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Scarlet Woman
Part Eight
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Ginny opened her bleary eyes and met Draco's. She blinked in surprise. There was something about his expression that she couldn't pinpoint, and by the time she was awake enough to understand it, he'd closed off that part of him.
"I see you've gotten tired of drooling on me, Virginia." Draco smirked.
"I wasn't drooling. I never drool." Ginny quickly brushed her hand across her cheek. She tried to not notice the hand that slid out from her hair. It was a little harder to ignore where she was, though.
"Why are you on my couch?" she asked, trying to remember what had happened after the kitchen.
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Your couch?"
She just glared at him as she got up. Ginny couldn't match the sarcastic man brushing wrinkles out of his shirt with the one who'd held her last night.
All night, it seemed. She blushed, and started towards the bathroom.
What had she been thinking? Sleeping on Draco? She pushed back her hair, found a curl, and pulled it into her vision. Sighing, she brought her hand back down.
No reason to let your sensibilities go, just because he was playing with your hair. C'mon, Gin, you know better than that.
She almost wished she didn't.
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Moving silently in the inky blackness of night, he wanders closer to the building. Light strikes his face, finding the creases where his less-than-pure grin has carved cruelty. He doesn't know he's insane, doesn't acknowledge the possibility. All that matters now, to his tormented mind, is the hunt, the satisfaction, the feel of blood running between his hands. He revels in the destruction.
Slinking into the alley, he waits. His Angel will come. She always comes just when he needs her. Just like before.
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The newspaper was sitting on the kitchen table. A crime scene, with yellow tape turned grey by newsprint surrounding a pool of inky black blood, blazoned across the front page. A sick message scrawled across the wall with the same gruesome stain. Ginny felt sick to her stomach. The article, after brushing over the details of the poor woman's life, mentioned the previous murder and the connections. A serial killer on the loose, the writer proclaimed. A bane on the city.
She could feel the accusing eyes of the victim, staring out from the front page, as she cleaned the apartment.
Why me?
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Quick brush strokes against rough canvas. Emotions transferred into paint, into shapes and lines and blurs. Draco was in a trance, ignoring the outside world entirely. It had been too long since he'd last had a chance to paint, to let his emotions go. Virginia was driving him up the wall, and this seemed the best way to get rid of his pent up feelings.
Other than throwing her onto his bed and...
Stop thinking like that, Malfoy, he angrily scolded himself. You know that's not a possibility.
Rising from his stool, Draco stretched and decided to take a break. He'd been working on the painting for most of the day, and his stomach was feeling the strain. Setting his palette down on the countertop, he rinsed his brushes, and closed the door to his studio.
He found Virginia sitting at the table, staring at the newspaper.
"Anything interesting?" he asked, trying to look over her shoulder.
She jumped, upsetting her chair and sending it clattering to the floor. Clasping a hand to her heart, she turned to glare at Draco.
"Don't do that. Ever. You scared the life out of me." She ran a shaky hand through her hair.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, moving closer. She shook her head, then gestured to the paper lying open on the table.
"These murders... I don't know, they're getting to me."
"Murders? I thought..."
"There was another one last night." She exhaled slowly. "Maybe it's because they're so close to here, or that they all have red hair, but I'm... I'm nervous about it."
Draco grabbed Ginny and pulled her close. She stiffened at the contact, then relaxed into the hug.
"I'll keep you safe, Virginia. There's nothing to worry about."
She nodded again his chest, her hand clenched into his shirt. When she looked up, into his eyes, neither was sure about what they saw.
Later, Draco wouldn't be able to tell who started the kiss, or why, but soon reasons lost their meaning against the pull of long-lost desire. Stumbling against each other, frantic for the touch of skin to skin, they moved out of the kitchen, tearing at each others clothing, and fell, together, onto the barely made up couch. When Ginny finally got Draco's shirt off, she couldn't help but gasp at the collection of scars on his body.
"Draco, wha..?"
He kissed her, hard.
"Not now."
Frantically, his hands roamed over her body, sliding beneath her shirt and sending fire through her veins. Moaning at the contact, she allowed her hands to run over his muscled shoulders, back, sides. She pulled away, gasping for air. Sliding her shirt over her head, Draco nibbled a path from her neck to her breast, lightly nipping her through her bra. She jerked off the couch, his name a half-shouted oath. He grinned and continued tracing a path down her body with his tongue.
Ice-cold heat seared through her veins. Her blood was pulsing fire, aching for completion that only Draco could give her. Restless, she frantically reached for him, pulling him over her. Her hands fumbled at his belt. He swore, then reached to help. When nothing separated them but skin, Ginny sighed and stretched against him, enjoying the sensation of full body contact. Draco growled, then claimed her mouth in another bruising kiss.
Years of separation, and days of denied need flared between them, sending them both into the darker side of sanity. Draco pushed into her hard and fast, and Ginny could only revel in the rapture, the pleasure, the pain. It seemed like no time at all when her body tightened, then snapped. Pleasure ripped through her, tearing away years of darkness and pain, until all that was left was her and Draco. Sobbing his name, she pulled him closer, urging him on. He sighed her name into her neck, then found his own release in her arms.
Gasping for breath, listening to his rushing heart beat in time with hers, Ginny closed her eyes and cried.
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Draco cradled her in his arms, this beautiful woman who'd turned from lover to child in seconds. He held her gently as she burrowed closer to him, struggling to come to terms with what had happened, how to live with a world that had been rocked to its core. He didn't know what it meant, but Draco knew something had changed.
He loved her.
Pulling Ginny tighter to him, he knew that, in loving her, he'd lost before he'd known the fight had begun.
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Ginny woke in Draco's arms. This time, unlike yesterday, he was still asleep.
Had it only been yesterday? She wondered, tracing his features with a gentle fingertip. Slowly around his kiss-swollen mouth, over his lightly stubbled cheeks, trailing over his delicately arched brow. Somehow, in a day, he'd become more precious to her than anything. Suddenly, just looking at him was enough to make her smile. She kissed him lightly, enjoying the feel of his sleep softened mouth against hers. She nibbled on his bottom lip, wanting to tease a reaction from him. When his mouth finally moved against hers, she opened her eyes to find his sleepy grey ones staring at her.
This time, the loving was gentle and unhurried. The passion was still there, only banked under some unknown emotion Ginny couldn't place. Still, she found that whatever feeling was coursing through her veins didn't matter as long as Draco was the cause.
It was a liberating and frightening thought.
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When they lay together afterwards, gently breathing, faces so close that their breaths mingled, Draco couldn't help but think that he'd do anything to keep Ginny here, in his arms. He'd ached for years to have this, this fierce, all-consuming need finally met and returned. He'd wanted her for his own, and now that she was finally his, he didn't know what to do.
Dreaming hadn't given him any ideas on how to live with the aftermath, had only made him spend sleepless nights yearning for her touch.
He looked, just looked, at her. She was idly tracing his scars, one arm casually bent under her head.
He could tell she wanted to ask about them, to ask how he'd gotten so many, and why. Yet, he knew she wouldn't, not right now, not while this thin layer of contentment and rightness blanketed them against the outside world. Asking of his past, of his pain, would shatter their gentle world and send them crashing back to reality.
Draco had never been one to hide from his responsibilities, but right now, he wouldn't do a thing to challenge the peace they'd found together, in each others arms.
Right now, all he wanted to do was revel in the astonishing reality of her.
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After finally dragging themselves out of bed, Draco and Ginny spent the afternoon dancing around each other. The charged tension that had been hanging in the air the whole time she'd been in the apartment had changed subtly, but enough that neither knew how to react. Casual glances changed to heated exchanges, and neither knew what step to take next.
Dinner started awkwardly, with Draco and Ginny both trying to set the table. After bumping into each other countless times, Ginny helplessly grinned and laughed.
"This is ridiculous. We're grown adults, we can handle a little casual sex." She laughed quietly again, then went silent. Draco stood tense, his jaw clenched tight, and a nerve twitching in his neck.
"Casual sex?" The question hung in the air, a demand and a promise in two words.
"Okay, not casual." Tension hung in the air, tightening around Ginny until she felt like she couldn't breathe. She set the plates in her hands down heavily, then pulled a chair out from the table and cradled her head in her hands.
She heard Draco set down the silverware, then slump against a wall. Silence wrapped around them, until he sighed.
"I don't know what it was, Virginia, but it was…" He trailed off, sounding as confused and lost as she felt.
"Yeah." She grinned slightly, her head still in her hands. "That's about it."
"Should I… do you want me to go, give you some space?"
She jerked her head up. "No! Of course not, why would you…"
She stood and walked over to him, grabbed his head in her hands, and kissed him hard. He sighed into her mouth, and pulled her to his chest, his hands tightening in her shirt. She pulled away slowly.
"Right now, your leaving would be a very bad idea." She kissed him again lightly.
Dinner went a lot smoother after that.
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He walks underneath her window. He knows that she's still up there, with him. The slut, the cock-hungry whore. His hands tighten into fists, his dirty nails biting into his skin, cutting through. He winces at the pain, then forgets it.
She can't do this to him any longer. Soon, she'll get her punishment. The substitutes were never enough anyway. He knows where she is, all he has to do is wait.
He's been waiting for a long time, and, after all, practice makes perfect.
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Author's Note: Well, I have to say that this chapter was, perhaps, the hardest one for me to write. Ginny and Draco and the killer just didn't want to work with me here. I don't know how long it took for me to get this out, but I do apologize for the wait. And the little hiccup in between. ^_^; There's going to be two more chapters, I think. There's some resolution I need to make between Draco and Ginny, and then it's time to finally unmask the killer. There'll be extra points to those of you who guess his identity. :)
Anyway, thanks as ever to my beta, Sarah. You've put up with a long wait, I have to say, and I really owe you. You've been a great beta, and an even better friend.
And now, you wonderful readers.
Fanfiction.net:
Emerald Eyes 72, amy, Erin Hatfield(I sort of did abandon it… Don't worry, I'm going to finish it.), candycane_123, DnG4eVer, badger-dude, MorbidTruth (thanks! I'm glad you like it.), dracoshotty, Larissa (I'll make sure to keep you up to date), bigreader, Crazy phyco girl, Faded Memories (I'll see if I can work a scene in, but I'm not sure I want to go into their past together too much. We'll see how it goes, though), Shadowed Rains (Thank you so much! That means a lot to me.), dragon_hunter (sorry, I was driving a lot of people insane with my update schedule…), Lil' Trindle, Iced Faerie, titchy00, GodessOFmars2 (sorry to leave you all hanging. This chapter just didn't want to get written. I think the next ones will go a lot faster, though, so keep checking.), Chelline (it's not quite over, I promise), Lord-of-all-the-Cheesesticks, CarrieDragon (if you loved the fluff in the last chapter, I'm sure you enjoyed this one, thanks for commenting.), maz, Icy Lullaby, Sigma1, deity of death1, Americasweetie, Wizzabee, SarkLover, and Acontiae Malfoy (I'm going to finish this, thanks to you and other people commenting to the same effect, and also to get this story out of my head. I hope you enjoy the rest of it, and thank you for commenting.)
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DeeCohen (I'm glad you liked the chapter, but I'm not sure what part you're talking about with Draco being a bastard. Clue me in, and I'll do my best to get it cleared up.), Anonymous, MrsDanielRadcliffe, Alorkin, brittanytutt, Varlese Crowe, christina, Alorkin (well, damn. That throws a wrench in my story. Lol… I'm going to let it be for now, and pretend that, in my world, it isn't. Thanks for the info, though.), sexyslyth, Anonymous (Harry is definitely not going to be in this fic, hate to burst your bubble. Though I love the guy, he doesn't really have a place in this story.), Draco'sbabe137, Nice, jess131346 (I'll go fix that problem, thanks for letting me know), Ailleann (again, thanks for the heads up), RavenclawChrissie, Kitty_Pryde, Ives, laila, sexytexy (I love getting really long reviews like yours, so thank you for taking the time to comment.), Lady Raven, goddess30103, Liz21, sage69, Rosepetal (I didn't mean to frighten my readers that much! Lol… Thanks for the comment), Mrs_Felton, Rainpuddle13 (sorry it took me so long to get out the next part. Really, I feel horrible for taking so long to get it written. I hope you enjoyed the newest part, and I hope you enjoy how it ends. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.), Aurora North, Cute Sleeper, janet, dracosgurl159, kimmaree, livy, tracie1976, DeeCohen, ChelsE.E, Alicia, tomlover,
down2earthangl85, Anonymous, and MrsDanielRadcliffe.
You guys are what make me want to continue writing this fic. Thank you all for taking the time to comment. Plates of fudge to all.
Real quick side note: Lots of people (and by lots I mean, like, one or two) have mentioned to me that Ginny's real name isn't Virginia, but Ginevra. Honestly, I've know this since I posted the last part. I don't like the name Ginevra. So, because I started this story believing Ginny was a Virginia, and I like it better, I'm not switching over.
Expect updates soon (though I say this every time I update), as I have to leave for college in less than two weeks, and therefore have to do a lot of stuff soon, and I want to get this done. I hope you all enjoy how this ends, it's going to be a shocker, I promise.
Paranoid
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