A/N – Sorry about the wait, it took me a while to figure out where I was going to go with this chapter.
Disclaimer – I don’t own HP, characters or concepts. Don’t sue me.
CHAPTER 16
The anniversary of Voldemort’s defeat came around again. But this time, Ginny was not locked in her apartment, drinking herself into oblivion, as had been the case in the previous ten years. No, this time she was halfway around the world, putting an end to a ghost she should have exorcised years ago. With one last trip, one last meeting, she was going to put Draco Malfoy out of her life, once and for all.
Why someone else couldn’t do it, she would never know. But Fudge – Fudge! – had been adamant that this mission was hers, and no one else’s –
“He’s built himself a new club,” Moody said, “just as successful as the old one, although with no ties to any underworld figures, this time. Just go and make it clear that if he stays away from England, we don’t care what he does overseas…”
“What the hell is this, sir? He’s not bloody stupid; he already knows not to come back. Why send an Auror all the way out there just to give him an unnecessary message?”
“Don’t ask me, Weasley – I’m just following orders. This came down from the very top, from our esteemed Minister himself.”
“Fudge?” Ginny had been incredulous.
Moody nodded. “Fudge.”
Tonks, who had come with her because she had a hankering to catch an assignment to a sunny, tropical beach, pushed her ridiculous, rhinestone encrusted sunglasses further up onto her nose. “Ah, Ginny, this is the life,” she said languidly, stretching her arms out and laughing. “Sun, sea, and, if I’m lucky, some outrageous sex…”
“That’s not how it goes,” Ginny said dryly. “Besides, I’ve heard that sand gets everywhere.”
Tonks gave her an offended look. “You’re too practical,
Ginny. No wonder you never meet any interesting men.”
“I don’t want to meet any interesting men. I’ve had enough interesting men to last me a lifetime.”
“Really? The only one I can call to mind,” Tonks said, gently teasing, “is my esteemed cousin. And that ended more than ten years ago. Ginny, darling, you can’t keep carrying a torch for him –”
“I’m not!” she yelped. And then she saw Tonks’ expression, the ironic understanding in her eyes. She sighed heavily, and shoved her hands into her pockets. “There’s… There’ve been other men, of course,” she began slowly. “But none who could… Anyway, that’s all at an end. I’ll deliver this message, and then it will be over. He’ll be out of my life forever.”
Tonks grinned. “Right. You remember that, Ginny darling. Because we’re now about to beard him in his den, so to speak, and if you’re serious about ending it forever, you’d best control any impulses to throw yourself, swooning, upon his manly bosom –”
Ginny made a very rude hand gesture. Tonks laughed, and they pushed their way into the Safehaven, the hottest new club on the beach.
**********
Kelly saw them the instant they stepped through the doors.
“You again,” he said, heading them off and herding them into a small security office. “I thought you’d given him his marching orders.”
Ginny looked at him in clear dislike. “Well, I’m not entirely happy to be here myself, Kelly. If it wasn’t for Fudge…”
Kelly blinked. “Fudge?” He stared at her a while longer, and then he started to smile, that damned cocky, insolent Irish smile. “That’s right, he managed to get himself back into office again, didn’t he? Merlin only knows how.”
“Some fool gave him a huge amount of money,” Tonks agreed, and then she stopped. Looked at Kelly, who looked back at her and grinned.
“What?” Ginny asked. But neither Kelly nor Tonks answered.
There was a knock at the door, and a moment later Higgins came in, nodding when he saw Ginny and Tonks. “So you’re here,” he said in satisfaction. “You took your sweet time about it.”
Ginny frowned. They’d been expecting her and Tonks to come? But how could they possibly have known… “What the hell is going on?” she demanded, getting up out of her chair.
“No, no, Ginny, don’t worry,” Tonks said, fluttering her hands reassuringly. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just sit here a while and I’ll go with these nice gentlemen,” she grinned and batted her eyes at Kelly and Higgins, “and we’ll…clear things up.”
“Tonks!” Ginny shouted, but the other woman only laughed, before she and the two men slipped outside. There was a distinct click, and the door locked behind them.
Ginny swore.
*****************
Draco heard his cousin’s unmistakable, laughing tones as soon as he entered his club. She was talking to Burke, Kelly and Higgins, her vivid face so eerily like his mother’s laughing as she recounted some tale, or told a joke –
Whatever it was, she wasn’t supposed to be here.
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” he asked, ungraciously.
She laughed at him. “You should know, Malfoy, you arranged for us to be here. Or was it some other fool who gave Fudge ten thousand galleons for his campaign chest? You know, I’ve heard of men doing stupid things for love, but reelecting Fudge –”
He glared at her. “I asked why you were here, Nymphadora.”
“Merlin, you sound just like your father. No, no, don’t lose your temper with me, Malfoy; you’ll need all your control to convince Ginny that she shouldn’t banish you from her life forever. I don’t think you’ll get another chance at it.”
“I know I won’t get another chance,” he admitted, sighing. He nodded to the door to the small security office. “Is she in there?”
Kelly nodded. “We locked her in, and she’s spitting mad. You should hear the language she’s been using –”
Draco swore. All four of them grinned at him, wishing him luck as he shrugged out of his cloak and cautiously opened the door, prepared to duck any flying objects.
**************
“Malfoy!” she shouted as he came in through the door, his wand at the ready – did he honestly think she would toss something at his head?
She was thirty-four years old. She was far too old for such emotional, irrational behaviour.
She punched him, as hard as she could, in the solar plexus. He seemed to fold in on himself, collapsing gracefully, his eyes gaping as he gasped for breath. And she knew, without a doubt, that he had let her do it – ten years ago, his reflexes had been phenomenal, and the fight at Shadowlands had shown her that he had lost none of his skill. He’d have seen the intention in her eyes, seen the blow coming, and yet he hadn’t moved, or blocked her –
She considered hitting him again, but knew there would be no satisfaction in it. Not when he was allowing her to strike him. Sighing, muttering under her breath, she sat down on the floor against the wall and watched him as he dragged himself back upright.
“What’s this all about, Malfoy?” she asked quietly. “I thought we’d said all we needed to say.”
He looked at her, his carefully arranged hair in chaotic disarray. He did not appear to be suffering any ill effects from her punch. “So did I. But it wasn’t enough. You know it’ll never be enough, Ginny. You shouldn’t have taken the Shadowlands case.”
“There wasn’t much choice in it.”
“You could have walked away. You did an excellent job of avoiding me the previous ten years. But that was all it took – you walked back into my life in that damned green dress, and it was as if nothing had ever changed…”
“Everything’s changed, Malfoy. The whole world’s changed, and there’s nothing left in it for us –”
“Bullshit. My father wasn’t everything, the Aurors aren’t everything, and nor are my clubs. You know that – you chose to make them into huge issues, Ginny. You chose to put them between us – I would not have let anything stand in my way.”
“Then why did you walk away?” She shouted, her voice ragged, her breath hitching in her chest.
“Because you told me to,” he said simply. “And if you ask me to walk away again, I will – but Ginny, think. I love you. I’ve loved you ever since we were both on the front lines, and you asked me how I coped –”
Her eyes went very wide, and very dark. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, no, no, no, no…” Never, ever before, had he said the words –
“Don’t do this, Draco. Don’t make me do this again…”
He spoke straight over her objections. “Don’t tell me that there’s nothing left, that we can’t make it work again, no matter the obstacles or the circumstances – if you love me, then nothing can truly stand in our way…”
She wiped angry tears away, glaring at him furiously for upsetting her hard-earned equilibrium. “You killed your father,” she said in a very small, very vulnerable voice.
“I know. And I’d do it again, if faced with the same choice. Yes, I’m a Malfoy, and a Slytherin. You’ve always known that, and you’ve always accepted it, even at the worst of the Dark Times. You told me that it didn’t make me, or our love, any less…”
He crept closer, took hold of her hand and brought it to his chest, pressing it over his heart. She could feel his heartbeat. The first time after they’d made love, she’d lain against him, listening to his heart, terrified because she’d known that the strong, sure rhythm could be silenced so easily by an enemy attack…
“Do you remember?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes. “You accepted me then, because we knew how vulnerable, how fragile our love was. Why are you afraid now?”
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
She felt his strength, his deep, dark and shadowed strength, ruthless and often cruelly cunning; he was not a determined, altruistic hero like Harry, or as simple and uncomplicated as Ron, who fought for his friends and family and loved ones. He was a man who would stop at nothing to protect what was his. He had killed his father to save him from the Kiss, and would do it again –
She’d seen him tired, dispirited, terrified, and raging; she’d seen him laughing, relieved and joyful, and full of love. She knew him, in all his moods, his quirks, and his flaws.
She knew exactly what he was, and she loved him anyway…
Reaching out, she gathered up her courage and tried to believe, once again, that they could have a happy ending.
********************
A/N – Ok, this is the last chapter before an epilogue. Thank you to all my reviewers, your comments are greatly appreciated.
Disclaimer – I don’t own HP, characters or concepts. Don’t sue me.
CHAPTER 16
The anniversary of Voldemort’s defeat came around again. But this time, Ginny was not locked in her apartment, drinking herself into oblivion, as had been the case in the previous ten years. No, this time she was halfway around the world, putting an end to a ghost she should have exorcised years ago. With one last trip, one last meeting, she was going to put Draco Malfoy out of her life, once and for all.
Why someone else couldn’t do it, she would never know. But Fudge – Fudge! – had been adamant that this mission was hers, and no one else’s –
“He’s built himself a new club,” Moody said, “just as successful as the old one, although with no ties to any underworld figures, this time. Just go and make it clear that if he stays away from England, we don’t care what he does overseas…”
“What the hell is this, sir? He’s not bloody stupid; he already knows not to come back. Why send an Auror all the way out there just to give him an unnecessary message?”
“Don’t ask me, Weasley – I’m just following orders. This came down from the very top, from our esteemed Minister himself.”
“Fudge?” Ginny had been incredulous.
Moody nodded. “Fudge.”
Tonks, who had come with her because she had a hankering to catch an assignment to a sunny, tropical beach, pushed her ridiculous, rhinestone encrusted sunglasses further up onto her nose. “Ah, Ginny, this is the life,” she said languidly, stretching her arms out and laughing. “Sun, sea, and, if I’m lucky, some outrageous sex…”
“That’s not how it goes,” Ginny said dryly. “Besides, I’ve heard that sand gets everywhere.”
Tonks gave her an offended look. “You’re too practical,
Ginny. No wonder you never meet any interesting men.”
“I don’t want to meet any interesting men. I’ve had enough interesting men to last me a lifetime.”
“Really? The only one I can call to mind,” Tonks said, gently teasing, “is my esteemed cousin. And that ended more than ten years ago. Ginny, darling, you can’t keep carrying a torch for him –”
“I’m not!” she yelped. And then she saw Tonks’ expression, the ironic understanding in her eyes. She sighed heavily, and shoved her hands into her pockets. “There’s… There’ve been other men, of course,” she began slowly. “But none who could… Anyway, that’s all at an end. I’ll deliver this message, and then it will be over. He’ll be out of my life forever.”
Tonks grinned. “Right. You remember that, Ginny darling. Because we’re now about to beard him in his den, so to speak, and if you’re serious about ending it forever, you’d best control any impulses to throw yourself, swooning, upon his manly bosom –”
Ginny made a very rude hand gesture. Tonks laughed, and they pushed their way into the Safehaven, the hottest new club on the beach.
**********
Kelly saw them the instant they stepped through the doors.
“You again,” he said, heading them off and herding them into a small security office. “I thought you’d given him his marching orders.”
Ginny looked at him in clear dislike. “Well, I’m not entirely happy to be here myself, Kelly. If it wasn’t for Fudge…”
Kelly blinked. “Fudge?” He stared at her a while longer, and then he started to smile, that damned cocky, insolent Irish smile. “That’s right, he managed to get himself back into office again, didn’t he? Merlin only knows how.”
“Some fool gave him a huge amount of money,” Tonks agreed, and then she stopped. Looked at Kelly, who looked back at her and grinned.
“What?” Ginny asked. But neither Kelly nor Tonks answered.
There was a knock at the door, and a moment later Higgins came in, nodding when he saw Ginny and Tonks. “So you’re here,” he said in satisfaction. “You took your sweet time about it.”
Ginny frowned. They’d been expecting her and Tonks to come? But how could they possibly have known… “What the hell is going on?” she demanded, getting up out of her chair.
“No, no, Ginny, don’t worry,” Tonks said, fluttering her hands reassuringly. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Just sit here a while and I’ll go with these nice gentlemen,” she grinned and batted her eyes at Kelly and Higgins, “and we’ll…clear things up.”
“Tonks!” Ginny shouted, but the other woman only laughed, before she and the two men slipped outside. There was a distinct click, and the door locked behind them.
Ginny swore.
*****************
Draco heard his cousin’s unmistakable, laughing tones as soon as he entered his club. She was talking to Burke, Kelly and Higgins, her vivid face so eerily like his mother’s laughing as she recounted some tale, or told a joke –
Whatever it was, she wasn’t supposed to be here.
“What the bloody hell are you doing here?” he asked, ungraciously.
She laughed at him. “You should know, Malfoy, you arranged for us to be here. Or was it some other fool who gave Fudge ten thousand galleons for his campaign chest? You know, I’ve heard of men doing stupid things for love, but reelecting Fudge –”
He glared at her. “I asked why you were here, Nymphadora.”
“Merlin, you sound just like your father. No, no, don’t lose your temper with me, Malfoy; you’ll need all your control to convince Ginny that she shouldn’t banish you from her life forever. I don’t think you’ll get another chance at it.”
“I know I won’t get another chance,” he admitted, sighing. He nodded to the door to the small security office. “Is she in there?”
Kelly nodded. “We locked her in, and she’s spitting mad. You should hear the language she’s been using –”
Draco swore. All four of them grinned at him, wishing him luck as he shrugged out of his cloak and cautiously opened the door, prepared to duck any flying objects.
**************
“Malfoy!” she shouted as he came in through the door, his wand at the ready – did he honestly think she would toss something at his head?
She was thirty-four years old. She was far too old for such emotional, irrational behaviour.
She punched him, as hard as she could, in the solar plexus. He seemed to fold in on himself, collapsing gracefully, his eyes gaping as he gasped for breath. And she knew, without a doubt, that he had let her do it – ten years ago, his reflexes had been phenomenal, and the fight at Shadowlands had shown her that he had lost none of his skill. He’d have seen the intention in her eyes, seen the blow coming, and yet he hadn’t moved, or blocked her –
She considered hitting him again, but knew there would be no satisfaction in it. Not when he was allowing her to strike him. Sighing, muttering under her breath, she sat down on the floor against the wall and watched him as he dragged himself back upright.
“What’s this all about, Malfoy?” she asked quietly. “I thought we’d said all we needed to say.”
He looked at her, his carefully arranged hair in chaotic disarray. He did not appear to be suffering any ill effects from her punch. “So did I. But it wasn’t enough. You know it’ll never be enough, Ginny. You shouldn’t have taken the Shadowlands case.”
“There wasn’t much choice in it.”
“You could have walked away. You did an excellent job of avoiding me the previous ten years. But that was all it took – you walked back into my life in that damned green dress, and it was as if nothing had ever changed…”
“Everything’s changed, Malfoy. The whole world’s changed, and there’s nothing left in it for us –”
“Bullshit. My father wasn’t everything, the Aurors aren’t everything, and nor are my clubs. You know that – you chose to make them into huge issues, Ginny. You chose to put them between us – I would not have let anything stand in my way.”
“Then why did you walk away?” She shouted, her voice ragged, her breath hitching in her chest.
“Because you told me to,” he said simply. “And if you ask me to walk away again, I will – but Ginny, think. I love you. I’ve loved you ever since we were both on the front lines, and you asked me how I coped –”
Her eyes went very wide, and very dark. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “No, no, no, no, no…” Never, ever before, had he said the words –
“Don’t do this, Draco. Don’t make me do this again…”
He spoke straight over her objections. “Don’t tell me that there’s nothing left, that we can’t make it work again, no matter the obstacles or the circumstances – if you love me, then nothing can truly stand in our way…”
She wiped angry tears away, glaring at him furiously for upsetting her hard-earned equilibrium. “You killed your father,” she said in a very small, very vulnerable voice.
“I know. And I’d do it again, if faced with the same choice. Yes, I’m a Malfoy, and a Slytherin. You’ve always known that, and you’ve always accepted it, even at the worst of the Dark Times. You told me that it didn’t make me, or our love, any less…”
He crept closer, took hold of her hand and brought it to his chest, pressing it over his heart. She could feel his heartbeat. The first time after they’d made love, she’d lain against him, listening to his heart, terrified because she’d known that the strong, sure rhythm could be silenced so easily by an enemy attack…
“Do you remember?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes. “You accepted me then, because we knew how vulnerable, how fragile our love was. Why are you afraid now?”
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
She felt his strength, his deep, dark and shadowed strength, ruthless and often cruelly cunning; he was not a determined, altruistic hero like Harry, or as simple and uncomplicated as Ron, who fought for his friends and family and loved ones. He was a man who would stop at nothing to protect what was his. He had killed his father to save him from the Kiss, and would do it again –
She’d seen him tired, dispirited, terrified, and raging; she’d seen him laughing, relieved and joyful, and full of love. She knew him, in all his moods, his quirks, and his flaws.
She knew exactly what he was, and she loved him anyway…
Reaching out, she gathered up her courage and tried to believe, once again, that they could have a happy ending.
********************
A/N – Ok, this is the last chapter before an epilogue. Thank you to all my reviewers, your comments are greatly appreciated.
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