By the time the sun rose, the sheets were tangled and damp. Ginny was laying with her head on Draco's chest, listening to his snoring. It sounded like there was a dragon inside of him.
How fitting, she thought.
She lifted her head and looked at his sleeping form. She blinked and rubbed her eyes as he snorted himself awake. He cracked an eye opened, glanced at her, and smiled.
"I had a good dream," he mumbled, running his thumb along her cheek.
"Really good?" she asked, leaning into his hand.
"The best." He grinned and pulled her closer. "I had a dream that we left London."
"On Vacation?" asked Ginny with a smile.
Draco shook his head. "We moved away to a town where no one knew us, or about what we'd been through. It was perfect."
Ginny's smile faded. "Is that something you want to do – just pick up and leave?"
Draco shrugged. "It's not like we can't afford to do it. It would be nice, to just vanish, wouldn't it?"
"No," said Ginny, shaking her head. "What would be nice about it? We'd be leaving our family and friends behind."
"That's kinda the point," he said, frowning. "You wouldn't want to do that? You'd never have to deal with Harry again."
Ginny shook her head. "That's the only positive thing that would come out of moving. "My family is here."
He started to get dressed. "You could have just said no," he murmured as he slipped into a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed his shoes. "You didn't have to make up a bunch of excuses."
Then he was gone.
**
Before she left for The Burrow, Ginny scrawled a note on a piece of parchment. When she appeared at the front door, it opened to reveal Bill, who looked at her with tired eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked, hugging her. "Mum's worried about you." He looked behind her. "Where's Draco?"
"He's not coming," said Ginny.
"But Mum wanted him here," Bill explained. "She wanted both of you here to talk."
"Yeah, well, we got into a fight." Ginny looked at her brother. "Why are all guys such jerks when they don't get their way?"
Before Bill could answer, the door opened further and George stepped out. "What's she all upset over?"
Ginny glared at him. "Hello George."
Bill pushed George back and said, "Let's take a walk, little sister. I'll help you sort out this business with Draco."
"Draco's the reason you look like that?" George asked, stepping outside. He narrowed his eyes. "Do we have to hex him?"
"No," replied Ginny. "He's just...I don't know. He got angry this morning because he was talking about leaving."
"Leaving you?" Bill asked, eyes wide. "Why would he do that?"
"Not me, but he wants to move from London. He thinks that's the only way to deal with the Harry issue."
Bill snorted. "He just wants to make sure that you're safe, Gin. But at the risk of you not wanting to go, do you think he'd break up with you for it?"
She thought about it for a moment. "I could see that happening, and I don't think I'd be okay with it. But what else can I do?"
A voice said softly in her ear, "You could tell me I'm the biggest asshole in the world."
Ginny closed her eyes. "You're an asshole," she mumbled. "Why did you leave?"
"I was scared," he admitted.
Finally Ginny turned around to look at him. They stood staring at each other for a few minutes before she spoke.
"Why?" she asked softly.
He closed the distance between them and held her face in his hands. He didn't respond to her question, just kissed her. When he pulled her against him, someone behind them cleared their throat.
"I love you," he told her.
Then they followed Bill and George into The Burrow.
After Molly made sure that Ginny and Draco were alright, she asked them if they would stay for dinner. They agreed, because they didn't have anything else planned.
When there was a knock on the door, Ginny looked up from her spot on the living room couch. Bill answered it, and when he came back with Pansy, Ginny relaxed.
"Hey," Pansy sat down next to her. "Where's Draco?"
"In the kitchen," Ginny said. "Mum is trying to teach him a few cooking things. Hopefully he doesn't burn the house down."
Pansy smirked. "He's never been too good with that stuff. And having a house elf made him lazy."
"I could see that," said Ginny, nodding. "But at least he can manage to make his own tea."
Pansy laughed. "I suppose he's gotten better at that. He never used to be able to do it and he always felt helpless without Millie."
"Millie?" Ginny asked.
"His house elf," she explained, "She did everything for him, you know. But that's because they were supposed to, no matter what."
Ginny nodded.
"Millie was a good elf," Draco said as he walked into the living room. He dropped beside Ginny. "Why are you talking about her?"
"No reason," said Pansy. "How was cooking? I don't smell smoke." She grinned as he shot her a glare.
"Was Mum hard on you?" Ginny asked.
"Your mother is a gracious woman," replied Draco, smiling. "Though I did think she was going to cut my fingers off at one point, I managed to survive."
"That would have been entertaining to see."
They looked around to see Blaise looking at them with a smirk.
"Hi," he said as he bent to kiss Pansy on the forehead.
She grinned. "Draco was just going to tell us what Molly had him cooking. And why was she going to cut off your fingers?"
"Probably because he touched something while she was making it." Ginny giggled. "She used to hit Fred when he would stick his hand in the cake batter."
After she spoke, a look came over her. Draco knew what it was. She was remembering her brother. Silence lingered between the four of them, before someone broke it.
"Ginny?" It was Arthur. He was standing next to the couch. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied, though she didn't look at him. "I was just thinking about Fred. Remember how much Mum hated it when he took things without asking, or how he and George would Apparate inside the house." She looked at her friends and boyfriend. "They scared Percy so bad once that he almost fell down the stairs."
Draco smiled. "That sounds funny," he said quietly.
Ginny nodded, pulling her hair to the side. She braided it and looked at her father. "Can we help you with anything? Does Mum need help with the food?"
"No," Arthur said, shaking his head. "I was just passing by. I saw someone walking toward the house." He went to open the door and came back with Neville and Luna.
Luna beamed at them.
"How are you?" she asked Ginny. "You look better."
"I am," she assured her friend, hugging her. "What are you guys doing here? I didn't know my Mum was inviting everyone."
"That's because I didn't tell you," Molly said as she embraced Luna. "You look lovely."
"Thank you," said Luna, grinning. "How are you, Molly?"
"Oh, can't complain. I want to thank the two of you for coming. I miss a full house of kids."
Neville grinned. "It's no problem. Besides, I think everyone will enjoy this day."
"Food's ready," Bill said as he poked his head into the living room.
When they had their plates full of food, they scattered around the house. Ginny, Draco, Blaise and Pansy returned to the living room while Neville and Luna ate with George and Bill outside.
"So have you heard from Harry?" Blaise asked. After a moment, he frowned. He tried again. "Weasley?"
"What?" Ginny asked. She was pushing her potatoes around on her plate. "Did you say something?"
"I asked if you'd heard from Harry," Blaise said. He tilted his head.
"No, and I don't expect to." Ginny shook her head. "He's caused enough damage and I'm tired of it. I'd rather just forget all of this and move on with my life."
Draco slipped an arm around her waist. "He's part of your past. Your future is now."
How fitting, she thought.
She lifted her head and looked at his sleeping form. She blinked and rubbed her eyes as he snorted himself awake. He cracked an eye opened, glanced at her, and smiled.
"I had a good dream," he mumbled, running his thumb along her cheek.
"Really good?" she asked, leaning into his hand.
"The best." He grinned and pulled her closer. "I had a dream that we left London."
"On Vacation?" asked Ginny with a smile.
Draco shook his head. "We moved away to a town where no one knew us, or about what we'd been through. It was perfect."
Ginny's smile faded. "Is that something you want to do – just pick up and leave?"
Draco shrugged. "It's not like we can't afford to do it. It would be nice, to just vanish, wouldn't it?"
"No," said Ginny, shaking her head. "What would be nice about it? We'd be leaving our family and friends behind."
"That's kinda the point," he said, frowning. "You wouldn't want to do that? You'd never have to deal with Harry again."
Ginny shook her head. "That's the only positive thing that would come out of moving. "My family is here."
He started to get dressed. "You could have just said no," he murmured as he slipped into a pair of pants and a shirt. He grabbed his shoes. "You didn't have to make up a bunch of excuses."
Then he was gone.
Before she left for The Burrow, Ginny scrawled a note on a piece of parchment. When she appeared at the front door, it opened to reveal Bill, who looked at her with tired eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked, hugging her. "Mum's worried about you." He looked behind her. "Where's Draco?"
"He's not coming," said Ginny.
"But Mum wanted him here," Bill explained. "She wanted both of you here to talk."
"Yeah, well, we got into a fight." Ginny looked at her brother. "Why are all guys such jerks when they don't get their way?"
Before Bill could answer, the door opened further and George stepped out. "What's she all upset over?"
Ginny glared at him. "Hello George."
Bill pushed George back and said, "Let's take a walk, little sister. I'll help you sort out this business with Draco."
"Draco's the reason you look like that?" George asked, stepping outside. He narrowed his eyes. "Do we have to hex him?"
"No," replied Ginny. "He's just...I don't know. He got angry this morning because he was talking about leaving."
"Leaving you?" Bill asked, eyes wide. "Why would he do that?"
"Not me, but he wants to move from London. He thinks that's the only way to deal with the Harry issue."
Bill snorted. "He just wants to make sure that you're safe, Gin. But at the risk of you not wanting to go, do you think he'd break up with you for it?"
She thought about it for a moment. "I could see that happening, and I don't think I'd be okay with it. But what else can I do?"
A voice said softly in her ear, "You could tell me I'm the biggest asshole in the world."
Ginny closed her eyes. "You're an asshole," she mumbled. "Why did you leave?"
"I was scared," he admitted.
Finally Ginny turned around to look at him. They stood staring at each other for a few minutes before she spoke.
"Why?" she asked softly.
He closed the distance between them and held her face in his hands. He didn't respond to her question, just kissed her. When he pulled her against him, someone behind them cleared their throat.
"I love you," he told her.
Then they followed Bill and George into The Burrow.
After Molly made sure that Ginny and Draco were alright, she asked them if they would stay for dinner. They agreed, because they didn't have anything else planned.
When there was a knock on the door, Ginny looked up from her spot on the living room couch. Bill answered it, and when he came back with Pansy, Ginny relaxed.
"Hey," Pansy sat down next to her. "Where's Draco?"
"In the kitchen," Ginny said. "Mum is trying to teach him a few cooking things. Hopefully he doesn't burn the house down."
Pansy smirked. "He's never been too good with that stuff. And having a house elf made him lazy."
"I could see that," said Ginny, nodding. "But at least he can manage to make his own tea."
Pansy laughed. "I suppose he's gotten better at that. He never used to be able to do it and he always felt helpless without Millie."
"Millie?" Ginny asked.
"His house elf," she explained, "She did everything for him, you know. But that's because they were supposed to, no matter what."
Ginny nodded.
"Millie was a good elf," Draco said as he walked into the living room. He dropped beside Ginny. "Why are you talking about her?"
"No reason," said Pansy. "How was cooking? I don't smell smoke." She grinned as he shot her a glare.
"Was Mum hard on you?" Ginny asked.
"Your mother is a gracious woman," replied Draco, smiling. "Though I did think she was going to cut my fingers off at one point, I managed to survive."
"That would have been entertaining to see."
They looked around to see Blaise looking at them with a smirk.
"Hi," he said as he bent to kiss Pansy on the forehead.
She grinned. "Draco was just going to tell us what Molly had him cooking. And why was she going to cut off your fingers?"
"Probably because he touched something while she was making it." Ginny giggled. "She used to hit Fred when he would stick his hand in the cake batter."
After she spoke, a look came over her. Draco knew what it was. She was remembering her brother. Silence lingered between the four of them, before someone broke it.
"Ginny?" It was Arthur. He was standing next to the couch. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied, though she didn't look at him. "I was just thinking about Fred. Remember how much Mum hated it when he took things without asking, or how he and George would Apparate inside the house." She looked at her friends and boyfriend. "They scared Percy so bad once that he almost fell down the stairs."
Draco smiled. "That sounds funny," he said quietly.
Ginny nodded, pulling her hair to the side. She braided it and looked at her father. "Can we help you with anything? Does Mum need help with the food?"
"No," Arthur said, shaking his head. "I was just passing by. I saw someone walking toward the house." He went to open the door and came back with Neville and Luna.
Luna beamed at them.
"How are you?" she asked Ginny. "You look better."
"I am," she assured her friend, hugging her. "What are you guys doing here? I didn't know my Mum was inviting everyone."
"That's because I didn't tell you," Molly said as she embraced Luna. "You look lovely."
"Thank you," said Luna, grinning. "How are you, Molly?"
"Oh, can't complain. I want to thank the two of you for coming. I miss a full house of kids."
Neville grinned. "It's no problem. Besides, I think everyone will enjoy this day."
"Food's ready," Bill said as he poked his head into the living room.
When they had their plates full of food, they scattered around the house. Ginny, Draco, Blaise and Pansy returned to the living room while Neville and Luna ate with George and Bill outside.
"So have you heard from Harry?" Blaise asked. After a moment, he frowned. He tried again. "Weasley?"
"What?" Ginny asked. She was pushing her potatoes around on her plate. "Did you say something?"
"I asked if you'd heard from Harry," Blaise said. He tilted his head.
"No, and I don't expect to." Ginny shook her head. "He's caused enough damage and I'm tired of it. I'd rather just forget all of this and move on with my life."
Draco slipped an arm around her waist. "He's part of your past. Your future is now."
Leave a Review