Four Seasons

Rhea Summers

Rating: NC17
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 5
Published: 18/06/2003
Last Updated: 22/08/2005
Status: completed

Four Seasons is a tale chronicling the ups and downs in a lifelong romance. 7th year Draco Malfoy and 6th year Ginny Weasley cross paths in the summer festival of Beltane in Hogsmeade. Years later, they meet again. This time, things get more complicated as they struggle to sort out tangled emotions. Part 1: Beltane (Exhibitionism: up!) Part 2: A Penknife and Some Ropes (Bondage: up!) Part 3: A Romp in the Closet (Voyeurism: up!) Part 4: Louder Than Ten Banshees Combined

Chapters

1. Beltane

2. A Penknife and Some Ropes

3. A Romp in the Closet

4. Louder than Ten Banshees Combined

1. Beltane

Wong Siew Lee Normal Wong Siew Lee 3 195 2003-06-18T09:26:00Z 2003-06-18T09:27:00Z 7 4129 23538 196 47 28906 9.3821 1

Title: Four Seasons (1/4)

Author: Rhea Summers

E-mail: rheasummers@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17 (uncensored version)

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Draco/Ginny

Summary:

Four Seasons is a tale chronicling the ups and downs in a lifelong romance. Set in 1998, 7th year Draco Malfoy and 6th year Ginny Weasley cross paths in the summer festival of Beltane in Hogsmeade. Years later, they meet again. This time, things get more complicated as they struggle to sort out tangled emotions.

Disclaimer:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes:

Four Seasons is dedicated to Xx (Jay) of Portkey.Org. Without his generosity and kindness, I'd never get a chance to enjoy J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix so soon. In short, this story is written in tribute to those who unconditionally share their joy and passion for Harry Potter with other fans.

As for the technical details, I'm using my creative licence in this story when describing the Beltane celebrations. I'm not pagan and I've never been to such a festival. Most of the information at hand has been gleaned from this web page: http://www.byzant.com/festivals/beltane.asp. My pervy mind figures that a Beltane festival in Hogsmeade may be the perfect set-up for a delicious NC-17 story. You'll know why later.

Beta-ing credits go to Sidney, Alli and Blaze.

P/S: Here are some answers for those pervs out there -- No, I was thinking of Vivaldi when I named this story. No, I'm not Australian.

*I've uploaded this chapter again to correct the formatting and some grammar issues.

~*~*~*~*~

The night was still young; the silver rays glowing from the newly emerged full moon told her that much.

She sighed, aloud; nobody had seemed to notice her presence. The bright colours worn by the womenfolk of Hogsmeade had deemed her invisible.

Loud voices and merry music surrounded her. Delicious aromas of local delicacies floated past her senses as she made her way through the crowd. Walking past enchanted floating balls of light that cast their glow onto the redecorated village square, she felt like she had just entered a child's dreamland fantasy. It was magical, the way they transformed the ordinary village into an attractive festival spot.

Ginny smiled nervously as her fist closed around the stalks of newly picked daisies. Her other hand was holding a mask, for the dance after they lit the bonfires. She breathed in uncomfortably; the bodice of her dress (Hermione's dress, really) was too tight around the bust, but it was the best that she could improvise with so little money and time.

Her eyes flitted through the masses as she searched for her friends. Supposed friends, she thought sourly. She had lost sight of them the moment they stepped foot into the village. It had not been easy getting the teachers to let them participate in the summer festival in the first place, let alone to give them permission to stay overnight in Hogsmeade. Thanks to Harry—again—they managed to get a long-awaited reprieve from Professor Dumbledore.

Harry, Harry.

She gave a small smile when Harry's bespectacled face appeared in her mind's eye. It was not easy getting over Harry, but she had grown up, and growing up meant storing her childhood crush in a little corner in the back of her mind.

She giggled softly.

Before she had ever come to Hogwarts, Ron's exaggerated retellings of his adventures with the famous Harry Potter did not help to stop her daylight fantasies about the Boy-Who-Lived. She had heard so much about the famed Harry Potter that she could not help daydream how he would be, face to face with her. However, like all childhood crushes, her imaginary love affair with him had to end unspectacularly in her 5th year. Well, more specifically, during their first date behind the greenhouse. Harry Potter was not as perfect as she thought he was. Instead of being that suave and charming gentlemen she imagined, he was a shy and quiet boy.

The worst thing was that she had cheated herself of five years of unconditional adoration for someone who had not existed. Technically, he existed, but his real personality just did not match up to her expectations. *The harder you hope, the harder you fall,* Ginny frowned, her forehead wrinkling at the memory of Harry's stuttering and fumbling. Actually, letting go of her Harry fantasy was not as painful as she expected. It was the hollowness that followed that was so unbearable.

Life must go on, however.

*Where are they?* she wondered again as she shook herself out of her reverie. She scanned the crowd again, her eyes looking out for red hair, or bushy hair, or even dark hair. Not much luck. It was too dark to see any face properly, let alone to distinguish hair colour. The whole Hogwarts student population was probably here, since they had just finished their exams barely two days ago. *Teachers too,* she stifled a giggle when her eyes caught sight of Professor Snape stalking towards The Three Broomsticks, all alone.

She walked further down the street and approached the tall Maypoles erected in the village square. The locals had started to gather around stacks of hay and the Maypoles as folk musicians took their seats at the edge of the village square. Loud awkward squeaks filled the air when a half a dozen men began tuning their fiddles by ear. The subtle clink of tambourines and drums accompanied excited cheers as more people gathered to watch the fire-lighting ceremony.

*The celebration's about to begin,* Ginny thought wistfully. Harry, Ron and Hermione might have disappeared, but she was not about to let their absence dampen her mood. After all, it was Beltane, the festival that heralded the arrival of summer. Holding up her sequinned mask, she asked a girl to help strap it securely to the upper half of her face.

She was determined to enjoy herself thoroughly tonight, with or without her "friends."

As she neared the village square, excited screams and cheers filled the air. A couple holding hands stood on the top of the small platform erected near a stack of hay and flowers. The woman held a small harp, whereas the man had a bow and an arrow in his free hand.

*Beltane celebrates the union of the God and the Goddess. Beltane is the time of celebration and joyousness,* Ginny whispered in her mind as memories of late night chats with the other Gryffindor girls floated into her mind. She felt hot blood rising to her cheeks when she remembered another activity that the other girls had giggled over, *Beltane is also the time for couples to make love outside to bless the crops and the earth.*

Another wave of female cheers erupted wildly. Ginny hardly had the time to flinch when the tall man held out the arrow and lit the tip with a simple spell. Placing the burning arrow on the bow, he aimed it at the stack of hay. The village square grew quiet instantly as everyone waited with bated breath for the archer to release the burning arrow.

Suddenly, the flaming arrow shot out and embedded itself in the haystack. A blazing fire began licking at the mound of hay and flowers, casting bright orange and red hues into the darkened sky. The brilliant display of embers and fire burning merrily in the centre of the grassy space mesmerised her.

Then, she caught him staring at her from the other side of the bonfire.

Illumination from the burning haystack had enabled her to get a clear look at him. His tall and slender form stood out from other villagers. His demeanour was calm and refined, so unlike the riotous partygoers around him. A mask hid the upper half of his face too, but Ginny could see his icy grey eyes reflecting the fiery blaze. *A paradoxical comparison,* she thought, unable to avert her gaze elsewhere for the mysterious young man that had magically entrapped her in his stare. *Ice and fire…*

Loud cheers erupted around her again. From a remote corner of her mind, she vaguely heard an accordion playing the opening bars of a popular folksong. *The ceilidh's starting,* a voice whispered in her mind. The crowd around her began to disperse gradually as couples moved to form circles around the four Maypoles erected twenty yards away.

*He's coming nearer.* Ginny lifted her face shyly in time to look into those deep grey eyes.

"Dance with me?" he asked softly, and kissed the back of her hand. His lips were cool and yielding in the warm night air, and Ginny almost wished that the kiss had lasted longer. The music was getting louder and louder now, yet Ginny could hear his every single word clearly, almost as if her mind only revolved around him and her.

Demurely, she nodded, and he led her to the Maypole behind her. Plucking the daisies out of her grip, he smiled at her. "Only a girl as pretty as you deserves to wear flowers in her hair," he murmured into her ear as he reached behind her head to place a single white daisy in her loose bun. When he moved closer to her, the intoxicating fresh apple scent of his aftershave intoxicated her senses.

He took a step back to bow, and Ginny curtsied weakly in return. Clasping her waist, the mysterious youth grasped her free hand tightly after guiding her other hand to rest on his shoulder. Ginny could only smile shyly back as the music began pulsating to a fast rhythm.

*You don't have to learn steps to a barn dance,* a voice whispered in Ginny's head, assuring her that she could dance without causing any embarrassment to herself. *Just follow the music and his lead…*

"Ready?" he asked. He was so close to her that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. Slowly, they began dancing to the beat of drums, violins and accordions in the heat of the night. Moving in sync with other gyrating dancers, they picked up speed as they twirled and spun with in perfect harmony to each other.

The dancing came so naturally that Ginny was surprised. She had never been a good dancer herself.

Time vanished into a long stretch of nothingness. The other dancing couples and the clapping audience melted into a swirl of colours and sounds as they danced song after song with the fervour which Ginny had never experienced before this very night. Adrenaline pumped into her bloodstream when she looked into those cool grey eyes that remained unperturbed by the lively music and spontaneous steps to the folk dance. He gazed back at her, his eyes fixed on her face, as if he were trying to look into her heart and soul.

Gradually, the music slowed to a moderate beat. *The dance must end…* Ginny realised reluctantly. Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of her face as he led her in a contemporary slow dance to the soulful melody played by the violins. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Ginny drew closer to his chest, listening to his heartbeat through his thin cotton shirt. His arms closed around her waistline tightly also, clutching her body closer to his.

"This is so magical…" Ginny whispered softly, her face nuzzled on his well-built chest.

"Magic is strongest during the night of Beltane," he replied nonchalantly. "Magic can do things that stretch beyond your wildest imagination."

With a final note, the music ended.

With a small smile, he brought up her hand to kiss it softly again. His hands released her waist as Ginny brought her arms away from his shoulders. Both taking a step back, they continued to look at each other silently. Both had refused to take their eyes off each other. Both had wanted to fill the emptiness in their lives.

It was starting to get quiet again, as the crowds dispersed to the nearest pubs and taverns for drinks and games. The bonfires had died out, leaving only flickering embers among ashes. Several clouds had obscured the gentle moon rays. Darkness reigned the deserted village square as few feet of land separated Ginny and the mysterious youth.

Flashing her a grin, he took her hand and broke into a run, bringing Ginny along with him. Shops and houses flew past them as they ran and ran. Ginny could only follow blindly, her shorter steps struggling to keep up with his longer strides. Wind whistled past her ears as her legs carried her through the long and lonely street, her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

At last, he stopped when they came to the top of the hill behind Hogsmeade. Feeling slightly out of breath, Ginny turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows inquisitively. He just kept quiet, his eyes looking pensively at the dark shadows of faraway mountains.

"Who are you?" she asked finally, her curiosity was gnawing unbearably at her. In the near-blinding darkness, she could only see the fine contours of his cheeks and jaw line, along with long strands of platinum blond hair framing his perfectly sculptured face.

As if he had anticipated her question, he turned to look at her and walked forward to touch her cheek gently. "Is my identity important to you?" he asked. Slowly, he reached behind her head once again. This time, he did not place any flowers in her hair. Instead, his deft fingers worked on the knots and ties of the ribbons holding her mask in place.

Loosening the mask, he gazed into her eyes again when the mask fell from her face onto the grass below. The moon had peeked out from its hiding place behind the clouds at that same moment, washing its serene silver rays over the darkened lands. Ginny half expected to him to step back after revealing her identity, but the mysterious young man stood rooted on his spot. Tenderly, he began to stroke her fiery tresses, his touch as light as a feather. Tracing his fingers from her hair to her jaw, he rubbed the sensitive skin beneath her chin in circles. Ginny could feel sensual shivers wracking her body with every touch.

In a moment of pure courage, Ginny reached up, her hands untying the complicated knots that held his mask in place. He did not try to stop her. Instead, his steel grey eyes stayed focused on her liquid brown ones, his gaze never leaving her face for a split second.

Ginny hesitated. What if he turned out to be a hideous monster? She swallowed thickly, but her hands refused to stop working at the ribbons. Finally, her fingers untied the final knot. Ginny drew in her breath as the mask fell away, revealing his face.

Ginny's eyes widened at the sight of his facial features. Thick locks of platinum blond hair fell over his forehead, and thick dark lashes outlined a pair of sensual grey eyes. The moonlight emphasized his prominent cheekbones and coloured his skin a pearly white shade.

Ginny was dumbfounded.

"Draco Malfoy?" she muttered in disbelief, her voice quivering with emotion. Why him, of all people?

"Shocked to know that your lover-boy is a Malfoy, Ginny Weasley?" he teased her, as a gust of midnight breeze ruffled his silver blond hair. Before Ginny could respond to his jest, he closed the distance between them and sealed his lips on hers with bruising force. Too shocked to break off the kiss, Ginny stood there like a statue as he continued kissing her passionately, his tongue flicking boldly between her slightly parted lips.

"Too scared to kiss me back?" he whispered impishly between kisses. "Admit it, little Weasley, you want me."

That was it.

Ginny would prove to the whole wide world that she was not that scared little girl who hid behind Ron, Harry and Hermione all the time. Building up her courage, she began to kiss him back. She tried to make her kisses sweet and chaste, but Draco forced her to be much more adventurous. Suckling on her lower lip passionately, he urged her to deepen the kiss.

Slowly, she began to lose herself in the kiss by parting her lips and brushing the tip of her tongue against his teeth. Jolts of pleasure and lust coursed through her veins every time Draco's tongue came in contact with hers. His kisses were deep and intoxicating, so unlike Harry's sweet and innocent ones. The delicious sensation of desire clouded her mind as Draco's lips and body took over her rational thinking.

A gasp escaped from her throat when Draco pressed his body against hers, his hands roaming across her back and chest, eliciting moans from her throat. Want, need and desire flowed freely through kisses and touches. Unconsciously, Ginny's hands reached for the waistband of his trousers to pull out the hem of his shirt, her body hungry for the feel of Draco's naked flesh beneath her fingers. Moving her hands in erotic circles on Draco's hip, she smiled coyly as he began to groan aloud under her touch. Out of a corner of her eye, she saw Draco gritting his teeth agonizingly, as if he was trying to suppress the moans birthed from those sensations.

*So much for the famed Malfoy control,* she smirked inwardly before another wave of pleasure washed over her. A set of digits had inched up her thigh, stroking the span of her bare skin sensually.

Sweeping her off her feet, Draco lifted her up and lay her down roughly on the grass behind her. The cool damp ground made contact with her back as he started to undo the lacings on her bodice, eager to free her body from the restricting clothes. Trailing butterfly kisses onto her cheeks and neck, he continued pressing his lips along her collarbone, before finally stopping to nibble on an earlobe.

Not wanting to be left out, her inexperienced fingers found the topmost button of his shirt. Her hands were trembling as she tried to undo the buttons. Ginny bit her lower lip in frustration when her sweaty hands slipped off the shiny buttons again and again. Finally, she managed to shimmy the accursed shirt off him. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the fabric onto the grass beside her. A translucent sheet of sweat covered his bare chest under the moonlight, making him even more desirable. Ginny sighed as her hands roamed his chest freely, feeling the tight cords of well-built muscles under her fingertips.

Unsatisfied with removing only the shirt, her hands had travelled to the buckle of his belt. It was an art, slipping one end of the belt out of the buckle and loosening the waistband of his trousers as Draco continued circling sensitive areas on her neck with his tongue. Tossing the belt away, she felt her bodice loosen a little more under Draco's impatient attempts to cast it aside.

Before she could unhook his trousers, a sudden blast of cold air hit her chest as Draco succeeded in ripping the laces securing the bodice to reveal her upper body. Untying the lace that held her skirt together, he tore the garment from her waist and flung it away also. Using his knees to balance himself, he straddled her torso seductively. Ginny blushed furiously as his steely grey eyes travelled lazily from her face to her chest, stopping at her peach-coloured bra.

"I see you aren't a scrawny little girl anymore," he drawled seductively and lifted her torso up, his eager hands plucking at the knot that held both ends of her bra together. "You must have been eating well," he murmured while he toyed with the underside of her bra with a free hand. His fingers grazed over her smooth skin as he sought to undo the last barrier separating their upper bodies.

"Here, let me…" she offered, her voice husky with desire. She then reached behind to undo the knot expertly. In a remote corner of her mind, alarm signals rang loudly, but Ginny was too preoccupied with Draco's ministrations on her body to care. Watching his expression carefully, she let the garment fall away. Her efforts were instantly rewarded

Letting her fall back onto the grass, he turned his attention to her milky twin orbs. With a gentleness that surprised Ginny, Draco flicked the tip of a rosy bud with a finger before starting to knead the sides of her breast with his slender fingers. Using his tongue and lips, he bent down to suckle on the other tip, his mouth moist and accommodating. Rubbing his lower body desperately against her belly, he moaned softly, his voice muffled by her chest.

As Draco continued exploring her body inch by inch, Ginny's hands moved along the sides of his lean body awkwardly before hooking them onto the waistband of his trousers and boxers. Pushing them down, he let out another soft groan as her fingers circled the small of his back teasingly.

"Damn, you're such an innocent tease," he growled breathlessly and released his hold on her torso. Pushing himself up, he picked at the elastic band of her knickers and pulled the obstructing article off her hips, finally exposing her body to the silvery moonlight. Hot blood coloured Ginny's cheeks. Draco's eyes were drinking in the sight of her body, making her feel more naked than ever.

Shaking out of her reverie, she teased him back. "You're one yourself," she answered breathlessly as she struggled to push the thick fabric of his trousers past the curve of his hips. Draco's hands found hers and forced them away from his waist. Unzipping his trousers, he stepped out of the garment in one fluid motion. Using his elbows for leverage, he lay on top of her again. This time, no layers of clothing separated them. It was flesh against flesh, heartbeat against heartbeat.

Moonlight washed over the pair of accidental lovers, painting their bodies in abstract shades of white, silver and grey. His delicate skin looked so supple and smooth in the pure moonbeams, and there were no marks or scars adorning his naked body.

His eyes were glowing with desire as he rubbed his hardened length against her inner thigh, driving Ginny to draw in a sharp lungful of the cool night air to sedate a surprised gasp. Slowly, he moved to position himself at her entrance, his tip barely touching the lips of her nether region.

"Do you want me now?" he asked roughly, his eyebrows knitted together as he fought to maintain a steady voice. Ginny could feel the same animalistic urge coursing through every single artery and vein in her body. *Dear God and Goddess, what am I doing? I'm having sex with Malfoy out in the open!*

"Take me… slowly," she breathed out finally, her words saturated with desperation and desire. Draco nodded curtly and kissed her moist lips again, sealing their mutual agreement. Ginny closed her eyes in anticipation as he started to inch forward, feeling his every ridge and bump with exhilarating jolts every time he moved in her body. Suddenly, his hips lurched forward, entering her warmth entirely.

A blinding stab of pain shot from her lower abdomen to other parts of her body in a blink when she felt the fragile membrane give way under Draco's swift motion. His lips muffled her cry, but tears leaked out uncontrollably from beneath her eyelids and rolled down the sides of her face.

It felt like an eternity while the pain slowly ebbed away as he stopped to kiss her eyelids softly. Ginny's eyelids fluttered open to gaze into his steel grey ones. "You were a virgin?" he asked softly, his face frowning in consternation. Behind his composed tone, Ginny thought she could hear a twinge of concern and regret. Biting her lower lip, she nodded.

"My mistake," he murmured into her ear after a short pause. "We'll take it one step at a time." As the pain subsided, ripples of pleasure drowned her consciousness as Draco's pulsating length stayed buried in her. *He's part of me now,* Ginny thought in amazement.

Letting Ginny wrap her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, he shifted his weight onto his knees for more support. Sliding out of her slowly, he inhaled sharply before sinking back quickly into her again. Again and again, he slid and withdrew. Her mind pounding and her body throbbing, Ginny instinctively knew how to follow his lead by bucking every time he re-entered her slick warmth. Like dancing with him, her body moved naturally with his.

Picking up speed, Draco started to thrust harder, his face contorted in concentration--a palpable sign that he was battling to maintain his self-control. Beads of perspiration rolled down his temples and her forehead as they moved in unison to a single rhythm towards a single goal. Harder and harder they rocked in each other's embrace, each seeking a release in the other's arms.

Ginny rode wave after wave of pleasure that washed over her entire body. Digging her fingernails into Draco's shoulder blade, she let out an ear-splitting shriek when she reached her climax. Brilliant bursts of light flashed across her vision field as her muscles contracted rhythmically around him. Reality and imagination blurred into one, and Ginny could not differentiate one from the other.

Mere moments later, another blast of unanticipated exhilaration slammed into her in full force as Draco too, achieved his highest point of bliss and satisfaction. Entangled in Draco's embrace, Ginny swirled with him in a colossal nebula of whirling colours and sensations--most were of undulating joy, some were of pain and a few were of bittersweet memories.

Collapsing onto her, Draco's ragged breath whistled past her ear as his flushed cheeks lay nestled in the crook of her neck. Letting him rest on top of her, Ginny swallowed enormous gulps of the cold night air to cool her senses down. It seemed that all of her nerves were set on fire simultaneously. In the quiet aftermath, Ginny felt that all of her senses were dulled, tired and satiated from the enchanting experience.

The harmonious chirping of crickets filled the night as the two new lovers lay undisturbed in each other's arms. The occasional loud cheering from the village nearby hardly perturbed her at all. Only Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley existed in the whole wide world.

As their breathing gradually slowed to normal, Draco slipped out of her and rolled over to her side, his handsome face grinning smugly under the moonlight. "I enjoyed myself," he whispered, his voice rough from exertion as he groped around for his clothes.

"Me too. It was wonderful," she answered him softly. Was this the type of response that she had expected after making love to someone? But then, this was someone who had treated her family with contempt all these years. Already, Draco sat up to button his shirt. Clearly, he did not intend to stick around.

"Why did you come to me?" she asked weakly this time, bracing herself for his reply. Ginny found it hard to believe that he could be so callous after sharing such an intimate act with her.

He was silent. Ginny's heart lifted a little.

The air was so tense that she could slice it apart with a knife.

"You were convenient, that's all," his answer came finally. His voice was as cold as ice, betraying no trace of emotion.

"How dare you…" she whispered. Tears were already coursing down her cheeks freely. Blood was starting to boil in her chest as she raised her hand to slap him across his face, but his long thin fingers caught her wrist in mid-air.

"Thanks for the ride, little Weasley. Never thought you had it in you," he smirked and threw down her hand roughly. Ginny gasped in pain, though she could not tell what hurt worse, the physical or the emotional. Ignoring her cry, Draco stood up to zip his trousers and tuck in his shirt. "We'll meet again someday."

Ginny's eyes followed his lithe form in disbelief as he turned to climb down the grassy hill. Her world had come crashing down around her. Why had she been so stupid as to sleep with him? Why was he so cruel to her after making love to her like she had mattered to him?

Why? Why? Why?

Tearing her eyes away from him, she buried her face in her hands. She wept her heart out, cursing herself for being so vulnerable to his charms. How was she going to face Harry, Hermione and Ron after this? She felt so dirty and cheap now, after becoming Malfoy's toy for a night.

What she did not know was, if she had turned around at that moment, she would have seen him staring at her longingly. But she did not. And he walked away quietly into the night.

~*~*~*~

Extra A/N:

1. Ceilidh means 'party'. It is a term normally used for folk dances at gatherings.

2. Draco's motivation is still a mystery. I'll deal with it in the next part.

3. If things go according to plan, Ginny will grow a backbone in the next chapter. ;p Ginny's going to get her revenge, don't worry.

2. A Penknife and Some Ropes

Wong Siew Lee Normal Wong Siew Lee 3 8 2003-07-09T14:05:00Z 2003-07-09T14:11:00Z 11 6234 35537 296 71 43641 9.3821

Title: Four Seasons (2/4)

Author: Rhea Summers

E-mail: rheasummers@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17 (uncensored version), R (censored version)

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Draco/Ginny

Summary:

Four Seasons is a tale chronicling the ups and downs in a lifelong romance. Set in 1998, 7th year Draco Malfoy and 6th year Ginny Weasley cross paths in the summer festival of Beltane in Hogsmeade. Years later, they meet again. This time, things get more complicated as they struggle to sort out tangled emotions.

Disclaimer:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes:

Four Seasons is dedicated to Xx (Jay) of Portkey.Org. Without his generosity and kindness, I'd never get a chance to enjoy J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix so soon. In short, this story is written in tribute to those who unconditionally share their joy and passion for Harry Potter with other fans.

Anyone shocked by the 'open air' sex in the last chapter? ::laughs:: More goodies ahead this time. This story is never meant to be an adventure with lots of duelling and fighting. It is simply a romance. Like the previous instalment, the setting is another excuse for a delicious NC-17 story. The tone for this part will be significantly different. As events here are set five years after the incident, the characterisations may have changed. Due to these differences, there may not be a sense of continuity from the previous part to this part.

Theme for this part: bondage. It's smuttier than the last.

Beta-ing credits go to Sidney, Blaze and Jo. I still love Alli although she didn't beta this part. Poor girl's having her mid-terms. Hope everything goes well for her!

~*~*~*~*~

A lone figure in black stood in the midst of towering trees.

Golden leaves floated around her serenely as the cool breeze shook the boughs of the weathered oak tree. Warm rays of light from the waning autumn sun had coloured the rows of apple trees and the carpet of fallen leaves a brilliant mixture of red, orange and yellow.

She was not here to enjoy a beautiful evening in August. A hurried glanced at her wristwatch showed the time as five minutes before six. Time seemed to trickle by when you wanted to kill it most, and reading today's newspapers did not help to alleviate her anxiety.

Glancing at a well-used copy of The Daily Prophet again, her heart sank lower as she caught sight of a photo featuring a handsome young man. He was shaking hands with the Minister of Magic, and his robes were immaculately pressed and brushed. "Malfoy Donates £100,000 to Orphanage!" the headlines screamed. *Everyone knows that git's Voldemort's biggest supporter since Malfoy Senior died. What a hypocrite,* Ginny thought bitterly as the familiar leaden sensation weighed down on her once again.

Staring at the black and white photograph, she scowled angrily. That infamous arrogant smirk was still there, so alike the one he flashed at her the last time they met. A rush of resentment and humiliation besieged her heart as Malfoy grinned back cheekily at her from the photo. For a moment, she could feel angry tears filling up rapidly behind her eyelids. Forcing herself to act professionally, she stuffed the newspaper into her robe. She had a mission to complete--a double agent's life would be jeopardized if she failed this time.

"One more hour," she muttered before another gust of wind whipped her flowing robes. "Sixty more minutes before I go into that stupid place."

It was by far, the most emotionally difficult mission she had ever been assigned to.

She swallowed uneasily and gathered her travelling cloak around her shivering body. At the edge of the orchard, a grand mansion stood guarded over acres of land surrounding it. Moving heavily in the direction of the mansion, she estimated that she would spend the remaining time making her way towards the sprawling manor. *Malfoy Mansion,* she thought angrily, her strides growing wider in response to her mounting temper.

Moving carefully along the covered path, she walked and walked, her light footsteps causing only the slightest sound of crunching dry leaves. She resisted the urge to Apparate for the fear of setting off the wards surrounding the property. Reaching into her robe pocket, her hand closed around a crumpled piece of parchment--her precious directions for locating her target.

As she moved closer to the building, the sky began to darken with the sun setting down the horizon. Whipping out her wand, she advanced towards the imposing walls carefully, her robes billowing out faintly in the dimming light. Her wand tapped on the wall cautiously, and a soft shimmer of light outlined the frame of an archway before the portion of the wall dissolved away.

"Thank Merlin that Mad-Eye Moody remembered to give me specific directions," she sighed as she walked through the charmed archway. Her eyes fell on the sight of a beautiful garden filled with evergreens and lush flowers. *How rich of Malfoy to do that,* she thought bitterly. In the distance, the shrill ringing of the dinner bell reached her ears. Ginny pushed away the growling sensations that were gathering in her stomach. *You have half an hour to get him out before they raid this place…* a small voice reminded her.

Clutching the parchment against her chest, she advanced towards the majestic mansion, her feet nimbly avoiding the traps and wards that were placed in every imaginable nook and cranny of the garden path. Slowly but surely, she walked carefully until she was pressed against a window. Peering through the windowpanes, she gasped at the sight of the towering wooden shelves that were filled with thousands and thousands of books.

*Must be Malfoy's study…* she thought. Checking the map again, her fingers made an invisible mark on the crumpled parchment. *Good.* The Order's contact was suppose to wait for her arrival in drawing room.

Removing a bag from her robe, she pointed her wand at it and muttered a charm. The bag levitated and floated towards the front porch of the manor. *One… Two… Three…* she counted silently.

Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from the front of the manor, sending terrified screams and loud shouts from inside the mansion. Moments later, a nauseous smell floated past her, eliminating her desire to take a bite. *Oops, sorry to spoil your wonderful dinner. Take that, you lousy bunch of Death Eaters,* Ginny grinned mischievously as hurried footsteps thundered past the corridors within the house. Her diversion trick of setting off dungbombs had never failed her.

Using her fingers to pry open the windowpanes, Ginny was genuinely surprised that she was not hexed immediately. *Three cheers for the Malfoy complex which assumes that nobody has the ability to break in their beloved mansion,* she snickered as the well-oiled hinges gave way under her persistent tugging. Climbing through the windowsill, she eased herself into the richly furnished study. Feeling the blast of warm air hitting her face, Ginny marvelled at the gilded ornaments that adorned the room. Brass chandeliers with flickering candles hung suspended from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room.

*Warm?* Ginny snorted derisively. That certainly did not fit into your daily vocabulary to describe Malfoy. Stalking across the room, she pressed a side of her face onto the wooden panels of the door. Faraway screams and loud complaining reached her ears. Satisfied with her diversion, she tapped her wand on the doorknob to check for any hexes.

*Agent Ocag must be really good at spying…He could even deactivate hexes planted by Malfoy. He reminds me of Snape,* she thought as the doorknob glowed hot-white for a second before returning to its original bronze colour. Turning the knob around, she cast a furtive glance into the dark hallway outside.

*I have Fred and George to thank for the dungbombs.*

Carefully, she closed the door behind her and crept into the long corridor. Several portraits featuring various Malfoy ancestors decorated the gloomy walls, each attempting to outdo the others by casting arrogant smirks. Ginny tried to ignore the pathetic attention-seeking measures by those portraits as her eyes narrowed in a squint.

*Where is the drawing room? I'm suppose to meet him there,* Ginny started to panic. The angry commotion had died down to a mere buzz in the distance. With slow and steady steps, Ginny walked along the corridor, trying to discern the directions on the map crudely drawn on her crumpled piece of parchment.

Steadily, she took a few tentative steps towards the dimly lit end of the corridor. A mixture of mouth-watering aromas floated past her nostrils as she found her legs taking her in the direction of the smells. After that, the map did show mark the drawing room next to the dining room, right?

Swallowing, she tried to regain control of her mind. Soon, a long table filled with numerous types of delicacies met her eyes as her feet carried her along the passageway. Bowls of fresh strawberries coated with chocolate dotted the various pies and scones that decorated the length of the tablecloth.

Then, she caught sight of the double doors directly opposite her. *There it is,* Ginny thought as she alternated looks between her map and the doors. Sneaking a glance at the archway leading to dining room, she made sure that nobody was coming in before making her way cautiously across the dining hall. As she edged around the table, her fingers flicked out to pick a strawberry out from a silver bowl. Biting into the strawberry and letting the wonderful mixture of strawberry juice and chocolate mix on her tongue, Ginny felt her stomach unclench comfortably.

Relishing the taste, Ginny lurched forward to twist the doorknob, but it refused to budge. Instead, it began clicking annoyingly. "Damn!" the redhead muttered. Grinding her teeth, she extracted a penknife from her robes before jamming it into the lock. As the doorknob responded with a click, Ginny reached to open the door.

Suddenly, an icy cold hand clamped shut over her mouth.

Her eyes widened in shock. Her pulse began racing. She could feel the fine hairs behind her neck prickling. Her stomach clenched painfully against her lithe body. Her free hand reached for her wand blindly, but another icy cold hand caught her wrist skilfully.

Had she been caught? Dear Merlin knew what a group of Death Eaters would do to an Auror!

Slowly, her captor turned her around to face him.

"Draco Malfoy!" Ginny gasped. A pair of steel grey eyes gazed at her face coolly. Locks of white blonde hair fell over his forehead as his lips twisted in an arrogant smile. He had not grown much since she last saw him up close in Hogsmeade--he was only about a foot taller than her petite frame this time. Retaining his aristocratic air, Draco Malfoy had added maturity to his demeanour and grace, making his presence a lethal combination to her senses.

"Pleased to see me, Ginny?" he teased, his voice low and predatory. Bringing his mouth close to her ear, he whispered, "Long time no see." Slowly, he leaned down to nibble on her earlobe gently.

"Malfoy! Let go of me!" Ginny tried to scream, but only choking sounds came out from her throat. Her body was already paralysed with fear

"We haven't seen each other for such a long time. We should catch up with each other," he breathed out as he trailed butterfly kisses along her jaw and flicked his tongue against a corner of her mouth. "Hm… Chocolate. You have been a naughty girl for stealing food."

"Don't touch me, Malfoy…" Ginny rasped out and struggled weakly against his iron-like grip on her wrists. Pushing her up against the door behind her, he pressed his body closer to hers. Fury and humiliation gnawed at her conscious as she stared into those cool grey eyes that were only inches away from her face. Years of anger and tears poured into her heart. She had not told a single soul of what had happened between her and Draco during Beltane five years ago, and it still hurt her to recall Malfoy's hurtful remarks after… after that.

Ginny forced herself to breath calmly.

"I like you when you get angry. You are still as attractive as ever," Draco smirked. Moving his face closer, he sealed his mouth over hers, savouring every single inch of her luscious lips. It was every bit as intoxicating and deep as she remembered, and it was so easy to drown in his kisses.

Before Ginny could respond, a rough male voice rang out, "Master Malfoy, am I disturbing your leisure activity?" Loud guffaws filled the room as Draco broke the kiss and took a step away from her, his eyes not leaving her face.

"My, my, she's a beauty," another male voice chimed in. Another round of vulgar laughter sounded, and Ginny felt blood rushing up to her cheeks as she saw a dozen men looking at her appreciatively.

"Sod off, Malfoy," she snarled and tried to wring her wrists free from his grip.

"Master Malfoy, her mouth can use some cleaning up," another voice suggested lewdly. "Perhaps you can train her to be your obedient dog. I'd appreciate a turn with her after you."

At the moment, stabbing sensations of pain and shame besieged her heart. How could she be so careless? She wished she had never agreed to come on this task. Where was Agent Ocag? Where were her teammates when she needed them the most?

"I know what to do with her," Draco answered coolly and stared at the man. The rest immediately stopped laughing as the young man glared at them coldly. Ginny held her breath. The atmosphere was as tense as a highly-strung wire. The group of men stared back at Draco too, their looks turning hostile.

*Please… Please Merlin… Please help me!* she prayed fervently, her heart thumping wildly.

Suddenly, the lights around them dimmed. Loud cracks filled with air as wizards began popping into the dining room. Streaks of colourful light flashed across the room as hexes and spells were hurled against the new intruders.

"Alastor!" Ginny shouted as the old ex-Auror appeared at the other end of the room. They had arrived early! A burst of new-found strength flowed into her veins. Twisting her wrist away from Draco's grip, she spun around. Raising the penknife high up in the air, she plunged it down on Draco's thigh.

Hard.

"Take that, Malfoy. Your strawberries aren't good to eat anyway," Ginny mocked him when the blade of the knife sliced effortlessly into his flesh. A dark stain spread around the wound rapidly as Draco shouted in pain. Staggering on one foot, he lunged forward to secure his arm around Ginny's waist.

Just as Ginny was about to turn around to hex him, the chaotic situation seemed to blur before her eyes. Closing her eyes in reflex, Ginny tried to clear away the visual disruption. When she fluttered her eyelids open again, she found herself standing in a corner of a rundown shack. The faint evening light streamed in from a half-boarded window at the opposite side of the space. Worn-out broomsticks and coils of rope hung desolately from the iron hooks driven into the wooden walls. Piles of hay were scattered across the dusty floor panels, and a rundown fireplace completed the décor.

She felt a squeezing sensation on her side. Gasping, she realised that Malfoy's arm was still secured tightly around her waist, but the lower half of his body were slumped beside her. A small pool of crimson liquid collected at her feet as the blood gushed down his thigh from the hilt of the penknife.

"Where have you taken me, Malfoy?" Ginny demanded angrily, her eyes darting around anxiously.

Draco only flashed her a small smile. "It's my apple shed, Ginny. Does this look like a paradise for shagging?" he teased softly, his eyebrows knitted with intense concentration as he struggled to keep himself from crying out in pain.

Ginny blushed deeply at his words and pried his arm away from her waist before dumping it unceremoniously on the ground. Groaning softly, Draco pushed himself up against the wall. The redhead glared angrily at him while he grimaced, touching the handle of the blade gingerly.

"Weasley, take off your scarf," he growled impatiently, his hands holding the sides of his injured thigh.

"Why should I?" Ginny shot back furiously. "I'll leave you to bleed to death here. Tomorrow, the headlines of The Daily Prophet will be 'Last Malfoy Dies Pitifully in Abandoned Apple Shed'."

"Now, Ginny, you don't want to leave me dead here," Draco whispered dangerously, his voice low with steely determination. "Believe me, you really don't want that to happen. Give me your scarf now." He stared into her liquid brown eyes, and Ginny could feel the barriers between them crumbling into pieces. For a moment, she thought she had seen remorse flash past his eyes in the dimming autumn light. When she looked again, they were replaced by his infamous icy cold expression once again.

"I'll have you arrested the moment dawn breaks," Ginny muttered and unwound the black scarf from her neck. Not breaking eye contact with him, Ginny sat down to tie the fabric around the upper part of his thigh to form a makeshift tourniquet.

"I need you to pull the knife out at the count of three, understand?"

Ginny nodded and gritted her teeth. Securing her hands around the small handle, she waited for Draco to start counting.

"One…" his voice drifted to her ears. The harmonious assortment of musical instruments playing a popular folk tune flared in her mind, along with the sensation of his body pressed close her hers as they danced the night away, five long years ago.

"Two…" he spoke steadily, his steady voice not betraying even the tiniest sliver of fear and apprehension. She remembered how they moved together as one, fitting perfectly with each other's body under the brightest of stars and the fullest of moons, five long years ago.

"Three!" he whispered finally, his voice lowering to a mere whisper.

Closing her eyes, Ginny held her breath and pulled the blade out with one fluid motion. Warm blood sprayed in all directions as she held the penknife in mid-air. Throwing the penknife aside and drawing out her wand, she removed Draco's shirt with a flick of her wrist. With another flick, the bloodstained leg of his trousers tore away also, revealing his crimson-streaked pale skin. Tearing the shirt into long strips, she wrapped the white cloth around the gaping wound, and applied pressure onto the wound, hoping to stop the blood from gushing out.

Out of a corner of her eye, she saw Malfoy lean against the wooden wall, his eyes carrying a dazed look in them. Dazed and Malfoy did not belong together in the same sentence. *Perhaps he has lost too much blood,* she thought as she removed her hands and finished bandaging his wound.

When she tied the final knot securely, she suddenly found Draco's slim fingers clasping the back of her hand weakly. There was hardly any light now, but Ginny could see the tired and blank expression on his face. Her throat felt dry as she looked at his deep grey eyes that were framed by thick dark lashes.

She swallowed uneasily. *Stop it, Ginny! He used you!* a loud voice shouted warningly in her mind. Yet just like that fateful night five years ago, the cold beauty he possessed mesmerized her, forbidding her to avert her gaze towards elsewhere.

"Why did you leave me that night?" she asked softly, her heart desperate to hear his explanation, if there even was one. Perhaps he was forced to leave? Ginny had clung to that splinter of hope during her darkest moments of struggling with her remorse and anger for letting him use her.

He lifted his eyes to look at her. Seconds ticked by, yet he made no effort to acknowledge her question.

Still, Ginny waited.

Finally, he shook his head slowly. "I can't tell you, except that you won't get to sleep with me for the second time."

Bleakness--it was the only word to describe her turmoil as the smallest fragment of hope disintegrated into nothingness.

"You can't tell me," she repeated after him, her voice trembling with fury. "You can't tell me the reason you left me after making love to me that night. It has been five years, and you still can't tell me!" Frustrated tears were threatening to spill from her amber brown eyes. Raising her arm, she brought her hand down on Draco's cheek with a resounding crack.

Draco flinched slightly. Five angry red marks appeared immediately on his porcelain-white skin.

Still, he did not retaliate.

"I hate you!" she shouted as tears rolled down her cheeks, her voice cracking with years of suppressed emotions. "Draco Malfoy, don't you dare to think you'll walk away here unscathed!"

Her blood boiled when Draco remained calm and composed. *He doesn't care about me,* she whispered inwardly, her heart clenching painfully at this new revelation.

Whipping out her wand, she pointed the narrow strip of wood at the abandoned fireplace. "Incendio!" she muttered. A ray of light shot out from the end of her wand to set the dusty pile of wood ablaze with dancing flames. Orange light filled the small space, casting eerie shadows upon her figure.

"Lacera Subucula!" she shouted. Loud ripping sounds filled the air as huge tears began to appear on Draco's shirt and pants. "Accio! Accio! Accio!" she muttered in rapid succession, her eyes glinting dangerously at the shreds of fabric that came flying in her direction.

Finally, there was not a thread left on Draco except for his boxers. Throwing the shreds aside, Ginny breathed in deeply at the sight of his well-toned chest and arms. This time, she was dealing with a more mature and grown-up Draco Malfoy.

Casting off her own robes, she walked towards him and bent down to whisper in his ear, "Draco Malfoy, I'm going to make you suffer tonight." To emphasize her point, she rubbed his side with her chest ever so slightly, but enough to make Draco grit his teeth to resist from moaning aloud.

Slowly, she pushed her trousers down and slid a leg across his bare stomach. Meanwhile, a hand reached down to finger the waistband of his emerald green boxers while she used her wand tip to draw lazy circles on his chest. Keeping an eye on his facial expression, Ginny laughed in satisfaction when Draco closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath to clear his senses.

"I can feel that you're desperate for me…" she whispered huskily, her hands probing deeper into his boxers. Draco stifled a groan when her hand found the centre of his desire and lust for her. Moving her hand in slow circles, she toyed with him, teasing him, challenging him.

"Ginny! Wait! I'm…" he started to shout when she pointed her wand at his boxers. She smiled seductively at him.

"Too late," she mouthed silently.

Ginny snatched up a handful of his shredded shirt and stuffed the rags into his mouth. "If you don't want me to tie you up, you better not move at all. Accio!" she whispered, and the silky green garment ripped away to reveal his semi-hardened length.

"I see Malfoy Junior is very excited," Ginny said, her hot breath tickling his face and teasing strands of his silky blond hair. Reaching out, she dragged her index finger tantalisingly from the base to the tip, feeling every nub and ridge, his eyes following every slightest shift of her hands. When she reached the top, she circled the tip mischievously, and Draco responded with a muffled moan.

Braver after seeing Draco's reaction, she closed her fist around his pulsating sex and supported herself with the other hand on his torso, leaving the head of his erection peeping from above her grip.

"I'd love to hear you beg me," she whispered tantalisingly. Draco's piercing grey eyes stared back at her mockingly, as if taunting her ability to seduce him. Shaking his head, he managed to snort.

"Oh? Don't believe me? Let's see…" she continued. Sidling over his body, she sat on top of his stomach, her back facing him. Bending down, she flicked her tongue against the swollen tip, tasting the clear drop of liquid that had gathered there. Closing her lips around the tip, she sucked on it harshly, her sharp teeth grazing the delicate skin. Beneath her thighs, she felt a shiver coursing through Draco's body.

Ginny smiled in satisfaction as he began to grow even harder when she moved her tongue around him sensually. She loved the way he drew in the capricious amounts of musty air every time her tongue made contact with him.

It made her feel… powerful, and to feel that type of power over Draco Malfoy was… exhilarating.

Her eyes glinted with amusement as she stole a glance up at him. His cheeks were coloured pink when he groaned and bucked desperately against her ministrations, his eyes blazing with lust and desire.

Ginny swallowed a surprised gasp when she felt a pair of hands find their way beneath her sweater. Roughly, those hands pushed the garment up, exposing her milky white skin to the orange light. His touch was as exquisite as ever; his fingertips were cool while his palms were smooth from the lack of menial labour. Tracing every curve of her body, his hands eventually found their way to the generous swell of her chest. Slipping a few fingers under her bra, he brushed the sensitive skin provocatively.

Suddenly releasing her lips from his sex, she slid off his body. Draco let out a loud guttural sound resembling a disappointed groan. Ginny, however, had other plans in mind, and raised her hand again. A resounding crack filled the air as Ginny slapped her old enemy for the second time that night. Blood rushed up his cheeks immediately after Ginny's fingers left his face. For the first time in his adult life, involuntary tears stung Draco Malfoy's eyes.

"Malfoy, I told you not to move," she growled dangerously. Whipping a cord of hemp rope from a hook above him and turning to get her wand, she pressed his wrists together and muttered a spell to tie them with a secure knot. Draco let out a muffled protest and struggled against the bond. Placing her wand beside his head, she smiled sweetly at him. "It's a binding charm. The more you try to loosen it, the harder the rope will cut into your wrists." Hearing Ginny's words, Draco stopped struggling immediately.

"Let's continue, shall we?"

Gazing in his deep grey eyes, Ginny saw her figure being reflected in them. Drawing the discarded penknife, she pressed the blade along his arm; not hard enough draw blood, but sufficient to slice small reddened cuts along his fine skin. Draco closed his eyes in pain, and he kept moaning throatily through the gag.

Smiling sadistically, Ginny swung her free hand onto his other cheek, jolting his eyelids open with the impact. "Keep your eyes open!" she demanded. Draco's eyebrows furrowed as she kissed the reddened cheek chastely. "You love this, don't you?"

Sitting up on Draco's torso, Ginny pulled her sweater over her head. Throwing it aside, she unbuttoned her shirt swiftly, exposing her creamy white skin under the hungry scrutiny of his eyes. Draco lifted his wrist to maul at her bra, but Ginny pushed his hands away roughly. "Naughty boy. Don't touch me until I say so," she whispered huskily, sending another round of excited trembling through his body.

Ginny returned to sit on his waist, dressed only in her bra and knickers. She smiled in self-satisfaction as Draco let out an animalistic growl, her crotch leaving a pleasant dampness on his torso. Grinding her hip sensually against his smooth bare skin, she leaned down to nip gently on his shoulder. Slowly, she blew kisses along his collarbone before shifting her attention to his neck. Licking softly at his neck brought another round of uncontrollable writhing from the handsome young man.

Removing the rag from his mouth, Ginny captured Draco's lips in a searing kiss. The red-hot sensation of passion and lust flowing freely between a witch and her wizard was enough to let them forget all old grudges and pain. Desperation gripped them both as they mauled each other furiously with lips and tongues, her fingers gripping locks of his silver blond hair. The subtle scent of his apple aftershave mixed strangely with the sharp tang of blood, creating heady sensations of intoxication in the redhead.

Gradually, Ginny pulled back her head to break the kiss. Slipping out of her knickers, she sat on Draco's torso, his stiff manhood pressing against her lower back. Draco's steel grey eyes stared back at her as she knelt over him, one leg on each side, as she lifted her body to hover over his.

Adjusting her position slightly, she poised her slick entrance at the tip of his erection and smiled impishly. "Do you want me or not?" she asked evenly, and brushed her nether lips against him. Draco shuddered against his will. Ginny could see that he was at the edge of his self-control. Sliding lower until he was poking at her entrance, she let him feel the close proximity between him and her.

Gritting his teeth and swallowing his pride, Draco nodded.

Smiling, Ginny sank another inch until the head of his manhood was inside her. Five years… It had been five years since she had last touched a man. Draco moaned aloud as her warm wetness enveloped him. His silver-blond hair was matted with sweat as he fought to restrain himself from losing control.

"Say, 'please'," Ginny taunted joyfully at his distress, clamping her inner muscles tightly around him to test his shaky patience. Draco tried to buck up to penetrate her deeper, but Ginny's hands and legs pinned him down steadily.

Draco took a deep breath and stared back defiantly.

Ginny's knees were starting to ache, but she could see Draco's self-control was slowing breaking down. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he tried to breathe evenly.

Finally, he gave in. "Pl… Please," he growled in a frustrated tone, his dilated pupils and shaking voice betraying his usual suave demeanour.

"That's better," Ginny replied smugly and let her body sink onto the hilt of his erection, accommodating his long-waited presence in her. Clenching her walls around him, she relished the sensation of his throbbing length within her. "But I can't hear you," she added slyly.

"Please!" Draco said louder this time, his eyes wide open in unhidden desperation. "Ginny, this is very sadistic and painful! Let's get over with it!" he half-shouted at her as she began toying with the silver blonde curls on his groin.

"Louder? My hearing isn't so… acute," she said after a pregnant pause.

"Please!" he bellowed and trashed wildly, his hips bucking upwards. Before Ginny could react, Draco's bonds loosened and his hands were ripping her bra away from her chest. Grabbing her by the waist, Draco rolled over and held her still under his weight.

"Draco Malfoy, let go of me!" she shrieked helplessly he began to thrust in and out of her frantically, sending violent shockwaves of utmost pleasure across her entire being. "This is rape!" she added lamely, her fingernails digging angry red crescents into his pale skin.

"Rape? I'd say I'm the victim," he growled impatiently, his words punctured by ragged breathing. At this point, Ginny was already lost among the swirling nebulas of dizzying sensuality. A small cry came forth from her throat every time he crashed into her, joining them both in a world that only the two of them existed. Incoherent sounds coming from Draco added to the surreal experience she was going through.

As suddenly as the tables were turned, Ginny felt her climax approach. With strangled shouts, they reached their release together, his essence spilling into her existence, filling a once-bleak void in her soul. Indescribable torrents of bliss surged through their veins, pushing them to the highest peak of fulfilment. So like their first encounter, they shook and shuddered in each other's embrace, finally finding a mutual outlet for all the years of unrequited hope and tenderness.

In the quiet night, two very different individuals slipped into deep slumber, wrapped around one another, unconcerned about what the future might hold for them.

~*~*~*~*~

The first rays of dawn filtered through the dust-covered windowpanes.

The cheerful chirping of birds woke her up, her limbs were splayed across another warm body and a male arm was wrapped possessively around her waist. She fluttered her eyelids open and found a pair of sensual grey eyes staring into her honey brown ones.

"How did you get rid of the Binding Charm?" Ginny asked. Even this early in the morning, her curiosity was already gnawing at her.

"Well, you were stupid enough to leave your wand near my hand. All of us are able to do some wandless magic, you know," he answered smugly, his voice carrying traces of the arrogant teenager that Ginny once knew.

"And you didn't leave?" she whispered softly. Deep down inside, her anger and fury seemed to have dissipated altogether. Perhaps he did have good reasons for being such a git to her.

He cocked his head and flashed a small smile. "My clothes aren't exactly wearable anymore, thanks to you," he drawled sarcastically, his fingers raking through locks of her fiery red hair. Ginny smiled back, but a clench in her heart reminded her that she was talking to Draco Malfoy, purported Death Eater leader after his father's unfortunate demise in his seventh year.

"I got my revenge on you last night. We're even now," Ginny sighed. Draco did not attempt to answer her. His fingers continue to stroke her hair gently. Resting her head back in the crook of his neck, Ginny nuzzled closer to him. *Let the day sort itself out,* Ginny thought wearily. Death Eater or not, he was a fantastic lover.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang, causing her head to jerk up from its comfortable spot on Draco's chest. Bright light streamed into the space, and Ginny was forced to shield her eyes with her hand.

"Ginny! What are you doing?!" a shocked male voice exclaimed.

Ginny's eyes widened in horror as she stared fixedly at the lone figure framed by the crisp morning sun.

"Harry?!" she screamed disbelievingly. "How did you find me?"

"So, while we were busy exchanging hexes and you were busy exchanging bodily fluids with someone else," Harry started bitterly and slammed the door shut behind him.

"And a Malfoy to boot," he added resentfully, glaring at the other man lying comfortably on the bed of straw. "For your information, we had to bring in an Accidental Magic Reversal Squad to look for traces of Apparition."

"Yes, and as if you don't shag Hermione at every given opportunity," Ginny shot back and pulled her robe over her chest to cover herself. Harry clenched his jaw and looked away angrily.

"What are you looking at, Potter?" Draco drawled lazily, not bothering to reach for his clothes to cover up, his tone seething with barbs to test Harry's temper. "Finally realised that you're puny compared to me?"

"Shut it, Malfoy. Put on some clothes before I send you back to Malfoy Mansion. You won't want to appear stark naked in front of Alastor Moody," Harry snapped irritably and folded his arms. "You too, Ginny. Now's not the time to shag each other senseless. You surprise me with your taste in men."

"Am afraid that a certain wild vixen has mauled my clothes into tatters," Draco smirked impishly and gave Ginny a teasing look. "Technically, I'm the victim here. I was injured and ra…"

"Shouldn't we send a team here to haul him to Azkaban?" Ginny cut in loudly. Pulling her sweater over her head, she scowled crossly at Draco. "Don't listen to him, Harry. He Apparated here with me in the tow and tried to rape me."

"He did?" Harry asked incredulously, his brilliant green eyes staring at Draco's bruising cheek. Seeing Harry's reaction, the blond ex-Slytherin flashed a triumphant smirk at Ginny. "Now, Ginny, I know you hate Malfoy… I despised him too," he began in a tired voice and cleared his throat. "But he's Agent Ocag and I don't think he would rape you, no matter how despicable he is. Besides, his clothes…" Harry shot an uncomfortable look at the rags lying scattered around Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy's the agent?" Ginny screamed and flew forward, her fingers closing around Harry's neck. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I tried. You wouldn't let me finish," Draco chimed in from the side. Ginny froze in her tracks and relaxed her hold on the choking man.

"Since when?"

"Well, before you tore off my boxers, that is," he flashed a mischievous grin and raked his eyes appreciatively over every single curve on her body. "Besides, ever wonder why I stopped you in the dining room?"

Ginny gave a shiver and pulled her robes closer around her. "Why would you become an agent? Don't you support Voldemort?"

"Because I'm not stupid?" he answered back with a question. "Weasley, you can be so dense at times."

Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Ginny, I'll bring you back to the headquarters now. Malfoy, you stay here. I'll be back shortly with some clothes," he directed them. Ginny got up and glared at Draco.

"We're even now, Malfoy," Ginny repeated for the second time that morning, her lips curved in a triumphant smile, tossing back her fiery tresses as she spoke. With a loud 'crack', both she and Harry Disapparated, leaving Draco alone in the abandoned apple shed.

For the second time in her life, Ginny Weasley missed his reply to her parting words. If she had looked back, she would have seen him smirk back at her, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"Oh yes, we're even."

~*~*~*~*~

Extra A/N:

1. Still did not explain Draco's longing look in the first instalment. I promise the answer will be in the next part.

2. This part is probably not as sensual as the first instalment, but heck, I'm writing four different tones and themes for this mini-series. I still can't make myself use the conventional terms for male/female sex organs in this series. ::cough::

3. Theme for next part: Voyeurism. There's a clue in this instalment on which couple Draco and Ginny are going to watch. The clue should be easy to spot, in my opinion.

4. For the latest news and titbits on Four Seasons and Nox Noctis, feel free to visit my Livejournal --[http://www.livejournal.com/users/rheasummers]

Replies to reviews:

::boggles:: Never thought the first part of Four Seasons would get so many reviews. I got close to 40 reviews on PortKey.Org alone. Ah, for readers over at PortKey, please leave a name when you write your review so that I can reply.

714: Thanks for reading! Never thought you would actually check this story out just because I mentioned it on the PK chat. =)

Adrienne: Thanks for finding time to review this story! =) I still can't get myself to write all those f*** and c*** words. They destroy the beauty of the character and the tone I'm trying to set. I'm an ol' romantic at heart too! Watch out for part 4 if you like romance.

Alastriona: Wow! You managed to find the story here! I thought I was being subtle when I mentioned Portkey.Org in my A/N. Anyhow, thanks for reading!

Athena/Jaelyss: wOOt! One of my fandom friends actually read this thing! Anyhow, thanks for reading and keep your eyes glued on my LJ for further updates on this story.

Caelidre: I'm not a big fan of Fluffy!Draco. I'm a bigger fan of Snarky!Draco. This is a romance, however, and I'll have to add in small amounts of fluff. Hope you like the new instalment! Ginny got her revenge!

Casey: Poor Draco. He needs your sympathy in the second part. He got stabbed, slapped, tied up and teased. Poor boy.

Cassie: Thanks!

Christabell: It's my interpretation of Draco-misunderstood and mysterious. Well, Draco isn't such a jerk in part 2 and Ginny got her revenge, right?

dracoginnyr1: Yes, Beltane is a Wiccan festival. As I've noted in my A/N, I'm only taking the setting, and Beltane is a popular festival in Scotland. Four Seasons is never meant to be interpreted as a religion-themed piece.

DracoNGin527: The answer's coming up in the next part, hopefully. Yeah, poor Ginny. It broke my heart to write that scene.

Dreamer: I'll try to update as fast as I can. Too bad my Muse doesn't cooperate all the time.

Erin: Thanks for your encouragement!

fachea: Thank you for your wonderful review! It makes me melt into a puddle. I want readers to feel the frenzied and dreamy touch to the story in the first part. It's Draco and Ginny's first encounter. Of course it has to be more romantic. ;p The second part, however, takes on a more gory turn with penknives.

gabrielle: Sorry, I don't really understand your review. ^^;

gypsybaby21: I'm a slow writer. I can't help it. Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as possible.

J: wOOt! You wrote the longest review so far! Thanks! Well, there isn't a very elaborate plot to speak of, since it is suppose to be my 'payment' for a copy of OotP. I don't know if there is a striking continuity in the story because I intend to write four different themes for the mini-series. In the second part, I wrote Backboned!Ginny and Snarky!Draco to a bondage theme. Hope you aren't disappointed by the change. Also, I lied. Draco's motivation will be explained in part three, not part two.

Jo: Bleh. Luckily nobody commented on the title. Thanks for the heads up, girl! I have no experience in writing smut. I walked over hot coals to write this mini-series. Ah, the power of OotP.

kris: There are going to be four different themes for this mini-series. As for the druid theme you are referring to, there are quite a few D/G fics with Beltane as their setting.

kristengirl8: Thank you!

Lightwolf: Lots more are coming up! I suspect the next part will be very difficult to write, since I'm tackling two couples at one go. ::sigh::

Lyn Black: I'll try to update with the next instalment soon.

Magi: Hope you like the new instalment!

mmn673: Er, you gave me an 8 because I didn't update sooner? ^^; Sorry to say this, but I'm a slow writer.

myStiCaLYia: ::blush:: Thank you for your compliment.

Nappa: How do you like the new instalment? It's a tad different from the previous part. Strange you like the last part best. Many people hated the ending. ;p

Neni Potter: Ginny got her revenge. Do you like how she executed her revenge on Draco?

red_phoenix70: Hope you like the second part! I'm currently working on part three and hopefully, I'll be able to post it by the end of July.

Resse Darling: Thank you for your compliments! Hope you like the new instalment.

Verena: Thank you! So far, I haven't seen any writer trying to commit suicide by stuffing four different themes and tones into one story. I guess I'm just being dumb. ^^;

Yoda: Thank you!

3. A Romp in the Closet

Before I begin, please let me extend my deepest apologies to all those who have been anticipating the latest chapter of 'Four Seasons' for the past twelve months. As some of you may know, I didn't have time to complete this chapter last year because I moved to England last autumn and since then, I had been busy with university assignments. However, I managed to finish this chapter now, and my apologies if it isn't quite up to my usual standards.

Here, this chapter is dedicated to Jay Moon, whose generosity has given me the chance to own a copy of OotP. Also, this chapter is dedicated to those who have put up with my barely-alive Muse. In short, this story is written in tribute to those who unconditionally share their joy and passion for Harry Potter with other fans.

Title: Four Seasons (3/4)

Author: Rhea Summers

E-mail: rheasummers@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17 (uncensored version)

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Draco/Ginny

Summary:

Four Seasons is a tale chronicling the ups and downs in a lifelong romance. Set in 1998, 7th year Draco Malfoy and 6th year Ginny Weasley cross paths in the summer festival of Beltane in Hogsmeade. Years later, they meet again. This time, things get more complicated as they struggle to sort out tangled emotions.

Disclaimer:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

~*~*~*~*~

Feathery white snowflakes floated gently in the dimming winter light. Christmas was just around the corner, and the Burrow was bustling with activity and people. The Second War had ended two years ago, and the Wizarding Britain had returned close to normal.

Or, at least as close as it could get after enduring the cold-blooded slayings of thousands of innocent magical folk.

The fire in the hearth crackled merrily as orange tongues licked at the dry logs. The usual din in her home had lowered to occasional laughter and soft chatter. Her mother and sister-in-laws were busy cleaning up the remnants of the Christmas Eve dinner whereas the rest of her brothers were talking merrily or having a game of wizard's chess. Hermione, Fleur and Luna made their appearances with their respective spouses too, this year.

*Leaves me with no partner again,* she sighed inwardly. *I wonder where he is now…* In her mind's eye, sensual grey eyes stared back at her, challenging her to look back. With another sigh, Ginny pushed the mental image away. It had been hard enough trying to pierce her life back together, and she did not need a git like Draco to turn her life upside-down again.

It was a family tradition to have dinner together at Christmas Eve. Bill and Charlie had returned from their taxing jobs to come home. Fred and George were at home too, but they were probably too busy with their latest joke inventions.

*Ron…* she thought wryly as she glanced at the gangly young man playing a game of chess by himself.

Where was Harry?

Ginny smiled pensively. Barely a month ago, Harry was promoted to Moody's former position, after the old Auror left the ministry's service for good. A busy man these days, Harry could only return home at the earliest by midnight on Christmas Eve.

Playing with a lock of her hair, she smiled pensively. Draco Malfoy had always liked playing with those silky strands. Five years had passed since their last encounter, and Ginny had not received any personal correspondence from him. After the war ended, he simply disappeared. On the other hand, Ginny had not contemplated about finding herself a partner. After all, she felt that she could not fall in love without thinking about her past with Draco Malfoy.

Ginny's chest tightened considerably. Was he still alive, or had the remaining Death Eaters murdered him? Since Harry was the last one to see Draco Malfoy well and alive, he should know; however, her childhood friend had often played dumb at the subtle hints she dropped to ask about Malfoy's whereabouts.

Suddenly, Hermione came bustling through the kitchen door along with old Mrs. Weasley. Her face was creased with worry and anxiety as she strode across the room to dump a black-haired toddler in Ginny's lap.

"Hermione, wha…" Ginny started, but her childhood friend cut her off.

"Oh gosh, Ginny! Can you look after Lily for a moment?" Hermione shrieked, her untamed bushy hair flaying in all conceivable directions. "Hedwig has just arrived with a letter from Harry. He's bringing someone wounded here!"

Ginny looked up at Hermione, her eyebrows knitted in a frown. "Why doesn't Harry send the injured to St. Mungo's?"

"Christmas holiday. Besides, you and I are both Healers now. We can handle sick people here," Hermione answered curtly and walked towards the front door, her hands shaking as she reached for the doorknob in anticipation. Just as her hand touched the cool brass handle, the doorbell rang urgently. Pulling open the heavy door, Hermione was nearly knocked over when Harry staggered in heavily with a strong gust of cold winter wind, his arms around a figure hidden beneath a cloak. With every step they took, bloody footprints were left on the clean rugs.

"Close the door quick!" Ginny shouted as she jumped up and shoved the children in Ron's arms. "Ron, take Lily upstairs!" Navigating her way through various Christmas trinkets, she grabbed hold of the man's arm and help Harry to move the half-conscious man along.

Mrs. Weasley, who had come bustling out of the kitchen upon hearing Ginny's voice, quickly laid out a grass mat by the fireplace. With her and Hermione's help, they managed to get the bedraggled man onto the mat. As Ginny removed her hands from his chest, she fought an urge to scream out loud. Viscous red liquid dripped from her fingers, the man's laboured breathing filling her ears.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, her fingers worked nimbly to undo the tie of the cloak he was wearing.

"Ginny, I think you better let Hermione do this," Harry reached down to hold her hand. Seeing Harry's cue, the Muggle-born witch took over Ginny's task.

Slightly insulted, Ginny shot him a questioning look. "Why?" the youngest Weasley asked as she shoved Harry's hands away. "I'm a trainee Healer with proper qualifications," she continued, her eyebrows furrowing at Harry's sympathetic look. *Sympathy? Why sympathy?* she thought in surprise. "I can help," she continued in a stubborn voice.

She did not need to ask any further questions.

The man suddenly moaned in pain and the hood of the cloak fell away to reveal a lock of silver-blond hair. Her hands jerked back in shock as she took a closer look at his face. Blood trickled down slowly from his thin lips, and his complexion was even paler in contrast to the flickering fire. His eyes were closed and his hair was mussed, unlike the sleek and well-groomed young man she used to know.

"Draco Malfoy…" she whispered, her voice cracking from years of suppressed emotions. "Why is he with you?" she questioned Harry softly, though her eyes remained fixed on the wounded form of her old accidental lover.

"Because of the witness protection sche…" Harry began.

"It's not the time to ask questions," Hermione cut in briskly, and shot Ginny a suspicious look. "Ginny, I'll fix his wounds. You go make a fresh batch of Blood Replenishing Potion. Molly, please get me a cauldron of hot water" she ordered as she began magically cutting open Malfoy's robe with her wand.

"A typical case of being hit by a strong Lacera jinx," Hermione's voice drifted into her ears as Ginny got up and walked weakly towards the kitchen. Leaning against the wooden kitchen counter, she pressed her face into her palms. Innumerable thoughts were spinning in her mind, confusing and suffocating her. Her legs felt weak, and she struggled to stop herself from sinking onto the cold floor.

*He came without any warning! Dear Merlin, why didn't you give me some sort of mental preparation?* Ginny thought miserably and sat down on a kitchen chair lifelessly. *He can't walk back into my life just like that!*

A sudden rush of anger surged through her veins as a new revelation dawned upon her. "Of course Dumbledore and Harry must have known that he was alive all these years…" she shouted as the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place. "Why didn't they tell me sooner?!"

With her lips set in a determined line, she got up stiffly and began pulling jars of dry herbs and potion-making materials out of drawers and cabinets. To find out the answers to the questions that had plagued her existence for years, Draco Malfoy must survive.

He must not die.

Ginny Weasley had a mission to complete tonight -- she must save Draco Malfoy's life, what ever the consequences may be.

~*~*~*~*~

A barn owl hooted softly in the dimly lit room. The candle burned low in the dark winter night, casting soft orange and yellow rays onto the four corners of the small space, the space which she had called her room since she was a little girl.

Staring at his bandaged torso with anxiety, Ginny remembered how she and Hermione had kept the bleeding under control, by wrapping a few rolls of clean bandages around his chest charmed with complicated healing spells. A small ruby-red stain was all that betrayed the long slash wound beneath all the dressing. "How did you get into such a fix?" she asked in a soft whisper, not expecting the unconscious man to give her an answer. "At least Hermione said you'll be fine."

Stroking his cheek, she wiped away the smudge on his face, like how he touched her in their first time together. *This is it. He's back, and he isn't going to make you a blushing virgin, or bride, for that matter.*

Suddenly, a hand closed over her arm and pulled it away.

“Draco!” Ginny gasped as she stared back into those sensual grey eyes that had captivated her so many years ago.

“Who are you?!” Draco growled softly, his voice carrying a dangerous edge. Upon seeing her, the hard expression on his face softened a little. “Oh, you. Are you going to rape me again?” he said with a smirk as he released her hand, and took a playful swipe at her cheek after letting go.

“Yes, me,” Ginny snapped and stood up quickly, a blush colouring her cheeks as memories of their last encounter flashed past her mind's eye. “Never thought that the last person you see before you die would be me, do you?”

Draco merely narrowed his eyes and sat up. “Only in your dreams, Weasley. I have many years ahead,” he drawled, but Ginny did not miss his grimace when he shifted his chest. “Where am I?”

“My home, and this room belongs to Ron now, Malfoy, and we saved you from a certain ugly death” she said irritably and folded her arms. “Now, I believe you owe me an explanation.”

“For?”

“For walking out on me, you git,” she gave a frustrated sigh as she watched Draco shrug on his mended robe.

“If I remember correctly, you were the one who walked out on me without clothes while Potter was busying ogling my naked body,” Draco said nonchalantly, raking his eyes over her devilishly. Stepping forward, he caught hold of her arm and pressed his torso against her back. Ginny gave an unconscious shiver and wrapped her arms tighter around her body.

"Let go of me, Malfoy," she growled softly, but the sexual tension between them was reaching new heights. The words coming out of her throat were oddly familiar. The sceptical part of her could not resist giving a tiny mental smirk. Some things had managed to withstand the test of time.

"Not until we sort this out," he answered coolly. A shiver ran down her spine as he leaned closer to speak into her ear. The fresh apple scent was still permeated his hair, exactly like how she remembered. She shifted uncomfortably; the close proximity between his warm torso and her chest was sending jolts of unwanted excitement throughout her body.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she bit out, struggling to ignore the mounting physical attraction between them. “You're not tearing off my clothes this time,” she said dryly.

"Nothing of that sort yet. We just need to have nice long chat," he drawled and dragged a finger across her flushed cheek.

Closing the distance between them rapidly, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. She struggled weakly, but gradually, she began to drown in the passion that was threatening to overwhelm her. *Dear Merlin, he's still amazing when it comes to making a woman feel sexy…*

Just as Ginny thought everything was going to be fine, Draco jerked back suddenly and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. "You're not going to shag me again, Weasley. I'm not going to risk being stalked by you after this."

"Stalk?! What do you mean, stalk?!" Ginny cried out incredulously. *Why… that git!*

"A snog or two is fine by me, but I don't want you to shag me. Not after you showed me that you have a penchant for forcing me to have sex with you," Draco coughed sarcastically and took a step back.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny forced herself to remain cool and calm. "Are you saying that you didn't enjoy our last shag?" She nearly choked on the last word. All her life, she had viewed having sex as an act that should only be shared between two individuals who are deeply in love, but on both counts, she ended up sleeping with the largest git in the entire universe.

Staring at her in an unperturbed manner, Draco relaxed his posture and folded his arms. "Do you think I'd enjoy your sadistic form of beating me into submission, Ginny? Or… do you want me to be the dominant partner this time?" he ended with a sly smile.

Ginny blushed wildly. Their last encounter was one of the best moments of her life; it was that encounter which she taught Draco Malfoy a lesson in not to sleep with any girl who caught his fancy.

"Why? Speechless?" he teased and twirled a lock of her fiery red hair before letting it bounce on her chin. "I can teach you the finer details of a wizard's carnal desire. Interested?"

'You're such a git!" Ginny squealed and gave him a hard shove, but Draco caught her wrists deftly and pulled her closer.

"Can't wait to touch me?" he whispered into ear and grinded his hips onto her belly. Ginny swallowed a throaty moan and threw her head back as he bent down to suck a soft patch of skin on her neck. "My turn to assert my talents, vixen."

Putting an arm beneath her knees while clutching her shoulders, he lifted her up and dumped her on the worn out bed. "Malfoy!" Ginny squealed as her back hit the limp mattress.

Before she could get another word out, Draco lifted a leg over the bed and hoisted himself up to lie on top of Ginny. Using his elbows as leverage, he pinned her under his weight and rubbed his hip against the valley between her thighs slow erotic circles. Toying with the topmost button of her shirt, he pressed his lips along her collarbone. "Still as smooth and pale as I remembered," he moaned against her neck as Ginny's hands sneaked beneath his robes and ran over his taunt back muscles desperately.

"Git. Idiot," she muttered under her breath. No matter how romantic her memories of him were, the real Draco Malfoy was not her knight in shining armour. Before Draco could answer, a pair of voices talking rapidly floated through the closed door. The sound of footsteps drew nearer and nearer.

"Harry and Hermione!" she half-shouted, but clamped her mouth shut with her hand. "They're coming in here!" Draco said nothing, only narrowed his eyes and stared at the door fixedly.

"So?" he started to retort. Before he could say anything else, Ginny took him by the arms and steered him toward an old closet at the opposite end of the room. Shoving him into the cramped space, she squeezed in after him and shut the closet panels with a wave of her wand, leaving only a crack for her to peer into the room.

"I forgot to tell you. Ron's old room is a guest room now, like mine," she said sheepishly, and shifted a little on his lap. "Quietus!" she chanted, soundproofing the small space. Surprisingly, she could still hear the sounds coming in from beyond the room.

Just then, the doorknob gave a click, and Harry walked in first, followed closely by Hermione.

"Potter? Mudblood?" Draco asked, yawning. "I'm getting out of here."

"Shhhhh!" Ginny warned him and held him back with her hands. "I want to know why Harry has been hiding your existence from me. I'll know if you've spent all these years looking for prostitutes."

"As if I would," Draco replied and rolled his eyes. "Go on. Eavesdrop all you want."

Ginny did not answer him. She was trying to concentrate on the scene unfolding before her. Turning her attention towards the on-going conversation between her two friends, she ignored Draco's warm chest pressing against her back.

"Look, Hermione, where do you suppose I should bring him to? Going to St. Mungo's will only expose him to more assassination ploys!" Harry's impatient voice floated through the crack between the closet doors. "I can't cast another glamour charm on him. He's already injured!"

Draco breathed in sharply. Ginny gave a soft gasp of surprise. "Assassination?" she whispered in disbelief. "Malfoy, am I missing someth…?" she began, but was rapidly cut off my Hermione's retort.

"But you know Ginny's here. Malfoy has been nothing but a source of heartbreaks for her," her bushy-haired friend reasoned with her husband. "Look at what happened to her after the last time she met Malfoy. She disappeared for four years!"

"And she did earned herself a Russian healing degree after four years, didn't she?" Harry answered keenly.

Suddenly, Ginny could feel Draco's arms snaking around her waist and pulling her closer to him. Too absorbed with the on-going conversation, she did not bother to pry his touch away from her.

"Oh Harry, I know you want the best for Ginny… but don't you think Malfoy's a bad influence on her?" Hermione gave a tired sigh and clasped her arms around Harry's shoulders. "I wish Malfoy would know how much Ginny went through. I wish you and Ron would tell Ginny the truth about Malfoy."

"Me, a bad influence? Look who's talking," Draco drawled, even though Hermione could not hear him. But his hold around Ginny's waist grew tighter, crushing her against his chest possessively. As he dragged a lazy finger across beneath her shirt, she felt a sudden jolt of excitement coursing through her veins.

Trying hard to ignore Draco's ministrations, Ginny's eyes grew wider when Harry lifted Hermione's chin and bent down to give her a gentle kiss. "Ginny's a big girl now. She knows what she's doing…" she heard him speaking softly. Ginny gave another gasp when Harry kissed his wife again. This time, it was a kiss full of passion and love clearly not meant for the eyes of outsiders.

"I want the best for all of us," Hermione's voice floated through the crack. Totally unaware of the uninvited visitors, Harry undid Hermione's robe as she spoke and traced the smooth span of the delicate skin there with his little finger. At the same time, she removed his glasses before kissing him deeply with a guttural moan.

"You missed me, don't you?" Draco whispered into Ginny's ear huskily, his hand brushing the undersides of her breasts, distracting her from the sight of her friends in the bedroom. "Hmmm… Braless, you naughty girl." Ginny gave a shiver; she knew Draco was seducing her, but she was too preoccupied by the sight of her friends lying on the battered bed. In spite of herself, she let out a soft groan when Draco gave the hardened tip under her shirt a suggestive flick.

"Oh…" she breathed out suddenly, wonder and amazement evident in her tone. Moments before, both of her best friends had already divested each other of clothing, and Harry was getting ready to enter Hermione. Sucking in copious amounts of the stale air, Ginny blushed at the sight and turned to face Draco. "Get your hands off me," she snapped, her cheeks flushed and her voice trembling.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he shot her a sceptical look. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself a moment ago. Why the sudden change of attitude?" he asked. Ginny glared at him, keeping her back close to the crack. The redhead gave a gasp when Draco sat up and peered through the uncovered portion of the crack at the top of her head.

"Hey!" Ginny shouted and scrambled up to push Draco away. "We can't intrude on their private moment!"

"I'm going blind." Draco groaned, his eyes still fixed on the crack. "Potter must have used an Engorgement Charm. And a damn good too."

"Why, finally realised that you're puny compared to Harry?" Ginny commented sarcastically, a wide grin spreading across her lips. It was the perfect moment to use Draco's own words against him.

However, Draco merely coughed and poked her in the ribs. "You should know better, Ginny Weasley, than to say that I'm punier than Potter," he said with a smirk and drew closer until she barely had space to move without crushing her chest on him. "Shall I remind you?"

Ginny blushed furiously again. Her face must be scarlet with all that blood rushing up to her cheeks, she thought. Before she could give him a proper answer, she felt a pair of lips close over her own, drawing her into a passionate kiss. Being kissed by Draco was like intoxication by the finest wine in the world, and she was drunk in the ardour flowing from him to her.

Thrusting his tongue into her mouth, Draco teased her playfully, drawing muffled moans from the young woman within his embrace. Suddenly, Ginny gave his tongue a sharp nip, and he drew back quickly. "That's to teach you not to kiss girls at your whim," she told him smugly as he swiped at the narrow trickle of blood.

"Now you're asking for trouble," Draco said huskily and pushed her against the back of the closet. Their chests pressed close together and their faces were now only millimetres apart. Straddling her hips, Draco kept her pinned under him as he grounded his arousal into her belly.

"You're wearing too much clothes," he whispered into her ear. Ginny panted breathlessly when he gave her earlobe a suggestive lick. "I'll have to take some off," he continued as his fingers circled the topmost button of her blouse.

Ginny closed her eyes, her hands reaching up to pull Draco's face towards her for another kiss. She could not seem to get enough of his drugging kisses. As his fingers worked their way nimbly down her blouse, the friction between his expensive robe and her bare chest became strangely provoking. Releasing her hold on his neck, she started to tug at the catch on his robe collar, willing the fastening to give way. Grunting throatily, he undid his collar with a free hand, and Ginny continued to pull the rest the ties and buttons open.

Pulling away from her lips, Draco trailed kisses from her forehead to the valley between her breasts. Inserting a few fingers between the elastic band of her trousers and her bare skin, he tore off the offending garment along with her knickers. Drawing back to survey her, Draco gazed at her lush curves appreciatively.

"Sexy vixen," he growled softly when she finally ripped away his robe, leaving him in a pair of black silk boxers. Even in the dim light, she could see only a very thin band of grey around his dilated pupils, and she knew from experience that it was a sure sign of Draco's excitement.

"Not bad yourself," Ginny commented offhandedly as her eyes roamed over his well-formed chest and tight stomach. Reaching forward, she pushed down his boxers past his hips, freeing his hardened length from its confines. Running her fingers up and down the length, she smiled to herself when Draco drew in urgent gasps of air. As she toyed with him, his hands began mauling her breasts, eliciting husky moans from her.

"Want to try something different this time?" he asked in a low tone. Ginny merely smiled. Taking her smile as a 'yes', Draco slid off her and clutched her waist. Lifting her slightly off the messy bottom of the closet, he placed her securely on his lap while pulling her back to lean against his chest. Arching forward to blow butterfly kisses on her neck, he grazed his teeth on the delicate skin and listened to the soft sounds she was making behind her throat.

"Draco, what are you planning to do?" she asked breathlessly, acutely aware of his erection poking at her lower back.

At that moment, loud moans floated to their ears. Stealing a peek through the crack, Ginny's eyes widened as she watched Harry and Hermione screamed and thrashed on the bed in their frenzied lovemaking.

"Do I need to explain further? They aren't going to be the only ones having fun," a velvety male voice whispered behind her, as oddly familiar hands gathered her fiery red hair at the nape and carefully set it over her left shoulder.

"Wha…"

Before she could finish her question, Draco leaned forward suddenly, forcing her to kneel beneath him. Keeping their two bodies in spoon-fashion, he carefully rested his weight on her. Bracing herself with her palms on the closet wall for balance, she let Draco wrap an arm around his waist while he dragged a playful finger down every nook and ridge of her spine, drawing irresistible jolts of pleasure in every single nerve in her body.

Not a moment too soon, Ginny felt his hardened length brushing against her moist nether lips as his fingers danced along her curves, causing her to draws a sharp breath. Tantalizingly, a long digit began to rub her little pleasure nub, eliciting short pants from her. As he slipped a finger into her, she heard him chuckle in self-satisfaction.

"Admit it, Weasley. You can't resist me," he drawled with mock seriousness. A thicker part of him replaced the finger. Slowly, almost gently, he entered her inch by inch. Ginny gave a surprised gasp -- the feeling of him inside her was so much more magnified than before as he stretched her inner muscles even beyond the other two times they had been together. She could feel each and every inch of him in magnificent detail, and the aching feeling that was simmering in her lower belly was threatening to boil over.

Finally, his familiar hardness was fully buried within her. Withdrawing quickly, he slammed into her again, drawing a soft scream from her. Bucking his hips, he repeated the same action several times with rigorous tenacity, each time with motion as fluid as the flow of pure water. Spreading her legs to give him better access to her depths, Ginny squeezed her eyes shut, savouring the intensity of his strokes. As he gained momentum, the Ginny had to grit her teeth to stop herself from crying out loud as her shoulders banged repeatedly against the wooden panels in the cramped space. It would be a miracle if even the very distracted Harry and Hermione didn't hear them—should they still be in the bedroom outside.

"Harder…! Faster…!" she cried out before she could stop herself, but there was no time to think of how those words would sound to Draco's ears. She could feel their climaxes approach as her inner muscles clenched tightly around him, increasing the delicious friction between his strokes and her slick passage.

Suddenly, he stilled his hips and hovered above her, his actions frozen in mid-air. A colossal wave of pleasure washed over him, drowning them in its unmeasured depths. Completely losing awareness of their surroundings, the reunited lovers cried together, achieving their release in each other's embrace. Hot, fiery heat filled her belly while her muscles ripped rhythmically around him, milking his very heart and soul into her.

As fatigue overwhelmed them, Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley collapsed onto each other, both sucking in copious amounts of air to satiate their oxygen-starved lungs. Pulling a pillow out to rest underneath her head, Draco shifted to let her lie on top of him and nestled his head in the crook of her neck. Ginny snuggled closer to him, and the two of them basked together in the afterglow of their passionate lovemaking.

It was silent again, as Harry and Hermione had long left the room outside the closet doors. Engrossed in a world of their own, the most unlikely of couples lay quietly in the worn closet. Drawing imaginary circles on Draco's chest, Ginny stared at the locks of silver blonde hair tickling her chin and shoulder as she pondered their future together, if indeed there would be one.

"Draco?" she asked softly. “So, where have you been all these years?” she tried again in an offhand voice, hoping that Draco would eventually catch her drift that she was not looking for another aimless shag with him. “You know, this Weasley is not that vulnerable seventeen-year-old girl you picked up at a dance some seven years ago.”

“I'm not telling you, Weasley,” he sneered as he buttoned the collar of his robe. “You'd have to break into my mind get anything out of me. As if you're capable of that anyway.”

“Oh, shut it, Malfoy. You don't know what I'm capable of,” Ginny growled and narrowed her eyes. “Are you telling me or not?”

“I told you. You'd have to break into my mind to squeeze anything out of me, Red. Explanations are boring, however I promise we'll have a fun time together if we forgo it,” he said with a smirk and pointed at the bed. “We never fail to live up to each other's expectations so far.”

“Are you challenging me?” she lowered her voice to a deathly whisper. Her stomach was twisted in a coil. How could Draco challenge her and not expect her to do anything about it? *Your birthday has arrived early, Malfoy. You're in for a nasty surprise.*

“Only if you are up for a challenge.”

That was it.

“Be careful of what you wish for, Malfoy,” she said evenly. Before he had the time to react, she whipped out her wand and pointed the narrow strip of wood at him. “Legillimens!”

Ginny barely had time to smile smugly when she looked into those grey eyes that had widened in shock. *Thought I won't do that, don't you? Now, I'll get watch all of your most significant memories. Serves you right, Malfoy.*

A montage of colours and pictures flew past her vision field. Bracing herself, she cleared her mind to view his memories more clearly. Gradually, a scene came into focus. Now, she was standing in the Great Hall. Her eyes soon found Draco Malfoy's pale face among the mass of Slytherins sitting at their House table. Oddly, he had not changed out of his Slytherin Quidditch uniform, and she could see a large tear in his cloak.

Ginny gave a gasp. It was her first time playing a Gryffindor chaser, and it was an ugly match between her house and the Slytherins. Barely hours before this scene, Crabbe has purposely knocked Ron off his broom with a Bludger, splintering both Ron's beloved Cleansweep and fracturing his arm. Then, Draco flew very close to her, nearly causing her to slam into the stands.

He was staring at someone.

Ginny followed his line of vision, and gave a gasp as she found herself looking at her sixteen-year-old self among the Gryffindors. She too, was wearing the Gryffindor red-gold Quidditch uniform, and she was nursing a badly bruised forearm. She looked back at Draco quickly, noticing that his face was devoid of any emotion as his steel grey eyes stayed fixed at her face. He did not wear a smirk or a sneer, and Ginny was frankly surprised at his lack of reaction.

"But you noticed me?" she whispered inwardly, her heart beating wildly at this new revelation. Walking over to Slytherin table, she saw the Valentine card that he was clutching beneath the table. With a clench of his fist, he crumpled the card into a tiny wad before stuffing it into his robe. "Stupid Weasley," she heard him mutter.

As astonishing as this new discovery was, Ginny did not get to watch further as the scene began to distort into another memory. This time, she was staring at a horrifying sight. A teenage Draco Malfoy was pointing his wand at a cowering figure of an old Muggle. *"Torture her! Kill her!"* a high-pitched screech commanded.

Her eyes moved to a figure dressed in black behind the boy. "Lord Voldemort!" she mouthed in a frightened whisper. She trembled unwittingly, although she knew it was only Draco's memory she was seeing. Averting her gaze from Voldemort, she focused on Draco and was struck by the expression on his face. His eyes were reflecting apprehension and terror as he struggled to maintain a cool composure.

She watched as he gritted his teeth and aimed his wand at the old woman's chest. *"Crucio!"* he shouted weakly, his wand hand trembling with fear. The Muggle gave an agonized shriek and fell backward. However, the curse he cast was not very powerful because the woman stopped screaming after a moment, and only heavy panting filled the air.

*"Useless fool. Lucius, your son doesn't deserve to be in the ranks of my Death Eaters. Punish him,"* the Voldemort in Draco's memory sneered mockingly. A hooded man with cold grey eyes peering through the holes in his mask stepped in front of Draco. *Lucius Malfoy again,* Ginny thought angrily.

*"Lacera!"* Lucius Malfoy shouted. With a pained gasp, Draco fell to his knees, his face pale with agony as the lightning-fast slash cut deep into his body. Advancing on him, Lucius took another aim with his wand, his mouth opening to shout another curse….

Suddenly, she found herself staring at a seventeen-year-old Draco Malfoy, his hands shaking as he read the letter spread before him. Pale with anxiety, he was wiping his hands repeatedly on a silk handkerchief. Peering just over his shoulder, she began to read line after line of the spidery writing.

"Kill a Weasley to prove your allegiance. Do the deed tonight and bring the Dark Lord a token of your loyalty," she read, her throat dry with horror. Shooting a look at Draco Malfoy, she had to restrain herself from crying out loud when she watched him tie the knots of his mask securely behind his head.

Watching Draco's every movement as he approached her in the heat of the Beltane celebrations was like a dream. His first words and his first touches had long been deeply imprinted in her memory, but to watch the events from his perspective was oddly different. Before she knew it, she was already standing in the middle of a dark field under starry skies. A blush coloured her cheeks when she stared at her seventeen-year-old self kissing Draco Malfoy passionately.

It was their first encounter, and her most heart-breaking one.

"I don't want to relive this," Ginny whimpered as she saw her younger self sobbing in grief as Draco strode away from her. Just then, Ginny caught sight of the boy staring back at the girl longingly.

"You looked back?" she asked, her voice oddly detached. She could not believe what she was seeing, but memories would not lie.

The next scene in the Hogwarts Headmaster's Office pacified her greatly. Draco was talking to Dumbledore in hushed tones. Harry stood next to Draco, guarding the pair as the duo spoke hurriedly.

Just as unexpectedly as before, Ginny found herself peering at yet another facet of Draco Malfoy's mysterious life. This time, he was kneeling in the middle of a circle formed by Death Eaters. He had not changed out of his Beltane costume, and the sleeve on his left arm was rolled up.

Before she could decipher what was happening, a cruel voice rang out, *"Are you ready to serve the Dark Lord and dedicate your life to him?"*

*"Yes, my Lord,"* she heard him answer quietly. A distinct smell of cooked flesh filled the air. Ginny stared in horror as burning insignia of a skull appeared on the near-translucent skin on his forearm. *The Dark Mark,* Ginny thought in shock. *He really is a Death Eater!*

*It's true… But he doesn't serve the Dark Lord,* a voice whispered in her mind. *He left you ten years ago because it was also his initiation night…He didn't murder me, although it would have been as easy as killing an ant…*

As Ginny walked through his memories, various random memories flew past her, including those that she had never expected to see. In one particular scene, Draco had rescued Harry from an unsuccessful mission from Death Eaters by freeing him from a curse which kept him locked in the Lestrange ancestral mansion. Several times too, she watched Draco gazing at her during her field missions from afar, yet he never took the initiative to approach her. *"I must not expose her to more danger… I want her to be… safe, even if it means watching her from afar,"* Draco's disembodied voice floated in overlapping intervals.

More and more memories flashed past her. Draco had always worn that vacant and blank expression. Harry had once said to her, if you could not show others the feelings that you were experiencing, it was best to keep your face carefully devoid of any emotion.

*Perhaps this is why Draco survived to this very day,* a tiny voice whispered in her heart. *He would not, or rather, could not tell anyone he wants about his job and double life…*

Suddenly, without any warning, everything around her erupted into pure darkness. An unknown surge of energy threw her backwards, and her back crashed onto the carpeted floor of her room as her own memories started to flash past her eyes.

The first memory to surface was the one that was made directly after their first encounter. As overwhelming as the torrents of the heaviest rainstorm, the misery and grief that wracked her heart and soul choked her as she watched her younger self cry softly in the safe confines of her bed hangings in Gryffindor Tower.

"Stop it!" Ginny screamed and resisted the unexpected backlash with all her might, squeezing her eyelids shut in the process.

However, her will was not strong enough to prevent her memories from flowing out. Before she could stop what she considered her most embarrassing thought about Draco Malfoy, it was already displayed in vibrant detail for him to watch.

There she was, looking wistfully and flipping the scrapbook filled with newspaper cuttings that had mentioned Draco Malfoy. Hours of painstaking labour had been poured into assembling the articles and photographs according to date. Touching the animated wizard picture of the handsome young man, she brought the album to her lips, kissing it tenderly.

*Draco, where are you? Don't you know that I'm hurting for every second I live?"* her voice cried out in the same disembodied way, carrying her most private and intimate wish -- a wish that she would never admit even to herself.

"No! Stop!' she willed again with all her might.

This time it worked. Soft light filled the room as dawn broke through the dark wintry skies. A pair of arms closed around her shoulders as she tried to stop her body from trembling and shaking.

"Ginny, listen to me," a low voice whispered in her ear. “Listen to me.” She merely nodded and gazed into his mysterious grey eyes. Lifting up her chin, he looked into her deep amber brown eyes. “Don't try anything stupid next time. There are… things that you won't want to know.”

Throwing her arms around him, Ginny pulled him into a tight embrace, feeling his heart beat against his chest. *Draco, you have no idea how glad I am that you're alive… I'm so desperately in love with you all these years, yet I was too blind to see it. Please don't leave me…. Don't ever leave me again…* she thought furiously as tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes. .

Then, a few seconds of awkward silence followed.

"I…" both of them started together.

"You first," Ginny mumbled wearily.

"I just want to say that I didn't avoid you on purpose," Draco began with a shrug.

“Don't say anything, Draco, I understand,” she whispered. “I understand, I understand.”

“You do?” he asked in surprise. “I thought explaining everything to a stubborn girl like you is impossible,” he laughed and stroked her hair, letting the silky red strands fall from his fingers.

“Who was being stubborn just now?” Ginny glared at him and slapped his arm playfully. “A picture is worth a thousand words,” she grinned. *And a kiss is worth a thousand Valentine cards,* she thought as she pulled him towards her for a deep kiss. Parting her lips slightly below his mouth, she began sucking on his lower lip passionately, letting the frustration and anger in her dissipate.

Everything would be fine. Everything.

~*~*~*~*~

1. Sorry it took so long. I deleted half of my first draft and rewrote the rest from scratch. The first draft simply didn't match my expectations and I wish I had started work on part 3 much earlier. However, Real Life bogged me down and I didn't have time to work on this piece.

2. I hope I've explained Draco's motivations well enough. It wasn't easy writing smut with plot.

3. Still, there are some unanswered questions, and I want to tie up loose ends in the mini-series. Stay tuned for the final chapter!

Document created with wvWare/wvWare version 1.0.0

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4. Louder than Ten Banshees Combined

Title: Four Seasons (4/4) – Louder Than Ten Banshees Combined

Author: Rhea Summers

E-mail: rheasummers@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Draco/Ginny

Summary:

Four Seasons is a tale chronicling the ups and downs in a lifelong romance. Set in 1998, 7th year Draco Malfoy and 6th year Ginny Weasley cross paths in the summer festival of Beltane in Hogsmeade. Years later, they meet again. This time, things get more complicated as they struggle to sort out tangled emotions.

Disclaimer:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Also, there are HBP spoilers in this instalment. Look at how I manage to twist everything around. And of course, this story is definitely AU when the final book comes out. Beta credits go to Sydney Lynne, Alli and VioletJersey.

~*~*~*~*~

They said, life was like a game of letting karma go around the bush and allowing it to come back to bite you in the arse. Except, this time, it was not so much of painful bite as a forgiving kiss.

At this very moment in life, Draco Malfoy felt like he had downed a full bottle of Felix Felicis. Nothing could go wrong – not when Ginny Weasley's kisses were patching a gaping hole in his heart. Not a literal hole, of course, although being a turncoat to the Dark Side had certainly increased his risk of a disgruntled ex-Death Eater aiming a curse straight towards his heart.

Besides, what could have been worse than being ambushed by a few old enemies while he was trying to look his best for a Christmas charity dinner in Diagon Alley? Actually, cross that out. What could have been worse than being seen with huge curse scars on his chest? Wait, that still did not sound right.

In fact, his personal nightmare had turned into reality. Not even in his wildest dreams would he find himself spending a night in a crammed, old wardrobe with Potter and Mudblood shagging their brains out merely three feet away. Although it had happened three months ago, he still could not get the traumatising picture of Potter and his Mudblood wife writhing in such erotic fashion out of his mind's eye. Thinking wryly, Draco was sorely tempted to Obliviate the horrific memory. After all, nothing could be worse than experiencing a bout of blatant Potter exhibitionism.

Of course, Ginny Weasley had made things more bearable for him. Save for Ron Weasley's existence, the Burrow was quite an enjoyable place. He would loath to admit how much he enjoyed spending time with her at her home.

Maybe, time would help to bury unpleasant memories.

Little did he know he was in for some Weasley family 'fun.' Of course Scarhead shared each and every detail of his life with Weasley. Hell, they had probably traded details of which sexual position they had practised the night before. No doubt, the issue of Potter's catching Malfoy crying in a girl's toilet would come up eventually.

It was a regrettable oversight.

~*~*~*~*~

"Ginny! How can you be so naïve?" Ron bellowed across the Weasley family dining table where most of the Weasleys were having their New Year's dinner. It seemed only yesterday when Harry turned up with an injured Malfoy on the Burrow's doorsteps. Being kind-hearted people, the entire Weasley clan had taken Draco into their hospitality, but a certain Ron Weasley would have cared to disagree with their decision at this moment.

Sticking out his thumb, he gestured wildly towards his childhood nemesis, Draco Malfoy. "Harry might think that Malfoy is redeemed, but I say he's still the same bloody git who tormented little furry animals like the… the Pygmy Puff you used to have!"

"Ron, my Pygmy Puff died of old age," Ginny tried to explain in her most reasonable tone. "What do you know about furry little animals anyway?"

"But… But surely it didn't just die overnight!" Ron spluttered with indignation.

"What did you expect? That a Pygmy Puff would just stand up and announce that it's about to die?" Ginny shot back. Ron's unreasonable temper tantrums were wearing on her nerves, and nearly each of those outbursts had something to do with Malfoy goading Ron, and Ron taking the bait.

"Look, Ginny, I don't know what that git told you, but surely you remember that his father is a Death Eater?" Ron continued raving, ignoring Ginny's answer. "If you care to remember, he's a bloody Death Eater as well."

"A Death Eater who saved your arse," a new voice spoke up, and both Ginny and Ron turned to look at Draco's smug smile. "You and Potter would have been blasted into smithereens if I haven't intercepted that hex in Godric's Hollow."

"Oh yeah? Who saved your bloody arse when your name was on You-Know-Who's most wanted list?" Ron spoke through gritted teeth. Ginny rolled her eyes and took a swig of pumpkin juice, wishing that the cool drink would help to keep her temper in check.

"In case you forgot, I was on that list because a very weepy Dumbledore promised me that all of you would protect my family," Draco smirked and leaned back on the wooden kitchen chair. "I'd hate to disappoint an old headmaster."

At the mention of Dumbledore's name, all the chatter and merrymaking at the dining table ground to a halt.

"Why do you have to bring that up?" Harry asked quietly. Ginny knew Harry had never really recovered from Dumbledore's death after his old mentor had chosen not to go to other world to sacrifice his spirit for the greater cause of vanquishing Voldemort. Once a soul chose to linger in this world to watch over loved ones, it would not be able to cross over to the other world. Even magical textbooks could not teach the concept properly, much to Hermione's dismay, as death had become an especially difficult subject to write about, during the last century or so.

"Because all of these people sitting around this table deserve to know," Ginny heard Draco answer with steely determination in his voice.

"Yeah, like when you couldn't do You-Know-Who’s bidding and chose to cry in Moaning Myrtle's toilet. How manly," Ron added sarcastically before earning himself a sharp jab in the ribs from Ginny's elbow. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the slight, yet tense clenching and unclenching jaw movements of the former Slytherin. But in true Slytherin fashion, Draco's demeanour remained calm and unfazed by Ron's taunts.

"At least I didn't have to snog that Brown hag to show that I'm not gay," Draco retorted coolly, crossing his arms smugly as he added an emphasis on the word 'gay'. Although Draco's voice and expression were unchanged by Ron's revelation at the dining table, Ginny could see his fingers clenching the sleeve of his shirt – the slightest indicators of his current irritable mood.

Then, Ginny caught sight of Ron glaring daggers at her. *Oh great. Ron thinks that I've betrayed him now…* Ginny thought exasperatedly. She sat down quickly, trying to rein in some semblance of anger management.

Ron took a deep breath and stared at Draco. "Wait, I'm not finished yet. And when Harry caught you crying again, you had to get him in trouble, didn't you?" Ron added triumphantly and ended with a guffaw.

"Ronald Weasley…" Molly Weasley started as everyone turned to stare at Ron. Her voice was stiff and controlled, yet Ron chose to ignore his mother's warning. Arthur quickly gave his son a nudge, urging him to stop riling up his mother's temper.

"Come, Malfoy, I'll show you the family orchard." Ginny reached for Draco's arm hesitantly, hoping to calm both parties down. Nobody liked talking about the Second War, especially since the Weasley family had suffered so many painful losses over the years, and Ginny was none too eager to let yet another argument erupt.

"No, Ginny, I think I've seen enough of leaf-bare trees in my lifetime. And no, tiny flower buds in spring don't make my heart go soft and fluffy," Draco jerked his arm away from Ginny's grasp. "So, it's Malfoy now?" he asked, a blond eyebrow arched at her.

"Listen, Ginny, you don't know who he really is…" Ron began, gesticulating wildly once again. "You can't marry him, and only married couples have sex!"

"Like you do, Weasel?" Draco shot back. He pushed himself away from the dining table and stood up.

"Ron, it's my choice, alright? You can't control my life and since when did I say that I'd marry Malfoy?" Ginny replied heatedly and stuck her hands on her hips, adopting an aggressive stance against her brother.

"Everyone under this roof knows that you've been sha… shagging Malfoy day and night," Ron pursued angrily. "I hate listening to the ruckus you make! The idea of him… him touching you is enough to make me vomit the remains of yesterday's breakfast."

"And Potter and Granger don't?" Draco interjected with a mock hopeful expression. "Also, Ginny and I have better sex than Potter and Granger, and I'm speaking from a firsthand visual experience. I wish I'd gouged out my eyes the moment I saw Potter taking off his pants on my first night here."

"MALFOY!" Harry and Hermione balked at him. Arthur Weasley only managed to clear his throat uncomfortably.

"The point is, YOU CAN'T MARRY HIM. NOT AFTER WHAT HE DID TO YOU!" Ron roared and threw his napkin down onto his nearly empty plate.

"So that's why you're upset? That I might marry Malfoy?" Ginny retorted angrily. "Who says that I'll marry him?"

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM! I'VE BEEN WISHING THAT HE WOULD STOP HOGGING MY BEDROOM FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS!" Ron bellowed, oblivious to his mother's glare.

"RONALD WEASLEY! I'M APPALLED BY YOUR BEHAVIOUR AND YOU SHALL NOT MAKE A FOOL OF YOURSELF IN FRONT OF A GUEST!" Molly thundered.

At that moment, Ron decided that the pointy-faced ferret was not worth a shouting match with his mother, and he turned to make his exit from the dinner table. Scowling at Ron, Draco also turned and made a beeline for the backyard.

"Ginny, I think you should go after him," Hermione nudged her with a whisper after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. "Harry and I will handle Ron."

Rolling her eyes, the Ginny stood up and tossed her napkin aside her unfinished food before running after Draco.

"Boys will always be boys," Ginny muttered under her breath as she grabbed two bottles of Ogden's Firewhisky on the way out.

~*~*~*~*~

The dark backyard stared back at her emptily, her boots making crunching sounds as they left tiny footprints in the fresh snow. "Draco?" she called out warily and waited for an answer. The night was as silent as ever.

*Where did he go?* Ginny thought, bile rising in her throat when jolts of panic clenched her chest. *Where could he go?*

*He must have taken a joyride on Ron's broom to spite him,* a calmer voice in her mind reasoned with her. Taking long strides, she hurried to the broom shed to check for missing brooms.

*Hm, why is the broom shed unlocked? Someone could have broke in to steal the brooms… Could be an oversight by Ron through,* Ginny wondered, her hand pushing the stiff wooden door open. Under the dim lights shining from the Burrow's kitchen, Ginny could barely see the few racing brooms on the rack. Drawing out her wand, she stepped gingerly into tiny space within the wooden hut.

As her eye adjusted to the dim light, she saw Ron's prized Lightening Bolt 739 lying haphazardly on the ground. Sighing in irritation, she bent down to pick up the broomstick.

Suddenly, a strong arm snaked around her waist and gripped her hard against a sinewy chest. Ginny opened her mouth to scream and raised her wand to hex her attacker. However, her attacker was faster. The tip of a wand poked into her right flank dangerously.

"Keep quiet or I'll hex you into pieces," her attacker growled softly. His voice sounded familiar to her ears, but Ginny thought she could be mistaken as her heartbeat pounded loudly in her ears. The blood in her veins turned into ice as he seized her wand hand and forced it into an unnatural position. A pained gasp escaped her lips as her fingers dangled weakly, her wand dropping onto the hard ground with thud.

"Immobilus!" he jabbed the wand into her side, making her body slump uncontrollably into his arms, and the two bottles of Firewhisky rolled out of her left hand. Before Ginny could see her attacker, he draped a piece of black cloth over her eyes, effectively blindfolding her. However, her sense of smell remained as sharp as ever. As he placed her on the ground, she caught a whiff of fresh apple aftershave.

"D… Draco?" she began nervously, her voice trembling under anxiety. Before she could manage any further, a pair of velvety lips covered her own in a hungry kiss. Ginny squirmed, but her body refused to listen to her commands. A pair of roving hands crept under her robe and brushed against the sensitive skin of her abdomen.

"I don't like the idea of your brother thinking that we only shag to piss him off," his husky voice whispered in her ear. Ginny felt the knots in her stomach ease a little when her mind registered Draco's voice.

"Why did you immobilise me?" Ginny whispered back frantically.

"Because it's high time that you get a taste of your own medicine," Draco's voice floated into her ears.

"Did I scare you so much?"

"No, although the bit about pulling out penknives and binding me with ropes could strike fear in the weak-spirited," Draco drawled. Ginny could only imagine his self-satisfied smirk. "I enjoyed that."

"I must be good then," Ginny said with shaky smile.

"I say you missed me too," Draco muttered before capturing her lips in a deep kiss. Wrapping his arm around her torso, he rolled over and pinned Ginny under his weight. "I might I want to enact revenge for what you did to me in my apple shed."

Ginny felt her stomach tighten into knots again.

"I want to try something new tonight," she heard Draco's voice teasing her sensually. "I promise I can make you scream louder than ten banshees combined, only if you stay immobilised."

"Really?" Under normal circumstances, Ginny would have raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You're not exactly well-known for being humble." Merlin's beard! What could Draco do to make her scream louder than ten banshees combined? It was a tall order. The anticipation of Draco's promise made her inhale sharply as she felt her heart rate speeding up.

Before there was time to think about Draco's statement, Ginny felt him planting his knees firmly by her sides. Just as Ginny was about to ask Draco about his plans for her, the pointed tip of his wand tapped on her shoulder twice. A cold blast of air caressed her naked body as her clothes dissolved into the velvety night, leaving her clad only in her bra and knickers, and she gritted her teeth to stifle a cry of sheer surprise.

Then, she felt the tip of his wand move downwards and stop at the front clasp of her bra. Again, he tapped his wand on her bra once, and then again, on her knickers. She gasped loudly. The rough friction between the lace on her underwear and her skin had been replaced with a slightly sticky sensation.

The solid body of the wand was gone, replaced by Draco's index finger rubbing the hardened nub on the peak of her right breast as he traced the intricate lace designs on her skin. Then, he dragged his fingers across her underbelly before smearing the unknown substance on her lips.

For the next moment, Ginny could only guessed that Draco moved. His lips were sucking gently hers as the delicious aroma of molten chocolate wafted past her nostrils. *So that's what the sticky sensation is,* Ginny realised with a silent giggle. He had transfigured her lingerie into ones that were made of chocolate! *That was the best chocolate that I've ever tasted!* she thought, her tongue mingling with Draco's as though they had minds of their own.

Drawing away from her lips, he blew a soft trail of butterfly kisses down her neck to the valley between her breasts. With loving attention, he took the tip of her right breast into his mouth while his hand kneaded the other breast. Nearly unobtrusively, his knees nudged her thighs apart, letting the soft silky material of his trousers tickle her inner thighs. Easing a finger into her slit, he tickled each fold and crevice of her womanhood, making her draw in huge mouthfuls of the cool night air to cool down the burning heat that was gathering in the pit of her belly.

Letting go of her breast, he dragged his tongue across her midriff and circled her bellybutton once before reaching the top of her pubis. Although the black cloth obstructed Ginny's vision field, her sense of touch, smell and taste were greatly heightened. Every little motion that Draco made registered in her mind. With his breath brushing erotically against her pubic hair, a flush flooded Ginny's cheeks with increasing intensity every passing second.

Slowly, he parted her nether lips with both hands and kissed her softly between the legs.

She had only read about this in those torrid romance novels that Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil used to fight over.

The first contact between his tongue and the most intimate part of her body sent jolts of electricity shooting up her spine.

If heaven existed, Ginny was floating in it now.

Carefully, Draco tongue flicked and touched a sensitive nub between her thighs as Ginny fought a losing battle to stop herself from moaning aloud.

She had never imagined anything could feel this good.

Slowly, Ginny felt his lips close around the nub. *What is he going to do next?* Ginny panicked, but a wave of pleasure washed over her as he started to suck vigorously. In her hazy mind, each and every moment of his lips and tongue stimulated a tremendous flood of unimaginable sensations that threaten to overwhelm her consciousness.

Unable to longer hold back any longer, a loud moan escaped her throat as Draco's tongue teased her pleasure centre in sensual circles, occasionally giving it a tender nip. Reflexively, she tried to draw her thighs around his head, feeling his tongue prodding into the most intimate part of her body. However, her body remained limp under the spell Draco cast, and it gave Ginny strange erotic feeling – that her body was being used and she was unable to control the outcome.

With each teasing and flitting movement of his tongue, the needy ache in her belly grew sharper, her desire to have him escalated at an uncontrollable speed, so much so she could not exert any conscious control over her actions. She only wanted her arousal to reach the climax, and nothing else mattered to her more than the invasive actions of Draco's lips and tongue. She no longer recognised her voice, with escaped desperately from her throat as her peak of arousal came so infinitesimally close that it was just outside her grasp.

Suddenly, everything stopped.

Ginny's eyes flew open in surprise, focused on Draco's sharp aristocratic features merely inches above her face as he whipped the black cloth away. Like waves crashing onto a cliff, he assaulted her lips with a raging need. As Draco's tongue swirled and duelled with her own, Ginny tasted the sweet tangy taste of herself on him.

Breaking the kiss to catch her breath, Ginny heard Draco mutter a short incantation. The fabric of his robes dissolved away, letting his lower body rub flesh to flesh against her skin. The familiar feeling of his arousal poked at her opening as Draco's hands gripped her shoulders to brace himself above her torso.

"Do you enjoy that?" she heard him ask. "Tell me what you want next," he breathed out. Ginny could tell from the strain in his voice that he was exercising every single strand of resistance to stop himself from taking her on the spot.

"I want you to take me slowly and languidly. I want you to make love to me," Ginny answered breathlessly. A familiar wetness crept in between her thighs, and she reflexively bucked her pelvis against his hardened length to urge him on, but the spell was still holding her body hostage.

Grunting softly, Draco inched forward as Ginny braced herself for the initial impact. The sensation of her inner walls stretching to accommodate him was always slightly uncomfortable, but the instant gratification that she received drowned the strange ache. She fitted around him perfectly, like two halves of the same Galleon.

When he was fully sheathed within her, Ginny steeled herself. Under the weak moonlight, his grey irises were reduced to a thin band by his fully dilated pupils, a sure sign of his arousal. Drawing out entirely, he pushed back into her body with a single fluid stroke, filling her entirely. Ginny gasped loudly at the feeling of indescribable pleasure flooding every single particle in her mortal self.

Moaning in synchrony with his thrusts, Ginny blinked as rivulets of sweat ran down to the tip of his chin from his temples; the droplets dripped onto the valley between her breasts, intermingling with her own perspiration. *I want to move with him, I want to move with him,* the mantra repeated in her mind endlessly. Squeezing her eyes shut, she focused all of her will on breaking the spell as Draco's hips began to move faster. Her breathing became laboured, and she willed her legs to go around his waist to grant him easier access to her depths, urging him to reach into her deepest spots.

And it succeeded! Ginny felt her body break free of the spell. Every muscle and tendon screamed in protest as the spell released its hold on her.

Pushing him off her body, she pinned him down on the wooden floor planks and planted her knees firmly at his sides. With her nether lips brushing his slick erection ever so slightly, she held back a smirk as Draco struggled to reign in his urge to take her again. With a quick motion, she sank down onto his hips and gasped when she felt his hard shaft entering her again.

Steadying herself against his shoulders, Ginny inhaled deeply and moved her thighs in a circular motion. A guttural moan escaped from Draco's lips as she gained momentum, letting him slip in and out of her easily. Bucking in synchrony with her grinding hips, they moved together in an intricate dance of seduction.

Gazing intently at his face, Ginny saw that Draco's eyes were screwed shut, his jaw clenched in concentration. Waves after waves of intense pleasure slammed into her, each one more ferocious than its precedent. Out of the corner of her eye, her mind registered the ugly Dark Mark contrasted against the paleness of his forearm – a grim legacy of how You-Know-Who had affected their lives. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ginny blocked the chilling image of the black skull out of her mind with great effort. Bygones were bygones, and the most important thing now was her time together with Draco Malfoy.

Face to face now, Draco drew her into an intense kiss as his hips slammed against hers in a burning bid to satiate their carnal desires. Blanketed by the darkness of the advancing night, two beings blurred into a single entity, each feeding off the other for the strength and courage to soldier on.

Finally, Ginny felt her mind explode in a dazzling array of stars and light, and she rode her climax together with Draco. They surfed wave after wave of pure bliss, undeterred by all the troubles in the world.

As the earth-shattering climax gradually died down in a few minutes of absolute silence, Ginny gave him a small peck on his cheek. Rolling off her body with an exhausted sigh, he drew her into his arms and stroked her hair gently.

~*~*~*~*~

Pushing herself up to reach for the bottles of Firewhisky, Ginny yawned silently, peeping at Draco through her eyelashes. He was wide awake too, and he was looking at her with his cool grey eyes.

*Damn, he never fails to make me blush,* Ginny sighed as an uncomfortable heat started to flood her cheeks. "Want a drink? Here, I've nicked a couple of bottles of Ogden's Firewhisky as well. I bet we'll be fantasising all sorts of rubbish by the time Ron realises his precious stock of liqueur is gone," Ginny laughed in a bid to hide her embarrassment, and handed Draco a bottle of wizarding alcohol.

Accepting the bottle in one hand, Draco pick up his wand and performed a non-verbal spell. "Cheers to the wizard who invented magic," Draco raised his bottle after the bottles uncorked themselves magically.

"Why can't she be a witch though? Why must it be a wizard?" Ginny mused after both of them took a swig from the bottle in their hands.

"You think too much," Draco's reply came amidst the comforting silence that the broom shed offered. "I think too much sometimes too, and I let opportunities slip past," his voice taking on a more relaxed tone from the effects of the Firewhisky.

"Like how you didn’t want to approach me in Hogwarts?" Ginny prodded him with a devious smile. "You might have missed out on a few extra years of a great love life with me."

"What about you? You didn't approach me either," Draco leaned towards her and whispered into her ear. "What were you waiting for?"

"It's not the norm for girls to make the first move, you know…" Ginny said, dropping her voice as she felt Draco's lips brush her earlobe gently. "Maybe Parkinson spoilt you by showering loads of unwanted attention," she added with an impish smile.

"Pansy was a good companion. I wasn't too happy when she died a few years ago," Draco sighed morosely and leaned back on his elbows, taking another swig from his bottle. "She was always testing for my reaction whenever your name came up in conversations. It feels good to be wanted."

"My name came up?" Ginny turned around to face Draco.

"Now I regret telling you so much."

"Was she your first?" Ginny asked softly, knowing that she had treaded into uncharted territories. The issue of past lovers and partners had yet to come up between them. "You are my first, if that's what you want to know."

"Do you want to know the truth or do you just want me to lie through my teeth? Despite what Potter and your brother might think, I'm not a good liar."

Ginny let out a laugh and crawled on top of Draco. Resting her head on his chest, she could hear and feel his steady heartbeat. "On the second thought, I don't want to spoil my evening by thinking about Parkinson. Bygones are bygones, Draco. I want to focus my unwavering attention on the present. You don't have to answer that question if you don't want to."

"Thought you were back to calling me Malfoy," he drawled as he folded his arms. "So Malfoy it is."

*Prick,* Ginny muttered under her breath, crossing her arms in front of her in an equally defensive posture. "You know it's a slip of tongue. I've been calling you 'Malfoy' for as long as I remember," she sighed resentfully. "Besides, you shouldn't have mentioned Dumbledore. He's… he's sorely missed by everyone in the family. Mum, dad and all of us grew up under his tutelage, you know…"

"I know, I know. It's just that the old man invaded my thoughts suddenly. I swear he must be chuckling at the way he manages to haunt me," Draco replied with an impatient wave. Suddenly, Ginny felt his fingers lifting her chin up, and she looked into a pair of stormy grey eyes. An involuntary shiver snaked its way through her body.

"What's bothering you, Draco?" she asked softly, he voice barely audible in the cold air.

"Do you think I was cowardly for crying in Moaning Myrtle's toilet?" he implored, his voice breaking uncharacteristically as his eyes searched her face for answers. *So that's what he's bothered about,* Ginny thought. Sensing Draco's vulnerability, Ginny made note to choose her next words carefully.

"Before I knew the whole story about your initiation tasks, I thought it was not a very manly thing to do…" Ginny started hesitantly, but as Draco's fingers jolted slightly on her skin, she added quickly. "Of course, after I knew You-Know-Who was threatening you, I thought you must have loved your family very much to even attempt such a thing."

"I wish you didn't have to learn the circumstances by breaking into my mind," Draco sighed and folded his arms again. "I would've wanted to tell you everything face to face, but somehow, I just didn't know where to start without making you re-live the circumstances on the night we first met."

"I agree you were hardly on your most courteous behaviour. Not that I should have expected it, considering our family histories, but I suppose emotions got the best of us both that night," Ginny reflected, as she clasped her hands around his forearm. "I'm glad that you did everything for a reason," she said, smiling up at him. "Actions speak louder than words."

"Is there anything else you want to know about me? Weas… Your brother may be right. We hardly know each other," Draco admitted grudgingly before flashing her an impish smirk. "I know your body quite well though…"

"Hey…" Ginny snorted and slapped his arm. "I told you Ron was probably worried about being gay when he decided to spend hours sucking Lavender's face, didn't I?"

"That doesn't count. I'd rather not hear anything about Weasel if I could help it," Draco retorted. "I'd like to hear more about your life after you left Hogwarts. Seems like I can finally play 'Healer' with you nowadays."

For a moment, Ginny kept quiet, caught up memories of the past. How was she going to relate each heartbreaking incident in her life to him? She lost many close friends and relatives in the Second War, and she spent the better part of her late teens beating herself up about falling for a You-Know-Who supporter. She had to admit, however, that if they were to start knowing each other better after their adventure into Occlumency backfired, she had to begin somewhere. Frenzied love making at every imaginable location was not very conducive when it came to having meaningful conversations.

"Ginny?" Draco called her name softly and quirked an eyebrow.

Ginny woke up from her reverie with a jolt. Tenderly, she clasped Draco's hand and nodded, "Of course, I'll tell you more about myself." Ginny looked into his eyes and smiled, "But before I start, I want you to answer my question first."

"I knew there was a catch somewhere," Draco sighed as a draft caught his hair and ruffled it slightly. Though he often portrayed himself as impeccably stoic in public, Ginny found herself falling for the man with his little imperfections – his ruffled hair, the casual wrinkle in his robes. It made him feel more… human.

"Why did you let me break into your mind so easily that night? I mean…," Ginny trailed off uncertainly, but regained her composure to finish her sentence. "I mean, surely Snape or Dumbledore would have taught you some Occlumency to avoid You-Know-Who's mind-probing."

"You haven't figured the answer out?" Draco asked with a minute hint of surprise in his voice.

"No," Ginny answered truthfully.

"Occlumency requires a lack of empathy or emotion towards the person performing Legilimens on you," Draco started slowly. "It's difficult to practise good Occlumency with someone who you have strong feelings for."

"Like Harry's hatred for Snape?"

Still waters ran deep. Sometimes, Ginny wondered if Harry had ever forgiven Snape for all the things he did although the Boy Who Lived rarely spoke about the war these days. It was as if Snape had single-handedly robbed him of his parents, mentor and godfather.

"Perhaps. You would have guessed why you're able to break into my mind that night by now," Draco's answer broke her stream of thought.

"Do you have strong feelings for me?" Ginny tried to follow the turn in the conversation carefully. Draco usually kept his personal emotions to himself, and getting him to open up was a big breakthrough for her. Though their upbringing was completely different, they had the same trait of keeping their feelings under wraps; during the war, putting your thoughts and feelings on the surface could cost you your life. Ginny couldn’t help wondering if You-Know-Who's reign of terror had affected them more than they would care to admit.

Draco responded with a non-committal shrug. "What do you think? I could have hated your guts when you tried breaking into my mind."

Secretly, Ginny's heart leapt with joy, and she did not really want to push the issue any further. "Well, I think I'll answer your question now. One of the reasons I wanted to be a Healer was because I want to save the world. I want to promote world peace and a healthy lifestyle among poorer wizarding folk," she proclaimed with a grin.

Draco's thin lips curled in a grimace. "I didn't know you're such an emotional wench. Aren't Healers supposed to be impersonal?"

Ginny laughed merrily as Draco's mood lifted a little. "You know, the mental picture that you would need my services one day if you ever walk into St. Mungo's is a big morale boost," Ginny said, snickering. "Of course, I could get to watch you squirm when I start conjuring needles to stick into your limbs."

"Vivid imagination you have," Draco snorted and smirked characteristically.

"Wizards get sick too, even if there's world peace," Ginny replied. "I imagine that you would be a difficult patient to please."

"On the contrary, I'm quite an easy person to please," Draco cut in and waggled his left brow suggestively. "I'm not picky when it comes to shagging locations. Even a wardrobe closet would do."

Suddenly, Ginny turned pensieve and watched Draco's smug smile from beneath lowered eyelashes. "Draco, do you think we're capable of having a heart-to-heart conversation?" she asked. "We are always trying to outdo each other when it comes to witty answers."

Draco stayed silent and stared at the silvery orb of the moon in the evening sky through the slightly opened window. Seeing his moment of reverie, Ginny wondered what he could be thinking. In another three months, it would be ten years since she first met Draco on that fateful evening in Hogsmeade. Ten years was not a short length of time to be waiting for him to turn up. The past three months were simply pure bliss… *Besides, there is already trust, and there is nothing blocking us now,* a voice whispered in her mind.

She sat up straight and clasped Draco's hands in her smaller ones. His grey eyes, usually filled with turbulence, widened with curiosity at her atypical seriousness, and Ginny couldn't help the tiny smile as she watched his eyebrows knit together in a frown. *He must have realised that I'm about to say something important…*

With a deep breath, Ginny announced, "Draco Malfoy, will you marry me?"

Seconds ticked past and Draco remained motionless. Ginny's heart plummeted into a bottomless pit. *He must have think that I'm raving mad…* a critical voice nagged inside her head.

Removing his hands from Ginny's grasp, Draco looked at her intently. "No," he paused and Ginny felt her pride shattered into a thousand pieces. Smirking at her, he continued, "I thought you said it's not the norm for girls to make the first move. I won't stand having Potter and your brother laughing at me if this story gets out."

Inhaling deeply, Draco wrapped his hands around her wrists and tightened his grip. "Ginny Weasley, will you marry me?"

"Yes, and can Harry be your best man?" Ginny answered with a sardonic smile.

"No," came Draco's curt reply. "Over my dead body."

Laughing again, she would have paid anything to see that look on Draco's face. Who says the girls couldn't propose marriage, or at least make the first move?

*We will never be a traditional couple…* Ginny thought as she lifted her head for a deep kiss.

The musty broom shed might not be the most romantic place in Wizarding Britain to propose marriage, but Ginny felt it had served a very important purpose in her life.

At last, Ginny Weasley had found her happy ending.

~*~*~*~*~

THE END

~*~*~*~*~

Author's comments:

I admit, there is another version of this final chapter somewhere in my hard drive (actually, some of my friends like dragonsangel68 might still have a copy of that terribly embarrassing work as well, and I command thee to destroy it entirely) but I've decided to scrap the whole thing and pick the story up from where I left off in the previous instalment. I've decided that I like this version better.

Anyway, I've finally concluded this story after two years. I wish I have finished it earlier though, but I guess it's better late than never. After all, I'm a person of my words, and this story is dedicated to Jay (of Portkey) for his generosity.

For those who reviewed earlier chapters, I've read each and every one of them. For those who asked questions about the story, I hope I've given satisfactory replies. In other words, I'm a review whore and I love feedback from readers.

Cheers, and hope you enjoyed the story!

Much love,

Rhea

http://www.livejournal.com/users/subdereality