Foolish Games

Title: Foolish Games

Ship: D/G, mention of H/Hr (yay!)

Disclaimer: "Foolish Games" is by Jewel and Harry Potter, etc belong to JKR. I'm just borrowing them.

Rating: R to NC-17, I guess. It's not all that graphic, but just in case....

Author’s Note: This is my first fic, so go easy on me…please! If you see any errors, please let me know. Oh, and the block of italics are the song lyrics. Cuz, you know, it’s a song-fic.

~*~

Ginny exited the Muggle coffee shop quickly, wrapping her long pea coat around her. The afternoon was windy and chilly, enough to blister her nose and cheeks.

She briskly walked to the nearest corner, looked both ways as habit, and took off across the intersection despite oncoming traffic. She made it safely across, however, and continued down the sidewalk.

She glanced at her watch and slowed her pace a little. She looked on both sides of her, taking time to enjoy the dreary scenery that was about her. Definitely not summer anymore, yet not quite the weather for winter had left the city drab and grey. She watched her reflection in the windows as she passed and was startled to see her appearance. Ginny was not usually one to let herself go, but today she obviously forgot that about herself. Her normally shiny trademark red hair was in a messy ponytail, looking for all the world like she hadn’t combed or washed it in about a week. Her face was gaunt, making her eyes stand out, especially with the bags underneath them. Her coat hung off her small frame, forcing her to notice that she had lost too many pounds to be healthy. She backed away from the window, scared of her reflection, and bumped into someone behind her.

He promptly started grumbling and cursing at her. “Watch where you’re going!” the stranger said in a familiar but unheard for a long time drawl.

Ginny turned around, surprised for the second time that afternoon. “Malfoy?” she said, taking in his long white-blond hair and piercing grey eyes.

Surprise flickered through his eyes, then he gave her the once over. His lips curled into a sneer. “Weaselette.”

She slapped him and turned to walk away. He automatically reached out for her, effectively stopping her escape.

“Ginny.”

“Let me go Malfoy. There’s someplace I need to be.”

“What are you doing in this part of town? I thought you and Harry lived closer to –“

She interrupted him. “I live here. By myself. Away from that lying rat. And I’m happy about it.” She lifted her chin and started to walk away again.

“Whoa, Ginny. Wait!” Draco jogged to catch up with her. “Ginny, please. You’re the first person I’ve seen since I’ve been back. What’s happened?” Genuine concern for her wellbeing was in his voice and eyes.

Ginny was taken aback at this, but could understand. She was concerned herself after looking at her reflection.

“Come with me.” With that, she walked to the next corner’s Muggle coffee shop and sat down at a table in the corner.

“How long have you been gone?” she asked.

“A little over six months.”

She nodded. “About five months ago I come home to a mostly empty flat and a note on the bed stand. Harry said he was tired. Tired of me, tired of faking it, tired of lying. Then I found out he had started sleeping with Hermione a couple of weeks before that.”

Draco scowled and mumbled something about “Scarhead” and “stupid git”.

“About two months ago, I read, in the Prophet no less, that he proposed to her at one of my brother’s Quidditch games, in front of everyone.” She sighed. “He would never even hold my hand in public.”

She looked out the window. “I’ve been living a couple of blocks away for about three months now. I haven’t spoken to Ron or any of my family since then. I don’t think they know where I am. I quit my job at the Ministry so I wouldn’t have to see either of them. I’m just glad I had enough saved to live away from everything for a while.” She turned back to him.

He looked a little shaken that she, a Weasley, had abandoned her family much like he had.

“Ginny, I’m sorry that Potter did that to you. Bastard. And with a mudblood.”

Ginny gave him a half smile. “Thanks Malfoy, but I don’t need to hear that from you.” She looked at her watch. “I’m sorry, but I really do have to go.” With that she left the table and walked out the door.

Draco followed her. “Wait, Ginny!” Why am I always running after her?

“Ginny. Want to meet up sometime for coffee? I’ll tell you about myself.”

She laughed. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” She turned and apparated away, disregarding any Muggles that were present.

Draco cursed. Ginny had seemed so much more, well, real since the last time he’d seen her. She’d been on Potter’s arm at a Ministry function. And shallow as she always had been. But Potter’s betrayal had made her grow up.

He hoped to run into her again and made a point to himself to drop by this area more often.

He turned and walked away towards the heart of London and back into the wizarding world.

~*~

You took your coat off

And stood in the rain

You’re always crazy like that

Draco looked up into the windows of a flat he hoped was Ginny’s. He had seen a flash of red hair enter this building just a few minutes before. He watched for movement behind any of the curtains.

“Okay, third floor, second window on the left,” he muttered to himself as he entered the building.

He knocked on the door and was relieved to see Ginny answer.

“Good morning.” He handed her his peace offering. “I hope you like it black.”

She took the cup of coffee and gestured him in. “What do you want Malfoy?”

“To return the favor. You poured your heart out to me last week.”

“Hardly.”

He continued as though she hadn’t interrupted. “And now it’s my turn.” He sat down on the couch. “So, where have I been the last seven months, you ask.”

Ginny sighed and took her place on the floor. She watched Draco speak about his adventures and learnings. She noticed the way his eyes sparkled as he spoke of his journey. She watched his hands move as he explained things to her. She found herself interested in the man he had become.

She was startled and a bit disappointed when he made to leave. She walked him to her door.

“It was nice seeing you again, Gin.” He bent down and gave her a kiss.

Ginny surprised herself by kissing him back. He gently placed his hands on her hips then crushed her to him as their tongues tangled. Ginny reached up and placed her hands behind his neck, one hand in his hair.

Draco pulled away first. He looked into her eyes and kissed her again. She pulled him closer this time. Draco lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked over to her couch and placed her down, climbing on top of her.

And I watched from my window

I always felt I was outside

Looking in on you

He left her sleeping on the couch, sated. He left quickly before she awoke.

Ginny woke during the night with a stiff neck and dreams of tangled limbs and wicked moans.

She walked naked to her kitchen and found evidence that Draco really had been there. The coffee cups from the morning were sitting on the counter. She sat at her bar and put her head in her hands.

She thought of Harry and of Hogwarts. She thought of the secret crush she had had on Draco and the not-so-secret crush on his archenemy Harry. She thought of how she’d always been an outcast: the only girl in her family; the fourth member of the “trio”; and most recently, the third wheel in her relationship with Harry. She thought of Draco again and what her family would say if they found out she had shagged him the second time she had really spoken to him.

~*~

You’re always the mysterious one

With dark eyes and careless hair

Draco haunted her dreams for days. She couldn’t forget the taste of him, the scent of him, the feel of his hair. She remembered how dark his eyes got when he climaxed and remembered how dark they were when they first kissed.

She couldn’t get their conversation out of her head. He spoke of what he did but never how he felt.

She felt betrayed again.

She turned around to lock her door and bumped into someone.

Draco.

“What are you doing here Malfoy?” She brushed passed him.

“Apologizing,” he said as he handed her a single, perfect white rose. “I had some business out of town for the last three days. I’m sorry I didn’t owl or call you.”

She took the rose. “Thank you.” She looked up at him.

He smiled and pulled her to him. Their kiss was slow, rejoicing in the taste of one another.

“Malfoy, I can’t.”

“Ginny, you can.” And he kissed her again, pushing her up against the door. He used his wand to unlock her door and pulled her inside with him, shutting the door behind them.

They kissed again, this time fighting for control. Clothes flew off and he took her against the wall. He silenced her scream with his tongue and let her gently back on her toes.

“What ever happened to talking?” she whispered against his ear. He silenced her with another kiss.

“Later, baby.”

He took her to her bedroom and began the dance again. Slowly, so as to not miss anything, he covered her body with kisses and little nips. She arched beneath him.

You were fashionably sensitive

But too cool to care

He spent most of the night that time making it up to her. They talked afterwards. She told him of her secret school girl crush and of how she felt when Harry left her. She told him she’d always known that he’d leave her, but she’d expected him to stick it out because that’s just the way she thought Harry was, if that made any sense. She told him how much she missed her family, but how betrayed she felt by them.

You stood in my doorway

With nothing to say

Besides some comment on the weather

He just listened patiently. He kissed her again and left early in the morning.

Well in case you failed to notice

In case you failed to see

This is my heart

Bleeding before you

This is me down on my knees

He came back the next afternoon.

She confronted him, backing him into a corner. “Malfoy—“

“Call me Draco, Gin. We’ve shagged. I think I deserved to be called Draco.”

She turned red, angry. “Fine, Draco. What is this, Draco? What are you doing here?”

“What does it look like, Gin? Shagging.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Shagging?”

“You’re a big girl, Ginny. We both have needs. We both know this can’t go anywhere.”

“Needs? Get out! I don’t need you and you’re fucking arrogance Malfoy. I pour my heart out to you and you’re just looking for a quick shag. A good fuck. Well you got it. Now get out!”

She shoved him to her door, pushed him out and slammed the door behind him.

She sunk to the floor and started crying.

And these foolish games

Are tearing me apart

And you’re thoughtless words

Are breaking my heart

You’re breaking my heart

The next morning Ginny woke with a firm resolve. She spent the day cleaning her flat and looking in the paper for jobs. For wizarding jobs. She decided she should stop hiding and face Harry. Face Hermione and her family.

Face Draco.

~*~

You’re always brilliant

In the morning

And smoking your cigarettes

And talking over coffee

Days passed into weeks and Ginny found a job. She met up with Ron first and apologized to him for leaving.

She made plans to show up for the traditional Weasley brunch on Sunday, one she knew that Harry and Hermione would be attending.

She felt a bit like Percy, walking into the midst of Weasleys, again an outsider. Her mum grabbed her and held her tightly, just glad she was finally back.

She shook hands with Harry and gave Hermione a small smile. She could tell that he was happier with Hermione than he’d ever been with her.

With her family back, Ginny should have been happy.

~*~

Your philosophies on art baroque moved

Do you love Mozart?

And you speak of your loved ones

As I clumsily strum my guitar

Ginny walked around her flat. The couch, wall, her bed all reminded her of him. She couldn’t get him out of her head.

She couldn’t get the last words he’d said to her out of her head. She couldn’t get rid of his famous sneer as he told her she was nothing but a quick and meaningless shag.

Well excuse me

Cause I’ve mistaken you for somebody else

Somebody who gave a damn

Somebody more like myself

Draco paced in his bedroom. He was starting to wear a track in his carpet.

He couldn’t sleep without a certain redhead interrupting his dreams. Said redhead was happy for a moment until turning into a woman with eyes that cried out for him, eyes with tears in them as he intentionally hurt her.

He continued pacing as he went over every conversation they’d had. She’d given him her heart and he never once gave her a sincere comment. He’d been taught to never let his guard down and he never did. Especially to a woman. He had betrayed her, just like Potter.

He was no better than Potter.

And that got to him.

~*~

And these foolish games

Are tearing me, you’re tearing me

You’re tearing me apart

And you’re thoughtless words

Are breaking my heart

You’re breaking my heart

Draco walked down the street to a familiar building. He walked slowly up the stairs and knocked on her door.

An old man answered the door.

“Oh…” Draco stopped, unsure of what to say. “Do you know where the previous tenant might have moved to?” The old man shook his head.

“Damn!”

Draco ran down the steps. He walked down the street to the spot where she had bumped into him. He stood there, looking around the street, hoping for some sign of where she might be.

It began to rain. Draco sighed and continued his fruitless search. He finally gave up and walked over to the bench and slumped down into it.

Rain was pouring down on him, plastering his hair to his head. Tears mixed with rain as he came to a realization.

Ginny, his Ginny, was gone and he had no way to find her. No way to tell her he was truly, genuinely sorry.

He heard a bell tinkle as a customer opened the door to the shop behind him.

“Draco?”

He turned around. “Ginny!”

“Draco, what the hell are you doing? Where’s your umbrella?”

He faced her and looked into her eyes.

“Ginny, I’m so sorry. Please listen to me.”

She shrugged her shoulders and led him to the Muggle coffee shop where they talked the first time.

Draco didn’t know where to start. She kept looking at him, expecting more bull from him.

“Ginny, I…” he stopped and hung his head. He sighed.

And told her of his childhood. Of Lucius and Narcissa. And Snape and the Unbreakable Vow. And how much he had admired Dumbledore and hated Voldemort and his Death Eaters, especially his father. And how he wished he had been nicer at Hogwarts and made true friends instead of future Death Eaters. He told her of how he wished his family was more like hers. He spoke to her for hours about things he’d never told anyone. Stuff he’d never really admitted to himself.

Finally he looked up at her. He noticed her tears for him. He reached across the table and brushed them away.

“You know what the most important thing I’ve realized in all of this?”

She shook her head.

“I think I’m in love with you.”

She smiled. “After all you’ve done to me, Draco, I think I’m in love with you too.”

You took your coat off

And stood in the rain

You’re always crazy like that