Covert Operations

dragonsangel68

Rating: NC17
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 6
Published: 10/03/2007
Last Updated: 26/04/2007
Status: completed

Even though Ginny knows it's an abomination of everything she stands for, everything she fights for, she is unable to stay away from him. Living in fear of being discovered only adds to the excitement of their trysts, but does her inability to put a stop to the sordid affair have the potential to change so much more?

Chapters

1. Part One

2. Part Two

3. Epilogue

1. Part One

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you may recognize from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, they all belong to the revered JK Rowling; I just like to play with them a little.

COVERT OPERATIONS

PART ONE

The attacks all over London had been fierce and relentless until now. Many had died, Muggles and Wizards alike, and scores more had been injured in the war. Ginny Weasley thought she should feel lucky that she'd rarely been involved in the battles that raged. She knew her safe posts had much to do with Harry's input on the strategic positioning of personnel, and it was for that reason alone she found herself wandering through the wizarding shopping district.

All had been quiet in Diagon Alley for a few weeks, but the Order of the Phoenix didn't trust that the Death Eaters had finished with the area just yet. Instead they stepped up patrols, waiting for the followers of Voldemort to strike again. Ginny had been stationed there for a week, doing regular patrols and generally keeping an eye on all movement in the vicinity. She knew if the Order got wind of an upcoming attack she'd be moved again, but she didn't mind all that much. It wasn't a bad post, but due to the lack of activity in the area it was a little boring. The occasional shopper turned up and those needing to do business with Gringotts, but most people weren't foolish enough to chance an encounter with Death Eaters unless they absolutely had no other choice. In addition, many of the shops had closed their doors at some stage over the last three years, so there really wasn't much to come to Diagon Alley for these days. As mind numbing as it was, she could certainly think of worse posts to be stationed at given the present climate of the wizarding world.

With the end of the alley in sight and nothing of importance to see, she began to turn back to retrace her steps. Lost in her thoughts she'd not heard anyone move close to her, so when someone grabbed her from behind, the scream that mounted in her throat would have been earsplitting, if only she could have released it. The person, a man from his scent and the feel of his hand across her mouth, dragged her into one of the abandoned stores despite her vigorous fight for freedom.

"I'll release you if you promise not to make a sound," the man hissed in her ear when they'd reached the back of the store. "Death Eaters are arriving in the alley as we speak, and if they know you're here they will kill you. Do you promise not to scream?"

Ginny nodded furiously against the man's hand. With her heart hammering so loudly against her chest and her mind screaming at her to escape his grasp any way she could, it was any wonder she could actually hear him.

"Right, I'm letting you go now."

Her release was excruciatingly slow, but the relief she felt as his hands loosened their grip on her body and from across her mouth was just about cause for celebration. As soon as she was free she spun around to confront her attacker. There was no hiding her astonished expression when she recognized who had dragged her into the vacant store, and away from danger, if the sounds now coming from Diagon Alley were any indication of just how nasty things had turned outside.

He was thinner than she remembered and somewhat unkempt, but there was no disguising the white-blond hair and cold gray eyes. She should have been drawing her wand and hexing him into next century, but something deep in his eyes stayed her hand. "Malfoy?"

With a heavy sigh Draco Malfoy admitted his identity.

"Why did you—"

"Because they will kill you if they see you."

"And you won't kill me?"

"No."

"I'm just supposed to believe you, am I?"

"Didn't Potter tell you I'm useless at killing people?"

"That was years ago."

"Nothing has changed. I still can't do it." Draco didn't know what was compelling him to make such brash admissions, but he seemed powerless to stop himself.

Ginny nodded understandingly. "Neither can I," she admitted in a small voice.

"No one knows," Draco insisted strongly. "They'd kill me if they knew how many I let live."

"Your secret's safe with me." Ginny looked around the store and realized she was in Ollivander's. Since Malfoy had no intention of killing her, she thought she'd make her escape now rather than later. "How do I get out of here?"

"You can't, there's no back door, and if you go out there they'll kill you... eventually."

"What if they come in here?"

"They'll kill both of us."

"Why would they kill you?"

"For not killing you first, and for hiding while all that rubbish is going on."

Ginny's mind weighed up the situation quickly. "Oh gods, I'm going to die!"

"Will you shut up, Weasley! If they hear you, you'll die even sooner."

"I'm going to die," she whimpered, unable to remain silent.

"Yeah, well, so am I when they find us."

Curiosity pushed her fear aside momentarily. She'd always been an inquisitive girl, and the habit of having to know everything hadn't left her when she grew into a woman. He sounded so unaffected by the prospect of losing his life, so she was naturally intrigued. "Then why are you in here risking your life?"

"Because I can't do it anymore. I never wanted to do it, not really."

"So you'd rather die than continue?"

"Not particularly, but if they find me hiding while the destruction is going on, they will kill me. Insubordination isn't something the Dark Lord forgives anyone for."

"Why did you drag me in here as well? You could have just left me out there to die."

"I don't know," Draco admitted quietly. "I thought maybe you'd seen me, but then I realized you hadn't."

It still didn't make sense to Ginny. He was more the type to save his own skin and not bother with anyone else. "You still could have left me out there."

"I've seen enough, they wouldn't have killed you straight off."

"And what would they have done?"

Draco looked the young woman up and down. There was no denying she was attractive. Weasley or not, she had grown into a very beautiful woman.

Her skin began to crawl under his gaze. It was like he was looking straight through her clothes, and not just picturing her naked, but actually seeing her naked. It suddenly dawned on her what the Death Eaters would do to her if they caught her. She felt physically ill.

"Caught on now, have we, Weasley?"

"Yes," she breathed more than vocalized.

"So now you know why I removed you from the situation."

"But that doesn't explain why you, of all people, would do something like save me."

"I'm tired of it all, Weasley. I'm sick of hearing women scream, of hearing people die, and all for nothing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Do you want to defect?"

"I can't. No one can leave the service of the Dark Lord and live to tell the tale."

"People have done it, and the Order can help you—I can help you."

Draco shook his head. "It's not worth it."

"But it is."

"No, and besides, as soon as we're discovered in here they'll kill us anyway, so it's too late to do anything anyhow."

Ginny paled considerably. He was deadly serious, and not at all visibly concerned about the prospect of dying. She on the other hand wasn't quite ready to go down without a fight. "No! There has to be a way out of here."

"There isn't. I checked it before I noticed you out there."

"So you dragged me into a dead end? A trap?"

"Not a trap. I just didn't want you to be out there when they found you." He couldn't explain why, it was a mystery to him, and went against everything he supposedly believed in, but he'd acted upon his gut feeling and that was all there was to it. "There's every possibility that they won't come in here, and we'll both live."

Ginny glanced towards the dirty windows at the front of the store. People in black cloaks were moving through the street, and every so often she could hear a nasty hex being shouted, followed by a flash of light. Her simmering fear morphed into panic instantly. "Oh gods, we're going to die!"

"We might not," Draco uttered as he watched her eyes grow wide with terror.

"We will! They're going to come in here and kill you, then—then do unspeakable things to me," she shrieked.

Draco took a step toward her, but she backed away. He had to calm her down before his comrades heard her. "They may not come in."

"They will! I know they will! We're going to die!"

He watched as she continued to back up until she hit the back wall of the store. Her eyes were like that of a wild beast caught in a trap. It didn't bode well for them waiting here, undetected, until the revelry died down outside. The way she was shrieking it would take only minutes before someone heard her, if they hadn't already, and the store was stormed. Again he moved toward her, but with every step he took her caterwauling got louder. "Weasley, shut up!"

She was either beyond hearing him, or had decided to ignore him in favor of meeting her maker sooner.

There was only one thing to do: save both their lives. Without contemplating the consequences Draco crashed his mouth onto hers, and kissed her with every fiber of his being.

Her hands began pummeling his chest, and when that didn't work she tried to scream, but his tongue invaded her mouth the moment it opened. Perhaps it was something to do with the knowledge that she would more than likely die before seeing the sun again, or maybe he was just an extraordinarily good snogger, she didn't know or even want to know at that point, but she began to respond fervently. Unbidden physical reactions were taking place in her and with their situation as precarious as it were, she saw no other option but to act upon those feelings before they consumed her, or she died. Her hands tangled in his hair, tugging at the fine platinum blond strands with enough force to make him groan into her mouth.

She knew he was feeling the same, or at least his body was giving a clear indication that their union affected him. His hard cock pressed into her stomach, demanding attention as his mouth trailed down her neck, which she exposed willingly. When he tore open her bodice, she willingly offered her breasts to his mouth and reveled in the ferocious fire gathering strength between her legs. He repeatedly bit her hard, and then soothed her mottled skin with his tongue. It was as if he wanted to make her hurt and then overwhelm her with comfort.

The need to feel close to another human being was undeniable, and Ginny was beyond caring who that other person might be or whom he might support. She simply needed to feel. Her fingers began clawing at his robes, not caring that she was removing fine slivers of skin in her rush to feel his bare chest.

"Take me now," she uttered into his hair.

Draco eagerly reached down, not bothering to question her demand, and unbuckled his belt. He didn't know why he was reacting to her so zealously, and he didn't bother to pause to examine the possible reasons. The relief he felt as he released his throbbing cock from its confines pushed all rational thought from his mind entirely. There was little time to waste as he hoisted her legs up to surround his hips and pressed her hard against the wall. He tore her knickers from her body and entered her with one swift movement.

She gasped as he thrust into her hard and fast, but her practically unintelligible cries of 'don't stop' spurred him on, not that he could have stopped even if she'd started screaming 'rape'. There was no tenderness, no love in the act. It was raw emotion, bordering on hate that kept them both locked in the most intimate of embraces.

Ginny began a chant of 'oh God' that rose in crescendo with every successive stroke until the words themselves were indistinguishable from the howl of pleasure that over took her as she climaxed.

The sensation of her muscle spasms trying to milk him of his seed was too much to ignore, and mere seconds later Draco emptied himself into her with a feral growl.

When it was over and all that could be heard was their panting breaths, they slowly straightened their clothes silently. Draco spied her torn knickers on the floor at her feet and scooped them up before she could, pocketing them without a word.

Their moans and cries of ecstasy had alerted no one to their presence in the store. It seemed the deities were protecting them, or luck was simply on their side that fateful day. Whatever the reasons, the other Death Eaters hadn't heard them, and an undeniable bond had been formed between the two. No longer did their eyes glare in hatred or fear at each other. Neither could explain what had changed, nor did either of them want to explore the situation too closely.

All appeared to be calm outside, a fact that surprised neither of them. Death Eater attacks had become short violent bursts mayhem, rather than drawn out battles. It seemed they wanted to cause the maximum amount of destruction in the least amount of time possible and then leave, believing they were winning the war while the Ministry cleaned up after them.

"Do you think it's safe?" Ginny whispered.

"I'll check, just wait here until I give you the all clear." Draco walked to the door and eased it open slowly.

A quick scan of the street showed just one of his companions left in the immediate vicinity. He waved his hand behind him to let Ginny know that it wasn't yet safe for her to escape, and walked out into the street deliberately adjusting the zipper in his trousers as he went.

Theodore Nott looked over to his old friend, noting the way he was adjusting himself. "Malfoy, where have you been?"

"Found myself a little delight," Draco answered nonchalantly. "Are we all finished here?"

"Yeah, for the time being."

"Good, best we head off before the Aurors start arriving." Draco looked up the street as if expecting the Ministry officials to start appearing instantaneously. "Breaking out of Azkaban would be a pain in the arse, and I hear the food is atrocious."

Nott tossed his head in the direction of Ollivander's. "Anything left for an old mate?"

Draco smirked coldly. "You know me. I don't leave anything for anyone. Besides the whore is probably stone motherless cold by now."

"You only just did it, didn't you?"

"Her screaming was getting on my nerves, so I killed her before I finished with her the first time."

"You fucked her after she stopped breathing?"

The blond Death Eater shrugged indifferently. "Until she started to go cold."

Nott grimaced with distaste and shoved his friend in the shoulder. "You need help, Malfoy."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Ginny waited until she heard two distinct pops of Disapparation before moving to the front of the store cautiously. She wished she hadn't overheard the conversation between the two Death Eaters, because now she felt like she needed to scrub her skin raw to remove the filth she'd just lain with, but first she had to make it out of here alive. She scanned the street as best she could without leaving the relative safety of the store. When she saw no living soul on the street she left in a hurry, Disapparating the moment she stepped clear of the shop's wards.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Twelve months later

Ginny watched the others in the camp carefully, looking for an opportunity to slip away unnoticed. It wasn't long before everyone was suitably occupied, and she could make her move towards the thick forest bordering the camp. She knew she only had to make it just two feet into the thick undergrowth and she'd be well out of sight. They'd been here for what seemed like eons, yet it had been only months, but as a result she knew her way through the forest well. Intelligence had filtered through and told them they weren't far from a large camp of Death Eaters, but they had yet to discover the exact location. As such, no one was supposed to leave the safety of the campsite alone, but no one ever noticed she was missing for hours at time every couple of days.

She knew it was wrong with every fiber of her being, but no matter how much she tried to convince herself not to go to him; she found she couldn't help herself. There was something that drew her to him, something that kept her returning time and again. Perhaps it was the knowledge, the adventure, of knowingly doing something wicked that spurred her on, or the adrenalin rush she got when she was with him, always afraid they'd be caught together. Not that it truly mattered what the reasons behind her affair with the enemy were when she was helpless to put a stop to the whole sordid business.

Once clear of the camp, Ginny broke into a light jog, covering the familiar path to her forbidden lover as fast as she could. The clearing where they often met, where they had sex, for that was what it was, she didn't love him or so she tried to tell herself, was empty when she arrived. No matter, she would wait. Sometimes he arrived before her, and sometimes she had to wait hours for him to appear. She made herself comfortable on the edge of the clearing, in the shadows of the surrounding bushes. Her mind began to wander to how this had come about, as it always did at times when she had the opportunity to reflect on what she was doing.

How did she, Ginevra Molly Weasley, come to be having a sordid affair with a Death Eater? It was as much of a mystery to her as it would be to anyone who tried to reason it out. She was a respected and trusted member of the Order of the Phoenix, fighting a war on the side of good. Over the months, she'd come up with all sorts of bogus reasons why she was in this situation, but she knew they were simply poor excuses for her behavior. Perhaps another examination of how it all began would help her find the tie that bound her to this despicable villain.

She'd only been in the camp for a day when she'd stumbled upon him, hiding in the underbrush just off of a trail. As he'd ultimately saved her life that day in Diagon Alley a few months previous, she couldn't bring herself to turn him in, so she let him go free, but not before he'd paid for her kindness. The sex was hard and fast, and entirely satisfying. When she left, she thought it was the last she'd see of him, but it seems he had different plans. A few days later he was there again, waiting for her in the thick underbrush. Again they'd copulated, and then returned to their respective sides of the war.

Since then they'd met a few times a week. Sometimes he'd send a discreet message to her, setting up a meeting in the more secluded areas of the forest. On other occasions, he'd be waiting for her just off one of the trails she regularly patrolled and he'd drag her into the dark undergrowth, away from prying eyes.

They didn't speak much, conversation was hardly important when physical indulgence was to be had. Neither had turned spy for the other side, and the war they were fighting on opposing sides was never discussed. It was almost as if the war didn't exist when they were together. They'd simply fuck each other and go on their merry, fully sated, way.

Ginny knew he had to be camped nearby, but she never asked exactly where. She had no idea if he knew where the camp for the Order of the Phoenix was located, or if he even cared to know. It just wasn't of any importance when they were together.

"Been waiting long?"

She jumped a little at the disturbance. "Not really. Were you followed?"

"Of course not," he responded with a hint of his boyhood arrogance.

"Good." Her gaze turned from placidly happy to smoldering temptress in the mere seconds it took for her to rise and cross the clearing to him.

He encompassed her face with his hands and delved deep into her mouth with his tongue. Her body reacted immediately in a way that only he could evoke. With her temperature rising quickly, the need to feel him inside of her grew.

They wasted no time in divesting each other of their clothing. It wasn't a delicate procedure, but rather it was fraught with unbridled voracity. Whether or not he'd been followed was irrelevant when they both knew it was dangerous to linger in one place too long. Either side could catch them together, and if it were his, they'd both be put to death.

When he picked her up, her legs snaked around his waist instinctively. The short trip to the center of the clearing where the grass was at its softest was covered in less than a second, but that was all it took for him to engulf one of her nipples in his hot mouth. It didn't seem possible that he could already be panting as he knelt to the ground with her still clinging to him, but he was and he was getting even more breathless with every touch of her body. Never before had any woman been able to stir such feelings of raw lust in him just by her mere presence.

As he lowered her to the lush green grass, his mouth ran down her body. Gooseflesh rose on her torso in direct contradiction to the fire burning deep within her. She enclosed his face in her hands, and directed him to her most sensitive areas. His tongue played havoc with her senses, and before long she was moaning with primordial longing. If she didn't feel him inside her soon, she was going to expire from deprivation. Her hands drifted up her body, caressing sensually as they went and came to rest on her breasts. Intent on helping herself reach the plateau of euphoria, Ginny massaged herself, tweaking her nipples every so often and allowing small whimpers of pleasure to escape her throat.

Draco grinned between her legs when her first moan resounded through the clearing. He liked to believe he was the only one capable of making her sound so wanton. Not that they spoke of other lovers or anything like that. It wasn't a safe topic to indulge in, especially when he'd likely hunt anyone down if he knew they were touching his paramour. Her leg brushed against his throbbing erection, causing him to shudder with pleasure, and he decided he wanted more attention from her in that area, but of course it was impossible given his position.

Her hips rocked against his mouth, encouraging him to continue, and at the same time making her approval known. She pouted slightly, and groaned in disappointment when he began to trail his mouth up her body again, nipping and licking attentively as he rose. While his actions were sending pleasant ripples of pleasure through her body, they weren't as intense as the sheer immense delight she felt when he concentrated on her more erogenous zones.

He slipped his fingers into her wet warmth and moaned himself at the feel of her body so ready to accept him. Draco lifted himself slightly off of her to watch her reaction to his ministrations. Over the last few months, he'd discovered it was one of the most erotic things he'd ever witnessed. She was a picture of unadulterated lust; her eyes glazed, her mouth slightly parted, her chest rising and falling with her jagged breaths, her own hands roaming her body wantonly seeking the euphoria she craved, her long creamy legs twitching in the grass as if begging him to part them even more. Draco was sure if he allowed himself enough time he could actually come just watching her writhe on the ground.

Ginny's hand left her own body, blindly seeking some part of his anatomy to encourage him to take her further. The guttural moan he released in her ear when her fingers wrapped around his length sent shivers of delight down her spine. She could feel him pressing himself into her hand, as though he were trying to sink into her flesh to increase the pleasure he was obviously feeling.

Draco watched her small hand pump his hard cock in rhythm with the rock of her hips. He ached to come all over her, but he resisted the urge, knowing full well it would feel a hundred times more satisfying to explode within her all encompassing heat. He ran his thumb over her hard bud of nerves and smirked as she bucked her hips sporadically into his hand. She was close if the tension in her body was anything to go by.

The feel of him in her hand only made her yearn for him more. His solid length would feel amazing gliding in and out of her, taking her to the next level of ecstasy and beyond. When his thumb flicked over her clitoris, she was driven to the very brink control. She knew if he didn't take her soon she would have take command of the situation.

"Now," Ginny whimpered lustfully.

With a growl of satisfaction Draco moved to hover above her. He was the predator and she was his prey. Her legs opened wide to accommodate him comfortably. He watched her for a few moments. Her eyes were silently demanding him to finish what he had started—to extinguish the fire that he built.

She almost sighed in relief when he moved over the top of her, but he stopped poised at her entrance. The feel of his cock just sitting there, waiting to plunge into her made her nerve endings ache. His smug expression was one she'd seen many times before. She knew he thought he was in control of their little escapades, but the truth was she allowed him to believe that and it was time to remind him of that little fact. Her legs snaked around his waist and with a quick upward thrust of her hips she had successfully engulfed his full length.

A hiss of pleasure escaped him as her burning heat swallowed him whole. He knew he was pushing his luck hesitating so close to her, and it wasn't a surprise when she forced the issue. There was something inherently attractive about a woman who wasn't afraid to take what she wanted in the bedroom, or on the forest floor, whatever the case may be. It was simply the way it was between them. Both took from the other, very rarely giving anything unless it benefited them.

The feel of him inside her was blissful; it actually took the edge off of her need for completion, but it only for a few moments. All too soon the urge to find her euphoria had Ginny rolling her hips, trying to find a suitable rhythm to satisfy her need.

Draco watched her struggle toward completion without any assistance from him for a short while. He knew she'd eventually get there and take him with her without him so much as moving a muscle. He also knew this was not the way she liked it.

"Are you going to fuck me or not?" she growled in a low voice.

He smirked at her and rolled his hips just once.

Ginny's pleasurable moan gave way to a frustrated snarl when he stilled.

"Something wrong?"

Rather than tell him what he already knew, Ginny did something she knew drove him mad. She clenched her muscles and released them, then repeated the performance a few more times; each time grabbing hold of his cock before he could withdraw from her.

"You wench," Draco ground out.

"If you don't like it why don't you stop me?" Ginny purred.

The fact of the matter was her actions drove him to the brink of self-control, not to mention somewhat lessened his staying power. He enjoyed the sensation too much, not that he'd ever admit that to her. With an almost primal growl, he drove himself through her taut muscles, withdrew and slammed into her again. Her shocked gasp morphed into barely intelligible words of encouragement as he continued. This was just the way he liked her—dirty and demanding.

"Oooh, yes! Fuck me harder!"

Draco increased his pace, and not surprisingly, she kept up with him. "Like this?"

"Oh god, yes!" Ginny paused to suck some air into her lungs. "Keep going... keep going..."

Draco continued his assault on her body as her words of encouragement continued to flow like a filthy river of curses. He was certain no one had ever heard her talk like this and that made it all the more of a turn on.

"Don't stop... don't stop... oh, fuck!"

Not willing to risk bodily harm, Draco heeded her mantra and continued to thrust at a furious pace. Before long, he could feel her beginning to pulse around him. Her screams of ecstasy were almost deafening him, but he was too busy trying to withhold his own climax to care.

As Ginny's crescendo began to wane, Draco allowed himself to relax. The moment he did he spilled his seed into her with an ineloquent grunt. She was still moving beneath him, ensuring that he was milked of every last drop.

With one last shudder, Draco collapsed on top of her. They lay together, still joined intimately, both shaking slightly from their exertions and breathing raggedly. The sounds of the nature were slowly engulfing them as their senses began to once again register their environs.

He was in no hurry to move. No hurry to return to the cold bleakness of the Death Eater camp a short distance away. She was warm and soft, and this was where he wished he could stay forever. Draco's eyes slipped closed as he nuzzled her neck.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The daily task of checking the area surrounding the base camp for anyone who didn't belong to their side of the war was boring to say the least, but entirely necessary for the safety of their camp and its occupants. It was rare that they came across anyone or anything for that matter, but it was still a matter of priority that it be monitored daily.

Harry and Ron trudged through the forest chatting about the latest Quidditch results. War may have been raging, but the Quidditch season stopped for no one and nothing.

Harry frowned suddenly and cocked his head to the side. "Shh, what was that?"

Ron shrugged. "Don't know."

The noise coming from somewhere deep in the forest was getting louder with every step they took. At the moment it still remained indistinguishable, but the fact that it sounded vaguely human spurred the two wizards into action. Without conferring, they began sprinting in the direction the racket was coming from. As was typical of both of them, they didn't bother to stop and consider what they were about to find as they burst into a clearing where the noise had reached a crescendo.

Ron stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes took in the scene before him. His mouth opened and closed many times soundlessly, and it appeared as though his brain refused to process the image he was being presented with.

Harry charged forward, bellowing at the top of his lungs. He knew Ron would snap out of his stupor in seconds and then all hell would break loose.

"Get off of her! Get off of her!"

Before the blond Death Eater could react, Harry yanked Malfoy up roughly by the shoulders and dropped him on the ground face first, a good distance from Ginny. When Draco attempted to gain his feet, Harry planted a large boot in his back and brutally pushed him to the ground, pinning him there. He could see the tread of his boot embedding in the pale flesh between the Death Eater's shoulder blades, and he pushed just a little harder.

"Ginny, are you all right?"

Harry looked over to see his best friend awkwardly trying to cover his sister with a cloak.

"I'm fine, Ron," Ginny responded angrily, taking the cloak her brother was trying to wrap around her and covering her state of undress. "Harry, let him go."

"What?" Ron stared incredulously at his sister. "He just raped you!"

"He did nothing of the sort. Did you hear me screaming?"

"Well..." Harry flushed deep crimson. "Yes, that's how we knew you were here."

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ron and Harry may have been fearless warriors, but they were seriously lacking in the intelligence department. "What you heard were screams of pleasure," Ginny said patiently.

"Pleasure?" Ron seemed to be having trouble comprehending what she was saying. "Pleasure? You've got to be kidding! You can't tell me you actually enjoyed that—that—"

"Yes, Ronald, I enjoyed it, and it wasn't the first time." Ginny wasn't certain what reaction her rash confession was going to get, but she couldn't find it in herself to care much. At the moment, her brother looked as though he was caught between having an almighty conniption and simply passing out. Harry, on the other hand, was pale and staring at her through his glasses with a rather sad look in his eyes. "Harry, will you get off of Malfoy? He's not going to do anything stupid."

"He already did," Harry growled in a low voice.

"Harry!"

"No, Ginny, he's a Death Eater, remember? The enemy!"

"He's not like the rest!"

"Why? Because he makes you—" Harry couldn't finish his sentence. Just the thought of the low-life beneath his boot being able to make Ginny sound like she had was enough to make his stomach churn.

"That's got nothing to do with it," Ginny insisted.

"Oh? Well why don't you tell us what makes you think he's not the filthy scum that he is?"

"He saved my life about a year ago when I was stationed in Diagon Alley," Ginny said softly.

"So he's demanding favors from you?"

"No! It's just something that—well, I don't know exactly—we just started and I—I think I love him." She cringed as her innermost thoughts burst from her mouth unintentionally.

"You love him? That's completely bonkers!" Ron bellowed. It was the first sound he'd uttered a sound since Ginny had mentioned enjoying what it was that she did with Malfoy. His mind was still trying to make sense of her words. "She must be under the Imperius, it's the only answer."

"Ron, I'm not under the Imperius or any other curse. I met Malfoy here, because I wanted to."

"A love potion! That's it," Ron announced triumphantly.

"No, Ron, I'm here of my own free will." Ginny fought to keep her voice even. She desperately wanted to scream and yell at the pair of 'heroes', but she knew it would serve no purpose, except to further confuse the issue.

"Well, it doesn't matter why or how you're here," Harry interrupted. "We've got him now, and he won't be seeing the light of day for a long time, if ever again."

"What are you talking about?"

"Azkaban," Harry stated callously.

Ginny's eyes grew wide as she realized what would happen to her lover. He'd never survive Azkaban. The thought that she probably wouldn't see him ever again had her eyes welling with tears instantly.

"What did you think we'd do with him?" Harry asked. "Let him go?"

"You can't do this to him. He really isn't like the rest. He hides when all the destruction is going on; when all the murders are taking place... he can't do it, he can't kill, Harry. Please?"

"Ginny, we're not letting him go. He'll be tried and sentenced to Azkaban. If he's lucky, he'll escape the Dementor's Kiss, but given his family history I doubt it."

"No," Ginny breathed more than vocalized. Her heart was racing a thousand times faster than it should, and her head hurt with all the thoughts trying to rush through it at once. All of a sudden the world began to swim in front of her.

"Ginny?" Ron started towards her, but was too late to catch her as she collapsed. "Bloody hell."

"You get Ginny back to camp, and I'll take care of this scum," Harry offered.

"Yeah," Ron muttered as he struggled to pick his sister up and keep the cloak covering her modesty in position.

"Right, Malfoy, put your hands on your arse," Harry ordered.

Rather than argue with the irate wizard, Draco followed the order as best he could, but it was a struggle to get his hands onto his backside with Potter pressing down on his back. As soon as his palms touched his cheeks, he felt his wrists being bound with a coarse piece of rope and Potter was making certain he'd not work his way loose, or ever feel the tips of his fingers again, given the tightness with which he pulled the length.

When he was satisfied that the Death Eater wasn't a flight risk, Harry snarled, "Get to your feet."

Draco hadn't begun to move when Harry brutally hauled him upwards, forcing him to stand on his feet. The hatred and disgust Draco saw in the other man's emerald eyes did not come as a shock. He knew he should try to defend himself, tell Potter that she had been an all too willing partner, but he knew it would make no difference to what the dark-haired wizard believed or how he treated him.

Before he left the clearing, Harry gathered the pile of discarded clothes and the wands belonging to the two lovers. With a tight hold on Malfoy's arm, he escorted him back to camp. The entire time he taunted him with what Azkaban was like and how it felt when a Dementor approached with you in its line of sight.

As they entered the campground everyone stared in horror at the Death Eater. It seemed bad news traveled fast around these parts, and Draco could hear nasty comments rolling out of everyone's mouths. He wished Potter had at least allowed him to slip into his pants before marching him through such a populated area. Some of the suggestions coming from certain parties were enough to make him tremble in fear for his very exposed manhood.

Harry stopped before what appeared to be a normal tent, and shoved Draco forcibly through the front flaps. Once inside Harry removed the rope binding the wizard's wrists with a flick of his wand.

Draco stayed on the ground rubbing his rope-burned skin ruefully.

"The tent is warded, so don't try to escape," Harry said flatly. "I'll be back later."

"Can I at least have my clothes?"

Harry paused and looked down at the blond man, before striding out of the tent.

Draco cursed every deity under the sun for not protecting him. While his mouth was still running off unchecked, a pair of trousers hit him in the head. From between the legs of the pants he could see Potter's head inside the tent.

"Don't get your dick caught when you zip up," Harry scoffed before walking away.

Draco could hear his school nemesis chuckling to himself as he walked away. He cursed again as he slipped his legs into his pants.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Author's Notes: Thank you to Rainpuddle13 for the beta. Written for dg_smutakkah by request of CaesiiOculi.

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2. Part Two

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you may recognize from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, they all belong to the revered JK Rowling; I just like to play with them a little.

COVERT OPERATIONS

PART TWO

She could hear voices, distant sounds that didn't seem to be quite real. As the grogginess lifted from her mind the scene in the forest slowly came back to her. Ron and Harry had caught them together. They had Draco. Panic gripped her suddenly and she sat up.

"Draco? Where is he?"

"Just rest, Ginny. He's where he can't hurt anybody again," Molly Weasley responded gently, stroking her daughter's hair lovingly.

"Mum, he never hurt me." Ginny paused to swallow a large lump in her throat. "He saved my life."

"That's not what Ron told us. He said—"

"Ron has it all wrong! Draco didn't hurt me, and he didn't force me. He'd never do that."

"Ginny, he's a Death Eater."

"I know, but he doesn't want to be. He hides when the killing is taking place, he doesn't follow orders. Please, Mum, tell me what they did to him?"

Molly Weasley's lips formed a harsh line on her face. She didn't know what to believe or rather she didn't want to believe her daughter.

Harry's head poked inside the tent. "Did I hear Ginny's voice?"

"Yes, she's just woken up," Molly answered evenly.

"Harry! Where is he?"

"Malfoy? He's locked up safely where he can't hurt you again."

Ginny groaned in frustration. "He never hurt me."

"Ginny, he—"

"No! Harry, he didn't. I was there by my own choice."

"Your own—"

"Yes. There are things you don't know about him. Things that could get him killed by other Death Eaters."

"Like what?"

"He still can't kill anyone, he's never been able to, and when all the fighting is going on, he's usually hiding some place, so he doesn't have to be a part of it. That's how he saved my life."

"He was hiding and he saved your life?" Harry had heard her mention something like this in the clearing, but he hadn't been overly concerned with the details at the time.

"Yes, he was hiding and he saw me on the street, so rather than leave me there at the mercy of other Death Eaters, he dragged me into a store and we hid together."

"I don't understand why?"

"Neither do I, not really, but I do know that he's not like the rest. I think he wants to change sides, but he doesn't know how and he fears for his life."

"Well, if he wants to change sides so much, he's not saying anything to help himself."

"He doesn't trust you. Let me talk to him. Maybe I can convince him to talk."

"No, you're not to go anywhere near him, Ginny. He's dangerous."

"He's not! What's he going to do to me?"

"Rape you again!"

"He didn't rape me!" Ginny had a feeling that no matter how many times she said it no one would ever believe her, and it wasn't just because it was the truth, it was because they didn't want to believe such a thing.

Harry sighed wearily and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew deep in his heart that she had no reason to lie about what had happened, and therefore she must be telling the truth, but the thought of her going to him willingly made him feel sick to the stomach. "What else do you know? Did he tell you anything that might help?"

"No, we never discussed the war."

"Are you sure he never let anything slip?"

"Positive."

"Fine, I'll go back and see if I can't convince him to tell us something again."

"Let me speak to him."

"No, we'll deal with him."

"Who?"

"Ron and I."

Ginny closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She could just imagine what her brother's idea of interrogation was and just how much Draco would be suffering about now. When she opened her eyes again Harry was gone, and she was left alone with her mother, who was looking at her like she no longer knew who she was.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny had argued with everyone for a week about allowing her to at least speak with Malfoy, but no one would listen, let alone side with her. If everyone else was to be believed, Draco Malfoy was a dangerous, murderous Death Eater, and she should not go anywhere near him, especially as he had previously targeted her. Not one person would believe, or admit to believing, that she went to him of her own accord, because that would be as good as acknowledging he wasn't really dangerous.

The tent where he was being held was heavily warded and had a guard posted outside the door. Draco couldn't put a toe over the threshold without subjecting himself to mind numbing pain, but members of the Order of the Phoenix could walk in and out as they pleased. It was something that both Harry and Ron spent an inordinate amount of time doing in an attempt to get information from him. As far as Ginny knew, Draco had yet to talk and it was looking less likely every day that he would ever spill the secrets of the Death Eaters. She knew there had been some talk of shipping him off to Azkaban if they didn't get anything useful out of him soon. It was something that didn't have to happen, if only he'd speak to them, tell them what he knew.

Ginny knew she couldn't wait any longer to act. She had to get into that tent and talk to him, convince him that the best thing for himself was to tell Harry what he needed to know. Of course, getting into the tent could prove to be a problem. Harry and Ron had made it abundantly clear that she was not to go anywhere near him, and she suspected the sentry had been told not to let her pass. Given that just walking in was out of the question, she spent much of her time over the past couple of days watching the tent and scouting around the rear of it, looking for a possible way to sneak in without being seen, but it was all for naught. The rear of the structure was well secured with a charm adhering it to the rough ground on which it was pitched. The only option open to her was to get past the guard and use the entrance. Not an easy task, but one she was not afraid to try, after some serious consideration of course.

It was after a spot of tea with her mother that Ginny found herself hiding close to the tent where Draco was being held. The perfect plan had formed in her mind while she had been nibbling on a biscuit, and pretending to listen to her mother natter on about someone she didn't care about. She didn't know why it hadn't occurred to her sooner, but it had now and that was all that mattered. After a quick detour to her twin brothers' tent to collect the supplies she required to put her plan into effect, she came directly to her hiding spot and she was now waiting for the right time to act.

The guard on Draco's tent was wandering about aimlessly. If she could time it just right, he wouldn't even see her enter the tent. She popped a Miniature Canary Cream in her mouth and chewed it slowly, but kept the gooey mess in the cavern of her mouth for the time being. It was imperative that she swallowed at precisely the right moment to allow her maximum time to get from her hiding spot into the tent. While she waited, Ginny mused over the geniuses her twin brothers were. The Miniature Canary Creams were an adaptation of their original Canary Creams. Unlike Canary Creams, Miniature Canary Creams transfigured the consumer into a canary of a comparable size to a real canary. As the guard passed the doorway again, Ginny swallowed quickly. In seconds she was a small yellow bird sitting on the ground. She took to the air and flew directly for the tent opening.

Once inside the dim tent, Ginny landed in a vacant corner and waited for the charm to wear off. She didn't want to alert anyone, even Draco, to her presence until she was able to defend herself, if it became necessary. It seemed to take forever for her body to start changing back to its normal form, but finally she could feel the familiar tingle run through her veins.

From her position in the corner she could see Draco on his bed. If it weren't for his open gray orbs, she would have thought he was asleep or dead. Before she made her presence known, she regarded him carefully. He looked broken, resigned to death in a way she'd never seen before.

"Draco," Ginny whispered, taking a step out of the corner.

He scrambled backwards, obviously startled by her sudden presence. "How did you get in here?"

"Shh, I snuck in, but I'm not supposed to be in here." She could almost see him gathering his dignity and poise, pushing away the fear he felt when he first saw her and replacing it with something cold.

Draco sneered. "Come to gloat, Weasley?"

"You know I wouldn't do that."

"Do I? From what I see you got the result you were after."

"This isn't what I wanted and you know it," Ginny responded angrily.

"Was Potter pleased when your little plan came to fruition?"

"Harry didn't know anything about you... no one did." Ginny paused for a moment to examine her lover's face. There was a hint of something she'd never seen before just below the surface of his ugly expression. "Just like you never told anyone about me."

"No, I never did," he answered coldly.

"You need to talk to them... Tell them what they want to know."

"NO!"

"You've got nothing to lose. You said yourself many times you didn't want to be a part of it anymore, so help us put a stop to it... Help us to kill Him."

"You don't know what you're asking of me."

"I know exactly what I'm asking... I'm asking you to save yourself."

"What for?"

She felt like shaking him until he rattled. Couldn't he see that she cared for him? Somehow he'd crept inside her heart, and now she didn't think she could live without him. "For me," she whispered emotionally.

"You don't really want me. We had a tawdry affair, nothing more."

"It was more... It is more." A single tear escaped from under her eyelashes. Her heart ached more than it ever had before. The thought that she was going to lose him forever if she didn't do something drastic soon thundered through her mind. "I love you."

He stared at her, as if trying to fathom what she had said. "No, you don't."

"Yes, I do with all my heart." Ginny reached forward, placing her hand on his naked chest over his heart. "I don't understand how or why or even when it happened, but it's true."

His mercurial eyes searched hers for any hint of untruth, but there was none to be detected. She was different from anyone he'd ever known, and there was something about her that was making his chest hurt in an unfamiliar way. Perhaps it was her declaration of love. It had been years since anyone had told him he was worthy of being loved. His mother was the last, but he hadn't seen her since before the war had begun in earnest. Regardless of whether he was capable of doing unspeakable things, he was still a Death Eater, and to the greater part of the world that alone equated to evil. Unable to resist touching her, he brought his hand up to her face and caressed her cheek with reverence.

Ginny allowed him to explore her face. He'd never touched her like this before — never with so much feeling or tenderness. When his head began to dip towards hers, her eyes slipped closed and her mouth parted slightly in anticipation. It had been an eternity since she'd felt his lips on hers and it wasn't until this moment that she realized just how much she'd missed his touch.

His lips brushed hers, barely making contact, before retreating, and then again for just a fraction longer. Each time their lips met it was a little bolder, a little longer and with a fraction more emotion. He was accustomed to taking what he wanted from women, including Ginny, so this slow progressive contact was entirely new to Draco, but it felt right at the moment. The need to connect with her in a way he'd never done before, to show his appreciation for everything she had come to mean to him was uppermost on his mind. What he couldn't express in words, he could certainly try to convey in actions. Her lips were softer than he remembered, but then they weren't in the throes of passion at the moment, like they usually were when they kissed. There were no words to describe how intoxicating this unhurried kiss was for him. The sensations shooting through his body with each caress of her lips were akin to fireworks streaming through his veins.

Ginny could do nothing more than surrender her body and soul to the only man responsible for making her feel alive. His lips caressed hers in a gentle teasing way. He seemed to be giving her more of him than he'd ever done before with just this one simple tender gesture. Gone was the neediness, the intent to take rather than give, of their past unions. Her hands drifted up to tangle in his platinum hair and draw him down to her. The gentle stroke of his tongue along her bottom lip politely requesting permission to deepen their union sent tingles to her extremities.

Draco began his explorations with trepidation. In the back of his mind, he constantly reminded himself to be gentle with her, for if he didn't, his hormones would see her on the narrow cot he slept on and stripped naked in seconds. He savored every touch, every sensation, fearful that he would lose it forever. This one kiss was to be embedded into his memory for the rest of his life. He hoped it would be enough to sustain him whatever happened. His tongue glided across hers, encouraging it to join him in a sensual dance as he pulled her flush against his body.

She moaned softly into his mouth. Though the need for air was becoming a problem, Ginny pushed it to the back of her mind and concentrated on the man making her body react so sensually. She never wanted this union to end. If she could feel like this until the end of time then she would die a happy woman. Of course, it was never going to last forever and she hid her disappointment well when he began to pull away from her little by little.

They parted the same way they came together—unhurriedly with sporadic contact. Draco embraced her tenderly, unwilling to give up the softness that reminded him of better times, of who he could have been, or rather of who he wished he could have been. It was that thought that spurred him to make a life changing decision.

"Get Potter... I'll talk," Draco said breathily.

Ginny nodded and allowed a small smile to tug at her lips. She knew he was risking far more than life in Azkaban by agreeing to talk, but she also knew it was the right thing to do and the only way she would ever be able to help him.

Draco watched her walk to the threshold of the tent and stick her head out. He could hear her telling the guard to fetch Potter and then responding to his question of how she got in there in a not very polite fashion. While he waited, Draco tried not to think about what he'd just agreed to do, but something deep down inside of him reassured him that no matter what happened to him personally everything would be all right.

"He's coming," Ginny said as she joined him again.

"I don't want you here when I tell him what I know."

"Why not? I'll find out anyway."

"I just don't want you here."

Ginny took a moment to examine his resolute expression. She decided it was better to hear the information second-hand than to risk him not talking at all. "Okay, I'll wait outside."

Draco nodded and reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

"Are you scared?" Ginny whispered.

"No." Draco half-smiled at her. "For the first time I'm really not afraid."

She'd never seen him smile with any warmth before, and she decided that she rather liked the way his eyes lit up just a little when he did.

"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry demanded as he entered the tent. "Ginny, what the bloody hell are you doing in here?"

"Talking to Draco and convincing him to talk to you."

Harry looked at each of them and sighed wearily. This was going to have Ron ranting, raving and promising to commit unholy murder for a month. "What is it you've go to say, Malfoy?"

"I'll wait outside," Ginny offered instantly.

Draco held her hand for long enough to kiss her soundly before allowing her to walk away from him.

Ginny knew he wouldn't say anything until she was out of earshot, but she hoped she might be able to hear what was being said through the canvas wall of the tent. She pressed her ear up to the side of the tent and listened carefully, but all she could hear was whispered mumblings then Harry incanting a Imperturbable Charm over the tent. With an annoyed huff, Ginny moved away. No one would hear what was going on in there now.

At first, she stood under a nearby tree, keeping her eyes fixed on the doorway of the tent, and then after growing restless she began to pace, her eyes not leaving the front flap of the tent for more than a second at a time. When her legs began to grow fatigued, Ginny sat under the tree, leaning against the thick trunk. Harry had been in there for hours and she was beginning to worry. How much could Draco have to tell him?

Just as the sun began to dip low in the sky, turning it from shades of rose to violet, Harry emerged from the tent. He looked exhausted to Ginny's trained eye.

"Harry?"

"He talked." Harry grinned broadly at her. "Once he started he couldn't stop himself."

"Good."

"I'm a bit worried about his mental state. I want you to stay with him for now and report any changes to me as quickly as you can."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's given up everything, so there's a chance that he'll make an attempt on his own life."

"He wouldn't."

"You never know. Anyway don't leave him alone. I'm removing the outside guard immediately, so if you have any problems just yell for someone at the doorway."

"All right," Ginny answered softly.

"I'm counting on you to keep him alive. We're going to need his testimony against others if they survive."

"I will, don't worry about it."

Harry hugged her tightly. "I'll see you later."

"Okay," Ginny muttered uncertainly. As Harry strode away, Ginny knew there was more going on than he was telling her, but she also knew Harry well enough not to push the issue. He was a terrible liar and it was awful to see him stammer through an untruthful explanation, so she kept her queries to herself for the time being.

Draco was sitting on the edge of his bed waiting for her. He looked a little lost when she entered, but when he saw that it was her standing there his face brightened considerably. "I didn't know if you were coming back."

"I'm your new guard," Ginny replied as she sat next to him. "You're apparently mentally unstable."

"Me?"

Ginny nodded. "Harry's worried you might try to kill yourself."

"Not likely," Draco scoffed.

"I know, but Harry has stationed me in here with you to make sure you don't do anything silly."

Draco placed his head in his hands. "What have I done?"

"You've saved your own life and the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of innocent people."

"I may not have saved myself," Draco muttered quietly.

"Well, that makes what you did all the more noble."

"Who'd have thought? Me, Draco Malfoy, acting noble?"

She ignored the sarcasm in his tone and smiled warmly. "Well, I knew you had it in you all along, you just had to find it in yourself to act."

"Yeah," Draco uttered.

"Are you hungry?"

"No, not really."

"All right." Ginny sighed heavily. They hadn't really been in this position before; having time to talk without fear of being discovered was something entirely new to them.

"If you're hungry you should eat," Draco said.

"I'm not hungry either. I just thought you might be."

Draco nodded.

"So are we going to sit here all night staring at our hands or are we going to do something?"

"Believe me, there's not much to do in here."

Ginny smirked at him wickedly. "Oh, I don't know about that."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"We've never done it on a bed before," Ginny said casually, testing the mattress with her hand for what little spring it had left.

"I assure you the forest floor is far more comfortable than this thing Potter calls a bed."

"Well, we can't leave the tent, so we're stuck with the bed."

"This is true."

"Well?"

Draco thought about her proposal. It wasn't that he didn't want to, because if he were sent to Azkaban he'd probably never see the light of day again, let alone feel the softness of a woman again, but he desperately wanted to do this differently—properly. "On one condition."

"And what might that be?"

"I want to make love to you," he muttered into his chest. "Not just shag or fuck or whatever it is that we usually do."

"I think I'd like that very much."

A shy half smile tugged at Draco's lips. He couldn't remember the last time he'd truly made love to a woman, and his body was already beginning to stir just at the mere thought of the opportunity. It wasn't like he loved her or anything foolish like that, but he had to admit that his actions this afternoon did show that he undeniably cared a little. He stood and offered his hand to her.

Ginny gazed up at him from under her lashes. There was a notable difference in his demeanor from a few minutes ago. While he appeared more in control, there was an attractive vulnerable presence about him as well. She smiled warmly at him and placed her hand in his, allowing him to assist her to stand. He ran his hands down her arms, leaving a trail of gooseflesh under her clothing and starting a fire in her core. His eyes bore directly into her soul, as if they were trying to share her secrets, to see what she had kept hidden from him all this time—her true feelings.

As his head lowered to capture her lips, he watched her eyelids flutter and close. He never noticed just how beautiful her eyes are before, how alluring and warm they are, but now he found himself feeling disappointed when he could no longer see them. His lips grazed hers in the barest of touches, but it was enough to send tingles through his entire being.

The disappointment she felt when he pulled away after only the briefest of kisses, if it could have even been called that, made her heart sink. Thoughts of him not being able to go through with his request plagued her mind. She searched his mercurial eyes for answers and noticed they were darkening before her to a deep shade of slate. There was something softer about them, yet at the same time they displayed certain intent. Just as a frown began to crease her forehead, she felt his fingers gently tugging at the buttons on her shirt. His eyes didn't leave hers, not even for the briefest moment while his busy hands made short work of the buttons.

Unaccustomed to undressing a woman without having to worry about being discovered, Draco took his time and relished each inch of newly exposed flesh. He rolled her blouse off her shoulders, exposing her plain cotton brassiere. Then his hands felt their way around the waistband of her skirt and slid the zipper down. He held it to her for a moment before allowing the garment to fall to her feet and expose her simple white knickers. All the oxygen in his body suddenly seemed to have disappeared, and he drew a shuddery breath. There was something more sensual about her standing before him in her modest underwear than if she were completely naked and begging him to take her.

Ginny could feel herself growing warm under his scrutiny. When he reached out to take her hand in his, she noticed he was shaking ever so slightly. The sensation of his wet lips pressed to the top of her hand sent a thrill through her body like never before. It was such a simple gesture and if she hadn't been standing before him in her underwear it could have been prudent, but she was standing in front of him in her underwear and her mind was roaming to the wicked sensations she knew he would make her feel.

He knelt before her, running his hands down her legs all the way to her feet. With a gentleness she didn't think him capable of, he lifted each of her feet and removed her shoes. Then he traveled back up her body, stopping only periodically to caress her skin lightly with his lips. Ginny could feel her knees beginning to grow weak when he paused at the top of her thighs and placed a kiss on each leg enticingly close to the fabric of her knickers before continuing upwards.

After kissing her soundly, Draco scooped her into his arms and gently laid her on the cot. Though he knew better, he thought she looked like some sort of virginal sacrifice against the worn sheet. Ever conscious of what he was doing, he swallowed hard as he removed his trousers and then gracefully positioned himself beside her.

The narrow bed creaked in protest with his added weight, and he felt as though one wrong move would see him on the dirt floor very quickly, but the feel of her soft body against his was more than enough to compensate for the fear. He began to slowly worship her body with gentle caresses and deep kisses, traveling the full length of her body, until she was trembling beneath his touch.

After a while, Ginny had trouble deciphering exactly where his hands and mouth were on her at any one time. Echoes of past caresses were confusing her mind, but she didn't have the strength or the desire to confirm where either was at the present. She didn't think he'd left an inch of her skin untouched and her entire being felt as though it were on fire.

Desperate to feel all of her without any barriers, Draco rose to his knees and worked his way carefully to the end of the bed. He hooked his fingers in her now sodden knickers and unhurriedly brought them down her legs. His tongue flicked out unconsciously and he licked his lips. The sight of her crisp red curls glistening with moisture was more than enough to stimulate his appetite.

She held her hands out and Draco assisted her to sit up; his hands went to the clasp on her bra, her mouth descended on his neck. She worked her way lower, concentrating on his chest for sometime before drifting slowly downwards. Her tongue wove through the light trail of blond hair leading from his navel to his manhood and then up his shaft to the very tip. His moan of appreciation encouraged her to take him into her mouth. His skin was so velvety soft against her tongue it felt like she was suckling on clouds of fine silk. The random noises of pleasure he kept emitting were making her blood pump faster. Just the knowledge that she could render a man defenseless with a simple flick of her tongue was empowering and very arousing.

Draco sank back against the iron bar at the base of the bed. It was digging into his back, but it didn't matter. The pure delectation he was receiving as her tongue swirled around the head of his cock made the pain in his back seem almost non-existent. He involuntarily drew a sharp breath when her hot tongue traced a path over his balls. The urge to encourage her to continue her ministrations had him lifting his hips from the mattress a little. He was richly rewarded for the extra pain this movement caused to his body when she took one of his balls into her mouth, sucking lightly on the sensitive sack. One of his trembling hands drifted down to stroke her hair gently to persuade her to stay just where she was.

After several minutes, Draco could feel himself hovering close to the edge of ecstasy, too close for comfort considering he had a partner and he wanted to please her. Gently, so as not to startle her or do himself harm, he convinced Ginny to travel back up his body to where he could reach her. The moment her mouth came close enough he descended upon it with impassioned desire. It was as if he wanted to devour her whole. Unsatisfied with just her mouth, Draco licked and nipped his way down her neck, pausing to pay extra attention to her pulse point, a move that had her tossing her head back and moaning in a most satisfying manner, before descending on her breasts.

She could feel herself being slowly tipped backwards as his tongue flicked her nipples mercilessly. All she could do was hang on and hope that she wouldn't drift out of his reach. Until now her desire had been well under control, but she could feel herself being driven to the point of no return. The mattress seemed to come up to meet her body and she relaxed into it. As Draco drifted lower, his tongue continued to do wicked things to her nerve endings. The ache to feel him touch her where she needed him most was becoming all consuming, so when he deliberately avoided the area, in favor of nibbling his way down her legs, she mewled in frustration. Without even seeing his face, Ginny could tell he was smirking. After a few more frustrated groans from her, he finally took the hint and began his ascent. As he strove higher, he gently nudged her legs apart and dove into her warmth, sucking and nipping at her clitoris, wrenching small whimpers from her throat. His smirk had transformed into a grin judging by what she could feel between her legs.

He could feel her trembling legs tightening around his head as his tongue circled her hard nub. There was no doubt in his mind that she was very close to exploding. Right now he had two choices: he could continue and allow her to climax alone, or he could direct his attentions elsewhere in the hope of staving off her orgasm so they could enjoy the sensation together. Draco chose the latter. If possible he wanted to come with her, to feel her muscles clench his cock tightly and drain him of his essence.

Ginny emitted a frustrated growl when she felt him move away from her throbbing pussy. He never lost contact with her as he progressed up her body and her body was still screaming in pleasure, but it didn't have the same intensity as his tongue between her legs. She was so close to completion she could almost taste it, but he seemed to be deliberately denying her.

When his mouth met hers again, he felt her fingernails dig into the pale flesh of his back. His tongue dove into her mouth. If there was anything more erotic than being able to taste yourself in a woman's mouth, Draco didn't know what it was. The urge to continue feeling her body, to etch it permanently into his mind saw his hand wander down to her breasts. His long fingers kneaded the sensitive mounds relentlessly. The moan she released into his mouth when he rolled one of her hardened nipples between his fingers vibrated pleasantly all the way to his groin.

Draco lifted his head from hers to observe her for a moment. It was a habit of his, no matter whom he was with at the time. Ginny was so worked up that remaining still seemed to be impossible at this time. Little tremors were running through her body causing her to quiver ever so slightly before his eyes. The sight of her lying there so wantonly was feeding the fire burning deep within his balls. His eyes locked with hers and remained there as his hand found its way between her legs. Even though he barely touched her, the moan she appeared powerless to stop escaping could have been heard by anyone in the camp. Her back arched, silently beseeching him to give her what she needed most—pleasure.

Just the knowledge that his hand was hovering painfully close to where she ached the most was driving Ginny to distraction. She needed his touch to quell the out of control blaze burning through her entire being. As a single digit dipped into her folds, she almost burst with joy. It wasn't much, but it did take the edge off of the ache, before it started to build even more ferociously.

She was writhing next to him as his finger slipped inside of her. The moment it began to sink into her depths her hips bucked to meet it unabashedly. He could feel her hand gripping at his body randomly, trying to get purchase on his toned form. When she found his throbbing cock, her fingers wrapped themselves around it eagerly. The hiss of appreciation that escaped him surprised Draco. Her warm hand pumped his erection in time with his fingers plunging into her. It was heavenly, but he needed distraction. Without any finesse, Draco leaned forward and seized one of her nipples between his teeth. She gasped breathily, but he continued his ruthless assault on the hardened peak in an effort to stay his own desire to lose control and go rampaging to completion.

When he could take it no longer, Draco let his fingers slip from her body and trailed them up her torso to massage the flesh of her breasts again. His head rose to capture her lips in a searing kiss while he positioned himself to hover over her. At some point, her hand slipped from his member, but the ghosts of her touch remained to torment him, to keep him on the edge of euphoria. Her legs spread wider to accommodate him and he pressed up to her entrance. Though they'd been in this position many times before, there was something very different about this time. The way she held his gaze, begging silently for him to take her to another world made him want to give her everything.

His heart was hammering against his ribcage with an intensity he'd only ever felt in the heat of battle as he slid into her. He sank slowly, relishing the feel of her all encompassing heat and then stopped when he was entirely sheathed. With his breathing ragged already, Draco took a moment to gather himself. This was more than just taking the edge off of his frustration; he wanted to hear her scream his name, to have her enjoy him as much as he enjoyed her. After some moments, he felt her beginning to move beneath him, and he joined her in their journey towards completion. Their slow deliberate movements were more sensual than anything he'd ever experienced. Between kissing her deeply and gnawing on the little spot at the base of her neck, he uttered nonsensical words of encouragement and devotion. Words that came unbidden to his tongue and the like of which he'd never before used in relation to any woman.

Neither of them felt the urge to rush toward completion, in fact the longer they could stay like this the better. In this state no one else existed, no one else mattered, and there was no war separating them from each other. It was just the two of them, existing perfectly in a world that was not on the verge of exploding.

Primal need took over eventually and saw their pace increase gradually to near blinding speed. Her mumbled orders of harder and faster were becoming more frequent, and Draco was only too happy to accommodate her demands. Lost in his own pleasure, Draco didn't realize she was so close to completion until her muscles started to twitch around him, signaling the onset of her orgasm.

"Open your eyes, Ginny," he whispered huskily. "I want you to look at me as you come."

Her eyes fluttered open. They were glazed over in a way he'd not seen before. This was not the raw lust he was accustomed to viewing. It was something completely different, something he had no name for.

"I—oh god—" she uttered in a quavering voice full of emotion.

Somewhere between the virtually unintelligible cries of 'yes' from her, Draco found himself unable to stay his own climax. With a series of long thrusts, accompanied by satisfied grunts, he poured himself into her. Incapable of holding himself up any longer, he collapsed bonelessly onto her body as she continued to writhe beneath him with the last strains of her orgasm. When she finally stilled, he could feel her hands stroking his back soothingly. If she kept doing it he'd be asleep before long.

"You're shaking," Ginny whispered.

"I know."

"Are you all right?"

"Perfectly," he responded softly, placing a kiss on her forehead. He wondered why they'd never taken the time to be more attentive with one another before. What they had experienced this evening made every other sexual encounter he'd ever had pale in comparison.

Draco slid out of her and moved to lie beside her. When she draped herself over his body, he wriggled onto his back and wrapped a possessive arm around her. He placed a lingering kiss on her head. Drained and completely sated, Draco began to sense just what this woman meant to him. In the darkness, with her breathing for accompaniment, his mind began to drift to things he'd never say aloud.

The very notion that he, Draco Malfoy, could have fallen in love with the fiery witch was preposterous. He didn't love. He didn't know how to love. She had simply been a convenient and willing fuck, and that was all. The idea plagued him as her breathing evened out. He knew without looking that she'd fallen asleep. For reasons unknown to himself, and better not examined too closely for his own sanity, he placed errant kisses on her hair from time to time, and murmured words of apology into the darkness. Sleep would be a long time coming if he couldn't shift his thoughts away from the witch asleep on his chest and what might happen when the sun rose.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He knew before he entered the tent what he'd find within. After all he was the one who'd agreed to allow Ginny to stay with the prisoner while the final battle took place. The idea of Ginny being with Malfoy still irked him in ways he couldn't describe and caused him pain listening to Ron rant on about how he was going to kill the blond ferret, but Harry somehow knew they simply belonged together. It was that basic, whether anyone wished to accept it or not. He'd certainly tried to find reasons why it shouldn't be to back up the very definite knowledge of how wrong it was, but the truth of the matter was the air fairly well crackled when they were close to each other and that couldn't be ignored.

It was as he suspected. Malfoy and Ginny were snuggled in the narrow cot Malfoy had been using for a bed. Malfoy was lying on his back and Ginny was draped over him looking perfectly content. Their clothing was piled close to the bed on the ground. Again the notion that this was as it should be invaded his mind. Harry pushed the thought aside angrily and walked closer.

As he approached the bed his mind wandered to something Ron had told him only a few months ago when Harry had caught his best friend in a similar position. One wide, two high, Harry's memory reminded him, complete with a visual of Ron's cheeky grin. Even though he was there to wake them, Harry was quick to suppress a snigger. He hoped he'd be able to do this with delicacy, because he was certain that Ginny didn't really want anyone seeing her in this position, at least not with a known enemy.

Indecision plagued his mind as he stood over them. How to delicately wake them up without causing embarrassment to them or himself? He almost hated to disturb them, but they needed to know what had happened.

With a shaky hand Harry reached out and touched Ginny's bare shoulder lightly. She groaned a little and snuggled further into Draco's chest. Harry frowned and repeated his touch with just a fraction more pressure. She moaned again and cracked an eye open.

"Harry?"

"Gin, I have to tell you something."

She immediately lifted herself off of Draco, taking the blanket with her, and leaving him naked.

Harry averted his eyes while Ginny positioned the blanket modestly. His gaze fell to the Death Eater on the cot. The Dark Mark glared at him from Malfoy's forearm. Harry's stomach churned. Once again the thought of Ginny being with this reprobate made him feel ill, despite his realization that they had something very special.

"Harry, is everything all right?" Ginny asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Yeah, Malfoy should probably hear this as well," Harry responded distractedly.

Harry had to clear his throat pointedly to make his presence known when Draco moved to drag Ginny back onto the bed. Draco stood up and slung the bottom sheet of the cot around his waist.

"What happened?" Draco demanded, securing the sheet at his hip.

Harry smiled beneath the filth covering his face. He couldn't help but be pleased with the words about to exit his mouth. "It's over."

"Over?"

"Voldemort is dead. He was exactly where you said he'd be and wasn't able to rally any supporters in time to stave off our attack."

"What does this mean for me?" Draco asked quickly.

"Like I told you yesterday, you'll still have to stand before the Wizengamot, but I'll speak on your behalf... Tell them how your information was the sole reason I was able to bring him down."

Draco nodded, affirming his comprehension. Regret began to fill him. The choices he'd made or had been forced to accept were now going to destroy him. He would lose everything and the only person who mattered to him.

"I don't know if it'll be enough to keep you out of Azkaban, but it should go a long way to reducing any sentence you might receive."

"When will they convene?"

"I'm not sure." Harry glanced at his best friend's little sister and noticed the tears welling in her eyes. There had been countless sacrifices made by so many people. He decided if he could make a difference to just one person, put a smile on their face, then he would try. "I'll offer to keep you under personal guard until they do, otherwise you'll be sent to Azkaban to await your turn."

Draco drew a deep breath. He never thought he'd hear the next words come out of his mouth to be directed at Potter. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"What's happening now?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Everyone's celebrating," Harry replied tiredly. Now that the final announcement had been made, his weariness caught up with him suddenly. "You should go and join them."

"No, I'll stay with Draco."

Harry smiled at the pair standing before him wrapped in blankets. He wondered if they realized just how powerful what they had was. "All right. I'm going to clean up, then join the celebrations for a bit, and then I'm going to sleep for a week."

When Potter had left, Draco turned to his lover. "You don't have to stay with me. You should go and celebrate with your family."

"I don't want to celebrate just yet."

"Why? It's over, He's dead."

"It's not over until the Wizengamot have cleared you of all charges."

Draco suddenly saw everything with amazing clarity. The niggling feelings he'd had in the early hours of the morning crystallized into genuine emotions. He did love this redheaded woman in a way he'd never before loved another human being. Somewhere in the midst of all the lust filled sex, she'd crept into his heart and had taken up permanent residence. Now all he could hope was that he would get the opportunity to explore these newfound emotions fully. For the first time in years he smiled genuinely and the woman beside him returned the favor warmly.

"Do you feel like celebrating a little?" Ginny purred, tracing a finger down his bare chest.

"I think it's the least we can do," Draco responded as his head dipped to capture her mouth in a searing kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~fin~

Author's Notes: Thank you to Rainpuddle13 for the beta. Written for dg_smutakkah by request of CaesiiOculi.

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3. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you may recognize from the wonderful world of Harry Potter, they all belong to the revered JK Rowling; I just like to play with them a little.

COVERT OPERATIONS

EPILOGUE

Promises had been made so long ago. Vows to wait... to be there when he saw the light of day again. They were the only things that had kept him going the past five years... the only things that kept his nightmares at bay, most of the time anyway.

Draco rose from his cot and looked around the cell that had been his home for the past five years. Nervous didn't even begin to describe how he felt. He didn't know what he was going to find waiting for him in London after all this time. What if she'd moved on? He couldn't blame her if she had. After all, five years was a long time to wait for a convicted Death Eater that no one in her family approved of, and it wasn't as if they ever had a real relationship.

"Unless you're contemplating staying, Malfoy, I suggest you get a move on," the guard grumbled.

"No," Draco muttered, turning towards the iron door and taking his first step towards freedom.

The corridor was no better lit than his cell had been. It seemed that even the wall sconces were afraid to shine too brightly in this special realm of hell. Draco tried to ignore the threats and obscenities coming from the other cells as they passed. He had been reminded many times that there were people who wanted him dead — people who would take pleasure in his death. He had testified against many and had given the names of even more to the Wizengamot. Of course, there was also the fact that his part in the downfall of the Dark Lord had been well publicized.

A startled shrieked erupted from him when an unexpected hand reached out and dragged him up against the bars of a cell so hard it almost rattled his brain.

"You are a disgrace to the family," the inmate hissed.

"Let him go, Lestrange," the guard snarled, with no real conviction. If they killed each other it was none of his concern, in fact it would make life a whole lot more pleasant, as far as he was concerned.

She shoved him backwards, putting him off-balance, and making him fall to the hard ground like some ungainly fool. He looked up at his aunt with blank eyes. There were no words to describe how he felt about the woman behind the bars. Even now, he couldn't fathom how two sisters could be so very different. His mother had been a loving woman, who would have given her life for her family. Her sister, however, was a murderous demon who would kill you in some torturous fashion just for fun.

Draco tried to ignore the taunts coming from the insane witch as he lifted himself off the stone floor. Her words still stung, even though he'd long ago disassociated himself with anyone who he shared a blood connection.

"Get a move on, Malfoy, before I find a reason to shove you back into a cell," the guard snarled.

Once again, Draco began following the disgruntled guard. His aunt's foul taunts followed him for quite a way. He wished she'd shut up, because her voice only served to make him more apprehensive about what he might find outside these dank, stone walls. After all, he was a convicted Death Eater, and no matter what he'd done to put an end to the war, the public at large would still perceive him as a heinous creature.

The guard suddenly stopped and shoved Draco into a small room. The vestibule looked no different from any other part of the prison. It was sparsely furnished with office pieces that looked as though they'd seen their best days decades ago.

Draco waited silently while the guard perused a battered file on the desk. He knew he didn't have any personal effects to collect, other than the clothes that he walked in wearing, but there was little chance of getting those back.

"You're right to go," the guard snarled finally.

"How?" Draco croaked, his voice a little rusty after years of little use.

"Someone should be waiting for you," the guard responded disinterestedly. "Family or friends."

Draco's heart dropped to his toes. He had no family or actual friends. There was Ginny, but there was also the possibility that she might have moved on and not even care that he was being released.

"Are you leaving or not? Because I have no problem locking you up again," the guard snarled.

Draco blinked at the man a couple of times. He'd not even seen him walk to the door, where he was now waiting somewhat impatiently for Draco to move. Rather than respond, Draco simply followed the man to the large iron doors across the courtyard. They made the most god-awful noise as they slowly crept open just enough for a single human to slip through.

Draco peered through the opening, afraid of what he wouldn't find and even more so of what he might. A large hand pushed him through the door, and onto the side of freedom, before he could will his own feet to move, then the iron doors slammed closed so hard the noise made his ears hurt.

Fear had him staring straight out at the dark water between him and the mainland. He didn't want to look around and risk seeing more empty space. The icy wind blew straight through the rags covering his body and he pulled the threadbare robes around himself tighter. Never would he have imagined he'd be attired in worse clothing than what the house elves of Malfoy Manor would have ever worn, but that was years ago. So much had changed the day he'd been discovered with the only Weasley witch to be born for seven generations. Still, now that he would be in the public eye his ingrained upbringing turned his thoughts briefly to his appearance. He knew his hair had grown wildly and for the most part it was so matted with dirt the only thing he could think to do was cut it off.

"Do you often mutter to yourself, Malfoy?"

Draco jumped and spun around to face the voice that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

"Calm down. I'm here to escort you back to London." Harry Potter shook his head at the blond and pushed himself off the outer wall of the prison.

"Why?" Draco said croakily.

"You really should have exercised your vocal cords a bit more," Harry commented. "Come on, let's get you back to London and into a bath."

”How?"

"Side-Along Apparation. When we get back I'll give you your wand."

"It was snapped," Draco responded emotionlessly.

"No, it wasn't. I kept yours and offered up a replacement to be snapped, so you wouldn't have to get a new wand."

The blond wizard frowned. "Are you allowed—"

"No," Harry interjected quickly. He'd done it as a favor to Ginny at the time, because she was so distraught. "You can't tell anyone you have your original wand back."

Draco nodded.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Harry offered his arm to the ex-prisoner. "Hold on tight."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Before he knew it they were standing in the Ministry of Magic. It was a part of the building Draco didn't recognize at all, and he waited for Potter to explain.

"I just have to get something from my desk, and then we'll get you back to my place so you can clean up."

"I—umm—I'd rather go home, if it's all the same."

Harry sighed heavily and reminded himself of the promises he made to his dear friend only this morning. "If that's what you want, but we'll have to stop by my place to get your wand."

"Fine."

"Just stay close to me," Harry instructed, setting off down the corridor.

"Where are we?"

"The Ministry."

"I know that. Where exactly in the Ministry?"

Harry opened a door and ushered Draco inside a vast room. There were rows of cubicles in the room and it suddenly dawned on Draco precisely where they were—it was somewhere that he didn't feel terribly comfortable.

"Come on, Malfoy, you don't want to be staring at anyone in here, or they might take it upon themselves to arrest you again." Harry chuckled as he strode confidently across the room and began shuffling papers at a desk.

"You—you're an Auror?"

"Yeah." Harry turned back the file he was flipping through.

Draco examined the top of Potter's desk with interest. There were files stacked high on one corner, an ink spill right next to that, and a coffee mug that looked as though it might have actually begun to send roots into the wood of his desk. On the other side of the desk there were a few photographs in frames: Potter, Weasley and Granger in one, another showed a little boy with startling ginger hair, and then another showed the same little boy with another boy around the same age — Draco couldn't quite make out the other little boy, because he was hiding by the edge of the frame.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, pointing to the ginger-haired little boy.

"Ron's boy. He's my godson," Harry answered proudly.

"Weasley has a child?"

"Lots of people have children now. I've lost track of how many fourth birthday parties I've been to in the past couple of months."

"I don't follow."

"When the war ended people pretty much went at it in a very celebratory manner, and nine months later the wizarding population simply exploded."

"Oh, I see." Draco hadn't exactly celebrated the end of the war. He and Ginny had spent the days following the downfall of Voldemort in each other's company, but celebrations were far from their minds with his impending date with the Wizengamot. Even Potter had been astounded at how fast the Wizengamot convened to start processing the captured Death Eaters, and he had been one of the first to face his fate. He tried to remember just how many days he and Ginny had together before he was sent to Azkaban for what seemed like an eternity. Two days was what he decided upon eventually—it hadn't been long enough, in his opinion, but then forever wouldn't have been long enough either.

Potter's head snapped up suddenly. "Bloody buggering hell."

Snapped out of his thoughts, Draco noticed that Potter was looking past him at someone or something over his left shoulder. Five years of conditioning kept his curiosity from getting the better of him and he remained focused solely on Potter.

"You promised," Potter growled with the barest hint of a pleading tone to whomever was standing behind Draco.

There was no response from the person the Auror was trying to engage in conversation, and an odd prickling sensation began to creep up Draco's spine. It was urging him to turn around, to face the person so obviously staring at him, but his will of iron refused his legs' request to move.

A desperate whisper, full of emotion, flowed over him.

"Draco."

Now he couldn't ignore the person behind him. Whoever it was knew him. He didn't dare to hope that it was the one person who had haunted his dreams for five lonely years. It was as if he was caught in one of those dreams or nightmares or whatever they had been; he could practically see himself responding to his caller. He turned agonizingly slowly, not really wanting to now, but unable to stop his body from moving. Deep in his heart he knew exactly who was standing behind him, and the thought of facing that person, of seeing their reaction, terrified him more than anything ever had.

Though it seemed like it took an eon for him to turn, he was facing her all too soon. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her amazing hair flowed down her back in soft waves. How he had ever thought the color was ugly was quite beyond him; it was the most stunning hair color he'd ever had the pleasure of viewing. Her tear-filled cinnamon eyes were imploring him to react, to acknowledge her, but he was paralyzed under their attention.

As the first tears escaped her eyes, memories came flooding back to him in vivid detail. The first time he took her, in Ollivander's abandoned store, it had just happened so naturally that neither of them were able to stop themselves. The clandestine affair that had followed was heated and dangerous, yet neither ever tried to put an end to it. The day he was captured and their sordid affair became public knowledge; he could still see the horror-struck expression on Ron Weasley's face.

The worst of the memories to flood his mind was undeniably his trial before the Wizengamot. He tried to push the memory of the last time he saw her from his mind, because the picture of her collapsing against one of her brothers as he was sentenced wasn't something he wanted to remember. His efforts were pitiful, as he could still hear her howl of anguish echoing through his brain when the guards dragged him away.

It was then that he remembered there was something he'd vowed he would tell her if he ever got the opportunity. He knew it was important, but for the life of him he couldn't recall exactly what the words he needed to say were.

"Ginny, you promised you wouldn't come," Potter said as he moved between the two people lost in each other's gazes. "I told you he'd be in no condition to see you right away and you can see why. Azkaban is not a kind place to anyone. I didn't want you to see him like this." Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He may as well have been talking to the stone gnome in the next cubicle for all the reaction he received from his best friend's little sister. The whole family had hoped, against hope, that their feelings for each other would have waned over the years, but Harry knew this wasn't the case — he could still feel the air crackle whenever these two were in the same room as each other. It was certainly cause for concern considering Malfoy's abysmal appearance at the moment and Ginny's lack of reaction to that.

Draco held her gaze the entire time Potter was ranting at her. Even though there was a hopeful smile on her lips, tears spilled down her cheeks erratically. He suddenly remembered what he had to tell her. For five years he'd been kicking himself for not speaking up when he'd last had the opportunity. "I love you," he said hoarsely.

A loud defeated moan from Potter faded into background noise as her face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Now that the silence between them had truly been broken, it seemed, to Draco at least, that the world had been put on fast forward. One minute she was standing there smiling at him with her wet face, and the next she was pushing past Potter and launching herself into his arms.

She felt good — right — against his now emaciated frame. Warmth began to fill him and he realized that it was radiating from inside of him for the first time in many years. He breathed in her scent deeply; it was something that had faded in his memory over the years and he'd been unable to recall it, except for in his dreams, where it taunted him mercilessly. It wasn't until his shoulder became wet that Draco noticed her trickle of tears had grown into a veritable torrent.

"Shh, don't cry," he crooned subconsciously into her hair. "Don't, Ginny."

"I—I thought—I'd never—see you—again," she stammered through her tears.

"I'm out now," Draco whispered. "I'll never leave you again, I promise. Never."

She clung to him like she was afraid to let him go, oblivious to the way he must smell or how his robes looked.

Draco continued to croon soothing words into her hair until those words were replaced with soft kisses. A voice in the back of his head told him not to kiss, not yet. He was in a terrible state, and she didn't deserve to have that forced upon her. As her head tilted up to meet his, their lips were suddenly together and she tasted so sweet there was no way he could deny himself any longer.

It didn't last long, the voice in his head winning out eventually, but it was enough for now. As he drew away, she determinedly caught his gray eyes.

"I love you too," she admitted softly.

For the first time in five years Draco Malfoy smiled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The past eight and half months had passed in a blur of life-changing events. It shouldn't have surprised him that his mind had chosen today, of all days, to remind him of everything that had happened since his release from prison, but it did for some unknown reason. It was silly really, considering he had more important things to focus upon now — like the future.

Just a week after his release Draco planned the first big change in his life. After that everything else just feel into place and he'd been caught up in the whirlwind of change. Not that he minded, though there were times when he'd felt a little dizzy from all that was going on.

His proposal had been less than romantic, but oddly fitting. They had a picnic deep in the woods surrounding the manor, and after making love on a bed of the softest grass, he'd got onto one knee and requested her hand in marriage, still as naked as the day he was born. Of course, she said yes, and he slipped a magnificent diamond ring on her finger. Well, he did eventually. That part didn't exactly go to plan, because when he reached into his nearby cloak he uncharacteristically fumbled the ring, and they'd had to search through the long grass for several minutes before Ginny located it with a delighted squeal.

A few weeks after that it was decided that they should wed as soon as possible, much to the chagrin of several redheaded wizards. So, rather than have an enormous society wedding, the likes of which his mother would have planned, they opted for a low-key affair. They exchanged vows at the Ministry of Magic and then had a quiet dinner with Ginny's family. Afterwards they had returned to Malfoy Manor to begin their life together in earnest. No photographs had appeared in the society pages and only those closest to Ginny were even aware of the event.

Now he was waiting for possibly the most important moment of his life to come to a climax. He knew that everything would change now, and there was no going backwards, no changing his mind or anything else. He and Ginny would be permanently bound together in a way that was far more powerful than their marriage vows. His heart was pounding harder than it had ever. Even in the heat of battle he didn't think he'd ever been this scared, but this was a different sort of terror — this was a fear tinged with great happiness.

"Mr. Malfoy, would you like to hold your son?"

Draco's arms went out of their own volition and a small bundle was deposited gently into them.

"Mind you support his head," the Midwitch warned.

Once the child was in his arms, Draco was too terrified to breathe, let alone move. He peered through the opening at the baby's face. The sleeping infant grimaced a little in his sleep and then settled. A small tuft of downy-soft hair peeked out at the top of the blanket and a smirk tugged at Draco's lips — he was a blond. All he hoped for now was that his son had inherited his mother's warm cinnamon eyes, but only time would tell.

"Are you going to say something?"

Draco looked to his wife, his smirk still playing around his mouth. He'd been mute throughout most of the ordeal, too shocked at the process to even think straight let alone articulate, and even now didn't think he could muster the brain cells to speak coherently.

Ginny was exhausted; he could hear it in her voice, even though her bright smile belied her physical condition. A thought occurred to him as their eyes locked: she was gorgeous. It mattered not that she was pale or that her hair was plastered to head, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. There was only one thing that came to his befuddled mind, only one thing that could express how he felt right now.

"I love you."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Author's Notes:

Thank you to Rainpuddle13 for her wonderful beta skills.

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