♥ "Between Broken Lines" for mynuet ♥
Title: Between Broken Lines
Author: eustacia_vye28
Rating: A very loving NC-17.
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None, other than the rating.
Author's Notes: I incorporate DH except for the epilogue. It's not the shipping that killed it for me, it was the shoddy writing and that it was a poor way to end the series.
Summary: Sometimes the line between pretend and reality breaks. When that happens, sometimes something wonderful is found between them.
Between Broken Lines
After the end of the war, there were few so mistrusted as Slytherins who had consorted with Death Eaters. The most notorious were locked away in the new Azkaban. Dementors had been destroyed after their use in the war, and now all inmates were required to wear bracelets that suppressed their magic. All guards were now very much human and in possession of their magic. It sometimes led to excesses in crowd control, but the public at large considered it an acceptable byproduct of guarding dangerous criminals. Some of the notorious Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy included, managed to escape the new Azkaban. He managed to use Narcissa's actions to the gain of the entire family, avoiding long term imprisonment. Of course, he wasn't trusted. Neither were Narcissa or Draco. They were shunned at every opportunity, made outcast in the very world that they belonged in.
The turnaround devastated Draco. He had never truly been ostracized by those that mattered in social circles. He had been fairly protected from the worst of Death Eater excesses, and didn't know how to handle being treated like he was the worst of the worst.
Swallowing what was left of his pride, Draco contacted Harry Potter by owl. He had some kind of important Ministry job and was a media darling. While they had never been friends-and Draco would be the first to admit that-he hoped that Harry would at least be fair. I did what I could to save my family. I wasn't able to kill for them and I wasn't any kind of dark, demented leader as the Prophet would paint me, he wrote. Is there some way I can prove publicly that I'm not the horrid man they think I am?
Harry's answer was terse and hastily scribbled on a scrap of parchment. Meet me tomorrow morning at the Ministry. I have an idea.
Draco was impeccably dressed and was ushered into a shabby-looking conference room. It was more fit for house elves, but he held his tongue.
The click of high heels on stone alerted him that someone was coming. He stood facing the door in a relaxed posture. Whatever else he thought might happen, Draco knew that he wasn't about to be killed in a Ministry conference room.
Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood walked into the room. Harry and Luna wore silver robes, which Draco had heard designated them as Unspeakables. Ginny wore vivid scarlet Auror robes on her slight frame, and she was the one in heels. As far as Draco could tell, they were three inch stilettos, boosting her height somewhat.
Draco blinked at the sight of them. He had only thought Harry would be there. "Um..."
"Please sit down," Luna said with a dreamy, soft smile. "We should be comfortable while we speak," she added, sitting in an overstuffed chair. Harry and Ginny followed suit. Discomfited, Draco sat opposite them. "Harry had an idea to help you, Mr. Malfoy, but he really needed help to make it work well."
"So what's the plan?" Draco asked.
Luna smiled brightly as Harry looked over to a sullen Ginny with a pleading expression. "I think Harry should explain. It's his idea, I just worked out the details."
Harry cleared his throat and looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um... You're not trusted because you're a Malfoy. You're secretive and sarcastic and that troubles people. But if you weren't alone, then there's no reason not to trust you."
Draco blinked and looked from Harry to Ginny. "This isn't such a good idea..."
"Oh, no," Luna disagreed. "It's ideal, and you're merely the pilot participant."
"Um... What? What does that mean?"
"Well, I needed to work out details, and I'll watch over this experiment to see how it works. If it does, then others who are suspicious to the public can do this program and prove their innocence. It'll cost, of course, but I'm sure you won't mind it. In the grand scheme of things, and the scope of your fortune, it's merely a nominal cost."
Draco goggled at her. "I'm paying you to spy on me?!"
"Well, the easiest way to assure you're not Dark is to have an Auror shadow you at all times and confirm it," Luna told him brightly.
Harry looked almost apologetic. "It's an idea, Malfoy. You don't have to go through with it."
"But if I don't, I look like I have something to hide," Draco replied bitterly. "I suppose that's what she's here for."
"She's the only one we trust with this that isn't on an active case right now," Harry explained.
"That's what I get for efficiency," Ginny said in a surly tone. "I get to baby sit Malfoy."
While he shouldn't have been surprised by her reaction, Draco was still shocked. He sighed after a moment. "So how long does this last?"
"Until public opinion changes," Luna replied.
"Or you kill each other," Harry added helpfully.
Draco sighed again and leaned back in his chair. "And this begins when?"
Luna grinned and took out a roll of parchment. "As soon as the ink dries."
***
"I've been staying in London rather than the family estate," Draco began somewhat hesitantly. "I can move back there if you'd rather, so you'll have your own suite..."
"No," Ginny replied sharply. "It's bad enough that I have to be your shadow. I don't want to be anywhere near your father if I don't have to."
Draco lofted an eyebrow, eyeing the calendar on the wall of her office behind her. The holidays were swiftly approaching. "I didn't think he was that hated by the Ministry."
Ginny was pale with anger, and her skin seemed almost translucent compared to her vivid Weasley hair and the scarlet Auror robes. She was petite; even in those stiletto heels she only came up to his shoulder. Draco remembered her hexes from Hogwarts and didn't doubt her Auror skills one bit.
"Anyway, I'm sure we could come to some kind of mutually beneficial arrangement for this," Draco began, taking in her wary expression. "I have a spare room in my flat. I've never shared it before, so we'll need some kind of rules to live by."
Ginny seemed to calm down at his words. "All right, then. I can live with that."
"You'll have to visit Malfoy Manor, though," Draco told her honestly. "My Mum has regular dinners and a large dinner party for Christmas and the solstice. It's tradition."
Ginny closed her eyes. No one had thought of the upcoming holidays, of course. Draco was being surprisingly levelheaded and reasonable, which quelled many of her fears entering this silly enterprise. If it had been anyone other than Harry who pleaded Draco's case, she would have laughed and walked away. As it was, Harry had been serious about helping Draco. "His Mum lied on that battlefield, saving me from Voldemort," Harry had told her, sincerity bleeding from his famous green eyes. "Yes, it was to save Draco's sorry hide, and he's no prize. But he wasn't a killer. I'm not so angry now as I was then, so I can forgive the selfish git for his stupidity. I wasn't any better then, really."
Harry wasn't known to go out on a limb for many people. If he did, it was worth taking the risk.
"I'd like to see my own family as well," Ginny told Draco, opening her eyes.
With a sigh, Draco sat down next to her desk. Her office was immaculate, awards and photos on the wall. She was all business, a far cry from the overly emotional Weasley had had remembered taunting in school. The Weasley family was all but revered now, so Draco hoped that having her witness his life would be enough to clear his reputation.
"Why are you doing this?" Ginny asked, vague curiosity in her tone.
"I just want to be able to go about without those horrid whispers behind my back. I didn't do anything truly despicable. Schoolboy antics, really. I never killed anyone."
"You let Death Eaters into Hogwarts," she countered.
"They set up shop in my home and were threatening to kill my parents," Draco replied tonelessly. "I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Maybe in your world," Draco told her glumly.
She eyed him thoughtfully, but remained silent.
"How do you want to do this, then?" she asked, her voice quiet. She had never thought of it that way, that he felt as limited by duty and threats as the rest of the world had felt.
The absence of hostility was jarring, and Draco really looked at her for the first time since entering her office. Ginny was striking, the Weasley red looking less garish than he remembered it being. She was petite but carried herself with an aura of self confidence that seemed to add more presence than her stilettos. What little of her physique that he could see beneath the voluminous robes was curvaceous. If he let himself, his imagination could run away from him in all kinds of dangerous directions.
Clearing his throat, Draco gave her a wan smile. "I suppose the truth is out. The Prophet will assume you're my accomplice in hiding something Dark." He looked at her, his face carefully blank. "I don't want to destroy your reputation just by association with me."
"I'm a big girl. I can handle it."
"There's no need for unnecessary risk."
Ginny fell silent for a long moment, looking as though she was considering him for the first time. Draco wondered what she saw when she looked at him, what the weight of her gaze truly meant for this enterprise. "We'll have to make it look like we're together."
"What?" Draco choked out in surprise.
"Is it so hard to imagine?" she asked dryly.
"Are you trying to get trashed in the Prophet?"
Ginny snorted. "That rag adores me. Dating me would give you cachet that you'd never otherwise get. It's also an easy explanation for me being with you all the time and how I'd know you're no Dark wizard."
It was deceptively simple, but fraught with risk. Ginny might not have realized it, but Draco did. He hadn't been in a relationship in years, and he didn't know about Ginny. Being in close proximity to a beautiful woman in stilettos - always his weakness - was going to break him.
Still, he had no choice.
"All right," he sighed. "Let's do this."
***
Beauty and the Beast Revealed!
Auror Weasley and Dark Prince Malfoy reveal their relationship! (p.3)
Draco groaned and tossed the Prophet into the fireplace as soon as he saw the photo on the front page and the garish headline. He wondered if he should be insulted that they only warranted page three for the article, but decided against it. The front page had the photo of Ginny throwing her arms around him and soundly kissing him on the mouth on the front steps of the Ministry. It had been taken the same day he signed the contract with the Unspeakables.
It was fitting somehow. Unspeakables set this in motion, and he couldn't speak of the truth about it to anyone.
Draco didn't tell her that the kiss had felt like a lightning bolt running through him, making him suddenly feel more alive than he had since before the war. He didn't tell her that he suddenly wished that this was real and not a farce. He didn't tell her that the thought of her walking around his flat in those heels made him weak in the knees. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt either of them. He could keep his thoughts to himself and shield his mind appropriately. No one had to know what was going on, and he would be fine, surely.
Ginny looked up from the dining area in the flat as the Prophet went up in flames. She had appropriated the table to spread out her paperwork; while nothing was due in Headquarters for months yet, she had no intention of sitting there idle. She couldn't stand sitting still and had to do something with herself other than watch Draco scowl at his thoughts. He was pretty even so, she had to admit, though she had to school her features impassive. Draco looked less like someone dangerous to the world and more like someone dangerous to an overprotective Mama's virgin daughters. He moved with a fluid grace, had a lithe build and full lips that kissed all too well. It had been ages since she had dated anyone; too many men working at the Ministry were intimidated by her illustrious past boyfriends. None ever stopped to wonder why they were all past boyfriends, or consider that if she was single, they were obviously not good enough for her.
"Something wrong?" she asked, quill poised above a form.
"That rag that loves you so much is determined to call me a Dark wizard." Draco frowned at her quirky smile. "What?"
"You knew what we were in for when we started this. Don't tell me you're losing heart now."
The frown deepened into a scowl. "Certainly not."
"It's going to be difficult before it gets better. It's been less than a week. Give it time."
Draco was going to go mad, that was all. The sight of her shapely legs in those heels, the way she tossed her hair about, the way she nibbled on her quill...
Oh, Merlin's beard. This infatuation was going to get him killed, wasn't it?
At least Ginny didn't seem to know about it. She turned back to her paperwork, oblivious.
The worst part was not having a set timetable for this exercise in masochism. They were indefinitely living together and kissing in public, yet retiring to separate beds. Three days and he was already wanking at night to fantasies of licking those legs and nibbling on ankles bound in strappy heels. He didn't know how he was going to survive an extended period of this, touching yet not doing anything that he longed to do.
Draco shot to his feet, startling Ginny at the table. "I need to go out and do something. I'm feeling cramped in here."
Eyebrow lofted, Ginny put down her quill. "Where do you want to go?"
Lips twisted into a grimace, Draco shrugged. He hadn't thought that far ahead. "Somewhere they make really, really strong drinks."
Ginny's grin was genuine and infectious. "In that case, I know just the place. Trust me."
Scarily enough, Draco did. They'd known each other less than a week, and Draco already trusted Ginny more than he did some of his childhood friends.
It was a hole in the wall bar at the end of an alley that Draco wouldn't have thought twice about passing up. It was dingy and dark, with candles illuminating cracked tabletops and a narrow dance floor. The drinks were uncommonly strong and not as expensive as the hotter night spots, and the bartender didn't seem to care who they were as long as the galleons that paid for the drinks kept coming. He was a big, burly man that never seemed to make eye contact with anyone. "This isn't the kind of place I'd thought you'd take me," Draco told Ginny once they were at a corner table.
"I found out about it on a bust a year ago. If you're in the mood to drink and do nothing else, this is a great place for that. Plus, I'm friends with Gary. I'm sure he'll tell anyone that we've been dating for ages if I ask him nicely enough."
"The bartender?" Draco asked dumbly.
"Of course. We saved his daughter from a kidnapping last year. He keeps saying he owes me, the big smoosh. His daughter's a lovely girl, fourth year at Hogwarts now."
Draco listened intently as Ginny began to talk about some of her solved cases. As she unwound, he saw that she carried herself less stiffly. She was less of the Auror now and more of the woman she had grown into. He didn't doubt any of her stories, not even the farfetched-sounding ones. She was strong willed and tricky, not above using people's misperceptions of her height against them. She was animated as she spoke, making it very obvious that she loved her job. She spoke with her hands, eyes bright and shining in the candlelight.
Later, Draco would blame the alcohol. Really, all it did was give him that little extra push to do what he'd wanted to do for three days. In the midst of laughter, he reached out and grasped the back of Ginny's neck. He pulled her in for a deep kiss, tongue sliding into her mouth to touch hers. This wasn't for the benefit of cameras and journalists, but to satisfy the growing need in the pit of his stomach. He wanted her, badly, and didn't know what to do with it. Ginny should have been untouchable, beyond his reach. She should have been far enough outside his notice that he wouldn't feel as though he was burning beneath her gaze. He shouldn't have felt like this fragile, broken thing caught up in her web.
She pushed him away, eyes wide and startled. "This wasn't the deal, Malfoy."
"Deal?" he stammered, blinking rapidly. "What deal?"
She froze for a long moment, caught off guard. There was something in her features that Draco couldn't place, almost like a longing. She shook her head fiercely and rubbed at her eyes. "I can't, Draco. We shouldn't be doing this."
Draco stared at her dumbly. "What are we talking about now?"
Ginny sighed with relief and pasted on a fake smile as she rolled her eyes. "Oi, don't tell me you're a lightweight. C'mon, then. We're off."
"But..." He clamped his mouth shut and then nodded. He liked all limbs where they were and his torso in one piece, thankyouverymuch. He didn't want her hating him and looking for excuses to send hexes his way.
Days and then weeks slid past in much the same vein. Draco contained his lust as best as he could and tried to pretend that he wished their relationship was real and not feigned. Ginny did paperwork or research for coworkers to keep herself busy, avoiding Draco unless she had to speak with him. It never occurred to Draco to wonder why she never relaxed around him, why she constantly had to surround herself with work and formality. She didn't joke around much, and after that time in the bar, she didn't open up about herself or her job.
Ginny found it difficult to keep in mind that this was an assignment. Once the Prophet article came out, other magazines and papers wanted interviews. Suddenly Ginny and Draco as a couple were media darlings. His friends suddenly wanted to see him again to demand to know why they had never heard of Ginny before. His parents wanted to see him at dinners more often with Ginny at his side. She had to smile and kiss and hold hands, had to say wonderful things she wasn't sure she didn't mean. Ginny was finding it hard to remember a time she didn't live in Draco's spare bedroom. She couldn't remember the color of the walls in her flat or if she had cleaned it properly before moving in with Draco. She couldn't remember why she was so focused on minutiae, but it seemed overly important on those weekends and evenings they weren't forced to be social butterflies.
He hated going out. He hated being on display for the world; it was one thing to be admired and envied by the select, but Draco didn't like being common. He was an elitist, wanting to be better than somebody. He had always felt inferior to Harry Potter, always felt as though he never quite met everyone's expectations of him. It left him feeling hollow inside, a feeling that Ginny understood all too well.
It troubled her that she knew these things, that she understood and wanted to help. It troubled her that she was forgetting to be professional, an Auror, a representative of the Ministry and all that it stood for. She knew how Draco's lip curled in derision when he was upset and trying to hide it, the quirk of his eyebrow before he was about to sneeze, the way he liked his meals and the way he moved around. She knew the nuances in his voice better than her own, and longed to feel his hand slide along her skin when they were behind closed doors. But that way led to madness, broken promises and lines better left uncrossed.
This was a farce, she had to tell herself. This wasn't real. None of it was.
Sometimes their eyes slid toward each other, locking like magnets. In those moments, entire volumes were spoken. When the moment passed, both pretended that nothing happened, that it wasn't real, that there were no feelings whatsoever.
And of course, something would have to happen to break the tension. This came in the form of the birthday party of one of Ginny's fellow Aurors. Jasmine Gillyfar was turning thirty, and invited the entire department to her grand birthday party. It was a semiformal party, and Jasmine loved the winter. The end of November was cold enough for her, but it didn't include any snow on the day of her party. The party planner she had hired managed to conjure a snowstorm over the hall, leaving everything blanketed in snow. Everyone was expected to bring their significant others, which meant that Ginny had to bring Draco. She wasn't sure how she felt about wearing a slinky dress and having to cling to him for warmth, and wasn't sure how to take Draco paling at the thought of it.
Draco wore an immaculate suit of fairly Muggle design, and Ginny wore an emerald green halter top gown that complimented her coloring all too well. Draco grasped her hands with his cold ones as they entered the dance hall for Jasmine's party. They had to smile for everyone, and Draco had to slip an arm around her waist in an intimate manner. His hand trembled slightly against her hip, fingers tightening for almost a fraction of a second too long as he heard the clicking of her high heels along the marble flooring. He could imagine her shapely legs as she walked, and the sway of her hips beneath his fingertips was maddening.
Ginny kept her smile pasted on her face even though she felt almost dizzy. This party was the first time they were really going somewhere on a formal date. This was the first time she had really tried to make herself attractive, and this was the first time Draco was touching her bare back and shoulders. It sent shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold or the charmed snow falling onto the back patio. Ginny was only too aware of Draco beside her, the warmth in his skin and the weight of his gaze upon her. She could feel her body tighten under the smoldering looks he was giving her; she couldn't pretend that it was just a game they were playing. His look was all too real, and she could feel the desire in the trembling fingers at her hip. He wanted her, truly wanted her, and it had nothing to do with the charade that the Ministry had orchestrated.
The worst part of it was, she wanted him just as badly.
By now, she knew that he wasn't some kind of horrible person. Oh, he could be mean and petty and miserable. He had grown up with prejudices that he still accepted as truth rather blindly. His devotion to his parents was at once commendable and disturbing, given that they were obviously in league with Dark wizards and had no qualms about twisting laws to their gain. He had no need to work for money, but had taken up financial management to fill his days with something to do. He was fiercely loyal to friends, and had seemed to include her in their number. Draco had a smile that lit up a room, a runner's build and a stamina that set Ginny's imagination wild. He had a gentle side that no one else was allowed to see, and Ginny could see herself melting under his fierce gaze.
There was too much alcohol at the party; Jasmine was an accomplished drinker and regularly assumed everyone else had the tolerance and preference for top shelf liquors that she did. Ginny didn't habitually drink, so even one glass of something sparkly and fruity-flavored was leaving her giddy. While she was still sober enough to be horrified at the way she easily looped her arms around Draco and smiled up at him, another part of her was relieved. She wanted to do this, to touch him easily and smile like she meant it. She wanted to drape herself across him like a second skin, to inhale the very breath that surrounded him. She wanted to curl up around him, to feel his pulse leap against her lips when she kissed it, his arms encircling her tightly. She wanted to know what he was like in bed, if he was as generous a lover as he was a kisser. Ginny would never otherwise be able to let her guard down enough.
Draco was delightfully tipsy, and responded to her readily enough. He led her out to the snowy back patio. While Jasmine loved snow, it did limit the time anyone could spend outdoors. Draco put his jacket around Ginny's shoulders and held her close to his chest, his arms winding their way around her. The music inside was loud enough to be heard on the patio, and they swayed in time to it. "Would it be terrible if I broke the rules we set?" he whispered in her ear.
"Hm?" Ginny murmured against his chest, lips curling into a smile.
"Those lines we drew... I want to break them so badly." He was threading his fingers through her hair, loosening the ringlets from their carefully constructed arrangement.
"You do? But that agreement..."
"It can all go to hell. I want you, Ginny... Now and always, and not because of some agreement we signed." Draco's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I love you."
"That better not be the alcohol talking."
"Not in the least." His smile was self deprecating. "They do call it liquid courage, though."
Ginny laughed and looped her arms around Draco's waist. "What are we going to do with ourselves, Draco?"
"I can think of a thousand things I'd love to do," he blurted. He wanted to smack himself silly, but luckily Ginny was tipsy enough to laugh.
"It might take a while to get through that list, then," Ginny murmured.
Draco led her to a snow-covered bench just out of sight of the main French doors to the patio. He hoped that no one noticed them leaving the hall, and no one wanted to follow the tracks in the snow. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and slipped a hand inside the side slit of her dress. "I've wanted to do this for ages," he admitted, caressing her thigh. He followed the length of her leg, down the knee and along the calf muscle. His other hand came to caress her ankle, caught within the straps of her high heels.
"You have?" Ginny asked, breath catching in her throat.
Draco didn't grace the question with a verbal answer. He bent forward and began to lick and kiss the skin of her thigh. Ginny shivered under his touch, not sure if she would be able to stand for much longer. He moved slightly, giving him access to the back of her knee, her calf, her ankle. The kisses were light, fluttering touches that left her more sensitized than his caresses had left her. She knew she was wet for him, wanting more than this, wanting everything, and she could feel her head spin. Ginny was making soft mewling sounds deep in her throat, and clutching his jacket around her bare shoulders. His scent was all over the coat, filling her nostrils. She wanted to kiss him, take him into her mouth, push him down and ravage him until she had no energy left to spend. It was a new feeling, an intensity she'd never felt before.
After an eternity, Draco rose to his feet. He took her cold face in chilled hands and kissed her lips with that same soft intensity he had used on her leg. He moved after a moment, taking her earlobe between his teeth. Then he kissed her neck, his hands sliding down beneath the jacket to caress her breasts. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I want more," he murmured against the skin of her neck. "I don't know if I can even walk back in there," he added with a chuckle. He sounded sober, and Ginny didn't feel nearly as tipsy as when they had started. The alcohol had merely been a convenient excuse to start this.
"Take me home, then," Ginny murmured.
Was it Ginny's imagination or did Luna wink at her as they left? Draco pointedly didn't look at anyone that Ginny worked with, avoided Harry like the plague and made noncommittal noises about how lovely the party was, but so sorry, he was completely knackered. Ginny didn't think about the poor excuses or the broad grins on Luna's and Jasmine's faces. They were supposed to think they were together, right?
Oh, wait. Luna knew it wasn't supposed to be real, but Jasmine didn't. So what was she on about now?
All pretenses fell once they arrived back at Draco's flat. He kissed her, tongue sliding into her mouth. She made a mewling noise deep her throat, and Draco dropped his hand from her face to her breast. He kneaded it through the dress, feeling her nipple pebble up beneath his thumb. Her hands scrabbled across his back, then moved to try and undo his suit. Somehow they managed to get their clothes off, articles of clothing flying every which way. They didn't even make it to his bedroom. Ginny shoved Draco up against the wall in the hallway, kissing him with every ounce of her suppressed desire. When he broke the kiss to breathe, he moved to lick her earlobe and neck, slowly moving down. He fixed his mouth on her breast, laving it with rapt dedication. He slid his hand up her thigh as her hands wound their way through his hair. They were both making incoherent noises, gasping sounds of pleasure and desire.
Draco slid his fingers inside her, and she gasped. He pressed his fingers against her wet heat, and she was arching up against him as she moaned. She made a keening sound as he began to stroke her, and her hitching breath was loud. Draco lifted his head from her breast and locked eyes with her. "You know this isn't pretend, don't you? This stopped being pretend a long time ago."
"Yeah, I know. I was just pretending it was pretend."
Laughing, Draco stood. He seized her mouth in a kiss as he kept up the punishing pace with his hand. Ginny came, her cry of release swallowed by his kiss. He stroked her to climax, feeling her body convulse around his finger. Eyes locked to hers, he put his finger into his mouth and tasted her juices. Ginny's breath caught, and she reached out for him.
"Enough foreplay," she all but growled, pushing him backward toward his bedroom. "It's time for the main event."
"I want you," he panted when he broke their next kiss. "I want to be inside you. I want you screaming my name," he panted.
Ginny grinned a saucy grin and shoved him backward. Draco's back hit his bed, and he fell onto it, spreadeagled. Ginny clambered up on top of him, straddling his hips. She leaned down to kiss him as one hand guided him into her. Her tongue slid into his mouth, seeking his tongue eagerly. His hands came to rest on her hips, fingers tightening. Draco thrust into her, making her gasp in delight. Eyes shut tight, he moved harder, faster, deeper. He was gasping, feeling Ginny's inner muscles clench tight around him. She had her hands on either side of him, unable to keep herself from falling forward any other way. She gasped for breath, her eyes shut tight in ecstasy. The sight of her nearly sent Draco over the edge. She was so tight against him, fluttering, squeezing against him. Draco squeezed his eyes tight and moaned. So close... He tumbled over the edge just before she did, collapsing down in a heap on top of him.
"Why'd we wait so long?" he asked after an eternity spent trying to get his breath back.
"Silly rules," she replied with a chuckle. "All the lines we had to break..."
"Nicer this way," Draco murmured. "'M sleepy. Breakfast in the morning?"
"Fantastic," she agreed, snuggling into his warmth.
***
"So? Did the Bunters get to you or not?"
Ginny looked at Luna blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about?"
"You've been mooning about for the past week, since Jasmine's party. The two of you disappeared for a good half hour. Bunters are notorious for infecting travelers stuck out in the snow, and I'm sure even conjured snow still counts for snow," Luna added primly. She smiled at Ginny over their lunch in the Ministry cafeteria. "Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. I think the two of you get on well, and it's absolutely lovely. You deserve someone that can keep you on your toes and still worship the ground they walk on."
Suspicion dawned. "You deliberately chose me on this, didn't you?"
"Well, of course. Harry's a dear, but daft about affairs of the heart. Poor thing, he thought a public talk might help matters. He hasn't a clue about how people relate to one another, especially those they've scorned for years."
Ginny gaped at Luna's words. They were unerringly accurate, which Ginny had never really assumed she was capable of. Luna smiled at her serenely. "I'm sure you're going to want to tell everyone the truth, now that the farce is over. You may need help explaining things, I'm sure," Luna said, voice gentle. "His parents aren't the best at understanding what's outside their scope. Yours might balk for a bit, even though they seem to have taken the dating well. They still haven't given up hope on your relationship with Harry, have they?"
"Well, they don't know he's dating you," Ginny pointed out.
"Quite right. No one does. Until it's been sanctified with the yadrow on the solstice, I'm not taking any changes regarding his health and virility. I expect the both of us to have plenty of children to play together at Hogwarts."
Ginny wanted to laugh at Luna's matter of fact speech. "You've got this all planned out, have you, then?"
"But of course," Luna replied, somewhat affronted. "You can't leave something this important to chance alone. Though I'd be much happier knowing for sure if the bunters got to you or not."
Shaking her head, Ginny laughed. "No, I don't think so. I think it was just the constant proximity and Jasmine's penchant for really strong drinks."
Luna brightened. "Oh, good. So we'll be all together for years yet."
"That's the general idea." Ginny frowned at Luna suddenly. "Does Harry even know about this development between Draco and me?"
Luna gave off an unladylike snort. "You know him, Ginny. Sometimes he can't see the obvious right in front of him. I'll have to tell him, of course. It might be best to just surprise him with a wedding date, though."
Ginny choked on her tea. "What? Whoever said anything about a wedding?"
"Isn't that the obvious conclusion?" Luna asked innocently, blue eyes sparkling. "It'll be lovely if we have a double wedding, I think."
Ginny sighed and simply smiled at her friend. "You are impossible."
"Just highly improbable," Luna corrected serenely.
***
Ginny later saved the headlines on the New Year's Special Edition of the Prophet.
A date to remember!
Auror Weasley to wed Dark Prince Malfoy in summer event.
A much smaller announcement on page five told of Harry's engagement to Luna. That fact sent Draco into a fit of laughter; for once in his life he felt free of the old petty jealousies that had plagued him in Hogwarts. For once in his life, he had one over on Harry.
Though, looking at Ginny sitting contentedly in his flat, he had to admit that he had the better lot in life. She was the prize worth waiting for, worth wading through the stony silences in telling their families. They'd come around eventually, whether it was at their summer wedding or when the first of many grandchildren would arrive. Either way, it didn't matter. Draco was happy with the way things had turned out, and Ginny was happier now than she could remember being in a long time.
Sometimes it really was worth breaking the rules.
The End.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: These are mix-and-match - just pick one, or a combination, and let your imagination flow from there. What I've put down is a starting point, and you shouldn't feel limited by it - although do please pay attention to the deal breakers.
Potential prompts: raising sparks; no one else understands us like we do; subverting cliches; what they don't know; desperation
Potential scenarios: snowy day; dinner party; a mutually beneficial agreement
Potential kinks: High heels, scent, danger
The tone/mood of the fic: As long as it ends with D/G together and in love, go nuts. Try to err on the side of me not wanting to slit my wrists.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Nothing in particular.
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: Any is fine.
Canon or AU? Either is fine, although please work the AU as close to canon as possible; I really don't see the point of fics which just take the characters' names and plug them into a situation which has nothing to do with the source universe.
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): Any ending where D/G aren't happy and together. Please keep any kink you include relatively mild; think naughty, not nasty.
Author: eustacia_vye28
Rating: A very loving NC-17.
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None, other than the rating.
Author's Notes: I incorporate DH except for the epilogue. It's not the shipping that killed it for me, it was the shoddy writing and that it was a poor way to end the series.
Summary: Sometimes the line between pretend and reality breaks. When that happens, sometimes something wonderful is found between them.
Between Broken Lines
After the end of the war, there were few so mistrusted as Slytherins who had consorted with Death Eaters. The most notorious were locked away in the new Azkaban. Dementors had been destroyed after their use in the war, and now all inmates were required to wear bracelets that suppressed their magic. All guards were now very much human and in possession of their magic. It sometimes led to excesses in crowd control, but the public at large considered it an acceptable byproduct of guarding dangerous criminals. Some of the notorious Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy included, managed to escape the new Azkaban. He managed to use Narcissa's actions to the gain of the entire family, avoiding long term imprisonment. Of course, he wasn't trusted. Neither were Narcissa or Draco. They were shunned at every opportunity, made outcast in the very world that they belonged in.
The turnaround devastated Draco. He had never truly been ostracized by those that mattered in social circles. He had been fairly protected from the worst of Death Eater excesses, and didn't know how to handle being treated like he was the worst of the worst.
Swallowing what was left of his pride, Draco contacted Harry Potter by owl. He had some kind of important Ministry job and was a media darling. While they had never been friends-and Draco would be the first to admit that-he hoped that Harry would at least be fair. I did what I could to save my family. I wasn't able to kill for them and I wasn't any kind of dark, demented leader as the Prophet would paint me, he wrote. Is there some way I can prove publicly that I'm not the horrid man they think I am?
Harry's answer was terse and hastily scribbled on a scrap of parchment. Meet me tomorrow morning at the Ministry. I have an idea.
Draco was impeccably dressed and was ushered into a shabby-looking conference room. It was more fit for house elves, but he held his tongue.
The click of high heels on stone alerted him that someone was coming. He stood facing the door in a relaxed posture. Whatever else he thought might happen, Draco knew that he wasn't about to be killed in a Ministry conference room.
Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood walked into the room. Harry and Luna wore silver robes, which Draco had heard designated them as Unspeakables. Ginny wore vivid scarlet Auror robes on her slight frame, and she was the one in heels. As far as Draco could tell, they were three inch stilettos, boosting her height somewhat.
Draco blinked at the sight of them. He had only thought Harry would be there. "Um..."
"Please sit down," Luna said with a dreamy, soft smile. "We should be comfortable while we speak," she added, sitting in an overstuffed chair. Harry and Ginny followed suit. Discomfited, Draco sat opposite them. "Harry had an idea to help you, Mr. Malfoy, but he really needed help to make it work well."
"So what's the plan?" Draco asked.
Luna smiled brightly as Harry looked over to a sullen Ginny with a pleading expression. "I think Harry should explain. It's his idea, I just worked out the details."
Harry cleared his throat and looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um... You're not trusted because you're a Malfoy. You're secretive and sarcastic and that troubles people. But if you weren't alone, then there's no reason not to trust you."
Draco blinked and looked from Harry to Ginny. "This isn't such a good idea..."
"Oh, no," Luna disagreed. "It's ideal, and you're merely the pilot participant."
"Um... What? What does that mean?"
"Well, I needed to work out details, and I'll watch over this experiment to see how it works. If it does, then others who are suspicious to the public can do this program and prove their innocence. It'll cost, of course, but I'm sure you won't mind it. In the grand scheme of things, and the scope of your fortune, it's merely a nominal cost."
Draco goggled at her. "I'm paying you to spy on me?!"
"Well, the easiest way to assure you're not Dark is to have an Auror shadow you at all times and confirm it," Luna told him brightly.
Harry looked almost apologetic. "It's an idea, Malfoy. You don't have to go through with it."
"But if I don't, I look like I have something to hide," Draco replied bitterly. "I suppose that's what she's here for."
"She's the only one we trust with this that isn't on an active case right now," Harry explained.
"That's what I get for efficiency," Ginny said in a surly tone. "I get to baby sit Malfoy."
While he shouldn't have been surprised by her reaction, Draco was still shocked. He sighed after a moment. "So how long does this last?"
"Until public opinion changes," Luna replied.
"Or you kill each other," Harry added helpfully.
Draco sighed again and leaned back in his chair. "And this begins when?"
Luna grinned and took out a roll of parchment. "As soon as the ink dries."
***
"I've been staying in London rather than the family estate," Draco began somewhat hesitantly. "I can move back there if you'd rather, so you'll have your own suite..."
"No," Ginny replied sharply. "It's bad enough that I have to be your shadow. I don't want to be anywhere near your father if I don't have to."
Draco lofted an eyebrow, eyeing the calendar on the wall of her office behind her. The holidays were swiftly approaching. "I didn't think he was that hated by the Ministry."
Ginny was pale with anger, and her skin seemed almost translucent compared to her vivid Weasley hair and the scarlet Auror robes. She was petite; even in those stiletto heels she only came up to his shoulder. Draco remembered her hexes from Hogwarts and didn't doubt her Auror skills one bit.
"Anyway, I'm sure we could come to some kind of mutually beneficial arrangement for this," Draco began, taking in her wary expression. "I have a spare room in my flat. I've never shared it before, so we'll need some kind of rules to live by."
Ginny seemed to calm down at his words. "All right, then. I can live with that."
"You'll have to visit Malfoy Manor, though," Draco told her honestly. "My Mum has regular dinners and a large dinner party for Christmas and the solstice. It's tradition."
Ginny closed her eyes. No one had thought of the upcoming holidays, of course. Draco was being surprisingly levelheaded and reasonable, which quelled many of her fears entering this silly enterprise. If it had been anyone other than Harry who pleaded Draco's case, she would have laughed and walked away. As it was, Harry had been serious about helping Draco. "His Mum lied on that battlefield, saving me from Voldemort," Harry had told her, sincerity bleeding from his famous green eyes. "Yes, it was to save Draco's sorry hide, and he's no prize. But he wasn't a killer. I'm not so angry now as I was then, so I can forgive the selfish git for his stupidity. I wasn't any better then, really."
Harry wasn't known to go out on a limb for many people. If he did, it was worth taking the risk.
"I'd like to see my own family as well," Ginny told Draco, opening her eyes.
With a sigh, Draco sat down next to her desk. Her office was immaculate, awards and photos on the wall. She was all business, a far cry from the overly emotional Weasley had had remembered taunting in school. The Weasley family was all but revered now, so Draco hoped that having her witness his life would be enough to clear his reputation.
"Why are you doing this?" Ginny asked, vague curiosity in her tone.
"I just want to be able to go about without those horrid whispers behind my back. I didn't do anything truly despicable. Schoolboy antics, really. I never killed anyone."
"You let Death Eaters into Hogwarts," she countered.
"They set up shop in my home and were threatening to kill my parents," Draco replied tonelessly. "I didn't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Maybe in your world," Draco told her glumly.
She eyed him thoughtfully, but remained silent.
"How do you want to do this, then?" she asked, her voice quiet. She had never thought of it that way, that he felt as limited by duty and threats as the rest of the world had felt.
The absence of hostility was jarring, and Draco really looked at her for the first time since entering her office. Ginny was striking, the Weasley red looking less garish than he remembered it being. She was petite but carried herself with an aura of self confidence that seemed to add more presence than her stilettos. What little of her physique that he could see beneath the voluminous robes was curvaceous. If he let himself, his imagination could run away from him in all kinds of dangerous directions.
Clearing his throat, Draco gave her a wan smile. "I suppose the truth is out. The Prophet will assume you're my accomplice in hiding something Dark." He looked at her, his face carefully blank. "I don't want to destroy your reputation just by association with me."
"I'm a big girl. I can handle it."
"There's no need for unnecessary risk."
Ginny fell silent for a long moment, looking as though she was considering him for the first time. Draco wondered what she saw when she looked at him, what the weight of her gaze truly meant for this enterprise. "We'll have to make it look like we're together."
"What?" Draco choked out in surprise.
"Is it so hard to imagine?" she asked dryly.
"Are you trying to get trashed in the Prophet?"
Ginny snorted. "That rag adores me. Dating me would give you cachet that you'd never otherwise get. It's also an easy explanation for me being with you all the time and how I'd know you're no Dark wizard."
It was deceptively simple, but fraught with risk. Ginny might not have realized it, but Draco did. He hadn't been in a relationship in years, and he didn't know about Ginny. Being in close proximity to a beautiful woman in stilettos - always his weakness - was going to break him.
Still, he had no choice.
"All right," he sighed. "Let's do this."
***
Beauty and the Beast Revealed!
Auror Weasley and Dark Prince Malfoy reveal their relationship! (p.3)
Draco groaned and tossed the Prophet into the fireplace as soon as he saw the photo on the front page and the garish headline. He wondered if he should be insulted that they only warranted page three for the article, but decided against it. The front page had the photo of Ginny throwing her arms around him and soundly kissing him on the mouth on the front steps of the Ministry. It had been taken the same day he signed the contract with the Unspeakables.
It was fitting somehow. Unspeakables set this in motion, and he couldn't speak of the truth about it to anyone.
Draco didn't tell her that the kiss had felt like a lightning bolt running through him, making him suddenly feel more alive than he had since before the war. He didn't tell her that he suddenly wished that this was real and not a farce. He didn't tell her that the thought of her walking around his flat in those heels made him weak in the knees. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt either of them. He could keep his thoughts to himself and shield his mind appropriately. No one had to know what was going on, and he would be fine, surely.
Ginny looked up from the dining area in the flat as the Prophet went up in flames. She had appropriated the table to spread out her paperwork; while nothing was due in Headquarters for months yet, she had no intention of sitting there idle. She couldn't stand sitting still and had to do something with herself other than watch Draco scowl at his thoughts. He was pretty even so, she had to admit, though she had to school her features impassive. Draco looked less like someone dangerous to the world and more like someone dangerous to an overprotective Mama's virgin daughters. He moved with a fluid grace, had a lithe build and full lips that kissed all too well. It had been ages since she had dated anyone; too many men working at the Ministry were intimidated by her illustrious past boyfriends. None ever stopped to wonder why they were all past boyfriends, or consider that if she was single, they were obviously not good enough for her.
"Something wrong?" she asked, quill poised above a form.
"That rag that loves you so much is determined to call me a Dark wizard." Draco frowned at her quirky smile. "What?"
"You knew what we were in for when we started this. Don't tell me you're losing heart now."
The frown deepened into a scowl. "Certainly not."
"It's going to be difficult before it gets better. It's been less than a week. Give it time."
Draco was going to go mad, that was all. The sight of her shapely legs in those heels, the way she tossed her hair about, the way she nibbled on her quill...
Oh, Merlin's beard. This infatuation was going to get him killed, wasn't it?
At least Ginny didn't seem to know about it. She turned back to her paperwork, oblivious.
The worst part was not having a set timetable for this exercise in masochism. They were indefinitely living together and kissing in public, yet retiring to separate beds. Three days and he was already wanking at night to fantasies of licking those legs and nibbling on ankles bound in strappy heels. He didn't know how he was going to survive an extended period of this, touching yet not doing anything that he longed to do.
Draco shot to his feet, startling Ginny at the table. "I need to go out and do something. I'm feeling cramped in here."
Eyebrow lofted, Ginny put down her quill. "Where do you want to go?"
Lips twisted into a grimace, Draco shrugged. He hadn't thought that far ahead. "Somewhere they make really, really strong drinks."
Ginny's grin was genuine and infectious. "In that case, I know just the place. Trust me."
Scarily enough, Draco did. They'd known each other less than a week, and Draco already trusted Ginny more than he did some of his childhood friends.
It was a hole in the wall bar at the end of an alley that Draco wouldn't have thought twice about passing up. It was dingy and dark, with candles illuminating cracked tabletops and a narrow dance floor. The drinks were uncommonly strong and not as expensive as the hotter night spots, and the bartender didn't seem to care who they were as long as the galleons that paid for the drinks kept coming. He was a big, burly man that never seemed to make eye contact with anyone. "This isn't the kind of place I'd thought you'd take me," Draco told Ginny once they were at a corner table.
"I found out about it on a bust a year ago. If you're in the mood to drink and do nothing else, this is a great place for that. Plus, I'm friends with Gary. I'm sure he'll tell anyone that we've been dating for ages if I ask him nicely enough."
"The bartender?" Draco asked dumbly.
"Of course. We saved his daughter from a kidnapping last year. He keeps saying he owes me, the big smoosh. His daughter's a lovely girl, fourth year at Hogwarts now."
Draco listened intently as Ginny began to talk about some of her solved cases. As she unwound, he saw that she carried herself less stiffly. She was less of the Auror now and more of the woman she had grown into. He didn't doubt any of her stories, not even the farfetched-sounding ones. She was strong willed and tricky, not above using people's misperceptions of her height against them. She was animated as she spoke, making it very obvious that she loved her job. She spoke with her hands, eyes bright and shining in the candlelight.
Later, Draco would blame the alcohol. Really, all it did was give him that little extra push to do what he'd wanted to do for three days. In the midst of laughter, he reached out and grasped the back of Ginny's neck. He pulled her in for a deep kiss, tongue sliding into her mouth to touch hers. This wasn't for the benefit of cameras and journalists, but to satisfy the growing need in the pit of his stomach. He wanted her, badly, and didn't know what to do with it. Ginny should have been untouchable, beyond his reach. She should have been far enough outside his notice that he wouldn't feel as though he was burning beneath her gaze. He shouldn't have felt like this fragile, broken thing caught up in her web.
She pushed him away, eyes wide and startled. "This wasn't the deal, Malfoy."
"Deal?" he stammered, blinking rapidly. "What deal?"
She froze for a long moment, caught off guard. There was something in her features that Draco couldn't place, almost like a longing. She shook her head fiercely and rubbed at her eyes. "I can't, Draco. We shouldn't be doing this."
Draco stared at her dumbly. "What are we talking about now?"
Ginny sighed with relief and pasted on a fake smile as she rolled her eyes. "Oi, don't tell me you're a lightweight. C'mon, then. We're off."
"But..." He clamped his mouth shut and then nodded. He liked all limbs where they were and his torso in one piece, thankyouverymuch. He didn't want her hating him and looking for excuses to send hexes his way.
Days and then weeks slid past in much the same vein. Draco contained his lust as best as he could and tried to pretend that he wished their relationship was real and not feigned. Ginny did paperwork or research for coworkers to keep herself busy, avoiding Draco unless she had to speak with him. It never occurred to Draco to wonder why she never relaxed around him, why she constantly had to surround herself with work and formality. She didn't joke around much, and after that time in the bar, she didn't open up about herself or her job.
Ginny found it difficult to keep in mind that this was an assignment. Once the Prophet article came out, other magazines and papers wanted interviews. Suddenly Ginny and Draco as a couple were media darlings. His friends suddenly wanted to see him again to demand to know why they had never heard of Ginny before. His parents wanted to see him at dinners more often with Ginny at his side. She had to smile and kiss and hold hands, had to say wonderful things she wasn't sure she didn't mean. Ginny was finding it hard to remember a time she didn't live in Draco's spare bedroom. She couldn't remember the color of the walls in her flat or if she had cleaned it properly before moving in with Draco. She couldn't remember why she was so focused on minutiae, but it seemed overly important on those weekends and evenings they weren't forced to be social butterflies.
He hated going out. He hated being on display for the world; it was one thing to be admired and envied by the select, but Draco didn't like being common. He was an elitist, wanting to be better than somebody. He had always felt inferior to Harry Potter, always felt as though he never quite met everyone's expectations of him. It left him feeling hollow inside, a feeling that Ginny understood all too well.
It troubled her that she knew these things, that she understood and wanted to help. It troubled her that she was forgetting to be professional, an Auror, a representative of the Ministry and all that it stood for. She knew how Draco's lip curled in derision when he was upset and trying to hide it, the quirk of his eyebrow before he was about to sneeze, the way he liked his meals and the way he moved around. She knew the nuances in his voice better than her own, and longed to feel his hand slide along her skin when they were behind closed doors. But that way led to madness, broken promises and lines better left uncrossed.
This was a farce, she had to tell herself. This wasn't real. None of it was.
Sometimes their eyes slid toward each other, locking like magnets. In those moments, entire volumes were spoken. When the moment passed, both pretended that nothing happened, that it wasn't real, that there were no feelings whatsoever.
And of course, something would have to happen to break the tension. This came in the form of the birthday party of one of Ginny's fellow Aurors. Jasmine Gillyfar was turning thirty, and invited the entire department to her grand birthday party. It was a semiformal party, and Jasmine loved the winter. The end of November was cold enough for her, but it didn't include any snow on the day of her party. The party planner she had hired managed to conjure a snowstorm over the hall, leaving everything blanketed in snow. Everyone was expected to bring their significant others, which meant that Ginny had to bring Draco. She wasn't sure how she felt about wearing a slinky dress and having to cling to him for warmth, and wasn't sure how to take Draco paling at the thought of it.
Draco wore an immaculate suit of fairly Muggle design, and Ginny wore an emerald green halter top gown that complimented her coloring all too well. Draco grasped her hands with his cold ones as they entered the dance hall for Jasmine's party. They had to smile for everyone, and Draco had to slip an arm around her waist in an intimate manner. His hand trembled slightly against her hip, fingers tightening for almost a fraction of a second too long as he heard the clicking of her high heels along the marble flooring. He could imagine her shapely legs as she walked, and the sway of her hips beneath his fingertips was maddening.
Ginny kept her smile pasted on her face even though she felt almost dizzy. This party was the first time they were really going somewhere on a formal date. This was the first time she had really tried to make herself attractive, and this was the first time Draco was touching her bare back and shoulders. It sent shivers down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold or the charmed snow falling onto the back patio. Ginny was only too aware of Draco beside her, the warmth in his skin and the weight of his gaze upon her. She could feel her body tighten under the smoldering looks he was giving her; she couldn't pretend that it was just a game they were playing. His look was all too real, and she could feel the desire in the trembling fingers at her hip. He wanted her, truly wanted her, and it had nothing to do with the charade that the Ministry had orchestrated.
The worst part of it was, she wanted him just as badly.
By now, she knew that he wasn't some kind of horrible person. Oh, he could be mean and petty and miserable. He had grown up with prejudices that he still accepted as truth rather blindly. His devotion to his parents was at once commendable and disturbing, given that they were obviously in league with Dark wizards and had no qualms about twisting laws to their gain. He had no need to work for money, but had taken up financial management to fill his days with something to do. He was fiercely loyal to friends, and had seemed to include her in their number. Draco had a smile that lit up a room, a runner's build and a stamina that set Ginny's imagination wild. He had a gentle side that no one else was allowed to see, and Ginny could see herself melting under his fierce gaze.
There was too much alcohol at the party; Jasmine was an accomplished drinker and regularly assumed everyone else had the tolerance and preference for top shelf liquors that she did. Ginny didn't habitually drink, so even one glass of something sparkly and fruity-flavored was leaving her giddy. While she was still sober enough to be horrified at the way she easily looped her arms around Draco and smiled up at him, another part of her was relieved. She wanted to do this, to touch him easily and smile like she meant it. She wanted to drape herself across him like a second skin, to inhale the very breath that surrounded him. She wanted to curl up around him, to feel his pulse leap against her lips when she kissed it, his arms encircling her tightly. She wanted to know what he was like in bed, if he was as generous a lover as he was a kisser. Ginny would never otherwise be able to let her guard down enough.
Draco was delightfully tipsy, and responded to her readily enough. He led her out to the snowy back patio. While Jasmine loved snow, it did limit the time anyone could spend outdoors. Draco put his jacket around Ginny's shoulders and held her close to his chest, his arms winding their way around her. The music inside was loud enough to be heard on the patio, and they swayed in time to it. "Would it be terrible if I broke the rules we set?" he whispered in her ear.
"Hm?" Ginny murmured against his chest, lips curling into a smile.
"Those lines we drew... I want to break them so badly." He was threading his fingers through her hair, loosening the ringlets from their carefully constructed arrangement.
"You do? But that agreement..."
"It can all go to hell. I want you, Ginny... Now and always, and not because of some agreement we signed." Draco's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I love you."
"That better not be the alcohol talking."
"Not in the least." His smile was self deprecating. "They do call it liquid courage, though."
Ginny laughed and looped her arms around Draco's waist. "What are we going to do with ourselves, Draco?"
"I can think of a thousand things I'd love to do," he blurted. He wanted to smack himself silly, but luckily Ginny was tipsy enough to laugh.
"It might take a while to get through that list, then," Ginny murmured.
Draco led her to a snow-covered bench just out of sight of the main French doors to the patio. He hoped that no one noticed them leaving the hall, and no one wanted to follow the tracks in the snow. He dropped to his knees in front of her, and slipped a hand inside the side slit of her dress. "I've wanted to do this for ages," he admitted, caressing her thigh. He followed the length of her leg, down the knee and along the calf muscle. His other hand came to caress her ankle, caught within the straps of her high heels.
"You have?" Ginny asked, breath catching in her throat.
Draco didn't grace the question with a verbal answer. He bent forward and began to lick and kiss the skin of her thigh. Ginny shivered under his touch, not sure if she would be able to stand for much longer. He moved slightly, giving him access to the back of her knee, her calf, her ankle. The kisses were light, fluttering touches that left her more sensitized than his caresses had left her. She knew she was wet for him, wanting more than this, wanting everything, and she could feel her head spin. Ginny was making soft mewling sounds deep in her throat, and clutching his jacket around her bare shoulders. His scent was all over the coat, filling her nostrils. She wanted to kiss him, take him into her mouth, push him down and ravage him until she had no energy left to spend. It was a new feeling, an intensity she'd never felt before.
After an eternity, Draco rose to his feet. He took her cold face in chilled hands and kissed her lips with that same soft intensity he had used on her leg. He moved after a moment, taking her earlobe between his teeth. Then he kissed her neck, his hands sliding down beneath the jacket to caress her breasts. "I can't even begin to tell you how much I want more," he murmured against the skin of her neck. "I don't know if I can even walk back in there," he added with a chuckle. He sounded sober, and Ginny didn't feel nearly as tipsy as when they had started. The alcohol had merely been a convenient excuse to start this.
"Take me home, then," Ginny murmured.
Was it Ginny's imagination or did Luna wink at her as they left? Draco pointedly didn't look at anyone that Ginny worked with, avoided Harry like the plague and made noncommittal noises about how lovely the party was, but so sorry, he was completely knackered. Ginny didn't think about the poor excuses or the broad grins on Luna's and Jasmine's faces. They were supposed to think they were together, right?
Oh, wait. Luna knew it wasn't supposed to be real, but Jasmine didn't. So what was she on about now?
All pretenses fell once they arrived back at Draco's flat. He kissed her, tongue sliding into her mouth. She made a mewling noise deep her throat, and Draco dropped his hand from her face to her breast. He kneaded it through the dress, feeling her nipple pebble up beneath his thumb. Her hands scrabbled across his back, then moved to try and undo his suit. Somehow they managed to get their clothes off, articles of clothing flying every which way. They didn't even make it to his bedroom. Ginny shoved Draco up against the wall in the hallway, kissing him with every ounce of her suppressed desire. When he broke the kiss to breathe, he moved to lick her earlobe and neck, slowly moving down. He fixed his mouth on her breast, laving it with rapt dedication. He slid his hand up her thigh as her hands wound their way through his hair. They were both making incoherent noises, gasping sounds of pleasure and desire.
Draco slid his fingers inside her, and she gasped. He pressed his fingers against her wet heat, and she was arching up against him as she moaned. She made a keening sound as he began to stroke her, and her hitching breath was loud. Draco lifted his head from her breast and locked eyes with her. "You know this isn't pretend, don't you? This stopped being pretend a long time ago."
"Yeah, I know. I was just pretending it was pretend."
Laughing, Draco stood. He seized her mouth in a kiss as he kept up the punishing pace with his hand. Ginny came, her cry of release swallowed by his kiss. He stroked her to climax, feeling her body convulse around his finger. Eyes locked to hers, he put his finger into his mouth and tasted her juices. Ginny's breath caught, and she reached out for him.
"Enough foreplay," she all but growled, pushing him backward toward his bedroom. "It's time for the main event."
"I want you," he panted when he broke their next kiss. "I want to be inside you. I want you screaming my name," he panted.
Ginny grinned a saucy grin and shoved him backward. Draco's back hit his bed, and he fell onto it, spreadeagled. Ginny clambered up on top of him, straddling his hips. She leaned down to kiss him as one hand guided him into her. Her tongue slid into his mouth, seeking his tongue eagerly. His hands came to rest on her hips, fingers tightening. Draco thrust into her, making her gasp in delight. Eyes shut tight, he moved harder, faster, deeper. He was gasping, feeling Ginny's inner muscles clench tight around him. She had her hands on either side of him, unable to keep herself from falling forward any other way. She gasped for breath, her eyes shut tight in ecstasy. The sight of her nearly sent Draco over the edge. She was so tight against him, fluttering, squeezing against him. Draco squeezed his eyes tight and moaned. So close... He tumbled over the edge just before she did, collapsing down in a heap on top of him.
"Why'd we wait so long?" he asked after an eternity spent trying to get his breath back.
"Silly rules," she replied with a chuckle. "All the lines we had to break..."
"Nicer this way," Draco murmured. "'M sleepy. Breakfast in the morning?"
"Fantastic," she agreed, snuggling into his warmth.
***
"So? Did the Bunters get to you or not?"
Ginny looked at Luna blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about?"
"You've been mooning about for the past week, since Jasmine's party. The two of you disappeared for a good half hour. Bunters are notorious for infecting travelers stuck out in the snow, and I'm sure even conjured snow still counts for snow," Luna added primly. She smiled at Ginny over their lunch in the Ministry cafeteria. "Not that it's necessarily a bad thing. I think the two of you get on well, and it's absolutely lovely. You deserve someone that can keep you on your toes and still worship the ground they walk on."
Suspicion dawned. "You deliberately chose me on this, didn't you?"
"Well, of course. Harry's a dear, but daft about affairs of the heart. Poor thing, he thought a public talk might help matters. He hasn't a clue about how people relate to one another, especially those they've scorned for years."
Ginny gaped at Luna's words. They were unerringly accurate, which Ginny had never really assumed she was capable of. Luna smiled at her serenely. "I'm sure you're going to want to tell everyone the truth, now that the farce is over. You may need help explaining things, I'm sure," Luna said, voice gentle. "His parents aren't the best at understanding what's outside their scope. Yours might balk for a bit, even though they seem to have taken the dating well. They still haven't given up hope on your relationship with Harry, have they?"
"Well, they don't know he's dating you," Ginny pointed out.
"Quite right. No one does. Until it's been sanctified with the yadrow on the solstice, I'm not taking any changes regarding his health and virility. I expect the both of us to have plenty of children to play together at Hogwarts."
Ginny wanted to laugh at Luna's matter of fact speech. "You've got this all planned out, have you, then?"
"But of course," Luna replied, somewhat affronted. "You can't leave something this important to chance alone. Though I'd be much happier knowing for sure if the bunters got to you or not."
Shaking her head, Ginny laughed. "No, I don't think so. I think it was just the constant proximity and Jasmine's penchant for really strong drinks."
Luna brightened. "Oh, good. So we'll be all together for years yet."
"That's the general idea." Ginny frowned at Luna suddenly. "Does Harry even know about this development between Draco and me?"
Luna gave off an unladylike snort. "You know him, Ginny. Sometimes he can't see the obvious right in front of him. I'll have to tell him, of course. It might be best to just surprise him with a wedding date, though."
Ginny choked on her tea. "What? Whoever said anything about a wedding?"
"Isn't that the obvious conclusion?" Luna asked innocently, blue eyes sparkling. "It'll be lovely if we have a double wedding, I think."
Ginny sighed and simply smiled at her friend. "You are impossible."
"Just highly improbable," Luna corrected serenely.
***
Ginny later saved the headlines on the New Year's Special Edition of the Prophet.
A date to remember!
Auror Weasley to wed Dark Prince Malfoy in summer event.
A much smaller announcement on page five told of Harry's engagement to Luna. That fact sent Draco into a fit of laughter; for once in his life he felt free of the old petty jealousies that had plagued him in Hogwarts. For once in his life, he had one over on Harry.
Though, looking at Ginny sitting contentedly in his flat, he had to admit that he had the better lot in life. She was the prize worth waiting for, worth wading through the stony silences in telling their families. They'd come around eventually, whether it was at their summer wedding or when the first of many grandchildren would arrive. Either way, it didn't matter. Draco was happy with the way things had turned out, and Ginny was happier now than she could remember being in a long time.
Sometimes it really was worth breaking the rules.
The End.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic: These are mix-and-match - just pick one, or a combination, and let your imagination flow from there. What I've put down is a starting point, and you shouldn't feel limited by it - although do please pay attention to the deal breakers.
Potential prompts: raising sparks; no one else understands us like we do; subverting cliches; what they don't know; desperation
Potential scenarios: snowy day; dinner party; a mutually beneficial agreement
Potential kinks: High heels, scent, danger
The tone/mood of the fic: As long as it ends with D/G together and in love, go nuts. Try to err on the side of me not wanting to slit my wrists.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Nothing in particular.
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: Any is fine.
Canon or AU? Either is fine, although please work the AU as close to canon as possible; I really don't see the point of fics which just take the characters' names and plug them into a situation which has nothing to do with the source universe.
Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): Any ending where D/G aren't happy and together. Please keep any kink you include relatively mild; think naughty, not nasty.