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Draco Malfoy’s life began to change after he attended a mixer held at the Ministry of Magic atrium four weeks ago. He has worked in the Department of Magical Games the last three years, and any opportunity for free liqueur, the Malfoy heir was there. He was single; it made sense for him to attend, though when he bumped shoulders with Hermione Granger, accidentally spilling her glass of wine that he offered her to buy her another drink. They had spent the evening chatting about her career within Department of Magical Law, and it was nice enough evening that Draco asked her to dinner the following Friday night, which she agreed without hesitation.
It was another companionable evening at his favorite Pub, chatting about work and frustrations, it was almost like a budding friendship. Though Draco had always a rather small inner circle, though this new “mate” had given a chaste kiss goodnight before she departed. Hermione had surprised him with this move, but it was pleasant enough that he didn’t react beyond when he murmured, “Good night, Granger.” The next weekend was a charity gala, and she attended with him as his plus one, which went fine, until she had extended an invitation to have dinner at the Weasley residence the Burrow on the following Sunday.
His face couldn’t hide the incredulity that he felt when Hermione confined that Mrs. Molly Weasley extended the invitation. They didn’t have true labels on this relationship, he didn’t consider Hermione to be his girlfriend, but he didn’t want to offend the matriarch. His long-time friend Pansy Parkinson was dating Ronald Weasley, and if Pansy was welcome, Draco certainly wasn’t too out of the picture, so he agreed with a little trepidation.
So this fateful Sunday, when he arrived with a bottle of Firewhisky he was given a warm welcome from the household apart from Ginny Weasley who seemed very surprised with his presence. He hadn’t seen the youngest Weasley in three years, since he began his career in the Department of Magical Games. Ginny had joined the Holyhead Harpies for less than year before she was transferred to play Quidditch in the Americas for a new all-female team, the Boston Banshees. It seemed that her attendance tonight was a rarity as Mrs. Weasley fussed on her daughter until he overheard that she arrived home for good tonight as she rejoined the Harpies.
When the Sunday roast was ready, Draco found himself seated between Hermione on his left and Ginny on his right. The chairs were in such close-proximity that he couldn’t help but lean to his side a bit when he reached for a bowl of potatoes that the pleasant whiff of Ginny’s warm vanilla perfume coiled beneath his nose. It had been so long that Draco had seen the redhead that the dusting of freckles on her skin had only multiplied since then, and her skin seemed to glow golden from her time in the sun in the States.
He listened to Ginny speaking animatedly to her elder twin brothers who were brainstorming about a new line of products and Draco felt a stirring in his gut when he couldn’t tear his eyes from her pretty profile. She was the most gorgeous witch in school, and the happy flush on her cheeks just seemed to blossom her beauty. He shook himself as he picked up his glass of pumpkin juice, finding himself thirstier than he expected. His glass was nearly empty when he placed it back down, and he picked up his fork to spear a piece of roast before the gleeful giggles of Ginny had his eyes drawn to her once more.
Then there was a soft tap on his shoulder from Hermione that had his attention, so he had to bodily turn to answer a question about a Ministry event that Percy Weasley also attended. The spectacled Weasley asked Draco what he thought of the event, and he shrugged as he answered truthfully, “It was fine, they had good scotch.” Before turning back to his plate and catching Pansy’s eye who gave him a shrewd look as she was seated across him between Ron and Harry who were loudly talking about something going about something going on within the Aurors.
“Malfoy, pass me a pasty please,” Ginny whispered in his right ear which sent gooseflesh along his neck before he stretched out his arm to scoop up a flakey pastry and placed it gingerly onto her plate. She chirped, “Thanks!” Before she took a bite and Ginny seemed to hum with pleasure. Draco choked out, “You’re welcome,” but it was that noises she made that he wished he could bottle up to replay later in bed, and that thought was a dangerous thing to consider. As he lifted up his glass took a deep pull from it until nothing was left.
After supper was finished, it seemed almost natural for Draco to get up to join the Quidditch enthusiasts onto the field for a game. Seated on a worn bench was Pansy who fanned herself with a hand, and Hermione who brought a book for the occasion. It seems Ginny’s career as professional Quidditch player had perks as almost everyone had a Nimbus 2000 in the shack that they stored their equipment in, only not for himself and Harry.
Harry had the same Firebolt from their time at school, and all that remained in the shack was a decrepit Cleansweep that was probably held together only by wood-glue and sheer willpower in the old broom. Draco’s own Nimbus 2000 was at home, but he didn’t want to not look like a good sport so he kept his complaints to himself. Ginny offered to trade, but he waved off her concerns and couldn’t help but grin when she said, “You’ll just have to bring your own broom next Sunday.” He followed her into the sky, and he called out, “I get Ginny on my team!”
They won by a landslide, Draco playing Seeker who happened to grab the snitch as it flew secured the match, but it was almost laughable at the shocked expressions on everyone’s face when he held out the wiggly golden orb. His team cheered as they all flew down onto the lawn, and the twins who played beaters on the opposite team had patted him on the shoulders which made him wince.
“We won!” Ginny was smiling so happily that it was so infectious for him to smile back at her as she practically launched herself to give him a huge hug. Draco’s eyes widened in surprise he wasn’t sure what to do when she released him just as fast to turn to give her brother Charlie a hug who played Keeper on their team. Harry wasn’t on their team, and Draco watched on as the dark-haired wizard pulled Ginny into an almost possessive hug. She squirmed against Harry’s hold with a laugh, and she squealed, “Harry, you lost, let me go!”
The following Friday, Hermione and him were seated at his usual Pub eating dinner, but as she chattered on, Draco’s thoughts just circled around that he was going to see Ginny again at the Burrow in two days. If the witch seated across from him seemed to notice he was distracted, she didn’t let on, and he departed first after paying for their meal Draco called out, “See you on Sunday!”
So that Sunday when Draco arrived via the Floo network, he cradled in his arms a bottle of Firewhisky and his own Nimbus 2000. Bill Weasley took the Firewhisky for him and held it up to inform the residence, “Good man. He has secured himself a weekly spot.” The twins whistled and crowed loudly until Mrs. Weasley started hitting them with a dishcloth before Ginny appeared by his side to grab his broomstick. “I’ll put this where it belongs!” She called out over her shoulder, and Draco felt jealousy burning in his gut when Harry followed her outside.
Someone tapped him on the back, and he turned around to see Hermione who had a tight expression on her face with a seemingly new scarf around her neck. There is a heat wave, maybe she’s getting sick? He thought that before he also realized that she also must have bought a new perfume because her usual powdery-rose scent was replaced by strong smoky fragrance, so Draco asked, “Did you get a new perfume?” Her cheeks flamed with colour before she shook her head and wandered over to the kitchen.
That was odd, he thought before Ginny reappeared with a more sullen-looking Harry wandering in behind her. Draco had an easy smile on his face as he asked her about the next Harpy match, and it was truly adorable to witness how her nose wrinkled in concentration when she recalled the plays they did during practice yesterday. It was so nice how easy it was to talk to Ginny, conversing with a pretty girl who had the same interests as him made his stomach flutter and her face flushed with genuine happiness when Draco mentioned he would attend the next Harpy match.
There was a racing desire inside him to reach out to touch her, but before he could act on it Pansy stalked forward to demand, “Draco, I need to speak with you.” He recognized that frigid tone, and Ron stood behind her with his hands up in defensive-pose that clearly implied, ‘Better you than me, mate’ and Ginny giggled before she turned around to help her Mum arrange the table. Pansy led him away from the leaning house to be out of ear sight before she hit his arm with a hard slap, “I cannot believe your audacity!” Draco flinched as he asked, “What did I do? That hurt, Pans.”
Pansy’s eyes were narrowed into slits as she hissed at him, “You need to breakup with Granger first if you are going to pursue the Weaslette.” Draco blinked in surprise as he said slowly with genuine confusion, “We aren’t officially dating.” Her look of incredulity that she gave him could have killed a weaker man as she said, “Granger thinks you are her boyfriend and you flirting with Ginny is the reason that she’s been spending time with Viktor Krum!” Draco shrugged before he said, “Oh, good for her. I thought Krum liked her when they went to the Yule Ball together.” He dodged the next strike that Pansy aimed at his head before she yelled, “I heard the Bulgarian Bon-Bon is warming her bed and you don’t even care!”
They obviously didn’t walk far enough away from the Burrow as there was a loud gasp from behind them and they turned around to see Hermione’s redden face with an embarrassed expression. She unwound the scarf from around her neck, revealing large purple-hickeys apparently curtesy of Viktor Krum. Before Draco could say anything Hermione snapped, “Thanks for informing me that we weren’t dating, Malfoy,” and she disapparated from the spot. He should feel some semblance of guilt, but Ginny walked out the door to call out to them that dinner was ready, and he immediately felt compelled to follow the redhead indoors.
Dinner was once again a lively affair even though Hermione’s seated remained empty. Draco used the opportunity to keep Ginny in conversation, and every time her face flushed before she let out a pleased giggle, it made his heart race. They all rose from the table to go out to the Quidditch field, and Ginny selected him as their Seeker this time.
It felt as easy as breathing for Draco to follow her vanilla perfume into the air when Ginny swept past him and her fiery hair drawing his eyes always back to her throughout the game. They won once more, and this time as soon they descend to the field, even with all her brother’s watching, it felt only natural to gather her into his arms with a celebratory kiss.