Francine arrived for her last Quidditch match early.
Last. It sounded so dreadfully final, but she had made her peace with that fact.
Her secret was out. There was no way that she could continue. This would be her last appearance on the Quidditch pitch. After a sleepless night where she considered his words in an endless cycle, she was certain that he would never want to see her again after this match. More importantly, she wanted to have enough dignity to leave gracefully.
Without a doubt, she knew that she would be replaced both on the team and in her relationship.
She couldn't fault him. She wanted to, but she knew that she had no one to blame but herself. She'd built so much on lies that she couldn't possibly ask for, nor expect, forgiveness.
So, she put on her disguise for the last time. This would be the last game that Francine Miller would ever play. Francine would retire from Quidditch after this game, never to be seen again. The team's publicist would likely fabricate some sort of press release stating that Francine had returned to the Americas to explain the Seeker's sudden disappearance. Ginny Weasley, on the other hand, would return to her stable, boring existence working for Ms. Tinkerton. At least Ginny hoped that her former employer would take her back. But that was a worry for another day.
Of course, she would still likely see him at some of her events. She dreaded having to interact with him, but she would have to manage that with professionalism when the time came. It wouldn't be easy, but she would do it.
She only hoped that she wouldn't have to be the one hired to plan his wedding. Of course, she was devious enough to come up with some sort of clever illness to avoid that particular job. She reasoned that she'd have some time to think about that, since he would have to find a new girlfriend first.
But that was also a thought for another day, as she entered the pitch, nodding to the coach as she passed, and he gave her a cursory nod in return. He would find out in the morning about her deception, and subsequent disqualification.
Time seemed to slow as she woodenly followed the pre-game rituals. She found herself simultaneously anticipating and dreading the start of the match. A couple of her teammates took note of her distraction, but she smiled and tried to put them at ease.
Finally, to her relief, formalities were exchanged among the team captains and she took to the air in her last match as Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons.
The warmth of the fall sun and the fresh breeze welcomed her as moved into the open sky, causing her to push aside her negative thoughts. As always, the feeling of the air rushing past her body caused her to revel in the feeling of joy and freedom. Flying demanded all her concentration and skill, giving her reason to focus only on her game plan. It was something she cherished, and she wanted nothing more than to leave her short career in Quidditch by flying her utmost best.
The match that day was hard fought right from the onset. Puddlemere wanted desperately to win, and Ginny used every bit of flying and acrobatic skill to rotate on her broom and dodge flying Bludgers, distracting the United's Chasers, while simultaneously hunting for the Snitch. It was a complex dance, and she used all of her abilities to perform it exceptionally well.
Almost two hours into the match, Ginny could feel that the exertion was beginning to wear on her, although she took some comfort in knowing that her opponents were likely tiring as well. It was a dangerous time during any match, where fatigue became a factor in each player's moves, and it was a time when injuries were most likely to occur. She tried to make her movements more efficient to save energy.
Finally, luck was on her side when she caught a glimpse of gold near her own team's goal posts, but the situation was far from ideal. She was at the far end of the field, flying high in an attempt to save her energy, and the other Seeker was low and hovering in the middle of the field. He would easily beat her to her target if he caught sight of her moving toward it from this distance.
Drawing from experience, she decided to use her distraction technique. She began to work toward the opposite end of the field by trying to draw a Beater away from a Falcon Chaser so that he could score a goal. Then, as the Quaffle moved toward her own goal, she moved with her team to remain unobtrusive. It was a painful process, trying to appear casual while simultaneously feeling the urge to begin an all-out pursuit. Still keeping her eye on both the elusive Snitch and the other Seeker, she closed in on her target in an agonizingly slow manner.
Suddenly, she caught the expression on the Seeker's face as he caught sight of the Snitch. She was still further away, but her strategy had left her path clear, while her opponent had two of her teammates in his path, Roger being one of them. She took off toward the snitch, urging every ounce of speed from her broom, and leveling her body close to the handle to reduce as much wind resistance as possible.
Roger caught sight of her mad dash, his experience giving him clear understanding of her intent, and managed to maneuver more solidly into the other Seeker's path. He was nearly knocked off his broom in the process, as the Puddlemere Seeker was forced to pull up to avoid him, the tail of his broom striking Roger's shoulder. She heard Marcus' taunting comment to Roger as she flew by, “If you had a real Seeker, you wouldn't have to sacrifice yourself like that!”
What did she ever see in that git?
The delay Roger provided was enough to give Ginny the advantage she needed and, moments later, the two Seekers raced neck and neck to the tiny, golden prize. It was a moment of pure adrenaline as she tried to actively plan how she might use her lighter weight and dexterity to her advantage. While she was gaining in speed, it wasn't quite enough to win the race. Mere moments before they reached the Snitch, she decided to use her momentum against her opponent. It was an all out gamble because, if her assumption was wrong, the game would surely be lost.
Flipping upside down, she rolled into a spiral, wrapping under her opponent's broom, the bottom of her broom nudging him away just enough for her to stay on the more direct course. To keep stable, she needed to release her hold on her own broom, hanging precariously by one hand and an ankle, the rest of her body extended in an all-out stretch toward the Snitch. She heard the Seeker utter a vicious curse, but that was all he could do, as her hand closed around the prize.
The moment that she finally felt the wings of the Snitch flutter in her palm was the moment that she began to relax, allowing herself to finally register the sound of the crowd in the stands. She was met with thundering cheers, and simultaneous boos, as the crowd realized the match had reached an incredible conclusion. The Falcons, the underdogs, had defeated their rivals in a stunning manner. Ginny glowed with the joy of the moment.
Her teammates flew up to meet her and escort her back to the stands, slapping her on the back and shouting various compliments, many of them rude. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and she quickly found herself grinning back at them as she realized the magnitude of her accomplishment.
As she slowly coasted back down to the stands, her joy was suddenly dampened as she remembered that this had been her last game. It also came with the knowledge that she'd never get to truly enjoy this moment of victory as herself but only as her alter ego. Once she left the disguise of Francine behind, she would be nothing but ordinary once again. It tore at her heart, and she willed herself to hide the emotion. She wouldn't spoil this moment for herself, nor for her teammates.
Worse, she would now go back to, once again, being alone.
He was there among that cheering crowd somewhere, and she found herself searching the stands for a glimpse of his platinum blond hair. She was forced to abandon the effort after a few moments, because she quickly realized that it was a hopeless task to find him among the hundreds there in the stands. Besides, she was terrified to see the look of disgust on his face if she did find him.
Tears sprung to her eyes as her thoughts drifted back to her ruined relationship.
Suddenly, she felt the Snitch that she still held tightly make a strange vibration. She looked down at the little device, wondering if something was somehow malfunctioning. Her intitial reaction was to ignore it but, suddenly, in addition to the vibration, it made a noise. An odd tinkling noise that sounded, oddly enough, like the dreaded giggling of those faeries that she detested so vehemently.
She pulled up, letting her teammates go ahead, so she could look at the malfunctioning little Snitch more closely. If it was going to do something harmful, she didn't want her teammates nearby. She had a moment of hope that maybe it was cursed in some way to kill her and end her miserable existence. It was a nice thought, but she figured that she couldn't possibly be quite so lucky.
As she stared at the Snitch, the noise coming from it started to sound almost musical, and she noticed markings begin to appear on the side.
“I LOVE YOU,” it said.
She gasped, staring at the thing in utter disbelief.
It was only years of training and reflexes that kept her from falling off her broom, because she felt every muscle in her body go limp.
She looked up, her eyes darting around the stands to see if she could see the person responsible for this oddity. She'd lived with two prankster brothers for too many years to not recognize a prank when she saw one, and her heart broke at the cruel irony of it. She reasoned that the culprit was probably one of Francine's adoring fans, or perhaps a teammate, and they had no idea how cruel their little joke was. She'd just broken up with the love of her life, and here she was getting fan mail, of all things, on the Snitch that would mark the end of her short but glorious career.
Her teammates had noticed her delay, and Roger appeared to be turning back toward her. None of them seemed to be looking at her with any anticipation, so she quickly eliminated any of her teammates as being the culprit. She tried to stop the onslaught of tears now pouring down her face, wondering if she could get away with telling them that she just got some dust in her eyes, as she slowly continued down toward the presentation stand.
The Minister of Magical Games was waiting for them, to present them with the Divisional Championship Plaque, and she was obligated to join her team for the celebration. As she approached the stage, she saw her coach, clapping her teammates on the back and grinning madly at her. For some reason, she hadn't been prepared to see the owner of the team standing next to him.
She tore her gaze away from him before she made a fool of herself, and glanced down at the little snitch again. The lettering had changed.
“I'M SORRY,” it said.
She looked back at him, her vision blurred from tears.
Unlike the rest of the team, he wasn't consumed in the exuberant celebration on the stage. In fact, he was completely ignoring the joyful mayhem. Instead, he stood there calmly, his attention focused solely on her as she approached cautiously. The look in his eyes was not what she'd expected. He looked contrite and hopeful while he glanced toward the Snitch then back to her face, or rather, the face of Francine Miller.
She stared back down at the Snitch that had professed its love to her, and then she saw one more line of text.
“FORGIVE ME?”
If this Snitch was really from him, as she was starting to suspect, she briefly wondered if it was slightly chilly in hell right about now. It had just appeared that he'd apologized.
She stared at the three lines emblazoned on the Snitch, then looked back to him, and he nodded, his expression openly begging for her answer.
She dismounted her broom and battled her way through her still celebrating teammates and coach to finally stand in front of him, holding up the Snitch.
“Is this from you?” Her voice was shaky, her tone was demanding. If it wasn't from him, if it was some sort of a joke, she was quite certain that her heart would shatter.
He nodded casually. “Clever, don't you think?”
She was confused. This was not what she'd expected from him. It certainly wasn't what she deserved. He'd been so very angry with her, and her mind tried to process his change in emotion. She suddenly realized that he almost appeared amused as he watched her emotions openly display across her face.
She had been prepared for many things, but not this. Finally, after pulling her thoughts together, she said, “You don't need to apologize, you know. I was wrong. I deserved everything you said to me yesterday, and worse.”
His mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. “Probably, but it has been brought to my attention that you had been planning to tell me the truth, and I should have been more willing to listen.”
For a moment, she was unable to speak. Finally, after she was able to find her mouth willing to move, her words were less than eloquent. “What?” she babbled. “I mean, who....”
“There were several,” he responded, as if he understood her meaning. “Your brother and my mother included.”
She looked down sheepishly, thinking of how she'd caused such a terrible mess, and he actually had the grace to be asking for forgiveness from her. “I truly am sorry,” she said, hoping he understood how earnest she was.
“Apology accepted,” he said, as the familiar, superior smirk teasingly came his features.
The same smirk that had once irritated every fiber of her being was now something that she found completely endearing. It was as if all the color had suddenly come back to a world that she'd only been seeing in shades of grey. The odd contraction in her chest suddenly released, and she tried to compose herself. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, but she needed some answers first.
“So,” she said, holding up the little Snitch. “What if the other Seeker caught it instead?”
“You're too good. He didn't stand a chance,” he stated smugly, his expression showing his pride in her abilities.
She smiled shyly at the compliment. “Oh, really?”
“Really. I had no doubts.” The intensity of his gaze boring into her. She felt herself shiver involuntarily.
“You don't think that there might be some controversy about this being tampered with?” she asked, referring to the altered Snitch.
“Nope. I had it approved before the game. Can't be risking any sort of controversy now, can we?”
She saddened at the remark, knowing that it pointed out her deception once again. It reminded her of her decision. She needed to be honest, and that meant that she would leave the deception, and Francine, behind her once and for all.
“Too bad you'll need a new Seeker next year,” she responded sadly.
“Why, are you thinking of quitting?”
She looked back up at him, her eyes going wide with realization. “You can't mean that I can stay? I thought I was fired?”
Her tone was desperate, hopeful and frightened all in the same breath. Did he intend to demand that she quit, or she could chose to continue to play and they would end their relationship? He'd been quite clear when they talked about this topic all those weeks ago that the two things were mutually exclusive. Her mind was trying to figure out what exactly was going on and the thought of forfeiting one for the other was simply not acceptable. She'd leave it all, just as she planned, rather than live half a life either way.
Roger finally came over, taking notice of the obviously charged atmosphere between the team owner and his star Seeker. Putting his arm casually around Ginny/Francine's shoulders, he smiled at her cheerfully. “Hey, mate, what's going on?”
Draco glared at the Captain, and Roger quickly released his hold on the little Seeker, looking quite surprised at the owner's reaction.
“You haven't answered my question,” Draco stated, ignoring Roger and staring pointedly at the little mousy-looking girl.
“Frankie, what's going on here?” Roger asked, once again drawing a glare from the owner.
“Roger, please stay out of this,” she said, turning to her friend. “It's about me quitting the team. I can't play with the Falcons anymore.”
“What?”
Tears came to her eyes once again, and she ignored Roger's question and looked back toward her lover. She couldn't be with him if he kept her from what she loved to do, even if it was for such a reason as simple as propriety.
“I have a conflict of interest,” she said, her voice becoming thick, looking at the team owner, although her words seemed to be directed toward Roger's question. “I can't play on the team because of an inappropriate personal relationship.”
“I'm selling the team,” Draco said flatly.
“But...” she found herself stammering. “But you love this team!”
“And now that they are winning, they are worth a great deal more than what I paid for them. It turned out to be a good investment,” he said with a look of smug confidence.
She stood there, gaping at him. He'd given up the team, so that she could be with him and continue to play. There was no choice for her to make.
“Close your mouth, Weasley, you look like a goldfish,” he said, smiling at her once again.
“Weasley?” Roger interrupted, looking back and forth between the two, still trying to figure out what was going on.
Draco looked over at him, as if finally noticing the Captain's presence. “Are you always this verbose?” He looked back at the girl in front of him. “I think I've had enough of the charade, Weasley, it's time for you to get the recognition you deserve. Change back.”
“But, what about...?”
“I've had enough of this. I won't have somebody else get the credit for the catch of the century when it rightly belongs to my girlfriend. Change. Back.”
His tone was commanding, and normally she would have spat something back at him, but there were times to argue, and times to simply concede. This particular time warranted the latter response. After all, she wanted the recognition for herself too.
By now, the team had gathered around, taking note of the odd conversation between the team owner and their plain-looking but talented Seeker. The girl looked around at all of them apologetically, then, staring straight into the eyes of the handsome blond man in front of her, she reluctantly took out her wand and uttered the charm.
She heard the gasps from the team around her as her dull brown hair lengthened and turned into thick tresses of red and gold. Her features softened, and her curves made her tailored Quidditch uniform start to feel rather tight across her chest.
“What the hell?” she heard James exclaim. “Who are you and what did you do to Frankie?” She slowly started to become aware that they were still standing on the podium in front of hundreds of fans, waiting for the Minister to present them with their trophy. The sounds of disbelief and gossip were quickly spreading through the crowd.
“There is no Francine Miller. There never was,” Draco said to the confused team. “Miss. Weasley here has been disguising herself all season.”
“But why?” someone asked.
“Later,” Draco insisted, snubbing the lot of them and turning back to Ginny. “Now, Miss. Weasley, I would really like my answer,” he said. His look was confident, arrogant, intense. He stared her straight in the eye, daring her to back down, and she found herself once again melting under the intensity of his gaze.
“I...”
He stepped closer, invading her personal space.
“I thought you didn't want to see me anymore,” she stammered.
He took another step, so close, but not quite yet touching. “I didn't think you'd run away after a simple disagreement.”
“I wasn't running away.”
“You knew damn well I wouldn't let you anyway.”
“I thought you were going to make me choose. I thought...”
“I would never do that to you. I would never try to make you change for me. That's not the kind of woman I fell in love with.”
A small sound came from her throat as she gasped her shock at the realization of what he'd said. Her mind processed his words furiously.
“Weasley.” He paused, watching her. “Ginny, you're looking like a fish again.”
She looked at him, feeling nothing but love for this man. She'd loved him before, she adored him now. He wanted her for who she was, not for who he could mold her to be. As she met his steady grey gaze, all she could do was utter a single word.
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes to your question, of course,” she said, as her lips curled into a devilishly flirtatious grin.
He felt his own smile grow as he closed the remaining distance to his beautiful girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. “Are you saying, my marvelously talented Seeker, that you will take me back?”
“You're selling me with the team, so, technically, I'm not your Seeker anymore.”
“It depends on what you're seeking, my dear,” he said, as his smirking lips came dangerously close to hers.
“I suppose you're right,” she said, her smile widening at the wicked thoughts that came to mind with his insinuation.
“I'm always right,” he said, deciding to end the conversation on a positive note as he closed the remaining distance to her lips and kissed her soundly.
- ~ -
It had been a pleasant winter. She and Draco did some traveling, enjoying warmer climates when she could get time off from her winter job at the caterer's. Now, April was once again upon them, and she was ready to start the new season as the starting Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons.
She couldn't help but think about the fact that, one year ago, she'd been at the season's kickoff party as a lowly staff member. This year, she was attending the same event as one of the invited players. Much like last year, she watched as the owners met to argue and discuss and wager on the upcoming season. Her date was her team's former owner and their unique situation had been a topic of discussion amongst the owners for the last few weeks.
They'd separated at the party shortly after the dinner, both being pulled into different discussions by friends and business acquaintances. Ginny finally broke away from yet another owner who had been attempting to woo her onto his team. She graciously slipped away and walked out toward the patio to get a breath of fresh air. To her relief, the only person to follow was her friend, and now coach, Oliver Wood.
They stood in the cool air, and Ginny took a moment to breathe deeply. It was nice to have a moment of quiet.
Oliver seemed to understand her need for a reprieve. “Don't worry, Gin, you get used to it.”
“I think that's what I miss most about being Francine,” she said. “I would go to these things, but didn't have to say much. And when I went home, I got to go back to being just Ginny, not the celebrity Quidditch player.”
Oliver just smiled at her. “The celebrity boyfriend, being the only woman on a team outside of the Harpies, and the whole Francine deception story don't help if you are looking to stay anonymous, you realize.”
“Thanks for putting it in perspective for me, Oliver.”
“Onto other topics, how are the plans for this summer's wedding coming along?”
Funny that he would bring up the wedding. She'd seen the look of envy on Oliver's face when George had announced his plans to marry Camille. It appeared that weddings were something of a sore spot for Oliver lately.
Over the years, Oliver had sacrificed his relationships in favor of his career in Quidditch. Ginny thought he was a good man and a good friend. She wondered if Draco hadn't already captured her attention if she would now be in a relationship with Oliver instead, but that opportunity was long past. Oliver had helped her succeed in her dream and she wanted nothing but the best for him. She hoped, now that he was no longer playing Quidditch, he would finally be able to settle down in a relationship.
“Camille asked me to be chief bridesmaid, since I'm responsible for her and George meeting in the first place. At least something good came out of all that mess last year,” she responded, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about the upcoming event. She had already asked Camille if she could wear the glorious gown she'd worn at the Malfoy ball; Camille had gleefully agreed.
“Oh, you say that as if you aren't deliriously happy with your life right now,” Oliver chided her.
“I don't like to brag.” She smiled. In truth, she was deliriously happy. She felt guilty because it almost didn't seem fair that she have so much right now. She almost felt that her bubble would burst at some point, and being modest seemed to help keep herself grounded.
She looked out over the patio. One year ago, she had stood in that same location, swatting faeries and cursing the very idea of romance. She couldn't believe how much things had changed in such a short time.
This year, the patio looked much the same as last. The dessert table and champagne fountain were placed in the same spot, and Ginny saw one of her former co-workers, a nice girl named Deborah, standing guard over the table, much like Ginny once did.
They both watched as the pretty blonde cursed and swatted at faeries as the pesky creatures repeated their mischievous antics of stealing food and harassing the poor girl who was stuck trying to salvage the situation. The look of disgust on Deborah's face was priceless as she plucked one soggy creature from the champagne in which it had started swimming.
She and Oliver exchanged an amused look. The picture really was quite entertaining. Then, as Ginny looked back at Oliver, she caught him looking longingly at the girl, obviously intrigued. Ginny now understood why Draco had felt compelled to go over to talk to her that fateful night last year. Even she had to admit that the sight simply begged for attention.
“You should go talk to her. I worked with her for a while and I know she's quite nice,” she suggested.
Oliver looked at her speculatively. “Ginny, are you trying to set me up?”
“No, just offering a little encouragement. You're drooling,” she responded, laughing as a particularly nasty curse was uttered by the girl, followed by the sound of a smack as she made contact with one of the nuisances.
He smiled back. “You are evil, Ginny, but I think you are right. I think I'll get a piece of cake.” He grinned.
She fondly watched him walk over to the table before turning to go back inside when suddenly, something that felt like a small stone struck her in the head.
“Ouch!” she yelped, turning to look for the source of the attack. She assumed some of the faeries from last year must have remembered her and were attempting some sort of payback. She'd just started to scan the area when Camille came into view taking note of Ginny holding her hand over the bump now forming on her head.
“Oh, did that thing get you too? It's worse than the faeries.”
Ginny lifted an eyebrow in question. “What is it?”
“Somebody let loose some sort of cursed Snitch. It's been smacking everyone on the staff for the last ten minutes. I've been trying to catch the foolish thing, but I'm no Seeker.”
Ginny smiled at the hint, and being in a particularly good mood, it wasn't hard for her to accept her friend's request. “Well, fortunately you have one that's soon to be your sister-in-law,” Ginny offered.
“I was hoping you'd say something like that. Do you think you could get it for me? If I didn't know better, I'd think that George and Fred were behind this. It just seems like their style.”
“It does, doesn't it? Makes me wonder if it's something new they are selling in the shop... anyway, I'll let you know when I've got it.”
“Thanks,” Camille said gratefully, as she trekked back inside to attend to other matters.
With that, Ginny wandered off, trying to discern the fluttering gold of the Snitch from the glowing faeries hovering among the shrubs. Catching sight of the pesky object, she followed it down the stone path into the elegantly manicured garden. It didn't take her long to determine that it was particularly elusive, seeming to deliberately taunt her while remaining just out of reach each time she jumped to catch it.
She finally swore at the thing. She was in a dress and heels, hardly appropriate attire for playing with an errant Snitch. But she owed Camille far too many favors, not the least of which was being willing to marry one of her prankster brothers. So, she battled onward.
After slightly twisting her ankle, she came up with a new tactic. The little Snitch seemed to be fond of sneak attacks on unaware victims, so she pretended to lose interest in it, while still keeping conscious of its glimmer in her peripheral vision. The tactic worked, as it started to buzz in toward her for another hit on her head. During the last second, she reached up with her left hand and snatched the little beastie out of the air.
“Aha! Got you!” she declared triumphantly. It flapped its little wings quite indignantly. She laughed. Now that the game was over and she'd won, she found the moment to be quite fun.
She sat down on a bench, holding the Snitch, and watched as the faeries glowed all around. She'd become quite fond of the things she'd once called harbingers of romantic doom. As she watched them, she thought back to how one year ago, these same faeries had made Draco look so angelic with their enchanted glow. She thought back on her first kiss from him, among the faeries in the Malfoys' garden, and she thought now of how, hopefully, Oliver was having a wonderful moment of his own with Deborah.
Perhaps they weren't so evil after all. It made her smile.
The Snitch once again started to flutter in her grasp, and it seemed to be growing warm, which made her just a tad suspicious. She tore her gaze away from the faeries to look at it, and noticed that it was glowing with a message.
I LOVE YOU.
She smiled. There was only one person responsible, she was now sure. For the first time, she didn't jump when she heard the familiar drawl in her ear, because this time she was expecting it.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said gently, as his arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Up to playing jokes now, are you?”
“Fred gave it to me.”
“I figured as much. My brothers are a bad influence on you. I think I liked it better when you all hated each other.”
“I needed a way to get you out here alone.”
“All you had to do was ask, you know. Besides, how could you be so sure it would be me to come fetch it?”
“First, it was much more fun this way, and second, I know you too well,” he said, moving around in front of her.
“That you do,” she agreed. “So, how do you feel not owning the team anymore?”
“Actually, I quite like it. That bunch is a total bore. I didn't realize how much so until I was pulled into a twenty minute conversation with Sullivan about changing the regulation Bludger weight. It's much more fun being here with the most popular and beautiful player in the league.”
“I suppose I should thank you, since you managed to pull me away from all that boring chatter as well,” she added.
“Well, I actually had plans for you, love.”
“Oh really?”
He knelt in front of her, taking her hands and pulling her into a long, slow kiss, and she savored it. As they finally pulled apart, the faeries once again hovered near him, making his pale hair reflect their glow. Last year, at that same sight, she'd thought he looked angelic; now, she knew that he was. The light made his handsome features all the more beautiful and she sighed in contented happiness.
“Draco, maybe we should take this elsewhere...” As she looked up the path to see if anyone from the party might wander down the path to see them acting like randy teenagers.
“In a bit,” he said, still kneeling in front of her. “I don't want to leave the faeries just yet. I'm rather fond of them.”
“You and those faeries. I swear....”
“Actually, I do recall you swearing quite vividly at them last time we were here.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think some of them may harbor some animosity. They seem to be doing even more horrible things to the desserts than they did last year.”
He chuckled warmly. “Well, they like me more than enough for the both of us. And I don't think that they're the vengeful types.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because, they're doing me a favor,” he informed her, lifting his chin slightly and looking just the slightest bit smug.
She smiled, enjoying his playful demeanor. “And dare I ask what kind of favor one would ask of a faerie?”
His answering smile seemed to imply that he'd been waiting for her to ask such a question. “Hold out your hand,” he said simply.
She looked at him oddly, but she trusted him completely and held her right hand out, looking about for whatever might happen.
Almost immediately, three golden faeries flew by and she felt something drop into her hand. She looked down and saw... a piece of strawberry cake.
Draco stared at the treat in disbelief, then looked up at her to see the confusion and amusement in her eyes. His mouth twitched, as she saw him considering his next action, because this was obviously not the outcome he'd expected. He took the dessert, placed it aside, then looked about at the dozen or so giggling faeries.
“All right, very funny,” he spoke to the air in general. “Can we try this again please?” More of the light, tinkling giggles met his half-hearted glare. “I guess they do hold a grudge,” he muttered.
Ginny pursed her lips in an effort to keep from laughing and, once again, obediently held out her hand. This time, the three golden creatures flittered by and dropped another item onto her open hand. This time, she looked down to see a ring. Her gaze met his and she only had a question in her eyes.
“Will you marry me, Ginevra?”
She'd known she was happy before this. She'd been happy for months. He'd given her love, companionship, friendship, and most of all, support in helping her to live her dreams. He was challenging, intelligent and charismatic. The fact that he was dead sexy was simply the icing on the proverbial cake. Of course, she had to deal with his ego, since he was so darned perfect and he knew it, but that was what made it fun to be with him.
Yes, she was happy before, but now, she felt that she was about to burst with joy.
She looked into his intense gaze, and found she couldn't speak. All she could do was nod. The ring was all but forgotten as he leaned in to kiss her again, and she found herself melting into his embrace just like she did for that first kiss almost a year ago. She would never tire of that, she was quite certain.
As they broke apart and stood among the faeries, now all doubly aglow with shared happiness in the moment. She suddenly understood why the things were so closely associated with romance. It was because the faeries enjoyed sharing in the love and joy of those around them. They took her feelings of happiness and reflected them back tenfold. She wanted them around. Always.
“You realize, that we'll have to have an evening wedding, so the faeries will be out, yeah?” he asked.
“I'll make sure that we have a separate dessert table, set up just for them,” she agreed.
Last. It sounded so dreadfully final, but she had made her peace with that fact.
Her secret was out. There was no way that she could continue. This would be her last appearance on the Quidditch pitch. After a sleepless night where she considered his words in an endless cycle, she was certain that he would never want to see her again after this match. More importantly, she wanted to have enough dignity to leave gracefully.
Without a doubt, she knew that she would be replaced both on the team and in her relationship.
She couldn't fault him. She wanted to, but she knew that she had no one to blame but herself. She'd built so much on lies that she couldn't possibly ask for, nor expect, forgiveness.
So, she put on her disguise for the last time. This would be the last game that Francine Miller would ever play. Francine would retire from Quidditch after this game, never to be seen again. The team's publicist would likely fabricate some sort of press release stating that Francine had returned to the Americas to explain the Seeker's sudden disappearance. Ginny Weasley, on the other hand, would return to her stable, boring existence working for Ms. Tinkerton. At least Ginny hoped that her former employer would take her back. But that was a worry for another day.
Of course, she would still likely see him at some of her events. She dreaded having to interact with him, but she would have to manage that with professionalism when the time came. It wouldn't be easy, but she would do it.
She only hoped that she wouldn't have to be the one hired to plan his wedding. Of course, she was devious enough to come up with some sort of clever illness to avoid that particular job. She reasoned that she'd have some time to think about that, since he would have to find a new girlfriend first.
But that was also a thought for another day, as she entered the pitch, nodding to the coach as she passed, and he gave her a cursory nod in return. He would find out in the morning about her deception, and subsequent disqualification.
Time seemed to slow as she woodenly followed the pre-game rituals. She found herself simultaneously anticipating and dreading the start of the match. A couple of her teammates took note of her distraction, but she smiled and tried to put them at ease.
Finally, to her relief, formalities were exchanged among the team captains and she took to the air in her last match as Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons.
The warmth of the fall sun and the fresh breeze welcomed her as moved into the open sky, causing her to push aside her negative thoughts. As always, the feeling of the air rushing past her body caused her to revel in the feeling of joy and freedom. Flying demanded all her concentration and skill, giving her reason to focus only on her game plan. It was something she cherished, and she wanted nothing more than to leave her short career in Quidditch by flying her utmost best.
The match that day was hard fought right from the onset. Puddlemere wanted desperately to win, and Ginny used every bit of flying and acrobatic skill to rotate on her broom and dodge flying Bludgers, distracting the United's Chasers, while simultaneously hunting for the Snitch. It was a complex dance, and she used all of her abilities to perform it exceptionally well.
Almost two hours into the match, Ginny could feel that the exertion was beginning to wear on her, although she took some comfort in knowing that her opponents were likely tiring as well. It was a dangerous time during any match, where fatigue became a factor in each player's moves, and it was a time when injuries were most likely to occur. She tried to make her movements more efficient to save energy.
Finally, luck was on her side when she caught a glimpse of gold near her own team's goal posts, but the situation was far from ideal. She was at the far end of the field, flying high in an attempt to save her energy, and the other Seeker was low and hovering in the middle of the field. He would easily beat her to her target if he caught sight of her moving toward it from this distance.
Drawing from experience, she decided to use her distraction technique. She began to work toward the opposite end of the field by trying to draw a Beater away from a Falcon Chaser so that he could score a goal. Then, as the Quaffle moved toward her own goal, she moved with her team to remain unobtrusive. It was a painful process, trying to appear casual while simultaneously feeling the urge to begin an all-out pursuit. Still keeping her eye on both the elusive Snitch and the other Seeker, she closed in on her target in an agonizingly slow manner.
Suddenly, she caught the expression on the Seeker's face as he caught sight of the Snitch. She was still further away, but her strategy had left her path clear, while her opponent had two of her teammates in his path, Roger being one of them. She took off toward the snitch, urging every ounce of speed from her broom, and leveling her body close to the handle to reduce as much wind resistance as possible.
Roger caught sight of her mad dash, his experience giving him clear understanding of her intent, and managed to maneuver more solidly into the other Seeker's path. He was nearly knocked off his broom in the process, as the Puddlemere Seeker was forced to pull up to avoid him, the tail of his broom striking Roger's shoulder. She heard Marcus' taunting comment to Roger as she flew by, “If you had a real Seeker, you wouldn't have to sacrifice yourself like that!”
What did she ever see in that git?
The delay Roger provided was enough to give Ginny the advantage she needed and, moments later, the two Seekers raced neck and neck to the tiny, golden prize. It was a moment of pure adrenaline as she tried to actively plan how she might use her lighter weight and dexterity to her advantage. While she was gaining in speed, it wasn't quite enough to win the race. Mere moments before they reached the Snitch, she decided to use her momentum against her opponent. It was an all out gamble because, if her assumption was wrong, the game would surely be lost.
Flipping upside down, she rolled into a spiral, wrapping under her opponent's broom, the bottom of her broom nudging him away just enough for her to stay on the more direct course. To keep stable, she needed to release her hold on her own broom, hanging precariously by one hand and an ankle, the rest of her body extended in an all-out stretch toward the Snitch. She heard the Seeker utter a vicious curse, but that was all he could do, as her hand closed around the prize.
The moment that she finally felt the wings of the Snitch flutter in her palm was the moment that she began to relax, allowing herself to finally register the sound of the crowd in the stands. She was met with thundering cheers, and simultaneous boos, as the crowd realized the match had reached an incredible conclusion. The Falcons, the underdogs, had defeated their rivals in a stunning manner. Ginny glowed with the joy of the moment.
Her teammates flew up to meet her and escort her back to the stands, slapping her on the back and shouting various compliments, many of them rude. Their enthusiasm was contagious, and she quickly found herself grinning back at them as she realized the magnitude of her accomplishment.
As she slowly coasted back down to the stands, her joy was suddenly dampened as she remembered that this had been her last game. It also came with the knowledge that she'd never get to truly enjoy this moment of victory as herself but only as her alter ego. Once she left the disguise of Francine behind, she would be nothing but ordinary once again. It tore at her heart, and she willed herself to hide the emotion. She wouldn't spoil this moment for herself, nor for her teammates.
Worse, she would now go back to, once again, being alone.
He was there among that cheering crowd somewhere, and she found herself searching the stands for a glimpse of his platinum blond hair. She was forced to abandon the effort after a few moments, because she quickly realized that it was a hopeless task to find him among the hundreds there in the stands. Besides, she was terrified to see the look of disgust on his face if she did find him.
Tears sprung to her eyes as her thoughts drifted back to her ruined relationship.
Suddenly, she felt the Snitch that she still held tightly make a strange vibration. She looked down at the little device, wondering if something was somehow malfunctioning. Her intitial reaction was to ignore it but, suddenly, in addition to the vibration, it made a noise. An odd tinkling noise that sounded, oddly enough, like the dreaded giggling of those faeries that she detested so vehemently.
She pulled up, letting her teammates go ahead, so she could look at the malfunctioning little Snitch more closely. If it was going to do something harmful, she didn't want her teammates nearby. She had a moment of hope that maybe it was cursed in some way to kill her and end her miserable existence. It was a nice thought, but she figured that she couldn't possibly be quite so lucky.
As she stared at the Snitch, the noise coming from it started to sound almost musical, and she noticed markings begin to appear on the side.
“I LOVE YOU,” it said.
She gasped, staring at the thing in utter disbelief.
It was only years of training and reflexes that kept her from falling off her broom, because she felt every muscle in her body go limp.
She looked up, her eyes darting around the stands to see if she could see the person responsible for this oddity. She'd lived with two prankster brothers for too many years to not recognize a prank when she saw one, and her heart broke at the cruel irony of it. She reasoned that the culprit was probably one of Francine's adoring fans, or perhaps a teammate, and they had no idea how cruel their little joke was. She'd just broken up with the love of her life, and here she was getting fan mail, of all things, on the Snitch that would mark the end of her short but glorious career.
Her teammates had noticed her delay, and Roger appeared to be turning back toward her. None of them seemed to be looking at her with any anticipation, so she quickly eliminated any of her teammates as being the culprit. She tried to stop the onslaught of tears now pouring down her face, wondering if she could get away with telling them that she just got some dust in her eyes, as she slowly continued down toward the presentation stand.
The Minister of Magical Games was waiting for them, to present them with the Divisional Championship Plaque, and she was obligated to join her team for the celebration. As she approached the stage, she saw her coach, clapping her teammates on the back and grinning madly at her. For some reason, she hadn't been prepared to see the owner of the team standing next to him.
She tore her gaze away from him before she made a fool of herself, and glanced down at the little snitch again. The lettering had changed.
“I'M SORRY,” it said.
She looked back at him, her vision blurred from tears.
Unlike the rest of the team, he wasn't consumed in the exuberant celebration on the stage. In fact, he was completely ignoring the joyful mayhem. Instead, he stood there calmly, his attention focused solely on her as she approached cautiously. The look in his eyes was not what she'd expected. He looked contrite and hopeful while he glanced toward the Snitch then back to her face, or rather, the face of Francine Miller.
She stared back down at the Snitch that had professed its love to her, and then she saw one more line of text.
“FORGIVE ME?”
If this Snitch was really from him, as she was starting to suspect, she briefly wondered if it was slightly chilly in hell right about now. It had just appeared that he'd apologized.
She stared at the three lines emblazoned on the Snitch, then looked back to him, and he nodded, his expression openly begging for her answer.
She dismounted her broom and battled her way through her still celebrating teammates and coach to finally stand in front of him, holding up the Snitch.
“Is this from you?” Her voice was shaky, her tone was demanding. If it wasn't from him, if it was some sort of a joke, she was quite certain that her heart would shatter.
He nodded casually. “Clever, don't you think?”
She was confused. This was not what she'd expected from him. It certainly wasn't what she deserved. He'd been so very angry with her, and her mind tried to process his change in emotion. She suddenly realized that he almost appeared amused as he watched her emotions openly display across her face.
She had been prepared for many things, but not this. Finally, after pulling her thoughts together, she said, “You don't need to apologize, you know. I was wrong. I deserved everything you said to me yesterday, and worse.”
His mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. “Probably, but it has been brought to my attention that you had been planning to tell me the truth, and I should have been more willing to listen.”
For a moment, she was unable to speak. Finally, after she was able to find her mouth willing to move, her words were less than eloquent. “What?” she babbled. “I mean, who....”
“There were several,” he responded, as if he understood her meaning. “Your brother and my mother included.”
She looked down sheepishly, thinking of how she'd caused such a terrible mess, and he actually had the grace to be asking for forgiveness from her. “I truly am sorry,” she said, hoping he understood how earnest she was.
“Apology accepted,” he said, as the familiar, superior smirk teasingly came his features.
The same smirk that had once irritated every fiber of her being was now something that she found completely endearing. It was as if all the color had suddenly come back to a world that she'd only been seeing in shades of grey. The odd contraction in her chest suddenly released, and she tried to compose herself. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, but she needed some answers first.
“So,” she said, holding up the little Snitch. “What if the other Seeker caught it instead?”
“You're too good. He didn't stand a chance,” he stated smugly, his expression showing his pride in her abilities.
She smiled shyly at the compliment. “Oh, really?”
“Really. I had no doubts.” The intensity of his gaze boring into her. She felt herself shiver involuntarily.
“You don't think that there might be some controversy about this being tampered with?” she asked, referring to the altered Snitch.
“Nope. I had it approved before the game. Can't be risking any sort of controversy now, can we?”
She saddened at the remark, knowing that it pointed out her deception once again. It reminded her of her decision. She needed to be honest, and that meant that she would leave the deception, and Francine, behind her once and for all.
“Too bad you'll need a new Seeker next year,” she responded sadly.
“Why, are you thinking of quitting?”
She looked back up at him, her eyes going wide with realization. “You can't mean that I can stay? I thought I was fired?”
Her tone was desperate, hopeful and frightened all in the same breath. Did he intend to demand that she quit, or she could chose to continue to play and they would end their relationship? He'd been quite clear when they talked about this topic all those weeks ago that the two things were mutually exclusive. Her mind was trying to figure out what exactly was going on and the thought of forfeiting one for the other was simply not acceptable. She'd leave it all, just as she planned, rather than live half a life either way.
Roger finally came over, taking notice of the obviously charged atmosphere between the team owner and his star Seeker. Putting his arm casually around Ginny/Francine's shoulders, he smiled at her cheerfully. “Hey, mate, what's going on?”
Draco glared at the Captain, and Roger quickly released his hold on the little Seeker, looking quite surprised at the owner's reaction.
“You haven't answered my question,” Draco stated, ignoring Roger and staring pointedly at the little mousy-looking girl.
“Frankie, what's going on here?” Roger asked, once again drawing a glare from the owner.
“Roger, please stay out of this,” she said, turning to her friend. “It's about me quitting the team. I can't play with the Falcons anymore.”
“What?”
Tears came to her eyes once again, and she ignored Roger's question and looked back toward her lover. She couldn't be with him if he kept her from what she loved to do, even if it was for such a reason as simple as propriety.
“I have a conflict of interest,” she said, her voice becoming thick, looking at the team owner, although her words seemed to be directed toward Roger's question. “I can't play on the team because of an inappropriate personal relationship.”
“I'm selling the team,” Draco said flatly.
“But...” she found herself stammering. “But you love this team!”
“And now that they are winning, they are worth a great deal more than what I paid for them. It turned out to be a good investment,” he said with a look of smug confidence.
She stood there, gaping at him. He'd given up the team, so that she could be with him and continue to play. There was no choice for her to make.
“Close your mouth, Weasley, you look like a goldfish,” he said, smiling at her once again.
“Weasley?” Roger interrupted, looking back and forth between the two, still trying to figure out what was going on.
Draco looked over at him, as if finally noticing the Captain's presence. “Are you always this verbose?” He looked back at the girl in front of him. “I think I've had enough of the charade, Weasley, it's time for you to get the recognition you deserve. Change back.”
“But, what about...?”
“I've had enough of this. I won't have somebody else get the credit for the catch of the century when it rightly belongs to my girlfriend. Change. Back.”
His tone was commanding, and normally she would have spat something back at him, but there were times to argue, and times to simply concede. This particular time warranted the latter response. After all, she wanted the recognition for herself too.
By now, the team had gathered around, taking note of the odd conversation between the team owner and their plain-looking but talented Seeker. The girl looked around at all of them apologetically, then, staring straight into the eyes of the handsome blond man in front of her, she reluctantly took out her wand and uttered the charm.
She heard the gasps from the team around her as her dull brown hair lengthened and turned into thick tresses of red and gold. Her features softened, and her curves made her tailored Quidditch uniform start to feel rather tight across her chest.
“What the hell?” she heard James exclaim. “Who are you and what did you do to Frankie?” She slowly started to become aware that they were still standing on the podium in front of hundreds of fans, waiting for the Minister to present them with their trophy. The sounds of disbelief and gossip were quickly spreading through the crowd.
“There is no Francine Miller. There never was,” Draco said to the confused team. “Miss. Weasley here has been disguising herself all season.”
“But why?” someone asked.
“Later,” Draco insisted, snubbing the lot of them and turning back to Ginny. “Now, Miss. Weasley, I would really like my answer,” he said. His look was confident, arrogant, intense. He stared her straight in the eye, daring her to back down, and she found herself once again melting under the intensity of his gaze.
“I...”
He stepped closer, invading her personal space.
“I thought you didn't want to see me anymore,” she stammered.
He took another step, so close, but not quite yet touching. “I didn't think you'd run away after a simple disagreement.”
“I wasn't running away.”
“You knew damn well I wouldn't let you anyway.”
“I thought you were going to make me choose. I thought...”
“I would never do that to you. I would never try to make you change for me. That's not the kind of woman I fell in love with.”
A small sound came from her throat as she gasped her shock at the realization of what he'd said. Her mind processed his words furiously.
“Weasley.” He paused, watching her. “Ginny, you're looking like a fish again.”
She looked at him, feeling nothing but love for this man. She'd loved him before, she adored him now. He wanted her for who she was, not for who he could mold her to be. As she met his steady grey gaze, all she could do was utter a single word.
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes to your question, of course,” she said, as her lips curled into a devilishly flirtatious grin.
He felt his own smile grow as he closed the remaining distance to his beautiful girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. “Are you saying, my marvelously talented Seeker, that you will take me back?”
“You're selling me with the team, so, technically, I'm not your Seeker anymore.”
“It depends on what you're seeking, my dear,” he said, as his smirking lips came dangerously close to hers.
“I suppose you're right,” she said, her smile widening at the wicked thoughts that came to mind with his insinuation.
“I'm always right,” he said, deciding to end the conversation on a positive note as he closed the remaining distance to her lips and kissed her soundly.
- ~ -
It had been a pleasant winter. She and Draco did some traveling, enjoying warmer climates when she could get time off from her winter job at the caterer's. Now, April was once again upon them, and she was ready to start the new season as the starting Seeker for the Falmouth Falcons.
She couldn't help but think about the fact that, one year ago, she'd been at the season's kickoff party as a lowly staff member. This year, she was attending the same event as one of the invited players. Much like last year, she watched as the owners met to argue and discuss and wager on the upcoming season. Her date was her team's former owner and their unique situation had been a topic of discussion amongst the owners for the last few weeks.
They'd separated at the party shortly after the dinner, both being pulled into different discussions by friends and business acquaintances. Ginny finally broke away from yet another owner who had been attempting to woo her onto his team. She graciously slipped away and walked out toward the patio to get a breath of fresh air. To her relief, the only person to follow was her friend, and now coach, Oliver Wood.
They stood in the cool air, and Ginny took a moment to breathe deeply. It was nice to have a moment of quiet.
Oliver seemed to understand her need for a reprieve. “Don't worry, Gin, you get used to it.”
“I think that's what I miss most about being Francine,” she said. “I would go to these things, but didn't have to say much. And when I went home, I got to go back to being just Ginny, not the celebrity Quidditch player.”
Oliver just smiled at her. “The celebrity boyfriend, being the only woman on a team outside of the Harpies, and the whole Francine deception story don't help if you are looking to stay anonymous, you realize.”
“Thanks for putting it in perspective for me, Oliver.”
“Onto other topics, how are the plans for this summer's wedding coming along?”
Funny that he would bring up the wedding. She'd seen the look of envy on Oliver's face when George had announced his plans to marry Camille. It appeared that weddings were something of a sore spot for Oliver lately.
Over the years, Oliver had sacrificed his relationships in favor of his career in Quidditch. Ginny thought he was a good man and a good friend. She wondered if Draco hadn't already captured her attention if she would now be in a relationship with Oliver instead, but that opportunity was long past. Oliver had helped her succeed in her dream and she wanted nothing but the best for him. She hoped, now that he was no longer playing Quidditch, he would finally be able to settle down in a relationship.
“Camille asked me to be chief bridesmaid, since I'm responsible for her and George meeting in the first place. At least something good came out of all that mess last year,” she responded, trying not to sound too enthusiastic about the upcoming event. She had already asked Camille if she could wear the glorious gown she'd worn at the Malfoy ball; Camille had gleefully agreed.
“Oh, you say that as if you aren't deliriously happy with your life right now,” Oliver chided her.
“I don't like to brag.” She smiled. In truth, she was deliriously happy. She felt guilty because it almost didn't seem fair that she have so much right now. She almost felt that her bubble would burst at some point, and being modest seemed to help keep herself grounded.
She looked out over the patio. One year ago, she had stood in that same location, swatting faeries and cursing the very idea of romance. She couldn't believe how much things had changed in such a short time.
This year, the patio looked much the same as last. The dessert table and champagne fountain were placed in the same spot, and Ginny saw one of her former co-workers, a nice girl named Deborah, standing guard over the table, much like Ginny once did.
They both watched as the pretty blonde cursed and swatted at faeries as the pesky creatures repeated their mischievous antics of stealing food and harassing the poor girl who was stuck trying to salvage the situation. The look of disgust on Deborah's face was priceless as she plucked one soggy creature from the champagne in which it had started swimming.
She and Oliver exchanged an amused look. The picture really was quite entertaining. Then, as Ginny looked back at Oliver, she caught him looking longingly at the girl, obviously intrigued. Ginny now understood why Draco had felt compelled to go over to talk to her that fateful night last year. Even she had to admit that the sight simply begged for attention.
“You should go talk to her. I worked with her for a while and I know she's quite nice,” she suggested.
Oliver looked at her speculatively. “Ginny, are you trying to set me up?”
“No, just offering a little encouragement. You're drooling,” she responded, laughing as a particularly nasty curse was uttered by the girl, followed by the sound of a smack as she made contact with one of the nuisances.
He smiled back. “You are evil, Ginny, but I think you are right. I think I'll get a piece of cake.” He grinned.
She fondly watched him walk over to the table before turning to go back inside when suddenly, something that felt like a small stone struck her in the head.
“Ouch!” she yelped, turning to look for the source of the attack. She assumed some of the faeries from last year must have remembered her and were attempting some sort of payback. She'd just started to scan the area when Camille came into view taking note of Ginny holding her hand over the bump now forming on her head.
“Oh, did that thing get you too? It's worse than the faeries.”
Ginny lifted an eyebrow in question. “What is it?”
“Somebody let loose some sort of cursed Snitch. It's been smacking everyone on the staff for the last ten minutes. I've been trying to catch the foolish thing, but I'm no Seeker.”
Ginny smiled at the hint, and being in a particularly good mood, it wasn't hard for her to accept her friend's request. “Well, fortunately you have one that's soon to be your sister-in-law,” Ginny offered.
“I was hoping you'd say something like that. Do you think you could get it for me? If I didn't know better, I'd think that George and Fred were behind this. It just seems like their style.”
“It does, doesn't it? Makes me wonder if it's something new they are selling in the shop... anyway, I'll let you know when I've got it.”
“Thanks,” Camille said gratefully, as she trekked back inside to attend to other matters.
With that, Ginny wandered off, trying to discern the fluttering gold of the Snitch from the glowing faeries hovering among the shrubs. Catching sight of the pesky object, she followed it down the stone path into the elegantly manicured garden. It didn't take her long to determine that it was particularly elusive, seeming to deliberately taunt her while remaining just out of reach each time she jumped to catch it.
She finally swore at the thing. She was in a dress and heels, hardly appropriate attire for playing with an errant Snitch. But she owed Camille far too many favors, not the least of which was being willing to marry one of her prankster brothers. So, she battled onward.
After slightly twisting her ankle, she came up with a new tactic. The little Snitch seemed to be fond of sneak attacks on unaware victims, so she pretended to lose interest in it, while still keeping conscious of its glimmer in her peripheral vision. The tactic worked, as it started to buzz in toward her for another hit on her head. During the last second, she reached up with her left hand and snatched the little beastie out of the air.
“Aha! Got you!” she declared triumphantly. It flapped its little wings quite indignantly. She laughed. Now that the game was over and she'd won, she found the moment to be quite fun.
She sat down on a bench, holding the Snitch, and watched as the faeries glowed all around. She'd become quite fond of the things she'd once called harbingers of romantic doom. As she watched them, she thought back to how one year ago, these same faeries had made Draco look so angelic with their enchanted glow. She thought back on her first kiss from him, among the faeries in the Malfoys' garden, and she thought now of how, hopefully, Oliver was having a wonderful moment of his own with Deborah.
Perhaps they weren't so evil after all. It made her smile.
The Snitch once again started to flutter in her grasp, and it seemed to be growing warm, which made her just a tad suspicious. She tore her gaze away from the faeries to look at it, and noticed that it was glowing with a message.
I LOVE YOU.
She smiled. There was only one person responsible, she was now sure. For the first time, she didn't jump when she heard the familiar drawl in her ear, because this time she was expecting it.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said gently, as his arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Up to playing jokes now, are you?”
“Fred gave it to me.”
“I figured as much. My brothers are a bad influence on you. I think I liked it better when you all hated each other.”
“I needed a way to get you out here alone.”
“All you had to do was ask, you know. Besides, how could you be so sure it would be me to come fetch it?”
“First, it was much more fun this way, and second, I know you too well,” he said, moving around in front of her.
“That you do,” she agreed. “So, how do you feel not owning the team anymore?”
“Actually, I quite like it. That bunch is a total bore. I didn't realize how much so until I was pulled into a twenty minute conversation with Sullivan about changing the regulation Bludger weight. It's much more fun being here with the most popular and beautiful player in the league.”
“I suppose I should thank you, since you managed to pull me away from all that boring chatter as well,” she added.
“Well, I actually had plans for you, love.”
“Oh really?”
He knelt in front of her, taking her hands and pulling her into a long, slow kiss, and she savored it. As they finally pulled apart, the faeries once again hovered near him, making his pale hair reflect their glow. Last year, at that same sight, she'd thought he looked angelic; now, she knew that he was. The light made his handsome features all the more beautiful and she sighed in contented happiness.
“Draco, maybe we should take this elsewhere...” As she looked up the path to see if anyone from the party might wander down the path to see them acting like randy teenagers.
“In a bit,” he said, still kneeling in front of her. “I don't want to leave the faeries just yet. I'm rather fond of them.”
“You and those faeries. I swear....”
“Actually, I do recall you swearing quite vividly at them last time we were here.”
She rolled her eyes. “I think some of them may harbor some animosity. They seem to be doing even more horrible things to the desserts than they did last year.”
He chuckled warmly. “Well, they like me more than enough for the both of us. And I don't think that they're the vengeful types.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because, they're doing me a favor,” he informed her, lifting his chin slightly and looking just the slightest bit smug.
She smiled, enjoying his playful demeanor. “And dare I ask what kind of favor one would ask of a faerie?”
His answering smile seemed to imply that he'd been waiting for her to ask such a question. “Hold out your hand,” he said simply.
She looked at him oddly, but she trusted him completely and held her right hand out, looking about for whatever might happen.
Almost immediately, three golden faeries flew by and she felt something drop into her hand. She looked down and saw... a piece of strawberry cake.
Draco stared at the treat in disbelief, then looked up at her to see the confusion and amusement in her eyes. His mouth twitched, as she saw him considering his next action, because this was obviously not the outcome he'd expected. He took the dessert, placed it aside, then looked about at the dozen or so giggling faeries.
“All right, very funny,” he spoke to the air in general. “Can we try this again please?” More of the light, tinkling giggles met his half-hearted glare. “I guess they do hold a grudge,” he muttered.
Ginny pursed her lips in an effort to keep from laughing and, once again, obediently held out her hand. This time, the three golden creatures flittered by and dropped another item onto her open hand. This time, she looked down to see a ring. Her gaze met his and she only had a question in her eyes.
“Will you marry me, Ginevra?”
She'd known she was happy before this. She'd been happy for months. He'd given her love, companionship, friendship, and most of all, support in helping her to live her dreams. He was challenging, intelligent and charismatic. The fact that he was dead sexy was simply the icing on the proverbial cake. Of course, she had to deal with his ego, since he was so darned perfect and he knew it, but that was what made it fun to be with him.
Yes, she was happy before, but now, she felt that she was about to burst with joy.
She looked into his intense gaze, and found she couldn't speak. All she could do was nod. The ring was all but forgotten as he leaned in to kiss her again, and she found herself melting into his embrace just like she did for that first kiss almost a year ago. She would never tire of that, she was quite certain.
As they broke apart and stood among the faeries, now all doubly aglow with shared happiness in the moment. She suddenly understood why the things were so closely associated with romance. It was because the faeries enjoyed sharing in the love and joy of those around them. They took her feelings of happiness and reflected them back tenfold. She wanted them around. Always.
“You realize, that we'll have to have an evening wedding, so the faeries will be out, yeah?” he asked.
“I'll make sure that we have a separate dessert table, set up just for them,” she agreed.
Author notes: Don't forget, reviewing is good for the soul. Thank you to everyone who has sent comments. They are sooooo appreciated.
The End.
gidge_8 is the author of 10 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 155 members. Members who liked Faerie Tales and Dragonflies also liked 1779 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 155 members. Members who liked Faerie Tales and Dragonflies also liked 1779 other stories.
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