My fingers idly traced the faded black snake protruding from the skull against porcelain skin.
"Did it hurt?" I whispered, as I lay across Draco's naked torso, enjoying the feel of his fingers running through my hair.
"A bit," he shrugged noncommittally. "Not as much as having to keep it from you though."
"You could have confided in me, you know," I murmured sadly. "I wish you had had more faith in me back at school."
"I was scared, Weasley," he sighed. "All I could think about was that he was going to kill me if I didn't follow orders. I was a coward."
I lifted my head up, my hair falling through his fingers as I turned my face to look at him. "Don't call yourself that." I said sharply. "We were kids caught up in a war, of course we were scared."
His grey eyes flashed as they locked on mine; his expression a mixture of sadness and longing. "Come here," he murmured in a gentle yet commanding tone, as his hands tugged at me, pulling me up the bed to join him so that our naked bodies ran the length of each other, face to face.
He kissed me firmly on the lips, pressing himself hard against me, making me elicit a small groan of longing, before breaking breathlessly away.
"I've missed you," he murmured, his voice gravelly as he cupped my face. "I've missed this."
He connected his lips back to mine, rolling me onto my back as he hovered over me, deepening the kiss; his lips moving with a new ferocity.
"Draco," I breathed as he started peppering kisses along my jawline, finding his way to my neck where he started nibbling and licking at the skin, causing shivers to cascade down my body. "We really should get up."
"I'm on it," he smirked against my neck, thrusting his hips against my thigh so I knew exactly what he meant.
I surrendered as he proceeded to cover every inch of me in kisses, not missing a single spot, focussing on one particular area until I screamed and shuddered against him.
"Fuck, Ronnie," he groaned a little later on, as for the second time that morning he released himself inside of me.
I briefly wondered if it was worth getting up today because I seriously didn't think I was going to be able to walk anywhere for a long while.
"Let me take you out, Weasley," he murmured, once we'd both sufficiently recovered to speak, his eyes glinting in mine. "Let me look after you and give you a birthday you deserve. Because you do deserve to celebrate it."
It was these words that broke the spell and made me remember the fucked up situation we were actually in. And the anger returned.
"Oh yes, and let the fucking paparazzi accuse me of being a home wrecker?" I scoffed. "I don't fucking think so, Draco."
"There are plenty of places we could go to without being seen," he said and then immediately tried to backtrack upon seeing the fall of my face. "I mean... uh-"
"This is exactly why I didn't want to be your fucking mistress!" I spat, sitting up as I glared down at him. "Even if Bambi is okay with it, I'm not!"
"Ronnie, please!" Draco implored as I angrily grabbed a towel, wrapping it around me before storming out.
Draco was nowhere to be seen when I had returned from my shower. His clothes that he had thrown off in our earlier act of passion were gone, and so I could only presume that he had gotten dressed and fucked off somewhere.
Well fuck him.
Blinking back the angry tears, I put the kettle back on and finally got around to making that cup of tea that Draco had rudely interrupted.
I had just found a programme to settle on - a wildlife one about how male tigers piss off the second they finish screwing the female to go and find their next conquest - when the doorbell went.
It was Harry.
"What?" I spat, tempted to slam the door back in his face.
"Look, about last night-"
"If you've come to apologise, you can forget it!" I sniped, moodily storming back down the hallway to claim my tea.
"Actually, I'm here to give you the chance to apologise to me," he said arrogantly as he followed me into the living room.
"What the fuck am I supposed to be apologising for?!" I yelled.
"You read the paper, didn't you?" Harry said with a wounded expression on his face. "It said you were being mean to me for being an orphan."
"You are fucking unbelievable, Harry," I said, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. "You were there and you know I said nothing of the sort! All I said was that I didn't like you calling my mother Mum!"
"Exactly." He shrugged.
"Get bent, you fucktard." I spat, throwing myself down on my sofa, hoping he would take the hint and get the fuck out.
"Where's your housemate then?" Harry asked, looking around as if he might appear out from behind the furniture. "Done a runner already? Just don't do anything stupid like sleep with him, Ronnie. I've had enough embarrassment down at the office already today over your public antics."
I looked up at him incredulously just as the living room door burst open and there was Draco, looking completely and utterly thunderous.
"Get out, Potter!" He roared, stepping up dangerously close to him. "I will not have you talk to Ronnie like that."
"One, this is not your place," Harry said pompously, sticking a finger in Draco's rapidly darkening face, "and two, she's not your girlfriend, so don't come barging in here throwing your weight around!"
I could see Draco's fists balling, the knuckles whitening, ready to attack.
"Draco, don't," I quickly said. I was pretty sure Harry wouldn't hesitate to lock him up and throw away the key given half the chance.
"Oh do, go on," Harry barked. "Azkaban isn't quite the same without a Malfoy soul in there to feed off."
Draco's eyes started to bulge dangerously as his nostrils flared and a tiny warning muscle gave a small violent pulse along his angered jawline.
"Just get the fuck out, Harry," I warned, standing up to try and pull Draco away.
"You don't even realise what an insensitive prick you really are, do you?!" Draco hissed, refusing to step back from Harry. "What Ronnie has had to endure being friends with the fucking Chosen One!"
"What's he talking about?" Harry asked, looking past Draco to blink stupidly at me.
"I bet you haven't even wished her a happy fucking birthday? Have you?" Draco continued sneeringly into Harry's face.
"Not that it's any of your business," Harry retorted, angrily readjusting his glasses, "but Ronnie doesn't like birthdays ever since the time your mate drugged her and you tried to kill her!"
"Wrong again, Potter," Draco snarled, "she doesn't like birthdays because she doesn't feel she deserves them since her brother died! And as her supposed best friend you should have been aware of that and supported her through it!"
"Who the fuck do you think you are, Malfoy?" Harry spat back, "telling me how to be there for Ronnie? Let me ask you - where were you in all those years after the war ended? Personally I would have been happy to see you rot in Azkaban but for some reason Ronnie begged and pleaded your case, claiming your innocence. And how do you repay her? By completely abandoning her and then calling her up five years later to get her to serve canapés at your wedding to another woman!"
"JUST GET THE FUCK OUT, HARRY!" I yelled, as Draco stepped back, his face contorted in guilt and horror.
"Gladly!" Harry spat, whirling on the spot and flounced out of the living room.
It wasn't until we heard the slam of the front door did Draco say anything.
"Ronnie, I-" his voice cracked and he had to take a moment to swallow. "I had no idea that you did that for me."
"Of course I did, Draco," I said, shaking my head and looking at him sadly. "I loved you."
Our eyes fixed upon each other and I could feel the racing of my heart. The crumpling of his face revealing years of sorrow and regret.
"I honestly thought I was doing the best thing by you," he said, his voice strangled. "I loved you so much, Ronnie. I still do."
I looked at him, torn between wanting to kiss him and deck him.
Which was pretty much the story of our whole fucking 'relationship'.
One that would end the second he says 'I do' to another woman.
*****