Title: Surprise, Surprise - Chapter One
Summary: Draco and Ginny are both suffering from heartbreak and heartache, and when they strike up a friendship to ease one another's loneliness, does it turn into something more?

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Co. are owned by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, Warner Bros., and Ect. I don't own any thing, just this sad little plot.

~*~

Ginny Weasley yawned widely as she climbed out of her bed. She stretched her lanky body and itched at her side, rubbing at her eyes much like a cat would. Her hair stuck up in several directions, and she grabbed her brush from the nightstand to brush threw the tangles.
She walked into the kitchen and turned on her coffee maker, sitting down at the kitchen table to read the Daily Prophet.
After her seventh and final year at Hogwarts, she'd moved to muggle London to study at a nearby muggle college. She now worked as a writer. She'd published one book; He was Too Far, a sappy romance novel about a young girl falling in love with someone she could never have.
Her inspiration had been, of course, her relationship with Harry Potter.
After the book had been on the shelves for a while, and had been deemed suitable only for lonely old ladies, she'd sunk into mild depression.
Then, after months of trying to gain inspiration for another book, she'd finally gotten somewhere when Harry had told her he cared about her. They shared a flat now, and Ginny believed them to be completely in love.
After browsing through the first section of her paper, Ginny got up to get herself a cup of coffee, and then returned to riffle threw the paper until she found the Sports section. Harry was away with his Quidditch team in Ireland playing the Ballycastle Bats. She liked to keep up with how his team, the Montrose Magpies, were doing in the standing for the Cup.
She spit out her coffee in a fine mist of brown liquid when she saw the picture on the front page.
A huge picture of Harry's smiling face was plastered across the front of the Sports Section, his arm around his fellow teammate's shoulders. It moved in slow motion as they soon began to kiss passionately. The paper fell from her grasp as a choked sob escaped her throat. She ran to her room and buried her face in her pillow, and cried until there were no tears left.

~*~

"Gin?"
"Ginny honey? Come on, let us in. It's Oliver and Percy."
"Go away!" came a cry from the other side of the door, which sounded strained and tight from crying.
"Ol, cover me." Percy hissed, and pulled his wand from his pocket. He charmed the door open, and rushed inside to find his little sister curled up on her couch, sniffing pathetically.
"Oh Gin." He sighed, and gathered her into his arms. She clung to him and buried her head in his shoulder, whimpering softly. She couldn't cry, she had no more tears left.
Oliver Wood sat behind her and rubbed her back in comforting circles.
"It's ok love, we're here for you." He said softly.
Oliver and Percy had become extremely good friends after the war with Voldemort. Arthur Weasley had died in the war, as had Mr. Wood, and the two had taken comfort in one another. It was a mutual pain that they both understood, and knew that they could turn to the other anytime they needed too.
"Why didn't I see it before Percy? He was always going out for 'team meetings' and such, and like a fool I trusted him! This is such…a mess…" she whimpered again and clung tighter to Percy.
"Don't blame yourself Ginny, its not you fault at ALL. You weren't unfaithful; you didn't cheat on someone who loved you completely, hopelessly. You didn't-"
"Still hurtin' about the whole Penelope thing huh Perce?"
"Shut up Oliver."
Ginny let out a little laugh, and straightened herself between the two. Percy was right, it WASN'T her fault, and she shouldn't brood on the whats and ifs, because that would get her no where. Oliver placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she smiled into his deep brown eyes.
"You guys are right; he's the one in the wrong, not me. It hurts, because I loved and trusted him, but it'll get easier. I love you two." She said tearfully, and pulled them to her in a tight hug. They smiled against her shoulders, and hugged her back.
Ginny was a fighter, stronger than anyone they knew.
She deserved the best, and Oliver and Percy silently agreed that they would help her get the best. No matter what.

~*~

"What about this? Does this go?"
"Yeah Percy, that goes. Fred! FRED! I'm GOING TO KILL YOU! Put down my lamp NOW!"
"Wow Gin, that was a great impersonation of Mum."
Ginny sent her brother a glare promising death, and he hastily put down her lamp. He'd been considering transfiguring it into a pig, just to let it run around the apartment, but Ginny had capsized his plan.
At the moment, four out of the six Weasley brothers were helping their younger sister sort threw all of her and Harry's stuff, deciding what would go, and what would stay. Ginny said she wanted to burn all his things, but Ron had pointed out that that was what Hermione had done with HIS stuff when they'd broken up. She shuddered as she remembered him having to stay with her for a few months until he got back on his feet. He'd driven her insane.
A crash sounded from somewhere in the kitchen, which was followed by a shout that Fred had done it. Beside her, Colin Creevey giggled happily. In their seventh year, Colin and Ginny had become really good friends, and he'd been the one to suggest that she start writing. She glared at him as well.
"Oh come on," he said smiling, "you know that if your brothers didn't break something when they came over you'd think something was wrong with them."
Ginny, despite herself, laughed.
"You're right."
She shook her head and stood, pulling a box full of Harry's clothes up with her. Colin offered to take it, but she declined with a shake of her head.
"I'm not some weak girl you know. I DID live with that lot for seventeen years."
Another crash, this time it sounded in the vicinity of the bathroom. Colin winced.
"Point taken."
She nodded and carried the box out into the hall, where Percy and Oliver were taking them down to Oliver's truck to be taken back to the Burrow.
"What's all this?"
Her head snapped up at the sound of Harry's voice, and she dropped the box purposely on his foot.
"Ow! Hey-"
"We are OVER Potter." She seethed, and strode back into their, HER, flat.
"What? Why?"
She spun on him, eyes flashing, and brandished the picture of he and his teammate locked in a passionate kiss under his nose. He paled a little.
"It's not what you think." He said quickly.
"Really? Well why don't you explain what it is then, because *I'M* totally lost as to what ELSE it might be."
"It's just…just…I mean…oh come ON Gin! It was just a little kiss!"
"LITTLE KISS?!?!?" she exploded, wading up the paper and throwing it at him. The four Weasley brothers, Colin, and Oliver stood off to the side watching. Only Ron's face showed a hint of compassion, the others were quite happy to stand by and let Harry have what was coming to him.
"It was…I wasn't right that night Gin. Please…I mean, I love you." He said this with such conviction that Ginny almost stopped her rampage and forgave him.
She shook her head to clear away the thought.
"Bull shit!" she snapped, and slugged him in the nose. He staggered back, a look of complete and utter disbelief in his eyes.
"GET_OUT_OF_MY_FLAT! I HATE YOU!" she screeched through her tears, and punctuated each word with a little shove toward the hallway. He stumbled out into the hall, and promptly had the door slammed in his face.
Harry didn't understand why, but he felt like he'd just lost the most important thing to him in the world.

~*~


Draco Malfoy sighed irritably.
"No. Not that one, THIS one. Come now Mrs. Deller, can't you get anything right?"
"I-I-I'm sorry sir."
"Yes well, THAT is quite obvious. Just bring me the new Act for Muggle Safety and you can leave for the day."
"Oh thank you sir."
"Mind you, I'm not doing it to be nice. I'm doing it because I can't stand your presence anymore."
The older woman across from him nodded jerkily, and Draco rolled his eyes as he saw tears welling up in her eyes.
Honestly, what was the point of being Minister of Magic if he couldn't have a decent and competent secretary?
Mrs. Deller deposited the new Act on his desk with a tear filled 'Here you are sir,' and then promptly turned and left his office.
"Thank you." He called after her, starting to feel a little bad about making her cry.
He sighed as he breezed through Act 234, which clearly stated that any changing of a Muggle to a magical creature was strictly prohibited. The sad thing about the act was that he actually needed to be made. The things some of the sick and twisted wizards thought up anymore.
He signed it was his neat and tidy script, and sat back in his chair to gather his wits about him.
He really hadn't meant to be so cruel to Mrs. Deller, but he felt so irritable lately. He was lonely, truth be told, and he felt like such a simpleton for feeling being so soft. He had to admit it; women were quite possibly his only soft spot. He hated to see them hurt or upset, and if he even saw the threat of tears falling he'd melt and try his best to make them feel better.
He looked at his watched and caught the time. It was already 7:00? Time had just flown by today!
He hastily pulled on his coat to conceal his robes and strode from his office. He caught the muggle Underground and sat back to read a newspaper that had been left on the seat beside him. He liked to keep up with the muggle news of London.
He'd never admit it to anyone, but his favorite part was the comics. He snickered softly as he read it, then looked up to see if anyone was watching. An older woman that was sitting across from him knitting raised an eyebrow at him, and he cleared his throat and tucked the paper under his arm. He'd finish reading it later.
Climbing off the train, Draco stood at an intersection, waiting for the light to turn green, saying that he could cross the street.
He looked across the street and saw a large mound of walking laundry. The mound of laundry, which he guessed was being carried by someone who was blocked from view from the massive lump of clean clothing, didn't pause at the curb to wait for the light. They kept walking. He looked down the street and saw a car speeding toward the person.
"HEY!" he cried, and jumped to shove the person out of the way. Clothing went flying everywhere, and he hit the other side of the sidewalk as the car zoomed threw the intersection.
He looked down at the figure below him, about to snap at their stupidity, but was struck completely speechless at who he saw.
"MALFOY!" Ginny Weasley gasped, eyes wide.
"Weasel." He said automatically. She glared at him.
"It's WEASLEY, and I have a first name." She snapped, and shoved him off of her. She began gathering her now ruined dirty clothing and began loading it into her basket.
Draco sighed as he stood to help her. After everything was packed away again, she turned to leave.
"What, no thank you?" Draco called after her.
She turned and stuck her tongue out at him, but he noticed that her eyes were dancing a little. She was teasing him, too.
He strode after her.
"You should be more careful."
"Stuff it Malfoy."
"Hey hey, I'm the Minister of Magic now, I demand respect!"
"So you are. Remind me to care later."
He sputtered at her, then burst into laughter.
"So this weasel has claws. That's cute."
"Bite me."
He shook his head, but continued to follow her. She seemed not to care, but stopped when the neared a huge building, and placed her basket on the ground to turn and glare at him.
"Go away."
"I still want a thank you for saving your life, pathetic as it is."
"Well you're going to have to wait for awhile Malfoy, because you're not going to get it anytime soon. Now, go away."
"No thank you coming then?" he asked.
He heard her growl.
"NO!"
He shrugged.
"Fine. See you around Weasel." He said, and turned to leave.
"IT'S WEASLEY!" she screamed after him, and he had to fight to control his laughter.

~*~

The next day all Draco could think about was his confrontation with Ginny Weasley. How…
He shook his head. He did NOT have fun with one of the Weasley brats last night.
He placed his elbows on his desk and put his face in his hands. Why was it that he hadn't felt so lonely after he'd saved her? He hadn't snapped at Mrs. Deller once today, and the poor woman was walking on eggshells around him. He didn't feel so irate this morning either.
And he couldn't stop thinking about that damn Weasley girl!
Thinking that there was only one thing to do, he called Mrs. Deller into his office.
"Yes sir?" she quivered, and Draco smiled at her to try and ease her apprehension.
"I apologize for being so rude to you yesterday. It was wrong of me."
"It's…fine s-s-sir." She stuttered.
"Very well then. Could do me a favor and look up an address for me?"
Mrs. Deller nodded, and Draco scribbled Ginny's name down on a piece of paper.
"Please get it to me ASAP."
"Yes sir." She said, and left.
Draco leaned back in his chair and sighed.
He'd go to Ginny's tonight and bother her some more. If that didn't clear her from his mind he had only one other option.
He'd have to marry the damn girl and spend the rest of his life with her.
Which, he thought, thinking of her beautiful brown eyes, wouldn't be so bad.

~*~

Hey! How was that! Don't worry, I think this will get a bit better as I go on. Please review! J

Luv,
Lady Dragon