If there was one thing about working at the Ministry that bothered Draco more than anything else, it was suspecting that Ginny Weasley had a great chest under her numerous Quidditch jerseys and not being able to see it. As the undersecretary to the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Ginny was allowed to dress more casually for work than those in other departments, particularly one Draco Malfoy, who was the undersecretary to the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation. And as the Quidditch World Cup was fast approaching, their interaction was ever-increasing.
"Remove your hand from my candy dish, Malfoy," Ginny commanded warily as she looked up from her paperwork, "unless you don't like your fingers attached to your hand."
Smirking as he leaned his suit-clad body against her desk, Draco popped a toffee into his mouth, chewing it slowly, inadvertently putting on quite a show as he savored its creamy sweetness. "People with candy dishes on their desk must realize they serve as an invitation to the public. I," he stated imperiously, "the public, am merely indulging in some of the offered goods." He ran the tip of his tongue over his upper lip, retrieving a stray bit of toffee. "And I declare them good."
"Of course they are, but that's really beside the point. What can I do for you?" she asked, deliberately avoiding watching his tongue at it darted out from between his lips.
"I got your memo regarding the necessary Portkey locations, and I need to discuss it with you," he said.
"Which part?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "I thought it was self explanatory."
"I don't think we need this many locations in the Wales area," he said.
"We will, trust me. Keep it as I noted."
"Has anyone ever told you you're rather bossy, Weasley? I don't need to be told how to do my job."
"I'm not bossy. I just know what you should be doing."
"Fine," he said with a shrug. "If your department's paying for the placement of Portkeys, it's your call."
She looked up just in time to see him snatching another piece of candy from off her desk. He unwrapped it and tossed it into his mouth, his eyes closing as he enjoyed yet another treat from her candy dish.
"You know," she began conversationally, "your arse is going to be a mile wide if you keep eating my toffees like you are."
"I've been helping myself to your sweets for months, Weasley," he said grinning. "And as you can see, my arse is just fine." He stood up and looked over his shoulder and gave Ginny a satisfied grin. "Thank you, however, for your concern."
Blushing, Ginny had to admit his arse was fine. "Well, it's... annoying, Malfoy. You've always got something in your mouth. Gum, candy, lozenges... You've got issues." She wasn't about to admit that it was torturous watching his lips purse and his cheeks indent when he was sucking on a mint, or that when he tossed a piece of gum around his mouth, she wished she were there in its place.
Sitting down in the chair opposite her desk, Draco looked at Ginny, wishing she weren't wearing the baggy Falmouth Falcons jersey. He could see a tantalizing hint of cleavage at the bottom of the vee of her shirt, but it only served to whet his appetite. With amusement evident on his face he answered, "Malfoys do not have issues. What exactly are you implying, witch?"
"Implying?" she repeated. "No, I'm stating it. You have an oral fixation. I read in Muggle Studies about this head healer, Freud, who said it means you were weaned too early," Ginny said, trying not to smile.
A sly grin spread across his face and he answered sincerely, "Ask any man and he'll tell you he thinks he was weaned too early, and admittedly I'm no different, although my wet nurses would have disagreed." With that, he opened yet another piece of candy and began to suck on it enthusiastically.
"You really are a lech, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes as he dropped the wrapper onto her desk and issued a challenge. "I bet you can't do it."
"What's that?"
"Lay off the candy, the gum, everything," she said, smirking.
"And why would I want to do that?"
"To prove you can."
"I know I can," he answered. "So there's nothing in it for me. Unless..."
The tone in his voice worried her; when Draco dangled his sentences, it usually meant trouble - for her. "Unless what?" she asked cautiously.
"Unless you're willing to give up something as well, of course. It's only fair."
"I have no annoying habits to give up."
The matter of fact way in which Ginny answered made Draco laugh outright. "I'm sure you're right," he acquiesced, "but there is something you could improve on, regardless." When she stared dumbly at him he continued. "Your jerseys."
"What about my jerseys? I love them," she defended.
"I'm aware of that, and it shows, trust me. But if I give up my candy, you're giving up those awful jerseys and dressing like a woman."
Ginny stood up, intent on showing Draco out of her office. "That ridiculous."
"No deal then? Guess you've got more of a problem than I do."
"I didn't say that."
"It certainly sounded like that."
Grasping Draco by the elbow, she started walking him out the door. "Fine. I'll do it. But only to prove to you that you won't be able to keep your hands out of the candy jar. We go for one week from today. And when you give in, I'll be there to mock you, rest assured. And," she added, "I get a favor. Anything I want."
"That's a ridiculous demand, but I'll win, so fine, I'll agree to that. And when you go crawling back to your jerseys, I'll take your announcement that I am far superior to you in a very public place."
"Malfoy, you're so vain it's almost endearing." At his triumphant grin she added, "I said almost endearing. Now, obviously, I can't welsh on my end of the bargain, but what's to say you won't go back to your desk and stick your head in a bag of humbugs?"
"Did you sleep through charms?" he asked patronizingly. "Once we shake hands, our bet is sealed with magic. If either of us break our end of the bargain, the other will know." He took her hand in his and shook it gently. "Kiss those ugly jerseys goodbye, Ginny."
Groaning, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him out the door. "You should know I don't always play fair."
He chuckled then and flashed his trademark smirk. "Fabulous, then. This just got interesting."
He'd made his way to the lift before she finally looked away. The last three years of working closely with Draco Malfoy had taught her one thing - if she wanted to win, and she really couldn't think of anything she wanted more at the moment, she was definitely going to have to cheat.
"Remove your hand from my candy dish, Malfoy," Ginny commanded warily as she looked up from her paperwork, "unless you don't like your fingers attached to your hand."
Smirking as he leaned his suit-clad body against her desk, Draco popped a toffee into his mouth, chewing it slowly, inadvertently putting on quite a show as he savored its creamy sweetness. "People with candy dishes on their desk must realize they serve as an invitation to the public. I," he stated imperiously, "the public, am merely indulging in some of the offered goods." He ran the tip of his tongue over his upper lip, retrieving a stray bit of toffee. "And I declare them good."
"Of course they are, but that's really beside the point. What can I do for you?" she asked, deliberately avoiding watching his tongue at it darted out from between his lips.
"I got your memo regarding the necessary Portkey locations, and I need to discuss it with you," he said.
"Which part?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "I thought it was self explanatory."
"I don't think we need this many locations in the Wales area," he said.
"We will, trust me. Keep it as I noted."
"Has anyone ever told you you're rather bossy, Weasley? I don't need to be told how to do my job."
"I'm not bossy. I just know what you should be doing."
"Fine," he said with a shrug. "If your department's paying for the placement of Portkeys, it's your call."
She looked up just in time to see him snatching another piece of candy from off her desk. He unwrapped it and tossed it into his mouth, his eyes closing as he enjoyed yet another treat from her candy dish.
"You know," she began conversationally, "your arse is going to be a mile wide if you keep eating my toffees like you are."
"I've been helping myself to your sweets for months, Weasley," he said grinning. "And as you can see, my arse is just fine." He stood up and looked over his shoulder and gave Ginny a satisfied grin. "Thank you, however, for your concern."
Blushing, Ginny had to admit his arse was fine. "Well, it's... annoying, Malfoy. You've always got something in your mouth. Gum, candy, lozenges... You've got issues." She wasn't about to admit that it was torturous watching his lips purse and his cheeks indent when he was sucking on a mint, or that when he tossed a piece of gum around his mouth, she wished she were there in its place.
Sitting down in the chair opposite her desk, Draco looked at Ginny, wishing she weren't wearing the baggy Falmouth Falcons jersey. He could see a tantalizing hint of cleavage at the bottom of the vee of her shirt, but it only served to whet his appetite. With amusement evident on his face he answered, "Malfoys do not have issues. What exactly are you implying, witch?"
"Implying?" she repeated. "No, I'm stating it. You have an oral fixation. I read in Muggle Studies about this head healer, Freud, who said it means you were weaned too early," Ginny said, trying not to smile.
A sly grin spread across his face and he answered sincerely, "Ask any man and he'll tell you he thinks he was weaned too early, and admittedly I'm no different, although my wet nurses would have disagreed." With that, he opened yet another piece of candy and began to suck on it enthusiastically.
"You really are a lech, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes as he dropped the wrapper onto her desk and issued a challenge. "I bet you can't do it."
"What's that?"
"Lay off the candy, the gum, everything," she said, smirking.
"And why would I want to do that?"
"To prove you can."
"I know I can," he answered. "So there's nothing in it for me. Unless..."
The tone in his voice worried her; when Draco dangled his sentences, it usually meant trouble - for her. "Unless what?" she asked cautiously.
"Unless you're willing to give up something as well, of course. It's only fair."
"I have no annoying habits to give up."
The matter of fact way in which Ginny answered made Draco laugh outright. "I'm sure you're right," he acquiesced, "but there is something you could improve on, regardless." When she stared dumbly at him he continued. "Your jerseys."
"What about my jerseys? I love them," she defended.
"I'm aware of that, and it shows, trust me. But if I give up my candy, you're giving up those awful jerseys and dressing like a woman."
Ginny stood up, intent on showing Draco out of her office. "That ridiculous."
"No deal then? Guess you've got more of a problem than I do."
"I didn't say that."
"It certainly sounded like that."
Grasping Draco by the elbow, she started walking him out the door. "Fine. I'll do it. But only to prove to you that you won't be able to keep your hands out of the candy jar. We go for one week from today. And when you give in, I'll be there to mock you, rest assured. And," she added, "I get a favor. Anything I want."
"That's a ridiculous demand, but I'll win, so fine, I'll agree to that. And when you go crawling back to your jerseys, I'll take your announcement that I am far superior to you in a very public place."
"Malfoy, you're so vain it's almost endearing." At his triumphant grin she added, "I said almost endearing. Now, obviously, I can't welsh on my end of the bargain, but what's to say you won't go back to your desk and stick your head in a bag of humbugs?"
"Did you sleep through charms?" he asked patronizingly. "Once we shake hands, our bet is sealed with magic. If either of us break our end of the bargain, the other will know." He took her hand in his and shook it gently. "Kiss those ugly jerseys goodbye, Ginny."
Groaning, she put her hands on his chest and pushed him out the door. "You should know I don't always play fair."
He chuckled then and flashed his trademark smirk. "Fabulous, then. This just got interesting."
He'd made his way to the lift before she finally looked away. The last three years of working closely with Draco Malfoy had taught her one thing - if she wanted to win, and she really couldn't think of anything she wanted more at the moment, she was definitely going to have to cheat.
Author notes: Thanks for reading! -seegrim
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