The Broken Road, Chapter 15: Revivifying
“Draco Malfoy?” Molly Weasley boomed. Ginny cringed. “The man you’ve been sleeping with – the one you were telling me about – is Draco Malfoy?”
“Now, Mum,” Ginny said soothingly. “There’s no need to go and get upset about this. After all, you’re the one who told me that it was all right.”
“That was before I knew who it was!” Molly said, slamming the frying pan onto the stove for emphasis.
“So it’s all right to condone me sleeping with some random bloke that you don’t even know, but it’s not all right for it to be Malfoy?”
Molly pursed her lips together and refused to answer as she placed the strips of bacon into the pan.
“You know, he’s really not – he’s-“ she searched for the right words to make her mother understand. “He’s not completely abhorrent,” she finished finally.
“Oh, well that just makes it so much better.”
“Mum, I told you that we fight more than anything else,” Ginny protested. “But he has his moments when he can be tolerable. I had dinner with him and his Mum two nights ago, and she was really decent to me.”
Molly stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her daughter. “You had dinner with Narcissa Malfoy?”
“Yes,” Ginny said, relieved that her Mother was actually starting to look interested. “And it was lovely, and she was very hospitable. Neither one of them uttered so much as an unkind word to me all evening.”
“Why did he take you to meet her? Did you ask him to?”
“Absolutely not. He said that she was going to see us together in the papers, and he wanted me to meet her before she found out about me the other way.”
“How smart of him,” Molly sniffed, turning her back to Ginny again. “Too bad for me that my daughter didn’t afford me the same courtesy.”
“Mum, it never even crossed my mind,” Ginny said, surprised. “I thought that since we’d talked about it and you were okay with it, it wouldn’t matter who it was that I was sleeping with.”
“But you’re not just sleeping with him, are you? You’re going out on dates and such.”
“Yes, well,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes before she turned to glance out the window. “That’s his idea, not mine.”
“Do you not want to date him?”
“I’m not dating him, Mum. We’re using each other. It actually works out quite nicely, I’d say.”
“Using each other? To what purpose?”
“I’m using him for sex, and he’s using me to get back at Harry for everything that Harry’s ever done to him.”
“And you’re just letting him hurt Harry like that?” Molly asked incredulously. “I thought you loved Harry.”
“I thought I did, too,” Ginny said softly. “And I thought Harry loved me, but obviously I was very mistaken. Besides, it’s not like I have to interact with Harry. Malfoy and I go out, they take our pictures, and publish them the next morning. I’m not really doing anything.”
“Is he paying you?” Molly asked suspiciously.
“Mum!” Ginny snapped. “I am not now, nor will I ever be, a whore. No, he is not paying me. I am doing this of my own free will. I already told you that I get something out of it, too.”
“Are you planning on marrying this young man anytime in the future?”
“Absolutely not!” Ginny snorted. “Does Malfoy look like the type who would settle down – and with me, no less?”
“So you’re good enough to sleep with, but not good enough to marry?”
“Mum!” Ginny rubbed her face with her hands and shook her head. “I don’t really care about marriage right now. It’s honestly the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Do you at least get some romance out of the deal?” Molly pleaded. Ginny gave her a wry smile.
“We have romantic moments, though I’d be willing to bet my entire life’s savings that they are all completely accidental.”
Molly sat down heavily at the table and eyed her only female offspring. “Your brothers aren’t going to take this sitting down, you know.”
“I realize that. That’s why I wanted to keep it a secret for so long.”
“Ron will be especially furious.”
“I know. Trust me, I know.”
“Perhaps you should bring him over here to have dinner with the family, and –“
“No!” Ginny cut her off, shaking her head vehemently. “It’d be like bringing a sacrificial lamb into the lion’s den!”
“Why don’t you ask him, and let him decide?” Molly suggested gently. “If the two of you are going to be seen together for any amount of time, I would at least like to meet him.”
“I really don’t think that that’s such a good idea, Mum. He’s not exactly the nicest person in the world.”
“What if it was just dinner with your Dad and I? Would that make it any better?”
“I don’t know,” Ginny said uncertainly.
“Ask him,” Molly insisted. “Ask him, and see what he says. Then let me know.”
“You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Ginny protested. “But I’ll try.”
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
“What can I get for you this fine afternoon, Mrs. Potter?” The barista at this particular coffee shop had always been very nice to Ginny – which was why she kept coming back, and recommending people to get their coffee there as well. She had a feeling that the woman knew that Ginny was responsible for nearly half of her business, and wondered if that was the reason behind the politeness. “The usual?”
“No, actually I’m in sort of a mood today, believe it or not,” Ginny laughed. “How about the usual with vanilla instead of chocolate?”
“Coming right up.”
“Make that two,” a male voice behind her said. She frowned and blew out a sigh as the barista nodded and began working on the coffees. Ginny didn’t turn around.
“What are you doing here?”
“This has always been your favorite coffee shop, and you’ve always taken coffee on Tuesday mornings here,” the man supplied.
“So you just happened to be here at the same exact time that you knew I would be?”
“Two vanillas,” the barista said, placing them on the counter. Ginny started to pay for hers, when the money for both of the drinks was placed on the counter by a calloused hand. She turned and glared at him.
“I don’t need you to pay for my coffee,” she snapped, finally meeting his emerald eyes. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t follow me around.” She threw her own money down on the counter, grabbed her coffee, and stormed out of the shop. She’d gotten a block away when she felt him behind her.
“So I can’t even pay for your coffee now?” he asked, sounding stung.
“You don’t get to have anything to do with me anymore,” she clarified, still walking.
“I can’t pay for a coffee, but Malfoy can wine and dine you?” he asked bitterly. She stopped and turned to glare at him.
“Exactly what are you insinuating, Harry?”
“I’m not insinuating anything, Ginny,” he returned, narrowing his eyes at her. “I’m saying it outright.”
“Funny, I haven’t heard you say anything that was worth listening to.”
“So you’re content to let him parade you around like his whore?”
“Don’t you dare call me that,” she hissed dangerously. “Don’t ever call me that. I’m with him because I choose to be, not because of what he can give me!”
“How can you do this to me?” he demanded. “You’re making me look like a fool by letting my enemy use you this way!”
“Everything’s always about you, isn’t it, Harry?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I couldn’t possibly be seeing Draco Malfoy for any reason other than to get back at you and make you look like a fool, is that it?”
“Well, you know what they say,” he said, his eyes still sparkling with anger. “If the shoe fits…”
“Don’t be a damned idiot, Harry,” she said, regaining some of her composure. “I have reasons for seeing Draco, and they have nothing to do with his money, I can assure you.” She enjoyed the scarlet color that rose into his cheeks as he realized what she meant.
“So you are his whore!” Harry cried angrily. Ginny felt the heat rising into her own cheeks as she stepped forward and slapped him.
“I told you not to call me that!” she snarled.
“What else do you call it?” he asked, rubbing his cheek gently. “He takes you out to fancy restaurants and foots the bill, and you sleep with him in return? The last time I checked, that would make you a-“ She silently dared him to say it. He shook his head.
“Don’t people in relationships sleep together?” she hurled at him. “Isn’t that what we did, Harry? And didn’t you take me out to fancy places and foot the bill before we were married?”
“That doesn’t count!” he protested. “We were in love! You know Malfoy doesn’t love you – he doesn’t love anyone but himself!”
“Then the two of you have something in common, don’t you?” she returned.
“How can you say that? Ginny, you know I loved you! I would have done anything for you!”
“Anything except stay faithful, apparently.”
“That’s not fair. I can’t control who I fall in love with any more than you can.”
“Maybe not, but you could have controlled whether or not you slept with someone else!”
“So you’re not in love with him, then?”
“What?” she asked, startled by the question.
“I just said that I can’t control who I fall in love with any more than you can, and instead of telling me that you love him, you turned it back on me. You’re not in love with him, are you?”
“Don’t pretend to know what I feel,” she said, hoping that he didn’t hear her voice shaking. “My private life is just that – private. I didn’t talk about you to anyone when we were together, and I won’t talk about him, either.”
“Why are you so hell-bent on defending him? You know that if he was in the same position he wouldn’t return the favor!”
“Do I care about that?” she yelled. Passerby had stopped walking to watch the spectacle unfolding in front of them, though Ginny paid them no mind. “Go ahead and ask me if I care whether or not Draco Malfoy would defend me,” she dared.
“Surely your Mother can’t approve of this,” Harry said weakly, glancing at the people who had stopped and were staring.
“My Mother supports me, no matter what I do!”
“I find it hard to believe that your Mum would approve of you with Malfoy.”
“If she didn’t approve of him, why would she invite him over for dinner?” Ginny retorted, feeling smug.
“Malfoy is going to have dinner at the Burrow?” Harry asked, stung. It was only when she saw the look on his face that she realized how much her barb had actually hurt him. He hadn’t been welcome in her family home since news of their divorce and his infidelity had become public fodder, and here she was, telling him that his worst enemy was welcome where he was not.
“Harry,” she said, her voice softer now. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. We’re divorced, and I’m moving on with my life. Move on with yours, and leave me be, please.”
“I’ve tried,” he said miserably, slumping against the wall of the building they’d been arguing in front of. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I don’t know why, but I can’t.”
“You can’t accept me moving on, or you can’t accept that I’ve moved on to someone that you don’t approve of?” she asked firmly. “Either way, it’s out of your hands. I decide who I keep company with, and you have no bearing on that decision.”
“I can’t stand the thought that he’s just going to use you and then toss you aside,” he said, his posture straightening a little bit.
“Why not? You pretty much did the same thing, Harry.” She watched his jaw drop, and he stuttered for a moment before falling silent. “I’m leaving now, and I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.”
She didn’t look back as she made her way down the street.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
When she stepped inside her flat, the first thing she was aware of was the spicy scent of his cologne. The second thing that caught her attention was his customary white, button-down shirt slung neatly across the arm of her sofa. She sat her coffee cup down on an end table and unbuttoned her coat, tossing it over his shirt.
She moved into the hallway, where she noticed his shoes placed neatly beside the bedroom door. Getting the hint, she removed her shoes and placed them next to his before she pushed the bedroom door open. His slacks were folded perfectly and rested on the top of her dresser. Her eyes wandered over the room, dimly lit with candles, and came to rest on his naked form, stretched out on her bed atop the coverlet.
“You were supposed to be naked by the time you got in here,” he drawled, eyeing her.
“I caught on late,” she said. She shrugged out of her shirt and jeans, and approached him in her bra and knickers. “I really appreciate the whole seduction scene and all, but why bother? By this time you know I’m a sure thing. Seduction isn’t necessary.”
“Who says it was for you?” he asked coolly. She sighed and removed the rest of her clothing before sliding onto the bed next to him. Immediately his hands were on her, caressing the smooth skin of her outer thigh. She exhaled slowly and let her eyes flutter closed. “Have a stressful day?”
“What’s next, are you going to want to talk about the weather?” she asked.
“I was only being polite.”
“Well you can save it for someone else,” she snapped. His hand stopped moving, and he frowned at her.
“First you want some common courtesy, and then when I give it to you, you tell me to save it,” he said, his eyes hardening. “Which one is it?”
“Look, I’m sorry,” she breathed, her eyes still closed. She missed the genuine look of surprise that passed across his features. “I did have a bad day, and I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“Apology accepted,” he said regally. She grinned and opened her eyes to find him staring intensely at her.
“What?”
“How is he, then?”
“Who?”
“Potter.”
“How did you know it was him?” He gave her a look that clearly told her she was daft for even asking, and she fought the smile that tried to turn her lips up again. “He’s fine – a bit on the slow side, but otherwise unscathed.”
“I doubt that,” he drawled, his hand finally resuming its movement.
“Am I that transparent that you knew the source of my anger?”
“You don’t have to be transparent for that,” he said coolly, letting his hand glide across the slightly curved surface of her stomach. “Potter brings out the best in a lot of us.”
She giggled, despite the tingling sensation that his hand was creating on her skin. “Apparently.”
“Let me guess – the argument was about yours truly?”
“If you weren’t so arrogant, I’d be surprised that you reached that conclusion,” she said, watching his expression. “You should be pleased.”
“Why is that?”
“Your association with me is having the precise effect that you wanted it to have. Harry is practically going bonkers over the thought of you and I together.”
“You make it sound like a business transaction,” he said, wrinkling his nose slightly in distaste.
“Isn’t that what it- ungh,” she uttered, rendered speechless as his mouth descended on her neck. He explored the skin of her neck and the sensitive spot just under her ear before coming to rest on her collarbone. He sucked lightly, and heat flooded through her.
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk entirely too much?” he murmured, letting his hand drift down across her belly, in search of places more sensitive to the touch of his fingers. She arched her back in response as he found what he sought.
“Often,” she managed, gasping. How in the world was he able to carry on a conversation when he was assaulting her body like this? She wondered vaguely. He surprised her by choosing to use his mouth for other purposes besides their conversation.
Just as the first wave of her climax washed over her, he asked, “So when am I having dinner with your parents?”
“Draco Malfoy?” Molly Weasley boomed. Ginny cringed. “The man you’ve been sleeping with – the one you were telling me about – is Draco Malfoy?”
“Now, Mum,” Ginny said soothingly. “There’s no need to go and get upset about this. After all, you’re the one who told me that it was all right.”
“That was before I knew who it was!” Molly said, slamming the frying pan onto the stove for emphasis.
“So it’s all right to condone me sleeping with some random bloke that you don’t even know, but it’s not all right for it to be Malfoy?”
Molly pursed her lips together and refused to answer as she placed the strips of bacon into the pan.
“You know, he’s really not – he’s-“ she searched for the right words to make her mother understand. “He’s not completely abhorrent,” she finished finally.
“Oh, well that just makes it so much better.”
“Mum, I told you that we fight more than anything else,” Ginny protested. “But he has his moments when he can be tolerable. I had dinner with him and his Mum two nights ago, and she was really decent to me.”
Molly stopped what she was doing and turned to look at her daughter. “You had dinner with Narcissa Malfoy?”
“Yes,” Ginny said, relieved that her Mother was actually starting to look interested. “And it was lovely, and she was very hospitable. Neither one of them uttered so much as an unkind word to me all evening.”
“Why did he take you to meet her? Did you ask him to?”
“Absolutely not. He said that she was going to see us together in the papers, and he wanted me to meet her before she found out about me the other way.”
“How smart of him,” Molly sniffed, turning her back to Ginny again. “Too bad for me that my daughter didn’t afford me the same courtesy.”
“Mum, it never even crossed my mind,” Ginny said, surprised. “I thought that since we’d talked about it and you were okay with it, it wouldn’t matter who it was that I was sleeping with.”
“But you’re not just sleeping with him, are you? You’re going out on dates and such.”
“Yes, well,” Ginny said, rolling her eyes before she turned to glance out the window. “That’s his idea, not mine.”
“Do you not want to date him?”
“I’m not dating him, Mum. We’re using each other. It actually works out quite nicely, I’d say.”
“Using each other? To what purpose?”
“I’m using him for sex, and he’s using me to get back at Harry for everything that Harry’s ever done to him.”
“And you’re just letting him hurt Harry like that?” Molly asked incredulously. “I thought you loved Harry.”
“I thought I did, too,” Ginny said softly. “And I thought Harry loved me, but obviously I was very mistaken. Besides, it’s not like I have to interact with Harry. Malfoy and I go out, they take our pictures, and publish them the next morning. I’m not really doing anything.”
“Is he paying you?” Molly asked suspiciously.
“Mum!” Ginny snapped. “I am not now, nor will I ever be, a whore. No, he is not paying me. I am doing this of my own free will. I already told you that I get something out of it, too.”
“Are you planning on marrying this young man anytime in the future?”
“Absolutely not!” Ginny snorted. “Does Malfoy look like the type who would settle down – and with me, no less?”
“So you’re good enough to sleep with, but not good enough to marry?”
“Mum!” Ginny rubbed her face with her hands and shook her head. “I don’t really care about marriage right now. It’s honestly the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Do you at least get some romance out of the deal?” Molly pleaded. Ginny gave her a wry smile.
“We have romantic moments, though I’d be willing to bet my entire life’s savings that they are all completely accidental.”
Molly sat down heavily at the table and eyed her only female offspring. “Your brothers aren’t going to take this sitting down, you know.”
“I realize that. That’s why I wanted to keep it a secret for so long.”
“Ron will be especially furious.”
“I know. Trust me, I know.”
“Perhaps you should bring him over here to have dinner with the family, and –“
“No!” Ginny cut her off, shaking her head vehemently. “It’d be like bringing a sacrificial lamb into the lion’s den!”
“Why don’t you ask him, and let him decide?” Molly suggested gently. “If the two of you are going to be seen together for any amount of time, I would at least like to meet him.”
“I really don’t think that that’s such a good idea, Mum. He’s not exactly the nicest person in the world.”
“What if it was just dinner with your Dad and I? Would that make it any better?”
“I don’t know,” Ginny said uncertainly.
“Ask him,” Molly insisted. “Ask him, and see what he says. Then let me know.”
“You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into,” Ginny protested. “But I’ll try.”
“What can I get for you this fine afternoon, Mrs. Potter?” The barista at this particular coffee shop had always been very nice to Ginny – which was why she kept coming back, and recommending people to get their coffee there as well. She had a feeling that the woman knew that Ginny was responsible for nearly half of her business, and wondered if that was the reason behind the politeness. “The usual?”
“No, actually I’m in sort of a mood today, believe it or not,” Ginny laughed. “How about the usual with vanilla instead of chocolate?”
“Coming right up.”
“Make that two,” a male voice behind her said. She frowned and blew out a sigh as the barista nodded and began working on the coffees. Ginny didn’t turn around.
“What are you doing here?”
“This has always been your favorite coffee shop, and you’ve always taken coffee on Tuesday mornings here,” the man supplied.
“So you just happened to be here at the same exact time that you knew I would be?”
“Two vanillas,” the barista said, placing them on the counter. Ginny started to pay for hers, when the money for both of the drinks was placed on the counter by a calloused hand. She turned and glared at him.
“I don’t need you to pay for my coffee,” she snapped, finally meeting his emerald eyes. “And I’d appreciate it if you didn’t follow me around.” She threw her own money down on the counter, grabbed her coffee, and stormed out of the shop. She’d gotten a block away when she felt him behind her.
“So I can’t even pay for your coffee now?” he asked, sounding stung.
“You don’t get to have anything to do with me anymore,” she clarified, still walking.
“I can’t pay for a coffee, but Malfoy can wine and dine you?” he asked bitterly. She stopped and turned to glare at him.
“Exactly what are you insinuating, Harry?”
“I’m not insinuating anything, Ginny,” he returned, narrowing his eyes at her. “I’m saying it outright.”
“Funny, I haven’t heard you say anything that was worth listening to.”
“So you’re content to let him parade you around like his whore?”
“Don’t you dare call me that,” she hissed dangerously. “Don’t ever call me that. I’m with him because I choose to be, not because of what he can give me!”
“How can you do this to me?” he demanded. “You’re making me look like a fool by letting my enemy use you this way!”
“Everything’s always about you, isn’t it, Harry?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I couldn’t possibly be seeing Draco Malfoy for any reason other than to get back at you and make you look like a fool, is that it?”
“Well, you know what they say,” he said, his eyes still sparkling with anger. “If the shoe fits…”
“Don’t be a damned idiot, Harry,” she said, regaining some of her composure. “I have reasons for seeing Draco, and they have nothing to do with his money, I can assure you.” She enjoyed the scarlet color that rose into his cheeks as he realized what she meant.
“So you are his whore!” Harry cried angrily. Ginny felt the heat rising into her own cheeks as she stepped forward and slapped him.
“I told you not to call me that!” she snarled.
“What else do you call it?” he asked, rubbing his cheek gently. “He takes you out to fancy restaurants and foots the bill, and you sleep with him in return? The last time I checked, that would make you a-“ She silently dared him to say it. He shook his head.
“Don’t people in relationships sleep together?” she hurled at him. “Isn’t that what we did, Harry? And didn’t you take me out to fancy places and foot the bill before we were married?”
“That doesn’t count!” he protested. “We were in love! You know Malfoy doesn’t love you – he doesn’t love anyone but himself!”
“Then the two of you have something in common, don’t you?” she returned.
“How can you say that? Ginny, you know I loved you! I would have done anything for you!”
“Anything except stay faithful, apparently.”
“That’s not fair. I can’t control who I fall in love with any more than you can.”
“Maybe not, but you could have controlled whether or not you slept with someone else!”
“So you’re not in love with him, then?”
“What?” she asked, startled by the question.
“I just said that I can’t control who I fall in love with any more than you can, and instead of telling me that you love him, you turned it back on me. You’re not in love with him, are you?”
“Don’t pretend to know what I feel,” she said, hoping that he didn’t hear her voice shaking. “My private life is just that – private. I didn’t talk about you to anyone when we were together, and I won’t talk about him, either.”
“Why are you so hell-bent on defending him? You know that if he was in the same position he wouldn’t return the favor!”
“Do I care about that?” she yelled. Passerby had stopped walking to watch the spectacle unfolding in front of them, though Ginny paid them no mind. “Go ahead and ask me if I care whether or not Draco Malfoy would defend me,” she dared.
“Surely your Mother can’t approve of this,” Harry said weakly, glancing at the people who had stopped and were staring.
“My Mother supports me, no matter what I do!”
“I find it hard to believe that your Mum would approve of you with Malfoy.”
“If she didn’t approve of him, why would she invite him over for dinner?” Ginny retorted, feeling smug.
“Malfoy is going to have dinner at the Burrow?” Harry asked, stung. It was only when she saw the look on his face that she realized how much her barb had actually hurt him. He hadn’t been welcome in her family home since news of their divorce and his infidelity had become public fodder, and here she was, telling him that his worst enemy was welcome where he was not.
“Harry,” she said, her voice softer now. “Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. We’re divorced, and I’m moving on with my life. Move on with yours, and leave me be, please.”
“I’ve tried,” he said miserably, slumping against the wall of the building they’d been arguing in front of. “Believe me, I’ve tried. I don’t know why, but I can’t.”
“You can’t accept me moving on, or you can’t accept that I’ve moved on to someone that you don’t approve of?” she asked firmly. “Either way, it’s out of your hands. I decide who I keep company with, and you have no bearing on that decision.”
“I can’t stand the thought that he’s just going to use you and then toss you aside,” he said, his posture straightening a little bit.
“Why not? You pretty much did the same thing, Harry.” She watched his jaw drop, and he stuttered for a moment before falling silent. “I’m leaving now, and I’d appreciate it if you left me alone.”
She didn’t look back as she made her way down the street.
When she stepped inside her flat, the first thing she was aware of was the spicy scent of his cologne. The second thing that caught her attention was his customary white, button-down shirt slung neatly across the arm of her sofa. She sat her coffee cup down on an end table and unbuttoned her coat, tossing it over his shirt.
She moved into the hallway, where she noticed his shoes placed neatly beside the bedroom door. Getting the hint, she removed her shoes and placed them next to his before she pushed the bedroom door open. His slacks were folded perfectly and rested on the top of her dresser. Her eyes wandered over the room, dimly lit with candles, and came to rest on his naked form, stretched out on her bed atop the coverlet.
“You were supposed to be naked by the time you got in here,” he drawled, eyeing her.
“I caught on late,” she said. She shrugged out of her shirt and jeans, and approached him in her bra and knickers. “I really appreciate the whole seduction scene and all, but why bother? By this time you know I’m a sure thing. Seduction isn’t necessary.”
“Who says it was for you?” he asked coolly. She sighed and removed the rest of her clothing before sliding onto the bed next to him. Immediately his hands were on her, caressing the smooth skin of her outer thigh. She exhaled slowly and let her eyes flutter closed. “Have a stressful day?”
“What’s next, are you going to want to talk about the weather?” she asked.
“I was only being polite.”
“Well you can save it for someone else,” she snapped. His hand stopped moving, and he frowned at her.
“First you want some common courtesy, and then when I give it to you, you tell me to save it,” he said, his eyes hardening. “Which one is it?”
“Look, I’m sorry,” she breathed, her eyes still closed. She missed the genuine look of surprise that passed across his features. “I did have a bad day, and I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
“Apology accepted,” he said regally. She grinned and opened her eyes to find him staring intensely at her.
“What?”
“How is he, then?”
“Who?”
“Potter.”
“How did you know it was him?” He gave her a look that clearly told her she was daft for even asking, and she fought the smile that tried to turn her lips up again. “He’s fine – a bit on the slow side, but otherwise unscathed.”
“I doubt that,” he drawled, his hand finally resuming its movement.
“Am I that transparent that you knew the source of my anger?”
“You don’t have to be transparent for that,” he said coolly, letting his hand glide across the slightly curved surface of her stomach. “Potter brings out the best in a lot of us.”
She giggled, despite the tingling sensation that his hand was creating on her skin. “Apparently.”
“Let me guess – the argument was about yours truly?”
“If you weren’t so arrogant, I’d be surprised that you reached that conclusion,” she said, watching his expression. “You should be pleased.”
“Why is that?”
“Your association with me is having the precise effect that you wanted it to have. Harry is practically going bonkers over the thought of you and I together.”
“You make it sound like a business transaction,” he said, wrinkling his nose slightly in distaste.
“Isn’t that what it- ungh,” she uttered, rendered speechless as his mouth descended on her neck. He explored the skin of her neck and the sensitive spot just under her ear before coming to rest on her collarbone. He sucked lightly, and heat flooded through her.
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk entirely too much?” he murmured, letting his hand drift down across her belly, in search of places more sensitive to the touch of his fingers. She arched her back in response as he found what he sought.
“Often,” she managed, gasping. How in the world was he able to carry on a conversation when he was assaulting her body like this? She wondered vaguely. He surprised her by choosing to use his mouth for other purposes besides their conversation.
Just as the first wave of her climax washed over her, he asked, “So when am I having dinner with your parents?”
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