A/N: Have a great holiday! One more chapter before I make my family rounds for Christmas!
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Time Flies
The next three days were the best of young Ginny Weasley's life. They spent time on the beach, swimming in the pool and goofing off in general. She tried to wear her new two piece red bathing suit but never got further than the bedroom as Draco caught sight of her and took her right there on the bedroom floor.
It was the night before they were to leave, both were asleep back to back when Draco's eyes snapped open. He had heard….something.
There it was again, a light "tap" coming from the living room. Very quietly he rose up out of bed, wand at the ready and stealthily walked into the living room.
There at the window he saw a postal owl hovering and looking straight at him.
Frowning, Draco walked across the room and opened the window. He told his mother not to interrupt them, he never told
anyone else where they were going for this precise reason. He unrolled the parchment and found a biscuit to give the
owl and shooed it away. He settled himself down on the sofa and using his wand for light he broke the "H"
seal on the back and unrolled it.
"Draco,
There has been a confirmed sighting of two Death Eaters in northern England. Please see me at your earliest convenience.
Signed,
Albus Dumbledore"
Draco stared at the parchment, anger welling inside of him from the Death Eaters searching for a new master to Dumbledore interrupting the last night of his vacation. He darkened the room again and rubbed his forehead, knowing that the Death Eaters were probably not going to search for him anytime soon. He had made it clear to Bellatrix and his mother that he wasn't going to follow in his father's footsteps. Dumbledore knew that Draco would do anything to protect the other side, especially now that he had something worth protecting…Ginny.
He made the decision immediately to tell Ginny in the morning. She would find out when she got home; he was sure all the Order members were aware by now and she would be livid if she knew that he knew and didn't say anything. He took the parchment to the sink and ignited it, letting the ashes fall into the sink. Watching the flames lick the last of the parchment, he felt a pair of cool arms wrap around his waist and a soft cheek lay on his shoulder. She said nothing as they stood there for a moment. He felt the thin fabric of her nightgown against his back and realized that she knew why he was up.
"Do we need to leave now?" she whispered and Draco shook his head.
"I'll go see Dumbledore after we get you home," he replied turning around and wrapping his arms around her.
"Will you still come to the wedding?"
Draco nodded. "I plan on being there to see you in that silver dress you've told me about." He felt her smile against his shoulder. "Let's go back to bed and enjoy our last night away from everyone."
Curling up in her favorite position, tucked into Draco, Ginny let the thoughts of the parchment he burned run through
her head. She had so many questions, but knew he probably didn't know much at this moment either. She didn't
fall asleep immediately and she could feel his hands stroking her shoulder as he became lost in his own thoughts.
"Promise me something," Ginny began, splaying her fingers over his chest right over his heart.
"I'll try."
"That you will let me know personally if you are called to go anywhere. I want to be the last person you see before you leave," Ginny felt his hand stop moving along her shoulder.
"I promise," he kissed her head and she tilted her lips up to his chin and kissed him, holding him tighter than normal and she felt him respond in kind, both wondering what the New Year had in store for them and the rest of the Magical World.
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Ginny sat on the train and listened to Luna talk about her wedding coming up in September. Ginny had politely declined being in it, not knowing what she was going to be doing tomorrow let alone in nine months. Half listening to Luna she thought back to Ron and Samantha's beautiful Muggle wedding in a church. Ginny cried when she heard her brother say, "I do" and had a very nice dance with him in which she wished him luck and he promised to stay in touch and that they could still talk to each other about anything.
She thought back to the dances she and Draco shared; the way he looked at her in her silver colored dress that hugged
her in all the right places. He would keep untying the sash in the back and she would keep slapping him for it. She
wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but it had seemed that he couldn't keep his hands off of her.
Whether it was just a touch on the back of her arm to guide her through the dance floor or his arm tight about her
waist as they stood there talking to Samantha's parents, he never seemed to be more than an arms length away.
He had met with Dumbledore the following day and sent Ginny and owl from Malfoy Manor saying their Headmaster was just telling him where the Death Eaters had been sited and that the members of the Order had been contacted and made aware of recent events.
Ginny counted down the last hour of her train ride; it wasn't that fun anymore with out her older friends and certainly not as entertaining as it had been when Draco had been on it last year. Susan and Maggie were in her compartment and Maggie actually came to Ron's wedding with Fred…met her whole family and seemed to enjoy herself. Ginny STILL thought it was strange to see one of her good friends on the arm of her brother.
Hermione's pregnancy was starting to show and already she was in larger clothes. She wasn't sick anymore and was starting to get pretty excited about having a baby as it seemed everything was moving along nicely.
At last they arrived and Ginny slid open the doors and watched everyone walk off the train, helping some of the younger students with their bags as they slid on the snow. Ginny told John Campbell to go ahead and ride with Susan and she would make a sweep through the train then take the last carriage up to the school. She walked through the train and paused as she was starting to step off. 'This will be the last time I do this,' Ginny thought to herself as she took one last look behind her and made her way carefully to the carriage. She climbed up the step and shut the door behind her with a bang, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey," Draco said, emerging from the shadow and going to sit next to her.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked noticing they were the only two in there.
"I managed to convince Hagrid he needed help with all the snow to get the little ones through; but it was just an excuse to spend one last time with you before you started classes again," he put and arm around her.
"You're so sweet," Ginny said and he laughed.
"I can't say anyone has ever called me "sweet" before," he kissed her before she could reply and she felt his hand begin to unbutton her winter cloak.
"You're so bad," Ginny whispered against his mouth as his hand found its way under her shirt and caressed a certain part of her body.
"My middle name," he gasped as her hand found its way down inside his trousers. Slowly she moved her hand down the length of him, feeling his hands still under her shirt as she wrapped her fingers around him squeezing lightly as she ran her tongue along his lips. She felt his arms move and wrap around her pulling him into her lap as her hand moved in the way she had discovered he liked. Moving her lips to his neck she felt one hand of his settle on her arse and pull her to him, holding her there.
She suddenly felt the hand that wasn't holding her, between her legs and felt a rush of heat shoot up her spine forcing her to gasp loudly. Their little control game was starting and with his hand moving down there she was sure she was going to lose. Shrugging off her cloak and letting it fall to the floor she moved her hips against his, both moaning loudly. His hand moved to her thigh and gave it a light squeeze, making Ginny jump off his lap and pulling him up with her…their hands flew around the buttons and zippers and in the darkness Ginny had no idea where she threw her pants.. She was only aware of the warmth radiating from him, the gasps as they stole touches from each other.
"You-," Ginny jerked her hips towards him loving the sensation of him pressed against her stomach and his hand touching her lightly between her thighs. He sat back against the seat and as Ginny moved to straddle him and his hand ran up the front of her, pausing on her stomach and barely having time to move his hand out of the way she leaned over and kissed him, their tongues wrestling for each other's mouth. Her hands gripped the seat behind him as she slowly lowered herself over him, whispering his name as he pushed into her, urging her to move faster. They fought for control of their union, she would force him to slow down enjoying the frustrated tone as he hissed her name then move faster again…until she couldn't stop.
"Ginny…," he breathed sliding forward a bit moving himself in her and she gasped, feeling that ball of lava start to unleash itself. Burying her head in his shoulder she pushed her hips back and forth until all the lava released itself in her, causing her to cry out his name. She felt him respond, grabbing her hips and holding her tight against him as she trembled and he released himself in her with a heavy sigh, rocking his hips slowly as her cries died down and she became still.
"God, Draco…I love you, I love this," Ginny breathed into his ear and he made a happy noise in return nipping her earlobe and feeling the diamond earring he gave her under his tongue. She shivered as he did that so he did it again…then she felt what she had felt the first time they had ever had sex. A power coming out of nowhere, urging her on for a second time. She moved off of him and settled her mouth on his, surprising him with her forcefulness.
"Come here," she demanded pulling him down on top of her, kissing him deeply, letting her hands run over his bare skin and feeling him respond, wrapping her hair around his hands and cupping her head. Draco slowly pulled his lips away and stared down at her in the darkness, bracing his elbows on either side of her as the carriage swayed along the bumpy road.
"Again?" he whispered in an amused tone and she nodded her head even though he probably couldn't see her.
"Who knows when we will get to do this again?" she whispered back, pulling his head towards hers and they spent the rest of the carriage ride in each others arms.
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Ginny was right about not seeing Draco. The teachers threw them full force into NEWTs. Constantly challenging them with questions, homework, asking them to do work that was almost out of arms reach totally making them work as hard as they could until they finally grasped the concept, wrote the 100 inch paper or produced the perfect Potion/Charm/Defense that was asked.
Every school day Ginny was up at 7am and in bed rarely before midnight. She studied in the library, with her group of friends, by herself in her room or in the Room of Requirement. The thoughts of Death Eaters were put far from her mind.
The only thing that pulled her back from her school numbed mind was that Valentine's Day was tomorrow and she had not bought anything for Draco. She had barely exchanged two words with him as he had them busy in class and outside of class he was either tutoring 5th years for OWLS, preparing lessons that were harder than she ever had or once in awhile she knew he had gone to visit his mother and help her with her latest venture…whatever that may be.
Ginny was sitting in Potion's class on Valentine's Day…a plan in her mind on what to give Draco, but she needed and hoped that he followed the same schedule that he always did…tutor 5th years after her class. So, like usual when class wrapped up and she received her exam with an "O" she headed out towards the library, giving him an hour to tutor before she interrupted him. She found that she was so nervous about what she was going to try that studying didn't happen. With fifteen minutes left, she ran up to her room, brushed her hair, changed out of her school uniform and put her school robes back on. The ring he gave her was on as were the pendant and diamond earrings. She walked quickly down the hall to the Potions classroom and could hear the chatter of fifth years as she approached the door. Draco looked up from the table he was sitting at and saw her.
"Miss Weasley, can I help you?" he asked in an even tone.
"I just had a question about my exam; I didn't mean to interrupt. I thought you would be done…," she left her thought dangling in thin air.
"As I recall you received an O…," Draco began and she could see his thoughts racing. She smiled and shrugged.
"But, there was one wrong that I think should be right and I just wanted to go over it. I can come back later," she turned as if she was going to leave and he called her back.
"Just have a seat and I'll be done here in a few minutes," he looked directly at her and she sat down primly, folding her hands on top of her exam paper. True to his word, the tutoring session lasted a few more minutes and one by one they filed out. Ginny glanced at his schedule posted on the door as the last student walked out…he was done for the day and she didn't see anyone else waiting to talk to him. He disappeared into the stock room, taking potion bottles back so she quietly got up, shut and magically locked and silencio'd the door. She then walked into the stock room and he sensed her there.
"You can't be here about your exam, because you got them all right," Draco turned around and from his vantage point he couldn't see that the door was shut and locked.
"I know, it was a good acting job was it not?" Ginny waited until he set the last bottle down and walked over to him, running her hands up his chest. He looked down at her bemused.
"Happy Valentine's Day," she reached up and kissed his lips as he responded in a careful manner then pulled away.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly and he poked his head out the door, seeing his door was shut then he looked back at her.
"I've always said you were Slytherin-ish," he said in a deep voice, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her making Ginny reel with the feelings he brought forth. But, as suddenly as he grabbed her he pulled back.
"Do you have anything on under your robe?" he asked, his eyes looked at the button of her robe and she gave him a sly smile.
"I didn't have anything to give you, I've been so busy; this was the best I could come up with," she felt him tentatively reach down her robe and he actually gasped when he encountered skin. Leaning down he kissed her lips, running his tongue along them tasting mint from the candy she ate before she walked in.
"Merlin, Ginny," he said between kissing her, her collar bones and slowly undoing her robe.
"Here?" he asked as if not quite believing she was offering up herself, here in his classroom.
"Wherever you want," she breathed then shivered as cold air met her stomach. He pulled her closer and all talking ceased as he quickly took his Valentine's Day gift, right on the front row of tables as if she might get up and run away. She had never seen him so…so animalistic before and as they finished dressing each other, Ginny magically making a shirt and jeans appear, she felt a warm glow that she had totally thrown Draco Malfoy.
He watched her as she buttoned up his white school shirt.
"That was the most brilliant gift ever," he said and she smiled still watching her fingers button up his shirt. "And I was just going to have you over for dinner; steal you away from your studies."
"Dinner would still be great. We just got to have dessert first," Ginny giggled and Draco smirked at her.
"You're so bad…what has gotten into you?"
"I haven't thought of anything but classes and books for six weeks and I was so ready for something different. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Ginny patted his chest but her hand was caught by his before she could pull it away.
The next thing she knew they were standing in his flat and she stared at him.
"You can apparate out of Hogwarts?" she asked and Draco just nodded, not telling her how or why.
"I have a gift for you; you want it now or after dinner?"
"You can cook?" Ginny asked surprised and Draco pretended to be hurt.
"Of course I can cook; how do you think I have been sustaining myself through these past six months?"
"Well…I…sorry," Ginny grinned sheepishly. "I'll take my gift now."
"Not with that comment; you'll have to wait now," he chided her and she followed him into the kitchen watching him take out ingredients from the refrigerator.
"Go away. Go read or something…," he shooed her out of the kitchen and she wandered into his office, looking for a book or something to flip through. She found the latest Quidditch magazine and settled down in his office chair, noting how neat his desk was and started reading an article that Ron said he wrote. She had totally forgotten with everything going on that he was asked to write "The History of the Chudley Canons" and she settled back into the leather armchair to read her brother's article.
After a delicious dinner of fish, potatoes, vegetables and salad, Draco walked her into the living room and told her to sit.
"Close your eyes," he told her and she obediently followed his order, settling back and relaxing. She felt him sit next to her and take her hand, slipping what she assumed to be a ring onto her finger. 'Ohhh, another ring? I wonder what this one does,' she thought to herself.
"Open," he said softly and she looked at him then down at her ring. Making a fist she brought her hand closer and gasped loudly.
"Oh…Draco…is this…I thought…Oh MY," she couldn't form a coherent thought. There on her finger was the most beautiful platinum (she later found out) engagement ring she had ever seen. One square cut diamond in the center surrounded by four smaller ones, and between each outer diamond was a intricate design that wove it's way around the four smaller diamonds.
"One diamond for each year I was horrible to you; there is no way to make up for that, no excuses for my actions. I just hope you were serious when you said you could see us married," he began and she threw her arms around him then pulled away kissing him, then hugged him again.
"Oh, I don't say things I don't mean you should know that!" Ginny cried and felt him laugh, hugging her back.
"I want to show Harry and Hermione!" Ginny grabbed his hand and without protesting allowed himself to be dragged next door. Hermione answered her knock and before she could say anything, Ginny shoved her hand into Hermione's face who gave a cry of delight and they hugged in the doorway. The girls laughing caused Harry to appear behind his wife, ushering everyone inside. Ginny pulled herself away, patting Hermione's stomach then showed Harry.
A broad smile came across his face as he hugged Ginny. Turning to Draco he offered his hand and congratulations.
"I just had to show you," Ginny wiped tears off of her cheeks with the tissue Hermione handed her.
"I take it this just happened?" Harry gestured to the sofa and they all sat down in the living room. Ginny nodded.
"So, how will you still keep this a secret?" Hermione asked Draco.
"Actually, I set a temporary charm on it, so only those who know we're together can see it; those who don't know won't see anything there. It'll wear off Graduation Day though," Draco explained.
"That's an interesting idea, Draco," Hermione credited him and he thanked her.
The foursome chatted a bit more with Hermione asking questions Ginny couldn't answer such as: When was the wedding
going to be? When was she going to tell her parents…Ginny realized she had a lot of talking to do with Draco and as if
he sensed it he excused themselves, saying Ginny needed to get back to school.
"Well, just don't go anywhere in May, that's when this little one is due," Hermione placed her hand on her stomach and commented on him/her kicking.
"What day again?" Ginny asked feeling movement under her hand on Hermione's stomach.
"May 30th."
"I'll be studying, so don't worry. I'll be here if you need me!" Ginny hugged Hermione again and kissed Harry's cheek and left to another round of "congratulations".
Back in Draco's flat Ginny looked at her ring then up at Draco who was looking at her.
"I think we should go tell my parents…together," she said smiling at him, and hooking her arms around his waist.
"I knew you were going to say that. Let's go now that way you can still get back to school at a decent hour," he kissed her lovingly and as they pulled apart, she apparated them over to The Burrow to break the news that Molly and Arthur Weasley's only daughter was going to get married…to a Malfoy.