Disclaimer: I own naught but the most effervescent Adelé and the plot.
A/N: Hello sweetlings! So, I see you've chosen to read my fic again…have you reviewed? The following people have, and look what they get! Their names in chapters!! YAAY!!!
SlytherinLuver: Yeah, actually the part where Arthur and Tom meet was one of my favorite parts to write…hehe…I could imagine it perfectly in my head and I thought that it'd be important to Ginny to get her father's blessing. We didn't win the whole sports competition, but it was fun nonetheless. Your name (Amanda) reminds me of a character from Buffy the vampire slayer. Have you seen it?
Samwise: In due time, my dear. Patience will bring you a Pascha Jakob. I miss the fluffy snow! It's all cold and wetish now. I didn't go skating today, but it was raining so it's okay. –sniff- I finished season one of Angel. WTF?? DARLA?? No. Ginny won't have to sleep in on New Years Eve. She's cooler than me. I can hear you mocking me. Stop!! :P
For everyone who didn't understand what Ginny gave Tom: It was a wedding ring (See chapter 17 I think? 16 or 17)
Elizabeth Anne: You're welcome, and can you explain how my grammar wasn't correct? I want to learn so I won't make that mistake again, but I didn't see what was wrong with it.
HeavilyBrokenSpirit: Christmas is a-coming! I'm excited! I like having the chapter a few weeks ahead of the holidays so that I won't have to worry about them when I'm actually celebrating. I'll probably keep posting over Christmas unless I forget, but hopefully not. OMG if you knew what was happening in the later chapters…let's just say you meet a pretty important character in this chapter…DUN DUN DUHH!!
A shout out to Levi, for reminding me to post tonight!
I took her hand, and marveled once again at her beauty. She was in a turquoise dress that clung to her curves without looking skanky. We were going as a group, and I saw Pansy Parkinson's dress, which barely covered her breasts with an open back.
Ginny's hair was straightened to its full length, and it fell thick and beautiful to the bottom of her ribcage. I kissed her temple, and growled into her ear,
"You look ravishing, my love. When we get back you'll have quite a husband to keep away." She smiled at me saucily and I groaned, pressing myself against her. She slapped my arm lightly, and flicked her eyes to the rest of the group then back. I grinned, and took her arm.
GGGGGGGG
We apparated to a pitch black alleyway, and I saw a homeless man scamper away, his eyes wide when we appeared out of nowhere. I grinned after him. It was odd to see muggles reaction to magic. Our pack started moving towards the mouth of the alley, where the main street was teeming with life. I pulled my cloak tight around me, and huddled into it. It was night, and it was freezing. Tom wrapped an arm around me, and held me close to his warmth. We walked down the lane and saw the long line stretching down the block. Two huge men stood behind a velvet rope with their arms crossed. One leered at Pansy, and she stared at him in disgust. At least she had some taste. The other looked over Adele and I, and pulled his lips back over his teeth in a grin. I felt Tom and Draco stiffen on either side of me, and I glared at the man.
"Those three can come through. The rest of you need to wait," One of them said.
"What? Why?" Adele demanded.
"I have my reasons." He grinned. Draco started to pull out his wand, but Tom beat him to it.
"Imperio," he whispered.
"You can come in now," said the bouncer dreamily.
"Thank you." Adelé said, and we all walked past. The sound coming from the main room hit us like a wall. We all pulled off our cloaks and gave them to the coat check. Adelé led us into the large room, and we sat at a booth. She bought a round of muggle mead, and we sat together sipping it. Pansy was the first to get up and wiggle her way to the dance floor. We watched her bumping and grinding against a muggle who seemed to be in heaven.
"No." Draco said to his wife, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. She was looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
"Pleeeeease?" She begged, and he merely shook his head. She turned to me with a bright smile. "Ginny?" I shrugged.
"Sure." She squealed in delight, and we both got up off of the booth.
"Oi," Tom called to me as we made for the dance floor. I turned, and he grabbed my hand, pulling me down to his level. He kissed me furiously, braiding his fingers in my hair. "I meant what I said before we left." I grinned.
"I look forward to it." He kissed me again before Adelé dragged me away.
TTTTTTT
Every movement she made, the lights shining across her face, mesmerized me. I saw her laughing with Adelé as a new song started. I smiled in spite of myself. She was a sight.
"Tom? Is that you?" I turned to see a tall dark skinned man approaching me.
"Rahim?" I asked incredulously. He nodded, and laughed, clapping me on the back with a large hand. I laid a hand on his shoulder, and turned to Draco. "Draco, this is Rahim, my friend from India. Remember, I always go on about him and his followers." Draco nodded, and shook Rahim's hand. "Is Gan with you?" I asked. Gan was his son, and Rahim pointed to the door. Gan stood there in the shadows and nodded to me once and I nodded back in greeting. We sat back down in the booth, and my eyes strayed once again to Ginny. Rahim followed my gaze.
"Ah, Tom. Who is the beautiful lady who has captured your interest?" I smiled proudly.
"That's my wife. Ginevra Molly Weasley Riddle." Rahim eyed her, obviously intriqued that I had married.
"Tom, I must say, I never expected you to become a slave to your heart."
"Come off it, you've been with plenty of women."
"There's a large difference with sleeping with a woman and loving her, my friend." I raised an eyebrow at him.
"You have a son Rahim. What about his mother?"
"Gan's mother? I didn't love her. She was beautiful, yes, but love? Tom, love is a very real thing. All I needed was an heir." I shook my head at his cold heartedness. "Anyways, on a similar subject, I was looking for you. One of your servants at the manor told me that you were here."
"What can I do for you? You came far just to see me."
"Gan and I would like to stay with you, if we may. Just for a while, not permanently." I spread my arms.
"My home is your home. You allowed me to stay in your manor over the summer, and you helped me a great deal in becoming who I am today." Rahim nodded in thanks to me, and raised a small glass of a brown liquid that a waitress had just dropped off. My eyes wandered back to my wife's body, and I frowned. She was talking to a man I didn't know.
GGGGGGGG
"Michael Corner?" I asked incredulously. He smiled brightly and took my hand and my waist as a slow song came on. Adelé looked at me awkwardly. "It's alright, he's an old friend." I mouthed to her over his shoulder.
"Ginny how have you been?" He drawled.
"Um…I've been alright." I conceded. My eyes were on Tom. He had looked unhappy when I was talking to Michael, but now he looked livid that I was dancing with him. I frowned. Just who was that man beside him?
"I heard that you were missing from home, but that must have just been a rumor going around." I smiled fakely, and nodded. He talked for the rest of the song, and I was longing for the moment that I could break away from him, but not looking forward to facing Tom.
"Sorry, what?" I asked, when I realized he had asked me a question.
"I said are you here alone?" Before I could answer his hands dipped too low for comfort. I swiftly reached behind me, and moved them back up to my back. "Aw, come on Gin. Let's go back to the way it was." I was getting angry.
"Yes, Michael, let's. Oh yes, we were broken up." I said, pushing him away. He smiled.
"You're feisty. I like that in a woman." I waved my hand in front of his face.
"Hello? Earth to Michael! Are you listening to what I'm saying?" Suddenly his lips crashed down upon mine, and his tongue forced its way into my mouth. I bit down hard, trying to get him off of me, and I pushed against him with all my strength. He smiled evilly, and licked my lips! I decided enough was enough, and I brought my knee up between his legs. He keeled over onto the floor, and shuddered in pain. "Don't ever touch me again." I spat at him. He was back up in a flash, a little white in the face, with his wand pressed into my collarbone. He looked furious, and I was really and truly afraid of him.
He was there one second, and gone the next. Tom appeared beside me, and slid an arm around my waist before pulling me away. The man who had thrown Michael against the wall, had his wand still drawn, his face black with anger.
"Is this what you put up with in England, Tom? Men who can't keep their hands or their wands off of other men's wives?" The muggles were staring at the tall dark skinned man brandishing a stick. Another man with lighter skin came up to him and whispered hurriedly in his ear. Tom looked just about ready to kill Michael, so I traced my thumb along his neck, below his hairline, trying to soothe him. His eyes flicked to me, and back to Michael.
"Let it go, love." I whispered and kissed his earlobe. He paused for a second, weighing the options. "I'll make it up to you." I promised. He looked at me, and I raised one eyebrow. He nodded stiffly, summoned our coats from the coat check, and we left.
TTTTTTTTTT
I was furious with myself for letting him get so close to her. I was furious with him for touching her like that. I was furious with her for letting him do that to her.
"Are you coming to bed?" She asked, when we all arrived in the main hall. I glared at her.
"No," I said shortly. "I have work to do."
"Like what?" She asked.
"Like getting Rahim and Gan settled." He chose that moment to introduce himself.
"My name is Rahim, Ginevra. It's a pleasure to meet you." He kissed her fingers, something that I thought was excessive. "This is my son, Gan." She ignored him, watching me, hurt sketching her face.
"It's Ginny," she said to Rahim. "It's nice to meet you too. I'll see you later?" She asked me. She looked so hurt by me, I couldn't bear to say no.
"Yes, I'll talk to you later." She gave me a weak smile that I didn't return, and walked slowly up the stairs. "Your room is this way," I said to Rahim and Gan, then pointed up the stairs and to the left, away from where Ginny had just gone. They followed me up the stairs in silence. "What?" I finally demanded.
"You shouldn't be angry at your wife," Gan said.
"I really don't need lessons on when or when not to be angry with someone, especially Ginny." He looked at me thoughtfully.
"It wasn't her fault, Tom, and you know it. I think that you're actually angry at yourself for letting him get too close."
"What are you saying?" I asked, and opened the door to their chambers, pointing inside.
"She is the most precious thing you have, yes?" Rahim asked. I nodded. "Then you should not let something as trivial as this tear you apart. Goodnight, Tom." He closed the door, and I stared at the dark wood for a second before turning on my heel and walking down the hall. I walked into the room to find her sitting on the foot of the bed with her knees curled up into her chest, her head leaning against a post of the four-poster. She looked at me as I came in and tossed my clothes onto a chair for a house elf to deal with. I sat on the bed in my boxers and looked back at her.
"You aren't angry with me, are you?"
"No," I said shaking my head. "I'm extremely disappointed in myself however." Her eyes softened, and she crawled over to me, and curled up in my lap.
"It wasn't your fault. Not at all. Michael Corner is a jerk."
"So I see." She kissed me lightly, and crawled under the covers. I watched her as she closed her eyes, and smiled at her innocence. Her hair was splayed across the pillow like a little girls would be. I ran a hand over her head and watched her chest rise and fall with the deep breaths of sleep. "I love you." I whispered. "I will love you until the day I die." She didn't stir, and I slipped in beside her before pulling myself close to her, and laying my head on her chest like a small boy myself. I sighed, and closed my eyes.