Delicate

lura167

Story Summary:
"Draco Malfoy sighed and turned the doorknob to his bedroom. There, his eyes met an unexpected sight." - summer after HBP. I'm trying to get all the Draco/Ginny out of my head before book 7 - I'm a H/G shipper at heart! I always appreciate feedback.

Chapter 01

Posted:
07/23/2006
Hits:
103

Draco Malfoy sighed and turned the doorknob to his bedroom. There, his eyes met an unexpected sight.

***

Ginny Weasley woke up to a thumping headache. She groaned and raised her arm to move her long, red hair out of her face, only to realize that she was chained from the wrist to a tall, ornate four-poster bed with black sheets. She gasped and sat up quickly, tugging on the chain uselessly.

"Dammit," she whispered. She then saw that she had been left only in her underwear - white lace bra and panties. "Dammit!" she said out loud.

At that moment, the door across the room opened.

***

"Weasley?" he shouted, bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

"I might ask you the same thing!" she shouted back angrily. "Where am I, you bastard? What did you do to me?"

"You aren't supposed to be here! Goddammit. I'll kill him for this..." He became quiet abruptly. He stared at her for a moment and walked calmly to a nearby dresser, which matched the bed, and opened one of the drawers. "I haven't done a thing, and you're in my bedroom."

She loooked around. She wouldn't have expected this to be the bedroom of a seventeen-year-old boy. It was narrow and bleak, witha low ceiling. The walls were bare and of rough dark-grey stone. There was minimal furniture: the bed, the dresser, and a desk with a chair. To her right, there was another door she supposed led to a bathroom.

Malfoy walked toward her with a plain, dark-green button-down shirt in his hand. Ginny could tell that he was still angry but trying not to show it. "Put this on," he said curtly. The shirt was too big for her, but would cover her up adequately.

She took it gratefully - though she tried not to show it - as Malfoy took out a small silver key from his pocket and held her wrist. His skin was cold to the touch, ahd she shivered. A moment later, she was free.

"Thanks," she murmured, massaging her wrist. "So what the hell am I doing in your bedroom, Malfoy? And how do I get out of here?"

"First things first," he said, and sat down next to her on te bed. The springs creaked slightly under his weight. "What happened to you?"

She gave him a look. "But - my family -" she said quickly, "they'll be worried about me. Let me go -"

"Please," he said. Ginny blinked. "I need to know."

***

"Ginny!"

"What, Mum?"

"Please come downstairs and help your mother!"

Grumbling, she put down Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6 and headed for the kitchen. She was tired, having scrubbed and cleaned all day the day before, making sure the house was clean, inside and out, in time for Bill and Fleur's wedding. She wondered what else her mother could possibly want from her.

"What, Mum?" she said again.

Molly Weasley was also tired, but was fueled by her love for her eldest son (and by the recently-discovered love for her about-to-be-daughter-in-law too, thought Ginny). She had been exceptionally busy for awhile, even though Ginny and Ron came home to help two weeks ago.

"I need you to run an errand," she said, stirring something on the stove with one hand and checking off the guestlist with the other. "We planned this wedding for a year - a year! - and nothing is ready. How is that possible?"

"What do you need me to do?"

"Just fly over to Mrs. Fawcett's and get pick up the Charmed flowers for me. I just spoke to her by the Floo, she'll be expecting you."

"Got it," she said brightly. She hadn't been on a broom in ages...

"Just remember to stay low! Don't need Muggles spotting you!" she called over her shoulder, as Ginny went out through the back door.

It was a beautiful summer's day. Warm and sunny, but with a light, pleasant breeze. Flowers were in full bloom through out the garden. She almost wanted to kick off her shoes and go barefoot in the soft grass.

Despite everything happening lately... the events of the war... the possibility of Hogwarts closing... she knew everything would be perfect for tomorrow.

Until, without warning, someone put a hand over her mouth and the world went black.

***

"... and then I woke up, just a moment before you came in."

The two were quiet for a few moments. Ginny thought about her mother... did she know? Did anyone notice yet that she was missing? It must morning when she set out to the Fawcetts' and it was late in the night. But - the wedding - it was only hours away...

"Look," she said, clearing her throat. "I know you're supposed to be a complete bastard and all, but I don't know what you want with me - just let me go, okay? My brother's getting married in just a few hours and I have to go home -"

"Let you go?" he said. "Sure thing, except I'm not holding you. Ask my father."

"Your father...?"

"And if you do find a way out, be sure to tell me, will you?"

"You mean...?"

"That's right. Looks like We're both stuck in here, for the time being."

"But - this is your bedroom, why are you stuck in here? And Lucius Mal - I mean, your father - he's in Azkaban."

"One, I've been living like a prisoner, since... since that night - " (She knew what he meant.) "- and two, of course he escaped. This morning."

She felt pity for him immediately, despite herself. The boy next to her was not the one she knew - the slick, arrogant Slytherin who made fun of her Valentine in first year... tortured Harry and Ron all those years... He was much skinnier now, and looked like he had been sick for a long time. And she was believing what he came out of his mouth - he seemed ... surprisingly sincere. And weary. Her certainly looked like a prisoner.

"I just want to go to bed, all right?" he said, getting up and walking to the dresser again. "That's what I wanted to do when I came in... I just didn't expect you. I'm exhausted, Weasley." He found pajamas - dark green again, of course - and of expensive material, so it did not suit his fatigued body. He began to pull off his robes when he turned around and stared back at Ginny.

"Oh... right," she said, blushing turning around to face the headboard of the bed.

"You sleep on the bed, Weasley," she heard him say. "I'll be on the floor."

She hesitated for a moment. "I can't let you do that - it's cold - and... and you don't look so good. I'll be fine on the floor myself," she said to the wall.

"Can't let a lady guest sleep on the floor while I take over the nice, comfy bed." She could almost see the infamous Malfoy smirk on his face, at the very moment.

"Be serious," she said. "Er... I think the bed's certainly big enough for two people."

"You can turn around now," he said. "You sure now?" he smirked again. Ginny however, now facing him, noticed the usual malice was gone from his smirk - and even wondered he was faking it.

"Yes."

***

The room was completely dark. Ginny was usually an easy sleeper - all she had to do was lay her head on her pillow and she would be out within five minutes. Now however... she was tense. She didn't want to make any moves so stayed still on her back, firmly on one side of the bed, while Malfoy's even breaths could be heard from the other. He couldn't have possibly fallen asleep that quickly.

"Malfoy?" she whispered.

He sighed. "What?" His voice was soft, as he lied on his side, with his back to her.

"You know why your father brought me here, don't you?"

Silence.

Ginny didn't know whether she should go on - but being in the complete darkness, not being able to see each other's faces, made it easier. She wanted to keep going.

"Tell me."

Silence.

"Is there also a reason why I was left just in my underwear?" she asked quietly.

He turned, so that he now faced her. Perhaps her eyes had gotten used to the lac kof light, but she saw that it wasn't completely dark after all. She could see the faint outline of his light hair, the lights in his eyes...

"I'll tell you," he said slowly. "But you won't like it."

"Try me."