Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns them all.
***
Chapter 3
Draco sat outside of Ginny's bedroom for an hour waiting to see if she would need anything. As awkward and uncomfortable their situation was, the blond wanted her to feel at home. He had a feeling she might be staying with him for an extended period, considering Lucius' sick mind.
After sometime alone with his thoughts, Draco finally admitted to himself he wanted her there. The kiss at their wedding wasn't a fluke. Despite the time since he'd left Hogwarts, his feelings for Ginevra Weasley still ran deep. Draco knew his life was planned from the moment he was born. There was very little, if any, doubt about his schooling, his career, or his future. Only his parents never considered what might happen if he fell in love. For five long years he tried to make himself feel something more than friendship towards Pansy, but the spark never ignited. After snogging Ginny once, Draco felt passion like he'd never known with the Slytherin girl. It was something that couldn't have been planned.
His plans first began to change when his father was incarcerated at the end of his fifth year. Over the following six months, Draco was allowed to think things through on his own. Upon returning for his sixth year, he wasn't intent on the revenge he'd promised Potter before. He realized that summer neither his father nor Potter were right all of the time. As more time passed, Lucius' faults became more evident to his son. His father was wrong about Voldemort, his wife, and his own son.
During all of these life-altering revelations, he stumbled across Ginny. From all of the Gryffindor do-gooders, she was the one who intrigued him. It wasn't Potter for his luck and blatant stupidity, or Granger for her brains, or even Weasley for his ability to make something from nothing. It was the one everyone considered a tag-a-long. She was the one who caught Draco's attention. Although, Draco admitted, her Bat-Bogey Hex helped him notice her a lot sooner.
During his seventh year, Ginny became one of the few he allowed close to him. He left Crabbe and Goyle to their own stupidity, the rest of the Slytherins to their plans for world domination, and his father to the Dark Lord. After awhile Draco convinced himself the only thing he needed in the world was Ginny Weasley. Their relationship, though, was never serious enough to be called a relationship. In the end, Draco was just another boy added to the long list of those she snogged at Hogwarts.
Ginny Weasley was the most popular girl in all the houses. He wouldn't call her loose exactly, as he never managed to get into her pants. She told him once she was saving herself for true love, and that put an end to the conversation. Ginny was about having fun and getting to know different people. Over time, more than one bloke at Hogwarts fell in love with her. She just never returned the gesture.
Upon leaving Hogwarts, Draco entered Auror training with every intention of leaving Ginny behind. It didn't matter that he thought of her nearly every day, or would close his eyes and see her, or even that he wrote letters he eventually ended up burning. She was a Weasley. Malfoys and Weasleys did not marry and have a house full of children. Pursuing her would be suicide and Draco knew it. Though he'd long ago walked away from his father and all things dealing with the Dark Lord, he wasn't naïve. Lucius Malfoy would have them both killed before he allowed such a union to tarnish the Malfoy name.
To Draco's surprise, his father was willing to make an exception. Not long after being approached by Bellatrix, Lucius summoned him to Azkaban. Draco went under the pretenses of wanting to get back in with the Dark Lord. He claimed he'd seen the error of his ways and basically lied through his teeth. The son must have convinced the father, because the next day Lucius arranged through his solicitor for Draco to have access to the Malfoy vaults again. The truth to the whole situation was that Professor Snape advised Draco to attend the meeting and gather information that could be useful.
While in prison, Lucius developed a plan for Draco to position himself in good standing with Dumbledore and the Ministry. His job as an Auror gave him a foot in the door, but the Malfoy patriarch had devised a foolproof plan to give Draco a better standing. All in all, his son was rather bored with the idea until Ginevra Weasley was brought up. Lucius wanted Draco to seduce and marry her. In the beginning the younger man had been adamant in his refusal, but then his father mentioned two eligible suitors. Draco knew both men recently started working for the Ministry and suddenly he was trapped. There would be other casualties of war, of that he had no doubt, but Ginny would not become one. At the age of eleven she was touched by darkness and lived to tell the tale. Draco wasn't sure she was strong enough to survive that again.
That was how it happened. His father was the reason he was sitting on the floor, outside his own bedroom, hoping Ginny would come out wanting some water or to talk or for any reason, really. The light caught the platinum band she'd slipped on his left hand earlier and Draco sighed. A wedding ring was meant to represent a deep love between two people, among other things. This ring represented a business deal. He wasn't willing to sacrifice her, so he'd sacrifice himself in the process.
After some time, Draco left his post outside her door and began to wander through his flat. He was too restless to sleep. In the kitchen he retrieved a bottle of Ogden's. Draco took one look at the inside the refrigerator and knew they'd have to go to the market tomorrow. He wondered briefly if Ginny could even cook.
He checked the wards on the door and put up several more protection spells. He didn't want any unexpected visitors tonight, be it her family or his. Those calls would come soon enough. There was no reason to interrupt their sleep for them. Draco knew his furnishings weren't ideal. The leather couch and coffee table reflected his personality and lifestyle. Until today he was very content being a bachelor. Nothing said this more than the billiards table that occupied the back of the living area. Playing a game or two was often how he relaxed after a tedious day at work. He would talk to Ginny about it tomorrow.
Draco knew one could tell everything about a person from the appearance of their flat. His told him he was lonely - no friends, no family, no girlfriends to speak of. No pictures on the walls or really any reason to leave the fire burning. Unless it was his mother, he hardly received late-night Floo calls. Occasionally he would summon a liaison to accompany him for the evening, but those times were rare.
He lived comfortably on the Auror salary and what money his mother secretly sent him each month. At first he'd tried to refuse her, explaining he didn't want Lucius' blood money, but Narcissa Malfoy couldn't be swayed. If she couldn't take care of him, she'd make sure he was taken care of. She even employed a house-elf to clean his flat twice a week.
His life was his work. Since Hogwarts, Draco was satisfied with catching dark wizards. He put men and women like his father in prison regularly. The Malfoy heir lived on the outskirts of wizarding society - partly because of Lucius and partly because of a self-imposed exile. A time or two he'd considered leaving Britain completely. Going to France or Germany, or Merlin help him, America. Starting somewhere else, a place where Malfoy didn't instantly strike fear into the hearts of others. If his father and Bellatrix had waited another six months to contact him, Draco was almost certain he'd be gone. And there were only two people he'd miss - his mother and the woman sleeping in his guest bedroom.
"Nox," he commanded in the living room and darkness greeted him. Draco took his wand and his firewhisky and went back down the hall.
He peaked in on Ginny, to find her curled on her side facing the door. The moonlight was streaming over her right shoulder and she was sleeping peacefully. More than anything, he was sorry she was dragged into this. His first thought was for her well being. Which was why he knew he needed to figure out what Lucius was playing at and take care of it as soon as possible.
The sooner his father was stopped, the sooner Ginny would be safe.
Draco rubbed his thumb against the smooth metal of his wedding band.
She would be safe… and single.
Chapter 3
Draco sat outside of Ginny's bedroom for an hour waiting to see if she would need anything. As awkward and uncomfortable their situation was, the blond wanted her to feel at home. He had a feeling she might be staying with him for an extended period, considering Lucius' sick mind.
After sometime alone with his thoughts, Draco finally admitted to himself he wanted her there. The kiss at their wedding wasn't a fluke. Despite the time since he'd left Hogwarts, his feelings for Ginevra Weasley still ran deep. Draco knew his life was planned from the moment he was born. There was very little, if any, doubt about his schooling, his career, or his future. Only his parents never considered what might happen if he fell in love. For five long years he tried to make himself feel something more than friendship towards Pansy, but the spark never ignited. After snogging Ginny once, Draco felt passion like he'd never known with the Slytherin girl. It was something that couldn't have been planned.
His plans first began to change when his father was incarcerated at the end of his fifth year. Over the following six months, Draco was allowed to think things through on his own. Upon returning for his sixth year, he wasn't intent on the revenge he'd promised Potter before. He realized that summer neither his father nor Potter were right all of the time. As more time passed, Lucius' faults became more evident to his son. His father was wrong about Voldemort, his wife, and his own son.
During all of these life-altering revelations, he stumbled across Ginny. From all of the Gryffindor do-gooders, she was the one who intrigued him. It wasn't Potter for his luck and blatant stupidity, or Granger for her brains, or even Weasley for his ability to make something from nothing. It was the one everyone considered a tag-a-long. She was the one who caught Draco's attention. Although, Draco admitted, her Bat-Bogey Hex helped him notice her a lot sooner.
During his seventh year, Ginny became one of the few he allowed close to him. He left Crabbe and Goyle to their own stupidity, the rest of the Slytherins to their plans for world domination, and his father to the Dark Lord. After awhile Draco convinced himself the only thing he needed in the world was Ginny Weasley. Their relationship, though, was never serious enough to be called a relationship. In the end, Draco was just another boy added to the long list of those she snogged at Hogwarts.
Ginny Weasley was the most popular girl in all the houses. He wouldn't call her loose exactly, as he never managed to get into her pants. She told him once she was saving herself for true love, and that put an end to the conversation. Ginny was about having fun and getting to know different people. Over time, more than one bloke at Hogwarts fell in love with her. She just never returned the gesture.
Upon leaving Hogwarts, Draco entered Auror training with every intention of leaving Ginny behind. It didn't matter that he thought of her nearly every day, or would close his eyes and see her, or even that he wrote letters he eventually ended up burning. She was a Weasley. Malfoys and Weasleys did not marry and have a house full of children. Pursuing her would be suicide and Draco knew it. Though he'd long ago walked away from his father and all things dealing with the Dark Lord, he wasn't naïve. Lucius Malfoy would have them both killed before he allowed such a union to tarnish the Malfoy name.
To Draco's surprise, his father was willing to make an exception. Not long after being approached by Bellatrix, Lucius summoned him to Azkaban. Draco went under the pretenses of wanting to get back in with the Dark Lord. He claimed he'd seen the error of his ways and basically lied through his teeth. The son must have convinced the father, because the next day Lucius arranged through his solicitor for Draco to have access to the Malfoy vaults again. The truth to the whole situation was that Professor Snape advised Draco to attend the meeting and gather information that could be useful.
While in prison, Lucius developed a plan for Draco to position himself in good standing with Dumbledore and the Ministry. His job as an Auror gave him a foot in the door, but the Malfoy patriarch had devised a foolproof plan to give Draco a better standing. All in all, his son was rather bored with the idea until Ginevra Weasley was brought up. Lucius wanted Draco to seduce and marry her. In the beginning the younger man had been adamant in his refusal, but then his father mentioned two eligible suitors. Draco knew both men recently started working for the Ministry and suddenly he was trapped. There would be other casualties of war, of that he had no doubt, but Ginny would not become one. At the age of eleven she was touched by darkness and lived to tell the tale. Draco wasn't sure she was strong enough to survive that again.
That was how it happened. His father was the reason he was sitting on the floor, outside his own bedroom, hoping Ginny would come out wanting some water or to talk or for any reason, really. The light caught the platinum band she'd slipped on his left hand earlier and Draco sighed. A wedding ring was meant to represent a deep love between two people, among other things. This ring represented a business deal. He wasn't willing to sacrifice her, so he'd sacrifice himself in the process.
After some time, Draco left his post outside her door and began to wander through his flat. He was too restless to sleep. In the kitchen he retrieved a bottle of Ogden's. Draco took one look at the inside the refrigerator and knew they'd have to go to the market tomorrow. He wondered briefly if Ginny could even cook.
He checked the wards on the door and put up several more protection spells. He didn't want any unexpected visitors tonight, be it her family or his. Those calls would come soon enough. There was no reason to interrupt their sleep for them. Draco knew his furnishings weren't ideal. The leather couch and coffee table reflected his personality and lifestyle. Until today he was very content being a bachelor. Nothing said this more than the billiards table that occupied the back of the living area. Playing a game or two was often how he relaxed after a tedious day at work. He would talk to Ginny about it tomorrow.
Draco knew one could tell everything about a person from the appearance of their flat. His told him he was lonely - no friends, no family, no girlfriends to speak of. No pictures on the walls or really any reason to leave the fire burning. Unless it was his mother, he hardly received late-night Floo calls. Occasionally he would summon a liaison to accompany him for the evening, but those times were rare.
He lived comfortably on the Auror salary and what money his mother secretly sent him each month. At first he'd tried to refuse her, explaining he didn't want Lucius' blood money, but Narcissa Malfoy couldn't be swayed. If she couldn't take care of him, she'd make sure he was taken care of. She even employed a house-elf to clean his flat twice a week.
His life was his work. Since Hogwarts, Draco was satisfied with catching dark wizards. He put men and women like his father in prison regularly. The Malfoy heir lived on the outskirts of wizarding society - partly because of Lucius and partly because of a self-imposed exile. A time or two he'd considered leaving Britain completely. Going to France or Germany, or Merlin help him, America. Starting somewhere else, a place where Malfoy didn't instantly strike fear into the hearts of others. If his father and Bellatrix had waited another six months to contact him, Draco was almost certain he'd be gone. And there were only two people he'd miss - his mother and the woman sleeping in his guest bedroom.
"Nox," he commanded in the living room and darkness greeted him. Draco took his wand and his firewhisky and went back down the hall.
He peaked in on Ginny, to find her curled on her side facing the door. The moonlight was streaming over her right shoulder and she was sleeping peacefully. More than anything, he was sorry she was dragged into this. His first thought was for her well being. Which was why he knew he needed to figure out what Lucius was playing at and take care of it as soon as possible.
The sooner his father was stopped, the sooner Ginny would be safe.
Draco rubbed his thumb against the smooth metal of his wedding band.
She would be safe… and single.
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