FOR THE JOY OF MISS WEASLEY
My first D/G, written for the Sarah's Christmas challenge on the DG Forum.
I disclaim all that you recognise.
He'd been wandering around Diagon Alley all day. He'd heard it said from many a witch that men were the hardest to buy Christmas presents for, but he would argue that they had never tried to buy a present for Ginevra Weasley.
He had looked in the jewelers shops, but it all seemed a bit ostentatious. He didn't want to go flashing his galleons at her when she had expressly told him, on more than one occasion, that she wanted nothing to do with his wealth.
He had searched in the bookshop, yet she'd never really been the reading type. That was more Granger's style.
He had raided Madam Malkins in the hope of adding to her dismally meager wardrobe. But he loved how she resolutely refused to wear anything above her means. He couldn't and wouldn't take that away from her. After all, he couldn't say a word when she waltzed through his flat wearing only his shirt.
He'd hunted through the antique trinket store trying to find anything that might appeal to her. The over zealous shopkeeper had tried to insist that 'the special witch in his life' would be delighted with musical bangles from India. Draco was momentarily swayed until the shopkeeper activated the musical charm. He found he couldn't exit the shop quick enough.
He was at his wits-end as he came across the only shop he had yet to enter. Every time he entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes he found himself an unwitting test subject to the twin's newest product. It never made him too willing to enter and he had never done so before without Ginny by his side. Her brothers delighted in taunting him and, if he had any other choice, he would walk safely away. But damn it, he was desperate.
"Well, well, well Fred, look what the kneazle dragged in," came the mischievous voice from the balcony above him.
"Well George, it would look like the dirty snake that currently has our sister captive in his fancy lair."
Two familiar identical red-heads wearing two familiar identical grins descended towards him.
"What is it that we can help you with today, future-man-who-will-make-an-honest-woman-of-our-sister?" The twins always managed to mention something on the subject of his and Ginny's future. It was more awkward without Ginny there to laugh it all off.
"I need your….help." Draco resisted the urge to squirm as the twins looked at each other, before looking back to him to continue.
"What on earth am I suppose to get Ginny for Christmas?"
He waited for their teasing to begin, ready to endure it, just hoping that by the end of the sure-to-be-humiliating experience, he would have some type of useful information.
"Now that is a tricky one, isn't it George?"
"It sure is, Fred. Our dear sis is a tricky one to buy for. Very picky. You wouldn't want to get it wrong, that's for sure."
"Definitely not. Do you remember when Ron bought her that nightgown with the princesses on, because he thought she still loved pink?"
"Shame she was seventeen at the time. How long did it take before mum found him in the attic?"
"Five hours. He missed Christmas dinner."
"Ah yes. Wouldn't want anything like that to happen to this one here, would we?"
They both turned to look at him then. If he wasn't a Malfoy, he was sure he'd be sweating slightly.
"No, I guess not. Our little Gin-Gin does seem oddly fond of him."
"Maybe we should help him to not screw this up?"
"Brother, I was thinking just the same thing"
Draco was ready to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that he might actually be able to get this right.
"Just get her something she wants." Draco paused, waiting for more information. Surely that wasn't all the advice he was getting.
"But what does she want?" he asked, feeling desperate again.
"For some reason, Malfoy, she seems to want you". And with that the twins walked back into the shop.
Draco turned, making a tragic figure walking back down Diagon Alley. He had failed. He had hoped he would come though with the perfect present for his Ginerva. Something that would encapsulate their first year together, something she would never forget.
Just before he stepped round the corner, he spotted a gaudy little stall with a vast array of neck scarves, ties and ribbons. It was then that Draco Malfoy spotted exactly what he was getting Ginny for Christmas.
~x~
Christmas Day saw Ginny and Draco sitting in front of the fire opening their gifts. Although she had squeezed it, poked it and rattled her present from the wizard sitting opposite her, she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it could be. The growing smirk that was settling on his face, as she began to open the wrapping, worried her slightly.
She pulled back the lid of the box with curiosity. She briefly saw a piece of material with a picture on it before she was engulfed in a cloud of sweet smelling smoke. She coughed and spluttered and swatted at the smoke, before grabbing her wand and deftly clearing it away.
The sight she was witness to, as the smoke spiraled away, was as far from her expectations as she thought possible. The material was no longer in the box she was holding, but tied around the neck of her lover. What was more surprising was that the tie was the only thing he was wearing. He was sprawled across the rug that lay in front of the fire in what only could be described as a 'fetching' pose.
Ginny stifled a giggle and began crawling towards him.
"Mr. Malfoy. You have done very, very well." She leaned towards him, reaching to grab the tie draped so conveniently in reaching distance.
"This present is perfe…"
She halted with the tie wrapped around her hand and peered at it closer. Disbelief played across her face before the corners of her mouth began to twitch.
"Draco, why in the heavens would you pick a tie with the Griffindor Lion on it?!"