"Evening, Weasley."

Ginny turned to look at the blonde man who'd sat beside her at the table she was at all by her lonesome with disbelief. She was putting out the antisocial vibes full force tonight. So why was Draco Malfoy sitting next to her seeming like he wanted to make small talk? What did HE want?

"I was really sort shocked that Granger... but she's not Granger any longer, is she? That'd be Weasley wouldn't it?"

"Granger-Weasley, actually."

"Typical Hermione."

Ginny looked at him oddly. She could not recall Malfoy ever calling Hermione by her given name. She was always Granger this and Granger that, and bloody hell Granger. Sometimes she was even know-it-all. Sometimes things that weren't said in polite company. Never Hermione. Just as Ginny was most certainly never Ginny. She was Weasley.

"She invited you to be polite." Ginny said, recalling his comment about being sort of shocked. "She didn't think you'd actually show up."

He snorted with laughter. "See? That's what I like about you. You're not as nice and polite as you should be."

Ginny scowled at him only provoking more laughter.

"Not as sweet as you look, I say."

"What do you want?" She snapped, already more than a bit irritated at him.

"Now, there's a loaded question."

"Malfoy..." She growled.

"This is your brother's wedding. He's finally married the bushy-haired know-it-all mud-"

Ginny glared harshly, killing his likely subconscious insult of her now sister-in-law.

"Er, muggleborn that he's been mad for since our school days."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Any more pearls of keen observation to share here?"

"You aren't dancing."

"You really don't miss anything, do you?" She quipped sarcastically. "You are correct, Malfoy. I most certainly am not dancing. What keen observation skills."

He ignored her sarcasm. "Why aren't you? I've seen quite a few blokes stop by this table tonight. Surely one of them asked you to dance."

"Not that it's any of your affair, but I just don't feel like dancing."

"Why?"

"Nosy little ferret, aren't you?"

He bristled at the reminder of what he referred to as 'the incident' from his fourth year. "I suppose I am, but I get paid for it now, so there you are."

"You shouldn't take your work home with you." Ginny said stiffly.

She shouldn't have brought up the ferret thing. That was a low blow, but as he himself had said she was not so sweet as she appeared. She also knew that unless she managed to get rid of him, he could ask her questions all night without tiring. Being an inquisitor for the Ministry was not just some job he'd fallen into. It was Malfoy's calling. No one could ferret, pardon the pun, information out of a witness or a suspect like Draco Malfoy.

"Questing you isn't work, Weasley. It's a hobby. A delightful one, I might add."

She pinned him with another glare.

"Come on then." He said, rising.

"Come on then... what?"

He held down his hand. "I won't have you sitting here looking all bitter at your brother's wedding. Let's dance, shall we?"

She batted his hand away. "First, I am not bitter, and secondly, even if I were, which I am NOT, what do YOU care anyhow?"

"You know... being this feisty and bitchy suited you at Hogwarts, but it fits you rather ill at your current age. Do stop being tiresome. It's just a dance. Who'll care?"

"Oh... only everyone I know."

"Scared of a little gossip then? Some Gryffindor."

Ginny snorted and shot to her feet. "Don't try to trick me into dancing with you. I know what you're up to. You're hoping I'll be all 'I'm not afraid jack shit and I'll prove it' then I drag you onto the dance floor. Well, it won't work. I may be some brave old Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean I'm foolish enough to let you goad me into doing something I have no intention of doing."

He gave her this exasperated look. "Someone thinks entirely too much of herself."

"What?"

"You think you're too good for the likes of me. Why didn't you just say so? I could have avoided wasting so much time." He started to walk off.

"What?!" Ginny grabbed his arm rather roughly and spun him back to face her.

"It's quite all right. I won't trouble you again. I know where I'm not wanted."

"Not wanted? What? What are you on about?"

"You think you're too good for me. I get it."

"I do not!"

"You do. It's quite fine. Lots of wizarding folks think they're better than myself because of what my father did... what they thought I had done. I'm used to it by now."

Ginny's eyes flashed in anger before she dragged him onto the dance floor by the arm she had not let go of. She noted the vast amount of widening eyes as she situated herself into the arms of Draco Malfoy. Ginny straightened her spine and dared everyone with a look to say one word to her about it.

It was only after they had been dancing a bit that she realized he had the smirk of the world on his face.

"You tricked me."

"I must admit that I did."

"You don't think that I think that I'm better than you."

"No." He said quietly. "You don't think you're better than anyone... even if you are."

"Why the tricks?"

"Didn't think you would if I just asked. Wait a minute... I did ask... and you said no."

"You called me bitter."

"Correction... I said you LOOKED bitter. There's a difference."

"There's BARELY a difference." She grumbled.

"Don't be cross."

"I'll be cross if I want to be cross, Malfoy."

"What does it matter now? We're dancing... quite well together, I might add."

She had to agree. They did seem to just... fit on the dance floor. They were talking, and she had not even noticed that she wasn't having to even think about her movements. There was some sort of rhythmic instinct going on with the two of them. It was nice to be able to dance with someone and not have to think about the actual dancing of it.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny could see several people not just talking, but actually pointing and gesturing. How rude. Had they no tact? She'd known she'd make a bit of a stir with this crowd by dancing with him. Especially with her family. Most of them were holding out for her and Harry the way they'd held out for Ron and Hermione.

Well, they'd just have to settle for one out of two.

Because she was dancing with the biggest prat to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts. Except maybe Sirius. Ginny had adored Sirius, but let's be honest, he was a bit of an arse. Head and most definitely hole. Might be a Black family thing. Draco definitely displayed some behavior at times that reminded Ginny of Harry's godfather. And they WERE related.

"You've gotten a bit quiet. Care to share?"

"You wouldn't like me very much if I told you what I was thinking."

"I already don't like you. Let's hear it."

"I think I'll just keep it to myself, thanks."

"Scared?"

"That tactic's not going to work a second time, Malfoy."

He chuckled and used his hand on the base of her spine to pull her a bit closer.

"What are you doing?"

"Will you just relax and try not to think about WHO you're dancing with... just that you're dancing. And it's lovely. It's what I'm doing."

"Oh thanks."

"You'd rather that I.." He jerked her completely against him. "Realize who I'm dancing with?"

Ginny smirked as she took a hand and mussed his hair a bit. "Three of my brothers just saw that. They don't look pleased."

"And yet you didn't seem to mind."

She regarded him for a moment with her most suspicious of looks. "You know... I sure didn't. What's that all about? Great Godric, don't tell me I can actually manage to not despise you just because you're a good dancer."

He chuckled again.

"You know, you have a nice non-evil-laugh laugh. You should laugh when it's not about other people's misfortune more often. It suits you."

He glared. And she giggled this time.

"Aww, did I wound his fragile ego? I'm sorry, Malfoy. Laugh at other's misfortunes all you want. You're plenty evil still. Carry on."

Draco snorted. "You... wound me? Ha."

"Yes, you're SO thick-skinned that you hated Harry for years because he wouldn't be your friend in first year. Skin like dragon's hide on you."

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Wouldn't dream of it. You might throw a tantrum."

Draco glared.

"Lighten up, Malfoy. When we spin again, you'll have a lovely view of Fred and George gnashing their teeth at us."

They spun about.

"That IS lovely." Then he leaned very inappropriately close to her ear to whisper. "Thank you for pointing it out. It was most wicked of you. I like that in a girl."

She'd never hear the end of this from her brothers. Never. "Don't like it too much. I'll hex you."

"Don't I know it. I've been hexed by you before."

Ginny grinned at the memory.

"Want to get out of here?"

"What?" She asked, shocked.

"Want to leave? I was supposed to meet some friends-"

"YOU have friends?"

"Do shut up. As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I am supposed to meet some friends for drinks after this at the Leaky Cauldron. Like to join me?"

"For drinks?"

"No, for a hot orgy. Yes, for drinks, Miss Suspicious."

"Well, consider who am I speaking to."

"Considered." He paused. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Drinks?"

"Why?"

"They suspected I might need them after this."

"No. Don't be an arse." Ginny snapped. "Why me?"

"Why not?"

Ginny snorted with laughter. "All right."

He looked shocked. "What?"

"You're on. Drinks it is... and you're buying."

"Is that supposed to put me off? Like buying you a few drinks will break me. I'm a Malfoy."

"You are such a snob."

He shrugged as if to say he wasn't denying. Then he glared. "If I'm such a snob, then why am I inviting a Weasley to hang out with myself and my friends?"

"Because you're also a masochist."

He chortled rather loudly, causing many people to look at the both of them.

"Let's go. Now." Ginny whispered.

The reception was all but over anyhow. They were just waiting for Ron and Hermione to take their leave. But Ginny suspected she and Draco should leave first. Because she could see Ron heading right for them with Hermione trying to stop him. Draco turned to see where her line of sight was. His eyes widened.

"Bloody hell, he wouldn't go hexing people on his wedding day, would he?"

Ginny gave Draco a look that said Ron would make a special exception for a Malfoy.

"Right then. We're off." He said as he wrapped an arm about her waist and steered her very quickly through the crowd and out the doors.

Ginny couldn't help her giggles as Draco started to apparate them out right as all her brothers, Harry, Hermione, and a vast number of Gryffindor ex-schoolmates rushed out to 'save' her from the evil, ferret-y clutches of the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Draco Malfoy... who was doing a bit of laughing himself. It couldn't be helped. Everyone had such comical looks of shock and horror on their faces.

The escapees were still laughing when they entered the Leaky Cauldron with their arms around one another like they were best friends sharing a private 'in' joke.

Blaise Zabini's jaw dropped to his chest and gawked at Draco. "You... didn't."

"I might have."

The rest of the group at the table Zabini was at looked up. It was Slytherin shock night. Ginny giggled some more. She'd never seen agog as a facial expression on Goyle, Crabbe, Parkinson, Bulstrode, and Zabini simultaneously.

"I suppose everyone knows Ginny Weasley."

"You know, Malfoy, I suspected before that you were a complete glutton for punishment." Zabini quipped. "This just confirms it."

"What in the hell are THEY doing here?" Pansy muttered.

Everyone turned to see where Parkinson was looking. Marcus Flint and Adrian Pucey were strolling up to them. They were in full Ministry regalia. Flint was looking especially put-out with a devil's scowl on his brutish features. Pucey just looked somewhere between annoyed and pinched.

"Malfoy..." Pucey sighed. "Why are you kidnapping people?"

Crabbe looked affronted. "Draco's wouldn't do that... anymore."

"He hasn't kidnapped anyone in a long while, Pucey." Blaise replied dryly. "You know this."

Flint glared. "It was supposed to be a slow night. Why are we getting all these complaints about you abducting the Weasley girl from her brother's wedding?"

Draco opened his mouth to retort. There was no need.

"Um, said Weasley girl is right here." Ginny snapped. "No one was kidnapped. Tell my brothers I love them but they really need to piss off. Thanks for caring. Goodnight and buh-bye."

Zabini chuckled, but it quickly turned into a cough at Flint's glare.

Ginny sighed. "Really. I was not kidnapped. I left with Malfoy of my own free will."

Flint nodded. "Right. So not under the Imperius Curse then?"

"Hey!" Draco looked offended.

"Routine question."

"No." Ginny replied cheerily.

"Not under the influence of firewhiskey-"

"Not yet."

Pucey snickered behind his hand.

"Or any mind-altering potions?"

"No."

"So you were not, in fact, kidnapped."

"Oh I was."

Everyone looked at her sharply. Especially Flint and Pucey.

"I just participated in the kidnapping. Dual roles, you see, kidnapee and kidnaper."

Flint roles his eyes.

"Tell my overbearing brothers to mind their own business because I can take care of myself."

Flint chuckled. "With pleasure. Have a nice night, Miss Weasley. Do enjoy the rest of your abduction."

"Thanks."

Pucey nodded at them before following Flint. "And you said tonight would be boring."

The table was once again all sporting that agog expression.

"Why don't you two have a seat and tell us all about it?" Blaise said dryly when he finally recovered.

"Don't mind if I do." Ginny promptly sat next to Zabini.

Draco squeezed in on her other side. She should not have felt so at home here, but this was something different. Ginny liked to change it up every so often. Running off to have drinks with Malfoy and his mates was DEFINITELY changing it up. Sure, she'd let herself be manipulated into participating in her own abduction tonight. Sure, she'd allowed Malfoy to kidnap her. Ginny shrugged it off. There would be free drinks due to Malfoy and different conversation because they were Slytherins. It could be worse. Yeah, so technically she'd been kidnapped.

But it was just a little nap.

*~*

end
The End.
Echo is the author of 10 other stories.
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