A/N: As always, I do not own any characters, places, etc. from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter Universe. I don't even pretend to have that much imagination. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

"Ginny! You look amazing!" Hermione squealed when Ginny came out of the bathroom. Ginny blushed and smiled.

"You don't think it's too much?" She asked, spinning around in a circle and enjoying the feeling of the silk swishing about her legs. Hermione shook her head vigorously and immediately began fussing with Ginny's hair.

"Absolutely not. It's perfect."

"Hermione…you know something," Ginny realized slowly. Hermione gave her a blankly innocent look.

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know something about my date tonight. What is it?" Ginny demanded, folding her arms across her chest. Hermione cleared her throat noisily and avoided Ginny's eyes as she piled curls on top of Ginny's head with a practiced wand. Ginny opened her mouth to question Hermione further, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ginny? It's me," Harry's deep voice floated melodiously through the air, stimulating a warm sensation in Ginny's heart. Hermione gasped.

"She's almost ready, Harry! Two minutes!" She called frantically. Ginny watched Hermione suspiciously.

"It's important," Ginny deduced, studying the other girl's face for a crack in her silent façade. Hermione kept her lips clamped tightly together as she dusted Ginny's cheeks with a light pink blush.

"All right, Ginny. If your hair starts to lose its bounce, use that spell I taught you this morning to fix it. Oh, and make sure you call me as soon as you get in!" Hermione said excitedly. Ginny stared at her friend in disbelief.

"Has the hippogriff milk gone bad again?"

"Have a wonderful night!" Hermione chirped, opening the door and flinging Ginny out onto the porch. She crashed right into Harry, who caught her in surprise.

"Whoa! What was that about?" Harry asked, helping Ginny regain her balance but not removing his hands from her waist. Ginny was completely bewildered.

"I have no idea," Ginny whispered. Harry grinned and kissed her forehead.

"You look beautiful," he said softly. Ginny blushed and tucked a curl behind her ear. Hermione no longer lived with Ginny at Remus and Tonks' former home, but she was a frequent visitor. Ron and Hermione had gotten engaged a few months ago, and they were due to be married in two weeks.

Now, Ginny lived by herself, but she enjoyed the solitude her little home offered. She held a job as a journalist for the Daily Prophet, which Harry had resented at first because of all the grief the newspaper had caused him during the war. But eventually, he grew to accept it because it made Ginny so happy. She wrote articles about newly discovered or enhanced Charms, allowing her to apply the knowledge she had gained from AP Charms back in Hogwarts.

Harry slid his arm around Ginny's shoulders and pulled out his wand. They both apparated to Diagon Alley, where Harry had reservations for dinner.

"So where are we going?" Ginny asked curiously. Harry smiled mysteriously.

"It's a secret," he replied slyly. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Harry, you know I can't stand secrets," Ginny complained.

"Just hold on for a little longer," Harry insisted, pulling her down the street. Finally, they had reached the front of a large, marble building with a hanging sign announcing the name of the restaurant: The Centaur.

"Harry," Ginny breathed. "This is the most expensive restaurant in England. Are you sure this isn't a problem?" Harry shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. They entered the dining room, which was lavishly furnished with rich colors and various sculptures and paintings. Ginny had always seen the articles in the tabloids about all the famous people who had dined at The Centaur. She couldn't believe that she would be eating in the same dining room where Celestina Warbeck had eaten.

"Good evening, sir," a tall, thin host greeted them and bowed low to the ground.

"Evening. I have reservations for two. It should be under Potter," Harry said politely. The host gazed at him for a moment in shocked silence. Then he fumbled with a stack of menus, obviously flustered.

"Of course, Mr. Potter! And might I say that it is a great honor to have you in our restaurant tonight." Harry gave Ginny a slightly exasperated look as he fell into step behind the host.

"I shall send over our very best waiter to take care of you and your lovely date," the host continued as he pulled out Ginny's chair to seat her. He handed them a wine list and disappeared, whispering words of admiration as he went.

"I'm sorry about that. People haven't quite gotten over it yet," Harry muttered, trying to smooth his messy black hair over his scar. Ginny took his hands in hers and shook her head.

"It's all right, Harry. I understand. Let's just have a nice dinner together, okay?" Harry nodded.

"I'm fine with that," he agreed. They talked amiably all throughout dinner, discussing the wedding plans for Ron and Hermione as well as Arthur's new position at the ministry. When dessert finally came, Ginny had a few glasses of wine in her system and she could feel a dark fuzz forming at the edge of her consciousness. This being the case, she was completely blindsided when her crème brulee arrived with a ring sitting on top of the caramelized surface.

"Harry…" she began slowly. "What is this?" She asked, picking up the diamond ring. Harry was smiling at her eagerly.

"Ginny, I love you. You complete me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He asked, staring earnestly into her deep chocolate eyes. Ginny covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief as she looked back and forth between Harry and the ring.

"Harry, I don't know what to say," she exclaimed softly.

"Say yes," Harry insisted, flashing her the charming smile that she had fallen in love with so many years ago. Suddenly, she found herself smiling too.

"Yes," she replied with a giggle. "Yes, yes, absolutely yes!" Harry leapt from his chair and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her passionately and slipped the ring onto her slender finger. He cleared his throat and tapped the side of his wine glass with a fork.

"Excuse me, everyone! I apologize for interrupting your dinners, but I just want to introduce you all to future Mrs. Harry Potter," Harry announced to the dining hall. Ginny flushed scarlet as the people around them applauded enthusiastically.

"Let's go tell your parents," Harry suggested when he had paid the bill. Ginny shook her head.

"They're visiting Bill and Fleur. They'll be home in a few days," she said, unable to take her eyes off of the ring on her finger. Harry sighed.

"I really wanted to tell them about us first," Harry said with disappointment. Ginny kissed his cheek comfortingly.

"It's all right. Ron and Hermione will want to know. We should go tell them." Harry nodded, and the newly engaged couple apparated away.

Harry and Ron winced as Hermione and Ginny squealed about the ring for the billionth time that night. They watched as the two friends hurriedly discussed every detail about the planning that needed to be done for the wedding.

"Girls are nuts," Ron muttered, taking a swig of Firewhiskey. Harry nodded in agreement and took a sip himself.

"Still, I love that one," he said, glancing at Ginny lovingly. She caught his gaze and smiled at him.

"Be good to her, mate," Ron said in a warning tone. "I don't want to have to kill you, so make sure you take good care of her." Harry laughed and clapped Ron on the back good-naturedly.

"You have nothing to worry about, Ron," Harry insisted. "She's everything I ever wanted. I will treat her like a princess."

-

"Ginny! Ginny, come look!" Hermione squealed from the kitchen. Ginny woke up with a slight headache and she groaned at the pitch of Hermione's voice. She stumbled out of bed and down the hall to see what all the fuss was about.

"What?" She grumbled. Hermione grinned and slid the paper across the table. Ginny blinked and stared at it. On the front page of the Daily Prophet was a full article titled, "The Boy Who Loved." A large photograph of Harry and Ginny taken a few months ago at a charity ball was right smack in the center of the page. The surrounding text told an epic, if not slightly inaccurate and exaggerated, version of their love story.

"Your wedding announcement is getting so much more publicity than mine! Although that's definitely understandable. You're marrying the most famous wizard in the world," Hermione added, as if Ginny didn't know.

Suddenly, Molly and Arthur Weasley appeared in the kitchen.

"Ginevra Weasley! You're engaged!" Molly exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ginny. Arthur stood off to the side with a proud smile on his face as his wife smothered Ginny with kisses.

"Mum, you're hurting me," Ginny choked out as Molly squeezed her daughter once again.

"Let the poor girl go, Molly," Arthur said with a smile. Molly reluctantly released Ginny and sighed happily.

"Oh, I knew this day would come! I knew that you and Harry would be getting married some day!" Ginny smiled, in spite of something that was tugging at her heart.

"I'm very happy for you, Ginny," Arthur said, embracing his daughter. "I'm sure you and Harry will have a beautiful life together."

"Arthur, we should celebrate!" Molly exclaimed suddenly.

"Celebrate?" Ginny and Arthur questioned in unison. Molly nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Celebrate! We should have a party!" She elaborated excitedly. Hermione gasped with delight.

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun! An engagement party!" She said with glee. Ginny looked up at her father. He was staring back at her. This was one of the moments when Ginny couldn't help noticing how similar she and her father were.

"Don't you think that's up to the kids?" Arthur asked. Molly waved her hand dismissively.

"Nonsense! It's a party for the kids. They don't have to be involved at all." Arthur shrugged and Ginny shook her head. Typical Molly Weasley philosophy. Still, Ginny could see that her mother was set on throwing this party, and she couldn't bring herself to deny her.

"All right, Mum. We can have an engagement party," Ginny surrendered. She was unsure of the consequences of this action, but the genuine smile on her mother's face would not allow her to regret it.

-

Ginny hurried into the bathroom and shut the door quickly. Once the lock snapped into place, she sighed with relief. She was done greeting guests and smiling at everyone. Her mother had gotten carried away with the engagement party, and she had gathered every distant relative and family friend to come to the party only two days following Harry's proposal. They had rented a large catering hall that was packed to capacity, and Ginny was soon feeling suffocated.

In the precious silence and serenity of the lavish bathroom, Ginny took several deep breaths and examined her reflection in the mirror. Her red hair was bright as ever and spun into beautifully wavy curls that cascaded down a slight ways below her shoulders. The sapphire blue cocktail dress she was wearing complemented her porcelain complexion perfectly. She looked incredible.

But upon closer inspection, her eyes did not seem to match the rest of her disposition. She stared at them in the mirror, wondering why her heart didn't seem to respond to the sheer joy surrounding her. She couldn't shake the feeling of hesitation. The feeling that she didn't know if she was doing the right thing anymore. Why this feeling had come upon her, she couldn't even say.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Ginny? Are you in there?" Hermione called tentatively. Ginny closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. She plastered a big smile on her face before unlocking the door.

"What's up?" Ginny asked, trying to look as normal as possible. Hermione clearly didn't buy it.

"Harry is looking for you. He wants to make a toast. What's wrong, Ginny?" Ginny did her best to look confused.

"What? Nothing. I'm fine," she replied too quickly. Hermione stared at her for a moment, trying to analyze Ginny's eyes for truth. But Ginny's shields were up, and nothing beyond her smile was visible.

Ginny stood beside Harry while he made his speech. It was lengthy, and quite dull from Ginny's perspective. But she smiled at the right times and nodded agreeably when the situation required it. It was her duty to support her soon-to-be husband. When he had stopped talking, Ginny raised her glass of champagne and toasted along with everyone else. She downed her drink in one gulp and tried to smile back when Harry looked at her.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked, his forehead wrinkling with concern. Ginny nodded and touched his hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it," she insisted quietly, deliberately avoiding a direct response. Harry eyed her uncertainly. "I'm just exhausted," Ginny lied. "I think I'm going to head out early and get some rest."

"Are you sure, Ginny? I can get Hermione to go with you," Harry suggested. Ginny shook her head and kissed his cheek.

"I'll be fine, Harry. Call me tomorrow, okay?" Harry nodded reluctantly and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. Ginny muttered quick good byes to her guests before disapparating home. She walked into her house and tossed her keys onto the coffee table. They clattered loudly against the wood, but Ginny barely heard. She felt as though she was floating somewhere outside her body, watching her life roll by. Something was wrong. And she needed to analyze where she had gone so wrong. Closing her eyes, it was painfully clear when things had started to take a turn for the worse.

Ginny pulled her dress over her head and stepped into a pair of black sweatpants and a green t-shirt. She stepped outside onto the front porch and gratefully breathed in the cool, fresh air of the night. She wandered across the porch and sat on the old porch swing: her favorite place to sit and think.

The moon seemed to make the world around her glow a bluish color, and it danced across the glassy surface of the pond in the valley below. It reminded her of Hogwarts, and she half-expected a tentacle belonging to the Giant Squid to break the serenity of the pond. She missed Hogwarts. There was no doubt about that. If she could go back, she would in an instant. Everything was right when she was at Hogwarts. Even when everything was wrong, everything was still somehow right.

Ginny closed her eyes and tried to go back in time. Back to a time when she actually knew what she was doing. When things weren't so complex. She tried to convince herself that she was doing what was best by marrying Harry, but a nagging doubt was whispering to her that no one else would ever fill the void in her heart. Ginny was so lost in thought, she didn't hear someone approach and climb the stairs onto the porch.

"Shouldn't you be at your engagement party?" A deep voice asked. Ginny's eyes flew open and she stared at the man before her. She blinked several times, so sure that she was imagining things. How could he be standing there? Why was he standing there?

His blonde hair hung in his cool gray eyes, and he had his hands shoved in the pockets of dark blue muggle jeans. His black t-shirt only made his eyes that much brighter, and he examined her carefully with that penetrating gaze that Ginny had always found discomforting and exhilarating at the same time.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in disbelief.

"Good to see you too, love," he smirked. Ginny could not respond right away. His presence had caught her off-guard. And now that she could no longer pass him off as a figment of her imagination, Ginny found her throat to be inexplicably dry.

"You're alive?" She managed to choke out.

"Unless we're both dead," he replied wryly. Ginny couldn't respond to his sarcasm. She was still blown away by the fact that he was standing right there in front of her.

"How?"

"I've been asking myself the same question."

"What are you doing here, Draco?" Ginny asked finally. Her soft brown eyes met his hard silver stare and time seemed to stand still. Memories flooded through Ginny's mind, forcing her blood to sprint rapidly through her veins.

"What makes you think that I want something from you?" He countered silkily. Ginny rolled her eyes and remained where she was on the porch swing, even though he dared to step a little closer.

"Why else would you have sought me out?"

"You don't believe in curious coincidences?" He asked with that ugly smirk still on his lips. Ginny sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

"Is it because of this?" She held up her hand. The diamond engagement ring caught the moonlight and sparkled. The smirk disappeared from Draco's face as his eyes abandoned hers and fixed on the ring.

"So you and Potter are finally tying the knot. Why should that matter to me?" He sneered coldly. Ginny pinned him with a knowing look.

"You tell me," she replied quietly. Draco's gaze returned to her face. She watched him as he examined every feature on her face, as if he was committing it to memory. He took a step towards her, and Ginny stiffened. He was not blind to this, and he shook his head in despair.

"I'm sure you and Potter will be very happy together," he muttered in a strange voice before turning on his heel and walking away. Before Ginny knew what she was doing, she had jumped up from the porch swing and ran after him. She caught him by the arm several feet down the front walk.

"Why, Draco? Why did you come back? I haven't seen or heard from you in five years. Why now?" Ginny demanded. Her voice was thick with passion and regret. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Ginny's jaw dropped.

"Why didn't I wait for you? Draco, you were gone for five years! I thought you were dead! Thousands of unidentified bodies were found during the war. I thought you had been killed! You never wrote me!"

"I couldn't, Ginny! I might have ended up in that common grave if I did," Draco shot back, losing his temper. Ginny's cheeks flushed red with indignation.

"You could have told me you were going to disappear off the face of the earth. What happened? Did you get scared of commitment or something? You know, I'll bet that you and Remus never even discussed that mission you went off on after the war ended. I'll bet you were just terrified of actually having to be with me, so you made an excuse and got the hell out of there."

"I had been captured, Ginny!" Draco thundered, revisiting a time in his past that he had worked so hard to suppress. Ginny froze.

"What?"

"I didn't write you because I had been captured. Just outside Oxford." There was a silence, in which Ginny debated whether or not to question him further. He was breathing heavily and avoiding eye contact with her. His expression looked tortured and beaten down. Ginny's heart ached for him and she reached out to touch his face comfortingly. He backed away from her shaking his head.

"I held up my end of the bargain, Ginny," Draco said quietly. "You're the one who didn't wait." Ginny's eyes filled with tears at this accusation.

"How can you blame me for this, Draco? I thought you were dead!" Ginny cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"Didn't take very long for you to move on, did it?" Draco asked sharply. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Daily Prophet article about the engagement. He began to read aloud. "Ginny Weasley, daughter of Arthur and Molly Weasley, began seeing Harry Potter just a few months after the fall of You-Know-Who. Friends and family say they have been inseparable ever since." Ginny shook her head.

"It's not true," she said softly.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"It's not true!" Ginny shouted. "I made Harry wait two years before I let him even take me out to dinner. I waited two years to see if you would come back. When you didn't come back by then, I was sure that you were gone for good." Draco shook his head and looked away from her.

"You do believe me, don't you?" Ginny asked. Draco sighed and glanced down into her eyes. Then he shook his head again.

"You can't marry Potter." Ginny was rendered speechless by his demand. She blinked as though making sure it was real.

"Draco, it's too late."

"Did you say 'I do?'"

"You can't just waltz into my life after all these years and expect me to drop everything and run!" Ginny exploded furiously.

"Why the hell not? You're obviously not happy!" Draco retorted.

"You think I'm unhappy?"

"Instead of enjoying your engagement party, you're sitting alone on a porch swing in the middle of the night. That doesn't spell euphoria to me!" Draco snapped.

"I was just feeling a little overwhelmed! I've had a busy week."

"Are you happy?" Draco asked, dismissing her excuse with a roll of his eyes.

"Well, I-"

"It's a yes or no question, Ginny. Are you happy?" Silence fell between the two of them as they both stared at each other with determination. Finally, Ginny took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Yes," she replied confidently. Draco watched her for a long moment, his eyes calculating hers for any sign of a lie. He dropped her gaze when he discovered that it was as unreadable as it had always been.

"Then I suppose I have nothing more to say," he said quietly. He gave her a final nod and walked away. Ginny watched him leave, feeling an irrational urge to go after him. But she stayed where she was and watched him disappear into the night.

"Ginny, are you all right?" Hermione's voice asked from behind her. Ginny jumped and turned around quickly.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just…taking a walk."

"Ginny, you look so pale. Come in and I'll make us some tea," Hermione offered. Ginny glanced over her shoulder once more, vaguely hoping to see Draco again. But he was gone.

Hermione immediately began boiling water for the tea while Ginny collapsed on the couch. She rubbed her temples with her fingers, willing the memories to the back of her mind where they had been residing for the past five years. But they refused to relocate. They remained on her eyelids when she shut them. His words whispered in her ears, as clear as though he were sitting right beside her.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, setting a teacup before Ginny. "Don't tell me it's nothing, because I know it isn't. Harry is worried about you." Ginny sighed. Harry. He had no idea. None of them did.

"I don't really want to talk about it, Hermione," Ginny answered truthfully. Hermione looked as though she wanted to protest, but then thought better of it.

"Harry just wants to know that you'll be all right."

"I'll work it out eventually," Ginny replied vaguely. "I just need to think about things."

"Are you still going to marry him?" Hermione asked nervously. Ginny could tell that her friend had begun her inquiry with the intent to find out the answer to that one dangerous question.

"Of course, I am," Ginny replied. "What I need to think about isn't anything that serious. But it needs to be dealt with nevertheless." Hermione was clearly relieved, and she got to her feet.

"Well, you can always talk to me, Ginny. I'm here when you need me. But I have to get home to Ron," she said, turning slightly pink at the cheeks.

"Thanks, Hermione."

"You're still going to help me plan my wedding, right?"

"Absolutely," Ginny replied, forcing a smile. "Just let me know when."

"I'll call you," Hermione nodded. "Good night, Ginny."

"Night," She sighed. Once Hermione had gone, Ginny collapsed into sobs. She couldn't understand why she needed to cry. She just did. Sniffling, she stumbled into her room and made her way to the closet. She dug through her pile of shoes and found a cardboard box labeled "Hogwarts Stuff."

Ginny slid a finger under the tape sealing the lid. It opened easily, and Ginny smiled distantly at what was inside. A picture of the Gryffindor Quidditch team before it had fallen apart after her fifth year. Notes that Ginny and Luna had passed during History of Magic. Pictures that Fred and George had drawn depicting Professor Umbridge as temperamental toad. A scrap of fabric from Ginny's Quidditch robes. The only A+ Ginny had received in Advanced Placement Charms. Ginny paused when she had emptied most of the box. Only two items remained at the very bottom. A single rose, just as red as it had been on the day it had been received, but the petals were sealed shut as they had been for years. And a piece of parchment covered entirely in slanted writing.

She conjured herself a glass of wine before reading a single word. She held the letter in her hands, feeling the impressions where the quill had been pressed exceptionally hard into the parchment. The slightest trace of his scent wafted to her nose, taking her back to a time she had promised herself she'd never revisit. But it was too late. The wheels had already been set into motion, and she had started down a path with no hope of returning.