A week went by without any word for Pansy or Blaise. Draco had tried to get in touch with them several times but neither got back to him. Owls returned letters, and as the recent one fell into Draco's lap, he sighed.
“No luck?” Ginny asked as she slipped next to him on the couch. “They'll come around eventually. What could they be doing?”
Draco glanced at her. “The same thing we could be doing.”
Ginny smiled. “I'd love to, but I have to go see Ron before he leaves. I don't think he'd appreciate why I was late.”
“He's still here?” asked Draco. “Not that I mind, I just thought he left.”
“He hasn't talked to Harry yet. He's going to do that today and then we're meeting for lunch.”
As Draco nodded, another owl swooped in through the window. Instead of landing on his lap, however, it landed on Ginny's. She untangled the parchment from its leg and unrolled it.
Ginny,
Please ask Draco if he would like to come to lunch today. I know I haven't been the best brother, but I'd like to make amends before I leave tonight.
-Ron
“Who is it from?” Draco asked.
“It's from Ron,” she said, handing him the letter.
He read it, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well,” he said, “I think I'd like that very much. It can't hurt to have good food with equally good company, can it?”
Ginny looked at him. “Since when do you consider my brother good company?”
He grinned. “I was talking about you, love.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Then she said, “I wonder how well the conversation with Harry will go. I mean, he probably doesn't expect to get yelled at or whatever Ron has planned. I only wish Hermione was here, too.”
“Granger would probably hex him,” replied Draco. “And personally I'd like to see that.”
Ginny was going to reply when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Luna, who was looking at her strangely.
“Are you ready?” she asked. She looked inside the flat. “Hello, Draco.”
Draco, who stood behind Ginny, nodded. “Miss Lovegood.” He placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. “You look well.”
“Thank you,” Luna said, smiling. “I told Ginny months ago about a party Neville and I were throwing. I guess she forgot.”
Ginny shook her head. “Oh, crap. I did. I'm sorry. I've just had a lot going on.”
Luna nodded. “It's okay, but could you help me with these?”
“Here,” Draco said, reaching for a bag. He placed one on the counter. “So what's in them?”
Luna put a second bag down. “They're gifts for Neville. I had to get them out of the flat. Sorry about this, guys. I just thought you'd be dressed,” she said to Ginny.
Ginny scoffed. “I'm dressed, thank you very much.”
“Uh, I don't think a pair of slacks and a sweater count,” mumbled Draco in her ear. “Besides, don't you have to meet Ron?”
Ginny glared at him. “I have to meet Ron,” she said. “It's just for lunch, but I'll come over afterward and help you set up.”
Luna smiled. “That would be nice since the party doesn't start until night. Draco, you're welcome to come too.”
“I'd like that,” said Draco, smiling. “Who else will be attending?”
Luna frowned and ticked off on her fingers. “You, Ginny, Pansy, Blaise, Bill, a slew of Neville's friends from work and, well, Harry.”
Ginny shuddered.
Draco asked, “Why is Bill going?”
“Neville likes him,” Luna said. She looked at Ginny. “Are you alright?”
Ginny shook her head. “Harry's coming? Why?” she demanded. “I thought you hated him for what he did to me!”
“Calm down,” Draco whispered.
“Oh, shut up,” snapped Ginny.
He scowled at her and stalked away.
“Neville wanted him there, but I doubt he'll show up,” Luna said softly. “He knows you're going so I think he's backing out.”
“Good,” Ginny said with narrowed eyes. She glanced around suddenly. “Hey, where's Draco?”
“Oh, he left,” said Luna. “You shouldn't have yelled at him.”
“I didn't yell,” she said. “Draco!” she shouted.
The bedroom door opened and he peered out. “What, do you need someone to yell at again, Weasley?”
The nickname stung, but it didn't hurt as much as his tone. “No,” she said, walking down the hall to him. She pulled his face to hers. “I'm sorry I yelled.”
He bent his head and kissed her softly.
“Okay,” he said, coming out. “So do we get to cause a scene tonight?” He smirked when she glowered at him. “I'm kidding. But I bet you could make a scene enough for the both of us.”
She grabbed his hand and smiled.
**
Before they left, Ginny was trying different styles for her hair when Draco walked into the bedroom. He was dressed in a tuxedo, but his tie was undone, hanging loose.
Ginny glanced at him in the mirror she stood in front of. He took one look at her and his expression changed from anger at his tie to something she couldn't explain.
He smirked and came over to her. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear, then spoke quietly.
“You look positively ravishing in green,” he whispered.
His hands slid to her shoulders, letting the straps of the gown fall. His eyes sparked and he caught her mouth in a searing kiss. His fingers busied themselves elsewhere as she kissed him back, her arms going around his waist. When she pulled away, he sighed into her neck.
“We'll have time for this later,” she muttered as her hand drifted between them.
“Not nice,” he hissed, nipping at her skin.
“Just because I used to be a Gryffindor doesn't mean I have to play nice all the time,” Ginny whispered.
When she fixed her hair to her liking, she laced their fingers together. They had a party to attend, and it was going to be one they'd never forget.
**
They arrived early, as promised because they were helping Luna with things. When they were finished and the guests started to show up, Ginny busied herself by grabbing a flute of champagne and went into Neville and Luna's room. She could see each person as they came. She looked for Pansy and Blaise but didn't see them.
“Is this where you ran off to?”
His arms snaked around her waist, and he pulled her against his body. His fingers lightly pulled her dress up until he was touching her inner thigh.
Ginny closed her eyes, leaning back into him. “Now who isn't the nice one?” she asked.
The wind howled around them as Draco did what she wanted. It didn't take long for Ginny to lose herself, and when she had, she sank against him, trying to steady her breathing.
“You're terrible,” she murmured as she fixed her dress.
“Your cheeks are flushed,” he said, brushing his knuckles across her skin. He smoothed a hand over her hair with a smirk.
She kissed him gently, though that wasn't what she wanted to do at the moment. That would have to wait until later, if she could hold out. She was so engrossed in him that she didn't hear the footsteps.
“Well, isn't this a surprise?” a voice said from the doorway. “You must be good, Malfoy. Ginny never came that fast when I touched her.”
They turned to see Harry Potter, glass in hand, and eyes narrowed.
“No luck?” Ginny asked as she slipped next to him on the couch. “They'll come around eventually. What could they be doing?”
Draco glanced at her. “The same thing we could be doing.”
Ginny smiled. “I'd love to, but I have to go see Ron before he leaves. I don't think he'd appreciate why I was late.”
“He's still here?” asked Draco. “Not that I mind, I just thought he left.”
“He hasn't talked to Harry yet. He's going to do that today and then we're meeting for lunch.”
As Draco nodded, another owl swooped in through the window. Instead of landing on his lap, however, it landed on Ginny's. She untangled the parchment from its leg and unrolled it.
Ginny,
Please ask Draco if he would like to come to lunch today. I know I haven't been the best brother, but I'd like to make amends before I leave tonight.
-Ron
“Who is it from?” Draco asked.
“It's from Ron,” she said, handing him the letter.
He read it, a smirk playing on his lips. “Well,” he said, “I think I'd like that very much. It can't hurt to have good food with equally good company, can it?”
Ginny looked at him. “Since when do you consider my brother good company?”
He grinned. “I was talking about you, love.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Then she said, “I wonder how well the conversation with Harry will go. I mean, he probably doesn't expect to get yelled at or whatever Ron has planned. I only wish Hermione was here, too.”
“Granger would probably hex him,” replied Draco. “And personally I'd like to see that.”
Ginny was going to reply when there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Luna, who was looking at her strangely.
“Are you ready?” she asked. She looked inside the flat. “Hello, Draco.”
Draco, who stood behind Ginny, nodded. “Miss Lovegood.” He placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. “You look well.”
“Thank you,” Luna said, smiling. “I told Ginny months ago about a party Neville and I were throwing. I guess she forgot.”
Ginny shook her head. “Oh, crap. I did. I'm sorry. I've just had a lot going on.”
Luna nodded. “It's okay, but could you help me with these?”
“Here,” Draco said, reaching for a bag. He placed one on the counter. “So what's in them?”
Luna put a second bag down. “They're gifts for Neville. I had to get them out of the flat. Sorry about this, guys. I just thought you'd be dressed,” she said to Ginny.
Ginny scoffed. “I'm dressed, thank you very much.”
“Uh, I don't think a pair of slacks and a sweater count,” mumbled Draco in her ear. “Besides, don't you have to meet Ron?”
Ginny glared at him. “I have to meet Ron,” she said. “It's just for lunch, but I'll come over afterward and help you set up.”
Luna smiled. “That would be nice since the party doesn't start until night. Draco, you're welcome to come too.”
“I'd like that,” said Draco, smiling. “Who else will be attending?”
Luna frowned and ticked off on her fingers. “You, Ginny, Pansy, Blaise, Bill, a slew of Neville's friends from work and, well, Harry.”
Ginny shuddered.
Draco asked, “Why is Bill going?”
“Neville likes him,” Luna said. She looked at Ginny. “Are you alright?”
Ginny shook her head. “Harry's coming? Why?” she demanded. “I thought you hated him for what he did to me!”
“Calm down,” Draco whispered.
“Oh, shut up,” snapped Ginny.
He scowled at her and stalked away.
“Neville wanted him there, but I doubt he'll show up,” Luna said softly. “He knows you're going so I think he's backing out.”
“Good,” Ginny said with narrowed eyes. She glanced around suddenly. “Hey, where's Draco?”
“Oh, he left,” said Luna. “You shouldn't have yelled at him.”
“I didn't yell,” she said. “Draco!” she shouted.
The bedroom door opened and he peered out. “What, do you need someone to yell at again, Weasley?”
The nickname stung, but it didn't hurt as much as his tone. “No,” she said, walking down the hall to him. She pulled his face to hers. “I'm sorry I yelled.”
He bent his head and kissed her softly.
“Okay,” he said, coming out. “So do we get to cause a scene tonight?” He smirked when she glowered at him. “I'm kidding. But I bet you could make a scene enough for the both of us.”
She grabbed his hand and smiled.
Before they left, Ginny was trying different styles for her hair when Draco walked into the bedroom. He was dressed in a tuxedo, but his tie was undone, hanging loose.
Ginny glanced at him in the mirror she stood in front of. He took one look at her and his expression changed from anger at his tie to something she couldn't explain.
He smirked and came over to her. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear, then spoke quietly.
“You look positively ravishing in green,” he whispered.
His hands slid to her shoulders, letting the straps of the gown fall. His eyes sparked and he caught her mouth in a searing kiss. His fingers busied themselves elsewhere as she kissed him back, her arms going around his waist. When she pulled away, he sighed into her neck.
“We'll have time for this later,” she muttered as her hand drifted between them.
“Not nice,” he hissed, nipping at her skin.
“Just because I used to be a Gryffindor doesn't mean I have to play nice all the time,” Ginny whispered.
When she fixed her hair to her liking, she laced their fingers together. They had a party to attend, and it was going to be one they'd never forget.
They arrived early, as promised because they were helping Luna with things. When they were finished and the guests started to show up, Ginny busied herself by grabbing a flute of champagne and went into Neville and Luna's room. She could see each person as they came. She looked for Pansy and Blaise but didn't see them.
“Is this where you ran off to?”
His arms snaked around her waist, and he pulled her against his body. His fingers lightly pulled her dress up until he was touching her inner thigh.
Ginny closed her eyes, leaning back into him. “Now who isn't the nice one?” she asked.
The wind howled around them as Draco did what she wanted. It didn't take long for Ginny to lose herself, and when she had, she sank against him, trying to steady her breathing.
“You're terrible,” she murmured as she fixed her dress.
“Your cheeks are flushed,” he said, brushing his knuckles across her skin. He smoothed a hand over her hair with a smirk.
She kissed him gently, though that wasn't what she wanted to do at the moment. That would have to wait until later, if she could hold out. She was so engrossed in him that she didn't hear the footsteps.
“Well, isn't this a surprise?” a voice said from the doorway. “You must be good, Malfoy. Ginny never came that fast when I touched her.”
They turned to see Harry Potter, glass in hand, and eyes narrowed.
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