Staying by jessica k malfoy
Summary: Every time Ginny and Draco get together, he disappears, leaving her with a broken heart. This time, she is determined not to give into him. **Fluffy, AU**
Categories: Completed Short Stories Characters: None
Compliant with: None
Era: None
Genres: Romance
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 6074 Read: 3785 Published: Apr 04, 2006 Updated: Apr 04, 2006

1. Staying by jessica k malfoy

Staying by jessica k malfoy
Author's Notes:
This is the story I wrote for the LJ d/g fic exchange. It was inspired by listening to The Duece Project's Stonecold, although it is NOT a songfic.
“I can’t believe you invited him!” Hermione hissed at Harry.

“I didn’t exactly invite him,” Harry shrugged, tipping his glass to his mouth. “He said he was in town, I said I was having a party, and well, here he is.”

Ron snorted. “You didn’t have to tell him.”

“I still think it’s odd that you and the Ferret can hold a civil conversation,” Hermione mused.

“Yes, well,” Harry grinned, “I suppose you can only save someone’s life so many times before he feels indebted to you!”

“Ha! He saved your life quite a few times as well,” Hermione reminded him. She lifted her glass to her lips and then glanced at Ginny. “Oh, Gin, I’m sorry.”

Ginny shrugged and snagged another glass of champagne from the passing waiter. “It’s fine. We went our separate ways.” She took a sip. “For good.”

“Good,” Ron nodded vigorously, “cause I always thought that you and the Ferret were a match made in hell.”

Ginny didn’t fail to notice Hermione dig her elbow into her fiancée’s ribs.

“Quite,” Harry muttered. “Here he comes.”

Despite her brave words, Ginny felt her insides quiver. She wanted to excuse herself, but then they’d know she was lying. Besides, it was better to prove to herself that she was indeed over him.

“Potter,” Draco greeted Harry, “Decent party. Didn’t know you had it in you to be mentioned in society like this.”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Jealous, are we?”

“Never,” he answered smoothly. “You can buy your way into society, but you can’t breed your way into it.”

Ron grunted, and Draco turned to him. “Weasley. Granger.” Then he noticed the sizable rock on Hermione’s finger. “Soon to be Weasley, I see.”

“Hello Draco,” she smiled, moving as if she was going to give him a hug and then thought better of it. Instead she lifted her hand and admired her ring.

With the grace of a cat, Draco turned his attention to Ginny. She felt her knees go weak, but she pulled herself up straighter and spoke first. “Draco. Good to see you back again.”

“It’s good to be home,” he answered, wasting no time in pulling her close and engulfing her in a hug and kissing her cheek. “I’ve missed a lot of things.” His voice was warm in her ear.

She gently moved out of his grasp and smiled. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me about your adventures.” From across the room, she caught Colin Creevey’s eye. “If you’ll excuse me.”

She and Colin generally only spoke at parties, as he had become a freelance photographer, famous both in the Wizarding world, and the Muggle world, and she played Quidditch, but any excuse was acceptable right then.

Colin too gave her a hug and then slipped his arm around her waist. “Going to leave here with Malfoy tonight?”

Ginny shook her head. “I don’t think so. I told you last time, we’re through.”

Colin eyed her tight black dress with its low neckline. “That should make the other blokes happy.”

“I’m not leaving here with anyone,” she shook her head. “Training starts next month, and I’ve got to be prepared.”

Colin heaved a sigh. “When are you going to let me photograph you? Everyone in the world would want your pictures! You would be so delicious in the nude.”

She tried to cover her snort with a smile. “I don’t think so. I play Quidditch, I don’t model.”

“Honestly, Gin, you’re second string! You’d make so much more money this way.”

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“It’s true.”

“Well, when I get desperate for the money, I’ll give you a call.”

“Fine,” he pouted. “I wonder if Malfoy would pose for me.”

“Probably,” she giggled. “He’s vain enough.”

“Who’s vain?” a voice asked.

Ginny glared at Colin, who simply smirked back. Draco was standing beside them.

“Model’s,” Colin told him. “They think the world revolves around them.”

Draco nodded. “I saw your work in Taste magazine. It was good. Those were some of my favorites, I think.”

“Thank you,” he answered. “I got quite a bit of work from those shoots.”

Ginny wondered about the photos, but before she could ask, Draco spoke up again.

“Would you mind if I borrowed Ginny for a moment?” he asked.

“Of course not,” Colin answered, pulling out his silver cigarette case. “But remember what I said, Gin.”

Ginny nodded weakly, and surprised herself by reaching out to snag one of Colin’s cigarettes. He lit it for her, and then moved away.

“Shall we?” Draco asked, motioning towards Harry’s veranda doors.

Ginny started to move, and felt Draco’s hand on the small of her back, guiding her. Oh dear gods. She sucked nervously on the cigarette, and made her way to the large balcony that gave a lovely view of the city.

She leaned against the balcony, determined not to speak first this time, to remain calm, and above all, not to give in to him.

“When did you start that again, Beautiful?” he asked lazily, placing his back against the railing and looking at her.

Just now. “You’ve been gone a while,” she shrugged.

He nodded. “So, tell me, Gin girl, how are you doing?”

Don’t call me that. “Fine. Life has been good, actually. I got moved up to second string on the team, and practice starts next month. I got a better flat. Things have been good.”

She still loved the way he looked, and hated herself for it. He was tall and on the thinner side, but not terribly thin like some of those bloke’s who Colin photographed, but a muscled, cut, defined thing, the kind that made her knickers damp. His hair was still long enough to fall into his eyelids and sweep down to his ears and nearly to his collar. His eyes, the eyes that she hated so much in school because they were too cold, were still the color of ice, but somehow warmer as if they could see things differently. And he still dressed like a king. His clothes were obviously the top of the line, the most expensive, most fashionable items available.

Ginny ducked her head, and inhaled the rich, lightheaded smoke that her cigarette was giving off. “So, why are you back?”

“I’m here to stay,” he said slowly. “It’s time for me to settle down.”

Ginny raised her eyebrow in disbelief. “Did you run out of shiny new things?”

He smirked ever so slightly. “There were other things I missed more.”

Ginny took one last drag off the cigarette before flicking it over the railing, and felt the space between them begin to close. “If you’re referring to me,” she said finally, “I can’t take this again.”

“Gin–”

“Well, are you? Do you mean me?”

“Of course I mean you. Who else could bring me back so many times?”

She shook her head. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? So many times you come back, and so many times I took you back, and every single time, you left. I’m not going through this again.” Her voice was far calmer than she felt.

“I never wanted to leave you,” he said flatly. “I always wanted you to come with me, and you wouldn’t.”

“I have a job,” she reminded him, her voice still soft and gentle. “A career. I can’t just jump up and leave the team. That’s what I do.”

“Look,” he sighed, running his hands through his hair, “Let’s not have this discussion here. I don’t want to be in the gossip columns tomorrow. Why don’t we leave here, and go get coffee or tea or something? We’ll talk.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Draco. Not tonight or tomorrow or ever. The last time you left, I swore I wasn’t putting myself through that again.” She used her hands to smooth nonexistent wrinkles from her daring black dress. It was the same dress she wore to most parties, black and form fitting, with a scooped neck and back, skimming just decently between her knees and thighs, and yet it always drew the most compliments.

“I’m here to stay. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

“Until you get bored or restless.”

“No, I mean it.”

“Goodnight Draco.” She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. “It was lovely to see you again.”

She stepped away from him and reentered Harry’s large flat. She quickly scanned the room, hoping she looked much calmer than the pounding heart in her chest was telling her she felt. She spotted Harry talking to a tall, thin blond and quickly made her way over before Draco could catch her.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she told the blond, whose happy expression suddenly fell, “but I just wanted to thank you for the party.”

“You’re leaving already?” he asked, his eyebrows drawing together.

“I get up early,” she admitted lamely. “Training for training, you know.”

“Right,” he nodded. He glanced back at the blond. “I will be right back. Let me get your coat, Gin.”

“Oh no, its okay, I can do it.”

“I don’t mind.” He began to walk and she had no choice but to follow.

The coats had been piled up in his guest bedroom, and he dug Ginny’s from the pile and helped her put it on.

“It’s Malfoy, isn’t it?”

“No,” she lied calmly. “You know what we decided last time, and it’s not going to change.”

Harry looked at her skeptically, but didn’t push it. “Right then.”

She made her way to his foyer to apparate. “Tell Ron and Hermione goodnight for me please.” Then with a pop, she was gone.

Instead of apparating directly home, Ginny stopped at the Muggle convenience store that was near her neighborhood and bought herself the first pack of cigarettes she’d purchased since the last time Draco left.

Once back in her flat, she wasted no time turning off the Floo and making sure all the wards were in place. She wanted no visitors.

Once finished, she let out a loud sigh, and pulled her dress off, leaving it in the middle of her living room floor, along with her shoes, and slowly trudged to her bathroom. She removed her hairpins with her hands instead of her wand, desperate to concentrate on anything except the return of Draco Malfoy. She wished right then that she had purchased one of those Muggle tellyvision things that her father kept raving about. She left her bra dangling over the edge of the bathtub, washed her face, and then flopped down on her bed, using her wand to light another cigarette.

She knew she shouldn’t let Draco get to her like this, to cause her to want to take up smoking again, nasty habit that it was. But he always did get to her, and as she inhaled, she couldn’t help but recall the last time he’d been back, the time that made her swear she’d never give into him again.

***


Eleven months earlier, Draco Malfoy reappeared in London, just like clockwork. Ever since their relationship had started, about four months after Ginny finished Hogwarts, things would begin great, but he’d soon grow restless, afraid to be in one place to long, afraid of growing content with what he had. He always begged Ginny to go with him, to visit one exotic location or another. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go, because she did.

She loved taking holidays with him, but he always wanted to turn the holiday into a three or four month stint, and she continually reminded him that she couldn’t just leave her job.

Of course, he couldn’t understand that. He was perfectly content to live off his family’s fortune and let Ginny live off of him, but she couldn’t, she wouldn’t. She was raised to always appreciate what she had, not to take it for granted. And so, no matter how much she loved him, no matter how much he swore that he loved her, no matter how great the sex was, or how expensive the gifts were, or how fun the holidays were, she always had to decline, and she would inevitably wake up alone with a note from Draco.

Gin girl,
I love you so much. I needed to get away, just for a bit. I hope you understand, and I hope you can forgive me this one last time. I need you to be with me though, so owl me when you’re ready to join me.
Love, Draco

She never owled him, but eventually, he came back, apologized, brought gifts, kept her in bed for days at a time, and she forgave him. And then the cycle started all over again.

It was the sixth time that she decided not to take him back. When he left that time, they’d had a fight, complete with screaming, breaking vases, throwing shoes, and then rough, delicious make up sex. And she still woke up alone. This time, there was no note. This time, it was only three weeks before the pictures began to appear in the tabloids, of the newly eligible Malfoy heir romping across some glamorous location with some striking bint at his side. Usually he had the courtesy to wait two months or so.

***


When Ginny woke in the morning, she could feel the after effects of the four tequila shots she’d taken before falling asleep. Plus, her throat hurt. She groaned and buried her head under her pillow, and then sat up, realizing what had woken her.

A knocking at her door.

She groaned again, sure it was a sibling or Hermione or worse, her mum. She rolled out of bed, swallowed her feelings of nausea, and found a crumpled, slightly sweaty smelling t-shirt to slip on. She stumbled to the door and tried her best to be quite as she peered through her peephole, another great Muggle invention. Damn. Hermione.

She considered going back to bed, but those thoughts were interrupted by another pounding which immediately began to vibrate through her aching head.

Ginny pulled the door open, and without saying a word walked to her couch.

“You look horrible,” Hermione informed her, shutting the door.

“I feel horrible,” she moaned. “I drank too much.”

Hermione raised one eyebrow and sat down across from her. “Because of Malfoy?”

“No. Because it was a party and people drink at parties.”

“Why does it smell like cigarettes in here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh please. Every time Malfoy comes back to town you freak out, start smoking again, drink too much, and after an argument or six, the two of you are back together!”

“Not this time,” Ginny snapped. “I am not going to believe his lies again. We are not getting back together.”

“Good.” Hermione stood to her feet. “That is exactly what I wanted to hear.” She aimed her wand at Ginny and muttered a detoxification spell. “I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me and Ron tonight.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” she muttered, heading into her kitchen.

“Thanks Ginny, we love you too. Besides, it won’t be just us. It will be-”

“Someone you want to set me up with?” she asked, filling a glass with water.

“He’s just a friend, and I thought you’d enjoy the chance to get out,” Hermione defended herself.

“Absolutely not,” Ginny shook her head. “No.” She stomped down her hall and reappeared with a cigarette.

“Honestly Ginny, you are the only health freak I know who smokes!” Hermione made a big show of fanning the air in front of her.

“Breakfast?” Ginny ignored her dramatics.

“I already ate.”

“Fine.”

“Fine. See you tonight?”

“No way.”

“Fine.” And she slammed the door shut behind her.

Ginny threw herself back on her couch while she finished her cigarette and then dragged herself to the shower. Draco Malfoy was not, under any circumstances, going to get under her skin again.

***


“I missed you. I had to come back. I can’t stay away from you.”

Draco was standing behind her, nuzzling her neck, and ignoring the disapproving looks of passers by as they stood outside their favorite restaurant.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, every single day you were there. Even if I had wanted to try, I couldn’t get you out of my mind.”

“That’s what you said the last time,” she reminded him quietly.

“It’s what happens every time. It’s you, only you.”

She should have been upset, should have told him to leave, but Draco Malfoy was irresistible. Besides that, she was quite certain that he would settle down one day, and when he did, it would be with her.

“Forgive me, Gin girl. Come with me and forgive me.”

***


Ginny violently dried her hair after she climbed out of the shower. Lying around the house, remembering all the times they had spent together was not going to make her feel any better.

She threw on her gym clothes, and apparated to the alley that ran alongside her gym, casually walking up to the entrance. She dropped her duffle bag in her usual locker and then went first to the treadmill. If running like hell didn’t get her mind off of Draco, nothing would. She plugged in her headphones and set her pace, keeping her eyes glued to the Muggle telly.

A plane crash near Ireland. Draco’s back. Three lost children reunited with their mother. Save the whales, again. Why did he come back this time? Raising money for victims of Hurricane Katrina, call now. He always comes back, you know that. Today’s weather. Football season is starting up again. You always give in, don’t you? Can’t resist him, can you? Our exclusive interview with Footballer David Beckham. Wow, he’s good looking. Not like Draco though. Survivors from television’s newest reality show interviewing tonight at 7 pm. Vote now for your favorite pet, proceeds benefiting the Great Britain Aids Foundation. How much would it hurt just to invite him to dinner?

Thirty-five minutes later, Ginny has sweat falling from every pore, and Draco still on her mind.

She forced herself to stay at the gym for much longer than she normally did; she stayed for over three hours. And she couldn’t stop thinking about Draco. She quickly headed back to the locker rooms, checked to make sure she was alone, and then apparated directly to her mum’s house.

“Ginny! How nice to – Are you sick?”

“No mum,” she shook her head with a smile. “I just left the gym.”

“Goodness. You’re all sweaty.”

“I know.” Ginny dropped her duffle bag. “Have you had lunch yet?”

Molly shook her head. “No. Did you want to join me?” She waved her wand at her daughter and cleaned her up. “There. That’s better.”

“Sure. I’m starving.”

Her mum bustled through the kitchen, pulling out sandwich things. She placed a plate in front of Ginny and then sat across from her. “So,” she said before Ginny had time to even finish chewing her first bite, “I hear that Draco is back in town.”

Ginny paused in her chewing. “Well, yes.”

“And?”

“And nothing. I saw him at Harry’s party last night.”

Her mum tossed the Daily Prophet at her. “The society pages.”

Ginny’s stomach churned as she opened the paper. There was a grainy picture of her and Draco on Harry’s balcony. The picture had been taken from a distance, but the two people were obvious. The caption "Malfoy, heir to Malfoy International has returned to London and from the looks of things, has immediately taken up with his old flame Ginevra Weasley, professional Quidditch player. Any bets on how long he’ll remain around this time?"

She groaned and pushed the paper away.

“Well?” Molly asked.

“Nothing,” she shook her head. “In this exact moment, I think I was telling him that I would never get back together with him.”

Molly frowned slightly. “Then why don’t you move on?”

“I have!”

“You haven’t dated anyone else.”

“I don’t want to! And even if I did, I don’t have the time. Quidditch training starts soon.”

“Harry is still single. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was just holding out for-”

“He’s not mum. We tried that. When I was 15. Remember? And it didn’t work!”

“He had other things to deal with last time,” her mum defended him.

“I don’t want to talk about it mum.”

“Fine.” Her mum sipped her tea. “Ron says you’re having dinner at his flat?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I’m-”

“Really? Well Bill and Fleur will be here for dinner. And Charlie and two of his mates are coming, so why don’t you eat here?”

“I meant that we’re having dinner at Hermione’s flat,” Ginny quickly lied. “I better get home to get changed.”

“Right,” her mum sniffed.

“Thanks for the sandwich,” she scrambled to her feet. “Love you.”

Back at her flat, Ginny reluctantly flooed Hermione. “Am I still invited to dinner?” she asked unenthusiastically.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the head in the fireplace. “Of course. What changed your mind?”

“Mum.”

“Ah. See you at six then.”

Ginny was showered, primped, dressed, and ready well before five, so she was left with no choice except to wander around her flat, and accidentally on purpose stumble over her box of Draco mementos. She stared at the box without opening it, remembering the things that were in there, dried flowers, pictures, theater tickets, racy lingerie, a few embarrassing sex toys, his toothbrush, a stuffed dragon . . . And she remembered so clearly the afternoon she’d packed that box, when it hit her that Draco wasn’t coming back.

She’d awoken alone, again, but with no note, she didn’t panic. She waited for him to return. When he didn’t arrive with breakfast her chest began to constrict. At lunch she threw things across the room in a fit of rage, and then she began to gather his belongings.

Slowly Ginny pushed the box back into its hiding place. Early or not, she was going to Hermione’s.

Ron was already there, as was a bloke she’d never met. Hermione scurried from the kitchen to make introductions while Ginny forced herself into smiling politely.

“Ginny Weasley,” she told John Greenway, “Ron’s only sister.”

“Can I get you a glass of wine?” Hermione asked, still smiling cheerfully.

“I’ll get it.” Ginny headed for the kitchen, shooting a look at her friend.

“What?” Hermione whispered, following her.

“Are you serious?”

“He’s just a friend from work. That’s all.”

“Why have I never heard you mention him before?”

She shrugged. “You don’t listen.”

“I can’t believe you did this.” Ginny poured a glass of the dark red wine.

“He’s nice. Just talk to him.”

“Fine.”

“Fin- Okay then. Let’s go.”

John Greenway turned out to hold some important title in some obscure department at the Ministry. He was interested in Ginny’s Quidditch experiences, a little too interested for Ginny’s taste; she’d met a few people like that before, only interested because she was vaguely semi-famous. John was on that list by the end of the evening.

Two nights later, Randall Gordon was at Hermione’s dinner table. He seemed nice enough. They even planned for a second date. But on the second date, Ginny couldn’t stop comparing him to Draco. Where Draco had been a good head and shoulders taller than her, he was a mere two inches taller. Where Draco was long and lean, Randall was more like the twins – short and stocky. His hair was brown. His eyes were brown. He held out her chair and held open the door, where Draco always let the doorman do that. He let her order first, Draco always ordered for her. Then they’d finished the evening on her porch with a timid hug and pecked kiss that landed on her jaw. Draco would have apparated directly into her living room and would have been pulling her clothes off in the process.

The next bloke showed up at Hermione’s three days later. He only talked about himself.

The fourth bloke was so blatantly touchy feely that Ron threw him out before they even ate.

“No more,” Ginny sighed wearily. “Please.”

Hermione nodded. “Alright. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, I know you wanted to help.”

The following week, Ginny saw a suspiciously large amount of Harry.

“Did Ron put you up to this?” she asked Harry one night as they lay sprawled on her couch, sharing a cigarette.

“No,” he answered far too quickly.

“Liar.”

“You shouldn’t let him drive you to smoking.”

“Who? Ron?”

Harry snorted. “No. Malfoy.”

“My dirty habits have nothing to do with him.”

“Liar.”

“Now we’re even,” Ginny shrugged. “Besides, you’re smoking too.”

Harry stubbed out the cigarette. “Only socially.”

“I only smoke when Draco’s in town,” she answered, trying to retain her smile.

“He’s been asking about you.”

“Of course he is. And then about three weeks after I agree to work things out with him, he’ll be gone.”

“You think?”

“I know. We’ve tried it a million times.”

Harry sat up. “Wanna go somewhere?”

“Sure,” she nodded quickly. “Let me change.”

They ended up at a pub, a Muggle pub where no one knew them and the alcohol was much stronger than at a Wizard pub.

Three shots and Ginny and Harry were dancing wildly across the floor. Four shots and Ginny wasn’t thinking about Draco. Five shots and she and Harry were kissing.

When Ginny woke, she found Harry sleeping on her couch. Always a gentleman, she smiled. Any other red-blooded bloke would have been naked in her bed.

“You already up?” he yawned.

She nodded.

“I better go then, Gin.” He rubbed his head and sat up. “I had fun last night though.”

“Me too,” she gave him a half smile. “We’ll do it again sometime.”

“Right then.” He yawned again, kissed her cheek and apparated away.

She stood still for a few moments, her fingers resting on the spot Harry’s lips had just been. It really was too bad that she wasn’t interested in Harry as anything more than a friend. One day, he would make an excellent husband, but not for her.

Slowly she made her way to her shower.

She was still in love with Draco. There was no denying it. She’d never admit it to another person, but it was the truth, slapping her in the face. She’d had a perfectly lovely time with Harry last night, and yet, Draco was still the only thing on her mind.

Quickly, she stripped of her nightclothes and stepped into the hot shower, closing her eyes against the steam, pretending that it wasn’t salty tears stinging her eyes.

Draco didn’t deserve her tears. He did nothing but hurt her, use her, pretend to love her, where as Harry had always been there for her, had always comforted her, and had never once let her down. But Harry didn’t send chills down her spine with a single touch. He couldn’t make her knickers wet with a mere glance. He was never forceful or rough or demanding.

Dear gods, she missed Draco. She missed the way he smelled, like expensive clothes and expensive cologne. It was such a familiar smell she swore she could smell it right then.

And she missed the way his hands would slip around her waist in the shower, always with more pressure than necessary – his way of reminding her who she belonged to – and then his fingers would inevitably begin to creep down, trying to find their way to her sweetest spost. Except that right now the fingers were moving upwards, cupping her breasts.

Ginny let out a scream and stumbled backwards, her eyes flying open. “What are you doing?” she shrieked.

Draco stood before her calmly, his face expressionless and his body naked and covered in water droplets. “I wanted to see you.”

“No!” she shook her head vigorously. “No! Get out!”

Draco stepped closer and ran his hands along the smooth curve of her hips. “Is that really what you want Gin girl? Is that why you were crying?”

“Just leave,” she demanded, her voice firm but her body unmoving.

“You ready to settle down and get married and have kids, Gin girl?” His voice was low in her ear and his slick body was now pressing into hers.

“I want . . . Assurance. That’s all I ever wanted.” She struggled to think clearly. “Not necessarily children.”

“And I wasn’t giving you assurance?”

“No,” she sputtered. “Obviously I didn’t mean anything! You couldn’t even wait a month before taking up with some bint!”

“Me?” His eyebrow shot up but he didn’t release his hold on her. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Potter . . .”

“Harry?! He’s just my friend.”

“And you think those tarts mean something more to me?”

She stepped out of his grasp. “I don’t know what to think.”

“They mean nothing. I never even let them kiss me.” He paused. “Unlike you.”

“Were you spying on me last night?” she demanded.

“All the way up until he left.” A familiar smirk was creeping across his lips.

“So what?” Ginny spat. “Ever since you decided to come back Hermione has been doing nothing but setting me up with the most wretched blokes! Harry was there to keep me away from them!”

Draco raised one hand from her hip and brushed a tear from her face. “She never did like me, did she?”

“No,” Ginny mumbled.

“Sh, sh, don’t cry.” He leaned in to kiss her cheekbone.

“No, don’t,” she shook her head. “You have to leave.”

“Is that really what you want?” he asked, tilting her chin so she was looking in his eyes.

“Yes. That’s what I want.”

Draco nodded and stepped away from her.

She watched as he quickly cast a drying charm, dressed, and apparated away. Then she sank down in the tub and began to cry harder.

***


“You and Malfoy back together?” Crissy Barnes asked her as they dressed for the first practice of the Quidditch season.

“Nope,” Ginny shook her head, automatically thinking of the random rumors that had been popping up in the tabloids. “We’re through.”

“Oh.” The girl raised one eyebrow.

Ginny ignored the look and pulled on her gloves. She always loved the first day of training, and this day was no exception. The sun was warm, the breeze was cool, and the very first leaves of fall were beginning to show. She grabbed her broom and jogged out to the field, only to spot Draco sitting in the sidelines, chatting with her coach.

What in the bloody hell is he doing here? She hadn’t seen him since the morning she’d kicked him out of her shower. She assumed he had taken off to some exotic country again.

She refused to look in his direction, and after only a few minutes in the air, she could almost forget that he was there.

He left when practiced ended without saying a word.

For the entire next week he was there everyday without fail, but he never spoke to her.

Friday afternoon he waited for her. “Gin. Can we talk?”

She paused in her stride, glancing at him.

“Please?”

“Sure.” She slowly turned to face him, wondering if she had ever heard him speak that word before.

“I miss you Gin. I’m not leaving again, I swear it. I swear to you, I’m here to stay.”

“Forgive me, if I don’t believe you,” she answered warily.

“I don’t blame you,” he said, reaching for her hand. “I wouldn’t believe me either. If you’ll give me the chance, I’ll do whatever it takes to earn your trust again. I’ll do anything and everything.”

Ginny shook her head. “Don’t bother. I promised myself I wouldn’t go through it again, and I won’t. So just go ahead and go off where ever you want because I’m not falling for it.”

“Fair enough,” he nodded. “But I’m going to ask for one thing anyway.”

She closed her eyes and sighed.

“I just want you to listen to one thing.”

“Fine,” she opened her eyes. “What is it?”

“The last time . . . The last time I left, I’m sorry for the way I did it. I didn’t want to leave that time, I really didn’t. Hell, I never want to leave you, I just get . . .” he paused. “Damn it, I wasn’t ready then!”

“Ready for what?” she asked skeptically.

“For this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. “I bought it more than a year ago. I wanted to give it to you that morning. I was watching you sleep and I began to wonder if I could be the one who would always and forever make you happy. There were still scratches on your arm from that broken plate, and I wondered if I should let you be with someone who would never start fights like that with you. I realized that you deserved better than me.”

Ginny stared at the box, unable to move.

“But then I realized that I can’t live without you, and it may be purely selfish, but I love you and I don’t want anyone else to have you. I want to be the one you wake up next to every morning and I want to be the one you kiss goodnight. I want you to trust me and I want your family accept me, and, and I want to have the rest of my lifetime filled with you.”

“Did you ever stop and think about what I wanted?” she asked quietly.

Draco’s unnatural lack of composure became even more apparent. “I had hoped that you would still want me.”

Ginny’s lower lip trembled. “How can I even trust you? How can I even begin to believe a word you are saying, when so many times before you have disappointed me?”

He nodded slowly. “What I want the most is for you to be happy. If that isn’t with me, well, I’ll have to live with that.”

She brought her hands to her face, shaking.

“I’m sorry. I’ll go.”

She didn’t answer, but her body was still shaking and he knew it was because of him.

“Wait.” Ginny looked up and there was a mingling of tears and laughter in here eyes.

“Draco Malfoy, I swore I would never ever let you hurt me again.”

“I know,” he answered quietly.

“If you do, I will kill you. I will and I will not feel bad, not even for one moment.”

A smile began to spread across his mouth. “And if I don’t? What do I get if I don’t?”

“Me,” she answered simply. “Just me.”

“I think I can live with that.” He reached out and shook her hand firmly. “There. It’s a deal.” Then he dropped to one knee. “Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you make my life complete and marry me?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “Because I don’t like living without you.”

Behind her, she could hear the hoots and cheers of her teammates, and without thinking, she threw her arms around him.

“I love you,” Draco whispered. “I love you.”
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