Once they reached the street Draco stopped and looked around. He watched as Ginny slipped on her black velvet coat and gave him a tiny smile. There was an unsettled feeling in his stomach when her mouth turned upward like that. He let out a slow breath and brushed a hand through his fine, blond hair.
When Ginny went to reach for his hand, Draco stiffened again. “Sorry,” he said quietly, as she Apparated them to the restaurant of her choice.
They landed nicely in front of a small Italian-looking place, that Draco did not recognize.
“It’s not very well-known,” Ginny told him softly. “So we’ll have some privacy at least.”
Draco grinned slightly. “Is that so?” he whispered, eyes gleaming.
Ginny looked at him sheepishly as she stepped inside the restaurant, but said nothing until they were seated. It was evident that this place was very romantic and cozy, because there were couples lying together on tiny sofa’s across the room. Draco took a sip of water from the glasses that were filled for them and blinked at Ginny.
“If it was privacy you wanted-” he said quietly with a smirk, “—then we should go back to your flat.”
“That’s not what I-” Ginny interrupted him as their waitress wandered over to show them the wine list.
After perusing it, Draco smiled and said, “A simple red wine should do. Thank you.”
As she left, Draco saw Ginny fiddling with her napkin, and chewing on her bottom lip.
She glanced at him and shrugged. “I do that when I’m nervous.”
There were pieces of shredded napkin everywhere across the white-clothed round table.
Draco smirked slightly. “What’s there to be nervous about, Weaselette?” he asked raising an eyebrow. “Surely you don’t think anything is going to take place after dinner?”
Ginny’s face fell. “No, I didn’t,” she said quietly.
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, startling her. Ginny looked at him and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. Suddenly food didn’t seem very important anymore. His mouth twitched and he softly said, “I like you.”
“I know,” Ginny said. “You made the announcement at my flat, remember?”
To her surprise he blushed.
They had received the wine first, and within two drinks, Ginny was becoming very giggly and constantly slipping off of her chair. Draco had to get up numerous times to pick her up, being careful not to let her body brush his or he might not be able to hold back any longer; the want was killing him.
Three and a half drinks later and not only did the redhead have slurred speech, she kept wandering to other people’s tables and asking them how their dates were going, and even suggesting that some go back to their homes and make a night of it. Draco had watched this with amusement, until one of the men Ginny encountered smiled wickedly at her as his hand slid easily up her leg to cup her arse, and his male companion laughing as he too reached a hand out.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” said a silky voice from behind Ginny. She whirled around and bumped into the tall blond, giggling like an idiot as she wrapped her arms around his waist. When she brushed her lips against his, Draco faintly tasted the luscious red wine on her lips, and even in her state, he wanted her.
“What’s the matter, pal?” said the man who grabbed her. “Jealous that we got to her first?”
Draco smiled thinly, his blood boiling at their manners, and he suddenly wanted to plant his fist in the bloke’s jaw. Ginny was sniggering into his chest.
“They’re coming for us,” she said quietly.
Draco turned his head to see a big, beefy man heading toward them. He stopped short when he saw the situation.
“I think there’s been a mistake,” the manager said a little too loudly. “Are you sure of what you reported to the woman who waited on you, sir?” he asked Draco.
“They grabbed her,” the blond wizard said through gritted teeth, glaring at the man. “I saw them do it!”
“Hey, Mike, the boy’s obviously trying to stir up trouble!” the grabber’s friend said as he leered at Ginny. “You know us! Me and John wouldn’t do a thing like that.”
Draco snorted.
“I think you should leave,” Mike said in a hushed voice. “I don’t want you to cause another scene, but I’m afraid, if you don’t go now, I’ll have to call the police.”
“Police?” Ginny said with a tiny giggle. “Oh, Draco, they’re going to call the Aurors!”
His gray eyes widened and he hissed, “No, Gin, they mean the Muggle police.”
Ginny let out a low whine and turned her glazed eyes on Mike. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?” she said with a flirty grin. “I can’t get in trouble again with the law,” she said leaning close to him.
The managed stiffened at her closeness and looked down at her. He sighed. “All right, I won’t call the cops.”
Ginny threw her hand up and squealed, only to catch Mike in the chin and have him stagger backward.
“Out!” he shouted at them, holding his chin. “And you, son, take care of her,” he growled firmly at Draco.
Draco gave a curt nod and added a harsh glare at the other men before he took Ginny’s hand and pulled her out of the restaurant.
The lovely, vivacious red-haired beauty was reduced to a giggly, slurry mess as they walked along the sidewalk of the unfamiliar Muggle town. Draco didn’t have the heart to tell her she had made a fool of herself and had been under the eye of a lecherous man while in the dinning area.
“Did you see their faces?” Ginny whispered as she pulled her coat tighter around her. It wasn’t until she growled that he stopped and blinked at her, stifling the urge to laugh; she had the jacket wrapped around her body, the sleeves waving wildly in the wind, and yet somehow, the hood fell over her face.
“I saw.” He nodded.
When he lifted the hood from her and untangled her from the rest of the material, Ginny stared at him, a foolish grin dancing across her mouth. “You wanted to hit that man, why?” she said.
“He wasn’t nice,” replied the blond softly, sliding the coat over her bare shoulders. “So we left.”
Hopefully she wouldn’t remember much else.
Ginny touched her head and winced. Suddenly, she stopped and squinted at him before bending over and vomiting all over the concrete walkway. Draco’s fingers pressed against her back, rubbing gently. Several people had passed them, some shrieking that they had gotten her mess on the bottom of their shoes, and others just mumbling under their breath.
Draco sneered at the young Muggle who had muttered and pulled Ginny up straight. “Come on, we’re going back to your flat.” He took out his wand and cleaned her up, though he left the sideway the way it was in hopes that the man who said something nasty would come back in this direction again and step in it.
Ginny smiled tiredly as she fell against him as they Apparated.
They landed safely in her flat; Ginny snuggled against his chest, her arms around his neck. He placed her gently on the couch and covered her with the wool blanket that was there. He sat on the floor by her head and conjured another blanket as he didn’t want to go looking for one in a house that wasn’t his own. He pulled an extra pillow from the couch and laid his head on it.
Ginny’s hand dropped by his face, and he stared at it for a long time before he finally shut his eyes and let sleep take him, while silently praying that she wouldn’t remember this in the morning.
Leave a Review