Chapter Text
“What’s your poison?” Ginny asked from behind the bar.
“Emotionally unavailable women” the man replied. She chuckled and looked up, meeting with his eyes and immediately feeling her blood turn cold. Draco Malfoy was sitting on the other side, looking back at her with that smirk that she’d always hated. Malfoy had become very skilled at tracking people down after Voldemort’s death, earning quite a reputation for himself. It made sense, he became very good at disguise magic after his family had been disgraced and tabloids wrote constantly about how awful the Malfoys were, in order to avoid being seen in public. She’d heard that he’d gotten into it because he was bored. He didn’t need to work, being old money and all, but it helped pass the time. Of course, he didn’t need to wear a disguise in this muggle bar. No one but her would have any idea who he was.
Ginny had been living primarily as a muggle in America for a little over a year now. She’d almost stopped worrying that someone would find her.
“I want something that suits my mood,” he said, with that stupid sarcastic smile still plastered across his smug face.
“Sorry, we’re all out of liquid evil,” she retorted, as she wiped the bar down and avoided eye contact. It was the middle of the day so the bar was practically empty, save for a young woman at the end drinking a beer on her lunch break. Ginny often saw her during odd hours and sometimes wondered if she was an alcoholic.
“Then a whiskey will do” he replied, his face suddenly serious. She poured him a whiskey and passed it to him across the bar.
“So, how’d you find me?” she asked, plainly.
“It wasn’t easy, I’ll give you that much, Weasley.” he said, taking a sip from the whiskey she had prepared. “I’ve been looking for you for six months. You barely left a trace. I’m actually kind of impressed.”
“Yeah, well. That wasn’t an accident. I didn’t want to be found.” Her face hardened, leaving Draco to wonder if he should prepare to defend himself.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that he hired you,” she started, “You two were always so obsessed with each other, you should have just shagged and got it over with.” If her eyes had rolled any harder, they might have fallen out of her head.
“Well, now, I’m not special. Everyone was obsessed with the great Harry Potter back when we were in school. Even you, if I recall.”
“We aren’t in school anymore, and I don’t really have any intentions of going back with you.”
“I think this will change that.” he replied, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a letter. He set it down on the counter, gently. Ginny recognized the handwriting immediately as that of her best friend, Luna Lovegood. Before she could stop herself, she hastily grabbed the letter off of the counter and tore it open.
Ginny,
I’m sorry I hired Draco to find you, but I didn’t know who else to ask and I needed to tell you that Neville proposed! We want you to come home so that you can be the maid of honor in the wedding! Please come xx
Yours,
Luna
Tears immediately came pouring out, as she tried in vain to hide her emotions from Malfoy. “I haven’t missed it already, have I?” she asked, her voice breaking.
“No,” he mumbled, gently. “Neither of them would plan anything until you were found.” Ginny nodded before excusing herself and disappearing into a small room behind the bar. No matter how overwhelmed by emotions she felt, she was determined not to let that show to Malfoy, of all people. She felt guilty for leaving, overjoyed for her best friends, relieved that she hadn’t missed the wedding, honored that they hadn’t planned it without her, jealous that Luna had found someone she loved while she was hiding away, and completely terrified of going back to England all at once. She took a few breaths, steadied herself, and made her way back to Malfoy.
“You sure left a trail of broken hearts behind you. Practically every boy you fancied in school came knocking on my door after seeing the Daily Prophet article about the split.” he said, sipping his whiskey.
“So why didn’t you turn up any sooner then?” she retorted.
“And be on the end of one of your famous bat-bogey hexes again? No thanks!” he remembered her last hex quite vividly, and was certainly not trying to relive the memory.
Ginny chuckled, because he was right. If he had come on behalf of anyone other than Luna, she would have hexed him immediately.
“I don’t want anyone to know I’ve returned, though. At least not until the ceremony.” she replied, worried about more gossip articles being written about her return. Not to mention having to face her family. Draco understood her plight. In some ways, he was quite jealous of her strength to just run away and leave her family behind.
“I have a place you can stay in the meantime. A safe house sort of thing. I can keep you disguised in public as well, if you’d like. For a fee, of course.” His family had a small isolated home away from their manor. Draco had never brought anyone there before, but he sympathized with Ginny’s reluctance to come back.
“Of course.” she scoffed, but was willing to pay regardless.”Shall we go, then?”