My Boss .......Draco Malfoy?

Rid

Rating: R
Genres: Romance, Mystery
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 5
Published: 31/05/2004
Last Updated: 16/05/2005
Status: completed

Ginny Weasley needs a job.....Desperately! When Draco Malfoy offers one that’s hard to refuse, she accepts it reluctantly! Fate intervenes and she finds herself drawn towards her ferret of a boss! But what happens when you’re worst enemy becomes your savior? What happens when all that stands between you and your death is someone you wouldn't trust your life with? Can Ginny fall in love with a man she hates? (Now complete)[Stalker revealed, Harry/Hermione finally together, Weasley's apologetic.]

Chapters

1. The Escape

2. The Aftermath

3. Good Lord

4. The Job

5. The attack

6. The Day After

7. The rescue

8. The after effects

9. Voilence

10. Malfoy Manor

11. The Mystery thats Draco Malfoy

12. Enter Emily.

13. The hospital

14. The Vacations

15. The dance floor

16. Underwater

17. Bringing her back

18. The Missing Woman

19. The night togehter part one

20. The night together part two

21. The Death of a loved one

22. The cottage

23. The Funeral

24. I'm pregnant?!?!?!?!?! WHAT?

25. The party

26. And Finally-The STALKER.

27. The Last fight-1

28. The last fight-2

29. The Happy Ending

30. Epilogue

1. The Escape

Ginny awoke with a start. She'd been dreaming a very peculiar dream where she had seen herself flying away on a broomstick with a strange man while wearing her wedding gown. But it couldn't be true she thought as she lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. It was only a dream. But now was not the time to begin reconsidering feelings. She had to be at the chapel in an hour. She had her own wedding to attend.

Ginny had always been a romanticist. Her parents had played a major role in the way she always viewed romance. They were always telling the children stories of how they'd met and how they'd eloped to wed. As a result of these beloved tales, since very early in life Ginny had dreamt of a tall, dark stranger coming her way and sweeping her off her feet.

But she did not wish to marry just to please others or to subdue her own loneliness. So for years she waited in vain for a particular Harry Potter to notice her, but that day had never arrived.

All her harlequin dreams of what romance would be had been shattered. And now at the age of thirty, and with all her brothers already married, she was due to wed Christopher, her childhood friend, in an hour.

It wasn't that Christopher was bad or anything…he wasn't the tall, dark, and handsome man she'd been waiting to sweep her off her feet, but the he loved her and that was the most important thing. But in spite of this fact, Ginny found that she wasn't feeling very well at the moment.

Ginny rolled over in her bed, away from the sunlight and brightness, away from all that was making her stomach twist into knots. It was then that she remembered what had woken her up. Her mother was shouting on top of her voice for Ginny to begin getting ready.

A sudden panic ripped through Ginny as her mother's voice was drowned out by the thoughts that brought truth to the reality of what was about to happen in only an hour. She couldn't stay here and see herself marrying a muggle painter, she couldn't see herself having his children. She had to escape. Without another thought, she jumped from her bed and tore to her desk where she began writing her farewell letter.

2. The Aftermath

A/n- I never had expected such stupendous applaud for a chapter that was not only very small but a crucial chapter! I know you guys think that it was a small chapter and quite different from the summary but rest assured that I have a properly planned fic up and you will get what you see!!!

And now time to thank my reviewers!!

Resse Darling-Yeah it might as well be a girl not yet ready to give up on her dreams! She thought that Christopher was the Mr. Right, but many a times what we think is not true…..O Oh I'm about to give away the plot!!.....Just wait for the next few chapters to come up! Thanks for the review!

Silverbutterfly- I'm sure the stuff is going to be to your liking! I'm very sorry the chapter was so short but that was all I could fit into the first one!! Thanks for the review!

Draca- I hope it's not the length that matters but the stuff!! I'll make sure abt the length of the new chapters! Thanks for the review!

hermione_potter_always - Thank-you! It means a lot to me that the story is being appreciated!

Anonymous- Yeah I know that the title leads on to something else….but trust me the chapter has generated enough curiosity to satisfy me and make me smug enough to say that with time the chapters will tell you it all!!

ginnymalfoy21- Many people have been a little surprised by Ginny running away from her marriage , but this chapter reveals why exactly….maybe not very clearly !! Just wait for the fun to begin! Thanks for the review!

Momentyne- Thank-you! I already have about six chapters of this fic planned so they are gonna come out fast….!! I hope you enjoyed reading the fic!

Hermioniegranger- It is indeed a boring career- to be a painter! But Christopher is a billionaire who paints for his pleasure!! That's in this chapter….I'm not giving much more away! Thanks for the review!

Back to the story now

“I don't know how to thank you, Hermione,” said a rather emotional Ginny.

"Look Gin, I know how hard this has been for you. If I can help in any way don't hesitate to ask please,” concluded Hermione.

Christopher was still angry with her and had every right to be. But on top of Christopher's anger, Ginny now had reporters following her day and night.

It wasn't bad enough that he refused to forgive her for jilting him, but after the huge scene of Ginny's sudden disappearance, the tabloids refused to give her a break.

Christopher had made his fortune as a shrewd businessman, but he was also a famous muggle artist that loved being in the spotlight.

Ginny, however, was not so fond of constantly being splattered across the news but she'd put up with it for the sake of being with him. Now, her face was plastered on every tabloid and every newspaper in the country for breaking the people's beloved Christopher's heart.

She'd issued a public request for forgiveness to try to stave off the reporters, but that only seemed to make matters worse. When she told her story in attempt for an apology, women everywhere began idolizing her for her spirit and determination to keep her dreams alive. Women from all over had been inspired by her act of practical selfishness and were now reconsidering their own engagements.

Ginny had become the talk of the century overnight. First as a horrible wench who didn't deserve the famous artist, and now as a hero of all of womankind.

Ginny hated every bit of it.

Opposite the reaction of the world, Ginny's parents had disinherited her. Her mother, Molly Weasley, at least had the decency to be rather tearful while her father, a fuming Arthur Weasley ~ Minister of Magic, had been the one to officially remove Ginny from the family.

She was no longer a Weasley.

As far as giving up the glossy comforts of the Weasley manor was concerned, it didn't really bother her. Frankly, the family's sudden rise to power had astounded her and she was still uncomfortable with the fact that the Weasley's were now just as influential as the Malfoy's.

Of course, she was very conveniently overlooking the fact that the fame and glitter world had made the Weasley family incredibly shallow, self-centered, and really very selfishly stupid.

In spite of all this, Ginny remained in rather high spirits. She tried to consider herself lucky to have escaped the new shallow nature of the family and could now live on her own and make her own life decisions without having to ask their approval.

Her brothers…well, at least Ron, Fred, and George were rather disturbed by the whole thing and told her that despite their parents' opinions, they would stand by her side.

Charlie and Bill, instead, had chosen to do whatever their parents told them to lest they be disowned as well. But as Ron had put it, “Life must go on!” And though the disinheritment had obviously affected her emotionally, financially Ginny was independent and stable. Her muggle odd jobs paid enough to be able to survive.

So here she was, picking up her life right where she had left it. Trying with all her might for a new beginning…for a new life.

"You know its rather discontenting to see you so far away from us,” Hermione said with a saddened frown.

"I know but then again, you and Ron have already done so much for me and well, I don't want you guys to end up like me," finished a fuming Ginny, her eyes glazed over with the beginnings of tears.”

"You know that application you gave to that children's hospital, tell me about that,” Hermione said, changing the topic to something more pleasant.

"Oh! I almost forgot about that!” Ginny exclaimed brightly and gladly accepted topic change. They called to say that they want to see me tomorrow."

"I'm sure you'll make it, Ginny. You're so good with children."

"Yeah, you should know, I took care of yours for quite some time!" finished a hysterical Ginny.

Ron had married Hermione soon after graduating Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and immediately began starting their new family. They'd been blessed with three children, two boys and an adorable girl, which Ginny was all too glad to help out with babysitting.

"So what do you think.....will I get it?" asked Ginny

“Well you are terribly qualified for the position and we are forgetting the fact that since the time you could conjure a Patronus you have been taking care of the Weasley children.”

Just when the mood was going from depressed to a little cheerful an owl swooped in and dropped a red envelop in Ginny's lap.

“A Howler? Who would send me a Howler?” asked a suspicious Ginny.

“Wait a minute…it's got the Weasley seal on it. You better open it.”

As soon as the words were out of Hermione's mouth the envelope rose into the air and two tiny lips appeared where previously the Weasley seal had been!

YOU ARE A SHAMELESS GIRL! IT'S YOU THAT SPOILED YOUR FUTURE SO DON'T YOU GO AROUND BADMOUTHING US IN PUBLIC YOU UNDERSTAND! YOUR DAD AND I HAVE ALREADY BECOME A SPECTACLE IN THE WIZARD COMMUNITY, BUT I WILL NOT LET THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO MY CHILDREN WHO ARE STILL INCLUDED IN THE FAMILY! THEY HAVE SUFFERED ENOUGH FROM YOUR SELFISHNESS AND I WILL NOT HAVE STRANGERS ASKING THEM ABOUT WHY YOU ARE NO LONGER OUR DAUGHTER! STAY AWAY FROM RON AND HERMOINE!.

With that the envelope burst into a hundred flames, but the voice of Molly Weasley still echoed in Ginny's kitchen.

“Some interview you gave?” Hermione asked with a raise of her eyebrows.

“They asked me why I was disowned and I just told them to ask Dad,” said Ginny with the tears now overflowing.

“Hush now, it's alright. She's just a little ruffled. She'll come around eventually, hang in there…” said Hermione.

“It's not them I'm worried about,” said Ginny with a sigh.

“It's not? Then what's it?” asked Hermione.

“You see even though I'm qualified enough--”

“Enough?! You're more than qualified! You have a medical degree and you have the experience of working at St. Mungo's! I think you're overqualified for changing the diapers of crying babies,” said Hermione.

That brought a smile to Ginny's flushed face, “I agree, but I don't know anyone that would want to employ someone who has been all over the newspapers for the past week.”

“And why may I ask…?”

“Because it's bad publicity for a relatively new hospital,” said Ginny.

.

“Any publicity is good publicity, my dear…” Hermione finished looking smug.

“Thanks.” With that, they hugged each other in expectation of a better future!

1

3. Good Lord

A new day brought with it a hoard of new troubles. The flue to the fireplace in Ginny's flat had rusted shut and refused to stop blowing out remains of soot, covering both Ginny and the interior of her flat with gritty blackness. Now, not only was she covered head to toe in black ash, but she was also late for her interview at the children's hospital.

As a result, Ginny didn't have enough time to shower and redress and, instead, dashed out her door still lack with soot so that when she arrived at the hospital she looked a modern version of the maddened
Cruella DeVille.

Considering her current state, it wasn't surprising that she'd been refused work at the hospital. She hadn't even made it past the receptionist's desk.

“Sorry, but the position has already been filled,” replied the haughty receptionist to her inquiry.

“But how is it possible? I was called and was informed to be here and well, I supposed that the job was mine,” said Ginny sounding dumb to even herself.

“Sorry ma'am, I think that there's been a mistake. You were never guaranteed the job,” she replied.

“But I think you'll find my qualifications suitable for the job,” Ginny questioned with apparent distress.

“Well ma'am, your qualifications are all good, but we at this hospital also care about the appearance of our staff members.” This coming from a toad-like woman dressed from head to toe in shocking pink, brightly colored makeup that looked like it was applied with a spatula, and an upturned nose.

On a normal day, Ginny might have been amused by this woman's choice of attire. However, this was no normal day and Ginny was not amused. But she needed the job, so she attempted to suck in her growing anger and try again

“Look ma'am, lets try to be reasonable here, I don't usually look like this, and well…” Ginny bent over the counter. “Don't tell me you don't have days when nothing seems to go right! This is one such day for me,
so please just let me through and you'll be doing womanity a huge favour,” said Ginny
conspiratorially.

“Look lady, you turn up at a hospital looking like some sort of maniac, you don't bring with you this letter you speak of as proof that you even have an interview today. Your family name is shameful and you've done
absolutely nothing today to prove you are a better witch than them. Despite all of this, you expect me to let you through? Walk out of here this instant or I'll call security.”

That ticked her off. Some Umbridge woman dressed like a clown, talking about her family in such a disgraceful manner brought on her Weasley temper to a flaming height.

“I want to meet the head of this hospital! Where is the owner of this place?” shouted Ginny.

“Now Miss Weasley, don't you forget that this is a hospital,” said a drawling voice from behind her.

Ginny turned toward the voice and locked eyes with the last person she'd expected. Draco Malfoy.

The receptionist immediately flushed at the mere sight of Draco Malfoy, “Sir, this lady insists she be given a job.”

Draco Malfoy looked over to Ginny who was standing in the middle of the white hallway, covered in black soot and making quite a mess on the clean, white tile flooring.

“I'll take it from here, my dear. Miss Weasley, why don't you follow me.”

Ginny didn't remember the walk to Malfoy's office…all she could think of were the times Malfoy had been rude to her and Ron and most important of all, Harry!

And now, here she stood in Draco Malfoy's office, looking quite the nutter in her blackened outfit and disheveled hair, waiting to see what he could possibly want with her.

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**Later that day**

“So you're telling me that Draco Malfoy offered you a job?” asked an incredulous Hermione.

“Not just any job. I get to be his personal assistant for a while, after which I get to join the hospital at a permanent basis!” finished a rather excited Ginny.

“Wait, give me a second to take it all in.”

“Hermione, what's there to take in? It's just a job for goodness sake,” Ginny reasoned.

“But do you really trust him enough?”

“Look, I appreciate your concern for me but believe me when I say that he can't harm me in any way.”

“How can you say that?”

Ginny thought for a moment, “Well… it shows from the way he spoke to me. I can just tell.”

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**Flashback to earlier that day**

“Miss Weasley, you've been in the news,” smirked Malfoy.

“Look Malfoy—“

“It's `Mr. Malfoy' now Ginny dear,” he cut in sharply. “We're no longer students at Hogwarts.”

“Okay, Mr. Malfoy, I came here for a job at the hospital. Considering that there isn't a vacancy I think I'll apply some place else.”

“Oh, but there is a vacancy available Miss Weasley,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Is there? And which one is that, if I may ask Mr. Malfoy?” by now Ginny was seething with anger.

“My personal assistant,” he finished.

A heavy silence hung in the room for quite a while. Ginny could only watch him with a blank stare as she tried to make the words sink in, hoping that she might have heard him wrong.

When Ginny finally spoke, the only words she could mutter would have sounded more intelligent coming from a cow.

Malfoy cracked a smirk at her confusion, “I know it sounds absurd but I ask you to put aside our petty childish differences and think beyond them.”

“But why me?”

“Well, you have been one of the managers of the Weasley Empire.”

“Only for a matter of five years.”

“I think that's fine enough and your job here would not require you to display your mental ability or your genius in arithmetic.”

“What do you mean?” she eyed him suspiciously.

“With time you will come to know."

Ginny shifted uneasily in the posh armchair, “What's in it for me?”

”Well, let's say about two hundred galleons per month.”

“What--”

“Plus if you would like, new living arrangements,” Malfoy added eyeing her current unkempt state. Ginny could only assume he'd overheard her conversation with the receptionist.

“But what is the nature of this job?”

Malfoy sat back in his overstuffed chair and grinned at her, “You will find out in time. I want you make yourself presentable when you report for duty at seven o'clock tomorrow morning and I expect you to be
prompt.”

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thanks for reading! Time for individual thanks

Afourleafclover- I know sometimes its quite difficult to accept the fact that the Waesley's can turn nasty, but this was necessary here, as the disinheritment plays a major role in the climax of the story. I'm delighted that u like the story!

Janet-Reviewers like you make my day! Yeah, it is pretty mean of Molly and Arthur, but well as its there in this chapter Power!! It makes people go crazy!! Oh and Harry's here! He obviously not voiced his opinions yet but I'll make sure he does once the plot move on!

Michou- thank-you for the review!! It really is good to see such good response!

Silverbutterfly- there you go. Not healer, not owner! Oh and this hospital is not St Mungo's, it's a private hospitial! Yeah, poor Ginny! But she has Ron and Hermoine still with her. Thanks for the review!

Isabelle Marie- thank-you! I hope you liked this chapter!

S- I know it's a Harry/Hermoine site, but Somehow, Hermoine plays a key role here and I wanted her to be related to Ginny! I hope u don't mind!

Although I have more reviews than I expected, I sure hope I get a little more! Remember a little appreciation never goes waste!! So review people!!!

Rid

Special thanks to Tabitha my beta reader. Sorry didn't mention her before! Don't know what I would have done without her!

4. The Job

Special thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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"Low spirits! Why would someone, who's earning 200 galleons per month, have low spirits?”

Ginny made a face at Ron's comments. With each passing day Ron's attitude towards her was becoming more and more like their Parents. For Molly and Arthur Weasley, their daughter had found herself a nice catch in Christopher. He was Wealthy, Famous and Influential. Ofcource to the absolute delight of Arthur Weasley, Christopher was an influential Muggle.

Initially their enthusiasm had made Ginny beam in happiness, but she later discovered that it was merely a ploy at more Power. That was all that mattered to them....<I>POWER...more and more of it.

Of-course, Christopher had not invested his time in Ginny for nothing. He obviously had a greater motive; however she was still unaware about it.

Her family on the other hand, she wiped a stray drop of Water that had escaped from her moist eyes.

She was ready to forgive them anything, even murder, if they would just take her back into the family. She blinked away the blanket of tears hindering her vision.

"Well it just happens, that our dear Ginny is working for Mr. Malfoy you see", finished Hermoine

"Mr. Malfoy, as in Mr. Draco Malfoy?" asked Ron.

"Yes” was all Ginny could muster up

Ron muttered something inaudible. His lips opened and closed. It

“What happened? Cat got your tongue?” asked a furious Ginny.

"Well who says that you have to take the job,” said Ron

"Ron, unlike you I'm no longer a Weasley and have to earn a living" shouted Ginny.

She was disgusted at her brother's massive ego trips. With their father he was the perfect son. It was not a mystery to Ginny that Ron was in her new living room due to one reason and one reason alone, Hermoine. Her brother was hopelessly in love with the little brunette standing next to him.

"Oh oh, alright now you two. Let's not get into a fight now. I want you to apologize to Ginny Ron," said the soothing voice of Hermoine!

Instantly his ears went red and Ron hastily muttered an apology!

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The first day of work arrived sooner than Ginny had expected. She rose to the early morning sun urging her to wake up! She rolled away from all the sunlight and blindly reached out for the alarm clock that was blasting the morning radio right into her ears.

She grabbed it and switched it off. If things didn't cheer up soon, the day was going to be as bad as it could be!

It didn't however. The very first catch in the faulty arrangement she had made with Draco Malfoy presented itself before her when she reached the offices of the Malfoy Empire. And it turned out to be pretty non scandalous.

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"Good morning, I'm here to see Mr. Malfoy,” a nervous Ginny asked at the reception. Unfortunately for her, she met miss hocked nose receptionist again.

"What is this related to and do you have an appointment,” she asked in the most polite tone.

"I'm here for the job of Mr. Malfoy assistant , here's my appointment form,” with that she started searching her purse for the white and crisp appointment letter Malfoy had given her a day earlier.

"Well, you'll have to wait, Mr. Malfoy is busy at the moment," answered the women. She immediately ducked under the desk.

“Excuse me, why are you hiding under that desk,” asked Ginny trying hard to suppress her giggles.

“I'm waiting for you to shout again,” she said with a worried roll of her eyes.

“Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I'm sure we can be friends….,”smiled Ginny.

“No, I would rather be friends with a weasel,” she said without even realizing that the comment has been jotted down as another point against her.

Ginny smiled, and retrieved to the comfortable couch and started flipping through a magazine. The receptionist could be dealt with later. Today was Malfoy's day!

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"Excuse me; I've been here for three hours! How long will I have to wait?' asked a furious Ginny.

The first hour of waiting had been spent in Ginny's favorite pastime of hiding behind a magazine and people watching, but as time went by she started getting restless and annoyed at being kept waiting.

The Weasley temper started flaring a moment later.

"Look lady, I've done enough waiting for a lifetime, now you show me the way to the man's office or I'll find it myself,” shouted Ginny.

"Well, Miss Weasley you sure have an affinity to loose your temper don't you?” came the famous drawl that's made her skin crawl.

"You would be furious too if you had been waiting for three hours in vain,” replied Ginny turning around to face the owner of that voice.

"Well then give me a chance to apologize to you and make up for the lost time! You wouldn't mind dining with me now would you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I.............”

"Before you say anything let me remind you that dining with me is a part of your job."

Ginny was about to deny him, and he knew that and he had cunningly lured her into a situation he knew she couldn't escape. She was still contemplating the thought of denying him, when her stomach made a huge sound, making both her and Malfoy aware of her hunger.

She had left her place with just an apple which now lay in some dirty corner of her bin.

"I would say that a hot lunch sounds great," replied Ginny.

She saw a totally different expression flash in his eyes, those deep gray eyes! One could drown into their depths!

She was saved the embarrassment of being caught staring at her boss if he hadn't masked the expression in his eye's and replaced it with the same cold hostility.

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Lunch had been a complete disaster.......!

As expected Draco Malfoy had taken her to an up market place where couples had corners to themselves, but unlike the romantics, she was forced to sit right in the centre of the round restaurant with a rather observant middle aged couple pointing rudely at them and then giggling like school girls.

She tried making small talk with Her new <I>Boss until their food arrived, but failed miserable. What was a person supposed to speak to a Malfoy?

"Well Mr. Malfoy, now that we're fed I would ask you to please explain to me the nature of my job,” finished an excited Ginny.

“Aww! Do I have to,” he asked in the best five year old voice he could muster.

“You know you do!” Ginny answered trying hard to control the laughter threatening to erupt from her lips.

"Oh! Alright! Miss Weasley, your job at the Malfoy empire is similar to that you had at the Weasley empire,” smirked Malfoy

"And that is?”

"However.....there will be other odd things you will be expected to do.....” he added as an afterthought.

"Like what?" asked a suspicious Ginny?

"You're too impatient Miss Weasley. You can't expect me to discuss business over lunch do you? Now tell me, what would you like for dessert?"

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The day did not end there. After the fabulous dinner, Mr. Malfoy explained to her the details of his empire.

Malfoy had been right; her job here was similar to the one she did for her father.

All she had to do was make sure that the finances were under control. That the salaries were given on time, that the people took interest in their products and that everything in the Malfoy Empire functioned smoothly.

Basically she was the right hand of Malfoy! Wait where did that come from? She was the employee of Draco Malfoy!

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Ginny managed to reach home amongst all the euphoria that surrounded her. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside,

"SURPIRISE..............."

The entire hall was filled with well wishers of Ginny, her friends, her seniors......and amongst the happy party people was a flushed Harry Potter (Ginny blinked to make sure that she was seeing properly.) looking very pleased for her!

She turned and her eyes met Hermione's across the room and she silently thanked her sister in law for this little gesture of kindness. She missed her parents, but time would heal everything. Hermoine came up to her and said softly

"I wish you a very happy life"

"Thanks. This really means a lot to me!" said Ginny.

"I know! And hey don't let Ron's attitude get to you," said Hermoine.

"Let's not kid ourselves Moine, I know that the job with Malfoy is the only reason why Ron's here and if it's anything to go by, Dad and Mum will be here too, in some days!"

"Ginny......"

"It's okay! I can deal with it. All I want is their love! And if it's going to be like this...then so be it."

With tears in her eyes Hermoine just stood there and hugged Ginny tightly.

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A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT NEVER GOES UNAAPRECIATED.............PLS REVIEW!

Thanks for reading

5. The attack

She woke up long before she heard the voice coming from down the hall. She sat up straighter, straining her ears for any sound that would confirm her suspicion that someone was prowling around her newly decorated hall.

Then she heard it.

It was not loud enough to awaken someone from their sleep, but was enough to cause an already awake Ginny to climb out of the trance she had been in. Her very first thought was that this was one of Fred and George's usual pranks- but then she realized that her dearest brothers were away on vacation. Suddenly alert, Ginny picked up the receiver of the telephone -a muggle device which was more convenient than the fire network and dialed 911 - the muggle police.

Someone picked up the telephone on the other end .The voice on the other end sounded drowsy and Ginny doubted her decision for a second before hastily telling the operator that she needed immediate help, and that someone had gotten into her house. The foolish operator asked her if it was her kids- and Ginny controlled the weird urge of laughing- before confirming that it wasn't her kids.

The operator reassured her in a calm voice, apparently suddenly realizing that Ginny was in real danger, and she relaxed a little bit. The operator launched into a question answer mode and Ginny calmly answered all the questions and gave directions to her muggle house.

She replaced the receiver with a perplexed expression on her beautiful face, the momentary contact with another human had relaxed her ,but now she was again straining her ears for any kind of sound that would indicate as to where the attacker was within the house.

She tried to think of what he might be stealing at the very moment .Imagining him picking up her gold photo frame with Ron and Harry's oldest photograph. And then a horrible thought struck her, as horrible thoughts do at time of crisis, what if he hadn't come here to steal something? What if the real threat was not to her precious antiques but Ginny herself?

That thought intensified the sick feeling at the pit of Ginny's stomach and she silently reached for the glass of water that usually stood on her bed-side table. In her current state it was no surprise when the glass fell to the ground with a humungous CRASH- alerting the man- who Ginny had until then imagined to be relishing the ice-cream in her refrigerator.

She quietly curled up into a small ball and tried to make least noise, thinking that if she couldn't see him- he couldn't either. She sat that way for what she felt were hours, but they were infact mere minutes. After what seemed like an eternity someone knocked on her bedroom door. She screamt and the person knocking relishing her fear, began pounding at her door.

He had come to kill her hadn't he after all thought Ginny- like a daft prick, and that thought brought a small whimper to her mouth.

Her attacker-major power house that he was- had managed to break the door down .She saw his profile in the dark and felt him approach her bedside. She realized with apparent stupidity that in her hurry to call the police, she had forgotten to do the most obvious thing- switch the light on, due to which she could only make out the profile of her intruder.

He was tall- almost six feet, was well built and looked foreboding. She tried to make out what he was wearing but the darkness did not allow that. He advanced toward her and she screamt again-more out of the embarrassment of him finding her in her night gown than fear, but it was the police siren that stopped him in his tracks. He pointed a finger at her and then left.

Long after he was gone the police came up to her door, and found her in a brightly lit room -which was very weird considering that Ginny had no recollection of getting up to illuminate the room, lying face up on her bed in apparent shock and fear. They helped her sit up, which was a hard task- because in her fear- Ginny had absolutely forgotten how to move her limbs- asked a few questions and ordered her to be at the station the next day.

Thereafter they asked her to call inn a member of her family-which made Ginny think instinctively of Molly, only to be slightly disappointed as she remembered the last few days- to come stay with her the night if she felt frightened. She thought of Ron, next. She dialed his number, and smiled as she remembered how he had always scolded Hermoine and insisted that they did not need a muggle instrument such as the telephone, but Hermoine had been stubborn and had finally installed one herself.

She silently thanked her sister-in-law and waited for Ron to pick up the phone somehow -reassured by the policemen still by her side. He picked up the phone at the eight ring. She told him everything in a hurry and asked him to come over .Although still sleepwalking-he understood her predicament and told her he would be there in a minute. Thanks to her active mind though- Ginny was able to warn him of the presence of the muggles and asked him to arrive at her place in the muggle car instead of apparating.

Done with the call- She turned to the policemen and with a catch in her throat realized that one of them was of the same height as the person who had tried to attack her some moments ago. She thanked them and they reassured her that they would be patrolling her street. They also reminded her to come to the station the next morning, as if she would forget.

Ron reached her place soon, with what looked like a bag full of diapers- but Ginny was too frightened to notice- and the policemen left soon after. Ron fixed her a hot chocolate without much difficulty as he had a habit of cooking while sleepwalking, and asked her to go back to her room.

"You might as well try to sleep, you have to start work tommorow," he said, once he had finished yawning the fifth time.

"Oh shit, I completely forgot that" said a weary Ginny.

She retired to her room...but sleep still evaded her. She could still picture the tall man in her doorway and still worried as to what would have happened if the police had not gotten there at the right time.

She tried closing her eyes....but the sandman was apparently very angry with her. She tried the childish game of counting sleep but slumber didn't come easily. After a long time, she finally fell asleep only to be awoken at what felt like minutes after she had slept by a drowsy and still sleepwalking Ron telling her that there was a call from Draco Malfoy.

She went to attend it.......

"Miss Weasley, why aren't you here already" asked the angry voice of Malfoy.

"Malfoy-"

"Sir, that's what you will call me” he said in such icy tones that Ginny wished she had a glass to collect the cubes falling from his mouth that instant.

"Sir I had quite a scare last night and there was this intruder in my house, and he tried to attack me.........."her voice trailed off, not sure whether Draco Malfoy would believer her.

"Don't give me crack and bull stories Miss Weasley. I want you here in half an hour and if you're not here by the end of I, then you might as well consider yourself fired" he said in an angry voice ,now blowing fire.

"But -"she tried reasoning with him and tell him that she had to go to the police station.

"No buts madam, if you want to keep the job you so desperately wanted then you'll be here"

"I did not-," she tried to say not liking the desperate part of his sentence.

"Suit yourself Virginia" and he banged down the phone.

She stared at it helplessly. The nightmare had begun.

"Absolutely” she said in almost a whisper.

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 1.0.0

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6. The Day After

A/n -Yes yes- Long time no updates but I just started college and life's become hectic thereafter. No worries- I'm back with another amazing chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer- No- Do not own any of them. I just probably own the cat sitting by my side, watching me type this up.

Last time.-

"Sir I had quite a scare last night and there was this intruder in my house, and he tried to attack me.........."her voice trailed off, not sure whether Draco Malfoy would believer her

"Don't give me cock and bull stories Miss Weasley. I want you here in half an hour and if you're not here by the end of it.......then you should consider yourself fired" he said in an angry voice.

"But............."she tried telling him that she had to go to the police station.

"No buts madam.......if you want to keep the job you so desperately wanted then you'll be here"

"I did not............"

"Suit yourself Virginia" and he banged down the phone.

She stared at it helplessly. The nightmare had begun.

"Absolutely” she said in almost a whisper.

Chapter 6

Ginny banged the phone down and looked helplessly around. Clad in a flowing gown she looked like a royal mess.

She had barely been able to close her eyes after the fright she had received the previous night and it clearly showed in the dark circles under her beautiful eyes.

Hell she didn't want to go before Draco Malfoy looking like something the cat dragged in.

Filled with purpose, she calmly picked up the telephone and dialed Ron's residence number. Hermoine picked up on the third ring.

“Gin, oh my god I've been worried sick. How are you and where's Ron?” asked Hermoine.

“Relax moine , I'm fine and judging by the peaceful way in which Ron is asleep on the living room couch he is fine too” finished Ginny in false brightness.

“Do you want me to come over?” asked a concerned Hermoine.

“No…that's fine. I have to get to work and I can't leave Ron here like this….” Her voice trailed off. She sounded calmer than she actually was.

“That's ok, I'll come over and pick him up!” said Hermoine.

“Thanks you're a sweetheart...” said Ginny

“Don't mention it...” said Hermoine.

Ginny walked back to her room and was ready in ten minutes. She rushed back down.

She saw Ron In the kitchen. Apparently he was making his usual cup of coffee. With a wave of his hand he had some poured out for her too.

“Thanks …” she said appreciatively.

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Draco Malfoy didn't usually bother to call up his employee's the very first day of work, but he had specially appointed Ginny Weasley and he was paying her more than what she deserved.

In return to that he expected punctuality.

He was well known amongst his staff as a stern and strict figure that didn't forgive or forget easily. He was respected for that and feared for the same.

He had come in early, only to see how Ginny Weasley would look walking into his office, being at his beck and call. But he had been sorely disappointed when she didn't turn up at exactly 7 o clock. He had been further ruffled when there was no sign of her even when the clock struck 9.

That's when he's called her.

He had been surprised when Ron Weasley had picked the phone up. He was under the impression that Ron Weasley had a great dislike for muggle machines.

But he had been surprised.

With an obviously uncomfortable tone he had asked Ron to call inn Ginny.

He had been shocked and then angry to hear the drowsy note in her voice. How dare she sleep when he was waiting for her to turn up?

Of course he had done the next thing which came naturally to him. He had shouted at her and had asked her to report to the office immediately. But now he regretted it.

He saw her enter the office and advance towards his glass office with apparent trembling feet. He had got his office done in glass, for the simple reason that he liked the amount of activity that went on in his office and he liked to be a witness to it.

It also allowed him to sneak glances at his favorite secretaries, but he would never admit that.

Today however he realized that it was a foolish decision. He saw Ginny Weasley take tentative last few steps towards his office. She looked like someone who had gone through a tornado.

She had purple bags under her eyes and she looked drawn and tired.

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Ginny braced herself to enter the enemy territory. As soon as she had entered the office she knew that she was way out of her league.

She had applied for a job at the children's' hospital, this was not what she wanted.

She saw his office, clearly made out of glass. But it was no ordinary glass. It was the kind that showed someone standing outside their reflection, but inside Draco Malfoy could see every activity going on in the office.

She knew that at this very moment he was staring at her and trying to figure out who she was.

She definitely didn't fell like the women who had once been the love interest of Harry potter, even if it was only for a short time in the seventh year.

She braced herself for the war. She took a deep breath and stepped inside the office of Draco Malfoy.

HERE GOES NOTHING.

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She sighed in relief. The day had not been as bad she had expected it to be. It had infact been quite easy working with Draco Malfoy.

She hadn't even realized but she had now completed an entire week of work with Malfoy and Malfoy.

She had laughed like a school girl when she had read the name of the organization on the very first day of work. What kind of name were Malfoy and Malfoy.

But she had to agree that she enjoyed working with Draco Malfoy. Unlike her father and brother's Draco Malfoy fully trusted her and didn't interfere in any of her decisions.

Infact over the time span of a week she had come to appreciate his dedication towards the family business and had agreed with the office theory that the Malfoy Empire would be incomplete without Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy and Malfoy dealt in many things, except ofcource the dark arts. The Malfoy group of companies owned a monthly circulating magazine called Glamour. It was the only source of exactly what its name suggested to the non-muggle public. It featured pictures of celebrity parties and basically indulged in gossip.

Then there was the ever increasing business of candy making. Although it had traditionally been the work of Bertie Botts…the Malfoy's had their own every flavour beans too.

Inspite of having worked for the empire for a week Ginny still was not aware about the other wings under the empire.

The week had changed a lot, including Ginny's opinion of Draco. She couldn't forget his ridiculous behavior at Hogwarts, but she had come to appreciate Draco Malfoy's sense of business and his commitment to his family and she respected him for that.

What made her uncomfortable were the little exchanges they had in between work. She sighed helplessly and tried concentrating on the job at hand.

“Hey Weasley, done with the register” came the voice of Draco Malfoy.

“Umm yeah I think so, but Reggie still has a lot to do here” replied Ginny. What was he trying to do creeping up on her like that?

“How much time do you think this will need?” he asked now uncomfortably close to her back.

She smelled his aftershave and instantly like it.

“I guess another half an hour…..sir” she added as an afterthought.

“Half and hour doesn't make a difference does it?” he had asked with a gleam in his eye's.

“I guess not! ….why?” she asked.

“Cause I want to take you to lunch….you've worked too hard” he had finished.

Hesitant at first to sit across Draco Malfoy and gobble food Ginny, had declined his offer, but was soon seen leaving the office premises with him.

The lunch had been a casual affair and had been very comfortable.

“So you actually wanted to work with crying babies” he had asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Yes…..mind you I have enough experience” she had said.

“Oh really….but from what I gather, your resume suggests that you have no children!”

“Yeah…….but I have six brothers, including Percy who I don't see that regularly and six sisters-in-law. Together they make up fifteen children in the Weasley family and I've been the only baby sitter they all have ever had…” she finished with a peaceful smile.

“Fifteen children….?” He asked with a raise of his eyebrows

“Well Ron has twins and Charlie has two pair of twins…….frankly I have lost track of the children in the Weasley family.” She said.

“So you agree with my childhood theory that the Weasley have more children than they can af....” he stopped abruptly all the humor gone from his eye's.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Ginny…….I is really sorry for the way I treated you back in high school….” He said.

“You're apologizing?” she asked surprised.

“Yeah……….funny feeling it is. I never have apologized to anyone in my life but now that I have it doesn't feel all that bad” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

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The evening went well. They had gotten surprisingly intimate with each other over the span of a week. He turned out to be quite a gentleman.

He would open the door to the restaurant. Pull the chair out …..And even offered to ride her home every evening.

Today, he was given the pleasure. The car had seemed huge when Ginny had seen it a while ago, but once inside it, she felt a little trapped. As if reading her mind he said,

“I won't bite you…..”

“That's not I'm worried about” she said and dismissed her momentary wariness of him to his massive size.

He was indeed massive. She had been taller than many girls in her year, but compared to Draco's six feet two she was nothing. It was not only his height that made him seem like a fantasy figure, he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist. From the way his shirt was buttoned she could sneak glances at the dark hair curling at his chest.

She wondered how he would look under all those tailor made clothes.

She blushed at that thought, and scolded herself to be imagining such things. Soon, very soon her house loomed into view.

He stopped outside and turned off the ignition. A heavy silence hung and they both spoke at the same time.

“You want to……”

“You think……..”

They burst into laughter.

“You go first “he said.

“You want to come in for a cup of coffee?” she asked.

“Maybe some other time, but thank you for a wonderful evening”.

Before she could step out of the car he bent over and kissed her. It was a tender brushing of the lips but soon it turned to something explosive. She gave into his consistent urging and opened her mouth. His tongue swept inn and explored her mouth.

She clinged to him….helpless.

He broke the kiss abruptly. Mortified at the way she had behaved….she quickly got off and ran to her house.

Once inside she fell heavily to the floor and dragged inn oxygen to her hungry lungs. After her heartbeat returned to normal, she looked around her house.

She screamt at what she saw.

Her hall had been turned upside down….all the furniture had been ripped apart and there right in the centre of her hall was a blood strewn sheet. She screamt again louder, this time.

And very suddenly she heard someone knocking loudly on her door. She turned away from the door. It must be him……the intruder the man who had come in a week earlier.

She looked on helplessly as the man at the other end kept on banging the door and finally managed to break it open……she screamt again as the door flew off its hinges.

GOD HELP HER

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A/n - Thanks for all the Reviews! I Hope you like the story so far. I'll try updating faster but please bear with me if I can't. I know this is a Harry/Hermione site, but please ignore this couple here; they don't play a very important role- so far.

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7. The rescue

A/n- Hello, Yes yes I know everyone is excited to know who the attacker is. So let's not waste time. Here goes.

Chapter 7

He heard her scream. What could possibly have caused that? Had the kiss really been that bad? As far as he was concerned it was one of the best he had ever experienced, and that was saying something.

He couldn't figure out the reason of his abrupt and reckless behavior. He had long since decided never to mix business with pleasure. But there was something about this woman that got tot him.

He stifled a groan that was threatening to escape from deep within his throat.

He hadn't been meaning to kiss her. She had just looked so cute sitting there in his car asking him to come along inside…..no sweet, so innocent! He had lost control.

But she had tasted so sweet…..! Get a grip Malfoy! She's a Weasley for Gods sake. He cursed loudly. He was thirty one for crying out loud! What was it about this woman that got to him?

What was it about her that prompted him to act like an out-of-control teenager?

He heard her scream again, louder this time. But it wasn't frustration that he detected in that one, it was fear. FEAR!!!! Was something wrong? He scrambled out of the car and in his haste ripped his sleeve apart, but he didn't care. Please let her be okay, he chanted under his breath, barely aware of doing it. He reached the door and gave it a mighty tug!

It wouldn't budge!!!

He raised his fists and started banging hard on the door. Panic gripped him and his throat contracted painfully. He heard her scream again. Damn! He retreated a few steps and then with all the force he could muster he crashed back into the door.

It flew off its hinges. He stood still trying desperately to catch his breath and squinting hard to make out her exact position in the house.

He caught sight of her. She was standing not far away from the hall door….but she was camouflaged in the darkness.

He took a step inside……..

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Ginny Weasley whimpered. Her throat had long since closed down and the only way she was going to survive this encounter was to hide away from her attacker.

She stood there….in the darkened corner, very near to the door , with her back hanged in fear and tears rolling down her eye's.

Her attacker was still standing on the darkened porch. The door lay, long forgotten on her hall floor. She saw him a lot clearly this time - he was tall…..very tall, intimidatingly tall. She was not ready for another attack.

For the past one week her dreams had been haunted by this tall stranger who would chase her down a windowless corridor and then she would come up against a dead end and then he would point at her and vanish into thin air. She didn't want to face him, couldn't face him. She didn't want to die.

She wanted to help Hermoine raise her kids. She wanted to pacify her parents. She wanted to make something out of herself. She wanted to share more kisses with Draco Malfoy. That thought brought with it a totally alien strength...

She picked up the small vase kept on the nearest table. Meanwhile her attacker took a steady step into the hall and in that very second Ginny brought the vase crashing down on the man's head. She saw him turn towards her, and as the light caught his face she realized with dread……..Draco Malfoy???

“Oh….oh Draco I'm so s-sorry. I-I didn't m-mean to…..” but it was no use. Those deep gray eyes were closing and the last expression she read in them was pain.

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“Draco, oh I'm so sorry. Please be alright”. Draco Malfoy felt something cold against his forehead. But he focused all his attention on the soft feminine voice next to him. Ginny!

With great effort he opened his eye's to find himself still on the soft carpeted floor. An apparently upset Ginny was pressing ice to his forehead with one hand and rubbing his hands with her other free one. He could make out the tear stains on her face.

“I'm not dead. You can stop crying now” he said in the tenderest voice he could muster in his pain.

“Please don't say that. I couldn't bear it if you would be dead”. That brought a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“I thought that I was hit because of the kiss we shared back in the car, tell me I'm wrong” he said.

“No no, that's not why…….” She said obviously embarrassed now.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look beautiful when you blush?” he asked with amusement.

“No, no one's e-ever told me t-that” she finished.

“Do you want to tell me why you hit me?”

“I………..”

“And, why you screamt?” he asked before she could say anything.

“I don't think you would want to know” she said now looking uncomfortable with the position she was in.

He shifted his head off her lap and sat up straighter.

“Let me decide that” he said. “Decision taken, you better tell me” he finished a second later.

“Oh alright. I was attacked a week ago”

“Attacked?” he said obviously quite confused.

“Yes, the night before my first day of work…..”

“So you weren't making up stories after all?” he asked.

“No I wasn't!” replied Ginny defending herself.

“Ok…go on”. Draco looked oddly pale against the wall but he had to know.

“Well in the dead of the night someone broke into the house and then proceeded towards my room. But by the time he reached my room the muggle police were here…..”

“The muggle what?” He asked obviously wondering what police meant.

“It's a team of officers who protect muggle's , like Auror's in some vague way…” she finished.

“Ok….so he came to your room, so no harm was done because of the polise coming?” he asked.

“Well not much serious damage….but he l-left me scared and well he's been standing outside my window every night since then……” Ginny sighed and let her head drop in defeat and helplessness.

Somehow saying the words to Draco made them oddly less threatening than they seemed a while ago.

She had been under the impression that by not telling anyone about the stranger's night visit, he would go away. But he seemed more and more real every passing day. And today……!

“So……….” Asked Draco breaking into her thoughts.

“So what?” she asked tired now.

“So tonight, you thought that I was that same guy?” he asked.

“Well yeah - both of you have the same height”

“Ok………..But why did you scream before I came pounding on your door?”

“H-He left something f-for me!” she said.

“Here?”

“Y-yeah….I-it's over there on t-the landing”. Her stammering was making him very uncomfortable.

“Ok….I want you to stay here….don't move!”

With apparent disease Draco rose from the hall floor. He moved towards the landing. He spotted a white sheet right in the centre.

As he picked it up….something in red caught his eye. There right across the sheet, someone had written with blood BEWARE.

A/n- I love cliffhangers like this, don't you? Oh well, I am disappointed in my reviewers. Barely five reviews for such a brilliant chapter. Oh well, keep reviewing.

Disclaimer- Not mine, how can it be when I don't even own the clothes I'm wearing. Underage you see.

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8. The after effects

a/n- The previous chapter went very well. I'm much happier now, which directly results a pleasant chapter. For those of you who reviewed, thank you so much. Your encouragement means a lot to me. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the fic.

Warning- The rating is slightly higher due to one suggestion. Please, if you are underage, skip this chapter.

Disclaimer- I do not own anything mentioned below, except the plot and Miss Emily. Yay , she finally makes an appearance.

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“Is Mr. Malfoy back from his urgent meeting,” asked a rather sarcastic Ginny Weasley.

“Ms Weasley, this is the third time this week that you've asked me this question. The answer is still NO! You are his assistant and I know that you're well informed about the Wizard Occluentia meetings. You know that they can go on for weeks and yet you come here again and again,” said the same hook nosed Receptionist.

“I know you've told me that charlotte, but I was merely inquiring if Mr. Malfoy has left a message for me?” asked Ginny sweetly.

“No messages,” said Charlotte, the receptionist her lips set in a thin line.

“Any contact number?” asked Ginny desperate now.

“Who do you think I am? His mother.” Said Charlotte.

“Well you can't deny that you fancy him!” said Ginny with a sly grin.

“Who doesn't my dear? Infact I believe that even you fantasize about him,” said Charlotte with another sour look.

“How dare you!” said Ginny taking offence.

“My dear, I haven't grayed my hair in the sun.”

“That was incredibly rude!”

“Good. Now will you let me work?”

“Just one more question-“said Ginny taking advantage of the receptionist's mood.

“Which is-“prompted Charlotte.

“Is this really a business trip?” asked Ginny. Silently she prayed that the receptionists answer would be contrary to what she thought.

Charlotte however looked scandalized by her question. She pressed her lips together and gave Ginny a look that would melt ice. Ginny however held her ground and raised an eyebrow. Rather taken aback by her persistence Charlotte finally gave up.

“It's a business trip-“. Ginny's face instantly lit up like a Christmas tree.

“But- Mr. Malfoy always mixes business with pleasure. I'm sure that Madam Emily is accompanying him!”

Ginny's daydream came to an end when she realized what the receptionist had been saying.

“Madam Emily?” asked Ginny rather foolishly.

“His mistress.

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“Draco, you seem to be on an altogether different planet” said Emily.

Draco Malfoy looked apologetically at his mistress. There had been a time when she had been his entire life. Daughter of death eater Cambridge- she had been the Ideal wife material. Even Lucius Malfoy had approved of her, and Narcissa- she was as besotted with the girl as her son. But Emily had thrown all that away.

The day Draco was to propose to her, he had found her in bed with someone else. She had apologized profusely- but Draco's dream had been shattered. It was then, that he gave up the idea of ever marrying her.

Currently although, his mind was on a Weasley! He had dropped her at her brother's place that night. Thereafter he had wandered aimlessly through the muggle streets in his car.

“You know it's surprising. Despite for you ignorance about everything muggle- you are absolutely in love with this vehicle”.

“I prefer the muggle way of traveling. It's comfortable and enjoyable.”- said Draco putting the car into another gear.

“You've been acting strangely. Is something wrong?”

“You know the pressure I'm under- just a little extra workload.” Said Draco.

“Why don't I help ease that tension” She said with a sly grin and went to work.

Draco flinched at her touch, disgusted with what her mouth was doing to his intimate parts. Cursing the tongue that was causing his body pleasure and mind pain... His mind was far away in London.

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Ginny Weasley entered her house. Since that fateful night- Ginny always made sure that the lights in the house were shining brightly before she entered. Ginny took a small step in, and quickly locked the door.

Leaning heavily against the door, she urged her racing heartbeat to return to normal. Feeling a little better, Ginny quickly scanned the hall for any sign of the unusual. Her eye's fell on the vase that she had hit Draco Malfoy with and erupted into giggles.

When Draco had picked up the sheet, she had panicked. She had walked upto to him and had disposed the sheet of with trebling fingers. She had then asked him to leave- but being the gentleman that he was, he had insisted on driving her over to Ron's place. His concern had touched her, but when the next morning she didn't see him at work- she concluded that for him it was just another date with just another employee.

Lost in her thoughts Ginny didn't hear the phone ringing until her own voice echoed in the house from the answering machine. Uninterested in answering the questions of another muggle survey, she moved towards her room, when suddenly the voice of Harry Potter filled the room.

“Gin, are you there?” Happy at hearing the voice of the man on the other end- Ginny ran upto her phone.

“Harry- yes I'm here! How's it been? How are you?” asked Ginny rather breathlessly.

“What have you been doing, running a marathon?” asked Harry ,Good naturedly.

“No! So how are you?”

“Fine- what about you?” asked Harry.

“Good-“she replied falsely.”

“Not from what I've heard,” said Harry.

“So- Hermoine is going around telling stories, eh?” asked Ginny amused at her friends behavior.

“So what if she has. You didn't think that we are worthy enough of knowing your troubles?” asked Harry.

“It's not that. I just want to handle this myself!”

“Are you sure, you'll be alright?” asked Harry.

“Yes- stop worrying alright!”

“ok-But if you need anything-“

“I know where you live!” said Ginny smiling at Harry's concern.

“Alright! Take care.”

“You too!” With that she replaced the receiver.

Feeling a lot better than before, Ginny picked up her bag and continued to move towards her room .Showered and changed a little while later, Ginny moved to her dressing mirror that was placed right in front of the window.

Once her moisturizer was on- Ginny rose to draw the curtains when she saw him again. He was standing under the muggle tube light- staring intently at her window. She knew it was him. He was watching her. She couldn't make out much of his face- but she knew he would be there the next night.

Shaking terrible, she retreated to her bed, unaware of the fact that her stalker had seen her horrified face and was now grinning madly!

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a/n- So ok, Draco immediately dropped Ginny at Ron's place, and proceeded toward his own house. He din't stay long, and my dears nothing exciting happened in the previous chapter. So relax, its going to be long before I'm going to get these two to even consider a relationship. I'm sorry but I can't get them to fall in love so soon. That's just ridiculous and impossible.

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9. Voilence

A/n- The story was kindda getting repetitive, and I don't like that. One of my reviewers said that the ending was rather simple; just get Draco to Miss Ginny terribly and voila. Now this was pretty much the reaction I got when I first posted the previous chapter on Dc. That's when I though the fic needs a new twist (If it doesn't already have enough.) So here goes.

Oh by the way- YAY to me for 100 reviews! Thankies all you guys, I love all of ya!

Warning- This chapter contains attempted rape and Violence. Please don't read if you get easily offended or are scandalized by the sudden turn of events. I repeat, stay away if you will not like what you are about to read.

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"Ginerva-".

Ginny looked up, surprised to hear her name. No one at Malfoy and Malfoy called her Ginerva. No one knew her real name here.

She was astonished to find Neville Longbottom standing in the doorway of her office.

"Neville. Oh my god! What are you doing here?" asked an incredulous Ginny.

"I work here," said Neville, blushing slightly.

"You work here? At Malfoy and Malfoy?" asked Ginny remembering all the times during which Neville had cursed, or tried to curse Draco.

"Yeah! I work in the Accounts departement,"said Neville taking a step into her office. "May I sit down?" he asked. Without waiting for her to answer, he made himself comfortable in the nearest chair.

Ginny took a closer look at the man who had accompanied her to the Yule ball. He had gained a rather strange form of strength during the times of the War. Everyone, including Ginny had been happy for the poor guy who had chassed his toad all around Hogwarts.

Soon after however all the sympathy had turned into disgust, as the wizarding world was rocked by a scandal. Neville Longbottom had raped a third year, Hogwarts student.

Ginny hadn't attended the hearing, but she had followed the case in all the newspapers and sent sympathetic flowers to Neville's Grandmother when he had been sentenced to spend years in Muggle prison.

Ginny reluctantly sat across from him, her eye's searching desperately for a passing by Ray, Annie or any other employee of Malfoy and Malfoy.

"So what brings you here?" asked Ginny, with false brightness.

"Do you remember when we had attended the Yule ball together?" he asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

"Yes," said Ginny, distracted.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like the look Neville had in his eyes.

"I've been meaning to tell you since then. I think I have fallen in love with you," said Neville, extending a hand to cover hers. "I want you to marry me," he added.

Not too happy with the situation, Ginny snatched her hand back, and gave a nervous laugh. She quickly placed both her hands in her lap.

"Neville- you'll find many girls, even better than me. I don't think I'm ready for marriage yet."

"We don't have to get married now. Day after tomorrow is fine by me," he said.

"But Neville-" she tried to say.

"Come on Ginny- we both know we aren't going to get better people," he said. Disagreeing with him instantly, and thinking of a certain blonde Slytherin, Ginny shook her head.

"Why me?" she asked, trying to engage him in conversation. Her eye's darted to the door. If he wanted to get married so soon in the conversation- he must be intending to do a hell lot more and worse yet, sooner. She had to distract him, and try to get to Charlotte as soon as possible. Following her gaze. Neville looked at the ajar door.

He rose, and walked over to the door. "We are discussing something important here," he said and slammed the door shut. He then turned towards her, and gave her a brilliant smile.

"I've got it, Gran knows Uncle Fredrick who knows Dumbledore. He can get us married. We will have nine children .Just imagine Ginny you me, Ginerva Longbottom. No No," he shook his head as if wiping away the writing on a black board, "Ginerva Weasley Longbottom. Ah yes," he said with a mad twinkle in his eyes.

Not liking the sound of it one bit, Ginny tried talking to him, steadily moving towards the door.

"Look Neville. I can't marry you, I don't love you," she reminded him.

"I can make you," he said scratching his chin,” I wonder if I'll kill Harry".

Ginny's eyes rounded in fear. "Why would you kill Harry?" she asked.

"Because he's the one you love, isn't it? Let's see, nah, Killing him will not be good. I guess I'll just have to change your mind," he said.

"There's nothing you can do, that will change my mind," she said resolutely.

"Not even Pregnancy?" he asked, taking a step in her direction. It took her quite a while to understand what he meant and by the time she started panicking, he already had her blind-folded.

"Let me go, Neville. You'll never get away with this," she said, kicking out against the direction of the sound of his voice. But Neville was too strong for her.

"Stop moving," he shouted.

Her hands tied above her head and her eye's closed tight shut by the blind fold, left her vulnerable to his attack.

He easily picked her up, and threw her on the couch. Ginny tried to free her hands, and yelled loudly. She heard the sound of the zipper, and kicked desperately. "Help me, someone," she shouted.

The next moment all the air was knocked out of her, as she fell Neville fall on top of her. She felt him run his hands down her body. He hooked his hands in her blouse and tore it to shreds. She jumped in surprise as the cool air hit her naked skin. Small Goosebumps rose on her exposed chest, as Neville continued to rip every piece of garment that she wore on her body. He then continued his assault on her bra and the small and neat office skirt she had worn.

She felt the salt of tears, as Neville forced her mouth open, exploiting her body and her soul. He bit her bottom lip, and Ginny tasted blood. She yelled again, with all the energy she could muster.

Horrible thoughts came and went. She would have to spend the rest of her life with a creep. Her parents would think she deserved it, for all the pain she had caused Christopher. She would never be able to tell Draco, whatever she felt for him. He would get married to that Emily and she- oh my god!

Just when things were getting out of hand, Neville was pulled off her body and thrown out of the room, by the sound of the spell muttered. She felt shaky hands reach upto the blindfold and give it a tug. Ginny opened her eyes tentatively and saw the first man she had expected to come to her rescue, Draco Malfoy.

"Oh Draco," she sobbed, trying to cover herself up with her hands. He handed her his coat and gently took her in his arms.

"Shh.... It's alright now. I'm here, nothing will happen to you," he said and gently rocked her to a dreamless sleep.

Before loosing all sane thoughts as sleep consumed her, Ginny wondered where this man, the man who was gently rocking her, muttering things she didn't understand had been for the past five days. She left the question unanswered as exhaustion took over.

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A/N- So hows it? Its slightly violent and my first attempt at something so bold. But this particular incident plays an important role later on.

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10. Malfoy Manor

A/n- Is this even possible? Rid updating two chapters within a week. I know this is the general opinion, cause that's what someone told me, he he he!

You people are coming up with so many guesses about the stalker, already! I did wish for a while that it was Neville after all, but then that would leave the story short and without spice. So no, I'm still considering who should be the stalker, I do have a fair idea, now to get it approved by my beta reader. Anyways- there still is lots of time for the stalker to be revealed. Patience is a virtue!

Disclaimer- I do not even ever dream of owning these characters. They're Jk's and that train ride's that inspired her to come with them.

Warning- The previous scene was slightly violent- if you know me you will know I am not at all aggressive, not all the time, and rather mild and happy go lucky kind of a person, so this is just to soothe the suddenness of the previous chapter. I have the next chapter written down somewhere and it's pretty eventful. So bare with this slightly boring chapter and I promise the next one will be amazing! Rated 16 for a little mischief I've played under the disguise of getting over the shock! Read- you'll understand what I mean.

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"Ginny, Ginny you have to look up. Look into my eyes," said Draco softly running his hands through Ginny's hair.

Ginny Weasley raised her bloodshot eyes to Draco's and shivered slightly.” I didn't do anything to him, ever. I never led him on to believe anything Draco, I swear. Why me? What did I every do to him......," asked Ginny tears filling up her eyes once again. She gave a sob and put her head back on Draco's Shoulder.

"Listen to me Ginny. You didn't deserve to go through this. I want you to know that you did absolutely nothing wrong. Alright?" asked Draco. At her lack of response he gave a sigh and continued, “Look up and say that you won't blame yourself for what happened here," said Draco gently urging Ginny to look up.

He lifted her head up, and gave a soft kiss on her forehead. Ginny nodded her head mutely and gave out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"I'm going to check you for any cuts or bruises. Is that alright?" asked Draco patiently.

Ginny nodded again, unable to say anything.

Draco carefully examined Ginny's body for any sign of abuse. Satisfied, that she was fine and wasn't bodily harmed, he wrapped her body back in his embrace.

"We're going to apparate to you home alright, Ginny?" he said, softly.

"N-No. Not m-m House," stammered Ginny. "H-He will be there," she said her voice cracking slightly.

"Ginny, Neville is in the custody of Ministry Aurors. He can't harm you," said Draco.

"N-not Neville," she said.

"Then who?"

"The s-stalker. The guy I told you a-about. H-He comes and stands below m-my house every n-night," she finished shaking uncontrollably now.

"You mean that guy who left that message?"

"Yes. Please Draco not my house. Please anywhere but there......." she pleaded.

"Shh...... It's alright. It's ok. We'll go over to my place! Can you apparate to the Malfoy Manor?" he asked. Ginny nodded her head again.

Once they reached the Manor Draco Carefully carried Ginny over to the bathroom in the guest room. He let the warm water run, and put Ginny down, but the girl could barely stand properly. He quickly muttered a spell and Ginny's clothes flew over to the nearest hanger and were replaced by a huge towel. He carried her to the tub, and carefully placed her in it.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked her softly. She shook her head, the trust evident in her eyes. "Do you trust me?" he asked again. She nodded.

Draco gave out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Carefully he stripped down to his boxer shorts, and got into the tub. He carefully unwrapped the towel from around Ginny's body.

She trembled slightly, and retreated from his touch. "Ginny I'm only going to bathe you. Nothing else. Alright? You have to trust me on this," he said. She thought back to all the times that she had seen him insulting her and Ron and all the others, but another memory of him laughing with her, kissing her and coming to her rescue overpowered the odd feeling from before.

She nodded again. She could feel his hands shake as they washed her body .She could smell his cologne, and felt hypnotized by it. He carefully stepped out, and wrapped her in a bathrobe. By the time he placed her on the bed she was fast asleep. He carefully pulled up a chair and sat there looking at the woman who was haunted by bad memories!

He closed his eye, and sat deep in thought. She stirred twice, but didn't notice either his concern or the anger that had his fits in balls.

He'll pay.

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A/n Done! Finished it! Finally. Bloody hell took me a while! Anyways! Review!

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11. The Mystery thats Draco Malfoy

A/n- oh yes fluff. Doesn't take much effort does it. For those of you who didn't quite catch what I meant, the previous chapter was a clear cut example of fluff. Cotton candies and furry bunnies! But let's get back to the real world. What........not yet? Oh alright, you call the shots. Here's another slightly fluffy chapter. Enjoy!

Ah yes, I know my English needs work, but Its not my first language, and well there is only a limited amount a beta reader can do! Please excuse any mistakes, they're not intentional. I will try to make the chapters longer, they usually are about a 1000 words long, but if you want longer, you will definitely get longer!

Disclaimer- No I can never think of owning them. If wishes could come true, I would be J K myself, and I wouldn't have to put this in.

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Chapter 11

He clenched and unclenched his hands, a deep frown on his brow. He saw her turn in her sleep, apparently haunted by the ghosts of the incident that had just brought her perfect little world crashing down. He pitied the girl and yet at the same time felt proud of her courage.

That man would pay. He wouldn't let him get off easily. A lifetime in Azkaban wasn't enough for that schumbag.

He reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. With an exasperated sigh, he stood up and went in search of some tea.

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"You know this don't you?" asked Draco Malfoy. Ginny squirmed under his watchful gaze and asked with a sigh- "Know what?” Draco Malfoy bent forward, and with a tender brush of his lips, he said "You know that I love you.” Ginny gave an excited Squeal of pleasure; she wound her arms around his neck.

Suddenly the picture changed, and the room was filled with darkness. Ginny looked around for Draco, but he was nowhere around. She saw a dark figure approaching her, and gave out a loud scream. He clamped her mouth shut with his hand, and gave her a wink. His eyes were all that filled her vision, before the voice of Draco Malfoy penetrated her Dreamy state.

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"Ginny, Ginny are you alright?" asked Draco shaking the sleeping form in his arms wide awake. She gave out a drowsy grunt, and Draco relaxed.

Ginny slowly opened her eyes, to stare into concerned Gray ones.

"You were having a nightmare," he said softly. He brushed an escaped tear away, “it's all right now."

She nodded and raised her head, only to overcome by dizziness. She shifted slightly and the room slowly came into focus. She was in a warm room which smelled of pinewood. It was moderately decorated with furniture which rightly belonged in a castle. She rested on a canopy bed, draped with black silk sheets. On the walls hung photographs of a small boy on a horse, laughing with a cheery twinkle in his eyes. The boy looked a lot like the Man sitting next to her.

"Is that you?" she asked pointing to a photo where the boy was happily riding a broom.

Draco nodded and said bitterly," Funny, you loose all the innocence of childhood so soon."

"Is this your room?"

"It was. I moved out of it after I started Hogwarts," he said softly.

She bit her bottom lip unsure of what to do .She had never imagined of having a conversation like this with Draco Malfoy. Slowly, she raised her hand off the bed and placed in on his left cheek. He nuzzled her hand, breathing in her intoxicating smell.

Slowly, without breaking eye contact, he bent closer to her, and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "There's a bathroom down the hall. Grab a shower and meet me down for breakfast," he said his breath warm on her neck.

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Ginny smirked as she saw a house elf hide away from Draco, as he gave the elf a pointed look. "I've always wondered why people were afraid of you. Now I know, that look can melt all the ice in the North Pole," she said giggling softly.

"Alas! I never managed to intimidate you," he said, emphasizing on the date part. He eyed her plate and wasn't surprised to find her toast meticulously divided into small squares. She now went to work on her egg. He'd already finished half of his mean, and she hadn't even started yet. He smirked as she took immense pleasure in enjoying the perfect bite.

"Do you always eat you food so mathematically?" he asked.

She looked up, and gave him a sheepish smile. "It's a nervous habit I guess," she said, putting her fork down.

He looked into her eyes, and said seriously, “Do I make you nervous Ginny?"

"No, not you. I'm a little worried about going back into that cabin," she said her smile slipping away. Draco cursed softly.

"I've shifted you to another cabin. I hope you can get over this incident," he said, covering her hand with his. She gave him a grateful smile, before resuming her consumption of the toast and egg.

Draco gave a lazy grin, and wrapped his fingers around her hand, as she raised it to take another bite. Their eyes connected, and he could feel her quickened heartbeat. She gave him a confused look.

"Your food taste's better than mine," he said and without breaking eye-contact brought her fork to his mouth. He chewed quietly, and pouted at her disapproving look.

She gave him a small smile, and quietly bent closer to his ear .............

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A/n - yes yes, cliffhanger! TAKE THAT NON REVIEWERS!!! He he he- sorry about this, but I can't figure much out yet. Patience they say is a virtue. Review!!!!

REVIEW

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12. Enter Emily.

A/n- Oh yay! I was sitting in this French class, studying about the future tense of `aller' when this idea came to me. I'm really excited about it, and am implementing it immediately. This is a completely spontaneous chapter. I hope you enjoy it, like I know I am going to!!!!

I also apologize profusely due to my absence and lack of update since last week, but you now life's tough. Anyways- here's the nest chapter.

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Ginny brought her mouth, close to his ear, to mutter something conspirately, when an ear splitting scream reached her. Temporarily disconcentrated, Ginny immediately focused her eyes on a figure fast approaching them.

The woman, was approximately 5'7, Ginny noted with envy, comparing it immediately to her own small frame. She held an aura of confidence around her, as she took determined but small steps towards the dining table. Dressed in a sheer Scarlet dress, and high heeled sandals, she had a small frown on her brow. Her eye's narrowed as she spotted Ginny.

Ginny felt herself being measured up. She automatically straightened her shoulders, ready for a fight, if need be. She saw the woman take in her appearance, from head to toe. Ginny felt self-conscious in her working clothes of the previous day. She ignored the woman who had reached the table by now, and focused her attention on her food, feeling rather weird.

When she raised her head, she was shocked. The woman had seated herself on the lap of Draco and was passionately kissing him. Draco himself seemed to be enjoying the kiss mighty much. Ginny was outraged. Her vision was blocked by tears of humiliation. Was the last one day a dream? Those moments when she had felt oddly connected to Draco Malfoy, were they only a fiction of her imagination.

Ginny cleared her throat noisily. The attention of the couple was immediately turned towards her. She blushed, still hurt, angry and confused. …….

Draco Malfoy was flushed, apparently quite satisfied by the kiss, and the woman, who Ginny hated by now, had a triumphant look on her face.

“I'd like to leave now,” said Ginny in the most dignified manner as she could.

“But……?” said Draco, automatically rising from his chair, like a gentleman.

“But Draco, You promised me that we would go ring hunting today,” said the woman, giving Ginny a dirty look.

`Ring Hunting', which meant that this was Emily? The famous scarlet woman, Draco had in his life. A ring, that meant they were getting engaged. One single drop dared to escape from her clouded eyes, as she cursed and apparated back home.

Before her head hit the pillow, all she remembered was Draco's lips on Emily's. With loud punches and sobs, Ginny cursed her own stupidity. How could she ever think that there could be anything between herself and Draco Malfoy?

How the rest of the day went by, she never knew. All she knew was that at exactly 7:00 the most dreaded thing happened. He called………..

She was busy making herself a cup of tea for her sore throat, when she heard the telephone ring. Without thinking, she let the answering machine take it.

“You think you're safe, now that Draco Malfoy, that useless ferret is in your life, you will be safe ????” came a soft , but threatening voice from the other end. Ginny dropped the cup of tea that she was holding as it created a loud crash, as it hit the marbled floor.

“I know you're there. Remember, I won't spare you. You're either going to be mine, or nobody's,” with that she heard the distinct beep of being disconnected. With trembling fingers, Ginny picked up the last remains of one of her favorite cups. She was trembling from head to toe, as a result of which she didn't hear the phone ring again.

Her mind was clouded by various images. Neville Longbottom, at the office, Draco and Emily's engagement, and now this. Her last conscious thought was to apparate to the safety of the borrow, before she realized with a splitting headache, that even her parents had disowned her. As her head hit the floor roughly, in another part of the world, another woman was busy making some rather pleasant arrangements.

a/n- yes short chapter, but the next one is soo typed up already, and definitely wants to pop up now, but that will only happen once my beta reader sends that one back, and I GET enough reviews. Enjoy!!!!

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13. The hospital

A/n- alright alright- I don't really have the patience to even type up a note right now, so I can imagine what you guys must be feeling at the moment- so here goes!!! On popular demand, here's a much longer chapter. Mind you, the later half hasn't been properly beta read, so if you find any mistakes kindly point them out.

I also want to warn you, if you aren't comfortable with the RON/HERMIONE pairing please avoid reading the fic. I cannot help this in any way!

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“Alas! I never managed to intimidate you,”

Ginny opened her eye's immediately narrowing it against the bright light. Someone at her side, called for a doctor. A cold piece of cloth wiped away the drops of perspiration on her brow. She took a deep breath, as the smell of antiseptic reached her nostrils. Her head throbbed painfully, and she could fell the blood running through her veins.

She turned her head slightly, and groaned aloud at the dizziness that immediately too over. “Ginny, dear please don't move,” came a soft, yet urgent plea from the same person who a moment ago had been wiping her sweating forehead. Ginny tried to open her eyes again, and was greeted by the familiar and welcome face of Hermione Granger.

“Ginny, how do you feel?” She asked urgently. Ginny tried to say something, but all that came out of her mouth was a faint request for water. Hermione immediately obliged, pouring a much needed glass of water into her parched throat. She held up two fingers before Ginny's eyes, “How many fingers do you see?” she asked her tone much calmer now.

“For Merlin's sake mione, she's sick not stupefied,” came the voice of Ron Weasley, as he came into the room.

Ginny gave her brother a grateful smile, before falling back into unconsciousness. Ignorance was bliss.

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When she awoke again, her sister-in-law was not around. She reluctantly cracked one eye open, to find the room in utter darkness. Thanking God for small mercies. Ginny took a shuddering breath. He was not going to let her have a moments rest. Ginny wondered if her stalker was Draco Malfoy, for the second time. He always seemed to be around, and their body structures were quite similar.

But then another thought struck her, why would Draco Malfoy stalk her. He apparently wasn't interested in her, in any way. Her stalker was definitely somebody else.

She searched her mind for any trace of an enemy. She couldn't understand why anybody would want to kill her. If one would have told her, that she was in trouble, ten years back, freshly graduated from Hogwarts, a lunatic Voldemort lurking around, apparently lusting after her, she would have bravely held back tears and accepted the truth. But now? Who would want to kill her now?

Her mind went to another tall dark man, Christopher. But why would he bother stalking her? It wasn't as if he was devoid of any female attention. Infact, females actually threw themselves at him. It also wasn't as if she was a Veela, or the most beautiful woman on the earth. Hell she wouldn't even come in the first five, in those miss whatever competitions.

She quickly dismissed Christopher. But then who…………?

She gave a weary sigh and let sleep overtake her.

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“So then Fred came in and said that he was not going to wear that Jumper after all. You should have seen Molly's face, Ginny,” laughed Hermione.

“I bet it was another `be thankful for what you have' lecture,” said Ginny chuckling softly. She looked rather comical, pale against the ironically Slytherin color bed sheets, resting on fluffed pillows. A small sheet rested on her knees, as she sipped tea with her sister in law.

Suddenly they both stopped laughing, as pain hit Ginny's head. The world seemed to turn upside down. She clutched at her head in utter pain, and gave a small sound of distress. “Are you alright?” came the worried voice of Hermione.

As soon as it had started it stopped. Ginny looked up at her best friend, as her vision cleared. “Yeah.” She said softly .Suddenly the need to confide in someone took over, as she found herself muttering, “Mione, can I trust you with something important?” asked Ginny. Hermione's eyes sparkled as she gave a small mischievous smile, and softly agreed.

“I think I'm attracted to Draco Malfoy,” said Ginny. Hermione gave a huge shriek of pleasure.

“You mean you're in Love with him?” asked Hermione. Ginny shook her head, realizing rather late what a big mistake this was.

“No, I won't call it Love. To be true, I don't really know what love means. I thought I was in Love with Christopher and we all know how that went,” said Ginny.

“So you lust after him?” said Hermione with a raise of her eyebrows. Ginny waited for the harsh words of disgust, but they never came. She looked hard at Hermione.

“What?” asked Hermione, getting uncomfortable under the Weasley glare?

“Why aren't you telling me that I have gone mad, and make a face at this situation?” asked Ginny.

“Because I don't think you're mad. Ginny, it's not a bad thing to be in love……….”

“I told you it's not love. It's a phase, it will pass-“she was cut off by Hermione.

“Do you really think so? Haven't you always been attracted to Draco Malfoy?” asked Hermione. Ginny's eyes rounded, and she looked rather shocked. “Don't give me that look. I remember how you used to eye him in those green robes during Quidditch practice,” said Hermione, her cheeks reddening.

Ginny was already a fine rogue. “Alright alright, but I don't know what to do now,” she said loudly, earning a glare from a passing nurse.

“What do you mean?” asked Hermione. “Doesn't he, reciprocate?”

“A while ago I though he did, but then, today I saw him with this woman………….” Her voice trailed off, as she contemplated whether or not to tell Hermione about Neville. In the end the prying and yet comforting eyes of Hermione won, as Ginny narrated the entire fiasco to her.

“Oh Ginny. You had to go through so much, all alone,” said Hermione and rose to give Ginny a hug. “I think I need to take you away from here,” said Hermione softly!

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“You're quite alright now, my dear. Although I would highly recommend a small vacation for you,” said the Healer, to a rather nervous Ginny. Ginny gave her a weak smile, thanking her for everything she had done.

Both woman turned as Hermione stepped into the room, followed by Ron. The healer turned to Hermione and repeated all the instructions she had just given her. “Don't worry, we've got a nice vacation planned for her already,” said Hermione, giving Ginny a small wink. Ginny raised her eyebrows in confusion. As the healer left, Ginny turned to Hermione, “What do you mean by a vacation?”

Hermione turned to her, and gave her another on of her all knowing smiles. “We've got the necessary permission from Malfoy Inc, we're taking you away from here,” said Hermione. She turned and made a small movement, which somehow Ron understood perfectly. Ginny often wondered how these two always seemed to know what the other was trying to say.

Hermione turned back to her, and settled herself next to Ginny's bed. She picked her hand up, and gave it a small squeeze. “Ron and me, both of us think that you really need to get away from everything here. This stalker business and then this whole thing with Neville. We immediately contacted the ministry, asking for an overdue vacation, under the employee emergency act. We were quite surprised, but Draco Malfoy didn't really object,” finished Hermione, looking deeply into Ginny's eyes.

Ginny gave her a small bitter smile. “Why would he object,” she muttered under her breath. She looked around her, and realized that she couldn't wait to get out of the hospital. “Thanks Hermione, I don't know what I would have done without you. I wouldn't have been able to handle all those questions about Neville,” said Ginny shuddering as she remembered all the awkward questions the nurse had asked regarding the assault. That was the primary reason Ginny had first been brought into the hospital.

“It's all right my dear. I know you would have done the same for me,” said Hermione, giving her another smile. “I've got your things packed. We're taking you to our house. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning,” said Hermione, helping Ginny get out of the bed. Weary to her bones, Ginny could only manage a small smile. She was looking forward to getting away from all the troubles that had been haunting her.

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A/n- Yay a vacation! I love vacations; I need one so desperately right now. Oh well, that's what you get for being a student. Anyways, I want to thank all my reviewers! Especially- HarryHermionefan16, Draco and Ginny 1092, Eri, Lauren-danielle and everybody else. I hope to get at least 200 by the time I put up the next chapter! Thank-you for all the great reviews. I love you all!

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14. The Vacations

A/n- YAY 200 REVIEWS! This is the happiest day of my entire life!!! Anyways, one of my smart reviewers mentioned my lack of background about Neville, and why he suddenly turned absolutely 180 degree's! This made me think, what possibly could have caused- shy and loyal Neville to turn nasty. I was thinking, and here's what I came up with.

The hooded figure took a deep, calm breath. A muggle would only feel clammy and suddenly very cold and bitter. They would probably think its something to do with the food they've eaten, but the man in cell very well know what that breath meant.

It meant the loss of another one of his happy thought. Happy memory. Ginny softly patting his hand…..replaced by Ginny dating Dean Thomas. Ginny dancing with him during the Yule ball……replaced by Ginny getting engaged to that Christopher fellow.

The hooded figure took another breath, as he passed Neville's cell. Suddenly, the memory of Snape torturing him vanished and another one was replaced by it.

Flashback!

Neville jumped excitedly. The Halloween ball, there was going to be a Halloween ball. He smiled, he could ask Ginny. Flushed with happiness, he cautiously approached the small Weasley, standing surrounded by her friends on all sides.

“Ginny,” he said softly. She turned, and the smell of her shampoos reached his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, dizzy with happiness. As he opened his eyes, he blushed. She was looking amusedly at him.

“Will you go the Halloween ball with me?” he asked. Her smile vanished. “I'm already going with Colin,” she said, turning a little red. “I'm sorry Neville,” she said.

Odd, he thought. “Why are you apologizing? We'll just tell him that you can't go with him,” he said, pulling her hand, and turning his eyes searching for Colin. He felt her pull her hand away, and turned to her with hurt eyes.

“Don't you want to go with me?” he looked closely at her, and noticed a small bruise at her nape. He reached out and tried to brush the strand covering it away, but Ginny stepped back from him.

Eye's filled with anger, he looked at her. “You've been a very naughty girl,” he said and roughly pushed her back. She fell on her head, and gave a loud yell of pain. For a minute nothing pushed pass his clouded head, but soon he realized that three male fists crashed against his nose. He looked up in time to see Ginny's body being carried out by Ron and Harry, a concerned Colin by her side. Before passing out, the last thing he saw, was Colin kissing her lightly on the forehead.

Back to the present.

His jaw still clenched as he remembered that day. She had chosen a stupid boy over him. He muttered a soft curse and hit the wall with a punched fist. He still remembered, in his fury, he hadn't even bothered to see the year of that girl. All that mattered was that she had red hair, the same flaming hair as Ginny. He remembered the pleasure he had derived from seeing pain on her face. It was her fault……she had made a mistake and had to be punished for it.

He looked up to see the hooded figure pass his cell again. He wailed loudly, asking him to bloody get it over with.

Ginny would pay.

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A/n- YAY THE VACATIONS! THEY'RE HERE. Oh oh- enjoy!

“Welcome to the Holiday Palace, I'm your host, Richard,” said a rather striking young wizard, who had welcomed them. Ginny blushed furiously as Richard gave her a small wink. Richard was one of the wizarding world's most well known Casanova, “probably after Draco Malfoy”, she thought bitterly.

“Shit!” Ginny cursed. She had vowed to herself that she wouldn't think about him. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, cursing the aristocratic face away from her inner eye. She opened them, to find Richard looking oddly at her. He raised his eyebrows, eyes full of amusement.

“Does my presence bother you, Miss Weasley,” asked Richard, once again giving her an indulgent smile.

“No, not at all. I was just trying to drive away the tensions of work,” said Ginny, blushing again.

“Ah, yes! “ he said steeping forward, taking her hand in his, “would you oblige me by accompanying me to dinner tonight?” asked Richard, shooting suspicious glances in the direction of Ron, whose face was rather red with anger and protectiveness already.

“It would be my pleasure,” said Ginny. She was acutely aware of Richard's presence next to her, could feel the heat vibrating from his body. She could make out the steady beating of his heart and feel every breath he took. She felt that she was somehow betraying the memory of whatever she had shared with Draco. But that thought was immediately driven away as the scene that she had witnessed in the Manor flashed before her eyes.

She consciously relaxed, and realized that she quite enjoyed Richard's company. He was very observant of her smallest mood changes, and accordingly changed the topic to neutral grounds.

“So Ginerva, what is your star sign…..”

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“So Ginerva? You never told me your full name was Ginerva,” said Hermione as she helped Ginny unpack. With a swish of her wand, all the clothes in Ginny's bag arranged themselves around hangers in the wardrobe.

Ginny threw a small towel in Hermione's direction playfully, “Ofcource you cheek. You always knew that was my name,” said Ginny, giving Hermione a toothy grin.

“No. All my life I thought your name was Virginia,” said Hermione as she ducked under another hand towel that was thrown her way. Erupting in giggles, both the women landed on the bed. As the hysteria subsided, Hermione looked seriously at Ginny, “It's good to see you laughing again,” said Hermione.

“Its good to be laughing again,” said Ginny, as she hugged a nearby pillow. Hermione gave her another mischievous smile, before rising on one elbow, and looking seriously at her. “What's this thing with Richard?” asked Hermione.

Ginny blushed again (tends to be doing that a lot) and quietly said “I think I like him,” The shriek that rang through the room was rather loud. Ginny covered her ears in exasperation, and gave Hermione a stern look. “Not in that way, I think he's good company,” said Ginny, looking weirdly at Hermione who was acting rather out of character.

“Good company can lead to a lot more, my dear,” said Hermione before apparating out.

~%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“It's beautiful,” said Ginny looking at the sunset. Ron and Hermione had brought her to a beach resort somewhere in Malaysia. Away from prying Muggle eyes, the Holiday palace was located on a small island, a boat ride away from civilization.

Ginny had been astounded by all the beauty around her. The water was a clear blue, and one could see their feet, if they looked down. Ginny bent low, to pick up a starfish that had been brought up on the sea-side by the strong current. She admired the patterns on the creature's body, before tossing it back into the deep ocean.

She looked around her, and noticed many people, who had come here just like her to get away from all the hustle bustle of everyday life. She wondered how many were haunted by dreams of stalkers and lying bosses, before settling herself on the soft sand. She let the sand soak between her toes, and breathed in the distinct smell of the ocean. Far out, the sun cast an orange glow, setting in all its glory. The beach looked like someone had dusted it with gold, and the water shimmered in the blowing wind. A dolphin rose gloriously, before dropping back into the deep ocean.

Completely at peace, Ginny felt alive for the first time in days. She let her hair out of its confinement at her nape, and let it flow in a mass of red that rivaled that of the ocean. She let her eyes soak in the beautiful sight, which gave her an odd kind of strength. She squared her shoulders, casting one last look at the sunset, before setting off to get ready for dinner.

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A/n- I know , I know, Richard, Christopher, Neville, the stalker and bloody Draco. You must be wondering how many more bouncers I am going to throw your way. Well don't worry too much. I will be working on Richard's character slightly, so don't expect any Draco action for another chapter. Next one is going to be small, I apologize, but then I have given you two big chapters together, haven't I?

Anyways- furthermore, people have been stressing on the Ron/Hermione pairing here. Let me explain, I wanted a strong bond between the two, such that they could walk in and out of each other's home. And that my dear's cannot be possible if Hermione is with Harry. However, for my reader's sake, I'm not ruling out the option. If you have noticed, Harry here is still a bachelor.

Next, I want to individually thank a few people. Sevenofseven- cause he/she picked up the subtle hint. The stalker on the answering machine calls Draco a ferret, which links back to Hogwarts. Shows how deeply you guys are reading this one. Kel -cause he/she has specifically asked for a little nc-17 action. Dear one, not so soon. I hate it when Draco and Ginny suddenly realize they love each other and fall in the other's arms. It spoils the fiction, and shows the Author's incapability of carrying a fic on, without porn or lovvy doveyness. In this fic, unfortunately, there will be still a long way before I can put in an R scene, but I assure you it will be worth the wait.

Funky_faerie87- You understood the reason behind the Ron/Hermione relationship. I wanted to show this very sisterly love here. Because, a very many nasty things are still going to happen further on in the story! PJ- sorry dear, but unless I make him obsessive, I won't be able to justify his actions! Silverbutterfly-Yeah French can be a pain. Glad you like the story!

Special thanks to everyone else! Thank-you, your reviews and compliments mean the world to me. I was wondering if any of you knew any other sites to put up fan-fiction. Can you tell me those; leave them in your reviews! I also would like to request you not to steal my stuff. I read a story on fanfiction.net that was quite similar to mine. Having the same plot is fine, but please don't steal my chapters!

I hope you like the vacations! First time I've tried detailing. Tell me how it is!

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15. The dance floor

A/n- Thankies for all those beautiful reviews. You all know they mean the world to me. Now firstly, Draco Malfoy does not make an appearance here, and from the amount I've written , and I've written the next three chapters, I'm guessing he's appearing after the 16th chapter. But don't be disappointed, there will be enough Richard and Ginny to keep you all occupied and satisfied.

Secondly,Please don't worry, this one is not going the Richard/Ginny way. This character is very new, and not developed enough to give too much weightage. The maximum I will include him in the story will be to the extend of being a catalyst in…….. Oh my god, I'm giving the plot away.

Enjoy the chapter, and my best reviewer, will get a sneak preview at the next chapter. So leave me nice long reviews, and get a part of the next chapter, before it has been beta read or put up.

Ginny adjusted the thin strap of her dress, speculating whether or not she should carry a shawl. The evening air was rather cold, and being a Weasley came with an acute affinity to sprout Goosebumps. She gave a small smile, as she recalled the days, when as a child her mother had always bundled her up in blankets, even if Ginny gave out a smoky breath. The pain was evident on her face, as she looked deeply into the mirror.

She shuddered, as she though back to the last three months of her life. How had things gotten so out of hand? She wondered if Christopher would still be ecstatic to meet her. Would he still be the gentleman that he had been previously? As the thought of his harsh words in the muggle newspaper came back, Ginny gave a rueful smile.

She hadn't heard from her parents at all either. They apparently weren't too affected by the absence of one member of their family from the dinner table. Ginny still caught odd stories about Percy and Bill. She always treasured the clippings from the Daily Prophet that glorified her family.

As if in an ascending mode, her mind automatically went to Draco Malfoy. She wondered, probably for the tenth time, if he had ever felt anything for her. All those small gestures, their shared kiss……..didn't they mean anything to him

“Ginerva, are you ready?” came the voice of Richard from the other side of the door. Quickly wiping away the stray drops of tears that had escaped, Ginny gave her Red muggle beach dress a penetrating look, searching for any creases. Shoulders squared, lips glossed and eyes outlined by mascara, Ginny confidently walked upto the door.

“There you are,” he said, as Richards gaze took in her appearance. She knew she looked good, and Richard's eyes only confirmed that thought. “You look stunning,” he said, a small catch in his breath, which Ginny caught instantly as nervousness. Why was he nervous?

“You don't look too bad yourself,” she said softly, giving him a small smile. His face lit up instantly, all nervousness gone now.

“Shall we?” he asked, giving her his hand in invitation. She gave him another smile and entwined her fingers in his.

The couple looked gorgeous as they walked into the ethnic and chic restaurant by the sea. The waves rushed forward, bringing along with it layers of salt. They water looked black, under the night sky. The night was cloudless as Ginny could make out the small stars twinkling in the sky. She felt the same feeling of peace take over her, as Richard pulled out a chair for her. She was going to enjoy this trip, even if it was without Draco Malfoy.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“So you think that the Employee's emergency act interrupts the flow of work?” asked Ginny, taking a small sip of the most heavenly wine she had ever tasted.

“Don't get me wrong, its all very fine when we're talking about a corporate office, but at a resort like here, we really do need most of our staff at all times,” said Richard . His eyes sparkled when as he spoke about something he apparently felt very passionately about. Ginny noticed that faint spark whenever the resort was mentioned. She found herself remembering the great Albus Dumbledore. She smiled indulgently, taking another sip of the wine.

“I personally think that such acts must be introduced more often,” said Hermione. “In the muggle world, there are special sections that deal with such rights. A person could file a law suit against a company if he isn't treated well,” she said her voice rising well above that of the other patrons of the restaurant.

“Well, it all depends upon the situation and its urgency,” said Ron, who was desperately trying to get his wife's voice back to a normal pitch.

“Oh well, I still think that Ministry needs to change the laws,” said Hermione, before taking a small bite of the food on her plate. “By the way, Richard this crab is delicious,” said Hermione, giving a small hiccup.

Richard gave her a small smile, “Thank-you. My chef's I assure you are very well paid and get regular holidays,” he said good naturedly.

Ginny smiled, as she heard Hermione burst into giggles. She felt her tense muscles relax, as she heard the rhythmic motion of the waves. Soon soft music reached her ear, as she turned to notice that many couples were enjoying the evening dancing. She turned, as she heard Ron's voice in her ear, “Care to dance, little sister?” he asked. Ginny gave him a brilliant smile. Ever since the disownment, Ron had never spoken so warmly to her. It was almost like old times. She accepted his outstretched hand, and turned to raise her eyebrow at her sister-in-law. Hermione merely waved them off.

As she moved to the rhythm of the song, she raised her eyes to Ron's. He was looking very gently at her, as if she were a piece of delicate china. “I'm sorry about the last few days, Gin,” he said softly. She gave him a small smile,”it's alright Ronnie, I forgive you,” she said before giving him a small kiss on the cheek.

He grinned and twirled her around the dance floor. She laughed as they moved to the familiar tune, she vaguely remembered Ron dancing on this song together at Charlie's wedding. As they ended the song in a small and dramatic dive ,she looked around to see people clapping and noisily cheering them on.

The band, enthusiastic as it was, launched into the fun beats of the macerena, as Ron and Ginny took their positions next to each other, moving to the rhythm, laughing at the same time. As the song finished , both brother and sister started clapping, cheering for the band that had provided them with so much entertainment.

“May I have this dance?” Ginny turned around to see Richard standing with Hermione, his hand extended to her. Blushing, as she realized that she was monopolizing her brother's time, Ginny stepped away from the outskirts of the dance floor and Followed Richard to the heart of it. She turned around to see Ron and Hermione gazing deeply into each other's eyes. She felt an odd feeling well inside her.

Richard gently took her in his arms. She realized that he danced rather well. “Thank-you for the evening Richard,” she said softly, her head on his shoulder.

“Don't mention it dear, I have all selfish gains here,” he said. As the music died down, and people clapped again, Ginny realized that had things been different, she would have definitely given Richard a chance. She gave him a small smile before heading back towards their table.

“I'm beat. I think we should retire for the evening,” said Hermione, giving Ron a small wink. Ron's ears turned red, as Richard gave him an odd look. “I'll escort Ginerva to her room,” he said to both Ron and Hermione.

As they walked towards their quarters, Hermione wondered out loud, that probably Ginny might get over all her depression in Richard's presence. Their idea was indeed a very wise one.

%%%%%%%%%

a/n - Special thanks to Evil_Evor- Thank-you for all those compliments. I know most of the characters here are OOC, the Weasleys, Neville , Draco, but then It's a fanfiction for a reason. I manipulate the characters to suit the need of the story. I'm glad that inspite of reading it for the first time you enjoyed it so much. As for the identity of the stalker, I ain't speaking now!

Also hugs and kissed to Jenna_Kathleen and PJ! You guys are reviewers of the day, and will be mailed a sneak preview of the next chapter! People, remember to leave your e-mail addresses, you never know when it will be your lucky day!

Disclaimer- No , don't own anything!

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16. Underwater

A/n-Hm….. Not too many people demanding the appearance of Draco Malfoy eh? Oh well, a writer's got to do what a writer's got to do. Draco Malfoy my dearies……..Hey why am I telling you this, go check it out for yourself, whether or not he makes an appearance.

Disclaimer- The characters all belong to JK Rowling and all the others who have made money out of it. The song belongs to someone…… I'm not sure I know the name of the Singer, I would be obliged if you would point it out. All I know is that I do not own it.

~~~~~~~~

Ginny awoke the next morning to brilliant sunshine pouring through her window. She yawned sleepily, and stretched to drive the last remains of sleep away. She sighed, feeling a lot better than she had in the past few days. She felt safe here, no stalker to stare at her, follow her every move. She smiled as she remembered the previous night. Richard indeed was a very nice man. She frowned, why did things have to be so complicated?

Slowly, she stretched her feet and rose. Her room was flooded with a bright orange light, illuminating every dark corner of the vast suit. There was no need to feel scared to shadows here. Humming a muggle song, she moved towards the shower. It was going to be a glorious day.

%%%%%%%%%

“Listen baby,

Ain't no mountain high,

Ain't no valley low,

Ain't no river wide enough baby…..”

Ginny sang into her hair drier, as she turned the shower off. She had always liked this particular muggle song. It always made her feel like there was someone out there who would cross the deepest of ocean only for her.

Her romantic ideas about life had often bewildered Christopher. Even when they had shared an apartment, he had always cringed at the way Ginny sang the song while showering. Ginny laughed and she remembered those times fondly.

“Ginny, are you done already?” said Hermione banging on Ginny's door. “You know you'll miss the safari if you don't hurry up,” she said, glancing again at her watch.

Ginny stopped singing, “You guys go ahead Hermy, I think I'll just stay around here today,” she said.

“But why? I thought you really wanted to see this place,” said Hermione worriedly.

“Yes,” said Ginny. She stepped out of the bathroom, her bikini in place. “I want to enjoy the beach for a little while longer,” she said.

“but……”

“Please Hermione, come on. You guys carry on,” said Ginny heading towards her dressing table.

“Richard's going to be there,” said Hermione, a small grin pasted on her face. “He'll be upset if he doesn't see you around,” she said childishly. Ginny understood her sister-in-law's attempts to get her to cheer up. But the fact remained that she wanted to stay on the beach.

Ginny turned around to face Hermione. “Look dear, please, don't worry too much about me. I'll be fine,” she said.

“Oh well, enjoy the day,” she said, before turning and quietly exiting the room. Ginny stared at the closed door for a while, before resuming her singing.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%

She let the waves wash over her. She made quite a site, a red haired woman, wearing a deep sea-green bathing suit, relaxing in the blue sea. She smiled as the various colour contrasts formed a mental picture. She could feel her hair sticking out at odd angles, but the fact that she was almost asleep helped calm her nerves. It was a great feeling, to be floating in the deep blue ocean.

Normally, she would have been rather terrified of being out all alone, so deep in the ocean. Her overworked imagination made every wave seem like a potential creature, all out to get a taste of her flesh. She had lied awake at nights, recalling the muggle movies that showed the gruesome outcome of shark attacks. The open jaws of the creature, the razor sharp white teeth, and the smooth skin, had been stuff nightmares were made of. Well at least Ginny's nightmares.

But out here, where she knew that she was safe of stalkers and rapists, she would be damned if a simple shark would spoil her day. She closed her eyes, and gave out a contented sigh. This was bliss she thought.

As another wave washed over her, she felt a small tug at her feet. Ignoring it as ……..nothing in particular, she kicked slightly. That's when she realized that her legs were in a death grip. And it didn't feel like the teeth of a shark, they were hands of a human, of a man if the grip was anything to go by. Panicking, Ginny tried to kick again, her arms flying everywhere.

She tired making some sound, but her voice got lost somewhere deep in her throat, and all that came out was a croak. Her arms that were hitting the water randomly as tried swimming back to the surface, but the grip of the attacker held her in place. She felt confused and helpless, and her face went below the water surface. Her eyes were witness to the green and yellow fauna, before her head bobbed back up to the surface.

Dragging a much needed breath of air in her lungs, she gave out a loud shriek, before her head was forced back inside the water. Her arms were brought up back, the cool air hitting her face, making her shiver. The man's hands were on her waist now, as he played with her helpless and now very tired body, bobbing it up and down.

Ginny sent a short prayer out to whatever God there. If she were to escape this alive, she would definitely try and reconcile with her parents. She would help Hermione with all her kids, and would even compete with Emily, if she had to. Unlike before, the thought of Draco Malfoy brought her no strength. Infact it made her more weary, and she finally gave in to the darkness that was already forcing its way upto her, and promptly fainted.

The attacker looked down at her form, and gave a small mischievous grin, before dragging her back to the shore. He was going to enjoy bringing her back.

~~~~~~~
A/n- Hmm …. MUahahaha! I know, you think that this is the stalker. Finally a link to him? An appearance of Neville? Or is it Draco? Could it possibly Christopher? I mean no one said that muggles weren't allowed on Wizarding resorts, did they? Oh well, wait and find out.

Oh and before I forget, My beta reader has promptly decided that she has had enough of this story, and wants to be a reviewer instead of beta reader. This I request one of my faithful readers to volunteer for this position. Leave a review or contact me at charmingal2003@rediffmail.com to help.

Review!

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17. Bringing her back

Disclaimer- The song in the previous chapter “Ain't no mountain” belongs to Diana Ross, and not me. The following characters belong to J K Rowling , Bloomsburry and everyone else who has made big bucks from the character who wears selotaped glasses.

A/n- Hey! I'm back and with a new beta reader too. Please put your hands together for Abby! She is also known around here as citrus587 Although the previous chapter has not been beta read, I still am putting this one up considering I may not be able to update for about a week since I am in the process of moving.

Before I comment on the story, I would like to wish Everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Although I don't know much about this festival, considering I am from a totally different culture, I have seen enough episodes of Friends to give me a brief idea of what it is all about.

I still am surprised that you haven't figured out who the Stalker is. I have dropped quite a few hints, some in the fic while the others in my Author's Notes. If you notice, the tall Dark………..

Anyways- So the Mystery man who attacked Ginny was…….

Draco Malfoy peered down at the unconscious body before him. It wasn't his intention to make her faint. All he wanted was to have some fun with her, like she had with him.

The Wealsey had played with his life and his emotions. He did not get the same feelings when he was with Emily, nor did he feel the same satisfaction. He did not enjoy the feeling of power that being with Emily often brought. He could no longer kiss her with the same passion that let him forget about his worries. And all that was because of the very red haired woman right before him.

She had been the bane of his existence for the past few days. That night, when she lay asleep in his room, he had thought of various ways to wake her up. He realized that he enjoyed that feeling, plotting various ways of waking her up. What had the woman done to him, the conceited bastard, Draco Malfoy, had become a girl! He had dreamt about waking up next to her every morning, sharing the same bed, cracking jokes, and surprisingly the thought hadn't disgusted him.

He peered down at her, and gave a lazy grin. He was going to enjoy this holiday. He bent lower until his face was just inches from hers. Before taking a deep breath, he started breathing air into her body. Draco needed to get her back to consciousness if his plan was to be effective.

****

Ginny Weasley sputtered out water as some much needed air was pumped into her lungs. Ah - Air! Peeking one eyelid open, she looked around to make sure that she was still on the same beach and not facing the Great Merlin in Heaven. Satisfied at the sand all around her, she closed her eyes and sighed in relief.

“I didn't know you so desperately wanted to see me,” said a voice close to her ear. She could never be mistaken about that voice. It belonged to the man that haunted her dreams. The man that loved to torture her, while at the same time make her feel like she was the most beautiful woman on the earth , by a mere glance.

Ginny sat up and looked wildly around her to make sure that the voice was for real and she wasn't hallucinating. As she turned her head sharply, her eyes met deep grey ones. She was facing her boss……..Draco Malfoy.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

“What are you doing here?” sputtered Ginny as she took in her surroundings. She was still on the same beach, but how did she land on the shore? Her last memory was of floating around deep in the ocean. Then,it all of the sudden came flooding back. So it had been Draco?

“Why did you do that?” asked Ginny her eyes round like saucers.

“Do what?” asked Draco with a raise of his eyebrow. He gave her a lazy grin before placing his still wet body next to hers. Ginny sat up and peered down at the bronzed muscular body of her boss.

“You attacked me in the sea. That was a very low trick you tried, I could have di—” Before the word could leave her mouth, Draco pulled on her neck and pressed his lips to hers. Disoriented, Ginny could do nothing to stop her body's response to him. To Ginny, it felt as if her entire body was on fire. She felt the passion the kiss generated in both Draco and herself. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist were the only thing that was keeping her from falling. She felt her own hands go around his neck, as she kissed him back with equal intensity and need.

His lips softened and the kiss turned from violently passionate to a simple exploration of each other. Ginny gave up the useless fight against her own conscience and moaned.

Just as she was figuring out a way to draw in some air without having to break the kiss, Draco pulled away and looked deeply into her hazy eyes.

“Do you know how long I waited to do that?” he asked as a lazy finger traced her swollen lower lip.

“Hm…….” Ginny said before reality sunk in. She had kissed Draco Malfoy, who was engaged to Emily. Her eyes narrowed as the anger took over her. She gave his chest, which was quite close to her, a violent push. “How dare you. You save me from a rapist, take me to your home and then try to act all coy and caring and the next moment your fiancé walks in and your busy kissing her? What do you think I am, Mr. Malfoy, a toy?” she asked.

She turned her nose up at him in what she felt was a superior way, and gave him the eye of shame. He sneered at her determined face and the familiar cold Draco Malfoy spoke again, “Do you think I'm a toy? You take over my life, make me feel as if I cannot exist without you around and make me look like a complete fool by walking out on me and then sending me a message asking for a leave under an act that could get my company into trouble if I don't honor it?” he shouted as he stood up.

Ginny looked up at him. His blonde hair had caught the wind and was flowing freely around his face. Tiny droplets of sea-water still clung to his chest and his lips. Draco's lips were set in the infamous Malfoy family scowl. All in all, Ginny had to admit that Draco Malfoy looked ready to eat.

Unable to bear the sun that was bothering her eyes and the pain that had started forming in her neck, she quietly stood up. She shook her head slightly before asking, “Are you engaged to Emily?”

One simple question. Five simple words. Draco Malfoy pondered on whether he should lie to her. The Malfoy side of him was snickering at the thought of her reaction, but those shining eyes compelled him to tell the truth and that he did.

“No,” he said in sullen defeat.

Ginny's head bounced back up, as she realized what she had just heard. She looked deeply into his eyes and asked again, “I need you to tell me the truth, why did you kiss her that day?”

“I didn't kiss her Ginny, she threw herself at me. I couldn't help it. Bloody hell. I was frustrated alright! You were walking around my office with that sensational body next to mine and you expect me to control the reactions of my body?” he asked. Draco laughed when he saw the confusion in her eyes, “Don't tell me you haven't felt the tension in the air when we are together in the room,” he said.

Ginny shook her head. She took a deep breath trying to calm her heartbeat. “Look, Draco, I came here to relax. I've gone through some very tough times recently and I want to go back to being the same Ginny I was before I walked into your office that day. I don't like being the Ginny who is constantly afraid of her own shadow. I think it will take me some time to trust you completely. I don't even know what this is that we share,” she said simply.

He gave out a frustrated sigh and abruptly turned around to leave. She saw him kick the sand in frustration. As she stared at his fast disappearing back, she felt silent tears fall from her eyes. Why did life have to be so complicated?

~*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*~

“Hey Ginny, how was your day?” asked Ron as he barged into her room without knocking. He looked around her room to find no sign of his baby sister.

“Is she in here?” asked Hermione as she stepped in behind Ron squinting hard, trying to make out the figure of her sister-in-law in the darkened room. She looked up at Ron and found him staring down at her with worried eyes.

“She's not here,” he said softly. She rested her hand on his,chest, upset at his odd behavior. “She must have gone out shopping or got bored and went out for dinner early,” said Hermione her voice hopeful.

“No, `Moine, she isn't around here anywhere, I already checked with the receptionist. Ginny hasn't been seen around since this morning. The last someone saw of her was on the beach,” he said. As what Ron was saying sunk in, Hermione's hand flew up to her face as she let out a small scream. Ginny Weasley was missing.

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a/n- He he he, Wonder where she went? Oh, how'd you know, you aren't writing this story. But then, Even I don't know that, atleast not yet. Anyways- I plan to put up another one of my Draco/Ginny stories before this one comes to an end, and would really appreciate if anyone would help me with the story. Please contact me at charmingal2003@rediffmail.com.

Also remember, If your review is selected as the Best Review of the Chapter, you get a sneak preview at the next one. So keep reviewing, and I may actually give you a list of hints that lead to the stalker, but I am not promising anything.

Have a great day!

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18. The Missing Woman

A/n- a/n I'd say I got my very first set of Mild Flames. Two anonymous reviewers left me reviews asking for me to change the plot to Ginny being forced into marrying Draco, and then Introduce Pansy in to complicate things. Lol! I must say, sometimes these reviews make me want to curl up and die, and at other times, I wish I could really see who this person is. Anyways, leaving anononymous reviews doesn't give me any idea as to what's happening and how I should reply. Please keep it in mind that I cannot send you a sneak preview at the next chapter if you don't give me your mail address.

Anyways- I want to thank Nikki for pointing out the exclamations in the previous chapters. I'm sorry, but my previous beta reader was somehow in love with them, and I never felt the need to make her act otherwise.

Remember keep reviewing. And here's where exactly Ginny did go!

Disclaimer- Nopes, don't own any of them, just playing around because I was deprived of toys when I was young!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you checked everywhere for her?" asked Hermione. Her hand still rested on her chest, Hermione being too shocked to even notice. She looked around suspiciously, confident that her husband was only joking.

"I'm telling you. She isn't anywhere around," he said turning to her.

She immediately regretted her words as she saw the worry in his eyes. "It's alright, Ron. Let's go get Richard first," she said softly, taking her husband's hand.

"Get Richard for what?" came an amused voice from behind them. Both the worried figures turned to see Richard standing in the hallway, trying to look over their shoulders inside Ginny's room. They looked at him in utter shock as he gave them another grin. "Are you guys alright?" he asked.

"It's Ginny. She-she," stammered Ron.

As soon as her name was said out loud, Richards's eyes filled with worry. "What happened to Ginny?" he asked his amusement fast disappearing as the gravity of the situation sunk in.

"She's missing," said Hermione before promptly bursting into tears.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Draco Malfoy sat up as he heard voices coming from outside his room. He groaned, why couldn't they let him have his peace? He grabbed the nearest pillow and covered his head with it in a vain attempt to block out the very loud sobs that seem to echo through the entire Hotel.

In normal circumstances Draco Malfoy would have put a silencing charm on the room and promptly gone back to sleep. But these were no normal circumstances and that voice was not coming from any random room. It was coming from the room right across of him. Ginny's room.

He sat up, straining to hear the conversation on the other end. Was it another one of those stalker attacks? Was she alright? As all these questions ran through his head, he unconsciously got up from the bed and moved towards the door. He had to find out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Alright, relax. Tell me everything," said Richard his voice cracking slightly. Ron looked at his distressed wife mutely and continued with the story.

"She didn't want to come with us for the safari. She said she was going to just relax on the beach," said Ron, his hands trying to comfort his wife. "She looked absolutely fine in the morning......." his voice trailed off as he recalled the stalker and his threat.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" he shouted, "The stalker, `Moine!" said Ron now clearly beyond the emotion of panicked.

Hermione eyes rounded in fear as she looked wildly around. "Richard, you have to help us find her. She said she didn't want to come because she wanted to stay away from us, from you, from everybody. But you don't see, she is in grave danger," said Hermione softly, explaining the details of the previous few days to the worried man before her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ginny Weasley was missing. Oh good lord! Draco banged his head against the door. The sudden noise brought the attention of everybody in the hallway to him, and there were a good few people.

"Um....Hello!" he said softly. When nobody replied, he sneered at the patrons dressed in their night wear, who were shaking their head annoyingly at Ron, Hermione, and Richard. "Don't you people have better things to do?" he asked. They quickly went back to their rooms, muttering about hysterical fools on their way in.

Draco cursed silently and approached Hermione. "What happened?" he asked in what he was probably his kindest voice. Her head snapped up and her eyes filled with fresh tears. She merely shook her head, muttering 'Poor Ginny'.

Suddenly he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Richard eyeing him with apparent suspicion and curiosity. "Who are you?" he asked softly, but Draco made out the undercurrent of threat.

"He's Draco Malfoy. Ginny works for his company," said Ron darkly eyeing Draco in quite the same way as Richard. "What are you doing here anyways Malfoy?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be making big bucks and plotting ways to kill muggle borns," asked Ron. Hermione gave a small gasp and her hand reached out for Ron's. She shook her head at him.

"Have you seen her today, Malfoy?" she asked with a shaky voice. Draco nodded his head.

"What happened?" he asked, worried about his - employee. But was she merely his employee? Well, now was not the time to wonder about that.

"She hasn't been seen around since this afternoon," said Hermione. Ron looked confused. His eyes went from Hermione's to Draco's.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" he asked.

"Apparently you aren't the only one," said Richard and turned to Draco. "You said you saw her today. What time do you think it was?" he asked.

Draco ignored both of them and turned towards Hermione. "I think I was too hard on her," he said bending before her, so that his eyes were level with hers.

"She does trust you more than us right now, I even think she likes you," said Hermione softly so that the other two men couldn't hear her. "The question is, do you?" she asked wiping her eyes.

Did he? Yes he enjoyed her company. He liked to look at her work. He liked the way she bit her lip when she was nervous. Her smile seemed to light up the entire room, but could he, Draco Malfoy, self proclaimed Casanova and the Slytherin king, like a Weasley? He turned towards Hermione and gave her a look that was worth a thousand words.

"We have to go find her," said Richard impatiently.

"Well of course we have to go find her," said Ron and then turned towards Draco. "Where was the last time you saw her?" he asked.

Draco could see the effort it took Ron to be civil towards his worst enemy.

"She was on the beach," he said turning back to the other two men. "But I doubt she still is on the beach," he said, thinking out loud.

"Well, she can't be in the same place all day, can she?" asked Ron as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Right. Let's split up and go find her," said Richard.

"I'll take the beach, Richard you go check the hotel and Malfoy ...” his voice trailed off.

"I'll go check the town for any sign of her," he said. Without waiting for a response, he set off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please, sir, this is all I can give you. My car seems to have broken down and I am not carrying much cash," said Ginny trying desperately to convey her situation to the man who apparently spoke no English. She was reluctant to use the language conveying charm before the very muggle man standing before her. "I want a room for the night," she said. He merely shook his head. Frustrated, Ginny gave out a loud cry.

She looked around and blushed as she saw the other people in the parlor turn and look at her curiously. "Doesn't anyone here speak English?" she asked to a room full of what she could only call small eyed people.

"I do," said a rich voice at the very back. She recognized that voice. Oh my God! She groaned, would she never escape him?

"What exactly are you doing here," she said before turning to see a soaking Draco Malfoy make his way towards the man who sat behind the counter.

"Your brother and sister-in-law were worried about you. They created a fuss in the middle of the hallway and well, I offered to help find you," he said before turning to the same man she had been trying to communicate with since the past three quarter of an hour. He smiled at the man and said something in what she could only guess was the native language.

Wait a minute. How did Draco Malfoy know their language?

She didn't realize that she had wondered out loud until Draco turned to her and said in a low conspirative voice, "I took lessons when I was four. My nanny was from this part of the world," he said before turning back to the man.

"Figures," she said softly, before rubbing her cold and wet hands together to get some warmth into them. He turned to look at her and quickly removed his own jacket and offered it to her. She glared at him. "This one is wet too," she said.

He realized it himself and smiled sheepishly, before casually throwing it over his shoulder. She frowned before realizing that the lack of a jacket leaved him with only a shirt. And what a shirt it was! The white body fitting material did just that, body fit. She giggled as she saw the old man's wife stare at Draco's chest.

Draco Malfoy turned briefly to her, before holding up two fingers at the same old man behind the counter. She understood this part. He was asking to for two rooms. She turned to find the man shaking his head. He held up only a single finger and her heart sank. OH Good Lord!!! She was going to share a room with Draco Malfoy.

A/n-So how did ya like it? Sharing a room,eh? Oh wow, I am super excited about it now! Wait for the next chapter dearies.

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19. The night togehter part one

A/n- I know, long time. Wishing you all a very happy new year. Without further ado, chapter 19.

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters mentioned below.

NEXT CHAPTER.

“I absolutely refuse,” said Ginny Weasley as she crossed her arms in front of her, digging her heels into the carpet that ran over the expanse of the lobby of the small, run down hotel that they were staying at. Her nose turned up, her eyes set, she opened her mouth to give Draco Malfoy a piece of her mind, but stopped as she saw a nerve at the base of his throat twitch. He was one angry man right now.

Draco Malfoy turned to her and merely narrowed his eyes at her ready-for-battle posture. His annoyance gave new strength to Ginny, as she returned the glare. Draco merely furrowed his brows in annoyance.

“Do I have to carry you all the way to the room, or will you give in gracefully and behave like the thirty year old woman that you are?” he asked with a small strained smile. Ginny eyes widened as she rushed forward. “Shh……” she said before planting her hand firmly on the lips of her boss. And what lips they were.

Even though she had been angry, in her haste to shut Draco up, she hadn't given a thought to the consequences of her actions. Thus she was standing very close to Draco, so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face, as her fingers unconsciously caressed his lips. He raised a hand to cover hers and a small sigh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes in sheer pleasure.

Too caught up in the moment neither one of them realized that they were in the lobby of the hotel. As a passing attendant gave a small cough, they broke apart. An odd kind of uneasy silence fell upon the place. Draco cleared his throat loudly.

“Don't say my age out loud,” said Ginny, before burying her fuming face in her hands. Draco's face broke into an amused grin, as he pecked her on the cheek, before continuing his journey down the hall towards their room.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

Draco Malfoy sighed loudly as Ginny stopped once again. Honestly did the woman have something against walking or did she enjoy annoying him in general. He was ready to bet that the second choice was more apt.

“Now what?” he asked not enjoying the situation. He was drenched and so was his precious hair. And the cheap air conditioning was making it stand at odd angles. Not even the best potion would repair the damage if his hair were ignored further and not washed this instant. Vanity was a serious issue for the Malfoy's.

Besides his previous headache was back with a bang, and every sound that fell on his ears was echoing. “Couldn't you wait until we reach the room?” he asked, his misery quite evident in his voice. He needed some rest, a shower and some hot chocolate. The woman was seriously driving him nuts.

Ginny bit her lips, as Draco realized that the Weasley woman had no heart, she wouldn't control that tongue of hers. Thus with another one of his sigh's, he turned completely towards her, and waited for the questions. He'd be damned before a Malfoy asked a Weasley for some headache relief.

%*%*%**%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*

Ginny could feel his discomfort, and felt slightly guilty. But her questions couldn't wait and if she were made to wait, she would forget those questions. Funny though it sounded, it was a problem that had troubled her for as long as she could remember. She didn't realize that Draco was waiting for her questions until he cleared his throat loudly.

“oh!” she blushed.” why are you here?” she asked, looking up to meet his eyes.

Draco felt like hitting his head on the wall nearby. Wasn't she listening when he had been speaking before? He felt tempted to lie and tell her that he enjoyed getting wet in the rain and then sharing rooms with his employee's, but he knew that it wouldn't get him anywhere. He thus looked straight into her eyes, “you already know about the part where Ron and Hermione were creating much of a fuss in the middle of the hallway,” he said. She waved it off and encouraged him to continue. That gesture made him slightly nervous. He cleared his throat.

“Look Ginny, I don't really know why I bothered to help find you. I mean you barely know me, forget trust me. You think I'm a lying scoundrel who knows not better than to cheat on his fiancé with one of his employee's, but I'm not that. I'm not the same man who went around calling people names with total disregard for their feelings. I've changed, and you're one of the main reasons for that. Being around you makes me want to be a good man. I feel like I'm free, as if I'm soaring in the sky”

“When I'm with you I smile more often. It's like I'm a totally different person. Don't you feel this odd kind of connection we seem to have? I don't know what it is, I doubt I ever will. I've always hated everybody you're associated to, Ron, Potter and your family, but somehow I can't manage to hate you. I've tried, believing me I have, but it just doesn't work that way. I can't stand to be in the same room as you and not touch you. Believe me being this restrained around you takes a humungous amount of energy out of my, but I try, for your sake. This is so weird, it doesn't make any sense,” he said his brows furrowed in a frown.

“Do you love me?” asked Ginny. Even to her own ears it sounded fake and cheesy, but she wanted to get some things straight. She was ready to consider having a relationship with Draco, Merlin knew she wanted to. That was all she'd thought about. But she wanted to know if it would be possible for her to fall in love with this man and have him reciprocate her feelings. She knew he wasn't easy to love, but she would learn, eventually.

Draco winced slightly. Love, did he love her? “I don't think its love, more of an attraction,” he said in defeat. It was all over, she would never understand his need for having this relationship. This thing was not easy to define, and at this moment Draco didn't want to define it either, but if LOVE was what Ginny wanted, then he wouldn't lie to her. She deserved it and much more.

She stiffened. He didn't love her. Merlin, she smiled. “You're attracted to me?” she asked. He turned to her. She wasn't angry. His face split into a grin. “Can we move now?” he asked. She nodded, and they set of again.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

A/n- hmm……….. So they're sharing a room. But didn't you know that already. My beta reader is busy with school is other stuff, so I got it done by somebody else. But I still love ya Abby. I hope you don't mind it, but I'm getting excited to finish this story.

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20. The night together part two

A/n-I'm sorry if you felt that the previous chapter was rushed, but then I was excited and it just happened.

For all those who want some Harry/Hermione action- the next chapter is crucial. That one will change this aspect of the story, forever!

Disclaimer- Don't own any of the characters.

Ginny stepped into their room and took a deep breath. Funny how moments earlier the idea of their room would have made her feel odd, now it felt completely natural. She was feeling rather sorry for Draco, whose hair was now in a royal mess. He needed some rest. They could talk in the morning and get other things in order.

She looked around the room, modestly decorated, it wasn't something out of a magazine, but the room had a kind of warmth that was missing in other luxurious hotels. A queen-size bed rested on one side of the room adorned with a small canopy on top, where hangings in the most exquisite blue added a touch of feminine grace to the all masculine room. The sheets were also of a similar color, but of a different and definitely softer material. Satin, probably.

The other side wall held a small cherry-wood wardrobe that added to the warmth of the room. A charming little vanity case was next to it, and Ginny saw Draco move towards it immediately. She moved followed him inside. A heavy silence hung in the room, as the tension grew. Suddenly Draco laughed loudly. Curious, Ginny turned to find out what exactly was amusing his so much. She immediately realized it; Draco Malfoy had seen his reflection. He did look like a first class clown. She turned to keep her wand safely away when her attention was caught by her car keys which she found somewhere deep within her coat. She turned abruptly, as the thought of the jeep struck her.

The sight that met her eyes was incredible. Draco Malfoy, apparently fed up of the wet clothes that hung to his body, had decided to remove the very white shirt that had captured the old woman's eyes. What lay beneath that shirt, would have prompted her to faint. Her eyes acquired a will of their own as they took in the vast expanse of skin and muscle that made up Draco's torso. Her gaze lifted steadily, until it met with his. He quirked one eyebrow, amused. “See something you like?” he asked.

“Very much,” muttered Ginny before clearing her throat. “Didn't you bring the jeep along?” she asked. Judging by the way he was grinning, she was suspicious that he had heard her earlier comment.

“Yeah I did. But the weather got nasty, so I pulled off the road and walked in here,” he said taking a step closer to her. “What about you?” he asked taking another few steps closer. Her breath caught in her throat, as she realized that she was very close to him. Water droplets gleamed on his chest, as he ran a hand through his hair. He found her staring at him, and sheepishly brushed away a strand of red hair from her face. His proximity was making her dizzy, as his smell surrounded her. Her knees felt rather weak, she was afraid they would give way.

Draco raised his hand, as Ginny let out a soft gasp of anticipation. His hand however went to the towels that hung on the wall behind her. He offered her one and then took a step back to go work on drying his hair.

Ginny realized what a fool she looked like, and closed her open mouth. He merely winked at her. “My car broke down,” she squeaked. “The man at the reception didn't know English and the woman was giving me glares. She disapproved of young women going out on their own during the night, especially during such weather,” she said trying to ease the tension in the room by trying to copy the woman's outraged expressions. She raised one hand and rested it one her chest and said “Woman these days,” in a voice that was outrageously close to the woman's.

He broke into rich laughter and Ginny felt tingly all over. He went back to drying his hair, as Ginny moved towards the loo. It was going to be a long night.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%**%*%*%

Malfoy, dude, relax. It's just another night, in just another bed. |Just another woman sleeping next to you.
But was it?

Draco Malfoy carefully raised his head off his pillow and stared intently at the woman lying next to him. She seemed to be fast asleep. Only he knew how long she had lain there, uncomfortable about the fact that they were sharing a bed.

He didn't know what the big deal was anyways. It wasn't like she had a boyfriend or a fiancé at home she had to answer to. Nor was she living with her nosy family anymore. The only people who would be remotely worried about the woman sleeping with her boss would be Ron and Hermione and probably that Richie guy. He'd looked a lot more worried than a resort owner should look like and that bothered Draco.

He turned to look at his wrist watch that lay on a small table next to the bed. It read 4:30 am.
Ginny mumbled in her sleep, something about a chocolate frog, as Draco turned back to her. He smiled softly, and bent to place a small kiss on her forehead. So innocent, so trusting. And yet this was the woman who had borne the fury of two lunatics. He felt deeply sorry for her. It should have been her family, who fought for her safety, supported her while she crumbled under the weight of the death threats, but here she was, facing all of it alone.

The voice in his head told him to be the one that protected her. Merlin knew he wanted to, but would she allow him. The conversation he'd had with her cleared a few things. He knew he wasn't in love with her, but then he didn't hate her either. He wanted to explore these new feelings that the woman awoke within him. He looked down at her again, and shifted his weight slightly so that it wasn't on his hand. She whimpered in her sleep, and Draco softly bent close to hear what she was saying.

“No please, please let me go. Please………”

She was obviously having a nightmare. Probably one about the stalker. Looking at her helpless form trying to battle with the shock and fear of the stalker, Draco made a decision then and there. He would help her fight this man.

He took her whimpering form in his arms, and gently stroked her hair, muttering reassuring words in her ear. This woman was special, and he was going to do everything in his power to help her overcome this odd obstacle. Their future could wait. And he slept.

%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%

A/n- Next chapter, some bathroom incidents. Get readies people. My funny bone's tickling.

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21. The Death of a loved one

A/n- I got my very first real flames. Yes I know Ginny being 30 and then being disowned isn't something very entertaining, but dears why do you think a nasty story would get about 300 odd reviews.

Thank-you to everybody for the 300 reviews, especially my regular reviewers like PJ, funky_faerie87 , Rainbow16, silverbutterfly, mrsdanielleradcliff, lukkiseven, Eri ,evilevor, harryhermionefan16 and everybody else. Sorry if I've missed anyone out. I'm really excited about this chapter, and am thus putting this up before it being beta read, will put up the beta'd version after I can make contact with my beta reader. I tell you I'm cursed with beta readers and this story in particular.

Edit -(February 5th) Abby, I understand that you're busy. I'm putting this up and will put up a beta'd version once we have it sorted out. Thanks to you anyways dear.

Anyways- for all those of you who were disappointed in the Ron/Hermione pairing, here you go!

Disclaimer- I don't own any characters you recognize below.

~*~*~*

The next day dawned early, as Ginny opened her eyes to find herself snuggled deeply against a warm body. She gave a huge yawn, before turning to look at the peaceful face of Draco Malfoy. He looked so innocent while he was sleeping. The curtain of sleep helped completely remove the hard lines from his face.

She stroked his day old beard and felt an odd sense of contentment. She bent closer and kissed him softly. She realized that she could get used to getting up next to this complicated man.

Wait, what was she thinking? Oh my god! Her hand flew to cover her mouth as she realized with blinding clarity that she was in Love with Draco Malfoy. She'd never felt so sure of a feeling, than she felt at this very moment. Not even Christopher had made her feel the way she felt when with Draco .She felt safe, wanted and cherished when she saw her own reflection in his eyes. She felt as if she was the most gorgeous woman on the earth. What she'd shared with Christopher was nothing compared to what she felt for Draco.

This made his admission yesterday night even more painful. He'd said he didn't love her. She would be nothing more than another one of his mistresses, someone like Emily who he could easily throw away, the only difference being that he did have some feelings for her and she was his employee. She'd be the summer romance that never ended.

Suddenly she felt very sick and eased out from under Draco's arm around her midriff .She had to sort out these new feelings

~*~*~*!*

Draco Malfoy awoke later than he had expected. He turned to find Ginny gone. A sudden panic gripped him. Where was she?

The sound of the running shower reached him and his anxiety subsided. He heard her sing, a muggle song he didn't recognize. Amused as well as curious he moved towards the bathroom to find out what exactly was Ginny Weasley singing.

He cautiously opened the door to the bathroom to find her in the shower. Overcome by delight and wickedness, Draco walked into the bathroom straight towards the small wash basin on the other side. He picked up the toothbrush and paste resting there, and started whistling nonchalantly while preparing to brush his teeth.

“Good morning,” he said out loud. The shriek that met his ears would have put an opera singer to shame. Draco smirked as a wet and towel wrapped Ginny, stepped out of the shower.

*~*~*~

“What are you doing in here?” asked Ginny trying desperately to cover herself up. She was dripping wet, with her hair sticking out at all angles, only a towel covering up her dignity and Draco was openly laughing at her. She blushed deeply. “You pig. Get out of here,” she said.

“Why should I? This is my bathroom equally. Now if you don't mind, I want to brush my teeth,” he said, before resuming the said task. He grinned through mouthful of foam, as Ginny turned even redder.

“How rude can you possibly be,” she said. She was supposed to be in love with this pig of a man. God, how the mighty have fallen.

“Don't mind if I reciprocate the feeling,” he said. “Oh you might want to go wipe yourself, or you may freeze to death. Oh,” he said “what am I saying. How can miss hot headed freeze?

“Are you saying I'm frigid?” she asked, her voice rising. This infuriating man was getting to her, and the worst part was that she knew he was enjoying himself.

He turned and gave her a hard look, “I'm saying you're hot-headed,” he said. She stared right back at him; he wasn't going to intimidate her. He closed the distance of a few steps between them and lowered his head, “You might want to hold onto that towel because what I'm going to do won't help it stay in place,” he said before lowering his head.

The kiss was nothing like the previous few. This one was about wanting, desire. It was about passion and experience. About chemistry and want.

Both of them knew that this chemistry between them was undeniable. Ginny held on helplessly to Draco's chest as their tongue's fought for supremacy. The wild explosion was turning her insides to nothing but wax.

As the kiss ended, Ginny cried out in alarm. If she gave this man more than her heart, she would be left with nothing. She had to stop herself. She took a few steps back and took a deep breath. When she looked back up her eyes were filled with red hot boiling anger.

“How dare you kiss me?” she said in a dangerously low voice. “You have the audacity to call me rude and frigid and then you go ahead and….and maul me,” she said, tucking the towel more securely around herself.

“Maul you?” he said, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Why the sudden hostility Miss Weasley, you seemed quite eager to kiss me today morning. And I hardly kissed you,” he said.

“Hardly kissed me,” she said ignoring his other comments as she didn't dare consider them. “Oh come on-“

“No you come on,” he said moving very close again. He peered down at her, “If you think what we shared right now or in the past was a kiss, a real kiss, then I'm afraid you've not had too many good kisses,” he finished.

The blinding pain seared through her. He had obviously had lots of experience as far as kisses went, as far as the act itself. “I want to get out of here,” she said softly.

“Put some clothes on. I'll go check with the reception. We'll be out of here before you can say the word DAMN!” he said and turned to swiftly walk out of the room. Ginny's legs gave way and she fell down on the cold hard bathroom floor. Why did she love him?

As the dam of tears broke, Ginny gathered her dried clothes of the day before and quickly put them on. She needed some time away from this man to get her thoughts in order.

~*~*~*~*~*

The drive back to the hotel was uneventful. The old man at the reception had got both the jeeps back into working condition. Ginny had insisted that she drive her own jeep back to the hotel, but Draco won in the end. As she sat next to him in the jeep, she could feel the tension radiating from him and felt sorry for behaving the way she had. But her thoughts were a confused mess and only some time away from this harsh reality was what she asked for. Her thoughts wandered to happier times, when she had been with her family and she felt tears well up in her eyes. But she didn't let them fall. She turned her head and wiped the unshed droplets and closed her eyes.

By the time they got to the hotel, a large crowd had gathered outside. Ginny curiously got down the jeep and looked at Draco. He merely shrugged and they both hurried towards the resort. A large crowd had gathered around the main lobby, and Ginny pushed past the muttering tourists to the centre of the commotion.

The sight that met her eyes took her breath away. There amongst the many people, lay Ron, his body pale and unmoving. Ginny looked blindly around for any sign of Hermione. Her eyes landed on the crying figure on the opposite side. She moved towards her in a haze.

“What happened?” she asked. Hermione looked up, her eyes bloodshot and her voice out of breath. “h-he's dead Ginny,” she said before dissolving into even more sobs. She buried her head in the comforting shoulder of another man. Ginny looked up to see a stone faced Harry Potter comforting Hermione ,looking beyond Ginny's shoulder at the man who he despised- Draco.

“What's he doing here?” he asked, His hand still going up and down Hermione's back.

Ginny turned to see who Harry was referring to and just turned back mutely. “What happened to Ron?” she asked her voice hoarse.

Harry looked down at her and said softly, “he was out looking for you on a small boat. The boatman had warned him that the current would be too strong due to the storm but he didn't listen. A wave turned the boat upside down. His body was found on shore today morning.”

Ginny suddenly felt faint and very very sick for the second time that day. Ron had died, and because of her. He was out looking for her. It was all her fault. The world spun around her eyes as she fell to the carpeted floor. It was all her fault

~*~*~*

A/n Poor Ginny, two shocks together. Yes I got her to admit that she loves the guy, don't we all. It's my new year's gift to all of you. You finally get two perfect pairings here ;).

Anyways- Ginny still has to come to terms with her love, but next chapter the stalker finally makes an entry. I'm planning on finishing this fic in another five or six chapters. Maximum I'll take it to is 30 chapters. And then my next planned fic will be a Ron/Luna. So be on the lookout.

For those who are confused, Hermione called up Harry ASAP- and he floo'ed to the resort. I hope all that's clear. Now review.

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22. The cottage

A/n- No the stalker didn't kill Ron. He went out at sea looking for Ginny, but since the current was too strong, his boat over-turned and he died. His body was found on-shore the next morning.

Now, this chapter is especially dedicated to the Harry/Hermione pairing and my readers who enjoy this pairing. I'm sorry about the delay in posting, but I had other things on my mind. Something to look forward for all you guys- I'm going to give you a special treat on Valentine's Day. I can't tell you what it will be, but it will be something really exciting, trust me.

Now on with the chapter.

“What is he doing here? What are the both of them doing together?” asked Harry from the corner of his mouth to a slightly more composed Hermione. She looked up at him and gave a small sigh. It was going to be hard explaining everything to him, but for the sake of Ginny she launched into a brief explanation of what had transpired between the two people in question in the past month.

On the other side of the room Ginny was sitting up with Draco's arms around her, sobbing her heart out. Every once in a while Harry would shoot threatening glares in his way, but Draco didn't care. Ginny's pain was more than he could stand, and for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy felt the pain of another human being.

Ginny's sobs finally subsided and she fell into an exhausted slumber. Draco easily picked her up and moved towards their rooms. He found the door to her room open. He peered inside cautiously, to find Hermione asleep on the bed. He moved in, and deposited Ginny next to her friend.

“I suppose those two will sleep another hour or two off,” a voice from the other side of the room startled him. Draco turned to come face to face with Harry Potter. His eyes narrowed,”If you want a fight, let's take it outside,” he said.

Harry gave a small smile, and walked upto him. “I want to say- thanks,” he said and offered Draco his hand. Draco's shocked eyes moved instantly to the face of the boy wonder and he asked curiously “What? Huh! Why?”

“Hermione told me all about the past one month. I think that based on your actions in the past one month, and your role in the final battle as a spy for our side, you're quite trustable,” finished Harry.

Draco looked closely, and to his astonishment discovered visible worry lines on the face of his most hated enemy. “You love her, don't you?” he asked, his eyes turning briefly to the sleeping form of Hermione Granger.

Harry smiled again, and Draco realized that besides Smiling a lot, Gryffindor's couldn't hide their feelings too easily. “Always have,” he said softly. “And yet you looked on as she got married to your best friend?” asked Draco, as he recalled the fact that Harry had attended Hermione's marriage as Ron's best man and was the godfather of her kids. “Why?” he asked again.

“Because that's what you do when you're in love,” he said, his eyes turning back to Draco's face. “Wouldn't you do the same for Ginny?” he asked. Draco took a small step back, “For Ginny. Why ever would I do that for Ginny?” he asked, confused. Harry shook his head and moved away.

“I've set up a portkey; it'll be approved in another hour or so. Hermione wants Ron's funeral to be performed accordingly. She wants the entire Weasley clan to be present,” said Harry.

“You think Ginny will be alright with all the other Weasley's around?” asked a concerned Draco. “She'll be fine, she'll have you for moral support,” he said. Draco nodded and moved towards his own room to pack his belongings. He was glad that Harry hadn't objected to his being present for the funeral. God knew Ginny needed all the help she could get currently.

“Umm….. Malfoy,” called out Harry just as he was leaving the room. Draco stopped, the door handle in his hand, “Yeah?”

“Has she told you anything about the stalker?” asked Harry. “No,” he answered. Harry nodded and Draco left the room silently.

@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@#@

“Where is the portkey taking us?” Ginny asked the minute she was told about it.

“It will take us to the borrow. I think that would be the best place for Hermione at this moment,” said Harry. Draco avoided eye contact with Ginny. Harry had left it upto him to inform Ginny of the funeral.

“I can't go to the borrow. Harry it will too painful. I want to go home,” said Hermione distraught.

“The kids are with Molly. Don't you want to be with them?” asked Harry. Tears fell from her eyes as she shook her head. Harry immediately took her in his arms. “Ok, we'll go to my place. Is that fine?” he asked. Hermione shook her head mutely, clutching onto him.

Draco cleared his throat and said, “I wish to take Ginny with me”. All heads turned to him, as he blushed slightly. Ginny's outraged eyes made it evident what her opinion of his idea was.

“I'm not going anywhere close to Emily,” she said. Harry looked closely at him and gave a small encouraging smile. Confused, Draco turned to Ginny, “she does not reside at the Manor, she never has. And we'll be going to a small cottage I own in London, very close to Diagon alley so that you can be close to Hermione,” he said.

“I think that would be best. Ginny you can't go back to the place of yours with that creep stalker around,” said Hermione, wiping her eyes. “I agree, going with Draco would be the best thing to do,” said Harry.

Ginny looked around wildly. Since she'd realized that she was in love with Draco, his presence had made it difficult for her to think straight. And now to live with him, it wouldn't be the best thing to do. It would be the most foolish thing to do. She shook her head, but found herself being dragged along with Draco in the opposite direction as they reached London. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to live with this man.

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Ginny looked at herself in the full length mirror of her room and wiped a stray tear, as her eyes took in the all black attire. Her arrival at the cottage yesterday had been uneventful. Draco had shown her to her room and then had vanished from sight completely. Ginny had been too tired to think of anything but sleep. As the morning dawned, she opened her eyes to completely strange surroundings. As the events of the past day came back, Ginny had shed a few more tears in memory of her beloved brother. She still couldn't believe he was dead.

And now she was here, getting ready for the funeral of someone who she'd imagined would live to be Minister of Magic one day. As her world spun around her, Ginny sat abruptly down onto the bed, close to the mirror.

A knock broke her reverie, and Ginny looked up to find Draco in black robes waiting patiently. His eyes encouraged her, and she nodded her head in understanding. She rose quietly and looked around. Her eyes went to Draco's and she realized that he had her coat in hand already. She gave him a watery smile and moved to face the world. What she overlooked was the understanding between Draco and herself, the same understanding Ron had with Hermione, the same understanding she had always longed for.

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Disclaimer- I get tired of these, I don't own any characters.

a/n- For your information, my beta reader is busy with her mid-term studies, and thus the last few chapters, which I hope to get done in another month, will come out unbeta'd at first. I'd taken off three chapters and have made little changes that I could see. Abby, get back soon dear.

So there you have it, Harry/Hermione action. There won't be much of it, since they aren't the protagonist of the story, but if my readers demand it, I'll put something up. My Ron/Luna story will be up shortly, the planning process in over, and I've already begun with the first chapter. Be on the lookout for the story. For those of you, who'd like me to inform you when I put it up, leave me your mail address in your review!

Thanks!

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23. The Funeral

a/n- to say that the funeral is going to go bad is an understatement. I know that many of you were surprised because of the attitude of the Weasley's since the beginning, but their presence and attitude in this chapter in imperative to their reconciliation with Ginny towards the end, so please don't complain.

I know killing Ron was a very sad thing to do, but it had to be done. I'm sorry, but that was the only way that I could have gotten in the Hermione/Harry angle. Portkey can't take my fic off the board now that it meets with all the requirements.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews- and a very Happy Valentine's day to all of you.

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the below mentioned characters.

As she entered the grounds where the burial was to take place, Ginny felt an odd foreboding feeling at the pit of her stomach. What was she doing? This was all her fault, if it hadn't been for her foolishness Ron would have been alive. Molly Weasley was right, it was always her fault. Ginny felt her hands tremble. She tightenened the coat more securely around herself

“Nervous?” Asked Draco. She looked up at the man at her side, and gave him a small smile. He looked really like a malfoy today, unlike the day in the hotel room. His hair was pulled back where it shone in the early morning sun. A few tendrils rested on his forehead and added a different kind of tenderness to the all hard face. He took her hand in his and gave it a small squeeze. “Don't worry, everything will be fine,” he said.

She believed him, in that moment if Draco Malfoy had told her that she was a pig she would have believed him and grunted all the way to India.

She took a deep breath and left his side to go meet Hermione. It had been only twenty four hours since she'd seen her friend, but it seemed like an eternity. On her way to the group standing in one corner, she turned to look for Draco again. He'd taken up residence next to Harry. She smiled as she saw both men give each other acknowledging looks. Ginny turned and approached the group slowly.

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“What happened dear?” asked Molly Weasley as she rocked a teary eyed Hermione. She moved her hands up and down Hermione's spine, soothing her. Penelope moved around them trying to hand a tissue to Hermione, but the two women either didn't notice her or chose to ignore her odd actions.

Ginny remembered how Penelope was often ignored unknowingly by her mother even while she was with the Weasley's. She moved towards her and said softly, “Its no use, they won't hear you. Do you mind if I take that tissue,” she said as she felt tears form in her eyes. She was seeing her family after so long, it felt like a dream.

Penelope turned and looked blankly at her. Ginny could feel her hesitance to go against the family. Her face fell, and she turned to move away. “That's alright. I think you need this tissue more than Hermione does,” said Penelope. Ginny's face lit up and she turned to see Penelope smiling, encouraging her.She hugged Penelope, and she could see the tears falling from her own eyes.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“Not too good,” replied Ginny. She looked around for any sign of Katie or Angelina, after Hogwarts she always seemed to be closer to her sister-in-laws than her brothers. “I've heard,” said Penelope.

“Well well, if it isn't Ginerva,” said Molly Weasley who had moved Hermione away and was now standing all alone. Molly Weasley, Ginny never felt more lost and confused than she did at that moment. Her mother didn't look like herself, and that scared her.

“Hello Mother,” she said stiffly. She ignored her presence and looked around for any sign of Draco, she needed him now. She felt vulnerable under the steady gaze of her mother.

“I told you to stay away from Ron and Hermione, didn't I?” she asked rhetorically. Her hands rested on her hips and she tried to turn her angry glare at Ginny. Ginny cringed in mortification as she remembered the howler her mother had sent her.

“Yes I remember,” she answered.

“And yet you continued interfering with their lives. You see what you've done, don't you? Because of your foolish mistakes I have lost a son,” she said, her voice rising. People all around them stopped talking. Everyone waited for Ginny to say something in return to the accusation, to defend herself. They expected her to stand up for herself.

But all Ginny could do at that moment was stand there like a statue, while tears fell down her cheeks. Why did her mother have to be like this? She felt Penelope move away from herself, and realized that this was her battle to fight, and daughter or not, Molly Weasley had definitely not forgiven her for being responsible for the loss of Ron's life.

Draco had assuared her that the family was willing to act civil towards her and that her engagement was a forgotten matter. Now she knew what he meant, the family was only willing to act civil towards her for the sake of their prestige in society. Nobody wanted bad publicity. But the loss of a son couldn't have left Molly Weasley unaffected.

“Don't have anything to say for yourself, do you?” she asked. Ginny looked twice at her mother's face before letting her temper get the better of her.

“You talk of family, mother. You of all the people, who threw her daughter out on the streets only because she wanted to meet someone she truly loved. Only because she didn't want to compromise on her dreams and lead a life full of exactly that- compromises. Just because I wanted to find true love like you said you had? Oh Mother! That should make you feel even more ashamed than I am feeling at this moment. Yes, I agree that I am responsible for Ron's death, but I didn't do anything consciously. I loved him and would willingly trade my life for his at this very moment, I will. But you……….” Her voice trailed off. She felt everybody around her waiting for her to finish her sentence.

“Ginny.” She turned to see Draco by her side. “I think we should leave,” he said softly, taking her hand in his.

“What about Hermione?” asked Ginny. Suddenly this outburst didn't feel like a good idea. She took another look around her to see the entire Wizarding community either supporting her or mocking her. She sighed, this would make another headline. “You're right. I'll just go say bye to Hermione,” she said.

“There's no need for that. Harry and Hermione have taken Ron's body to Mungo's,” he said softly. Ginny looked puzzled. Why would they take Ron's body to the hospital? “Ron had donated his body parts to those who needed it. He'd done it long time back, he wanted to be remembered in a good way after he died,” finished Draco. Ginny could feel fresh tears form in her eyes, and she buried her head in Draco's coat. “Please get me away from here,” she said desperately.

Draco nodded and quietly led her to the exit, away from the probing eyes of many people who saw what Draco couldn't see. The Malfoy loved the Weasley.

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As they apparated back to the cottage, Ginny had broken into full fledged sobs. Draco felt his heart twist in pain as he saw her tear stained face. He understood the inner battle that she was fighting, and he knew that eventually she'd loose it. But he wanted her to fight.

He threw his coat, and gently picked her up in his arms. This incredible woman had seen so many difficulties in the past two months. He kissed her softly on the forehead and deposited her on her bed. He looked down at her, and felt tears form in his own eyes. He turned to leave, but an arm caught his wrist.

“Please stay with me Draco,” said Ginny softly. She looked at him, and pleaded with her eyes.

“Ginny, I can't.” He realized that if he stayed today, things could get out of hand. He didn't want to make love to her while she was in this state. He wanted her to be a willing partner. He didn't realize that he'd said it aloud.

“Draco, please stay. I need you tonight,” she said before breaking into more sobs. Helpless to do anything else Draco lowered his head and captured her lips in a soft kiss. It was like everything before and yet different. His control was about to snap before he broke the kiss and looked down at her. They looked silently at each other for a moment, their bodies crushed together against the bed. Suddenly, Draco's self control snapped and he dipped his head and captured Ginny's lips in a brutal yet passionate kiss. Very unlike the kiss they had shared with so much love and emotion previously, this kiss was about frustration, Need and anger.

After a moment's struggle, Ginny gave in to the feelings that the kiss was stirring in her and kissed him back. He nearly lifted her off the bed as he crushed her tighter to his chest. In response, she tore her arms from his grasp and put them around his neck - pulling herself up to wrap her legs around his waist. He briefly lost his balance and leaned back and gave a small smile as he began a frantic exploration of her body through her robes. Ginny broke away from the kiss to mutter a quick charm and suddenly, they were both undressed, their bodies touching. As they connected, they stopped their insane movements for a moment and both gasped. Then, all thoughts of the Weasley's, the stalker or other women that might have shared Draco's bed were gone as they began moving together Not willing to break the spell that had somehow been cast, neither made an attempt to move their activities to a slightly more leasurious pace.

Soon, Ginny felt the explosion, as a million colors flashed before her eyes. This moment of happiness was hers, and she'd shared it with Draco the man she loved. And in that moment, as Draco reached his climax, he heard the words that Ginny would have preferably hidden. She loved him.

He stopped his movements and looked down at her. She still hadn't realized it. He rolled off her and gently took her in his arms and rocked her to sleep. He loved her too, and he was going to make sure that her life was perfect, before he confessed his love.

a/n- So there you go, he loves her too. This story is coming to an end, and the next three chapters are very crucial. So review, and I'll update them soon!

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24. I'm pregnant?!?!?!?!?! WHAT?

An- I'm sorry about the delay in posting of this chapter, and also in the lack of length. But I'm really low on ideas as to how I end it, and all I could get this week, was this little interaction between our fav couple. Please just let this one go by, and I promise an exciting update next week.

Disclaimer- No don't own anything.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ginny awoke the next morning to very bright sunlight. She squinted against the rays and tried to roll away, but something stopped her. She felt oddly stuck to the bed, as if something was holding her down. She peeked on eye open to discover that it wasn't something, but someone. She turned slightly; she didn't want to wake the man next to her.

When she was on eye level with him, Ginny took her time observing the man she loved. Draco Malfoy, Slytherin king and vanity personified did not look like the part vela the rumors claimed him to be, especially that morning. Ginny grinned as she recalled how in her sixth year she had actually walked upto this man and asked him whether he was a vela. The dare had cost her weird glares from most of the Slytherins. When Draco had laughed and given her a small wink, the eyes of a million female admirers had narrowed and they'd all cursed her. Ginny was still grinning like a fool when she felt the uncontrollable urge to pee.

God! Terrible timing. Ginny sighed and tried to ease out from under the massive hand that still lay on her naked stomach. Naked! Oh Merlin! It all came flooding back now, the past day and all its occurrings. How could she have done what she did? Sleeping with someone you loved who didn't reciprocate was the first sin in the book of love! Waking up next to the man was another. Lack of protection while the act was also one she had broken, all in the same night.

What if I'm pregnant? Ginny's eyes flew wide open, all signs of sleep driven away. No no no no! I don't need this now. She closed her eyes tight, trying to recall if at any moment the previous night the idea of using protection had crossed her mind. Foolish foolish girl!

Her bladder contracted again, reminding Ginny of her current predicament. She tried to lift Draco's arm off her stomach when, “where are you going?” he asked his eyes still closed. Shocked, Ginny focused on his sleeping form and said uncomfortably “Umm... not to offend you or anything, but I really really need to pee.”

“Can't you hold it?” he asked drawing her more securely into his arms. Ginny felt like slapping the back of her sweating palm on her forehead. “No,” she said. Speaking was a huge effort at that moment, and Ginny didn't feel too comfortable with the idea of peeing on the bed before a man she'd just slept with the night before.

“Ok," he said, turning to his side of the bed. Ginny missed his arms around her, and was about to complain when he added,”be back soon”. Another grin broke out on her face as she ran towards the bathroom. She reached it in record time.

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“Where are you going?” asked Draco. “You're all packed. Did I scare you last night?” he asked concerned.

Ginny and Draco had shared a nice and warm lie in after of course both of them had visited the loo. Thereafter, Ginny had raised that question that had been lingering on her lips ever since they'd woken up.

“Draco, whatever happened last night, I don't want you to feel pressurized in any way, but did we use protection last night?” there, she'd said it. Draco looked up at her, and frowned, apparently trying to recall.

“I've had a really active and healthy record of conceiving, let me tell you,” said Ginny and laughed nervously. Draco's eyes widened at that. “Look I don't want you to think that I'm forcing myself on you or anything. If I'm pregnant, I wouldn't want anything from you that you won't be comfortable giving,” she said.

Draco covered her hand with his, “I did use protection yesterday night Gin. It's a potion that men take at the beginning of every month. I've been taking it whether or not I've been sleeping around since my seventh year,” he said. Ginny recalled the tales she'd heard of the Sex God- Draco Malfoy, but pushed those memories aside.

Now as they sat at the breakfast table, Ginny felt an odd loss. You never were pregnant, then why are you feeling so lousy? She asked herself. Ginny knew that she needed some time away from Draco to figure out what would be their next step.

“You didn't answer my question,” the voice of Draco brought her out of her reverie.

“Look Draco, you didn't scare me alright. Whatever happened last night was something that involved both of us as partners. Don't feel guilty in any way,” she said. I should be the one feeling guilty.

“Ginny, I want you to move in with me,” said Draco, placing a small kiss on her forehead. Ginny frowned “but I'm not pregnant,” she said confused. Why would Draco want to live with her?

“It's not that, I don't think I'll be able to live without you,” he said urgently. Ginny looked hard at him. He quickly blinked his eyes, but not before Ginny spotted something deep within them.

“I have to get to work, I'll see you at the office,” he said and left the manor hurriedly.

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A/n- So I need ideas, a sort of poll I'm conducting to see how the readers want the fic to end .I already had one set idea when I was planning the fic, but we all know how plans often go down the drain. So leave me an idea as a review or drop me a mail- at charmingal2003@rediffmail.com and I will tell you who the stalker is.

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25. The party

a/n -Finally here it is. Due to the absolute lack of length in the previous chapter, I've made this one longer, its five pages long ,around 1400 words.

Another good news for everybody is that the chapters from now on (the last two or three that are left) will be longer .However, since I have to make them longer, they may come out slowly, probably once every two weeks. I hope you understand.

Thus without further ado-

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As Ginny entered her new office, a small shiver ran down her spine as she recalled all the incidents that had shakened her once normal life. They all played in some sort of reverse motion, making her head spin. She held onto a chair while the world stopped turning at its axis. When had things gotten so complicated?

“Miss Weasley?” Ginny turned to come face to face with Roy. Shocked, as the Neville incident and it remarkable similarity to her position right now popped up in her overworked mind, Ginny laughed nervously. “Roy, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I'm sorry Gin. I was actually on my way to Draco's office previously, when it struck me, that he's off to Greece.” Ginny realized that she looked stupid due to the disappointed look on her face. So what? Draco wasn't in the office, big deal!

“Greece?”

“Yeah,” said Roy, shuffling a few papers in his hand.

Ginny looked at the papers, and then back at him, “Something important you have to say?”

“Not really. It's just that Draco had to attend a muggle party today. It's very important that a representative of Malfoy Inc be present there today,” he said.

“Have you tired getting in touch with him?” Ginny asked. She knew that Malfoy and Malfoy was in midst of a huge Wizard-Muggle deal. She understood the importance of this party and its potential impact on the business.

“Yes. But he's too busy today. I owled him, and he said to bring you by his office at around 2,” said Roy, as Ginny checked the watch to confirm the fact that Roy had walked into her office five minutes before 2. “Why me?” asked Ginny. Roy shrugged and simply stepped aside to let her lead the way. Ginny sighed and got moving. Back to work.

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As she entered the office of Draco, she realized again how much the room reminded her of her boss. She recalled how days ago she had walked into this office, suspicious of the job that Draco was offering her. Now she felt completely different, even slightly comfortable.

She was lost in her own thoughts while Roy moved around the office. A small cough interrupted her reverie, as both the occupants of the room turned to see the head of Draco Malfoy floating in the fireplace ,on the extreme left of Draco's office.

“Roy, Miss Wealsey,” Said Draco giving each of them an acknowledging nod.

“Good afternoon Mr. Malfoy,” Roy said. “I've brought Miss Wealsey as you requested,” he added. Draco nodded and turned to her. She expected his eyes to soften or a reaction, any kind of reaction, that would lead her to believe that Draco wasn't regretting the previous night, but she found none. His eyes were fixed to a spot above her head as he said softly “I need you to attend a muggle party today evening. Roy will give you details of the venue, and explain the basics of the deal. I'll join you sometime late evening,” he said, his eyes not moving from the spot above her head.

Ginny didn't really understand why he was so awkward, but she didn't care. His attitude infuriated her. She nodded her head,”I understand,” she said.

“If that's all,” said Draco, and his face vanished with a small pop. Ginny stared at the empty spot, and shrugged. “That's that, then.”

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As Ginny entered the big muggle hotel, an odd sort of nostalgia overtook her. All the memories of parties she had attended with Christopher came rushing back. Ginny took a small, calming breath. Relax. You don't regret running out. It's just your worked up mind. Now look up, and smile.

She looked around and realized that the grandeur of the hotel reminded her of a party that Christopher had thrown in order to celebrate an important deal. The glass surrounding, the smooth Italian marble floor, everything seemed oddly very familiar.

“Some champagne, madam?” asked a passing waiter. Ginny accepted the bubbling liquid, gratefully. The feeling of being the only person out of place overtook her senses. She'd often felt this way, even while with Christopher. He always said it were just nerves, Ginny believed she just didn't like the snooty and posh mixture that the environment was.

She shook her head, trying to clear it, and moved through the crowd. She loved watching these people throw fake kisses in the air; it had been her favorite hobby at boring parties. How women who hated the other , acted like long lost sisters when facing each other, really fascinated her.

So fascinated Ginny was that she tripped on the gown on a passing lady. Her failing arms came forward, and rested on the back of a tall man. Taking his support, Ginny steadied herself, and looked up to smile at-

“Christopher?”

“Ginerva?” He said and turned completely, now facing her. “Isn't this the most pleasant surprise now,” he said giving her one of his fake smiles. She knew his fake smiles from the real, and she hated being subjected to the fake one.

“It is,” She said trying to get away from him as fast as possible.

“What are you doing here,” he asked, taking in her Sea Green dress. She knew she looked good, but the leering ex fiancé didn't make her feel too good about herself. She cringed and prayed silently for a miracle.

“I'm here on business. What are you doing here?” she asked, aware that their tennis match of questions was attracting attention. The scandalous couple, the ultimate showdown.

“You're here on business and you don't know whose party this is?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrow. Ginny looked at him suspiciously. This couldn't be his party! Draco would have warned her. “This is your party?” she asked.

“Of course it is,” he said in his loud fake voice. She hated it, and she also hated all the attention that this thing was generating. She had to get away. “So, don't tell me you're here all alone,” Christopher said.

“Actually,” said Ginny, looking around for Draco. While her eyes were busy scanning the room a blonde appeared on the side of Christopher. “Ginerva, let me introduce, Cathy,” Christopher said, as Cathy said a polite hello. It was more of a so-you-are-the-ex-stay-away-now-he's-mine kind of a hello, but Ginny didn't really care. Her evening was ruined already. It was beyond repair.

“So Ginny, can I call you Ginny,” asked Cathy. Ginny turned to her and nodded, giving a weak smile. “Where's your date?” asked Cathy.

“He's….”Ginny said, her sentence trailing off.

“Running slightly late,” Said Draco, taking his place by her side. His arm slid protectively around her waist, while she leaned into him gratefully. He gave her a small wink and then turned towards Christopher.

“Mr. Malfoy,” exclaimed Christopher, again in his fake voice. He shook hands with Draco. “We must toast to our new venture and our partnership,” he said. He ordered for the drinks, while Ginny gave Draco a small glare.

As Christopher handed Draco his glass, Ginny excused herself. She needed fresh air, and she was headed straight for the balcony. The two glasses clinked behind her.

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By the time she was taking her fourth deep breath, Draco joined her. His arms came around her back, resting on her waist so that her back was against his chest. She removed his hands, and moved away. Taking another deep breath, she turned to him.

“What the matter with you?” He asked.

“With me? What is the matter with you? You know my history with that man and yet you didn't tell me this was his party?” she asked infuriated.

“What?”

“Yeah, yeah. Now that I think of it, I was kept away from this entire deal right from the beginning. I had no clue. Why?” She asked.

“Exactly, because I didn't want this scene to happen, the one that just happened,” he said.

“You could have warned me he was going to be here,” she reasoned.

“What? In front on Roy? You want more office gossip than there already is?” he asked.

“I have to go,” she said softly. She moved away, taking small and shaky steps.

“Fine,” said Draco to her back.

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a/n- YAY! I've finally gotten the end figured out. I'm just any loose ends that I can spot. This is so exciting. The stalker makes an appearance again, obviously in the next chapter. Also Behold, as I reveal a well guarded truth. The stalker………………………………………………………………………………Isn't one single man.

I also apologise for all the grammatical errors that you can spot here, or through the entire story. I have repeatedly said that English is not my first language and I've never had a steady or constant beta reader on this fic. Its like a curse, that never ended.

Ron died because of his utter lack of inteliigence. He died when at sea, looking for ginny. Harry and Hermione will slowly get back together, probably by the epilogue. PJ I really liked your idea about the potion not working due to its overuse, and I may actually use it. But not now, this is the point where the story gets intense.

Please keep reviewing. Lots of love.

Rid.

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26. And Finally-The STALKER.

a/n- Not one stalker but more than one? Hmm….. Read to find out!

Disclaimer- I own nobody except Christopher, Richard and Roy.

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While the cab took her home, Ginny felt disgusted with her behaviour at the party. She had not only been disrespectful to the host who also happened to be the future associate of her boss, but she had also ruined her only chance to speak clearly to Draco. She hit her palm hard against her forehead. Stupid stupid girl! You over-reacted and you know it.

Her emotions had once again taken over her rational self and she had over-reacted, like she often did. But she had ample reason to. Christopher had been nothing but a thorn in her side since she had escaped on the day of their wedding and now, as she saw him again, she had not been able to control all the hate and yet all the surprise and shock that had overtaken her senses and made her act like a five year old. To top all that, her feelings for Draco and his odd behavioral patterns had left her feeling dizzy. He had kissed her in front of a roomful of Muggles, but his eyes had not even softened while he had ordered her to attend this party in the afternoon.

Why had he kissed her? Was it because of this odd cold war that she felt was going on between Christopher and him? Was it another chauvinistic game of who got the girl? A war of supremacy?

“Turn left here,” she instructed and the cab driver took the necessary turn. The driver was a jolly but wise man and he knew that this passenger was in no mood of conversation. He had advised Ginny to roll the window down. At first Ginny had been amused and slightly wary- `in this cold weather?' But the blowing wind, she soon found out, was providing an odd sort of comfort.

Her thoughts went back to Draco, like they seemed to be doing often. She agreed with him, she didn't want office gossip. But lately, there had been so much gossip about her that she didn't care as to what anyone thought anymore. It was as if she'd become immune to gossip.

The cab came to a screeching stop. Ginny realized that the cab driver was patiently waiting for her to step out and pay him. Ginny rose and gently stepped on the gravel outside her house. She drew her coat more securely around herself, to avoid the bitter cold. She paid the cab driver and he drove off with a `good night' Ginny sighed and moved towards her house in hope of a peaceful night.

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As she entered the dark hall within the house, Ginny felt as if someone was watching her, very keenly. A small shiver ran down her spine, and she instinctively held out her hand, which automatically went in search of the light switch. The deafening silence was too much to bear, and Ginny burst into a Weird sister's song, in order to break the ghastly silence.

As her hand reached the switch, Ginny lit the room and quickly scanned it for anything unusual. Her legs were ready to bolt anytime now. The lights made little black spots dance before her eyes, since they were used to Darkness-her eyes.

As the sweeping cornea's reached the centre of the hall, Ginny opened her mouth to let out a small scream. There before her stood-Christopher!

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“Christopher?” Ginny took a small step back, scared. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

He laughed, like a maniac. The sound made small waves of utter sickness run through her body, as Ginny tried to comprehend the reason as to why Christopher was in her house. He stopped laughing, as if on cue, and leisurely walked upto her favorite couch and seated himself. “Come on Ginny. Don't you know why?” he said in a seductive yet dangerous voice.

“What do you mean? How did you get in?” she asked .She recalled giving a key of they burrow to Christopher, which he had returned after the break up. But the key to this house-

“Let's see, I don't have the key, I didn't break a window, the police isn't here and I cannot apparate. Does that leave me, with any other option?” he asked. Ginny looked at him puzzled. How had he entered? Besides, what was he doing here?

“Look Chris, you're freaking me out. Please tell me what you're doing here, or leave now,” she said slightly angry . She took a few steps into the house, and moved towards the coat hanger to deposit her coat and keys.

“Oh I won't leave so easily. I didn't the last two times I entered. You remember what I did then?” he asked, blowing on his nails.

“Last two times. Don't mess with me Chris, you haven't been here prev -“ the words died on her tongue as what Christopher was saying started making sense. As she looked into his eyes, and saw the crazy gleam, she realized with blinding clarity that Christopher was her stalker. She felt her head spin. She clutched onto a table next to the coat hanger as her body threatened to stop functioning.

She couldn't faint. She had to get out of the house. As if reading her mind. Christopher tutted and said softly “Don't even think about it. None of us is going anywhere,” he said, now rising from the couch. Ginny could do pretty much nothing. She knew her only chance of getting away would be to let Christopher talk.

“Why? Why? Why? Why would you stalk me?” she asked, all the while thinking of a way to turn about and run away, without him noticing.

“Don't speak like that, as if you don't know,” he shouted, taking small but firm steps towards her. Ginny moved a couple of steps to her right, so that she was now in the centre of the hall. As long as she kept running away, he'd have to talk.

“You wanted revenge?” she asked. “Just because I didn't marry you, you want to kill me? Are you insane?” she spat at him. Suddenly she wished that she was at that stupid party, with Draco by her side. She felt tiny drops of perspiration on her forehead.

He laughed again, loudly. “I wasn't, wasn't until I met you. You, you Ginerva Weasley drove me insane,” he said before bursting into maniac laughter again. “While we were together, I saw the way guys looked at you and then at me. They thought I was a lucky guy, who got the lovely princess with flaming red hair. But then, when you didn't turn up at the wedding all the admiration turned to pity and sympathy and above everything else-ridicule,” he said.

“Ridicule?” Ginny asked, all the while moving away from him. They were circling the hall, furniture between them, like wrestlers, waiting for the other one to make a move.

“Yes ridicule. After all why would the princess leave a guy? Probably he's not good in bed. He hits her. I'm sure she's found someone better. And I could say nothing, nothing.”

As Ginny felt sorry for him, she stopped moving. And then another thought struck her. “But you left that message on my machine, you called Draco a ferret. You knew about us?” she stated more than asked.

This halted Christopher's movements also for a while, as he cocked his head to one side to consider what Ginny had just said. Ginny quickly took three more steps to her right, now only a few steps away from the door. And then Christopher did something that was beginning to irritate her. He laughed again.

“Ginny Ginny- you think a man like me will get into something like this without someone to blame it on?” he asked. Ginny merely looked foolishly at him. “You mean there were more people involved?” she asked shocked.

Christopher held up one finger. “Person. I wanted a person who would do anything for you. Who was obsessed with you. Who had a criminal record. Who better than Neville?” he asked.

“Neville?”

“Ron mentioned him once, and the name just stayed with me. Who knew that an obsessed man would prove to be so useful,” he said and laughed some more.

“Neville,” Ginny repeated.

“Yeah, pretty great huh? We were a pair of watchmen. We followed you everywhere. Who you meet, what do you do, EVERYTHING,” he said. “It was going great, until the fool got desperate. He saw you kissing Malfoy and he thought -`Hey! I wouldn't mind a few kisses'. He ruined everything,” he said.

“And you let him get caught, let him die in Azkaban?” she asked, resuming her walk around the hall, as she realized that the now fast moving Christopher was gaining in on her.

“He deserved it. He was supposed to leave the message and wait. He thought he'd act smart and convince you to marry him. Fool! You are mine to get rid of,” he said, finally moving in. Ginny turned and moved towards the door, but Christopher was too fast for her. He caught hold of her wrist and turned her around.

“Ah ah, no running away,” he said. Ginny sighed. Suddenly the idea of letting Christopher kill her appealed tremendously. She closed her eyes and waited.

A sudden knock on the door was heard.

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A/n- There you go. Now you know the stalker. Everyone who guessed it correct- 100 points. Those who thought it was Harry- come on I turned Neville into a bad guy, does that mean I'll do the same to Harry? Those who thought it was Draco- hello!

All the same- enjoy the chapter, cause the next update may be a little late.

Thanks for reading-

Rid!

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27. The Last fight-1

A/n-My Apologies for the delay in posting, but as I had warned you before, I had to face my final exams for my first year at college and for those of you who want to know, they went incredibly well. Now onto the chapter, since I don't have patience.

Disclaimer-I don't own any of the characters you recognize below except Cathy, Christopher and another one, which you have to read to find out. Everything else belongs to JO!

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“Who's that?” Christopher asked his breath coming out in short gasps. Apparently the idea of killing her was very exciting for him. Ginny felt her light supper coming back up and tried hard to control the urge to puke. She took a breath and said, “I don't know.”

The next instant all the breath was knocked out of her when Christopher's fist pounded her stomach. She doubled over with pain and kneeled on the floor, clutching her stomach. Her eyes watered and shut automatically while she tired hard to deal with the absolute pain. “I'm trying to be nice here and you used some magic to call someone?” he shouted.

Ginny realized then, in that instant, that she was a witch. Duh! You can escape this situation with one wave of your wand. Ginny moved her hand slowly towards her waist, trying to draw her wand out without Christopher noticing. Her hand closed around the hard and cold wood, and it reassured her. She extracted it and waited for Christopher's attention to waver. As her fiancé, his short attention span had really bugged her senseless, but today she was glad that she knew these small things about Christopher. He was now moving towards the door. Ginny saw her chance and aimed her wand at Christopher's back.

“Expelliarmus.” Her wand was pulled out of her reach and it bounced off the opposite wall. Ginny looked up to find -

“Cathy?” asked Christopher, turning towards the woman who had just entered from Ginny's kitchen. “You weren't supposed to come out,” Christopher said in a rush. He looked like a small boy whose favorite piece on a chess board had moved without his will.

“Relax Christopher. Everything's fine,” she said tucking her wand safely back into her waist.

Ginny got off the floor, the blood now returning its normal path through her legs. She raised shocked eyes to the blonde that she had met in the party and asked- “You're a witch?”

“Of course she is. I told you I didn't break in or use a key to this apartment. How else do you think I could have entered without tipping you house alarm?” Asked, raising an eyebrow at her stupidity. Ginny frowned deeply and scratched an itchy spot on her head. “You are awfully dimwit for a Business executive. If I had you for a director of my company I'd be broke before I knew it. How the heck did Malfoy appoint you?”

All this while, Cathy watched the exchange very intently. What she forgot to watch was her change in appearance. Her hair, which was a sun blonde color previously, slowly faded to white blonde, and her features changed into a slightly adult version. Ginny noted the change the minute Christopher stopped talking.

“So ginny how would you prefer to die?” asked Christopher who obviously had not yet noticed the change in the appearance of his companion.

“Not so soon honey, lets play with her a little,” said the other woman in the hall who had a moment ago transformed into Emily. Emily the woman who was supposed to have left the manor, the woman who Ginny had met but a few days ago. Emily who Ginny realized had fooled Christopher in the disguise of Cathy. She obviously realized that Ginny had recognized her.

Christopher turned towards her and he exclaimed,”What do you mean? And what happened to you?” he asked, taking a shocked step back.

“Honey, listen to me, we have one common goal here, to kill her. Work with me,” she said. Christopher looked into her eyes and after a moment's hesitation nodded along. The knock on the door was heard again.

“Now Ginerva, please be kind enough to open the door. And mind you, no cheating,” said Emily threatningly. Ginny nodded mutely and rose to go to the door. As she reached it, she sent a silent prayer to Merlin .Let it not be Draco, Please!

As the door opened an inch wider a man's foot was stuck in. Ginny retreated back, as the force of the man pushed her. The man opened the door completely and stepped in. His clothes were hanging oddly on his slightly chubby body. His eyes looked drawn and tired, as if the man hadn't slept in days.

“Neville,” she said, shocked.

“Ah! Mr. Longbottom. Glad you could join us today,” said Christopher.

Neville stepped into the house, nodding to Christopher and Emily.

“Neville? You, b-broke out of Azkaban?” asked Ginny as another shock wave rolled off her body.

“I'm afraid not Ginerve,”said Emily, giving her a nasty smile. “Mr. Longbottom was helped by a few of the death-eaters in Azkaban,” she said.

Ginny turned to Emily “you mean death-eaters still do magic in the prison. But I thought that their wands had all been snapped,” she said. Emily gave a loud amused shriek before erupting into laughter. Ginny turned to Neville. “They use a very ancient form of magic. It took five of them days to figure it out. It was my acute need and wish to find you that fueled the magic to work wonders, and in the end I escaped,” said Neville, looking at Emily.

Ginny closed her eyes for a moment, gathering all her strength to face what she knew would probably be her end. Emily stepped upto Neville and offered Ginny's wand to him. “Lets have some fun with her,” said Emily. Neville nodded and accepted the wand.

Ginny eyes slowly filled with tears of shock. So many in one day were doing nothing for her nervous system. Christopher wanted to kill her. Emily wanted to kill her. Even Neville wanted to kill her. Did nobody love her? Had she really messed up the lives of so many people?

It would serve her right to die now, wouldn't it? It wouldn't be easy, but it would be the most natural thing. -her actions coming back to haunt her.. Ginny clenched her fists, ready.

And then something amazing happened. It was as if someone was giving her strength. Their strength, his strength. Ginny recognized the spell and opened her eyes to find the source of this new found strength, and her eyes landed on Neville. Neville had used another ancient spell that transformed all his powers into her body. She had studied about this spell, but didn't know how it worked. Now as the golden light of male energy combined with the scarlet of her own, she felt her body radiate with power. Her sad eyes looked into Neville's and in that moment of gratefulness, she forgave him.

“I just love you Ginny, and I just wanted to say Sorry,” said Neville via some sort of telepathy that the spell created between the two of them.

And then Neville turned to Emily, pointed Ginny's wand at her chest and simply muttered “Avada Kedavra.”

Since there wasn't any emotion of will to kill the person attached to the spell, and since half of Neville's strength had been transferred to Ginny, and since Neville's stay in Azkaban had made him very weak, the spell was easily deflected by Emily using another one, which Ginny supposed was taught to only insiders of the Death-eaters clan.

As Neville's body fell to the floor, the tears that Ginny had been holding back slipped down her face. He really did love her. She mourned for the friend she had lost, and sent a silent prayer for him. So many innocent people- Ron, Neville, Her.

No! Not me. They won't get me!

She felt the energy swell within her and she wiped the tears off, standing straight up and facing Emily. Emily, done with Neville, also turned to her. Their eyes locked, and for a moment she felt Emily's will wander. She blinked her eyes, and then in a flash the hesitance was replaced by anger.

“You're going to die, Ginerva Weasley, and there will be no one to save you,” She said.

A/n-Ah! You're going to die. Woohoooo! Good Gracious! Sorry, just got carried away. I am so absolutely proud of this chapter; I cannot imagine what you guys must be feeling at this particular moment. Don't worry and be patient. The next chapter will be up soon. Review!

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28. The last fight-2

a/n- I know that the last chapter didn't exactly explain things clearly. I've replaced it and the new version of the chapter included details of how Neville escaped. It also includes a little about the spell. Let me clear any confusions- it was a spell that transferred all of Neville's powers to Ginny. This was done so that she could fight off the Death-curse for some seconds, which will be explained in detail in the last chapter-i.e the one after this.

If you still are confused about the Cathy changing to Emily thing-this chapter and the edited version of the previous chapter should clear any confusions. Please- I advise you to read the edited version of the previous chapter first.

My gratifications to all my readers, thank you so much for all your support.

Disclaimer-I don't own any of the characters you recongise below.

“You're going to die and there will be no one to save you,” she said. Emily circled the couch that now stood between her and Ginny as she made her way towards her. Christopher who had been glued to his spot for a while suddenly gave out a low whistle. Emily stopped in her tracks and turned towards him. “What?” she asked him, tilting her head to one side.

“You just killed this man,” he said walking up to the body of Neville. He looked down at the dead eyes that had rolled up in the man's face and then looked up, “Why?” Emily's expression changed from deadly to highly frustrating. “Why do muggle's have to be so stupid?” she murmured.

“What did you call me?” asked Christopher.

“Nothing. Do you want to kill Ginny here or not?” she asked turning back to Ginny. She expected him to jump, shout, and say yes. What she didn't expect was what Christopher said next.

“No”.

Emily suddenly turned towards Christopher, her eyes round with shock. “What do you mean no? You came this far to just look at her and what, run away?” she shouted. Christopher's clear eyes looked into hers and he repeated once again.” No”.

“Are you deaf? I asked you to quit saying that. Now get here,” she said.

“I'm not getting involved in this. I'm a very respectable citizen. I don't want to go get mixed up with a murder. It'll ruin everything,” he said. He slowly took a step towards the door.

“Christopher. I'm warning you, one more step and you'll be dead,” she said her wand now pointed at Christopher. Christopher stopped and turned around giving her a wicked smile. “No you won't. You won't kill me. That only a stick, it can't do any magic,” he said.

“You've obviously lost your mind. Didn't you see how this man here just died?” asked Emily.

“That was just a trick. That's not true. I'm getting out of here,” he said. He turned towards the door and his hand reached out for the door knob. The instant he touched it, his body fell to the ground with a crash. Green smoke enveloped his body as Emily smiled at the complete pleasure of killing another human.

“He was a foolish man. It's your turn now Gi-“her words were cut off as she turned to find absolute silence and the lack of Ginny in the hall. “You can't run for too long. I'm going to find you, and when I do, you'll die, “she shouted. Her voice echoed through the house. “Alright then. I'm coming,” she said.

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As Emily made her way up the small and narrow staircase; she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand. Being a death-eater made you fearless of everything. Everything but the unknown. Emily hated being kept in the dark or being left out of something. Her idea of a ruined birthday party had been when her parents had thrown her a surprise one. She had continued to cry for the longest time.

Now, as she made her way through the house, she felt oddly the same sensation. Oh calm down. You're the one with the wand. You're going to kill her. But was she?

“Come out, come out wherever you are,” she said into the darkness. As she entered the first room on the first floor, the smell of Ginny's perfume reached her. So this was her room. Emily entered the room looking around carefully.

When Draco had called her up to tell her how some girl named Ginny had changed him and his life, she had laughed like a school girl.

“We're meant to be together,” she had told Draco. He had merely said,”No we're not and you know it Emily. I no longer know who you are, and even though I wouldn't agree to it yet, I think I care more deeply for the Gryffindor than I could ever care for you.”

Really! Well the Gryffindor was going to be dead in a while.

Her passion had ruled her hormones when she was young. The only mistake she had committed was to let Draco walk in on her while she was having fun. But that didn't mean that she hadn't done her share of sacrifices for Draco. Being with one man had been so tough, but she'd done it for Draco. And now, some girl walks in and things just snap. Not happening.

When she heard that Draco was back in town, she immediately went to the manor, but the elves had told her that he was not residing at the manor. He was with that punk. That had infuriated her and that's how Christopher had really gotten involved. It was easy shoveling the dirt up, and after a few drinks, Christopher had spilled the beans. And now he was dead. Emily smiled.

She let her eyes take in the surroundings. Ginny apparently was very fond of lilies, her room smelled faintly of it. Scanning it quickly, Emily made her way to the next room.

As she entered this one, she realized that amongst many other things that littered the floor of the furniture free room, many were toys. What were kids toys doing in this house? Shrugging, Emily advanced towards the last room on the floor- the bathroom.

As she stepped into the darkened interior a bulb automatically lit the room with right yellow light. Ah Electricity! Emily had heard about this. She scanned the glass covered bathroom carefully. She had a feeling that Ginny was somewhere on the top floor itself.

As her eyes landed on a spot on, Emily entered the bathroom. Her hand reached out for the door to support herself. When the door didn't completely turn on its hinges Emily tried again, lightly. Again, the door refused to retreat beyond a certain point. Raising her wand, she rounded the path,all around the door, and pulled it on the other side. She released a breath she wad holding. Nobody!

“Where are you?” she shouted.

“Right here,” came a voice from behind her. Emily turned but saw nobody there.

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Ginny made sure that the invisibility coat was tucked safely around her. If Emily got wild, she would have to be dealt with strength. While Emily was going through her house, Ginny had quickly called for the muggle police. They were, she presumed, on their way. All she had to do was keep Emily occupied.

Even though Ginny had not witnessed Christopher's murder, she guessed he was dead. The minute Emily's attention had turned towards him, Ginny had escaped. Harry's invisibility coat, which he had leant her, seemed like the very solution. Besides, she hardly knew where her wand was.

Slowly, so as to not alarm Emily, Ginny backed out of the bathroom. Emily was moving her hands around like a fool.

“I know you're here, come out,” she was saying.

Ginny touched her back briefly before taking a good many steps behind. “I'm here,” she said, before slowly reaching the staircase. Emily followed her voice, and obediently came behind it. Slowly, Ginny led them towards the hall. Now all she had to do was wait for the Police to arrive.

She quietly moved towards the door, meaning to open it, when she felt a light breeze. The next instant her body was raked by waves of pain. It was the worst feeling ever, like a thousand needles poking her all over. The next moment the pain stopped as she fell to the ground.

“You think you're so smart don't you? Well you're not. You heard me, you're not,” said Emily who came and stood over her. “What's your last wish Ginerva Weasley?” she asked. Ginny groaned and closed her eyes. “You don't get one,” said Emily before starting off again. The pain seemed to hinder her sense of any function. Ginny closed her fists tightly, as nausea and dizziness took over her. The last thing she heard before passing out was the siren of a police car.

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Thanks for reading , now review!

Rid!

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29. The Happy Ending

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters you recognize below. They all belong to J K Rowling.

As Ginny opened her disoriented eyes, she felt as if someone had amputated every part of her body except her eyes. She strained against the darkness that surrounded her vision to make any sense of where she was. She felt something heavy on her nose and painfully opened her eyes, again. It was no use.

Ok Ginny, count to ten and then try again, she instructed herself. She tried opening her eyes again, and this time she was able to keep them open long enough to realize that she was breathing through the horrible mask that she had seen muggle's often use to pump oxygen into patients. She groaned in protest of the continuous throbbing of her head.

Ginny counted to ten again, and this time was able to confirm that her body was intact, bruised and blistered, yes. But none of her body parts had been pulled out. She let out a small breath and choked on it. She struggled, and in a few moments was able to lift her hand to remove the mask.

The unmistakable smell of antiseptic reached her nostrils and Ginny cursed softly. Inspite of it being a wizard hospital, the universally accepted antiseptic smell was in the air. She hated this smell. She tried sitting up, and realized that her body was sore in places that she didn't know existed. She groaned against the pain, again.

“Relax, relax,” Ginny let her eyes take in the concerned and haggard appearance of Draco. Her lip trembled slightly as the last few hours came rushing back. In a flash Draco was by her side, his arms around her as he rubbed her back, muttering soothing words in a foreign language. Ginny trembled as she closed her eyes and let her tears fall softly.

“How long have I been here?” she asked him.

“Two days. They said that it was going to be long before you came around. I was worried sick. I've never been so scared in my entire life,” he said. She felt his labored breath and took delight in his concern for her. “When I walked into your apartment and saw those policemen restraining Emily, I was so angry. But then I saw you on the ground, deathly pale and I just couldn't take it any more. I suppose the policemen have had their memory wiped out,” said Draco, breathing heavily.

Ginny retreated from his embrace and looked seriously up at him, “you didn't hurt her, did you?” she asked frantically.

“No, but I sure as hell wished I had. I used the body bind on her and then safely delivered her to Dumbledore. ,” he said. Ginny gave a small smile of relief before another equally important though struck her. “Neville. Oh my God! Draco, Azkaban isn't safe anymore. The death-eaters, they can escape,” she said.

“It's alright Ginny. I know that, Emily confessed everything before Dumbledore. We have the Death-eaters under strict vigilance now. Headmaster has placed Giants around the fort, and I suppose for a while at least we won't be having any trouble,” he said, placing a small kiss on her forehead.

“But won't they find a way out eventually?” she asked, afraid that if Neville could escape, then the other horrible people could too.

“I'm afraid they probably will. But then that's the way it's always going to be. I doubt however, anyone had as much willpower as Neville did. He really loved you, you know!” said Draco, looking very seriously at her.

“I loved him too. But in a very brotherly way,” she said. A small tear escaped her watery eyes and rolled down her cheek. She gave him a watery smile, thinking of her friend. Draco quietly wiped her face.

“Your family has been worried sick about you,” said Draco softly. Ginny looked up, her eyes wide with shock and surprise. “Your mother especially,” he said an amused smile of his face.

“Mother?” Ginny asked in wonderment. “Oh Draco! I'm not ready for this yet,” she said softly, before burying her head in his chest.

“That's alright Ginny. They're not here now. I sent them home,” he said. “I promised them that they could come visit you in the morning,” he said.

“I was so scared when I saw Neville and Christopher dead. I thought about giving up there, you know let Emily kill me. I figured that if so many people hated me, then there was no point in continuing to live,” she said. Draco arms tightened around her.

“Don't you ever say that. You have to be there here for your family, for your friends and most importantly, for me,” he said closing his eyes.

Ginny raised her head and peered curiously at him. “Why?”

“I don't know if I deserve you after all these years of pain that I've caused you, but Merlin knows how much I mean this. I love you Ginny.”

Ginny felt her head spin as the words finally made any sense. He loved her, oh Merlin! Oh but he did!

“I know I've been nothing short of nasty and rude and selfish these past few months, but I really mean it when I sat this, I do love you and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, if you give me a chance to,” he said .

“Yes, you have been rather rude,” she said, moving away from him slightly. She saw his eyes, those wonderful eyes, cloud with regret and pain and felt her own heart contract. “But you've also been Supporting and caring and well, fact is you're too darned Slytherin for my own good. But I do love you. So to hell with how my mother is going to react to this, but yes, I think I can very clearly see our future together.”

His eyes lighted up with happiness that was even beyond what she thought she was capable of feeling herself. As they sealed their destiny with a kiss, Ginny sent a silent prayer of thanks to her hasty decision of running away on the day she was scheduled to get married.

Love had found it way!

A/n-That's it. Completed finally. For those of you who are still curious, there will be an epilogue so that I can finally show how Ginny reconciles with her family and in order to fulfill the requirements of the site, give a small hint of Harry/Hermione action.

PJ- I'm using that idea of failed potion BTW! I want to thank everybody who has helped, encourage and supported me through this fic. I also want to appreciate each and every one of my critic. I have realized mistakes and have made an effort to rectify them.

I also want to thank all four of my beta readers who worked during various phases of this fic. Thankies to all of you.

I'll be taking a small break now, but I ensure you I will be back with another story pretty soon. Until then- Bye! Taklia!

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30. Epilogue

“We're really sorry Gin, but you have to understand how things were then. We thought you were making the worst mistake of your life by running away,” said Molly Weasley in a rush.

A new day had brought with it little nausea and a slight heaviness, but what mattered most to Ginny Weasley was the huge rock that Draco had placed on her finger. For the hundredth time that day, Ginny looked hesitantly at the ring on her finger. Its was an emerald, `to match your eyes' Draco had said, adorned by a dozen smaller diamonds placed lovingly around the emerald. Ginny was more than just happy, she was content.

She placed a small hand on her mothers shoulder and gave a small squeeze of understanding. “Mom, the last few months have not been easy for either one of us. You've lost a son, I've lost a brother, but then again we've gained a lot too,” said Ginny, her eyes instantly looking for Draco. He was standing next to Harry, muttering conspirately. Yes, they'd gained a lot too!

“Yes, I suppose so. As long as you forgive me. I don't know what overcame me. We were just so disappointed in your decision to run away from Christiopher. But then when Draco ,bless him, told us about the stalker and how the past two months have been hell for you…..” her voice trailed off, as she gave a sad sob. Ginny hugged her quickly and both women held onto each other for dear life. “I'm just so sorry,” said Molly.

“It's alright,” said Ginny, instantly forgetting the last two months, in a gesture of understanding. After Percy's behavior in her fourth year, her mother's detached nature was understandable. “I'm sorry too, for everything.”

“Alright now molly, she needs her rest,” said Arthur Weasley, placing his hand on his wife's shoulder, gently drawing her away from the bed. “We'll wait outside dear,” he said, placing a small kiss on her forehead. Ginny waved out to her parents and felt a bubble of happiness rise within her.

“Somebody's very happy,” said Draco, coming to sit beside her on the bed, “Move it,” he said, making place for his huge form next to her.

“You're so arrogant,” said Ginny in mock annoyance.

“I know,” he said. “I have to tell you something important,” he said taking her hand in his.

“What?” she asked tilting her head to one side, amusement evident in her eyes.

“Harry has decided to propose Hermione,” he said, softly. The next instant the room erupted with a happy squeal as Ginny hugged Draco tightly in happiness.

“I'm so happy! Hermione deserves to be happy, and Harry so loves her. He'll take care of her,” she said. A disapproving healer appeared at the door to her room, asking them to keep it down. Draco rose to greet him, while the healer asked Ginny some questions.

“You do love this place, don't you?” joked the healer, referring to her previous few visits to the hospital. “But I daresay you'll be a regular feature now,” he said eyeing her reports. Her face went suddenly pale, as her eyes went to Draco, who was standing very still. They turned to the healer, who was now smiling. “It seems, that you're pregnant,” he said.

A sudden silence was greeted by the announcement. The healer looked from Ginny's flushed face, to Draco shocked one. “You're almost a week through,” said the healer.

“But how do you know for sure. Doesn't it take at least two months to determine the pregnancy?” asked Draco. He looked oddly pale. Suddenly Ginny felt apprehensive about Draco's response. She was ecstatic, but was Draco?

“Mr. Malfoy, we're wizards, our procedure is a lot faster. Plus, Ginny shows all signs of having a slightly ruffled, because of the torture, but a fast growing healthy baby,” said the healer. Ginny unconsciously clutched her stomach as the memory of the torture tore its way into her mind. She shoved it aside.

“But I used protection,” said Draco helplessly. Ginny recalled his statement that morning, and raised confused eyes to the healer. He merely shrugged, “must be a bad batch of potions. Or your body must be reacting strongly against it,” he said. He gave them an encouraging smile and left.

Ginny looked at Draco stiff back and asked softly, “You don't want it?”

Draco turned and Ginny saw the look of shock in his eyes and felt herself stiffen. “No, it's not that. It's just that it's too soon. I wanted you to myself for a while. But-but I guess.”

“This changes things, doesn't it?” she asked.

“Yes. I guess I'll have to make this sooner than expected,” he said. He covered the remaining distance between them and sat next to her on the bed. “Ginerva Weasley, will you marry me.”

Ginny tried to contain her happiness and said in the most brilliant smile that she could conjure- “YES!”

A/n- Thankies to everyone who has stayed with me throughout the fic. Lots of love. Until I begin my next- Bye bye everyone!

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