The next morning, I woke up and immediately changed the sheets. They reeked of sex, or me rather, and I wanted no reminders of my lascivious behavior the night before. None.
Today was a new day, but I had half a mind to obliviate myself. Every time I remembered, I'd cringe and throw my face into my palm.
Maybe Gin was right. If all it took was an embrace , of sorts, from Malfoy to send me spiraling, then perhaps I needed to get back into the dating world.
Not with him, though, absolutely not with him.
Oddly enough, this whole cringey ordeal was exactly what Ginny would love to hear about today, but I was taking all of it to my grave.
I had locked it up, and I was tossing the key.
Unfortunately for me, my vagina was temporarily sated, but my mind was still unsatisfied as I arrived at Grimmauld Place.
I went through the motions with Gin. I gave her the frogs, I talked small talk, and then I pretended to listen as she rambled on about her mum and the baby and Godric knows what else.
Meanwhile, I'm rationalizing the potential benefits of returning to Malfoy Manor in my head: the library, the knowledge, the history, the potential benefits to my department, etc. If I solved this case AND broke Malfoy's curse, Kingsley would have to sign off on my department expansion. Not to mention, Malfoy would owe me for life, which may or may not come in handy one day.
The journals were definitely the key to everything, but if I went back, I'd have to convince Malfoy to help me. I'd never get through all of them on my own.
If I returned, I'd also have to set some serious boundaries. Yes, Malfoy was physically attractive, but he was also a lying, narcissistic pain in my arse who cannot be trusted. There was literally nothing attractive about his personality, and I would not let my starved cunt trick me into thinking otherwise.
Even if Malfoy doesn't want me involved, there is no turning back now; I know too many of his secrets.
"You seem distracted," Ginny said, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Erm, sorry, it's this case. I can't take my mind off it." I apologized sheepishly.
"I bet." She chuckled, opening up another frog and tossing its famous wizard card onto a pile on the table. "I saw a photo of Malfoy in The Prophet this week and, don't tell Harry, but I've hardly been able to take my mind off the case either. Malfoy is one beautiful murderer. It'll be a shame to see him thrown in Azkaban."
"The investigation isn't over yet!" I remark defensively.
Merlin, calm down.
"I'd want to drag out my time with him in the Manor as long as I could, too, if I were you." She responded with two exaggerated winks.
"Hush, Gin, or I will tell Harry you've been fantasizing about bloody Malfoy." I mock threatened, earning me a squirming chocolate frog to the face.
I managed to grab it before it hopped away, then hurled it back at her. Ginny, always the athlete, caught it in her mouth.
With my mind made up about returning to the Manor, I focused on Gin for the rest of my visit.