Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and all of those affiliated with her.
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Chapter 4
The redhead was awake the next morning before the sun completely broke the horizon. Ginny noticed someone left a house robe and slippers for her during the night. She idly wondered if it was Draco. Casting the thought aside, she covered her pyjamas and went exploring.
She wandered to the balcony of her bedroom and pushed the french doors open. When they arrived the previous day it was dark and she'd been exhausted. Not to mention her entire life had changed over a weekend. To go from being single, to being engaged and then married overnight was a lot for anyone to deal with.
Draco told her before that his flat was located in Brighton, which was south of London. He said he typically Apparated into work each morning around seven and arrived home after seven each night. He didn't ask for much from her, but his one instruction was very clear – she wasn't allowed to touch anything. This was his home and she was just staying for a while.
Which made Ginny question what he meant by his comment about Malfoys and divorce. It was obvious that he couldn't wait for her to leave. However, for as long as it lasted, Ginny planned to enjoy the luxury of being a Malfoy. Despite his warning, she fully intended to enjoy Draco's flat. His spacious home was certainly better than her three-room flat in London.
His flat was situated on a cliff overlooking the English Channel. Her bedroom was large enough to fit her entire flat and the view was spectacular. Three of the walls housed large picture windows and provided a breathtaking view of the waterway. As she looked out the window, Ginny felt an amazing peace come over her. If Draco let her, she would stay there forever.
After some time she went in search for her husband. She hadn't heard any noise since awakening and absently wondered if he'd gone into work. She didn't think so, as they were supposed to be honeymooning. According to the owl from Percy, the Ministry didn't expect either of them back for at least a week. He said that if they needed more time, to be sure to let their superiors know – but Ginny noted sadly, her brother hadn't bothered to congratulate them. She was more than concerned as to how her family was taking the news of their nuptials, but she couldn't allow herself to think about it. Pushing those thoughts aside, she went in search of Draco.
In the hall outside her room she was greeted with silence. The previous night he'd indicated the room across the hall was his, but the door was pulled closed. Ginny knocked gently. "Draco?"
When the redhead didn't receive an answer, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. From the look of his bed it was apparent that it was slept on, but not in. The covers revealed the indention of a body and his robes from the night before were tossed over the back of a chair. There was a fire going and a light coming from his bathroom. She stood in the middle of his room, and turned slowly. Her eye was caught by his row of windows and she started over, wanting to see his view as well.
"What're you doing?" a cold voice asked from behind her.
She jumped slightly at the closeness of his voice. How long had he been standing there? "Draco—"
"You're in my room."
"I'm sorry," Ginny stuttered. "I thought maybe you went to work."
"On our honeymoon, Weasley?" he questioned. "This marriage is supposed to appear real."
"Oh." She crossed her arms across her chest and turned back toward the window. Ginny was unprepared for his coldness. "Your view is different from mine. What're those hills off in the distance?"
Draco took a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck. "Why are you in my room?"
"I was looking for you. You didn't sleep in your bed."
He didn't feel like the statement required a response, but he gave her one anyway. "I slept a few hours. I woke up early so I went to get breakfast."
The redhead looked back over her shoulder at him. "Breakfast?"
"It's in the living room. Why are you in my room?"
She frowned at his persistence, before she sighed and gave him an answer. "I woke up to silence. I thought you'd left me alone. Last night you said this was your room, so it was only logical that I look for you here," Ginny explained.
"This is my room." Draco turned away and left her standing by the window. "Breakfast is waiting."
The redhead could do nothing but follow him. Ginny watched as he sat down on the far end of the couch and reached for a cup. "Tea," he indicated. "There's another." She took the second cup before sitting down across from him. "I didn't know what you liked for breakfast, so I bought a selection."
From where she was sitting, it looked like he might have bought everything on the menu. She could see muffins, scones, biscuits, croissants, and a few things she couldn't identify. They were also in every variety she could think of. Ginny also saw smaller jars, containing jam and butter. After a moment she reached for a chocolate croissant. When Draco snickered, her hand stopped mid-air and she looked at him. "What?"
"No, take it," her husband instructed. "I bought them for you. I just find it odd you like chocolate first thing in the morning."
"If you didn't want me to eat it, you shouldn't have bought them," her temper flared.
"Eat it, Weasley."
"Ginny," she corrected. "That's the second time you've used my last name this morning."
"Your last name is Malfoy, or did you forget?"
Holding up her left hand, showcasing the wedding band, Ginny did her best impression of his smirk. "How could I?"
Draco didn't respond and continued to drink his tea. Somewhere along the way, he'd also produced a Daily Prophet and was reading it. On the front page, there was a picture of them leaving the Ministry of Magic the previous day. His eyes narrowed – he didn't recall seeing any photographers as they left. For a moment his gaze softened as he studied the smile on his new wife's face. Was it possible she wasn't as displeased as he thought? "Weas—Ginny, did you tell your family we were getting married?"
"Not yet."
"What about the engagement?"
She reached for another croissant. "No. Why?"
He held up the paper for her and Ginny focused on the giant headline. In bold letters splashed across the front page she read in horror MALFOY HEIR TAKES BRIDE. "They know."
The redhead yanked the paper from his hands and immediately started skimming the article. She noted in distaste that the cow, Rita Skeeter, wrote the piece. Immediately she knew it was all a pack of lies.
"Blackmail… nemesis… daughter of Arthur Weasley… former heir to Malfoy millions… pregnant… pregnant?" Ginny dropped the paper. "I'm not pregnant!"
"I would hope not."
"Who told them I was pregnant? That means… oh no… Draco, do you know what that means?" All the colour drained from her face and she looked at him.
"That they're happy for us?" he guessed.
She put her face into her hands. "If my family reads this, they're going to think I'm pregnant. They'll think we got married because we had to. Because we were sleeping together and you got me pregnant… It means my family will think you and I have had…" Ginny trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"Sex?" Draco guessed.
Her face still in her hands, she nodded mutely.
"Would that be so bad, Gin?"
A second later, Draco regretted his question. At that very moment, there was a loud banging on the front door. "Malfoy! I know you're in there! Open up! I want to see my sister! Open the damn door you slimy git! I want to see Ginny!"
Draco and Ginny exchanged glances, both of them grimacing. Ron Weasley was at the door with what sounded like a herd of elephants. But Ginny knew very likely it was only her brothers.
Chapter 4
The redhead was awake the next morning before the sun completely broke the horizon. Ginny noticed someone left a house robe and slippers for her during the night. She idly wondered if it was Draco. Casting the thought aside, she covered her pyjamas and went exploring.
She wandered to the balcony of her bedroom and pushed the french doors open. When they arrived the previous day it was dark and she'd been exhausted. Not to mention her entire life had changed over a weekend. To go from being single, to being engaged and then married overnight was a lot for anyone to deal with.
Draco told her before that his flat was located in Brighton, which was south of London. He said he typically Apparated into work each morning around seven and arrived home after seven each night. He didn't ask for much from her, but his one instruction was very clear – she wasn't allowed to touch anything. This was his home and she was just staying for a while.
Which made Ginny question what he meant by his comment about Malfoys and divorce. It was obvious that he couldn't wait for her to leave. However, for as long as it lasted, Ginny planned to enjoy the luxury of being a Malfoy. Despite his warning, she fully intended to enjoy Draco's flat. His spacious home was certainly better than her three-room flat in London.
His flat was situated on a cliff overlooking the English Channel. Her bedroom was large enough to fit her entire flat and the view was spectacular. Three of the walls housed large picture windows and provided a breathtaking view of the waterway. As she looked out the window, Ginny felt an amazing peace come over her. If Draco let her, she would stay there forever.
After some time she went in search for her husband. She hadn't heard any noise since awakening and absently wondered if he'd gone into work. She didn't think so, as they were supposed to be honeymooning. According to the owl from Percy, the Ministry didn't expect either of them back for at least a week. He said that if they needed more time, to be sure to let their superiors know – but Ginny noted sadly, her brother hadn't bothered to congratulate them. She was more than concerned as to how her family was taking the news of their nuptials, but she couldn't allow herself to think about it. Pushing those thoughts aside, she went in search of Draco.
In the hall outside her room she was greeted with silence. The previous night he'd indicated the room across the hall was his, but the door was pulled closed. Ginny knocked gently. "Draco?"
When the redhead didn't receive an answer, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. From the look of his bed it was apparent that it was slept on, but not in. The covers revealed the indention of a body and his robes from the night before were tossed over the back of a chair. There was a fire going and a light coming from his bathroom. She stood in the middle of his room, and turned slowly. Her eye was caught by his row of windows and she started over, wanting to see his view as well.
"What're you doing?" a cold voice asked from behind her.
She jumped slightly at the closeness of his voice. How long had he been standing there? "Draco—"
"You're in my room."
"I'm sorry," Ginny stuttered. "I thought maybe you went to work."
"On our honeymoon, Weasley?" he questioned. "This marriage is supposed to appear real."
"Oh." She crossed her arms across her chest and turned back toward the window. Ginny was unprepared for his coldness. "Your view is different from mine. What're those hills off in the distance?"
Draco took a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck. "Why are you in my room?"
"I was looking for you. You didn't sleep in your bed."
He didn't feel like the statement required a response, but he gave her one anyway. "I slept a few hours. I woke up early so I went to get breakfast."
The redhead looked back over her shoulder at him. "Breakfast?"
"It's in the living room. Why are you in my room?"
She frowned at his persistence, before she sighed and gave him an answer. "I woke up to silence. I thought you'd left me alone. Last night you said this was your room, so it was only logical that I look for you here," Ginny explained.
"This is my room." Draco turned away and left her standing by the window. "Breakfast is waiting."
The redhead could do nothing but follow him. Ginny watched as he sat down on the far end of the couch and reached for a cup. "Tea," he indicated. "There's another." She took the second cup before sitting down across from him. "I didn't know what you liked for breakfast, so I bought a selection."
From where she was sitting, it looked like he might have bought everything on the menu. She could see muffins, scones, biscuits, croissants, and a few things she couldn't identify. They were also in every variety she could think of. Ginny also saw smaller jars, containing jam and butter. After a moment she reached for a chocolate croissant. When Draco snickered, her hand stopped mid-air and she looked at him. "What?"
"No, take it," her husband instructed. "I bought them for you. I just find it odd you like chocolate first thing in the morning."
"If you didn't want me to eat it, you shouldn't have bought them," her temper flared.
"Eat it, Weasley."
"Ginny," she corrected. "That's the second time you've used my last name this morning."
"Your last name is Malfoy, or did you forget?"
Holding up her left hand, showcasing the wedding band, Ginny did her best impression of his smirk. "How could I?"
Draco didn't respond and continued to drink his tea. Somewhere along the way, he'd also produced a Daily Prophet and was reading it. On the front page, there was a picture of them leaving the Ministry of Magic the previous day. His eyes narrowed – he didn't recall seeing any photographers as they left. For a moment his gaze softened as he studied the smile on his new wife's face. Was it possible she wasn't as displeased as he thought? "Weas—Ginny, did you tell your family we were getting married?"
"Not yet."
"What about the engagement?"
She reached for another croissant. "No. Why?"
He held up the paper for her and Ginny focused on the giant headline. In bold letters splashed across the front page she read in horror MALFOY HEIR TAKES BRIDE. "They know."
The redhead yanked the paper from his hands and immediately started skimming the article. She noted in distaste that the cow, Rita Skeeter, wrote the piece. Immediately she knew it was all a pack of lies.
"Blackmail… nemesis… daughter of Arthur Weasley… former heir to Malfoy millions… pregnant… pregnant?" Ginny dropped the paper. "I'm not pregnant!"
"I would hope not."
"Who told them I was pregnant? That means… oh no… Draco, do you know what that means?" All the colour drained from her face and she looked at him.
"That they're happy for us?" he guessed.
She put her face into her hands. "If my family reads this, they're going to think I'm pregnant. They'll think we got married because we had to. Because we were sleeping together and you got me pregnant… It means my family will think you and I have had…" Ginny trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
"Sex?" Draco guessed.
Her face still in her hands, she nodded mutely.
"Would that be so bad, Gin?"
A second later, Draco regretted his question. At that very moment, there was a loud banging on the front door. "Malfoy! I know you're in there! Open up! I want to see my sister! Open the damn door you slimy git! I want to see Ginny!"
Draco and Ginny exchanged glances, both of them grimacing. Ron Weasley was at the door with what sounded like a herd of elephants. But Ginny knew very likely it was only her brothers.
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