A Discerning Palate

Ginny awoke just as the soft light of dawn snuck through the heavy damask curtains. It slipped inside like a thief, stealing the darkness of night and resting on Draco, the light like a halo across his blonde hair, his golden lashes resting along the curve of his cheek, making him innocent, beautiful.

Lucifer’s only son. He’s beautiful, the Angel of the Morning Star.

Ginny was disgusted with herself. But she couldn’t help but stare at him. His well-sculpted arm wrapped around her, pulling her closer to him.

“No.” he mumbled in his sleep. “Mine.”

Ginny allowed him the possession of her, because she knew it was true. She would never belong to another wizard the way shat she belonged to him.

“Ginny.” A voice hissed.

She tried to turn her head.

“Ginny. For fuck’s sake, girl. C’mon.” It was Pansy.

“What are you doing in here?”

“Nevermind that. Get him up. You have to get out of there.”

“Why?”

Pansy sighed, exasperated “Someone is coming.”

“Fuck!”

“Draco.” She elbowed him, trying to get him to let go of her. “Draco.” She growled more forcefully.

“Leave the tray.” He mumbled and snuggled closer to Ginny.

“I’m not your bloody servant. Get your arse up!” Ginny practically shrieked.

“Sweet Bleeding Hell!” he cursed. “If you’re looking for another shag you can bloody well wait until…”

“You pompous bastard,” Ginny interrupted him.

“Shut it, both of you. Lucius is…”

“Lucius?” Ginny squealed.

Pansy shoved her into the closet and slammed the door just as the door to Draco’s room swung open and his father stood there, his presence filling the doorway and it seemed to suck all of the oxygen out of the room.

Pansy was surprisingly clam and collected as she met the gaze of the elder Malfoy.

“Miss Parkinson.”

“Mr. Malfoy.” She returned his cool manner.

Draco sat up and eyes his father somewhat lazily.

“Not quite dignified, my son.”

“Not at all, father. If you’d sent word you were coming, a common courtesy…”

“Touche,” Lucius raised a brow, pleased with his son.

“I’ll see you later.” Pansy nodded and made a big show of picking up Ginny’s bra and knickers that were on the floor and winked at Lucius as she made her way out of the room, leaving them both to wonder what was under her robes, if not knickers.

It was a good thing that Lucius was intrigued enough to not notice that there was no way on Merlin’s green earth that the bra she held in her hand would ever restrain…

Lucius waited until she was gone before speaking.

“Too bad about that one.”

Draco just looked at his father, waiting for him to continue.

“I don’t want you to see her anymore, not seriously, in any event. Her connections can’t help you where you are going.”

“Oh?” Draco questioned, trying not to sound overly interested.

“When you graduate, you will be taking a position with Arthur Weasley in the Ministry. I want you to get close to his daughter.”

Draco almost choked.

“Yes, I know she’s a muggle loving…”

“How close do you want me to get to her?” He asked irreverently, acutely aware of Ginny’s presence.

“As close as you can. You are going to marry her.”



Hermione laid back on the bed, her lips pursed tightly. She breathed. In. Out. In again.

She sniffed, as the tears pooled in her eyes.

“Are you very sure, Ron?”

A low muffled sound came from between her thighs.

Damn Fred and George. Right to the deepest, darkest…

“You know better don’t you? I mean really, to accept any sort of food from the twins…” she broke off as she started to panic.

She took another steadying breath.

Ron mumbled something else that sounded vaguely like, “but I was hungry”.

The twins had decided to try out a new treat that they were going to carry in their joke shop. They hadn’t named it yet, but she had a sinking feeling that after today, they would have to name it after her.

She’d been in a hurry you see, after Ron had finished eating. Hermione had drug him up the stairs to her dorm and had practically tackled him. Not that he’d complained. He’d set right to work, an industrious little laborer. So industrious, in fact, so eager to please his ‘Mione, that he hadn’t noticed the faint swelling of his tongue.

Hermione herself, she should have known something was wrong, very wrong when she could feel Ron’s tongue covering what had to be square footage. But she’d just thought he was getting creative with his hands. And when he’d thrust it inside of her, she screamed with the pleasure.

But now, to her everlasting horror, he was stuck.

His tongue had swollen so large, that he couldn’t pull it out of her.

Ginny slammed through the door at that moment, to Hermione’s further mortification. “He is completely nutters. Out of his skull, that one.” she huffed.

“Ginny!” Hermione squeaked and pulled the covers up over herself and Ron.

“Lucius Malfoy wants Draco to marry me.” Ginny worked her mouth like the village idiot. “M-aaaaaa-rrrrrr-yyyyyy!” She flopped down on the bed.

But it wasn’t a mattress that she landed on.
“What the hell is that?” Ginny smacked her hand down as hard as she could into the lump that was making her uncomfortable. She closed her fist and punched it again, causing a low growl to emit from beneath the covers.

“Is that what I think it is?”

Hermione could just nod.

Ginny had the good grace to blush. “Sorry. I will be leaving…”

“Umm, you can’t.” Hermione yelped.

“Why not?” Ginny demanded, not really wanting the answer.

“Ron is stuck.”

“What do you mean, stuck?” Ginny asked, her voice hitting an equally high pitch.

The usually controlled and logical Hermione burst into tears. “Fred. George. Candy. Swollen tongue. Stuck.”

“Swollen…” Ginny sighed and then smacked the lump beneath the covers reproachfully. “You know better, don’t you? Don’t you?”

Another growl.

“Don’t growl at me, brother dearest. You are the one…” she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Could not force the words to pass her lips… just the image was bad enough. And it was going to get worse.

“I don’t know what to do!” Hermione sobbed.

“We have two choices.” Ginny took a deep breath. “We can wait for it to wear off, or I can try a reduction spell.”

Ron made panicked sounds beneath covers, limbs flying in protest.

“Well, I don’t see you doing anything, you great arse!”

Ginny flipped out her wand, but just as she was casting the spell, a bug landed right on her nose, causing her to flick her wrist in the opposite direction. And with a distinct pop, the lump under the covers was now the size of a small, very angry gerbil.