“Do you really want to leave?”
Ginny was lying on the couch when she asked the question that had been bothering her ever since they got back from The Burrow. Draco, who was making a pot of coffee, looked at her.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. He came over to sit beside her. He wrapped his hand around her foot and started to massage it.
“You want to leave London.” It wasn't a question.
“I want to leave with you,” he answered, glancing at her. “But I don't want to have another fight about it where I come out looking like the bad guy.”
“I'm sorry,” she muttered, frowning. “We could leave. If you really wanted. But I don't want you to do it because you're running away from someone or something.”
“I have nothing to run away from,” he said. “I've wanted to get out of here for a long time but never had a reason. Now I do. I have someone who wants to leave just as much.”
“I've always imagined living some place else,” she said, sitting up and leaning against him. “Funny, isn't it? I used to never want to leave London. I loved it here when I was younger.”
“But things change,” Draco told her. “People change. Maybe we can, too, by leaving.”
**
Luna asked Ginny to meet her at The Leaky Cauldron the next day. It was around midday when she arrived, pushed open the door, and saw her friend sitting in one of the booths.
“Hi,” she said as she stood near the table.
Luna smiled brightly, and before Ginny could ask why she wanted to meet, she held up her hand.
“Oh my God!” Ginny squealed. “It's so beautiful. When did he ask you?”
“When we got back from your Mum's,” Luna said, grinning. “Is Draco here with you?”
“He's with Blaise,” she said. She finally sat down. “God, I'm so happy for you. Neville mentioned he was going to propose to you.”
“He did?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “When?”
“The night of the banquet.” Ginny's eyes widened suddenly. “Oh, you're here! Luna has some news, come sit down.”
Draco appeared with Blaise, his hands in his pockets. He sat beside Ginny, while Blaise sat next to Luna.
“What's this news?” Blaise asked.
Neville and I are engaged,” Luna said brightly, grinning.
“Is that so?” Blaise said, nodding. “Well, good on him. I wondered whether he'd have the courage to ask you.” He smirked and turned to Draco. “So, when are you and the redhead getting engaged?”
Draco shook his head.
Blaise frowned. “Can I speak to you outside for a second, mate?”
Draco nodded, excused himself, and left. Luna looked after them. She turned back to Ginny and frowned.
“I wonder what they're discussing,” she said.
Ginny knew.
They were discussing her.
**
“You're telling me you've been together almost a year and you haven't even asked her yet? What are you waiting for?”
Draco sighed, He dug through his pocket and pulled a pack of cigarettes out.
“Oh, what are you doing?” Blaise snapped, reaching out to take what his friend was holding. “Are you kidding me with this? You can't be that stressed out by a simple conversation that you have to resort to this.”
Draco bit his lip. “It's just something I tried once.”
Blaise snorted. “If it was once, why do you still have this crap? You're not a Muggle. You're a wizard, start acting like one.”
“It helps me relax,” Draco snapped.
“Because your life is so stressful.” Blaise rolled his eyes. “I didn't come out here to fight with you. I came here to ask if you were ever going to ask your girlfriend to marry you.”
“Why does it matter to you?” he asked, his grey eyes narrowed slightly. “It's my relationship, not yours.”
Blaise sighed. “You really haven't thought this through, have you?”
“What's to think about?” Draco asked.
Blaise's first thought was to hit his best friend in the head. But instead he said, “Mull this over while I go back inside and talk to the ladies.”
Draco gripped his arm. “What are you talking about, Zabini?”
“If you don't want to marry Ginny, do you think she'll stay with you?” he asked, frowning. “Maybe she wants to get married. Did she ever mention it to you?”
“I think I'd remember that,” Draco said
He stared into the window at Ginny. She was talking with Luna. She was happy, smiling. Suddenly, there was a dull ache in his chest. He turned around to face Blaise.
“I don't know what I want,” he said softly, scratching the back of his neck. “I just know I love her.”
Blaise nodded. “Maybe that's enough.” He slung his arm over his friends shoulder. “Let's go. We shouldn't keep the ladies waiting any longer.”
Draco nodded, and as they reentered, Luna stood. “I've got to get back. Ginny, we'll owl you about the dinner arrangements.”
When she was gone, Draco slipped next to Ginny. “Did you have a nice talk?” he asked.
“It was pleasant enough. She asked me if I wanted to help her with the wedding.” She smiled. “What did you two go off to talk about?”
Draco shook his head. “Blaise had a question about what to get Pansy for her birthday.”
“Her birthday is soon?” asked Ginny. “I didn't know that. What do you think I should get her?”
“I like alcohol,” a voice said. “But, really, my birthday isn't for a few months. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated though.”
Ginny looked up as Pansy approached the booth. “I didn't know you were coming today.”
Pansy smirked. “I didn't even know where you were.” She looked at Blaise. “I guess you forgot to tell your girlfriend you were meeting our friends today.”
“Sorry,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “Well, you missed the good news. Luna's engaged.”
“Is she?” Pansy said. “Well, good for Neville for finally stepping up.”
“No wonder you were attracted to each other,” Draco said, smirking. “You think alike.”
Pansy smiled and kissed Blaise on the cheek. He slipped an arm around her waist and said, “Well, how about we get together for dinner tonight? Unless you two have something else to do.”
Draco glanced at Ginny. “What do you say, love? Do you feel like entertaining this cretin and Pansy tonight?”
Ginny smiled. “I don't see why not. How does 8 o'clock sound?”
Blaise nodded. “Sounds good. We'll see you there. I'm sure Pansy will want to get some sort of new outfit for dinner.”
Pansy stood, reached her hand out, and tugged Blaise up to his feet. “We can go for drinks too, if that's alright with you two. We'll see you tonight.”
Then they were gone.
Ginny was lying on the couch when she asked the question that had been bothering her ever since they got back from The Burrow. Draco, who was making a pot of coffee, looked at her.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. He came over to sit beside her. He wrapped his hand around her foot and started to massage it.
“You want to leave London.” It wasn't a question.
“I want to leave with you,” he answered, glancing at her. “But I don't want to have another fight about it where I come out looking like the bad guy.”
“I'm sorry,” she muttered, frowning. “We could leave. If you really wanted. But I don't want you to do it because you're running away from someone or something.”
“I have nothing to run away from,” he said. “I've wanted to get out of here for a long time but never had a reason. Now I do. I have someone who wants to leave just as much.”
“I've always imagined living some place else,” she said, sitting up and leaning against him. “Funny, isn't it? I used to never want to leave London. I loved it here when I was younger.”
“But things change,” Draco told her. “People change. Maybe we can, too, by leaving.”
Luna asked Ginny to meet her at The Leaky Cauldron the next day. It was around midday when she arrived, pushed open the door, and saw her friend sitting in one of the booths.
“Hi,” she said as she stood near the table.
Luna smiled brightly, and before Ginny could ask why she wanted to meet, she held up her hand.
“Oh my God!” Ginny squealed. “It's so beautiful. When did he ask you?”
“When we got back from your Mum's,” Luna said, grinning. “Is Draco here with you?”
“He's with Blaise,” she said. She finally sat down. “God, I'm so happy for you. Neville mentioned he was going to propose to you.”
“He did?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “When?”
“The night of the banquet.” Ginny's eyes widened suddenly. “Oh, you're here! Luna has some news, come sit down.”
Draco appeared with Blaise, his hands in his pockets. He sat beside Ginny, while Blaise sat next to Luna.
“What's this news?” Blaise asked.
Neville and I are engaged,” Luna said brightly, grinning.
“Is that so?” Blaise said, nodding. “Well, good on him. I wondered whether he'd have the courage to ask you.” He smirked and turned to Draco. “So, when are you and the redhead getting engaged?”
Draco shook his head.
Blaise frowned. “Can I speak to you outside for a second, mate?”
Draco nodded, excused himself, and left. Luna looked after them. She turned back to Ginny and frowned.
“I wonder what they're discussing,” she said.
Ginny knew.
They were discussing her.
“You're telling me you've been together almost a year and you haven't even asked her yet? What are you waiting for?”
Draco sighed, He dug through his pocket and pulled a pack of cigarettes out.
“Oh, what are you doing?” Blaise snapped, reaching out to take what his friend was holding. “Are you kidding me with this? You can't be that stressed out by a simple conversation that you have to resort to this.”
Draco bit his lip. “It's just something I tried once.”
Blaise snorted. “If it was once, why do you still have this crap? You're not a Muggle. You're a wizard, start acting like one.”
“It helps me relax,” Draco snapped.
“Because your life is so stressful.” Blaise rolled his eyes. “I didn't come out here to fight with you. I came here to ask if you were ever going to ask your girlfriend to marry you.”
“Why does it matter to you?” he asked, his grey eyes narrowed slightly. “It's my relationship, not yours.”
Blaise sighed. “You really haven't thought this through, have you?”
“What's to think about?” Draco asked.
Blaise's first thought was to hit his best friend in the head. But instead he said, “Mull this over while I go back inside and talk to the ladies.”
Draco gripped his arm. “What are you talking about, Zabini?”
“If you don't want to marry Ginny, do you think she'll stay with you?” he asked, frowning. “Maybe she wants to get married. Did she ever mention it to you?”
“I think I'd remember that,” Draco said
He stared into the window at Ginny. She was talking with Luna. She was happy, smiling. Suddenly, there was a dull ache in his chest. He turned around to face Blaise.
“I don't know what I want,” he said softly, scratching the back of his neck. “I just know I love her.”
Blaise nodded. “Maybe that's enough.” He slung his arm over his friends shoulder. “Let's go. We shouldn't keep the ladies waiting any longer.”
Draco nodded, and as they reentered, Luna stood. “I've got to get back. Ginny, we'll owl you about the dinner arrangements.”
When she was gone, Draco slipped next to Ginny. “Did you have a nice talk?” he asked.
“It was pleasant enough. She asked me if I wanted to help her with the wedding.” She smiled. “What did you two go off to talk about?”
Draco shook his head. “Blaise had a question about what to get Pansy for her birthday.”
“Her birthday is soon?” asked Ginny. “I didn't know that. What do you think I should get her?”
“I like alcohol,” a voice said. “But, really, my birthday isn't for a few months. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated though.”
Ginny looked up as Pansy approached the booth. “I didn't know you were coming today.”
Pansy smirked. “I didn't even know where you were.” She looked at Blaise. “I guess you forgot to tell your girlfriend you were meeting our friends today.”
“Sorry,” he said, shifting uncomfortably. “Well, you missed the good news. Luna's engaged.”
“Is she?” Pansy said. “Well, good for Neville for finally stepping up.”
“No wonder you were attracted to each other,” Draco said, smirking. “You think alike.”
Pansy smiled and kissed Blaise on the cheek. He slipped an arm around her waist and said, “Well, how about we get together for dinner tonight? Unless you two have something else to do.”
Draco glanced at Ginny. “What do you say, love? Do you feel like entertaining this cretin and Pansy tonight?”
Ginny smiled. “I don't see why not. How does 8 o'clock sound?”
Blaise nodded. “Sounds good. We'll see you there. I'm sure Pansy will want to get some sort of new outfit for dinner.”
Pansy stood, reached her hand out, and tugged Blaise up to his feet. “We can go for drinks too, if that's alright with you two. We'll see you tonight.”
Then they were gone.
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