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Something's Gotta Give
Mei Queen
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Authoress' Note: Alluded sex in this chapter, not remotely graphic. See the end note for details.
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Disclaimer: Michael Buble belongs to Michael Buble, and yes, I know his last name has an accent mark, but I'm feeling a bit too lazy with "Insert- Symbol," so…whatever. Thanks for letting me mention you, Michael. I'm sorry about you and Emily- you guys were a cute couple. Moving on.
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Mood Music: "Better Together"- Jack Johnson, "500 Miles"- The Proclaimers
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RECAP:
The MC got on the mic again. He nodded his thanks to Rebecca as she handed him a card with names on it.
Peering down at the card, he boomed, "Now let's give them a hand, the woman who caught the bouquet, Miss Ginny Weasley, and the man who got the garter, Mr Draco Malfoy!"
The crowd cheered as Draco and Ginny clustered close to Jim and Rebecca for the obligatory picture.
Mercifully, music began to play.
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Chapter 15: Wedding Bell Blues, Part 2
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The MC's voice boomed over the music. "And now, a dance. Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy, how about it? Head on out to the floor with Jim and Becca!"
Becca twirled enthusiastically to the soft jazz, allowing herself to be led by her new husband to the center of the room. Ginny knew the song- it was by one of her favorite musical artists from Muggle Studies, Michael Buble.
Ginny's eyes widened in horror as she watched the newlyweds making their way to the dance floor. Her eyes got even wider as she looked over at Draco, only to find that he was looking back twice as intently. Suddenly, the champagne she'd consumed that night seemed to hit her all at once.
As she gazed deeper into his steely eyes, she started to feel lightheaded, all her thoughts evaporating in a blur of incandescent bubbles.
Draco leaned closer to her, whispering so that only they could hear the conversation. "How about it, Red? Will you dance with me?"
Ginny only felt numbly aware of her senses, but she must have nodded, since Draco leaned over and grasped her hands with his, lifting her easily to her feet. The alcohol rushed to her head at once, but with Draco there to support her, the sudden drunkenness made Ginny almost giddy.
The smile on her face widened as he swung her in a graceful circle around him, always keeping his arms protectively near her waist. He knew as well as she did what Ginny's tolerance (or lack thereof) to alcohol was like.
Draco allowed himself a broad grin as he finished twirling Ginny, only to pull her in close and tight against his body. Her head was resting against his chest, and he could feel her heartbeat- a nervous, erratic pulse that somehow heightened the already tense moment. She looked up at him, lips slightly parted, beautiful and glossy. Draco felt his own heart speed slightly as he led her through the waltz.
Then she spoke.
"You arranged this, didn't you? The bouquet and garter?"
At least, that was what Draco deciphered through the constant slurring. Yep, Miss Ginny "Take Me to Your Basilisk" Weasley was pissed, Draco thought with amusement, looking down affectionately at the redhead in his arms.
He regarded her question carefully for a moment before answering. He continued to lead her in the waltz, noting gratefully that other couples were starting to creep toward the floor now. Our conversation won't be as easily noticed, he thought to himself.
His eyes met Ginny's chocolate. He wondered briefly if she could feel his nervousness.
"Yes, I did."
She made an "mmm" noise before burying her head in his chest. She breathed deeply, inhaling the delicate scent of his aftershave. "I thought you might have," she murmured, allowing him to twirl her gracefully before being pulled back into the safety of his arms.
She doesn't seem upset, Draco thought hopefully, analyzing Ginny for any signs of anger. He couldn't find any.
Finally, he just decided to ask.
"That doesn't…upset you?" he asked, obviously slightly bewildered.
She looked at him in amusement; cheeks slightly pink from the closeness and the champagne, and smiled briefly before her attention became focused on his lips. Draco noticed the shift of her gaze with utter anticipation.
Ginny leaned closer, her breath hot against his chin when she spoke.
"Should it upset me?"
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In that moment, it felt like time itself stopped. All the anticipation, tension, joy and betrayal that had led to this moment hovered over Ginny and Draco like a protective cloud. Ginny's eyes stayed focused on Draco's lips, and his eyes locked on her lips, too. They inched closer, still swaying slightly together though the song had long since changed. It was upbeat pop instead of a slow waltz, but that didn't affect the moment Draco and Ginny were having.
"I missed you," she whispered, slurring only slightly.
The words, short though they were, were a dagger through Draco's heart. They were a reminder of the time he had spent apart from Ginny. The time I threw away, he thought derisively. I didn't know a good thing when I had it.
"I missed you, too," he strangled out after a few beats of silence. Of course, what he really wanted to say was "I thought I would die without you. Marry me and be the mother of my children," but he couldn't make the words pass his lips. This wasn't the right time. Here, in front of all these people, this was not the kind of proposal a girl like Ginny would be interested in. If he were to propose to Ginny, he had a feeling that the more private and personal he made the proposal, the better it would be.
Draco's thoughts stopped there as Ginny had closed the gap between her lips and his, unable to contain her desire and curiosity any longer. The friction between them was unbearable. It was like someone holding a match over a keg of gunpowder- a tense wait before everything suddenly ignited. She sighed slightly against his lips, something that sent Draco's desire into overdrive. He began to kiss her fiercely, running his hands up and down her torso. The kiss only deepened as the moments passed. Ginny and Draco eagerly set to the tasks of exploring each other's mouths, a task executed with more precision and care than either of them thought possible. After what seemed an eternity, they pulled away…only to find themselves the subject of many eager spectators.
Jim and Becca smiled wryly from their spot on the dance floor. Ginny's cheeks reddened slightly, and she waved.
"Maybe we should get out of here," he whispered seductively, slowly running his hand up and down her spine.
Ginny's eyes met his. Draco could tell she knew he wanted more than to just walk on the veranda, but he saw no trace of fear or reluctance in her eyes. She seemed just as eager as he was, much to his relief.
The redhead grinned broadly, pecking Draco playfully on the lips.
"I agree."
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The two kissed feverishly as they made their way to their rooms. They tried to control themselves as they passed the front desk, but the concierge merely gave the two of them a knowing look before turning his attention back to the front desk. As they approached Rooms 406 and 407, he looked down at Ginny with intensity in his grey eyes. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I know I am, but I know if I go in there, I don't know if I'll be able to stop…"
He could feel his heartbeat speed up as he waited for her response. She looked up at him for a moment, seemingly trying to focus through the haze of champagne. Then, as if coming to her decision, Ginny reached up, tangled her fingers in his mussed blond hair, and brought his lips down to hers. He smiled beneath her lips as he fumbled in his back pocket for the hotel room card key.
Tonight was going to be good.
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Hours later, long after their clothing had been removed and just when the champagne was starting to lose its effect, Ginny woke suddenly in Room 407. Looking down at her bare chest, then over at her naked bedfellow, she groaned softly. Grabbing one of the hotel's robes from the hook on Draco's bathroom door and her cell from her purse on the floor, Ginny wrapped herself up tightly, heading to the bathroom.
Closing the door and then locking it behind her, she turned the light on and padded around in her bare feet on the cool tile floor. Heading to the mirror, she began to scrutinize herself very carefully.
She slept with…Malfoy. Did she hate herself for that? Ginny was surprised that even though her feelings for Malfoy himself were slightly ambiguous at the moment, she didn't remotely regret sleeping with him. Funny, that.
Looking down at the cell phone in her pocket, she opened it up and, turning the sound off, began to feverishly text Hermione and Luna.
Message from GINNY, Hermione's phone read. She sat up in Harry's bed, looking over at her bedmate with a smile. Quickly grabbing the phone before it could wake up Harry, Hermione read Ginny's text:
<Slept w/ Malfoy. What to do?>
Sighing, Hermione lowered her fingers to the keys to reply, just as her phone buzzed again.
Message from LOONY LUNA. Hermione grinned at her nickname for her friend before reading what Luna Lovegood had to say.
<Gin slept w/ Malfoy. Dunno what to tell her. What do you think?>
Hermione sighed. What was she going to do with her mates, honestly?
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As she waited on her friends' replies, Ginny looked intently at the dark circles under her eyes, and the slight wrinkles that were beginning to form on the sides. Crow's feet, she thought disdainfully. I'm certainly not getting any younger. I don't know what to do about Malfoy. I…really care about him, as much as I am loath to admit it, and he loves me. He honestly loves me, despite all we've gone through and our different backgrounds. I think he might want to marry me. Oh, I miss being married…having someone to take care of me. Not feeling like I'm all alone in everything, all the time. I'm so sick of being the only Weasley child single at holidays, the only one Mum thinks is completely incapable of ever producing her any grandchildren.
Message from HERMIONE:
<Was it bad?>
Ginny quirked an eyebrow upward in confusion. Was what bad?
Message from HERMIONE:
<The sex, obviously>
Ginny thought about it for a moment, trying to remember last night. They'd feverishly entered Draco's room, his hand inching up her thigh and wrapping it around his back. It seemed only seconds before he got her out of her dress, and then she was left in nothing but a strapless bra and knickers. Meanwhile, she had loosened Draco's tie and thrown it to the floor in the reception, so Ginny undid his shirt buttons as fast as she could manage and tugged it out of the waistband of his slacks. Then she turned her attention to his bottoms, removing his belt, and then undoing his pants.
They had stopped for a moment to take each other in, standing next to each other, both in next-to-nothing. The anticipation of the moment was tangible. Ginny felt such a rush of excitement, her knees felt like they might give way at any moment. Shimmying out of her knickers and removing her bra, the redhead eased herself onto the bed and lay back on to the pillows. She smiled a seductive grin at Draco, before beckoning him over with her finger.
He had only been too willing to oblige.
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Ginny grinned at the memory and looked down at her cell phone again.
Message from GINNY:
<Actually, no. Fuckin amazing>
Hermione smiled as she read it. Well, then.
Message from HERMIONE:
<What's the problem?>
Message from GINNY:
<How do I know if it's just a one time thing? Is it real?>
Message from HERMIONE:
<Only you know that. But I think if anyone loves you enough to be worth it, it's him>
Her words caught Ginny entirely off-guard. The Weasley had never expected Hermione to root for Malfoy, of all people. The former Head Girl had always hated Malfoy and everything he stood for. The idea of her cheering for him as a potential suitor for Ginny was downright laughable, and yet…
Message from GINNY:
<Thanks, I'll think about it.>
Message from HERMIONE:
<Yvw. Where are you anyway?>
Message from GINNY:
<Hiding in the loo>
Message from HERMIONE:
<Ok, that's it. Get out there and face your problems!>
Message from GINNY:
<Will do. Thanks>
Just as Ginny was about to shut her cell phone and go back into Draco's suite, her phone vibrated again. She looked down, wondering what Hermione could possibly have to say to her now. But it wasn't Hermione.
Message from DRACO:
<Was I really so bad in bed you have to hole yourself up in my loo?>
She grinned wryly.
Message from GINNY:
<No. I just needed some advice, that's all>
He smiled to himself, yawning slightly and sitting up in bed, looking at the light peeking from the bottom of the bathroom doorframe.
Message from DRACO:
<From what? The toilet?>
Message from GINNY:
<My mates, obviously>
Draco thought about asking if she had any mates at all, but didn't want to press it. He was trying to get on her good side, and wasn't going to do anything that might sabotage that.
Message from DRACO:
<Well? What did they say?>
Message from GINNY:
<That if the sex was good, there's nothing to worry about>
Message from DRACO:
<Have I mentioned that I love your mates?>
Grinning, Ginny decided to get up from her perch on the shower's edge, and walked over to the bathroom door to unlock it. Just as she was walking to the door, it happens that Draco was walking to the other side of the door, and they found themselves facing each other, eyes locked intently.
"I love you," he murmured earnestly, grabbing her hands with his. "I don't regret tonight at all. It's been amazing."
She smiled slightly, her cheeks reddening. "Yes it has. Thank you."
"No, thank you," he whispered. She hadn't repeated the 'I love you,' and Draco was well-aware of the fact, but he wasn't going to let it get him down. He headed to the small hotel refrigerator, and, opening it, reached up into the freezer area.
He pulled out a small container of ice cream and two spoons.
"I made this for you," he said, offering it and a spoon to her. "Want to get back in bed?"
And, as she opened the top to see what it was, she couldn't help it any longer- she grinned broadly, replying, "Absolutely."
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The ice cream got half- eaten. What happened to the other half is a mystery- a combination of melting, and being licked off random body parts, presumably. Ginny had never felt so carefree. It felt amazing to just let go of everything that had been bothering her- her finances, the mundane details of her pesky life, her family and their expectations, and just be with Draco. She was surprised to find that the sex sober was even better than pissed. Takes some serious talent in the bedroom to make that happen, she noted happily, rolling over into his embrace.
He pulled her close, smelling her hair. His heart thudded in a contented rhythm that seemed to match hers exactly. He allowed them a few moments of enjoyable silence before asking, "What's going to happen tomorrow, Red?"
She looked up to meet his gaze, her red tresses spilling on to his bare chest. "What do you mean?"
Draco sighed. "Are you still going on this ridiculous world tour?"
Ginny rolled onto her back, fixing her gaze intently on the ceiling. "I have to. I gave my publishers my word. They're depending on me. A hundred or more venues are depending on me. The press tour dates and locations have already been released to the public."
Draco nodded, his throat suddenly feeling much drier than usual. He reached for her hand. "I have a proposition for you."
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"Wait, what?" Ginny asked in disbelief after Draco told her his plan.
"I want to take you on your tour," he replied calmly. He had thought this over long and hard. He knew that Ginny was attached to her job and very devoted to her fans. He knew that if he asked the young redhead whether she was going on this press tour (even after they'd been intimate), the answer would certainly be yes. That's why, unbeknownst to Hermione or Luna, Draco had done something far beyond making ice cream for Ginny-a plan B, if you will.
Last week, when he normally had his yearly meetings with the men who ran his companies, he ran a proposition by them- he wanted to be less involved, starting now. He was going to be the CEO in name only, only coming to the occasional board meeting and reading the stock reports when they were sent to him. He would no longer be visiting the offices. Of course, this meant he'd be seeing two of his dearest mates less often, but he told Zabini and Finch-Fletchley that they were welcome in his home anytime.
He sold some of his company's shares to buy a private jet. Not just a share in one, mind you, but an actual jet. As he always vastly preferred Apparition or broom travel, he'd never had occasion to need one, but he knew Ginny's feelings all-too-well on the subject of travel. He secured a pilot for the whole next year, and spent the past week buying food and securing flight attendants.
The jet itself was named RavishingRed.
As Draco relayed all this information to her, Ginny felt her head go light again as if she'd drunk too much champagne. But this time, this was real. Those butterflies in her stomach were the nervousness that came with a life-changing possibility. But how should she choose?
Draco leaned closer, caressing her bare side gently as he did so. Then, in a sweet, soft whisper, he asked, "So…will you come with me?"
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Authoress' Note: Sorry if this seemed short, the cell phone conversations totally threw off my typical word count. Also, sorry there wasn't really a sex scene. The reason this chapter got delayed so long was that I knew it was time for a sex chapter, but I just didn't feel right putting one into this story. The vibe felt weird. I guess in my other stories, sex has been obviously anticipated (Hot Gimmick), and so writing it wasn't strange. This one…oh boy, the strangeness. Well, I hope you liked it anyways! Please review!