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Soaking wet and dripping all along the floor, Ginny glared daggers at anyone that crossed her path. She might have been the bravest Auror in their unit, but she was also known for her temper. It could just as easily been her own fault that she was drenched than whoever she had been questioning. This was not the time to be messing about with her, and the thunderous look on her face warned off most of the saner souls at the office.
Pansy never pretended to be sane by any stretch of the imagination. "Did they catch you stealing the silver?" she asked snidely.
Ginny snarled at Pansy and flicked her wet hair out of her eyes. She made sure that the sopping wet strands sent water right into Pansy's face and onto her robes.
Instantly, Pansy was just as wet as Ginny was.
Smirking with satisfaction at Pansy's howls, Ginny moved to stand next to her desk. The water was cold and wouldn't go away for hours yet. She went through her inbox carefully, fingertips only at the corners of the parchment sheets whenever possible. The curse was one of those things that only applied to humans, but she wasn't about to chance getting a deluge of water spilling across her desk and ruining months of work on her cases.
There was nothing else that needed her immediate attention for the rest of the day, and Pansy was still caterwauling. The others in the office were now avoiding the two of them, not even looking in their direction. Now that she was calmer, Ginny felt almost bad for afflicting Pansy with the same stupid curse. It was her own fault she hadn't ducked in time, and she had really been mad at herself, not Pansy. "Oi, Parkinson. Fine, I'll play nice. Just shut it, and I'll help get you cleaned up."
"These shoes are ruined, Weasley! These cost more than your pitiful salaray!"
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "Forget the offer, then, Parkinson. I'm going home."
Pansy shut her mouth and watch Ginny start to walk back out of the office. "You know how to get rid of this, don't you?" she called out.
"Well, I know the spell," Ginny replied in a shrug. Flecks of water flew off of her, and the other Aurors in the office made sure to stay far, far away. Cowards.
Pansy followed Ginny out of the office. Both women were trailing puddles of water behind them. The water dried up after a few minutes, so it wasn't a permanent trail forming behind them. "So where are we going? You have your own flat, right?" she asked hopefully. "Or do you still live in that hole in the ground?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's called the Burrow. Yes, I still live there. So do my parents and my brother Ron."
Was it her imagination, or did Pansy flush slightly and lick her lips nervously? "Oh, um..."
Ginny grasped Pansy's hand impatiently. "I'll apparate us, since you haven't been there before. There isn't much to do until it wears off, but I know a few modification spells."
"If you can't--"
But Ginny already apparated them both to the Burrow, and Pansy reeled slightly at finding herself on the front doorstep. She followed Ginny into the house, looking about curiously. She hadn't ever seen it before, and she was wondering if she would see Ron about.
Ginny sighed, already regretting this idea. Pansy was looking about with wide eyes, and Ginny supposed that Pansy was trying to figure out what to comment on first. "Come on, then. Up to my room. We'll get this sorted in no time."
"Who else is here?" Pansy asked. She peeled her robes away from her skin, but they were sopping wet still.
Ginny barely spared the family clock a glance. "Ron's about somewhere," she said absently, heading up the stairs. "Why don't you wash up first? Just get out of those things and I'll find something else for you to wear while the curse runs its course."
"I'll just get those things wet too, Weasley."
"Yes, but the uniform will have a chance to dry out a bit," Ginny pointed out. She appraised Pansy's frame with a critical eye. "You could probably wear one of my dressing gowns for a bit." She pointed out the bathroom. "Just get changed in there, and I'll bring it to you."
Pansy nodded and went into the bathroom as Ginny continued further up the stairs. She immediately started stripping down to her knickers, her back to the door. When it opened again, she breathed a sigh of relief. "That was pretty fast, Weasley, even for--"
It wasn't Ginny in the doorway. It was Ron. Who was catching more than an eyeful of Pansy standing in her soaked bra and knickers, which left nothing to the imagination at all.
He was turning nearly as red as his hair, and she could definitely feel her own cheeks growing warm. Then again, she was also feeling a different kind of moisture starting to build up. "Oh," she breathed, not sure what to say. She'd rather fancied him in Hogwarts, but that went nowhere because he was involved with Lavender Brown and then Hermione Granger after the war. She'd been ecstatically happy when Ginny had mentioned their breakup in the office the year before, but Pansy had been unable to think of a good enough reason to approach him.
Ron cautiously stepped forward and closed the bathroom door behind him. The lock of the door was terribly loud in the silence. "Pansy," he murmured. "Um..."
They simply stared at each other for a long moment, and then Pansy stepped forward cautiously. She grasped his shoulders without thinking in order to keep her balance while she leaned up to kiss him. The kiss was amazing, everything she had dreamed it would be since sixth year. It didn't even register at first that he was now as soaking wet as she was, mostly because he was kissing her back.
They ignored the knocking on the door. Ginny wasn't the Weasley that Pansy wanted to be thinking of just then. Her preferred Weasley had amazing muscles hidden beneath his clothes, and his hands fit over her bum just right. He was strong, too, lifting her up to the counter next to the sink. He stood between her legs, hands holding her hips as he devoured her mouth as a starving man would devour a feast. Pansy could hear herself whimpering slightly, and her skin seemed hypersensitive. She could feel the fabric of his shirt rubbing against the thin lace of her bra, the rough pads of his fingers against her hips, the stubble on his chin rubbing her face. She had her arms up around his shoulders, keeping him close so that the kiss didn't have to end.
"I've wanted to do that a while," Ron admitted when the kiss broke. His lips were by her ear, his breath tickling her neck.
"Really? I've waited years for that," Pansy confessed in a rush. She slid her hands beneath his shirt. "Oh, that feels good."
"Is it too forward to take you back to my room?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.
"Think your sister would go spare?" Pansy asked, grinning as she ran her fingernails down his back.
"Maybe," Ron murmured, pulling her hips closer to his. She could feel the outline of his arousal pressed tight against her. "Don't care, though."
"Start here," Pansy whimpered, pulling off his shirt. "We'll save your bed for when we're dry."
Ron kicked off his clothes and Pansy wriggled out of her soaked underthings. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks to whoever had cursed Ginny Weasley, then pulled Ron into her embrace. He felt wonderful inside of her, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck to muffle her cries. Ginny was pounding on the door now, concerned that something was wrong with Pansy. "Just go away!" she finally cried to Ginny, arching into Ron's touch. She pushed herself against him and pulled him even tighter against her, gasping for breath. "I'm fine!"
More than fine, but Ginny didn't need the details.
Ron was laughing against the top of her head as Ginny stomped off. "Merlin, Pansy, I'm going to..." he groaned.
"Yes," she moaned in reply, hands tight against his back. She was close herself, clenching down as she chased her own peak. "I want..."
He groaned and sagged against her after a moment, and Pansy was this close but not quite there yet. At her disappointed sigh, Ron slipped a hand between them. "Just a little farther, yeah?" he murmured against her neck. "Then we dry you off and give it another go."
Pansy opened her mouth to tell him about that damned curse, but it was too much. She came with a surprised yelp, clutching his shoulders for balance as the entire world seemed to tilt around her. "What was that?" she gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.
Ron smirked at her. "If that's your reaction, then I'm sorry your past boyfriends never treated you properly."
She blinked, at a loss for what to say in reply. Her brain wasn't quite ready to make any witty retorts, and she opened her mouth to say something in reply. He took that opportunity to kiss her, tongue sliding into her mouth and hand cupping her face. The other slid to her breast, fingers brushing over her skin gently.
Whatever else she might have said about him in the past, one thing was for certain: he knew how to kiss and he knew how to make a girl tremble in pleasure.
Ron backed away from Pansy long enough to turn on the shower. He laughed at her incredulous expression. "What?"
"We're already soaked to the skin, Ronald."
There was something in his expression that shifted slightly at the sound of his full name. He lifted her to her feet and brought her into the tub, her back pressed against the cold tile. "I like how you say that," he growled, his voice rough with desire. "You see, Pansy, I got you all dirty," he said, hand moving down between her legs. His fingers slipped inside and she whimpered at the contact. "It's only fair I clean you up, yeah? Don't tell me you're afraid of a little water?"
"There was a curse," Pansy gasped. "Your sister... transferred it to me... I got you..."
Ron kissed her, swallowing her words whole. "I know what it is. It only lasts a few hours," he said, moving to kiss her jaw. "Three or four, something like that." He grinned at her, and Pansy could feel her stomach flutter in response to that smile. She'd had a soft spot for that kind of devilish grin, as much as she always tried to cover it up with nasty words and glares. "I can think of a way to pass the time."
Pansy pulled him closer and let the water sluice down over them. "We should have done this years ago," she murmured against his mouth.
"At least it's happening," Ron reasoned, his hands running down the sides of her lithe body. "I think I might not have appreciated this sooner."
"Why not show me how much you appreciate me, then?" Pansy asked, her lips quirking into a smile.
Ron laughed and began to do just that.
***
Nearly a year and many family misunderstandings and arguments later, Ron and Pansy were getting engaged. Somehow, Draco and Ginny were roped into being part of the bridal party.
"I continue to maintain that that is your fault," Ginny told Draco in arch tones, pointing at her brother Ron dancing with Pansy Parkinson.
Draco merely lofted an eyebrow at Ginny, who was glaring at the pair gliding across the dance floor. He knew Pansy was graceful, but Ron was a surprise. He suspected that Pansy had forced the man to take dancing lessons prior to their engagement party. "I fail to see how this is my fault. I'm hardly in charge of who Pansy decides to ally herself with."
Ginny all but bared her teeth at Draco with a snarl. "She was your sodding girlfriend for years. If you'd married her, she wouldn't be digging her claws into my brother."
"You're operating under the mistaken delusion that anyone can stop Pansy from doing whatever the hell she damn well pleases." Draco flicked an invisible piece of lint off of his sleeve. "Besides. The tabloids got it wrong. We only dated in our fourth and fifth years to make our parents happy. It was a remarkable failure once you got past the obvious."
Ginny waited for Draco to continue, but he had fallen silent. "What? What was so obvious?"
He sipped his champagne and shook his head at Ginny. "She was already half in love with Weasley even then. I refuse to compete with that."
"Oh, yes. That's right. You're a coward that won't fight for anything."
Draco's eyes flashed dangerously at her flippant tone. "Don't talk about what you don't know about," he hissed. The champagne glass snapped in his hand, and he quickly discarded it on the table next to them. She couldn't help but see the bright blood rising where the glass had cut his fingers, but he was already turning away from her. "You've done quite enough, Ginevra," Draco said, shrugging off her grasp. "Try not to spoil your brother's happiness, will you? I'd hate to have Pansy in Azkaban before the wedding for maiming you."
Ginny put down her glass of water and sighed. She had been an utter bitch, though there was no way she was going to apologize to Malfoy. Or Pansy.
Damn, but Draco was right. Pansy looked utterly besotted with Ron, and their kisses always seemed to leave them just a little bit breathless. She looked at him as if no one else in the room existed, as if she couldn't wait for him to whisk her away to their bedroom so they could lock the door.
Jealousy roiling in her stomach, Ginny went to make her rounds of goodbyes. Early shift at work, she lied, and she had to sleep. Best wishes to the lovely couple, of course. They looked utterly lovely together, and she had never seen Ron look so happy.
Everyone thankfully didn't mention her own spectacular breakup with Harry not long after they tried to rekindle their misbegotten relationship. He wasn't capable of being a stable boyfriend, and she wanted more than he was willing to give. One row after another, and they had finally realized it simply wouldn't work out the way they'd hoped. Even five years later, they still couldn't quite manage to have a calm conversation without remembering the insults they'd hurled at one another. Ginny had a vile temper, but Harry was also fed up with the adoration of the masses and the sacrifices that went unappreciated by those adoring masses. If she had been honest with herself at the time, she never would have tried to rekindle a dead relationship.
It was raining outside, which matched her souring mood perfectly. She hadn't brought a cloak, and the downpour caught her unawares. Even worse, she could see Draco Malfoy in the foyer to the hall, an expensive looking cloak on his arm. Ginny knew she looked like a drowning rat, and quickly apparated home. She didn't need any more reasons to be miserable.
***
Ginny was extra polite to Pansy for her brother's sake. They had worked together for almost three years, and most of the time they managed not to hurl insults at each other or devolve into childish name calling. They were all adults here, and Pansy made her brother happy. Ginny tried not to think too hard on that point, because that road led to all sorts of things she really didn't need to ponder about her brother. She wasn't friends with Pansy, really, but they didn't consider each other evil cows. Ron would have to be content with that. Still, Pansy had bought Ginny a membership at the exclusive club that she was a member of when she was asked to be one of the bridesmaids. Not that Ginny condoned bribery at all, no. But it was easier to tolerate Pansy's presence after swimming in the overlarge pool, sipping a mai tai or visiting the sauna.
She had to sigh when she realized she wasn't the only one at the club ridiculously late at night. She could hear the sound of someone swimming laps. She had pulled extra time on her shift that evening, but too keyed up to sleep. She had thought that swimming might help, but she liked swimming alone. She pushed open the door to the pool area anyway. She could ignore whatever other snotty rich brat was using the pool.
Draco Malfoy.
Ginny was tempted to turn around and run out, but he saw her as he turned to take a breath midstroke. She continued as if she had no misgivings, and put her bag down on one of the chaise lounges. A few laps would probably burn off the adrenaline from that code, and then a few more would exhaust her enough that she could sleep. She could ignore Draco for that long.
He was good at ignoring her, too. It was almost like falling into a rhythm. She swam in one direction, and he was swimming opposite her. There was no need to talk, and Ginny could feel some of her tension bleed into the water. Stupid sodding paperwork and stupid sodding idiots that tried to hide Dark artifacts to commit crimes with. She always got too attached when innocents were used like that.
Ginny hauled herself up and out of the pool after a dozen laps. She could feel Draco's eyes on her as she toweled herself off. She looked up at him wearily. "Something the matter?"
Draco looked away almost guiltily. "I haven't seen you here before."
"I keep odd hours," Ginny replied, rubbing her hair with the towel next. It sort of answered the question.
He left the pool then, sitting on its edge and letting his long legs trail into the water. Ginny tore her eyes away from his lanky build, from the sharply defined muscles. She would not stare at Draco Malfoy, no matter how fit he was. He was Slytherin, he annoyed Ron and Harry, and he still called Hermione a Mudblood to wind her up. He wasn't the sort she should think about, and she really had no place looking at him. "I'm a Quidditch coach. What's your excuse?"
"Auror," Ginny answered in a clipped tone. She stood up and pulled on the warm robes she had packed in her bag. "I'll see you about, I suppose."
"Running away?" he asked snidely, an eyebrow raised.
"Paperwork," she said shortly. She tied the robe shut and got ready to leave. Without saying goodbye, she left for the apparition point. She could feel Draco's eyes on her back, but ignored the uncomfortable sensation. It wasn't as if she really had to interact with him.
Of course, she was wrong about that.
Ron and Pansy decided to host a number of dinner parties prior to the wedding. Ginny found herself next to Millicent Bulstrode and her boyfriend Malcolm Baddock at one party. They worked at St. Mungo's and were engaged themselves. Millie wasn't that bad to talk to, and Malcolm knew a lot about medicine. At some point, Ginny discovered that she was sitting next to Draco. He was quietly listening to the discourse on blood replenishing potions as if it was fascinating. It unnerved her, but not quite enough to lose the thread of the conversation with Malcolm.
Ginny started getting tired long before anyone else was ready to leave. "I ought to start heading out. I have to rest up before tomorrow's shift," she told Millie and Malcolm. "It was great meeting up with you again. You'll be at the next party?"
"Too right," Malcolm agreed.
"I'm going to be the maid of honor," Millie added. "It's a requirement."
"I'll see you home," Draco said, standing as Malcolm and Millie walked off to visit with others at the party.
Ginny turned to him with an incredulous expression. "What are you on about?"
Draco shrugged. "I was told in no uncertain terms not to let you apparating anywhere when you're exhausted. Apparently your brother's concerned that you might splinch yourself."
"I've never splinched myself!" she cried, appalled. "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind..."
Draco caught her arm, but it was like trying to catch running water. "Look, you annoy him, then Pansy will get upset. She'll take it out on me."
"I should've known you'd be selfish like that."
At her words, his face shuttered. "Good night, Weasley," he said in a curt tone, then turned and walked away.
Unsettled, Ginny could only stare after him. She wound up apparating home alone, and hadn't bothered to try tracking down Ron. Draco confused her. He stared after her, and always seemed to be right next to her wherever she was. She invariably was rude to him, though he always started off polite. After saying something terrible, he merely froze her out and left her side. He wasn't entirely the evil git she had always assumed him to be.
But what did that mean?
Ginny stopped short as she left the Ministry after her shift the next day. There was Draco Malfoy, leaning against the side of the building waiting for her. "What are you doing here?"
He fell into step beside her. "Apparently, your brother did not appreciate the fact that you went home alone last night. Is your apparition that bad?"
"Mine is better than his," she grumbled, shaking her head. "Look. I've been mean and rude and whatnot, but you're still here. Why is that?"
"Your brother is an idiot that's marrying my best friend."
"That doesn't explain why you're stalking me, Malfoy."
"I think that rather explains a lot. The sacrifices I make so Pansy can be happy..."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't need a shadow, Malfoy."
"Are you headed for the health club? Swimming more laps?"
She stopped short again and turned to glare at Draco. "My plans are none of your business."
"But are you?"
"Why do you care?"
He flicked her a glance that sent a shot of heat straight through her. "I thought you might need some company to swim. It was rather interesting last time."
"We hardly talked at all," Ginny protested.
"We don't have to talk to be interesting, do we?" he asked in an arch tone.
She looked at him warily, but he wasn't laughing at her. "Fine. But if you start acting oddly, I'm out of there."
Draco merely smiled and accompanied her to the club.
***
Pansy lay curled up around Ron. "You think they're catching on to what we're doing?"
Ron chuckled and threaded his hands through her long hair. "Malfoy thinks I'm a complete nutter for being overprotective of an Auror. But it fits what we've always done, so he didn't complain too hard. What did you say to him?"
"That it would make me happy if he kept an eye on her because she's a silly cow that'll get hurt at work. If she got hurt, you'd be upset, and that would upset me." She laughed when Ron poked her sides playfully. "What? After hearing me complain about her, suddenly being her friend would've been silly." She rolled over on top of Ron and grinned lasciviously. "He needs someone that can keep him on his toes, and your sister needs someone to help her calm down. Win-win situation, really. But I don't want to talk about them anymore, love."
He grasped her hips with his hands and pulled up the edge of her nightgown. "Ready for more so soon?"
Pansy laughed and pulled the offending garment over her head. "I'm never getting tired of you, Ronald."
He was deep inside of her, watching her respond to him. For all of her cool detachment and eerie grace, there were times when she was responsive and alive. He knew he was the only one to see her like this, the only one to have her heart completely. She was only fragile with him, only caring and concerned with him. Ron was the one to see all sides of her, and soon enough the entire world would know that.
"What are you thinking of?" she asked afterward, panting and spent beside him.
"How lucky I am," Ron replied, stroking her face tenderly.
Her lips slid into a soft smile. "Yes, you are. It's good of you to realize that without me telling you. One of your better qualities."
Laughing, Ron pulled her on top of him and kissed her soundly. "Evil wench," he teased. "Just for that, you should spend more time with my sister."
"Ron-ald," Pansy whined. "I work with the bint all day long. It's not my fault she stays late or comes in early. She's the mad one with no one to go home to. I have my priorities right."
"Yes, you do," Ron replied approvingly. "At least find out if she likes the bloke. No sense of throwing them together if she can't stand him, and then I'll know if I have to hex his balls off or not."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought you weren't going to be so overprotective of her."
"She's my baby sister," Ron said, shrugging. "Too much has happened to her. If I could do anything to help, I would."
Pansy kissed the tip of his nose. While even a year ago the thought of them being together felt like a pipe dream, she had always known he was protective of family. He would feel the same way about any children they had. That was another impossible thing; she had never thought she liked children, but now she wanted some. Maybe not seven like Molly Weasley, but definitely more than one.
"You are a fantastic man, Ronald Weasley."
"Of course," he replied with a grin, holding her close. "I'm marrying you, aren't I?"
"Good answer," Pansy said with an answering laugh. "I've trained you well."
***
Ginny couldn't believe that Pansy invited her over for "girl time." Ginny didn't count Pansy as a friend and she knew the feeling was mutual. It wasn't even something she was planning to do with Millicent or Daphne, the rest of the bridal party. Was this because she was the future sister in law?
She was surprised by how much fun painting her fingernails and toenails could be with a little wine. And some kind of fruity drink with an umbrella in it that Pansy assured her was fantastic. It was, and Ginny ordered another one, which the house elf was only too happy to provide. They wound up talking about their coworkers, wireless performers, the antics of various Quidditch stars and whether or not their supervisor would ever notice more than Ginny's chest or Pansy's bum when they were filing their reports at the office. It was rather nice, and Ginny supposed that perhaps with more of these little sessions, she could see Pansy as a friend. She certainly wasn't as witty at work, and Ginny wasn't nearly as relaxed as this there.
"Oi, I spilled this on my shirt!" Pansy cried after a particularly red drink spilled down the front of her white shirt. With her nails still drying, she couldn't exactly do very much. "I'll be off to get this taken care of. You sit here and I'll be right back."
Ginny fiddled with the wireless station and applied another coat of polish to her toes. She had settled on a lovely pink color, rather like the inside of a seashell. She was humming along with the wireless, slightly off key, and a shadow fell across her feet. "You wound up just changing shirts, didn't you?" she asked with a smile, not looking up.
"Actually, I did," Draco replied, amused. "Though that was because it would've been frightfully rude to arrive after Quidditch practice smelling like the inside of a locker room." He settled down beside her, ignoring her startled look to pour himself some wine. "That's a good color on you," he commented, taking in the polish on her fingers and toes.
"Er... Thanks, I suppose. What're you doing here?"
He lofted an eyebrow at her. "This is Pansy's home, if you recall." Ginny nodded, rolling her eyes at him as if he was thick. "Well, I'm visiting her. I usually do that on Sunday afternoons."
Ginny frowned at him. "Why?"
Something in his expression was shuttered. "That used to help."
"Help with what? I don't understand."
"She had a sister," Draco said, voice quiet. Even though Ginny was drunk, the gravity in his tone bled through. "She was killed in the war, so afterward, I used to visit her every week to see if she was all right. And then it was just habit. I don't always stay for long. Most of the time she forgets that I do it and she's out. I'm actually pleased if she forgets me, if you can believe that," he added with a wry smile.
"You're a good friend, Malfoy," Ginny said, touching his arm and smiling fondly at him. "I didn't know that about you."
"Most people grow up in time," he said with a shrug. He snatched the nail polish wand from her hand. "Here, let me do that. You got some on your cuticles." Ginny blinked at his matter of fact tone. "We won't discuss how many times I did this for Pans, yeah?"
Ginny couldn't help but giggle. "I can keep a secret. I'm pretty good at that."
Draco looked up at her, her left hand cradled in his as he dipped the wand into the polish bottle. "Yeah. We all learned a lot of things like that in the war." He did her left hand, then her right. Ginny's breathing was shallow and her lips were slightly parted. The flush in her cheeks was likely from the alcohol. Still, it suited her. "You look good, Ginevra."
"You always call me that," she said, then licked her lips almost nervously. It was odd, being on the receiving end of his intense gaze, feeling his touch along her skin and having her heart race in response. "Why don't you ever call me Ginny?"
"That's a nickname. It's something you'd call a child. You are most certainly not a child."
Her breath caught in her chest as he picked up her foot, her ankle cradled in his hands. She didn't know what to say, didn't know what she should feel to have him touch her like this. She was in a simple shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Other than this polish, she had no makeup on. She had to have looked horrible, but he was staring at her as if he wanted to memorize her features.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, feeling his fingers creep up her calf as their eyes were locked.
He smiled, a sensuous curve of lip. "Are you opposed to what I'm doing?"
Yes. No. "I don't know."
Draco slid his hand further up her calf, the other at her ankle. His fingertips grazed the back of her knee, and she jumped a little in surprise. "How does this feel?" He slid his other hand up, a sensuous caress along her skin. "Do you like it?"
"Yes," she whispered, her cheeks crimson. This had nothing to do with the wine now. She felt sober, too sober, and she knew that this was not something to easily dismiss. She had been nothing but mean to him before, yet he'd always been polite. Now he was sliding his hands along her leg and she was letting him. And truth be told, she wanted him to do more.
She nearly leapt out of his arms when his hands slid along the back of her thigh, beneath the edge of her shorts. "I'm visiting Pansy!" she squeaked, eyes wide. She backed up, breathing heavily. "I... This isn't something I should be doing."
"What are we doing?" he asked innocently. The quirk of his lips belied the image, however. "I was going to paint your toenails. Was there something else you wanted to do?"
Pansy chose that moment to return, dressed in a new shirt. "Well, that'll teach me to wear white and drink red things," she chirped gaily as she came back into the room. "Oh, Draco. You know Ginny. Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Of course it is," he agreed easily, though he never took his eyes off of Ginny's flushed face. "Do you mind if I escort Ginevra home? She seems... overtired, perhaps."
"Oh, dear. Did we drink too much? I forget that sometimes my tolerance is pretty high," Pansy said, looking chagrined. She waved off Ginny's sputtered attempts to disagree. "No, no. You go home and rest up. We're back in the office tomorrow, and you know how Greenberry is if we don't have the paperwork in on time."
And somehow, Ginny found herself inviting Draco in when they got to the Burrow. Ron was out for the day, and her parents were busy doing errands. She was alone with Draco Malfoy, whose eyes trailed after her hungrily.
"Thanks for getting me home all right," Ginny said, her voice nearly cracking in two. "I'll see you..."
"Well, I was wondering something," he said, reaching out to touch her arm. Ginny shivered at the touch. "I didn't want to ask in front of Pansy, in case it bothered you. But you know we'll be dancing together at their wedding."
"Oh," Ginny said faintly, feeling vaguely claustrophobic. It was odd, considering how large the living room was and that they were the only two people in it. But suddenly Draco Malfoy filled her senses and he was all she could see.
"I was wondering how your dancing skills are. Perhaps we should practice ahead of time." Before Ginny could even blink, Draco had pulled her into his arms and was starting to waltz around the room with her. Ginny was pressed tightly against him, and could feel the outline of those muscles she had seen at the pool every time they swam together. Flushed, she gasped when his hand slid down from her shoulders to the small of her back, settling there comfortably.
And then he kissed her, the waltz sliding to a halt.
The touch of his lips against hers was light at first, testing her. If she pulled away, if she struck him, he wouldn't have pursued it. But she was startled, her mouth falling open. He traced the insides of her lips with his tongue, then slid it inside to stroke hers. Draco slid his other hand from hers, along her arm and finally to the spot between her shoulder blades. Ginny felt as though she was clinging to him as if her life depended on it, but her hands were tangled in his hair and she was more than enthusiastic in her response. It was the first time she had snogged someone like this in years, and suddenly she couldn't think of why she hadn't done this before.
They both breathed heavily when the kiss broke. Their faces were separated by millimeters, their eyes still locked together.
"You can dance, then," Draco murmured.
"I can follow someone's lead pretty well," Ginny returned, her heart hammering in her chest.
His lips curled into a smile. "How about if you lead me upstairs?"
If she stopped to think, she would second guess this. But she did want this, and overall, thinking only got her into trouble. So did not thinking, but that led to less trouble.
Ginny led him to her bedroom and locked the door. They didn't emerge until long after dinnertime.
***
Ron and Pansy danced their first dance as husband and wife. Harry and Millicent had to dance together, but quickly switched out to dance with their own partners. Ginny and Draco were paired to dance together, and they didn't seem to mind it at all.
"He's definitely been happier for the past two months," Ron commented to Pansy when she seemed to be staring at them.
"She's been less of a cow at work, too." Pansy turned to Ron with an amused tilt to her lips. "Do you think it worked? They didn't say anything to either of us."
"Honestly, I don't want to know what Malfoy and my sister are doing. Ever. I don't want to think of her that way, and if he ever makes me think of that, I'm going to hex his teeth in." Ron's smile softened his words, and Pansy knew he didn't mean it that way, anyway.
"Think you could stand it if he becomes your brother in law?" Pansy teased? "You'd have to see him a lot more than if he was just my friend."
Wrinkling his nose slightly, Ron finally shrugged. "I don't think I'll ever like him enough to be a friend. I can tolerate him in small doses, though."
"Good enough."
Pansy laughed as Ron spun her out on the dance floor and then pulled her back in against his chest. "So, Mr. Weasley..."
"Mrs. Weasley?" he asked with a grin when her voice trailed off.
"How soon do you think we can ditch this party and get started on the honeymoon?"
Ron laughed. "We'll do things quick, then."
It was a complete accident that Ginny caught the bouquet and Draco caught the garter. The married couple left during their dance, laughing all the while.
Ginny and Draco's wedding took place the following year.
The End
Pansy never pretended to be sane by any stretch of the imagination. "Did they catch you stealing the silver?" she asked snidely.
Ginny snarled at Pansy and flicked her wet hair out of her eyes. She made sure that the sopping wet strands sent water right into Pansy's face and onto her robes.
Instantly, Pansy was just as wet as Ginny was.
Smirking with satisfaction at Pansy's howls, Ginny moved to stand next to her desk. The water was cold and wouldn't go away for hours yet. She went through her inbox carefully, fingertips only at the corners of the parchment sheets whenever possible. The curse was one of those things that only applied to humans, but she wasn't about to chance getting a deluge of water spilling across her desk and ruining months of work on her cases.
There was nothing else that needed her immediate attention for the rest of the day, and Pansy was still caterwauling. The others in the office were now avoiding the two of them, not even looking in their direction. Now that she was calmer, Ginny felt almost bad for afflicting Pansy with the same stupid curse. It was her own fault she hadn't ducked in time, and she had really been mad at herself, not Pansy. "Oi, Parkinson. Fine, I'll play nice. Just shut it, and I'll help get you cleaned up."
"These shoes are ruined, Weasley! These cost more than your pitiful salaray!"
Ginny wrinkled her nose. "Forget the offer, then, Parkinson. I'm going home."
Pansy shut her mouth and watch Ginny start to walk back out of the office. "You know how to get rid of this, don't you?" she called out.
"Well, I know the spell," Ginny replied in a shrug. Flecks of water flew off of her, and the other Aurors in the office made sure to stay far, far away. Cowards.
Pansy followed Ginny out of the office. Both women were trailing puddles of water behind them. The water dried up after a few minutes, so it wasn't a permanent trail forming behind them. "So where are we going? You have your own flat, right?" she asked hopefully. "Or do you still live in that hole in the ground?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's called the Burrow. Yes, I still live there. So do my parents and my brother Ron."
Was it her imagination, or did Pansy flush slightly and lick her lips nervously? "Oh, um..."
Ginny grasped Pansy's hand impatiently. "I'll apparate us, since you haven't been there before. There isn't much to do until it wears off, but I know a few modification spells."
"If you can't--"
But Ginny already apparated them both to the Burrow, and Pansy reeled slightly at finding herself on the front doorstep. She followed Ginny into the house, looking about curiously. She hadn't ever seen it before, and she was wondering if she would see Ron about.
Ginny sighed, already regretting this idea. Pansy was looking about with wide eyes, and Ginny supposed that Pansy was trying to figure out what to comment on first. "Come on, then. Up to my room. We'll get this sorted in no time."
"Who else is here?" Pansy asked. She peeled her robes away from her skin, but they were sopping wet still.
Ginny barely spared the family clock a glance. "Ron's about somewhere," she said absently, heading up the stairs. "Why don't you wash up first? Just get out of those things and I'll find something else for you to wear while the curse runs its course."
"I'll just get those things wet too, Weasley."
"Yes, but the uniform will have a chance to dry out a bit," Ginny pointed out. She appraised Pansy's frame with a critical eye. "You could probably wear one of my dressing gowns for a bit." She pointed out the bathroom. "Just get changed in there, and I'll bring it to you."
Pansy nodded and went into the bathroom as Ginny continued further up the stairs. She immediately started stripping down to her knickers, her back to the door. When it opened again, she breathed a sigh of relief. "That was pretty fast, Weasley, even for--"
It wasn't Ginny in the doorway. It was Ron. Who was catching more than an eyeful of Pansy standing in her soaked bra and knickers, which left nothing to the imagination at all.
He was turning nearly as red as his hair, and she could definitely feel her own cheeks growing warm. Then again, she was also feeling a different kind of moisture starting to build up. "Oh," she breathed, not sure what to say. She'd rather fancied him in Hogwarts, but that went nowhere because he was involved with Lavender Brown and then Hermione Granger after the war. She'd been ecstatically happy when Ginny had mentioned their breakup in the office the year before, but Pansy had been unable to think of a good enough reason to approach him.
Ron cautiously stepped forward and closed the bathroom door behind him. The lock of the door was terribly loud in the silence. "Pansy," he murmured. "Um..."
They simply stared at each other for a long moment, and then Pansy stepped forward cautiously. She grasped his shoulders without thinking in order to keep her balance while she leaned up to kiss him. The kiss was amazing, everything she had dreamed it would be since sixth year. It didn't even register at first that he was now as soaking wet as she was, mostly because he was kissing her back.
They ignored the knocking on the door. Ginny wasn't the Weasley that Pansy wanted to be thinking of just then. Her preferred Weasley had amazing muscles hidden beneath his clothes, and his hands fit over her bum just right. He was strong, too, lifting her up to the counter next to the sink. He stood between her legs, hands holding her hips as he devoured her mouth as a starving man would devour a feast. Pansy could hear herself whimpering slightly, and her skin seemed hypersensitive. She could feel the fabric of his shirt rubbing against the thin lace of her bra, the rough pads of his fingers against her hips, the stubble on his chin rubbing her face. She had her arms up around his shoulders, keeping him close so that the kiss didn't have to end.
"I've wanted to do that a while," Ron admitted when the kiss broke. His lips were by her ear, his breath tickling her neck.
"Really? I've waited years for that," Pansy confessed in a rush. She slid her hands beneath his shirt. "Oh, that feels good."
"Is it too forward to take you back to my room?" he asked, nuzzling her neck.
"Think your sister would go spare?" Pansy asked, grinning as she ran her fingernails down his back.
"Maybe," Ron murmured, pulling her hips closer to his. She could feel the outline of his arousal pressed tight against her. "Don't care, though."
"Start here," Pansy whimpered, pulling off his shirt. "We'll save your bed for when we're dry."
Ron kicked off his clothes and Pansy wriggled out of her soaked underthings. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks to whoever had cursed Ginny Weasley, then pulled Ron into her embrace. He felt wonderful inside of her, and she buried her face in the crook of his neck to muffle her cries. Ginny was pounding on the door now, concerned that something was wrong with Pansy. "Just go away!" she finally cried to Ginny, arching into Ron's touch. She pushed herself against him and pulled him even tighter against her, gasping for breath. "I'm fine!"
More than fine, but Ginny didn't need the details.
Ron was laughing against the top of her head as Ginny stomped off. "Merlin, Pansy, I'm going to..." he groaned.
"Yes," she moaned in reply, hands tight against his back. She was close herself, clenching down as she chased her own peak. "I want..."
He groaned and sagged against her after a moment, and Pansy was this close but not quite there yet. At her disappointed sigh, Ron slipped a hand between them. "Just a little farther, yeah?" he murmured against her neck. "Then we dry you off and give it another go."
Pansy opened her mouth to tell him about that damned curse, but it was too much. She came with a surprised yelp, clutching his shoulders for balance as the entire world seemed to tilt around her. "What was that?" she gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.
Ron smirked at her. "If that's your reaction, then I'm sorry your past boyfriends never treated you properly."
She blinked, at a loss for what to say in reply. Her brain wasn't quite ready to make any witty retorts, and she opened her mouth to say something in reply. He took that opportunity to kiss her, tongue sliding into her mouth and hand cupping her face. The other slid to her breast, fingers brushing over her skin gently.
Whatever else she might have said about him in the past, one thing was for certain: he knew how to kiss and he knew how to make a girl tremble in pleasure.
Ron backed away from Pansy long enough to turn on the shower. He laughed at her incredulous expression. "What?"
"We're already soaked to the skin, Ronald."
There was something in his expression that shifted slightly at the sound of his full name. He lifted her to her feet and brought her into the tub, her back pressed against the cold tile. "I like how you say that," he growled, his voice rough with desire. "You see, Pansy, I got you all dirty," he said, hand moving down between her legs. His fingers slipped inside and she whimpered at the contact. "It's only fair I clean you up, yeah? Don't tell me you're afraid of a little water?"
"There was a curse," Pansy gasped. "Your sister... transferred it to me... I got you..."
Ron kissed her, swallowing her words whole. "I know what it is. It only lasts a few hours," he said, moving to kiss her jaw. "Three or four, something like that." He grinned at her, and Pansy could feel her stomach flutter in response to that smile. She'd had a soft spot for that kind of devilish grin, as much as she always tried to cover it up with nasty words and glares. "I can think of a way to pass the time."
Pansy pulled him closer and let the water sluice down over them. "We should have done this years ago," she murmured against his mouth.
"At least it's happening," Ron reasoned, his hands running down the sides of her lithe body. "I think I might not have appreciated this sooner."
"Why not show me how much you appreciate me, then?" Pansy asked, her lips quirking into a smile.
Ron laughed and began to do just that.
Nearly a year and many family misunderstandings and arguments later, Ron and Pansy were getting engaged. Somehow, Draco and Ginny were roped into being part of the bridal party.
"I continue to maintain that that is your fault," Ginny told Draco in arch tones, pointing at her brother Ron dancing with Pansy Parkinson.
Draco merely lofted an eyebrow at Ginny, who was glaring at the pair gliding across the dance floor. He knew Pansy was graceful, but Ron was a surprise. He suspected that Pansy had forced the man to take dancing lessons prior to their engagement party. "I fail to see how this is my fault. I'm hardly in charge of who Pansy decides to ally herself with."
Ginny all but bared her teeth at Draco with a snarl. "She was your sodding girlfriend for years. If you'd married her, she wouldn't be digging her claws into my brother."
"You're operating under the mistaken delusion that anyone can stop Pansy from doing whatever the hell she damn well pleases." Draco flicked an invisible piece of lint off of his sleeve. "Besides. The tabloids got it wrong. We only dated in our fourth and fifth years to make our parents happy. It was a remarkable failure once you got past the obvious."
Ginny waited for Draco to continue, but he had fallen silent. "What? What was so obvious?"
He sipped his champagne and shook his head at Ginny. "She was already half in love with Weasley even then. I refuse to compete with that."
"Oh, yes. That's right. You're a coward that won't fight for anything."
Draco's eyes flashed dangerously at her flippant tone. "Don't talk about what you don't know about," he hissed. The champagne glass snapped in his hand, and he quickly discarded it on the table next to them. She couldn't help but see the bright blood rising where the glass had cut his fingers, but he was already turning away from her. "You've done quite enough, Ginevra," Draco said, shrugging off her grasp. "Try not to spoil your brother's happiness, will you? I'd hate to have Pansy in Azkaban before the wedding for maiming you."
Ginny put down her glass of water and sighed. She had been an utter bitch, though there was no way she was going to apologize to Malfoy. Or Pansy.
Damn, but Draco was right. Pansy looked utterly besotted with Ron, and their kisses always seemed to leave them just a little bit breathless. She looked at him as if no one else in the room existed, as if she couldn't wait for him to whisk her away to their bedroom so they could lock the door.
Jealousy roiling in her stomach, Ginny went to make her rounds of goodbyes. Early shift at work, she lied, and she had to sleep. Best wishes to the lovely couple, of course. They looked utterly lovely together, and she had never seen Ron look so happy.
Everyone thankfully didn't mention her own spectacular breakup with Harry not long after they tried to rekindle their misbegotten relationship. He wasn't capable of being a stable boyfriend, and she wanted more than he was willing to give. One row after another, and they had finally realized it simply wouldn't work out the way they'd hoped. Even five years later, they still couldn't quite manage to have a calm conversation without remembering the insults they'd hurled at one another. Ginny had a vile temper, but Harry was also fed up with the adoration of the masses and the sacrifices that went unappreciated by those adoring masses. If she had been honest with herself at the time, she never would have tried to rekindle a dead relationship.
It was raining outside, which matched her souring mood perfectly. She hadn't brought a cloak, and the downpour caught her unawares. Even worse, she could see Draco Malfoy in the foyer to the hall, an expensive looking cloak on his arm. Ginny knew she looked like a drowning rat, and quickly apparated home. She didn't need any more reasons to be miserable.
Ginny was extra polite to Pansy for her brother's sake. They had worked together for almost three years, and most of the time they managed not to hurl insults at each other or devolve into childish name calling. They were all adults here, and Pansy made her brother happy. Ginny tried not to think too hard on that point, because that road led to all sorts of things she really didn't need to ponder about her brother. She wasn't friends with Pansy, really, but they didn't consider each other evil cows. Ron would have to be content with that. Still, Pansy had bought Ginny a membership at the exclusive club that she was a member of when she was asked to be one of the bridesmaids. Not that Ginny condoned bribery at all, no. But it was easier to tolerate Pansy's presence after swimming in the overlarge pool, sipping a mai tai or visiting the sauna.
She had to sigh when she realized she wasn't the only one at the club ridiculously late at night. She could hear the sound of someone swimming laps. She had pulled extra time on her shift that evening, but too keyed up to sleep. She had thought that swimming might help, but she liked swimming alone. She pushed open the door to the pool area anyway. She could ignore whatever other snotty rich brat was using the pool.
Draco Malfoy.
Ginny was tempted to turn around and run out, but he saw her as he turned to take a breath midstroke. She continued as if she had no misgivings, and put her bag down on one of the chaise lounges. A few laps would probably burn off the adrenaline from that code, and then a few more would exhaust her enough that she could sleep. She could ignore Draco for that long.
He was good at ignoring her, too. It was almost like falling into a rhythm. She swam in one direction, and he was swimming opposite her. There was no need to talk, and Ginny could feel some of her tension bleed into the water. Stupid sodding paperwork and stupid sodding idiots that tried to hide Dark artifacts to commit crimes with. She always got too attached when innocents were used like that.
Ginny hauled herself up and out of the pool after a dozen laps. She could feel Draco's eyes on her as she toweled herself off. She looked up at him wearily. "Something the matter?"
Draco looked away almost guiltily. "I haven't seen you here before."
"I keep odd hours," Ginny replied, rubbing her hair with the towel next. It sort of answered the question.
He left the pool then, sitting on its edge and letting his long legs trail into the water. Ginny tore her eyes away from his lanky build, from the sharply defined muscles. She would not stare at Draco Malfoy, no matter how fit he was. He was Slytherin, he annoyed Ron and Harry, and he still called Hermione a Mudblood to wind her up. He wasn't the sort she should think about, and she really had no place looking at him. "I'm a Quidditch coach. What's your excuse?"
"Auror," Ginny answered in a clipped tone. She stood up and pulled on the warm robes she had packed in her bag. "I'll see you about, I suppose."
"Running away?" he asked snidely, an eyebrow raised.
"Paperwork," she said shortly. She tied the robe shut and got ready to leave. Without saying goodbye, she left for the apparition point. She could feel Draco's eyes on her back, but ignored the uncomfortable sensation. It wasn't as if she really had to interact with him.
Of course, she was wrong about that.
Ron and Pansy decided to host a number of dinner parties prior to the wedding. Ginny found herself next to Millicent Bulstrode and her boyfriend Malcolm Baddock at one party. They worked at St. Mungo's and were engaged themselves. Millie wasn't that bad to talk to, and Malcolm knew a lot about medicine. At some point, Ginny discovered that she was sitting next to Draco. He was quietly listening to the discourse on blood replenishing potions as if it was fascinating. It unnerved her, but not quite enough to lose the thread of the conversation with Malcolm.
Ginny started getting tired long before anyone else was ready to leave. "I ought to start heading out. I have to rest up before tomorrow's shift," she told Millie and Malcolm. "It was great meeting up with you again. You'll be at the next party?"
"Too right," Malcolm agreed.
"I'm going to be the maid of honor," Millie added. "It's a requirement."
"I'll see you home," Draco said, standing as Malcolm and Millie walked off to visit with others at the party.
Ginny turned to him with an incredulous expression. "What are you on about?"
Draco shrugged. "I was told in no uncertain terms not to let you apparating anywhere when you're exhausted. Apparently your brother's concerned that you might splinch yourself."
"I've never splinched myself!" she cried, appalled. "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind..."
Draco caught her arm, but it was like trying to catch running water. "Look, you annoy him, then Pansy will get upset. She'll take it out on me."
"I should've known you'd be selfish like that."
At her words, his face shuttered. "Good night, Weasley," he said in a curt tone, then turned and walked away.
Unsettled, Ginny could only stare after him. She wound up apparating home alone, and hadn't bothered to try tracking down Ron. Draco confused her. He stared after her, and always seemed to be right next to her wherever she was. She invariably was rude to him, though he always started off polite. After saying something terrible, he merely froze her out and left her side. He wasn't entirely the evil git she had always assumed him to be.
But what did that mean?
Ginny stopped short as she left the Ministry after her shift the next day. There was Draco Malfoy, leaning against the side of the building waiting for her. "What are you doing here?"
He fell into step beside her. "Apparently, your brother did not appreciate the fact that you went home alone last night. Is your apparition that bad?"
"Mine is better than his," she grumbled, shaking her head. "Look. I've been mean and rude and whatnot, but you're still here. Why is that?"
"Your brother is an idiot that's marrying my best friend."
"That doesn't explain why you're stalking me, Malfoy."
"I think that rather explains a lot. The sacrifices I make so Pansy can be happy..."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't need a shadow, Malfoy."
"Are you headed for the health club? Swimming more laps?"
She stopped short again and turned to glare at Draco. "My plans are none of your business."
"But are you?"
"Why do you care?"
He flicked her a glance that sent a shot of heat straight through her. "I thought you might need some company to swim. It was rather interesting last time."
"We hardly talked at all," Ginny protested.
"We don't have to talk to be interesting, do we?" he asked in an arch tone.
She looked at him warily, but he wasn't laughing at her. "Fine. But if you start acting oddly, I'm out of there."
Draco merely smiled and accompanied her to the club.
Pansy lay curled up around Ron. "You think they're catching on to what we're doing?"
Ron chuckled and threaded his hands through her long hair. "Malfoy thinks I'm a complete nutter for being overprotective of an Auror. But it fits what we've always done, so he didn't complain too hard. What did you say to him?"
"That it would make me happy if he kept an eye on her because she's a silly cow that'll get hurt at work. If she got hurt, you'd be upset, and that would upset me." She laughed when Ron poked her sides playfully. "What? After hearing me complain about her, suddenly being her friend would've been silly." She rolled over on top of Ron and grinned lasciviously. "He needs someone that can keep him on his toes, and your sister needs someone to help her calm down. Win-win situation, really. But I don't want to talk about them anymore, love."
He grasped her hips with his hands and pulled up the edge of her nightgown. "Ready for more so soon?"
Pansy laughed and pulled the offending garment over her head. "I'm never getting tired of you, Ronald."
He was deep inside of her, watching her respond to him. For all of her cool detachment and eerie grace, there were times when she was responsive and alive. He knew he was the only one to see her like this, the only one to have her heart completely. She was only fragile with him, only caring and concerned with him. Ron was the one to see all sides of her, and soon enough the entire world would know that.
"What are you thinking of?" she asked afterward, panting and spent beside him.
"How lucky I am," Ron replied, stroking her face tenderly.
Her lips slid into a soft smile. "Yes, you are. It's good of you to realize that without me telling you. One of your better qualities."
Laughing, Ron pulled her on top of him and kissed her soundly. "Evil wench," he teased. "Just for that, you should spend more time with my sister."
"Ron-ald," Pansy whined. "I work with the bint all day long. It's not my fault she stays late or comes in early. She's the mad one with no one to go home to. I have my priorities right."
"Yes, you do," Ron replied approvingly. "At least find out if she likes the bloke. No sense of throwing them together if she can't stand him, and then I'll know if I have to hex his balls off or not."
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Just when I thought you weren't going to be so overprotective of her."
"She's my baby sister," Ron said, shrugging. "Too much has happened to her. If I could do anything to help, I would."
Pansy kissed the tip of his nose. While even a year ago the thought of them being together felt like a pipe dream, she had always known he was protective of family. He would feel the same way about any children they had. That was another impossible thing; she had never thought she liked children, but now she wanted some. Maybe not seven like Molly Weasley, but definitely more than one.
"You are a fantastic man, Ronald Weasley."
"Of course," he replied with a grin, holding her close. "I'm marrying you, aren't I?"
"Good answer," Pansy said with an answering laugh. "I've trained you well."
Ginny couldn't believe that Pansy invited her over for "girl time." Ginny didn't count Pansy as a friend and she knew the feeling was mutual. It wasn't even something she was planning to do with Millicent or Daphne, the rest of the bridal party. Was this because she was the future sister in law?
She was surprised by how much fun painting her fingernails and toenails could be with a little wine. And some kind of fruity drink with an umbrella in it that Pansy assured her was fantastic. It was, and Ginny ordered another one, which the house elf was only too happy to provide. They wound up talking about their coworkers, wireless performers, the antics of various Quidditch stars and whether or not their supervisor would ever notice more than Ginny's chest or Pansy's bum when they were filing their reports at the office. It was rather nice, and Ginny supposed that perhaps with more of these little sessions, she could see Pansy as a friend. She certainly wasn't as witty at work, and Ginny wasn't nearly as relaxed as this there.
"Oi, I spilled this on my shirt!" Pansy cried after a particularly red drink spilled down the front of her white shirt. With her nails still drying, she couldn't exactly do very much. "I'll be off to get this taken care of. You sit here and I'll be right back."
Ginny fiddled with the wireless station and applied another coat of polish to her toes. She had settled on a lovely pink color, rather like the inside of a seashell. She was humming along with the wireless, slightly off key, and a shadow fell across her feet. "You wound up just changing shirts, didn't you?" she asked with a smile, not looking up.
"Actually, I did," Draco replied, amused. "Though that was because it would've been frightfully rude to arrive after Quidditch practice smelling like the inside of a locker room." He settled down beside her, ignoring her startled look to pour himself some wine. "That's a good color on you," he commented, taking in the polish on her fingers and toes.
"Er... Thanks, I suppose. What're you doing here?"
He lofted an eyebrow at her. "This is Pansy's home, if you recall." Ginny nodded, rolling her eyes at him as if he was thick. "Well, I'm visiting her. I usually do that on Sunday afternoons."
Ginny frowned at him. "Why?"
Something in his expression was shuttered. "That used to help."
"Help with what? I don't understand."
"She had a sister," Draco said, voice quiet. Even though Ginny was drunk, the gravity in his tone bled through. "She was killed in the war, so afterward, I used to visit her every week to see if she was all right. And then it was just habit. I don't always stay for long. Most of the time she forgets that I do it and she's out. I'm actually pleased if she forgets me, if you can believe that," he added with a wry smile.
"You're a good friend, Malfoy," Ginny said, touching his arm and smiling fondly at him. "I didn't know that about you."
"Most people grow up in time," he said with a shrug. He snatched the nail polish wand from her hand. "Here, let me do that. You got some on your cuticles." Ginny blinked at his matter of fact tone. "We won't discuss how many times I did this for Pans, yeah?"
Ginny couldn't help but giggle. "I can keep a secret. I'm pretty good at that."
Draco looked up at her, her left hand cradled in his as he dipped the wand into the polish bottle. "Yeah. We all learned a lot of things like that in the war." He did her left hand, then her right. Ginny's breathing was shallow and her lips were slightly parted. The flush in her cheeks was likely from the alcohol. Still, it suited her. "You look good, Ginevra."
"You always call me that," she said, then licked her lips almost nervously. It was odd, being on the receiving end of his intense gaze, feeling his touch along her skin and having her heart race in response. "Why don't you ever call me Ginny?"
"That's a nickname. It's something you'd call a child. You are most certainly not a child."
Her breath caught in her chest as he picked up her foot, her ankle cradled in his hands. She didn't know what to say, didn't know what she should feel to have him touch her like this. She was in a simple shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Other than this polish, she had no makeup on. She had to have looked horrible, but he was staring at her as if he wanted to memorize her features.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, feeling his fingers creep up her calf as their eyes were locked.
He smiled, a sensuous curve of lip. "Are you opposed to what I'm doing?"
Yes. No. "I don't know."
Draco slid his hand further up her calf, the other at her ankle. His fingertips grazed the back of her knee, and she jumped a little in surprise. "How does this feel?" He slid his other hand up, a sensuous caress along her skin. "Do you like it?"
"Yes," she whispered, her cheeks crimson. This had nothing to do with the wine now. She felt sober, too sober, and she knew that this was not something to easily dismiss. She had been nothing but mean to him before, yet he'd always been polite. Now he was sliding his hands along her leg and she was letting him. And truth be told, she wanted him to do more.
She nearly leapt out of his arms when his hands slid along the back of her thigh, beneath the edge of her shorts. "I'm visiting Pansy!" she squeaked, eyes wide. She backed up, breathing heavily. "I... This isn't something I should be doing."
"What are we doing?" he asked innocently. The quirk of his lips belied the image, however. "I was going to paint your toenails. Was there something else you wanted to do?"
Pansy chose that moment to return, dressed in a new shirt. "Well, that'll teach me to wear white and drink red things," she chirped gaily as she came back into the room. "Oh, Draco. You know Ginny. Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Of course it is," he agreed easily, though he never took his eyes off of Ginny's flushed face. "Do you mind if I escort Ginevra home? She seems... overtired, perhaps."
"Oh, dear. Did we drink too much? I forget that sometimes my tolerance is pretty high," Pansy said, looking chagrined. She waved off Ginny's sputtered attempts to disagree. "No, no. You go home and rest up. We're back in the office tomorrow, and you know how Greenberry is if we don't have the paperwork in on time."
And somehow, Ginny found herself inviting Draco in when they got to the Burrow. Ron was out for the day, and her parents were busy doing errands. She was alone with Draco Malfoy, whose eyes trailed after her hungrily.
"Thanks for getting me home all right," Ginny said, her voice nearly cracking in two. "I'll see you..."
"Well, I was wondering something," he said, reaching out to touch her arm. Ginny shivered at the touch. "I didn't want to ask in front of Pansy, in case it bothered you. But you know we'll be dancing together at their wedding."
"Oh," Ginny said faintly, feeling vaguely claustrophobic. It was odd, considering how large the living room was and that they were the only two people in it. But suddenly Draco Malfoy filled her senses and he was all she could see.
"I was wondering how your dancing skills are. Perhaps we should practice ahead of time." Before Ginny could even blink, Draco had pulled her into his arms and was starting to waltz around the room with her. Ginny was pressed tightly against him, and could feel the outline of those muscles she had seen at the pool every time they swam together. Flushed, she gasped when his hand slid down from her shoulders to the small of her back, settling there comfortably.
And then he kissed her, the waltz sliding to a halt.
The touch of his lips against hers was light at first, testing her. If she pulled away, if she struck him, he wouldn't have pursued it. But she was startled, her mouth falling open. He traced the insides of her lips with his tongue, then slid it inside to stroke hers. Draco slid his other hand from hers, along her arm and finally to the spot between her shoulder blades. Ginny felt as though she was clinging to him as if her life depended on it, but her hands were tangled in his hair and she was more than enthusiastic in her response. It was the first time she had snogged someone like this in years, and suddenly she couldn't think of why she hadn't done this before.
They both breathed heavily when the kiss broke. Their faces were separated by millimeters, their eyes still locked together.
"You can dance, then," Draco murmured.
"I can follow someone's lead pretty well," Ginny returned, her heart hammering in her chest.
His lips curled into a smile. "How about if you lead me upstairs?"
If she stopped to think, she would second guess this. But she did want this, and overall, thinking only got her into trouble. So did not thinking, but that led to less trouble.
Ginny led him to her bedroom and locked the door. They didn't emerge until long after dinnertime.
Ron and Pansy danced their first dance as husband and wife. Harry and Millicent had to dance together, but quickly switched out to dance with their own partners. Ginny and Draco were paired to dance together, and they didn't seem to mind it at all.
"He's definitely been happier for the past two months," Ron commented to Pansy when she seemed to be staring at them.
"She's been less of a cow at work, too." Pansy turned to Ron with an amused tilt to her lips. "Do you think it worked? They didn't say anything to either of us."
"Honestly, I don't want to know what Malfoy and my sister are doing. Ever. I don't want to think of her that way, and if he ever makes me think of that, I'm going to hex his teeth in." Ron's smile softened his words, and Pansy knew he didn't mean it that way, anyway.
"Think you could stand it if he becomes your brother in law?" Pansy teased? "You'd have to see him a lot more than if he was just my friend."
Wrinkling his nose slightly, Ron finally shrugged. "I don't think I'll ever like him enough to be a friend. I can tolerate him in small doses, though."
"Good enough."
Pansy laughed as Ron spun her out on the dance floor and then pulled her back in against his chest. "So, Mr. Weasley..."
"Mrs. Weasley?" he asked with a grin when her voice trailed off.
"How soon do you think we can ditch this party and get started on the honeymoon?"
Ron laughed. "We'll do things quick, then."
It was a complete accident that Ginny caught the bouquet and Draco caught the garter. The married couple left during their dance, laughing all the while.
Ginny and Draco's wedding took place the following year.
The End.
Eustacia Vye is the author of 37 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 12 members. Members who liked Nearer To You also liked 1235 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 12 members. Members who liked Nearer To You also liked 1235 other stories.
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