Me: I'm sorry! I won't ever do it again!!!
Moderator: I'm taking you downtown!
Me: No!! I know Harry Potter's not mine!! I was just…er…kidding!
Moderator: That's what they all say!
~to be continued~
A Dare, a Promise, and a Brief Tickle Fight
Ginny's POV
I woke up late on New Year's Eve day to find Draco missing by my side. Not entirely ready to get up, I groaned loudly hoping he would respond. There was a light padding of footsteps from the hallway.
"Gin? You up?" his voice called.
"No," I groaned in response.
"Har har," he responded, walking into the room. There was a rustle of sheets as he climbed into bed laid down on top of me. "Wow! Since when is my mattress all lumpy and soft?" he asked himself.
"Bastard," I mumbled, trying to roll over so he would fall off me.
"You know I'm stronger than you," he teased. I smiled into my pillow. He sat up and straddled my waist from behind, before tickling my waist unmercifully.
"Draco!" I shrieked. "Quit it!" I began shrieking as loud as I could and tried to push him off me but he only laughed and proceeded. "You little-"
"-sexy bastion of evil?" he offered.
"You're not evil," I gasped as he poked my rib, my utmost sensitive spot when it came down to ticklishness.
"Maybe not, but I have been referred to as a sexy bastion of evil," he commented, with a grin I couldn't see but I knew he was flashing.
"Sexy, yes. Bastion of evil, rethink that one," I responded, successfully rolling over, but instead of pushing him off he stayed in the same spot, now straddling my waist.
"I made some lunch. You do realize you slept in until about two 'o' clock," he commented offhandedly. I snorted.
"That's what I get for staying up til three in the morning," I mumbled. He leaned down and pressed our lips softly together. Melding together, we began yet another one of our snogging sessions (I'd hate to leave these behind when we go back to Hogwarts).
"I'm awake," I stated, rather perked up after that little display of affection.
"I've been awake." Draco smirked and climbed off of me before helping me out of bed. I took a quick look in the mirror and saw my mussed hair, pale, makeup-less complexion, and my raggedy sleep clothes.
"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" I asked.
"Not for the past twelve hours, no," he responded, feigning a slight tone of hurt in his voice.
"I love how you don't care what I look like. I look like crap right now and you haven't said a word," I told him. He smiled and wrapped his arm around me as we made our way through his flat.
"I think you look like the most gorgeous thing in the world right now," He whispered, leaning over and kissing my neck softly.
"You didn't just say that to get me to snog you, did you?" I joked.
"Maybe," he murmured. "Is it working?"
"Perfectly."
The rest of the day was spent hanging out around the apartment and in town. We went to the Three Broomsticks for dinner before the New Year's Party I told him we could go to.
The party was casual this time, so I chose a pair of jeans and a thin, gray, long-sleeved shirt with a baggy navy blue jacket (one of Ron's old ones) over it.
"I've been ready for fifteen minutes now!" he called from the living room as I finished straightening my hair and applying light makeup. I grabbed my purse from off his bed and made my way to the living room. My black trainers made a soft "thump thump" on the carpeted floors.
"I'm ready!" I called.
"Finally!" he exclaimed. I entered the living room and saw him standing there, one hand casually tucked in the front pocket of his baggy blue jeans.
"You look nice," I commented, watching as he flicked open a button on his navy blue button-up.
"Nice?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in a scrutinizing manner.
I sighed dramatically. "You look downright sexy, so much that I want to jump you right now." Draco smiled and nodded.
"Thank you. You look sexy too," he responded, coming forward and wrapping an arm around my waist and nuzzling his head in the crook of my neck. "Ready?"
"Ready."
And we were off. We apparated to an alley right next to a fairly large apartment building. We walked inside and Draco took my hand, leading me through the many halls and up the many stairs. We finally arrived to a door on what seemed like the hundredth floor up.
Draco rang the door bell, and a few minutes later a handsome young man in a pair of jeans and a loose shirt opened the door.
"Draco!" He greeted, pulling him into a manly hug.
"Hey Drew. What happened to Danny?" he asked.
"Girl Danny's running late. Boy Danny's too mobbed by the ladies to come to the door right now," Drew responded with a slight smirk. "Lucky bastard," he muttered.
"Eh-he'll never be as lucky as me," Draco responded, wrapping an arm around my waist. I blushed.
"And this fine lady must be Ginny," Drew greeted, giving me a polite nod. "That's right, I believe I met you when Draco took you to work with him one day."
"Yea, I remember," I responded.
"Come in, come in," he said, stepping from the doorway to let us in. The apartment was actually more of a mini-home. It had three floors (you could tell just by looking up because there were balcony views of the entrance room from each floor). There was music pulsing from some other room, and a few people talking rather loudly in another. "We were just engaged in a truth or dare. Come watch." Draco and I were lead into the next room where the loud cheers were coming from. Most of the people in this room I recognized as workmates of Draco's.
"Hey Draco!" half the people called. One or two of the girls that I had gotten into intricate conversations with greeted me.
"Mitch was just going upstairs to complete his dare," one of the boys said.
"Oh Mer-" Draco stopped abruptly and I knew he was about to say Merlin. I couldn't have imagined what would happen if he actually did! "-ercy!" Draco saved himself from trying to explain his way out of that one. "Do I even want to know?"
"He has to go streaking through the hallway," Drew replied, taking a seat on one of the many couches spread about the room. Draco and I took a seat and he lounged himself across the empty couch, allowing me to perch myself on his lap.
A few moments later, Mitch came downstairs stark naked except for shoes and a bundle of cloth which I could only assume was his shirt covering his-er-area.
"Ready," he said fearlessly.
One of the girls laughed as he removed the shirt. "Cold in here?" she asked.
"Cristina!" he exclaimed. "I'd hit you if you weren't a girl."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Gradually, the group of ten or fifteen people made their way to the door, right behind Mitch.
"I know I'll regret this," he said, closing his eyes slightly and taking a deep breath. Here we go…"
He was about to run, when to everyone's surprise, two more stark naked guys came running through the pack of people pushing everyone aside, grabbing Mitch by the arms, and dragging him with them.
"WE'RE GOING STREAKING!" the two boys yelled and everyone began screaming and hollering.
"LANCE, DAN! GET BACK HERE! THIS IS MITCH'S DARE!" Alison, the girl that was in Hogwarts in my year, called. I casually slipped away from Draco for a moment to say hi to her.
"Question," I said. She nodded. "Who do you know here?"
"Oh, I used to be great friends with Draco, and after that we sorta lost touch, but he introduced me to some of his bar friends. I'm still cool with him, but I'm here cuz Danny's my boyfriend." I nodded in comprehension.
"I hate Snape," I mumbled. "Two fucking rolls on Athbeck hives."
"What a bitch," Alison laughed. "But I'm in his most loved house."
"Yea, that's what gets me. You're in Slytherin, yet you're nice to a Gryff like me."
"I'm not like the other stuck-ups in my house," she responded. Then, she stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled rather loudly. "MITCH!" she called. He halted to a stop with the two other boys in front of the door and started panting.
"Now that was fun."
The rest of the night was mostly spent playing truth or dare, dancing, and just lounging around and talking to some of Draco's workmates. I got to know Alison real well. I also got to know Mitch and realized he was just as great to get along with. Most of his co-workers were very polite.
Danny (boy Danny, I mean) had a very large-screened TV that all gathered around to watch the New Year's Eve programming and watch the news station to count in the New Year.
"Three more minutes!" Some random person called from the kitchen, no doubt getting another alcoholic drink. I had never seen more booze in my life.
"I love the new Year," I said to Draco who I was cuddled up against on a corner of the couch.
"Me too," he responded, wrapping both arms around me and planting a kiss on the top of my head.
"It's gonna bring so many great changes. It's going to be a great year."
"I know," he responded softly.
"Our wedding, our first day as a married couple, our first apartment together when I graduate, our honeymoon, it's all going to happen this year," I whispered, leaning my head onto his chest. "I can't wait."
"Neither can I."
"One minute!" The same person called. People around us began slurring the seconds down to the year 1999.
"It's going to be great."
"And that I can promise," he responded. We both focused our attention back on the TV screen which had a large clock counting down.
29 seconds.
"What's your resolution going to be?" he asked me.
"I don't know. Maybe to get all my homework done on time, don't skip, don't break rules, something along those lines."
He laughed quietly. "I'd love to see you manage that." I lightly hit his arm.
"I take offense to that, you know." He only smirked ever so slightly.
"10…9…8...7…6…5…4…3…2…1!" and it was as if the whole room exploded as Draco and I locked lips. This kiss wasn't any kiss, though.
It was a promise of what was to come.
Our future. Together.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
The day had finally come; this was it; the day I had dreamed about before I could even talk about it: My graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
I was about to walk into the Great Hall to rehearse when I saw a familiar face, standing in the Entrance Hall with his hands stuck in his pockets. No, it wasn't Draco-it was Ron!
"Ron!" I squealed, launching myself at him and into his arms.
"Hey Gin," he greeted me tenderly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. I didn't want to miss my baby sister's graduation," he replied, releasing me and looking me over. "You've definitely grown since the last time I saw you."
"It's only been-like-three months!" I exclaimed.
"You still grew." I smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I have practice and then tomorrow instead of taking the train I'm going straight to Draco's. Then I'm going to go visit you guys at the Burrow maybe around four. I need to speak with mom about the plans for the wedding." Ron nodded. "I'll see you afterwards." We hugged one last time and he let me be on my way. I gave him one last wave, and he beamed brightly.
There was a gleam in his eyes. A gleam I like to call pride.
I entered the Great Hall to see it already packed with most of the seventh year. I took my place next to Colin.
"Hey," I greeted him, straightening my robes.
"Hey Gin," he responded, leaning back in his chair. "I'm so excited."
"I know. Being out in the world, all alone, left to guide ourselves," I bubbled. He smiled as Dumbledore began to speak.
"Ok, we will have a run-through of the Head Boy and Girl's speech and then we will go over specifics. We are running low on time. The other grades will be entering this room in twenty minutes, so let's get Blaise Zabini and Nikita Narron up here to do their speech."
Blaise stood up from a few rows away, and the girl two seats down from, a rather attractive Hufflepuff girl, rose as well. They made their way to the podium and began their speech.
"So what's new with you and Draco?" Colin whispered to me.
"Nothing really. We've taken more actions in our plans for the wedding. We've gotten some facts laid down. We'll be working with my mom for the next month or two because we're hoping to have the wedding in either July or August." I thought for a moment, wondering if I had left any details out. "Oh, and even though my parents like Draco now, they still can't object to me marrying him because I'm legally an adult.
"How are things after…you know…?" I trailed off, hoping to change the subject. Talking about the wedding plans made me too excited.
"I have no clue who you're talking about," he responded indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Colin, you can't thrive on her memory forever. Get out there and join the dating scene. I know a girl you might like," I said, thinking of Danny and wondering how old she was. "I definitely think you would like her."
"I just loved her so much. I don't want to accept the fact that it's over," he whispered sadly. I put a hand on my best friend's arm. "It'll get better, I promise."
"Thanks Gin."
There was a round of applause from seventh years as Blaise and Nikita finished their speech.
"Ok, so when everyone enters, all seventh years will be…" Dumbledore went off into a drone of instructions that I was supposed to be listening to: key word supposed.
I was jerked out of a fascinating reverie of Draco and cherries (of all things) by an arm elbowing me in the ribs. It was a Colin, a signal for me to stand up. All grades were entering now, sitting in the seats set up for them at the other end of the hall.
"How long was I daydreaming for?" I discreetly asked Colin.
"About fifteen minutes, I'd say," he responded. "You had this zoned out look. The only thing that was missing was the drool." I pretended to look offended but gave away my façade by laughing. "Draco right?"
I nodded. "Well, you try being in my position and being engaged to the sexiest most caring and compassionate guy on the earth!" I defended myself as all the seventh years sat back in their seats.
"I'd rather not," he responded with a chortle. I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest. Upon seeing Draco in the crowd, though, I straightened up and waved enthusiastically. Colin didn't even need to follow my train of sight to know who I had seen…and sitting next to my brother.
He broke his gaze from mine and turned to Ron who said something to him. Draco's eyebrow rose and he said something to Ron. Ron laughed, and then Draco gave him a very feigned hurt look.
"Those two," I muttered to myself as Dumbledore began his speech about the seventh years.
"Do you even know what they're saying?" Colin asked.
"No, but actions speak louder than words," I replied philosophically. Wow, I didn't even know I knew that word.
"Whatever," Colin replied, turning back to Dumbledore. I discreetly crossed my legs, searching the crowd for Draco again and seeing him in the back with Ron. I raised a hand and waved subtly, just so the other teachers wouldn't notice I wasn't paying attention. He gave me a small smile and a wink in response. I gave him a seductive little smile and Colin nudged me in the ribs again. "Keep that up and Dumbledore's gonna notice you're not-" but Colin's voice was lost as a round of cheers came up and Blaise and Nikita walked to the podium for their speech.
"Peers, Professors, and those chosen alumni that opted to come." Blaise took a deep breath. "It's hard to put into words what Hogwarts has meant to me over these years. Not a ruddy old castle. Not just my school, Hogwarts was a home. Hogwarts is truly where the heart is."
"And part of the heart is what we will be leaving behind when we leave tomorrow. When we leave tomorrow, we will be walking away from one of the biggest things that has been in our lives. And we'll miss everyone from our proverbial family, to the teachers we have grown to love. Even Snape." Everyone laughed except for Snape, who opened his mouth to protest to the headmaster.
"Let them be Severus. They're just poking fun."
"What can we say about a school that today still renders us speechless with the many twists and turns that not even Albus Dumbledore has figured out? Nothing. So, in closing, that is what we have to say about Hogwarts. Nothing, because you can't say anything about a school that already says it all."
There was a round of boisterous cheers. Nearly the whole audience stood and began screaming their lungs off. In all the graduations I had seen, that had to be the best speech I had ever heard. Nikita and Blaise both flounced back to their seats. Dumbledore rose from his own seat in the front of the audience and the teachers followed afterwards.
"Now, I will call the names of each student, they will receive their diplomas, and then come shake their teacher's hand." I leaned over to Colin and nudged him, pointing to Draco. Draco had turned to Ron and looked on the verge of beating his senseless.
'You're brother's such an idiot,' he mouthed to me.
'I know,' I mouthed back, suppressing a chuckle.
"Barret, Aaron A," Dumbledore announced. A rather handsome Slytherin hopped out of his seat and strutted to the platform.
"He's so cocky," I heard a few girls whisper behind me.
"But he's sexy," one of them giggled.
"Not as sexy as Draco Malfoy. Have you ever seen the ass on that one?" one of the girls whispered. I was about to turn around when another girl started.
"But he's taken. Ginny Weasley, that lucky girl," she sighed wistfully.
"Creevey, Colin," Dumbledore stated.
"Go get 'em, tiger," I whispered playfully giving him an encouraging punch on the arm. He smiled back to me, flounced up to the stage, and took his diploma gracefully. He shook hands with the teachers, imperceptibly cringing when he had to shake Snape's. Landing back in his seat I gave him a supporting smile.
"I'm officially a free wizard," he stated.
"Dalton, Sean." My eyelid twitched ever so slightly as Sean made his way to the stage. "Erikkson, Neil," Dumbledore announced. A Gryffindor I was well acquainted with sat up from his seat to receive his diploma. "Fredrick, Molly."
I looked down at my wringed hands. Time seemed to be so interminable at this very moment. I couldn't believe that in just a day, I'd be a free witch, living with my fiancée. I could come and go as I pleased, kiss him whenever I wanted without getting murderous glares from housemates. It was going to be great.
"Lafaye, Fauna," Dumbledore's voice rang through the halls. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Colin fighting back tears. What made Colin so great is that he was not afraid to show emotion, unless it was in front of the girl that dumped him.
"It's ok, Colin," I cooed, placing a soothing hand on his arm. "It'll get better I promise."
He mumbled something softly.
"What was that?" I asked in a quiet voice.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Quinn, Thomas."
"It's almost your time," Colin mentioned.
"I know. I can't wait. I'm gonna miss Hogwarts, but I'll be living with Draco! My one and only Draco!" Colin smiled.
"I'm glad to see your so happy," he responded tenderly.
"And I'm glad you supported me through all this."
"That's what best friends are for," he said nonchalantly, shrugging. I leaned over and gave him a small hug. I turned to see Draco looking at me and pouting playfully. I blew him a kiss and he pretended to catch it and place it on his lips. I chuckled inwardly.
"So adorable, that one."
"Veracruz, Maximillian," Dumbledore announced. As the black-haired Hufflepuff made her way to the stands I straightened my dress robes and prepared myself.
"Weasley, Ginevra Molly," he announced and I stood up, making my way to the podium. I took the diploma with my left and shook his hand with my right. "I'll miss you, Miss Weasley," he whispered.
"I'll miss you too, professor." I proceeded to shake all the teachers's hands. I also slightly cringed when I had to shake Snape's, and Thank God he didn't notice.
I took my seat as the last name was called. "Zabini, Blaise Walker." He gracefully accepted his and did a little two-finger point to the crowd, flashing his 300 watt smile. It caused a few girls to swoon.
"May I present to you the Hogwarts class of 1999!" Dumbledore finished, gesturing towards us all. We stood up and through our hats in the air as cheers erupted through the room.
And only one thought was running through my head: this feels great.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
"Draco!" I squealed the next day. After saying goodbye to my friends and family at Hogwarts, I set off to Hogsmeade to find him. I saw him standing just in front of his apartment building.
I threw myself into his arms. I gave him a chaste kiss and he took my things and was going to carry them before he stopped.
"Oh wait. Apparate up into my apartment. It'll be easier than taking it up there." I nodded in comprehension and a few seconds later we were in his bedroom. He tossed my stuff onto his bed. "I bought another dresser and some more towels in the bathroom for you. I've also enlarged the counter and cabinet space."
"How sweet," I said, proceeding to open up my trunk. I pulled out a stack of shirts and a stack of pants, skirts, and shorts. I put each stack in a different drawer of the dresser he had pulled out.
"Need help?" he asked.
"You can put some of my books in the bookshelves over there, if you're willing," I told him. He took a stack of books from my trunk and began putting them onto the shelf.
When all my unpacking had been done, we both looked at the clock. It was only 1:30. We had about another two and a half hours before my mom expected us.
So, we pulled out a few wedding catalogues and magazines and began browsing. We piled them on his kitchen table and mindlessly began sifting.
"Oh no," Draco gasped.
"What?" I asked.
"We can't have the wedding at Hogwarts! What will my muggle friends think?" he asked.
"Well, there's the possibility of telling them…" I trailed off.
"All-what-fifteen that don't know?" he asked me.
"Well, yes," I said. "Is that really as stupid as it sounds?"
"Not exactly. I guess I should tell them. It's not fair to keep them so misinformed about what really goes on in my life."
I smiled and patted his hand reassuringly. "If they don't accept you, it's their loss." He smiled, grabbing my head from the back and pulling me forward to give me a light kiss on the forehead. He then slid a catalogue over to me and pointed out a bouquet.
"What do you think of these?" he asked me. It was a dazzling arrangement of Lilies and Daisies, surrounded by baby's breath.
"Lovely. Simply lovely. Mark that page." He did as he was told and kept flipping. "I already have an idea of my dress. I'm going to get it from a muggle store maybe sometime within the next week or so."
"That's good. I'm not sure if I should go traditional tux or dress robes," he commented, trailing off thoughtfully.
"Tux. Dress robes make you look like a girl," I squealed, scrunching my nose up.
"Why you," he said playfully, poking my rib.
"Draco, I swear if you even think of starting a-"
"Tickle fight? What you gonna do about it?" he asked.
"We have…WORK," I shrieked as his hand began traveling down my side and to my thigh, squeezing just above my knee. "I hate you," I muttered playfully as I lunged myself at him, knocking him out of his chair, and pinning him to the floor.
"What the-"
"This is what you get for trying to tickle me!" I retorted, sticking my tongue out at him. I took his hands and held them above his head against the ground. He struggled to release them, but sighed and gave up when he found my grip was too strong.
"You silly little girl," he said. I leaned in and pressed our lips together. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled my legs so our bodies were parallel.
"We do"-kiss-"have to be"-kiss-"at my mom's by"-kiss-"about ten minutes ago."
"She'll understand," he murmured, nipping at my bottom lip. "I love this shirt on you. So loose. So V-neck. So not a tube top."
I laughed. I loved being at home where I belonged, with my Draco.
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@
We apparated to the burrow only twenty minutes late. Luckily, we were able to pry ourselves apart from the lips. My mother raised her eyebrows at us, smiling, and went back to whatever it was she was holding in her hands.
"Sorry we're late," I panted. "We were-"
"No need," My mother said, holding up a hand. "I get the picture." I blushed slightly crimson and sat my self at the table. Draco pulled a chair up next to me and sat in it, craning his neck to try and see what my mom was looking at.
"I've just been looking at a few possibilities for bridesmaids dresses…" my mother trailed off, stuffing nearly 30 different possibilities in my face.
And so the hell all women know as wedding planning began.
A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seems rushed or something. I'm working fast to be able to update PBE, then after working on that post the wedding chapter for BtTT then be done! Yay!!! I love myself…all I have left to finish after that is PBE, and then I'll be starting a new action/adventure/romance based fanfic.