Ginny Weasley sat in an imposingly large Ministry conference room and wondered why someone like Gideon Morrow would even waste money on a publicist. At twenty-five, Ginny was content with her career as a publicist, and she was proud of her body of work. People could rely on her to show the world their best side, even when they had other facets of their personality that weren't so stellar... But Morrow was the man-who-could-do-no-wrong, in every sense of the word. The papers loved him; the Wireless was constantly singing his praises. His wife was beautiful, intelligent and articulate, having served as a Ministry Ambassador before their beautiful twin daughters were born. Ginny had never seen a more gorgeous family.

She sipped idly from a glass of water and tried to ignore the fidgeting of Richard Halifax, campaign manager to the Minister of Magic hopeful and all-around neurotic. They were waiting to meet with the man himself, and his retinue, to discuss plans for the upcoming election.

The door opened, and Mr. Morrow strode confidently into the room. He was tall and dark-haired, and Ginny was certain his teeth were actually gleaming. He was trailed by his entourage, and they took their seats on the opposite side of the table from Ginny and Richard.

“Miss Weasley,” Gideon began, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve not only seen your work, but I’ve heard great things about you personally, and I’m excited for this opportunity to work with you.” He smiled broadly across the table at her.

“Thank you, Mr. Morrow. I’m honored that you thought of me,” Ginny said, returning his smile.

He outlined his platform, mostly for Ginny’s benefit, and by the end of the meeting, she felt sorry for anyone who tried to compete against him. He was handsome, honest, compassionate towards those who were less fortunate, aware of the more pressing issues in Wizarding society and very competent. He was a sure thing, a hard working dedicated politician all wrapped up in a pretty package. Ginny smiled. This was going to be way too easy.

************

It was the next morning as she sat at her kitchen table reading the Daily Prophet that she saw who would be running against Gideon. She did a double take and had to read the words again, and had it not been for a large picture, she would have thought it was a mistake. But there it was in the caption, underneath Draco’s pale face: Mr. Draco Malfoy, of Wiltshire, England, announces his candidacy for Minister!

“No way,” she muttered.

For as much as Draco Malfoy had done to construct himself into a legitimate, respectable businessman, it was still a shock to see someone she had once held in such contempt running for the most prestigious public office in the Wizarding world.

She pored over the article, wondering how he could possibly think that someone like himself could appeal to the masses. Back in school, he’d been an arrogant prig who gloated about his Pureblood status. How could he hope to represent the entire Wizarding world, not just those who were Purebloods?

She read on, confused. From his quotes included in the article, she wasn’t able to discern any of his old disdain for Muggleborns or those without obscene amounts of money. She decided that it was an easy thing to say; words were cheap. She curled up the newspaper and tossed it into the rubbish bin with a snort.

************

Anyone who was anyone in Wizarding society had received an invitation from Malfoy Campaign Headquarters. Ginny stared at the invitation on her desk, and picked it up a bit timidly, as if it would bite her. She slid one of her fingers underneath the wax seal to break it, wincing as she received a nasty paper cut. It figures, she thought.

Unfolding the invitation, she read that there was to be a luncheon held at Malfoy Manor, introducing Draco Malfoy and offering a chance to get to know the candidate. Ginny smiled as she realized this was the ideal opportunity for her to learn what her client was up against.

The day of the luncheon arrived and she dressed with more care than usual, choosing a smart black suit and black heels. She hadn’t seen Malfoy in going on eight years, and she wasn’t going to give him a reason to point out any of her flaws. She styled her hair carefully, pinned it back into a French knot and slipped on small tasteful earrings.

She arrived at Malfoy Manor at half noon and was greeted at the door by an uptight-looking house-elf who showed her into the grand hall where guests were talking and mingling. Ginny accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter and walked over to the fireplace, sipping at her drink while admiring the room. Dark walnut-panelled walls met the parquet floor and elegant ceiling to floor draperies hung on tall windows; it seemed as if Lucius Malfoy being in Azkaban for the last eight years hadn't put a dent in the Malfoy family fortune. Although Lucius had abandoned his post as a Death Eater before Voldemort fell, he still was put on trial for his earlier crimes and was made to be held accountable. It had been evident that Draco Malfoy had never taken the Mark, so along with other children of Death Eaters who were unblemished, he had escaped public condemnation.

Ginny continued her tour about the room, only stopping when she came to a portrait of the Malfoys that had obviously been painted before Draco had left for Hogwarts. He was sitting in between his parents, a smug, self-satisfied smile on his pre-adolescent face. It was evident to Ginny that Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were proud of Draco, and that he was dearly loved. She looked up at that thought, in time to see Narcissa float through the room, ethereal looking in a shimmering silver dress. They had obviously been a happy family despite his father's leanings, she thought. Her eyes drifted back to young Draco, and she examined his angular features.

"It's a good thing I finally grew into that awkward face, wouldn't you agree?" a deep voice said from over her shoulder.

Startled, Ginny quickly turned around to face the owner of the voice. She took a few steps back, leaning against a table by the wall. "Malfoy," she said, her voice neutral as she forced herself to flash him a polite smile. "The years have been kind to you, I see." She chided herself on her choice of words.

"The same is true of you, Miss Weasley," he replied. He stood tall, looking splendid in a black suit and blue silk tie. "But please, call me Draco. I'd like to think the childishness I exhibited at Hogwarts can be something I left there." He nodded as he added, "Although you probably should be aware you're about to knock over a vase that costs more Galleons than you'll earn in a lifetime."

Ginny looked down, chagrined to find that Draco was right. "Well, then," she said acerbically. "There's the Draco I remember from Hogwarts. I see the years really haven't changed you all that much."

"And why fix something that's not broken?" He quirked an eyebrow. "But certainly you didn't come here for me to insult you?" he asked. "There must be something else I can do for you?"

"Actually, I'm interested to know why you're running for Minister," she asked, meeting his eyes.

"To end hunger," he began, "and to champion the down-trodden." He appeared to be lost in thought for a moment. "To promote equality amongst all wizards," he added.

"Malfoy, in case you didn't get the memo, I'm a politician, too. What's the real answer, not the one you use because it tracks well with your target demographic?"

He looked intently into her eyes, and she had the thought that she wouldn't like to try to lie to him; he'd see through it instantly with those piercing eyes. It was a relief when he looked away, focusing on the portrait with the same intensity that he'd looked at her. "My family... You can see what happens when one man gains too much control. Gideon Morrow would run over the Wizengamot with a blinding smile and they'd smile back as they handed him the keys to the kingdom. They'd fight me, so what would come out of my term would be genuinely democratic, which is always the best way of deciding what's for the greater good."

Ginny's eyes widened at Malfoy's comment. She supposed Draco did have a point, but that would never happen with someone like Gideon.

He turned back to face her and gave a familiar smirk. "Or it's all a big scheme for the betterment of my family. I am a Slytherin, you know."

Ginny smiled wryly. "I haven't forgotten that for a moment."

Draco chuckled. "It was nice seeing you again." He offered her his hand, and hesitantly she shook it, confused at the way her heart thudded against her ribcage as she did so.

"It was," she affirmed.

************

The photo shoot with the Morrow family was scheduled for later in the day, and Ginny was looking forward to meeting his wife and children. They seldom appeared in public, not that Ginny could blame them. She could only imagine what it was like to have the kind of popularity that they must. She arrived at their house, which was just as perfect as everything else about the Morrows; it was a large estate just outside London, with beautifully manicured lawns and a large, ornate fountain in the front courtyard.

She was let into the home by Mr. Morrow's personal assistant, William, who led her to the sitting room where the family was being photographed by Ginny's associate. Ginny had requested that the Morrows wear casual clothes, and Gideon had complied, wearing a white oxford, sans tie, with khaki pants. Ginny felt it would help the average citizen to relate to Gideon--seeing him comfortable at home with his family.

Mrs. Morrow walked happily over to Ginny with her daughters in tow. "I'm Beatrice," she said with a large smile as she extended her hand to Ginny.

Ginny shook her hand and was startled when Beatrice gasped in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry," Ginny offered quickly.

"Oh, bother. I twisted my wrist again gardening. No worries," she said dismissively. "Anyway, it's a joy to finally meet you. I've seen your work, and I wanted to tell you that I respect the way you do your job." She paused for a moment, and Ginny was about to thank her when Mrs. Morrow raised her head and started speaking again. "You're always positive, never attacking people with smears or negativity. It's exactly what we want for my husband's campaign."

"Thank you, Mrs. Morrow. Gideon is making it very easy for me to do my job," Ginny answered.

Beatrice gestured to the twin girls hiding, quite literally, behind her skirt. "This is Abigail," she said as she pulled one of the girls to her side. "And this is Emma," she said as soon as she managed to pry the other girl out of her skirts.

Ginny knelt down and smiled at the girls. They had curly blonde hair and looked like life-sized porcelain dolls. "Hi," she said to them, "I'm Ginny."

They giggled and, one at a time, shyly smiled back at her. "You're pretty," Abigail said softly.

"You are," Emma agreed, giggling.

"Thank you. You both are beautiful," Ginny told the twins.

Gideon looked up from his conversation with his assistant. "Beatrice, dear, the photographer's not done," he called sternly.

"Some other time then," Beatrice said demurely and made her way back to her husband.

************

The weeks passed in rapid succession as Ginny tracked the race for Minister closely. Besides distributing pictures of Gideon with his family and volunteering at St. Euphemia's Home for the Less Fortunate, not much more was required of her, other than releasing weekly updates on his acts of charity and kindness.

Draco's publicist was doing a stand-up job. He had shown how Draco had been successful as a businessman, doubling the Malfoy holdings, and contributing millions of Galleons to the Ministry and various charities in an attempt to convince people there was more to the Malfoy name than discriminating against Muggleborns and Eating Death. Draco had even appeared in articles in Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet in an attempt to show the more endearing side of his personality. If her candidate weren't so far ahead of Malfoy in the ratings, she might have been nervous as she flipped through the papers.

Ginny grinned the day she saw the pictures in The Daily Prophet of Draco visiting St. Mungo's. Draco had been at Mungo's to preside over the dedication of the new Malfoy wing and he had stopped by the children's floor to pass out toys and visit with the children. She was certain it had been his publicist's idea, but Draco had definitely taken the idea and made it his own. There was only one picture of him standing impeccably dressed in front of a small crowd, cutting through a ceremonial ribbon with the tip of his wand, but there were several pictures of him sitting on the floor, his shirt sleeves rolled up, children in various states of play around him, crawling on him, and sitting on his lap.

************

Both candidates were invited to speak briefly at the yearly Ministry fundraising gala. When Ginny had contacted Gideon's assistant, William, regarding the invitation, she had come up against resistance. "I know Gideon's leading in the polls," she had told him, "but it's another opportunity to show that he cares, and a public appearance with his wife and children would all but secure his victory. Not to mention, Draco Malfoy will be there, and it'll reflect poorly upon Gideon if he isn't." Of course William had relented when he heard that, and promised her that Gideon would be in attendance.

The night of the dinner, Ginny found herself seated at a table with a group of her colleagues. The general consensus of the group was that while Draco wasn't bad as a candidate, against Gideon he paled in comparison. There were several dissenters among the group who favored Draco, and Ginny began to wonder what they were seeing that she didn't.

Before dinner was to be served, both Gideon and Draco would have an opportunity to address the audience. Ginny smiled when she saw Abigail and Emma sitting between Beatrice and Gideon. The Minister rose and introduced the candidates, and then Gideon and Draco each spoke briefly. Ginny was surprised when Draco received about the same amount of applause after his words as Gideon had.

An elaborate dinner was served, which Ginny decided, for a hundred Galleons a plate, was appropriate. It was after dessert had been served, and people were starting to move to the dance floor, that Ginny stood up and was immediately accosted by Draco.

"Miss Weasley," he said with a curt smile. "I'd like to dance with you, if you're willing."

She glanced looked at his outstretched hand, wondering what the protocol was for dancing with your boss' opponent.

"It won't get you in trouble, if that's what you're afraid of," he offered.

Ginny reached for his hand, and was immediately pulled in towards Draco's chest.

"I'll give you a week, Ginny. That's how long

Author notes: I'm thinking about posting an outtake chapter, so that I can finally satisfy serpentandlion's request that the rating be Naughty/Really Naughty. ;)

The End.
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