Normality

"Draco had crushed his lips down upon her mouth, pulling her into a dizzying kiss, that was a strange mixture of water, air, lust, passion, hate and a sudden yearning that hadn't quite existed before."

Ginny thrashed around in her sleep, feeling repeatedly the glorious sensation of Draco's lips on her own...

Soft.

Sweet.

And then as if her body sensed the wrongness of this scenario, she snapped awake, sitting upright and crashing her head on the wooden headboard. Groaning, it took Ginny a second to remember who she was, and what she had been dreaming of. Immediately she felt a sudden sensation of guilt and horror as everything clicked into place.

I kissed Draco Malfoy. I kissed the man that is born into the clan that has fought against my own family for generations. I am so screwed.

Ginny didn't know how it had happened. One moment they had been fighting, thrashing around the crystal water and enjoying the bright sunlight. The next second they had been making out. Something so wrong, that just felt so right.

Struggling over to the ceramic hand basin, Ginny tried to beat down the new feeling that had rushed into her system. Embarrassment. Vaguely she wondered how Draco was feeling right now. Was he as mortified as she was? Did he feel the same guilt, the same agony...the same lust?

Little did she know that there was somebody else awake at that very moment. Somebody with the same regret, and somebody with the same desire.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Draco chanted in his head, as he stared emotionlessly at the brightly coloured mosaic across from his bed. This mosaic sickened him with its bright multicolour and cheerful image of a fruit bowl. Fruit was the last thing he wanted to care about... He had made a mistake, a terrible, huge mistake.

He wasn't supposed to kiss her. Oh no... he was meant to beat her, insult her, yell at her until she was nothing more than a quivering heap...

Shit!

The thought of Ginny quivering had spun him into a new arousal. Why did he feel this way about her? There was only one woman in the world that could frustrate him, anger him and throw him into such a state of desire that it was impossible to leave unsatisfied. Until now.

Why!

It wasn't fair that she could waltz about without a care in the world, happily donning her sexy swimsuits and flaming hair. It wasn't fair that he had to suffer while she endured no regret. What was it to her that they had kissed? She wasn't the one with the psychopath father and upper class family. She was only a Weasley.

Life wasn't fair.

Why had he kissed her anyway? Why had he felt the compulsion to sacrifice himself on the altar of dignity in such an absurd way? It made no sense and it was driving Draco insane. Sure, she had looked pretty and all with her mermaid appeal and creamy complexion...but she was nothing special. She had freckles for Merlin's sake! Freckles!

The trip back from the pool had been awkward. As soon as they had broken apart, Ginny had swam and scrambled out, trying vainly to escape any embarrassment. They had dressed in silence, neither party mentioning the previous affair as they scrambled through the bush and into the weather beaten jeep. Once they had reached the hotel, Ginny had run to their room, avoiding Draco's eyes as he handed the keys back to the curious receptionist. They had then both gone to bed, without saying a single word.

Morning was rising, however, and neither could stay silent for much longer. Not when they were expected to spend days in a car together.

Dressing was hard for Draco. He seemed to have forgotten which arm went where. Eventually he managed to pull on a crisp, blue shirt and black trousers, but rest assured, this was no easy task. Every single button that he did up was scrutinised and examined, as he imagined a certain redhead undoing the same buttons. He wasn't sure where this lust had come from. Did it only take one kiss before someone could be roped into a paradigm of uncertainty that seemed to last forever?

Unfortunately for Draco (and his untamed imagination) he was required to take a shower. A shower in the room that was attached to a certain somebody's door. A certain somebody that Draco was trying very hard to avoid...

Squaring his shoulders, Draco decided to take it like a man. With a determined stride, he walked towards the bathroom door and pulled it open.

Only to run straight into a towel clad Virginia Weasley.

Draco wasn't sure who was more embarrassed, he or the poor girl, blushing as she cowered on the blue, plaid bathmat.

Trying oddly enough to be a gentleman, Draco looked away and pretended to study the different coloured soaps in their display against the creamy walls. Everything stationary in the bathroom was white, making any object of multicolour stand out in a sharp contrast. Miss Weasley included. Soon enough his eyes drifted back to her. She seemed to have frozen...as if it would all go away if she stood still enough. Of course, in this stationary state, Draco could fully view her delicate shoulders and sweetly freckled skin.

"Excuse me, Malfoy," she finally muttered quietly, heading slowly for the door.

Draco watched as she brushed past him, and as her soft skin came in contact with his bare arms, he felt something happen. Something very embarrassing. Another part of him was most certainly noticing the innocent girl, and this something wasn't likely to go away. In a sudden moment of pure lust, he moved over slightly so she was unable to exit.

"Excuse me!" she repeated with more force, trying to push past him.

"Do you really want to leave?" Draco asked huskily as he watched memorized as a reddish curl escaped her messy ponytail.

"Yes..." she muttered unconvincingly, looking hastily at the door. "Please...let me go; this isn't right."

But Malfoy couldn't.

Weasley or not, she excited him more then any girl he had ever met, especially now that in her haste to leave her towel had slipped, displaying more of her creamy flesh in an area that had until now remained covered. Draco watched as she breathed in, her slight chest expanding, pushing forward her figure. His need only grew stronger.

Leaning toward her, he covered the distance between them in one large step. Ginny stared up at him under terrified eyes, one shaking hand feebly clutching at the soft terrycloth that had become her only protection.

Draco hesitated for a moment, drinking in her angular face and rose stained cheeks. Finally, and hesitantly, he brought his lips down, relishing in the moment where the connection almost sent him reeling.

Her lips were surprisingly dry, but this didn't turn him off. Quite the opposite. It was an unusual sensation as the rough texture massaged against his own softer lips sending vibrations through his veins. Every sense was magnified as the feeling of elation stretched from his blonde hair to the tips of his toes.

The kiss wasn't perfect, but it was right. Virginia had obviously been suffering with an amateur partner for quite some time, and Draco smile wryly at her sweet attempts to move her mouth against him in the right direction. Not that it was bad...with the right partner this girl would obviously work miracles. And Draco was the right partner.

Pulling her closer to him, Draco dared risking the border and carefully opened his mouth, letting his tongue snake past her lips that opened obligingly. She let out a small whimper. Draco had never been more turned on. Obviously she was enjoying his attentions and becoming more confident. Draco didn't object at all as she cautiously moved a slender hand to rest lightly on his shoulder...not at all.

Every last bit of the bathroom had faded into insignificant colours. Who cared if the world ended? Who cared if the hotel came crashing down?

Ginny's rough lips and her fiery persona were all that mattered.

Growling, Draco let the kiss become deeper. Pushing Ginny against the wall he started to unleash his frustrations and his anger. He hated her, oh yes, did he ever...but he couldn't deny the chemistry. He felt like someone had subjected him to a fiery curse. She was hot...almost too hot to handle.

Bringing his hand up, Draco started to massage Ginny's shoulders, tracing around her protruding collarbones. This did nothing to satisfy him however, so he began to trace lower and lower. So his hand was resting on her stomach then rising to loosen her towel...

Almost as if the skin-on-skin contact had electrified her, Ginny pushed Malfoy roughly away, reaching up to finger her swollen lips softy.

"This is wrong," she said softly, glancing up at Draco under heavily hooded eyes. Draco would've been able to see the desire in them from a mile off.

Shooting her a sly grin, he brought a large hand up to rest on her cheek.

"But it feels so right."

"What feels good isn't always the best choice..." Ginny trailed off, starting to edge out from Draco. "You're my Boss...can't you see how wrong this actually is? I could sue you for this!"

Draco grinned again as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, "Not if it's consensual."

Ginny glared as her temper fired up once more.

"If you would kindly remove yourself so I might get up."

"Sure you don't want to get off?"

Ginny aimed a punch that Malfoy deftly avoided.

"Your disgusting!" she cried. "Do you EVER think about anything other then sex?!"

Draco pretended to think for a moment before replying, "Not usually, but at the moment I'm making an exception. What? Did you think that perhaps YOU might have turned me on?"

Ginny stared at him long and hard before answering in a sarcastic tone that had taken years to perfect, "No Draco, I didn't think that I turned you on...but let me tell you, I can as sure as hell feel it."

Draco had the decency to look abashed. He had forgotten his friend down south. Frowning, he tried to think of a suitable comeback.

"Well...how would you know that it's you turning me on? I could just be horny!"

"Well, go find yourself a bloody prostitute!"

Ginny had expected the words to bounce off Draco like rain off a duck. She had expected a witty comeback or a sarcastic remark. What she didn't expect was Draco turning white and staring at her as if she had just killed his mother in front of him.

"Malfoy?" she asked worriedly, taking a step away as his eyes filled with rage, swirling in depths of confusion. "Are you all right?"

He stared at her with so much grief, so much pain and so much hatred that she took another step back as if he had struck her. Finally, after at least a minute of uncertainty, he looked away. And then he spoke.

"Get out."

"It's my bathroom as - "

"I said GET OUT!" Draco roared, sending shivers down Ginny's spine.

And so she left.

* * * * *

Neither Draco nor Ginny were sorry to leave to hotel. Both felt that it had opened something inside of them - something that was almost impossible to access...a mine site with barriers for miles around. Any way you expressed it, it was all the same. They were terrified.

After booking out that morning, they had caught a bus to an old car rental shop with more dust than cars, only to discover that they had been mislead in the advertising. Finding none of the vehicles satisfactory, Draco insisted in dragging Ginny around several more 'car yards' until he had found his choice, an old yellow Ute with a huge tray.

"She's a beauty, ain't she?" crowed the old man who owned the yard as he patted the corner of the Ute.

That, thought Ginny, was a matter of opinion. The car didn't look at all spectacular to her. Just a big yellow thing that would take up a hell of a lot of petrol. Draco, however, was standing enraptured as he slowly ran a hand down the side of the tray, feeling the silver lining with a surprisingly real smile pasted on his browning face.

"That's for sure," he agreed pleasantly as he continued to study the car.

Ginny rolled her eyes mechanically as she strolled towards the building, anxious to get the paperwork out of the way so they could just leave. Maybe when they were on the road they could wake up a bit. Ever since this morning both Draco and Ginny had pretty much been pretending. It was like they had been programmed for a duty, and that duty they would fulfill.

Ginny wouldn't lie; she was as turned on by Malfoy as he was by her. Ever since he had come waltzing into her office she had felt something...but there was nothing she could do. It wasn't right...and besides, Draco was the biggest prick she had ever come in contact with. Regardless of his good looks...

The door to the small office creaked as Ginny pushed it open. Mediocre was the first word that popped into her head as she stared around the classic scene. It was completely grey with its pale carpet and dingy looking walls. Ugly looking filing cabinets were showed roughly against the walls and a clinkity old fan whirled away over her head.

"Can I help you?" a monotone voice asked softly.

Ginny spun around and was greeted by the sight of a lady sitting at a plain desk. She matched the décor perfectly with her faded skin and strange hair that looked as if it had been blue-rinsed one too many times.

"Yes..." Ginny trailed off awkwardly and fidgeted before continuing, "my partner is looking at that yellow Ute over there. I was wondering about the price of hiring it to travel to Broome? It would, of course, be then delivered to your sister shop."

The Lady didn't bother to ask any more questions, and left Ginny to her own devices as she started to flick through a very old, very musty looking grey book.

"It will cost you two thousand, would you like to pay in cash or credit?" the woman finally asked.

"Credit?" Ginny replied, thoroughly confused.

"Yes, credit," the woman answered in a voice that might have been incredulous. She looked up for the first time displaying to Ginny a rather boring set of grey-blue eyes.

"Cash..." Ginny tried, wondering what the hell credit was. Draco sure as hell had some explaining to do.

"Right then. I'll need you to make a deposit of one thousand, and then once you have reached your destination we will require the rest of the money. Fill out this."

She shoved a form at Ginny then retreated back to her silence.

Five minutes and a whole lot of meaningless questions later, Ginny quietly handed the form to her in exchange for a glittering key with a gaudy key ring in the same shade of the car. It presented a surreal contrast with the rest of the dull office...a sort of wake up call.

Not bothering to say thanks, Ginny hurried out of the squeaky glass.

"That was quick," Draco commented dryly as she handed him the keys.

"Myrtle is very efficient!" said the manager proudly thrusting out his chest. "I 'reckon we make a pretty good couple."

"Yes," Ginny said with a forced smile, "she's charming. Now Mr. Malfoy, I think we should be heading off if we want to stay on schedule."

"Right," said Draco, looking at the car with an eager grin on his face. "Thanks again Mr. Wilson."

Ginny ignored the both of them and swung herself up into the passenger seat. The inside of the cab was surprisingly clean; with polished leather seats and a dust free dashboard...Ginny was quite impressed. Especially when she opened the glove box to discover several packets of complementary mints, and a brand new chapstick. Ginny was especially grateful for the chapstick, her lips had been shocking as of late.

A thud next to her told her that Draco had just jumped in, as well as the comforting but raw sound of the ignition. Soon they were out of the dusty gates and down through the twisty country roads filled with cattle and sheep. Ginny could hardly believe that she had only yesterday been swimming in a tropical paradise...nothing in this country seemed to fit together. Nothing. Risking a sidewards glance, Ginny was amazed to see a satisfied look on Draco's face as he effortlessly changed the gears.

"How did you learn to drive like that?" Ginny asked curiously as he switched smoothly into second to take a sharp bend. He was quiet for quite some time, and Ginny was afraid that he might refuse to answer. However, soon his voice spoke quietly, answering her question as if he didn't want her to hear.

"My father taught me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He never told me. The summer after my seventeenth birthday...I don't know."

He looked shocked at himself for revealing so much, and Ginny was surprised at the lack of bite in his voice. Draco seemed to have so many personalities...she wondered whether she would ever be able to figure them out...

Not that I'd want to...she quickly reprimanded herself. Not that I'd want to at all.

She focused her attentions back to the dirt road and amused herself by watching the small rocks that jumped up to make sort little 'plinks' on the side of the car.

Draco drove on, appreciating the subtle acceleration that the car possessed. He wished he had the same speed. The same power moving through his veins. Every now and again he would glance over to his left at the slender redhead seated next to him. He wanted to kiss her again. She was fascinated by something, and this fascinated him. He knew that he should be focusing on his driving, but the questions she was asking... He had never met somebody who didn't care about him that asked questions like they wanted to protect him. It confused him.

He wished that he could make it all about sex. Sex was the easy way out with its ever-going lust and unforgettable adrenalin. Sex meant no thinking, no analyzing. He would have liked to bed Ginny and be over it, but what really disturbed him was that he knew that would not be possible.

It was like the second they stepped into this wide, baron country, something had changed. His whole attitude towards her and his demeanor was different. He had kissed her yesterday because he had felt something. Something more than lust. And that something disturbed him. Maybe that was why he was behaving so horribly towards her...maybe...

"Look!" Ginny suddenly cried, capturing his attention.

"What?" Draco asked urgently, glancing around for hidden dangers.

"It's a wallaby!" Ginny giggled, pressing her face up to the glass. She looked like a six year old girl...so naïve, so ignorant.

Draco sighed, "Don't yell unless it's something important! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," Ginny replied, not sounding the least bit apologetic, "but did you see the wallaby! It was gorgeous...do you think we'll see more? Maybe even a koala?"

"A what?"

"A koala! It's like a bear...except a marsupial...at it's cuddly and mmm..."

Draco snorted and focused on a difficult patch in the road.

"If you're this enraptured by just a weird cross-bred bunny, I hate to think what you're going to be like when I explain to you what we're doing in Broome."

"What!"

"Well...."

"Malfoy!" Ginny chorused. "Just tell me!"

Draco paused for a moment to reflect. He was flirting. With a Weasley. He was flirting with Ginny. Would the world end in a few minutes? Draco glanced briefly upwards to calculate if there were any speeding meteorites about.

Nothing killed him and he decided it was safe to continue. What was a little harmless thing like this going to do anyway?

"Hmmm..." he murmured, pretending to think deeply.

Ginny glowered at him from across the car before lighting up suddenly with a spectacular idea.

"Malfoy?" she asked innocently.

"Yes Virginia-of-my-heart?"

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Damn it! I just told you!"

"Are we there yet?"

"What the fuck are you playing at?"

"Are we there yet?"

"This is so not funny."

"Are-"

But Draco had reached his limit.

Ginny was now the proud owner of one very powerful silencing curse.

Furiously she mouthed all sorts of obscenities at Draco, who politely ignored her and hummed merrily. This new Ginny was one he could certainly get used to...besides; she was ultra hot when she was mad!

Ginny finally gave up struggling against the curse, and eventually sat with crossed arms and a very huffy attitude. Draco grinned at her sweetly, before looking up at a neon sign posted next to the road and grinning broadly.

"Looks like we're here Ginny-kins!"

Ginny mouthed something that might have sounded like...

"Shutup-you-obnoxious-prat-I-wish-you-would-eat-a-blast-ended...GAH-die-die-die-take-this-OFF-of-me-right-now-you-RUDE..."

Of course, she was silenced, so we will never really know...