Unofficial Portkey Archive

a/n: Hello everyone and a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. On with the chapter.

Special thanks to fallenwitch for beta reading the fic and allowing my an insight into the mind of the readers.

Disclaimer: Don't own any charecter except Richard.

She awoke to the early morning sun. She could hear the morning sounds of birds and bees. She smiled in pleasure and stretched, trying to drive the drowsiness away. As she yawned loudly and stretched her hands, they touched something warm. She turned and saw him. He was sleeping right next to her.

On any normal day Ginny would have slapped him hard across his face, shouted, and asked him to leave the room immediately. But she was tired. Tired of looking at every newborn and imagining another angel in another time. She was tired of ignoring the invitation of every get-together in fear of coming across him. She was tired of giving explanations to Ron as to why she had to go to her child's grave even after five years.

She studied the man who she still very dearly loved, her unborn child's father, her good friend, and her lover. She had found so many things within the arms of this man. During those fateful three months he would always be the first one up, putting together breakfast for her or going over her day's timetable and circling every class that she could bump into him after.

She noticed the lines that were proof of their five years apart. Both had changed. Not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. But the years apart hadn't affected one thing, she was hopelessly still in love with him. She touched a day's old stubble on his cheek. The teen had left him, he was a man now.

As if he knew, those deep grey eyes snapped open. Ginny's eyes widened in shock, as she expected him to react with cold contempt. But his eyes weren't full of hostility.

They were full of compassion and another expression she was too much of a coward to read. She was about to retrieve her hand when he caught it in a death grip. He then did something quite surprising. He started kissing each finger, slowly, sensually . With his eyes focused on her face, he gave each finger the royal treatment.

By the time he reached her palm, she was quivering in anticipation. She had never shared such sexual chemistry with Richard. Richard! His thought brought a sharp pang of guilt, and Ginny quickly withdrew her hand. Draco studied her scarlet face for a while, before getting up and moving out of the room. Even on his way out, he gave Ginny a spectacular show of his exquisite backside.

~Flashback~

"You have the most beautiful butt ever," said Ginny rather cheekily.

Laughter was all that was heard that night!

~End of Flashback~

"What would you like for breakfast?" asked Draco, half an hour later.

`Where are we, Draco?" asked Ginny, serious now. They were sitting at the dining table, safely away from each other's personal space. Ginny had elected to be seated at the chair farthest from him, so they now sat facing each other, one on each end of the table.

Draco gave a sigh and looked at her. "Since you wouldn't listen to me-"

"Listen to you! Listen to you. Why the bloody hell should I listen to you? You were the one who made me pay for my friend's actions. Actions of all those people I was associated with. Weren't those your exact words," said Ginny, seething with anger. Her voice however was very low.

"Look lets not fight. You know how every fight we have usually ends," he said, with a small smirk.

"I'm not in the mood for poor jokes, Draco," she shouted.

"Ginny, please! Listen to me-"

"No, you listen to me! Do you know how it hurts when you give someone everything you have and that person throws it away? Do you know how insulting it is when the father of your child calls you a slut? Do you know how it pains when your best friends don't stick by you because you're drowning in alcohol? You don't know half of it!".

"I know I hurt you-"

"Hurt me! Oh you hurt more people than plain old Ginny. You hurt Ron, Harry, Hermione, and my parents. People who believed in me, and most of all, you hurt your own child, Malfoy," her voice back to normal now. The momentary burst of anger was replaced by panic. Where in the world could she be?

A stony silence hung in the air. The only sounds were of the ticking of the clock and Ginny's heavy breathing. Then without another word, Draco moved towards the other end and took a distressed Ginny in his arms.

She stiffened instantly, but she figured that the only way to get out of there was to go along with the man. For the sake of getting back safely to the comfort of her house, Ginny relaxed and let her tears reassure him that she had done all the saying she could for a while.

"I'm so sorry! I know I can't make up for what I've said or done. I would lay my life for you if you asked me to. But I have to show you something before I explain anything further," said Draco

And he quietly led her towards the pensive!

Flashback.

"What's this I've been hearing about you and the Weasley?" spat Lucius Malfoy his expressions showing disgust and anger.

"You know what I am capable of Draco. You have a path that she does not share. You are to serve the Dark Lord. I won't tolerate any more such stories. I shouldn't have to make this trip again," warned Lucius and promptly vanished.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny felt a tug at her belly. She could see herself swirl around, different memories of Draco's life revolving around her body, before the room slowly came back into focus.

"When was this?" asked Ginny biting her bottom lip.

"That was after the Christmas dance. If you remember I started avoiding you after that. You always cornered me and urged me to spill the beans, but I never had.............."

"The guts?" provided Ginny for him, the anger evident in her every movement.

"I was afraid. I was afraid, Ginny. That man plagued my life. He was the cancer hanging over my existence. As a child, all I could remember was him torturing my mother. Even after the Dark Lord was destroyed by the famous Harry Potter, my mother had to go through hell everyday. She protected me, and I wanted to protect you," said Draco.

"So you thought I couldn't take care of myself .You know I was capable of that. I fought the war too you know?"

"You don't understand, Gin. I've been to these Death Eater meetings. I have seen the actually face of those destroyers while they're torturing young children. I've seen them splash blood all over the walls of houses without flinching. I couldn't let you go through all that," said Draco taking a small step towards Ginny.

"So you accused me of adultery? Of so many other inhuman things?" spat Ginny taking a step back.

"I had to hurt you. I knew nothing except rejection would cause you to break all ties with me. Nothing but distrust could make you give up on all that we had shared," said Draco, shoulder bent, emotions evident in his eyes.

"And what about the baby? What did he have to do with all of this? Why did he have to die Draco? Did he deserve to?" shouted Ginny again, preparing for a fight.

"I didn't expect anything to happen. I expected you to retreat to a safe place while the war was on, so that you could protect our child. I knew that if you carried our child, you wouldn't risk its life for the war. But destiny played dirty with me. My mission was dangerous, and I couldn't let you get in harm's way," said Draco.

"So you got engaged?"

"Don't you understand? Lucius got suspicious and wouldn't let me get the Dark Mark until I was married to someone suitable," said Draco helplessly.

"And you were so desperate to get the mark that you couldn't wait for the year to get over?" asked Ginny disgusted.

"Ginny, I spied on the Dark Lord, not caring for my life but those of yours and your other Gryffindor friends, people I hated all my life. I put myself in danger for their sake. I had to get into the Dark Lords' inner circle, that was my job. That was what I was supposed to do. There wasn't any guarantee on my own life, I couldn't take that of yours or our baby's," said Draco softly.

Ginny wiped away a stray drop that had escaped from her eyes.

"I swear it was you I thought about all along. I don't think you knew, but I was present at our baby's funeral. If I could undo anything I have done in my life, it would be my decision to leave both of you then. I'm sorry about all that happened. I hope you can find it in your hear to forgive me," said Draco.

Ginny quietly looked into his eyes and hugged herself, finally understanding a part of his actions. But it still hurt, a lot.

a/n: I've read many of you complaining about getting confused between flashbacks. To make it clear, anything is italics is a flashback. I'll try to remove any other confusions you may have in future chapters.

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