Draco walked the streets for hours, his emotions running the gamut from anger to guilt. He knew Ginny really hadn't been with Harry. That he was sure of, but he didn't know what he should do now. He had really ruined things, and knew he should apologize, but then, Ginny owed him an apology as well. Not only had she lied to him about Baby being safe, causing him needless worry, but she had accused him of sleeping with that vile Candy woman.
What bothered him more than the prospect of having to make a sincere apology to Ginny, and the possibility that she might reject him, was Ginny voice, echoing in his head, "I hate you! I wish I'd never gone out with you!" over and over. He didn't blame her; every woman he'd gone out with eventually screamed these similar words at him. He usually ended relationships before things got too serious.
But Ginny was not other woman. He had stayed around even though she had the most annoying dog in the world, the most obnoxious brothers in England, and a temper to rival Snape on a bad day. But he couldn't stay away from her. He didn't want to. He was walking the streets of London, trying to decide the best way to apologize, instead of finding her replacement.
By the time Draco made up his mind to go and see Ginny, to see if she would even speak to him, it was midnight. He tried to find an open flower shop, but had no luck. He ended up pulling some daisies out of a flower bed on his way to Ginny's and had to stop in a pub to scrub his hands clean from the dirt under his nails. He was going to use his wand, but had decided that if he was really going to commit to Ginny, he would have to start using less magic…She lived half her life as a Muggle, and he supposed this was a good, small place to start.
He didn't like the experience. He had scrubbed his hands raw in the dirty bathroom, before he was positive his nails were immaculately clean again. Draco grabbed a tea towel off a clothes line to wrap around the muddy daisies, and headed to Ginny's.
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Ginny had cried the whole way back to her flat. She was tempted to call her parents and pick up Baby; she shouldn't have left her there in the first place. Ginny was getting ready to floo the Burrow, but she felt like wallowing, and knew her mum would ask too many questions she wasn't ready to answer.
Ginny cried harder and harder as she undressed, putting on her oldest and softest jimjams, they were once a bright green with hot pink flamingos, but were now a soft mint color. Ginny leaned against the wall to cry as she thought about Draco again, then sniffed a little a searched the back of the closet for her panda slippers. They were hideously ugly, but warm and comfy. Ginny had stopped wearing them when she got Baby, because she mistook them for other animals and tried to attack them. Ginny slipped her feet into them and shuffled to the couch.
Ginny flopped down on her back and kept crying. Why had Draco said those things? Why did she care? He was out of her life. She had made sure of that with those stupid things she had yelled at him in the park. Of course, he wasn't innocent either, but she had really ruined things. Ginny rolled over and heard the squeak of one of Baby's toys.
Ginny picked up Baby's picture off the end table and looked at it. "This is all your fault!" Ginny folded the picture face down onto the table and started crying again. Ginny sat up and set the picture right. "Mummy's sorry! It's not your fault…It's mine." Feeling even more guilt, Ginny cried harder.
Ginny moped around for the next few hours, crying, then composing herself, then crying again. She was sitting in the dark, staring into space, her eyes stinging and sore when someone knocked at the door. Ginny slowly turned to look at the door, then at the clock on the wall. Ginny couldn't read the time, but she knew it was late. She got up and flipped the switch for the lamp near the couch on, glancing at the clock. "It's almost 12:30 in the morning, who could…" Ginny felt her breath catch in her throat as she ran to the door. Ginny leaned against it, as the person knocked again. She could feel Draco, she knew it was him before she asked, "Who there?"
"Gin, I know it's late, and I know you hate me, but I was hoping that you would allow me to come in for a moment."
Ginny covered her mouth to hide the happy scream that wanted to escape, then pressed her cheek to the door. Ginny took a few deep breaths and straightened up, ready to face Draco. She was very happy that he was there, but so nervous too. Ginny opened the door and took in Draco's appearance. He was wearing a white long sleeve work shirt, the same one from earlier in the park, but his tie was loose, and hanging, and his usually tidy hair was disheveled and hanging forward onto his forehead.
He was holding a bunch of daisies at his side that looked like they had been yanked from someone's flowerbox. Draco looked down at Ginny, and she tried not to start crying again. He looked so sad, and she felt so bad for saying those things to him earlier.
Ginny had her arms crossed over her chest, and sniffled every now and then as she stared at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, and Draco wanted to reach for her, but wasn't sure what she would do.
"What do you want?" Ginny asked
"I brought you these." Draco extended the pathetic looking flowers, but Ginny accepted them, looking at the tea towel. "There wasn't a florist open…" Draco defended.
Ginny nodded, and looked at her panda slippers, who seemed to be looking at her.
"I, uh, I wanted to apologize for my behavior in the park, and my office, my temper, it was uncalled for. I just…I was a real bastard, sending that letter to Grang- Hermione." Ginny thought he looked like he just swallowed porcupine quills. Was this his first sincere apology? Or was it saying Hermione's name that was so difficult?
Ginny ran a finger over a petal of the daisy she was holding. She wanted to apologize, and she wanted to do it right. She didn't want to start another row, but she did want to get her point across. "Draco, I am sorry too. I shouldn't have slapped you. And I know that you wouldn't really sleep with that Candy woman, but when she said that you were a 'fantastic lover' I just-"
"She said that?"
"Yes."
"And you believed her lies? That I had shagged her I mean," Draco corrected quickly. Of course he was a fantastic lover, but Candy wouldn't have any way of knowing that.
"Well…No…Yes. But only for a moment!" Draco seemed to walk away, but only made a circle in the hall before he stopped in front of her door again.
"So, that is why you were hanging all over Potter, putting on a show, and calling him your lover?"
"Yes." Ginny had her chin almost to her chest. She felt so foolish. She had walked wide-eyed into the trap that Candy had set up for her. She was so wiling to believe that Draco would prefer a built blond, even if she was mostly fake, than her. Ginny's head flew up when she heard Draco chuckle.
"What is so amusing?" Ginny asked through gritted teeth.
"It's not funny really. It's just; I didn't think Candy was smart enough to start all this trouble."
Ginny began crying again and dropped the daisies. She was getting ready to slam the door on Draco when he put his hand in the way. "Please, please Ginny. I am so sorry. I am not trying to hurt you, I promise." Draco walked in and tried to hold Ginny, but she turned out of his embrace.
"Come here, baby girl." Draco picked her up and hugged her to him, Ginny's feet dangling off the floor. Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around Draco's neck and started to cry even harder. Draco held her for several moments, before walking with her, her feet swinging with each step he took, as he shut the door with his foot and sat down on the couch, adjusting Ginny on his lap.
Ginny kept her arms around Draco's neck and tried to stop crying. "I'm sorry," she sniffed.
"I'm sorry too." Draco cupped Ginny's face in his hands and wiped the tears that remained. "I'm sorry I accused you of sleeping with Potter, I know you wouldn't."
Ginny sat up a little straighter in his lap to look in his eyes. "I wouldn't. I prefer blonds…Who were in Slytherin house." Ginny ran her hands through Draco's hair, tucking the loose strands behind his ears.
"Speaking of Slytherin's…Where is the little darling?"
Ginny glared at Draco, "Baby is with my parents."
"I thought your parents were on holiday?"
"They returned early, my dad got sick on their cruise."
"So, were alone?"
"Yes, quite alone."
Draco smirked, and gave Ginny a soft kiss. He ran his hands over her back, and began massaging her shoulders, making his way down to her lower back. Ginny sighed and leaned into him.
"You are perfect, absolutely beautiful," he whispered.
Ginny looked up and bit her bottom lip. "Even with red, puffy eyes?"
Draco ran his thumbs over the corners of her eyes, "Were those tears for me?" Ginny nodded, and Draco kissed her again, this time it wasn't such a gentle kiss, and Ginny turned from sitting sideways on his lap, to facing him, resting her wrists on his shoulders, a knee on either side of his thighs. This kiss was quite hot, and they were both left wanting much more when Ginny pulled away.
Draco pulled the ribbon from Ginny's hair, running his hand through her silken tresses. Draco stroked Ginny's hair, from the top of her head, to her tail bone, where the length of her hair stopped, and began the process again.
Ginny kissed the spot just under Draco's ear and whispered, "Make love to me, Draco. I need you." Ginny held her breath, waiting to see how Draco would respond.
She didn't have to wait long. Draco looked at her for a second before grabbing her around the hips and running his hands over her thighs, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist. He walked down the hall to Ginny's room, leaning over the bed and gently placing her in the middle. Draco kept eye contact with her as he slowly removed his tie. Ginny sat on her bed, transfixed, as he dropped his tie on the ground, and raised an eyebrow as he grabbed one of her panda slippers and slowly pulled it off her foot. Ginny almost moaned out loud, her whole body was so sensitive to every touch. Draco tossed the other slipper over his shoulder and leaned on the bed to give Ginny another kiss.
Draco used his wand to light several of the fat candles Ginny had around her room, removing his shirt on his way back to the bed. It didn't take long for them to undress each other, slowly, it was a blissful torture.
Draco lay next to Ginny and took her into his arms. He had never wanted anything as badly as he wanted her, but he wanted to make certain that she was sure.
"Ginny, I don't want you to have any regrets…I don't want you to do this because we fought earlier."
"I want you Draco, not because we fought earlier, but because I want you." Ginny pulled Draco close, kissing him, and pulling the back of his hair to encourage him to lie on top of her. "I've wanted you since dinner that first night."
Draco didn't need to hear anymore, and it wasn't until hours later, after they had learned some of each others intimate secrets, when Ginny was resting her cheek on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, that Ginny spoke again.
"Draco, I want you to stay with me, will you?" Ginny ran her fingers over his collar bone, and up his neck.
Draco leaned up and kissed her on the tip of her perfect nose, looking into her eyes, "I won't ever leave you, unless you ask me to…And even then, I don't think I'll be able to accommodate you."
Ginny snuggled closer and fell asleep, quite content with that arrangement.
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Draco literally strutted into the office the next day. He felt on top of the world. He smiled and greeted everyone he passed, "Morning Larimore! Is that a new Robe? No? Well, it looks great on you!"
"Top O' the Mornin' Finnigan! Looks like Ireland is going to lock it up for the World cup, good for them!"
"Smith! Have you lost weight, you look great!"
Everyone was staring as he passed; no one had ever seen him so…Cheerful. Draco reached his office; presented Miss Heywood with some flowers he'd knicked off a desk, and said, "Miss Heywood, you look a vision this morning!"
Draco tried to walk into his office, but Miss Heywood put out a hand to stop him, "Mr. Malfoy, wait one momen-"
"One sec love." Draco was sniffing the flowers, and put them out for Miss Heywood to smell. "This fragrance reminds me of love in spring, or fall, as it were."
Miss Heywood stared wide-eyed at him as she pushed them away.
She tried to interrupt again, as Draco set the flowers on her desk. "Mr. Malfoy wait ple-"
"In a minute love," he grabbed his mail and put his hand on the door knob. Draco was looking down at his mail when he opened the door, and therefore didn't see the fist flying at his face. Draco, in shock fell backwards, dropping the mail and grabbing his nose.
"What the hell was that for?" Draco leaned up on his elbows, still on his back, looking up at Harry Potter. He was in too good a mood to get up and start a fight with him. He rubbed his nose, as he looked up at Harry.
"You know what that was for, you and your girlfriend!"
Draco continued to stare, and he could see Harry was just getting started.
"Ever since Baby showed up at my door, my life has been unrecognizable! Watching spoiled dogs, getting molested in the park, my girlfriend sending me the world's loudest howler! Maybe if you kept your eyes on that dog, and not those double D's-"
"They are nice though, aren't they?"
"They are…But that's not the point! I want you to write to Hermione, and not be insulting this time, and tell her the truth, that I was forced into this farce! This farce that it is yours and Ginny's life that is screwed up and twisted, not ours, that…" Harry continued talking as Draco stood up and guided him to the door.
"All right Potter, I'll take care of that straight away, Good Day to you."
Harry had stopped talking and looked confused as he found himself in the doorway. "Good day, you will write to Hermione?"
Draco pushed Harry farther out of his office, "Yes, yes, top of my list, I'll use the good stationary this time. Do grab a cauldron cake on your way out, for your trouble. They're the good kind, not the cheap one's you'd get off the Hogwart's express trolley. Goodbye."
Harry dug his feet in. "What happened last night?"
Draco rubbed his hand over his chin, "Last night? I'm not sure I know what you mean."
Harry looked at him with a knowing look, "I think you do."
"A gentleman never tells."
"You got lai-"
"Out with you Potter. I won't have you use such common talk to speak about Ginny."
Harry shook his head at Draco, grabbed a few cauldron cakes and shook his head some more, as he left his office. He was going to have a hell of a time explaining to Ron that he had gone to give Malfoy what-for, and walked out with sweets and bad news for Ron, who was hoping to celebrate the end of Draco and Ginny's relationship.
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A/N: Hope you liked this chap! I guess I'm a little pervy, but I had trouble keeping this PG-13! Hopefully I did though, and everyone is satisfied! Working on the next chapter now….