[HP] Three thousand days of innocence

Draco had called her shortly after noon on Thursday; because the phone had been shut down, Ginny didn't find his voicemail until she left the Ministry that afternoon.

"I just wanted to check with you on our plans for Friday," he messaged.To Ginny's tired ears he sounded pitifully innocent. "I'm working the evening shift because we're busy on Fridays and I have to work until midnight. John and Simon will take Mike and Julia, so they say meet you there around seven. Around that time, you know them How punctual." He laughed. "What else... I know I only saw you a few hours ago, but—I miss you like crazy. I love you, Kim."

She didn't reply and deleted the message.

She was in the apartment that night, eating leftovers and pretending to be reading, when he called again.With the phone on the coffee table at his elbow, he sang "Marseillaise" over and over again, and then finally stopped.He left another voice message.She didn't listen and just deleted it.

The next morning, she walked into the office to find Harry leaning against her desk. "What's the matter, Harry?" she asked softly, hanging her bag over the back of the chair.

"Ron told you about the letter from Lucius Malfoy?" he said.

Ginny nodded.

"So how close are we to capturing Draco?"

"Soon," said Ginny. "We have located him and we will be able to capture him within a few days."

Harry laughed and pumped his fists in the air. "Merlin, this is great news." He stood up. "I knew you could do it, Ginny. I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face." He patted her on the shoulder and walked into his private office with extra briskness.

Before leaving get off work, she slipped into Ron's office. "I'll do it tonight," she said. "After both of his roommates have gone out, I will find a way to leave him alone at home, and then call you to arrest him. Probably tomorrow."

"Okay," said Ron.He took her hand. "Ginny, if there's another way—"

"I know what needs to be done," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm just—lost for a while, that's all."

Ron nodded and smiled sadly at her. "You know what—you're a really good Auror, Kim. One of the best in the office."

"You'll hear from me tomorrow," she said, and turned to leave.

Seven o'clock came and went.Her phone rang twice: once with Draco, and then with John, his name flashing on the small screen.Out of morbid curiosity, or to torture herself by wanting to hear his voice, she listened to the two messages they had left.

"Is your phone broken?" Draco asked concerned. "Didn't you get my voicemail? Kinzie said they've been waiting for you for two hours and you haven't arrived. Are you okay? Is something wrong? Please call me, I'm going crazy gone."

"You have to call him back, Ginny," John said in the message. "Listen - I know I've been secretive, but I really think I have to be. It's not easy to do this - oh shit. This is not the time or place to tell you everything, you should be there to hear it. It's just... …Call him. Let him know you're okay. I'll tell you everything you need to know."

Draco's shift ended at midnight and she gave them half an hour to go home, then she put on a light jacket, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.It was late at night, and the streets were almost deserted; only a 24-hour convenience store was open, and a bored cashier was reading a book behind the counter.Ginny, as usual, went to an alley next to the subway station, and the roar of the passing trains would drown out any sound she made, and she Apparated.

When she arrived at the Earl's Court, it was also empty. She walked on their street, and the heels of her shoes hit the ground, making a crisp sound.The lights in their house were still on, and they were the only ones in the nearby houses who were still awake.She walked up the front steps where, not so long ago, she had been happiest.

Before she could knock, the door opened and Simon was standing in the doorway with his girlfriend Julia on his arm.He was startled to see her standing there. "You're such a hard bird to find," he said, shaking his head. "You came at a good time. Somebody would rather die than have you not call him."

"I'm sorry," Ginny said.Her voice sounded lifeless. "Is Ben there?"

"In the kitchen," Julia said. "Jin Qi and I are going to a friend's house, and you are welcome to come with us if you like."

"No thanks," said Ginny. "I'm here to see Ben."

Julia shrugged. "Whatever you want. We'll be even worse then, won't we, Kinzie?" She smiled and walked out with Simon.Ginny noticed that Simon wasn't even smiling.

"Johnny went to see Mike off, so he'll be back soon," he said. "I think he wants to talk to you—and people listen when Johnny talks." He gave her a warning look and followed Julia into the night.

As Julia said, Draco was in the kitchen, leaning against the sink.He still wore his chef's uniform, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.His light hair, long now and in desperate need of a trim, was pulled back into a short ponytail.She had greatly underestimated what seeing him would do to her, because all she wanted to do now was to fall into his arms, and Ron let whatever she had to do to hell.

But I can't fail, she thought.Not this time.

"Ben," she said softly.

He turned immediately, his anxious gray eyes relaxed into relief. "My God, Ginny," he said, walking over to her. "I've been thinking wildly. I thought you had an accident, or got hurt at work, or—"

Before she could stop him, he put his arms around her waist and bowed his head to kiss her.Ginny looked away in panic and let him kiss her on the cheek.His touch made her skin hot, and the aroma of condiments adhering to his body, mixed with his unique taste, made her senses extremely sensitive.She couldn't do that, couldn't be this close to him.She took a step back and his hands slipped from her.

He lowered his face, but soon smiled again, and she thought she was hallucinating. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she told him, with a forced smile. "Sorry I couldn't go to the hotel tonight, I have other plans."

He frowned. "Other...but I thought we agreed you'd come tonight. You said you had something important to tell me?"

"Yeah, but—oh shit, I need to start over." She laughed, and his smile grew more confident.

"Then I'll get you something to drink?" He walked towards the wine rack, stroking the label with his fingers. "We have--"

"No thanks, I won't be around long," said Ginny. "I - remember our conversation when we were driving to Brighton? We talked about exes?"

Draco dropped his hand. "Er—yes."

"I mentioned my ex-Harry? The one I've been talking to for seven years?"

"Of course." Draco said slowly. "He—he came to see you?"

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, a few weeks ago. I haven't seen him in a long time, so we had a chat, a lot of stuff."

"A few weeks ago?" Draco said with wide-eyed eyes. "And you didn't say anything?"

Ginny shrugged. "I didn't think it mattered at the time. But... long story short, Harry told me he still had feelings for me. He asked if we could get back together."

Draco laughed softly, his voice slightly hysterical, and ran his hands through his hair. "But you turned him down, right? You told him you already had a boyfriend?"

Ginny immediately looked away from his desperate face, her body trembling.I'm almost there, right now, hold on... "I was worried this was going to happen," she said aloud. "Ben—we never made sure our relationship was exclusive. We never officially—"

"I think there are traces," he said.His voice stiffened, and she looked up, as if seeing the old Draco Malfoy again, pale, tall, and barely able to hold back her anger. "I thought I was clear about your intentions—"

"Your intention?" she repeated. "Yes—but I don't want a serious relationship, Ben. I just play with you now and then."

"Play..." He looked at her blankly, and then laughed harshly. "What do you think we are? Paokoukouyou?"

"I'm not kidding," she snapped. "You're obviously more into it than I am, here's the thing: I realized I still had feelings for Harry. I said yes. We got back together tonight and I don't think you should think there's something between us, so I'm going to end this."

He blinked rapidly. "Just—that's it?"

"I'm dating Harry," she said, disgusted with every word she said. "He is my boyfriend."

"Thursday—just yesterday, you told me you loved me," he cried, coming up to her. "You said it. I heard it. I believe you."

"I say that because you said it first," she explained. "I don't want to make it awkward. You said it and I didn't respond. That's all."

"No." Draco shook his head, a strange smile appeared on his face again. "No, I don't believe you. It's not what you say, Ginny, it's what you do. You love me, and I know you love me."

She turned away, tears welling up. "No, Ben, I don't love you, I'm sorry—"

"Then say it to my face." He grabbed her arm and forced her to lift her chin. "Look me in the eyes and swear you don't love me. Swear."

Ginny looked up into his eyes, a part of her was dead.Her resolve faltered because he was absolutely right: love was more than words, it was in every action of life.She looked up at his lovely face, and she could see that he loved her as deeply and deeply as she loved him.She was going to destroy him.

"I love Harry," she said. "I don't love you, I lied."

Draco staggered back as if she had punched him.He gripped the edge of the counter tightly, his knuckles turning white.She couldn't see his eyes because he lowered his head, breathing heavily.

Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears like a drum. "Book--"

The glassware in the cupboard was broken. "Get out of my house."

"I'm sorry you misunderstood our relationship," she said. "I never wanted to—"

"Shut up and get out," he yelled at her, turning around. "I should have known - God, after I told you everything -"

"I didn't ask you to tell me that!" she cried.

"It's all lies," he said angrily.Two more objects shattered out of sight. "You lied to me, bitch."

Ginny's anger rose immediately. "How dare you call me that, you—"

"I hope you're a match made in heaven," he growled, closing in on her, glasses and plates starting to shatter around them. "You and Harry, I want him to use you and dump you, like you—" He turned his back hoarsely.

"you do not--"

"Get out, you bastard!"

Ginny ran down the corridor without looking back, barely noticing that she bumped into John who came in through the front door—"Ginny, what's the matter?" shaped location.She didn't know where she was going until she saw the crooked black silhouette of the Burrow on the horizon.

She ran desperately to the back garden and into the kitchen. "Mom?" she called, her voice breaking in the darkness. "Mom, are you there?"

A few minutes later Mrs Weasley came down the stairs, her plump body wrapped in a faded dressing gown. "Dear Ginny, you're frightening us!" she cried. "What the hell—"

"What did I do, Mum?" cried Ginny.Her words were drowned in tears, and tears that had been suppressed for two days rolled down her cheeks and neck.The pain that went deep into the bone marrow and ran through the blood vessels made her sob uncontrollably, and her whole body was shaking. "What did I do?"

Out of love for her daughter, Mrs. Weasley said nothing and asked nothing.Mrs. Weasley sat at the dining table, holding her grown child in her arms until she could cry no more.