♥ "The Assignment" for raemariexoxo ♥
The Assignment:
Rating: PG-13
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: N/A
Summary: When Ginny is assigned to protect Draco from possible danger, she never expects the outcome.
A/N: This is just a short, cute fic with a small twist at the end to go with the nostalgia theme. The short fluffy fics made me love D/G initially and they are still what draws me back.
The Assignment
The Ministry of Magic was eerily empty and silent as Ginny wandered the halls. She knew her father had a nicer office now that the war was over but she missed his friendly coworkers who would offer her a cup of tea or a biscuit. After what seemed like miles of walking, Ginny reached her father’s shiny new door.
Knock Knock.
“Come in,” Arthur called from within. Ginny opened the door and smiled when she saw her father’s graying hair peeking over a stack of papers.
“Ah, Ginny,” her father said as he lifted his head.
Ginny closed the door behind her. “You wanted to see me?” She sat down in the only other chair in the office. Arthur moved the giant stack of paper with his wand so he could properly see his daughter. Ginny could tell he was nervous because he kept turning his wand over and over in his hands.
“Recently, Draco Malfoy has expressed concern for his own safety,” Arthur began. “Kingsley has decided to hire an Auror, as is standard in these cases. However, Draco often attends large events and doesn’t like the idea of an obvious bodyguard.”
“Why is he scared for his life?” Ginny asked.
Arthur scratched his head and thought about his response. “It seems many of Draco’s friends believe he made some wrong choices during the war.”
“Like when he decided to run away?” Ginny offered. It was common knowledge that after Dumbledore’s death, Draco went missing. Many thought he had died and most were not upset about it. It was only after the war ended that Draco reappeared. He had been unable to handle the pressure and went to France to live with extended family.
“Precisely,” Arthur replied. “I spoke with Kingsley and he thinks it would be better if someone posed as Draco’s significant other. That way, they could go to events together, or wherever Draco decides to go, without being obvious.”
Ginny frowned. “You’re not suggesting that I guard him? I’m only in my second year of training, it’s not allowed.” She had been training to be an Auror ever since she left Hogwarts and didn’t want to mess it up by botching an assignment.
“Kingsley believes you’re ready and you’re the only female who could reasonably pose as Draco’s girlfriend,” Arthur explained. “I know you aren’t a fan of Draco but this is a very respectable job and you should be proud that you were picked.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. Of all of the assignments she could receive, she had to get the one pretending to be Draco Malfoy's girlfriend.
*~*~*
Draco lived in a small flat in Diagon Alley above a shop that sold clothing for babies. Ginny smiled to herself as she rang the doorbell. Nobody answered. She waited an appropriate amount of time before ringing the bell again. Still no answer.
Finally, Ginny held down the doorbell. She could hear a bell going off repeatedly and the sound of footsteps descending stairs. The door opened and to her surprise, Draco answered, shirtless. Ginny couldn’t help staring at his abdomen, which was very fit for somebody who stacked books at Flourish and Blotts for a living.
“What do you - oh, Weasley,” Draco grumbled. “It’s eight in the morning, come back later.”
Draco started to close the door but Ginny stopped it with her foot. “Ah, ah, ah, not so fast. We have a lot of work to do in the next few hours before the charity auction,” she reminded him.
“Like what?” Draco gave Ginny the once-over and rasied an eyebrow. She was wearing simple robes with practical shoes and suddenly felt severely underdressed. Ironic, considering how little Draco was wearing.
“First of all, I want to go over some security protocol so that you’re aware of any signals I might make this evening. Second of all, if we’re going to act like a couple we should probably come up with a background story,” Ginny explained. Draco rolled his eyes and opened the door further to let her inside.
He led the way upstairs and into a tiny kitchen. The sitting room was even smaller, only allowing a small couch and bookshelf. Ginny could see a door that she surmised was the entrance to a bedroom. Draco pulled out a stool for Ginny to sit on and started to make some coffee.
“Let’s make this as painless as possible,” Draco started. “I was at the Ministry with my father, I passed you in the hall, made small talk, asked you to dinner and voila, we’re a couple now.” He ran a hand through his hair and yawned.
Ginny shook her head. “No, Kingsley always says to know the details. We met at the Ministry, fine, but where did you take me to dinner? Did you pay? Where do we normally stay, your place or mine?”
Draco shrugged. “Who’s going to ask that?”
“The press, for one,” Ginny replied. “Also, your mother and father aren’t aware of this arrangement, so they’re going to wonder why you’re suddenly dating a Weasley.”
The coffee maker was done making gurgling noises. Draco poured himself a cup and did not offer any to Ginny. She sighed but decided not to argue with him about manners.
“Fine, we went to the Leaky Cauldron because I don’t have a lot of money right now. We split the cost and spent the night at your place,” Draco said. He crossed the room and disappeared behind the bedroom door. Ginny waited impatiently for him to return.
“Now, what are those signals I need to learn?” Draco asked as he reentered the room, this time with a shirt on.
*~*~*
Five hours later, Ginny was rushing around her own flat trying to put together an outfit and hairstyle for the auction. Draco was a quick learner and by noon, he could recall every signal she had ever had to use in training, plus their meanings. A tug of the ear meant all was clear, a scratch of the nose was a sign of danger - Ginny had learned them pretty quickly herself but it made her wonder why Draco wasn’t trying to do something more with his life.
When Ginny had asked him if his job at the bookstore was common knowledge, Draco shook his head. “According to society, I live off of my parents.”
It explained why Draco still went to private events held only for the fabulously wealthy. She wondered if he would make an offer on anything at the auction, just to save face. Ginny certainly didn’t have the money to bid on a comb, let alone anything glamorous. Her own flat was only slightly bigger than Draco’s and that was because it was in Muggle London and very cheap.
Draco arrived at precisely three o’clock. Ginny answered the door in a blue gown with silver heels. Draco was wearing dark green dress robes. His hair was fashionably messy, which Ginny had to admit was cute. She shook her head; it wouldn’t do to admire Draco Malfoy. This was a business arrangement.
“You look nice,” Draco said, not really looking at her. He brushed some lint off of his robes. Ginny wondered if he really meant to compliment her or if he was just being polite. “We should go. The auction starts at four.”
To Ginny’s relief, they apparated. The floo had a tendency to mess up one’s hair and she had spent a good hour curling it. The auction was being held at Parkinson Place and the second Ginny and Draco arrived, photographers swarmed them.
“When did you two meet?” “How long have you been dating?” "Are you pregnant?"
Draco looked ready to punch out the first photographer to take another photo. Ginny grabbed his hand and held it tightly.
“We’ve been dating for two months now. No, we are not engaged. Yes, we have discussed the past and we have both agreed to move on and start fresh,” Ginny answered each question with as much poise as she could muster. It was difficult to sound like a loving couple when Draco kept grumbling at her side and tried to extract his hand from hers.
They finally reached the entrance hall where the photographers and journalists were not allowed. Ginny was still clutching Draco’s hand after their escape. He pointedly pulled her hand off of his and left to check his coat. Ginny scurried after him.
“Our relationship would be much more convincing if you would check my coat, too,” Ginny hissed at him. Draco sneered and motioned for the young assistant to take hers as well.
Inside of the ballroom where the auction was taking place, Ginny noticed Pansy Parkinson who seemed less than interested in her current situation. She saw Draco and quickly made her way over.
“Draco, save me. Mother insists I socialize with these cretins,” she whispered. “Oh, hello, Weasley.” The distaste in Pansy’s voice caused Ginny’s smile to falter.
“Hello,” Ginny responded. She didn’t want to make a scene with Draco’s friend. This was merely an assignment and Ginny needed to follow through and keep an eye out for possible danger.
She scouted the room but didn’t see anything suspicious so she turned her attention back to Pansy who was crossing her arms and pouting. Draco glanced at Ginny and rolled his eyes toward her. Ginny stifled a giggle. She was glad she wasn’t the only one who thought the brunette was being ridiculous.
*~*~*
Two hours passed and still there wasn’t a threat of any danger other than perpetual boredom. Draco and Ginny had eventually started a competition of who could drink whom under the table. Draco was five shots down while Ginny wasn’t sure if the next shot would cause her to vomit.
“Come on, Weasley,” Draco yelled, slurring a bit. “Since when have you let yourself lose to me?”
Ginny couldn’t lose to Draco. Even though her job was on the line, she grabbed the shot and tipped her head back. It was disgusting but she did it. The small crowd that had assembled around the bar cheered. Ginny felt like a hero. She stood up to thank the crowd but stumbled into Draco, who caught her rather deftly.
“Let’s find a loo, shall we?” Draco mumbled. They staggered to the nearest exit and down several hallways before they located a bathroom.
“I’m completely fine,” Ginny slurred. She felt herself swaying and placed a hand on Draco’s abs to steady herself. “You’re so strong. When did you get muscles?”
“What?” Draco asked, confused.
Without really thinking about it, Ginny leaned in and kissed Draco. She would curse herself tomorrow when she realized what a scarlet woman she was but for now, it was nice to feel a man’s lips on hers.
Draco was a little surprised but couldn’t help himself. Ginny was pretty, smart, and despite his attempts to hide it, she made him laugh.
They continued to kiss lightly until Draco decided to take things further and slip his tongue in her mouth and…
*~*~*
“Ew! Stop, Dad, this is too much detail,” Gideon complained.
Ginny laughed. “Yes, Draco, you really don’t need to tell the children what happened after that.”
Draco frowned. “Fine, but I was getting to the good stuff.”
Clara smiled. “Then you fell in love and got married!”
It was true. After their fateful night together, Ginny had quit the assignment claiming ‘conflict of interest’ but her assignment never really ended. She and Draco continued to date and eventually, after about two years together, he proposed.
The only regret Ginny had was her wedding dress. At the time, Ginny had wanted to make a good impression on Draco’s parents and let Narcissa pick out the dress and decorations.
“It was a glitter explosion,” Draco said, grabbing a nearby picture from the coffee table. “See? Look how upset your mother is.”
“I was not that upset,” Ginny interjected. “It just wasn’t what I was expecting.”
Gideon smirked. “You look pretty upset, mum.”
Clara grabbed the picture next. “I think mum looks very pretty,” she argued.
“Thank you, Clara,” Ginny said. She smiled at her husband who smiled back.
Ginny couldn’t have asked for a better ending to her original assignment. If she had known then that she would end up marrying Draco and have two beautiful children with him, she probably would have run screaming in the opposite direction. However, things had turned out for the best and Ginny wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“When are Aunt Pansy and Uncle Ron coming?” Gideon asked as he helped clear the dinner plates.
Draco grumbled to himself while Ginny answered. “They’re arriving at noon.”
It was tradition to tell the children a different story every year at Christmas. Once they had requested the story of how Grandma and Grandpa Weasley had met. Another year they wanted to know how Harry had defeated Voldemort. Last year, they requested the story of Ginny and Draco's wedding where they unknowingly started an affair between Ron and Pansy.
“And then we can open presents?” Clara asked eagerly.
“Yes, of course. Luna and Blaise are coming for dinner too so you’ll have even more presents to open then,” Ginny added.
The children cheered and ran to the Christmas tree to guess what their presents were for the thousandth time. Draco wrapped an arm around Ginny’s waist and sighed.
“Do they realize how unlikely their existence was twelve years ago?” Draco teased. Ginny punched him in the arm.
“Next year, please leave out the snogging,” Ginny advised. “The children were scarred enough when they walked in on Ron and Pansy…”
Draco shivered. “I think we all were.”
Ginny leaned in and kissed her husband. He returned the kiss and after they put their children to bed, they reenacted the first night of their relationship.
“You do realize,” Ginny whispered as they drifted off to sleep. “This is the longest fake relationship I’ve ever had.”
Draco smiled. "It's a good thing we're so believable."
The End.
Original Prompt that we sent you: Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: Post war, marriage law or some other type of forced relationship (I know it's cliche, but so much fun) MUST HAVE HEA extra points for Blaise/Luna and/or Ron/Pansy
The tone/mood of the fic: snark/humor/fluff/romance
An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic: glitter explosion
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: M
Canon or AU? Cannon characters, but can disregard cannon plot starting from the 6th book
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): extreme Harry bashing, evil!Draco, too much angst
Rating: PG-13
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: N/A
Summary: When Ginny is assigned to protect Draco from possible danger, she never expects the outcome.
A/N: This is just a short, cute fic with a small twist at the end to go with the nostalgia theme. The short fluffy fics made me love D/G initially and they are still what draws me back.
The Assignment
The Ministry of Magic was eerily empty and silent as Ginny wandered the halls. She knew her father had a nicer office now that the war was over but she missed his friendly coworkers who would offer her a cup of tea or a biscuit. After what seemed like miles of walking, Ginny reached her father’s shiny new door.
Knock Knock.
“Come in,” Arthur called from within. Ginny opened the door and smiled when she saw her father’s graying hair peeking over a stack of papers.
“Ah, Ginny,” her father said as he lifted his head.
Ginny closed the door behind her. “You wanted to see me?” She sat down in the only other chair in the office. Arthur moved the giant stack of paper with his wand so he could properly see his daughter. Ginny could tell he was nervous because he kept turning his wand over and over in his hands.
“Recently, Draco Malfoy has expressed concern for his own safety,” Arthur began. “Kingsley has decided to hire an Auror, as is standard in these cases. However, Draco often attends large events and doesn’t like the idea of an obvious bodyguard.”
“Why is he scared for his life?” Ginny asked.
Arthur scratched his head and thought about his response. “It seems many of Draco’s friends believe he made some wrong choices during the war.”
“Like when he decided to run away?” Ginny offered. It was common knowledge that after Dumbledore’s death, Draco went missing. Many thought he had died and most were not upset about it. It was only after the war ended that Draco reappeared. He had been unable to handle the pressure and went to France to live with extended family.
“Precisely,” Arthur replied. “I spoke with Kingsley and he thinks it would be better if someone posed as Draco’s significant other. That way, they could go to events together, or wherever Draco decides to go, without being obvious.”
Ginny frowned. “You’re not suggesting that I guard him? I’m only in my second year of training, it’s not allowed.” She had been training to be an Auror ever since she left Hogwarts and didn’t want to mess it up by botching an assignment.
“Kingsley believes you’re ready and you’re the only female who could reasonably pose as Draco’s girlfriend,” Arthur explained. “I know you aren’t a fan of Draco but this is a very respectable job and you should be proud that you were picked.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. Of all of the assignments she could receive, she had to get the one pretending to be Draco Malfoy's girlfriend.
*~*~*
Draco lived in a small flat in Diagon Alley above a shop that sold clothing for babies. Ginny smiled to herself as she rang the doorbell. Nobody answered. She waited an appropriate amount of time before ringing the bell again. Still no answer.
Finally, Ginny held down the doorbell. She could hear a bell going off repeatedly and the sound of footsteps descending stairs. The door opened and to her surprise, Draco answered, shirtless. Ginny couldn’t help staring at his abdomen, which was very fit for somebody who stacked books at Flourish and Blotts for a living.
“What do you - oh, Weasley,” Draco grumbled. “It’s eight in the morning, come back later.”
Draco started to close the door but Ginny stopped it with her foot. “Ah, ah, ah, not so fast. We have a lot of work to do in the next few hours before the charity auction,” she reminded him.
“Like what?” Draco gave Ginny the once-over and rasied an eyebrow. She was wearing simple robes with practical shoes and suddenly felt severely underdressed. Ironic, considering how little Draco was wearing.
“First of all, I want to go over some security protocol so that you’re aware of any signals I might make this evening. Second of all, if we’re going to act like a couple we should probably come up with a background story,” Ginny explained. Draco rolled his eyes and opened the door further to let her inside.
He led the way upstairs and into a tiny kitchen. The sitting room was even smaller, only allowing a small couch and bookshelf. Ginny could see a door that she surmised was the entrance to a bedroom. Draco pulled out a stool for Ginny to sit on and started to make some coffee.
“Let’s make this as painless as possible,” Draco started. “I was at the Ministry with my father, I passed you in the hall, made small talk, asked you to dinner and voila, we’re a couple now.” He ran a hand through his hair and yawned.
Ginny shook her head. “No, Kingsley always says to know the details. We met at the Ministry, fine, but where did you take me to dinner? Did you pay? Where do we normally stay, your place or mine?”
Draco shrugged. “Who’s going to ask that?”
“The press, for one,” Ginny replied. “Also, your mother and father aren’t aware of this arrangement, so they’re going to wonder why you’re suddenly dating a Weasley.”
The coffee maker was done making gurgling noises. Draco poured himself a cup and did not offer any to Ginny. She sighed but decided not to argue with him about manners.
“Fine, we went to the Leaky Cauldron because I don’t have a lot of money right now. We split the cost and spent the night at your place,” Draco said. He crossed the room and disappeared behind the bedroom door. Ginny waited impatiently for him to return.
“Now, what are those signals I need to learn?” Draco asked as he reentered the room, this time with a shirt on.
*~*~*
Five hours later, Ginny was rushing around her own flat trying to put together an outfit and hairstyle for the auction. Draco was a quick learner and by noon, he could recall every signal she had ever had to use in training, plus their meanings. A tug of the ear meant all was clear, a scratch of the nose was a sign of danger - Ginny had learned them pretty quickly herself but it made her wonder why Draco wasn’t trying to do something more with his life.
When Ginny had asked him if his job at the bookstore was common knowledge, Draco shook his head. “According to society, I live off of my parents.”
It explained why Draco still went to private events held only for the fabulously wealthy. She wondered if he would make an offer on anything at the auction, just to save face. Ginny certainly didn’t have the money to bid on a comb, let alone anything glamorous. Her own flat was only slightly bigger than Draco’s and that was because it was in Muggle London and very cheap.
Draco arrived at precisely three o’clock. Ginny answered the door in a blue gown with silver heels. Draco was wearing dark green dress robes. His hair was fashionably messy, which Ginny had to admit was cute. She shook her head; it wouldn’t do to admire Draco Malfoy. This was a business arrangement.
“You look nice,” Draco said, not really looking at her. He brushed some lint off of his robes. Ginny wondered if he really meant to compliment her or if he was just being polite. “We should go. The auction starts at four.”
To Ginny’s relief, they apparated. The floo had a tendency to mess up one’s hair and she had spent a good hour curling it. The auction was being held at Parkinson Place and the second Ginny and Draco arrived, photographers swarmed them.
“When did you two meet?” “How long have you been dating?” "Are you pregnant?"
Draco looked ready to punch out the first photographer to take another photo. Ginny grabbed his hand and held it tightly.
“We’ve been dating for two months now. No, we are not engaged. Yes, we have discussed the past and we have both agreed to move on and start fresh,” Ginny answered each question with as much poise as she could muster. It was difficult to sound like a loving couple when Draco kept grumbling at her side and tried to extract his hand from hers.
They finally reached the entrance hall where the photographers and journalists were not allowed. Ginny was still clutching Draco’s hand after their escape. He pointedly pulled her hand off of his and left to check his coat. Ginny scurried after him.
“Our relationship would be much more convincing if you would check my coat, too,” Ginny hissed at him. Draco sneered and motioned for the young assistant to take hers as well.
Inside of the ballroom where the auction was taking place, Ginny noticed Pansy Parkinson who seemed less than interested in her current situation. She saw Draco and quickly made her way over.
“Draco, save me. Mother insists I socialize with these cretins,” she whispered. “Oh, hello, Weasley.” The distaste in Pansy’s voice caused Ginny’s smile to falter.
“Hello,” Ginny responded. She didn’t want to make a scene with Draco’s friend. This was merely an assignment and Ginny needed to follow through and keep an eye out for possible danger.
She scouted the room but didn’t see anything suspicious so she turned her attention back to Pansy who was crossing her arms and pouting. Draco glanced at Ginny and rolled his eyes toward her. Ginny stifled a giggle. She was glad she wasn’t the only one who thought the brunette was being ridiculous.
*~*~*
Two hours passed and still there wasn’t a threat of any danger other than perpetual boredom. Draco and Ginny had eventually started a competition of who could drink whom under the table. Draco was five shots down while Ginny wasn’t sure if the next shot would cause her to vomit.
“Come on, Weasley,” Draco yelled, slurring a bit. “Since when have you let yourself lose to me?”
Ginny couldn’t lose to Draco. Even though her job was on the line, she grabbed the shot and tipped her head back. It was disgusting but she did it. The small crowd that had assembled around the bar cheered. Ginny felt like a hero. She stood up to thank the crowd but stumbled into Draco, who caught her rather deftly.
“Let’s find a loo, shall we?” Draco mumbled. They staggered to the nearest exit and down several hallways before they located a bathroom.
“I’m completely fine,” Ginny slurred. She felt herself swaying and placed a hand on Draco’s abs to steady herself. “You’re so strong. When did you get muscles?”
“What?” Draco asked, confused.
Without really thinking about it, Ginny leaned in and kissed Draco. She would curse herself tomorrow when she realized what a scarlet woman she was but for now, it was nice to feel a man’s lips on hers.
Draco was a little surprised but couldn’t help himself. Ginny was pretty, smart, and despite his attempts to hide it, she made him laugh.
They continued to kiss lightly until Draco decided to take things further and slip his tongue in her mouth and…
*~*~*
“Ew! Stop, Dad, this is too much detail,” Gideon complained.
Ginny laughed. “Yes, Draco, you really don’t need to tell the children what happened after that.”
Draco frowned. “Fine, but I was getting to the good stuff.”
Clara smiled. “Then you fell in love and got married!”
It was true. After their fateful night together, Ginny had quit the assignment claiming ‘conflict of interest’ but her assignment never really ended. She and Draco continued to date and eventually, after about two years together, he proposed.
The only regret Ginny had was her wedding dress. At the time, Ginny had wanted to make a good impression on Draco’s parents and let Narcissa pick out the dress and decorations.
“It was a glitter explosion,” Draco said, grabbing a nearby picture from the coffee table. “See? Look how upset your mother is.”
“I was not that upset,” Ginny interjected. “It just wasn’t what I was expecting.”
Gideon smirked. “You look pretty upset, mum.”
Clara grabbed the picture next. “I think mum looks very pretty,” she argued.
“Thank you, Clara,” Ginny said. She smiled at her husband who smiled back.
Ginny couldn’t have asked for a better ending to her original assignment. If she had known then that she would end up marrying Draco and have two beautiful children with him, she probably would have run screaming in the opposite direction. However, things had turned out for the best and Ginny wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“When are Aunt Pansy and Uncle Ron coming?” Gideon asked as he helped clear the dinner plates.
Draco grumbled to himself while Ginny answered. “They’re arriving at noon.”
It was tradition to tell the children a different story every year at Christmas. Once they had requested the story of how Grandma and Grandpa Weasley had met. Another year they wanted to know how Harry had defeated Voldemort. Last year, they requested the story of Ginny and Draco's wedding where they unknowingly started an affair between Ron and Pansy.
“And then we can open presents?” Clara asked eagerly.
“Yes, of course. Luna and Blaise are coming for dinner too so you’ll have even more presents to open then,” Ginny added.
The children cheered and ran to the Christmas tree to guess what their presents were for the thousandth time. Draco wrapped an arm around Ginny’s waist and sighed.
“Do they realize how unlikely their existence was twelve years ago?” Draco teased. Ginny punched him in the arm.
“Next year, please leave out the snogging,” Ginny advised. “The children were scarred enough when they walked in on Ron and Pansy…”
Draco shivered. “I think we all were.”
Ginny leaned in and kissed her husband. He returned the kiss and after they put their children to bed, they reenacted the first night of their relationship.
“You do realize,” Ginny whispered as they drifted off to sleep. “This is the longest fake relationship I’ve ever had.”
Draco smiled. "It's a good thing we're so believable."
The End.
Original Prompt that we sent you: Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: Post war, marriage law or some other type of forced relationship (I know it's cliche, but so much fun) MUST HAVE HEA extra points for Blaise/Luna and/or Ron/Pansy
The tone/mood of the fic: snark/humor/fluff/romance
An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic: glitter explosion
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: M
Canon or AU? Cannon characters, but can disregard cannon plot starting from the 6th book
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): extreme Harry bashing, evil!Draco, too much angst