Merely Business

Casual Muggle Attire

'Draco! Draco--effing--Malfoy!' Ginny called throughout the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. She thought for a moment before opening her mouth again. 'Black! Drake Black!'

Mrs. Black's portrait wailed as though a nail had been punch through her nose. Ginny swore loudly over the screaming. She dashed to the portrait and grabbed the ends of the curtains, tugging desperately in hopes of shutting up the old hag. She finally managed to shut it over the woman as she screamed something about the nobility of blood being beseeched.

'Having fun?' a familiar voice came from the staircase.

Ginny looked up from the curtained portrait and found a very shirtless Draco Malfoy leaning against the railing wearing only smart trousers.

'Not nearly as much fun as you seem to be having,' Ginny quipped. 'Didn't I mention something about actually wearing clothes to this party?'

'Very funny,' Draco sneered. 'Did you get my letter?'

'Actually, George did,' Ginny said matter-of-factly.

'Oh bloody fuck,' he muttered in response.

'Calm down. George won't tell anyone. If he does, I'll tell Mom what she's missed out on since he moved out.'

'Alright, well, now that that dilemma has been taken care of, I have a question,' Draco said. 'What is casual Muggle attire?'

Ginny smirked. Draco Malfoy asking for help... Will wonders never cease? Ginny took his hand--a most awkward action, followed by a casual Malfoy eyebrow raise--and led him upstairs. 'Where's your room?' she asked as they reached the first landing. Draco pointed down the hallway at a room Ginny recognised as the same one Harry and Ron had stayed in several years ago.

Letting go of his hand, Ginny entered his room, and Draco followed behind her. The room was surprisingly neat considering the fact that it belonged to a twenty-something-year-old bachelor. In fact, compared to when Harry and Ron had stayed there, it was downright clean. Ginny tore her eyes away from the cleanliness of his room and opened the closet. Several dress robes hung at one end, followed by casual robes, more smart trousers, and dress shirts.

'We're going to my flat,' Ginny announced, closing the closet door and turning to Draco.

'Pardon?' Draco responded, completely taken aback by this declaration.

'We are going to my flat,' Ginny repeated slowly, mocking his stupidity.

'Yes, I got that,' he said, rolling his eyes in disgust. 'I meant to ask, "why the fuck are we going there?"'

Ginny couldn't believe he was even asking. Had he even looked in his closet? 'Because, as much as it amazes me, you do not own any Mugglesque clothing.'

'And you have men's clothing just lying around your room, I suppose?' Draco smirked. 'Honestly, I never would have expected you of all people to resort to one-night stands... Yes, perhaps you were desperate for a quick shag, but I would've at least thought you would've had the courtesy to give their clothes back to them--'

'Need I remind you that I live with two males?' Ginny interrupted, only slightly insulted by his accusations.

'Puh-lease, Ginny, are you completely delusional? Your brothers wouldn't let me breathe on their clothes, let alone actually wear them,' Draco said. 'Or have you forgotten about the night I led a widely acclaimed group of Death Eaters into Hogwarts, allowing them to wreak havoc upon the school, which eventually led to the murder of Albus Dumbledore and the near-murder of your brother?'

Ginny had not forgotten this--far from it, in fact--but she couldn't hold his mistakes against him. He had come to their side before the fall of Voldemort, which was more than could be said for any of the other Death Eaters.

'What do you want me to say? That you're right? That everyone hates you because you're a Slytherin, a former Death Eater, and an arrogant arsehole?' Ginny snapped. She sighed, trying to regain control of her anger. 'I trust you, okay? And George has no choice. I own him.'

'And you're sure he'll let me borrow his clothes?' Draco said.

Ginny forced a smile and nodded. 'Of course.' Though she wasn't so sure...

'Well, then, let's go,' Draco said with a fake enthusiasm that matched Ginny's smile. He turned quickly, disappearing, still shirtless.

Ginny nodded to herself, telling herself silently that it would be all right. That was when she realised that Draco Malfoy just Apparated completely shirtless into her flat, where George was no doubt waiting. She let out a loud, 'Fuck,' before turning and Apparating to her flat.

George had a horrified expression on his face as he stared at Draco, clearly at a loss for words. When George reclaimed speech capabilities, his words were heard far and wide: 'What the hell is Draco Malfoy doing in our flat half naked?'

'There's a very reasonable explanation for all this,' Ginny said quickly.

'There had better be!' George shouted. 'And it had better not involve sex!'

A vase exploded in the living room. 'George Llewellyn Weasley! How could you even suggest something like that?' Ginny shrieked. 'You know for a fact that this is all a hoax! We merely came here looking for casual Muggle attire, and this is how--'

'I'm sorry, pardon the interruption, but did you bring Draco Malfoy into our flat because he needs clothes for a party that I don't even want him at?' George asked.

'Precisely, now, are you going to let him borrow your clothes, or do I have to tell Mum that you're hiding the past seven issues of PlayWizard under your mattress?'

'You wouldn't,' George hissed.

'Are you willing to take the chance?' Ginny quipped.

George glared at her before agreeing at last. Ginny thanked George and led Draco down the hall to George's bedroom, grinning to herself. 'How did you know he kept issues of PlayWizard under his mattress?' Draco asked.

Ginny laughed quietly. 'I didn't.' She opened the door, and Draco followed her inside. After locking the door, Ginny pushed Draco down on the bed.

'Getting a bit feisty, aren't we?' he noted.

'Shut up and take off your pants,' Ginny directed him, noting the exact words she had just used as she rummaged through George's closet.

'My pants?' Draco repeated dimly.

Ginny tossed a pair of blue jeans out of the closet and kept her head inside the closet, as she knew he was changing. She was rather surprised by the amount of clothing George owned, considering the fact that he never actually did laundry. At last, she decided upon a black t-shirt. She peeked out of the closet to be sure that Draco was changed before emerging from the closet completely. She tossed him the shirt, which he quickly slipped on, concealing his ever-exposed chest. The shirt was tight, but that only emphasized his muscular build from his days of Quidditch.

Draco raised a questioning eyebrow at Ginny, looking for approval. Ginny, however, was having trouble finding the right words, or any words for that matter. It was the first time that anyone other than Harry had made her speechless, though she would never admit it.

'You--you--' But still the words seemed to be getting stuck. 'Amazing. I didn't think it was possible for Draco Malfoy to look like a Muggle.'

Ginny didn't wait for a response from him. She seized the comb on George's bureau, hoping that neither he nor Draco had lice, and pulled it through Draco's hair. She combed through it until it hung down in front of his eyes, giving him a sexy bad boy look that--of course--didn't appeal to her at all...

'Perfect,' Ginny said, keeping her mind on anything that didn't have to do with how attractive his new look made him. It's just business, merely business, she told herself sternly.

He smiled, baring his pearly whites, and Ginny's business-like exterior immediately melted away. 'You've been practising.'

Draco smiled even wider, and Ginny found herself somewhat pleased with her decision to be dating Draco Malfoy, even if it was a con. 'Thank you for doing this for me,' she said.

'Don't go all mushy on me now, Ginny,' Draco said, rolling his eyes behind the hair hanging in front of them. 'There will be plenty of time for that when we get out there in front of our audience.'

Ginny grinned, feeling a bit less worried about the feelings she had been worried she was developing for Draco. After all, she knew she could never fall for the snide remarks and sneering that she had put up with while they had been at Hogwarts together.

'Shall we?' Draco asked, offering his arm to her.

Still, it was the moments when he did something gentleman-like that she worried what might happen. 'Why not?' Ginny said, taking his arm. 'Ready for your acting debut, Mr Black?'

Draco smirked and nodded. 'And you, Miss Weasley?'

'I believe I am.'