Truth Will Out for Scarlettrayne2

Part Eight

Ginny Apparated directly into Draco's flat. She knew it was rude, and her mother would have her guts for potion ingredients if she ever found out, but it was better than standing out in the cold banging on the door forever.

"Draco," she called. "Draco, it's just me."

There was no answering yell nor could she hear any movement in the flat. She moved to the staircase and listened intently, but still couldn't hear a thing. It was possible that he was still asleep, so she mounted the stairs. As soon as her feet hit the landing she noticed his bedroom door was closed, which went nicely with her theory that he was still asleep. Ginny approached quietly, tapping lightly on the door before opening it.

The bed was empty, but it looked to have been only recently vacated. From her position she could clearly hear the spray of the shower and now understood why Draco hadn't responded. So that she didn't startle him when he got out, she walked over to the slightly open bathroom door and tapped on it firmly.

"Draco, it's just me. I'll wait for you downstairs; I'm just letting you know I'm here. Do you want tea or coffee this morning?"

Ginny frowned as the seconds ticked past and there was no response from her friend.

"Draco? Are you in there?"

Again she waited for a while, but there was no response.

Panic started to rise through her system as all sorts of terrible scenarios presented themselves to her. What if he'd slipped in the shower and cracked his head on the tiles? He could be unconscious and drowning at the same time under the spray of the shower. It was enough to get her feet moving, and the door bouncing off the wall as she burst into the steamy bathroom.

"Draco! Draco! Where are you?" Ginny felt around the room when seeing became impossible. "Fuck! It's like pea soup in here!"

She felt her way into the shower stall, sticking her arm under the hot spray on the way to the faucet. By the time she turned the water off Ginny was completely wet from head to toe on one side. It didn't help with clearing the steam out either, but she could see a little better now that it wasn't being added to by running water.

"Draco! For fuck's sake, answer me!" Panic was really starting to taint her tone and actions now. "The bath! Oh God, please no…"

Without regard for her personal safety, Ginny went to charge across the small room, but stepped straight into a puddle she'd created from the water dripping off her clothes and hair. Her terrified scream was cut short when she landed flat on her back on the hard tiles.

"Weasley?"

"Draco?" Ginny whimpered.

"Are you all right? Don't move! Umm-" Draco's mind went blank as tried to remember what to do in such circumstances.

"I was looking…" She allowed her voice to trail off when she felt his big, safe hands on her.

"Are you injured?" Draco inquired, concern overwhelming him.

"I don't know." Ginny opened her eyes and turned towards Draco. A small scream erupted from her before she could stop it.

"What's wrong? Where does it hurt? I'll get a Healer for you," Draco gushed in a panic.

Ginny's hand came up to cover her eyes and she tried to move away from him, which was harder than it should have been thanks to the wet floor. "You're naked!"

"I was about to shower," Draco claimed defensively. "Let me help you up."

"No, it's all right. I'll manage." She scooted away from him on her backside. "Just cover up or something."

Draco growled in frustration and strode over to her with sure feet. He didn't hesitate as he lifted her to her feet and began walking her towards the safety of the door. "Now, it would be polite to say thank you."

Ginny looked at him, intending to keep her eyes above his shoulders, but she opened them far too early and ended up snapping her neck into the correct position. "Thank you."

"My bathrobe is in the dressing room," Draco instructed. "I suggest you get out of those wet clothes before you catch a chill. I'll just have a quick shower and meet you downstairs."

She stood there looking at the bathroom door for a few moments after he closed it behind himself, before slowly walking in the direction of his dressing room and the dry bathrobe. Once she started undressing she realized that he could walk into the room at any given moment, so she hurriedly discarded her wet clothing, slipped into his warm bathrobe and returned to the lower floor of the flat.

The memory of what had just happened kept trying to force its way to the forefront of her thoughts and she kept pushing it back. Ginny feared if she thought about it too deeply, or at all, she might just lose her mind or worse, her self control. That was what she feared most. Her friendship with Draco was something she valued above all else. It wasn't every day a person came across someone they could say anything to and not fear judgment or ridicule - Draco was that person for her and, she hoped, she was that person for him. They certainly gave each other hell on a daily basis, but that was just the surface, the public image. Deep down they really cared for each other.

She leaned against the kitchen bench, nursing a mug of hot coffee and trying to sort her thoughts into some form of sanity. If she could disregard what had just happened and not mention it, perhaps he could as well. There was little doubt in her mind, that there were simply some things that were better left unsaid.

"Right, Weasley, perhaps you'd like to tell me exactly what you were doing in my bathroom this morning?" Draco asked as he strode into the kitchen looking impeccable in his business robes.

Ginny's head snapped up at the first sound of his voice. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him approaching. "I-umm-"

"When you've finished stammering…"

"I called out, and when you didn't answer I thought you'd fallen over and bumped your head."

"So you barged into the bathroom and fell over yourself?"

"The steam made it hard to see," Ginny continued with a sigh. "I turned the water off, but it didn't make much difference, and then the floor got wet…"

Draco nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "It didn't occur to you that I wasn't in there in the first place?"

Ginny shook her head, afraid to speak now that tears were welling in her eyes.

"Hey, come on, no water works," Draco crooned. "It's all right. I'm all right and you're okay. No harm done, if you don't count the strain you put your poor vocal cords under when you screamed."

"I-didn't-I thou-" Ginny had to give up as her emotions got the better of her and tears began to spill down her cheeks.

As his arms went around her, she collapsed into his chest and began to sob in earnest. All Draco could do was rub her back and make soft, reassuring sounds - it was something she had taught him years ago - until she had spent herself.

"So-sorry." Ginny hiccupped and sniffed loudly. "I hate crying."

"You've had quite a morning," Draco declared. "Now, do you hurt anywhere?"

"All over," Ginny admitted wretchedly.

"I'll run you a bath," Draco offered.

"No, I don't have time." Ginny shook her head sadly. A bath sounded like a wonderful idea, but she had to get to work. "I have to get to work."

"You're not going to be much good to them if you suddenly find you can't move," Draco said seriously. "I'm going to Floo the hospital and let them know you won't be in, then I'm going to run you a bath."

"But-"

"Shh," Draco ordered. "No buts! You're having a personal day."

"Like you'd let your staff-" Ginny started under her breath, but stopped when his gaze sharpened.

"I heard that, Weasley," Draco warned with a smirk. "I'll just go and make that Floo call."

Ginny rolled her eyes, but made no move to oppose him. A long soak in a bath sounded like just the thing she needed. The last two days at work had been dreadful thanks to the horror weekend she'd endured, so a day off was something heavenly that she simply wasn't strong enough to resist. She sipped her coffee and pushed all thoughts of work out of her head; they'd manage for one day without her.

"Right, that's done," Draco said.

"Any problem?"

"Not when I told them you'd taken a fall in the bathroom."

"Oh you didn't?"

"Of course I did."

Ginny groaned. Her colleagues weren't going to let her forget this. They already gave her grief for having a bloke as a best friend, so having him Floo them after she'd fallen in the bathroom was just going to add fuel to their fire of torment.

"Umm- What are you doing here anyway?" Draco asked. "I presume your visit had a purpose."

"I wanted to make sure you hadn't forgotten about drinks after work," Ginny said.

"Tonight?"

"Draco, I wrote the date in your diary myself."

"Right- no problem, I'll be there." Draco frowned. He'd have to do some shuffling this afternoon if he was going to make that date. "Was that all?"

"I feel like you're trying to push me out or something," Ginny complained.

"Not at all, but I do have to go to work today, so once I run your bath I won't see you until tonight. I just wanted to know if there was anything dramatic you needed to tell me before work."

"Everything else can wait," Ginny said.

"What about Friday?" Draco asked.

"I'll meet you there." Ginny smiled, glad they'd confirmed that date, even though she wasn't looking forward meeting to whoever he'd set her up with this time after Sunday's debacle.

"Good," Draco responded absently. "I'll see to your bath."

"I can-"

"Stay there and relax."

Ginny sighed into her mug as he disappeared again. There was something about having a bath run for her that made her feel decidedly like a princess. She could handle being treated like this every day, but finding a man like her best friend was probably going to prove impossible, and she knew he wasn't looking for anyone like himself for her, because he knew all too well what a womanizer he was.

"Your bath is ready," Draco announced as he reentered the kitchen. "I have to get to the office, but you know where everything is, so help yourself. The house elves arrive around nine o'clock, so don't be startled if you hear them moving about. They're used to finding strange women in my flat, so they won't bother you."

"Do you really have to rush off?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I have a meeting with my father first thing this morning, so I can't be late."

Ginny pouted.

"That is not going to change a thing," Draco stated. "You have a good day, and I'll meet you at the pub after work."

"All right," Ginny agreed sulkily.

Draco chuckled at her antics before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you later."

"Bye," Ginny uttered as he Disapparated.

The silence in the flat was suddenly deafening. Not even the tick of a clock could be heard. Even though she was perfectly comfortable in his flat, she shivered a little in the unnatural quiet. With little else to do she finished her coffee and headed upstairs to Draco's bathroom. He'd filled the tub to the rim and added enough bubbles for her to lose herself in for several hours. After testing the water temperature with her toe, she let his robe slip from her shoulders and she climbed into the enormous tub. The moment her body began to relax in the warm water her eyes demanded some rest as well. This was most definitely the life.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Nine

Ginny rushed into the bar with mere seconds to spare. She knew Draco would be displeased if she was late for her date, and she had to admit the few times she'd been kept waiting were frustrating. A quick scan of the bar located Draco, who she smiled at instantly. If her date were already here, he would know exactly who the man was if he'd exposed himself yet, so she headed straight for him.

The first thing she noticed was the single red rose sitting on the bar and the second was the tumbler of Firewhisky calling her name, in her imagination anyway.

"Afternoon," Ginny said as she reached for the drink.

"Hello there," Draco responded. "Nice day at work?"

"It was all right for a Friday," Ginny replied, after downing the drink. "I did remember to bring a rose."

"That's all right, I brought one with me." Draco picked up the bloom and showed her.

Ginny's forehead creased. "Why? I'm perfectly capable of remembering-"

"I thought we were responsible for making sure we had the right flower ourselves."

"Since when?"

"Since the beginning," Draco retorted, getting annoyed. "When have you ever supplied a flower for me?"

"A flower for you?" Ginny repeated, confusion deeply entrenched in her tone.

"And since when do we use red roses? You do know what a red rose means, don't you?"

"Just shut up for a minute, Malfoy," Ginny demanded distractedly as she tried to put the situation together.

"Shut up?" Draco gaped at her. "Why do I have to shut up? Why don't you shut up?"

Ginny took a deep breath to calm her rising temper. There was something not quite right about tonight, and Draco was obviously just as confused as she was, only he hadn't realized it yet, so going off at him wasn't going to solve anything. "Did you set this date up?"

"What sort of a question is that?" Draco asked disdainfully. "You know, very well, that you set this date up."

"Me?" Shock ran through her as the word echoed inside her head.

"And if your candidate doesn't show up soon I'm leaving," Draco continued irritably.

"Draco, I'm not here as your support person," Ginny started.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" Draco asked. His patience was all but expired, and he was having a difficult time keeping a civil tongue in his head. Ginny appeared to have left her brain under her pillow this morning, and he simply wasn't in the mood to play foolish games.

She slipped her hand into her bag and extracted a delicate red rose.

"I told you I brought my own," Draco snarled.

"So did I," Ginny whispered. "I brought my own, because you sent me an owl telling me I had a date Friday evening."

"No," Draco said slowly. "You sent me an owl, telling me I had a date for tonight."

Ginny shook her head. "I didn't."

Draco huffed impatiently. "What are you talking about, Weasley?"

"Perhaps I can clear that up?" Blaise offered.

"Where did you spring from?" Draco snapped.

"I just got here," Blaise admitted. "I'm a little late. I really wanted to be here before either of you, because… Well, you both look like you're ready to tear the other apart and that's no way to start a date."

"A date?" Ginny questioned.

"I think you ought to explain yourself, Zabini," Draco growled in a menacing tone.

"Shall we get a table?" Blaise asked, trying to delay the inevitable.

Draco shrugged lackadaisically. He was beyond caring what the explanation was at this point and simply wanted to hurt someone, so he could go home. When Blaise and Ginny started to move away from the bar, Draco followed at a distance. He had the distinct feeling he wasn't going to like what Blaise had to tell him and that wasn't helping his mood at all.

There was only one vacant chair by the time Draco got to the small round table. It was between Blaise and Ginny, but the chair had been pushed closer to Ginny. As he sat down, Draco moved the chair to a more central position. He smirked as Blaise shuffled his chair over a little more; Blaise, obviously, was not confident that what he had to say would be accepted well.

Blaise looked from Ginny to Draco and took a deep breath. "I'm responsible for the owls you received on Tuesday night."

Draco and Ginny exchanged a glance, and then turned their inquisitive eyes back to Blaise.

"Go on," Draco encouraged flatly.

"I was talking to your mum at the ball on Saturday night," Blaise began. "She was watching the way you two were dancing together."

"We dance together often," Draco commented.

"I know, but I've never seen you dance like this before." Blaise paused, shaking his head and frowning lightly. "It wasn't really the fact that you were dancing together; it was the way you were staring into each other's eyes."

Draco snorted. He didn't stare into anyone's eyes when he danced.

"Your own mother asked me if you realized you were in love yet, Malfoy," Blaise expressed strongly.

"Love?" Draco almost choked. He chanced a look at Ginny; she was pale and seemed to be struggling as much as he was. "My mother-"

"Has nothing whatsoever to do with setting you up," Blaise finished quickly. "I told her that I didn't see what she saw, even though I did, and I decided to- to see if it was true."

"What do you mean by 'what she saw'? What exactly did she see?" Draco asked.

"She saw two people obviously in love, dancing the night away, as if they were alone instead of in a crowded ballroom."

"Ridiculous," Draco spat.

"I told her that it was all an act, so she wouldn't say anything inappropriate. She accepted that you two did this sort of thing to scare off potential advances from undesirable partners."

"Which is precisely what we do," Draco confirmed.

"I know," Blaise said quietly. "I watched both of you all night. There were no threats lurking nearby, so there was no reason for the act."

"And you'd be able to identify threats to us?" Draco questioned derisively.

"I believe so," Blaise answered haughtily. "Anyway, that's not the point. I know what I saw on Saturday night, and Sunday morning confirmed my suspicions."

Draco's eyes opened wide and then narrowed in a threatening manner. "Sunday?"

"I know she probably doesn't realize, but it's only fair that she knows-"

"I disagree," Draco snarled, afraid of what Blaise might reveal next.

"Too bad," Blaise retorted. "Ginny, when you were laughing and having a good time with Finnigan on Sunday, Draco was going insane with jealousy. He just about self-combusted. It's probably the reason things got so out of hand."

"I was not jealous!" Draco stated angrily. "I merely don't like Finnigan. He has a worse reputation than I do, and he was only after a quick shag, not a lasting relationship."

"You can call it what you want, Malfoy. I call it like I see it, and you were jealous," Blaise countered. "Anyway, after that I got this idea in my head."

"Pray tell," Draco drawled sarcastically.

"You two are running around setting up dates for each other, trying to find the perfect partners, with no success, right?"

"We've caught up with some old friends," Ginny argued.

"Yes, Finnigan was a surprise." Blaise grinned nefariously. "Tell me, Malfoy, how is Millicent?"

A feral snarl escaped Draco's throat. Wednesday evening's date was horrifying to say the least. Draco had turned up at the Leaky Cauldron to find Ginny sitting at a table near the back of the old pub just about wetting her knickers laughing. When he'd asked her what was so humorous, she'd simply pointed to a woman sitting in the middle of the pub with a pink carnation on the table in front of her. The woman was Millicent Bulstrode. Ginny, of course, wouldn't allow him to stand her up, so he had to admit to searching for love via the newspaper - humiliation owned him that night.

"You do know that she's told everyone she's still in contact with that she dated you, don't you?" Blaise asked teasingly.

"Get on with it," Draco growled.

"To cut a long story short: after what I've seen, I think you two ought to give each other a chance," Blaise announced. "You're perfect for each other."

"We are just friends," Draco said slowly, as if he were addressing someone dimwitted.

"That's the beauty of my timing." Blaise smiled at them. "You see, with the contract in place you can't lie to each other."

"We have the option to not go through with the date," Draco reminded him.

"This is true, but you still have to explain why, truthfully," Blaise pointed out.

"Whether we discuss the date or not is entirely up to us," Draco retorted.

Blaise sighed, almost happily. He was very pleased he'd found this accidental error in the contract. "Actually, you have to discuss the date and your feelings about the other person. It's in the contract."

"It is not!"

"Oh, it is," Blaise assured Draco. "I double-checked the wording myself."

"Hang on a minute," Ginny interrupted. "We didn't set up this date, you did, so it doesn't count."

"Again, I hate to disappoint you, but it counts. You've both acknowledged you're on a date with someone, so you must be truthful in your assessment of the other person." Blaise laced his fingers together and placed his hands on the table. "Stop fighting it and get on with it."

"How? It was only supposed to count-"

"The wording," Blaise answered simply.

Draco twitched a little. His eyes were cold and hard as he turned their full force on his dark-haired friend. "I'm going to kill you."

"Not if I get to him first," Ginny snarled.

"And on that note, I'll leave you to it." Blaise stood up hurriedly. "Have a pleasant evening."

Blaise used the crowd in the pub to his advantage, disappearing before either Ginny or Draco could move. Ginny half rose from her chair, but Draco reached over and put a hand on her arm.

"Forget it, he'd be out the door by now," he said gently.

"What are we going to do?"

"From what he said, we don't have much choice," Draco answered.

"You read the contract."

"Yes, I did, but things like that are very difficult to pick up unless you sit down and have an entire team of people dissect the terms of the agreement." Draco sighed. "I'm sorry, I should have read it more thoroughly before we signed it."

"Don't apologize," Ginny uttered. "I didn't even read it."

"Do you want to call it a night or would you like to get some dinner?"

"I am a bit hungry, but can we go somewhere a little quieter?"

"Absolutely." Draco thought for a moment. "How about we get some food and take it back to my place? It's quiet and we won't have to worry about whether Zabini is spying on us."

"Do you think he might?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Your place it is then." Ginny smiled.

"Let's go then."

"Umm- there's just one thing I want to say before we-"

"Yes?"

"Whatever the outcome tonight, I don't want things to change between us. You're my best friend and quite frankly I'd be lost without you."

Draco reached out and stroked her cheek. "Nothing will change, I promise."

Ginny leaned into his touch for a few seconds. "Thank you."

A soft smile spread across Draco's face. "Let's go."

On the way to Draco's they stopped and picked up some dinner. It was only a light meal, but it was all that either of them felt like. When they arrived at the flat, they served the food together, and then sat at the dining room table. Conversation was virtually non-existent as they both mulled over what Blaise had done. There was no doubt that both of them were in a difficult position, and despite the promise they had made to each other in the pub, things were bound to change if one person felt differently about the other.

"Wizard Chess?" Draco posed as Ginny finished eating.

"Yeah, that'd be great."

"Do you want tea or coffee?"

"Are you going to-"

"No, I might have another glass of wine," Draco murmured.

"Pour me one too."

Draco nodded and reached for the bottle of wine. "You'll be staying here?"

"I don't feel too bad at the moment," Ginny replied vaguely.

"After another glass of red you're not going to be capable of Apparating safely," Draco pointed out.

"We'll see," Ginny said cautiously.

"Fuck it! We're letting what Zabini did bother us already, Weasley," Draco growled angrily. "Since when have you had a problem staying here after a few drinks?"

"I don't have a problem with it," Ginny insisted.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"All right, we're both letting this bother us," Ginny admitted. "I'll drink and stay."

"Good." Draco poured another two glasses of wine. "And maybe we can start talking again?"

"Yeah, we shouldn't let this-"

"Definitely not," Draco interrupted. "We've been friends for too long to let anything Zabini does upset us."

Ginny smiled. "Are you ready to get your backside whipped?"

"Dream on, Weasley," Draco drawled. "You've never beaten me."

"Bend over, and I'll fix that," Ginny joked.

Draco bent at the waist and wiggled his backside in the air. "Do your worst, darling."

"Oh forget it!" Ginny exclaimed disgustedly. "You'd enjoy it too much."

"Isn't that the whole point?" Draco asked innocently.

"You know I wasn't put on this earth to pleasure you."

Draco pouted. "You're unkind."

"Poor darling, someone has to torture you."

"For that I'm not going to hold back tonight, so be prepared to lose your knickers!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "As if I'd lose my knickers to you!"

"You've come close before," Draco warned.

"But I've never lost them," Ginny reminded him.

"Only because I felt sorry for you," Draco countered.

"That would mean you were showing compassion and you don't know the meaning of that emotion," Ginny pointed out.

Draco's nose wrinkled. "Compassion? I was simply protecting my eyesight."

They laughed heartily together as they set up the Wizard's chessboard. Their running bet had never been called in, but it was always mentioned in some form before a game. Whether either of them would ever push to win a game without allowing the other person to claim one of their pieces was open for debate, but with Zabini's interference the possibility had taken on a whole new meaning. Of course, one of them had to be willing to push the other into that position first.

"Ready to lose your boxers?" Ginny asked.

"Are you ready to lose your knickers?" Draco countered.

"What will it be?'

"One lap around the flat - visiting every room - arms above your head," Draco said.

"Sounds fair," Ginny commented. "Do you want to cast some heating charms around first?"

"Whatever for?"

"You know what happens when men get cold." Ginny wiggled her pinky finger in the air.

"I assure you, Weasley, I do not have that problem," Draco said confidently, ignoring the fact that he could have reminded her that she knew that particular information already, given the drama earlier in the week.

"Let's get on with this before I get too drunk to remember winning," Ginny declared.

"There'll be something wrong with your memory if you remember winning," Draco countered just before giving his first instruction to the board.

They played for hours, neither willing to give the other an easy win. Draco kept their glasses topped off, and by the end of the evening there were three empty wine bottles beside the table.

"Checkmate, Weasley." Draco smirked as he lifted his glass to his lips.

"Bugger!"

"You didn't honestly think you had a chance, did you?" Draco teased. "Now it's time to pay up."

"Fine," Ginny said flippantly as she struggled to stand up.

Draco chuckled. "I think we'll wait until you can walk a straight line."

"I'm good! I just have to find my feet," Ginny insisted, slurring her words.

"Sure you are, Weasley," Draco answered. "I'm serious. You can do it in the morning."

"But I'll be sober in the morning," Ginny argued.

"So you'll remember it," Draco quipped. "Come on, it's time for bed."

"More wine?" Ginny held her empty glass out to him.

"I'm not opening another bottle now," Draco said. "Besides, if you have any more you're going to be dreadfully hung over tomorrow."

"Right now I don't care," Ginny declared, shaking her glass in his face.

Draco extracted the glass from her hand before it could carve up his nose. He placed it on the table and got to his feet. "Bedtime, Weasley."

"But-"

"No buts," Draco said firmly. "Are you going to walk or do I have to carry you?"

Ginny waved her hand at him. "I can walk."

He watched her struggle to her feet. She couldn't stand straight, and he didn't trust her to walk. When she overbalanced, Draco took full advantage of the situation and slung her over his shoulder effortlessly. "Looks like you're not walking."

"Put me down!" Ginny demanded, slapping his backside.

"I will," Draco promised, grinning at her ineffectual beating.

"Now!"

"Did you say now?" Draco queried as he mounted the stairs.

"Yes, now!"

"It's a bit hard on the stairs," Draco replied sincerely. "I'll put you down when we reach the top."

"Draco!"

"Don't get obstinate on me now, Weasley."

"Put me down," Ginny said slowly.

"I will," Draco reasserted.

"Now!"

"Right now?" Draco questioned.

"Damn it, Malfoy."

"Damn what, Weasley?"

"Put me down," Ginny growled.

"You sound so frightening when you snarl," Draco mocked.

Ginny rewarded his teasing with an extra hard slap on the backside.

"Ouch," Draco grunted playfully. "If you don't be nice I'm not going to carry you upstairs anymore."

"Promise?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, put me down!"

"As you wish," Draco said cheekily.

"Thank you," Ginny snapped.

Draco grinned as he reached around her and opened the door to the guest bedroom. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yes, I did." Ginny smiled, her annoyance instantly forgotten. "It was good to just be ourselves for a change."

"It was," Draco concurred.

"Goodnight, Draco," Ginny whispered.

"Goodnight, Ginny," Draco returned awkwardly.

He was suddenly transformed back into the awkward eighteen-year-old who used to tense up every time she insisted on kissing him goodbye. She'd taught him to not be afraid to show his feelings or display affection, and he'd discovered that he was quite good at it with her a long time ago, but now with all the doubts hanging over his head he couldn't make his body move. Before he could convince himself to lean forward she'd turned and entered the guest room. Draco wondered if it was because she could sense his discomfort or if it was simply because she was drunk. He didn't want to think that other reasons might be in play, especially this evening.

When she closed the door Draco leaned his forehead against the cool wood. A deep sadness came over him when he realized that he might have just said goodnight to his best friend for the last time. Tomorrow would change everything, of that he was sure.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Ten

Bang…Bang…Bang.

"Oi, Malfoy, wakey, wakey!"

Bang…Bang…Bang.

"Malfoy! Open the door!"

Bang…Bang…Bang.

"If you don't stop trying to break down my front door, I'm going to kill you," Draco snarled as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

Bang…Bang…Bang.

Draco swung his front door open and regarded the man on the other side with contempt. "What do you want?"

"That's a nice way to greet a friend," Blaise commented casually as he stepped around Draco and into the flat.

"Zabini, what do you want?"

"You look like you just got out of bed," Blaise said, noting Draco's appearance.

"I did."

"Did I wake you?" Blaise asked amusedly.

"Yes. Are you happy now?"

"Not quite."

"What can I do to make you happy enough to piss off?" Draco inquired dangerously.

"Where's Weasley?"

"How should I know," Draco lied. "She's probably tucked up in bed at home."

"She's not," Blaise sang.

"Zabini," Draco growled.

"She stayed the night, didn't she?" Blaise asked with a nefarious grin.

Draco opened his mouth to deny Blaise's assumption but snapped it closed when he heard a sound behind him.

"Draco, you should really put a shirt on. You'll catch a chill," Ginny ordered. "Zabini, what are you doing here?"

"Ha! I knew it!" Blaise bounced triumphantly.

"You should put some pants on," Draco told her. "Before Zabini catches the wrong idea."

"You two are shagging!" Blaise announced jubilantly.

"No we're not," Draco and Ginny barked in unison.

"The evidence suggests otherwise," Blaise taunted.

"She stayed in the guest room," Draco intoned clearly. "Just like she always does when she has too much to drink."

"Hang on… She had too much to drink and you didn't-"

"No, because I'm a gentleman," Draco cut in.

"Fine." Blaise sighed. "I believe you… Millions wouldn't, but I do."

"Are you leaving now?" Draco asked rudely.

Blaise grinned devilishly. "No, I'm not finished."

"What else could you possibly want?" Draco ran a hand through his untidy hair.

"How did you two go last night?" Blaise asked.

"We had a nice night," Ginny answered.

"Come on, guys, don't disappoint me," Blaise whined.

"Sorry, Zabini, we're just friends," Draco said cautiously, all too aware that this line of questioning was dangerous.

Blaise's eyes moved between the pair. There had to be a way to get them to admit they felt more for each other than they showed. He smirked when he saw Draco slyly checking his skin color - the man was worried. "So, Malfoy, are you interested in taking your relationship with Weasley further?" Blaise posed directly, confident that he'd get a reaction.

Heat began to build in Draco's body as he considered his options. He'd already used the 'just friends' line without any reaction, so it seemed like the logical way to go again. "Zabini, I told you before, we're just friends," Draco ground out.

"Really?" Blaise smirked. "How about you, Weasley? Interested in taking this any further?"

"Like Draco said, we're friends," Ginny answered curtly. "And we don't appreciate your interference."

"I figured that, but if you two were ever going to be honest with each other you both needed a push in the right direction," Blaise explained casually as he watched Draco and Ginny closely. "Are you both sure you don't want to take this any further? No urge to race her up to your bedroom and shag her senseless, Malfoy? You don't want to run your fingers through his hair and leave a trail of red scratch marks down his chest, Weasley?"

"No! We're just friends!" Draco and Ginny yelled in unison.

"Interesting," Blaise drawled as he made himself comfortable in an armchair.

Ginny gasped suddenly, drawing Draco's attention. She was staring at him with wide brown eyes that clearly showed shock.

"You lied, Weasley," Draco said softly.

"So did you," she whispered in return.

Draco swallowed hard. His head was spinning. She could have lied about being friends - what if she's just been pretending to be friends all this time? "If you'll excuse me."

Even though he took the stairs three at a time it seemed to take forever to reach the landing and the safety of his bedroom. Draco raced into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He swore under his breath at his reflection. His business mind took over the arduous task of deciding what to do next. It was clear enough that he had two options open to him at this point: he could tell the truth and risk losing his best friend, or he could walk around for the rest of his life impersonating a Gryffindor school tie. Neither option was appealing.

"Come on, Malfoy, get down here," Blaise called. "You look adorable in red and gold skin."

Draco's lip twitched. He was going to murder Zabini for this abomination. If he lost Ginny because of it, he was going to torture him for eternity - death would be the easy option. Even if she was just pretending to be his friend, he wanted her to stay, because imagining life without her was simply unthinkable.

"Malfoy, you'd better get down here before!"

His head snapped up. Zabini sounded worried and desperate. Was there something wrong with Ginny? He didn't give it a second thought as he turned around and all but ran back to the sitting room. Upon arriving, he noticed that Ginny was still standing exactly where she was before with the same mortified expression on her face. Blaise, on the other hand, was sniggering to himself.

"I knew that would work," Blaise announced proudly. "It's time for you two to confess."

"I think it's time for you to leave," Draco growled.

"Me or Weasley?" Blaise asked cheekily.

Draco glared at the dark-haired wizard. "You will never be forgiven for this."

"Don't be silly," Blaise said amusedly. "I'm going to be your best man."

"Leave!"

"Umm- no," Blaise answered.

"Zabini, I'm warning you, if-"

"If you think I'm going to miss this you're out of your mind," Blaise interrupted. "Just tell the woman how you feel."

Draco's lip curled back and the snarl that escaped him was more animal than human.

"Or are you going to walk around letting everyone think you're really a Gryffindor at heart," Blaise taunted.

Before anyone could draw their next breath, Draco launched himself at the man in the chair, tipping him backwards. They tumbled to the floor; Draco sprawled on top of Blaise, negating any avenue of escape. Profanities and threats of violence were flowing from Draco's mouth faster than anyone could process what he was saying.

Blaise burst into laughter.

"What the fuck do you-"

"Sorry, mate, but it's really hard to take you seriously at the moment," Blaise spluttered through his hilarity. "Red and gold… Who knew it'd look good on you?"

"I'm going to kill you like a common-"

"Do your worst!" Blaise chuckled.

"Draco, enough!" Ginny said calmly. "Hurting Blaise isn't going to solve anything."

"You're just jealous, because there'll be nothing left for you to torture," Draco replied.

"There is that, but regardless it doesn't solve anything," Ginny responded.

"She has a point," Blaise added.

"Come on, let's just sort this out," Ginny said, retaining her serene façade. "It's between you and I now."

Draco nodded and began to lift himself off of Blaise. He couldn't resist giving the man one last very hard shove into the floor, but he was disappointed when his efforts were met with a laugh rather than a painful wail.

"How are we going to do this?" Draco asked nervously, glancing at her green and silver face.

"Before we decide how to do this, let's agree that whatever the truth is it doesn't change who we are, and if we don't want it to change us then we simply won't let it." Ginny looked at her best friend optimistically.

Draco smiled. "All right."

"How about if we say whatever it is we have to say at the same time?" Ginny suggested.

He nodded firmly.

"On the count of three," Ginny said. "One… Two… Three…"

Silence consumed the room for several seconds.

"What happened to you two being able to tell each other everything?" Blaise asked amusedly.

"Shut it," Draco snarled.

"For Merlin's sake! Malfoy, you've told her about your various shags in great detail before." Blaise turned his eyes to Ginny. "And, Weasley, I've heard you describe another man's dick to him in the past."

"You don't-"

"Yeah, I do get it, Weasley," Blaise interrupted, anticipating what she was going to say. "This could make or break your friendship. The thing is, I think you're both doing yourselves a great injustice by not being honest with each other."

"Are we going to do this or not?" Draco asked, ignoring Blaise totally.

"I have an idea - something to make it a little easier to admit those feelings," Blaise said. "I'm pretty sure you still have to actually vocalize your thoughts to each other, but wouldn't it be easier if you knew the other person already knew what was coming?"

"What are you on about, Zabini?" Draco snapped.

"I'm talking about writing down what you need to say and letting the other person read it before you say it," Blaise clarified.

Draco blinked a couple of times. "That might work," he mumbled.

"It might," Ginny agreed.

"Thank Merlin!" Blaise praised. "It's really disconcerting watching you two pussy foot around each other."

Draco went to his briefcase and extracted a piece of parchment, along with two quills. He tore the parchment in two and handed one half to Ginny. "You're not going to be writing a novel are you?"

"No," Ginny answered, accepting the parchment and snatching a quill out of his other hand.

"I-err-something-umm- hard to lean on," Draco stammered, escaping to the dining room.

"I'm beginning to think he's in danger of expiring," Blaise whispered to Ginny.

"That would make two of us." Ginny glared at the man.

"Is telling the truth that hard?" Blaise questioned.

"Sometimes it's better not to," Ginny advised.

Blaise shook his head sadly. "You two have no faith in each other."

"We-" Ginny stopped, feeling tears begin to well in her eyes.

"Just write down what you have to," Blaise said gently. "It'll work out in the end, I promise."

Ginny drew in a deep breath and walked over to the coffee table. Her hand was shaking as she brought the quill to the parchment. Draco complained about her handwriting at the best of times; today he'd be lucky to be able to decipher the words she'd written. When she looked up Draco was watching her expectantly. It took her all of a nanosecond to notice the folded piece of parchment in his hand.

"Are you ready?" Draco asked seriously.

"Yes. Are you?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Here, I'll do the trade," Blaise offered, holding his hand out for Draco's piece of parchment.

Ginny stepped forward and passed her note to Blaise. Her hand was still trembling - something the two men noted openly.

"Remember nothing changes unless you want it to," Blaise said as he passed Draco's note to Ginny.

She nodded. Her throat felt as though it had closed over, and she was staring through a bucket load of tears that were sitting in her eyes just waiting to fall. A deep breath to calm her nerves would have been nice right about now, but she couldn't manage anything more than a couple of shallow gasps.

"You're going to thank me for this one day," Blaise whispered to Draco as he pressed Ginny's parchment into his hand. "She's a brilliant catch, mate."

Draco's cold eyes flicked to Blaise. He doubted very much he'd be thanking him for destroying his friendship with Ginny at any time in the future, but the alternative - walking around looking like Gryffindor scarf - was equally unthinkable. When Blaise moved aside, Ginny was staring at him with fear in her eyes. It made his chest ache to see her so afraid.

"It's up to you two when you read them, but I don't have all day, and I'm sure one of you is going to pass out soon if we don't get on with this," Blaise said, trying to hurry them along.

Ginny fixed her eyes on Draco's. "Nothing changes."

"Nothing," Draco repeated.

As she unfolded the parchment, Ginny unconsciously took a few steps back. It was as if she was seeking privacy. His neat script taunted her through her tears, which had now welled to the point where everything was now a blurred mess.

Draco watched her, not moving to open the note in his hand, until Blaise touched his arm. His stomach clenched uncomfortably, as he unfolded the parchment. A wave of nausea hit him, causing him to swallow hard and gasp for air. If anyone ever asked him what the end of the world felt like he would now be able to describe it in great detail. When he thought he had himself under enough control that he wouldn't vomit everywhere, Draco glanced down at the parchment in his hand. Her handwriting was worse than normal, and Draco unconsciously squinted at the page in an effort to make sense of the scrawl.

His heart faltered for just a beat, and then it resumed its effort to escape from his body via his ribcage. There was no mistaking what she'd written. It was a full confession - the truth. With some trepidation Draco raised his eyes; he needed to see her, to see her face and know through her expression what she was feeling.

She was scrubbing furiously at the tears that had dared to fall from her eyes. He knew she hated to cry - hated to be seen as weak - but there was often little she could do to stop her emotions from taking over and making a fool of her.

"Ginny?"

It was hardly a whisper, but she heard him or felt him - she wasn't sure which - call her name. Although she didn't want to, she dropped her hands from her face and looked at him. Her heart was thumping so hard in her chest that it made drawing breath difficult. His expression told her that he'd most definitely read the words she'd written for him - the words she'd have to say aloud to regain her skin color - but it didn't categorically tell her how he had accepted the news. Despite their promises, she was all too aware that such confessions were bound to change the dynamic of their relationship, most especially if they didn't feel the same or perhaps because they did. She glanced down at her hand and his note to her - his note that she'd been unable to read.

Tears streamed down her face. It should have been a comical scene, with her skin color the way it was, but it was if each of her tears had taken the form of a knife and was stabbing his heart. Draco didn't even think about what he was doing, he simply rushed over to her and gathered her against his chest.

"Shh, don't cry, Ginny," Draco crooned. "There's no reason to cry."

His efforts to calm her were fruitless, as her tears only increased until she was sobbing loudly into his chest.

"Did you manage to read my note?" Draco whispered into her ear.

She shook her head against his chest.

"Do you want to know what it said?" Draco asked, desperate to calm her.

Again, her head moved against his chest, signifying a negative response.

"Why?"

Ginny hiccupped a few times and tried her level best to draw a lungful of clean air. "It's all right, I'll ju-just leave."

"Leave?" The word sounded strangled as it forced its way from Draco's throat. "Why?"

Ginny fought to break free of his arms. "It's for the best," she whispered.

"How?" Draco demanded. "How is leaving me for the best?"

"You don't-"

"Mate, I think you're going to have to tell her," Blaise interrupted. He never thought this would be painful, but he was really beginning to feel for his friends, and he wasn't very comfortable with this piteous emotion.

Draco's heart stopped. He didn't know if he could actually say it aloud.

"You have to do it sooner or later, or are you going to spend the rest of your life looking like-"

"Shut it," Draco snarled. He had to act quickly. She was really leaving. "Ginny, don't go."

"I can't stay… Not now," Ginny uttered sadly.

"But-" Draco choked.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she turned towards the door.

"NO! Don't!" Draco bellowed. "Ginny, I love you."

Ginny stopped and turned around slowly to face him. She wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly. "What?"

All of a sudden his mouth was dry. He swallowed hard. "I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for years."

She shook her head. "You're just saying that."

"No, I'm not."

"For fuck's sake," Blaise complained. "Take a look at him, Weasley. Does he look all red and gold now? NO! Why you ask? Because he told the fucking truth!"

By the time Blaise had finished his little one-person conversation Ginny was staring at Draco, who was glaring at Blaise.

"Don't speak like that in front of her," Draco said calmly.

"My apologies, Ginny," Blaise said formally. "Now it's your bloody turn to tell the truth."

"I-I love you," she whispered. "I want to-to see where-"

"Thank Merlin." Blaise sighed in relief.

Draco closed the distance between them quickly. His hands cupped her face gently and he dipped his head towards hers. "May I?"

"Please," Ginny whispered.

Draco's nose grazed hers lightly, up and down, nudging a little. His hot breath caressed her cheek, setting the skin on fire. The anticipation of his mouth on hers had her stomach flip-flopping and her lips aching for his touch. She'd never thought of him as being timid around women, but that was exactly the way he started - soft and slow, almost unsure about how to proceed. By the time Draco had committed to the kiss every fiber in her being was tingling. Her hands roamed over his back, mapping his toned body and storing that information for later. Ginny was only vaguely aware of his hands on her face; they were moving in time with his mouth, gently stroking her skin in a way that was feeding the blaze that had ignited in her core.

Blaise waited patiently for them to break apart, but it seemed that they'd forgotten he was in the room. "Okay, guys, I'm going to leave now," he said hesitantly. "You look like you might need some privacy."

They gave no indication that they'd heard him. Blaise sighed and picked up his cloak. As he was straightening up something on the floor caught his eye. He smiled when he saw what it was: Draco's note to Ginny.





A quick scan of the floor located Ginny's note to Draco. Unable to resist, Blaise picked it up and opened it.





Blaise glanced over at his friends. They were still oblivious to his presence. He carefully folded the notes and placed them on the coffee table. "I'm going now, Malfoy. Remember to treat her like a lady."

Draco had dreamed of this moment for so long that he was having a hard time believing that what he was feeling was real. Between the tingles running down his spine and the loose Snitches in his stomach, he was sure he was going to sink to the floor in a boneless heap pretty soon. She tasted so sweet, sweeter than his fantasies had ever allowed him to dream. Her hands clutched at his flesh in a way that made him never want to let her go. There was desperation in her touch, but it wasn't needy, and it didn't scare him in any way. It was with great sadness that he began to pull away, not stopping suddenly, because that would have ripped his heart out, but drawing away gradually.

They were only millimeters apart when Draco began to mourn the loss of her touch. His heart was racing and there was definitely desire in his blood. He stepped away from her the moment he identified his physical need. This was Ginny, his best friend, and he didn't know whether either of them was truly ready to become lovers. The quick frown that crossed her brow when he moved back didn't escape his notice.

"I think we need to take this slow," Draco whispered, uncharacteristically insecure with his decision.

Ginny nodded. "Of course."

"Perhaps we should talk," Draco suggested uneasily.

"Maybe… Coffee?" Ginny offered, seizing the first thing that came to mind.

"Coffee would be good," Draco agreed.

"I'll-the kitchen-" Ginny stammered moving towards the kitchen.

Draco stayed where he was for the time being. He released a breath in a noisy rush. His stomach was in turmoil, and his head was spinning. This simply wasn't happening. He'd just kissed his best friend in a way he'd never kissed a woman before. In his most private fantasies, he'd constructed this moment a thousand times, but the experience of it surpassed anything his imagination ever came up with.

She loves me, he thought unexpectedly.

His heart soared, and suddenly he wanted to be with her - to be near her. All was quiet as he neared the kitchen. His own insecurities began to play havoc with his head, allowing him to believe that she might have Disapparated the moment he was out of sight. With a trembling hand, Draco pushed the door open. The minute his eyes landed on her his stomach lurched in a pleasant way and a smile broke across his face. Draco's buoyant feeling lasted only seconds, because her face was full of apprehension.

"Ginny, are you okay?" Draco whispered as his heart sank.

"I'm fine," Ginny said unconvincingly. "It's just-I can't believe-"

Draco stiffened unconsciously, bracing himself for the blow. "Say it."

"I just can't believe that this is happening," Ginny uttered softly. "I've watched you with so many women over the years-"

"It won't be like that for us," Draco promised hurriedly.

"I wasn't insinuating-"

"Ginny, are you all right with this, really?" The question slipped out abruptly before he could stop it, because if he were truly honest he didn't know what he'd do if she wasn't all right with whatever it was that they'd started.

"I'm just-I never believed it would come true," Ginny mumbled.

"What?"

A short bark of nervous laughter escaped her. "It's nothing."

"Ginny, please tell me," Draco pleaded as he approached her.

The color rose fast in her face. "No, it's too embarrassing."

"After what we've been through this morning-"

Ginny shook her head furiously. "Not this," she whispered.

"All right, you don't have to tell me that," Draco conceded. "But I would like you to answer my question. Are you all right with this-us?"

"Yes," Ginny uttered in a barely audible tone. "I'm just trying to get my head around it."

Draco smiled softly. "Me too."

"It's a bit strange."

"The stuff dreams are made of," Draco murmured.

"When did you know?"

"Do you remember the day the Prophet published that article about my family after the war had finished?"

Ginny nodded. "The one that explained-"

"Yes, that one," Draco cut her off. He detested thinking about that time in his life. "And I was being abused by total strangers in the street."

"I stuck up for you," Ginny whispered.

"You apologized for everyone's narrow-mindedness and told me that I was very brave to have dealt with all the pressure of being responsible for the well-being of my family."

"I remember."

"That's when I fell in love with you," Draco admitted.

"I still think you're one of the bravest people I know."

"Thank you." Draco smiled softly. "What about you?"

"That day - after I told you that you were brave - you smiled, really smiled, just briefly. In those few precious seconds you dropped your guard, and I saw the man you really are - I looked into your soul and knew I was irrevocably in love."

"All these years and neither of us ever said anything." Draco shook his head for all the time that had been wasted.

"I don't think we were ready, and even now I worry if we are," Ginny said seriously.

"So you think we deliberately chased after casual relationships that had no potential for a future?"

"You know we both did," Ginny replied firmly. "I never hooked up with anyone I could take home to the family, and you- Well, you were lucky to spend six hours with the same woman."

"Unconsciously saving ourselves for each other?"

"Perhaps, but I guess we'll never know."

"Do you doubt we'd have eventually worked it out if Blaise hadn't forced the issue?"

"I really don't know," Ginny admitted. "I know I was afraid I'd lose your friendship if I told you how I really feel, and I just couldn't live with that, so I kept my mouth shut."

"You know, this isn't some casual relationship, Ginny."

"I know."

Draco swallowed hard, hoping that his nerves might be driven away by the movement. "I do intend to marry you one day."

Her eyes opened wide, just briefly. "If that's a proposal you're going to have to do better than that to get me to accept," Ginny teased in a lighter tone.

"Don't worry, when the time is right you won't be able to say no," Draco said with a confident smirk. "I love you so much."

"I love you," she whispered.

Draco allowed his knuckles to graze her cheek before pulling her against his body. One of his hands crept around to the back of her head, tangling in her thick hair and preventing her escape. Their mouths come together hungrily. None of the earlier diffidence was present now. His free hand roamed over her back boldly, while his tongue begged permission to enter her mouth. As her hand slid down to his backside her mouth slipped open.

Her whole body was on fire again. She'd only just put herself out after the first time, and now he'd gone and re-ignited the blaze. The feel of his smooth, toned back beneath her hands was only adding to her desire to rip his pants off and have her wicked way with him. Of course, the fact that she hadn't had sex for about a month wasn't helping much either; if anything, it was making things worse, because Draco wanted to take things slowly. By the time they parted Ginny was breathless.

"So… How about that coffee?" Draco cringed mentally when he heard how uneven his voice was.

"I-err-didn't get-" Ginny stammered. Her brain simply wasn't capable of functioning at the moment, especially as there was only one thing she wanted right now and it wasn't coffee.

"Why don't I-" Draco paused when Ginny started to speak.

Take me to bed, Ginny's mind suggested.

"What was that?"

"I didn't say anything," Ginny answered.

Draco frowned in confusion. "I could have sworn I heard something about bed."

Ginny could feel her face burning. Had she said that aloud?

"Ginny?"

"Oh God." She dropped her head onto his bare chest. "Just don't listen to a word I say."

"Why?" Draco stroked her back absently, hoping to get her to talk to him or explain herself. Bed? Could she have said bed? "What did you say?"

"Just ignore me," Ginny insisted without raising her head. "My mouth is opening without my brain's permission."

She said bed! She said take me to bed! Draco didn't know whether to be elated or afraid. He wanted nothing more than to take her upstairs and make love to her all day, but at the same time he was afraid - even more afraid than the first time he'd had sex. If they slept together, they could never find their way back to their friendship if things didn't work out - a few kisses, no matter how passionate, could be ignored. Of course, he would never deny her, because her happiness was all that matter now. "I've got a feeling I might like your brain butting out and letting your mouth tell me exactly what you want right now."

"No, you wouldn't," Ginny whispered.

Her breath tickled his chest and he bit back a laugh. "Why don't you let me decide?"

Ginny shook her head. "You said you wanted to take things slow."

"And you don't?"

"I don't know what I want," Ginny admitted in a hushed tone.

Draco stiffened and his hands fell away from her. Fear, as he'd never known it, infiltrated his body. He didn't know what to do at the moment. One minute she wanted him and the next she was saying that she didn't know - confusion would have been blissful in lieu of whatever it was he was experiencing at the moment. "Per-perhaps you could err-clarify-"

Ginny's head snapped up and she saw Draco's look of devastation. "OH-oh! I didn't mean you."

One of his hands came up to rub his forehead wearily. "Ginny, we need to talk this out now or I'm going to go insane, and I've got a fair idea that you'll be diagnosed only seconds after me."

She nodded her agreement.

"You go into the sitting room. I'll make some coffee and join you soon," Draco said in a businesslike tone.

"I can-"

"It's all right, I'll do it," Draco insisted. "Just go and sit down or I'll get distracted."

"Okay." Ginny smiled a little as she left the kitchen.

The moment the kitchen door closed Draco breathed a sigh of relief. They both needed a few minutes to collect themselves before they tackled what all this meant to them as individuals and as a couple - if it was possible for them to be a couple without endangering their mental state.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Eleven

He looked to the kettle and realized that she had done nothing about making coffee, despite having enough time to at least put some water on. He'd just begun to berate her in his head when he caught himself and turned the rebuke on himself. For Ginny to not have some effort she must have been really struggling with the situation. Guilt gnawed at his insides. It was his fault. If he'd just displayed a little willpower then Ginny wouldn't be feeling awkward. Draco continued to kick himself while he prepared a coffee tray. The moment he got in the sitting room he was going to apologize for being an arse and beg her to still be his friend - it was the only thing he could think of to make the situation right again.

When everything was ready Draco double-checked the tray and then checked it again. He needed to get out there, but finding the courage to walk through the door was proving to be more difficult than it should have. After growing angry with himself, Draco snatched the tray off the bench and stalked to the door. It was Ginny out there, and she was hurting - it was his job, as her best friend, to put things to rights and make her feel better. His feet stopped moving instantly and the contents of the tray rattled. Would the same apply if they were lovers?

"Draco? Are you all right?" Ginny called.

"Yeah, fine," Draco uttered. "I won't be long."

"Okay."

He closed his eyes and sighed. Courage was not something he possessed a lot of, unless his mother or Ginny were in danger. Somehow Draco had to find the strength to step through the door and carry on a conversation with her with some semblance of normalcy. It wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter either. After all, it was his idea initially. That thought got his feet moving again and before he could entertain any more horrifying notions he rushed through the door.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Ginny jumped.

"Sorry," Draco murmured, noticing the squeak that escaped her.

"It's fine," Ginny said, dismissing his apology easily. "I was away with the fairies."

"Here, just the way you like it." Draco offered her a large steaming mug.

"I'm dying for this," Ginny muttered. "I was beginning to think you might have gone to Brazil for the beans."

"No, I-err-took a little trip with the fairies myself," Draco admitted as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch to Ginny.

Ginny smiled and nodded a little. "I guess there's a bit of that going around right now."

"We're stalling," Draco pointed out.

"I'm fine with it, if you are," Ginny replied lightheartedly.

"We need to do this, Ginny," Draco said somberly. "Otherwise, I'm going to lose my mind."

"All right," Ginny agreed quietly.

"We need to decide what we're going to do," Draco started in a businesslike fashion.

"I thought we might be together," Ginny said hesitantly. "We did admit-"

"Admitting how we feel and doing something about it are two very different things," Draco cut in.

"You don't want to-"

"Quite the opposite," Draco said quickly, cutting her off again. "Ginevra Weasley, I want very much to be with you. Like you, I was reluctant to put our friendship in jeopardy for something I didn't fully understand - I really didn't realize I was in love with you until this week, but I've been in love with you all these years. My careless proposal a little while ago wasn't made without conviction. If we decide to pursue a relationship, I fully intend on proposing properly one day."

"You do?"

"Ginny, you of all people should know that I don't love easily. Besides my mother, you are the only other woman I have ever allowed to get close to me."

"This love thing isn't just a- it's not just because we're friends, is it?" Ginny couldn't stop the pained expression on her face from showing. "You haven't confused our friendship for romantic love?"

Draco slid forward on the couch until he was mere inches away from her. "I assure you, I have not confused my feelings for you in any way. Don't forget, I was telling the truth when I said I'm in love you."

"I just needed to make sure."

"What about you?" Draco asked. "How do you feel?"

"I'm in love you," Ginny said simply.

"What do you want-"

"I want you," Ginny blurted. "I want to see if we can do this, but I'm afraid of losing you if it doesn't work out."

"If that's the case, we need to decide if it's worth the risk," Draco decided. "I think we both know that if we did enter into a relationship, and it didn't work out, it would be very messy."

"We know each other too well," Ginny whispered.

"Precisely," Draco concurred.

"I don't think I could live with myself if I didn't give us a go," Ginny said decisively. "I'd always wonder what I missed, or perhaps I'd end up settling for someone I don't feel as strongly about."

"You're positive?" Draco questioned.

"Yes, I'm positive." Ginny smiled. "I love you, and I want us to be together - to be more than friends."

"Thank Merlin," Draco breathed more than articulated. "I was afraid you were going to- Well, never mind. You want to and that's all that matters."

"You thought that I didn't want to get involved?"

Draco shrugged nonchalantly. If forced to tell the truth, he may have had to admit that the thought of her not wanting him terrified him just a little more than the prospect of entering into a real adult relationship with her. "Now that we've decided that we will be together, we need to decide how we're going to move forward."

"Do we have to?"

"I think it would be good for us to know where the other stands on certain issues."

"Can't we just let everything simply happen when it feels right?"

"We could, but it we want different things at different times, then that might create a problem."

"What exactly do you want to plan?"

"Firstly, there's telling everyone," Draco started.

"I'm not looking forward to that," Ginny groaned.

"It's not exactly going to be the highlight of my future either, but we do need to tell our families."

"Can't we just let them find out on their own?"

"Ginny, that would hardly be fair."

"Fine." Ginny sighed heavily. She could imagine Lucius' reaction now and it wasn't pretty. "When?"

"Your family is having their usual lunch tomorrow, aren't they?"

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. "You want to come to lunch?"

Draco drew in a deep breath. He desperately wanted to say no, but he had to face them at some point and he figured the sooner the better, because they'd be more likely to torture him if they hid their relationship or that was the theory anyway. "I will come to lunch tomorrow, if you're willing to have your family know about us."

"All right, but you do realize that there's only so much I can do to protect you from my brothers. They will endeavor to get you alone at some point-"

"Ginny, love, I expect nothing less." Draco's hands grasped hers gently. "I'd be disappointed if they simply let me waltz in and steal their sister's heart, without making some token protest."

"Just as long as you know."

"If I survive lunch with your family, we can have dinner with my parents on Wednesday night."

"Is your father going to be there?"

"I don't know."

"I hope not," Ginny muttered under her breath.

Draco chuckled. "I'm sure you'll manage, even if he is there."

"If I giggle at the table it's not my fault," Ginny said.

"Okay. If you start giggling, I will be the first to admonish Father for glaring at you," Draco promised.

"All right," Ginny agreed reluctantly.

"It'll be fine," Draco assured her. "Mother is going to be so excited that Father won't have a chance to be horrid."

Ginny nodded. Her excitement about finally having her feelings known was being overshadowed by thoughts of what everyone else will say about their relationship. Plus, there was the fact that Draco had pulled away from her twice now. It really wasn't a big thing, considering they'd only just worked out how they feel about each other and what they were willing to do about it, but it still irked her a little.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is fine," Ginny lied.

"I thought you might be happier than you appear."

"I am happy." She cringed at the sound of her own voice - she sounded anything but happy. "I'm just worried."

"There's nothing to worry about," Draco crooned.

"Then why do you keep pulling away from me?" Ginny blurted, before she could engage her brain.

"I haven't," Draco refuted.

"You have, and you keep saying you want to take things slow."

"Ginny, I just don't want to do anything we might regret - something we can't find our way back from," Draco stressed. "Believe me when I say I want you - I want you bad."

"You do?"

"Merlin yes! If I've pulled away from you, it's because I can feel myself getting too worked up," Draco told her. "I don't want to mess things up with you."

"I feel the same… I mean getting worked up-" Ginny paused as her thoughts and words began to become confused.

"It's all right, I understand," Draco said sympathetically. "We just need to keep our wits about, so we don't end up-"

"In bed?" Ginny interrupted.

"Well, yes I suppose that's precisely what we need to avoid."

"Why?" Color rose in Ginny's cheeks when she realized that her innocent question had come out of her mouth as more of a demand. "I mean, we will eventually reach the point where a physical relationship will strengthen what we have."

"I'm getting the distinct feeling that you're opposed to taking things slowly," Draco observed.

"I-err-I'm not-umm-"

"Ginevra?"

Ginny sighed. There was no escaping the violent shade of red she'd turned during her stammering, and Draco knew her well enough to dismiss everything but the truth. "It's been a while, and I'm feeling more than a little eager. It's just a physical need."

Draco's hands tightened on hers just before a smirk crept across his face. "Ah… I see."

"It's not funny," Ginny claimed, trying to snatch her hands away. More than anything, she wanted not to see that trademark smirk of his right now.

"No, it's not," Draco said calmly. "It's been a while for me as well."

"Two weeks," Ginny replied pessimistically. "It's been a bit longer for me."

"Well, perhaps we can keep your mind otherwise occupied," Draco suggested.

"How?"

"Maybe a little of this." Draco leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth.

"Are you trying to drive me insane?"

"Perhaps." Draco kissed the other corner of her mouth. He knew this wasn't the solution to keeping her mind away from sex, but he really wanted to kiss her again - in fact, he never wanted to stop kissing her.

"You're just going to get me all worked up again," Ginny said, while his lips tasted the edge of her mouth.

"There's nothing to get worked up about; it's just a little harmless kissing," Draco murmured against her cheek.

As he released her hands she reached out and began to explore his chest. The toned muscle felt wonderfully firm under her fingers. She delighted when his nipples turned to small pebbles under her touch.

His hands drifted up to cup her face. "What are you doing?"

"It's just a little harmless exploration," Ginny replied.

"I can tell you now that the reaction is not harmless," Draco hissed as she tweaked one of his nipples. In his mind, he already had her lying naked across his bed.

"No?" Ginny asked innocently.

"No," Draco ground out as her fingers found his other nipple.

"Okay. I won't do that again," Ginny said agreeably. "What about this?" she asked as she leaned down and pressed her lips against his bare chest.

Draco hissed with pleasure. He wanted to tell her to stop - that it wasn't doing anything for his self-control - but he couldn't find the right words. His hands ached to find her head again, to hold her against his chest, so the pleasure would last.

With no answer from Draco, Ginny kept pressing her mouth to his chest. She casually worked her way over to his left nipple, and then let her tongue come out to play.

"Oh, Ginny," Draco moaned thickly.

His fingers tangled in her hair - his body making the decision to not fight the urge to touch her. Gooseflesh rose across his chest, sending tremors down his spine and heat into his groin. Everything about her felt right - her mouth on his skin, her breath caressing his flesh, and her hair in his hands. He wanted her more than he'd ever wanted another woman - wanted to show her how he loved her, to hear her scream his name in ecstasy… The heat he'd been feeling was unexpectedly replaced with a rush of icy cold alarm. "Ginny! Stop! We can't do this!"

All of a sudden his hands were pushing on her shoulders firmly and his voice had lost the aroused tenor it held just minutes ago. Ginny looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"We can't rush into this," Draco responded, inching away from her.

Ginny released a frustrated growl. "We're not. We've known each other for years, and we've been in love-"

"I just don't want to push you into anything you might regret," Draco interrupted urgently. He desperately needed her to say no and mean it, otherwise his brain was going to stop functioning and he was going to take her right where they were.

"Isn't it up to me to decide what I might regret?"

"Yes, it is, and you need to see that we need-"

"We need to stop messing about and get on with it before I explode," Ginny finished in a sultry whisper.

"I-ah-" Draco stared up into her eyes. She'd moved when he wasn't paying attention and was now almost hovering over him. "Ginny, you don't-"

"Oh, but I do," Ginny purred. Her fingernail traced a line from the top of his chest to his blond treasure trail. "You see, this is for me more than you."

Draco snatched her hand away from his trousers. "Ginny."

"Yes," she whispered.

He took a deep breath and sighed heavily. It was so hard to concentrate when her breasts were heaving and calling attention to themselves. "We shouldn't."

"Since when have either of us done what we should?" Ginny posed with a seductive smile.

Draco dropped his head and groaned. "Men really don't stand a chance with you."

"Draco?" Ginny touched his chin lightly, drawing his head up. "I need you."

"You're trying to kill me," Draco moaned.

"Is it working?" Ginny inquired devilishly.

"I'll let you know," Draco uttered as he reached up to claim her mouth feverishly.

Her body came alive as his hands roamed without hesitation. Every touch, every caress set her skin on fire and her blood thundering through her veins. The feel of his bare chest and back under her fingers only added to her own desire. Unable to get enough of him, Ginny allowed her hands to wander even further. As her hand accidentally grazed his hardening member he moaned into her mouth. It was enough to encourage her to visit the area again, but this time with more intent. Just the knowledge of what she was feeling, and that she was responsible for it, made her hand tingle. His pleasurable moans sent shivers through her entire body. If he dared to pull away now, Ginny would be left with no choice but to not accept his decision.

He could taste the fresh coffee on her tongue; it spurred a desire to seek his caffeine fix from her rather than his own cup. His hands roamed, enjoying the way her body reacted - the gooseflesh rising over her back and the way her nipples hardened as he brushed over them. Never before had Draco paid so much attention to the effect he had on a woman's body, and it stunned him that his innocent touches were capable of so much. Powerful emotions mixed with his reaction to her hands, making logical thought impossible. If there was a way back from this point he'd have to ask someone for directions. The buttons of the shirt she was wearing slipped open with ease, and his hand found its way to the flesh beneath. His mouth ached to replace his fingers - to taste her most intimate places.

"To hell with taking it slow," Draco growled thickly as he scooped her into his arms and headed for the stairs.

The sudden absence of his lips shocked her for just a second, and then she found his neck. She heard him gasp a couple of times and once he paused on the stairs, moaning as she suckled the skin near the base of his neck.

A moan of ecstasy rumbled through his chest when she connected with what most, who knew his body well, had dubbed his sweet spot. Conscious thoughts were lost as his hormones took over and decided which path to take now.

Draco kicked his bedroom door open and strode into the room with only one task on his mind - to hear her scream his name in ecstasy. It was a path he'd taken many times with many different women, but this was the first time it would actually mean something more than just a little light exercise or relief. As he placed her on the bed she was forced to release his neck, which he was positive had been branded.

The sight of his best friend sprawled on his unmade bed with more of her body on display than not made his groin twitch, along with his conscience. "Are you sure?" Draco whispered, looking for final approval.

"If you don't shag me now I won't be held responsible for my actions," Ginny stated as she reached for his trousers.

"We can't have that," Draco answered thickly. His fingers adroitly took care of the button and zip on his trousers.

Within seconds Draco was completely naked. His heart was pounding as he waited for Ginny's reaction. Given her accidental sightings of his body in the past couple of weeks and the drama that followed he was half expecting her to scream or run away. He watched her tongue slip out and wet her lips, and then she started to lean forward. Her hair fell over her face, blocking his view, so when he felt her tongue run the length of his erection he couldn't hide the shuddery breath that left his lungs.

"Oh, Ginny."

It was all he could manage for a few moments, because her mouth was simply too hot and too wet for him to be able to think past how wonderfully talented she is and why he hadn't discovered this before now. All of a sudden her warm mouth was replaced with a chilly breeze blowing over his wet bits. Draco shuddered and stepped back.

Ginny giggled a little hysterically. "You were getting a little too worked up."

Draco steadied his breath. He wasn't annoyed at her for doing something to rein him in a little, because he had been concentrating too much on how wonderful it felt and had lost sight of his objective - shagging her thoroughly. "You are a little vixen," he said breathily, as he leaned over her.

"And proud of it," Ginny responded cheekily.

"I think you're a little overdressed." Draco tugged at the loose shirt just covering her breasts.

"What are you going to do about it?" Ginny posed with an arched eyebrow and a suitable smirk.

Draco raised an eyebrow and smirked back at her. "Me?"

"You're the one with the problem with my having more clothes on than you."

"I suppose, as it's my problem, I should do something about it then." Draco checked her expression one last time before he dipped his head; she looked as though she'd be open to anything he tried at this point.

With great caution, he seized the top of her knickers between his teeth and gave a little tug. Her giggle encouraged him to keep going. Rather than tear her panties down her legs, Draco took his time dragging the lingerie with his teeth all the way to her ankles. Apart from the occasional touch to lift her legs he didn't make contact with her in any other way, but by the time he held the trophy in front of himself she was breathing erratically. He tossed her knickers over his shoulder casually and reached for her hands, gently pulling her into a sitting position before pushing the shirt off her shoulders.

After all his years of womanizing he never thought that the sight of a woman's chest would excite him as much as Ginny's unfettered breasts did. While he understood, on an emotional level, that everything about this union was different to anything he'd ever encountered before, he hadn't expected the sight of her body to have such a profound effect upon him. At the moment, he felt like a schoolboy contemplating his first liaison.

"Are you going to stand there, blushing all day, or are you going to do something?" Ginny asked, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Prompted, Draco leaned over her, hovering close for a few seconds before engaging her mouth again. She tasted sweeter than honey and was more potent than any love potion he could ever create. As his tongue explored her mouth, his hands roamed over her perfect body. Her nipples were like hard pebbles, even before he touched them.

She arched into his tentative hands wanting more than he was offering. His hands were leaving her skin on fire, and she wanted to burn all over. Her neck stretched as Draco trailed his mouth down her chin and across the sensitive flesh below. He was taking his time driving her insane with need. Between the ache in her breasts for some attention and the fire in her core, Ginny didn't really know what she wanted first, just that she needed to be touched now.

Draco became aware of a very subtle pressure on his shoulders encouraging him to go lower. While he wanted to resist, he knew her breasts were beckoning him and that was a treat not to be ignored.

A moan escaped Ginny as he drew closer to her nipples. She wriggled beneath him, trying to line his mouth up with where she desired it, but Draco appeared to be intent on teasing her.

He couldn't help the little chuckle that burst out when she let loose a frustrated growl. There was no questioning what she wanted, but if he gave in she'd stop wriggling and that was doing wonders for him. The underside of her breasts was so soft and sweet that he could have spent the entire day feasting right there. Ginny was obviously enjoying the attention, because she'd given up growling and begun moaning breathlessly again.

Her breath caught as his tongue flicked over her nipple and his fingers found her most sensitive spot. Ginny could feel herself drawing dangerously close to the edge of her control. Everything he was doing to her was bombarding her senses with more pleasure than she could handle at one time.

"Draco… Oh God…Draco." Ginny gasped. "I need you…"

"What was that?"

"I need you now!"

His head came up suddenly. "Already?"

"It's been too long. I just can't… Oh God… If you don't stop that I'm going to-"

Draco's hand froze.

"Don't stop!"

"I thought you wanted-" Draco started. "How about I do something else?" he suggested as he moved back up her body.

"Like?" Ginny moaned. She wished she could hold herself still, but it was impossible at the moment; every nerve ending in her body was jumping.

"Like this," Draco whispered as he made room for himself between her legs.

"Oh yes," Ginny breathed more than articulated.

If he thought the sight of her body was exceptional, then the feel of her body was more than he could handle. She was so hot and wet. He couldn't recall being aware of how a woman really felt before, but then he'd never truly been concerned about the woman's pleasure above his own. Draco paused for a moment to absorb the intense feeling of being one with someone he really loved.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Ginny returned, reaching to drag his head down to hers.

As their lips met they began to move in unison, slowly at first but gradually increasing in speed as their need for completion grew. Draco could feel himself dancing close to the edge, but he denied his body the relief until he was sure Ginny would be satiated. It didn't take long for her to start quivering around him - she hadn't lied when she said she was close - forcing him to still to retain control. Just a few more minutes, and he would allow himself to relax.

"Draco… Oh God, don't stop!"

He grit his teeth and began to move again. It was going to be impossible to hold off his own climax if he kept moving. His name filled his ears over and again - mission accomplished. With a deep shudder and manly grunt Draco emptied himself inside her. As she was moved through the final throes of her orgasm, Draco caught her mouth in a searing kiss.

"I just want to stay here forever," Ginny muttered when they parted.

"We can do that," Draco answered breathlessly.

"Mmm… I'm so warm."

"My arse is getting a bit chilly," Draco responded. "Do you want to move under the covers?"

Ginny pouted. "Do we have to?"

"You know what happens when things get cold," Draco warned.

"All right," Ginny agreed.

Draco rolled off her and crawled across the bed to slip under the covers. As soon as Ginny was within arms reach he dragged her over to him and almost crushed her against his chest.

"This better," Draco uttered.

"Mmm…"

"Are you still okay about us?" Draco asked as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Would I still be here if I wasn't?"

"You could be laying there trying to figure out how to extract yourself gracefully," Draco suggested.

Ginny's head rose and she looked him the eye.

"You're right. You still want to be here," Draco conceded.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm perfect." Draco grinned happily. "In fact the whole world is perfect right now."

"Good." Ginny snuggled down, making herself more comfortable.

They lay together for a while, drifting close to sleep. It was warm, and the sound of each other's steady breathing was comforting. Ginny wiggled a little, repositioning her body slightly as sleep tried to claim her. Without meaning to, her hand slipped down his body.

"Oh goodness!"

"What's wrong?" Draco asked suddenly very awake.

"You're- already-" Ginny frowned, trying to find the words. "Already hard again," she finished in a whisper.

"I have a fast turn around time," Draco said smugly.

"No wonder they call you 'Merlin's gift to witches'," Ginny murmured into his chest.

Draco chuckled lightly. He'd heard the rumors, and Ginny had even laughed at him for it before, but she didn't understand the reason behind it before now. "Sleep now… shag again later," Draco uttered, closing his eyes again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Twelve

Draco glanced around the packed sitting room. It was quite literally standing room only, and only half the family was in there. Ginny had disappeared the moment they'd arrived, leaving him to his own devices. He politely fought his way through the crowd to the kitchen. The women were all busy preparing a mountain of food for the family, so he slipped out the back door unnoticed.

"You're here, Malfoy!" Ron said.

"I am," Draco answered tightly.

"Does that mean Ginny won your little bet?"

"I suppose it could be viewed that way."

"You mean she actually found you a girlfriend."

Draco smiled evasively. Despite the fact that it had been his idea to tell everyone, he didn't particularly relish the thought of Ginny's brothers finding out about their change of status, however the chance to see Ron's face was simply too great to resist.

"You could have brought her to lunch," Ron said earnestly. "We would have loved to have met her."

"I did," Draco answered succinctly.

"But you came with Ginny." Ron frowned.

Draco smirked. He could almost see Ron's thoughts trying to make sense of what he'd been told as opposed to what he'd seen. "I told you, I brought my girlfriend with me… or did she bring me?"

Ron shook his head. "No… No, this is not happening."

"Oh, it's happening," Draco confirmed.

"How? You two were supposed to be finding each other a partner."

"You can blame Zabini," Draco replied casually. "He thought it would be fun to set your sister and I up."

"But you didn't have to-"

"Ah, but we had to tell the truth," Draco cut in.

"Did she-"

"We both felt the same."

"Bloody hell," Ron hissed.

"Problem?" Harry asked.

"You could say that," Ron muttered.

"It all depends on how you look at it," Draco commented.

"You're the only one who wouldn't see it as a problem," Ron retorted.

Harry frowned as he looked between the two men. "What are you two on about?"

"Do you want to tell him the good news or shall I?" Draco asked.

"Go ahead," Ron replied flatly.

"The bet between Ginny and I is over."

"You lost, Malfoy!" Harry laughed. "You wouldn't be here if you'd won."

"Actually, I feel like a winner," Draco said with a large grin.

"Well, I guess, if you've got a good woman now, you would feel like a winner," Harry rationalized. "So, is the lucky lady here?"

"Absolutely," Draco answered.

"Where is she? You didn't leave her in there with the family, did you?" Harry looked towards the house.

"She fits right in," Draco assured him.

"Hang on… Someone you're allegedly seeing fits right in here?" Harry challenged.

Draco nodded. "Blends right in."

"You're hedging," Ron accused. "Just tell him."

Harry looked between the two men again. "What?"

"Well…" Draco started.

"Ginny! It's bloody Ginny he's seeing," Ron expressed dramatically. "My sister!"

A smile slipped across Harry's face, and it wasn't long before he was chuckling.

"It's not funny," Ron complained.

"But that is." Harry pointed in the direction of the house.

As Draco turned his blood chilled. He wasn't truly surprised, if he were honest with himself, to see the other five Weasley brothers standing just outside the back door looking at him with a myriad of expressions on their faces - they tended to turn up when he least wanted them to - but he couldn't deny the terror that flooded his system. There was no way of predicting what they might do to him, and the unknown petrified him.

"So, you and Ginny finally saw what was right in front of your noses then?" Bill asked.

Draco opened and closed his mouth. "You expected this?"

"We knew it'd happen one day," Charlie admitted.

"You two have been blind to each other for so long l was beginning to have my doubts," Fred admitted.

"Tell Zabini he's a genius," George said enthusiastically.

"How did you know-" Draco started.

"About Zabini?" Fred asked.

"Yes," Draco answered.

"We're not deaf," Charlie replied.

Draco hoped the horror he was feeling wasn't showing on his face as he ran through the conversation he had with Ron and Harry. "How long have you lot been-"

"Listening?" George interjected.

"Yes, listening," Draco clarified civilly, swallowing the irritation at having his sentences finished for him by the twins each time he opened his mouth.

"The whole time," Bill admitted.

Draco cringed. He couldn't help it, because he couldn't quite remember how far he'd gone to taunt Ron now that the pressure was on. "I didn't say anything that would-"

"Encourage us to kill you outright?" Fred interrupted.

George sighed heavily. "I told you before, we're not doing that. We need to torture him for a millennium first."

Torture? Draco gulped. If the twins were talking about torture, then he was in real trouble. They were best known for their creativity. "Where's Ginny?"

"Come on, Malfoy," Charlie crooned with a malevolent smile. "You don't need your girlfriend here."

"She'd only get upset and you wouldn't want that, would you?" Bill added, his smile equaling his younger brother's for wickedness.

"I-err-" Draco looked around the yard as the men started to advance and panic began to override his rational thoughts.

"Oi! What's that on your neck, Malfoy?" Charlie inquired, pointing to Draco's marked skin.

Unable to help himself, Draco smirked. He knew it wasn't the most intelligent thing to do under the circumstances, but he simply couldn't stop himself. "Didn't you know … Your sister displays some frightening tendencies towards vampirism."

"Bloody hell! Hey, George, it looks like Ginny's got better suction than you have," Fred declared as he examined Draco's neck earnestly.

George shoved his twin aside and ran his fingers over the bruised flesh on Draco's neck. "Bloody hell! That must have hurt!"

"Didn't feel a thing," Draco confessed.

"You were distracted, weren't you?" Charlie asked dangerously.

"Err- She's gentle-really gentle," Draco stammered.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Sure she is."

"We're not fools, Malfoy," Percy said pompously. "We know exactly what those types of brands lead to."

Charlie spun around and faced Percy. "Tell us, dear brother, what do those brands lead to?"

Percy flushed redder than his hair. "Well-you see-" He pushed his glasses up his nose. "One would usually be-be rather-"

"Horny?" Ron offered with a smirk.

"There are less vulgar ways of-" Percy snapped.

"Yeah, but you were having trouble thinking of one," Ron pointed out.

"Hang on a minute." Bill held his hand up to silence his brothers. "When did you say you two got together?"

"Yesterday," Draco answered. The moment the word left his mouth he realized that he'd most likely just signed his own death certificate. "I-We-"

"Jumped straight into bed?" Charlie offered with a growl.

"NO!" Draco tried to take a step backwards, but found himself standing on Harry's feet. "We didn't. We talked first, and then we-"

"Then you jumped into bed," Fred said helpfully.

Draco's eyes rotated to look at Fred, who was sporting a malicious grin. "No! Well- yes- sort of."

George leaned closer to Draco. "You didn't make it to the bed?"

"Yes!" Draco's heart was beating so hard that he feared it was going to escape his body. He was very right to be afraid of these men; they had a knack of making him admit things that are categorically not good for his health. "I'm just going to shut up now," he said in a small, miserable voice.

"Don't do that," Charlie crooned. "We're having fun."

"Fun?" Draco's eyes just about bulged out of his head. "You call this fun?"

Charlie shrugged. "I do. What about you, Bill?"

"It's fun for me," Bill answered. "How about you, Ron?"

"Having a ball!" Ron declared. "Harry?"

Harry sniggered. "Likewise. Fred?"

"Better than tormenting Percy," Fred said heartily. "George?"

"I couldn't agree more! What about you, Percy?"

"This behavior is a little childish, but-"

"You get the idea, Malfoy," Charlie said, cutting Percy off before he could get into a longwinded rhetoric about adult behavior. "We're just having a little fun."

"Percy doesn't sound like he agrees," Draco blurted in a rush. He was clutching at anything that might give him a reprieve.

"Percy's opinion doesn't matter," Ron informed Draco.

Draco whimpered silently to himself. He kicked himself mentally. Ginny had been perfectly happy to keep their relationship to themselves for a while, and he had to insist that they tell everyone. Why on earth had he done that? At least he'd have enjoyed some time with her before his demise. There was also that promise that he could handle anything her brothers dished out hanging over his head. It wasn't as if he could make a break for the house and let her know what was going on without looking like a pathetic fool - not that he'd make it two feet with the men surrounding him.

"Where were we?" Bill asked, looking at his brothers amusedly.

"You made it to bed, didn't you, Malfoy?" Charlie prompted.

Draco nodded, despite instructing his body not to respond.

"And then what happened?" Fred inquired.

There was a minute drop of relief when Draco realized the question required more than a yes or no answer. At least he couldn't give himself away without opening his mouth. Of course, there was still the fact that they wanted some form of reply. He weighed up the pros and cons of being unashamedly honest with them. They could torture him for longer, but if he dared to go into graphic detail they might just kill him accidentally, and then this torture would be over. If only he could see Ginny one last time before committing himself to death.

"Cat got your tongue, Malfoy," Harry goaded.

Draco lifted his chin haughtily and drew on every last ounce of courage he possessed. "I know you lot don't really want to hear this, because you'll find it disturbing, but you asked for it-"

Sniggers and snorts of laughter erupted from the men as the closed in to hear what Draco had to say.

"We did make it to the bed. Your sister, as I discovered very quickly, is a little vix-"

"Draco Malfoy!"

All the men in the yard flinched as the back door banged hard enough to rattle the windows.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny demanded.

The Weasley men and Harry inched away from Draco as Ginny strode over to him.

"Committing suicide," Draco answered in a small voice.

"Suicide?" Ginny eyed him up and down with some amusement in her expression. "You want me to kill you?"

"No, not you," Draco answered hurriedly. "They were torturing me, so I was just going to put an end to it the quickest way I could think of."

"And it didn't occur to you that telling me would have been far quicker?" Ginny asked.

Fred snorted. "As if he'd have gotten that far."

"We'd have-" George snapped his mouth shut as his sister's eyes all but burned a hole in him.

Ginny stared at her brothers with obvious contempt. "Draco and I are together, and yes we do have sex - lots and lots of hot, perverted sex. If any of you have a problem with that, you can go a talk to someone who cares, but leave Draco and I alone, because we don't care. Furthermore, if any of you want more detail than that, I will gladly oblige by tying you to a chair and making you watch Draco and I during the aforementioned hot, perverted sex. Questions?"

Draco didn't breathe, let alone dare move during her little harangue. He'd always thought the twins were the scariest of the Weasleys, but he was suddenly quite sure that Ginny was the scariest of them all, and he was fool enough to get caught divulging her secrets.

The sound of someone clearing their throat nearby, garnered everyone's attention.

"Oh-" Ginny flushed bright red. "Sorry, Dad."

Arthur shook his head with a bemused smile on his face. "Just like her mother," he uttered quietly.

Disgusted moans and complaints arose from the men present. Draco kept his thoughts to himself - still not quite brave enough to draw Ginny's attention by moving or speaking or even breathing yet - but he was definitely cringing on the inside, along with Molly Weasley's sons.

"Boys, I would definitely leave the subject alone or your sister might do to you what her mother did to her brothers," Arthur advised wisely.

"What did Mum do?" Ron asked. "Oww!" He rubbed his arm after Charlie punched him.

"Gideon and Fabian were giving me a hard time, just like you're doing to Draco, so your mother sat them down and gave them a minute by minute account of what we'd been up to in the old barn the night before." Arthur chuckled at the memory.

"They just sat there?" Charlie questioned.

"I believe they were too horrified to move," Arthur answered. "The point is, boys, they're a dangerous breed to tangle with, and you'll come off second best every time, if you dare."

There were a few muttered words of agreement from the boys, as they started to drift away slowly.

Bill made a beeline for Draco. "I'll be blunt. If you hurt her, we'll kill you."

"We'll torture you first, then kill you," Charlie amended from a distance.

"Yeah, torture first," Bill agreed. "That's if there's anything left after you've answered for telling tales outside the bedroom."

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. He had no doubt that Bill had brought that up to deliberately remind Ginny of what was going on when she walked out.

"Good luck, son." Arthur patted Draco's shoulder affectionately. "You're going to need it."

The silence that fell only moments later seemed deafening to Draco. He wished for just a little noise, anything so he knew wasn't alone.

"I don't believe you did that," Ginny snarled.

His eyes opened slowly. Sure enough, he was alone with Ginny. "They were-" He winced as a small, pointy finger poked him in the middle of the chest.

"You don't tell them anything," Ginny growled. "If I wanted them to know what I was like in bed I'd have tortured them with that information already."

"Sorry," Draco whispered ashamedly. "I couldn't think of any other way to make them leave me alone."

"I can think of plenty, so if you're short on ideas just ask," Ginny snapped.

"I'll remember that," Draco replied. "Are we all right?"

"Yes, we're all right." Ginny rested her head on his chest. "I'm just-I'm horrified my dad heard me-"

Draco started to laugh. "If it bothered him, he didn't show it."

"He was just getting rid of the boys."

"I don't know," Draco mused aloud. "I can envision your mother being a little vixen in her day."

Ginny groaned. "Please don't talk about that."

"There you are!" Molly exclaimed.

"Sorry, Mum. The boys were giving Draco a hard time," Ginny explained.

"Those boys." Molly shook her head.

"Dad scared them off," Ginny told her.

"Good." Molly moved towards Draco with her arms outstretched. "I just came out here to tell you how pleased I am for both of you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Draco managed while being thoroughly squeezed by the Weasley matriarch. Visions of what Mr. Weasley had alluded to kept going through his mind - picturing what Ginny was like behind closed doors and putting her mother's face on the hallucination had the potential to kill his passion for a decade.

"It's about time the two of you settled down," Molly said firmly.

"Settled down?" Draco questioned. He had been under the impression that Ginny hadn't told her family that they had already discussed the possibility of marriage.

"Yes! The two of you have been running around with Merlin only knows how many different people," Molly clarified. "I do read the social pages, Draco, and I can't keep up with Ginny's boyfriends."

"I see," Draco uttered as relief bloomed in his body.

"Those waifs you're usually pictured with- Well, they don't look like the types who are interested in family," Molly continued frankly.

"No-No, they're not terribly interested in family," Draco concurred quickly. The last time he'd dared to defend one of his dates to Mrs. Weasley he'd received an hour-long lecture in the benefits of dating virtuous women, while Ginny stood behind her mother sniggering into her hand.

"You don't have to worry about that now." Molly patted his chest affectionately. "I must get back to the kitchen. I hope you're hungry!"

"Starving," Draco mumbled. His eyes followed Molly inside and then he turned to Ginny. "Is she planning our wedding?"

"I hope not," Ginny wailed. "She was so excited when I told her that we were together."

"How impossible is she going to be when we do announce our engagement?"

"You haven't asked me yet," Ginny pointed out.

"I was just weighing up the benefits of eloping," Draco divulged.

"As tempting as it might sound to begin with, we'd have to face both our mothers afterwards," Ginny reminded him. "I don't know about you, but I think they'd both be pretty scary if we had the nerve to do something like not invite them to our wedding."

"You could be right," Draco mused. "Still, it might be worth just putting the idea aside for now, rather than dismissing it totally."

"I just said they'd be scary," Ginny said. "Not that I wasn't willing to do it if things got too out of hand."

"We'll call it our escape clause," Draco suggested cheekily.

"Sounds good," Ginny replied, giggling into his chest. "The boys weren't too bad, were they?"

"I'm a little confused actually," Draco confessed. "At first they acted like they were expecting it, and then they weren't happy about it. I just don't know what to think."

"As far as I can tell, they were expecting it, but they feel obligated to give you a hard time," Ginny explained.

"Would it have been so hard for them to shake my hand and tell me to look after you?"

"That would have been a bit boring," Bill interjected from the doorway. "Mum said lunch is ready."

"Thanks, Bill," Ginny responded. "Come on. It's time to face the whole family."

"Your sisters-in-law aren't going to go nuts are they?"

"Probably," Ginny answered casually. "You don't mind your cheeks being pinched, do you?"

Draco cleared his throat and quirked an eyebrow at her. "You are kidding."

Ginny just grinned and kept walking.

A frown crossed Draco's face briefly. There was something unsettling about Ginny's expression. He shook his head and followed her into the house. The kitchen table was full to bursting with family and food. Seats were few and far between, and it took him a few minutes to locate Ginny in the crowded room. Draco began to move around the table to one of the few vacant seats. It was a tight squeeze at times, and several times he seemed to get a little stuck, but he managed to get across the room.

He eyed the chair that was tucked tightly into the table. There was no room on either side of it, so there was only one way to actually take his seat. Draco pulled the chair all the way out and prepared to pull himself to the table in a half sitting position.

"Oww!" Draco shrieked, jumping to his feet.

"What's wrong?" Ginny demanded.

Draco looked around himself. He could have sworn something just bit his arse.

"Draco?" Ginny called impatiently.

"Nothing, love," he uttered. "It was nothing."

"Aww isn't that sweet," Fred crooned.

"He called her love," George added.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Shut it, you two."

With a little apprehension, Draco tried to sit down again, and again an almost painful sensation went through his backside. "What the-"

"Well?" Angelina demanded.

Fleur blushed as she began to giggle. "As tight as we assumed."

"You," Draco blurted. "You pinched my arse!"

"Only because you sat next to me," Fleur explained in an innocent tone.

Draco looked around the table. The men were all sniggering quietly, including Bill, who should have been horrified in Draco's opinion. "What is going on?"

"Draco, sit down," Ginny instructed.

"I don't trust Madam Touchy-Feely here on the right," Draco claimed childishly.

"Fleur, please leave his backside alone," Ginny said amusedly.

"You can trust me, Draco," Fleur insisted. "I have the information we were after now."

"Draco, sit down," Molly instructed firmly. "Everyone, eat up before it gets cold."

Before Draco could draw his chair up to the table everyone else started filling their plates. It was a long way from the civilized meals he was accustomed to with his family; his mother would have a heart attack if she witnessed this fiasco. In time, he managed to get a little food onto his plate. Although, he'd eaten with the family before, Draco had not mastered the art of grabbing a platter as it passed before the person two chairs down claimed it.

How anyone heard anything of the conversations they were conducting was a miracle. The noise in the room had reached a crescendo that Draco found deafening, though it didn't seem to bother anyone else. He sat there quietly eating his food, which didn't take long, and watching the goings on around him. One wouldn't think it was easy to blend into the background with this family, but Draco found he had no problem, as long as he kept his mouth shut. As usual, Ginny was taking her time over her food while chatting away to Charlie. Draco couldn't hear the conversation, but Ginny was laughing occasionally and Charlie appeared to be in good spirits, so he assumed it was about something positive.

As soon as the meal finished, the men and children vanished, leaving the women to clean up. Draco drifted into the sitting room for a little bit. Most of the men had paired off and were continuing discussions from before lunch. Ron had set up his Wizard Chess set and was calling for challengers. He considered playing a game, but there was no challenge in beating Ron, so Draco drifted back to the kitchen doorway.

"He's as hard as a rock," Fleur said as she dried a plate.

"You're so lucky, Ginny," Angelina expressed wistfully.

Ginny smiled and flushed pink.

"There's nothing quite like a man with a firm backside," Molly established with a breathy sigh that would have befitted a much younger woman. "Arthur used to-"

Mrs. Weasley's words faded into the background, as Draco realized what they were talking about. He hyperventilated for a few moments before respiration seemed to stop altogether. Escape was foremost in his mind right now, before he heard something that might leave him permanently scarred. Draco turned, staggering a little as he moved back into the sitting room.

"All right, Malfoy?" Charlie asked.

Bill laughed. "Too much pumpkin juice at lunch?"

Draco raised his hand and pointed an accusatory finger at the oldest Weasley brother. "You-your wife-she's-at lunch-" He growled in frustration. His mouth simply would cooperate at the moment.

"What about Fleur?" Bill questioned with a smirk.

"She-she pinched my arse!" Draco exclaimed.

Charlie sighed and shook his head. "And now the girls are discussing how flabby it felt?"

"My arse is not flabby," Draco snapped.

"What's the problem then?" Ron inquired.

"They're talking- married women- even Mrs. Weasley-" Draco gasped for breath as his lungs emptied.

Arthur chuckled. "Don't worry about it, son. The girls have been wondering what your backside felt like for years."

"Why?" Draco whispered weakly.

"All the rumors," Charlie answered. "Women talk, and they just wanted to confirm the gossip."

Draco frowned deeply. He didn't know whether to be amused or to curl into fetal position and bawl. It wasn't as if he wasn't aware of the rumors that flowed through the pubs he frequented, but to know that everyday ordinary married women talked about him - Ginny's family, to be specific - that disturbed him. "Why now?"

"It's not that hard to figure out, is it?" Bill asked. "You're with Ginny now, so no simple pinch on your backside will be misconstrued as a signal that a woman is interested in you, thus keeping our girls safe from your advances."

"How is that logical?" Draco demanded.

"If Fleur had pinched your arse a month ago, would you have made a big deal of it like you did today or would you have given her one of your famous 'come hither' looks?"

"I don't touch married women," Draco stated categorically.

"Except for that Countess in Bulgaria last year," Charlie reminded him. "What was her name?"

"I was unaware she was married," Draco ground out.

"Of course you were." Charlie grinned in a way that told everyone that he didn't believe Draco.

"I thought we cleared this up last year," Draco snapped.

"He's still jealous that you landed her and not him," Bill explained.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Next time I'll send the married ones your way."

"Not the ugly ones," Charlie warned with a chuckle.

"The married what?" Ginny asked as she walked in.

"Ginny, I was about to come and get you," Bill announced.

"Why?"

"Draco needs to go home for a bit of a lie down," Bill told her.

Ginny looked to her boyfriend, and then back at her brother, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He's a bit shocked that you women were discussing his backside's form," Bill explained.

"I wasn't discussing his form," Ginny retorted.

"They were," Draco alleged.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, they think I'm a lucky girl," Ginny responded with a smile.

Bill snorted with laughter.

"And Fleur said you could do with getting on your broom more often to tighten your arse up again," Ginny added mockingly.

"There's nothing wrong with my backside," Bill claimed in an affronted tone.

"Not if you like saggy," Fred interposed from the other side of the room.

"No one asked you," Bill snapped.

"I like to share," Fred replied smugly.

"No one has yet explained to me why it was all right for Fleur to pinch my backside," Draco said suddenly. "Why aren't you furious?" he asked looking directly at Bill.

"Fleur was nominated to gather the information for the rest of the women," Bill informed him. "She's the oldest and she's French - they're touchy feely people, so she can get away with doing things like that."

"Nominated?" Draco repeated in disbelief.

"The girls have ways of-" Charlie started.

Draco stared incredulously at Bill. There was no way on magical earth that he'd accept Ginny touching another man's derriere, even if it was simply for a fact finding mission. "Just keep her away from my body."

"Don't worry, she's got what they wanted for now," Bill assured him.

"What if they want something else next?" Draco growled.

"Are you suggesting we measure your wand now?" Charlie laughed loudly.

Draco sneered at Charlie's attempt at humor. "Ginny, I think it's time we left."

"Good idea," Ginny agreed. "I wouldn't want to have to hurt one of them. Mum gets really cranky when I do that."

"I'll get our cloaks while you say goodbye," Draco offered. "Gentlemen."

It wasn't until he'd taken several steps inside the kitchen that Draco realized the women were sitting around the table with a large pot of tea, and his bottom would be vulnerable, if he didn't take measures to protect himself. With as much casualness as he could muster, Draco turned his back to the wall and began to inch along towards the cloak rack.

The giggles started slowly as one by one the women became aware of what he was doing. It was humiliating, but it was better than having his bum fondled by women he would eventually consider family. Draco glanced at the back door; it was still quite a distance away - too far to risk running for it, given the number of depraved women in the room.

"What are you doing?"

Draco's head snapped up and towards the sitting room door. "I-they-"

"Come on, I'll protect you," Ginny promised as she approached him.

As he relaxed and moved just a fraction away from the wall Hermione twitched in his direction suddenly. Draco flattened himself against the wall again, much to the amusement of the women.

"All right, that's enough," Ginny commanded. "You lot need to behave yourselves, or I'll never convince him to come to lunch again."

"Girls, Ginny is right," Molly said strongly. "Leave Draco alone now."

His surprise was hard to hide as the women suddenly straightened in their chairs and composed themselves. Confident that he wouldn't come to bodily harm now, Draco strode to the cloak rack and began to sift through the many garments present for his and Ginny's cloaks. He'd just spied his cloak and was reaching for it when an unmanly yelp burst from his throat expectedly. "Oww! Who was that?" he demanded, turning to face the women.

Draco inspected every woman's face. Most were cackling inanely without a hint of guilt, but there was one who had mischief dancing in her eyes.

"What?" Ginny smirked at him unashamedly. "I'm allowed."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. They were starting to rub off on Ginny - teaching her bad habits. "Home," he said simply.

Ginny muffled a giggle. "Okay."

Draco turned back to the rack and snatched up their cloaks. He quickly threw Ginny's around her shoulders and secured the cloak pin. "Have you said goodbye to your mother?"

"Not yet," Ginny answered.

"Perhaps you can do that now?" Draco suggested.

It only took another fifteen minutes to escape the clutches of the Weasley family. By the time Draco Disapparated he was sure he had a couple of cracked ribs compliments of Mrs. Weasley's overenthusiastic farewell. Ginny had also silenced his complaints by reminding him that coming to lunch today had, in fact, been his idea. He was already diligently working on a plausible excuse to get out of Sunday lunch next week.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Thirteen

Draco took Ginny's cloak from her shoulders and tossed it onto the waiting servant. It wasn't until he enclosed her hand in his that he noticed she was trembling.

"Hey, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ginny fibbed.

"Are you ready then?"

"You did warn them, didn't you?"

"I told Mother I was bringing the woman I intend to marry to dinner."

"You what?" Ginny hissed.

"Calm down, Ginny. Mother was so excited when I told her." Draco's arm's slipped around her shoulders. "She's so happy I'm finally settling down."

"Yes, but-"

"No 'buts'. Are you ready?"

"Not really," Ginny admitted.

Draco smirked. Any other time Ginny would have gone charging into his parents' home without a care in the world, but everything had suddenly changed. "I'll take that as a yes, shall I?"

"Can't we do this some other time?"

"No-" Draco kissed her forehead. "-we can't. Mother is expecting us."

"What about your father?" Ginny whispered.

"I don't know." Draco tried not to twitch as the lie slipped off his tongue. His mother had, of course, informed his father that he was bringing someone very special to dinner this evening, and his father had been hounding him for some clue as to who it might be since Monday. Given that, only death would have kept Lucius away from the dinner table tonight. "Come on. They don't bite."

"Your father does," Ginny countered.

Draco grabbed her hand tightly and began to walk towards the parlor again. "You bite harder, so don't worry about him."

"And you're willing to risk us being in the same room?"

"It'll all be good, Ginny. Well, as long as you don't giggle during dinner and spit food all over him," Draco said with a smirk.

"You promised-"

"The second I see his eyes harden I will pounce on him," Draco promised again. "Shh, stop fussing or Mother will hear you."

Ginny braced herself to enter the parlor. She'd never before had a problem walking in as Draco's best friend - in fact, she'd rather relished the thought that her presence put Lucius Malfoy's nose out of joint - but this was different. Narcissa Malfoy had great hopes for her son to marry acceptably and Ginny had been subjected to her grand plans many times - she was sure she didn't quite fit into the Malfoy matriarch's scheme. Draco squeezed her hand reassuringly just as they stepped over the threshold.

"Mother, you look delightful this evening," Draco intoned as he crossed the floor, dragging Ginny with him.

"Draco darling, you're a little late," Narcissa admonished lightly.

"By mere minutes," Draco countered gently as he kissed his mother's cheek. "Where is Father?"

"He'll join us momentarily," Narcissa informed him. "Ginevra, how lovely to see you again."

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy," Ginny uttered nervously. She cringed when she heard the sound of her voice. Someone about to face the Dementors would have sounded more confident.

Narcissa glanced behind the couple. "Draco, I thought you informed me that you were bringing someone special to dinner this evening."

"I did," Draco confirmed.

"Well? Where is she?" Narcissa inquired patiently. "You haven't left her standing outside, have you?"

Draco cleared his throat and smirked. "She's right here, Mother."

Ginny felt his hand tighten around hers as his mother looked between them.

"Ginevra?" Narcissa's face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning, and she clapped her hands together. "This is wonderful!"

"Thank you," Ginny muttered uncomfortably.

Narcissa reached for Ginny's free hand and began to move her away from Draco. "When did this happen? You must tell me everything!"

"I-err-" Ginny stammered, trying her best to hold onto Draco's hand.

"Mother," Draco expressed with unmistakable warning. "You don't want to scare her off."

"Nonsense!" Narcissa exclaimed. "If your father's poor behavior at past dinners wasn't enough to scare Ginevra off. A few questions from me won't send her running away."

"Poor behavior?" Lucius questioned in his deep voice. "I don't believe I have ever been guilty of such a crime."

Ginny stiffened the moment she heard his voice; it washed over her like an icy cold bucket of water. The moment of truth was at hand, and she felt totally unprepared. It was no secret that she and Draco's father shared a love-hate relationship - they loved to hate each other - yet his approval at this point seemed paramount.

"Lucius, the least you can do is not fib," Narcissa chided politely.

"Draco, I thought you informed your mother that you were bringing your girlfriend to dinner," Lucius stated, ignoring his wife's jibe.

Girlfriend… Ginny thought. He makes it sound like a dirty word - like something not worthy of a Malfoy.

"I did," Draco replied, grinning broadly.

"Well?" Lucius questioned impatiently. "Where is she?"

"Right here, Father," Draco said smugly. "I believe you already know each other."

For a fleeting moment Lucius' mask cracked and Ginny saw the shock that was usually disguised by the stoic expression. A smirk tugged at her lips. The older wizard wasn't accustomed to being caught unawares. "Good evening, Mr. Malfoy."

"Well, Miss Weasley, this was quite unexpected," Lucius intoned civilly.

"You and your fibs, Lucius!" Narcissa waved a dismissive hand at her husband. "This was very much hoped for. We were only discussing it at the Nott's ball on Saturday evening."

Lucius cleared his throat before interrupting his wife. "You were discussing the prospect, dearest. Not I."

Narcissa waved her hand at him again. "It matters not," she declared airily.

"Some wine, Mother?" Draco offered, hoping to put a stop to the dispute that was about to escalate.

"That would be lovely, darling," Narcissa accepted. "There's some Elf Made Wine on the side bar."

"Ginny?" Draco asked.

"Please," Ginny responded with a tight smile. She missed his hand the moment he took it away.

Draco looked at his father. The older man's nostrils were flaring with discontent. "Father?"

"Firewhisky," Lucius demanded.

"At this hour, Lucius?" Narcissa queried, raising a perfect eyebrow at her husband.

"Just a little something to dull the pain, dearest," Lucius ground out.

Narcissa rolled her eyes expressively and sent Ginny a look that clearly said: men!

"Ladies." Draco held out two elegant crystal wine glasses.

"Thank you," Narcissa said with a cheery smile.

"Thank you," Ginny whispered. She felt like draining the entire contents of the glass, and then heading straight to the bottle; drunken numbness had to be better than the tension she was feeling right now.

"Take it easy," Draco mouthed in Ginny's face.

Ginny sighed lightly. It was as if he could read her mind.

"Father," Draco intoned as he passed Lucius an enormous tumbler.

Lucius nodded his thanks and took a generous gulp of the beverage.

"Draco, you're not joining us for wine?" Narcissa asked, eying his tumbler.

"I thought I'd keep Father company," Draco answered nonchalantly.

"I see," Narcissa responded disappointedly.

"Not to worry, Mother, I won't make a mess of myself," Draco promised.

"Famous last words," Narcissa whispered to Ginny.

Ginny couldn't help but giggle a little.

"Now tell me how the two of you finally realized what was right in front of you," Narcissa demanded.

"Oh-well, we-" Ginny agonized over her words. It was easy with her family, because they'd known about the competition to find each other a partner, but Draco's parents knew nothing of the foolish behavior that they'd been immersing themselves in these past weeks. "Umm-"

"We're laying the blame firmly at Blaise Zabini's feet," Draco said.

"Oh?"

"He thought he'd send us on a magical date," Draco continued. "One where we'd have no choice but to tell the truth about how we felt afterwards or suffer the consequences."

Narcissa's hand flew to her chest. "My goodness."

"It was nothing serious, Mother," Draco assured her. "I turned red and gold for a little while when I decided to tell little white lies to keep Ginny from knowing how I really felt."

"How creative," Lucius drawled indifferently.

"What did you have to do to rid yourself of those hideous colors?" Narcissa inquired.

"Tell the truth," Draco replied.

"Ingenious," Narcissa said.

"He thought so," Draco responded dryly.

"Ginevra, did you decide to give my foolish son a chance after he was finally honest with you?" Narcissa asked.

"I felt the same," Ginny admitted in a small voice as color flooded her cheeks. "Of course, the fact that I turned green and silver prompted the truth to be told."

"Both of you have been so blind for so long," Narcissa told them emphatically.

"Blind, Mother?" Draco queried incredulously.

"Everyone has been able to see what you've been denying for years," Narcissa responded.

"I hardly think we need to encourage this situation," Lucius interposed irritably.

"Of course we do," Narcissa replied positively. "Young love needs all the encouragement it can get."

Lucius snorted in an undignified manner to indicate his disapproval.

"Do you not remember when we were courting, darling?" Narcissa asked sweetly.

"Say yes," Draco hissed. "I don't need to hear-"

"Hush, Draco," Narcissa instructed. "Lucius?"

Lucius' mouth twitched a little. "Of course I do, dearest."

"Then you will stop this boorish nonsense and start supporting your son in the most important relationship of his life, to date," Narcissa instructed.

"I have not been unsupportive," Lucius defended himself.

Narcissa pinned her husband with a look that would have melted a lesser man.

Lucius cleared his throat uncomfortably and averted his gaze to the large picture windows on the side of the room.

It was obviously a private moment between a long-married couple and Ginny tried to look away, but she found it fascinating that the old Death Eater could be virtually brought to his knees by a look from his wife. She started when Draco burst into laughter.

"Don't be rude, Draco," Narcissa said pointedly.

"My apologies, Mother," Draco managed as his sniggers subsided.

"Your turn will come," Lucius hissed as he passed his son on the way to the side bar for a refill.

Narcissa's eyes sharpened. "Lucius, we're about to have dinner."

"Of course," Lucius responded tightly. He placed his tumbler on the side bar with a controlled knock.

"Why don't we go through to the dining room now?" Narcissa suggested.

Draco moved quickly to offer Ginny his arm. She'd already gotten to her feet and was about to start heading to the dining room unaccompanied with her wine glass. After all the times she'd eaten with his family he'd have thought she might have retained a little of what their rituals were for his mother's sake. The moment his parents moved past them, he discreetly reached for the glass and extracted from her hand, leaving it on a small occasional table as they exited the room.

"I was enjoying that," Ginny hissed.

"Don't worry, the wine Mother serves with dinner is a little stronger than that rubbish," Draco whispered into her ear.

"Good," Ginny returned quietly.

When they reached the dining room, Draco had to hold Ginny back, so he'd get a chance to hold her chair out for her. If he had failed to do that his mother would have had a fit. As he took his seat his mother summoned the servants with the little golden bell that had sat at her right hand for longer than he could remember.

Narcissa constantly, but graciously, pumped Ginny for information about their relationship through the main course. It was something that Draco found exasperating, because his mother wasn't one to hold back on her interrogation nor would she accept brief answers. He couldn't relax at all and often missed what his father was trying to tell him, which clearly goaded Lucius. Draco had just started to add up how much more time he'd have to spend in a state of high anxiety when he heard the sound he'd been dreading more than anything all evening. A quick glance to his right confirmed his worst fears.

Ginny's effort to stifle the mad giggle that was trying to force its way out of her throat was a grand failure.

Draco sighed heavily. He'd always successfully ignored the fact that his father found it necessary to glare at Ginny across the dinner table, but he'd promised her he'd do something about it tonight. "Father, for the sake of my sanity, will you please stop glaring at Ginny? As you might have guessed, she finds your efforts amusing."

"Amusing?" Lucius repeated curiously as he softened his gaze, but didn't avert his eyes.

Ginny froze. He'd given her an opening, a huge opening, to tell him what she really thought. It could be a trick, because they were at the dinner table and she was sure that telling anyone what she thought of them during dinner would be considered indecorous.

"Father, I wouldn't push the issue," Draco warned quietly. It was at times like this that he wished he didn't know her so well, because he could see Ginny seriously considering her options, and he knew before she even opened her mouth that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Yes, amusing," Ginny confirmed. "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Malfoy, I used to be afraid of you - when I was about thirteen."

"Really?" Lucius asked inquisitively.

"But even you have to admit that over the years you have softened up a little," Ginny continued. "And I have seen how you bow down to Mrs. Malfoy."

An unmanly squeak escaped from Draco's throat. It was all that he could manage as his planned future flashed before his eyes. He'd just reached the point where his future children would be motherless when an odd sound caught his attention - his mother was laughing harder than he'd ever heard her laugh before.

"Oh, Lucius, you should see your face!" Narcissa was hardly able to breathe, but she managed to get a few words out.

Draco chanced a glance at his father. He could feel a bubble of laughter trying to work its way up his throat, and he fought valiantly to keep it in, but between his father's expression, the smug expression on Ginny's face, and his mother's raucous laughter he didn't have a hope in hell.

"What are you sniggering at?" Lucius snarled at Draco.

"You really should see your face, Father," Draco blurted.

Lucius growled deep in his chest and leaned forward, pinning Ginny with a deadly look. "I do not bow down to my wife."

"If you say so," Ginny replied just as a giggle escaped her.

"Laughed at in my own home," Lucius muttered disgustedly under his breath.

"Oh, darling, don't be like that," Narcissa crooned. "Ginevra has simply had the opportunity to see you in a private setting."

"Just because I value your happiness does not mean I am weak," Lucius ground out.

"Oh-Oh no-I didn't mean-I think it's sweet and-and endearing," Ginny stammered.

"Sweet and endearing… There's two words I never wanted associated with my personality," Lucius grumbled.

"I won't tell a soul, I promise," Ginny pledged with exaggerated sincerity.

Lucius quirked an eyebrow and sent a skeptical look at the woman sitting next to his son.

Ginny dropped her eyes, suddenly feeling a little guilty. She clearly needed to fix this. In all the years she'd been visiting Malfoy Manor with Draco she'd never repeated anything she'd witnessed within its walls. More than anyone, she understood how this family valued its privacy. "Mr. Malfoy, I really admire the way you care about your wife. It's clear to anyone who cares to observe you together that you love each other a great deal. I also meant what I said about not saying anything; I never have and I never will."

"Well-" Lucius uttered stiffly. "I do appreciate the sentiment."

"Thank you," Draco whispered almost silently.

Ginny smiled softly at Draco.

"I think we might take tea in the parlor," Narcissa suggested as if she hadn't just been laughing hard enough to almost fall off her chair.

"Sounds wonderful, Mother," Draco replied. He'd do anything to move the mood and a change of scenery was a starting point.

After Narcissa had instructed the servants, the family moved back to the parlor. The women took up residence on a love seat by the window, while the men headed for the side bar. Draco didn't feel it necessary to hover too close to Ginny now, but he still wanted to keep one ear on her conversation with his mother. Besides, keeping his father away from her was probably the most prudent thing he could do, because there was no knowing what would happen if Ginny allowed her opinion to flow freely again.

Draco began to measure the time carefully. He knew they couldn't leave too early or too close to the end of the meal, or he'd risk insulting his mother, and that would just lead to more grief. His father, he was sure, was dying to see the back of them tonight, but he would have to be patient.

"Are you looking to leave soon?" Lucius questioned.

"No, of course not," Draco responded.

"I suggest you stop looking at the clock so often then. Your mother would consider it rude," Lucius growled.

"My apologies for getting your hopes up, Father," Draco whispered.

"No matter," Lucius muttered. "I have to have something to cling to."

Draco chuckled. "You don't really dislike her, do you, Father?"

"I had hoped you would marry within your class, but if you're happy then I will adapt."

"You didn't answer the question," Draco noted.

"Ginevra is one of a kind. I don't doubt she'll make a good wife. She's strong willed and independent-"

"Like Mother?"

"Yes, like your mother." Lucius glanced over at his wife of several decades. "But your mother came from the right background."

"Ginny's background is strong," Draco countered. "Purebloods steeped in tradition."

Lucius sighed. "It's a point I can't argue."

"Then what is the point?"

"I doubt she'll be able to handle the changes in her economic circumstances with grace."

"Money doesn't mean an awful lot to Ginny," Draco informed him. "I think that's why we were able to build such a strong friendship. She sees me for who I am, not the balance of my vaults."

"Are you sure? Money tends not to be an issue until there is an amount to be bothered about."

"Positive. You should see her if I insist on paying for dinner or buy her drinks." Draco chuckled amusedly. "I always find her share later."

"Oh?"

"It took me a while to work it out, but I finally figured out that it was she who was leaving odd amounts of money around my flat."

Lucius nodded thoughtfully.

"She's very independent, and if she was looking for a free ride it would have been going on for years."

"True," Lucius conceded. "What about her work?"

"What about it?"

"Is she prepared to give up her career to be your wife?"

"Father, I haven't formally requested her hand yet, and if she wants to keep working… Well, we'd discuss that when the time came."

"Does she know you intend to?"

"I've made no secret of it."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you've only been a couple since Saturday."

"That's right."

"And you've already mentioned marriage?"

"Even before we decided to be a couple," Draco confessed. "I wanted her to know that I was in this forever - to give her the opportunity to back away gracefully if it wasn't what she wanted."

"How noble," Lucius drawled.

"Father, I have too much respect for her to simply expect that she shares the same desires I do."

"Of course," Lucius uttered. "And what does her family think of your change in status?"

"For the most part they weren't surprised, though her brothers still gave me a bit of a hard time."

"How?"

"The usual threats of bodily harm and death, should I hurt her in any way."

"How amusing," Lucius replied dryly.

"It was a little." Draco laughed. "They felt obligated, but there was no real feeling behind their words, because they'd been waiting for us to wake up to ourselves. Plus, it means they no longer have to worry about her when she's out trying to attract men."

Lucius' eyes opened a fraction wider in surprise. "Trying to attract men?"

"Father, Ginny was no different to me. Until Saturday, we were both looking for casual- err- companionship from the opposite sex."

"She was-"

"Don't say it," Draco warned, knowing full well that his father was about to bring Ginny's reputation into question. "What's in the past, stays in the past, and it's not as if I didn't know about it. I was there much of the time."

"You observed?"

"Father," Draco growled.

"You should choose your words carefully, son. What you just said leaves a great deal open to vicious minds."

"Or filthy minds, like yours," Draco countered.

"Duly noted," Lucius responded. "When do you plan to permanently seal your relationship with her?"

"I don't know yet," Draco mused aloud. "When the time feels right for both of us I suppose."

"Both of you?"

"I would get down on my knee this evening, if I thought she would say yes without stammering, but I don't believe she is truly ready to make that sort of a commitment."

"A wise decision." The corners of Lucius' mouth pulled up into a smile.

Draco read his father's tone and expression perfectly. "If you think that time is going to affect my feelings for her or my plans for the future, you're going to be disappointed."

"Not at all," Lucius responded.

"Just as long as you understand. I've felt this way for six years, and now that I've admitted it, I intend to never let the fear of the unknown get in the way of my desires again."

"Six years?"

"Yes, Father, it's been that long," Draco confirmed. "Just think, if I hadn't been afraid of losing her friendship you could have been bouncing a grandchild on your knee now."

"You're that serious?" Lucius questioned, clearly astonished.

Draco smiled confidently. He knew that he'd just convinced his father that this was exactly what he wanted, and there was no doubt in his mind. "I am."

Lucius nodded soberly. "I remember the feeling."

"Excuse me?" Draco frowned, not sure what his father was alluding to this time.

"When I met your mother, I knew I would one day marry her and we would have a child together," Lucius confided. "It's a powerful feeling."

"It is," Draco divulged quietly.

Lucius looked at the women. "I simply hope that she is capable of becoming everything you expect her to."

"She already is everything I expect and then some, Father." Draco smiled at Ginny when she happened to glance up. "She will do our family proud."

His father fell silent; obviously satisfied that he knew what he was doing. It wasn't that Draco hadn't expected the interrogation; he just thought his father might wait until they had some privacy.

Draco glanced over at Ginny. She was talking animatedly with his mother. He decided he'd give her another five minutes, and then he'd suggest they leave, though not for the reasons he was initially watching the clock - he wanted to get her back to his place and into bed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Part Fourteen (Epilogue)

He turned the small box over in his hand for the umpteenth time and swallowed the bile threatening to rise to his throat. Why had he even thought that he could go through with this? He simply didn't have the courage to place his heart on the floor before her and wait for her to either pick it up gently or crush it beneath her shoe. It wasn't that he truly believed she'd reject him, but there was a little nagging thought in the back of his mind that it was too soon for her - that she might stumble through her answer. Perhaps she was perfectly happy continuing as they had been for the past couple of months?

Their lives had changed so much since that fateful weekend eight weeks ago that neither of them were really the same person - they had become one. Rather than going out, prowling for eligible shags, they preferred a quiet drink, followed by a lovely meal, and then a peaceful night in each other's arms. Of course, those preferred evenings were dotted with family obligations on both sides that were still slightly nightmarish in quality; both parties understood that escape at the soonest possible moment was the biggest objective, no matter what the occasion.

Ginny had all but moved into Draco's flat, because they couldn't ever seem to part until morning. The only downside to this arrangement was that her family had caught on and, instead of leaving messages for her at her own flat, they often just appeared on his doorstep. It wouldn't have bothered him quite so much if they had better timing, but they didn't - at least one of them was in a state of undress whenever someone arrived, and that often led to poorly concealed frustration.

They had, for all intents and purposes, already settled down to a life that resembled marriage. Their relationship and commitment to each other was strong - neither had wandering eyes or minds - but they hadn't spoken of sealing the union officially since the first week they'd been together. It had become a taboo subject after one of her brothers overheard him telling her, yet again, that he fully intended on marrying her - Draco had blocked the Floo connection in his bedroom after that incident. After that, the Weasley brothers took it upon themselves to have another little chat with him, and this time it was less pleasant than the first time, mostly because Ginny wasn't there to save his arse at any given moment, and the information that had prompted the second chat had been gained while they'd been in bed enjoying the afterglow of mind-blowing sex - a fact that had not been lost on the eavesdropper. He had a feeling that the only thing that truly saved his skin that day was the fact that Ginny would flay them if they harmed him in any way.

The clasp of the box pressed painfully into his hand, reminding him of the purpose of this little dirty weekend away. He'd been rather proud of his planning prowess until now - now he doubted himself. Without her knowledge, Draco had managed to pack both of them up for a weekend in the Greek Islands, or more specifically the island of Ithaca. She had been surprised, to say the least, and he was positive she was pleased with the arrangements as well, given the amount of deafening squealing she'd subjected his ears to.

They'd arrived the evening before, via a private international Portkey, and had basically headed straight for the enormous bed in the master bedroom of the house he'd managed to secure for the weekend. At some point, he'd raided the kitchen for some food and wine, but otherwise they'd not left the master suite. Ginny had fallen asleep sometime around midnight, but Draco had found himself wide awake. Rather than lay there tossing and turning, he moved out to the balcony with a bottle of aged Firewhisky to keep him warm. The alcohol had done nothing to help his agitated state and hours later he was still too wired to sleep.

Draco glanced back into the room and at the sleeping woman. He had never anticipated what love would feel like, and it was probably a good thing, because his mind wouldn't have been able to imagine anything like the reality. There was no doubt in his mind that she was 'the one'. Since they'd admitted their feelings, he'd not even glanced at another woman, let alone thought about one - Ginny was the only one in existence for him.

His eyes wandered out to the Ionian Sea. It was almost black in the predawn light, and it was most definitely not inviting. He vowed to bring Ginny back here in the summer, when the island was at its best, and the sea begged you to swim in its beautiful blue waters. Perhaps they could honeymoon here? Draco caught himself before his thoughts wandered too far - he was yet to pop the big question, so making honeymoon plans was definitely not good use of his time.

Again he sifted through his thoughts trying to come up with the right words to convince her to marry him. So far, everything he'd come up with sounded pitifully cliché and he didn't want to sound like that. He wanted to think of something utterly original, something she'd never forget.

"What are you doing out here?"

Startled by the sudden invasion, Draco jumped visibly, causing Firewhisky to slop over the side of the glass he was nursing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Ginny said softly as her arm went around his shoulder, and she climbed into his lap.

"It's all right," Draco insisted, putting his glass on the small table beside him and wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "I'm fine. I was a million miles away."

"That's not where you're supposed to be," Ginny scolded lightly. "You were supposed to be in bed with me."

"I had a bit on my mind," Draco answered vaguely.

"Tell me."

"No, it's not interesting," Draco replied casually.

"I've got a feeling I should be offended," Ginny stated. "You're out here thinking about something not interesting instead of being in bed with me."

"Okay, I fibbed," Draco admitted. "My thoughts weren't that boring."

"So?"

"Maybe later," Draco hedged. "I'm too tired now."

"You don't sound tired."

"Well, I am," Draco claimed.

"Not too tired, I hope," Ginny purred.

Draco ran his hands up her back. "I suppose I could be convinced to stay awake for a little while longer."

Ginny frowned. "What was that?"

His heart leapt into his throat. He had encompassed the small jewelers box in his hand when he rubbed her back, thinking that it would be safe there. "What?"

"There's something sharp on your hand," Ginny claimed, turning around in his lap.

Draco moved his hand out of sight. It occurred to him that he should drop it behind his chair, but it would most definitely make enough noise for her to alert her.

"Draco, what's in your hand?"

"Nothing," Draco insisted. "My palm was itchy… I was trying to scratch it."

"Oh." Ginny frowned lightly.

"So are we going to sit out here, or are we going to go back to bed?"

"Look the sun is starting to come up!" Ginny pointed towards the horizon. "Look at the colors."

"I guess we're saying here then," Draco whispered.

"It's so beautiful," Ginny murmured.

"Not as beautiful as you."

"Thank you." Ginny turned so her back was against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder.

It was easy to relax in such a beautiful setting with the woman he loved in his arms. As the sky was slowly turning from deep purple to rosy pink Draco brought his arms around to encircle her. This was truly something that should only be enjoyed with the person you loved. Her hands slipped down to sit on top of his and without thinking he opened his hands to take hers into his.

"What's that?"

Draco snatched his hand away quickly. He'd relaxed too much - forgotten what he was holding. "It's nothing."

"Draco, what do you have in your hand?"

"Noth-" He stopped when she twisted to look him in the eye. This was not how he planned, but he'd been caught holding the evidence, and he wasn't foolish enough to believe that he'd get away with further denials. "All right. I had an ulterior motive for bringing you here this weekend."

A small smile began to play around Ginny's lips. "Do tell."

He took a deep breath and expelled the air slowly. This was it. He was going to have to do it now whether or not he was truly ready to make it memorable. The hand holding the small box drifted up to sit in front of her. "You see … I brought you here to ask you to be my wife."

Ginny gasped quietly.

"I wanted to make it really memorable," Draco continued. "I've been out here for hours trying to think of how and where to pop the question."

"And did you think of anything?"

"Not a thing," Draco admitted disappointedly. "I just wanted it to be really special for you."

A soft smile graced her face as she brought a hand up to stroke his cheek. "Draco, look around you. We're somewhere in the Greek Islands and the sun is rising over the sea. Have you ever seen a more beautiful sight?"

"We're on the island of Ithaca, and it's the Ionian Sea," Draco clarified.

"Whatever it is, it's beautiful."

"I just want to make sure you know where you are should you get lost," Draco explained.

"And right now you're changing the subject," Ginny stated as she lifted herself off his lap.

"Where are you going?" Draco asked as she began to move away.

"Bed."

"Ginny, wait." Draco jumped to his feet in a panic. It was now or never. He dropped to one knee and waited for her to turn. "Please?"

She slowly turned on the spot. Her eyes, which were almost blank to begin with, began to sparkle and color rose in her cheeks. It was agonizing waiting for her to step closer, but she was eventually standing within arms reach.

"Yes?"

Draco looked at the box in his hand, unfastened the clasp to display the elaborate engagement ring inside, took a deep breath and let his heart do the talking. "Ginevra Weasley, these past two months have been the happiest I've ever been. I never dreamed I'd discover the powerful force that is true love. I believe you are my true soul mate and without you my life is meaningless. Will you marry me?"

The silence lasted no more than a second or two, but to Draco it felt like a lifetime. His heart was pounding so hard that he feared he might not be able to hear her answer, and then he feared he might if it were not the answer he was looking for. What had seemed like a solid strategic plan when they left England had now become a murky pit of uncertainty. He could do nothing but hope she would consent now that the words had fallen from his mouth.

"Yes," Ginny whispered.

"Did you say yes?" Draco queried from his kneeling position.

"Of course I did!"

In one movement, Draco was on his feet and had captured his bride-to-be in his arms. The burden of insecurity lifted quickly, allowing his heart to soar. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Ginny muttered emotionally. "I was afraid you wouldn't-"

He didn't want to hear her doubt his character, so he captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Warmth spread through his whole body, radiating from his heart. Marriage had always scared him to death before, but now he was looking to make this woman his wife as soon as possible. A winter wedding popped into his head, and he briefly considered whether or not it would be worth convincing Ginny that it would be one of his more brilliant ideas.

"The ring," Ginny mumbled into his ear as he trailed his mouth over her neck. "Can I-"

Draco straightened up immediately. "Of course, love."

With little fanfare, he extracted the diamond ring - the symbol of his enduring love for one woman - from it's protective box and slipped it onto her left hand. His mouth pressed down on the rock, sealing their union with a kiss.

"It's so beautiful," Ginny whispered as she admired her hand. "It fits perfectly."

"I know," Draco answered smugly. "I tried it on you last week."

Ginny's forehead creased. "When?"

"You sleep pretty soundly after a few glasses of wine," Draco replied, smirking cheekily.

"You devil! What if I'd woken up?"

"Well, you'd have caught me, and I would have had to propose on the spot," Draco informed her confidently.

"Like tonight?"

"Yes, like tonight." Draco stifled a yawn. "It wasn't that I wasn't going to, because I definitely was, but I was just trying to think of a way to do it that-"

Ginny placed a finger over his mouth to quiet his elaborate, but unnecessary, explanation. "I know."

Draco yawned widely and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Have you slept at all?"

"No, I couldn't."

"Back to bed with you then," Ginny ordered.

"Are you coming?"

"Of course."

"Good." Draco grinned nefariously. "I might need a little exercise to diminish the last of my energy."

"Oh really?"

Rather than respond, Draco scooped her into his arms and carried her back to bed. The moment they got themselves comfortable Draco could feel his body start to truly relax. His hands roamed without conviction, moving slowly over her body, without making any effort to arouse her. He kissed the side of her head and pulled her closer to him. Happiness didn't even begin to describe what he felt at this moment. Just the knowledge that this was how he'd fall asleep every night from the day they married was enough to bring a smile to his face big enough to hurt his cheeks. It was his last conscious thought for the next eight hours as sleep claimed his weary mind rapidly.

The End

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ORIGINAL REQUEST:
• Briefly describe what you'd like to receive in your fic (art) Post-Hogwarts, if you can. I want something like Ginny and Draco are friends and they start a competition of who can get the other the perfect girl/boyfriend and then of course they end up together somehow. If there is a secondary pairing I'd like it be Blaise/Luna, if you can.
• The tone/mood of the fic: Fun Flirty Friendly
• An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: "Ah, this must be one of those times that I'll find funny in about fifty years?" or something to that effect.
• Preferred rating of the the fic you want: Anything goes.
• Canon or AU? I'd prefer canon up to OotP. But you can go AU if it's easier for you.
• Deal Breakers (anything you don't want?): Angst and/or anything dark/depressing.

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