The Perfect Plan

Chapter ten

The Perfect Plan

When the Joke Becomes Reality

~*~~*~~*~

"Well at least they haven't killed each other yet. That gives us more of a chance than we had before."

"Yeah I guess so. The fact that they can be civil for more than a day is reassuring." She turned back towards the direction they had come from. They had been walking for a while, he followed suit saying what he knew she was thinking. "Do you think it was wise to leave them in the house alone? I mean I know it's a good sign but we haven't left them alone for almost a week now, what if they were just waiting for us to go?"

"I doubt that - ." There was a noise in the bushes. "What was that?"

"What? I didn't hear anything." Cordelia looked around warily where she heard the noise. Usually she would have picked something up by now.

"I swear I just heard something over there." She took cautious steps to a large bush that swayed in the light breeze.

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know, Jacques said there were a lot of animals in these forests."

"He also said that the ones at this part of Mont Blanc were not dangerous, we're near the bottom where muggle animals are. Magical creatures know better than to wander down here."

"Oh they do, do th-." She heard a branch snap behind her. She swung around, almost knocking Chayse over. "Now I know I heard that," she said worried.

"Cordy relax, there's probably nothing there."

"Fine, but I did not agree to be really killed. I don't see why you can't be hurt."

"Well you know I would but - your mum doesn't seem to warm to me like I thought. Plus my Father's more susceptible to female injuries."

"Really," she said in a sarcastic tone. "And I suppose you're about to say he's a sucker for a tear or two."

"Oh come on, no man likes to see a woman cry. Even if it isn't our fault you make us feel like it is. You're all evil in that way if you ask me. Plus it would seem heroic because you're saving me from it, seeing as you're older -."

"Ah ha! I knew it! You're still moping because I get to be the eldest, Merlin you are so sad!"

"I am not nor have I ever moped." He turned his nose to the air and continued walking. Cordelia just laughed quietly and watched him go a few steps. Her hearing was not fooling her though when she saw the bushes move again and she swore she could hear growling but seeing as nothing showed its face, she ignored it and fell into step with him still looking at the bush as she walked away.

***

"What are you doing?" He looked at the large bowl of chicken soaking in liquid as he entered the kitchen. The liquid was now pinkish from the raw chicken and seasoning, and it had bits of herbs and spices floating in it that smelled good even though the chicken was raw.

Ginny turned around to look at him at the door. "I'm cutting tomatoes, is that okay with you?" she said in a sarcastic tone.

He walked in. "You cook?" he asked

"No, I slice tomatoes for fun and then I order out." She gave a fake smile.

"Funny." He matched her smile with even more fakeness.

"No, no really it's true, I season chicken and cut up vegetables and put on the frying pan for no other reason but to sit and watch it whilst I sit and owl out for take out food. It's quite refreshing. Uh huh, you should try it, its fun."

"Okay, you can stop now."

She laughed, "I'm sorry but what did it look like I was doing? Do you think I starve every night or something?"

He sighed in annoyance. "Where's Astie?"

"Well he took my daughter out for a walk about an hour ago. I haven't heard from them but he assured me that she was in good hands. Frankly it's his hands that I'm worried about but from the reaction I get every time I bring up the subject-."

"Oh you mean the 'Eew, that's disgusting,' thing? Yeah I get that too."

"Yeah, well from that I don't think I have anything to worry about but it still irks me."

"Why?"

"Because of his father." She cocked an eyebrow and turned back to the cutting board.

"What was that about his father? I'm sorry you'll have to repeat."

She shook her head saying, "Nothing, forget I said anything."

"Mmm hmm, well if you worry about him then there's no reason I shouldn't worry about her considering."

Ginny turned with an insulted face. "Excuse me, considering what exactly?" she said in an over exaggerated voice. She waved the knife cautiously in front of him daring him to continue.

He did continue, as if there was nothing there. "I just mean considering who her mother is I wouldn't blame him if she put the moves on him."

"You disgusting, irresponsible - oh, of all the offensive - and cruel and most utter evil things to say! I cannot believe that I just heard that, have you got no common decency? W-." She was cut off as he came at her pulling the knife away and pressed himself against her towards the cabinet in a kiss.

***

"I think here's a good a spot as any." Chayse sat on a small pile of dried leaves and dropped the bag he was carrying on the floor.

"So I guess we have to sit on the hard ground then."

"Unless you want to be expelled from school for using under-aged magic, yes," he smiled up at her before pulling her to the ground. She dropped her wand in front of her, she still didn't trust these woods.

"Well, in that case how do you intend to create these wounds? We'll need magic to make them won't we?" she said matter of factly.

He laughed knowingly. "I knew you were going to ask that. I told you to come to the meeting on Wednesday but you just had to finish your assignment didn't you? Well my dearest - to be - sister, I thought of that already and told little Miss Mara to contact her father and her uncle."

"Which one?"

"The twin of her father of course. Who else runs one of the most successful joke shops in Hogsmeade?" He pulled out a sandwich bag of what could only be described as two pieces of flesh surrounded by a mass of red liquid.

"Ah." It was all she needed to say.

"I activated them on the train so watch yourself it'll run on your clothes, but she did," he said pulling out a piece of parchment, "include in her instructions, very detailed might I add, that the stains can be removed with a presoak in hot water." He nodded in approval handing the bag to her.

She held it at arms length because it looked like it would spill any second. She now saw why Chayse really didn't want to do this on himself. It looked disgusting. She winced.

"Don't worry, it bleeds to no more than necessary to prevent leakage and fuses itself on any body part for as long as you need it."

Snap. "That's not-." She turned around. She definitely heard something this time. She got onto her knees and peered over Chayse head, he was surprising taller than she was and she had always disliked that about him. There was a huge tree that towered above them that shielded them from the sun and any sudden rain and around its trunk was another bush that surrounded it immense and thick.

"Chayse, did you hear that?"

"Not again, Cordelia stop hearing things there's nothing here." Her eyes widened as he spoke but she wasn't looking at him she was looking at the grayish - purple creature that had emerged out of the bushes behind him. It towered over Chayse's sitting and unaware form with two extremely sharp horns pointing out from its head looking at her wand in front of him. It looked extremely dangerous and it probably was. One thing for sure, this was no muggle animal.

"Chayse, move - slowly - towards - me."

"What, why?" She didn't answer she just lowered her gaze to him and spoke directly to him in a low and calm manner, sudden movements and sounds were what they needed least at that moment.

"Shh," she said softly. "Just do it. Please."

"Cordelia what is wrong with you? Are you still upset about what you're hearing, there's nothing here but muggle animals. Honestly Cordy you have to stop being so paranoid."

Her eyes bore into his and he became serious when he looked at them, the normal pale blue he was used to had become dark and deathly serious. "Chayse, it's not paranoia when it's really there. Behind you." She pointed to it with her eyes hoping he'd get the hint.

"Wh - what?" He cautiously turned around to meet the brown eyes of an animal he had never seen before. "Cordy, what is that?" he asked in a terrified voice.

"I don't know, but don't make any sudden moves 'cos you might make it angry."

Then there was another snap on the ground of the forest. Oh Merlin, please don't let that be another one. The second it sounded though, she took it as a chance because the creature turned its head to where the sound had come from and turned slightly. She grabbed hold of the hood from Chayse's jacket with one hand and her wand in the other and pulled him up and they both began to run for their lives.

***

The knife dropped to the floor and her hands reached up around his neck pulling him toward her. His hands crept lower around the skirt of her blouse reaching under it. It was then that reality hit and she grasped what was going on. She brought her hands down to his chest and pushed him away.

"No."

"Why?" he asked exasperated.

"Because I promised myself." She bent down to pick up the knife.

"You what?"

"I - never mind," she sighed as she washed it off and continued to cut up the vegetables.

"No, I will not forget. I have been trying very hard not to look at you, not to feel you around me but you're here. I - I guess I can't help myself."

Ginny laughed bitterly.

He looked at her confused. "What?"

"You know, for years after I left I kept wondering 'why?'" She continued cutting as she spoke. "I was gone for ten years and I couldn't understand why you didn't even try to find me." She looked up at the ceiling and rested down her hands on the counter. "I spent hours at night just crying over you. I felt so stupid because it was obvious you could let me go but I couldn't, I just couldn't get you out of my head. I guess in a way I never have." She shrugged and continued chopping. "Then a week ago you tell me that you never forgot me and you convict me of forgetting you first when I thought it was the other way around. It was then I understood why I left and you just proved it to me." She could feel his asking expression. "'You can't help yourself.' I tried to convince you that I left for that same reason but the truth of the matter is that I've been trying to convince myself of that every damn day for the past fifteen years. You just proved to me that I made the right choice to stay away." She laughed in a nervous way not believing that she was confessing all of this to him after bottling it up for so long.

"I returned once, you know, to check up on things." He lifted his head at that. "I heard that your wife had died and I was horrified and so sorry. But what horrified me the most-." Her voice wavered and she almost broke down. "Merlin I can't believe I'm telling you this, you'll hate me." She wiped away her tears and carried on. "What horrified me the most was of what I thought about you that same night I was told. I thought, 'five years of his wife being dead and he couldn't even try to find me, he couldn't even think of me.'" The knife dropped on the counter and her hands went to her face shielding the tears that fell freely. He moved forward to comfort her but the second she felt him near she pushed him away. "No, no I don't deserve that. I felt so ashamed of myself I didn't think that anyone who thought something like that deserved happiness at all, so I left again. I knew that when Cordelia started school, there would be the risk of running into you on the platform but I managed." She laughed emptily. "I always manage."

She turned to face him for the first time since she started talking. She waited until she sobered a little before speaking with a straight face, though her voice was still croaking. "I am so sorry about Pansy and I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you when you needed someone, but I had to stay away. Your son needed you and he still does and I didn't want to get in the way of that. I love you so much but you have to understand, I had to." She sniffed and let out a whimper as she leaned against the counter.

Draco moved over to the counter and leaned next to her. "I understand, Ginny, but what about you?" he said to her after handing her a tea towel to dry her tears.

"What about me?"

"Your husband died before you even had your daughter, you raised her alone as well and from what I see you did a very good job."

She spoke from behind the tea towel, her eyes peeked over the top. "Really?" she said muffled.

He nodded, "Yes really."

They stood there for a while in a comfortable silence. She sniffed again and this time smiled at him. "Well, I guess Chayse isn't so bad." He always had this way of making you feel better even though you know things were still a mess. "I still don't want him near my daughter though," she said quickly.

"What?" he said caught off guard. He hadn't expected that. "Why not, he's a descent boy. I see no reason for you to hold back."

She turned again to continue with the lettuce for the salad. "Malfoy, just trust me on this. Let's make it easy for the boy to grow up normal."

"Normal?"

"Yes, you really want him to go out with a Weasley?"

"Why not? I did."

She laughed, "That was different."

"Different how?" he said defensively.

"Our - relationship was brought upon by intense situations of the war. If it hadn't been for the fact I could have died I may never have seen you the way I did."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that if I hadn't saved your life you wouldn't have slept with me?"

"Yes, if you want to put it that way."

"Do you have any idea how unethical that sounds?"

"Well you do have a talent for making things sound that way."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do, you could make a trip by the minister to the toilet sound like a sly innuendo."

"I cannot!" he answered defensively. But after a moments thought he continued. "Unless he's being followed by his first secretary, then that's just common sense."

"You're doing it now!" she laughed. "You can't just let things alone the way they are. You have to stir it to a boiling point."

Draco found he was speechless. She was right and he hated it. "Urgh," he said huffily and grabbed a handful of diced carrots to throw at her.

"Ah!" she shrieked as they found their way into her hair and down her blouse. He followed them with his eyes.

"I could help to get them out if you want." He moved forward to oblige her when the knife came up to ward him off.

"Touch me and I'll dice you, Malfoy." She said picking carrot out of her hair. "Oh you are so going to pay for that!" She picked up a wet handful of tomato and squashed it into his face.

***

They ran for what seemed like forever until they came to a small clearing in the forest. The leaves on the ground crunched under their feet so every move they made was echoed through the trees.

"Where to now?" she said on the brink of tears.

"I don't know. Um - where are we?"

"Wha- !" she exclaimed louder than she would have liked. She fixed her tone and repeated herself much lower than before. "What!"

"I don't think I've ever been here before, I don't recognize any of this." He looked around desperately trying to find his bearings.

"You come here every year and you have no idea where we are?" she said exasperated.

"I come here with my father, he practically grew up here. He knows where we go, I just follow him."

"And you never thought to look around in case you get lost?"

"I never had to I was with him, we never got lost."

"Oh for Merlin's sa-." There were rhythmic crunching leaves coming up fast behind them.

"Oh god! What do we do!"

"Run!"

They parted ways around a tree and ran parallel but further apart from each other. Cordelia turned to her left and saw the creature was following Chayse and not her, its head was near the ground with its horns bearing across ready to strike as it looked at its target. Chayse was running a lot faster than he ever had and at the back of her mind she stored that memory to laugh at later, right now she knew she had to do something.

She ran diagonal to them just as the creature was about to stake him in the shoulder and pushed him out of the way. Chayse met the ground in a rolling heap of leaves, when he finally stopped he sat up to see Cordelia still running from the animal up a mound. He saw her look around not noticing the tree that she was about to collide with. She turned to notice it but couldn't stop in time and hit her left shoulder falling down on the ground behind the mound of earth they had both run up. He couldn't see her then but he heard her scream as the animal ran into her, its horns driving through her.

"No!" he screamed.

***

"Ow! Ow! My eye, my eye!" He placed his hand on the cutting board to steady himself as his other hand went to his right eye. She dropped the knife on the counter as she tried to take a look at it. Being Malfoy, he just kept it away from her. "Don't touch me, you'll make it worse!" Is he laughing?

"Oh my - oh - I'm so sorry are you alright?" she fussed. Then she froze and screamed as the seasoning from the chicken poured slickly through her hair and down her back. It was cold and smelled of sage and thyme.

"You - evil - bastard - liar!" she said as it trailed inside her blouse. "Oh that's disgusting and the floor - look at what you've done to the floor!" She tried to move, but as she did so she slipped. Grabbing hold of Malfoy to steady her was truly the worst idea she could have had as he slipped and fell right down with her.

He fell crossways on top of her chest knocking the wind out of her. "Ow, my stomach. Get off me! You're not light you know." He slowly moved so that he wasn't sprawled across her but as he did so his hand slipped and he fell down once again with his head by her neck.

She could feel his breathing on her neck and felt warmth spread through her despite the cold wetness of the floor. As he tried to rise again she lay deathly still to prevent herself from the desire of grabbing him and kissing him again. He brought his head over her and the front of his hair dropped seasoning on her cheek. He smiled. "Sorry," he said as he wiped it off with his hand.

She smiled at him and tried to focus on something else other than his face, but as soon as the warmth of his hand touched her cheek her eyes centered on his completely. They stared at each other for a while before her frustration got the better of her and she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him onto her.

His weight pressing against her chest made her unable to breathe but she didn't care. The cold from the floor leaked through the back of her blouse but she didn't care. The chicken's juices were what did it.

"Wait," she said finally.

"What now?" he said.

"This is not romantic at all. I have carrot down my blouse that you're pressing into my chest and they're hard. I have juice of chicken creeping in through my back and it's cold and wet and the floor is hard, I don't know if you've noticed cos I kind of cushioned your fall but it is extremely hard," she laughed.

Laughing, Draco slowly raised himself up and put out a hand to help Ginny up too. She cautiously took his hand and gripped it tight incase he had the bright idea to let her go.

"Thank you," she said making her way to a dry part of the kitchen that wasn't swimming in chicken seasoning. She surveyed the damage. Bits of vegetables and chicken juices were all over the kitchen. Tomato dripped down the sides of the cabinets and the bowl of chicken seasoning was poured on the floor and down her back and hair leaving the pieces to lay bare. "Well, I hope you know I'm not cleaning this."

Draco joined her on the dry area and picked out a small piece of chicken fat from her hair. "And I hope you know, I'm not eating that." They both laughed.

"Right, take out it is then."