Giving the Gift

A/N: This is a simple one-shot piece. It was stuck in my head, and had to come out. I'm not real sure how I feel about it myself, so don't worry if it doesn't hit you as awesome. I'm still working on my other fic, Destined for Completion, it is a much better piece, in my opinion. Well, hope you enjoy. Oh, please review, but no flames!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. J.K. Rowling owns it all, I'm just playing in her world.

Draco Malfoy sat in the back of the library with his dearest friend Ginny Weasley. Yes, that's right, Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince, the Heir of Voldemort, the epitome of style, wealth, class, and well, evil was close friends with a Weasley. Not just any Weasley, but the youngest of the substantial brood of muggle-loving, poor, classless excuses for wizards on the face of the earth. While many felt that the two of them forming a friendship was a sign of the apocalypse, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, the two had been friends for quite some time; eighteen months, to be exact. It had begun at the end of Draco's 5^th year, and Ginny's 4^th. After the incident in Umbridge's office, where Draco definitely came out worse for wear, few could imagine the two ever being in the same room without total chaos ensuing. Somehow, though, a miracle seemed to occur.

***************FLASHBACK************

It was the day of the Leaving Feast, and Ginny Weasley was slowly making her way towards the Entrance Hall. She needed time to ponder the recent events she experienced, and felt that some time by the lake was just what the medi-wizard ordered. She had fought bravely at the Ministry of Magic, taking on Death Eaters and being in the presence of Voldemort. True, she was never in the same room as him, but he had still been close. This knowledge brought back the pain of her first year and the Chamber of Secrets. Tom Riddle scarred her deeply; he destroyed a piece of her soul. She should feel some sense of pride or strength after fighting so bravely, but she didn't. No, instead she was mournful. She saw how that evil being destroyed all in his wake. She had secretly hoped that she would be the only one, besides Harry, of course, to feel the full power of his wrath. She now realized that an entire generation of young witches and wizards would be exposed to the full extent of his hatred.

She had just set foot on the foyer landing and was making her way past the corridor to the dungeons. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, and she was pulled backwards towards the lower part of the castle. Ginny tried to struggle against her abductor, but he had the upper hand.

“Stop moving!” A harsh, yet familiar voice hissed into her ear. “Get in there; we need to have a little chat.”

Ginny was pushed into a room, and whirled around to see her captor.

“You! Malfoy, what the… oh, oh, dear me, I am so sorry,” she began. Her outrage subsiding as she regarded Draco. Obviously someone had forgotten, or possibly not known how to remove the Bat-Bogey Hex she had hit him with. With a quick flick of her wand she reversed it. “There, that's better. I didn't realize-“.

“Of course you did not realize, you good for nothing little bint!” Draco snarled at her. “You-“

“Good for nothing? I took that damned hex off of you! If it weren't for me you'd still be walking around with bat wings sprouting from your face. And you can't even say thank you. I could have left you that way, you arrogant prick!” She spat the words back at him with a venomous glare.

“I wouldn't have had them in the first place if it weren't for you.” He advanced on her attempting to intimidate Ginny with his size and demeanor. “You have spirit, I'll give you that; not many would dare face me after being lucky enough to hit me with a hex. However,” he now had her backed against the wall, “you must learn your place. A little girl like you could get her hurt messing with dangerous men like me. You have no idea the trouble you could get into. I could make your life a living hell.” His face, now inches from hers, settled into his trademark smirk.

Expecting to see fear and panic, Draco was quite taken aback when Ginny's face fell into a look of total sorrow, and she quietly said, “I know too well what evil men can do; not just to me, but to you, to the world…”

For the first time in his life, Draco was at a loss for words. Try as he might, he could not compose himself. He stood there gaping at the littlest Weasley. “What are you playing at, weaslette?” He finally choked out, attempting to gain the upper hand once more. “You know nothing of evil, nor do you know what could harm me!”

“Whatever you say, Draco. Now, the hex has been lifted, and you've insulted me, so let me go on my way.” Her mournful voice was little more than a whisper, and she never looked him in the eyes.

Draco knew that look. It was the look of a person who no longer saw any joy in the future. A soul resigned to a bleak eternity. A woman forced to endure pain and loss. His mother had that look. At that stunning realization, Draco relaxed his menacing stature and took her hand in his.

It was Ginny's turn to be shocked. She looked from Draco to their hands and back again. She saw a slight softening of his eyes, and his smirk was not malicious. “Wh-what are you doing? Why are you acting this way?” she managed to choke out.

He gave her hand a light squeeze, “I'll tell you about it sometime. That is, if you'll tell me what those eyes of yours have seen someday.” He gently spoke.

******************End Flashback***************

And tell each other they did. Over the next year and a half they told each other just about everything. It had started with letters over that first summer. With Lucius in Azkaban, Narcissa had more control over hers and Draco's lives. She had never agreed with her husband's affiliation with the Dark Lord, and she definitely did not want her son to follow that path. Narcissa had contacted Dumbledore shortly after her son's return from Hogwarts to tell the Headmaster of her desire to help the fight against Voldemort. Dumbledore welcomed her into the Order of the Phoenix. Draco did not join the Order; he had not been asked. Neither Dumbledore nor Narcissa felt Draco was ready to make such a decision.

Narcissa would travel to Headquarters regularly for meetings. One evening, Ginny caught sight of Mrs. Malfoy as she was preparing to leave. She approached the woman and asked if she would be willing to carry a letter to Draco. Though a bit taken aback at first, Narcissa happily agreed. Mother's intuition had told her that this girl would be good for her son. The next time Narcissa returned, she had a letter for Ginny from Draco.

Over the summer they wrote often. Draco was astounded by the overwhelming change in his life. He saw his mother come alive. The work she did for the Order gave her a purpose. She felt she had control. Draco also had a friend, not some lackey yes-man, but a true friend. He could tell Ginny anything. When he wrote to her that he was not sire that he could ever fight for the Light Side, she did not judge him. She told him that it was a decision he had to come to on his own.

That was when he knew he one day could fight for that cause. The day Draco knew he would fight for the light came when Lucius escaped from Azkaban. One week before the start of the next school term, all of the Death Eaters who had been imprisoned after the incident at the Ministry broke out. His father returned to the Manor in the wee hours of the morning, and it was as if night had descended over Draco's life. With her husband back, Narcissa became subdued once more. Luckily, since he was on the run he could not stay at the Manor very much. She was still able to help the Order, but she had to do so very carefully.

Draco wanted his mother to be confident and driven like he had seen those first months. If fighting for the Order was the only way to get that, he was in. Needless to say, the Dream Team was not very open to the idea of accepting Malfoy as a member of their side. They of course knew he was up to something. Not Ginny, though. After their brief encounter in the dungeons, and the countless letters they shared, she saw the real Draco.

When they all returned to Hogwarts that fall Draco was officially a Member of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore felt it best that no students aside from Ginny and the Dream Team knew of his allegiance. Draco's life would be in great danger if his choice was known. The plan was that he would continue to associate with his fellow Slytherins and learn any information he could about Voldemort. He was to play the same role that Snape did.

Ginny had at first been concerned that she would not be allowed to continue her friendship with Draco. Ever the cunning Slytherin, he had come up with the perfect ruse. He would simply tell anyone who dared to ask him, that he was befriending her to get information on Potter. While neither of them liked the idea that everyone would think he was using her, they knew it was the only way.

The next year was the best of both the teens' lives. They found true friendship in each other. The rest of Hogwarts believed that Draco was simply using the youngest Weasley to satisfy his lustful needs. That was the only conceivable notion. He was the Slytherin Sex God, afterall. Ginny was seen as the Dream Team tag along, a girl easily manipulated when shown attention. The fact that Ron, Harry, and Hermione disapproved of the relationship only seemed to confirm the school's assumptions.

We all know what they say about assumptions. Ginny and Draco would laugh for hours about the lurid gossip they would overhear concerning their relationship.

“Did you know that we slept together on the Hogwarts Express during the train ride home last spring?” Draco asked Ginny as they sat in the library.

“Oh, yes, I heard Parfait telling her sister that shortly after we returned last fall.” Ginny giggled as she recounted the story. “Yeah, you wanted to get back at the Dream Team for getting your father thrown in Azkaban, and figured sleeping with me was the perfect revenge. Oh, and then my brother walked in on us, and that's why they all hexed you.”

“Oh, that is just too much. I guess I'm the only one at Hogwarts that knows about your `I'm staying a virgin until I get married' rule?” Draco smirked as he said this. It still amazed him at times how much the two of them shared with each other.

“Well, any guy I've ever dated could have told them that! I mean, that is why Michael Corner and I really broke up. Ew, the thought of that is just disgusting!” She scrunched her face up at the thought, and then added, “I never said I was waiting for marriage, by the way. I am simply waiting for the right guy.” She said this with an air of superiority that would make any Malfoy proud.

“Your brother is right, you have been hanging around me too much, wait did I just say that?” He realized that he must have, because Ginny was now bent over in a full fit of laughter. “Gin, shush, Madame Pince is going to…” He was quickly cut off, though.

“You two, again! How many times must I tell you, this is a LIBRARY? You must be quiet. Oh, never mind, get out, now!” Madame Pince was boiling over with anger at this point.

“You know, you aren't being very quiet your-“Ginny quickly added. Fortunately for her, Draco was quicker. He clamped a hand over her mouth, and dragged Ginny out of the Library.

“What were you thinking? Oh, you are too much.” Draco said draping an arm around her shoulders as they made their way towards the Entrance Hall. This was a common sight, though they were not romantically involved, they would play it up for everyone else.

The pair went out to a large tree that was by the lake; another of their favorite spots to chat. Christmas was in a few weeks, and the first snow had fallen the night before. The pair just stood there taking in the beauty of the scene. Hogwarts had an overly magical feel to it; as if anything were possible. In fact, anything was. If two sworn enemies could become best friends, then who is to say what could happen next?

“You know, it is really funny when you think about it.” Ginny broke the silence.

“Think about what?” Draco asked.

“Well, everyone thinks we are little well, fuck- buddies.” She blushed at her own words. “I mean, I've never even thought about us like that. You're my best friend. I can tell you anything. You don't judge me, and you listen. I trust you more than I ever thought I could trust anyone. To have a friend like you…I don't know, I guess I just have never wanted to risk our friendship. After the way Tom betrayed me, I never thought I could...” She tried to finish, but seeing her discomfort at remembering her first year, Draco cut her off.

“Gin, don't.” He reached out and held her hand like he did that first day in the dungeons. “It's okay, don't think about him. I am your friend. I will never hurt you. Don't you think I feel the same way? I have never had someone like you. I can be myself around you. You mean the world to me.” He looked her in the eyes the whole time he was speaking to her. It had begun to snow again, and tiny snowflakes fell on her cheeks. Ginny shivered.

“Here, take my cloak, can't have my best friend catching a cold right before Christmas.” He gently said, and began to wrap his cloak around her shoulders.

She looked up at him just as a gust of wind blew. She opened her mouth to thank him or to protest that he needed the cloak, too. However, when the wind hit her and she looked up into his eyes, she could not remember anything. He gazed at her as well. For the first time, Draco realized just how beautiful Ginny was. No, not Ginny, but Ginevra; his Ginevra. She was a mix of innocence and knowledge. He auburn hair flowed in the winter air. Her dark brown, almost black, eyes twinkled. Before he knew what he was doing he kissed her.

This wasn't a normal kiss. No, Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Sex God had never kissed anyone like this before. It was delicate and tender. Although fireworks were exploding inside of him, he did not let desire take over. He was not rough and demanding as he had been with every other girl. No, he gently kissed her luscious, full lips, asking for entrance. Surprisingly, Ginevra granted it. He had never known pleasure like this before. It was so innocent, yet so exotic; simple but consuming. Draco could not believe he had never thought about doing that before.

Ginny abruptly pulled away, and for a moment they stood there staring at each other.

“I-I've got to go” Ginny blurted before running back to the castle.

“Wait, please come back, I'm” but it was too late, she was far past ear shot.

Ginny did not stop until she reached her dorm. She sat on her bed and began to think about what had just happened. She could still feel the tingling sensation on her lips from the kiss. She did not know what to do. She had never really thought about her and Draco like that. Truth be known, she would not allow herself to think of him in that way. She was very protective of their relationship. She had been telling him the truth before. Ginny valued their friendship too much to ever jeopardize it.

`But that line has already been crossed' she thought to herself. `He was just playing with you', a cruel voice in her head said. `No, you know Draco. He may be that way with others, but not you', she reassured herself.

“Argh! I have got to stop this!!” Ginny finally shouted as she fell back onto her bad.

Just then a tapping was at her window. She opened it to find a majestic black owl. “Hello, Zeus. Have a letter for me from Draco?” The owl stuck out its leg in reply. Before she could give him a treat as thanks, the bird flew away. Ginny was used to this, Zeus carried letters between them often. Shakily, Ginny opened the parchment; afraid of what its contents held.

Dear Ginevra,

I am not entirely sure why you ran off that way. I thought that we could talk to each other about anything. I never meant to scare you. I actually never meant to kiss you; but I am glad I did. You are weary that you will lose my friendship; that will never happen. If you want to act as if that kiss never happened, that is what we will do. You are very important to me, and I do not want to lose you.

There are some things I need to say to you, though. I have never felt this way about anyone before. You are my reason for living. You gave me a chance when no one else would. You saw the good in me, even when I did not see it myself. You brought me back to life. Even if I am never able to kiss you again, I will die a happy man. For those brief moments I knew total and complete happiness, contentment, and love. Yes, love, Ginevra. I love you. You may have that love how you want it, though. If friendship is all you can give me, I understand.

I know you have been hurt before by those you thought you could trust. I will never hurt you. I will never pressure you, I will just love you. When you ran away from me today it was like my life was crumbling. I do not know what I would do with out you. Seeing your face brightens up my days, hearing your voice calms my fears, kissing you…is as close to heaven as I will ever get. I realize that I am not nearly good enough for you. You deserve someone who is pure and decent. I know that I have already asked too much to simply be your friend.

When I look at you I see someone so innocent, so perfect. You are beautiful. You have come in and taken over my life. Your mere presence has transformed me.

I know you are confused, and I do not want to pressure you. When you are ready to talk, I am here to listen. No pressure, I promise. I want to be in your life forever. It does not matter in what way. As long as I know that I can hear or see you I am contented. You are my angel, my salvation, and I will NEVER let anything bad happen to you again.

I Love You, Ginevra.

Take all the time you need, I will always be here.

With Love,

Draco

When Ginny finished reading the letter there were tears in her eyes. `He's the one. The one I have been waiting for.' She knew she could not deny this. Nothing mattered anymore. All she could think about was him and that kiss. She had never experienced anything like it. It was as if her entire body had been electrified. Every part of her body had cried out for more. Then she got scared. She had run away because she was afraid of what she felt; what it would mean to their friendship. He wanted her in his life no matter what, though. He loved her, he really loved her. After all the time they had spent together, she knew how hard emotions were for him to admit. Yet, he did so freely, and in a letter. He couldn't take it back; she would always have tangible proof of his feelings. She had to see him.

Ginny made her way down towards the Great Hall. It was the dinner hour, and she figured she would check there for Draco. She stepped off the staircase just as he came out of the entrance to the dungeons. He looked at her quite awkwardly, not sure what her reaction would be.

“I was just coming to find you.” She began, noticing Draco's apprehension, she added, “I love you, too.”

Draco's face broke into a huge smile that Ginny felt her heart melt for. He quickly covered her mouth, giving her a smoldering kiss. After a few moments, and many stares from passersby, he said, “I was so scared that I had ruined everything. I just...” Ginny reached up and placed two fingers over his lips.

“I have something for you.” She whispered. “But you can't open it up here.” She took him be the hand, and led him to his Head Boy's room. Once inside she turned to him and said, “I have a very special gift for you.” She said motioning towards herself.

“Gin, I don't need anything, besides, that's my cloak you're trying to give me.” Draco was very confused, but he was so happy that she loved him and was here that he could care less.

“I know the cloak is yours.” She said with a smirk. “Your present is under this ribbon”, she added very seductively, motioning to the delicate green ribbon around her neck. “Now, be a god boyfriend, and unwrap your gift.”

“Whoa, wait, are you sure, I mean, what about your no sex till your married rule? Draco could not believe this was happening. Not even an hour ago he was sure he had lost her forever. He wanted nothing more than to make love to Ginevra Weasley. He wanted to show her how much he was now able to love. He was sure this was a dream.

“I told you, I never said that. I was waiting for the right guy to come along. I just failed to realize he was in front of me all this time.” Ginny unclasped the robe and let it fall from her shoulders. “Now, I think its time you enjoyed your gift.”

With those words Draco scooped Ginny up in his arms and kissed her. He carried her to his bed where they enjoyed giving and receiving her special gift.

The End

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