Desert Rose

I dream of rain

I dream of gardens in the desert sand

I wake in pain

I dream of love as time runs through my hand

This desert rose

Each of her veils, a secret promise

This desert flower

No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And as she turns

This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams

This fire burns

I realise that nothing’s as it seems

I dream of rain

I lift my gaze to empty skies above

I close my eyes, this rare perfume

Is the sweet intoxication of her love

Sweet desert rose

This memory of Eden haunts us all

This desert flower, this rare perfume

Is the sweet intoxication of the fall

"Desert Rose", Sting.

* * * * *

I left the Ministry a year after I joined. I had to. As hard as I tried to slip back into the wizarding world, I’d been out of it too long. And when the dreams started…I wasn’t sleeping. I think they would have fired me, anyway. Too many late mornings. So I did them a favour, and resigned. They made a half hearted attempt to coax me to stay, but it was no use.

I had a mission.

To find the woman who had haunted my dreams for 5 years.

To find the woman whom I could not stop thinking about after only having been with her for one night.

To find Ginny Weasley, and make her fall in love with me.

I didn’t want much, huh? You’d think it wouldn’t be hard. Between my contacts in the wizarding and Muggle worlds, you’d think finding one beautiful redhead would not have been difficult.

But it was.

I began to question whether maybe it was because she didn’t want to be found. Had she found out my real identity? Had she realised at some stage that she’d been shown around London by Draco Malfoy? If she had, she’d never given any indication. I hoped I was wrong.

So out of sheer desperation, I’d quit the Ministry, and went back to what I was doing when I met her. Muggle tour guide. I worked for a company that specialised in ghost tours. I worked at night, but that suited me. Night time was when the dreams were the worst, so I believed that if I didn’t sleep at night, then I wouldn’t dream. That was the theory, anyway. Never happened in reality.

I was 25 years old, and pining after a woman who could only have been called, at best, an acquaintance. This was what I had been reduced to. And that scared me.

However, that all went out the window the night she walked back into my life.

I was at the end of a shift that began at 8pm. It was almost 2am. I only did six hours a night, which meant that I didn’t get bored with the job, but made enough to keep me going; I got paid extra for working nights. I never had any problems with pulling the customers in. However, they always seemed to want to begin the hour long tour at five to two, so I was used to fobbing them off.

So when I heard a voice behind me ask if I could do one last tour, I turned around and opened my mouth to say no, when I realised it was her.

Ginny Weasley was standing right in front of me. God, she was beautiful. She was a bit more covered since I’d last seen her, in a long blue skirt that shimmered in the moon light, with a pastel blue long sleeved top, but you could still see her curves.

She looked exactly as she did in my dreams.

I’m sure I must have looked like an idiot, standing there with my mouth open, catching flies. She was gracious enough not to mention it, though.

"Hello, David." She greeted me with a smile.

"Virginia," I managed to croak out. "What are you doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I’m interested in doing a ghost tour. Can you take me, or is it too late?"

"No!" I said quickly, afraid to let her out of my sight. "It’s okay; let me sign off back at work and then we’ll go."

"You don’t have to do that," she began quietly, biting her lip in a fashion that made me want to just grab her and kiss her senseless. "I can come back another time."

I cleared my throat, and shook my head slightly to regain my senses. "No, honestly. It’s okay. I don’t mind taking you; now’s the best time to see ghosts." I tried to do what I hoped was a grin. She smiled back.

"At the very least, let me buy you a drink when we’re finished for your trouble. Deal?"

"Deal." I nodded quickly.

We made our way to the nearest phone, where I rang in to let them know I was finished, then we began the tour.

Still scarcely able to believe that I was in reaching distance of the woman I knew I was still hopelessly in love with, I began the tour, going to the regular haunts. Ginny was appropriately responsive; she gasped a few times, and when we got to the alleyway where one of Jack the Ripper’s victims is said to haunt the murder site, she grasped my hand, weaving her fingers tightly through mine as we entered. The only light there was came from the streetlight at the entry way of the alley; we took a few minutes to adjust our eyes to the darkness as we walked further in.

"It really is spooky in here," she murmured as we stood in the middle, pulling the hand still tightly entwined with hers behind her back. She took a step towards me and pressed her body up against mine. I was glad I’d finished my commentary about the alleyway by this stage, because I couldn’t have said anything if I’d tried. I inhaled deeply, her scent sweet and flowery and oh so feminine. I ran my thumb across the back of her hand, and she responded by placing her head on my shoulder. I brought my free hand up and gently ran it through her hair, which she wore loose. She moaned softly, and I almost lost it then and there.

"Are you okay?" I whispered hoarsely. I felt her nod against my shoulder.

"I’m just fine, Draco," she whispered back, moving slightly so her face was now in front of mine. When she leaned up and brushed her lips against mine, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Her lips were so sweet, so tender. I wanted to drown myself in the whirlpool that was Ginny Weasley. It took every ounce of strength I had to pull away.

"Ginny…"

She tightened her grip on my hand and brought her other one up to place a finger on my lips.

"Shhhh," she said. "Still want that drink?" As I opened my mouth to respond, she removed her finger and replaced it with her mouth. I closed my eyes and surrendered. As we kissed, my world began to spin. Her kiss was intoxicating. I only pulled away when I couldn’t breathe anymore.

"Oh God, Ginny," I rasped. "Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?"

She shifted up against me and my body responded painfully and instantly. But I was too far gone with desire to be embarrassed.

"You’ve been looking for me, haven’t you?" Her lips drifted down my jawline to settle on my neck. She spoke between kisses. "Why were you looking for me, Draco? What’s so special about me?"

"I…." I could barely speak; she was driving me insane. I reached a shaking hand up to tip her chin, and her eyes danced as I possessed her mouth, showing her with actions what I couldn’t say with words. I poured five years of frustration and longing into that kiss, and when she finally tore her mouth away from mine, she swayed slightly. I wrapped my arms around her waist to steady her, and she snaked her arms around my neck.

When it hit me.

She’d called me Draco.

"Oh my God," I pulled her arms out from around my neck, and took a step back. "What the hell is going on?"

I could see the confusion in her eyes. "What are you talking about?" Her voice was unsteady, like she was afraid of what I was going to say.

"How did you know?" I asked, unable to keep the anxiety out of my voice.

"How did I know what?"

"That my name is…" This was what she had reduced me to; I couldn’t even say my name.

"Draco." Hearing it in her lilting voice sent a shiver up my spine. I couldn’t figure out whether that was good or bad. "Of course I know who you are, Draco Malfoy. You don’t think I’d be interested in the man who’s been looking for me for five years?" She took a tentative step forward, waiting for me to move away again. But I didn’t. "Why, Draco?" she whispered, bringing a hand up to gently caress my cheek.

And suddenly, I wanted to tell her everything. She deserved an explanation.

"Not here," I managed. I’d realised how cold it was; Ginny didn’t have a jacket. She must have been freezing.

"Let’s Apparate back to your place." She leaned up and quickly kissed me, then disappeared, the familiar *pop* indicating her absence. I stood silently for a few seconds, my mind trying to comprehend what had happened. Needing answers, I Apparated home.

* * * * *

When I got there, Ginny was sitting on a stool up at the kitchen bench, her hands on her knees. A thousand questions raced through my mind, the one foremost on my mind being how she knew where I lived, but none of them mattered as I crossed the room in as few steps as necessary and sealed my mouth over hers. She brought her hands up and placed them on my face, trying to pull me as close as possible. We kissed for what seemed like an eternity; Ginny was like an addiction I couldn’t get enough of. I was losing my head.

"Ginny," I murmured between kisses. "We should talk."

"Later," she managed to whisper. "Tomorrow."

Not for the first time that night, she shocked me into pulling away.

"What?" My voice was so husky it’s a wonder she understood me. She got up off the stool and stood directly in front of me, getting as close as she could without touching me. The room seemed so hot that I felt like I was on fire, and my entire body was screaming for her touch.

"Make love to me, Draco," she said softly. "I feel like I’ll just stop breathing if you don’t." There’s no way I could have said no to her plea. I knew how she felt. I merely picked her up and carried her into my bedroom, all conscious thought gone.

* * * * *

We fell into a routine after that first night together. I’d finish a shift, she’d be waiting at home for me. We’d make love, and fall asleep in each other’s arms. This went on for almost a year before it all fell apart. I should have known it was too good to be true.

Her family found out about us after a reporter from The Daily Prophet saw us together after a shift one morning. She’d wanted to come and meet me as a surprise so we could grab some food; we didn’t think many people would be out at 2am. I guess we’d also gotten tired of sneaking around.

She was still at my place when The Daily Prophet arrived. We read the article together, and my heart sank. It was all over; her family would go berserk. After discussing our rather limited options, we knew she had no choice but to go home and face the music. Although, at 25, she was no longer a child, deep down she wanted her family’s approval, and I knew it. I told her she could deny it, but she refused to lie.

We made love one last time in the shower, both of us knowing it was probably the last time we’d see each other. Her tears intermingled with the water that cascaded down our bodies, and the look in her eyes haunted me for months afterwards. After drying and dressing quietly, she turned to me, placing one hand on my cheek as tears welled up in her eyes again. I moved her hand across to my mouth and kissed it softly.

"No matter what happens, Draco, know that I’ll always love you." And with one last kiss, she was gone.

* * * * *

I was a broken man. Time had no meaning. The dreams came back, more haunting than ever. I barely ate. The bags under my eyes became so noticeable that my boss made me take holiday leave for a month.

I never heard from her for four months.

Four long, lonely months. I look back now and wonder how I made through with my sanity intact.

Just as I wondered about whether I wanted to live anymore, Ginny Weasley showed up again.

I’d arrived home after having been back at work for only a week. It was 2.30am when I heard the knock at the door.

I knew as soon as I saw her that something about her was different. She looked exhausted. Even her robes hung tiredly around her. She looked fragile. I wanted nothing more than to take her into my arms and kiss her better, but an inner sense told me to wait. I moved aside, and she walked past me without a word.

I slowly closed the door, wondering whether I really wanted to turn around.

"Draco." Her voice was that of an angel’s. My angel.

I turned around to find her standing right behind me; she’d already taken her robes off and thrown them to the floor, revealing herself to be clad in black jeans and a white, off the shoulder peasant style top that looked simply stunning. Although, at that point, she would have looked stunning in a sack.

"Ginny…" I didn’t manage to say anything else before she threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. All the sadness at being apart for so long went into that kiss; a warmth spread over my body that had been missing for four months.

Suddenly, there were no words I could say that would describe to her the sheer happiness that was coursing through my body at having her back in my arms. Instead, I pulled her as close as I could, and she instantly responded, wrapping her legs around my waist as I carried her to the bedroom without breaking the kiss.

* * * * *

After we’d made love for the first time in what felt like a lifetime apart, I’d turned on my side towards her, gently placing my hand on her bare stomach. She had twined her fingers through mine, and we lay silently together, not wanting to ruin the moment with talk.

We couldn’t skirt around it forever, so after letting out a long sigh, she filled me in about what had happened over the last four months. I closed my eyes as she told me that her family had all but threatened to disown her if she didn’t stop seeing me. Her brothers threatened to kill me if they saw me. Tears sprung up from under her eyelids, and I reached up to brush them away.

"Don’t cry, baby," I crooned softly. "I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much trouble with your family."

She turned onto her side to face me, and brought our clasped hands up and kissed the back of mine gently, making me smile.

"I love you, Draco," she began. "And I don’t care what they say, because we’ll be together forever."

I nodded in the moonlight. "Yes, we will." I agreed.

"You’ll always be a part of me," she continued like I hadn’t spoken. "Now, more than ever." She reached out with her free hand to stroke my cheek.

I tried to figure out what she was talking about. "What do you mean, Ginny?"

She looked at me silently for the longest moment, and I saw her eyes come truly alive for the first time since her return. Continuing to stroke my cheek, she let go of my hand and moved it so it was flat on her stomach. It was then that I noticed there was a small bulge. Oh, God.

"You’re pregnant?" I managed to gasp. She nodded and grinned, snuggling closer.

"I’m having our baby, Draco." Her voice was light, the happiness radiating from her whole body.

My mind tried to get around the fact that the love of my life was having a baby. My baby.

"I’m going to be a father?"

Ginny laughed. "Yes, my love." When I didn’t answer, her smile faded. "This is a good thing, right?"

I looked at the anxious expression on her face. Leaning in, I kissed her soundly, and all doubt flowed away from her body as she relaxed in my arms.

"It’s a great thing." I said, kissing her neck. She giggled, and I felt happier than I had for a long time – four months, in fact.

I rolled over onto my back, and Ginny threw an arm over my chest, pressing her body against my side. I loved the feel of her skin against mine; it was so soft.

We laid there silently for ages, just content to be back where we belonged – together.

I wondered if now would be a good time for me to ask her to be my wife.

"Ginny?" I reached over and brushed a stray hair out of her face.

"Hmmm?" she said, nuzzling my neck.

"Will you marry me?" I said the words quickly, in case I lost the courage half way through. She stopped kissing me, then pulled back so her head was on the pillow next to mine. I shifted back onto my side to look at her.

"You mean that?" she finally asked, and I expelled a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding.

"Yes, I mean it. I love you, and I want you to be my wife."

She smiled, and the kiss that followed was answer enough.

* * * * *

When I look back at how we got together, I’m still amazed. We married a week after I proposed, and our daughter, Zoe, was born 5 months later. We chose Zoe’s name because it means "life", and she’s so precious; she reunited an entire family, not to mention the immeasureable joy she’s brought into our lives.

True to their word, the Weasleys disowned Ginny when they found out she’d married me. But to my utter surprise, Ron was the one who came to the hospital to see his newborn niece, and whatever he said to the rest of the family worked, because one by one, they all came to see her. She melted their hearts, and by the time my wife and daughter came home to me, the Weasleys had changed their minds about our marriage, and Ginny was favoured once more. It still took time for them to get used to me, but once they saw I wasn’t going to abandon their much loved daughter and sister, they slowly came around.

We’ve been married for five years now; two years after Zoe was born, we were blessed with another daughter, Phoebe. We’re happy with our two girls, and our life. We’re also more in love than ever.

And the nightmares have finally stopped.