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Something's Gotta Give
Mei Queen
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Authoress' Note: This chapter has been a long time coming, as you all know. I had a few false starts that went nowhere, and it's just been a struggle to write…probably because I know we're getting so close to the end on this story that I want to think of a way to end it perfectly. I spent a few hours today just trying to read the other chapters of this story, just so I could remember everything I'd written, lol. Anyway, I hope this chapter measures up. Additionally, a few of you expressed concern after my revelation last chapter that this story was based on a real event. No worries-this story will have a happy ending for Draco and Ginny. Just because things didn't work out for my SecretDragon doesn't mean it shouldn't be that way for Ginny. Besides, I ended up with someone ten times better for me. I guess life works in funny ways sometimes. And no, my view of England was not tainted by my bad SecretDragon experience. London is and will always be one of my favorite cities in the world.
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Mood Music: "Her Eyes"- Pat Monahan, "December"- Collective Soul, "Run Around"- Blues Traveler, "When You're Single"- Chuck Wicks, and the entire Sara Bareilles album, which is freakin' fabulous!
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Chapter 12: Please.
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"I need your help."
Hermione Granger's eyebrows arched upward at the downright foreign words coming out of Draco Malfoy's mouth. It was Thursday, three days since Draco's miserable interaction with Ginny, and he had finally realized something-if he had any chance of getting her back, he would need help…and lots of it.
He just never thought he'd have to be asking a Muggleborn- it was enough to make the blond man break out in hives. Draco felt his jaw twitch slightly with nerves as he watched the bushy-haired brunette decide his fate.
Hermione cocked her head to the side, arranging her features in one of her favorite expressions: "You're a Sodding Bastard Wrecking My Best Mate's Life." (She didn't get to use it very much, you see.) She regarded him carefully. God, she had been hoping it wouldn't come to this…but then, what else had she expected, really? It wasn't as if he was capable of regaining her friend's affections all on his own, and heaven knows she couldn't handle much more of this "Moody, Introverted Redheaded Writer" business. The littlest Weasley was damn near driving her mad…
Hermione nodded. "Give me your card. I'll let you know what I decide."
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Ginny, meanwhile, was at home, throwing items haphazardly into her trunk. She only had a few weeks until her plane left for her first locale on the book tour, Paris, and she needed to be packed for the entire tour before that first flight left.
Her agent, Anna Barrett, was thankfully talking to her via Floo for much-needed packing advice.
"No, darling," Anna replied, groaning. Her salary really did not pay her enough to deal with eccentric writers. She smiled a bit despite herself, watching the petite redhead zip animatedly around the bedroom, throwing clothes up in the air in her wake. "We're going to Fiji. Fiji! Back a bloody swimsuit, not a parka. We're leaving England for good reason, remember? We're leaving the bleedin' cold behind!"
Ginny paused for a moment, clothes in hand, to grin wryly at her agent. "I might need the parka when we stop in Russia, though."
Anna tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Fair point, that."
"How many stops is this tour going to make?" Ginny asked, groaning as she surveyed the mess that was her room. Clothes were strewn every which-way, covering chairs and her bed completely. It would take forever to clean this bloody mess up…
The agent pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Thirty, I believe, but that's only if we can't lure the Philippines. We're in negotiations right now."
Ginny rolled her eyes as she collapsed in an exhausted heap on her packed suitcase, trying rather unsuccessfully to jam the thing shut. "When will I get home?"
Anna shrugged noncommittally, twirling a lock of golden hair absentmindedly around one of her slender fingers as she did so. "Next year sometime. Better finish up any business before you leave, chicken."
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Ginny did have business to finish, indeed. In addition to the unwanted laptop lying on her living room floor, she still had a debt to pay to Draco for her mum's birthday necklace. With the advance from the book tour, she had a check written out and signed, just waiting on her kitchen counter.
I guess it's time to deliver it, the redhead thought miserably, looking into her kitchen at the check. I'm really not looking forward to this…what if he's there? What if we have a horrible confrontation like we did with the bloody laptop? What if he wonders where I got the money? I'll have to explain to him about the book tour and the fact that…I'm leaving. Gods, I really don't want to have to tell him that…
Thirty minutes, five cups of coffee, three changes of clothes and many expletives later, Ginny Weasley found herself at the door of one of Malfoy's many businesses, the one managed by Justin Finch-Fletchley. Here goes nothing…
Taking a deep breath, she gently eased open one of the imposing glass doors.
Ginny smiled nervously at the redhead secretary, approaching the front desk while cautiously looking every which way for signs of either Draco or Justin. No such luck-neither of them were anywhere in sight. She wasn't sure whether she felt relieved or disappointed about that, though.
"I have a check for Mr. Malfoy," Ginny murmured quietly to the secretary, a redhead eagerly skimming through her pink Rolodex.
"Oh, okay," the redhead chirped, smiling. "He's actually in, just in a meeting. The meeting will be out in a few minutes, though, so why don't you take a seat and I'll page you when he's out?"
"Well, really," Ginny began nervously, hands shaking slightly as she tried to hand the check over to the secretary, "I'd rather just give it to you, if it's all the same."
"Mr. Malfoy actually prefers to accept all checks personally," the secretary answered apologetically, hand wavering over her phone receiver. "He should be getting out of that meeting now, though, so I'll just give him a call."
Ginny sighed and nodded. Fine, consider my white flag hung…call the sodding bastard. We'll just see what he has to say. Exhaling a deep breath she hadn't even realized she was holding, Ginny sank down into the cushions of the leather couch, body tingling with nerves.
The secretary smiled at Ginny, picked the receiver up, glanced at the list of extensions in the building, and dialed.
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Luna Lovegood was enjoying her front-row seat at the Cannons' Quidditch practice, courtesy of her new boyfriend, Ronald. As she absentmindedly watched the redhead fly through the air, blocking the well-aimed throws of the team's Chasers, her mobile began to ring.
She hummed to the ringtone for a few moments before looking to see who was calling. Hermione.
"Hey, Mione, what's up?" the blonde asked cheerfully, using one hand to hold the mobile and the other to wave animatedly at Ron.
"You'll never guess who showed up on my doorstep this morning."
Luna shrugged blankly. "You're probably right."
Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently. "Well, don't you want to know who it was?"
"Of course," the blonde replied. "I was waiting for you to tell me."
Hermione shook her head in exasperation. Sometimes she wasn't sure why she put up with Luna- that much was for certain. "It was Malfoy."
"No bloody way. What did he want?" Luna asked, now so immersed in her conversation with Hermione that she barely noticed when one of the Beaters hit a Bludger almost directly at her head. It missed by a hair.
High up in the air, Ronald Weasley let out a nervous breath.
"Guess," Hermione replied.
The blonde rolled her eyes in response. "…because guessing has gone so well so far."
"True," the brunette replied with a chuckle. "He wants Ginny back, Luna. He asked for my advice."
Luna's blue eyes widened. "What did you tell him? Are you going to help him?"
"No," Hermione replied simply. "We're going to help him."
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"Miss Weasley?" The redhead receptionist asked, jogging Ginny out of her reverie. Grudgingly, the littlest Weasley put down the Hello! magazine she'd engrossed herself in and walked up to the receptionist's desk.
"Yes?"
The receptionist smiled brightly. "Mr. Malfoy will see you now. I can take you to his office, if you like."
Ginny pointed down the hall to the right. "Last one on the left?"
The receptionist nodded in response.
"Yeah, Justin showed me last time I was here. I'll be fine on my own, but thanks."
With that, Ginny began the walk to Draco's office, anticipation building in every step.
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"Help him?" Luna demanded. "How do you propose we do that? Have you forgotten the fact that our redheaded friend has decided to hop the country like one of those freakish Muggles on the telly?"
Another Bludger whizzed dangerously close to her head, but, again, Luna paid no notice.
Ronald, however, was blatantly letting goals in now. He was more concerned with assuring himself that his girlfriend was not going to suffer permanent brain damage just watching his Quidditch practice.
Hermione sighed patiently. "What freakish Muggles on the telly?"
"You know, the ones who get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to eat pig intestines in Zimbabwe," the blonde clarified.
Hermione shrugged. She was no more impressed by this Muggle trend than Luna, so she saw no need to comment on the worth of reality shows. "We can help him though, Luna, I know it. We're the only ones who can. Besides, stalling Ginny will be cake in comparison to getting Malfoy to knock that ego down a few notches. I think I have a plan."
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Draco Malfoy sat at his desk, foot tapping the ground with impatience. The secretary, Lexi, said that Ginny was on her way in here, but that was close to five minutes ago. That fact did nothing to ease the blond man's nervousness. What am I going to say when she walks in? Oh, thanks for the check, Ginny- sorry I ignored you for a month while I dated a woman who is everything you rightfully hate and eats nothing but salad? Other than Ginny possibly giving me points for honesty, I see no perks in that situation…
Draco propped his elbows on the desk and sunk his head into his hands despairingly. "What's the point?"
"Am I interrupting something?"
Though he didn't hear her open the door, suddenly Ginny Weasley was in front of him, her long red hair in spiral curls, the delicate scent of lilies coming in to the room with her. Draco wished he could hold on to that scent forever.
His cheeks reddened slightly, and he sat up straight in his desk chair. "Please, Ginny, take a seat."
She thought about saying she'd rather stand, but that seemed almost too cold. She sat obediently in a plushy chair across from his and placed the white envelope containing the check on the desk, which was separating the two like a chasm. The redhead looked down at her hands, neatly folded in her lap. "I came to finish settling up my debt for my mother's necklace."
Ginny's eyes weren't on Draco's; otherwise she would have seen the plain disappointment reflected in the steely grey. "Is that all? Why now? I thought your book wasn't coming out for a few months. Ginny, I would be fine with waiting until you had plenty of income before accepting the rest of the payment. There's no rush."
She shook her head, but inside, she was amazed he remembered something as trivial as the release date of her novel. In her experience, men never remembered anniversaries, let alone release dates for novels. "I got an advance, which helped me pay all my bills, but then I got another advance. That one put me substantially in the profit margin."
"Another advance?" Draco asked, confused, searching Ginny for some kind of clue as to what was going on. Her eyes were still firmly focused on her lap.
Finally, Ginny's chocolate eyes traveled up to meet Draco's grey. "For my world tour."
Draco's mouth formed a round 'o' of surprise.
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"I'm never letting you come to another Quidditch practice again!" Ronald Weasley was swearing vehemently. After he counted a total of twenty Bludger near-misses to Luna's head, he stopped pretending to goal-keep and flew down, intent on getting Luna the hell out of the stadium. She was allowing him to lead her, still on the phone with Hermione.
"So you want to meet up tonight to figure out all the details?" Luna asked, trying to be sure she had her facts straight.
"Yup," Hermione confirmed. "I'm going to call Malfoy now."
"Sounds good. I'll see you at eight, then. Should I bring anything?"
"Actually," Hermione began, "do you think you could pop out to the shop for me? I need a few ingredients."
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Draco Malfoy sat in his chair, recovering from the visit with Ginny. It had been colder and more formal than he would have liked. He found it difficult now to be around her scent and so close to her, still unable to reach out and touch her. I guess I ruined all chances of that possibility long ago, he thought hopelessly, eyeing the phone receiver with disdain. Hermione still had not called. She told him that morning she would make a decision before the day was up as to whether or not she would help him-it was nearing 4 in the afternoon, but no call to speak of.
To take his mind off things, he moved his computer mouse, shifting the computer's status from 'Hibernate'. He double-clicked on Internet Explorer, and impatiently drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited for the browser to load. Typing in the Chat address, then his username and password, Draco was finally back on.
***SecretDragon has entered WonderfulWitchChat1 at 15:52 hours***
SecretDragon, there are 11 members in this chatroom. Members of this chatroom are currently: DrivemeWild, DyingtoDance, JigsawJunkie, JimlikeshisPimms, LovintheLadies, Modelizer, RavishingRed, Serendipity, SlavetoStarbucks, SwanseaSweetie, WestHamRocksSocks.
JimlikeshisPimms: So you like the ring, right, Becca?
SwanseaSweetie: Are you kidding? I love it. It was so romantic, everyone- we walked by a window and I just knew. That's my engagement ring.
DrivemeWild: Awww, that is so sweet! I wish my boyfriend would do that…hell, I wish my boyfriend would stop doing that awkward shuddering thing whenever I mention marriage or children.
DyingtoDance: lol at DrivemeWild!
DrivemeWild: Seriously, though. It's true. Once I asked if he wanted to have kids, and he asked me if I counted Golden Retrievers as children.
JigsawJunkie: Maybe he's just one of those people who are really into their pets.
JimlikeshisPimms: …or maybe you should find a new boyfriend.
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Draco smirked. Apparently Jim had taken his advice about ring shopping after all. His stomach lurched slightly when he noticed that Ginny was on, too. She must have gone straight home and gotten online.
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)) PM to Ravishing Red (15:54 hours)((
SecretDragon: It was good seeing you today.
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The response took a few moments, but it did come.
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RavishingRed: You too.
SecretDragon: Do you have to leave? If you're doing it just for the money, I would help you in a heartbeat, you know that.
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Ginny sighed and recoiled slightly from her laptop. She looked around her kitchen, as if the kettle, the teacups, or the stainless-steel refrigerator could give her some answers. Why was she doing the tour? It wasn't for the money, it was…
She could feel the answer bubbling beneath the surface, but she couldn't put words to it.
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RavishingRed: That's not it. It's…it's just something I need to do, that's all.
SecretDragon: When do you leave?
RavishingRed: Three weeks.
SecretDragon: Do you think we could meet before then?
RavishingRed: I don't know.
SecretDragon: Red- please. Do you realize I've never even gotten a proper evening with you since I knew who you were or since you knew who I was? Please let me show you what kind of man I can be. Please.
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Ginny wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach, which was churning dangerously by this point. She wanted so badly to say yes, but she knew what she was risking. She knew how badly she'd already been hurt, and the possibility of being hurt again like that was excruciating. Finally, she lowered her fingers to the keyboard to type a response.
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RavishingRed: I have to go, Draco.
-SecretDragon, your friend RavishingRed logged off the Chat at 15:59 hours.-
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Draco clicked out of the browser, slammed the laptop shut, and sunk his head into his hands despairingly once more. His eyes looked briefly up at the phone-the Mudblood…his last hope.
Finally, as if by magic, the phone began to ring. Draco lunged for the receiver eagerly. "Hello?"
"You free tonight at eight?" Hermione asked flatly, not bothering with pleasantries.
"Absolutely."
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Authoress' Note: Reviews are good for the soul, and I'm sorry if there were any errors in this chapter. I haven't had a beta reader for quite some time, and I wrote most of this chapter in one sitting with severe sleep deprivation. I'm going to bed now, lol. Please review, though! I love them!