Umbrella

Summary: Draco meets Ginny under an umbrella…

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Ginny Weasley was not in a good mood. Not only was she being forced to carry twenty kilograms of sugar for a wedding cake, it was about to rain. If her poof-ball hair was any proof. She shifted the packet a bit, trying to work on the this-is­-heavy thing in the crowded Muggle town. Why couldn't she use magic? You-Voldemort was not going to swoop down on her. Yeah, Voldemort.

"Voldemort, Voldemort, Voldemort. VOLDEMORT!." She said the last one a bit too loud, almost like a swear word, as the rain started to fall. Running under a café overhang, she realized that she had lost her grip on the bag…it was going to fall and someone was going to catch it and realize it was light and figure out she was a witch and damn someone had maybe she could just act like an innocent little girl—

"Weasley, you really shouldn't put such strain on your arms," a sly drawl from above interrupted her frantic thoughts. Ginny Weasly looked up to see none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy. I think I'm perfectly capable of worrying about my own body. You see, I grew up doing things on my own, without a house-elf."

"So witty."

'Thank you," Ginny said as she attempted to tug her bag back and leave at the same time. Consequently, the rain began to pelt harder, and she was forced to move even further inside. And I need to get to the Burrow 'cause Ron and Harry and Fred and George and Mum and Dad will be worried and they might come out and my sugar is still being held hostage by Malfoy and I need to get it back for Hermione's wedding cake! What will happen if I don't bring it? Then there will be no cake and Ron and Hermione will hate me and the wedding will be ruined and they won't get married and You-Voldemort will come and kill them and they'll never be married and—it'll be my entire fault! Ginny looked up, panicked, to see Draco looking at her oddly. Suddenly, in one fluid motion, he picked her up and opened his umbrella. She opened her mouth to scream when she felt something tickle her…and she was very ticklish…

When Ginny managed to stop laughing, she found herself in an alley. She immediately scowled, thinking of the picture. She must have looked exactly like a twit, laughing her head off as her boyfriend carried her off…and who knows, Ron might find out and then he'll get angry at Hermione and they might not get married and it will be all my fault again…oh my god, everything is going to go wrong because of me…Ginny interrupted her musings to see Draco drawing on the dirt floor with his wand. He completed a circle, then made spokes, placing tiny spells in each. Ginny's eyes widened with horror. He's going to kill me. He's a Death Eater and he's performing some ritual that is going to kill me or make me insane and I won't be able to deliver the sugar and the cake will be ruined and Ron will get angry at Harry for not defeating You-Voldemort the last time he saw him…that was scary because we all thought Harry was going to die and I was so worried and what if I never see him again go to defeat Voldemort? What if he never knows of my feelings for him? I'm going to die here…Ginny looked up and realized that the umbrella was still above her, hovering…and she had her wand. Strange. Wouldn't he take it? She began to struggle to her feet, protesting at her misuse.

"Don't move. I'm not finished," he said it almost automatically, still muttering words under his breath and moving his wand. Ginny started at him quizzically, and sat back down. With a final upward motion, he pointed his wand at her and muttered something. A bright white light shot at her and went inside her chest. She felt…happy, and relaxed. The sugar would get there in time.

"What did you just do?" she was feeling drowsy; when was the last time she had slept? But her curiosity still held out.

"Weasley, it's a pity you have only brothers."

"Wassamatter with that?" her words were becoming blurry…he'd better hurry up…

"You would have known then that getting worked up during your period and the full moon would result in a set of magical nerves." Ginny half-nodded; she half-remembered reading that somewhere or another. Interesting, how would he know that?

"I had five female cousins," he continued, almost an answer for her unspoken question, "all who got married at inopportune times." He held out his hand, Ginny started to reach for it when he picked his umbrella. An amused smile on his face, he reached down towards her. Perhaps he wasn't expecting her to be able to get up; perhaps she thought he was giving more support. Whatever it was, Ginny found herself wide-awake and mere centimetres away from grey eyes under an umbrella in the rain.

It took her a second more to realize that it was the electricity pulsing down her spine and the delightful sensation of his lips on hers that had woken her up. She gave in, taking in the sensual way that he was playing with her hair, running his slender fingers through her scalp, and placed her own hands around his neck, willing this moment to go on forever…

Harry.

Ginny sprung back, out of the umbrella, she noticed. He still looked perfectly composed, and she hated him for it. She was now dripping wet in her good robes, her cheeks flushed from…that. She pushed her hair back, noting with despair that all of that hair potion junk was being washed away rather quickly, and she'd have to sit again to get it done. Her robes were sticking to her, and she tried shaking out her over-robe to cover. When she looked up, she saw him looking at her, almost unbelievingly.

"Too much to handle?" he was trying to be sarcastic and cool, she could tell, but his voice had cracked the teeniest of bits. She stepped a bit closer so she could see him through the rain.

"Look, Malfoy,"

"Draco."

"Malfoy, it's just…not…" she looked up at him again. God, he was tall. She stood silent for a moment, feeling an embarrassed flush coming across her pale face.

"To my credit, I think you rather enjoyed it," he started, some of his suave back.

"To do justice, I believe I did," she replied with a smile, one that made his knees go weak, just that tad bit that scared him more than anything. He smiled back, and they both burst into quiet peals of laughter. He broke it again, with another hesitant question:

"Then…why?" Ginny stopped and looked at him. Well, Malfoy rated her. It certainly seemed plausible, and no doubt he was handsome and fit…she felt herself blush again. She forced some seriousness into her tone.

"Malfoy, I need the…good guy. The guy I can bring home to Mum. You of all people should know that."

"You mean I couldn't be the good guy?" he half-heartedly tried messing up his hair. A weak attempt. Ginny felt herself tremble. Dear god, just please leave. He seemed to sense her discomfort, as he straightened up and cleared his throat.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Weasley," he straightened his cloak and reached for his wand. Ginny felt a pang of sympathy.

"Um…Ginny…?" her voice was small, and her head was slightly down. She closed her eyes. Please just take it and go.

Something like a stick was pressed into her hand.

"Adieu, Weasley," he said, placing stress on the word. There was a swish and he was gone, leaving her in the rain…except it wasn't raining.

Ginny looked up to see the navy blue umbrella firmly in her hand, with the bag of sugar attached to the handle. She smiled in spite of herself and pulled out her wand.

"Apparate Burrow." She felt the tingle as she was transported instantly in front of the backdoor to the headquarters of the Granger-Weasley nuptial. She deposited the sugar on the table, and then turned into the kitchen.

"Oh, Ginny dear! Thank god, I was just about to get worried." Her mother picked up the sugar and walked back into the kitchen. Ginny walked to the foyer and put her umbrella there to dry.

"Nice umbrella. New?" Ginny spun around to meet the green eyes of Harry. After a moment or two, she found her voice.

"Why, yes, actually."

~*fini*~

AN: Well, there. It's a bit short, and a bit rushed, but I like it for its own charm. I don't mind D/G, but I like H/G better. If I had a chance, I'd do this over and make it longer. And the snogging scene…well, I was planning to copy it out of a romance novel, but my mum decided to pick today morning to return all of hers. So I improvised.

Do review!

wicherwill ^_^