A New Beginning

Title: A New Beginning

Author: Hazelmist

Ship: Ginny/Draco

Summary: “Stay,” he whispered. His eyes were pleading with her, begging her to give into what they both knew her heart was telling her. “I can't, Draco.” And then she walked away. Ginny Weasley sacrificed her heart in order to restore order to the wizarding world, but four years later with her resignation final, a reunion with an old flame may be the spark of a new beginning. “We might need to get a leash for you, or handcuffs…” Cute DG oneshot, ignores HBP and DH.

A/N: A D/G oneshot that I wrote in response to a challenge before HBP and DH so, it completely ignores them. It's the only D/G fic I've ever written so reviews would be greatly appreciated!

Four years, three months, two days, and one hour ago she first stepped into this office with a radiant smile and a passion for politics and reconstruction. At the tender age of twenty five, she had been wiser than her years, having witnessed the downfall, firsthand, of the greatest wizard ever known.

Harry Potter had been victorious, but he had lost his life in the process. Lord Voldemort was gone but so were hundreds of others, both friends and enemies. The Ministry had virtually been destroyed by the war. They'd needed a leader and they had found one, in her. She had thrown herself into the work, rapidly rising through the ranks, driven by the remembrance of a certain Harry Potter and his simplistic ideas for a harmonious and secure wizarding world. And now, here she was, at the end. It was finished, there was no need for her anymore. Other than the arguments and the power to change lives for the better, she had no interest in politics. Now that it was over, she could finally return to live out the life she'd always dreamed of.

Four years, three months, two days and one hour ago she first stepped into this office with a radiant smile that hid the sadness in her eyes and a fiery passion that out of necessity had to be locked away. Because four years, three months, two days and one hour ago she had made a sacrifice, so great that it may have cost her heart.

The memory still haunted her…

They lay in his flat, on his bed, with the lights off and their clothes on everything but their bodies. His grey eyes caught the light of the moon, gleaming. He touched her hair, tucking yet another strand of her fiery red hair behind her ears. She closed her eyes leaning into his hand. The bed squeaked as he leaned closer, his breath warm on her face. And then he kissed her again.

“I'm sorry,” she apologized, pushing him away. She rolled over and climbed out of bed. His eyes were on her as she started collecting her clothing from the various places where they'd been thrown. They were burning into her, tearing her up and making every step harder, because she knew that her feet would take her further and further away from him. She went into his bathroom, dressed and then came back out to collect her purse.

“Stay,” he whispered, catching her hand as she passed by the bed.

His eyes were pleading with her, begging her to give into what they both knew her heart was telling her. She knelt beside the bed, stealing one final kiss.

“I can't, Draco.”

And then she walked away.

She'd walked away that night, away from him and into this very room.

She'd sacrificed the one thing that had meant most to her, because she'd owed it to Harry. He'd given his life for her, and she had repaid the debt. But now it was done. Harry was only a memory and she was just an ordinary twenty nine year old witch, ready for a new beginning.

“Ginny.”

Ginny Weasley looked away from the window. She was going to miss the view.

“Yes, Susan?” Susan Bones, her assistant, who had been a loyal friend from the very beginning, was also another one of those few things that she would miss.

“Are you sure you won't reconsider?” Susan asked yet again, because Ginny knew that Susan would miss her too.

“No, my resignation is final.” She smiled, loving the sound of those simple words.

“Then mine is as well.” Susan met her gaze fiercely and Ginny was deeply touched by the strong loyalty and friendship that Susan was never afraid to show. She reached for the girl, embracing her and then holding her at arms length.

“I'm afraid that's not possible,” Ginny chuckled.

Susan frowned, perplexed.

“Didn't Colin tell you?” Ginny asked as she started toward the door.

“Tell me what?” Susan raised an eyebrow.

“I've nominated you.” She beamed at the girl, taking secret pleasure as confusion washed over her features.

“For what, secretary of the month?” Susan quipped.

“Oh no darling, our intern already took that award,” Ginny giggled.

“Traitor!” Susan gasped in mock offense.

“No, you my friend, will be my replacement,” Ginny informed her quietly of her decision.

“You didn't!” Susan stopped in the doorway, her eyes round and her jaw unhinged.

“Oh, but I already did.” Ginny walked out, leaving the office behind, safely in Susan Bone's hands.

“But - But I can't do this! You must be mad! You're a raving lunatic, out of your mind! Ginerva Weasley you get back here, right now! I'm not finished talking to you! Ginny!”

Ginny pulled the door shut behind her, but Susan's muffled threats were still faintly audible. She laughed softly. She'd been expecting this reaction, but she knew that once Susan overcame her initial doubts, she'd find it within herself to continue with the work that Ginny had only just begun.

A mob of reporters and photographers met her at the door. Lights flashed in her eyes, blinding her and sending dots everywhere. It was a wonder that after those four long years, she still loathed press conferences.

“Minister Weasley, why are you resigning?” a reporter yelled, shoving a magical recording device into her face.

“My work is finished here. I've done all I can and it's time for someone else to take my place,” Ginny answered with a smile.

“Minister, do you have a candidate in mind for you replacement?” another wizard demanded.

“Yes, Susan Bones, my assistant. Though she hasn't officially decided to run, if she does accept the candidacy, I intend to give her all of my support.”

“Minister, do you regret resigning?” a witch called from the middle.

“No,” Ginny laughed and shook her head. With a nod to her former press secretary, she started to turn away from the eager crowd of reporters.

“I think that's enough questions for today, now if you'll excuse us, the former Minister of Magic would like to-”

“WAIT!”

The voice of yet another reporter shattered the air, somehow reaching Ginny's ears above the roar of the mob. Time froze as Ginny faced the crowd again, holding up a hand for silence.

“Ms. Weasley, what do you intend to do now that you've just quit your job?” the familiar voice drawled.

Ginny's heart skipped a beat, as she honed in on the reporter that had stopped her. She gripped the podium as she finally found the face in the ground. Those grey eyes she knew so well and the tall stature, the pale pointed face, and the platinum blonde hair that couldn't be concealed by the lopsided hat that he wore on his head. They were in her mind each and every day.

Ginny chose her words carefully as her head spun round and round and she felt a plethora of many emotions all at once.

“I want to live again. I want to go back to being normal and I intend to settle down somewhere where no one will find me and live out the rest of my days happily. I want to live out the dream that I've always had, now that the war is finally behind us and a bright future is on the horizon.”

The crowd roared its approval. Ginny didn't care. The crowd had become one giant blur. She only had eyes for him. But in a blink of an eye, he was gone and Ginny wondered if perhaps she'd been pouring her heart out to a perfect stranger. Still her heart continued to thud in her chest as she finally stepped down, leaving the old Ginerva Weasley, Minister of Magic behind, once and for all.

She pushed and shoved, ignoring outstretched hands, warm wishes, questions and pats on the back. When at last she escaped the irritating crowd and the awful reporters, she still hadn't found him. She snuck away, hiding in a nearby alleyway until she could get her thoughts in line.

“I was wondering, Ms. Weasley, what kind of dreams do you have?” another annoying reporter interrupted her before she could even catch her breath.

“Go away!” Ginny begged, dismissing him with a careless wave of her hand.

“No, I'm staying Weasley, and I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon.”

A strong hand gripped her shoulder and turned her around. Ginny found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy, her former flame and the man that she had walked out on exactly four years, three months, two days, and approximately one hour ago. But he'd taken something with him; her heart.

“You, on the other hand, we might need to talk about a leash. Or perhaps handcuffs, because this time I'm not letting you go.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and surveyed her with his beautiful grey eyes.

“Oh, Draco!”

She kissed him then, and she felt her feelings flood back. Her body was on fire, the flame reignited.

“Draco,” she moaned. “I missed you. Please, I'm sorry, please, forgive me.” Tears sprung to her eyes as she looked up into his handsome face.

“I'll forgive you on a few conditions.” Draco leaned in close to her face and she closed her eyes, savoring the moment, this moment that could very well be the last that they would have together.

“Anything,” she whispered.

“First, you have to forgive me.”

“What?” Ginny's eyes snapped open and she gaped at him.

He cupped her face in his hands, a sad smile on his face.

“I should've hunted you down Weasley. I should've taken on the whole bloody Ministry, the whole wizarding world. I was a coward for letting you go.” He pulled her face to his chest and smoothed her hair.

“Draco-”

“Shhh, let me finish, I'm not letting you get off that easy.” He kissed the top of her head and then continued, “Second, I want you to go back to your flat, clean it out, change into something less stuffy, and come with me.”

“Where are you going to take me?” Ginny asked curiously.

“To my house. I want you to move in with me, so I can keep a close eye on you. I don't want you running off on me again.”

Ginny's eyes filled with tears and she started to cry silently into his chest, but they were tears of joy, not sorrow.

“Wait, I have one more condition,” he warned her.

“What's that?” Ginny asked, looking up at him.

But he never got to ask because he took one look at her, swore loudly and started snogging her senseless. It was a wonder they made it back to her flat.

Later on that evening as Ginny's fingers worked across his bare chest, she wondered aloud about that last condition that he'd forgotten to mention.

“Oh, that,” Draco sighed and reached for his coat. He rifled through the pocket, retrieving a small package.

“Here.” He tossed it to her, and Ginny caught it with one hand like the true seeker she had once been.

“What's in it?” Ginny asked, shaking the package lightly.

“Just open it!”

Draco smirked as he watched her tear off the paper and open the tiny black box. She gasped, her brown eyes going big and round. The diamond glittered in the lamplight as he slid it onto her finger.

“You'll have to marry me. I'm sorry but it's one of the conditions and you're just going to have to live with it. I need to keep a close watch on you because I think I might actually love you-”

“I agree to your terms,” Ginny interrupted, kissing him. “And I love you too,” she added as an afterthought.

Draco smiled.

Approximately one hour later, Susan Bones was sworn in as the next Minister of Magic. Two days later they finally managed to pack up and move into Draco's home. Three months later they got married, and exactly four years after that their first child was born, a daughter who they appropriately named Liberty.

A/N: Please review, I'd love to hear what you think and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

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