a/n-Thanks to fallenwitch who's precious dedication to this fic has made it possible for me to update so soon. Enjoy.
Draco Malfoy awoke with a start sweating, the blanket pooled around his legs. He waited until his eyes got used to the
darkness around him. Suddenly realizing that it was his alarm clock that had awoken him, he frantically looked around
to switch off the muggle machine which had disturbed his slumber.
He found it and switched it off. He rubbed his dazed eyes and the room came into focus. Suddenly his mind went into
overdrive. It seemed like all the times he had awoken in the head boy room to find Ginny curled up next to him in the
middle of the night, flashed before his eyes. The clothes would be scattered everywhere, the faint light of dawn seen
lighting the room up and making it seem as if covered with peach wallpaper. The light would fall on Ginny's face,
and make her look like an angel. He still remembered the look on her face the morning that they had shared a while
back. She looked mortified, ashamed almost.
He had been confused too. Almost ashamed of himself before he reasoned with himself that he had done nothing wrong by
spending the night with the woman he loved. What made him feel wretched was the fact that Ginny had been ashamed. What
could've lead to what it did? Some words of comfort? Grief over a lost child?
He remembered the pain that had stained his face when he had walked down the aisle with his bride. All he could think
of then was about Ginny and her dead child, their dead child. He knew she was hurt beyond what was humanly possible. So
was he, calling off the wedding before it went through, and then facing his father. Nothing, not even the fact that he
had fought the war for the light side could somehow wash his other sins away.
He had asked her to meet him a while after she had announced that she was going to give birth to the baby, her decision surprising him. But she hadn't turned up. Instead she chose to stay away. He wanted to say things to her, hear her abuse him and the ground he walked on. But she chose to remain steadfast. Soon the reigns were snatched from his hands, and he found himself walking down the aisle with a woman he knew nothing about with another in his heart.
She had lost it. Long before he agreed to the marriage, she had lost it. Their child. Everyone pitied her, everyone supported her. She had people being there for her. Dumbledore, McGonagall the entire staff, her friends. They all stood by her and cursed him, because they all thought she was the only one hurting. But no one knew that in the process of hurting her he had hurt. Telling her he wasn't in love with her was the most difficult thing in his life.
It had taken all that he had to forget about her and continue his regular activities. He had failed. Woman came and
went, life moved on. But the image of Ginny Weasley was stuck in his head.
And the thought of another woman only made him more ashamed of what he's done.
He still remembered how it had all started.
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~flashback~~
"So Malfoy ready for your task yet?" asked Blaise Zabini.
"Sure go ahead tell me" replied Draco.
"Your task needs guts. You have to seduce Ginny Weasley" he said aloud so that everyone if the Slytherin
common room could hear.
"You mean the Weasley princess" said Pansy in a bitter voice.
"Now now, Pansy do I hear a jealous note in your voice?" drawled Draco.
"Jealous of a Weasley." spat pansy.
"Then relax. Let's hear more Blaise" said Draco.
"It's not just enough for you to get into her pants which I might add will be the hard part..."
"Let me think what will be hard and what not Zabini..." said Draco
"And she has to confess to at least seven Slytherins that she has slept with you...."
"Ohh. I like that," said a drooling pansy.
"And then also say that she loves you and that she wants to marry you...."finished a smug Blaise.
"Now that's a challenge Zabini .I accept. However I have certain conditions" said Draco. He knew Blaise
too well to fall for one of his tricks.
"What conditions," asked a suspicious Blaise
"No one goes to her and breathes a word about this bet to her until I tell anyone to"
"That's it...."
"Yes. Not a peep until I win," finished Draco.
"If you win that is" said Blaise.
"You bet I will."
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And then he had made the bet with Ginny about the match the very next week. Of course Slytherin had won. He was
confident they would. What he didn't know was how to get Ginny to fall in love with him. He had let her get uneasy
about the consequences of the bet and then when she had angrily asked him to spit out what she had to do he'd asked
her out.
He still smiled at the memory of that encounter.
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"Look Malfoy I'm fed up of going around school waiting for something to happen. I'm sick of waiting for
you to pounce on me" She has said to him.
"Why Ginny". It had been the first time he'd said her name. It felt good.
"Look you won the bet .Slytherin won the match. Now will you please tell me what you want?" said a frustrated Ginny.
"Will you go on a date with me?" he said, fast so that he could get it over with.
"What" she asked rather shocked.
"A date. A date at the next Hogsmead visit" he had said uncertainly he desperately needed her to agree to
this one.
"Malfoy are you alright? Do need to see Madame Pomfry...?"She asked
"I'm fine. Will you?" he asked again. The thought of a date with Ginny made his skin crawl but he forced his mind to think about the look on Blaise's face when he won.
"No...." she said and turned and hurried away.
"Well, we'll have to do something about that won't we"
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And he had done something alright. He started following her everywhere she went. She was not even allowed to go to the bathroom without him following her. And then she had agreed. He laughed at the memory of his first date with her. They had been very uncomfortable at first ...but when a first year student had stamped on his feet and had hastily called him a cruel man Ginny had burst into giggles and the sight of her, bright eyed and happy had transfixed him to the spot.
His face glowed at the thought that it was him who mad her giggle like this .And that's when the ice had broken.
They became regular friends, ever so often meeting in the library to discuss things. And slowly, playing straight, he
had gotten her right where he wanted her. Blind in love.
Blaise made sure Draco never forgot about the bet. Somewhere between the trips to Hogsmead and the library visit, he
had started having feelings for Ginny too. He had tried telling Blaise about it. Warning him. But his father's next
letter stopped him.
Lucius Malfoy strongly despised his association with Weasley and had threatened Draco with dire consequences if he
didn't forget about his love for the girl and remember only the bet.
He had done exactly that. And a week later they were making love. His lips twisted in a pained expression as he
remembered the way he had insulted Ginny by saying that they had sex..!
But that was the only way to salvation.
She was becoming his need. His passion, his life. And he knew that his world was not the place for her. He wanted to
protect her from him, from Lucius Malfoy. That's when the bet had come as a blessing in disguise and he had dumped
her. Quite badly but that's what had to be done.
He blinked when he realized that he had been sitting like this for an long time. Well it would not do to dwell on the past. He looked at the clock, the only muggle article in his mansion and realized that he was late for work. He got up and went to stand before the mirror. That brought another memory to mind. He remembered when she had cornered him outside the potions class.
She had looked like hell...and he had shed silent tears at her appearance later, alone in his room. He knew he was
responsible for her condition and he decided that he had to apologise to her.
He owed her an explanation. Quickly making up his mind, He hastily shaved changed and got into his most expensive suit
and rushed to St Mungo's hospital.
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