Trespass Sweetly Urg'd
Chapter One
Present Day
Ginny ignored the crowd thronging past her, her eyes fixed on nothing in the distance. She dug her fingers into her freckled arms against the chilling breeze, every now and then a stray tear slipping down her fast bruising cheek. She could still taste the blood from her split lip but she didn't move to wipe it away.
How had she come to this? She was a good person. This was wrong, so very wrong and she had known it from the start. But she hadn't stopped it… not once had she said no. She just wanted to believe she could be loved again, that she wasn't worthless and maybe just maybe she was beautiful to someone.
She sighed heavily, her thoughts drifting back to that very first meeting almost a year ago.
2005
"Merlin, I'm sorry!" She gasped. "I'll pay for a new shirt."
He growled a little and accepted the scrunched up tissue she offered him from her pocket.
"That's fine, Weasley. I can get my own clothes."
She paused and stared at him for a long moment as he scrubbed absently at his shirt.
"Malfoy?"
She took an involuntary step back and adjusted the lid on her paper coffee cup from where it had spilled.
"I'll buy you a new shirt." She repeated, playing absently with the strap of her bag on one shoulder.
"I don't need you to."
Ginny shook her head and put her hand on her hip; "Look I spilled the coffee I'll replace the shirt."
He was about to refuse her again when he caught her eye, they were sparkling bright jade green beneath her side fringe.
"Fine." He found himself saying before his brain caught up with his mouth.
She seemed startled by his response but shrugged and led the way out of the coffee shop.
"Anywhere in particular you buy your shirts? We're not in the expensive part of town I know."
He shook his head and waved his hand at a nearby shop that sold men's clothing.
"That'll do fine, Weasley."
She rolled her eyes and headed towards the shop, the door jangling pleasantly when she opened it. Moving towards the racks of shirts similar to the ruined one he was wearing she shifted through them before selecting a charcoal grey one and holding it out to him.
"Do you need to try it on?"
He was slightly surprised at her choosing out the shirt for him but he took it from her and examined the label inside.
"No it's my size I'm sure it'll fit."
Nodding she moved past the rack towards the queue at the counter.
"How do you know my size?" He found himself asking to interrupt the silence that had fallen on them.
"I design clothes."
He considered this for a while but didn't comment on it for a long moment.
"What kind of clothes?"
Ginny turned to look at him, obviously trying to work out if he really wanted to know or not.
"At the moment I've just landed my dream job."
She smiled at him and shook her hair back from her face; it was cut short in jagged layers and was hardly held back in the ponytail it was in.
"Which is?" He prompted, wondering why he cared.
"I design wedding clothes."
"Wedding dresses?" He asked with a slight curl of his lip which could have been a smile or a sneer.
"Yes… and the rest. I design outfits for individual weddings. The bride and groom, the bridesmaids, the footmen… everything the couple wants."
Malfoy followed as they moved up in the queue a little.
"Sounds lucrative."
Ginny gave him a look and shook her head; "Yeah the money's pretty good. But I do it because I love it."
He considered her statement for a while, vaguely watching the animated flush on her freckled cheeks.
"You said you've only just started."
She nodded; "I started out working for an independent store, pitching my designs. They caught on I guess because a big multinational company approached me. Offered me a lot of money to design clothes for them, I'd get to travel all over the place on their money while I worked. I accepted, saved up, started my own business six months ago."
They had almost reached the counter now and she dug around in her bag for her purse, her t-shirt rising up at her hip as she turned slightly and exposing a tattoo on the back of her right hip. When he felt the sudden urge to touch the tattoo he hurriedly averted his eyes and resumed the conversation.
"So you travelled."
"Yup, Italy was my favourite and France. I went all over America for a year, met my husband there."
Malfoy was particularly unnerved to find a flicker up disappointment beating against his heart.
"My wife and I honeymooned in America, well we went all over the world for two months…" He trailed off when Ginny rolled her eyes.
"Sounds fun… maybe if my honeymoon had been so good my marriage would have lasted longer." Ginny muttered.
Before Malfoy could comment they reached the counter and Ginny smiled at the clerk, handing over the shirt. It was bagged quickly and the money was exchanged, Ginny leading the way out of the store. She paused once they reached the busy pavement outside, the crowds jostling them a little.
Her phone rang before either of them could say anything and he watched her dig it out of her pocket and flip it open.
"Hello? Oh hi Emily, yeah I'm really sorry something came up at the last minute and I didn't have time to call you. Re-arrange it? How about Thursday? Good, good… uh huh. I'll see you then. Bye."
Seeing he was still standing with her she began fiddling with the phone, opening and closing it.
"Did I make you late for something?"
She shrugged it off; "A meeting with a client, we were meant to go for lunch and organise when the dresses should be delivered."
"Just the dresses?" He asked, his eyes flickering over her still fidgeting fingers.
"The suits are collected by or sent to the groom."
She cut off when her phone rang again, startling her.
"Rosie, hi. Yeah he finishes at two thirty, will you be able to pick him up? I have to stop by the shop and check on the Hamilton outfits. Thanks Rosie, I appreciate it."
She hung up and tucked her phone back into her pocket; "My housekeeper."
He lifted his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips.
"What is it so surprising that I have a housekeeper?"
He held his hands up; "I didn't say anything!"
"You were thinking it." She muttered. "She looks after my son sometimes, cleans through the house once a week."
She stopped quickly, wondering why she was telling him things he didn't want to hear.
"Do you want to go for lunch?"
Malfoy was as surprised as her when the words found their way out of his mouth. She studied him carefully for a moment, deciding it couldn't do any harm to get a free lunch.
"As long as you're paying."
He grinned at her and led the way down the street.
This wasn't good. It shouldn't be this easy to talk to her. He shouldn't be having this much fun being with her. And yet here he was. He'd taken her back to the hotel he always stayed in when he was in the centre of town on business which also happened to serve amazing food. He'd changed into the shirt and she was gratified to notice it fit him perfectly, not to mention bringing out the silver shine in his eyes.
"So you said you were married?"
She nodded, taking a sip of her drink, they had finished their food a while ago and still found themselves talking without running out of things to say.
"Oh yeah. Michael Parker." She sighed and he waited for her to continue. "He's an archaeologist now, works all over the world so my son travels a lot when he goes to see him. I met him when I was visiting Boston with work, he was a student then. He was nothing like any guy I'd ever met before."
She smiled wistfully and cupped her chin with her hand as she went on.
"We had fun together, got married after five months. Divorced a year later."
He cocked his head to the side when there was nothing to indicate she was upset about the break up in her voice; "Why?"
She shrugged; "He wanted to travel for his work, I was already going all over the place with my work. We decided to split to save ourselves the trouble of trying for a few years before inevitably breaking up anyway. My son was almost a year old at the time, we settled on joint custody and he goes to see his father as often as he can."
Draco thought this over for a moment, noticing absently that she no longer wore her wedding ring although there was a slight mark on her finger indicating where it had been.
"Your son?"
A smile lit her face up; "The love of my life. He's nearly five now."
"What's he called?"
"Alex."
Silence settled on them for a moment but it was a comfortable silence. Both of them seemed to be contemplating how they'd got here.
"What about you?"
He blinked and shrugged; "I don't have any children."
She laughed; "But you have a wife."
He nodded.
"What's her name?" She prodded.
"Darklis." He answered rather uncomfortably, he did not want to be talking about this.
"If Alex was a girl that's what he'd have been called. It's a beautiful name."
He couldn't think what to say to that so he took a gulp of his drink instead.
"So is she a housewife or does she work?"
He nodded; "She's an agent for artists, promotes their work for them and organises exhibitions."
"Sounds wonderful." She replied, smiling weakly.
He nodded again, staring into the rising bubbles of his wine.
"How long have you been married?" She asked, nodding at the waiter when he offered her more wine.
"Two years."
She smiled and sipped her wine, the cool liquid flowing down her throat.
"How did you meet?"
He leant back in his chair and surveyed her, wondering why she was so interested in his wife.
"Her father is one of my partners at my law firm."
She laughed; "Well well, back to being blood-suckingly evil then are we?"
He gave her a reproachful look but she only giggled harder; "So you're a partner in a law firm by the time you're twenty-six… not bad."
He rolled one shoulder back in a half shrug; "Money always helps. But I like to think I'm good at my work too."
She smiled knowingly at him and he decided a change of subject was necessary.
"How about you, where did you meet your husband?"
She swallowed her mouthful of wine and placed her glass carefully back on the table.
"Well his grandmother was one of the owners I worked for and with when I was in Boston."
They settled into silence again until Ginny looked at her watch.
"Dammit it's nearly three, I have to speak to Alex before I go to the shop." She muttered.
When she received a down-right filthy look from one of the passing waiters as she opened her phone she blushed and got to her feet. Malfoy got up too and she turned to look at him.
"I still have my errands to run." He said in explanation and she laughed, allowing him to lead the way towards the foyer.
"He's not answering." She said agitatedly, snapping her phone shut and redialling.
"Maybe he can't hear the phone." Malfoy offered when he still didn't answer.
"Maybe."
He sighed; "Why don't you use the fireplace in my hotel room?"
She froze halfway through dialling the number again and stared at him.
"What's the matter Weasley? Don't you trust my intentions?"
She smiled and shook her head, following him into the lift to his room.
"Alex! Why haven't you been answering the phone?"
Malfoy pottered about his room, trying to avoid looking over at the fireplace where Ginny's tight jeans were giving him a rather tempting view. And he could see that damned tattoo of hers again.
"You told me not to answer the phone when you weren't in."
Malfoy smiled to himself at the little boy's voice, he sounded clever for his age and Ginny's own voice softened instantly.
"Yes I did say that didn't I. Well is Rosie there? No no I don't need to see her just tell her I'll be home in a few hours and I appreciate her looking after you."
Malfoy flopped onto his bed and began flipping through the files on a case he was currently working on.
"No you can't go to stay with your uncles, I remember what happened last time you helped out around their shop."
There was amusement in her voice even as she reproached him and Malfoy found himself wondering what had happened at the shop he assumed was the one her twin brothers ran.
"Yes well I don't need a son who can turn himself invisible when he chooses thank you. I'll be home for tea I promise. I love you."
She withdrew her head and got to her feet, turning to face him and frowning when he burst out laughing.
"What?"
He continued laughing for a moment before composing himself.
"You have soot all over you."
She scowled and headed into the bathroom. Sure enough there were streaks of soot all over her shirt and face. She tapped her shirt with her wand and the soot all but disappeared, leaving a faint stain where it had been. Sighing she washed her face and headed back into the main bedroom.
"What are you working on?" She asked as she caught sight of him engrossed in the pages of parchment before him.
"A child abuse case."
Ginny almost gasped as her mind instantly jumped to her own child and she moved towards him.
"What happened?"
He eyed her over the top of the pages; "I'm not supposed to share details of my case."
"Yes but if you don't mention any names I won't know who it's about."
The pleading look in her eyes made him give in and he shook his head; "It's a set of foster parents, they'd ignore the children as much as they could. Beat them up sometimes but mostly just locked them up in a room, occasionally bothering to feed them."
She shook her head in horror; "How can you stand hearing things like that every day?"
"I cope with it because I know I can put people like this away where they can't hurt children anymore."
His voice was low and she only heard it because she had moved to sit on the bed next to him.
"Well what do you know… you do have a heart." She whispered.
They continued to stare at each for a moment.
"I should go."
She didn't move even as the words left her mouth. Eventually she got to her feet and made her way to the door.
"Thank you for lunch." She said without turning round as she pulled open the door.
She closed the door behind her and stared at it for a moment, her emotions in turmoil. It opened again and she found Malfoy stood before her.
"You don't have to go."
She stared up at him; "Yes I do."
He leaned his head down towards her; "No you don't."
He kissed her, his lips tasting of the wine they had just drank and she melted into him.
"You're married." She whispered when he pulled away and he nodded.
"I'm happily married." He agreed.
She leaned up and kissed him, unable to resist herself.
"I don't want to ruin that." She murmured.
"I don't want to either, but I can't help myself."
He took her hand and drew her into his room, closing the door quietly behind her.
They fell down in a tangle of limbs, tearing at each other's clothes, unable to wait the four or five steps it would take to get to the bed.
It was over within minutes and they lay there in silence, their hearts racing guiltily.
"Now I really should go."
Ginny sat up, tugging her jeans on and straightening her shirt. She retied her hair back and grabbed her bag from the floor. She turned to see Draco fastening his trousers up, still sitting on the floor.
"Weasley…"
"We shouldn't have done that." She interrupted. "But for some reason I don't regret it."
She leant down and kissed him lingeringly before quickly leaving the room.
Present day
Ginny felt tears roll down her cheek again. If only it had stopped there. They hadn't planned on taking it any further. But she couldn't explain it away as an accident, because neither of them had done anything to prevent it. They hadn't encouraged each other, they hadn't written or spoken until they had met again. But the damage was done.