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Draco Malfoy jumped as his alarm sounded, announcing the arrival of the early morning. He slammed his hand down on the cursed device that was depriving him of the comfort of his sleep. The clock broke underneath the weight. Draco groaned, running his hands through his ruffled blond hair.

“I forgot to turn the damn thing off again,” he muttered, mostly to himself. He glanced over at his wife to see if she had awakened.

Ginny Weasley lay on her back next to Draco. Her green eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling above the large bed. She showed no response to Draco’s statement.

Draco threw back the dark purple covers from his bed and sat at the edge. “Reparo,” He murmured, carelessly pointing his wand toward the broken clock which immediately mended itself. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stretched. It was Saturday morning; he was not needed at the Ministry. There’s no way I’m getting back to sleep now, he grumbled. Then, he headed off to the adjoining bathroom to shower.

After he had finished bathing, Draco returned to his bedroom. He wore only a towel around his lower half, exposing his pale, muscular chest. He was slightly surprised to see that Ginny had barely moved. She was sitting on the bed, running a brush absentmindedly through her long, dark red hair as she stared distractedly out the large window.

“Aren’t you getting up?” Draco asked as he strode over to their large closet. “I’m hungry.” He paused as he examined his wardrobe.

“I’m leaving you.”

Draco turned to look at his wife. Ginny was out of her reverie, her eyes focused on Draco. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Draco returned to picking out his clothes.

“Are you?” Draco asked casually. He had heard these words so many times in the past few months that they had lost their meaning.

“Yes.” Ginny stood up from her position on the bed, and walked over to Draco. She looked him right in the eye, her face inches from his. “I am.”

She turned on her heel and disappeared inside the bathroom, where Draco heard her start the shower water. Her voice had sounded brave and determined, despite the innumerable times she has said those same words and done nothing. Draco decided to think nothing of it. Though, as his dressed, he could not deny that there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

---

Clothes were strewn all over the large bedroom. Ginny was pulling out articles of clothing at random from her closet, shoving them into the small suitcase she had open on her bed. The Undetectable Extension Charm she had performed on the suitcase made it possible for her to fit almost all of her wardrobe into the luggage.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Draco was standing in the doorway, a piece of toast in his hand. He was surveying the scene in front of him, a frown forming on his face.

“I told you,” Ginny said simply, her voice carrying out from the bathroom where she was gathering her hygienic supplies.

“Oh that’s right, you’re leaving.” Draco’s cool, uninterested tone seemed to make Ginny irritated, for she began throwing her shampoo bottles into her suitcase with unnecessary force. “And where do you think you’ll be going?”

Ginny paused in her packing to look up at him. “You don’t think I’m going to do it, do you?”

Draco held her challenging gaze. “I don’t think you’re going to do it,” he answered.

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m going to Hermione’s.”

“Hermione is in France,” Draco returned easily.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. “I think my best friend would have told me if she was going to France before she told you.”

“She did tell you.” Draco tossed some rolled up parchment at Ginny, a triumphant smirk threatening to form on his lips.

Ginny’s eyes scanned the letter Draco had given her. Her jaw tightened as she realized that he was right.

“Well then, I’ll just have to go back to the Burrow,” Ginny recovered, but there was a tone of uncertainty in her voice now.

Draco snorted. “Go ahead. I would visit, but I think I’m the only one there who would be less welcome than you.”

Ginny bit her lip. The grand-mal row she had with her parents months back was still fresh in her mind. They had forbidden her to marry Draco, and she had not responded kindly. She had not spoken to her parents since then.

“Shall I help you unpack?” Draco asked with a smirk.

“No,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “I’ll go see Harry.”

Draco’s eyes flashed. “You think you’re going to leave me for Potter?” he spat.

Ginny lifted her chin. “Yes, Draco, I am.” She turned away from him, hiding the hesitation she knew would show in her eyes.

Draco was silent. He watched as Ginny picked up her things, pulled her broom out of the hall closet, and headed for the door. She stopped on the threshold, giving the large mansion one last look.

“Good-bye, Draco.” She turned her back to him and prepared to Disaparate.

“Ginny..” The soft tone that Ginny heard behind her was such a contrast to Draco’s usual cold sarcasm that she could not help but turn.

Draco’s mask was gone; his deep eyes expressing emotion. He was searching Ginny’s gaze, wondering whether to believe that she was really leaving. This Draco looked much younger and much more vulnerable. Ginny caught a glimpse of the man she had fallen in love with.




“Draco... Draco, we can’t!” Ginny giggled, trying to push the blond-haired boy off of her.

Draco breathed in Ginny’s hair, planting kisses on her neck. “I think,” he said between kisses, “you’ll find,” he kissed her along her jaw, “that we can.” Draco pulled back to grin at her before he pressed his lips against hers. Despite her whispered pleas, Ginny could not resist but kiss him back. Her hands began to tangle into his blond hair, pulling him closer, before she realized what she was doing

“Draco, really!” she gasped, pulling away.

Draco sighed, and released her. Ginny smoothed her hair and fixed the collar of her shirt. When she was finished, he looked at her with a sly grin. “Same time tomorrow?”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “You know, for someone who works in Magical Law Enforcement, you seem to be able to find plenty of reasons to come to Hogwarts for ‘business trips.’”

Draco leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Well, Hogwarts has some very naughty students.”

Ginny shoved him away from her, but there was a smile on her face. Draco laughed and slipped his arm around her, pulling her into his body. Ginny rested her head on his chest, letting her eyes close, a small smile still on her lips.




It had taken Draco all of his Hogwarts years to give in to the feelings he had been repressing for Ginny, and only then because the judgemental eyes of his friends had all graduated. The daring, passionate Draco that she had fallen in love had yet to show himself in this man that she was now married to. And yet, Ginny knew that if he just asked, she would stay. She hated this about herself, she hated the weakness she had for him, the one tiny glimmer of hope that she always held on to. She waited.

“Good-bye, Ginny.” Draco said quietly.

Ginny turned and Disaparated, and was gone.

Draco let the door close, and slumped down on the nearest couch. He had known this day was coming; they both had. He knew that the marriage was a bad idea. He was not the person Ginny needed. His return to coldness, indifference, sarcasm; it was as if he was subconsciously sabotaging the marriage on purpose so that Ginny would leave him. However, now that she was gone, Draco hardly felt relieved.

---

Once Ginny’s feet hit firm ground, she let out a huge breath. She collapsed on the nearest bench to get a hold of herself. A mixture of emotions were running through her, mostly relief, but also fear and uncertainty.

With a deep breath, Ginny picked herself up and started down the main street of Godric’s Hollow. Anxiety began to build as she approached the small house on the corner, across from the ruins of the place where James and Lily Potter were killed. She reached to doorstep all too quickly.

Ginny knew that her decision to wed Draco had hurt Harry more than anyone else. She knew that he must hate her for all the times they had spent alone together when she had been thinking of Draco. She remembered the look on his face when she had told him that she wanted to break up. But that was nothing compared to the look he had when she announced her engagement.

Ginny would have turned back if there had been any other place for her to go. Against her better judgement, she raised her hand and knocked on the door in front of her.