Smear

Chapter One

Staring outside from her bedroom window into the backyard, Ginny watched her father and mother talking very animatedly to some of the news reporters that happened upon their doorstep that morning.

Ron was less than thrilled at the prospect of the Burrow becoming a publicity spot, mainly because he seemed to be feeling embarrassed about where he used to live. He liked it there well enough, but he knew, once there were pictures of the house circulating, people would comment about the conditions of the garden or something small, then his mother's feelings would be hurt.

"This is ridiculous," Bill murmured as he watched Ginny. He came into the rather small room and looked around. He saw his sister's expression and grinned. "No, no. Not your room. Those reporters out there - they're demanding so much of them."

Ginny sighed. "Dad isn't too keen on them being here, and neither is Mum, but we have to make the best of it."

"Why don't they tell them all to bugger off and let us enjoy our Saturday morning?" Ron shouted from the hall as he wandered in. "Fred and George are coming up too, and they're not happy either."

"All we need are Harry and Hermione to come now," said Ginny softly under her breath. No sooner had she spoken did she hear her mother voice a greeting. "Oh, I wasn't serious."

There was a loud crack and there was Harry, grinning and pushing his untidy hair from his eyes, which landed on Ginny.

"Hi," he said.

She didn't even acknowledge that she had heard him, as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. Misunderstanding her rigidness, he sighed deeply. "I know you're mad that they're here, Gin."

"I'm mad you're here," she said quietly, taking his hands and pushing him away. "You should leave."

"Why?" He sounded genuinely confused.

"Why?" Ginny asked, laughing softly.

When she turned around to face him, she noticed that her brothers had cleared off. She went to the table by the side of her bed and pulled out a small wooden box, which she thrust at him.

"Oh," was all he said as he picked up the first envelope that was on top of many. "About that..."

"Yes," hissed Ginny. "I'd like to hear about that. I suppose you were too busy fuc-"

"Ginny!" Harry snapped. "It wasn't like that at all. I was busy, but I wasn't doing that."

"Then why did you send them back?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes. "I wrote you every day for a month."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

There was a knock on the door and before Ginny could tell whoever it was to go away, the door opened, revealing a concerned looking bushy-haired woman.

"Ginny," Hermione started, frowning.

"No, you don't get to talk!" the petite redhead snarled. "You lied to me, over and over, just to save your own skin. Friends don't do that."

"I'm-"

"I asked you," Ginny said softly, as if she had never been interrupted, "if you were going on your vacation alone and you told me yes."

"Gin-" Hermione pleaded, trying to make her listen.

"Will you shut up?" Ginny shouted, stunning the other girl. "You knew I was still struggling with my feelings for Harry, so I guess you thought it'd be best to lie and ask him to go to Paris with you to make him feel better."

She moved forward and opened the door to the hall, and as she slammed it, the most satisfying silence met her ears. She strolled downstairs to join her brothers for lunch.

Bill, Fred, George and Ron were hovering around the sink when she came into the kitchen. None of them looked very happy.

"What's up?" Ginny asked.

"You look angry," Bill noted as he looked at her. "Had a nice row with Harry?"

"And Hermione," said Ginny as she walked across the room and peered outside. Arthur and Molly were sitting at one of the picnic tables, both looking very upset about something. "Why doesn't anyone go out there to see what's wrong?"

"We would," said George. "But Fred's already got in trouble when he went out there while the reporters were here, so Mum's a bit short-tempered."

"She could have just told me where the pot was, so I didn't have to interrupt her," Fred said defensively. "Gin, why don't you go? You're their baby; they can't get mad at you."

"You're kidding, right?" said Ginny, staring at him.

"You had a row with Harry and Hermione?" Ron said.

Everyone stared at him.

"It doesn't matter," she said, getting a glass from the cupboard and pouring herself some water. "They won't be here long."

"How do you know?" Bill asked.

"Harry hates uncomfortable situations," said Ginny. "Or at least he did when we were together."

"Maybe," Bill said thoughtfully. "Maybe it's easier to just let go."

"Could you let go of Fleur?" Ginny asked him.

"That would be very hard," he said, frowning. "But I think I could given time."

Ginny walked past him and stood at the backdoor. "You were never a good liar," she told him as she walked across the grass. "Hi," she said softly.

"Oh, hello," Arthur said. "What brings you out here?"

"No one else would come," Ginny said shrugging, sitting down next to Molly. "They're all afraid Mum will yell at them."

"I only yelled at Fred because he was interrupting us and the reporters," exclaimed Molly rather hastily. "It's not my fault he doesn't know where a simple pot is located."

"So why do you look upset then?" Ginny asked.

"The Ministry is having a banquet next weekend, and for some reason the reporters decided it would have been a good idea to interview the families attending." Arthur explained. "Furthermore, it is suggested that we 'swap' dates when we arrive, though I'm not exactly sure why."

"So, we will be taken from our dates and instructed to spend the evening with someone else entirely?" said Ginny. "Oh, that's not so bad."

Molly looked at her daughter and let out a tiny snort. "You're going to change your mind when you find out who you're paired with."

Before Ginny could reply, however, there was a loud bang from inside. Someone stood in the doorway, staring at them. His lip was curled disdainfully and his long blonde hair was tied back away from his cruel, hard, gray eyes.

Lucius Malfoy stepped onto the lawn and looked less than thrilled about being there. as Arthur stood up as he approached. The two men stared at each other for a few moments before someone spoke.

"I'm not going to be his date," said Ginny with a hiss.

Lucius smirked. "It's not me that you will be accompanying that night, but my son, Draco. Surely you remember him, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny's eyes widened and she pulled nervously at a strand of hair. "Yes, I remember what I spoiled brat your son was. Has he changed in the last two years?"

"I see you still have such lovely manners, Weasley," drawled a familiar voice. The former Slytherin took a look around as he stepped up beside his father. His eyes held Ginny's for a minute or two, but he said nothing more.

"He's my date?" said Ginny, clearly appalled. "You're not serious."

"Believe me," said Draco, frowning. "I'm quite unhappy with this arrangement as well."

"I think I'm going to throw up," whispered Ginny.

"Well thank you," Malfoy said, brushing a hand through his hair. "Usually that's a reaction people have when they see Wormtail, not me."

Ginny's lips twitched and she let out a tiny laugh.

"See?" he said, smirking. "I'm not too bad."

"I still don't like this idea," said Ginny. "You're still how I pictured you at school."

Draco smiled thinly and scratched his chin. "Looks can be deceiving, you know that. Or have you forgotten?"

She stared at him but didn't say anything.

"How can you live in this filth?" Draco asked, looking behind him at the house. They had taken a few more steps toward each other without realizing it, their actions seen by none as the others disappeared.

Her eyes narrowed.

Draco rolled his eyes and took a seat on top of the picnic table, but not before checking for anything that might leave him dirty. He folded his hands and rested them on his knees and stared at her.l.

"Your parents have abducted my father," he observed. "He's likely to have a heart attack in that shack you call a home."

"Will you stop?" Ginny asked, twisting her hand around her hair. "And stop looking so disgusted by everything, it makes you look ugly."

He smirked at her and chuckled. "I think Pansy will be angry when she sees me with you."

"Oh, so you still talk to her? I thought maybe she'd gotten so annoying that you just told her off."

"She's calmed down since she started seeing Blaise," Draco said, glancing at her. Her expression amused him. "Yes, I know. I looked the same way when I found out."

"That's different," said Ginny, idly swinging her foot. "I always thought Pansy was in love with you."

"She was in love with my money," Draco scoffed. "She had quite enough of her own when the time came for it, but she wanted mine. She wanted the Malfoy name and everything associated with it."

"What a bitch."

"Careful, Weasley," Draco said. "That mouth of yours might get you into trouble one day." He grinned when she glared at him and then turned his attention to the sky. "It's going to rain," he murmured.

"How do you-" Ginny started, but stopped as she felt something drip onto her shoulder. "We should go inside before it starts to pour."

He nodded and slipped off the table, and as they headed inside, he sighed. Inside the kitchen were Molly, Arthur, and practically shoved in a tiny corner, Lucius.

"I'm not an expert or anything, but I think that maybe if you really don't like the way they live that that is not the best place for you," said Draco, smirking. "But that's just me."

"Why are we still here?" his father hissed, looking thoroughly uncomfortable as his gray eyes narrowed at his son. "I brought you here so you could back out of this and pick someone worthy when you found out who your date would be."

"You weren't supposed to say anything," replied Draco, brushing a hand through his shaggy, blonde hair. "But you just had to assume I would want someone else. Ginny's not so bad, and I've grown up. Clearly, I'm the only one."

Lucius came forward, idly swinging his cane, and stared at Draco. "Why would you want to even spend a moment with this vermin?"

"I think that's enough," Molly hissed through clenched teeth. "You are aware, Lucius, that this banquet is for charity and not your personal gain, so it should not matter whom your son is paired with, as long as he enjoys himself."

"We're leaving," Lucius said, glaring around him.

"I actually had a good time talking to you, Weasley," Draco said, giving her a small smile as he turned his head. "I guess I'll see you next weekend then."

They disappeared with a loud crack and Ginny looked around, raising an eyebrow.

"We sent them away," Molly said as she sat down. "There was too much tension as it was, and I knew one of them would give that boy a hard time."

Ginny wondered, as she left the kitchen and went into her room, how everyone would react to learn that Draco Malfoy was her date for the banquet.