The Maltese Phoenix

"Hands behind your head, and come around the desk to where I'm standing," Malfoy said shortly. Harry smirked and did as he was told. "Back from your vacation so soon?"

Malfoy ignored him and motioned for him to sit in the chair facing the desk. Harry sat down making sure to scoot his chair closer to Malfoy, just as the latter opened his mouth to cast a spell, Harry's foot landed on Malfoy's knee cap making him bend over in pain. Harry stood up and hit him in the back of the neck with the side of his hand. He then drew out his wand and tied him up.

"You know, Malfoy, if these are the type of followers Voldemort has stooped down to recruiting, it won't be long before the tide turns in our favor."

Malfoy glared at him as Harry searched through his pockets.

"You're going to mug me now, Potter?" Malfoy said eyes glinting. "Are ministry salaries really that low?"

Harry took away his wand, but found nothing else of interest.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Do you have the bird?"

Harry frowned and tried to not look surprised. "Your master has the bird."

Malfoy shook his head. "No, he thought you had it since Ginny had been hanging around you. She told you he had it?'

Harry nodded stiffly, Malfoy sniffed and smirked.

"Never trust a wench."

Harry's eyes hardened as he took a step towards him. "Shut the fuck up, Malfoy."

Draco's smile only widened. "Oh, she has you wrapped around her finger . . . what heart-wrenching story did she tell you?"

Harry fell quiet. He turned on his heel and went behind his desk where he lit up and sat down in his chair.

"You tell me yours," he muttered leaning back in the shadows. Malfoy gave him a curt nod. "I want to smoke."

Harry sniffed. "Too, bad. I'm not freeing up your hands."

Malfoy glared at him. Harry tutted impatiently. "If I give you a drag will you begin somewhere in the near future?"

Without waiting for an answer he went around to Malfoy's chair and held the cigarette in front of him. Malfoy took in a long drag and held it in before letting it out in a series of 'o's'. Harry went back behind his desk and sat down.

"The Dark Lord sent us to Constantinople to retrieve the bird for him. As you might know, Ginny was seeing Rodophus behind my back," he said stiffly. "She told him that I was abusive, and that I mistreated her, Rodolphus didn't doubt her because that is one thing my family is known for."

"So, you're saying you never laid a hand on her," Harry muttered, eyes horizontal slits blurred by grey undulating smoke, "yet, I saw the report from Constantinople. I saw her pictures, and wouldn't have recognized her if it hadn't been for her red hair." He pulled out a set of pictures from his desk and threw them at Draco. Malfoy threw a glance at them; his eyes started burning as he opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again and shook his head.

"What?"

"That was the only time I hit her, and it was well deserved," Malfoy said stiffly. "She only married me for my money, she never gave a damn about us. Of course, during Hogwarts I didn't know this because she was so sweet and attentive and . . . I fell in love with her. After we married, however, it all changed. She became cold and distant, she was always out shopping or at the gym or . . . with other people," Malfoy said in a contrived voice. Harry was watching him silently.

"Shortly before Constantinople she started seeing Rodolphus, and by the time the trip came along she had him wrapped around her finger very much like she had me. When we got to Constantinople, Ginny and I got into a fight, I got arrested, and she convinced Rodolphus to help her take the bird for themselves."

"How do you know she was the one who convinced Rodolphus and not the other way around?" Harry inquired blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"Because I know her," Malfoy said staring at him with unfeeling grey eyes. Harry regarded him quietly, a thin strand of grey smoke undulating from between his fingers resting on the arm of his chair.

"Why should I believe you?" he muttered not taking his eyes off Malfoy, and bringing the cigarette between his lips.

Malfoy smirked. "Think, Potter. If Ginny is so trustworthy, why did she tell you the Dark Lord had the bird, and that I had retrieved it for him?"

"That's what Rodolphus told her," Harry uttered.

Malfoy gave a single nod. "Fair enough, but he was killed by the Dark Lord. So, if he had lied to Ginny about not having the bird, and he truly had had it, then the Dark Lord would've gotten it from him before killing him. However, this didn't happen because Rodolphus was questioned under Veritaserum, and he told us it was taken from his room. He also mentioned that Ginny was the one who convinced him to take the bird for himself."

"And how do I know you aren't lying?" Harry replied with a small smirk.

"I am here on orders of the Dark Lord," Malfoy said simply. "He wants you to stop protecting Ginny and realize what a double-crosser she is. It's time she's stopped, Potter, and besides, I know you're not a patsy, you must've picked up on her demeanor . . . don't try and tell me you believed her whole story."

Harry fell quiet and extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray thoughtfully.

"I know you know where Ginny is," Malfoy said suddenly, "and I want to go talk to her."

Harry snorted derisively looking up at him, before he could say anything Malfoy went on.

"You can come, too, and we can do a vow for her and your safety."

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly and contemplated the suggestion, after a few seconds he stood up and walked over to where Malfoy was.

"Fine, we'll meet at my place. It has heavy wards on it so you won't be able to leave unless I allow it, and I'll be keeping your wand until the encounter is over."

"Sounds good," Draco muttered as the ties binding him to the chair fell, and he was able to stand by Potter who was holding out his hand.

For half an hour after Draco Malfoy had gone, Harry sat alone at his desk. Then, he let out a loud sniff, and he chuckled as he put on his overcoat, turned off the lights and went down to the lamp- lit street.

Harry walked down the street to a convenience store where he bought a pack of cigarettes, which he stashed in his pocket along with his hands, and hurried away to an alley to Disapparate to Ginny's hotel. Once there, he knocked on her door and waited. Not long after, the door was opened and a smiling Ginny welcomed him. She was wearing a satin, blue night robe. Her hair was up and moist.

"I just got out of the shower," she explained while rearranging the pillows on the sofa and inviting Harry to take a seat next to her.

"So, do you bring me good news?" she asked as Harry sat down slowly.

"I still don't know," Harry said after a few seconds of silent meditating. Ginny's smile faltered, and she looked down at her lap. Harry allowed his gaze to wander over her. Ginny seemed to notice for she gave him an awkward smile and flushed slightly, but met his gaze the whole time.

"You aren't the Ginny you once were, right?"

Ginny frowned and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"What I mean is that you aren't the innocent Ginny I knew. I feel like now you have to pretend to be her," Harry went on.

Ginny blushed and looked down at her hands. "I've been bad, Harry . . . I've been tainted by my time in the Dark Lord's court. I regret it and wish it wouldn't have been that way, but I've learned to come to terms with it and move on which is what I'm trying to do." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "With your help."

Harry regarded her silently.

"I saw your husband today," he muttered while watching her closely so as to record every single twitch or flash of emotion on her beautiful face.

The smile went out of her eyes and mouth. She swallowed hard and looked down at her lap blinking rapidly.

"What did you talk about?"

"Told me his side of the story," Harry said calmly. Ginny narrowed her eyes slightly. "And?"

Harry shrugged while digging in his pocket for his cigarette case. Ginny watched him, silently waiting for his reply. Harry took his time in choosing a cigarette, placing it in his mouth, and lighting it. He took in a long drag and closed his eyes before letting it out.

"And he says that Voldemort doesn't have the bird, and that Rodolphus confessed that you had convinced him to steal the bird for yourselves. So you tell me," Harry continued, green eyes fixing themselves on the redhead, "who should I believe?"

Ginny got up from the sofa and went to the fireplace to poke the fire. She changed slightly the position of a newly purchased ornament on the mantelpiece, crossed the room to get a box of cigarettes from her bedside table, and returned to her seat. Her face now smooth and chillingly unworried.

Harry grinned while extending his arms over the back of the sofa.

"You're good. You're very good."

"I told you the first day, Rodolphus is the one that told me the Dark Lord had the bird. He must've taken it for himself and lied to me," Ginny muttered lighting her cigarette. Harry smiled.

"Well, I have to say your husband truly knows you..."

"Stop calling him that," Ginny said lightly as she leaned back on the couch and propped her bent leg up on the coffee table in front of their sofa.

"Well, that's what he is."

Ginny closed her eyes while pinching the bridge of her nose with her right hand, her cigarette sticking out from between her index and middle finger.

"Please," she whispered opening her eyes.

"Malfoy said that if Rodolphus truly had lied to you and kept it for himself, he would've given it to Voldemort after he was placed under Veritaserum and questioned."

Ginny shook her head and stared at Harry. "And you believe him? You'll believe You-Know-Who and Draco over me?"

Harry shrugged. "Didn't look like Malfoy was lying."

Ginny let out a small, strangled cry and bit off the end of her cigarette. She stood up once more.

"You're not going to go straightening things up again, are you?" he asked.

Ginny laughed nervously and bent over the center table extinguishing her mangled cigarette into the ashtray.

"You promised to help me, Harry," Ginny whispered turning around and fixing him with a hurt, doe-eyed stare. "I trusted you with my life, Harry, I -"

Harry smirked. "Trust? I don't feel like I have your trust, Ginny, because I'm sure you're not telling me everything you know about the bird, and the only possible explanation for that would be if you had a secret agenda of your own." Harry paused to take a drag, Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but Harry held up his hand silencing her. "I wouldn't have listened to what Malfoy had to say if I'd felt from day one that you were being honest with me. However, what he told me is perfectly plausible, and from now on, I will consider his input as well as yours and come to my own conclusions about who I should rely on."

Ginny stepped back shaking her head and started towards the fireplace before turning back sharply and kneeling in front of Harry.

"Harry, listen to me," she whispered, eyes glistening with tears. "it's true, I admit it, I haven't told you the whole story, but you have to believe that I am doing this for the greater good." Ginny took his hand between her own and brought it towards her chest. "I also don't want to give you too much information because I don't want Voldemort to go after you."

Harry was staring deep into her eyes searching for seeds of dishonesty, meanwhile Ginny rose slowly not letting go of his hand and pulling him up to his feet.

"What can I do to make you trust me, Harry?" she whispered looking up into his face with her teary eyes while taking a step closer to him so that she was pressing up on him. Harry's eyes were fixed on hers, he saw her coming closer to close the distance between their faces, but he found that he couldn't step back no matter how much his rational mind told him to. Her lips, ripe and full as a freshly cut fig, came down upon his, and at this moment, the old Harry broke out of his callous shell, took Ginny into his arms, and deepened the kiss suckling her top and bottom lip like they were doused in honey. A few seconds later, they broke apart. Ginny gave him a small smile while running her thumb over his lips to wipe off the lipstick.

"I want to meet with Malfoy."

"He'll be at my apartment tonight," Harry whispered, his arms around her waist. Ginny kissed his lips once more and stepped out of his embrace.

"I'll be ready in 15 minutes," she said, walking back towards a door leading to the bathroom. Harry gave a stiff nod and sat back down on the sofa while pulling out another cigarette from his case, letting out a sigh, and plopping it in his mouth.