"Draco Malfoy, escorting Ms. Ginerva Weasley," Ginny pasted a smile on as they entered the ballroom together. There was some light applause as their son was announced after them. She sighed as she let Draco guide her to the bar, his hand in the small of her back.
"Gin and tonic," Ginny said as soon as they got there. Draco ordered a firewhiskey and tossed some galleons on the counter. They turned as Tracey and Adrian entered. There was no applause for the couple. Ginny fixed another smile on as the couple approached them. She tried not to frown as Draco placed a kiss on Tracey's cheek and shook Adrian's hand when she was reintroduced.
"Lovely to see you again Tracey," Ginny offered as she took another sip of her drink. Tracey gave her a tight smile.
"You too Ginerva. I'm afraid we've missed you at Narcissa's get togethers."
"Yes, unfortunately Hogwarts took more of my time than I originally anticipated."
"Draco mentioned that," Tracey said. She took a sip of her firewhiskey as they watched the rest of the couples trickle in and begin to mingle. Draco and Adrian had disappeared, leaving the women alone. "Look, you don't have to keep my company."
"I don't mind," Ginny replied finally.
"You're getting a lot of looks."
"Let them look," Ginny replied. She turned back to the bar and ordered another drink. "I hate these things. One of the good things about Hogwarts was that I could avoid these. But since my niece was one of the debutantes I'm afraid I didn't have choice in this one."
Tracey chuckled and gestured for the bartender to refill her glass as well.
The next thing Ginny knew Draco was sweeping her onto the dance floor following the debutatnes special dance.
"Did you and Tracey have a good talk?" Draco asked. Ginny shrugged as she ran through the steps to the dance.
"Sure. You could have warned me before you ran off."
"I was talking business with Pucey," Draco replied with a sheepish smile. Ginny tried to refrain from frowning. "I have a final itinerary for the wedding."
"Draco, I haven't even decided if I'm going," Ginny said softly.
"I don't understand why it's such a big deal," Draco replied with a frown. Ginny returned the frown and managed to rein her temper in.
"This isn't the place," She said firmly. She allowed herself to be led through several more dances before Narcissa arrived to claim Draco and she slipped off the dance floor. Sitting at one of the tables she watched the two round the dance floor with easy grace.
"Hullo Gin," Harry said taking the seat next to her. Ginny looked up from her drink and offered him a weak smile.
"'lo Harry."
"You don't look like you're having a good time," Harry observed quietly. Ginny looked up, intending to settle a cold glare on him, but she noticed the paleness of his skin first, the dim quality of his eyes.
"Neither do you I'm afraid," Ginny replied softly. She reached a hand out and placed it on his, her other reaching up the familiar spot where her locket would be.
"Just a lot of memories," Harry said. He took a sip of the firewhiskey in front of him as they watched the younger generation dancing on the floor. Ginny could see he was in his own world so she didn't reply, merely patted his hand a couple times before she reached for her drink.
"Harry," she said finally. He looked up, drawn from her reverie. "I'm sorry things…got so complicated between us."
"Me too," Harry said with a soft smile. He stood then, leaving his empty glass on the table. When he bent over Ginny was afraid he was going to be nasty. Instead he swept one of her curls behind her ear in a way only an old lover could do. "But I'm afraid you're so much more without me Gin…Maybe this is what was meant to happen."
Draco watched with barely concealed fury as Harry leaned over to fix Ginny's hair. They spoke for a moment longer and than Harry departed, but not before giving a kiss on the cheek. He saw Ginny's hand fly to her cheek, and watched as her gaze followed Harry out of the ballroom. Draco took several deep breaths before he left the ballroom for the balcony. He was fumbling with a lighter when Ginny emerged.
"I didn't know you smoked," she said softly. She took the lighter from him and easily lit the cigarette before leaning against the railing and looking over the grounds beyond.
"No I don't think many people do," Draco replied coldly as he took several drags on the cigarette.
Ginny turned to give him a quizzical look at his tone and he merely looked past her towards the lake not far in the distance.
"Draco, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied, just as cold, his mind replaying the scene of Harry kissing her cheek over and over. He felt her magic probing his defenses almost as soon as she started. With a snarl he rounded on her. "Don't."
"Well you won't tell me what's wrong!" Ginny exclaimed, a little startled at the fact that he had picked up on her legilimency that fast. She withdrew as he proceeded towards her, grabbing her wrist.
"I don't enjoy people trying to invade my mind," he growled. Ginny pulled her hand away.
"Don't shut me out Draco. Not when we've finally made progress, when we're finally somewhat of a team."
"You deserted us," he reminded her coldly, finally meeting her eyes. Ginny felt tears welling up in her own. Not sure where his sudden anger was coming from. It felt like seconds ago he was curled up on her couch with Scorpius while they cheered on the Falcons.
"It wasn't like that," Ginny replied throwing her hands up. Draco felt suddenly chastised, but had already dug so deep that he didn't feel like he could now back down. He felt, for the first time, betrayed – by someone whom he hadn't even admitted he had feelings for.
"Things got tough and you ran away," Draco spat. "Just like you ran away from your engagement –" then his face was suddenly stinging and Ginny was running from the balcony. Draco raised a hand to his cheek in shock and just watched her. Let he go then, he thought, it would just get complicated anyway.