“What is it that you need?” Blaise asked.
“I need you to watch Ginny when I'm not around,” Draco replied. He glanced at the closed bedroom door. “I want to make sure she's not in any danger.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean when you're not around, where are you going?”
He shrugged. “In general. I don't want Harry or Daphne anywhere near her.”
Blaise nodded. “Do you want me to tell her I'll be stalking her? She won't be happy if she finds out on her own, you know.”
Draco sighed. “I thought about that as well. She should know. But I don't want her to think I don't trust her to just go wherever. It's not that I don't.”
“I know,” Blaise said. “And she does too. She knows all you want to do is protect her. I just hope they stay away from her, for all our sake's.”
“What's going on?” Pansy asked as she reentered. “Ginny's sleeping,” she said to Draco. “Christ, Daphne's just as bad as Harry now.”
“Didn't she do all this just to talk to you?” Blaise pointed out. “So why aren't you talking to her?”
“You're kidding, right?” Pansy snorted. “She needs to calm down before she talks to anyone, or does something stupid.”
“She's probably just going to come looking for you again. Excuse me,” said Draco. He walked down the hall, listening to Blaise and Pansy talk, and opened the bedroom door.
Ginny was curled under a mass amount of white blanket, and as she rolled over, she caught him staring at her. He took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“You're supposed to be asleep,” he murmured.
“I just wanted to get away from everyone,” Ginny said softly. “Is that wrong?”
“Only if you wanted to get away from me,” he answered, laying beside her.
She moved against him until his arms were around her, and her mouth was pressed against his neck. Then she said something he never thought he would never hear. He was sure he had heard wrong.
“What did you say?” he asked, moving his lips into her hair.
“You heard me,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” he asked, lifting his head.
Her mouth found his and she kissed him hard, her arms going around his waist under the blanket. When she pulled away, she sighed against his cheek.
“I love you,” she said quietly. “I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it.”
Before Draco could reply, there was a knock on the bedroom door and Blaise's voice, sounding urgent. He rolled off the bed and threw open the door, leaning against the knob.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well,” Blaise said, scratching his chin, “Ginny's got a visitor. Her brother.”
“Which one?”
“The one we went to school with.”
“Ron?” Ginny sat on, her eyes bright. She looked as though she were going to cry. Then she burst into tears.
“What are you crying for?” Pansy asked, sitting on the bed. “You should be happy. You said you haven't seen your brother in awhile.”
She wiped her eyes. “Tell him to come inside. I'll be out in a minute.” As they all turned to leave, she gripped Draco's wrist. “It'll be okay,” she said.
He nodded and they walked into the living room together. As soon as Ginny saw Ron, she catapulted herself into his arms and sobbed into his shirt.
He patted her head. “Gin, it's okay. Relax.” He glanced at Draco. “I heard you're taking care of my sister now, Malfoy. Thank you.”
Draco smiled. “It's no problem. She's pleasant company. Would you like something to drink?” he asked.
“Coffee?” Ron said. He poked Ginny. “Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Harry, and so is Hermione.”
Ginny sniffed “How is Hermione doing?”
“She's good,” Ron said. “She's with her parents, but she sends her love. Oh, and she wants to send a mental hex to Harry.” He grinned.
Draco handed Ron a mug. “I should tell you that Ginny isn't just staying here because she has nowhere else to go. That's just how it started.”
Ron paled slightly. “Oh, don't tell me you're dating. You are, aren't you?”
Ginny nodded. “I don't want you to be mad. Draco's changed. Mum likes him, and so does everyone else. And I love him so I want you to try and get along.”
Ron didn't move. He stood with the mug of coffee in his hand and stared at everyone in the room. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying hard to find the words, any words, that would make him seem okay.
“That's great,” he managed. “I mean, it's great you and everyone else love him. Um, thanks for the coffee but I've got to get going. I only came for a short time. I just wanted to see how you were.”
As he turned to leave, Ginny stopped him. “Oh, Ron, I want you to be okay with this. Even if you aren't here, I don't want you to hate me.”
“Hate you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I could never hate you, Ginbug. But I'd rather you be with someone who respects you than not. I just want you to be happy.”
“I'm happy,” Ginny said. She slipped an arm around Draco's waist and leaned against him. “It's too bad you won't be around too long.”
Ron smirked and ran a hand through his red hair. “I'm only around long enough to pay Harry a visit. He deserves it.”
“Just don't kill him,” Draco said.
Ron laughed. “I just want to talk to him. Bill told me what happened at home. Hermione was furious that he'd even cheated on you, Gin. I want him to pay for hurting you.”
“Don't worry,” Draco said, his eyes flashing. “We're taking care of that. I promise you that Harry Potter won't hurt anyone anymore."
“I need you to watch Ginny when I'm not around,” Draco replied. He glanced at the closed bedroom door. “I want to make sure she's not in any danger.”
Blaise raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean when you're not around, where are you going?”
He shrugged. “In general. I don't want Harry or Daphne anywhere near her.”
Blaise nodded. “Do you want me to tell her I'll be stalking her? She won't be happy if she finds out on her own, you know.”
Draco sighed. “I thought about that as well. She should know. But I don't want her to think I don't trust her to just go wherever. It's not that I don't.”
“I know,” Blaise said. “And she does too. She knows all you want to do is protect her. I just hope they stay away from her, for all our sake's.”
“What's going on?” Pansy asked as she reentered. “Ginny's sleeping,” she said to Draco. “Christ, Daphne's just as bad as Harry now.”
“Didn't she do all this just to talk to you?” Blaise pointed out. “So why aren't you talking to her?”
“You're kidding, right?” Pansy snorted. “She needs to calm down before she talks to anyone, or does something stupid.”
“She's probably just going to come looking for you again. Excuse me,” said Draco. He walked down the hall, listening to Blaise and Pansy talk, and opened the bedroom door.
Ginny was curled under a mass amount of white blanket, and as she rolled over, she caught him staring at her. He took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“You're supposed to be asleep,” he murmured.
“I just wanted to get away from everyone,” Ginny said softly. “Is that wrong?”
“Only if you wanted to get away from me,” he answered, laying beside her.
She moved against him until his arms were around her, and her mouth was pressed against his neck. Then she said something he never thought he would never hear. He was sure he had heard wrong.
“What did you say?” he asked, moving his lips into her hair.
“You heard me,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?” he asked, lifting his head.
Her mouth found his and she kissed him hard, her arms going around his waist under the blanket. When she pulled away, she sighed against his cheek.
“I love you,” she said quietly. “I'm just sorry it took me so long to realize it.”
Before Draco could reply, there was a knock on the bedroom door and Blaise's voice, sounding urgent. He rolled off the bed and threw open the door, leaning against the knob.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Well,” Blaise said, scratching his chin, “Ginny's got a visitor. Her brother.”
“Which one?”
“The one we went to school with.”
“Ron?” Ginny sat on, her eyes bright. She looked as though she were going to cry. Then she burst into tears.
“What are you crying for?” Pansy asked, sitting on the bed. “You should be happy. You said you haven't seen your brother in awhile.”
She wiped her eyes. “Tell him to come inside. I'll be out in a minute.” As they all turned to leave, she gripped Draco's wrist. “It'll be okay,” she said.
He nodded and they walked into the living room together. As soon as Ginny saw Ron, she catapulted herself into his arms and sobbed into his shirt.
He patted her head. “Gin, it's okay. Relax.” He glanced at Draco. “I heard you're taking care of my sister now, Malfoy. Thank you.”
Draco smiled. “It's no problem. She's pleasant company. Would you like something to drink?” he asked.
“Coffee?” Ron said. He poked Ginny. “Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at Harry, and so is Hermione.”
Ginny sniffed “How is Hermione doing?”
“She's good,” Ron said. “She's with her parents, but she sends her love. Oh, and she wants to send a mental hex to Harry.” He grinned.
Draco handed Ron a mug. “I should tell you that Ginny isn't just staying here because she has nowhere else to go. That's just how it started.”
Ron paled slightly. “Oh, don't tell me you're dating. You are, aren't you?”
Ginny nodded. “I don't want you to be mad. Draco's changed. Mum likes him, and so does everyone else. And I love him so I want you to try and get along.”
Ron didn't move. He stood with the mug of coffee in his hand and stared at everyone in the room. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying hard to find the words, any words, that would make him seem okay.
“That's great,” he managed. “I mean, it's great you and everyone else love him. Um, thanks for the coffee but I've got to get going. I only came for a short time. I just wanted to see how you were.”
As he turned to leave, Ginny stopped him. “Oh, Ron, I want you to be okay with this. Even if you aren't here, I don't want you to hate me.”
“Hate you?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “I could never hate you, Ginbug. But I'd rather you be with someone who respects you than not. I just want you to be happy.”
“I'm happy,” Ginny said. She slipped an arm around Draco's waist and leaned against him. “It's too bad you won't be around too long.”
Ron smirked and ran a hand through his red hair. “I'm only around long enough to pay Harry a visit. He deserves it.”
“Just don't kill him,” Draco said.
Ron laughed. “I just want to talk to him. Bill told me what happened at home. Hermione was furious that he'd even cheated on you, Gin. I want him to pay for hurting you.”
“Don't worry,” Draco said, his eyes flashing. “We're taking care of that. I promise you that Harry Potter won't hurt anyone anymore."
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