CHAPTER 13 Forgiveness
"Don't cry, Gin," Draco tilted her chin up. "Please don't." He kissed her forehead.
"I just need to know what this means. I don't want to get my hopes up and have them crushed again."
She had never before heard Draco quite so honest.
"Does this mean you want to try again?"
She nodded, delirium washing through her. "Yes," she whispered.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded. "We can take it slowly this time."
"If that's what you want." He pulled her into his lap and covered her face with kisses. "So tell me about being offered a contract by three teams," he asked, a smile in his voice.
Ginny let out a tiny giggle. "Union offered me a lot of money, but the Canon's offered me a second string position. Plus, Ron's always been partial to the Canon's. So I went with them."
Draco groaned. "You're going to play for Weasel's favorite team?'
"Hey!"
Draco smirked. "It doesn't matter. I'll be there to watch you."
Ginny snuggled deeper inside his arms, the comfort and protection exactly what she needed and had spent so many nights longing for. She realized now that she had been a fool. She had tortured herself needlessly out of fear. "I owe you something," she confessed.
"What?"
"Floo powder."
"You took it?" he asked, confusion in his voice.
"Uh huh," she ducked her head.
"Why?"
"Um, we went to London."
"To London?'
"To a Muggle club. A nightclub."
"A Muggle nightclub?"
"It was fun."
"Who went?" he asked, his eyebrow arched high.
"A bunch of us."
Draco shook his head. "What was it like?"
Ginny laughed. "I thought you disliked all things Muggle!"
He shrugged.
"It was fun. We danced and drank and . . . we should go."
"Should we?"
"Yeah. You have to have these things called fake ids, but Zoë can make them. This summer, after graduation."
"Before you start to become a famous Quidditch star?" he teased.
"Right. I might not have time for those kind of things, you know!"
"You better."
"Only if you're there."
"Sounds good," he told her.
"Are you serious?" she asked, looking up at him.
"Very." He sighed and pulled away from her. "I hate to say this, but my first class starts in 15 minutes and we're both supposed to be there!"
"What?" Ginny squeaked. "I'm never going to get ready!" Then she gasped. "How am I going to get out of here without getting caught?"
Draco stood. "How about you just stay here until class starts and then you go get ready. I can excuse you from the first half of class since we're not really doing anything."
"Really?" Ginny smiled, pulling his blankets back to her chin.
"Really." He leaned down to kiss her forehead and quickly hurried to his bathroom.
When Ginny slunk into the Potions classroom an hour later, Draco merely gazed at her, his expression blank; several students gaped openly when he did not yell and take points, and Helena glowered. Ginny couldn't resist throwing a smirk in her direction.
She took up with Colin and Luna, helping them finish a Glory potion.
"I take it you two made up," Luna whispered.
Ginny shrugged. "What makes you say that?"
She giggled. "Maybe because he hasn't taken any points today? Maybe because he didn't explode when you
walked in an hour late?"
"I was busy," Ginny smiled.
"Uh huh. Right." Luna shrugged. "Well, I'm glad. It was getting really annoying!"
They exchanged glances and smiles that they tried to keep secret, and when the dismissal bell rang, Draco called out, "Ms. Weasley, come see me for your assignments."
"Yes, Professor?" Ginny drawled when the classroom emptied. "My assignments?"
"Meet me for lunch this Saturday, by the lake."
Ginny giggled. "I think I can handle that."
With a few quick strides, he had crossed the room and engulfed her in his arms. She breathed in his warm, familiar scent and once again, felt secure in his grasp.
****
Draco held her hand at graduation. Ron's ears turned bright red. Hermione sat close to Harry and Ron's new girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, was giggling at Ron's enraged expression. "What in the bloody hell is that, that Slytherin doing to my sister?" he demanded loudly.
"I was in Slytherin too, love," Ginny heard Pansy drawl in his ear. Ginny'd have to ask her brother how that happened when they were alone.
Ginny's future boss, manager of the Canon's came to congratulate her and tell her he looked forward to her arrival.
Her father shook Draco's hand rather firmly, as did Percy. Bill, Charlie, and the twins exchanged glances before inviting Draco out for drinks that evening. Draco looked like he'd rather die, but said yes anyways. Her mother, who had been speaking with Dumbledore, hurried over and hugged Ginny before sizing Draco up and then engulfing him in a hug as well. Dumbledore caught Ginny's eyes and gave her a small smile, and she wondered exactly what he had told her mum.
When the ceremony was finished, Bill hugged her and told her that they were going to Hogsmead for drinks.
"I want to go too," Ginny said quickly.
"No way," Charlie interjected. "This is Wizard's business."
"Don't be silly," Ginny sniffed. "I graduated. I'm going."
"Actually," Percy reminded her, "you have one more night at Hogwarts, and then you can do whatever you want. You're not allowed to leave the grounds tonight."
Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brothers. "If you hurt him, I will repay you," she swore. "I will make every hex you know seem tame!"
"Relax," Bill rolled his eyes. "We're not going to hurt him, just have drinks with him."
Ginny gave them one final warning before going back to Draco. "So you're going for drinks now?" she asked him.
Draco blanched slightly and nodded. "That's what they said."
"Good luck," Ginny sighed dramatically.
"Why did I have to fall in love with the witch who has several dozen older brothers?" Draco teased.
Ginny froze for a moment and then raised an eyebrow. "You love me?"
"Do you think I would have spent so much time and energy into getting you and getting you back if I
didn't?"
Ginny only smiled because her mouth suddenly couldn't form any words.
"So," Draco asked, glancing around to make sure they were alone, "are you sleeping in your bed tonight?"
"I guess so," she answered, finding her voice and temporarily confused.
"Too bad. I was hoping I'd get back from the verbal beating I'm going to get and find you sleeping in my bed."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, really. Then we'll see what we can do," Ginny smiled. "You better go."
"Right." He stepped away and then turned around. "I love you."
Inside, Ginny jumped for joy. It was the first time he'd ever said those words, but on the outside she remained calm. "I love you too."
When her family left, Ginny went back to the Gryffindor Tower for the last time. She stayed in there until 11:30, drinking butterbeer, reminiscing, and celebrating with her friends, and then she crept unnoticed to Draco's room. Once inside Draco's room, she stripped off all her clothes and then slid between the sheets.
Ginny woke when the bed moved slightly. In the darkness she could see Draco, slipping in next to her. "How'd it go?" she whispered.
"Pretty awful," he groaned dramatically. "They basically said that if I hurt you in any way, shape, or form, they would feed me to Charlie's dragons." He paused, and she could smell the faint, intoxicating scent of his cologne. "It was hard to be serious though. I kept having visions of you in my bed."
Ginny let out a sleepy giggle and pulled him closer.
"Forget your pajamas?" he teased.
"Something like that."
Draco's hand slid up the outside of her thigh as he drew her closer. "I like you when you're forgetful."
She didn't respond with words, but pressed her lips into his and curled her body to fit neatly into his own. She lowered her hand to his bare stomach and traced her fingers across the prominent outlines of his muscles and let her mouth wander across his neck and to his ear.
"Are you sure, Gin?" he asked heavily, his fingers caressing her face. "Do you want this?"
"Yes," she whispered back into his ear. "I want you."
That was all the invitation he needed, and his hands slid to her bare breasts, kneading them softly and gently squeezing her nipples between his fingers. Ginny quickly moved her hands to tug his boxers down and moaned into his neck as she felt him grow hard against her legs.
One of Draco's hands was already slipping down her stomach and finding its way between her legs. The mere thought of his touch was too much to resist and she tilted her hips towards him, encouraging his fingers. She gasped with desire as his finger grazed her clit and then slipped easily inside. "Please," she gasped, thrusting her hips to meet his fingers. It had been too long since she'd had him, and she didn't want to waste time on foreplay.
Ginny draped one leg over him, giving him more access and began to grind her hips against his, moaning as his cock slipped between her thights, not entering her but sliding back and forth between the slick folds of her sex.
"Tell me what you want Gin Gin," he commanded, his lips and teeth grazing her skin.
"You, I want you," she whimpered back.
"Tell me, tell me how."
"I want you inside me," she told him, all shame gone. "I need you inside me. I want to feel you come inside of me. I need you to fuck me so hard I won't be able to walk tomorrow."
With one move Draco had rolled her on top of him and swiftly sent her down on his waiting cock.
The shameless moan that left her lips sounding nothing like Ginny, but she was too busy grating her clit against Draco's pale curls to care.
"Ride me, Gin," he groaned, sitting up and burying his face in her breasts, sucking each one.
She ignored him and for the moment, concentrated solely on her pleasure. The sex was slow and leisurely, as if they expected that the night would never end. Draco caressed her nipples and sucked sweetly on her neck, letting her simply roll her hips back and forth, and when she brought her hands up to stroke her own breasts, Draco tilted his hips slightly, knowing her orgasm was near.
A series of small groans escaped Ginny's mouth and she tightened herself around Draco's cock as her orgasm flooded her body with warmth. She let her body fall to his, shuddering as Draco reached between them with his hand and gently rubbed her clit.
After a moment, he brushed her hair from her face and smoothly rolled them over again. Carefully, as if she were a delicate blossom he lowered himself into her, moaning loudly as he lifted up and then pressed back down. She drew up her knees to give him more access and was rewarded by Draco pressing so deep into her she swore she could feel him in her stomach. She locked her ankles around his back, urging him to stay deep inside of her. His strokes were smooth and steady and unhurried, and when he came, she tightened around him to make sure she took every last drop he had to offer. Ginny was suddenly sure she knew where the term `love making' had come from.
They fell asleep still naked and sweaty and wet, wrapped together inside each other, and Ginny had never felt so good.
*****
When Ginny woke, she was suddenly overcome with the fear that she wouldn't see Draco anymore. She rolled over under his arm and faced him, taking in his messy blond hair and lovely pink lips and high smooth cheekbones. She couldn't stand to be without him. Not anymore.
"Draco. Draco, wake up!"
"What's wrong?" he mumbled, looking around. "Are we late?"
"No. It's barely 7."
"Right." His head fell back to his pillow.
"Draco listen!" she asked desperately. "I have to tell you something."
"What Gin Gin? What's wrong?"
"I don't want to go home. I don't want to lose you or leave you. I can't stand to be away from you anymore!"
Draco sat up and rubbed his eyes. As the covers slipped down, she was pleased to see that he was immodestly naked. He titled his head and looked at her sleepily. "You woke me up to tell me that?"
"Yes," she nodded miserably, trying to stare at her hands and not his luscious body.
"Gin," he groaned. "You crazy witch. I love you! I agreed to have drinks with your brothers! Why in the bloody hell would you be worried about this?"
"Because, today I'll have to go back to my house and you'll go home and then I'll have to move to Chudley-"
"You're ruining my surprise."
"And you'll be in London or wherever and I'll never-" she paused. "What surprise?"
"Go back to sleep and I'll tell you in about two hours," he sighed, flopping back down.
"No! Tell me!"
He huffed indignantly and sat up again. "I bought a flat in Chudley. Nothing fancy, but it's got three bedrooms and the bathroom's are really nice. Plus I've got one of the house elves staying there now."
Ginny didn't know what to say first. "A three bedroomed flat is nothing fancy?"
"Well," he shrugged, tugging her down to him, "it's not the Manor."
"Why did you buy it?"
"So we could live there of course!" he rolled his eyes.
"Really?"
"Really."
Ginny closed her eyes for a moment and began to smile. Suddenly she stood up and began jumping up and down on the bed. "Thank you! Thank you!"
"No, thank you," he raised his eyebrows, watching with interest as her breasts bobbed up and down. "Keep doing that."
Ginny giggled and knelt down. "I love you. I do."
"Good," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "Then maybe after this Quidditch season, you'll consider marrying me."
"Are you asking?" she questioned.
"I'm making my intentions known to you," he smirked. "I already did that to your brothers."
"Oh did you?" This time Ginny's eyebrows shot up.
"I did."
"And they said?"
"They didn't like it, but they'll get used to it."
Ginny nodded happily and let him hold her against his chest.
"I love you too," he whispered in her ear.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N Well, this is over. For those who are interested, I've got two things coming up. One is a very short "fluffy" type story called Lip Gloss, the rough draft of which can be viewed in my LJ right here. The other is going to be a longer, VERY dark story. I can't say much about it now, but it will NOT have a happy ending, it will have lots of deaths, a kidnapping, and nothing very happy at all. Suddenly I feel like Lemony Snicket. Except this will be SO much darker! Thanks for all the reviews!
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