See Chapter One for the disclaimer
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After confirming with Worthington Jewels that the ring would be ready on Thursday, Draco started to put 'Operation Weasel' into play. After his confrontation with Ginny’s younger brothers in Diagon Alley, Draco had decided to offer the olive branch one more time. Oh not to King Weasley, no it would be a cold day in hell before he went crawling to Ron for approval; Ginny had shed too many tears over his comments for Draco to forget or forgive, but the older brothers, especially Charlie and Bill, might have potential. The owl had been sent yesterday and he still had not received a reply. “Come on Weasels,” he murmured under his breath, “a yes or a no. Simple really.” A tapping at the window distracted him. “Finally,” he muttered. Grabbing the owl he detached the message abruptly, ignoring the owl’s indignant sqwawk. Draco let his breath out in a rush after reading the short note, now all he had to do was confess to his soon-to-be fiancée.
Ginny chose that moment to walk into study moving over to Draco with a small smile. “Hello Lover,” she whispered as she wound her arms around his neck. Draco raised a hand to cup her cheek as he traced his thumb over her lips.
“Hello yourself,” he replied, “how are the menus coming along?” Okay he could admit he was stalling for time.
Ginny smiled happily at him. “Wonderfully, Severus and I have been having a ball working out how to combine the potions into the food without noticeable changes to taste.”
“I don’t suppose there is a ‘good will to all’ menu developed?” he asked with a winning smile.
Ginny suddenly looked suspicious. “What have you been up to Ferret?” she demanded.
Draco tried to diffuse the signs of her rising temper, “I thought it would be nice to have some dinner guests tomorrow night.”
“Marcus and Katie?”
“No, but I can set that up for the following night if you wish. Actually Bill and Charlie accepted my invitation for dinner.”
Ginny’s mouth opened in small O of surprise. “You invited my brothers here?” she asked tremulously. Draco nodded at her waiting for a reaction.
“And they accepted?” her lower lip began to tremble.
Draco brushed her hair away from her face. “His reply just arrived,” he replied gently.
Ginny took the note from his outstretched hand and read,
Draco,
Thank you for the invitation. Charlie and I will be there at seven.
Regards,
B. Weasley
Draco led Ginny over to the couch and held her quietly until the storm of relieved weeping had passed.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
*********************************************************************
The following afternoon Ginny was pacing up and down the house working herself up to a near frenzy. Draco had watched this with some amusement for the first hour but enough was enough. If she didn’t relax soon she’d snap something, in the interest of it not being him, Draco decided to take preventative action.
Ginny swung around to face him and dragged a hand through her hair. “Do you think the menu…” she began
“The menu is fine,” he said soothingly
“The room?”
“Is also fine. As are the wine, music, weather, political climate and my hair. Yours on the other hand...” Draco ducked as Ginny swatted at him irritably.
“Stop mocking me. This is important; none of my family has been here before.”
“I know,” he soothed, “which is why I invited them. Come on Gin Girl if you don’t relax you wont be able to enjoy tonight.”
“I can’t relax; whenever I try to do something I start to worry about what could go wrong,” she complained.
Draco smirked at her and traced a finger down the line of her throat. “I have a couple of ideas on how to relax you,” he offered.
“You’re thinking about sex at a time like this?” Ginny scowled at him in mock annoyance.
“I’m always thinking about sex. Most of my waking hours and a goodly portion of my sleeping ones are devoted to picturing you naked. Not my fault I’m in love with a gorgeous sexy redhead.”
Ginny looked at him from under her lashes a small smile playing around her mouth. “Well I suppose I can’t blame you for that,” she said twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “What have you been thinking about recently?” she asked curiously.
“I’ve been calculating how much trouble I would be in if I threw you over my shoulder and locked us in our bedroom for an hour.”
The small smile broke into a large grin, “How about you give it a try and I’ll let you know at the end of the hour.”
“Whatever my lady desires.” With that Draco grabbed her around the legs and hoisted her over his shoulder. Ginny grinned at her new view and squeezed his butt experimentally. Draco chuckled and picked up his pace pushing through their bedroom door he dumped her in the middle of the bed. Ginny lounged back on the pillows and giggled up at him, “Come on Ferret Boy, distract me.”
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Draco lounged back on the couch with Ginny tucked into his side. The evening had gone exceptionally well. Although Charlie and Bill had been a little reserved when they arrived, Ginny’s enthusiasm at seeing her oldest brothers had been so apparent that the two men had quickly relaxed. It had been several years since Ginny had been around members of her family in a non confrontational manner and she had relished the opportunity to catch up on gossip that, for once, wasn’t about her.
Extracting himself from under Ginny who was resting against his shoulder, Draco excused himself to fetch another bottle of wine from the kitchen. After exchanging a quick glance with Charlie, Bill got up to follow. When Ginny looked up in concern Charlie reached over and chucked her under the chin. “Don’t look so worried, Ginny. Your boy is safe for the moment; Bill just wanted to ask him a few things.”
Draco heard one of Ginny’s brothers follow him into the kitchen, turning casually he leant against the counter and waited for Bill to speak. Bill paused for a moment and looked at all the photos around the wall. Reaching over he picked up one of Draco’s favourites. It had been taken the year before when he and Ginny had holidayed in Florence. The two of them were swaying gently to music only they could hear, completely oblivious to the other guests dining at the restaurant. Bill smiled as he replaced the frame on the kitchen counter. “Nice photo,” he commented casually.
Draco kept his voice equally casual, “That was taken last year on holiday.”
“She looks very happy.”
“She is.”
“A lot of my family believe that this – you – are a phase she will grow out of.”
“Are you one of them?” Draco asked casually.
“I was,” Bill admitted. “Charlie and I came here half expecting to find her playing at being grown up.”
“And now?”
“I haven’t seen any play acting tonight.” Bill laughed, “As her oldest brother it pains me to admit this but it appears that ickle Ginnikins is all grown up.”
“Thank you,” Draco said sincerely.
“Now perhaps we should rejoin the others before Ginny comes in to rescue you.”
Draco laughed before grabbing the wine and leading the way out of the kitchen.
Charlie was entertaining Ginny with wild tales of his near death experiences with various dragons when Draco and Bill rejoined them.
“I thought you two had got lost,” he teased.
“Just chatting,” Draco said idly shooting a reassuring smile at Ginny. “Nothing to be worried about.”
Ginny smiled back and tugged him back down to the couch with her.
End Chapter 7
*********************************************************************
After confirming with Worthington Jewels that the ring would be ready on Thursday, Draco started to put 'Operation Weasel' into play. After his confrontation with Ginny’s younger brothers in Diagon Alley, Draco had decided to offer the olive branch one more time. Oh not to King Weasley, no it would be a cold day in hell before he went crawling to Ron for approval; Ginny had shed too many tears over his comments for Draco to forget or forgive, but the older brothers, especially Charlie and Bill, might have potential. The owl had been sent yesterday and he still had not received a reply. “Come on Weasels,” he murmured under his breath, “a yes or a no. Simple really.” A tapping at the window distracted him. “Finally,” he muttered. Grabbing the owl he detached the message abruptly, ignoring the owl’s indignant sqwawk. Draco let his breath out in a rush after reading the short note, now all he had to do was confess to his soon-to-be fiancée.
Ginny chose that moment to walk into study moving over to Draco with a small smile. “Hello Lover,” she whispered as she wound her arms around his neck. Draco raised a hand to cup her cheek as he traced his thumb over her lips.
“Hello yourself,” he replied, “how are the menus coming along?” Okay he could admit he was stalling for time.
Ginny smiled happily at him. “Wonderfully, Severus and I have been having a ball working out how to combine the potions into the food without noticeable changes to taste.”
“I don’t suppose there is a ‘good will to all’ menu developed?” he asked with a winning smile.
Ginny suddenly looked suspicious. “What have you been up to Ferret?” she demanded.
Draco tried to diffuse the signs of her rising temper, “I thought it would be nice to have some dinner guests tomorrow night.”
“Marcus and Katie?”
“No, but I can set that up for the following night if you wish. Actually Bill and Charlie accepted my invitation for dinner.”
Ginny’s mouth opened in small O of surprise. “You invited my brothers here?” she asked tremulously. Draco nodded at her waiting for a reaction.
“And they accepted?” her lower lip began to tremble.
Draco brushed her hair away from her face. “His reply just arrived,” he replied gently.
Ginny took the note from his outstretched hand and read,
Draco,
Thank you for the invitation. Charlie and I will be there at seven.
Regards,
B. Weasley
Draco led Ginny over to the couch and held her quietly until the storm of relieved weeping had passed.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
*********************************************************************
The following afternoon Ginny was pacing up and down the house working herself up to a near frenzy. Draco had watched this with some amusement for the first hour but enough was enough. If she didn’t relax soon she’d snap something, in the interest of it not being him, Draco decided to take preventative action.
Ginny swung around to face him and dragged a hand through her hair. “Do you think the menu…” she began
“The menu is fine,” he said soothingly
“The room?”
“Is also fine. As are the wine, music, weather, political climate and my hair. Yours on the other hand...” Draco ducked as Ginny swatted at him irritably.
“Stop mocking me. This is important; none of my family has been here before.”
“I know,” he soothed, “which is why I invited them. Come on Gin Girl if you don’t relax you wont be able to enjoy tonight.”
“I can’t relax; whenever I try to do something I start to worry about what could go wrong,” she complained.
Draco smirked at her and traced a finger down the line of her throat. “I have a couple of ideas on how to relax you,” he offered.
“You’re thinking about sex at a time like this?” Ginny scowled at him in mock annoyance.
“I’m always thinking about sex. Most of my waking hours and a goodly portion of my sleeping ones are devoted to picturing you naked. Not my fault I’m in love with a gorgeous sexy redhead.”
Ginny looked at him from under her lashes a small smile playing around her mouth. “Well I suppose I can’t blame you for that,” she said twisting a lock of hair around her finger. “What have you been thinking about recently?” she asked curiously.
“I’ve been calculating how much trouble I would be in if I threw you over my shoulder and locked us in our bedroom for an hour.”
The small smile broke into a large grin, “How about you give it a try and I’ll let you know at the end of the hour.”
“Whatever my lady desires.” With that Draco grabbed her around the legs and hoisted her over his shoulder. Ginny grinned at her new view and squeezed his butt experimentally. Draco chuckled and picked up his pace pushing through their bedroom door he dumped her in the middle of the bed. Ginny lounged back on the pillows and giggled up at him, “Come on Ferret Boy, distract me.”
********************************************************************
Draco lounged back on the couch with Ginny tucked into his side. The evening had gone exceptionally well. Although Charlie and Bill had been a little reserved when they arrived, Ginny’s enthusiasm at seeing her oldest brothers had been so apparent that the two men had quickly relaxed. It had been several years since Ginny had been around members of her family in a non confrontational manner and she had relished the opportunity to catch up on gossip that, for once, wasn’t about her.
Extracting himself from under Ginny who was resting against his shoulder, Draco excused himself to fetch another bottle of wine from the kitchen. After exchanging a quick glance with Charlie, Bill got up to follow. When Ginny looked up in concern Charlie reached over and chucked her under the chin. “Don’t look so worried, Ginny. Your boy is safe for the moment; Bill just wanted to ask him a few things.”
Draco heard one of Ginny’s brothers follow him into the kitchen, turning casually he leant against the counter and waited for Bill to speak. Bill paused for a moment and looked at all the photos around the wall. Reaching over he picked up one of Draco’s favourites. It had been taken the year before when he and Ginny had holidayed in Florence. The two of them were swaying gently to music only they could hear, completely oblivious to the other guests dining at the restaurant. Bill smiled as he replaced the frame on the kitchen counter. “Nice photo,” he commented casually.
Draco kept his voice equally casual, “That was taken last year on holiday.”
“She looks very happy.”
“She is.”
“A lot of my family believe that this – you – are a phase she will grow out of.”
“Are you one of them?” Draco asked casually.
“I was,” Bill admitted. “Charlie and I came here half expecting to find her playing at being grown up.”
“And now?”
“I haven’t seen any play acting tonight.” Bill laughed, “As her oldest brother it pains me to admit this but it appears that ickle Ginnikins is all grown up.”
“Thank you,” Draco said sincerely.
“Now perhaps we should rejoin the others before Ginny comes in to rescue you.”
Draco laughed before grabbing the wine and leading the way out of the kitchen.
Charlie was entertaining Ginny with wild tales of his near death experiences with various dragons when Draco and Bill rejoined them.
“I thought you two had got lost,” he teased.
“Just chatting,” Draco said idly shooting a reassuring smile at Ginny. “Nothing to be worried about.”
Ginny smiled back and tugged him back down to the couch with her.
End Chapter 7
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