Secrets and Truth, for rainywinters
Secrets and Truth
Prompt: #21
For: rainywinters
Rating: R
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None
Summary: Ginny's got a secret - or perhaps more aptly described - a bad habit. Will she be able to break it? Or will she end up wanting more?
Author's Notes: I interpreted the prompt a bit loosely. I hope you still enjoy it. Special thanks to S, C, and J! Also, big thanks to Anise for hosting this year's fic exchange!
Upon waking, Ginny stretched her arms overhead, let out a satisfied sigh and rolled over, only to realize she had a couple of problems. One, the bed she was in wasn't her own, as evidenced by, two, the solid wall of warm flesh she'd run up against. "Oh no," she whispered, taking in the broad shoulders and the muscled planes of the man's back as the night's activities came rushing back to her at full speed. "Not again."
"Not exactly the sentiment I'd express after last night," came the voice of one very amused Draco Malfoy as he rolled over in bed to face her.
"This isn't happening," she said, sitting straight up before realizing she was stark naked, and grabbing the sheet to cover herself. "It's a nightmare. And when I open my eyes, I'll be in my own flat with a conspicuous lack of Malfoy."
Of course, in the act of covering herself, she left Draco without covers and he just smirked up at her, his amusement ratcheting up a notch. "It's happening. It happened." His face splitting into a grin, he added, "Again."
Throwing a pillow at his head while attempting to scoop up her clothes, she hissed, "You're lucky I haven't found my shoes yet, Malfoy!"
"I believe they ended up by your knickers, which look to be tossed on top of the lamp," he answered wryly. "Nice touch, although I'm not sure it really fits the decorator's vision."
Her tone was somewhat resigned as she plucked her knickers from the lampshade and slipped them on. "Oh, bite me."
He paused for a moment before sighing. "I can't actually resist that setup line, and so as cliché as it might be, I must say: I already did. And you loved it."
"Argh!" Slipping into her shoes and sliding her dress over her head, she shot a glare at Draco. "My purse. Any idea where that might have ended up?"
Unashamed of his nakedness, he stood and made his way over to a chest of drawers along the wall. Scooping up the contents which had partially spilled out, he handed her the purse which an exaggerated bow. "Your bag, madame."
Unable to keep a straight face, Ginny cracked. "Nice to see you finally know your place," she said with a laugh.
The look on Draco's face turned lecherous and he trailed a finger down her arm. "We'll see about that the next time."
"There's not going to be a next time," she said firmly, digging her wand out of her purse. "This was the last time."
Shrugging, he said, "If you say so. Again."
***
"I don't understand why we have to eat here," Ron complained, sticking his finger in the collar of his shirt like it was trying to strangle him. "Whoever heard of restaurants requiring jackets and ties? It's barbaric."
Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione and said, "The food's great, that's why. And I could be wrong, but I think what they're going for is the exact opposite of barbaric."
"It's true, Ron," Hermione said, patting Ron's shoulder. With a grin for Ginny, she said, "And they have a five-layer chocolate cake that will make you cry."
Suddenly looking a lot more excited to be there, he said, "Well, maybe this place isn't so bad." His eyes widened as a couple was led past their table. "Looks like I spoke too soon."
"Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bulstrode?" Hermione let out a small laugh. "That's one pairing I never saw coming."
"They're just friends," Ginny said. "Millie's practically married to some Slytherin who was a few years behind them."
Ron's eyebrows nearly met his hairline. "Millie? Please tell me you aren't friends with her. Don't you remember when she had Hermione in a headlock? If Harry'd hadn't stepped in, who knows what she'd have done to Hermione." As an afterthought, he added, "And don't even get me started on Malfoy."
Ginny shook her head. "I'm not friends with her, no."
"Honestly, Ron?" Hermione had to laugh. "That was second year, and while I don't have any friendly feelings towards her, I don't harbor any ill will, either. Besides, I could have totally taken her."
Biting her lip so that she wouldn't laugh, Ginny avoided Hermione's eyes by studying the menu.
A puzzled expression on his face, Ron said, "She certainly looks about a thousand times better than she did at Hogwarts. Wonder what happened."
"You, my dear brother, might be the most shallow person I've ever met," Ginny said, irritation evident in her voice.
"Just keeping it real, Gin," Ron said. "You know you love me."
"Love you? Yes. Tolerate you? Only occasionally." With a long-suffering grin, she changed the subject and asked, "Where's Harry, anyway? I thought that was the point of dinner. Weren't we all going to meet up?"
Hermione spoke up. "He sends his apologies. Apparently training's been brutal and Oliver wasn't letting anyone leave until he was satisfied that they'd be ready for the match this weekend."
Ron shook his head. "Poor Harry. What're the chances he'd end up playing with Wood professionally? And here we thought he couldn't get any more obsessive than he was already."
"I don't know," Hermione said. "I completely understand how he feels. They came so close to winning last year, just to have victory yanked away at the last minute? That had to be hard."
"Yeah, poor Oliver," Ginny said, smiling widely at Hermione. "You'll have to watch him extra close this season, make sure he's not taking the loss too personally."
"Why do I get the feeling we're not really talking about Quidditch anymore?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between the two girls.
Laughing, Ginny said, "I knew there was hope for you." She took a sip of her wine that they'd started their dinner with and said, "I'm going to run to the loo. I'll have the salmon if the waiter comes before I'm back, okay?"
At Ron's and Hermione's nods, she picked up her purse and walked to the other side of the restaurant to use the restroom. On her way out, she found herself between the wall and a tall, hard body before she could blink.
"I thought you said we had to stop meeting like this," Draco murmured in her ear as he pressed himself against her. "That your friends couldn't find out."
Half heartedly struggling against him, she said, "I'm not drunk enough to deal with you." She wasn't sure who she thought she was fooling with her pathetic pretense at a struggle; her body had already started to respond to him, and he knew it well enough to tell. "Besides, you should probably go back to your date, don't you think?"
Draco kissed the side of her neck and she shivered. "You know Millie's just a friend."
"Not my business," she said, leaning into his kiss. "Regardless, I have to go." She steeled her resolve and pushed against his chest.
It was like she hadn't made the effort; he still held her tightly in his arms. "Tell them you have to go, I'll take Millie home, and we can go back to my place."
"What kind of friend does that make you? Didn't you say she only dragged you out to dinner when she's upset?"
"She'll get over it. Her man will probably show up to get her before we're even through the main course anyway, and you're here now. Why not?"
She shook her head. "Go be with your friend, I'm going back to mine. I'm not your backup plan."
"You know where to find me when you change your mind," he said, loosening his arms and taking a step back.
It wasn't fair he looked so tempting, all tall and firm and blond. He'd grown into his more angular features and now his jaw and nose and cheeks looked chiseled and stately, not pointy. And somehow, his arrogance only made him more appealing, something which ticked her right off. "Never."
***
Not long after she'd left the restaurant, there was a knock on her door. "I meant it when I said never," she said, pulling open the door.
"I didn't know there was a ban on me visiting," Hermione said. "Unless you were expecting someone else?"
Ginny shook her head. "No, not really. Come on in," she said. "What're you doing here? I thought you had to get home in case Oliver flooed?"
It was Hermione's turn to shake her head as she walked inside and shut the door behind her. "I was, but then I decided that was pathetic, so I decided to come see you and ask why you were so distracted at dinner."
"I can only take so much of Ron sometimes, you know that," Ginny said with a laugh. "And then I have to check out mentally to preserve myself."
"I didn't think he was all that bad tonight. Well, for Ron, anyway."
Gesturing for Hermione to follow her into the kitchen, Ginny said, "I was about to have another glass of wine. Do you want one?" At Hermione's nod, she set about pouring them both one.
When they were settled on Ginny's sofa, she said, "So now that Ron's not here to offer his alarming insight into the male psyche, tell me what's up with you and Oliver?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not much of anything, unfortunately. I've got a huge crush on an unattainable quidditch star. It's about as bad as it gets."
"Not true! I've seen the way he looks at you. I think maybe he just needs a bit of encouragement."
"That's what I thought I've been doing! At this point, I don't think he'd recognize encouragement if it bit him in the arse," Hermione said. "But I didn't come here to talk Oliver. I want to know what was bothering you at dinner."
Taking a sip of wine, Ginny answered, "Just guy troubles. I haven't been completely smart, and I think I've fallen for a bit of a manwhore."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You think you have? Who is it?"
"I'd rather not say at this point. He's completely out of my league, and it's not even a relationship. Just hooking up, really."
"Really?" Hermione asked, leaning in a bit closer as if she'd heard Ginny wrong. "That doesn't sound like you."
Ginny nodded. "I know! But then we'll see each other out somewhere, and more often than not, we end up back at his flat or mine and we proceed to have the best - and by this I am not exaggerating - literally the very best sex I have ever had or even heard of existing. Could you say no to that?"
It was Hermione's turn to take a long drink of wine. "Oh, wow."
"Exactly."
"So what's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" Ginny repeated. "He doesn't 'like me' like me, and even if he did, he's not interested in a relationship."
Quiet for a while as they both drank their wine, Hermione finally said, "And are you? Interested in a relationship, that is?"
A deep sigh escaped from Ginny and she said, "It doesn't matter. It's not a possibility, which is why I've been trying to end it."
"Gin-"
"No. Okay? Just listen to me. I know him. It's not a possibility, it's not happening, not now, not ever. " She put down her empty wine glass and pulled her knees into her chest. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Hermione stood up and picked up their empty wine glasses. "What do you say to more wine? And maybe you can help me come up with ways to 'encourage' Oliver?"
"Now that sounds like a good use of our time."
***
Running late to meet Hermione at the Quidditch Pitch, Ginny arrived to see Draco Malfoy sitting in the stands. "Are you following me now?" she asked, not sitting next to him, but within talking distance.
"I should be the one asking that question, as I was here first."
"I hate it when you're right. Why does Goyle have to play on the same team as Harry, anyway?" she asked, a frown on her face.
Disdain evident on Malfoy's features, he said, "Why does Potter have to play on Greg's team? He did sign first, after all."
Blushing lightly, she said, "I'll concede that point."
"Twice in a row? Let's note that, shall we?" he suggested. "I wonder what will happen next? You'll agree to meet me somewhere in public, maybe even share a meal?"
"It'd be pointless. You don't do relationships," she said, remembering very clearly what he'd said after the first time they'd slept together.
He shook his head. "That's not quite what I said," he clarified. "I said I've never really done relationships."
"Big distinction," she said. "Anyway, have you seen Hermione? I was supposed to meet her here."
"Need your eyes checked, Gin?" he drawled. "She's down at the edge of the pitch with Wood."
Ginny clapped in excitement. "Yes! They look good together, don't they?"
Draco grimaced slightly. "That's going on the list of questions I wish I'd never been asked, right up there with, 'Draco, my boy, ever seen a Vanishing Cabinet?'"
"You don't have to be rude."
"Hello, Draco Malfoy," he said, extending his right hand. "Have we met?"
***
"I would think seeing you answer your door in a robe would be a turn on," Draco said, pushing the door open wider and stepping through into Ginny's flat even though she hadn't actually invited him in. "But you're a rather alarming shade of green, did you know?"
She hadn't wanted to get up, but she finally realized the only way to get the knocking to stop was if she answered the door. She'd only barely made it to the door and she was in no mood to put up with anyone, much less a smirking, gorgeous-as-ever Draco Malfoy. "Go 'way," she said, trying to push him back out the door. "I'm sick, you numpty."
Draco closed the door behind them and caught her as she stumbled on her way back to the sofa. "Come on," he said, scooping her up in his arms. "As endearing as this little show is, I'm thinking you'd be best off in bed."
"You don't know everything, Malfoy!" she sputtered, feeling a bit dizzy and out of control. "And you can put me down. I'm sick, not disabled."
"Let me be a gentleman."
"Is that even possible?"
"Perhaps this once."
She grunted noncommittally, but let her head rest against his chest.
"It feels like you have a fever," he said, nudging her bedroom door open with his foot.
"But I'm cold," she said, burrowing against his chest like he was her new favorite stuffed animal.
With a quiet chuckle, he pulled back the covers and set her down gently in bed. She immediately started shivering and he covered her quickly, sitting down beside her. "Are you going to be warm enough?"
Her eyes half closed, she said, "I'm fine. Just do me a favor and turn up the heat?"
It took him a bit to find the thermostat and then figure out how it worked, and by the time he returned to her bedside, Ginny was curled up in a ball shivering. "Did you turn up the heat?" she asked, her teeth chattering. "I'm freezing."
"Budge on over," he said, kicking off his shoes. "Let's get you warmed up."
"Don't," she said, her protest weak. "You're going to get sick, too."
Pulling her into his arms, he said haughtily, "Malfoys don't get sick."
It took the remainder of her energy, but she snorted. "I'm the feverish one, but you're delusional."
"Shut up and rest," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I still ended up in your bed, didn't I?"
Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but the shivering was making it difficult. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back snugly against his chest. It took a while, but finally she started getting warmer and felt as if she might be able to sleep. As she was drifting off, she thought she heard him say, "It's okay, sweetheart, relax. I'll take care of you."
She knew then that she was really sick because his voice sounded almost tender; the thought would have made her laugh had she been capable of it.
***
"More," Ginny murmured, her legs wrapped tightly around Draco's waist as he took her against the wall in his entryway. Her hands tightly fisted in his hair, she arched into his every thrust, meeting him and giving him as good as she got. "Harder."
His movements severely limited by his trousers and pants around his ankles, nonetheless, he did was she asked - what his body demanded - and pounded into her with all the strength he had. "Beg me for it, Gin. Fuck, I love it when you beg."
Her breath coming in sharp pants now, she squeezed her legs even tighter around him, delighting in the groan it pushed out of him. "Please, Draco!" she begged. "Please, oh God, please!"
"That's right," he crooned. "Just like that." With one hand against the wall and the other under her arse, he gave her everything, going at an unsustainable pace, frantic with need and the desire to come. She licked what felt like a line of fire up the side of his neck and he lost all control, all finesse, pounding into her willing body savagely.
Feeling her walls start to clench around him, he reached between their bodies and pinched one of her nipples, hard enough so that she screamed. That action, combined with her scream that he swore he could feel in his cock, combined to slam them right over the edge, both of them coming hard, shaking in each other's arms.
It wasn't until after they could both breathe again properly, and Draco slid Ginny gently down the wall that he said, "Why'd you stay away so long?"
Her stomach knotted at his words. It was getting to be too difficult to hide how she really felt about him, especially when he said things like that. "This isn't right," Ginny said softly, adjusting her skirt.
"Why not?" he asked, the space between his eyebrows drawing tight. "Because that was fucking fantastic."
With a sad smile, she said, "I'm not debating that. It always is." She watched him as he fixed his clothes, still looking perfect and composed even after all that.
He shook his head, his hair falling into his face. Putting his hands on her arms, her turned her to look at him. "What's the problem then? I get off, you get off, we're both happy." Flashing her a grin, he said, "We even tolerate each other quite well despite your red-headed temperament."
"Except this isn't what I want," she said.
Incredulously, he said, "You have a funny way of showing it."
"You misunderstood me. I don't want a shag buddy. This, whatever this is that we have," she said, motioning with her hand between the two of them, "this isn't real. This isn't going anywhere." She pulled away from him and began gathering her things. "I want more from life."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What do you want from me, Ginny?" he asked, sounding tired and resigned.
"I'm not asking you for anything." Mostly because she knew he wasn't willing to give her what she wanted, and partly because she was afraid of putting herself out there. "I'm just explaining why I won't be coming around anymore."
"You don't want anything from me, and this is you ending things?" He had an almost-puzzled expression on his face, but he quickly covered it up with a look of indifference.
It was one of the hardest things she'd done - staying quiet in the moment, staying firm and standing her ground. She deserved better; she'd finally realized that. If only he would.
When she didn't say anything, he folded his arms and walked her to the door. "You're right," he finally said, after looking at her assessingly. "We've run our course. It's for the best."
The way he delivered those words - sounding so calmly self-assured, absolutely certain that what he was saying was correct, caused pain to shoot through her, like she'd been struck physically. "Goodbye."
Draco just nodded stiffly and held open the door.
***
"This is supposed to be a celebration, Ginny," Harry said, taking a seat beside her at the table in the crowded pub. "Why're you looking like Ron does when someone takes the last biscuit?"
About to offer an impassioned rebuttal, Ginny sighed instead when she realized she didn't have it in her. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to dredge up a genuine smile. "I really am happy about your win. That's great."
Laughing as he caught something out of the corner of his eye, Harry said, "I'm actually happier about that development." He lifted his chin in the direction of the small dance floor where Oliver Wood was wrapped around Hermione. "It was getting to be a bit much, listening to the both of them carry on about the other."
"Maybe good things do come to those who wait," she said, still melancholy, but happy for Hermione.
"I don't think that's true for the most part." He refilled his glass of beer from the pitcher on the table before continuing. "Sometimes, if you really want something, you have to fight for it."
"Shocked as I am to be saying this, I agree with Potter," came the voice of Draco Malfoy as he approached the table.
Ginny's head jerked up from where she'd been halfheartedly picking at the varnish on her fingernails. "Draco, what're you doing here?" she asked, trying to piece together in her mind why he was there at a pub he knew she frequented with her friends.
"It's not obvious?" With a pointed look at Harry, he said, "Excuse us, please."
Harry looked to Ginny, the surprise obvious on his face, but at her nod, he stood up. "I'll be around if you need me," Harry said, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder in farewell.
Without waiting to be asked, Draco sat down next to her.
"I thought you agreed with me," she said, her heart aching in her chest at the sight of him. "I thought we'd decided we weren't going to be shag buddies anymore."
"We did."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then what are you doing here? Why would you come here, of all places?" she asked, turning from confused to angry. "You know I hang out with my friends here."
"I don't want to be your fuck buddy, Gin."
"Yes, Draco, we've established that," she said, her fingers tightening around her glass. "So thanks for stopping by, see you around and all that."
He shook his head. "I don't just want to be your fuck buddy." He took her glass from her hands and set it on the table, and then took one of her hands in his. "I want more."
A small spark of hope lit up her chest and she stared up at him, not quite daring to believe what she was hearing. "You want more."
"That's what I said, yes." The look on Ginny's face made him smile and he asked, "Are you following me?"
"I'm not sure," she said hesitantly, her heart beating so strong she could feel it against her ribs. "What would more entail?"
Not answering her question, he asked one of his own. "Why didn't you ask for more, Gin? Is it that you didn't want it from me?"
Shaking her head, she looked at him like he'd just said he wanted to start living as a Muggle or take up interpretive dance. "How could you even think that?"
"How could I think that?" he repeated, arching a single eyebrow. "We could start with the fact that you didn't have any use for me that didn't involve my cock."
"I don't-" She stopped mid sentence when she realized how it must have seemed that way from his point of view. "I didn't want to want something I couldn't have," she admitted painfully, like it'd been dragged from her.
Draco took her face in his hands, guiding her so that her eyes were on his. "I'm sitting here right now, in front of your friends - who, incidentally are trying to pretend like they're not watching us and doing a bang up job at failing - telling you that you can have me." When she just blinked, he added, "So if you're interested, now would be a fantastic time to tell me."
"I'm interested," she said immediately, feeling like she couldn't get the words out fast enough. She laughed a bit self-consciously at sounding so eager. "I'm really interested."
It wasn't clear who starting moving towards the other first, but it didn't matter, and then their lips met. In just moments, the kiss was heated, Ginny parting her lips under the pressure of Draco's insistent tongue. She moaned helplessly and he took full advantage, holding the side of her face in a rough caress as he kissed her in a way which wasn't at all proper in public, but was very much what they both wanted.
They looked up just in time to see her friends - who had been joined by a very confused-looking Ron - looking at them, smiling and laughing.
"Guess that makes telling everyone easier," Draco said, his teeth flashing as he grinned. "Now that we have all that sorted, your place or mine?"
"I don't care," she said, shooting a somewhat bashful grin over at her friends. "Wherever you are works for me."
Chuckling, her took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. "Now you're agreeable."
"Don't worry," she said, her eyes shining as she stood up on her toes to place a quick kiss on his lips. "That won't last for long."
The End
Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: I'd like a post-Hogwarts fic, no more than a few years out of Hogwarts. The main idea I'd like is that Draco and Ginny share some kind of secret in their past - any secret. It could be a romantic or non-romantic secret, it could be funny or very serious, it could be from a very long time ago when they were children, or it could be from more recent times. Just so long as it factors into the central conflict.
The tone/mood of the fic: I like a good balance between some lighthearted humor and some angsty drama.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic: I would like some other characters in the story besides just Draco and Ginny - how many or who is totally up to you.
Preferred rating of the fic you want: Any
Canon or AU? Canon, minus epilogue
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): No non-con, sexual violence, incest, or bestiality. No abused Draco or overly fluffy Draco. No weak Ginny. No extreme Harry-bashing. And no pregnancy.
Prompt: #21
For: rainywinters
Rating: R
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None
Summary: Ginny's got a secret - or perhaps more aptly described - a bad habit. Will she be able to break it? Or will she end up wanting more?
Author's Notes: I interpreted the prompt a bit loosely. I hope you still enjoy it. Special thanks to S, C, and J! Also, big thanks to Anise for hosting this year's fic exchange!
Upon waking, Ginny stretched her arms overhead, let out a satisfied sigh and rolled over, only to realize she had a couple of problems. One, the bed she was in wasn't her own, as evidenced by, two, the solid wall of warm flesh she'd run up against. "Oh no," she whispered, taking in the broad shoulders and the muscled planes of the man's back as the night's activities came rushing back to her at full speed. "Not again."
"Not exactly the sentiment I'd express after last night," came the voice of one very amused Draco Malfoy as he rolled over in bed to face her.
"This isn't happening," she said, sitting straight up before realizing she was stark naked, and grabbing the sheet to cover herself. "It's a nightmare. And when I open my eyes, I'll be in my own flat with a conspicuous lack of Malfoy."
Of course, in the act of covering herself, she left Draco without covers and he just smirked up at her, his amusement ratcheting up a notch. "It's happening. It happened." His face splitting into a grin, he added, "Again."
Throwing a pillow at his head while attempting to scoop up her clothes, she hissed, "You're lucky I haven't found my shoes yet, Malfoy!"
"I believe they ended up by your knickers, which look to be tossed on top of the lamp," he answered wryly. "Nice touch, although I'm not sure it really fits the decorator's vision."
Her tone was somewhat resigned as she plucked her knickers from the lampshade and slipped them on. "Oh, bite me."
He paused for a moment before sighing. "I can't actually resist that setup line, and so as cliché as it might be, I must say: I already did. And you loved it."
"Argh!" Slipping into her shoes and sliding her dress over her head, she shot a glare at Draco. "My purse. Any idea where that might have ended up?"
Unashamed of his nakedness, he stood and made his way over to a chest of drawers along the wall. Scooping up the contents which had partially spilled out, he handed her the purse which an exaggerated bow. "Your bag, madame."
Unable to keep a straight face, Ginny cracked. "Nice to see you finally know your place," she said with a laugh.
The look on Draco's face turned lecherous and he trailed a finger down her arm. "We'll see about that the next time."
"There's not going to be a next time," she said firmly, digging her wand out of her purse. "This was the last time."
Shrugging, he said, "If you say so. Again."
***
"I don't understand why we have to eat here," Ron complained, sticking his finger in the collar of his shirt like it was trying to strangle him. "Whoever heard of restaurants requiring jackets and ties? It's barbaric."
Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione and said, "The food's great, that's why. And I could be wrong, but I think what they're going for is the exact opposite of barbaric."
"It's true, Ron," Hermione said, patting Ron's shoulder. With a grin for Ginny, she said, "And they have a five-layer chocolate cake that will make you cry."
Suddenly looking a lot more excited to be there, he said, "Well, maybe this place isn't so bad." His eyes widened as a couple was led past their table. "Looks like I spoke too soon."
"Draco Malfoy and Millicent Bulstrode?" Hermione let out a small laugh. "That's one pairing I never saw coming."
"They're just friends," Ginny said. "Millie's practically married to some Slytherin who was a few years behind them."
Ron's eyebrows nearly met his hairline. "Millie? Please tell me you aren't friends with her. Don't you remember when she had Hermione in a headlock? If Harry'd hadn't stepped in, who knows what she'd have done to Hermione." As an afterthought, he added, "And don't even get me started on Malfoy."
Ginny shook her head. "I'm not friends with her, no."
"Honestly, Ron?" Hermione had to laugh. "That was second year, and while I don't have any friendly feelings towards her, I don't harbor any ill will, either. Besides, I could have totally taken her."
Biting her lip so that she wouldn't laugh, Ginny avoided Hermione's eyes by studying the menu.
A puzzled expression on his face, Ron said, "She certainly looks about a thousand times better than she did at Hogwarts. Wonder what happened."
"You, my dear brother, might be the most shallow person I've ever met," Ginny said, irritation evident in her voice.
"Just keeping it real, Gin," Ron said. "You know you love me."
"Love you? Yes. Tolerate you? Only occasionally." With a long-suffering grin, she changed the subject and asked, "Where's Harry, anyway? I thought that was the point of dinner. Weren't we all going to meet up?"
Hermione spoke up. "He sends his apologies. Apparently training's been brutal and Oliver wasn't letting anyone leave until he was satisfied that they'd be ready for the match this weekend."
Ron shook his head. "Poor Harry. What're the chances he'd end up playing with Wood professionally? And here we thought he couldn't get any more obsessive than he was already."
"I don't know," Hermione said. "I completely understand how he feels. They came so close to winning last year, just to have victory yanked away at the last minute? That had to be hard."
"Yeah, poor Oliver," Ginny said, smiling widely at Hermione. "You'll have to watch him extra close this season, make sure he's not taking the loss too personally."
"Why do I get the feeling we're not really talking about Quidditch anymore?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between the two girls.
Laughing, Ginny said, "I knew there was hope for you." She took a sip of her wine that they'd started their dinner with and said, "I'm going to run to the loo. I'll have the salmon if the waiter comes before I'm back, okay?"
At Ron's and Hermione's nods, she picked up her purse and walked to the other side of the restaurant to use the restroom. On her way out, she found herself between the wall and a tall, hard body before she could blink.
"I thought you said we had to stop meeting like this," Draco murmured in her ear as he pressed himself against her. "That your friends couldn't find out."
Half heartedly struggling against him, she said, "I'm not drunk enough to deal with you." She wasn't sure who she thought she was fooling with her pathetic pretense at a struggle; her body had already started to respond to him, and he knew it well enough to tell. "Besides, you should probably go back to your date, don't you think?"
Draco kissed the side of her neck and she shivered. "You know Millie's just a friend."
"Not my business," she said, leaning into his kiss. "Regardless, I have to go." She steeled her resolve and pushed against his chest.
It was like she hadn't made the effort; he still held her tightly in his arms. "Tell them you have to go, I'll take Millie home, and we can go back to my place."
"What kind of friend does that make you? Didn't you say she only dragged you out to dinner when she's upset?"
"She'll get over it. Her man will probably show up to get her before we're even through the main course anyway, and you're here now. Why not?"
She shook her head. "Go be with your friend, I'm going back to mine. I'm not your backup plan."
"You know where to find me when you change your mind," he said, loosening his arms and taking a step back.
It wasn't fair he looked so tempting, all tall and firm and blond. He'd grown into his more angular features and now his jaw and nose and cheeks looked chiseled and stately, not pointy. And somehow, his arrogance only made him more appealing, something which ticked her right off. "Never."
***
Not long after she'd left the restaurant, there was a knock on her door. "I meant it when I said never," she said, pulling open the door.
"I didn't know there was a ban on me visiting," Hermione said. "Unless you were expecting someone else?"
Ginny shook her head. "No, not really. Come on in," she said. "What're you doing here? I thought you had to get home in case Oliver flooed?"
It was Hermione's turn to shake her head as she walked inside and shut the door behind her. "I was, but then I decided that was pathetic, so I decided to come see you and ask why you were so distracted at dinner."
"I can only take so much of Ron sometimes, you know that," Ginny said with a laugh. "And then I have to check out mentally to preserve myself."
"I didn't think he was all that bad tonight. Well, for Ron, anyway."
Gesturing for Hermione to follow her into the kitchen, Ginny said, "I was about to have another glass of wine. Do you want one?" At Hermione's nod, she set about pouring them both one.
When they were settled on Ginny's sofa, she said, "So now that Ron's not here to offer his alarming insight into the male psyche, tell me what's up with you and Oliver?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not much of anything, unfortunately. I've got a huge crush on an unattainable quidditch star. It's about as bad as it gets."
"Not true! I've seen the way he looks at you. I think maybe he just needs a bit of encouragement."
"That's what I thought I've been doing! At this point, I don't think he'd recognize encouragement if it bit him in the arse," Hermione said. "But I didn't come here to talk Oliver. I want to know what was bothering you at dinner."
Taking a sip of wine, Ginny answered, "Just guy troubles. I haven't been completely smart, and I think I've fallen for a bit of a manwhore."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You think you have? Who is it?"
"I'd rather not say at this point. He's completely out of my league, and it's not even a relationship. Just hooking up, really."
"Really?" Hermione asked, leaning in a bit closer as if she'd heard Ginny wrong. "That doesn't sound like you."
Ginny nodded. "I know! But then we'll see each other out somewhere, and more often than not, we end up back at his flat or mine and we proceed to have the best - and by this I am not exaggerating - literally the very best sex I have ever had or even heard of existing. Could you say no to that?"
It was Hermione's turn to take a long drink of wine. "Oh, wow."
"Exactly."
"So what's the problem?"
"What's the problem?" Ginny repeated. "He doesn't 'like me' like me, and even if he did, he's not interested in a relationship."
Quiet for a while as they both drank their wine, Hermione finally said, "And are you? Interested in a relationship, that is?"
A deep sigh escaped from Ginny and she said, "It doesn't matter. It's not a possibility, which is why I've been trying to end it."
"Gin-"
"No. Okay? Just listen to me. I know him. It's not a possibility, it's not happening, not now, not ever. " She put down her empty wine glass and pulled her knees into her chest. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Hermione stood up and picked up their empty wine glasses. "What do you say to more wine? And maybe you can help me come up with ways to 'encourage' Oliver?"
"Now that sounds like a good use of our time."
***
Running late to meet Hermione at the Quidditch Pitch, Ginny arrived to see Draco Malfoy sitting in the stands. "Are you following me now?" she asked, not sitting next to him, but within talking distance.
"I should be the one asking that question, as I was here first."
"I hate it when you're right. Why does Goyle have to play on the same team as Harry, anyway?" she asked, a frown on her face.
Disdain evident on Malfoy's features, he said, "Why does Potter have to play on Greg's team? He did sign first, after all."
Blushing lightly, she said, "I'll concede that point."
"Twice in a row? Let's note that, shall we?" he suggested. "I wonder what will happen next? You'll agree to meet me somewhere in public, maybe even share a meal?"
"It'd be pointless. You don't do relationships," she said, remembering very clearly what he'd said after the first time they'd slept together.
He shook his head. "That's not quite what I said," he clarified. "I said I've never really done relationships."
"Big distinction," she said. "Anyway, have you seen Hermione? I was supposed to meet her here."
"Need your eyes checked, Gin?" he drawled. "She's down at the edge of the pitch with Wood."
Ginny clapped in excitement. "Yes! They look good together, don't they?"
Draco grimaced slightly. "That's going on the list of questions I wish I'd never been asked, right up there with, 'Draco, my boy, ever seen a Vanishing Cabinet?'"
"You don't have to be rude."
"Hello, Draco Malfoy," he said, extending his right hand. "Have we met?"
***
"I would think seeing you answer your door in a robe would be a turn on," Draco said, pushing the door open wider and stepping through into Ginny's flat even though she hadn't actually invited him in. "But you're a rather alarming shade of green, did you know?"
She hadn't wanted to get up, but she finally realized the only way to get the knocking to stop was if she answered the door. She'd only barely made it to the door and she was in no mood to put up with anyone, much less a smirking, gorgeous-as-ever Draco Malfoy. "Go 'way," she said, trying to push him back out the door. "I'm sick, you numpty."
Draco closed the door behind them and caught her as she stumbled on her way back to the sofa. "Come on," he said, scooping her up in his arms. "As endearing as this little show is, I'm thinking you'd be best off in bed."
"You don't know everything, Malfoy!" she sputtered, feeling a bit dizzy and out of control. "And you can put me down. I'm sick, not disabled."
"Let me be a gentleman."
"Is that even possible?"
"Perhaps this once."
She grunted noncommittally, but let her head rest against his chest.
"It feels like you have a fever," he said, nudging her bedroom door open with his foot.
"But I'm cold," she said, burrowing against his chest like he was her new favorite stuffed animal.
With a quiet chuckle, he pulled back the covers and set her down gently in bed. She immediately started shivering and he covered her quickly, sitting down beside her. "Are you going to be warm enough?"
Her eyes half closed, she said, "I'm fine. Just do me a favor and turn up the heat?"
It took him a bit to find the thermostat and then figure out how it worked, and by the time he returned to her bedside, Ginny was curled up in a ball shivering. "Did you turn up the heat?" she asked, her teeth chattering. "I'm freezing."
"Budge on over," he said, kicking off his shoes. "Let's get you warmed up."
"Don't," she said, her protest weak. "You're going to get sick, too."
Pulling her into his arms, he said haughtily, "Malfoys don't get sick."
It took the remainder of her energy, but she snorted. "I'm the feverish one, but you're delusional."
"Shut up and rest," he said, kissing the top of her head. "I still ended up in your bed, didn't I?"
Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but the shivering was making it difficult. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back snugly against his chest. It took a while, but finally she started getting warmer and felt as if she might be able to sleep. As she was drifting off, she thought she heard him say, "It's okay, sweetheart, relax. I'll take care of you."
She knew then that she was really sick because his voice sounded almost tender; the thought would have made her laugh had she been capable of it.
***
"More," Ginny murmured, her legs wrapped tightly around Draco's waist as he took her against the wall in his entryway. Her hands tightly fisted in his hair, she arched into his every thrust, meeting him and giving him as good as she got. "Harder."
His movements severely limited by his trousers and pants around his ankles, nonetheless, he did was she asked - what his body demanded - and pounded into her with all the strength he had. "Beg me for it, Gin. Fuck, I love it when you beg."
Her breath coming in sharp pants now, she squeezed her legs even tighter around him, delighting in the groan it pushed out of him. "Please, Draco!" she begged. "Please, oh God, please!"
"That's right," he crooned. "Just like that." With one hand against the wall and the other under her arse, he gave her everything, going at an unsustainable pace, frantic with need and the desire to come. She licked what felt like a line of fire up the side of his neck and he lost all control, all finesse, pounding into her willing body savagely.
Feeling her walls start to clench around him, he reached between their bodies and pinched one of her nipples, hard enough so that she screamed. That action, combined with her scream that he swore he could feel in his cock, combined to slam them right over the edge, both of them coming hard, shaking in each other's arms.
It wasn't until after they could both breathe again properly, and Draco slid Ginny gently down the wall that he said, "Why'd you stay away so long?"
Her stomach knotted at his words. It was getting to be too difficult to hide how she really felt about him, especially when he said things like that. "This isn't right," Ginny said softly, adjusting her skirt.
"Why not?" he asked, the space between his eyebrows drawing tight. "Because that was fucking fantastic."
With a sad smile, she said, "I'm not debating that. It always is." She watched him as he fixed his clothes, still looking perfect and composed even after all that.
He shook his head, his hair falling into his face. Putting his hands on her arms, her turned her to look at him. "What's the problem then? I get off, you get off, we're both happy." Flashing her a grin, he said, "We even tolerate each other quite well despite your red-headed temperament."
"Except this isn't what I want," she said.
Incredulously, he said, "You have a funny way of showing it."
"You misunderstood me. I don't want a shag buddy. This, whatever this is that we have," she said, motioning with her hand between the two of them, "this isn't real. This isn't going anywhere." She pulled away from him and began gathering her things. "I want more from life."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What do you want from me, Ginny?" he asked, sounding tired and resigned.
"I'm not asking you for anything." Mostly because she knew he wasn't willing to give her what she wanted, and partly because she was afraid of putting herself out there. "I'm just explaining why I won't be coming around anymore."
"You don't want anything from me, and this is you ending things?" He had an almost-puzzled expression on his face, but he quickly covered it up with a look of indifference.
It was one of the hardest things she'd done - staying quiet in the moment, staying firm and standing her ground. She deserved better; she'd finally realized that. If only he would.
When she didn't say anything, he folded his arms and walked her to the door. "You're right," he finally said, after looking at her assessingly. "We've run our course. It's for the best."
The way he delivered those words - sounding so calmly self-assured, absolutely certain that what he was saying was correct, caused pain to shoot through her, like she'd been struck physically. "Goodbye."
Draco just nodded stiffly and held open the door.
***
"This is supposed to be a celebration, Ginny," Harry said, taking a seat beside her at the table in the crowded pub. "Why're you looking like Ron does when someone takes the last biscuit?"
About to offer an impassioned rebuttal, Ginny sighed instead when she realized she didn't have it in her. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to dredge up a genuine smile. "I really am happy about your win. That's great."
Laughing as he caught something out of the corner of his eye, Harry said, "I'm actually happier about that development." He lifted his chin in the direction of the small dance floor where Oliver Wood was wrapped around Hermione. "It was getting to be a bit much, listening to the both of them carry on about the other."
"Maybe good things do come to those who wait," she said, still melancholy, but happy for Hermione.
"I don't think that's true for the most part." He refilled his glass of beer from the pitcher on the table before continuing. "Sometimes, if you really want something, you have to fight for it."
"Shocked as I am to be saying this, I agree with Potter," came the voice of Draco Malfoy as he approached the table.
Ginny's head jerked up from where she'd been halfheartedly picking at the varnish on her fingernails. "Draco, what're you doing here?" she asked, trying to piece together in her mind why he was there at a pub he knew she frequented with her friends.
"It's not obvious?" With a pointed look at Harry, he said, "Excuse us, please."
Harry looked to Ginny, the surprise obvious on his face, but at her nod, he stood up. "I'll be around if you need me," Harry said, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder in farewell.
Without waiting to be asked, Draco sat down next to her.
"I thought you agreed with me," she said, her heart aching in her chest at the sight of him. "I thought we'd decided we weren't going to be shag buddies anymore."
"We did."
Her eyes narrowed. "Then what are you doing here? Why would you come here, of all places?" she asked, turning from confused to angry. "You know I hang out with my friends here."
"I don't want to be your fuck buddy, Gin."
"Yes, Draco, we've established that," she said, her fingers tightening around her glass. "So thanks for stopping by, see you around and all that."
He shook his head. "I don't just want to be your fuck buddy." He took her glass from her hands and set it on the table, and then took one of her hands in his. "I want more."
A small spark of hope lit up her chest and she stared up at him, not quite daring to believe what she was hearing. "You want more."
"That's what I said, yes." The look on Ginny's face made him smile and he asked, "Are you following me?"
"I'm not sure," she said hesitantly, her heart beating so strong she could feel it against her ribs. "What would more entail?"
Not answering her question, he asked one of his own. "Why didn't you ask for more, Gin? Is it that you didn't want it from me?"
Shaking her head, she looked at him like he'd just said he wanted to start living as a Muggle or take up interpretive dance. "How could you even think that?"
"How could I think that?" he repeated, arching a single eyebrow. "We could start with the fact that you didn't have any use for me that didn't involve my cock."
"I don't-" She stopped mid sentence when she realized how it must have seemed that way from his point of view. "I didn't want to want something I couldn't have," she admitted painfully, like it'd been dragged from her.
Draco took her face in his hands, guiding her so that her eyes were on his. "I'm sitting here right now, in front of your friends - who, incidentally are trying to pretend like they're not watching us and doing a bang up job at failing - telling you that you can have me." When she just blinked, he added, "So if you're interested, now would be a fantastic time to tell me."
"I'm interested," she said immediately, feeling like she couldn't get the words out fast enough. She laughed a bit self-consciously at sounding so eager. "I'm really interested."
It wasn't clear who starting moving towards the other first, but it didn't matter, and then their lips met. In just moments, the kiss was heated, Ginny parting her lips under the pressure of Draco's insistent tongue. She moaned helplessly and he took full advantage, holding the side of her face in a rough caress as he kissed her in a way which wasn't at all proper in public, but was very much what they both wanted.
They looked up just in time to see her friends - who had been joined by a very confused-looking Ron - looking at them, smiling and laughing.
"Guess that makes telling everyone easier," Draco said, his teeth flashing as he grinned. "Now that we have all that sorted, your place or mine?"
"I don't care," she said, shooting a somewhat bashful grin over at her friends. "Wherever you are works for me."
Chuckling, her took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. "Now you're agreeable."
"Don't worry," she said, her eyes shining as she stood up on her toes to place a quick kiss on his lips. "That won't last for long."
The End
Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: I'd like a post-Hogwarts fic, no more than a few years out of Hogwarts. The main idea I'd like is that Draco and Ginny share some kind of secret in their past - any secret. It could be a romantic or non-romantic secret, it could be funny or very serious, it could be from a very long time ago when they were children, or it could be from more recent times. Just so long as it factors into the central conflict.
The tone/mood of the fic: I like a good balance between some lighthearted humor and some angsty drama.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would specifically like in your fic: I would like some other characters in the story besides just Draco and Ginny - how many or who is totally up to you.
Preferred rating of the fic you want: Any
Canon or AU? Canon, minus epilogue
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): No non-con, sexual violence, incest, or bestiality. No abused Draco or overly fluffy Draco. No weak Ginny. No extreme Harry-bashing. And no pregnancy.