Ginny discovered a week later that Draco's talk about making Harry regret things had a purpose. One afternoon, an owl came swooping into the flat through an open window and dropped an envelope on Draco's lap. He snatched it up and stared at it.
“What's that?” Ginny asked as she looked over at him.
He glanced at her. “It's an invitation to a banquet. At the Ministry.”
“When?”
“This weekend,” he told her. “Would you like to go?”
“Do I have a choice?”
He smiled slowly. “Beats sitting around here.”
Ginny shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Harry's going to be there, isn't he? That's why you want me to go. You want to make him jealous.”
“It couldn't hurt, could it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Besides, it's not like we're actually together. He doesn't need to know that though.”
“But, Draco, you don't understand. I don't want him back.” She was staring at him intently, forcing her eyes to stay on his face and not to narrow.
He frowned and asked, “Then what do you want?”
She wasn't sure. Sleeping with him had been wonderful, but it wasn't something she planned to do again. Why commit to someone when you had no idea what it is you wanted from them?
Ginny took a breath and spoke quickly.
“I'm having a hard time with things, because I was with Harry for a long time, and all of a sudden someone comes into my life when things are bad, and he cares about me but I'm still skeptical of his intentions.”
If possible, his frown deepened. “Oh, I see. Well, thank you for letting me know that you don't trust me after I opened my home to you.”
“It's not that I don't-” she began.
“I don't feel like hearing you right now,” Draco said. He ran a hand down his face. “I can't believe this. I don't like being used, Ginny.”
“I'm not.” Ginny narrowed her eyes. “I can't believe you'd think that.”
“Hard not to,” he replied, sneering. “You can't just solve what happened to you with sex, it doesn't work that way. Not when someone has genuine feelings for you and you claim to feel the same.”
“What about you?” Ginny asked, forcing her voice to not shake from anger. “You used to use girls all the time. I'm surprised you stopped.”
Draco told himself to stay calm. His mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed before he said anything.
“You are using me,” he snarled. “Despite how you feel, you still thought sex with someone other than the person who fucked you over would make everything better.”
“What are you getting so mad about?” Ginny snapped. “First, you have an attractive woman, who wants to sleep with you, in your flat. Second, she actually doesn't find you to be the hideous git you were and you're complaining?”
Draco bristled slightly at her words, then leaned closer to her.
“I want to know exactly what you want from me, Ginny. You know what I want, and I'm willing to wait.”
“So, if I decide I don't want you, then what?” Ginny asked. “You'll kick me out on the street?”
“No,” he muttered. “I wouldn't do that to you. I just want you to be happy and feel safe. If not with Harry or myself, then someone else.”
“Why do you want to be with me?” Ginny asked, her eyes searching his. “You don't know anything about me, except that I can't even keep the boy I loved since I was young. It's actually quite pathetic.”
“It's not pathetic.” He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it.
“Yes, it is,” said Ginny. “If you haven't noticed, he isn't the first person that's left me.”
“Who else?” Draco asked, because he didn't know what she was talking about. “No one else left you.”
“Fred,” she said softly.
“Fred didn't leave you Gin, he died.”
“I know, but I miss him. I feel like he left.”
“He wouldn't do that to you. Not willingly.”
He watched her face crumble before she shut her eyes, trying to force the tears away. But it didn't work, and pretty soon she was crying. He slid a hand across her bare shoulders, felt her twitch at his touch, and pulled her closer.
**
His eyes opened to a sea of red, and it took a few seconds for him to realize that Ginny was curled against him, that her hair was in his face. Slowly, his brain processed what happened and he suddenly felt very terrible.
They had fought and they weren't even an actual couple – it was all a facade, because he was selfish and wanted to see the burning hate in Harry's eyes when he saw them together.
Draco dug the heels of hands into his eyes and groaned. “What am I doing?” he muttered to no one.
Ginny stirred beside him. He wanted to tell her they didn't have to do this, any of it, but he was afraid if he did that she would leave. He'd gotten used to her company.
Since when did you become so selfish? You can't keep her here just because you're lonely, it doesn't work that way.
“Shut up,” Draco said to himself.
“Who're you talking to?” Ginny mumbled, yawning as she rolled over. “And what time is it?”
“No one,” said Draco as he touched her hair. “Are you feeling better?”
She shrugged and stared at him with sleepy brown eyes. “A little. I'm sorry I lost my temper.”
He smiled softly. “It's alright. It's my fault too.”
“I just don't know what I want yet, I'm sorry.”
“I shouldn't force you to make a decision like that. You are free to do what you want.”
She grinned at him and pressed her fingers against his chest. “Draco Malfoy, I don't want you to think you have any sort of power over me. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't.”
Draco sat up, crossed his legs, and looked at her. “Where would you go then?”
“Back to my parents,” she told him.
He glanced out the curtains and saw specks of sun. He didn't wonder what time it was, just grabbed her hand and helped her up.
“Get ready.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as she walked toward the bathroom.
Draco just smiled at her and said, “Why, we're going to get you a dress for the banquet, Miss. Weasley.”
“What's that?” Ginny asked as she looked over at him.
He glanced at her. “It's an invitation to a banquet. At the Ministry.”
“When?”
“This weekend,” he told her. “Would you like to go?”
“Do I have a choice?”
He smiled slowly. “Beats sitting around here.”
Ginny shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Harry's going to be there, isn't he? That's why you want me to go. You want to make him jealous.”
“It couldn't hurt, could it?” He raised an eyebrow. “Besides, it's not like we're actually together. He doesn't need to know that though.”
“But, Draco, you don't understand. I don't want him back.” She was staring at him intently, forcing her eyes to stay on his face and not to narrow.
He frowned and asked, “Then what do you want?”
She wasn't sure. Sleeping with him had been wonderful, but it wasn't something she planned to do again. Why commit to someone when you had no idea what it is you wanted from them?
Ginny took a breath and spoke quickly.
“I'm having a hard time with things, because I was with Harry for a long time, and all of a sudden someone comes into my life when things are bad, and he cares about me but I'm still skeptical of his intentions.”
If possible, his frown deepened. “Oh, I see. Well, thank you for letting me know that you don't trust me after I opened my home to you.”
“It's not that I don't-” she began.
“I don't feel like hearing you right now,” Draco said. He ran a hand down his face. “I can't believe this. I don't like being used, Ginny.”
“I'm not.” Ginny narrowed her eyes. “I can't believe you'd think that.”
“Hard not to,” he replied, sneering. “You can't just solve what happened to you with sex, it doesn't work that way. Not when someone has genuine feelings for you and you claim to feel the same.”
“What about you?” Ginny asked, forcing her voice to not shake from anger. “You used to use girls all the time. I'm surprised you stopped.”
Draco told himself to stay calm. His mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed before he said anything.
“You are using me,” he snarled. “Despite how you feel, you still thought sex with someone other than the person who fucked you over would make everything better.”
“What are you getting so mad about?” Ginny snapped. “First, you have an attractive woman, who wants to sleep with you, in your flat. Second, she actually doesn't find you to be the hideous git you were and you're complaining?”
Draco bristled slightly at her words, then leaned closer to her.
“I want to know exactly what you want from me, Ginny. You know what I want, and I'm willing to wait.”
“So, if I decide I don't want you, then what?” Ginny asked. “You'll kick me out on the street?”
“No,” he muttered. “I wouldn't do that to you. I just want you to be happy and feel safe. If not with Harry or myself, then someone else.”
“Why do you want to be with me?” Ginny asked, her eyes searching his. “You don't know anything about me, except that I can't even keep the boy I loved since I was young. It's actually quite pathetic.”
“It's not pathetic.” He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it.
“Yes, it is,” said Ginny. “If you haven't noticed, he isn't the first person that's left me.”
“Who else?” Draco asked, because he didn't know what she was talking about. “No one else left you.”
“Fred,” she said softly.
“Fred didn't leave you Gin, he died.”
“I know, but I miss him. I feel like he left.”
“He wouldn't do that to you. Not willingly.”
He watched her face crumble before she shut her eyes, trying to force the tears away. But it didn't work, and pretty soon she was crying. He slid a hand across her bare shoulders, felt her twitch at his touch, and pulled her closer.
His eyes opened to a sea of red, and it took a few seconds for him to realize that Ginny was curled against him, that her hair was in his face. Slowly, his brain processed what happened and he suddenly felt very terrible.
They had fought and they weren't even an actual couple – it was all a facade, because he was selfish and wanted to see the burning hate in Harry's eyes when he saw them together.
Draco dug the heels of hands into his eyes and groaned. “What am I doing?” he muttered to no one.
Ginny stirred beside him. He wanted to tell her they didn't have to do this, any of it, but he was afraid if he did that she would leave. He'd gotten used to her company.
Since when did you become so selfish? You can't keep her here just because you're lonely, it doesn't work that way.
“Shut up,” Draco said to himself.
“Who're you talking to?” Ginny mumbled, yawning as she rolled over. “And what time is it?”
“No one,” said Draco as he touched her hair. “Are you feeling better?”
She shrugged and stared at him with sleepy brown eyes. “A little. I'm sorry I lost my temper.”
He smiled softly. “It's alright. It's my fault too.”
“I just don't know what I want yet, I'm sorry.”
“I shouldn't force you to make a decision like that. You are free to do what you want.”
She grinned at him and pressed her fingers against his chest. “Draco Malfoy, I don't want you to think you have any sort of power over me. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't.”
Draco sat up, crossed his legs, and looked at her. “Where would you go then?”
“Back to my parents,” she told him.
He glanced out the curtains and saw specks of sun. He didn't wonder what time it was, just grabbed her hand and helped her up.
“Get ready.”
“Where are we going?” she asked as she walked toward the bathroom.
Draco just smiled at her and said, “Why, we're going to get you a dress for the banquet, Miss. Weasley.”
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