Victory’s Prize

Pulling her scratchy wool cloak tighter around her neck, Ginny hurried through the fog toward the park at the far end of Diagon Alley. She’d lost track of time at work and was running late, which was something that normally drove Draco mad. Ginny decided he’d just have to live with it, since it was partially his fault anyway. He was the one who’d encouraged her to join the Ministry and he was the only one who really knew how important her contribution to the war effort was, so he’d just have to forgive her for being fifteen minutes late for their rendezvous.

Keeping Ministry secrets and stealthily carrying out espionage abroad seemed like child’s play after years of keeping her relationship with Draco a secret from her family. After all, it was hardly just her top-notch Arithmancy marks that had gotten Ginny her position at the Ministry. The hyper-secret Conflict Intelligence and Deciphering Bureau was under direct control of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Ginny was the assistant to the Director and was basically the second in command despite her young age. She was good at her job and a lot of that had to do with Draco.

Before becoming involved with him, Ginny had been a headstrong and fiery fifteen-year-old used to getting her own way or letting everyone else know when she didn’t. She’d been quick to anger, and short-tempered. Her love life had been a complete mess. She’d flit from boy to boy, never getting very serious with any of them and never staying with any one particular boy for very long. Even then, she’d known she was searching for something that always seemed just out of her grasp. She had no idea what it was, but until she’d found it she’d decided that she wasn’t going to settle for anything less.

Unfortunately, no one else seemed to notice that there was a method to her madness. Her mother was sending her worried letters and her older brothers gave her grief every time they saw her. Even Ginny’s grades were suffering, something she had to hear about constantly from her teachers. Evidently everything in her life seemed touched by her reach for something intangible that she couldn’t describe.

The afternoon Ginny sent her final boyfriend packing had been a bad day. It had been a nasty affair, with screaming and name-calling on both the part of the dumped Ravenclaw and Ginny’s mortified brother, Ron. In order to get away from the death glares and the snide comments, Ginny took refuge in the far end of the library.

She’d been sitting there, leaning her head against the wall reading a book when who should storm in through the library doors but Draco Malfoy. The blond Slytherin looked peaked, and while he never really seemed happy with her brother, he had hardly spoken two words to her in two years, so she was a little taken aback when he’d rushed to her table and gave her a curt nod before he began pacing furiously before her.

His hair, usually short and charmed back so as not to fall in his eyes, was ruffled. It was almost as if he’d ran his hands through it one too many times after it had dried. Even his cheeks, normally quite pale, were uncommonly white. Something maddening must driven him into the library.

Ginny leaned toward him silently. She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows at him. His behaviour was baffling. “Is there something I can help you with, Malfoy?” she asked.

He obviously didn’t appreciate her question. He tried to summon up enough ire to command a sneer before sitting on her table and leaning across it menacingly. “You do realise, Weasley, that dating you has become some kind of sick initiation among the blokes around here, right? It’s a game for them.”

Ginny just stared at him blankly. She had no clue where this was coming from.

“The most interesting question is just how far you’re letting them get before you chuck them. The rumour is that you’re quite a tart!” He was trying to look disdainful, but his grimace seemed more a cross between hurt and pain rather than anger.

Ginny knew she should have come back with a smart reply commenting on how he’d always called her a tart, but she was in complete shock at his words. She had no idea why it mattered so much to him how many boyfriends she’d had or how far into her knickers she’d let them get, but she could tell by his face that it did indeed matter to him a great deal. The question was why. They’d never really gotten along, but that was mainly their families’ doing. Their parents hated each other and had done quite a good job teaching their children that same contempt. He’d been a pain to her brother and friends. However, if she wanted to be honest with herself, she could see how they had, as often as not, been the cause of the quarrels themselves. She knew she should hate him, but there was something wriggling at the back of her mind that made her want to continue the conversation, something that made her want to know more than just what her parents and brothers had told her about Draco Malfoy.

Ginny spoke softly but firmly so as not to be misunderstood. “I have never done what you’re alluding to, Malfoy, nor will I until I am with the one I will spend forever with. Be that as it may, whatever my reputation, be it good or bad, it is of no concern to you. Until this moment you’ve never shown any interest in me other than disdain; why should I give a damn what you think? I’m just Weasley filth, remember? I’m nothing to you, right, Malfoy?”

Draco winced as if she’d struck him. Ginny had a hot feeling pool in her stomach as she watched his face betray hidden depths of sudden emotions before wiping clean, being replaced by another patented Malfoy sneer.

“You’ve become a joke, Weasley. In every Quidditch locker room, in every boys’ dormitory, they’re all wondering who will be the one to ‘take’ the littlest Weasley. Who will get her further than anyone else has been able to.” He shook his head, his face softening as he turned away from her. He continued quietly, “It doesn’t matter that you’ve never actually done what they say or that you’d never go as far as they want you to. They don’t care about your lofty vision and your desperate search for something grand. They just want in your knickers. Can’t you see that?”

Stunned at his quiet words and his suddenly civil manner, Ginny tried to decipher the meaning behind what he was saying. He knew about her search. He was the first person who’d recognized that she wasn’t just being fickle. And it mattered to him somehow. She had to know why.

“Why does it matter so much to you, Malfoy?”

Draco turned to her, trying to hide his emotions and failing miserably. “It doesn’t. I don’t care.”

“How did you know I was looking for something?” she asked quietly, leaning forward toward him, reaching her hand to touch his elbow. “And why does it matter to you, Draco?”

He started a little at her use of his first name. Looking down at her hand, he spoke not much louder than a whisper. “I listen, Weasley. I listen and I don’t know why it matters to me; it just does.” He glanced quickly up at her face.

Ginny’s eyes widened. She could tell he was both horrified and relieved to admit what he had. She didn’t know what to say.

“How will you know when you find what you’re searching for?” he asked, never taking his eyes from hers. There was a fear there that was so uncharacteristic that Ginny almost wanted to shake her head out of this dream.

She hadn’t known what possessed her, but she leaned into him further and just before touching her lips to his she’d whispered, “I’ll just know.”

And she had known as soon as she’d leaned into kiss him and saw him close his eyes and sigh, not pulling away. Once she’d started kissing him, she couldn’t stop because his hands were in her hair and her heart had begun beating so loudly that she could almost taste it pounding in her head as he breathed into her mouth. She’d inhaled the soft cedar and spice that lingered as he pulled her closer and she’d known then that he was her ‘something grand’. That was the day Ginny Weasley ended her search and stopped dating all the other boys at Hogwarts.

Ginny smiled at the memory. In the six years they’d been together they had been through a lot. She knew they were stronger for it, but she couldn’t help wishing that things had turned out differently for them.

At first, she’d agreed that keeping their relationship quiet was a good idea. They both hated the lying and the sneaking, but they were able to make it through his last two years at Hogwarts without ‘coming out’ to their families by being incredibly sneaky and having the support of several friends from both their respective houses.

Now, five years later, they should have been able to move forward. They had hopes and dreams for the future, things that included marriage and children and a happy life together, but those plans had been derailed when a madman decided to take over the world.

Grindelwald used Muggles like puppets and created chaos in both their world and the magical one. Hitler’s bombs hit wizarding houses just as easily as they hit Muggle ones, and with the tumult that fighting him and his master had caused their parents, both Draco and Ginny had decided to put off adding to the stress by telling them about each other.

The war seemed to never end. It kept dragging on year after year, so once she was out of school Ginny went directly to the Cipher Bureau and Draco joined the Fifth Squadron of the Air Wizards. He’d risen in the ranks and become Broom Commander over his entire flight group. Ginny used her stealth and arithmetical abilities and Draco was a hotshot pilot, but they were no closer to the happy ending that they both wanted.

Ginny mused on this with a slight frown. She wanted that future and she wanted it now… it wasn’t like she was getting any younger, and looking at Susan with little Jamie had made her realise just what kind of joy having a baby with Draco would be.

She entered the park and made her way toward their favourite hawthorn tree. She leaned against the tree and wondered what could be keeping Draco. Scanning the lawns and hedges nearby, she still couldn’t see him. It wasn’t as if the colour of his hair didn’t stand out or anything since he flat-out refused to wear the hat she’d bought him. She’d hoped it would help him blend in with the Muggle men in London, but he’d said that ‘fedora’ was Italian for ‘hat which caused hair to thin’ and just kissed her before shrinking it and putting it in his pocket rather than on his head.

Though the fog was thick, it was starting to lift and Ginny began to worry. He was never late. ‘Punctual to a fault,’ she’d said often enough. His meeting with Hermione Granger in the Muggle Liaison Office should have been over an hour before her own with Dumbledore and Minister Flume had even begun, yet he wasn’t there.

Ginny closed her eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten in Latin just as Draco had taught her to do before panicking. She was prone to worry, at least lately, and he’d teased her that by the time she remembered how to piece together the language, whatever was bothering her would turn out all right and she wouldn’t have to worry any longer.

Almost at once, his soft arms pulled her close and held her tightly in an embrace. Ginny smiled, taking in another deep breath. She inhaled his familiar cedar scent and didn’t pull away when her captor kissed her neck just below her ear.

Ginny opened her eyes and slowly turned toward her boyfriend. He was wearing his hat and smiling cheekily at her. “I know I said I’d never wear it, but it was worth it today to see you so worked up over me.”

“I was worried, Draco.” She tried to keep the smile off her face. She really had been quite troubled.

He laughed and leaned his forehead against hers. “I was here. You were late, Weasley.”

Pulling back to look him in the eye, Ginny whispered, “I was with Dumbledore and Flume. They think this message is the key to finding Ron and Harry and the rest of the Ground Aurors that have been captured.” Ginny didn’t want to sound too hopeful, but it was hard not letting it creep into her voice.

“How close are you to cracking it?”

“I think it’s only a matter of days. The whole team is working on it.” She smiled up at him.

“That’s brilliant, Gin!” He kissed her quickly before grabbing her hand to run with him toward the park bench. He knew that she should be back at work and that he was being selfish, but their brief moments together seemed to move faster and faster lately and he wanted to take advantage of this break from the world. They were both so busy, but they revelled in the stolen time they made for one another.

Sitting down, Ginny laid her head against his warm shoulder. “Did your meeting with Hermione go well?” she asked as she quirked a smile at his split-second grimace.

“Granger was fine. She was longwinded but fine. Afterwards, she pulled me aside to ask me to tell you that she’d be at your parents’ tonight for the naming ceremony.” His brow furrowed for a moment and Ginny sighed.

She could imagine what was going through his head. “I wish you could be there too, Draco.” Her arms tightened around his middle as he pulled her closer to him. “It doesn’t seem fair that we have to keep such a wonderful thing a secret.”

“I know, love. It won’t be long now. Once the war-”

“I know, I know. Once the bloody war ends we’ll finally get to be together the way we should be. It’s just so hard to wait.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her softly. “We will be together, Weasley. We’ve just got to get through today.”

She wiped the small tears threatening with the handkerchief he’d handed to her. “I know, Draco.” Sniff. “What did Hermione say about the Muggles, anyway?”

Grateful for the change in topic, even if it was just back to the grim developments in the war, Draco gave her a small, but comforting,smile. “It seems that Granger met the Muggle Prime Minister herself the other day. Churchill’s his name. They discussed the finer points of strategy, trying to get Hitler on all three fronts- East, West, and Magical, but he’s still struggling with the idea that Hitler is just a puppet of a much greater threat. It seems that Churchill can’t wrap his head around the kind of evil Grindelwald represents. One good thing is that there is a joint offensive planned, with help from Canada and the United States. Then we’ll attack on the Magical front at the same time and perhaps we can end this thing.”

“That’s wonderful news, Draco.” Ginny brushed his cheek with the back of her hand. “I guess having Hermione as the Muggle Liaison was a good idea. I can’t imagine anyone else doing so well with this Churchill fellow.”

Draco only nodded and pulled her close again to kiss her temple. “It’s about that time, Weasley,” he whispered.

Ginny sighed, “Is it?”

He nodded solemnly. “It is, Gin.”

Standing together, they entwined their fingers as they walked.

“What are your plans for tonight then?” she asked.

“Oh, probably an earful from Mother about settling down, criticism from Father about joining the Fifth and then a Floo call to my secret girlfriend before heading to bed. You?”

Ginny smiled gently. “Dinner with my barmy family and then little Jamie’s naming ceremony. Though the promise of a Floo call will make them both feel like an eternity.”

“It won’t be long now, Weasley,” he said. Ginny knew he wasn’t just referring to the waiting time for their call. She kissed him softly and played with the short hair at his neck before nodding.

They walked to the park entrance hand in hand, but once they reached the stone gates they knew they couldn’t be seen together. Just before stepping out, Draco pulled her toward him and held her a little longer than he really needed to. They said a quick goodbye and left the park, walking their separate ways.

***

Ginny closed the door behind her as she entered the small, but cozy, kitchen of her childhood home. The room was alive with activity and the soft rumbling of voices all speaking at the same time, and it made her smile. She hung up her cloak and walked toward her mother at the stove.

“Hiya, Mum.” She kissed her before taking the apron her mother held out to her.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Ginny, dear. How was work today?”

Ginny sighed. Her mother knew she was working, despite not being very happy about it, but she thought she was just a personal secretary in the Department of Magical Transportation. While her father and a few of her brothers knew vaguely of her involvement with the war department, none of them knew of how deeply she was involved and they’d all agreed to keep quiet in order to keep Molly happy. She was already worried enough with every one of her sons being elbow deep in war.

“It was long, Mum, but productive. How was home?”

Molly smiled tiredly. “As people have come ‘round it’s been hectic, but earlier in the day Penny and I were able to get quite a lot done.”

Ginny nodded as she took over setting the table from her mother.

“We were able to get the latest batch of donations sent off to the Magical Woman’s Volunteering Services and then we wrote some letters to the other families in the neighbourhood to see if any of them could take in some of the wizarding children affected by the bombings in London. I was going to just Floo them, but Penny suggested we’d get more volunteers if we didn’t put people on the spot like that, gave them some time to think it over. I hope she’s right.” Molly looked thoughtful as she put her oven mitts back on the rack beside the stove.

Ginny smiled. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that it had been Penny’s suggestion. Generally, Molly got on well with all of her daughters-in-law, but Percy’s Penelope had become her close confident and particular friend. It was much more likely that Molly would heed advice from Penny than from almost anyone else.

Ginny knew it was her mother’s dedication to those children who’d lost family in the war that had brought the two women closer. Before moving home to Ottery St. Catchpole, Percy and Penelope had let a flat in London. Their building had been hit during the Blitz. Luckily, neither they nor their small children had been harmed, but the sweet elderly woman who’d lived downstairs had been killed. She’d watched Perseus and Avery the day before the bombing while Penelope had gone to visit Percy at the Propaganda office, so it had been quite the shock to the little family. The tragedy had prompted their move to the country and also her ardent participation in the MWVS with her mother-in-law.

“Tomorrow we begin organizing the injury and fatality list for the county. It’s not something I’m looking forward to, I must say. All those boys…” Molly’s brow furrowed and her voice began to crack. “We’ve been asked to identify the wizarding boys from the Muggles on the official lists. I just don’t know what I’ll do if Harry or-”

“We’ll find them, Mum.” Ginny put her arm around her mother as Molly wiped her tears with the corner of her apron.

“I’m just so glad that you’re not involved in this, Ginny. With all the boys…”

“I know, Mum.” Ginny sighed. She hated lying to her mum.

Molly hugged her daughter. “Though with the amount of work being heaped on Penny and me, we could certainly use more help. It seems that every week the war drags on there is more and more work for us to do.”

“I wonder if it’s ever occurred to the Magical Woman’s Volunteering Services that even their Devonshire Corps Leader may have to deal with other things besides calming everyone else’s fears by giving comfort to the whole county,” a stern, but loving, voice from the kitchen doorway intoned.

Ginny turned to see her father. He looked exhausted. She knew he was working long hours dealing mainly with complaints over the new rationing legislation, but he was doing the best he could with what Flume had decided was necessary. Molly gave him a brief kiss and waved him out to wash up before telling Ginny to call everyone into the kitchen. Dinner was almost ready and there was the naming ceremony to take care of before that.

Arthur returned to the kitchen filled with nearly all of his family and a small satisfied smile spread across his face. Ginny looked around the room. Despite the desperate times there was happiness here; She could feel it radiating off her family.

Bill had just returned from his latest assignment. He and Fleur weren’t saying much, just cuddling up together, happy to finally have a moment to rest. She was glowing. Their first child was due any time now and after Harry went missing, she’d been so worried that Bill wouldn’t make it back in time. Instead, he'd surprised her by bringing her baby sister safely out of occupied France.

Gabrielle sat cheerfully speaking broken English to Charlie’s fiancée Anna. Anna had moved into the Burrow just before Charlie had left for his second stint in Romania. He was working with one of the many branches of the Soviet Ministry for Magic and was finding his experiences with the local wizarding community useful. For some reason, the Romanian wizarding community had embraced the redheaded dragon tamer as one of their own. In a matter of months Anna planned on joining him there, though she’d only told Ginny. Since it was obvious that Ginny was able to keep a secret, the rest of the family had no idea.

Hermione snuck into the kitchen quietly and stood near Percy and Penny. Arthur smiled at her as he bent down to catch one of his twin grandsons who had escaped Fred’s grasp and run towards his Papa. That made his brother Simon struggle against his Uncle George so he could sit with Grandpa too. George made the little boy giggle before finally settling him down so they could listen to the important things Arthur was about to say.

Ginny could see what a good father George would be someday. He was just waiting for Alicia to come home to prove it. Her parents had sent her to America for the duration of the war, but every time he looked at Katie and Fred with their little boys, Ginny could tell how much he missed her and longed for what he couldn’t have yet. Ginny knew exactly how he felt. She sighed, thinking of how much she wanted a hand to hold right now.

As if she could sense that Ginny needed someone, Susan came up behind her and put her arm around her shoulder. “Hiya, Gin,” she whispered with a soft smile.

Ginny was grateful for Susan’s blessed intuition. She always knew when Ginny needed comfort.

“He misses you as much as you do him, you know,” Susan said softly.

Blinking back tears, Ginny reached up and squeezed her roommate’s hand and nodded silently. She’d been staying at Susan and Harry’s home since he and Ron had left on their last mission. Harry hadn’t wanted to leave his very pregnant wife alone, and Ginny was happy to move out of her parents’ house. It meant that late night Floo calls from her ‘secret’ boyfriend didn’t have to be so secret. Not living at home made having a secret job where she occasionally had to leave the country a little easier to carry off as well.

Susan had always been wonderful about her relationship with Draco, even back when they were still at school when she had worried over Ginny’s former infatuation with Harry. They had become friends, the best of friends even. It had been hard, especially after Luna had moved to Ireland when Blaise was stationed there, but Ginny and Susan had gotten quite close and both were happier for it.

Harry was supposed to be home before the baby was born, but here it was, two months later, and little Jamie’s naming ceremony was about to begin.

Arthur looked around at his large family and, as head of an ever-growing clan, began to speak. “It’s a wonderful thing that we can all be here together as a family. In these dark times when some of those we love-” Molly began sniffling but Arthur continued, “-when some of those we love are not here with us, we must come ever closer together, relying on one another, and we will be all the stronger for it when we see them again.”

Ginny could see everyone looking at one another and could tell their thoughts were turning to the same two men who should have been there with them. They were missing, and it wasn’t because they’d been called away as Charlie had. It was because they had been captured behind enemy lines and had been reported Missing in Action nearly three weeks before.

Harry, Ron, and the rest of their company had been deployed because the Ministry was itching to end the war. Dumbledore hadn’t worked out Grindelwald’s location and the War Department was getting antsy. With intelligence they’d gleaned from the French equivalent of Ginny’s own department head, Harry and his group of ‘Special Aurors’ were sent to infiltrate what was reported as Grindelwald’s base of operations. Even thinking about it made Ginny cringe. Five days after they’d landed in Germany, the French agent was found to be a double that had knowingly sent them into a trap. If only the Ministry had let her do her job and listened to Dumbledore urging patience.

‘Ah well,’ Ginny thought, ‘I’ll get them back. I know I will.’ The coded message consuming almost all of her time would see to that. Ginny was sure of it. She turned her attention back to her father.

“We’ve been so blessed to have Susan join our family and now we have another wonderful thing to gather together to celebrate- the birth of little Jamie.” He scanned the room briefly as he handed Nigel to his mother. “Hermione, can you join Sue and me over here, please?”

The three of them formed a small circle before the rest of the family.

“We’ve come here tonight among family to bestow a name upon this child. James Ronald Potter is the name that you will be known as throughout the entirety of your life, whether it be known for good or evil among those you associate with. Jamie, we stand here as people who love you and who will support you. Your mother and godmother stand together as well as your father and godfather who are here in our thoughts and our hearts.”

Arthur pulled his wand and placed it on little Jamie’s head and motioned that Susan and Hermione should do the same. “Arthur Weasley,” he intoned lightly. A blue glow emerged from the tip of his wand and circled the baby’s head.

“Harry and Susan Potter.” A red glow erupted as Susan spoke softly.

“Hermione Granger and… Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley,” Hermione choked out. A gold glow entwined itself with the others and showered light over the giggling child.

The room fell silent for a moment after the magic dissipated. It was a special moment for the whole family, though Perseus decided that the silence meant that it was his turn to voice that he was hungry, and couldn’t Grandma tell everyone that it was time to eat.

Ginny spent the evening quietly smiling, trying not to be melancholy for her family and for Sue. She loved visiting and eating surrounded by the people she loved, but she couldn’t help but miss the most important person that she loved. Ginny hadn’t really taken a break from working since she had retrieved the coded message her office was working on from Amsterdam the week before, so she tried to enjoy herself. And she did. She hadn’t even noticed the time fly until Susan touched her arm. “We should get going soon, Gin. Didn’t you have a Floo call to make?” she whispered.

Ginny looked down at her watch and smiled. “You’re right, Sue.” She kissed her nephews before grabbing her and Susan’s cloaks from the cupboard in the hall.

Molly found them getting ready to leave and pulled them both into a large hug.

“You girls, all on your own. I do wish you had come to live with us here, Susan, instead of staying at Whiteacre on your own.”

“Mum, she’s not-“

“Yes, yes. She’s got you. I didn’t forget. Now, you take care of one another, all right, and that precious baby too.”

“We will, Molly.” Susan smiled as she lifted her sleeping child. “We’ll see you later in the week, yes?”

At Molly’s nod, Susan Apparated, leaving Ginny to promise she’d come home for lunch sometime soon before she could join Susan in the front hall at Whiteacre Landing.

***

***

Harry and Susan had bought Whiteacre Landing when they got married two years before, and they both had tried to make it a perfect little home in which to start their life together in. Harry had decided to go Muggle with the renovations, and there were little pieces of his handiwork all over the house. Each project was partially complete but lying just as he’d left it.

Susan had turned her focus to the garden. What would normally be a flower garden had been converted to a victory garden. It had been one of Percy’s greatest ideas. ‘Sow the seeds of victory’ by planting your own food for the cause. Victory gardening enabled more supplies to be shipped to the troops, so Susan, who had always done well in Herbology, jumped right on board. The one spot in the yard that she’d kept for herself was the rose garden. They were dazzling and she had personally developed a lavender and white strain, one that Harry insisted on calling the ‘Susan’, that was exceptionally nice. Draco had even taken a few specimens to his mother.

Ginny loved the house. It was a calm and peaceful place to get away from the bustle of the Burrow, and it was one of the few places that she and Draco could spend time together. She had been really happy when Harry had asked her to stay with Susan while he was gone. Whiteacre had already felt like another home and now she had a good excuse to be there all the time.

She hung her cloak and called up to Susan in the small bedroom made up for Jamie. “Tea, Sue?”

“If you’re making some for yourself, I’d love some. Thanks.”

Ginny set off to the kitchen and turned her wand to the kettle. Susan joined her just as she was adding milk to Susan’s tea and a half spoonful of heavily rationed sugar into her own.

“What time will he Floo?” Susan asked, gratefully taking the cup.

Ginny smiled. “He didn’t say, but I expect he’ll call after eleven. He’s been so busy at the Ministry.” Sue nodded as her friend continued. “There have been several new groups of Air Wizards accepted into the ‘Special Air Service’ so he’s had to take an active role in their training as well as keep up with his regularly scheduled air patrols and strategy sessions.”

“How on earth do you ever find time to be together?”

“We have to make the time. We need to make more time. If only the bloody war would end. Then we’d have all the time in the world.” Ginny sighed, and she saw small tears welling up in her friend’s eyes. If anyone wanted more time together, she knew it was Susan and Harry. “You’ll have time too, Sue.” She grabbed her hand and squeezed. They finished their tea in companionable silence until Ginny took the empty dishes and placed them in the sink.

With a small smile and a quick nod, Ginny bid her friend goodnight and headed up to her room to wait for Draco’s Floo.

Changing quickly into her nightgown, Ginny grabbed her reading glasses and reached for her briefcase. She took the personnel-specific wards off of it and brought out a portion of her message to study until Draco’s head would appear in the flames.

When the flames finally did turn green and a ghostly head appeared, Ginny was fast asleep on the settee. Draco emerged through the flames and quietly picked up his sleeping girlfriend and carried her to her bed. She stirred a little and smiled. “You’re late. You’re never late.” She didn’t open her eyes as he lay down beside her and put his arms around her.

Kissing her temple he whispered, “I’m sorry, love.” His fingers began to softly draw circles up and down her arms.

Ginny snuggled in closer to him and took a deep breath. He smelled wonderful. He once had asked her if he should change aftershave and she’d had a fit. There was just something about cedar that said ‘Draco’ to her.

She sighed sleepily and Draco was almost sure she’d gone back to sleep so he moved to pull himself out of her bed.

Before he got very far, Ginny pulled him back down and leaned into him on the bed. “Where do you think you’re going, Malfoy?”

He chuckled softly. “Letting you get some sleep, Weasley. I just wanted to come and say goodnight.”

She finally opened her eyes and smirked at him. “Goodnight. Now stay put.”

He chuckled and laid his head back firmly on her pillow. She smiled wickedly as she snuggled into him and pulled his arm around her. It wasn’t long until he heard her breathing slow and he knew she was asleep.

Draco ran his fingers through her hair and sighed. He wanted to stay with her, to hold her all night, but he knew he couldn’t. “I love you, Ginny Weasley,” he whispered as he gently pulled her head off his shoulder and placed it lovingly on the pillow. He’d never said it to her when she was awake. The idea shot spikes of something almost akin to fear speeding through his body. He thought he’d never admit it, but he was sure that he was in love with his fiery redhead, so now he just hoped she knew it without having heard the words.

Walking into the green flames he looked back at her over his shoulder. She was smiling peacefully; she was probably still thinking that he was beside her. There was nothing he wanted more than to have her home at the Manor with him. A new determination settled into him. If there was anything he could do to bring the end of this war any closer, he was going to do it. He would do it for Ginny Weasley.

His jaw set, Draco turned back into the Floo. One thing he did know was that he was sick of hiding what he had with Ginny. The war would end sooner or later, but either way she was going to be with him forever; he’d see to that.

The flames snuffed as he left her. Ginny rolled over and slept peacefully with a smile on her face for the rest of the night.

***

Ginny rubbed her eyes. She’d stayed up too late waiting for Draco and now she was paying for it. After sixteen hours at her desk she could hardly see straight. Turning to look at the rest of her team, she couldn’t help but smile. They were all hard workers and she knew without them the department would be a mess. There were eight people in the tiny deciphering bureau and when she and Graham Forrester left on assignment every so often, the other six really picked up the slack. They all worked tremendously well together.

This particular message had been a group effort. They’d been working on it for nearly the whole week, and while Ginny had been lucky enough to make it out of her office for meetings and her one night with her family, there were several of the team who had almost been living at the office. Pickering had even conjured himself a bed in the far corner, where he dropped when he couldn’t work any longer, only to awaken in two or three hours and be raring to go again.

Sitting on the far end of the large table was Forrester, Ginny’s department head. He’d fallen asleep pouring over ‘Magical Missives and their Elusive Properties’. Ginny hadn’t seen him leave the office once since they had returned from Amsterdam the week before. He, like Pickering, was practically living at work.

Initially, Ginny had been sent on overseas assignments alone. She was field-trained and was well-schooled in tactics and strategy in addition to her deciphering specialty. She’d gotten herself out of countless dangerous situations, all par for the course when dealing with the French and Polish Resistances. She was known as a very competent and capable agent. However, as the war progressed, more and more often she had been told to stay behind and supervise the rest of the team while Forrester flew to the Continent alone. Ginny briefly wondered if Draco had something to do with it, but shrugged it off.

Lately it had gotten particularly bad. Ginny had been left at home in Britain for the last four missions. She had had about enough when the latest intelligence suggested that a former contact of hers had information regarding Harry and Ron’s location. There was no way that she wasn’t going and she had told Forrester as much. He informed her that she could accompany him on this trip.

When Draco had laughed at her frustration at being assigned a babysitter for this assignment she’d blown up at him. “How is it that you are insanely jealous and try to hex things when Blaise or Neville or a very happily married Harry give me a hug, but going away with Forrester for days at a time amuses you? There is something inherently wrong about that, Draco.”

Draco had pulled her to face him, kissing her nose and smirking in his patronizingly smug way. “If he wasn’t old enough to have attended Hogwarts with our parents I might be worried, Weasley. Besides, the other blokes all have shifty hands. They don’t know proper boundaries. You know I don’t like to share. I don’t even like thinking about sharing… not when it comes to you, Ginny.”

She’d rolled her eyes at him and gone on the mission, bringing back what was undoubtedly the salvation she was looking for. She cringed thinking about the two operatives who had died in Holland. They had been colleagues and Ginny had even liked to think that after two years they had become friends. Losing them had been a blow, just another reason to end this mess.

Deciding she needed a quick break, Ginny left the room and stood on the balcony overlooking the Ministry’s main atrium. She could hear the buzzing of the people walking to and fro mingled with the hooting of an owl. Seeing it fly toward her, she grabbed the message it bore and fished into her bag for something the bird could nibble on. All she had was a piece of the carrot cake her mother smuggled for her from the Burrow. Rationing had a lot of downsides, but carrot cake was certainly not one of them. She’d even sent Draco a piece in her morning owl.

She gave the bird a piece without icing before it flew away and then leaned on the railing to read her letter. Tight and neat, Ginny recognized Draco’s handwriting right away.

Weasley,

Goyle is back from Paris. Says he has something important for you.

Does ‘…withering waters run deep and clear, though I still cannot see for the darkness.’ mean anything to you? He says you’ll know what that means, and where he got it. Hopefully he’s not taking the piss.

Thank you for the carrot cake, love. It was delicious, and if I ever get to speak to your mother, I’ll be sure to tell her it was brilliant.

-DM

Ginny looked back down at the note. It was always nice to receive letters from Draco, but it was Goyle’s information that had her stunned. She knew he’d been an undercover Nazi operative for the past year, but never dreamt that he would be so useful in helping her gather information.

He quoted the last verse of the poem near the end of the halfway-deciphered message they’d retrieved from Amsterdam. The important thing was that Goyle had added the final line. Adding more words shifted the arithmetical codices to reveal a completely different reading, one that made complete sense. Seeing it there, black and white, made her finally understand what had been glaring her in the face and practically screaming at her for five days. Harry and Ron were in Berchtesgaden. They were alone and being held at the Kehlsteinhaus. She had to show her team. The rescue mission would have to be planned.

***

“Slow down, you flighty witch!” hollered a stern-looking portrait of some former Minister or Department Head. Ginny paid it no mind as she hurried toward the Minister’s private conference room on the first floor of the Ministry for Magic. The meeting had been called as soon as Forrester had alerted Flume of the recent developments, and Ginny was required to present her team’s findings to a small group of department heads and specifically important personnel.

Her red hair poked out of the bun at the base of her head at funny angles. The glasses she used only for deciphering difficult spells were still sitting on the top of her head and she realised that she was certainly not dressed in proper business attire. Her wool skirt was wrinkled and her dark-brick red jumper was more suited for a weekend home with her family, but she knew time was of the essence and that making herself look gorgeous was fairly low on her priority list. Or at least she thought so until she turned the last corner before the conference room and saw Draco coming toward her down the corridor from the other direction.

They’d been together for years, but Ginny still blushed in embarrassment, realising how awful she must look. She could tell Draco was as shocked to see her as she was to see him, but having no notice didn’t matter, he still looked flawless. His black robes billowed behind him as he passed the conference room door and came to her instead.

She melted into his arms as soon as he reached her. He kissed her hair. “Was it because of you that I was called out of supper at Bardon’s?” He looked down at her with a hint of a smirk behind his grey eyes. “Goyle was helpful then, love?”

“We’ve done it,” Ginny said quietly with a grin. “They’re alive, and I know where they are.”

“Smashing, darling. Must have been why I was called. Come on, then.” Draco quickly kissed her hand as he let her walk through the conference room door before him.

They were the last to arrive and, as soon as they sat down, Minster Flume nodded to Dumbledore to begin the meeting.

“It seems that the Conflict Intelligence and Deciphering Bureau has received news of the missing company of Ground Aurors. Miss Weasley, would you enlighten us, please?”

Ginny stood and presented her findings to the small group. Minister Flume took copious notes and would occasionally slip them to Dumbledore throughout her recitation. Once she explained that she was certain that her information was reliable, things began to roll into action. Dumbledore spoke with the head of the Special Light Infantry Forces and gave him an assignment before turning to Draco.

“I will understand, Wing Commander Malfoy, if you would like someone else assigned to this mission. You do not have the brightest history with Captains Potter and Weasley. As much as I would like you to accept, I understand if you would rather-”

“I’ll go, sir.”

“You’ll what?” Ginny couldn’t help but blurt out. She was surprised, not that he’d been asked, but that he had so readily accepted. If he was worried about her work in dangerous situations, it was no less worrisome to Ginny that he worked in dangerous situations. He led an entire squadron of Air Wizards, always plunging into life threatening situations, and she was sure that this would be yet another one. And that he would so willingly volunteer when it was to save Harry and Ron astounded her.

Draco didn’t look at her. “I’ll go, sir. How long do I have to prep my wing?”

Dumbledore casually glanced at Ginny, trying not to smile since he knew they wanted to keep their relationship a secret. What they failed to realise is that even a Transfiguration Professor could tell when two of his students were besotted with one another. Now in his more active role in planning reconnaissance and strategy, he had once again seen these two in close quarters. They weren’t fooling anyone except perhaps themselves.

Still, Draco was the best flyer they had and they had to send him if he was willing. “Wing Commander, you have eight hours. Notify your team. Have a brief rest, and then meet me back here in the morning. I’ll accompany you. I think it’s about time this war ends, don’t you?”

Draco turned slightly toward Ginny, looking quickly and not quite catching her eye before looking down. “Yes, sir. I’ll owl my team. We’ll be here.”

Dumbledore nodded. Scanning the room, he suggested that the Minister and fellow department heads take a brief adjournment in order to organize the specifics of the mission.

Once they left, Draco and Ginny were left alone. He still didn’t look up, but Ginny walked toward him and put her hand on his chest. “Draco, why did you agree to go? He could have sent anyone; it didn’t have to be you.”

Draco’s brows furrowed and he stepped back from her. He leaned to pick up a pot of ink that had fallen from the table, but Ginny didn’t let him get too far from her. She could tell that she had unintentionally hurt his pride. Speaking softly, Ginny tried to assure him, “Draco, I wasn’t saying that you aren’t the most qualified for this mission. I know that’s why they called you here, because you’re the best. I’m just surprised that you conceded so willingly. As grateful as I am that it will be you that brings my brother home, I can’t help but think of how miserable it must be to go and save him and, even worse, Har-”

She wasn’t able to finish. Draco had captured her mouth with his own and was gently making her forget what she was going to say. He didn’t want to argue with her, and as much as he liked to think that he was invincible, Draco was a realist and he knew that there was a very real possibility that he wouldn’t return, so he told her the truth. “I’m not doing it for them, Ginny. I’m doing it for you,” he whispered. Pulling her close, he inhaled her flowery scent and moved his lips along her jaw line, all the while repeating, ‘This is how much I love you, Ginny Weasley’ silently in his head, over and over.

They were still wound tightly in an embrace when a sharp knock on the door shook them from the momentary stillness they had been enjoying. Dumbledore peeked his head in and reminded Ginny that she was needed to help coordinate the mission while Malfoy informed his team. Nodding, they said a brief farewell. Their fingers pulled apart from one another as he walked out the doors and on to the mission to save Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.

***

Ginny knew that the mission was planned well. Hell, she’d coordinated more than a few for the war department and she knew when a plan would work well. It had been just over twenty-four hours and they had heard nothing. Ginny was at Whiteacre with Susan. She hadn’t been able to go into specifics, but Susan knew enough that she was on edge right there along with Ginny.

At half past eight in the morning, as Susan lay sleeping in the chair she’d drawn close to the fire, Ginny quietly opened the window to let in the owl that was attempting to come into the lounge.

Miss Weasley,

The Ground Aurors are safe. They returned early this morning and are being treated at St. Mungo’s for dehydration and Welting’s Sickness. Please inform Mrs. Potter. You are welcome to visit once they have been debriefed by myself and fellow members of the MLE.

The war is over, not in small part due to your hard work and diligence.

Eldred Flume, Minister for Magic

Ginny stared at the note. The war was over. Her brother was safe. That meant that Dumbledore and Draco had been successful. Thinking of him turned her thoughts to what came next. They had spoken often enough of what was to come next, but now that it was really time, Ginny couldn’t help but become giddy as she began jumping up and down in excitement. “Susan, Susan, wake up. They’re safe. It’s over. Susan!” Shaking her dear friend, Ginny could hardly constrain her enthusiasm.

Once Susan realised what Ginny was going on about, she joined in the celebration. Harry was home. He could meet his son. Things were going to be all right. The two women could hardly constrain their happiness as they dressed for their visit to the hospital.

Ginny took the time to owl Draco to tell him where she’d be and to congratulate him on his success before grabbing the wool cloak he’d bought her and heading off to hospital.

With smiles on their faces and little Jamie in tow, the two women Apparated to St. Mungo’s as soon as they could. Ginny asked the girl at the information desk which ward Ron and Harry were staying in and they walked toward the lift looking nervously happy at one another.

Waiting outside the Private Patient’s Ward sat Ginny’s family. She looked at her father questioningly.

“Not quite through with their briefing, Ginny. Seems they have to explain why Malfoy didn’t return with them. Won’t be but a moment, I’m sure.” Arthur intoned with a smile.

Ginny’s eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. A shot of ice ripped through her heart. “What do you mean? Malfoy didn’t come back with them?”

Surprised by his daughter’s sudden interest in the Malfoy boy, Arthur shook his head. “He was injured, or so I hear, and he made it clear that they were to leave without him. Seems he was quite the hero, even if he is a Malfoy.”

Ginny’s mouth was slack-jawed and she could hardly stand. Susan came to her rescue by putting her arm around Ginny shoulders and guiding her to a nearby chair.

“He’s gone. He’s gone and left me. He swore he’d never do that. He swore to me. Now he’s dead.” Ginny was distraught. If only she hadn’t broken the code. Then he would still be here with her.

Susan whispered, “Injury isn’t the same thing as dead, Ginny. He’ll come back. You know him. He’s clever and experienced. He’ll come back.”

Ginny couldn’t speak; she had already gone into shock. She started breathing heavily and was shaking so much that Susan was trying to soothe her by rubbing up and down her arms. Molly looked at Ginny’s reaction and was flabbergasted. What was this boy to them?

Only moments later, Dumbledore, accompanied by Minister Flume and several other officials, appeared from inside the private ward. A healer followed the men out and spoke to the family. “You may come in now, but try not to overexcite the patients.”

Ginny didn’t move. She couldn’t go in and pretend everything was fine. Dumbledore spoke to the group of men and then came toward Ginny and Susan. “Mrs. Potter, I expect that there is an introduction you would like to make. I will stay with Miss Weasley for a moment.”

Susan nodded, kissing Ginny’s forehead and taking Jamie from Molly’s arms to show him to his father.

“He is all right, Miss Weasley.” Dumbledore quietly intoned. “While the German resistance network isn’t as defined as some of the others, they were able to send us word early this morning that they had young Malfoy. They wanted to sort a few things out before they returned him to England. You need to be patient and-”

“I know how the resistance bloody well works. He is far from safe, Dumbledore!” she shouted at him. “What about Van Leeuwen and de Graaf? They thought they were safely hidden by the resistance and now they’re dead. I have to get there; I have contacts there and I can bring him home.” She turned quickly, almost irrationally, trying to leave the hospital as quickly as she could, but her mother grabbed her sleeve. She tried to shrug it off, but her mother held fast.

“You need to calm down, Ginny.” Ginny stiffened, but didn’t walk any further. “Now, what are you talking about?” She turned to Arthur. “What is she talking about, Arthur? Why is no one else surprised here that Ginny has ‘contacts’?”

“Molly-” Ginny’s father tried to explain calmly.

“No, I want to know why the obvious announcement that our daughter is not a secretary but instead is working for the government as some sort of spy isn’t a shock to anyone but me.” She turned her patented glare on her husband and sons.

Everyone but Ginny began speaking at once. Molly’s temper was near its peak. Even Penny tried to calm her down. “Mum, we didn’t want to worry you. You were already so worried about Ron, Charlie, and Bill. It wouldn’t do to have you in fits over Ginny as well.”

Molly was about to argue, but then another thought came to her and she turned back toward Ginny. She kept her voice even, but there was fire beneath its calm façade. “Ginny, dear, let’s pretend there is no reason for me to be upset about you lying to your mother about your career; would you care to explain why it matters so much to you whether the Malfoy boy is injured or not?”

Ginny didn’t say anything, but kept her head held high in defiance.

“Ginbug, there is a rational reason, right?” Fred asked quietly from across the room. It was quite clear that it was not only just her mother who was searching for an explanation.

“I love him,” she said simply. She refused to feel bad about it, no matter how big a shock it was to her family.

The room couldn’t have been more shocked had the Germans air-bombed the building as they stood there.

“I will get him back even if I have to go to Germany myself and drag him by his collar,” she continued. Ginny couldn’t help but wince at the grimaces her brothers were aiming at her. “I will not lose him, not when we’re this close. Don’t you understand? He’s my ‘something grand’.”

“What are you talking about, Ginny? This close? This close to what?” her mother asked her, clearly confused.

“You need to calm down and stop speaking in riddles,” George added.

“The only thing I need is him, and nothing any of you can say will change that. He’s mine and I’m his.”

“That’s good to hear, Weasley, because I’m a Malfoy and I never learned how to share,” came a smug droll from the doorway. Ginny shot around and Draco smirked at her as though he didn’t see the wall of Weasley red surrounding her.

Ginny didn’t even hear the cry of relief that came from her as she ran towards him and he pulled her tightly into his arms. She inhaled the familiar cedar scent and she felt like home. Tears were running down her face and Draco pulled back to look her in the eye, wiping the tears with his thumbs. “You’re late. You’re never late,” she whispered through her tears.

“I’m sorry, love. I was detained.” His lip quirked cheekily and in an attempt to make her smile, he tickled her side.

“You were detained? I thought you were dead, and you say you were ‘detained’?” Ginny pulled him close again, not wanting to let him see her smile.

Dumbledore interrupted with a small smile on his own face. “Before you interrupted me, Miss Weasley, I was about to say that you needed to be patient because shortly after we received word that Wing Commander Malfoy was indeed all right and being held by the German Resistance, we were able to arrange his safe passage back home. He was involved in the briefing with your brother and Harry and once that was complete he was planning on meeting with you. Although I expect he thought your reunion would be a much more private affair.” Even when he was explaining things calmly he had that blasted twinkle in his eyes.

Ginny pulled out of Draco’s embrace and gave Dumbledore a sheepish grin. “Sorry, sir.”

“There aren’t any more secrets that need spilling before breakfast then, are there?” Molly asked the group with a warm smile on her face. “Now come here, young man. I suppose if my girl fancies herself in love with you I should at least meet you properly. Besides, you brought my boys home safely, even if you weren’t practically part of the family now I’d need to give you a hug.”

Draco flushed. “How do you do, Ma’am? Sir?” He shook Arthur’s outstretched hand and was about to shake Molly’s when she reached up and gathered him into one of her large, all-encompassing squeezes.

Ginny smiled. This is what they’d been fighting for. This was why they had worked so hard to end this war. Now they would be able to move forward and be together as they should be.

***

The sun was setting over Muggle London, but people were still milling about and participating in the festivities. As far as the Muggles knew, it was Hitler who was dead and the war with Germany was at an end. Ginny and Draco walked hand in hand through the throng, enjoying that they didn’t need to hide any longer.

Up ahead there was a shower of light where a young woman was being announced as Miss Victory, the victory party hostess. She was tall, blonde and pretty, and Ginny looked up at Draco, amused that the young woman could have passed for his sister.

“Don’t even say it, Weasley,” he smirked.

“Say what? I was just thinking about how lovely Miss Victory was. Don’t you think she’s lovely, Draco?” Ginny couldn’t help but grin up at him.

"You'll always be the Miss Victory of my heart," said Draco with a silly grin on his face.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard out of your mouth...but I still love you, Draco."

His smile softened and he reached down for her hand. “You know I love you, Weasley, don’t you?”

Ginny was gob smacked. She’d always felt it, but he’d never said it before. She just looked at him with an open mouth.

“Oh, stop looking so shocked. I braved the bloody Nazis to end this barmy war for you. I couldn’t not love you, you silly bint. You’re my ‘something grand’, remember?”

Ginny smiled up at him and leaned her head on his shoulder as Draco wrapped his arm around her. They continued through the mass of people celebrating, joyful that finally, after so many years, it was time for their happily ever after.

The End