Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would eat expensive chocolate every day. I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm thinking it might be for the best in this case.
Author's Note: So, I'm not updating next week, as I've explained to some, due to fall break and the gradual burn-out of this writer. Thanks for your understanding, and to show my appreciation, this is a longer chapter than usual. Yay!
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Draco did not sleep well. Thoughts of a certain Ginevra Weasley plagued his mind, and no matter what he did, he couldn't shut her out. He was afraid to sleep because if he was having this much trouble with his conscious mind, who knows what his subconscious would do.
Still, a hot shower had the circles fading from under his eyes and he made sure to comb his hair neatly and then dressed in a pair of black trousers and a light-blue oxford. Once he was satisfied that the clothes would detract from his pale complexion, he walked downstairs.
To his surprise, Dumbledore was sitting in the kitchen with Sirius, Kingsley, Snape, and Lupin.
"Ah, Draco," said the Headmaster, smiling at him. "I was hoping you would be awake. Remus has just gotten back from Prague and he has some interesting news to share."
Draco pulled out a chair next to Snape and sat. Bill walked in from the kitchen holding a pot of coffee, which he set in front of Kingsley. He gave Draco a quick smile, but for some reason it seemed forced. Draco chalked it up to stress from the baby. He turned to Lupin.
"Prague," he said. "I'm assuming you were looking into the Maruska family."
The tired-looking man raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yes," he said.
"Which book did you pull that name from?" asked Dumbledore, not appearing surprised at all.
"Hogwarts: A Dark History," said Draco.
"I've never heard of that one," said Remus.
"Because it is contraband," said Dumbledore. "Still, it makes for excellent rainy day reading. I was always partial to chapter four myself."
Draco smirked. The alleged relationship between Slytherin's grandson and Gryffindor's grandniece was quite controversial. Some who believed the tale also believed that Shakespeare had been told the story by a wandering gypsy woman and had written 'Romeo and Juliet' based off of the account.
"Yes," Dumbledore continued. "I sent Remus to discover if the rumor, that the Maruska's had been members of the famous raiding party of 1536. The headmaster at the time allowed a group of gypsies to stay at the school because of a treacherous storm. The gypsies were actually a band of infamous thieves, who boasted that they could steal anything, including artifacts from Hogwarts. They ransacked the treasure room and made their escape. Most were apprehended, but a few slipped away with several items. The Maruska's had several close friends implicated and so suspicion fell on them as well, but nothing was every proven."
"And that was when Hufflepuffs cup went missing," said Draco.
"Precisely," said Dumbledore. "I am positive that Voldemort discovered its location and turned it into a Horcrux; however, with his fall, the cup was lost. It is not inconceivable that the Maruskas would steal it back, for it is a valuable object in as of itself. It was rumored that Helga had placed powerful charms upon goblets, ones which could disable any potion placed inside, but also, after repeated use of the cup, make the drinker produce an immunity against most posions."
"It also had quite a bit of monetary value," said Draco. "I could see it sell on the black market for no less than twenty million galleons."
"That much?" asked Lupin.
"Twenty-five to thirty at an auction," said Draco, "but if it was advertised, it would just ask to be stolen."
"My thought as well," said Dumbledore. "An artifact such as that would not stay in the same hands for very long."
"Especially with the raids from the Aurors," said Draco.
"You mean the Aurors might have it in their possession?" asked Lupin.
Draco shook his head. "I'm talking about an Erus Feles, or a master thief. A raid by the Aurors is a perfect set up. The Aurors barge in, throw the family out, and start rummaging. While they are searching for dark objects, the Feles slips in. The thieves are usually hired by the neighbors, who are also into dark magic and know right where to look for the most valuable artifacts."
"But how would a thief know when the Aurors are going to raid?" asked Bill, speaking up for the first time, which Draco found out of character as well. He wondered if Bill was feeling alright.
"Because the neighbors are just as wealthy and affluent as the people they rob," said Draco. "It's easy, with that money, to get advanced notice of a raid, especially when you're not interested in a raid on your own home."
"So, we need to figure out who's been robbing who," said Sirius.
"It's more complicated than that," said Draco. "Sometimes the thieves run with the goods, which is a risky move, but not unheard of. My guess is that happened with the cup."
"How so?" queried Dumbledore.
Draco shrugged. "The Parkinson's have two Trojan doors. The original owners were the Cassius family, which died out in the 1800's. The doors have switched hands eighteen times since then. The Nott's have the last portrait of Rowena Ravenclaw stolen from the Armedes Art Gallery, but again, the painting has been bouncing back and forth for five decades. I would know if something as big as Hufflepuffs cup was circling around the Pureblood circle in England."
"How would we include the thieves in our search?" asked Kingsley. "I could have them dragged into the Auror's office for inquisition, but I don't think they would talk."
"There is a list," said Draco. "It's not entirely intact, so you can only find a thief for a house from the potion's dealer in Knockturn Alley, the art gallery specialists in the Hogshead, and so on. It offers a little more security that way."
"Will we have to inquire after all of them?" asked Bill.
Draco shook his head. "The cup would have been under heavy wards. Some of the security on these hidden safes is staggering, and it can take a few raids to actually get the safe open. Not to mention, the job does require a good amount of stealth. The Aurors are everywhere, and they could walk in without any notice at all. There are only a handful of thieves who could do that."
"And you are one of them," said Severus.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"You talk as if the job is exciting, and you know far too much about it. Don't tell me you've never tried," said Snape, the only other Slytherin in the room, which might explain why he read Draco so well.
Draco flushed. "I may have been interested in the career when I was younger. It made dinner parties more bearable."
Bill shook his head. "Only you, Draco."
"So we should look into who may have owned the cup, and see if we can't at least pick up the trail," said Kingsley.
"And that should be the easy part. Once objects drop off, they don't easily reappear." Draco turned back to Severus. "I suppose the Dark Lord is stepping up his own hunt?"
"He is searching quite obsessively, but he hasn't confirmed that it is the cup he is looking for," said Snape. "He's even been raiding the homes of Purebloods."
"Well, at least he's completely clueless too," said Bill.
"I could start compiling a list of thieves who could pull off a heist like this," said Draco. "I'm not exactly up-to-date, but it's a start."
"We've got lists at the Auror HQ as well," said Kingsley. "We can cross reference them."
Draco nodded. "Good. We should also look into families who could afford the cup. It may have been purchased a few times and there are only fourteen families who could drop that much without financial assistance."
"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "We'll get started immediately, right after breakfast."
Draco shot the old man a look, but then Mrs. Weasley bustled in, greeting the men and then continuing right on to the kitchen.
Draco wanted to say 'We could get started now', but he didn't think any of the men would agree with him.
"If you'll excuse me," said Snape, rising to his feet, "I've got a few potions brewing that need to be attended." He nodded to the table, returned the glare from Sirius, and then Flooed away. Draco was pretty sure the man was just beating a hasty retreat.
"Draco, how sure are you on the number of families who can afford the cup?" asked Kingsley and Draco turned to the Auror.
"Pretty sure," he said. "Of course, illegal tender would have to be taken into account. If so, than we should look into the Damian family, maybe the Mansfield's as well. That's sixteen, seventeen if you include me."
"I thought you were cut off," said Lupin.
"I am," said Draco. "But I had my own account which became mine when I turned seventeen and that was before the fact."
"So you can drop twenty-five to thirty million," said Sirius.
"No," said Draco. "I could spend twenty on it at a private sale. For the auction," he stopped and considered how well his investments had been doing, "I might have to take out a mortgage on my place in France." It would be a small mortgage though. He was doing quite well.
"You have a place in France?" asked Kingsley.
Draco shrugged. "It's an old family estate, nothing too large."
Dumbledore snorted. "I wouldn't call the Procella Ortus not too large. Quite a beautiful home. I visited your great-grandmother there once. Quite a capital woman."
Draco raised an eyebrow, surprised at the news, even though he shouldn't have been shocked at anything the old Headmaster did or said anymore.
"Oh, are we having an Order meeting?" asked Hermione, coming into the room with Harry and Ron.
"Just a before-breakfast information session," said Dumbledore. "We'll be having one tonight."
"Having what tonight?" asked Fred, coming in with his identical brother.
"Order meeting," said Ron.
"Excellent," said Fred.
"Means we'll have cake," said George.
Harry sat next to Draco. The boy-hero seemed to have taken it upon himself to socialize Draco into the family.
"How's the Parseltongue going?" he asked.
"Slowly," said Draco. "I don't suppose anyone has ever created a written language for it, have they?"
"There used to be one, back when it was more common, at least, that's what the snakes say. It died out though because no one spoke it anymore. Why?"
"I think I'll create one," said Draco. "Don't know if I'll ever speak it, but writing it shouldn't be too hard. I'll have to create a new alphabet, because s-r-l-s should be it's own letter it's used so often and I'll have to figure out the grammar syntax and punctuation, but after that's, it's pretty straight forward."
Harry looked at him. "You actually sound excited. There's something wrong with you."
"What's wrong with who?" asked Ginny, coming in with Charlie and her father. She sat across from Draco while Harry jerked his head towards him.
"He's wrong."
"Says the Boy-Who-Can't-Die," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, come now, boys. You have to learn to play nice," said Ginny. Draco ignored her to the best of his abilities. He had spent the entire night trying to convince himself and he had not kissed Ginevra Weasley and that she had not kissed him. Self-delusion was never his strong-point.
Fleur created a stir right then, to which he was grateful, by coming out into the dining room, holding Lukas in her arms. There was a loud hail from the table, several people clamoring to hold the baby.
"Settle down," said Bill, mock-glaring at them all. He took the baby and kissed Fleur on the lips. Mr. Weasley pulled out a chair for her.
"Thank you," said Fleur, sitting down.
"Now," said Bill, "who hasn't had the chance to hold Lukas?"
The twins raised their hands, but Bill just rolled his eyes. "Harry," he said, "do you want to?"
"I don't want to drop him, or anything," said Harry.
"You won't," said Bill. He placed the baby in Harry's arms and Draco scooted farther away.
"Hey," said Harry softly to the infant. He rocked the baby, getting an idiotic grin on his face. Hermione was smiling as well, watching her boyfriend holding the child.
"Iiich," the baby grunted and everyone 'aww'ed. Draco rolled his eyes, glad when Mrs. Weasley came back out with the food and Bill took the baby back to Fleur. He may have been the godfather, but that didn't mean he was going to fawn over the thing.
He poured himself a cup of coffee as the usual breakfast chaos set in.
"Harry, pass the eggs, would you, dear?"
"Oy, Fred, cut it out, would you?"
"Charlie, toast please."
"Fred, what did I just say?"
"I'm George."
"Charlie, could you pass the toast?"
"Tornado's may not win this year, did you see the pre-match?"
"But he got off because the Aurors, when they took him in, didn't immediately cast the Prior Incantum on his wand. His lawyer said that the Aurors could have cast it in the meantime, but we all know Evans is a sneaky bastard-,"
"Ginny!"
"Charlie! Toast? Thanks."
"Sorry."
"We'll it's mostly cleaned up. They're just re-setting the wards now."
That was Kingsley and Draco tuned into that conversation.
"Although," the Auror continued, "we've stolen the warders away from your school, sorry about that Albus. It looks like it might be a long Christmas break after all."
"Ah yes," lamented Dumbledore, "the children will be so devastated." His eyes twinkled.
"When will the Ministry open back up for business?" asked Lupin.
"The lower offices have already been open, and the rest should follow in three days or less. After that, it's just a few minor details."
"Like getting the plumbing working," said Mr. Weasley. "We have to Floo out to find a working toilet."
Ah, yes, Draco had nearly forgotten that the Weasley patriarch was now overseeing the Muggle Artifacts Office.
"Arthur, that hardly breakfast conversation," Mrs. Weasley scolded.
Kingsley laughed, a deep, booming laugh. "He makes a good point though, Molly. Fudge's private restroom is already up and running, in fact, it was up before the fifth floor had lights."
"How about your Headquarters?" asked Lupin.
"We're fully restored, and not hindered at all. That's what's good about having a secondary office. Still, some of the other departments aren't so lucky and shifts are extended, some even to Christmas Eve."
"That's not right at all," said Mrs. Weasley. "Making those poor people work on a holiday."
"The Aurors are pulling double shifts on Christmas," said Kingsley. "With Voldemort not caring much about holidays, we're afraid he might try something, crush morale and such."
"You don't really think-?" Mr. Weasley started, but Kingsley nodded gravely.
"Still," said Mrs. Weasley, with forced cheer. "We don't know for certain. Let's not be looking for a storm."
About every conversation ended just then and there was a pleasant lull. Draco liked the quiet.
Ginny tapped his leg under the table and he turned, eyebrow raised. He didn't exactly want to talk to her just then.
"You know, Draco," she said, "if you were waiting for a perfect time to ask my dad for permission to date me, now is as good as ever."
Every head whipped towards the middle of the table where Ginny sat across from him. Draco stared, as did the rest of the diners. The Weasley brothers were completely frozen; Fred and George were holding their forks half-way to their mouths.
Draco managed to recover relatively quickly from the shock.
"I don't want to date you," he told her.
"Don't be ridiculous," said Ginny.
Draco looked from her to Bill who was shifting uncomfortably. Draco put down his fork and ran a hand through his hair.
"Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley stiffly, "what's this?"
"Draco and I want to go out," said Ginny, giving her mother a smile.
"Absolutely not!" Fred exclaimed, dropping his fork onto his plate. George followed suit.
"Over our dead bodies!" he cried.
"Fred, George," said Ginny, "shut it."
"You're not dating a Malfoy, Gin," said Fred.
"Yeah, so it's Malfoy, but he's a Malfoy," said George.
"Way to sound not prejudiced," said Ginny, rolling her eyes.
"It's Malfoy," they chorused.
"Boys, please," said Mr. Weasley, trying for some semblance of control. "Ginny, this isn't funny."
"I'm not joking," said Ginny. "Draco and I want to go out."
"You want to go out," said Draco. "You do; not me."
"Way to be a man," said Ginny.
"It's just that this is rather sudden," said Mrs. Weasley, her voice sounding somewhat faint. Her hand was at her throat and she was glancing towards her husband, as if asking that he do something.
"Draco and I went to the Halloween dance together," said Ginny shrugging.
"You did what?" Fred and George yelped.
"You went with him?" Mrs. Weasley demanded.
"Yes, I went with Draco," said Ginny. "What's even worse is that I asked him to the dance."
"You did what?"
"You asked him?"
"You didn't even write to tell us? What if something had happened!"
"Nothing happened, mum."
"Ron, did you know about this?" Mrs. Weasley demanded of her youngest son, and then the chaos started again, this time ten-times worse. Lupin looked distinctly uncomfortable, Kingsley looked endlessly amused, and Dumbledore twinkled at them all.
"Really, it wasn't that big of a deal, mum."
"You're supposed to be watching out for your sister."
"You are not dating him."
"Oh, come off it."
"I'm actually with Ginny on this one."
"Thanks Harry."
"Now, don't you give her any ideas, Wonder-boy."
"Hey! That was completely uncalled for."
"Ginny, I'm just saying that this is sudden."
"It's not the suddenness we're worried about."
"I'm not worried about what you're worried about. I can date who I damn well please."
"Ginny!"
"I'm sixteen, mum."
"Yeah, like that makes a difference."
"Ron dated Lavender Brown for Merlin's sake. The girl who thought she was pregnant last year!"
"Wait, seriously?"
"Ginny, that's not the point."
"Why don't you let her explain?"
"Thanks Charlie."
"Ginny, have you really thought about this?"
Draco closed his eyes briefly at the noise and took a breath. He reopened them and turned to Mr. Weasley who wasn't joining in the general chaos.
Mr. Weasley jerked his head and stood. Draco scooted his chair back and followed Mr. Weasley into the living-room-turned-nursery. The table fell silent behind them, and then Draco shut the door.
Mr. Weasley crossed to the window, staring out, his hands crossed behind his back. Draco shifted, letting his fingers fly along their pattern. Mr. Weasley turned.
"You want to date my daughter," he said.
Draco hesitated for a split second, but then nodded. "Yes," he said, not fully deciding until the word was out of his mouth. Yes, this was most likely going to end horribly, but she wouldn't stay out of his head. Maybe this way he could get over her. Besides, the entire table already voiced their opinions on the matter, they might have well voiced them for a reason.
"It doesn't sound like it."
"It's a little…complicated," said Draco, wincing once the words were out of his mouth.
"Would you care to explain it to me then?" asked Mr. Weasley. "Because I'm not letting you out of this room until you tell me exactly what is happening between you and my daughter and I swear, if I don't like what you are saying, you are leaving this house, do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir," said Draco, the 'sir' just seeming to fit in this situation.
"So explain why you told my daughter you didn't want to date her."
Draco swallowed, forcing his fingers to slow down, tapping out his pattern deliberately as he spoke.
"I haven't had a relationship with anyone like your daughter before," he said. "It's not that I don't find Ginny's company enjoyable, but I've generally left her type of girl alone."
"Why is that?"
Draco winced again, but he knew that, as a Gryffindor and a father, Arthur Weasley was looking for honesty and he must already know the truth. "I've usually gone for girls who were more interested in the benefits of dating, other than the relationship itself."
"So you've been playing around," said Mr. Weasley, not giving him an inch. "And now you want me to let you date my daughter. Why?"
"Because I'm interested in her," said Draco, the words coming out easier than he thought. "She's funny, she's smart, and she needs someone who can keep up with her. Also because she seems to have this weird liking for me and she won't take 'no' for an answer. Believe me, I've tried."
"You've tried telling her no and now you're what? Just giving in?"
"I've tried saying 'no' because I don't think we're going to make the best of couples."
"So she's not the right girl for you?"
"In a sense," said Draco, "yes. The other side of that is that I'm not right for her. I haven't been particularly nice for most of my life and I don't get along with most people. She is and does. I've tried to tell her that."
"So if you do date her, you're not even going to try to make it work?"
"No, I will," said Draco. "But that also means I'm not going to force myself to change all my ways just for her. I'm interested, but that's it."
"Good," said Mr. Weasley. "You're too young for binding promises of love anyway. Now, you do understand that Ginny is a good girl and I'm not going to let you pressure her into doing anything she doesn't feel comfortable with, right?"
"I like who Ginny is and I'm not going to change that," said Draco.
"And I'm supposed to believe you?"
"Yes," said Draco.
Mr. Weasley gave a small smile. "Fair enough. I suppose that this is the part that I threaten you with bodily harm if you hurt her, but I think you can fill in the blanks."
"Yes, sir."
"One last question. Your second year, what happened?"
Arthur Weasley seemed to be waiting for something, and Draco could tell that this question had more importance than most of the others, but he didn't know why.
"Are you referring to the Dark Lord reopening the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked.
Mr. Weasley seemed to relax, as if a weight was lifted. "It was Ginny's first year," he said. "She's younger than you, still sixteen and while you are ready for a career after this, she still has school and she will stay in school. None of this new-fangled trend of leaving school for a boyfriend, got it?"
"Yes, sir," said Draco, feeling as if there was another reason for the question, but he couldn't tell what.
"Good," said Mr. Weasley. "You have my permission to date my daughter. We'll be moving you to the third floor because while you are living in the same house, I don't have to like the idea of you sharing a bathroom or being able to sneak into each other's rooms, understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, send in Ginny."
Draco nodded and left the room. Ginny was waiting outside and Draco nodded to the door. She slipped in and he leaned against the wall, watching as the door closed behind her. He wondered what he had just got himself into.
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Ginny closed the door and gave her dad a hesitant smile. He didn't return it.
"Ginny," he said seriously, "the only reason I am even remotely allowing this is because he doesn't know what happened your first year."
Ginny nodded.
"The other only reason is that he seems to be level-headed and isn't love-crazed like some of the other boy's you've brought home. The third only reason is that you seem to be set on him."
Ginny gave her dad a small smile. "He's so cute, I have to date him."
She watched her dad pause for a second before registering that she was joking. He gave a tired smile.
"Did it really have to be Draco Malfoy of all people?"
"You do realize that his father would being saying the rough equivalent of that, if he wasn't disowned, that is."
Maybe not the best of ideas to bring up Lucius Malfoy, she thought as her dad frowned, getting that murderous look in his eye that only the Malfoy patriarch could bring out. She wondered how much of it was from old grudges and how much was because Lucius Malfoy had slipped her the diary of Thomas Marvolo Riddle.
She walked over to her dad and gave him a hug.
"Draco's a nice guy," she said.
"That's not what he told me."
"He's being modest."
A slight paused and then both of them laughed.
"Alright," she said, pulling away, "so not being modest. He just likes to think that he still has the whole 'bad boy' persona going on. He's rather proud of being in Slytherin."
"Are you sure you want to date him then?"
"Dad, he's the hottest guy in school, filthy rich even without his father's money, and on top of that, he's a genius. He's every girl's dream come true."
Again, sometimes her dad didn't always understand when she was joking. He got that concerned furrow of his brow.
"I just want to make sure that he makes you happy and that you're not just dating him to make the other girls jealous."
"Dad," she said, "I like him, really."
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. You know, Ginny, you never needed my approval. I do trust you to make your own decisions. You're a smart girl and I'm very proud of you."
Ginny kissed her dad on the cheek. "Thank you."
"Just be careful."
"Promise," said Ginny, backing towards the door.
"And don't let him do anything that you're not comfortable with because some guys only have one thing on their mind."
"Dad!"
"I'm just saying, Ginny."
"I'm leaving now," said Ginny shaking her head. She made it to the door and opened it, trying to stifle her laughter. She stopped when she saw Draco.
He was leaning against the wall, arms loosely crossed and his hair was falling into his face. Merlin, he looked good.
"Hey," she said.
"So what's the verdict?" asked Draco.
He sounded as if he didn't care, but Ginny didn't base her assumptions on how he sounded, or how he looked. He wasn't an expressive person, and so she judged him by what he did and what he said, or didn't say. Draco had talked with her father, and from the sound of it, defended a position on how he wanted to date her.
She smiled. "My dad's fine with it."
"I doubt that."
"Alright, maybe not fine with it, but he's going to let us date."
His eyebrow rose fractionally, as if surprised. "I suppose we might as well make this official then. I'm working with Dumbledore and Kingsley at the moment, but I should have some time free after lunch. Would your parents let you out of the house?"
"Yes, as long as we're not gone long."
"Was there something in particular you wanted to do?"
She understood what that line meant. She kneew that Draco was usually the initiator of a relationship, deciding where they would go and when. Draco could read his other girlfriends, knew what they wanted, but he wasn't sure with her. He was still a little wary.
"Let's go to Muggle London," she said. "You can buy me some ice cream."
Two reasons for Muggle London. One, her parents wouldn't exactly be thrilled to let her loose in the Wizarding world when Death Eaters were running about. Two, Draco probably didn't want their relationship displayed on every newspaper the next day. They were both rather conspicuous, what with their hair color, and Draco was already a bit of a celebrity because of his disownment and because the children who had been rescued after the Hogwarts attacked told of Draco's involvement in the escape. Ginny wanted him to enjoy the date, not dodge reporters, even if that meant she couldn't show him off.
Third reason, there was an adorable ice cream parlor just down the road from the Leaky Cauldron and they had an amazing blend of flavors.
Draco nodded, and she could see his shoulders relax slightly. Muggle London was the right pick.
"Great," she said, knowing that she was grinning like an idiot. She managed to calm the smile down. "After lunch. See you then."
She immediately went upstairs and grabbed Hermione from the drawing room. "I need your help." She pulled her into her room and threw open her closet doors. Hermione took a seat on her bed.
"I can't believe you're actually dating Draco Malfoy."
"What?" asked Ginny. "Didn't think it could be done?"
"Honestly? No."
Ginny laughed, but then stopped after she looked through her wardrobe.
"I have nothing to wear," she said. She groaned and tugged at a strand of her hair. "Mione, what am I going to wear?"
"What about the ivory shirt you just bought?"
"We're walking around Muggle London."
"So something warmer then."
"Yeah."
"Well, you bought that blue long-sleeved shirt, and that looks darling on you."
"But I can't wear something I just bought. It'll look like I'm trying too hard."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Because I can't be too interested in him, you know? He's so emotionally cool that I can't express the fact that I'm completely ecstatic to even be walking with him."
Hermione grinned. "You have it bad for him, don't you?"
Ginny groaned as she felt her cheeks burn up. She covered her face with her hands until she could feel the red fading. She looked at Hermione.
"I don't want to scare him off."
"He's faced down Voldemort. I doubt a girl is going to send him running."
Ginny fell silent, remembering when he had kissed her, when she had kissed him.
"Ginny, what?" asked Hermione.
"Promise not to tell?" she asked.
"Always," said Hermione.
"Okay then," said Ginny. She joined Hermione on the bed and quickly related what had happened the other day, her cheeks flaming as she did so.
"He did what?" Hermione had demanded as she tried to gloss over the fact that he had taken her bra off.
"He was trying to tell me not to date him," said Ginny. "He told me that I was in over my head, that he shouldn't get involved with me, but I wouldn't listen. So he proved it to me."
"Then what?" asked Hermione.
"He left, I cried, and then I went to confront him late that night and kissed him, just to prove that he did want to date me."
"You initiated a kiss with Draco Malfoy?"
"I had him up against a wall and everything," said Ginny.
"Are you serious?" Hermione exclaimed, looking half-awed, half-mortified.
"Completely," said Ginny.
"Wow," said Hermione. She fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "You do realize you have one of the most messed-up relationships and you just started today?"
"Yeah," said Ginny. She waited, wondering if Hermione was going to disapprove.
Hermione looked up at her. "So he must be a really good kisser than, right? To get your bra off and you didn't even notice?"
Ginny laughed, grabbing a pillow to hide her face because her face was scarlet even though she was smiling so hard it hurt. She peered out and nodded.
"Amazing kisser," she said. "Incredible. The room spun and I saw stars and everything."
Hermione squealed happily, as only teenaged girls can, and Ginny buried her face in the pillow again. She looked up a few minutes later.
"Okay, on a serious note," she said, "I really have nothing to wear."
By lunch she had found the perfect outfit. Draco was eating with Dumbledore and Kingsley in the study as they picked over a few names, and it was probably for the best. Her brothers were all at the table in silence, staring at her.
"You aren't seriously dating him, are you?" asked Fred.
"Because it would be just like you to plan this elaborate joke," said George.
"She's not joking," said Ron, taking a sip of juice. Ron wasn't against the relationship; he just wasn't completely for it.
"Mate, seems to me you ought to be a little more upset," said Fred.
"Yeah, I mean, you can't stand the git," said George.
"And the git saved my life," said Ron. "I'm not thrilled, but he's alright."
Fred and George looked to each other, shifting uncomfortably as they remembered.
"Right, so maybe he's not so bad," George allowed and Fred nodded.
"He isn't," said Harry. "And he has the sweetest car ever. Convertible."
"Malfoy has a car?" asked Fred.
"What kind?" asked George.
"Cadillac," said Harry. "Picked me up from my house before school started and we got chased by Death Eaters through London."
"Wait, that was you?" asked Ron. The event had been reported in the news. "You didn't tell me."
"Draco threatened me," said Harry, "but I figure Ginny will protect me."
Ginny shot him a grin.
"Arthur," said her mum to her dad as he was staying home today; Ginny thought he might be staying just to make sure everything went well. "Arthur, I don't know if I like the idea of an automobile. Those are pretty dangerous."
"We're just walking around town," said Ginny. "Getting ice cream and what not."
"Ice cream in this weather?" asked her mum. "I don't want you catching a cold."
"And you also don't want me dating Draco," snapped Ginny, getting fed up with the attention. She saw her mother look down, pursing her lips, and she sighed. "I promise, mum, best behavior from both of us. And let's not forget I can handle myself. I did get him with the Bat-Boogey my fourth year."
Her mum looked to Bill. "You do vouch for him?"
"I shouldn't think he needed to be vouched for anymore," said Bill. Ginny knew he disapproved of all the questioning as well.
"Trusting him to live here is one thing," said her mother. "Trusting him to date your sister is another. Let's not forget, it was his fa-,"
Draco stepped into the room from the hall and her mother fell silent. Ginny didn't think Draco heard, but he must have known they were talking about him because his expression was too blank and his cheeks faintly flushed.
"I'm just," he said, gesturing for the stairs, as if he had to explain himself. He looked to Ginny. "About ready?" he asked, avoiding everyone else's gaze.
She nodded. "Five minutes?"
He nodded as well and then walked quickly through the room and to the stairs. Once he was out of sight Ginny turned back to glare at her family.
"Thanks," she said. She got up. "I'm going to brush my teeth and grab my coat. How about you don't all wait for us to get back?"
She ran up the stairs to brush her hair one more time and then brush her teeth. Draco was just coming out of the bathroom as she started for it and there was an awkward moment of passing, a half-smile on her part and a brief nod on his. Ginny winced once he had gone.
She made sure she was presentable before she went down. She had to admit, Hermione was right. The clingy white v-neck, paired with the jeans and her light brown coat looked perfect together with the right accessories and her hair was actually cooperating today with just the right amount of curls. Hermione had helped with her make-up as well. Mascara, a sea-blue eyeliner to bring out her eyes, and lip gloss. She looked pretty, but in a casual, I-didn't-try-at-all way.She ran downstairs after shoving her shoes on, sensible dark-blue tennis shoes. They would be walking after all.
"Ginny, grab a hat and some gloves in case you get cold," her mum called.
"I'm fine," said Ginny.
Draco was waiting for her by the door. He had changed as well, into jeans and a grey sweater. The clothes were casual but they must have cost a fortune because they fit him perfectly. He was wearing a black coat over it, again the fine fit betraying its expense, but Ginny wasn't fazed as other girls might have been.
She gave him a smile.
"Shall we?"
He gave a smirk, but it was a pleasant one, if that was at all possible. He opened the door for her and she stepped out.
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Again, no update next week, but it's a lovely place to pause, so how about leaving a review for the tired author, huh?