The Safe House

Chapter Eleven

For about five seconds, Draco couldn't move. All he could think was that she had left him. That she had been taken. That somehow they had been found, and he had not protected her.

"Not keep living like what? Like a mad person? Sending me so many mixed signals that I don't know what's what? Who would have thought that the great Draco Malfoy was all mouth and no trousers?" She had come out of the bathroom and was standing there in her nightgown, hands on her hips.

He rushed to her and embraced her roughly. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her, her head tucked under his chin. She was almost ready to push him away when he murmured in her ear, "I will not keep living without this."

He lowered his head to hers and kissed her softly and sweetly. She immediately began kissing him back and pulled her arms free from his embrace so she could run her hands through his hair. He smiled when he felt her hands, and she took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. She was like a drug to him. He was in ecstasy just from this small amount of contact, and he could feel a sense of urgency in her as their kisses grew more and more passionate. He started slowly pushing her towards his room, and then when that wasn't working quickly enough, he lifted her up and carried her to his bed. Ginny gladly wrapped her legs around his waist and barely even noticed that he had gently lowered her onto the bed. He was holding his body away from hers, not wanting to make her feel rushed. He needed her to know how he felt before things progressed too much further. Ginny was becoming desperate to feel more of him. She was arching her body up to his and pulling on his back as they continued to feast on each other's lips. He began to move his mouth down her jaw and onto her neck. She whimpered at his kisses and then ran one hand down his chest, slowly working her way to the top of his trousers. He suddenly pulled back and sat on his knees.

"Ginevra, there's nothing I would like more right now than to have you." He was panting as he said this, but his voice was deep and rough.

Her face was flushed and her lips were swollen, but her eyes narrowed at his statement. "But?" She pulled herself up onto her elbows.

"Nothing more except," he leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips, "to tell you that," another kiss, "I am madly," another kiss, "in love with you." He leaned forward again, and instead of kissing her, he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. After a moment, he pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. "And this is not just about sex to me. I want you, Ginevra. I want you completely. I want your body and your heart and your mind and everything that is who you are. I love you."

She smiled slowly during his confession and felt her eyes water with emotion. "I love you, too."

She scooted back and sat up on her knees, facing him. She reached over and took his left arm in her hands, lifting it between them. She looked at him in the eyes and then turned her head to his arm. She brushed her lips lightly across the Mark. He released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding since the moment she touched him. She kissed the Dark Mark several times before holding his arm to her chest and saying, "I love everything about you, Draco. And I am so sorry you had to have this. You did not deserve what you were given, but I want to give you all that you do deserve. Let me love you, Draco."

They felt as if they had never made love like that before. In reality, they had not, as neither had ever felt such a powerful connection to their previous partners. As they explored each other's bodies, there were moments of pure bliss and moments of laughter. Where Draco had always been a confident lover, he found himself at first fumbling and awkward. Ginny, on the other hand, had never felt more powerful or more beautiful. She had never felt so completely worshipped, so completely loved. Their lovemaking lasted throughout the night. Their rhythms becoming more synchronized, their touches becoming more effective, and their love becoming deeper with each passing moment of intimacy.

ooo

Squinting his eyes towards the windows, Draco frowned briefly before remembering that the night before had not been a dream. Ginny was curled up next to him, sound asleep. He carefully reached over her to grab the wand, and with a whispered spell, he shut the curtains. Last night was the best night of his life, the most intimate and beautiful experience he had ever had. He lay still for a moment, thinking about what this could mean for their future. He knew that he wanted to have it all with Ginny. He actually wanted to marry her, have children with her, grow old together. He would even learn to tolerate the Weasel for her. Should probably start with using his name. Well, maybe later. He started to think about their situation in the house and with the war when he felt her kissing his chest.

"Good morning," she murmured in between kisses. Her eyes were still half-closed and her hair was a wild mass of tangles. She looked sexier than he had ever seen a woman look before.

"Good afternoon," he spoke softly and turned towards her so he could meet her mouth with his. After several more minutes of cuddling and kissing under the covers, Ginny stretched and sat up, looking back over her bare shoulder to the blonde man lying in the bed, arms behind his head, satisfaction written across his face.

"I'm starving, you?" She lifted her eyebrows and continued to stretch her arms out in front of her.

"Yes, actually. Some little minx has had her way with me all night, and I'm famished. Plus, I know for a fact that she will expect a repeat performance so I should definitely – oof!"

She swiftly jumped on top of him, unashamed of her naked form. Straddling his lap, she rested her head on her clasped hands atop his chest and looked straight into his smiling eyes. "Draco, you naughty, naughty boy. I'm going to have to make you forget all about this dirty little slag of yours."

Using the Malfoy drawl that she had grown to love over the last five months, he asked, "And how, pray tell, will you do that, Ginevra?"

"Maybe … I will lock you away from the world with only me as your companion. I have a feeling that will do the trick, and eventually, you will fall head-over-heals in love with me." Her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"I think you may be right about that, but you might find success more quickly with a more aggressive," he grabbed her hips and pushed into her, "approach."

"Thanks, I will consider that," she quipped, and she jumped from his grasp and off the bed, heading over to his closet. "But first comes food." A moment later she pelted him with some clothes and emerged from the closet dressed in one of his shirts.

"You wound me, Ginevra. Food over sex? What is wrong with you?" He griped through his shirt as he was getting dressed.

"I think you've forgotten that I'm a Weasley, and food comes before everything."

ooo

The next few weeks leading up to Ginny's birthday were filled with many passionate nights, late mornings in bed, afternoons continuing their normal routine, and evenings at the old piano. Draco had decided that a "rewards" system would be the best way to encourage his student. This often led to more fooling around than learning, but neither was complaining.

"No, love, that is A-flat, not B-flat. Try it again. Go on." His left arm was around her waist as they were huddled together on the piano bench. As he was teaching her the scales, he would play along an octave higher with his right hand.

She sagged into him. "Draco, I am trying, okay?"

"Don't make me spank you, young lady." He nudged her head with his and instructed, "One more time, Ginevra, and then we will take a break. Start on F."

Slowly they played the F major scale in unison. Ginny kissed him quickly before saying excitedly, "That's the first time I did two octaves with both hands correctly!"

"Yes, you have been a very good girl. I think you deserve a huge reward." He started kissing her again as his hand left the keys and started working its way up her shirt.

"Huge, is it?" She laughed teasingly at him, and then her face changed to disappointment.

"Still?" He mirrored her disappointment.

"Just one more day, and then we can resume normal activities. And anyway, I was thinking that my professor should be rewarded for doing such a fantastic job."

"If you insist, Miss Weasley."

ooo

Ginny rolled over to her left and began searching for the warm body she had become used to having next to her. Her arm patted the bed several times whilst she grimaced in confusion. "Draco?" Upon opening her eyes, she discovered that her lover was indeed missing from not only the bed, but the room as well.

"Draco!" she called into the house, not leaving her position under the sheets.

"Stay put!" he yelled from the bottom of the stairs. She snuggled into his pillow, inhaling his scent.

Draco entered their room carrying a tray of food. "Happy Twenty-Fourth Birthday, love. I thought you should have breakfast in bed."

"Yum! Come sit with me." She had immediately perked up at the thought of food. "And thank you!" They had begun celebrating her birthday the night before, and she was very hungry after the long, passionate night.

"What would you like to do today?" He took a bite of eggs off of her fork.

"I want to fly together again. We've been so preoccupied with other things that I haven't even been on the broom for days."

"No, but you have been on my broom." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"I knew the moment I said that you would make some kind of dirty joke," she giggled at him. "I also want to teach you how to bake a cake. It's my birthday, and I should have one. And besides, you need to learn how to do more cooking anyway."

"Whatever you want, love. If teaching me how to bake is how you would like to spend your day then that's fine. Remember, I'm probably not as good of a student as you are. Don't blame me if you end up with a burnt cake."

"Oh Draco, it's just like potions. You will be a natural at it." And with that she shoved another bite of food in his mouth.

By the late afternoon, the two lovers were ready to head outside and enjoy flying together. They had finished their late breakfast and lounged in the bed, talking about all of the things they wanted to do someday when they were back in the real world. Because it was Ginny's birthday, Draco refrained from taking the conversation in a more serious direction. He was getting concerned, though, about what was happening in the war and what it would mean for them.

"Come on, Draco! Get your arse out here," Ginny called from the broom hovering by the open bedroom window.

"Did you want me to come through the window? Goodness, witch, I am trying to get your present together." Draco was leaning with his hands on the windowsill as he teased her.

"My present?" Ginny started to fly up to the window and was peaking around him.

"You only get it if you behave." He kissed her quickly and then shoved her away from the window and locked it, giving her the Smirk of Triumph.

Five minutes later the two were flying around the house, Ginny in front, with Draco holding tightly to her hips, occasionally sneaking a feel in other places.

He was speaking into her right ear as she flew them through the air performing complicated dips and twists. "Do you know how many boys at Hogwarts would have given the House Cup to be able to do this with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, Miss Weasley, you were quite the talk in the changing rooms. Even us Slytherins noticed you, especially when you were in the air, working that broom like a pro."

"Draco!"

"It's true. You should've heard the way Blaise would talk about you. It's what got me to really notice you in the first place."

"I knew it! You fancied me at school!" She slowed the broom down and then stopped, hovering over the garden. She turned to get a better look at him. "I saw you looking at me a couple of times."

"Only a couple of times? Pansy was ready to claw your eyes out. She said I couldn't get through a meal without watching you."

She kissed him soundly on the lips. "I wish you would have said something to me. Things could have been different."

"I'm not so sure about that. You may have been curious, but you never would have given up Potter for me." She frowned, but nodded her head in agreement. He looked very resigned and said, "I was very preoccupied at that time. That was the worst year of my life, Ginevra. I would never have wanted you to be a part of that. I've thought about this a lot lately and have decided that as long as we win this war and I get to have you, then I can make peace with what I have done."

Her heart warmed to hear him refer to the Order as 'we', and she felt a whoosh of emotion when he said the part about having her. "We will win this war, Draco, and you will have me for as long as you want me." She leaned into him and kissed him as he moved one of his hands to her neck.

After enjoying their time in the air, the two spent the rest of the evening cooking dinner and baking Ginny's cake. Whilst the cake was in the oven, Draco had retrieved Ginny's gift. She couldn't even imagine what he could have had for her and was surprised to see a simple little box in his hands. When she opened it, she pulled out a silver chain on which hung a small pendant, shaped like a narcissus flower encrusted with small diamonds and a large yellow tourmaline in the centre. She was surprised at the gift and was moved to tears when she learnt it had been his mother's necklace that he had kept as a reminder of her. She started to refuse it, but Draco stopped her with a kiss.

"Draco," she sighed and leaned back onto him as they sat on the sofa in the sitting room. "I will never take it off. I love it."

"I hoped you would. I gave it to my mother when I was small, and she wore it for a very long time. She said that it always reminded her of me. I hope it will do the same for you."

"Are you going somewhere?" She laughed as she fingered the pendant.

"No, but someday you may need it." He kissed the top of her head.

"I don't plan on that, Draco. I love you, and I never want to leave you."

"I think your cake is done, let's go check it."

He sounded at ease, but Ginny had felt his body tense up during their conversation. She knew he was worried about his mother and the war, and she knew that he was trying to protect her from his fears. It only made her love him more.

ooo

Several days later, Draco received another one of Voldemort's Death Eater callings in front of Ginny. He tried to hide it from her, but she had been lying on his left arm, sated from their lovemaking followed by the last piece of birthday cake. He was gritting his teeth and flexing his hand when she turned to look at him. Immediately, she grabbed the nearby wand and began performing several Healing Charms. She grabbed the vial of Calming Draught and gave him a dose. They had decided to keep an extra supply of all of the potions that might be needed inside the bedside cabinet. It had only lasted minutes, and Ginny's quick action had made the experience relatively easy for Draco to bear.

She stood over him at the side of the bed. "We have to keep working on that potion, Draco."

"I still think it takes too much of our supplies to keep working on it. I know you are worried, but this wasn't so bad. In fact, if I was into that kind of thing, it was quite pleasant compared to what it's usually like." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down on top of him. "This is as bad as it's going to get. We can do this. I have been doing this for over a year without you, and I've survi – "

"No, Draco. You would not have survived without me. You would've died on your birthday! What if he tries that again next year? What if he can tell when he calls you that you are still alive and – "

"Hey, it's not going to happen. You even said that there should be no way of him knowing what you did. I know he doesn't know when they die because I've had to inform him myself why someone was not at a meeting." He held her close to him and tried to calm her down. He was not used to someone showing such strong emotions about him. He knew his mother and father loved him, but they had been raised so differently than Ginny had. She was never afraid to show how she felt, and he loved that about her.

She lay on top of him for several minutes whilst he stroked her hair. She was so worried about what was happening outside of their little home. It really is my home now. I never would have thought that. He is my home, and right now that is here. Without lifting her head, she whispered into his chest, "This means he is still fighting. That he still has followers. Or…. do you think that he won?"

He tightened his arms around her and said, "I don't know. I don't know."

Author notes: Thanks as always for reading. Please review! It's what keeps me motivated to re-read and rework this over and over again so you can read more. :)

So they have finally admitted their feelings. I hope it was okay. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about writing the love scenes. And I know it ends a little serious, but there is still much more fluff to come.

As for 'changing rooms', I'm clearly not British so I wasn't sure if that was the correct term. Let me know if there is something better.