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Inspired by Taylor Swift, Paper Route's song Lovers Anthem and Snow Patrol's song Just Say Yes.
*~*~*~*~*~
“Where's your date?” Draco snapped rudely, his words muffled by his mask.
“Where's yours?” Ginny shot back, glad that her porcelain colored mask only covered her eyes and nose.
“Your dress is amazing,” he told her as they twirled around the Great Hall turned dance floor. “Where ever did you get it?”
“Don't be an arse,” she warned. “I only agreed to it because you begged.”
“I did not beg. Malfoy's do not beg.”
Ginny pretended to yawn. “I think I've heard all this before. Malfoy's don't beg, they don't whine, they're never dressed less than impeccable, they always get what they want-” She paused as Draco dipped her precariously backwards. “But I do recall you telling me how amazing I looked, and that I absolutely must let you buy it for me, and that if I didn't wear it you'd never dance with me.”
“That's not begging.” As they turned, his lips skimmed her cheek. “You just make the dress perfect.”
The dress in question was the softest shade of cream and it hung off her shoulders so drastically the low neckline would have been scandalous if Ginny was anything more than the B cup that she was. The corset-like bodice was fitted and beneath it a full, flaring skirt fell gracefully to the floor. A narrow V of material on had embroidered flowers in the same shade of cream. But it was the back of the dress that was Ginny's favorite. Matching laces tied the back of the dress up neatly and made her truly feel like masquerade princess that she was dressed up as.
“Why didn't we just come together?” Draco demanded as the music slowed.
That was a question Ginny had not been expecting. “I didn't think you... I mean, we aren't... You didn't ask.”
“Why do you even pretend to be interested in him?”
“Dean is nice,” she said, defensively. Dean was nice, but she certainly didn't know where he was at that moment. Ginny knew exactly where she was, however. She was pressed far too closely into Draco, dancing slowly even though the music had stopped.
“What am I supposed to be again?” Draco asked, nodding down at his costume and abruptly changing the subject.
“A pirate,” she reminded him. His costume had cost a fortune and he couldn't even remember what it was.
“People keep asking but I couldn't remember.”
“People like Astoria?” she teased, thinking bitterly of the fourth year who had obvious eyes for Draco.
“Yes, her,” he said dismissively, brushing the mention of his date off as if she were dust on his dress robes.
Ginny supposed there was no reason to feel jealous, since she had ditched her own date, but there was a twinge of something red and hot and painful that sparked within her at the thought of the skinny dark haired girl who watched Draco constantly under heavily hooded eyes. When she found out Draco had agreed to go to the Halloween ball with her, she'd smashed an entire trophy case in her rage. Thankfully, there was always Hermione who had easily repaired it.
The music picked up pace again and Draco stopped moving. “Come with me.”
She nodded, thirsty and eager to remove her mask for a few moments. But as they slipped out of the Great Hall, Draco didn't stop. She walked along side him, hand in hand, until they reached the bottom of the main staircase. He dropped down easily and looked up at her.
“I haven't been able to sleep.”
“Maybe that's why you're always such a miserable git.”
“It's your fault,” he scowled at her, shoving his mask up until it rested on top of his ridiculously pale hair.
“Mine?” She raised an eyebrow as she pulled her mask off.
“I'm going to ask you this again.”
She pulled out her wand and said a quick cleaning spell before sitting down on the stair next to him. “What?”
“Let's go. I mean really.” His voice was low and intense and she had to strain to hear him over the excited laughter of the other students.
Her stomach clenched as she glanced at him. He was so beautiful. It was so unfair; blokes shouldn't be as gorgeous as he was. She wanted to give into him. Thank Merlin, his attitude made it a bit easier to resist. “Draco... you know I can't.”
“I know what you said about leaving your family,” he reminded her coldly. “I know you said you couldn't give them up. You don't have to. We'll just leave until this war is over. It's not going to last forever. Just say yes.”
It was the third time he'd asked her to leave with him. To just runaway, to be together and forget about everyone and everything. But being with Draco, even as his friend, was incredibly complicated and confusing. He made her laugh and drove her mad in the same sentences. He insisted on showing her constellations that only appeared at 2 o'clock in the morning and gave lengthy explanations to their significance, resulting in detention for sleeping during her classes. He bought her new quills and ludicrously expensive parchment, grew angry when she tried to refuse them and then forbid her from telling people who the items were from. He had gotten angry over Michael Corner, hated Dean, constantly bad mouthed Harry, her brothers and her clothes, and had made it perfectly clear that his father thought she was no better than the scum that gathered on the edge of the lake. But he could make her happy with a mere glance or the rare sound of his laughter. And the few kisses they had shared, all in secret, still kept her warm at night. She took a deep breath and prepared to lose everything.
“Before you decide, I have to let you know something.” He had quit looking at her and was staring towards the closed castle doors. “I don't know how else to say this because nothing I say seems to make you see, so I'm just going to tell you how I feel.”
“Okay,” she said softly, her stomach tightening at the nervousness in his voice.
“I know I'm not what everyone expects for you, but I can and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you are always happy.”
His words came out in such an un-Draco-like jumble it took her a moment to digest them.
“There can't be anything more holding you back. You said it was your family, so we'll contact them when we get where we're going.”
“Okay.” She couldn't form a coherent sentence because all the blood in her body was rushing to her face.
His blistering eyes snapped towards her, blazing with anger and hurt. “Okay? That's all you have to say?”
“I mean, okay. Let's go.”
Draco stared at her, this time at a loss for words.
Ginny stood to her feet. “You have to do it now, before I talk myself out of this. We have to just go.”
Draco stood so quickly his pirate boots made a clanking sound on the stairs. He grabbed Ginny by the waist and kissed her fiercely. His teeth nipped her lips, tugging at them as his hands wrapped possessively around her body. “What about your boyfriend?”
“I imagine he'll realize we've broken up,” she whispered, tilting her head back as his mouth began to work her neck.
“Do you need to get anything?”
“No. If I go up there I'll change my mind.” She let out a slight moan as Draco's tongue flicked over her ear. “We have to go now.”
He pulled his face away from her, and while it was slightly disappointing, she knew suddenly that there would be plenty of time for that. “Alright,” he told her. “We're going to walk out those doors and then out the gates. Then we'll disapparate away from here.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, tossing her mask to the ground and lacing her fingers through his once again.
“Does it matter?” he demanded.
She shook her head. “I suppose not, as long as you don't take me anywhere near your father.”
“Are you going to regret this?”
Ginny wanted to kiss his wonderfully pink mouth again, but there were more students wandering through the hall now, a few stopping to notice their tangled fingers. “No. Never.” She removed his mask from its perch atop his head and dropped it next to hers. “I'd only regret not going.”
He let go of her hand and cupped her face in his palms. “Let's go.”
Over his shoulder, she saw the dark lithe form of Astoria Greengrass and her stomach twisted. Something about that girl and the way she stared at Draco... Ginny couldn't place it, but she didn't like it. “Now,” she told him urgently. “Really, Draco. Now.” Astoria was stepping out of the shadows, her gaze fixed furiously on them.
Draco continued holding her face in his hands as he bent down to kiss her again, this time so soft and sweet, she swore she could feel the flutter of his eyelashes on her skin.
Then he turned, never noticing Astoria who had stopped in her tracks with her eyes narrowed into slits, and led Ginny out the heavy double doors, into the cool night.
They didn't stop walking in nervous silence until they had crossed the great yard and were shutting the iron gates behind them.
Ginny's rational mind was screaming at her, telling her she was mad, a complete and utter lunatic. What was she going to tell her family? Where were they going to go? How were they supposed to support themselves? What if the war did last? What if You-Know-Who won? What would they do then?
But then Draco pulled out his wand, wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, and it didn't matter. She was with him right then. It might not last forever, but right then, and for the foreseeable future, he was hers.
~*~*~*~*~
I've been getting emails about Vineyard Summer, so here's a quick update. I have a new chapter that is almost finished. I have an outline of the entire story. But I need a beta or two; someone who can point out all my grammar issues and someone who can make suggestions when my writing just sucks! Mine have gotten very busy with their real lives and it's hard for me to ask them so much and expect a quick turn around time, especially when my chapters come to them at such scattered times. I know they are still there for me when ever they can be, but if you are interested in beta-ing or know a good direction to point me in to find one, drop me a line. The more, the merrier! You can find my contact information on this site. Thanks yall!
*~*~*~*~*~
“Where's your date?” Draco snapped rudely, his words muffled by his mask.
“Where's yours?” Ginny shot back, glad that her porcelain colored mask only covered her eyes and nose.
“Your dress is amazing,” he told her as they twirled around the Great Hall turned dance floor. “Where ever did you get it?”
“Don't be an arse,” she warned. “I only agreed to it because you begged.”
“I did not beg. Malfoy's do not beg.”
Ginny pretended to yawn. “I think I've heard all this before. Malfoy's don't beg, they don't whine, they're never dressed less than impeccable, they always get what they want-” She paused as Draco dipped her precariously backwards. “But I do recall you telling me how amazing I looked, and that I absolutely must let you buy it for me, and that if I didn't wear it you'd never dance with me.”
“That's not begging.” As they turned, his lips skimmed her cheek. “You just make the dress perfect.”
The dress in question was the softest shade of cream and it hung off her shoulders so drastically the low neckline would have been scandalous if Ginny was anything more than the B cup that she was. The corset-like bodice was fitted and beneath it a full, flaring skirt fell gracefully to the floor. A narrow V of material on had embroidered flowers in the same shade of cream. But it was the back of the dress that was Ginny's favorite. Matching laces tied the back of the dress up neatly and made her truly feel like masquerade princess that she was dressed up as.
“Why didn't we just come together?” Draco demanded as the music slowed.
That was a question Ginny had not been expecting. “I didn't think you... I mean, we aren't... You didn't ask.”
“Why do you even pretend to be interested in him?”
“Dean is nice,” she said, defensively. Dean was nice, but she certainly didn't know where he was at that moment. Ginny knew exactly where she was, however. She was pressed far too closely into Draco, dancing slowly even though the music had stopped.
“What am I supposed to be again?” Draco asked, nodding down at his costume and abruptly changing the subject.
“A pirate,” she reminded him. His costume had cost a fortune and he couldn't even remember what it was.
“People keep asking but I couldn't remember.”
“People like Astoria?” she teased, thinking bitterly of the fourth year who had obvious eyes for Draco.
“Yes, her,” he said dismissively, brushing the mention of his date off as if she were dust on his dress robes.
Ginny supposed there was no reason to feel jealous, since she had ditched her own date, but there was a twinge of something red and hot and painful that sparked within her at the thought of the skinny dark haired girl who watched Draco constantly under heavily hooded eyes. When she found out Draco had agreed to go to the Halloween ball with her, she'd smashed an entire trophy case in her rage. Thankfully, there was always Hermione who had easily repaired it.
The music picked up pace again and Draco stopped moving. “Come with me.”
She nodded, thirsty and eager to remove her mask for a few moments. But as they slipped out of the Great Hall, Draco didn't stop. She walked along side him, hand in hand, until they reached the bottom of the main staircase. He dropped down easily and looked up at her.
“I haven't been able to sleep.”
“Maybe that's why you're always such a miserable git.”
“It's your fault,” he scowled at her, shoving his mask up until it rested on top of his ridiculously pale hair.
“Mine?” She raised an eyebrow as she pulled her mask off.
“I'm going to ask you this again.”
She pulled out her wand and said a quick cleaning spell before sitting down on the stair next to him. “What?”
“Let's go. I mean really.” His voice was low and intense and she had to strain to hear him over the excited laughter of the other students.
Her stomach clenched as she glanced at him. He was so beautiful. It was so unfair; blokes shouldn't be as gorgeous as he was. She wanted to give into him. Thank Merlin, his attitude made it a bit easier to resist. “Draco... you know I can't.”
“I know what you said about leaving your family,” he reminded her coldly. “I know you said you couldn't give them up. You don't have to. We'll just leave until this war is over. It's not going to last forever. Just say yes.”
It was the third time he'd asked her to leave with him. To just runaway, to be together and forget about everyone and everything. But being with Draco, even as his friend, was incredibly complicated and confusing. He made her laugh and drove her mad in the same sentences. He insisted on showing her constellations that only appeared at 2 o'clock in the morning and gave lengthy explanations to their significance, resulting in detention for sleeping during her classes. He bought her new quills and ludicrously expensive parchment, grew angry when she tried to refuse them and then forbid her from telling people who the items were from. He had gotten angry over Michael Corner, hated Dean, constantly bad mouthed Harry, her brothers and her clothes, and had made it perfectly clear that his father thought she was no better than the scum that gathered on the edge of the lake. But he could make her happy with a mere glance or the rare sound of his laughter. And the few kisses they had shared, all in secret, still kept her warm at night. She took a deep breath and prepared to lose everything.
“Before you decide, I have to let you know something.” He had quit looking at her and was staring towards the closed castle doors. “I don't know how else to say this because nothing I say seems to make you see, so I'm just going to tell you how I feel.”
“Okay,” she said softly, her stomach tightening at the nervousness in his voice.
“I know I'm not what everyone expects for you, but I can and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you are always happy.”
His words came out in such an un-Draco-like jumble it took her a moment to digest them.
“There can't be anything more holding you back. You said it was your family, so we'll contact them when we get where we're going.”
“Okay.” She couldn't form a coherent sentence because all the blood in her body was rushing to her face.
His blistering eyes snapped towards her, blazing with anger and hurt. “Okay? That's all you have to say?”
“I mean, okay. Let's go.”
Draco stared at her, this time at a loss for words.
Ginny stood to her feet. “You have to do it now, before I talk myself out of this. We have to just go.”
Draco stood so quickly his pirate boots made a clanking sound on the stairs. He grabbed Ginny by the waist and kissed her fiercely. His teeth nipped her lips, tugging at them as his hands wrapped possessively around her body. “What about your boyfriend?”
“I imagine he'll realize we've broken up,” she whispered, tilting her head back as his mouth began to work her neck.
“Do you need to get anything?”
“No. If I go up there I'll change my mind.” She let out a slight moan as Draco's tongue flicked over her ear. “We have to go now.”
He pulled his face away from her, and while it was slightly disappointing, she knew suddenly that there would be plenty of time for that. “Alright,” he told her. “We're going to walk out those doors and then out the gates. Then we'll disapparate away from here.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, tossing her mask to the ground and lacing her fingers through his once again.
“Does it matter?” he demanded.
She shook her head. “I suppose not, as long as you don't take me anywhere near your father.”
“Are you going to regret this?”
Ginny wanted to kiss his wonderfully pink mouth again, but there were more students wandering through the hall now, a few stopping to notice their tangled fingers. “No. Never.” She removed his mask from its perch atop his head and dropped it next to hers. “I'd only regret not going.”
He let go of her hand and cupped her face in his palms. “Let's go.”
Over his shoulder, she saw the dark lithe form of Astoria Greengrass and her stomach twisted. Something about that girl and the way she stared at Draco... Ginny couldn't place it, but she didn't like it. “Now,” she told him urgently. “Really, Draco. Now.” Astoria was stepping out of the shadows, her gaze fixed furiously on them.
Draco continued holding her face in his hands as he bent down to kiss her again, this time so soft and sweet, she swore she could feel the flutter of his eyelashes on her skin.
Then he turned, never noticing Astoria who had stopped in her tracks with her eyes narrowed into slits, and led Ginny out the heavy double doors, into the cool night.
They didn't stop walking in nervous silence until they had crossed the great yard and were shutting the iron gates behind them.
Ginny's rational mind was screaming at her, telling her she was mad, a complete and utter lunatic. What was she going to tell her family? Where were they going to go? How were they supposed to support themselves? What if the war did last? What if You-Know-Who won? What would they do then?
But then Draco pulled out his wand, wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, and it didn't matter. She was with him right then. It might not last forever, but right then, and for the foreseeable future, he was hers.
~*~*~*~*~
I've been getting emails about Vineyard Summer, so here's a quick update. I have a new chapter that is almost finished. I have an outline of the entire story. But I need a beta or two; someone who can point out all my grammar issues and someone who can make suggestions when my writing just sucks! Mine have gotten very busy with their real lives and it's hard for me to ask them so much and expect a quick turn around time, especially when my chapters come to them at such scattered times. I know they are still there for me when ever they can be, but if you are interested in beta-ing or know a good direction to point me in to find one, drop me a line. The more, the merrier! You can find my contact information on this site. Thanks yall!
The End.
jessica k malfoy is the author of 29 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 4 members. Members who liked Anthem also liked 1027 other stories.
This story is part of the series, Holidays. The previous story in the series is Twelve Days of Christmas.
This story is a favorite of 4 members. Members who liked Anthem also liked 1027 other stories.
This story is part of the series, Holidays. The previous story in the series is Twelve Days of Christmas.
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