Four Days Later for Humbuggirl

December 16th, 2008

• Title: Four Days Later
• Rating: Definitely Naughty
• Possible Spoilers/Warnings: Canon EWE, Strong Language, Imagined Accident/Blood, Strong Sexual Content and Dialogue
• Author's Notes: Thank you so much to my beta! You pushed just as hard as I did! Big thank you to the Mods! You ladies made it happen. :D Thank you to my recipient for writing such a great prompt! I hope I did it justice. Thank you for reading!
• Summary: Four days was a long time to be stuck with someone you hated. Though after four days, you may find that you never really hated them.

Four Days Later


Day One - Stranded


Ginny Weasley appeared before Malfoy Manor early one Sunday morning. The skies were a dull grey and the air was thick. Though eastern winds promised rain and thunderstorms, Ginny took a risk and wore her hair down. She wore a black, cotton skirt that touched her knees and a white, button up shirt. She also wore a navy blue cloak with silver fastenings, and a dragon hide canteen on her hip. This was her fifth visit to Malfoy Manor and she was not going to be turned away for not looking professional.

She stood tall and straightened the folds of her garments as she summoned her courage to approach the grand gate of Malfoy Manor. The gate stood more than five metres tall and was made of solid silver. The weaving design was elaborate. At the gate's centre, a curvy "M" in gold, a dragon carved from emerald intertwined. A five carat, red diamond formed the dragon's eye. Ginny recognised the dragon as an Atlantic Frostbite, a mythical water dragon that breathed ice instead of fire.

"May I be of assistance, Madame?"

Ginny jumped, startled by the deep voice. She inhaled deeply and exhaled to calm her nerves.

"Yes, I'm Ginny Weasley from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Ginny announced with authority, showing her badge that she pulled from her cloak pocket. "I have an order from the Wizengamot to search the premises."

The doorman gave Ginny a bored stare. His body was relaxed and clearly not threatened by Ginny's words of authority. "Lord Malfoy has refused to grant entry for such trivial matters."

"I have a court order! I do not require permission from Lord Malfoy."

"Madame, I can not let you in. Good day to you."

No. She put on the skirt and she fussed with her hair. She met before the Wizengamot to obtain an official order parchment. She was not going to be shooed away for the fifth time.

She grabbed her dragon hide canteen from her hip and took a sip. The water quenched her thirst and prepared her for war. She was going to search the premises with or without Malfoy's permission.

That decided, Ginny glared at the red diamond eyes of the dragon gracing the silver gate and stuck her boot into its weave. She started to climb.

The gate was freezing to touch and burned her hands. The wind blew her skirt up and she struggled to keep it down as she climbed. The doorman cried and protested, but Ginny was not listening. She reached the top of the gate and swung her leg over. Her stockings snagged as she lifted herself over.

As she climbed down the opposite side, she heard a chuckle from below.

"I would have imagined seeing worn tights, but certainly not suspenders and stockings," Draco Malfoy whistled. His hands were in his pockets, and his head was rolled back. He stood beneath Ginny and had a front row seat view up her skirt as she hurried down.

Ginny landed roughly and spun around before Draco could blink. Her face was red and steam blew from her nostrils, the cold air making her temper all the more dramatic. He smirked and his eyes antagonized her.

"Too bad you wasted my time in coming here. I assume the ride is not free and I have no interest in buying love."

She wanted to slap him and as her fists shook in anger, she had seriously considered it. However her paycheque had priory over her pride. She could not afford to fuck this up.

Snap out of it! He wants you to lose it. Deep breath, get the job done, scream about it later.

Ginny inhaled deeply, listening to her inner voice. Her temperature dropped to its normal degree as she opened her eyes.

He was still waiting, excited to see how she was going to react. Ginny was not going to take the bait. At least for now.

"I have an order from the Wizengamot to search the Manor and its garden. As a former Death Eater, you are aware of the current law stating that Death Eaters and their family can be investigated for any reason, without prior knowledge or consent?"

Ginny pulled the court parchment from a small, internally expandable drawstring pouch from her cloak pocket. Draco's cocky smirk turned into a defeated frown. Ginny handed the parchment over to Draco.

"A copy of the order... If you resist, I will be forced to arrest you," Ginny challenged, her eyes narrowed in his direction.

Draco's smirk returned, slow. He out stretched his right arm and gestured for Ginny to enter the garden.

"Welcome to Malfoy Manor," he said, his tone coated in sarcasm.


........


After the war, several members of the court were terrified that a Death Eater would pull ranks and take over as the new "Dark Lord." Those fears were not without reason as a handful of devoted Death Eaters terrorised parts of London in organised attacks in an effort to recruit members for a new reign. Aurors were quick to take charge and the growing cult was easily dealt with.

However since the events, new laws were crafted to prevent such an uprising. Such laws included the Death Eater Anti-Privacy Act. The Act stated that any and all former members and or their families can be investigated without probable cause; in fact, for no reason at all. All documents, artefacts, and sources of income are subjected to be examined at all times without knowledge or consent of said individual.

While this law was instated to prevent an uprising of former Death Eaters and therefore should only pertain to Death Eaters, friends of former Death Eaters as well as family members were also unlawfully investigated.

Ginny was unsure where she stood on the issue because the law helped prevent uprisings and yet it also exploited the lives of Death Eaters who had converted long before Voldemort was even defeated. This included the Malfoy's. The family had been nothing but compliant in the after math of the Battle of Hogwarts, giving names and information on living key players in the Death Eater ranks. They also helped with identifying those responsible in the post-war terrorist attacks.

So why was Ginny there? Why was the court so interested in the Malfoy family after they had showed their loyalty to the Ministry? It was because funds were not adding up. The Malfoy family had billions of gold unaccounted for. Early investigations into the former Death Eater family had revealed a dark secret. While money was traced back to paycheques from high profiles jobs at the Ministry for generations, only millions were accounted for. The Malfoy fortune was in the billions.

Investigators have been stumped on the origin of the fortune. The Galleons seem to come from nowhere. One explanation has been the black market. Yet there is no evidence or found knowledge on what could have been dealt on the black market.

Evidence did surface that Lucius Malfoy funded some of Voldemort's efforts. But records show that the funds used for Voldemort's cause were obtained legally. Trace of the extra funds was lost shortly after the first war and did not return until after the second war. This suggests that the money was not made from Death Eater activities and even suggests that the Malfoy's kept their vast income a secret from Voldemort.

Ginny was sent to the Manor to search for secrets about the income and to see if she can get any leads on the mystery. Were the Malfoy's a part of organized crime? Were they a threat? These were some of the questions Ginny was sent to answer.

Ginny started her investigation by first searching the studies of the Manor, confiscating any and all financial records. She removed every painting from the wall and silenced them. She took such precaution so the paintings would not talk or reveal the details of the investigation to the living family members.

She searched every bedroom, starting with the master suite. There she found a hidden bank of a few thousand Galleons hidden behind a stone in the wall behind the master bed.

"Definitely lacking in originality. Under the bed is the first place a thief would look," Ginny mumbled to herself as she photographed the piles of gold and the hidden mini vault. She then returned the money to its hiding place.

Ginny continued her search of every room. She used anti-concealment charms on every room, and searched for hidden rooms and passageways, of which she found quite a few. None however held anything of interest to the case.

It was in a particular room on the second floor, that one of her de-sticking charms failed to remove an old oil painting. The painting stood the entire length of the wall, about three metres tall. The painting featured an apple tree. The tree was flowering, and white flowers danced in the wind in the moving painting. A named etched across the bottom read A. Malfoy. He was undoubtedly the artist of the painting.

The room itself seemed to be a reading room of sorts. The window over looked the garden. The walls were painted a pale yellow, the brightest colour Ginny had yet seen painted in the Manor. Ginny noted that the room was rather tacky looking. The furniture was mismatched and faded. Odd romance novels cluttered bookshelves, their pages yellow and covers bent from years of reading.

Ginny thought the room stood out from the other décor of the Manor, especially the oil painting that she had trouble removing.

"What are you doing to my Grandfather's painting?" Draco demanded as Ginny threw various charms and enchantments at the painting.

"I need you to remove it," Ginny answered, not lowering her wand when she faced Draco.

Draco approached Ginny, his chest puffed out and eyes narrowed. Ginny thought he was trying to intimidate her. "Afraid I can't," he said, approaching her closer still, "You see that painting was given to my mother, and she is the only one who can take it down."

"Then get your mum to take it down."

"My mother is abroad on holiday." Draco was now close enough for Ginny to smell his after shave. He loomed over her, dominating.

"Then you try taking it down or I blow the entire wall," Ginny threatened, her wand's tip pointing into Draco's chest. Draco laughed at her threat.

"Judging by your enormous mouth and promiscuous attire, you'd be the bint to blow the wall."

Ginny flinched as his words struck her. She shook in anger, her temperature rising.

"Did you not hear me? Only my mother can remove the painting. Not even my father..."

Frustrated and angrier than hell, Ginny shoved Draco, causing him to stumble to his left. He instinctually reached out his left hand to break his fall. As he did so, his hand touched the canvas, pushing the painting inward. The painting then moved aside to reveal a three by three metre vault.

"Thank you for your cooperation," Ginny grunted sarcastically through gritted teeth and a fake smile. She ducked her head, and climbed into the vault.

For such a large vault, it only held a single item. The object flashed, light reflecting, signalling Ginny of its presence. She moved cautiously, her wand arm outstretched, aiming at the unknown object. When she approached it she saw that it was an oversized key.

The key was made of blood iron, giving it a dark crimson colour. The key's surface shown like fresh blood. The handle of the key was made in the shape of a dragon. Unless Ginny was mistaken, it was the Frostbite again.

Ginny lowered her wand. "Malfoy, care to explain what this key opens and why it is kept in this vault?"

Draco joined Ginny in the vault. His body tensed at the sight of the key and the dragon it proudly displayed.

"Never seen it before." Ginny caught a flicker in his eyes and she noticed his body language had changed. He was lying. But why didn't he try to hide his reaction?

Ginny squatted down, her hands on her knees. As she examined the key closer, she noticed words engraved along its length. She reached out to pick up the key so she could have a closer look.

"Wait!" Draco yelled as he ungracefully lunged forward pushing Ginny aside, and made a grab for the key himself.

Ginny fought back, hitting Draco's arm with her right and grabbing for the key with her left. They simultaneously grabbed the blood red key.


........


The moment their fingertips touched the key, Ginny felt the familiar tug from behind her navel. She and Draco were pulled into a swirling vortex of colour and sound. The wind whistled, screamed, and howled as it travelled around them. The sudden, surprise journey made Ginny's stomach uneasy and nauseous, for she did not have the time to prepare herself for the travel.

Suddenly, the whirling stopped and Draco and Ginny fell from the sky.

Their landing was rough, and the sandy beach they landed on was hard on impact. Ginny landed in a pile of seaweed, the blood iron key still gripped in her hand. Her plop in the mound of ocean waste sent strands in the air, only to fall back down and tangle in her hair. Ginny put the key in her cloak pocket.

"Fuck," Ginny cursed as she attempted to remove a piece of seaweed from her curls.

Draco however managed to land semi graceful in the sand. He took pleasure in the fact that he out-landed Ginny.

"Your class radiates, Weasley," Draco teased as he laughed.

Ginny opened her mouth to retort but quickly settled for a grin instead. Her smile reached her ears as she watched a wave crash over Draco, ruining his designer robes and soaking him to the core.

"Fucking hell!" Draco exclaimed, a look of disgust dominating his features.

Ginny laughed.

Draco struggled to stand, his footing loose in the now damp sand. Ginny pointed her finger at him, gesturing for him to look behind him. He looked around, and as if on cue, another wave crashed down upon him, pushing him back onto the sand. Ginny continued to roar in laughter the more Draco struggled.

His eyebrows knitted together and he scowled at Ginny's laughter as he managed to pull himself together. Standing up and clear of future waves, Draco removed his wand to right his clothes. When he uttered the incantation, his spell failed. His wand sparked and smoked.

Ginny snorted.

"You'll be sorry you opened your trap! Silencio!" His wand made a curious sound before it sparked and smoked some more.

Furious and defeated, Draco brought his wand to his head and attempted to Disapparate. His wand only managed to singe his hair line.

Noticing that the situation may be more serious, Ginny stopped laughing and tried using her own wand. It too did not work properly. Panic set in and Ginny looked up from her wand to where Draco was standing. He was no longer there. Instead he was half way down the beach.

"Malfoy!" Ginny called after him, "Malfoy!" He wasn't listening. "Malfoy, you sodding prick, come back! Malfoy!"

Ginny quickly gave up calling after Draco. Instead of watching him storm off, she looked about at her surroundings for the first time.

The first Ginny noticed was the weather. The sky was bright in contrast to the dull, drab cloud cover of Southwest England. The air was warm, without the presence of moisture, and the ocean gave a cool breeze that was refreshing.

"Brilliant. I've landed on a foreign planet."

She was clearly on an island. Waves rolled gently on sandy shores, and the waters surface disappeared into the horizon. The curve of the land could be seen, as the beach turned in both directions. This further told Ginny that she was indeed on an island.

Behind Ginny the beach faded into a thick forest. The forest hosted trees such as oaks and willows, and woody evergreens such as ferns and ivy. A wind front made the foliage dance and carried a foreign song from the ocean. Ginny supposed the song came from migrating whales.

Ginny walked away from the beach and toward the entrance to the forest. The edge of the forest was smooth as if every tree and plant was planted by hand. As she walked the border, she came across a foot worn path and decided to travel it.

Her hand gripped her wand though she knew it wouldn't do her any good. She walked down the dirt path, leading with her wand arm. She frequently looked behind her, afraid that she would lose sight of the shore. She did not want to get lost in the woods.

After travelling a few metres and the shore was only a bit visible, she came across a large stone sign to the left of the path. Engraved upon the sign was the same dragon design that was on the key and now that Ginny thought about it, the same design on the gates of Malfoy Manor.

Ginny retrieved the key from her cloak pocket. She examined the words upon its surface. It was a name, Marinus Draco Malfoy.

"Bloody git," Ginny spoke to herself, kicking the sign and stubbing her toe as if for emphasise.

She could see the sun begin to fade, the forest quickly growing dark. Ginny spun around and ran back to the beach.


........


She collected wood on her way back, and as she got to the shore, she threw the logs down in the middle of the beach. Not too close to shore but not too close to the forest, midway. She then combed the shore for bubbling pockets of sand. When she would find one, she would dig until she uncovered the clam hidden below.

Ginny would go clam hunting with her father whenever their family was visiting the seaside. Her brothers were only interested in burying each other in the sand and having sand wars with each other behind sand built dunes. Ginny was the only sibling interested in learning about Muggle camping and gathering. Her father taught her how to make camp and how to build a fire without magic. Ginny was thankful now that she had humoured her father all those years ago.

Ginny returned to her pile of wood with eight clams. She staggered the wooden logs, laying two parallel then another two at a ninety degree angle, creating a box. Ginny dug through her magically expandable drawstring pouch for blank parchment, and upon finding some, she shredded the parchment and placed it in between the logs. She blocked the wind front with her body, shielding her fire pit. She pulled her wand out and though she knew it would not function properly, she knew it would serve a purpose.

"Incendio." Ginny whispered, praying. Her wand sparked. Ginny smiled. Her plan was going to work.

"Incendio!" She spoke loud and clear. Her wand did not emit flames like the incantation meant for it to do, but it did spark and ignite the shredded parchment.

"Yes!" She cheered, raising her arms in excitement. The ignited parchment flickered, threatening to die out. Ginny lowered her head, bringing her lips to the fires base. She blew, the sparks glowed and expanded. She blew again. The sparks grew to flames, igniting the entire parchment. The flames tickled the belly of the upper logs, and fed the fire.

With her fire set, Ginny moved to roasting her found clams. She lined the clams along the edge of the fire. She avoided placing the clams directly over the flame as that would burn them and render them non-edible. She watched as the clams roasted, steam escaping from their seams. After five minutes of cooking, the clams popped.

Ginny felt an immense sense of pride as she removed the clams from her roaring fire. This Muggle thing? No problem. No problem at all.

After she had allowed time for the clams to cool, she greedily ate every single one. She slurped the soft bodies from their shells and savoured their salty goodness. She washed the clams down with water from her dragon hide canteen. The crisp, fresh water felt glorious. Perhaps this island was paradise after all? Well, at least for the moment it was.

With her belly full and her body revived, she left her fire to build a shelter. The horizon was just clinging on to the sun as it was retiring for the night. With the sun disappearing, the air was cold and the breeze was freezing. Ginny knew that without proper shelter she would get more than a common cold.

Ginny set her sights on a fallen tree. The tree trunk was just small enough for Ginny to manage on her own and it took a miscible amount of effort to drag the log over to her fire. The tree had broken in half prior to its fall, so the fallen tree trunk made a "V" shape. She arranged the tree so that it was a safe distance from her fire, but still close enough to keep her warm.

She returned to the forest entrance. She gathered leaves and duff from the earth and long palms from surrounding ferns. The leaves and duff made her bed between the tree's "V". The fern palms were laid across the top and created a roof. Ginny snuggled down between the tree logs and under the ferns, her face at the shelter's entrance.

Ginny tossed some sand on her fire, lowering the flames and decreasing the size of her fire. Smoke billowed upward, passing her shelter, and was taken away by the ocean wind front. As Ginny watched the smoke's accent, she wondered if Draco was still on the island. She shrugged the thought off and drifted off to sleep.


........


Not far from Ginny's camp, Draco sat with his knees to his chest. He sat, with a tree to his back, at the forest's front. His robes were damp and soiled. His teeth chattered and his stomach growled.

He was haunted by the redhead's laughter and bright smile. He saw her every time he closed his eyes and again when he opened them. He could not help but wonder where she was. Would she know how to survive? Would she have found a way off the island? Or was she helpless and lost?

Even if she was daft and careless, he missed her bickering and the pleasure he received from hassling her. He admitted that having her around was far better than being alone.

He cursed himself for leaving her side.


........


Day Two - The Malfoy Family Crest


Ginny awoke with her body stiff, but her mind well rested. She climbed out of her shelter and stretched as she surveyed her surroundings. Her fire was out, the logs nothing but ashes. She looked towards the sky. The sun's position told her it was around nine hundred hours.

The shore was clear of life, except for a large black and white bird. The bird resembled a penguin. Ginny couldn't be sure for she had never seen a penguin so large. She watched the bird dive into the ocean. It emerged with a fish in its beak and Ginny wished that she could steal the fish or convince the bird to catch one for her. Her stomach growled at the thought.

Having dug up all the clams in the vicinity the night before, Ginny set off towards the forest to find another source of food. She searched the bush for berry bearing shrubs and instead found a quail nest of twelve eggs. She carefully collected all but one egg, wrapping the eggs in a handkerchief and placing them in her cloak's pocket.

She removed the decorative laces from her bustier and tied the laces into a noose. She hung the noose from foliage hanging over the nest. Ginny hoped that, with luck, when the hen returned to her nest, she would catch her neck in the noose.

Leaving her trap behind to check later, Ginny continued to move through the bush. She stumbled upon the dirt trail she found the prior day, the stone sign with the dragon insignia marking its path. Curious as to where the trail headed, Ginny decided to continue her search for more food and perhaps fresh water down the worn path.

The path travelled in a straight line due north and took Ginny deeper into the forest. The trail appeared to be well taken care of for not a single limb fell into its path. Shrubbery and tree limbs appeared to have been recently hedged and maintained. The dirt upon the trail looked raked and further added to Ginny's suspicions that someone indeed lived on the island.

The trail ended and opened into a meadow clearing. Sunlight spilled in from above, illuminating the dry golden grass. Dust sparked and danced in the sunbeams. Butterflies stretched their wings and song birds played in the tall grasses. The wind carried a soothing lullaby that Ginny recognised having heard after Draco left her on the shore. Ginny admired its beauty.

As horrible as it was to be stranded on an unknown island, a part of Ginny was enjoying the holiday it gave her. The stresses of life had been forgotten. The absence of a romantic relationship. Living alone. Her demanding job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The weight on her shoulders was gone. She felt free though she was alone.

She walked into the meadow, her fingertips grazing the grass tops. She closed her eyes, and she enjoyed the warm sunlight against her skin. She inhaled; the woody scent of the forest intertwined with the salty aroma of the ocean tingled her senses. Behind her closed eyes, she imagined standing in the meadow with someone else. His soft touch caressed her face. His gentle kiss brushed her lips. His grey eyes met hers.

Ginny's eyes flashed open. Strange that she would think of... no, it wasn't him. She quickly shook the thought.

Her bearing of her surroundings returned, and she noticed that a well was grounded in the centre of the meadow. Ginny thought it was odd she didn't notice it before. She cautiously approached the open well. Its cobblestone surface was covered in moss, and on its side, the dragon emblem embossed. Several large pots were neatly stacked beside the well. A rope and pulley was attached and appeared to be in working order.

Ginny grabbed a pot and attached it to the rope and pulley. She lowered the pot into the well and examined the water upon retrieving it. The water was clear, and if it was not for the ripples caused from the motion of retrieving, Ginny would think the pot was empty. She brought the pot to her nose and sniffed the water. It was fresh.

Satisfied, Ginny filled two more pots, secured their lids, and put the pots in her drawstring pouch. She would boil the water before ingesting. Her stomached gurgled, reminding Ginny that it was time to head back to camp. She took a final look around the meadow and headed down the dirt path back towards the beach.

Before exiting the path, she made a detour towards the quails nest. To Ginny's great surprise, her trap worked. A quail hen hung it the noose. Ginny cut the noose from the foliage and brought the quail with her to her camp on the shore.

Ginny lighted a fire upon returning and placed a pot on top to boil. She haphazardly sat down before the fire, crossing her legs under her. With nimble fingers, she plucked the feathers from the quail's small body. The bird was about the size of Ginny's finger span. Though its size was small, the protein of its meat would be more than efficient to give Ginny the energy boost she needed.

After she removed the feathers, she skewered the quail onto a stick for roasting. However, as she was about to place the quail over the fire, she noticed a figure down the beach. He was laid face first in the golden sand about fifteen metres from her camp. The figure had on dark clothing and had a mop of white blond hair.


........


She ran over to him. What was he doing here? Why was he still here? She kneeled down before him. He was curled up on his side in the foetal position. His robes were soaked. His eyes were heavy, swollen, and half closed. White frothy foam lined his mouth. Ginny gently placed a hand over his fringe and felt his temperature. He was freezing.

Though however pathetic he seemed, he was alive and breathing. Ginny stood and nudged him with her boot.

"Get up, Malfoy," Ginny said in a seemly uncaring voice, her hands on her hips.

Draco responded by vomiting. The vomit was a thin liquid void of real substance and matched the foam that was on his lips when she first approached him. She sighed, knowing what he must have done. He drank the sea water.

Kneeling back down, Ginny unscrewed the top to her canteen. She put the bottle to Draco's lips and poured the water down his throat. He swallowed and ceased vomiting. He remained in his foetal position and violently shivered.

Ginny rolled her eyes, further trying to hide her concern. She gathered his feet together and pulled. She dragged him through the sand, having to stop every couple metres to catch her breath. His arms and cloak were raised above his head as she dragged him. He showed no resistance and his dead weight made him more difficult to move. With the force and effort it took to move him, Ginny thought she might tear off his legs. Ginny however managed to drag Draco back to her camp without dislocating any of his, or her, limbs.

Before the fire, Ginny began to remove Draco's wet clothing. In his half conscious state, Draco allowed her to remove his cloak, his waistcoat, and his shirt. Ginny rung out the expensive garments and draped them over her shelter to dry. She then removed his boots and trousers, giving them a similar drying treatment.

With Draco's wet garments removed and drying, Ginny returned to roasting her caught quail. She partially buried the stick upon which the quail was skewered and angled the stick so that the quail was before the fire. She then removed the quail eggs from her cloak pocket and unwrapped the protecting handkerchief. All eleven eggs are unscathed.

Ginny removed the pot of boiling water from the fire. She used some of the boiling water to clean her canteen and with the rest she filled her canteen. Ginny returned the now empty pot to the fire. One by one she cracked the quail eggs into the pot, scrambling them with a flat wide piece of dried drift wood.

She scooped the cooked eggs onto the dried wood and brought them to Draco. Draco was still lying on his side, though because his body was warmed, he was relaxed and no longer in the foetal position. Ginny opened his mouth and dumped the scalding hot eggs in his mouth.

Draco swallowed on reflex, the eggs burning his tongue and throat. Draco sprung to a sitting position and glowered at Ginny.

"Hell! What is your damage, woman?" Draco spat. His mouth hung open in attempt to cool his scorched tongue.

"You're welcome," Ginny replied sarcastically, avoiding eye contact.

Draco let out a strange squawk like sound as he noticed that he was barely clothed. He returned to a dramatic upright foetal position in some attempt to cover himself.

Ginny's nonchalant expression showed no embarrassment in seeing the half naked Draco warm before the fire.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," Ginny said as she checked and rotated the quail.

"You may have seen every other bloke at Hogwarts, but my exceptional physique is a viewing privilege for the few," Draco said. He cradled his knees closer to his chest as he spoke.

Ginny flushed at the comment, her cheeks burning and her eyes wide. Whatever he thought about her being promiscuous was not true.

"I was referring to the fact that I grew up with brothers!" Ginny yelled defensively as she, without looking, untied the clasp to her cloak. She removed her cloak and threw it at Draco. The heavy cloak hit Draco in his face.

"Cover up if you don't want me viewing your childlike physique," Ginny continued, turning her eyes away from Draco and back on the roasting quail. "Honestly, I've seen twelve year olds with greater muscle definition."

With Ginny's cloak removed, Draco could see that Ginny had forgotten to fasten her top two buttons on her white collared shirt. As a result, the unbuttoned shirt revealed Ginny's untied bustier. The round tops of Ginny's breasts were exposed as her cleavage flowed over the loosened bustier.

Draco could tell by Ginny's demeanour that she was unaware of her exposure. He however chose not to comment. He instead laid Ginny's cloak over his lap, and covered his telling groin.

Ginny removed the quail away from the fire. The smell of the roasted bird was mouth watering. Ginny wasted no time pulling out the pocket knife her brother Bill gave her and cut into the crispy skin and revealed the juicy meat underneath. She divided the bird and gave half to Draco, to which he said nothing.

They ate in silence. Ginny ate her share of the eggs and quail. She was proud of how the food cooked. She had managed to cook a meal without magic, something she had never done prior to arriving on the island. She smiled to herself at her accomplishment. She really was something. Now she just had to figure out where she was and how to get back home.

Ginny opened her mouth to ask the question plaguing her, but Draco asked the question first.

"Any idea where we are?" Draco asked after he had finished eating.

"You mean you don't know?" Ginny asked back surprised that Draco had asked the question she was going to ask him.

"If I had known where I was, then we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Ginny stared at him with sceptical eyes. His expression gave no indication that he was lying. But then again, his face never showed much emotion other than arrogance. At least not to her. Not satisfied with his answer, Ginny continued to prod.

"That's not your family crest?" Ginny asked as her foot poked the still hot pot.

"It is," Draco answered, not looking at the dragon emblem Ginny poked to. His head turned towards the ocean, and his eyes searched the horizon. "There are secrets even I am not aware of."

Ginny studied Draco's features. His brow was slightly bent and his eyes seemed serious. He no longer shivered, for his body and posture was relaxed. His normally pale skin had a pink undertone, a sign of a coming sun burn. His hair was tousled and dirty. His cologne was faded, and only a hint remained. He looked out of his element, lost.

"Well..." Ginny spoke slowly, "the sun is out. It's not raining. This morning I saw a giant penguin..."

Draco turned his attention to Ginny. He raised an eyebrow, questioning her statement on seeing a penguin. Ginny ignored his look of disbelief and continued.

"...I think it's safe to assume we're not in England."


........


When Draco's clothing dried, he redressed with a disgusted expression that showed he disapproved of the state of his robes. They were dry, but were covered in sand, foliage and some other unknown substances. He dusted off debris with his fingertips, not really wanting to make contact with the mystery substances.

Ginny watched him from her puerperal vision. She smiled. It was about time he got a taste of life. Real life. Real living. Living in a rich impenetrable bubble was not living. It just wasn't.

"This morning I found a maintained path that led to a clean well. It's where I found these," Ginny told Draco as she referenced the pots she was packing into her drawstring pouch.

"Someone lives here." Draco phrased this as a statement and not as a question.

"Yes, I believe so," Ginny said as she pulled her cloak on.

As she looked down to fasten her cloak, she noticed her shirt unbuttoned and that her breasts were partially exposed. She flushed and looked up at Draco to see that he too was looking at her chest. She spun around and hurriedly buttoned her shirt.

"Why didn't you saying anything?" Ginny asked Draco, her back turned. Her face grew hot.

Draco laughed, a smirk playing across his face. "Why would I?"

Because you pointed out when you saw my knickers. Why would my breasts be any different?

Her face still red, she tried to ignore the way Draco was looking at her. She busied herself with pulling her hair back into a high ponytail. She poured water from her canteen and splashed her face. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. The cold water helped lower her heightened temperature. When she was sure that her face was no longer red, she faced Draco.

"Ready?"

He was still smirking, except now he seemed to be trying to hold his laughter. The edges of his mouth twitched and he frequently blinked. He was enjoying the fact that he had rattled her.

"What?" She demanded, cursing her returning blush.

"Let's get it on with," Draco said, walking away from Ginny and towards the forest, satisfied that he had won their unsaid battle.

"The path is this way," Ginny pointed in the correct direction as she jogged to catch up with Draco.


........


They moved through the forest, quickly arriving at the meadow. They walked past the well and continued north, further down the worn path. The northern path was dark, the surrounding trees dense. It was quiet, the sound of waves distant and forgotten. Though Ginny was nervous, she kept her fears a secret. Her face showed confidence and her body showed strength as she led the way down the path.

Draco followed close behind. His wand was out, his knuckles white. Sweat lined his brow, and his breathing was uneasy. He knew that without magic, he was powerless. That they were powerless. The thought of the island belonging to his family offered little reassurance. He knew that there was a reason he wasn't let in on its secret. What that reason was he didn't know, and that unknown terrified him.

"There's something ahead," Ginny whispered, stopping so she was at Draco's side.

The path ended and disappeared into a giant granite wall. The wall was illuminated by rays of sun that peaked through the tree cover. A meticulous pattern covered the wall at the paths end. Ginny immediately recognised the engraving, for it was the same emblem that she continued to discover throughout the island: the Malfoy Family Crest.

"Go on, open it," Ginny said finally.

"Open what, Weasley? Clearly we have reached a dead end."

"Clearly it's a door with your name on it, so open it!" Ginny said, getting frustrated.

"And how might I do that, Weasley?"

"Are you daft? The same way you opened that vault! Put your hand over the crest!"

Draco smirked and shook his head. Ginny held her breath as Draco slowly reached out his palm and touched the embossed surface. Nothing happened.

"Point made," he said as he spun on his heels and headed west, along the wall.

"Wait! Cut your palm, perhaps your blood is the key!" Ginny called after Draco. "Only joking," she mumbled when her comment yielded no reaction.

Ginny ran to catch up to Draco.


........


They followed the wall west. They knew the wall would lead them somewhere. Hopefully that somewhere would lead to a clue, to a way back home.

The forest ended as the wall turned north, and they found themselves in an apple orchard. Hundreds of trees were lined in neat rows. Each tree was full of fruit, even though apples were out of season.

"Apples!" Ginny cried. She left Draco's side and ran to the nearest tree. She reached up and pulled off a red and golden, perfectly ripe apple.

"Might be poisoned," Draco drawled.

She ignored Draco and bit into the apple. The apple was tender and juice ran down Ginny's chin. She slurped at the juices as she greedily ate the apple.

Seeing as Ginny hadn't dropped dead, Draco pulled an apple for him. His mouth watered as he bit into the apple's flesh.

"Tastes like Cox," Ginny moaned.

Draco choked, a piece of apple lodged in his throat. His eyes watered as he pounded his own chest in an effort to relieve his choking. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Cox's Orange Pippin," Ginny clarified as she threw her canteen at Draco's chest. The impact of the canteen freed the piece of apple from Draco's wind pipe, which then flew from his mouth. Draco picked up the canteen and took a drink. The desire to reply to Ginny's Cox comment was great, though because she stopped him from choking, he held his tongue.

"We should sleep here," Ginny said nodding up at the setting sun, "the trees should protect us from the coastal wind."

Draco shrugged his shoulders and cautiously bit into his apple.

After eating a few more apples, they sat down at the base of a tree. Their cloaks were laid across them as blankets. They shared the same tree for safety reasons and because, as Draco put it, if something were to eat them, they'd likely eat Ginny's fat arse first.

Ginny fell asleep first. Her body was leaned up against the tree's trunk, her head lolled to the side. She slept with her mouth open, and she snorted and snored as she slept. Draco watched her, a smirk playing on his lips.

"No wonder Potter left her," he said out loud.

Draco struggled to get comfortable. His back was sore and cramped. He was freezing and his ears were ringing from Ginny's snoring. How could he ever think being with her was better than being alone?

Ginny sighed beside him. Her body slid down from its upright position and her head landed in Draco's lap. She smiled in her sleep as she snuggled in closer to Draco. She was quiet for a moment and Draco thought she might have woken up. But then her mouth reopened and she continued her deafening snore.

Ginny's body warmed Draco and ceased his shivering. Suddenly, his back no longer bothered him. He no longer heard the snoring. He no longer was cold. He chuckled to himself at the irony of the situation.

Warm and comfortable, Draco drifted off to sleep.


........


Day Three - Storm Clouds of Whiskey


"Lucius has betrayed the Family," Draco overheard his paternal grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, say.

Draco stopped his tracks in the corridor. The door to his left was open ajar. It was the door to the room which his grandfather had come to die in.

"He mustn't know," Abraxas coughed before he continued, "he must never know."

"And what of Draco?" Draco immediately recognised the speaker as his mother, Narcissa Malfoy.

"Show him after the war has ended. After," Abraxas paused, "after Riddle is no longer an influence."

Draco dared to peer through the cracked door. He saw his grandfather in bed and his mother at his bedside. His grandfather held a blood red key in his hands.

"Keep the key safe, protect the family," Abraxas handed the oversized key to Narcissa. Holding the key with both of her hands, she brought the key to her chest. "I have faith," Abraxas continued, "that you will bring honour back to the Family."

"Yes, father."

"My son has been a disappointment. However there is one thing he has done, that has given me great pride," Abraxas grasped Narcissa's hand. His eyes were glossed with unshed tears. "You are the daughter I should've had."

"Thank you, father," she said as she held his hand. Draco watched as tears fell from his mother's proud eyes.


........


Draco awoke with a start as an apple landed on his head.

"Sorry," Ginny laughed, her drawstring pouch in one hand, "must've slipped through my fingers."

"Right," Draco replied, rubbing his head. He picked up the apple that Ginny tossed him. He bit into it.

The sky was clear and the sun was bright. There was a cool breeze from the north. The wind made the apples sway and their leaves flutter.

"There's a manor over that wall," Ginny said pointing towards the tall granite wall they had followed the day prior. "There's bound to be a gate, if we keep following it, yeah?" She bit into her own apple.

"What makes you sure there's a manor?" He stretched his neck as he talked, his joints cracking.

"I climbed a tree," Ginny said as if it was the most obvious thing.

"I didn't know weasels could climb trees," he drawled, not making eye contact with her.

"Clever," Ginny said, raising an eyebrow. She sensed that something was off with Draco that morning. His words lacked their normal punch. His voice sounded deeper and his tone was depressed. His face was all frown, and his forehead created premature wrinkles.

It must be the sunshiny weather.

They agreed to follow the granite wall as it continued north. The wall appeared to be bordering a grand manor. The manor likely belonged to the Malfoy Family. The maintained grounds of the island suggested someone currently lived in the manor. Ginny hoped that someone was an ally.

They followed the wall until they ran out of ground to walk upon. The wall ended abruptly at the edge of a sheer cliff. Ocean waves crashed below on pointed granite formations. The sun reflected off the waters surface, and the glare made Ginny flinch. It was a long drop, and Ginny judged it to be around fifteen metres.

She placed her hands upon the walls cool surface. The wall turned right and continued due east. She braced herself, grasping the wall and peered around its corner. The wall hugged the cliff's edge for several metres before the ground branched out and created a wide ledge. The ledge was rounded on the opposite side and rolled down to the beach below.

On the distant beach appeared to be a cobblestone walkway.

"There," Ginny said, pointing down towards the walkway on the distant beach.

Draco peered over the cliff. He raised his brow and gave a sarcastic laugh.

"After you, love."


........


The edge that Ginny shimmied along was no longer than the sole of her boot. She moved slowly, her body flat against the granite wall. The granite's smooth surface was slippery and offered little grip. Her palms were clammy and her body shivered. Bits of rock broke free with every step, and the sound heightened Ginny's anxiety.

She did what should not be done when one is feeling anxious about heights. She looked down.

There as she looked upon the sheer rocks below, she imagined falling. In her mind's eye, she struck against the rocks, her body popping like a balloon. Her bones shattered and her blood splattered. She thought how her only regret would not be to die, but to die alone.

Her breaths became short and quick. Sweat dripped from her temple. Her heart beat pounded in her ears, deafening her. Her breaths increased in frequency. She breathed at an accelerated rate. Her breaths were too short to inhale oxygen. Her vision blurred and her footing slipped.

Draco grabbed her arm.

"Breath, Weasley!" he shouted as he lifted her back onto the edge. "I won't be killed by your fat arse!"

His voice shook her from her panic. Had he'd always been there? She had felt alone, high on the edge with only her willpower to keep her from falling to her death. She was surprised to find she felt comfort in the fact that he stood beside her. Knowing him there gave her the courage to conquer her fear.

Her relationship with Harry ended the day she graduated from Hogwarts. It was a year after the war had ended and Harry had just passed his Auror training. A family gathering at the Burrow for Ginny's graduation turned into a celebration of Harry's success. He avoided Ginny for most of the night. He nodded awkwardly when she would confront him and would search for an escape, engaging in any conversation just to get away.

Ginny managed to corner Harry when the celebration was waning and guests were leaving.

"Are we through, then?" Ginny had angrily asked.

"Gin, I... I just see us moving in opposite directions."

"When have we not? You've always left me behind! Why would today be any different?"

She joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as an investigator months after their fall out. She wanted to prove she could make something of herself without him. That her life hadn't revolved around Harry Potter.

Her plan backfired. Her entire family read her joining the force as an attempt to win back Harry. She dealt with daily words of encouragement and best wishes. She had had enough. She moved into her own flat outside of London and lived alone. She turned away at any mention of Harry. She ignored owls and stopped meeting mates. She absorbed herself into her work.

She had been the first to volunteer to take the Malfoy case. None of her work mates had the nerve to confront the Malfoys. Ginny however, thought of the case as a distraction. She knew that any Malfoy would demand her attention. She would not be able to think of anything else.

She was right.

As she stood upon the edge with Draco's hand gently gripping her arm, she thought of no one else. She made eye contact and his eyes calmed her nerves. She regained control of her breathing. Her heart now raced for an entirely different reason.

The edge ended and the earth grew wider. Ginny released a sigh of relief.

Draco eyed her closely. He thought her reaction curious, as he never expected her to be afraid of heights. He wanted to ask her what happened, but the question caught in his throat.

They stood on the north side of the island. The terrain was barren compared to its southern counterpart. The shore was sheer cliffs, though was levelled in the centre creating a sandy beach. On the beach was a cobblestone walkway that led through the granite wall. On the other side of the beach, on top of a peninsula, was a lighthouse.

The cliff they stood upon sloped gradually down to the beach. Draco surprised Ginny by leading the way. She trotted down the slope after him.

She wanted to thank him. He saved her from falling off the edge when she had never dreamed that he would. Heroic acts were not hardwired in his DNA, so where did it come from? More importantly, why did he save her when she was the one leading the Ministry's investigation on his family? The investigation could ruin them. With her gone the only lead, the island, would vanish with her. So why did he?

She felt the words of thank you on her tongue. The words failed to launch.

"Why haven't you questioned me about the investigation?" She asked him as they descended upon the beach and proceeded toward the cobblestone walkway.

Draco looked at her with a sideway glance. He smirked. He could read right through her. "Feeling guilty are you?"

"Why did you save me?" Ginny blurted.

"Save you?" Draco laughed, "Not bloody likely. I saved myself, as your fat arse threatened to throw me off the bloody cliff."

"Pardon me for nearly ending your self-righteous existence! Clearly the world can not survive without its share of tossers!"

She waited for him to retort, knowing he would demand the last word. Draco however, stopped walking and stared off in front of him. He did not respond. In fact, he completely ignored her.

Ginny fumed, staring hotly at Draco before curiosity got the best of her. She turned to see what Draco was staring at.

Before them, a gate towered over eight metres tall. The gate was much grander than the gate at Malfoy Manor. The gate's intricate weave was made of platinum and featured not one, but two carved emerald Atlantic Frostbites. Blue diamonds formed the dragons' plates that travelled along their backs and blood red diamonds formed their eyes. The dragons embraced a golden "M" much like the gate at Malfoy Manor.

"I thought your fence was gaudy," Ginny said her tone still harsh.

"I take offence to that," Draco replied light-heartedly.

Ginny was floored. Her mouth dropped open and her eyebrows rose.

"Was that... a pun? Are you joking, Malfoy?" Ginny laughed, and her anger vanished.

She watched as Draco's cheeks flushed a soft pink, and it made her laugh harder. The blush greatly stood out against his light complexion. It highlighted his cheek bones. He turned his head, embarrassed of his reaction.

"Are you through?" Draco demanded, annoyed that Ginny was still laughing.

The sky darkened and the sunlight faded. Ginny look toward the sky and her smile became a frown. Black cloud storm clouds covered the sky. Thunder rumbled as rain was released.

"Brilliant."

Ginny cursed as she ran to the gate. She gripped the metal with her fists and attempted to shake the gate. The gate did not budge.

The rain threw down harder. Her clothes grew heavy as the rain was absorbed. Her hair stuck to her face. Ginny screamed through the gate at the empty garden.

Draco pulled the hood of Ginny's cloak. "Come on, Weasley."


........


They climbed up the peninsula and headed for the lighthouse. Rain continued to beat upon them, thoroughly soaking their robes. Water seeped into their eyes blurring their vision of the lighthouse before them.

Ginny was the first to reach the steps of the lighthouse. She waited for Draco to stand beside her before she knocked on the door. There was no answer. She knocked again.

"Move, weasel," Draco said as he pushed Ginny aside and grabbed the door knob.

The door opened.

They entered a single room that resembled a studio flat. A three quarter sized platform bed stood off to the left of the room, a large trunk at its base. A cobblestone hearth dominated the right wall. A small table with two chairs lay towards the back of the room. A kitchen counter lined with cabinets filled the back right corner and a spiralling staircase filled the back left corner.

The wooden floor creaked as they searched the room. Ginny rummaged around the cabinets in the back of the room, while Draco peered up the spiralling staircase.

"Checked upstairs, yet?" Draco asked.

Ginny screamed from within the cabinet. "We've got single malt!"

She pulled several aged bottles of single malt whisky from the cabinet and placed them on the countertop.

"Merlin knows I need a drink," Ginny said to herself as she twisted off the top of the bottle.

"Waste not, weasel," Draco laughed as he decided to check up the stairs himself.

The spiralling staircase took Draco up to the lantern room. Glass storm panes surround the small room and were supported by vertical metal bars. The centre of the room featured a crystal lantern. The crystal produced a blue light beam and rotated on an axel. The panes reflected the blue light. The light flashed at time intervals between three and eight seconds, creating a strobe effect inside the lantern room.

Draco looked through a glass door inside the room. The door led outside to an open platform called the lantern gallery. The gallery surrounded the outside of the glass lantern room. He saw that it was no longer raining. It was snowing.

As Draco returned down the stairs, he noticed a door along the back wall and next to the kitchen counter. He opened the door and saw that it was a bathroom with a claw-foot bath. The bath did not have a tap. Draco assumed the bath could only be filled by magic. He cursed the magic ward placed on the island. It had been three days since he properly bathed.

Ginny sat before a fire she had undoubtedly built herself. Her boots were off and muddled by the door. Her wet clothes were removed and laid to dry over the small table in the room. She had wrapped herself in a duvet she likely found in the trunk beside the bed.

Draco's mind wondered to what she wore, if she wore anything, under the duvet. He remembered her black lace knickers and how her arse flexed as she had climbed down his entrance gate. Her knickers had ridden, the fabric hugging her crevasses. The lacy hem had rested on the apex of her rear.

He wondered if she still wore her silk stockings. The black silk stockings had been held up by pink suspenders. The colour of her suspenders was vivid and had stood out. They were the reason he had noticed he could see up her skirt. The wind had blown her skirt and the colour flashed like a signal.

He then remembered her bustier. It too had been accidentally exposed. The enhanced cleavage the bustier provided had demanded his attention. The round tops of her breasts looked soft and supple. She had then aroused him for the second time since she had climbed into his garden.

He wondered why she had chosen to wear such undergarments. Was it for a lover? No, she had dressed for work. Was there a work-mate she fancied? No, she had arrived early at his manor. Surely she had travelled directly from home.

He fantasised with the thought that she had worn the lingerie for him. In his fantasy, the red head stood from her spot before the fire. She turned to him, slowly. She let the duvet fall and revealed her curves. Her eye contact was intense. She blinked slowly, and her long lashes fanned.

"Draco..." She lustfully whispered his name.

"That was fast," he mumbled to himself about his erection now taut against his trousers.

"What was?" Ginny asked, as she turned her head to look at Draco.

"Nothing," Draco quickly replied, turning away so she wouldn't see him tuck his erection.

Ginny watched him curiously as he untied his boots. He removed his wet cloak and waistcoat. He threw the wet garments on the table, not bothering to drape them. He looked up and saw that Ginny was watching him. She quickly turned away as he began to unbutton his shirt.

She blushed furiously, as the alcohol in her system lowered her guard.

"What's on top the staircase?" She asked still flustered.

"The lantern room."

Ginny took a glance back at Draco. He still wore his trousers and it did not appear that he was going to remove them at all. She watched him approach the counter. He opened a bottle of single malt and took a drink straight from the bottle.

"Is the lantern lit?"

"It is," he answered dully. He moved towards the fire. He stopped and stood a few paces from where Ginny sat.

"What's the view?"

"Have a bloody look yourself, woman."

Ginny hesitated before she stood. She locked eyes with Draco. He had an odd look in his eyes. She wrapped the duvet tighter around her body as she walked towards the staircase. She slowly passed Draco and maintained her eye contact. Her eyes only turned away when she reached the spiralling staircase. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked up the stairs.


........


The whiskey was beginning to have an effect on Ginny's body. Her body grew hot and she felt uncomfortable under the wrapped duvet. Her mind became honest. She no longer judged her thoughts and she no longer doubted her feelings.

"Thank you," Ginny said her body turned to the glass storm panes. She watched the snowfall.

Draco raised his brow. He leaned against the railing that surrounded the lantern.

"I'd needed a holiday," Ginny continued as she looked out the storm panes. "I know you brought me here by mistake, but... this island has given me perspective. The same old is not enough. I need a change. I want something more..."

She paused.

The room was illuminated with the blue light of the crystal. The light reflected in their eyes and made their skin glow. The temperature of the room increased from their body heat and fogged the glass storm panes.

Draco watched as Ginny approached the gallery door. She pushed the door open, letting the wind carry the snow into the room. The flashing light of the crystal lantern made the falling snow twinkle. It was romantic.

Ginny spun around and faced Draco. A smile lit her face.

"Dance with me?" She asked.

"Have you gone mad?"

"Perhaps," Ginny shrugged and the duvet that was wrapped around her slid down.

Draco thought he must be fantasising as his eyes trailed over her curves. The bustier she wore accentuated her figure. Her ample bust was proportional to her full hips and her waist tapered in to give her an hourglass figure. Her knickers hugged her rear and her stockings defined her legs.

Her muscles flexed as she danced. Her arms outreached, she spun in circles. She giggled as snow tickled her freckled skin. Her eyes closed. Her skin flushed.

Draco took hold of her arm, stopping her from her dance. She opened her eyes.

"You shouldn't leave yourself that vulnerable," he warned, pulling her into his arms. "I might take advantage."

Steam escaped from her breath as she searched his eyes. They were warm and genuine.

"I'm not bothered if you did."

His arm cradled her back and he pulled her close. Her body warmed against his bare chest. She could hear his heartbeat and her pulse raced to match his. He raised his free hand. His fingertip traced her lower lip.

He lifted her chin and lowered his head. Ginny held her breath. The anticipation sent her senses into overdrive. Her pulse was deafening. Her pupils were dilated. Her nerves were tingling.

His lips enclosed on her bottom lip. His tongue slowly traced her lip as his lips gently sucked. She moaned.

Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him closer. She arched her back to further melt her body into his. She opened her mouth and allowed for his tongue to deepen the kiss.

He continued to kiss her slowly. Each deliberate brush of their lips heightened her arousal. The pass of his tongue warmed her centre. The suckling of his lips dampened her knickers. She wanted more.

"Touch me," she breathed and she felt him smirk from under her lips.

His fingertips traced her back and sent chills up her spine. His hand rubbed and massaged her lower back. His fingertips brushed the lacy hem of her knickers. His hand worked lower and lower, until he was creasing her rear. His fingertips slipped under the sheer fabric and he grabbed her bare arse.

Ginny moaned as he lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he held her rear to support her. She greedily kissed him as he carried her towards the spiralling staircase.

"Hang on, Weasley," Draco snickered against her open mouth.

She tightened her grip around his neck as he carried her down the stairs. He stopped to rest her on the banister. Her back touched the freezing stone wall. She gasped as he trailed his tongue down her neck, over her collarbone, and over the tops of her breasts. His hand moved over her stockings and up her inner thigh. His thumb rubbed her inner thigh and she moaned for him to move higher.

He ignored her pleading and instead, lifted her off the banister and continued to carry her downstairs. He rushed her over to the three quarter sized platform bed and roughly threw her down. She bounced on the mattress. Her arms propped her up and her knees bent. She frowned at Draco.

"What?" He shrugged. "You're heavy."

She kicked at him and aimed for his smug face. He easily caught her kick. He held her foot with both hands and began to knead its arch. His thumb rubbed with greater intensity as his other hand worked down her calf. He massaged the tired muscle with care, kissing her calf before he moved lower.

Her leg rested against his shoulder. He leaned into her, stretching her leg as his hands massaged her thigh. Ginny moaned and her unengaged leg rapped around Draco's waist. She pulled him closer. Draco's arms pushed against the mattress as he supported his weight and new position.

Ginny's hands cradled his face and she brought her lips to his. She flicked her tongue against his own as her hands travelled down his chest. Her fingers rubbed down his stomach and stopped at his trousers. She slipped two fingers under his trousers' waistband and tickled the trail of hair on his abdomen. She cupped his erection with her other hand.

He gently grabbed her hand and moved it away.

"You're sloshed, Weasley," he whispered in her ear.

"So?" She moaned. She went to touch him again, but he pushed her hand away.

"You don't want me. You only think you do because you're sloshed."

"I'm not that sloshed," Ginny laughed. Her hand reached for him and her fingers touched his chest. He leaned away from her, sitting up. He threw his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Love, I don't want you to hate me more than you already do," he said softly, his back to Ginny.

"I don't hate you," Ginny said. She tried to sit up, but her vision blurred and her head spun.

Draco grabbed a pillow and a duvet from the trunk before the bed. He walked to the back of the room. He opened the bathroom door.

"Goodnight, weasel." He smirked before he shut the door, locking it behind him.

"Get back here you sad bastard!"

He threw the pillow and duvet in the claw-foot bath. He kicked off his trousers and then climbed in the bath.

"Draco!"

He heard her calling his name and it took every ounce of his willpower not to go to her. He closed his pillow around his head and tried to block out her voice.

"Draco!"

In her drunken stupor, Ginny began to cry. Her sobbing pleads haunted his sleepless thoughts.


........


Day Four - Business is a Pleasure


Ginny awoke the next morning not remembering where she was. The feel of the mattress was wrong. The colour of the sheets was wrong. The smell of the air was wrong.

She rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes with her hands. She lifted up the sheets and looked down at herself. She wore her bustier, knickers, suspenders, and stockings. She pulled the sheets to her neck and sat up in panic.

"Morning, love," Draco greeted from his seat at the small table.

His voice was loud and made her head hurt. She starred at him.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his tone humorous.

She felt nauseous, her stomach lurching. She blinked.

Images of the prior night flooded her vision. The blue light of the lantern room. The soft touch of his lips. The arousing caress of his fingers. The pass of his tongue.

She covered her face with her pillow. Her face grew hot.

"Here."

Ginny lowered her pillow. Draco offered her a pot of golden mush. Its sweet aroma told her it was applesauce.

"Leftovers."

"Thank you," she mumbled as she accepted the pot.

He nodded, his hands in his pockets. He put on his cloak and tied his boots. Ginny watched as he left the lighthouse.

She finished the pot of applesauce and got out of bed to get dressed. She noticed the room was clean. The mess they had made of their clothes was gone. Her robes were neatly folded on the table. The bottles of single malt whiskey had been resealed and put away. The hearth had been cleared of ashes and the blankets she had used were folded and returned to the trunk beside the bed.

Ginny was surprised that Draco would make an effort such as cleaning. She had thought he would be that spoiled he wouldn't dream of doing anything himself. Then he went and proved her wrong by not only cleaning, but doing so without magic.

She walked over to the table and saw that her drawstring pouch, canteen, and pocket knife were carefully placed on top of the folded pile of clothing. She picked up her knife and she looked at the empty pot. She realised what Draco must have done.

He must have used her knife to peel the apples. He must have gotten a pot from her pouch. He must have smashed the apples by hand. He must have made the applesauce because it would be easier to eat than whole apples on an upset stomach. But did he have an upset stomach? Or did he know she would have one? What did this mean?

Nothing. It meant nothing. She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She was over thinking, over analyzing, his every move. Why? Why did it matter what he thought or what he did?

She hurriedly got dressed and put her pouch and knife in her pocket and her canteen on her hip. She tied her boots and went outside.


........


Draco was waiting for her outside the lighthouse. He suggested that they have a closer look at the entrance gate to the manor. Perhaps they had missed something and if they hadn't, he joked that Ginny could always climb over the gate.

The weather was drastically different then it had been the prior three days. Thick fog hovered over the island and faded the sun. The fog made them short sighted, as they could only see a few short metres ahead of them. The sun's weakened cast made the island cold and the ocean's breeze freezing. Ginny cuddled herself for warmth and Draco acted as if he wasn't bothered.

They followed their boot tracks from the prior evening, as the fog prevented a view of their destination. They hiked in silence. Whether the silence was welcomed or awkward, Ginny wasn't sure. The fog shifted and through the fog, the grand gate emerged.

Ginny was the first to approach the gate. She ran her hands over the elaborate weave of the gate's surface. The carved emerald was bevelled and connected to the golden "M". At the "M's" down faced peak, Ginny's hand trailed over a keyhole. The shape of the lock seemed familiar.

"I wonder if the key fits this lock," Ginny pondered aloud, her fingers tracing the outer edges of the lock.

"What key?" Draco asked slightly defensive. It was the first he had spoken since they had left the steps of the lighthouse.

"I don't know," she rolled her eyes, "maybe the Portkey that brought us to this dreadful place."

"You mean you've had it all along? Why did you not mention it yesterday? Before I was trapped in close quarters with you?"

"How were you trapped? The door was open!" Ginny yelled and her voice was defensive too. "Nothing bleeding kept you from walking out!"

"Belt up, woman. Just use the bloody key already."

Ginny fumed. How was it that he always reminded calm? How he always got the last word? It was maddening how he always managed to get her that worked up. Her fists were clenched and her face was growing hot, while his body was relaxed and his face was composed.

She growled as she searched her pockets for the blood iron key. She found it and threw it at Draco.

He flinched and Ginny took pleasure in the fact that she had surprised him. It was however, short lived. He smirked as he caught the key and twirled the key between his fingers. Ginny acted as if she hadn’t noticed.

Draco inserted the key into the gate's lock and turned. A click sounded and the gate swung open.

They followed the cobblestone walkway through the gate and into the garden. The grounds were meticulously maintained. Beds of flowers lined the walkway and lush grass coated the earth. Large dragon shaped ledges were featured throughout the garden.

"I think I got the dragon connection already," Ginny sarcastically announced. "You don't have to keep spelling it out."

"Who are you talking to?" Draco questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, no one," she answered, shrugging her shoulders.

The cobblestone walkway ended at granite steps that led to the manor. Suspense heightened within Ginny as they climbed the stone steps. The double door before them was massive and towered over them. She held her own breath as Draco reached out to knock upon the door.

Before he could knock, a metre high block of the lower right section of the door opened outward. The opened section created a miniature door within the great door. Draco lowered his body from his waist and bent over to peer inside the opened mini-door. He quickly sprung back and retreated behind Ginny.

"What the bloody hell is that?" He shrieked as he shoved Ginny towards the mini-door.

"What?" Ginny asked with her eyes on Draco. She turned and looked towards the mini-door. She laughed.

A bird, standing upright nearly a metre tall, slowly exited the mini-door. It waddled side to side, its webbed feet clapping against the granite surface. Its back was laced with glossy black feathers and its under belly was warmed with white feathers. It had a patch of white feathers on both sides of its head between its black beak and reddish-brown eyes. It wore an emerald, dragon scale collar.

"I told you I saw a penguin!" Ginny triumphed over proving a statement she had made two days prior.

"That thing is not a bloody penguin!" Draco shrieked again from behind Ginny, his composer lost. He grabbed his forgotten wand and shook it at the bird.

The large bird shook its body and ruffled its glossy feathers. It starred at Draco with unblinking eyes and cocked its head to the left. It paused, its head tilted at the new angle. Then it cocked its head to the right and paused again. The bird returned its head to its centre position and opened its beak. It sang in a high pitch whistle.

The great door opened inward.

The bird turned its attention from Draco and Ginny to a white haired Wizard that stood in the doorway.


........


"Bonjour, Lord Draco, Mademoiselle," the older Wizard greeted with a low bow, his right hand was over his heart and his left arm rose above his head. "Welcome, please."

Draco unconsciously moved in front of Ginny, and his muscles tensed. Ginny noticed the protective stance he took. She told herself it meant nothing.

"I am le Majordome of Marinus Draco Manor," the white haired Wizard continued. "I was told by Lady Narcissa that the heir, Lord Draco, would be arriving pour la visite."

"My mother knows we are here?" Draco questioned the man, his body still tense.

"Oui. Lady Narcissa informed me that the heir has become of age and that it is time he learned the family business. And so, here you are, Lord Draco and your Mademoiselle, pour la visite."

A snort escaped Ginny's nose as she tried to hold her laughter at being called Draco's Mademoiselle. Draco elbowed Ginny's arm as he forced a polite smile at the Major-domo.

"Pardon," the Major-domo apologised. "For the tour," he translated his French, as he misinterpreted the meaning of Draco and Ginny's reaction.

They entered the grand hall of the manor. Ginny felt excitement as well as guilt as the Major-domo began the tour.

"The Manor was named after Lord Marinus Draco Malfoy, the Malfoy Family Forefather..."

The tour was the break in the investigation Ginny was waiting for. The tour revealed libraries and record rooms full of financial documents. These documents held the secret to the Malfoy's excessive funds. Though the evidence was before her, Ginny found that she was frozen. She couldn't bring herself to peek at the documents, let alone seize them. But why? What was stopping her from doing her job?

They descended deeper into the manor and came into a large potions room. The walls were lined with cabinets filled with ingredients and shelving stacked with books. Several cauldrons were placed upon long tables in the room. Ginny noted that the work area was immaculate.

"Here is where Lady Narcissa brews and concocts the Family's most highly sought after elixirs, tinctures, philtres, and draughts. Before Lady Narcissa it was Lord Abraxas who called this laboratory his own. And soon, it will be Lord Draco," the Major-domo explained as they toured the room.

Upon exiting the potion room, Draco bowed slightly, and smiling, offered for Ginny to exit first. She refused his offer, instead mimicking his actions and sarcastically offering for him to proceed first. Draco, still in bow, gritted his teeth behind his smile and nodded his head. He silently insisted she go through the door first. When Ginny mocked his gesture again, he broke his stance and pushed her through the door. She stubbornly resisted as she dug her heels, thus sliding through the doorway as Draco pushed her.

The Major-domo noticed their silent battle, though chose to ignore it. He instead added, "It is a shame that Lord Abraxas' son turned out to be such a disappointment."

Ginny almost missed the comment about Draco's father as she wasn't paying attention to the Major-domo. She was surprised and for a moment, thought that perhaps he was referring to another son. With all her extensive research she had done for the investigation, if Draco had an uncle she would know. He however, did not. The Major-domo was, without a doubt, referring to the only son of Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy.

Ginny searched Draco's face for a response. His expression was neutral. His body was relaxed and seemed unaffected. Did he not hear the comment? Why wouldn't he respond if he had?

The Major-domo motioned for them to enter a steel wire cage lift. Ginny hesitated and when she did, Draco put his arm around her lower back. His gentle touch made her lose her breath. In her surprise, she allowed Draco to guide her into the lift. The wire door closed horizontally.

As the lift was lowered, Draco's arm remained around Ginny's waist. She cursed herself for thinking of nothing else.

When their decent ended, the wire door opened to reveal a dark tunnel. The Major-domo waved his hand and torches were lit along the stone walls. Wind whistled through the tunnel and carried a soothing lullaby. Though water dipped from the ceiling, not a drop landed upon them as they followed the Major-domo.

Draco's hand remained on Ginny's waist as they neared the end of the tunnel. Though his touch lowered her anxiety of the unknown, she became suspicious of his actions.

"What are you up to?" Ginny whispered to Draco. "Why are you being so nice?"

"Don't be silly, love," Draco said with a fake smile. His hold around her waist tightened as he kissed the top of her head.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she raised her brow. She opened her mouth to retort but he placed a finger over her lips. His finger lingered for a moment, before he pulled it away and pointed ahead of them.

The tunnel ended and opened into a large cavern. A great pool dominated its centre. The pool's depth seemed endless and Ginny realised that they must be in an underwater cave. Ginny stood at its threshold, and her jaw dropped.

The surface of the pool stirred. Bubbles sprung to the surface, and the water froze. After a moments pause, the ice cracked, and a blue emerald dragon rose from its depth.


........


"The Atlantic Frostbite is a one of the kind ice-breathing water dragon. It is the Frostbite that is the pride and glory of the Malfoy Family," the Major-domo announced as another dragon rose from the pool and hovered in the cavern.

The Atlantic Frostbite had an elongated body and two sets of short webbed wings. Its scales were a blue emerald and its eyes were crimson red. Mist escaped from its nostrils and ice was formed from its mouth.

"But how?" Ginny asked, speaking to the Major-domo for the first time since they entered the manor. "Evidence of the Frostbite's existence could never be found. The water dragon has long been considered a myth."

The Major-domo eyed Ginny curiously. "Ah, so you have heard the myth, Mademoiselle?"

"My brother told me the story of the Frenchman who once saw the Frostbite. He..." Ginny's explanation was cut short as Draco elbowed Ginny in her ribs.

"Oui. The Frenchman you have mentioned was Lord Marinus Draco Malfoy, the Malfoy Family Forefather and the discoverer of the Atlantic Frostbite. His research on the rare breed was extensive and his findings earned the fortune of the Malfoy Family.

Sadly, he was betrayed by the woman he loved and his research was labelled as the work of evil. He erased himself and the Atlantic Frostbite from history, leaving only the myth of the ice breathing dragon."

Ginny felt a tug on her cloak and when she looked down, she saw a baby Frostbite gnawing at her hip. It looked at Ginny and hiccupped, frost departing from its mouth.

The Major-domo noticed the baby dragon's attention of Ginny. He reached into his own cloak pocket and retrieved his wand. With a swish of his wand, the apples from Ginny's pouch came tumbling out.

The baby dragon shrieked in joy and bounded after the apples. It easily devoured an apple with a single bite.

From the pools edge emerged the black and white upright bird from the grand hall entrance. It caught the second apple that rolled. It picked up the apple with its peak and ran as the baby dragon playfully chased after it.

"The Great Auk, another species saved from extinction by Lord Marinus' research," the Major-domo explained.

The Mayor-domo turned to Draco.

"Lord Draco," he bowed, "thus completes the tour. May I interest you and the Mademoiselle for some tea?"


........


They returned to the main floor and were seated in the dinning hall. The Major-domo brought tea and scones to the elongated table. A few of the scones were buttered, while others were glazed with strawberry jam. The sight of the scones made Ginny salivate. She couldn't help but to scarf the scones down moments after the plate touched the table cloth.

"Care for more, Mademoiselle?" The Major-domo offered as Ginny ate the final scone.

"Yes, please."

"Are you trying to draw attention to yourself?" Draco harshly whispered to Ginny once the Major-domo was out of hear shot.

"It's your blasted fault I'm starving!"

"Are you blind? Haven't you noticed the way he..." he tried to warn Ginny but stopped as the Major-domo returned with a plate full of scones.

"The way, what?"

"Mademoiselle," the Major-domo interrupted as he laid the plate on the table. Ginny quickly grabbed a buttered scone and shoved it in her mouth.

"Mankchoo," Ginny mumbled under a mouth full of scones. She smiled at Draco and revealed her mouth stuffed of partially chewed food. Draco gave her a disgusted look and turned away.

"Mademoiselle," the Major-domo began, "I couldn't help but admire your lushes red curls. Does it run in your family?"

Ginny swallowed. "Yes, I got them from my dad. Actually..."

"...Don't be that modest, love," Draco interrupted. "Her father is a fair blond and her mother a gorgeous brunette. No one knows where she got the red from, but it was a most unexpected gift."

"What rubbish are you spouting now?"

"Quiet, woman. Show some bloody respect," Draco feverishly whispered.

The Major-domo laughed. His laugh was chilling and hard. It was then that Ginny realised she had missed something important. She had missed the coldness and flicker in his eyes when he looked at her. Draco had tried to warn her, but she had misread his odd behaviour.

"It is a shame, Mademoiselle, that your fiery spirit will be lost along with your memories."

Ropes sprung from her dinning room chair and bonded her legs and arms. The ropes tightened the more she struggled and they cut into her skin. She cried out from the sudden pain.

"You clot! Can't you take a fucking hint?" Draco yelled at Ginny, distracting her from her pain.

"How was I supposed to know you were sending me messages? I thought you had gone mad!" Ginny yelled back, her arms shaking underneath her bonds.

"Are you serious? How is it you became investigator? Let me guess, you fucked the Head of the Auror Department!"

"Even if I had, the Head of the Auror Department has nothing to do with my hire! It’s a separate department you daft, twofaced ferret!"

Draco laughed. "Is that the best you've got? You wound me, Weasley."

"It's not half, you ignorant git!"

"Ferme tu grande bouche!" The Major-domo shouted.

He flicked his wand. An apple appeared and was wedged in Ginny's mouth.

"Clearly you do not have a bond with Lord Draco, Mademoiselle!" the Major-domo spat, "Why the Frostbite revealed itself to you, I do not know!"

The Major-domo approached Ginny with his wand pointed at her face. "I will make you unrecognisable for deceiving the Malfoy Heir!"

Draco quickly stood from his chair and his hand grasped his wand.

"That won't be necessary," a collected but firm voice spoke from across the room.

Draco did not have to turn to know who the voice belonged to. He knew the voice was of his mother, Narcissa Malfoy.

Draco kept his eyes on the Major-domo and on Ginny. He watched as the apple and the bonds disappeared. The Major-domo quickly backed away from Ginny.

"I appreciate your loyalty, Monsier. However, I shall deal with Ginevra personally."

Ginny flinched at hearing her real name. It was a name she only heard when she was about to be punished. Draco relaxed from his defensive stance and snickered from across the table.

"Draco, Ginevra, shall we go home?"


........


They returned to Malfoy Manor using the same blood iron key that brought them to the island. They landed in the grand hall across from the Manor's main fireplace. Ginny assumed that she would be Floo-ing home to her flat, as she was too worn out to try to Apparate.

"Draco," Narcissa said shortly after they had arrived. "Your father is to know none of this."

Draco nodded his head. He made brief eye contact with Ginny, before he turned around and began to climb the grand staircase.

Surprised that he left without saying a word, Ginny opened her mouth to call after him.

"Ginevra," Narcissa interrupted.

Ginny turned away from the staircase and brought her attention to the older woman.

Narcissa approached Ginny. "I saw something today that has rather caught my attention," she began, her tone light hearted.

Ginny frowned and her brow rose, confused as to what Narcissa was referring to.

"But never mind that," she said. She flicked her hand back, shooing away the thought.

The older woman's face grew serious and she looked Ginny in the eye.

"I am certain you are aware of the current investigation into the Malfoy fortune." She paused. "I want you to look after it."



"I'd be sacked," Ginny replied once she had processed what Narcissa was suggesting. "I need my job."

"Nonsense. What you need is a new opportunity."

Ginny was shocked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Narcissa Malfoy offering her a new job? But why? Why her? Why did she not want to erase her memory like the Major-domo had suggested?

"What happens now?" Ginny asked after a moment.

"For now, you sleep," Narcissa said, snapping her fingers. A house-elf appeared before them. "We'll talk business in the morning."



........


The house-elf showed Ginny up the grand staircase to a bedroom en suite. She wasted no time in tossing her clothing aside and jumping into a hot bath.

As she soaked in the bath, she thought of how she had come to that moment. She thought of how four days prior, she was climbing over the entrance gate. Now four days later, she was spending the night in a guest suite.

She thought of how four days prior, her mind was obsessed with her case and work load. Now four days later, her mind no longer obsessed with work, but obsessed with someone else.

She thought of how four days prior, Draco could only anger her. Now four days later he also made her laugh, made her blush, made her moan...

Her mind wandered to that first kiss. His face was basked in the soft light of the blue crystal. His lips brushed hers, kissing her softly. The scent of him stayed with her. The taste of him lingered. She was hungry for more.

She left the bath and dressed in a silk nightgown that was folded for her on the bed. She paced the room and wondered if Draco would come to see her. He hadn't said a word to her since they had left the island. In fact, he hadn't said a word since the row they had at the dinning room table. Certainly, he wasn't going to leave it at that?

She grew angry, tired of waiting for him. She stopped her pacing, didn't bother to cover up with a dressing gown and left for Draco's bedroom.

She only had to walk a short distance down the corridor, before she arrived at his bedroom door. She barged into the room, without a moments pause, and slammed the door closed behind her.

Her dramatic entrance was ruined however, as Draco was not in the bedroom. He was in the bathroom that occupied it.

Snorting loudly like a bull, she stomped over to the opened bathroom door. She promptly let herself in.

Draco floated in the bath, his eyes closed and his bits fully exposed. Ginny saw every inch of him as she stared in shock. After a moment, she shook herself out of her daze and ran out of the bathroom. Her back faced the bathroom door as her face turned red and her body grew hot.

"When were you planning on seeing me?" Ginny demanded, shouting from outside the bathroom and blushing furiously.

"I wasn't." He nonchalantly replied from the bath.

She heard water splashing and dripping, and the sound echoed throughout the bathroom.

"What, you're through?" Ginny asked, flustered. "We spent all that time together and you walk away without a word?"

"I wasn't, because I knew you'd come to me," Draco answered.

Ginny spun around towards the bathroom. Her mouth opened to retort, but she lost her words. Draco stood before her, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was wet and water dripped down his chest. Her blush returned as her eyes lingered on his towel wrapped groin.

"Put some bloody clothes on!"

"Come on, Weasley? You weren't saying that last night."

Her face grew hotter and her eyes cast downward.

"About that..." she began quietly, taking a peek at Draco from underneath her lashes. "Thank you for, you know..."

"It's nothing personal," he shrugged, "just bedding women when they're sloshed is bad for business and costs a bloody fortune."

Her head shot up. She narrowed her eyes at him, glaring at him.

"I was wrong about you!" she screamed, stomping her foot. "Here I thought you stopped because, I don’t know, you had some respect! All along you were just protecting your assets! Like I'd bloody want your fortune!" Ginny shrieked and paced before him.

Draco watched her, an amused smirk playing on his lips. Ginny however could not see his expression as she paced.

"I thought being there you had, that we had, changed. Now I don't know what the hell to think. I should've been so daft!"

"Then you regret what happened," he said moving closer.

"I didn't say that!" Ginny yelled back, still pacing.

"Then you want me to kiss you again."

She stopped her pacing and turned to him.

"I didn't say that either!"

Draco smirked again and his hands caught her face. He lowered his lips until they met hers. Her anger evaporated and her mind cleared. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into his kiss.

His hands left her face. He lowered his hands to her backside. He tightened his grip and held her closer, melting her body with his.

As he kissed her, she thought of nothing else, of no one else. All the questions she had of tomorrow melted away. All that mattered was today.

ORIGINAL REQUEST:
• Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic
  Post-Hogwarts, post-war fic. Draco and Ginny end up stranded together with no choice but to interact.
• The tone/mood of the fic: Playful, snarky, not too fluffy, dark humour (if possible). I like mysteries within stories as well but that's only an option not a must have. A little angst is fine as long as it's not over overwhelming.
• An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: I'd like to see a funfair, the seaside, or a lighthouse pop up at some point - not necessarily all of them but definitely at least one of them. Other possible inclusions: fairground games, typical British summer weather, Ginny showing Draco how to be sneaky, an original magical object/device. Maybe negotiate the theme of the exchange into this as well if you feel like it.
• Preferred rating of the the fic you want: PG13 and up (I am not averse to reading smutty goodness in a story :D ).
• Canon or AU? Canon as much as possible but definitely EWE.
• Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): Americanisms. OOC Draco - I like my Draco surly, sarcastic, fully capable of making an arse of himself at times. Oh, and no Quidditch player!Draco. I like small curvy Ginny as well please - sticking with JKR's description as much as possible. No character bashing. Established relationship is okay if that's the way that you want to go but a little back story would be nice and I'm not really a fan of D/G offspring in stories either. No abusive parents or exs. No self-harm or eating disorders. No songfics.

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