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.
Author's Notes: Written for scarlettrayne2 for the Fall 2008 dgficexchange. Huge thank you to my beta, rainpuddle13 for her patience, commentary and skill.
TRUTH WILL OUT
TO HELL WITH IT
He looked to the kettle and realized that she had done nothing about making coffee, despite having enough time to at least put some water on. He'd just begun to berate her in his head when he caught himself and turned the rebuke on himself. For Ginny to not have made some effort she must have been really struggling with the situation. Guilt gnawed at his insides. It was his fault. If he'd just displayed a little willpower then Ginny wouldn't be feeling awkward. Draco continued to kick himself while he prepared a coffee tray. The moment he got in the sitting room he was going to apologize for being an arse and beg her to still be his friend - it was the only thing he could think of to make the situation right again.
When everything was ready Draco double-checked the tray and then checked it again. He needed to get out there, but finding the courage to walk through the door was proving to be more difficult than it should have. After growing angry with himself, Draco snatched the tray off the bench and stalked to the door. It was Ginny out there, and she was hurting - it was his job, as her best friend, to put things to rights and make her feel better. His feet stopped moving instantly and the contents of the tray rattled. Would the same apply if they were lovers?
"Draco? Are you all right?" Ginny called.
"Yeah, fine," Draco uttered. "I won't be long."
"Okay."
He closed his eyes and sighed. Courage was not something he possessed a lot of, unless his mother or Ginny were in danger. Somehow Draco had to find the strength to step through the door and carry on a conversation with her with some semblance of normalcy. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter either. After all, it was his idea initially. That thought got his feet moving again and before he could entertain any more horrifying notions he rushed through the door.
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Ginny jumped.
"Sorry," Draco murmured, noticing the squeak that escaped her.
"It's fine," Ginny said, dismissing his apology easily. "I was away with the fairies."
"Here, just the way you like it." Draco offered her a large steaming mug.
"I'm dying for this," Ginny muttered. "I was beginning to think you might have gone to Brazil for the beans."
"No, I-err-took a little trip with the fairies myself," Draco admitted as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch to Ginny.
Ginny smiled and nodded a little. "I guess there's a bit of that going around right now."
"We're stalling," Draco pointed out.
"I'm fine with it, if you are," Ginny replied lightheartedly.
"We need to do this, Ginny," Draco said somberly. "Otherwise, I'm going to lose my mind."
"All right," Ginny agreed quietly.
"We need to decide what we're going to do," Draco started in a businesslike fashion.
"I thought we might be together," Ginny said hesitantly. "We did admit-"
"Admitting how we feel and doing something about it are two very different things," Draco cut in.
"You don't want to-"
"Quite the opposite," Draco said quickly, cutting her off again. "Ginevra Weasley, I want very much to be with you. Like you, I was reluctant to put our friendship in jeopardy for something I didn't fully understand - I really didn't realize I was in love with you until this week, but I've been in love with you all these years. My careless proposal a little while ago wasn't made without conviction. If we decide to pursue a relationship, I fully intend on proposing properly one day."
"You do?"
"Ginny, you of all people should know that I don't love easily. Besides my mother, you are the only other woman I have ever allowed to get close to me."
"This love thing isn't just a- it's not just because we're friends, is it?" Ginny couldn't stop the pained expression on her face from showing. "You haven't confused our friendship for romantic love?"
Draco slid forward on the couch until he was mere inches away from her. "I assure you, I have not confused my feelings for you in any way. Don't forget, I was telling the truth when I said I'm in love you."
"I just needed to make sure."
"What about you?" Draco asked. "How do you feel?"
"I'm in love you," Ginny said simply.
"What do you want-"
"I want you," Ginny blurted. "I want to see if we can do this, but I'm afraid of losing you if it doesn't work out."
"If that's the case, we need to decide if it's worth the risk," Draco decided. "I think we both know that if we did enter into a relationship, and it didn't work out, it would be very messy."
"We know each other too well," Ginny whispered.
"Precisely," Draco concurred.
"I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't give us a go," Ginny said decisively. "I'd always wonder what I missed, or perhaps I'd end up settling for someone I don't feel as strongly about."
"You're positive?" Draco questioned.
"Yes, I'm positive." Ginny smiled. "I love you, and I want us to be together - to be more than friends."
"Thank Merlin," Draco breathed more than articulated. "I was afraid you were going to- Well, never mind. You want to and that's all that matters."
"You thought that I didn't want to get involved?"
Draco shrugged nonchalantly. If forced to tell the truth, he may have had to admit that the thought of her not wanting him terrified him just a little more than the prospect of entering into a real adult relationship with her. "Now that we've decided that we will be together, we need to decide how we're going to move forward."
"Do we have to?"
"I think it would be good for us to know where the other stands on certain issues."
"Can't we just let everything simply happen when it feels right?"
"We could, but it we want different things at different times, then that might create a problem."
"What exactly do you want to plan?"
"Firstly, there's telling everyone," Draco started.
"I'm not looking forward to that," Ginny groaned.
"It's not exactly going to be the highlight of my future either, but we do need to tell our families."
"Can't we just let them find out on their own?"
"Ginny, that would hardly be fair."
"Fine." Ginny sighed heavily. She could imagine Lucius' reaction now and it wasn't pretty. "When?"
"Your family is having their usual lunch tomorrow, aren't they?"
Ginny stared at him in disbelief. "You want to come to lunch?"
Draco drew in a deep breath. He desperately wanted to say no, but he had to face them at some point and he figured the sooner the better, because they'd be more likely to torture him if they hid their relationship or that was the theory anyway. "I will come to lunch tomorrow, if you're willing to have your family know about us."
"All right, but you do realize that there's only so much I can do to protect you from my brothers. They will endeavor to get you alone at some point-"
"Ginny, love, I expect nothing less." Draco's hands grasped hers gently. "I'd be disappointed if they simply let me waltz in and steal their sister's heart, without making some token protest."
"Just as long as you know."
"If I survive lunch with your family, we can have dinner with my parents on Wednesday night."
"Is your father going to be there?"
"I don't know."
"I hope not," Ginny muttered under her breath.
Draco chuckled. "I'm sure you'll manage, even if he is there."
"If I giggle at the table it's not my fault," Ginny said.
"Okay. If you start giggling, I will be the first to admonish Father for glaring at you," Draco promised.
"All right," Ginny agreed reluctantly.
"It'll be fine," Draco assured her. "Mother is going to be so excited that Father won't have a chance to be horrid."
Ginny nodded. Her excitement about finally having her feelings known was being overshadowed by thoughts of what everyone else will say about their relationship. Plus, there was the fact that Draco had pulled away from her twice now. It really wasn't a big thing, considering they'd only just worked out how they feel about each other and what they were willing to do about it, but it still irked her a little.
"Is everything all right?"
"Yes, everything is fine," Ginny lied.
"I thought you might be happier than you appear."
"I am happy." She cringed at the sound of her own voice - she sounded anything but happy. "I'm just worried."
"There's nothing to worry about," Draco crooned.
"Then why do you keep pulling away from me?" Ginny blurted, before she could engage her brain.
"I haven't," Draco refuted.
"You have, and you keep saying you want to take things slow."
"Ginny, I just don't want to do anything we might regret - something we can't find our way back from," Draco stressed. "Believe me when I say I want you - I want you bad."
"You do?"
"Merlin yes! If I've pulled away from you, it's because I can feel myself getting too worked up," Draco told her. "I don't want to mess things up with you."
"I feel the same… I mean getting worked up-" Ginny paused as her thoughts and words began to become confused.
"It's all right, I understand," Draco said sympathetically. "We just need to keep our wits about, so we don't end up-"
"In bed?" Ginny interrupted.
"Well, yes I suppose that's precisely what we need to avoid."
"Why?" Color rose in Ginny's cheeks when she realized that her innocent question had come out of her mouth as more of a demand. "I mean, we will eventually reach the point where a physical relationship will strengthen what we have."
"I'm getting the distinct feeling that you're opposed to taking things slowly," Draco observed.
"I-err-I'm not-umm-"
"Ginevra?"
Ginny sighed. There was no escaping the violent shade of red she'd turned during her stammering, and Draco knew her well enough to dismiss everything but the truth. "It's been a while, and I'm feeling more than a little eager. It's just a physical need."
Draco's hands tightened on hers just before a smirk crept across his face. "Ah… I see."
"It's not funny," Ginny claimed, trying to snatch her hands away. More than anything, she wanted not to see that trademark smirk of his right now.
"No, it's not," Draco said calmly. "It's been a while for me as well."
"Two weeks," Ginny replied pessimistically. "It's been a bit longer for me."
"Well, perhaps we can keep your mind otherwise occupied," Draco suggested.
"How?"
"Maybe a little of this." Draco leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth.
"Are you trying to drive me insane?"
"Perhaps." Draco kissed the other corner of her mouth. He knew this wasn't the solution to keeping her mind away from sex, but he really wanted to kiss her again - in fact, he never wanted to stop kissing her.
"You're just going to get me all worked up again," Ginny said, while his lips tasted the edge of her mouth.
"There's nothing to get worked up about; it's just a little harmless kissing," Draco murmured against her cheek.
As he released her hands she reached out and began to explore his chest. The toned muscle felt wonderfully firm under her fingers. She delighted when his nipples turned to small pebbles under her touch.
His hands drifted up to cup her face. "What are you doing?"
"It's just a little harmless exploration," Ginny replied.
"I can tell you now that the reaction is not harmless," Draco hissed as she tweaked one of his nipples. In his mind, he already had her lying naked across his bed.
"No?" Ginny asked innocently.
"No," Draco ground out as her fingers found his other nipple.
"Okay. I won't do that again," Ginny said agreeably. "What about this?" she asked as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his bare chest.
Draco hissed with pleasure. He wanted to tell her to stop - that it wasn't doing anything for his self-control - but he couldn't find the right words. His hands ached to find her head again, to hold her against his chest, so the pleasure would last.
With no answer from Draco, Ginny kept pressing her mouth to his chest. She casually worked her way over to his left nipple, and then let her tongue come out to play.
"Oh, Ginny," Draco moaned thickly.
His fingers tangled in her hair - his body making the decision to not fight the urge to touch her. Gooseflesh rose across his chest, sending tremors down his spine and heat into his groin. Everything about her felt right - her mouth on his skin, her breath caressing his flesh, and her hair in his hands. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted another woman - wanted to show her how he loved her, to hear her scream his name in ecstasy… The heat he'd been feeling was unexpectedly replaced with a rush of icy cold alarm. "Ginny! Stop! We can't do this!"
All of a sudden his hands were pushing on her shoulders firmly and his voice had lost the aroused tenor it held just minutes ago. Ginny looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"We can't rush into this," Draco responded, inching away from her.
Ginny released a frustrated growl. "We're not. We've known each other for years, and we've been in love-"
"I just don't want to push you into anything you might regret," Draco interrupted urgently. He desperately needed her to say no and mean it, otherwise his brain was going to stop functioning and he was going to take her right where they were.
"Isn't it up to me to decide what I might regret?"
"Yes, it is, and you need to see that we need-"
"We need to stop messing about and get on with it before I explode," Ginny finished in a sultry whisper.
"I-ah-" Draco stared up into her eyes. She'd moved when he wasn't paying attention and was now almost hovering over him. "Ginny, you don't-"
"Oh, but I do," Ginny purred. Her fingernail traced a line from the top of his chest to his blond treasure trail. "You see, this is for me more than you."
Draco snatched her hand away from his trousers. "Ginny."
"Yes," she whispered.
He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. It was so hard to concentrate when her breasts were heaving and calling attention to themselves. "We shouldn't."
"Since when have either of us done what we should?" Ginny posed with a seductive smile.
Draco dropped his head and groaned. "Men really don't stand a chance with you."
"Draco?" Ginny touched his chin lightly, drawing his head up. "I need you."
"You're trying to kill me," Draco moaned.
"Is it working?" Ginny inquired devilishly.
"I'll let you know," Draco uttered as he reached up to claim her mouth feverishly.
Her body came alive as his hands roamed without hesitation. Every touch, every caress set her skin on fire and her blood thundering through her veins. The feel of his bare chest and back under her fingers only added to her own desire. Unable to get enough of him, Ginny allowed her hands to wander even further. As her hand accidentally grazed his hardening member he moaned into her mouth. It was enough to encourage her to visit the area again, but this time with more intent. Just the knowledge of what she was feeling, and that she was responsible for it, made her hand tingle. His pleasurable moans sent shivers through her entire body. If he dared to pull away now, Ginny would be left with no choice but to not accept his decision.
He could taste the fresh coffee on her tongue; it spurred a desire to seek his caffeine fix from her rather than his own cup. His hands roamed, enjoying the way her body reacted - the gooseflesh rising over her back and the way her nipples hardened as he brushed over them. Never before had Draco paid so much attention to the effect he had on a woman's body, and it stunned him that his innocent touches were capable of so much. Powerful emotions mixed with his reaction to her hands, made logical thought impossible. If there was a way back from this point he'd have to ask someone for directions. The buttons of the shirt she was wearing slipped open with ease, and his hand found its way to the flesh beneath. His mouth ached to replace his fingers - to taste her most intimate places.
"To hell with taking it slow," Draco growled thickly as he scooped her into his arms and headed for the stairs.
The sudden absence of his lips shocked her for just a second, and then she found his neck. She heard him gasp a couple of times and once he paused on the stairs, moaning as she suckled the skin near the base of his neck.
A moan of ecstasy rumbled through his chest when she connected with what most, who knew his body well, had dubbed his sweet spot. Conscious thoughts were lost as his hormones took over and decided which path to take now.
Draco kicked his bedroom door open and strode into the room with only one task on his mind - to hear her scream his name in ecstasy. It was a path he'd taken many times with many different women, but this was the first time it would actually mean something more than just a little light exercise or relief. As he placed her on the bed she was forced to release his neck, which he was positive had been branded.
The sight of his best friend sprawled on his unmade bed with more of her body on display than not made his groin twitch, along with his conscience. "Are you sure?" Draco whispered, looking for final approval.
"If you don't shag me now I won't be held responsible for my actions," Ginny stated as she reached for his trousers.
"We can't have that," Draco answered thickly. His fingers adroitly took care of the button and zip on his trousers.
Within seconds Draco was completely naked. His heart was pounding as he waited for Ginny's reaction. Given her accidental sightings of his body in the past couple of weeks and the drama that followed he was half expecting her to scream or run away. He watched her tongue slip out and wet her lips, and then she started to lean forward. Her hair fell over her face, blocking his view, so when he felt her tongue run the length of his erection he couldn't hide the shuddery breath that left his lungs.
"Oh, Ginny."
It was all he could manage for a few moments, because her mouth was simply too hot and too wet for him to be able to think past how wonderfully talented she is and why he hadn't discovered this before now. All of a sudden her warm mouth was replaced with a chilly breeze blowing over his wet bits. Draco shuddered and stepped back.
Ginny giggled a little hysterically. "You were getting a little too worked up."
Draco steadied his breath. He wasn't annoyed at her for doing something to rein him in a little, because he had been concentrating too much on how wonderful it felt and had lost sight of his objective - shagging her thoroughly. "You are a little vixen," he said breathily, as he leaned over her.
"And proud of it," Ginny responded cheekily.
"I think you're a little overdressed." Draco tugged at the loose shirt just covering her breasts.
"What are you going to do about it?" Ginny posed with an arched eyebrow and a suitable smirk.
Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked back at her. "Me?"
"You're the one with the problem with my having more clothes on than you."
"I suppose, as it's my problem, I should do something about it then." Draco checked her expression one last time before he dipped his head; she looked as though she'd be open to anything he tried at this point.
With great caution, he seized the top of her knickers between his teeth and gave a little tug. Her giggle encouraged him to keep going. Rather than tear her panties down her legs, Draco took his time dragging the lingerie with his teeth all the way to her ankles. Apart from the occasional touch to lift her legs he didn't make contact with her in any other way, but by the time he held the trophy in front of himself she was breathing erratically. He tossed her knickers over his shoulder casually and reached for her hands, gently pulling her into a sitting position before pushing the shirt off her shoulders.
After all his years of womanizing he never thought that the sight of a woman's chest would excite him as much as Ginny's unfettered breasts did. While he understood, on an emotional level, that everything about this union was different to anything he'd ever encountered before, he hadn't expected the sight of her body to have such a profound effect upon him. At the moment, he felt like a schoolboy contemplating his first liaison.
"Are you going to stand there, blushing all day, or are you going to do something?" Ginny asked, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.
Prompted, Draco leaned over her, hovering close for a few seconds before engaging her mouth again. She tasted sweeter than honey and was more potent than any love potion he could ever create. As his tongue explored her mouth, his hands roamed over her perfect body. Her nipples were like hard pebbles, even before he touched them.
She arched into his tentative hands wanting more than he was offering. His hands were leaving her skin on fire, and she wanted to burn all over. Her neck stretched as Draco trailed his mouth down her chin and across the sensitive flesh below. He was taking his time driving her insane with need. Between the ache in her breasts for some attention and the fire in her core, Ginny didn't really know what she wanted first, just that she needed to be touched now.
Draco became aware of a very subtle pressure on his shoulders encouraging him to go lower. While he wanted to resist, he knew her breasts were beckoning him and that was a treat not to be ignored.
A moan escaped Ginny as he drew closer to her nipples. She wriggled beneath him, trying to line his mouth up with where she desired it, but Draco appeared to be intent on teasing her.
He couldn't help the little chuckle that burst out when she let loose a frustrated growl. There was no questioning what she wanted, but if he gave in she'd stop wriggling and that was doing wonders for him. The underside of her breasts was so soft and sweet that he could have spent the entire day feasting right there. Ginny was obviously enjoying the attention, because she'd given up growling and begun moaning breathlessly again.
Her breath caught as his tongue flicked over her nipple and his fingers found her most sensitive spot. Ginny could feel herself drawing dangerously close to the edge of her control. Everything he was doing to her was bombarding her senses with more pleasure than she could handle at one time.
"Draco… Oh God…Draco." Ginny gasped. "I need you…"
"What was that?"
"I need you now!"
His head came up suddenly. "Already?"
"It's been too long. I just can't… Oh God… If you don't stop that I'm going to-"
Draco's hand froze.
"Don't stop!"
"I thought you wanted-" Draco started. "How about I do something else?" he suggested as he moved back up her body.
"Like?" Ginny moaned. She wished she could hold herself still, but it was impossible at the moment; every nerve ending in her body was jumping.
"Like this," Draco whispered as he made room for himself between her legs.
"Oh yes," Ginny breathed more than articulated.
If he thought the sight of her body was exceptional, then the feel of her body was more than he could handle. She was so hot and wet. He couldn't recall being aware of how a woman really felt before, but then he'd never truly been concerned about the woman's pleasure above his own. Draco paused for a moment to absorb the intense feeling of being one with someone he really loved.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too," Ginny returned, reaching to drag his head down to hers.
As their lips met they began to move in unison, slowly at first but gradually increasing in speed as their need for completion grew. Draco could feel himself dancing close to the edge, but he denied his body the relief until he was sure Ginny would be satiated. It didn't take long for her to start quivering around him - she hadn't lied when she said she was close - forcing him to still to retain control. Just a few more minutes, and he would allow himself to relax.
"Draco… Oh God, don't stop!"
He grit his teeth and began to move again. It was going to be impossible to hold off his own climax if he kept moving. His name filled his ears over and again - mission accomplished. With a deep shudder and manly grunt Draco emptied himself inside her. As she was moved through the final throes of her orgasm, Draco caught her mouth in a searing kiss.
"I just want to stay here forever," Ginny muttered when they parted.
"We can do that," Draco answered breathlessly.
"Mmm… I'm so warm."
"My arse is getting a bit chilly," Draco responded. "Do you want to move under the covers?"
Ginny pouted. "Do we have to?"
"You know what happens when things get cold," Draco warned.
"All right," Ginny agreed.
Draco rolled off her and crawled across the bed to slip under the covers. As soon as Ginny was within arms reach he dragged her over to him and almost crushed her against his chest.
"This better," Draco uttered.
"Mmm…"
"Are you still okay about us?" Draco asked as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Would I still be here if I wasn't?"
"You could be laying there trying to figure out how to extract yourself gracefully," Draco suggested.
Ginny's head rose and she looked him the eye.
"You're right. You still want to be here," Draco conceded.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm perfect." Draco grinned happily. "In fact the whole world is perfect right now."
"Good." Ginny snuggled down, making herself more comfortable.
They lay together for a while, drifting close to sleep. It was warm, and the sound of each other's steady breathing was comforting. Ginny wiggled a little, repositioning her body slightly as sleep tried to claim her. Without meaning to, her hand slipped down his body.
"Oh goodness!"
"What's wrong?" Draco asked suddenly very awake.
"You're- already-" Ginny frowned, trying to find the words. "Already hard again," she finished in a whisper.
"I have a fast turn around time," Draco said smugly.
"No wonder they call you 'Merlin's gift to witches'," Ginny murmured into his chest.
Draco chuckled lightly. He'd heard the rumors, and Ginny had even laughed at him for it before, but she didn't understand the reason behind it before now. "Sleep now… shag again later," Draco uttered, closing his eyes again.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*