. She dug for her pack of cigarettes, lighting one with her wand. A cloud of smoke drifted away as Ginny exhaled, staring out the window.
Sorry for the wait, I've had MAJOR writer's block for the past few weeks. This is more of a filler chapter with a small glimpse into Ginny and Draco's past.