Cliched

"And then he left," Ginny sobbed. "Just like that," she said, and put a firm emphasis on the last word with a snap of her fingers.

"Oh, poor Weasel," said Draco softly, resting his head on his knuckles on the dining room table. He had cooked dinner for Ginny, the kids were in bed, and Tristan was sleeping over. They had gotten through two bottles of champagne and were a bit drunk.

"You know, I'd never imagine us like this," said Ginny as she took another sip of champagne and pouring more into her glass.

"You know I used to have a big crush on you in Hogwarts," slurred Draco. "But I never told you! My father would have KILLED me!" The two laughed drunkenly as if this was a hilarious joke. A couple moments passed, and the two sat in silence. Draco cleared his throat and stood up. "Um, I'll get us something else to drink. Tea, coffee, something else?" he asked. He was now staring at her in a blatantly hungry fashion, a coiled spring that would ping in her direction if she gave the nod.

"Something else," she said in a low voice.

"Like what?" His voice cracked slightly. He licked his top lip with a nervous flick of his tongue. Ginny gazed at him. Her body ached for an affectionate, masculine touch, but her boring, sensible mind kept telling her to hold back. The drink-fueled body won.

"I want you," she whispered. Immediately her words were followed by the thought: Fuck did I really just say that? To MALFOY?

What she'd said hung between them; she was waiting for his response quietly. What on earth had she done?

Draco stepped forward and enveloped her in his arms. "I want you too," he whispered back. "I've always wanted you." Lifting his head, Draco cupped her face with one hand while the fingers of the other traced the outline of her lips. She closed her eyes as his fingers entered her mouth and eased her teeth apart. His tongue flicked into her mouth and her insides went onto spin cycle. It crossed her mind to pull away, but the dull, throbbing ache between her legs killed all rational thought.

Draco's hand was inside her blouse now, his fingers pulling her flimsy bra cup to one side. As he stooped to take her aroused nipple in his mouth, Ginny pulled away and started to do up her blouse. She fastened it two buttons higher than it had been all evening.

"No, we mustn't," she whispered. "We'd only regret it in the morning."

Draco took a step back, an expression of bemusement in his face. "I thought you wanted us to do this."

"I did-do..." stumbled Ginny. "It's just not a good idea. You're my brother's friend."

" I didn't realize there was a law against it," said Draco. "Tell you what, I'll Floo him now and tell him I don't want to be friends anymore, okay?" He took a step toward her.

"No!" Ginny stepped backward. The spell of alcoholic stupor combined with lust had been broken. The second rejection sunk in with Draco. His face had clouded. "Look, why don't you stay in the spare room tonight? It saves you the trip home and waking up Tristan, it also means we can wake up in the morning and pretend this never happened, get our relationship back on an even keel sort of thing."

Draco was clearly unimpressed. "If that's what you want."

"Yes, it is." Ginny's voice was firm, but it took all her will power to stop herself from dragging him upstairs and damning the consequences.

~*~*~

At five o'clock in the morning, Ginny's eyes snapped open. Something was bothering her. And it was in the spare room of her house. She crept down the four stairs that led to it and slowly opened the door and peeked through. With silvery hair falling across his peaceful face and early morning stubble, she thought she'd never seen a more handsome man. He was emitting soft, tiny snores. God, she thought, he even snores beautifully. Unlike Harry, who sounded like a wounded warthog. The springs of the mattress creaked as Draco turned over, facing the door. I fled to the bathroom across the bedroom.

"Hello?" said Draco sleepily.

"Uh, I'm just in the bathroom," she called through the door. "Won't be a moment." Ginny looked into the mirror. She was a mess. She carefully applied eye shadow was blotched all over her eyes and her long-lasting lip-liner was smeared all over the place. She exhaled his frustration as she wet some toilet paper and dabbed her face clean. She sifted her fingers through her hair and gave herself one last look in the mirror, then opened the door and walked through the kitchen.

Draco was leaning nonchalantly against the draining board dressed only in his boxer shorts, looking utterly edible.

"Morning, how's your head?" he asked.

She groaned. "I think I lost it last night."

"Hmmm. Is that a joke or a rather loaded statement suggesting you regret what happened last night between us?" he asked quietly. Ginny froze. She wasn't used to a man so direct about everything. Ginny stood there quietly, just staring at him. "Well?" He looked directly at her.

"I...don't want to talk about it right now. I've got really bad hangover and I'd rather just go back to bed and sleep it off. Alone," she added quickly.

"Well, okay then, in that case, I'll be on my way. Oh, that that 'alone' bit was unnecessary, because I'd never get into your bed without an invitation." As he walked out, Ginny sighed with relief.

A few minutes later, he came out fully dressed. He went into Julian's room to wake up Tristan. He walked back into the living room, sleeping Tristan in his arms. He cleared his throat. " I know you don't want to talk about it now, but after I leave, I may not get the chance to be alone with you again. If you remember what I said last night, I mean, it, I've always wanted you. But you were with Potter. Since you're not anymore, I would never forgive myself if I let an opportunity slip to tell you how I felt." He paused. "I really like you, Ginny, and I would like to go out on a few proper dates with you and try to make you get over this brother's friend obsession you seem to have. Think about it." He waited for a response. There wasn't one.

"Okay," he said with false brightness. "I'll leave then, see you soon-I hope."

"Of course," Ginny said awkwardly. "Thank you for dinner." And he walked out the door. As soon as it closed, she ran to her room to the fireplace. She Flooed Pansy.

"Pansy!" she called.

"What now?" she groaned sleepily.

"I've got to tell you something!"

"Why don't you talk you Hermione?" she muttered under her breath. Ginny heard it.

"She sucks at giving men advice, anyways... I almost slept with Draco last night!" Pansy was wide-awake now.

"Well, did you?"

"No! I said almost!"

"Look, if you're worried I still have a crush on him that was a long time a-"

"No," interrupted Ginny. "It's not that. It's just, it was too awkward." She explained the story to her.

"Because he's your brother's friend? Come on Ginny, what kind of reason is that?" Pansy yelled, furious at her friend's stupidity.

"A good one!" she retorted.

"Ginny, your husband just left you. It would do you some good to find someone...else," Pansy said calmly.

"I know, but, it-it's just...oh I don't know, I wanted to, I really did!" Ginny cried.

"Then why didn't you?"

"I told you, I DON"T KNOW!" Ginny shrieked. "I don't know, I don't know..." She shrunk down and curled up into a ball. The moment was quiet. Then Pansy spoke.

"You know why else you should have gotten with Draco?" she asked.

"Why?" Ginny asked dully.

"Because he knows how to handle your mother." Ginny quickly looked up. Crap, crap, crap. Her mother would be arriving in three days.