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.
ACCIDENTAL LOVE
IN SAFE HANDS
As the weeks passed and grew into months their relationship blossomed. They went from a setup dinner date to forgetting about the revenge they'd planned together and seeing each other exclusively in no time. Word spread throughout the various social circles, and it wasn't long before invitations to certain events arrived with both their names engraved upon one.
The first invitation to arrive, addressed to both of them, was for the Zabinis' annual ball. It was an event that Draco had attended every year since before he could remember, but this was the first time he'd received an invitation that dictated who would be his partner for the evening. Rather than feel trapped or bullied into something, Draco rather liked the look of her name next to his on the engraved invitation.
When he'd shown her, Ginny had started planning her gown immediately. Draco had offered to set her up an account at one of London's best couturiers, thinking he was helping her, but was surprised to be informed that she already had an account at that particular shop. After that he stayed well out of her wardrobe.
"Ginny, we're going to be late," Draco called from her tiny sitting room.
"Isn't it fashionable to be late?" Ginny responded from the bedroom.
"It's also considered impolite." Draco tapped his foot impatiently. He detested being late for any engagement.
"Calm down," Ginny soothed as she made her entrance.
Draco turned around. His irritated expression melting the second he laid eyes on her. She was a vision of loveliness in her emerald green gown. "You look amazing," he whispered thickly.
"Thank you." Ginny smiled, noticing just how handsome he looked in his jet-black dress robes. "You don't scrub up so badly yourself."
"I'll take that as a compliment, shall I?"
"If you must," she answered playfully. "There's just one thing I have to fix."
"What might that be?" Draco asked warily. The last thing he wanted to do was wait for another hour while she fiddled with her makeup or hair or whatever it was that took women so long.
Ginny glided over to him and began fiddling with his bowtie. "It's crooked."
"Oh, thank you."
"I think you're ready to face the public now."
"Shall we?" Draco offered her his arm.
"I think we should."
Seconds later they were standing in a large vestibule within the Zabini manor. Draco took Ginny's arm and moved her to the side of the room immediately, just in case other arrivals weren't adept at sidestepping mid-Apparation. The short walk to the ballroom took them far longer than it should have as they happened upon people they knew and everyone wanted to stop for a chat.
As they were announced, Draco didn't fail to notice the looks of interest Ginny was garnering from many of the other guests. Most didn't worry him, but those coming from wizards he knew to be single were of concern. He would have to keep a close watch on his witch this evening or risk losing her to a snake who wouldn't think twice about trying to nudge him out of the way.
"Everything is so beautiful," Ginny said as she looked around in awe.
Draco knew his mother would be rolling in her grave at the thought of someone on his arm gaping in such a gauche way, but he was rather enjoying watching her. Even though he'd been into this particular ballroom countless times, it was as though he was viewing it for the first time through her eyes. The way she expressed her delight was captivating and the sparkle in her eyes made her all the more alluring.
"Malfoy, good to see you."
"Zabini, you've outdone yourself this year."
"Thank you. Who do you have here?" Blaise Zabini's eyes landed on Ginny with great interest.
"Ginevra Weasley... Blaise Zabini. You two might remember each other from Hogwarts," Draco said politely.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ginny expressed genuinely. "Your home is so beautiful."
"Thank you, Miss Weasley." Blaise kissed her hand lightly.
Draco cleared his throat when his old friend held onto Ginny's hand for longer than necessary.
Blaise leaned forward and whispered in Ginny's ear, "He's a jealous one."
Ginny giggled softly. "He's just being silly."
"Silly?" Draco challenged. "If I don't keep an eye on him, he'll be up to your elbow before you even realize, and then nibbling on your neck before you can draw your next breath."
"If he wasn't so damned adorable when he's green with jealousy, I'd be offended." Blaise winked jokingly at Ginny.
Draco slipped his arm around Ginny's waist possessively. "Shouldn't you be seeing to your other guests, Blaise? You know how your mother gets if you don't greet everyone to her satisfaction."
"Thank you so much for reminding me, dear friend," Blaise responded sarcastically. "In all seriousness, I should be moving on before she catches me actually having fun. Enjoy!"
Draco chuckled as his friend moved away from them, looking over his shoulder for any sign of his mother. "Would you like to dance?"
"I'd love to."
On their way to the dance floor Draco nodded politely at the many familiar faces he saw along the way. Some gave Ginny appraising looks and others smiled in what appeared to be genuine pleasure to see him with someone like her. They'd been dancing a few times over the months they'd been seeing each other, but had never indulged in the customary steps of the ballroom circle.
Ginny floated around the floor in his arms. There was nothing more enjoyable than dancing with someone who actually knew what they were doing. Draco was light on his feet, yet retained his lead strongly. The notion that they could dance all night wasn't far from her mind the entire time and if it weren't for her increasing need to visit the little witch's room she might have seriously entertained the thought.
"Draco, I need a break for a little while," Ginny whispered.
"Of course. I'm sorry, I didn't even think you might like to sit down." Draco led her from the dance floor without hesitation. "I'm accustomed to dancing for some hours at things like this. It was an excellent way to escape Mother and her friends, who were always trying to set me up with somebody's daughter or niece or second cousin five times removed."
"I love to dance! I just need to visit the bathroom."
"Oh-umm-do you know where it is?"
"Just point me in the right direction and I'll figure out the rest."
"Go through that doorway over there and turn right at the first opportunity. The bathrooms are just off that corridor."
"I won't be long," Ginny promised.
"While you're gone I'll see about some refreshments."
"A drink would be nice."
Draco kept a sharp eye out for the circulating waiters. He didn't want to get their drinks too soon, because everyone knew warm champagne was an invitation to a hangover of unprecedented severity, but he did want to have something on hand for her when she returned. The moment he caught sight of Ginny returning to the ballroom, Draco made a beeline for the closest waiter, relieving him of two long flutes of bubbly.
"My lady," Draco uttered comically, passing Ginny one of the glasses.
"Thank you."
"Did you find your way all right?"
"Yes." Ginny sipped her champagne. "I didn't know family homes had such bathrooms."
"What do you mean?"
"The ladies room must have ten cubicles."
"It's not unusual in houses like this. When you host balls of this magnitude you need adequate facilities," Draco explained. "My house is appointed just as well."
"You have a bathroom like that?"
"Yes, of course."
"Where is it?"
"Near the ballroom."
"Oh."
"Would you like to see it sometime?"
"Yes, I think I'd like that."
"Remind me to show you tomorrow." A very familiar face caught Draco's attention and he smiled welcomingly.
"Draco, how are you?"
"Theodore, good to see you." Draco shook hands with his former housemate. "Do you remember Ginevra Weasley?"
"I most certainly do." Nott grinned at the redheaded witch. "How lovely it is to see you again, Miss Weasley."
"And you, Theodore." Ginny smiled pleasantly, but was secretly giggling to herself. She couldn't help it; they were all so formal it seemed quite surreal.
"How is business, Theo?" Draco asked.
"I can't complain. Are you still chasing bad guys?"
"I am."
Nott roll his eyes comically and looked at Ginny. "He's bonkers you know. One of the few who don't have to work and what does he do? He gets a job that could kill him."
"I'm not entirely bonkers," Draco protested. "After all, I do have my own healer now." He slipped his arm around Ginny and gently pulled her to closer to him.
"A healer? Impressive."
"If I never have Draco as a patient again it'll be too soon." Ginny laughed softly.
"He's a bit of a pain in the arse when he's injured," Nott admitted.
"That's putting it mildly."
"You should see him when he's got a runny nose." Theo rolled his eyes dramatically.
"When you two are quite finished," Draco said with faux impatience.
"I'm finished. Are you finished, Miss Weasley?" Theo responded pompously.
"Yes, yes, I'm finished," Ginny insisted, giggling into her hand.
Draco gave his friend a pointed look. He didn't mind having a joke with his old friends, but he'd be damned if they were going to make him look bad in front of his girlfriend.
Theodore cleared his throat and managed to sober himself. "If you don't have any objections, Draco, I'd like to steal your lovely date for a dance."
"Didn't you bring your own?"
Theodore took a step closer to Draco and lowered his voice. "I did, she's drop-dead gorgeous, but she can't dance to save herself."
"You really ought to be more aware of what your date's abilities are before-"
Theodore cut Draco off with a roll of his eyes. "Miss Weasley, would you care to dance?"
"I'd love to," Ginny replied happily, passing her glass to Draco and taking Theodore's arm.
"One dance," Draco warned as they walked towards the dance floor.
He knew he could trust Theo to return Ginny to his side when they were finished, so Draco started looking around for some interesting conversation to partake of while he was waiting. Upon spying an old associate of his father heading his way, Draco decided to deftly head in the opposite direction. He'd not taken one full step when he walked into the petite frame of one of his dearest friends.
"Hello, stranger."
"Pansy, how are you?" Draco kissed her cheek and embraced her briefly.
"I'm well, not that you'd know."
"I've been busy," Draco reminded her before she could launch into a tirade about how he wasn't around anymore.
"So I've heard," Pansy muttered, looking towards the dance floor. "She's very attractive."
"It's more than that," Draco murmured, following Pansy's gaze. He watched Ginny throw her head back and laugh at something Theo said. Although he couldn't hear her laughter because of the noise in the room, he could imagine it in his head.
"Everyone is talking about you," Pansy whispered.
"Are they?"
"Mmm... They're saying you've fallen in love."
"Well, I don't know-I mean we've only been seeing each other-" Draco shook his head. "It's not possible."
"Of course it's possible." Pansy laughed at her friend's obvious discomfort.
Draco shook his head again. "No, it's not." He didn't like the way his voice wavered or the fact that he sounded so uncertain. The thought of Pansy getting even a hint of what he'd been feeling since the first week he'd been seeing Ginny terrified him. She'd have him in his dress robes and waiting at the altar before he could say Quidditch. "She's a nice woman and-"
"And you should marry her."
It took him a few minutes to compose himself as he was taking a mouthful of champagne when Pansy artfully mentioned the word he previously thought he was allergic to. After Draco subdued his coughing fit, he turned to her, taking his eyes from the dance floor for a moment. "Marry?"
"Draco, she's perfect for you from all I've heard. Throw caution to the wind and ask the woman to be your wife." Pansy grinned at him cheekily. "Then you can start breeding like rabbits."
"I'm quite happy with practicing for the time being," Draco grumbled.
"You've had enough practice over the years," Pansy assured him. "Just do it, Draco. You'll never find another woman like her."
"Enough, she's coming," Draco growled. The last thing a man wanted his girlfriend to hear was his friend encouraging him to pop the big question.
"Think about it," Pansy continued. "You don't want to lose her."
Draco frowned and looked at his friend. The thought of losing her hadn't entered his head since... well, since their first night together. He knew well enough what he had to do, but he must bide his time, for timing was everything.
"Delivered back to you safe and sound and mostly undamaged," Theodore announced as he handed Ginny's small hand to Draco. "I promise I only stepped on her toes once."
"Thank you, Theodore," Ginny expressed graciously.
"The pleasure was all mine." Theodore bowed low; mocking the etiquette he'd been raised to respect. "Malfoy, this one is definitely a keeper-she can dance."
Draco opened his mouth to respond when he felt his breast pocket grow warm. He cursed Potter for thinking of using these damnable two-way mirrors to contact each other. It was all right when it was just he and Potter, but then the rest of the department had caught on and now anyone could contact them at any time. "Damn it," he muttered reaching into his pocket. "Sorry, Ginny, I have to take this-it's Shacklebolt."
"No problem." Ginny smiled as he strode from the ballroom into one of the more private sitting rooms across the corridor. She knew well enough how the system worked and that Aurors, especially the Elite unit, were on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
"So, you've been seeing Draco for how long now?" Pansy asked.
"About two months," Ginny answered with a smile.
"Two months and he hasn't strayed. Impressive. He must really like you."
"I-umm-" Ginny stammered, not sure how to respond. She knew how she'd like to respond, but given they were dressed in their best and standing in the middle of a ballroom her first thought would probably be considered gauche.
"Good Merlin, don't look like that. It's a good thing, really. Draco's been a hardcore playboy for far too long. It's nice to see him settling down," Pansy assured her with a hint of amusement.
"I hardly think two months can be considered settling down," Ginny responded.
"When we're talking about Draco Malfoy, only having two women in one week is considered a step towards settling down." Pansy laughed.
"We're enjoying each other's company at the moment," Ginny uttered hesitantly.
"Of course you are, just don't let him take too long."
Ginny frowned. "Too long? I don't think I follow."
"He wants to marry you; he's just not ready to admit it yet."
"I don't think-"
"That's all right, darling, you don't have to think, just say yes at the appropriate moment." Pansy winked at her conspiratorially. "Hush now, here he comes."
Ginny turned, her thoughts in a confused whirl, to see Draco walking towards her with a stern expression on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked the moment he was close enough.
"I'm so sorry, Ginny, I have to go. Someone we've been tracking for over a year has just shown their face."
"That's fine, your job is important."
"I'll see you home first," Draco insisted.
"No, no I can make my own way."
"I insist."
Ginny regarded Draco for a moment. There was obviously something more going on that what he was prepared to say. "Draco, it's all right, I can make my own way home. You need to get to work."
Draco sighed and looked around hurriedly. "Look, I'll have someone escort you home."
"Draco, I-" She trailed off as he walked away from her.
He was looking for someone he could trust implicitly to take Ginny straight home. Blaise was his first choice, but given that this was his family's function Draco couldn't ask him to leave, even for a short while. Nott looked like he had his hands full with his date-Draco thought that perhaps dancing with Ginny wasn't his most intelligent move, considering he'd left the woman he'd brought with him sitting alone at a table while he indulged his desire to dance.
All of a sudden an old familiar face came into view and Draco knew instantly he'd get his girlfriend home safely without having to worry about her. "Goyle!"
"Malfoy, it's been a while. How are you?"
"Good. Look, I need you to escort my girlfriend home. I've been called into work and it's going to get nasty. I don't want her going home alone," Draco explained quickly.
"Girlfriend? So the rumors are true?"
"Yes, they're true," Draco exclaimed with irritation. "I have a girlfriend."
Goyle grinned amusedly at him. "You know you're letting down every bachelor in the world by taking one girlfriend."
"They'll get over it," Draco assured him. "Can you do that for me?"
"Of course I can. Where is she?"
"Over here." Draco motioned for the large man to follow him. "When you take her home, make sure she gets inside safely, will you?"
"All right. Is there something big going down?"
"Yeah, something like that," Draco answered evasively. "Ginny, you remember Gregory Goyle, don't you?"
Ginny's eyes opened wide with surprise. The schoolboy she'd once known had grown into a handsome man. He was still larger than life, but he'd lost that oafish quality that had followed him through his years at Hogwarts. "Yes, I remember."
"Goyle, this is Ginevra Weasley. Take good care of her for me."
"She's safe with me," Greg replied confidently.
"Right, are you two ready to go?" Draco asked expectantly.
"Now?"
"Ginny, I want you home safe before we make our presence known. If you leave now, you'll arrive home at the same time I arrive at the office. I want you to stay there until you hear from me, understand?"
"Draco, I-"
"No arguments."
"All right," she agreed tentatively. It wasn't difficult to find out what was going on, even if Draco wasn't saying much-she'd simply ask Ron.
"We'll say our goodbyes and get on our way then," Draco suggested in a tone that brokered no argument.
Ginny walked with him to find the Zabinis and thank them for a lovely evening or for as much as she got to experience anyway. She'd not seen Draco act this way before and it was cause for concern, though her own safety didn't factor into her thoughts - it was him she was most worried for.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Written for dgficexchange. Thanks to Rainpuddle13 for her fantastic beta skills.
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