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
RED ROSES
Ginny rushed into the bar with mere seconds to spare. She knew Draco would be displeased if she was late for her date, and she had to admit the few times she'd been kept waiting were frustrating. A quick scan of the bar located Draco, who she smiled at instantly. If her date were already here, he would know exactly who the man was if he'd exposed himself yet, so she headed straight for him.
The first thing she noticed was the single red rose sitting on the bar and the second was the tumbler of Firewhisky calling her name, in her imagination anyway.
"Afternoon," Ginny said as she reached for the drink.
"Hello there," Draco responded. "Nice day at work?"
"It was all right for a Friday," Ginny replied, after downing the drink. "I did remember to bring a rose."
"That's all right, I brought one with me." Draco picked up the bloom and showed her.
Ginny's forehead creased. "Why? I'm perfectly capable of remembering-"
"I thought we were responsible for making sure we had the right flower ourselves."
"Since when?"
"Since the beginning," Draco retorted, getting annoyed. "When have you ever supplied a flower for me?"
"A flower for you?" Ginny repeated, confusion deeply entrenched in her tone.
"And since when do we use red roses? You do know what a red rose means, don't you?"
"Just shut up for a minute, Malfoy," Ginny demanded distractedly as she tried to put the situation together.
"Shut up?" Draco gaped at her. "Why do I have to shut up? Why don't you shut up?"
Ginny took a deep breath to calm her rising temper. There was something not quite right about tonight, and Draco was obviously just as confused as she was, only he hadn't realized it yet, so going off at him wasn't going to solve anything. "Did you set this date up?"
"What sort of a question is that?" Draco asked disdainfully. "You know, very well, that you set this date up."
"Me?" Shock ran through her as the word echoed inside her head.
"And if your candidate doesn't show up soon I'm leaving," Draco continued irritably.
"Draco, I'm not here as your support person," Ginny started.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" Draco asked. His patience was all but expired, and he was having a difficult time keeping a civil tongue in his head. Ginny appeared to have left her brain under her pillow this morning, and he simply wasn't in the mood to play foolish games.
She slipped her hand into her bag and extracted a delicate red rose.
"I told you I brought my own," Draco snarled.
"So did I," Ginny whispered. "I brought my own, because you sent me an owl telling me I had a date Friday evening."
"No," Draco said slowly. "You sent me an owl, telling me I had a date for tonight."
Ginny shook her head. "I didn't."
Draco huffed impatiently. "What are you talking about, Weasley?"
"Perhaps I can clear that up?" Blaise offered.
"Where did you spring from?" Draco snapped.
"I just got here," Blaise admitted. "I'm a little late. I really wanted to be here before either of you, because… Well, you both look like you're ready to tear the other apart and that's no way to start a date."
"A date?" Ginny questioned.
"I think you ought to explain yourself, Zabini," Draco growled in a menacing tone.
"Shall we get a table?" Blaise asked, trying to delay the inevitable.
Draco shrugged lackadaisically. He was beyond caring what the explanation was at this point and simply wanted to hurt someone, so he could go home. When Blaise and Ginny started to move away from the bar, Draco followed at a distance. He had the distinct feeling he wasn't going to like what Blaise had to tell him and that wasn't helping his mood at all.
There was only one vacant chair by the time Draco got to the small round table. It was between Blaise and Ginny, but the chair had been pushed closer to Ginny. As he sat down, Draco moved the chair to a more central position. He smirked as Blaise shuffled his chair over a little more; Blaise, obviously, was not confident that what he had to say would be accepted well.
Blaise looked from Ginny to Draco and took a deep breath. "I'm responsible for the owls you received on Tuesday night."
Draco and Ginny exchanged a glance, and then turned their inquisitive eyes back to Blaise.
"Go on," Draco encouraged flatly.
"I was talking to your mum at the ball on Saturday night," Blaise began. "She was watching the way you two were dancing together."
"We dance together often," Draco commented.
"I know, but I've never seen you dance like this before." Blaise paused, shaking his head and frowning lightly. "It wasn't really the fact that you were dancing together; it was the way you were staring into each other's eyes."
Draco snorted. He didn't stare into anyone's eyes when he danced.
"Your own mother asked me if you realized you were in love yet, Malfoy," Blaise expressed strongly.
"Love?" Draco almost choked. He chanced a look at Ginny; she was pale and seemed to be struggling as much as he was. "My mother-"
"Has nothing whatsoever to do with setting you up," Blaise finished quickly. "I told her that I didn't see what she saw, even though I did, and I decided to- to see if it was true."
"What do you mean by 'what she saw'? What exactly did she see?" Draco asked.
"She saw two people obviously in love, dancing the night away, as if they were alone instead of in a crowded ballroom."
"Ridiculous," Draco spat.
"I told her that it was all an act, so she wouldn't say anything inappropriate. She accepted that you two did this sort of thing to scare off potential advances from undesirable partners."
"Which is precisely what we do," Draco confirmed.
"I know," Blaise said quietly. "I watched both of you all night. There were no threats lurking nearby, so there was no reason for the act."
"And you'd be able to identify threats to us?" Draco questioned derisively.
"I believe so," Blaise answered haughtily. "Anyway, that's not the point. I know what I saw on Saturday night, and Sunday morning confirmed my suspicions."
Draco's eyes opened wide and then narrowed in a threatening manner. "Sunday?"
"I know she probably doesn't realize, but it's only fair that she knows-"
"I disagree," Draco snarled, afraid of what Blaise might reveal next.
"Too bad," Blaise retorted. "Ginny, when you were laughing and having a good time with Finnigan on Sunday, Draco was going insane with jealousy. He just about self-combusted. It's probably the reason things got so out of hand."
"I was not jealous!" Draco stated angrily. "I merely don't like Finnigan. He has a worse reputation than I do, and he was only after a quick shag, not a lasting relationship."
"You can call it what you want, Malfoy. I call it like I see it, and you were jealous," Blaise countered. "Anyway, after that I got this idea in my head."
"Pray tell," Draco drawled sarcastically.
"You two are running around setting up dates for each other, trying to find the perfect partners, with no success, right?"
"We've caught up with some old friends," Ginny argued.
"Yes, Finnigan was a surprise." Blaise grinned nefariously. "Tell me, Malfoy, how is Millicent?"
A feral snarl escaped Draco's throat. Wednesday evening's date was horrifying to say the least. Draco had turned up at the Leaky Cauldron to find Ginny sitting at a table near the back of the old pub just about wetting her knickers laughing. When he'd asked her what was so humorous, she'd simply pointed to a woman sitting in the middle of the pub with a pink carnation on the table in front of her. The woman was Millicent Bulstrode. Ginny, of course, wouldn't allow him to stand her up, so he had to admit to searching for love via the newspaper - humiliation owned him that night.
"You do know that she's told everyone she's still in contact with that she dated you, don't you?" Blaise asked teasingly.
"Get on with it," Draco growled.
"To cut a long story short: after what I've seen, I think you two ought to give each other a chance," Blaise announced. "You're perfect for each other."
"We are just friends," Draco said slowly, as if he were addressing someone dimwitted.
"That's the beauty of my timing." Blaise smiled at them. "You see, with the contract in place you can't lie to each other."
"We have the option to not go through with the date," Draco reminded him.
"This is true, but you still have to explain why, truthfully," Blaise pointed out.
"Whether we discuss the date or not is entirely up to us," Draco retorted.
Blaise sighed, almost happily. He was very pleased he'd found this accidental error in the contract. "Actually, you have to discuss the date and your feelings about the other person. It's in the contract."
"It is not!"
"Oh, it is," Blaise assured Draco. "I double-checked the wording myself."
"Hang on a minute," Ginny interrupted. "We didn't set up this date, you did, so it doesn't count."
"Again, I hate to disappoint you, but it counts. You've both acknowledged you're on a date with someone, so you must be truthful in your assessment of the other person." Blaise laced his fingers together and placed his hands on the table. "Stop fighting it and get on with it."
"How? It was only supposed to count-"
"The wording," Blaise answered simply.
Draco twitched a little. His eyes were cold and hard as he turned their full force on his dark-haired friend. "I'm going to kill you."
"Not if I get to him first," Ginny snarled.
"And on that note, I'll leave you to it." Blaise stood up hurriedly. "Have a pleasant evening."
Blaise used the crowd in the pub to his advantage, disappearing before either Ginny or Draco could move. Ginny half rose from her chair, but Draco reached over and put a hand on her arm.
"Forget it, he'd be out the door by now," he said gently.
"What are we going to do?"
"From what he said, we don't have much choice," Draco answered.
"You read the contract."
"Yes, I did, but things like that are very difficult to pick up unless you sit down and have an entire team of people dissect the terms of the agreement." Draco sighed. "I'm sorry, I should have read it more thoroughly before we signed it."
"Don't apologize," Ginny uttered. "I didn't even read it."
"Do you want to call it a night or would you like to get some dinner?"
"I am a bit hungry, but can we go somewhere a little quieter?"
"Absolutely." Draco thought for a moment. "How about we get some food and take it back to my place? It's quiet and we won't have to worry about whether Zabini is spying on us."
"Do you think he might?"
"I wouldn't put it past him."
"Your place it is then." Ginny smiled.
"Let's go then."
"Umm- there's just one thing I want to say before we-"
"Yes?"
"Whatever the outcome tonight, I don't want things to change between us. You're my best friend and quite frankly I'd be lost without you."
Draco reached out and stroked her cheek. "Nothing will change, I promise."
Ginny leaned into his touch for a few seconds. "Thank you."
A soft smile spread across Draco's face. "Let's go."
On the way to Draco's they stopped and picked up some dinner. It was only a light meal, but it was all that either of them felt like. When they arrived at the flat, they served the food together, and then sat at the dining room table. Conversation was virtually non-existent as they both mulled over what Blaise had done. There was no doubt that both of them were in a difficult position, and despite the promise they had made to each other in the pub, things were bound to change if one person felt differently about the other.
"Wizard Chess?" Draco posed as Ginny finished eating.
"Yeah, that'd be great."
"Do you want tea or coffee?"
"Are you going to-"
"No, I might have another glass of wine," Draco murmured.
"Pour me one too."
Draco nodded and reached for the bottle of wine. "You'll be staying here?"
"I don't feel too bad at the moment," Ginny replied vaguely.
"After another glass of red you're not going to be capable of Apparating safely," Draco pointed out.
"We'll see," Ginny said cautiously.
"Fuck it! We're letting what Zabini did bother us already, Weasley," Draco growled angrily. "Since when have you had a problem staying here after a few drinks?"
"I don't have a problem with it," Ginny insisted.
Draco raised an eyebrow at her.
"All right, we're both letting this bother us," Ginny admitted. "I'll drink and stay."
"Good." Draco poured another two glasses of wine. "And maybe we can start talking again?"
"Yeah, we shouldn't let this-"
"Definitely not," Draco interrupted. "We've been friends for too long to let anything Zabini does upset us."
Ginny smiled. "Are you ready to get your backside whipped?"
"Dream on, Weasley," Draco drawled. "You've never beaten me."
"Bend over, and I'll fix that," Ginny joked.
Draco bent at the waist and wiggled his backside in the air. "Do your worst, darling."
"Oh forget it!" Ginny exclaimed disgustedly. "You'd enjoy it too much."
"Isn't that the whole point?" Draco asked innocently.
"You know I wasn't put on this earth to pleasure you."
Draco pouted. "You're unkind."
"Poor darling, someone has to torture you."
"For that I'm not going to hold back tonight, so be prepared to lose your knickers!"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "As if I'd lose my knickers to you!"
"You've come close before," Draco warned.
"But I've never lost them," Ginny reminded him.
"Only because I felt sorry for you," Draco countered.
"That would mean you were showing compassion and you don't know the meaning of that emotion," Ginny pointed out.
Draco's nose wrinkled. "Compassion? I was simply protecting my eyesight."
They laughed heartily together as they set up the Wizard's chessboard. Their running bet had never been called in, but it was always mentioned in some form before a game. Whether either of them would ever push to win a game without allowing the other person to claim one of their pieces was open for debate, but with Zabini's interference the possibility had taken on a whole new meaning. Of course, one of them had to be willing to push the other into that position first.
"Ready to lose your boxers?" Ginny asked.
"Are you ready to lose your knickers?" Draco countered.
"What will it be?'
"One lap around the flat - visiting every room - arms above your head," Draco said.
"Sounds fair," Ginny commented. "Do you want to cast some heating charms around first?"
"Whatever for?"
"You know what happens when men get cold." Ginny wiggled her pinky finger in the air.
"I assure you, Weasley, I do not have that problem," Draco said confidently, ignoring the fact that he could have reminded her that she knew that particular information already, given the drama earlier in the week.
"Let's get on with this before I get too drunk to remember winning," Ginny declared.
"There'll be something wrong with your memory if you remember winning," Draco countered just before giving his first instruction to the board.
They played for hours, neither willing to give the other an easy win. Draco kept their glasses topped off, and by the end of the evening there were three empty wine bottles beside the table.
"Checkmate, Weasley." Draco smirked as he lifted his glass to his lips.
"Bugger!"
"You didn't honestly think you had a chance, did you?" Draco teased. "Now it's time to pay up."
"Fine," Ginny said flippantly as she struggled to stand up.
Draco chuckled. "I think we'll wait until you can walk a straight line."
"I'm good! I just have to find my feet," Ginny insisted, slurring her words.
"Sure you are, Weasley," Draco answered. "I'm serious. You can do it in the morning."
"But I'll be sober in the morning," Ginny argued.
"So you'll remember it," Draco quipped. "Come on, it's time for bed."
"More wine?" Ginny held her empty glass out to him.
"I'm not opening another bottle now," Draco said. "Besides, if you have any more you're going to be dreadfully hung over tomorrow."
"Right now I don't care," Ginny declared, shaking her glass in his face.
Draco extracted the glass from her hand before it could carve up his nose. He placed it on the table and got to his feet. "Bedtime, Weasley."
"But-"
"No buts," Draco said firmly. "Are you going to walk or do I have to carry you?"
Ginny waved her hand at him. "I can walk."
He watched her struggle to her feet. She couldn't stand straight, and he didn't trust her to walk. When she overbalanced, Draco took full advantage of the situation and slung her over his shoulder effortlessly. "Looks like you're not walking."
"Put me down!" Ginny demanded, slapping his backside.
"I will," Draco promised, grinning at her ineffectual beating.
"Now!"
"Did you say now?" Draco queried as he mounted the stairs.
"Yes, now!"
"It's a bit hard on the stairs," Draco replied sincerely. "I'll put you down when we reach the top."
"Draco!"
"Don't get obstinate on me now, Weasley."
"Put me down," Ginny said slowly.
"I will," Draco reasserted.
"Now!"
"Right now?" Draco questioned.
"Damn it, Malfoy."
"Damn what, Weasley?"
"Put me down," Ginny growled.
"You sound so frightening when you snarl," Draco mocked.
Ginny rewarded his teasing with an extra hard slap on the backside.
"Ouch," Draco grunted playfully. "If you don't be nice I'm not going to carry you upstairs anymore."
"Promise?"
"Absolutely."
"Well, put me down!"
"As you wish," Draco said cheekily.
"Thank you," Ginny snapped.
Draco grinned as he reached around her and opened the door to the guest bedroom. "Did you have fun tonight?"
"Yes, I did." Ginny smiled, her annoyance instantly forgotten. "It was good to just be ourselves for a change."
"It was," Draco concurred.
"Goodnight, Draco," Ginny whispered.
"Goodnight, Ginny," Draco returned awkwardly.
He was suddenly transformed back into the awkward eighteen-year-old who used to tense up every time she insisted on kissing him goodbye. She'd taught him to not be afraid to show his feelings or display affection, and he'd discovered that he was quite good at it with her a long time ago, but now with all the doubts hanging over his head he couldn't make his body move. Before he could convince himself to lean forward she'd turned and entered the guest room. Draco wondered if it was because she could sense his discomfort or if it was simply because she was drunk. He didn't want to think that other reasons might be in play, especially this evening.
When she closed the door Draco leaned his forehead against the cool wood. A deep sadness came over him when he realized that he might have just said goodnight to his best friend for the last time. Tomorrow would change everything, of that he was sure.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*