The Kingdom That Is No More

As they entered the room, Ginny took a step forward so that she was level with Draco. Malfoy, she reminded herself with a curse.

And you're a Malfoy, too... a cruel voice in the back of her head sneered. Now people will see you the same way you see him...

Ginny's eyes went wide. She hadn't thought of that. Now, would the world see her as a Malfoy? Cold, haughty, rich. A few years back, Ginny would have given anything to be rich. Her mother had fallen ill, and money became more of a problem than usual, even with the boys gone. Ginny had taken two jobs, one as a secretary in the Department of Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, alongside her father, another as a waitress in the Leaky Cauldron. Neither paid much, but together, the money was reasonably good.

Now, she had no urgent need for money. Her mother had died of her illness last August. Her father had been killed a year prior by Death Eaters. Fred and George were found dead in their shop one morning in April last year. There were no signs of a break-in, and nothing could be found. Charlie was still in Romania, and Bill was on a long-term assignment somewhere in Asia. She hadn't heard from him in months. Neither had his girlfriend of two years, apparently. She was beginning to worry, but Bill had been known to do this before. Percy, whom she hadn't ever been close to, was still a ministry workaholic.

Ron, Ginny's favorite brother, was married, to none other than Hermione Granger. Ginny remembered the wedding. Hermione had looked happier than ever, and her dress, a French creation, had been perfect. Hermione had insisted upon a dress like the muggles wore, instead of white robes, but it had been beautiful all the same. The cream colored silk had been decorated with white beading. Hermione's hair had even been radiant, under the effects of a sleeking charm. Ron had looked the same as always, red hair unruly, and a big smile. Harry hadn't been there, but no one commented.

Ginny smiled at the memory of the wedding, one of the few happy memories she had of the past five years. Suddenly, she realized she was being spoken to.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked Draco, who looked slightly annoyed.

"I said, Do you prefer mineral water, or wine?"

"Wine, White Zinfandel if you have it."

"But of course."

Draco- that's MALFOY, she reminded herself- told a waiting house elf to fetch Ginny's wine. They brought it back almost immediately. Draco handed Ginny a glass, which she admired with a little sigh of delight. The crystal was fearfully thin, yet she got the impression that it was very strong. The crystal was polished until it would shine in the dark. The stem of the glass was made in the fashion of trailing grape vines, complete with tiny grapes and perfect leaves. Draco held his glass up, and Ginny followed suit as he made the toast.

"To our marriage." Ginny waited for a split second, but he said no more. Quietly, she sipped her wine, finding the flavor exactly to her liking. Neither Draco nor Ginny said anything. She kept her eyes on the table, silently admiring the fine porcelain plates. She was afraid to look up because she didn't want to meet his eyes.

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Draco watched Ginny silently, drinking his wine. She didn't look up at him once. Part of him wished she would, but yet, part of him wished she wouldn't. He didn't want to have to look her in the eyes again.

Damn it, I could have kept quiet. Why did I have to say it?

Draco sipped his wine again. The silence grew louder with each second. Draco turned his gaze out the window and saw that the sun was setting. As dusk settled over the room, the chandelier and candles flamed to life, making the room seem softer, more inviting. Draco looked back at Ginny. She still wasn't looking up. In the candlelight, she looked so much more delicate, more venerable. She didn't look as if she had had to fend for herself all these long years. Draco wondered what had happened, for something must have. Sure, he knew about her father, but he felt that she had suffered more. He wished he could read minds.

Suddenly, she looked up.

"Where are your parents, Malfoy?" she asked flatly, still not meeting his eyes.

"They are on holiday at our villa in Italy. They will be back in two weeks, after our honeymoon is over. But I expect they will return quickly, gather their things, and take up the villa as their residence, or perhaps reside in our house in France, now that..."

"...We're married." Ginny finished the sentence for him. No one spoke for a moment.

"Malfoy..."

"Draco, Ginny, Draco. I'm your husband."

"Very well then, but its Virginia. I hate Ginny."

"I could tell. You always made a face at school when someone called you that. What do you want to ask?"

"Draco, are you a Death Eater?"

The bluntness of her question startled him.

"What?"

"Are you a Death Eater?"

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Ginny watched Draco carefully as she asked her question. She wanted... no had to know the answer right off. Their eyes met. Instead of the cold look she expected him to have, he looked confused, edgy.

"I don't think we need to talk about this now."

"But Draco..."

"NO. We will not discuss this now!" Draco yelled, surprising her.

She quickly looked down at the table, not making a sound. After a moment, she raised her eyes, looking at him in a scared manner. For he had scared her. Ginny cursed herself. She was still afraid of him. Stupid schoolgirl fears...

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As she slowly looked at him again, Draco felt his insides twist. He had scared her. Damn it, why the hell did he do that? With everyone else, he felt pleasure at being the leader, being in control, but now he felt no satisfaction, He even felt a little sorry, for which he immediately chided himself.

She's a Weasley! I can't do this to myself! I won't love her. I don't love her.

He looked at her again. Her face was scared, but now he saw a look bordering on contempt. And he knew in an instant she hated him. Well, two could play that game. Draco leaned back in his chair smirking.

If I'm not good enough for you, Weasley... he thought contemptuously, then I'll keep on believing that no one is as good as a Malfoy, curse or no. He would not be hurt. The idea almost made him laugh.

Me, hurt, ha! That's a good one.

But as he laughed inside his mind, he knew that the girl across from him was attracting him like a paperclip to a magnet.

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Ginny was furious with herself.

Stay on a business level with him, Virginia! He's an evil git, and he hates you. You can't fall in love with him!

Her warning had come to late to stop what was happening. Ginny knew she was attracted to Malfoy. She always had been, damn him. It wasn't even because of his good looks, though God knew he was handsome. It was more because he was fully sure of himself, and didn't care what other people thought. And she liked that, even though he tended to tramp on other people while he was not caring what they thought.

Being a young girl, she had never fully believed that anyone could be all evil. Then she grew up. She had known fear, hate, and evil, especially evil. And although she knew the man sitting across from her was from one of the darkest families in Britain, and could very well be heartless and maniacal, she felt an attraction to him that was dangerously sweet.

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A swarm of house elves appeared suddenly in the room, bearing trays of food. One set a plate in front of her. Another refilled her wine glass. Still another served some piping hot dish. Ginny ate blindly, hardly noticing what she was eating. The lobster and the salad somehow tasted very similar. All she wanted was to get to her room and take a hot shower. Maybe she could talk to Zinnia for a while. Anything to get away from her husband. The thought of it startled her.

I never dreamed I'd want to escape my husband on our wedding night... she thought, slightly amused, but also a little sad.

I also never dreamed I'd be married to Draco Malfoy...

As the house elves came again, bearing a wide choice of fruit and cheese platters. Ginny declined quietly. She stood to excuse herself.

"Thank you, Draco, for your company. Dinner was marvelous. Good night."

Draco nodded, but as she turned to leave, he said softly, "It was a privilege to dine with you, Virginia."

Something about the soft way he said it made her turn. He gave her a smile that was unlike his usually cold smile. It was warm, and made her heart jump. She gave a quick nod, and turned away, leaving the room.

She quickly ran up the stairs, tripping over her heels.

"Damn it," she muttered angrily, sitting down to take them off. When she had done so, she grabbed one in each hand and began to run again. She ran quickly to her room, unlocking the door and flinging herself inside.

She stood silently for a moment, looking about. The bed had been turned down so she could climb inside. The bathroom door stood open, and Ginny could see that someone- one of the house elves, presumably- had just drawn a steaming bath. Ginny smiled, tossing her shoes aside, and headed for the bathroom.

Once she had slipped into the warm water, all the tenseness she had felt during dinner passed away. She smiled, closing her eyes.

"Have a nice dinner, dear?" Ginny heard Zinnia's voice and opened her eyes, glancing at the mirror.

"It was... fine," Ginny lied. She didn't feel like talking.

"I'm glad you two get along so well."

"Mmm," Ginny said absently, running her hand through the clouds of steam before dunking herself completely under the surface of the water.

Seconds later she emerged, pushing her dripping hair from her face. She stepped out of the tub, wrapping a large, fluffy towel around her. She moved out of the bathroom, her feet padding softly across the fluffy carpet. She opened her wardrobe doors to get a pair of pajamas. She opened the drawer and was rummaging for a suitable pair when something silky caught her eye. She pulled it out. It was a long, cream colored nightgown made of thin silk. The thin straps were made of lace that matched the lace edging around the neckline and hem. Ginny drew a soft breath. She had always dreamed of owning something like this, but they were too expensive for her parents to buy. Besides, they weren't practical.

Ginny was on the verge of putting the nightgown back into the drawer when she smiled and decided to slip it on. She would indulge in all her girlish fantasies while she could. The Malfoys certainly had enough money to accommodate some, if not all, of her fantasies.

Ginny pulled the silk over her head. The material was cool against her skin. The nightgown fell to her feet. She twirled, giggling softly, before going to look in the mirror. Halfway to the bathroom door, a knock sounded. Ginny jumped, not expecting it. She went to open the door, peering out.

She was surprised to see Malfoy standing there. What the hell did he want? Ginny suddenly felt very scantily clad. She let him in without a word, mortified. He was wearing a silk dressing gown of dark green over matching silk pajama pants. A black dragon was emblazoned on the back of his robes. Half way into the room he stopped and turned to look at Ginny, who was hurrying to the wardrobe. She pulled out a silk robe that matched Draco's, but hers touched the floor. She pulled it around her, the silk cold to the touch.

"What is it?" she asked, both curious and unsure of herself.