Past Life: Draco and Ginny
It was times like now Virginia Weasley wished she had been born a man, not the only girl of her well known family. She was expected to wear frilly feminine dresses and marry men like that enormous bore Harry Potter and join the two vastly respected families together. In their dreams, only such a travesty would happen. Virginia, Ginny to friends and family, was determined to never marry for convenience, but for love and respect. She, however, was a lady and a lady such as herself should not be in her golden age of twenty one, still unmarried and not without one child holding her down. That was not the life Ginny had planned for herself, she wanted to be a famous detective, figure out mysteries no one else would dare and in the process help those who desperately needed the answers only she could answer. But even in London, the big city, the idea of a woman detective was laughed at and thanks only occasional humor of rich practitioners could Ginny have her rundown office which she was forced to make into her home, unable to pay rent to both an office and flat.
It was only nights when the fog was so dense and she couldn't her own hand in front of her face and the lack of food in her stomach making her stomach growl in protest to such a strenuous movement as walking, did Ginny wonder why she continued down this path. It would be so much easier to give into her family and marry Harry. At least their babies would be pretty, Ginny mused. A little girl with long red hair and striking green eyes or maybe a boy with dark hair and chocolate brown eyes to make girls heart swoon but seeing Harry with his family's servant girl Granger, that one afternoon a few years ago always stopped her musings downs that path. She'd only seen those secretive but meaningful glances between her Father and Mother and her brother Fred and his wife, Angelina; she could never break something like that up and was one of the main reasons of heartfelt objection to her parents match making. It was also nights like this Ginny felt the loneliness of the city. Growing up with so many brothers and now wives and their children, her nieces and nephews, Ginny felt alone. Being so caught up in her thoughts, Ginny never realized the commotion coming up behind her. She was jerked forward by a large mass of body and turned to see what was going on when a warn body collided straight into her causing her to fall backwards, but not before grasping for anything to steady herself and managing to bring the person who crashed into her down with her.
Getting over her shock, Ginny looked up into grey slightly surprised eyes that belonged to a cool passive face. What a sight they must've made, he had to be in his late twenties, and judging by the texture of the clothes, rich which immediately made her wonder why he was out at this time of night crashing into young ladies such as herself. On a second glance, Ginny had to admit he was quite handsome, white blonde hair, grey eyes, high cheek bones, and a chiseled jaw. Each feature on another person would not have merged so well but on the man who still hadn't managed to move it looked quite nice.
"Well hello," a voice, best described as husky and masculine, interrupted her observations, "Isn't it late for once such as yourself to be out?"
"Just what is that supposed to mean?"
"A lady should not be out at such hours and unless you belong to an unrespectable profession I suspect your husband must be worried."
The blush that rose to her cheeks was first of embarrassment and after a few seconds ticked by moved to anger.
"I am twenty one years old sir, and my husband does not care considering I do not have one, and for your information, I just finished a case and am was going back to my office before you crashed into me." She wiggled, "And get off me!"
The man slowly brought his arms above her head before pushing off them and lifted himself up. He offered her his hand and Ginny reluctantly took it, not wanting to get any more dirty than she probably already was.
"A case madam?"
"Yes a case," Ginny said busily brushing off dirt from her dress, "I am a detective."
"Are you now?" His voice was now amused and Ginny stopped cleaning herself to look at him. He was indeed amused, he reeked of humor and it annoyed her to no end.
"Yes. I am,"
"And what is your name detective?"
"Virginia Weasley." Ginny said curtly not caring anymore if she sounded rude. Manners were obviously wasted on this idiot.
"I have heard of you." The man murmured more to himself than to her.
"You have?" Ginny tried to keep herself from sounding surprised and once the words fell from her lips, she knew she failed.
"Yes, according to some people you are fairly good," Before Ginny could bask in the joy of the complement he added, "for a woman."
"And who, pray tell, are you?"
There was a moment of silence before the man answered, "Draco Malfoy."
The name froze any smart comment she had been forming. "THE Draco Malfoy?"
"I don't think 'the' is necessary but yes, I am Draco Malfoy."
Draco Malfoy was in blind retrospect, her hero. Coming from one of the most richest families in Britain he defied his family to become a working man for the common person. He refused to marry his family's ally the Parkinson's daughter Pansy, and swore he would only marry for love. This fool was her hero? So much for keeping up the legend.
"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.
"Pretty sure. Unless you know something I don't?"
This tone again suggested something crude and Ginny frustrated drew her peacoat closer to her.
"No I don't. Now have a good evening, Mr. Malfoy."
She turned and refused to look back into that infuriating face that belong to Draco Malfoy.
Morning, well later that same morning, Ginny found herself cleaning her office having little else better to do. It only really needed a good sweep and what little paper work she had didn't take long to reorganize. Seeing she had no other pressing engagements Ginny was changing from boy breeches into her dress, or was about to slip her dress on when the door banged open and for the second time Ginny fell on her butt. Scolding herself for getting surprised at someone barging into her room, and forgetting she was only in her slip, started to yell at the intruder and stopped when she saw who is was.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
"Um Miss Weasley…."
"That isn't the answer to my question Mr. Malfoy."
Why was the idiot blushing?
"You dropped your handkerchief."
Looking wildly in his pockets he pulled out a lace handkerchief in his hand and gestured it to her his eyes looking somewhat below her shoulders.
"You came all this way to give back a…." Ginny realized where his eyes were directed and what she was wearing and grabbed her dress and pulled it over her head in under two seconds covering what his graze was free to see for the past few minutes.
"It would've been nice, if you could've informed me of my state of dress."
"I tried. You wouldn't let me finish."
"What do you want?" Ginny asked refusing to fall into the bait that he hung directly in front of her eyes.
"I need your help on a case."