Ginny is 25, single and heading nowhere. Little did she know her life was about to get a whole lot more interesting when Draco Malfoy makes a very drunken mistake.
From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/6655/
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.
Warning: None as of yet.
A/N: Another new story which I am writing to fill in some time. I'm sure you'll understand.
A Drunken Mistake
Ginny Weasley sipped her coffee with a slight scowl. Tomorrow was her twenty-fifth birthday, and she was single, working in a menial job with boring colleagues, and getting paid the minimum wage (which wasn't much).
“I'm just so successful,” Ginny stated sarcastically to no one in particular as she took another sip of her coffee.
The waiter gave her a strange look but appeared to be too polite to say anything. Ginny found herself even more annoyed by that fact. Anything would have been good right now to save her from her boring existence, even if it was a false accusation from a stupid waiter saying she was crazy.
“You got something to say to me?” Ginny snapped at a fat woman wearing an orange cardigan who had been staring curiously at her.
The woman muttered something to her companion and shifted tables, much to Ginny's delight. It wasn't like she was on display here for weirdoes to stare at her for their pleasure. Sure, she may look like she just crawled out of bed, but it was 7:30am in the morning, and Ginny wasn't a morning person. Plus, she had work in one hour, and that was not exactly a thrilling event to look forward to, so she had an excuse to look wild and grumpy.
The wireless network started playing a familiar song, and to Ginny's horror tears started to burn at her eyes. It was the song that had played at her wedding to Harry, not that she ended up getting married…
Ginny looked around the church as she walked up the aisle. Molly was crying into a handkerchief, her head resting against Bill's shoulder, who was grinning broadly at Ginny. Fred and George gave her two thumbs up, and Charlie inclined his head at her with a kind smile.
Ginny glanced up at Arthur, who gave her a reassuring nod. She turned her face to the front and saw Harry staring in awe at her. He smiled nervously at her and took her hand as Arthur released her arm.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.
Ginny merely nodded. She thought if she opened her mouth she might vomit.
The ceremony began and finally it came to the “I dos.” Ginny gazed into Harry's emerald eyes as he spoke those fatal words, “I do.”
“And do you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, take Harry James Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health to love and to cherish till death do you part?”
Ginny's chestnut eyes flicked around the room at all the crying and smiling faces. They all wanted this, but did she?
”Ahem.” The Minister coughed slightly, “Miss Weasley?”
”I d-“ Ginny stared at Harry with an almost apologetic look. She knew now she did not love him, and if she didn't stop this here she was never going to be happy, “do-oon't.”
”You, do-on't?” the minister said, shocked.
“Ginny?” Harry questioned, a confused and hurt expression on his face.
”I don't!” Ginny said firmly. “Sorry, Harry, but this wedding is over.”
And with that she threw off her veil, picked up her skirts, and raced out of the chapel, leaving a stunned crowd behind.
”Anyone want some cake?” Colin Creevey squeaked timidly.
Ginny sighed and wiped her eyes. She wondered if things would have been better if she had just married Harry and been done with it. Her mother hadn't talked to her for weeks, but Fred and George had thought it was a great joke, which only made things worse. The biggest blow was Harry getting over it so quickly. He probably thought he was making a fine escape Ginny thought bitterly to herself.
Ginny glanced at her watch and realised she'd better get to work if she wanted to get there on time. She stood up and walked over to the counter to pay her fee, rummaging through her purse for the coins.
The lady at the counter tapped her fingers impatiently, which was really beginning to grate on Ginny's nerves.
”I know I have the money in here somewhere,” Ginny said, blushing slightly as her fingers scraped on material but, sadly, no sickles. Was it possible that they had fallen out into her bag?
Ginny sighed and tipped her bag upside down, causing lip gloss, papers, and pens to fly out onto the counter and onto the ground. The lady raised her eyebrow and sneered slightly at Ginny.
”You don't seem to have enough to pay,” she said snottily as Ginny held out a few sickles in her hand.
”What?” Ginny said in disbelief. “But coffee is only six sickles.”
The lady rolled her eyes and pointed at the little blackboard, which had changed since the last time Ginny had been here. It now read, “coffee - six sickles and ten knuts.”
Ginny sighed. “Look, it's just ten knuts. Can't you let me off today?”
The lady laughed. “Considering that you already drank the coffee, I'll be expecting you to be here with the money by the time we close today. No excuses.”
Ginny nodded to the lady and quickly walked out of the coffee shop. Her face contorted into a mimicking expression of the lady as Ginny muttered mockingly, “I'll be expecting you here with the money by the time we close today. No excuses.”
Ginny huffed, “Stupid woman, at least I don't look like a tortoise wearing a red turtle neck.”
She kicked at an empty bottle and screamed as a hand clamped around her mouth while something dug into her neck. It felt horribly like a wand.
”Don't move,” a voice said hoarsely by her ear. The overpowering smell of stale alcohol drifted to her nose, and she had the sudden desire to cough.
Ginny tried to say something, but all that came out was “mumblewumble.”
People were staring at them curiously, and Ginny wondered why they weren't doing anything to help her.
”Hey you!” the man yelled in a strangely familiar voice, “Make yourself useful, and call the Aurors!”
The person the man was yelling at jumped and quickly sent up red sparks. Almost instantly ten Aurors appeared with their wands ready, including Harry Potter.
Ginny felt the man tense behind her, but her brain was still too fogged by fear to think of any good ideas to get away.
”So nice of you to join me,” the man said loudly in almost mocking tones.
”Get away from her!” Harry yelled.
The man laughed. “I bet you thought we'd all disappeared, right, Potter? That nobody would come and spoil your precious safe little world now that the Dark Lord is dead.” He let out a harsh laugh, and Ginny could almost visualize the mocking gaze that he would be giving to Harry. “Well, guess what? Not all of us died. And I'm not going to give up till I get revenge for everything you took away from me. Starting with this girl!”
Ginny felt his grip tighten on her and gasped as the world began to dissolve around them.
As they apparated into somewhere Ginny had never been, Ginny's first thought was that this place really smelled…that was until she crashed into the ground head first because her captor had decided to let her go. Then she thought of words best left unsaid.
She sat up and stared at the man now rummaging through a box on a rickety table. He had wild blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been washed for days, and his face was hidden by a large amount of the same.
“Don't you ever shave?” Ginny said, clearly disgusted by his lack of hygiene. And really, did he even know the meaning of the word clean? His house was a mess, if you could even call it a house. There were empty firewhiskey bottles and muggle beer bottles and cans littering the floor, not to mention the pizza boxes that had moldy half-eaten pizza sitting in them.
The man looked at her in surprise. Ginny found the coldness in his gray eyes disturbing; they were like steel and strangely familiar.
”Shave?” he said in a hoarse voice and laughed. “Why should I shave? It's not like I could get a job or go places. I'm a criminal, you know.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I gathered that when you kidnapped me. But that doesn't mean I am going to be stuck with you in this smelly house. So either you clean yourself up and make this house at least habitable, or I will make sure you regret you chose me for a hostage.”
The man laughed. “I'd like to see you try.”
Ginny glared at him and was surprised when he threw a cloth at her. “Why'd you do that?” she asked angrily.
”You're bleeding,” he said bluntly and pointed at her head. “Clean yourself up.”
Ginny checked the cloth for traces of dirt. Once she had decided it was clean enough, she started to wipe the blood from her forehead. She glared up at the bear-man, as she had decided to call him, and watched as he continued to rummage through his box.
“You know, I could just leave right now.” Ginny said as she walked towards the door. “You're not even paying attention to me, are you?” Ginny said slightly frustrated.
“I doubt you could.” The man said without looking at her. “There are anti-disapparating wards all around the house. Only I can come and go as I please. The door is locked with a charm that Alohomora won't even open, so even if you did get my wand off me at some point, you won't be able to escape.”
Ginny inwardly let out a sigh of relief. She didn't want to look desperate, but being kidnapped was the most exciting that had happened to her in a long time, even if it was by a drunk lunatic.
The man continued to look through his box and Ginny found herself coming to stand next to him, as she too looked in the box.
“What are you looking for?” she asked curiously.
The man sighed and looked at her. “A book, if you must know.”
”What do you want with a book?” Ginny asked.
”What anyone else wants with a book: to read it, of course.”
”What kind of book is it?” Ginny persisted.
”A spellbook,” the man said shortly.
”What kind of spellbook?”
”None of your business,” he snapped.
”Why won't you tell me?”
”Do you always ask this many questions?” the man asked in frustration.
Ginny nodded. “Does it bother you?”
The man looked at her suspiciously, and Ginny had to try hard not to laugh.
”So, are you going to tell me your name?” Ginny asked.
He looked at her puzzled. “You don't know who I am?”
Ginny shook her head. “It's kind of hard to tell with all that hair on your face, you know?”
The man frowned. “Well, I wasn't expecting this…I wonder if Potter recognised me?”
”What is with you and Harry, and why would he recognise you?” Ginny asked curiously.
The man stared at her coolly and went back to his box to pull out a dusty photo frame. He grabbed her hands roughly and shoved the picture in her hands. “Look, and you'll see.”
Ginny frowned at him and glanced down. She gasped and almost dropped the picture as she stared into the face of Draco Malfoy. His sleek blonde hair was falling softly around his metallic eyes, and his lips were curved into a cold smile. He still had the pointed rat-like features of his Hogwarts days, but Ginny could see that this picture was taken when Malfoy was about eighteen.
”Malfoy?” she said incredulously as she looked at the unkempt man before her.
He nodded.
”What happened to you?” she said, half laughing.
Malfoy scowled and snatched the photo out of her hands. “You people winning the war is what happened to me. My inheritance, my very life was snatched away that day, thanks to Potter and his stupid friends.”
”So, you've kidnapped me to get back at him?” Ginny said slowly. She knew that Malfoy had been put in Azkaban for attempted murder when he was nineteen, but he was let out later because Pansy Parkinson's family had spoken for his innocence and paid a lot of gold to the Ministry. It still hadn't completely cleared his name though.
”Do you know how hard it is to get even the smallest job when people think you are a murderer?” Draco asked, his eyes shining with a mad gleam.
”N-no,” Ginny stuttered. She wasn't scared of him, but a very drunk and angry Draco Malfoy could be dangerous.
”I'm practically living in the streets, and it is all because of Potter!”
”What are you going to do with me?” Ginny asked hesitantly.
Malfoy's eyes unfocused slightly as he pointed his finger at her. “I'm going to-”, but he trailed off as the drink finally got to him, causing him to crash to the floor where he started to snore softly.
Ginny jumped slightly but realised that he was asleep and sighed. As she stared at his sleeping body, a wicked idea came to her. She knew he would be angry with her the next day, but hopefully once he sobered up, she might be able to get some sense into him.
With an evil smile Ginny picked up his wand and muttered a few well-chosen words.
A/N: So, slightly random, but I can promise that this story is going to be a lot of fun! Please review and tell me what you think so far!
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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.
Warning: None as of yet.
A/N: Sorry, I haven’t updated in so long.
Thanks to Angelbabie13190 for reminding me to get this finished. This chapter has not been Beta’d, so sorry for typos, etc.
Birthdays and Invitations
Ginny opened her eyes and scrunched up her face as the smell of beer and mouldy pizza assailed her nostrils. With a sigh she sat up, and looked around the dirty house. She realised she must have fallen asleep at some point on the couch because her neck was in quite a lot of pain from the awkward position she had slept in.
Walking carefully over Draco Malfoy’s body, who was still snoring softly on the floor, Ginny walked into the filthy kitchen and glanced at the dishes teetering on the bench.
“Honestly, doesn’t he ever clean?” Ginny muttered to herself as she flicked Draco’s wand to magically start the dishes cleaning themselves. She rummaged through the cupboards and sighed loudly as she realised Draco had probably not gone shopping in days, or even weeks.
Having given up with finding anything decent to eat, Ginny decided the best thing would be to clean up the house before Draco took his wand off her. As she conjured up some gloves, Ginny walked around the house to set about on her mission to de-mould the disgusting house and make it at least habitable.
She pushed open a door cautiously and curled up her nose as she took in the messy bed, the clothes littering the floor, as well as books and parchment, and by the damp musky smell of the room, she figured the windows and curtains hadn’t been opened in a long time. Steeling herself against whatever little creatures might pop out from the jungle room, Ginny started to clean every spot of dirt she could find. The curtains were opened to let a stream of sunshine in and a quick charm had the room smelling normal again. With a final wave of Draco’s wand, the bed was replaced with clean sheets, the blankets hit to remove the dust, in much the same way a person beats their mats, and soon the bed was looking brand new.
Feeling very pleased with herself, Ginny moved onto the rest of house and it wasn’t until she was just finishing the bathroom that she heard something crash in the living room, which could only be a sign that Draco had woken up. Ginny removed the gloves off her hands and walked casually into the room to find Draco Malfoy with his hands over his face, looking very sick indeed.
“I bet you’re really regretting drinking all that alcohol now.” Ginny said with a satisfied smile.
Draco glanced up at her through hazy, grey eyes, and for a minute he just stared at her like she was a ghost. Ginny could almost see the cogs in Draco’s brain trying to work through the hangover, as he attempted to figure out just why she was in his house. Suddenly a flash of comprehension shot through his eyes, and he let out a loud groan.
“This isn’t happening.” He croaked and glared at Ginny like this was all her fault.
“Don’t look at me.” Ginny said bluntly, “You’re the one who kidnapped me.”
“Believe me Weasley, I did not plan to.” Draco stated in a weary voice as he ran his hands through his hair.
“Well, you should think of that before you decide to get stone drunk and kidnap innocent females, while declaring your allegiance to You-Know-Who in front of several Aurors, including Harry Potter.” Ginny said all in one breath.
Draco’s expression of horror was almost comical but Ginny wisely refrained from laughing due to the fact that his head probably felt like bricks right now.
“I didn’t give them my name, did I?” He asked anxiously.
Ginny thought of toying with him a bit and making him think that Aurors were on their way right now, but decided that would be too cruel. Besides, he’d done nothing to hurt her, unless you counted letting her fall head first into the ground.
“I doubt anyone would have recognised you through all that hair of yours.” Ginny said slyly.
Draco felt his chin slightly and Ginny couldn’t repress the smile that came to her face as she watched his fingers brush against smooth skin. She had done quite a good job cleaning him up. He no longer looked like a bear man, and his pointy, pale face was now free for her to analyse. She had also cut his hair, which meant that his metallic grey eyes were no longer covered by masses of blond, though he still needed a shower.
“You cleaned me up?” He said disbelievingly.
Ginny nodded. “It was annoying me.” She said simply and smiled at his confused look. Never before had she seen Draco Malfoy look so uncomfortable. Though she could understand why he was. Draco had always looked immaculate and proper. He was the epitome of grace and refinement. To be displayed as an unkempt, drunken sloth was something he would hate, especially to a Weasley who he had always shown contempt to.
“I’m not normally- I mean, I don’t usually-” He sighed to himself as though realising there was no point in explaining his actions to someone who wouldn’t even care.
Ginny frowned and sat down next to him. After a few seconds of silence she looked at him. “It’s my birthday today, you know.” She said as though remembering it herself. Birthdays had long lost their excitement once she realised she would be spending them with her friends and family who constantly reminded her she was a single woman with a boring job.
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Draco asked scowling slightly as he rubbed his temples.
Ginny laughed, causing Draco to wince by the sound, “I’m merely starting a conversation. You could be a little more civil.”
Draco rolled his eyes, “You talk rather smart for someone who has been kidnapped.”
“Well, it’s hard to be scared of someone with a hangover.” Ginny said cheekily and grinned at his angry expression.
“Just because I have a hangover does not mean that I am going to be any more lenient to you.” He said nastily. “Now go make yourself useful and make me a sobering draught, or something.”
Ginny gave a derisive snort but went to the kitchen to make his sobering draught. She was getting a bit tired of his snappiness. Curing his hangover was sure to make him at least somewhat more amiable.
Once Ginny had finished, she walked back into the lounge, with the cup of sobering draught in her hands, and placed it on the table in front of the now brooding Draco Malfoy. Draco picked up the cup and sipped the foul tasting drink with a scrunched up expression, which made Ginny want to laugh. He looked just like a little boy trying to drink some medicine.
“What’s so funny?” He snapped.
Ginny shook her head as she tried to suppress giggles, “Your face.”
Draco scowled at her and stood up, “I’m going to have a shower. Don’t touch anything.” He said bluntly as he left the room.
Ginny sighed and collapsed on the couch. She wondered what Draco was going to do with her now. Being away from work, even for only a day, had made her see just how boring her life really was. She wasn’t ready to give up the adventure just yet, even if Draco was the one who had created it. She was quite curious to learn a bit more about him. She hadn’t seen him since she was eighteen and that was only a passing glance as she watched the Aurors take him off to Azkaban.
Back then he had been dressed expensively, and his white blond hair was slicked back, only adding to the look of superiority that marred his features. Ginny remembered the anger that had boiled inside her as he had walked past, his metallic eyes glancing at her scornfully. Even with the knowledge that he was going to prison, he had still managed to make her feel inferior with one look.
But where was that Malfoy now? Ginny thought to herself. He had definitely faced hardships by the looks of things, and Ginny was sure that Draco Malfoy would no sooner allow himself to get hairy and drunk, than he would marry a house-elf. Ginny could not understand what had brought this drastic change.
The bathroom door swung open and Draco walked out, his robes slightly askew, his white blond hair clinging to his pale face from the damp. With a graceful motion, the robes were set to right and Draco moved the strands of blond from his eyes.
“That was quick.” Ginny remarked.
Draco ignored her and walked into the lounge. “I believe you have my wand.” He said sharply.
Ginny nodded and handed out his wand. “I cleaned up your flat for you.” She said bluntly.
Draco gave her an unreadable expression and took the wand from her, their hands slightly brushing against each other. He sat down, placing his wand in his robe.
“So, what now?” Ginny enquired.
Draco sighed, “To be honest, Weasley, I really don’t know what to do with you. I don’t know why I kidnapped you in the first place, so you’ll have to forgive my lack of remembering just what I had planned for you.”
Ginny tugged on a red curl and frowned, “What made you decide to get so drunk anyway?
Draco shrugged, “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“You must have drunk a lot.” Ginny commented.
Draco shrugged again. “Don’t really remember.”
Ginny laughed, “No, I can imagine you wouldn’t.”
Silence fell between them and Draco idly fiddled with a piece of loose thread on the seat. He was frowning, as though deep in thought. Finally he looked at her, an odd expression on his face.
“Did I really declare my allegiance to the Dark Lord in front of Aurors and Potter?”
Ginny could tell by his expression that he was inwardly wishing she had been lying. Slowly Ginny shook her head; there was no point in trying to hide it.
Draco sighed again, running his hands through his platinum blond hair. “Then there’s nothing for it.” He said in a resigned voice.
“Nothing for what?” Ginny asked slightly confused.
“Well, so far Weasley,” Draco said harshly, his steel-like eyes turning to her.” I have been allowed to do what I like because my name was cleared, but I doubt that I will be able to now; eventually they will find out it was me who kidnapped you, so there is nothing left but to let you go back to wherever you came from and hope that it isn’t traced back to me.”
“You’re letting me go back?” Ginny exclaimed before she could stop herself. Draco glanced at her with another odd expression, clearly showing his surprise at her sudden outburst. Ginny blushed slightly and fidgeted with her hair again.
“You want to stay here?” Draco asked incredulously.
“N-no,” Ginny said a little too forcefully. It wasn’t that she exactly wanted to stay here and be kidnapped, but she was reluctant to go back to her monotonous life. She looked at Draco, seeing his eyebrows drawn together in a frown as he watched her. He was an enigma to her, but he was also the most exciting thing that had happened in her life for a long time. She wasn’t about to let this adventure slip through her fingers so easily.
“Why don’t you come back with me?” Ginny asked, her eyes lowering slightly. She felt nervous asking him this; after all, he had as good as sworn his allegiance to You-Know-Who, but somehow she suspected that he was not so enamoured with the dark side as he had led them to believe.
“What?” Draco said, shock clearly laced through his voice. Ginny fidgeted even more. Maybe she would regret this later, but right now she wanted to know more about Draco and why he had allowed his life to become so worthless. It may have been because she had seen the desperation for release behind his cold eyes when he was drunk, or perhaps it was simply because she was bored; either way, Ginny knew she wanted to help him.
“Don’t you think it is about time you came out of hiding and face the world again? Maybe I can help you; I mean, I’m probably the only one who can now, since you kidnapped me and all. I’m pretty sure that my word will have more impact on the Wizarding World than what Parkinson’s ever did.”
Draco could only stare at her, his mouth going oddly slack. The expression looked very strange on him indeed, for Ginny was so used to his disinterested, cold expressions that seeing him in pure shock was just as surprising to her as well.
“You don’t want to have your life back?” Ginny asked disbelievingly. Draco quickly closed his mouth, a hard expression coming to his face.
“You don’t honestly expect me to accept your help, do you?
Ginny harrumphed and scrunched her face up in brief annoyance. “You know, you could at least try to be polite to me. After all, I am willing to help you after you just kidnapped me, practically cracked my head open, and forced me to stay in this disgusting house that smells like mould.”
Draco’s lips twitched slightly, and Ginny wondered if he was laughing at her, but then the expression faded and he looked at her seriously through his grey eyes.
“Alright, let’s say I take your offer. How are you possibly going to explain to Potter and those Aurors that I’m harmless after all that I did?”
Ginny frowned to herself. Truth be told, she had not really considered what she was going to do, only that she wanted to help him and learn more about him. She would have to give some explanation as to why he had kidnapped her and declared to a whole street of wizards that he was a Death Eater and wanted revenge.
“Well, no one really knows it was you, so how about I say that you rescued me from the person who had kidnapped me.”
Draco gave her a dumb expression; Ginny could practically hear him mentally sighing.
“You don’t think that will work?” She asked hesitantly.
Draco shook his head, letting out a loud groan as he leaned back against the couch. “No Weasley, I don’t think that will work. Anyone who believes that is a complete idiot.”
“Well, it’s worth a shot. You said yourself that eventually someone will find out it was you, but if I told them that you had rescued me no one would even bother to think twice. I’m not a liar you see.”
“You say that like it is something to be proud of.” Draco said scornfully. Ginny merely laughed.
“So, are you willing to do it?”
“Do I have any choice in the matter?” Draco asked with a scowl. Ginny grinned, her brown eyes sparkling mischievously.
“Not in the slightest.”
Disclaimer: Everything you recognise belongs to JKR.
A/N: Sorry for the extremely long wait. I’m a bad author I know :(
Behold the Spinster
It was official. The world was full of idiots, or at least that was all Draco could think as he watched the fat walrus man shaking him warmly by the hand and congratulating him for saving their dear Ginny. Ginny herself seemed unable to stop the smug smile on her face, clearly feeling superior by the fact that she had been right and Draco had been wrong. It wasn’t his fault though; how was he supposed to know how stupid some people could be?
“Mr Malfoy you have done us a great service- a great service indeed. We’ll even give you a medal if you like.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Draco responded coolly, trying hard to pull his hand away from the over energetic man who was still shaking it a little too fervently. There was nothing Draco disliked more than toadeaters and over-enthusiastic people who were too cheery for their own good. This walrus man was both.
“Well if not a medal, then how about some lunch? As head of the Auror department I can get some good deals.” He winked and nudged Draco in the arm- who stared down at him as if he were a particularly disgusting bug.
Sensing that Draco was not joining in his enthusiasm, the walrus man cleared his throat and turned to Ginny, who Draco assumed the man thought would be much more receptive. “My dear, your father will be so happy to hear of this. We were all worried that the nasty Death Eater would kill you.”
‘How in Merlin’s name did such an imbecile become head of the Aurors?’
“Well as you can see I am perfectly okay, and Draco here was the one who made it possible. He saved me.” She beamed brightly to add effect, making the walrus man beam back in response.
“So I’ve heard, and what a hero he is!”
Draco tried hard not to roll his eyes and inwardly sighed. It was impossible to feel anything but contempt for someone who believed such improbable rubbish, and also for the woman now wreathed in smiles who had made up said rubbish. They were both as stupid as each other, and for what seemed the hundredth time Draco had to wonder why he had agreed to this.
Sending a glare at the vivacious redhead next to him, Draco mentally willed her to stop this meeting before he had to suffer from a brain explosion. The sheer idiocy that seemed to ooze of the fat man before him with the twitchy moustache was horrendously unbearable, and the more he stayed in his presence, the more Draco felt his body itching to jump out a window, or strangle the smiling man before him- not a very good impulse to be sure.
“Yes, well thank you Herman, but we really have to go,” Ginny said firmly, obviously taking the hint that Draco was about to get rather tetchy.
“Oh of course!” Herman beamed again at both of them, holding his arms out in a wide gesture. For one horrible moment Draco thought the man was going to hug him, but instead Herman brought his hands together in a very loud clap and rubbed his fat sausage fingers together in excited delight. “Lots to do. Lots to celebrate.” He winked again at Draco, who simply gave Ginny a look as if to say, ‘you’ve got to be joking.’
“Right, lots to celebrate,” Ginny piped in and grabbed Draco’s arm in a surprisingly strong grip for someone so short. “Let’s go then, Draco.”
She smiled sweetly at Herman and then ushered Draco out of the room, who was more than relieved to see the back of the hideously, stupid man. Dropping his arm, Ginny snatched an apple from one of the desks littering the Auror office and took a hearty bite. Still crunching the apple, she grinned happily at him, blissfully unaware of the chunk of apple stuck to her lip. Draco didn’t see fit to tell her either, gaining far more delight in her not knowing than if she did.
“That went well, don’t you think?” She mused out loud with a self-satisfied smile on her face. “And you were wrong; people did believe my version of the events.”
Draco could only roll his eyes. “That’s nothing to be proud of, Weasley. That guy was an idiot, and I told you only an idiot would believe it.”
Ginny shrugged and tossed the bitten apple into the bin, still with the bit stuck to her lip. Draco watched it wobble as she licked her lips, but it clung desperately to her face and refused to be removed.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said frankly, gesturing for him to follow her down the hallway with one freckled hand. “The fact is that he believed it, and so did everyone else who heard it. You should be grateful. You could still be stuck in that mouldy flat getting drunk and kidnapping innocent females after all.”
“I don’t know which is worse. Living in that flat or being stuck with you…”
“I resent that!” Ginny declared indignantly, placing her hands on her hips. “I’ve done nothing but try help you. You could at least pretend that you’re grateful.”
Draco watched the precarious bit of apple threaten to fall again, but once more its sticky powers astounded him by holding fast. His lips twitched in amusement, and he had to try hard not to snicker at the absurd picture she was making right now.
“Are you laughing at me?” she snapped, making the apple piece wobble all the more precariously.
Draco was saved the trouble of answering as a batty female of uncertain age popped out from one of the desks and stared at Ginny reprovingly, her very ugly and battered glasses flashing in front of beady, brown eyes that were narrowing with irritable dislike.
“Do you mind?” she said in a voice layered with disapproval, looking haughty and superior as all batty females did when able to tell off someone younger than them.
Ginny, ever the graceless and unmannered woman that she was simply raised an eyebrow. “Do you mind? I am having a conversation here.”
The woman puffed up her pouchy cheeks like a blowfish and let out a great breath that was heavily laden with shock. “Obnoxious girl, do you have no respect for your elders?”
Draco looked to Ginny to see what her reaction would be. This could be entertaining. He hoped that they ended up fighting. It was always so much more amusing to be a spectator to a fight after all, and both looked primed and ready. Draco was putting his money on Ginny, though he did think the elderly woman had some backbone to her. No doubt she’d spent many years preparing herself in becoming the battiest woman to work at the ministry. She was probably a spinster too, and everyone knew spinsters were bitter old women who had nothing better to do than to make everyone else’s lives miserable too.
“I don’t have respect for old battalacks like you, if that’s what you’re asking. Who do you think you are popping up over your desk like a jack-in-a-box to place your over-large nose in other people’s business? I don’t care if you’re old or not, you’ve got not right to nose in on us like this!”
Swivelling his head back to the woman, Draco got there just in time to see her fish-like face puff up even further, her eyes bulging grotesquely behind her ugly glasses, and her lips vanishing into her piggy cheeks. He started to fear that she might have an apoplectic fit, and wondered if it would be better to take Ginny away. As amusing as it was to see the woman look like she was about to explode, it would also be rather inconvenient to clean up the mess afterwards.
“Well I never!”
“Well I just did.”
Snickering slightly, Draco tugged at Ginny’s arm to draw her attention away from the now fuming old woman. “C’mon, leave the poor lady alone before you give her a heart attack.”
Ginny cast a dark glance at the woman, and Draco realised with triumph that the apple chunk was still stuck to her face. What a happy little apple chunk, so carefree and blessed to have found a person who was too idiotic to realise there was food stuck to her face so that its lifespan could continue so cheerfully. It really was quite lucky, having missed being crunched to pieces by sharp teeth, and now had survived the battle of the spinsters.
“She’s not worth it anyway, the miserable old bat,” Ginny muttered and stalked off towards the elevator, Draco trundling much more placidly behind. He had discovered that being around Ginny was rather amusing- of course all of it was at her expense, though she wasn’t to know that. Perhaps letting her help him would not be so bad after all? At least he’d never get bored…
Folding her arms huffily, Ginny tapped her foot and impatiently waited for Draco to enter the elevator. Once the silver doors slid shut, Draco had the sudden impression he’d been locked in with a wild animal. He glanced at Ginny and half expected horns to sprout from her head. The woman’s temper was obviously as fiery as her hair.
“You know, you should really try to not let everything get to you so easily.” He said evenly. Ginny’s brown eyes flashed angrily at him, and Draco thought it prudent to keep his mouth shut for a while. There was plenty of time to give her reason to hate him after he had figured out what it was she was actually planning to do with him. So far they’d convinced the idiots at the ministry that he was a harmless guy who had rescued her from the imaginary kidnapper, but Ginny had not seen fit to disclose any more of her ridiculous plan to help him.
“So what are we doing now?” he asked after a moment of silence, warily casting a glare up at the memos having paper battles above his head. At least they weren’t owl droppings, but their incessant flapping was just as irritating.
“Now?” Her expression changed dramatically from fuming to smiley, and Draco suddenly wondered if he was in fact stuck with a mad woman. Her emotions seemed to switch like a badly tuned muggle television, and he was just waiting for the static energy to start buzzing around her.
“Now we go to my flat and get you situated, and after that it’s tea with my family.”
“Your flat?” Surely he had not heard her correctly. Had she just said her flat, as in her home? Was she really expecting him to live with her in her weasel hovel?
“Yes, Draco, my flat. I assure you it’s quite comfortable, and you’ll have your own room…” She trailed off, seeming to realise that Draco was not getting as excited about this idea as she was. Indeed, his expression resembled more of a hopeful disbelief that she was about to shout ‘April fools’ even though it wasn’t April, and he had never supported the tradition anyway.
When she didn’t say anything more and continued to stare at him like a puppy that had just been kicked off the bed, Draco realised with resignation that she had not been kidding. She really wanted him to live with her, though he was not sure why. Then again, he supposed he was excessively handsome, and he enjoyed his own company so surely she must too.
“Weasley,” he began as nicely as he could to someone who was clearly off her rocker. “I appreciate you clearing my name and wanting to help me get a job, but living with you? It’s just not practical.”
It was absurd that was what it was! He couldn’t live with that- that thing! She’d drive him insane no matter how amusing she might be in her own idiotic way. She was as graceless as she was nosy, and the old bat had been right, she was terribly obnoxious.
“Well why not? I promise not to interfere in your personal life, and you know it’s got to be better than the smelly place you were staying in before.”
‘Not interfere? Yeah right.’
“Weasley, we barely know each other.” Draco pointed out reasonably. “Don’t you think people would find it odd we were suddenly living together?”
Ginny continued to stare at him, and Draco began to wonder if her brain was really just made of fluff. Surely she must realise that this just wouldn’t work? If they didn’t end up killing each other, he knew they’d end up killing themselves, not to mention the big fuss her family and friends were bound to kick up when they found out.
“I don’t see what it has to do with anyone. You can’t go back to that flat, and you don’t have the money to go anywhere else. The only safe option is to live with me, and since I’ve taken it upon myself to take care of you, it’s perfectly logical.” She situated a hand on her well-formed hip, and raised an eyebrow as if daring him to question her thoughts. Somehow Draco found himself quite at a loss for reply when meeting those bossy brown eyes, and simply nodded his head.
Ginny beamed, reminding Draco of one of those cheesy presenters that could summon an eye twitching smile in mere seconds, which seemed to envelope her whole face to become a blinding mass of shiny teeth.
“I just know we’re going to get along perfectly,” she confided artlessly, leading him out of the elevator towards the disapparation point.
“Oh yeah, just perfectly,” Draco muttered sarcastically, privately wondering what he had condemned himself to.
OOO
The weasel hovel turned out to be much nicer than he had expected. Sure there were the odd photos of other Weasels that he would rather not have to look at, and sure the knitted coverings on the back of her squishy couches and armchairs reminded him of something he would find in his spinster Aunt’s living room, but all in and all it was quite cosy. There was something he really did not like though, and that was the very pampered and fat white cat snuggled up on a multi-coloured woollen blanket that Draco knew Ginny had knitted herself, its green eyes watching Draco with human-like sharpness as it flexed its decidedly sharp claws. He’d never felt so scrutinised before in his life.
“Well this is it,” Ginny said brightly, plonking some grocery shopping they had just bought on the floor. “Do you like it?”
Draco tore his eyes away from the snobbish cat and met her gaze, all ready to share his sentiments on what he thought of her taste of décor, but seeing the somewhat hopeful gleam in her eyes made the words die on his lips. She was making it very difficult for him to be his usual biting self, though he couldn’t really place why. Perhaps it was because those big, soulful brown eyes were staring at him so expectantly, just like a naive puppy expecting to be congratulated for bringing a ripped shoe to its owner, or maybe it was because that cat was staring at him in a way that reminded him horribly of his own mother- either way Draco ended up forcing a tight-lipped smile at his hostess.
“It’s nice, he managed to say finally, earning an approving smile from the lazy cat. This woman and her cat were going to be the end of him he was sure. Soon he’d be joining them on frosty nights to knit elf hats like that ridiculous Hermione Granger used to do. Perhaps that was where Ginny had taken the habit to knit from- the two had been friends at school after all.
“I’ll just put these away. You can have a look around and get yourself settled. My parents will be expecting us at 6pm.”
“Do I really have to meet your family too?” Draco asked in a long-suffering voice, as he examined a television remote that had its own knitted, tartan cover. She must really get bored to find the time to knit so many useless, and to be frank, quite hideous objects.
“Yes you do!”
Draco said nothing, his attention wandering to the closed doors leading off to what he supposed were other rooms of the small flat. He opened the door closest to him, which turned out to be a closet. Boxes were piled up precariously on the other, and old spell books could be seen half falling apart on the bottom. Closing the door again, Draco made his way to the next door that was soon revealed to be a bathroom on opening. There was nothing extravagant about it, but he couldn’t help but give a delighted smile at seeing a nice bath that looked very tempting. That was certainly a step up from the grotty shower that had graced his own decrepit flat, and he made a promise to himself to soak in that bath before the night was out.
Leaving the bathroom, he then found the toilet, which was just an ordinary toilet, though he did note with some amusement yet another woollen cover that was sitting on the toilet seat. The house was beginning to remind him of a rather fascinating tea cosy.
Closing that door, Draco came back into the main part of the flat, which was the living room and kitchen combined, and could hear Ginny still bustling about as she put shopping away. She was humming something to herself that sounded suspiciously like a muggle song he had heard a few times while in muggle London, and when she started singing ‘I’m bringing sexy back’, he knew it was the same song. The real singer had a horribly feminine voice, and Draco had not believed it was a man called Justin Timberlake when his friends had told him so. It was just impossible!
Ginny continued to sing, and finding himself somewhat curious, Draco took a peep into the kitchen and smiled in amusement as he caught a glimpse of Ginny wiggling her bum in a rather odd dance as she balanced an assortment of fruit in her arms. Deciding she was much happier dancing her odd dance and singing her odd song than for him to interrupt her, Draco made his way to the last two unexplored doors. The cat on the seat glared at him as he reached for the door handle, but Draco ignored the accusing glare and opened the door anyway, getting a brief glimpse of a very yellow room before the door was slammed hard on his vision.
“Don’t go in there! That’s my room!” Ginny exploded, standing very angrily before him with her arm on the door to protect its sacred hallows.
Now he was dead curious to find out why he could not go in there. Was she possibly hiding some sordid secrets in her sunflower room? Or was she simply one of these odd females that had to be secretive in order to hide the very boring lives they actually lived so as to make themselves seem somehow more interesting? Judging by her fascination with knitted coverings Draco judged the latter to be more correct and took a step away from the door.
“Sorry.”
“So you should be. I never told you to go in there, geez. Some people,” she muttered more to herself in a huffy voice. “You invite them into your home and then they just run amok and start snooping into everything…”
She continued on in this fashion as she went back into the kitchen, and Draco decided it would be wise to make a hasty retreat to the last unexplored door which he guessed must be his bedroom. He was pleased to find there were no knitted things in here. In fact, the room was completely bare except for a bed and a simple dresser. He doubted anyone had ever ventured to live in the room, and hearing his soon-to-be-flatmate start singing rather cringe-worthily again, he understood why.
Sighing, Draco collapsed on the bed and stared up at the roof. When he’d gotten drunk yesterday he’d never thought he’d end up kidnapping the only female Weasley and then somehow being conned into coming to live with her. He really had to give credit to her for managing to manipulate him into doing what she wanted, but that didn’t also stop the wonderment of just why he was letting himself be manipulated like this in the first place. Maybe he’d really just been waiting for something like this to happen, and so had decided to just go along with it? It wasn’t like his life had been terribly exciting or filled with grand hopes for the future. He was just a drunk living in a shack that stunk of mould.
“I suppose it could be worse,” Draco mused to himself.
Ginny walked into the room and threw some clothes at him. “Get dressed into those. You’re not going to my parents’ home looking like a ragamuffin.”
Draco eyed the clothes warily, but they seemed decent enough, if a little muggle-ish. Examining the casual jeans, he frowned as he ran his fingers over the soft material. “Remind me why I’m going to your home again?”
“Because it’s my birthday, and every year I’m expected to go over there and have dinner with them.”
“I thought you were joking with that.” He laughed slightly, but Ginny did not laugh with him.
“Why would I lie about something like that? Tell me Draco, what single woman could possibly delight in the fact that she’s just turned twenty-five?”
Draco shrugged and pulled off his robe so that he was just in his tatty looking pants. “I don’t know, Weasley, you tell me. I still don’t see why I have to go to your parents’ house though. If it’s your birthday I’ll just be in the way.”
“Are you kidding?” Ginny exclaimed suddenly, her eyes flashing with frustration. “I can’t stand going there. All my mum does is give me these pitiful looks and tell me that I should have married Harry because I’ll never find another guy like that, while Dad goes to sleep in the rocking chair and snores loudly until the night is over. My siblings take great delight in asking me to look after their pooping smelly babies, as if I should be happy to look after something that can expel disgusting matter in three different places; and their wives, who are supposedly my friends, just ask me why I haven’t had a date in years and that I should get a move on, as if I can just click my fingers and make a handsome, rich guy fall out of the sky who’s madly in love with me!”
“But I still don’t see why I have to-”
“-Oh quit your whinging!” Ginny snapped grumpily, placing her hands on her hips again. “You’re going and that’s that. If I have to suffer my family, than so do you!”
Draco decided it would be time to accept defeat. She was getting rather hysterical, and who knew what she might do to him if he kept saying no. “Fine, I’ll come, but Weasley-”
“Yes?”
“Do you mind leaving the room so I can get dressed?”
Ginny’s cheeks flushed with pink, but she left the room all the same. Draco slipped off his pants and got into the clothes Ginny had thoughtfully provided, though he did wonder where she had got them.
His thoughts trailing back to the upcoming dinner, Draco had to wonder if what Ginny said was true. He snickered to himself quietly.
“That’s a spinster in the making…”
Suddenly he heard a screech and listened intently to find out what had upset the volatile redhead now. Footsteps came thudding back and the door burst open once more, where a very irate and red-faced Ginny now stood.
“Why didn’t you tell me I had apple stuck to my face?” She demanded, looking quite mortified. “I’ve been wandering around with this stuck to me for ages!”
Draco burst out laughing as she wiped the apple from her face with a dark scowl at him, and found it very difficult to stop for a long time afterwards.
And so the adventures of the apple chunk ended, and Draco was soon nursing a new bruise on his arm as the two headed off to her family’s home for her birthday dinner.