Ginny kept her eyes trained on the TV as she prepared dinner. Getting home from a grueling day at work was bad enough, but to turn on the news and see this was horrible. Pansy hadn’t come home yet, but Ginny figured she’d seen the broadcast somewhere.
As she set a pot on the stove and turned it on, she heard the woman in the background.
“The body had been found dumped in an alleyway sometime after midnight.”
A shudder ran through Ginny.
Someone had gone and murdered an innocent woman – a redhead at that – and now they were running around, probably deciding their next target. Subconsciously, Ginny tugged at her ponytail. She could fight back if it came to that.
“There is no cause of death at the moment; just minor bruises have been inflicted on her face. The victim had intercourse before she died. It’s presumed to have been with her killer, but authorities are looking into it.”
The door to the flat opened and Ginny looked to see Pansy come through, her eyes darting instantly to the bright screen.
“One of us did this,” she said as she rummaged through the cabinet for something to drink. Finding two glasses, she filled them with the strongest wine they had.
“Please,” Ginny murmured as she drowned her glass. It was bitter but she didn’t mind it. “Why would you say that?”
“No wounds,” Pansy said as she hopped on the counter, crossing her legs. “So it was done by magic.”
“You don’t know that,” Ginny said, turning around to face her. “She could have been strangled by hand.”
Pansy held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Everyone knows if you’re strangled, it’s enough force to leave marks. They couldn’t find anything on her, Gin.”
“How do you know all this?” Ginny asked as she stirred the pasta. She stared at the glass door of one of the cabinets, seeing Pansy shrug.
“I read mystery novels,” she offered.
“That’s not the same.”
“Apparently it is,” Pansy muttered.
After a heavy silence, Ginny said, “Can we talk about something else?”
“Oh sure.” Pansy grinned and came over to her. “Have you heard from Blaise since last night?”
Ginny narrowed her eyes. “Nothing is going to come of that. You can have him if you want. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“What about Draco?”
“I’m not sure Blaise would want to have a threesome with his friend.”
“You know what I mean,” Pansy said, rolling her eyes. “Have you spoken to him at all?”
Ginny shook her head. The truth was that after she told him how she felt last night, he hadn’t contacted her at all, even when she left him standing on the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure she could see him now. It wouldn’t change anything.
It was better this way.
“He doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t blame him. After what I said to him, he looked so hurt. You should have seen his face, Pans. It was like I reached into his chest and pulled out his heart.”
“He deserves it for the way he treats women sometimes,” she said. “So I don’t think you did a bad thing.”
“But he thinks I’m something horrible.” Ginny sighed. “I didn’t know how to tell him what I wanted, so I told him what I didn’t want.”
“If I know him, and I do, he’s probably already shagged some random girl. Speaking of which, I’m in the mood for a good night with a man.”
She left and Ginny growled in frustration as she looked at the pot of finished pasta. She dumped it into a strainer then sat down with a glass of wine. Then she ate alone, the voices from the TV her only company for the evening.
____
He had heard people talking all day. He couldn’t turn a corner and not hear the words uttered by someone. He needed to talk to her, to keep her safe from this man, whoever he was. She needed to see that she was in danger.
Without word to his secretary, Draco Apparated from his office.
She couldn’t be next.
He landed in the hallway outside their door. Hearing muffled voices inside, he pressed his ear to the door. Ginny and Pansy were calmly discussing something. As he listened closer, he heard exactly what they were talking about.
They were talking about him.
He raised his hand to knock before the door swung open and he stood staring at Ginny.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I needed to talk to you,” he said. “Can I come in?”
To his surprise, she stepped aside.
____
The tea sat untouched on the coffee table as Draco told them about why he had come. After he was finished, he looked at both of them. Neither said a word.
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked. “I was making sure you were safe.”
“While it’s appreciated, I didn’t ask for a babysitter,” Ginny said. It had come out a little harsher than she intended. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice softening as she watched his expression. “I’m okay, see? No one is going to hurt me.”
“I’m more worried about you being killed,” Draco replied.
“I can handle myself.” Ginny smiled.
The teacup sailed across the room, smashing against the wall behind the TV. Draco’s hand dropped to his side, his breathing hard, as he glared at them.
“Are you really that stubborn? A redhead was killed not too far from here and you’re thinking you can take this guy? What if he shoots you in the head? You know what damage guns can do.”
“How do you know it’s a Muggle?” Pansy interjected, looking angry that he had broken something of theirs. “The news said that there were no marks on her. So that means it was one of us.”
“That’s stupid,” Draco spat. “What would one of us have to gain by killing one of them?”
“I wonder what she was doing there,” Ginny mumbled. She didn’t seem to notice that he had thrown anything.
“I know the answer to that,” Draco said, looking at them. “She was with me.”
As she set a pot on the stove and turned it on, she heard the woman in the background.
“The body had been found dumped in an alleyway sometime after midnight.”
A shudder ran through Ginny.
Someone had gone and murdered an innocent woman – a redhead at that – and now they were running around, probably deciding their next target. Subconsciously, Ginny tugged at her ponytail. She could fight back if it came to that.
“There is no cause of death at the moment; just minor bruises have been inflicted on her face. The victim had intercourse before she died. It’s presumed to have been with her killer, but authorities are looking into it.”
The door to the flat opened and Ginny looked to see Pansy come through, her eyes darting instantly to the bright screen.
“One of us did this,” she said as she rummaged through the cabinet for something to drink. Finding two glasses, she filled them with the strongest wine they had.
“Please,” Ginny murmured as she drowned her glass. It was bitter but she didn’t mind it. “Why would you say that?”
“No wounds,” Pansy said as she hopped on the counter, crossing her legs. “So it was done by magic.”
“You don’t know that,” Ginny said, turning around to face her. “She could have been strangled by hand.”
Pansy held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Everyone knows if you’re strangled, it’s enough force to leave marks. They couldn’t find anything on her, Gin.”
“How do you know all this?” Ginny asked as she stirred the pasta. She stared at the glass door of one of the cabinets, seeing Pansy shrug.
“I read mystery novels,” she offered.
“That’s not the same.”
“Apparently it is,” Pansy muttered.
After a heavy silence, Ginny said, “Can we talk about something else?”
“Oh sure.” Pansy grinned and came over to her. “Have you heard from Blaise since last night?”
Ginny narrowed her eyes. “Nothing is going to come of that. You can have him if you want. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“What about Draco?”
“I’m not sure Blaise would want to have a threesome with his friend.”
“You know what I mean,” Pansy said, rolling her eyes. “Have you spoken to him at all?”
Ginny shook her head. The truth was that after she told him how she felt last night, he hadn’t contacted her at all, even when she left him standing on the sidewalk. She wasn’t sure she could see him now. It wouldn’t change anything.
It was better this way.
“He doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t blame him. After what I said to him, he looked so hurt. You should have seen his face, Pans. It was like I reached into his chest and pulled out his heart.”
“He deserves it for the way he treats women sometimes,” she said. “So I don’t think you did a bad thing.”
“But he thinks I’m something horrible.” Ginny sighed. “I didn’t know how to tell him what I wanted, so I told him what I didn’t want.”
“If I know him, and I do, he’s probably already shagged some random girl. Speaking of which, I’m in the mood for a good night with a man.”
She left and Ginny growled in frustration as she looked at the pot of finished pasta. She dumped it into a strainer then sat down with a glass of wine. Then she ate alone, the voices from the TV her only company for the evening.
He had heard people talking all day. He couldn’t turn a corner and not hear the words uttered by someone. He needed to talk to her, to keep her safe from this man, whoever he was. She needed to see that she was in danger.
Without word to his secretary, Draco Apparated from his office.
She couldn’t be next.
He landed in the hallway outside their door. Hearing muffled voices inside, he pressed his ear to the door. Ginny and Pansy were calmly discussing something. As he listened closer, he heard exactly what they were talking about.
They were talking about him.
He raised his hand to knock before the door swung open and he stood staring at Ginny.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I needed to talk to you,” he said. “Can I come in?”
To his surprise, she stepped aside.
The tea sat untouched on the coffee table as Draco told them about why he had come. After he was finished, he looked at both of them. Neither said a word.
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked. “I was making sure you were safe.”
“While it’s appreciated, I didn’t ask for a babysitter,” Ginny said. It had come out a little harsher than she intended. “It’s okay,” she said, her voice softening as she watched his expression. “I’m okay, see? No one is going to hurt me.”
“I’m more worried about you being killed,” Draco replied.
“I can handle myself.” Ginny smiled.
The teacup sailed across the room, smashing against the wall behind the TV. Draco’s hand dropped to his side, his breathing hard, as he glared at them.
“Are you really that stubborn? A redhead was killed not too far from here and you’re thinking you can take this guy? What if he shoots you in the head? You know what damage guns can do.”
“How do you know it’s a Muggle?” Pansy interjected, looking angry that he had broken something of theirs. “The news said that there were no marks on her. So that means it was one of us.”
“That’s stupid,” Draco spat. “What would one of us have to gain by killing one of them?”
“I wonder what she was doing there,” Ginny mumbled. She didn’t seem to notice that he had thrown anything.
“I know the answer to that,” Draco said, looking at them. “She was with me.”
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