~Chapter Eleven~

Three months later Ginny and Draco were still avoiding each other, neither wanting to discuss the wedding or the events surrounding Christmas.  Draco still tutored Ginny in potions, but the topic never strayed from the work at hand.  Ginny and her mother were still making wedding plans, much to both their dismay.  Draco had kept his opinions to himself on the matter, leaving it up to Ginny, Molly, and his mother.

However, as much as Ginny had tried to avoid him, she still found herself working with him for one hour a week on potions in the dungeons.  Often they would work without talking, and when she was doing something wrong, Draco would give her a glare, signaling that her potion was headed toward disaster.  He would never actually tell her what she was doing wrong, he just assumed that she knew what she was doing wrong, often times leaving her extremely frustrated at the end of the lesson. 

Ginny pushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes and looked impatiently at her watch and then down the narrow street of Hogsmeade again.  With almost all the wedding plans in place, all that was left was to pick out her dress and the bridesmaid dresses.  After an argument with her mother about why she could not leave school to pick them out, she had agreed on the small yet nice shop she was standing in front of.  The only problem at the moment was that her mother was forty-five minutes late, and by the look of the sky, it was going to rain at any moment. 

When it started to rain a few minutes later, she retreated into the shop where a short, plump lady gave her a smile.  "You must be a Weasley…" She smiled.  "I'd recognize that red hair and those freckles anywhere… I knew your mother when she was in Hogwarts, you know."

Ginny gave the lady a forced smile.  "That's nice…" She didn't bother to mention the fact that her mother had made no reference to remembering the lady nor was this shop her mother's or Narcissa's first choice. 

"I'm Mrs. Harrison," the woman said, holding her hand out.  "I know I've heard your name before, but I just can't remember, I'm sorry."

Ginny was not the least surprised at this comment; no one ever remembered her name, only that she was a Weasley.  "Virginia," she supplied.  "But everyone calls me Ginny."

Mrs. Harrison nodded.  "Of course, now I remember.  Your mother told me that when she called to set up your appointment…you're marrying Draco Malfoy I hear?  Awful, those arranged marriages, aren't they?" She shook her head gently as idly arranged a few things on the table, constantly keeping up her chatter as she moved around the room.

Ginny sighed and looked out the window at the rain that was running down the windowpane.  She was already having a long day, and was in no mood for listening to someone babble, particularly about arranged marriages.

"When I heard I told my husband, 'that is just a shame, I'm sure she isn't happy with him.  What if she never is'?"  Mrs. Harrison paused and looked over at Ginny.  "What are you dear?  A size six maybe?"  She paused and then, not waiting for Ginny to answer, continued, "Of course I'm sure you've thought of that."  As she continued to talk she pulled dresses off of the rack and set them aside for Ginny to look at.  "What kind of dress were you thinking of?  I bet wedding dresses in green would be lovely…"

Ginny frowned slightly.  "No more green," she said abruptly.  "I don't want to see anymore green."  She brought her hand up to her forehead to rub her temple.  "Maybe something in a light blue?  Nothing ugly though, but I think the flowers are going to be a light yellow and I just thought that blue might-"

"Blue! What a beautiful color.  Blue would have been my next choice but never red, not next to that hair," the older woman continued as she moved around the room picking out dresses and setting them aside. 

Ginny couldn't help but smile at the woman as she flitted around the room looking at different dresses and quickly picking different things out.  She was, however, happy when the door opened and her mother rushed in, apologies already coming from her mouth.  "I'm so sorry I'm late, I laid down just to take a little nap and well…here I am," she laughed slightly and embraced her daughter who was still sitting down.  "How are you feeling?" She pulled back.

"Alright I guess," Ginny shrugged and looked over at Mrs. Harrison, and then lowered her voice.  "She loves to talk…let's just get this over with, alright?"

Molly smiled.  "Oh, you'll enjoy it."  She smoothed down her daughter's unruly curls and set down her purse.  "Now, have you tried anything on yet?"

Ginny shook her head.  "No, she's been pulling different dresses off the racks for me to try on…"

"Good, I'm glad I didn't miss anything," Molly replied as she looked around at the dresses which were set aside.  "Let's try some on then."

Mrs. Harrison who seemed to have finally realized that someone else had entered her shop suddenly came over.  "Molly! It's so good to see you!" She smiled.  "I was so happy when I heard the news, even though it isn't under the best circumstances, marriages are always a joyful occasion…"

"It's good to see you again too," Molly nodded with a friendly smile.  "We're making the best of it.  Ginny says that you have already picked out a few things for us to look at?  I think we were looking at something somewhat conservative…"

Mrs. Harrison smiled.  "I'm sure you'll find something here!" She ushered Ginny into a dressing room, after handing her a dress.  Before the door could close, Molly gave her daughter an apologetic look.

After the door had closed behind her, Ginny hung the dress up on a hook behind the door and looked at it for a moment.  The dress was elaborate with lace on the sleeves and collar.  She wrinkled her nose, already knowing that this would not be the dress she would choose.  Having a feeling that if she tried to hand it back Mrs. Harrison would tell her to try it anyway, she quickly unchanged and slid the dress on.  Once she had it on she looked into the mirror and was not surprised to find that it looked just as bad on her as it had on the hanger.  "I don't think so!" She called out through the door.  "It's not even worth showing you."  She continued to stare at herself in the mirror for a minute after her mother called back that if she passed the dress back out they would hand her another.  The image of her in a white wedding dress was almost too much for her to handle and she felt herself get choked up. "Right," she said swallowing, and quickly took it off and put it back on the hanger. 

The same process went on for dress after dress: Ginny would try it on, ultimately reject it, and send it back over the top of the door.  Each was either too frilly, too plain, the wrong style, the wrong fit, or wrong in some other way.  After two hours of trying dresses on she slumped down in a chair frustrated.  "I give up," she called over the door.

Even Mrs. Harrison's pleasant attitude had diminished somewhat, and she was sitting on a chair exhausted from running around the store pulling out dress after dress.  "Well, we still have a few more dear," she replied, her tone one of exhaustion.  "There has to be one here that you like.  Maybe if I knew more of what you were looking for…?" 

Ginny sighed.  "I told you, I don't know what I'm looking for," she said frustrated.  "Maybe we should just do this some other time."

Molly sighed as she finished putting another gown on a hanger.  "Ginny, we need to get this done today.  We've put it off long enough.  Now let's just try a few more on, I'm sure there will be one that you like." 

"Fine," Ginny grumbled, obviously now in a worse mood than when she had originally entered the shop.  "But only two more and then I'm through."

Looking at the dresses that were remaining, Molly chose the remaining two carefully.  "This one is very simple," she told Ginny as she handed it to her.

Closing the door behind her again, Ginny hung the dress up and studied it for a minute.  Out of all the dresses, she had to admit this was her favorite.  The dress was made out of silk, strapless, with a modest neckline and a sheer beaded coat that spread down to the end of the dress on top of it.  The actual dress itself had beadwork on it similar to the coat; only it was so faint that it was only visible from up close.

"Are you all right, Ginny?" Molly called through the door, knocking gently after a few minutes with no response from her daughter.

"I'm fine, Mum," Ginny called back and reached up to take the dress off the hanger.  "I'm just looking at the dress for a minute…hold on."

Molly smiled, looked over at Mrs. Harrison who smiled back, and nodded.  "I think we might have found the right one," Molly mouthed to her, and Mrs. Harrison nodded in agreement. 

Once Ginny had the dress on, she came out of the dressing room, biting her lip.  "What do you think?  Does it look alright?"

Mrs. Harrison stood up and pulled Ginny gently over to the three-way mirror.  "It looks beautiful, darling!" She gushed and placed a veil gently on top of Ginny's unruly red hair.  "Young Mr. Malfoy will be quite pleased."

"It looks better than anything else you've tried on," the mirror reasoned.

Ginny rolled her eyes at the mirror, and then answered Mrs. Harrison.  "I'm not sure anything would please him," Ginny said as she looked into the mirror, studying her reflection.  "And I'm not worried what he thinks."  Reaching up to adjust the veil, she looked at her reflection in the mirror again, falling silent.  "I like it," she said after a long time.  Out of all the dresses she tried on, this one seemed to match her the best, and she was glad to see it fit her petite frame the best as well.  "What do you think, Mum?"  Ginny turned to look at her mother, and was surprised to find tears in her mother's eyes.  "What's wrong?" She asked startled.  "Does it look that bad?"

"No no, it's not that," Molly said and smiled.  "You just look…so grown up.  It's hard to imagine you getting married so soon."  She wiped her eyes with her finger and smiled.  "You look wonderful.  I think we found the perfect dress." 

Ginny smiled and hugged her mom tightly.  "Don't worry, Mum. I'm not married yet…besides; even when I am married everything won't be that different.  I'll still be at home probably, and if I'm not I'll be visiting all the time just to get away…" Even though she was trying to console her mother, she found that she was trying to convince herself of the very same things she was telling her mother.

"I know," Molly said with a small smile as she pulled back and gently pushed Ginny's hair behind her shoulders, turning her so she was looking in the mirror again.  "You look so beautiful," she said softly squeezing her daughter's shoulders gently. 

Ginny smiled and looked over at Mrs. Harrison.  "We'll take this one.  Now, let's get the bridesmaid's dresses out of the way.  I'll go get dressed."  Pulling away from her mother, she walked into the dressing room and started to take off the dress.

Mrs. Harrison smiled.  "I knew we'd find it." She walked over behind a counter and took out a box to put the dress in.  "It really did look beautiful on her."

"I know, she's just growing up so fast," Molly commented wistfully, as she reached over the door to take the dress from Ginny.  She helped Mrs. Harrison fold the dress up and put it in a box.

"That does happen," the other woman nodded in agreement.  "Although, I suppose sooner for Ginny than most.  Don't worry though, things will work out.  Now, we should pick out a few bridesmaids dresses, and hope this process doesn't take quite as long."

Molly laughed.  "It should go much faster since she doesn't have to try any on, and we know what she dislikes now." 

When Ginny came out of the dressing room, her mother, Lissa, Jessica, and Hermione were already bent over the rows of dresses.  "Hello Ginny," Hermione smiled, "sorry we're a little late…we couldn't drag Jessica away from your brother."  She rolled her eyes slightly and held up a dress in front of herself, "What do you think?"

"It's alright, it took longer than I thought anyway," Ginny replied and wrinkled her nose in disgust at the dress that Hermione was holding up.  "Hermione, this is a wedding, not a sack race."

Shrugging, Hermione put the dress back on the rack.  "So when do we get to see your wedding dress?" Jessica broke in as she pulled a dress off the rack and then put it back after looking at it for a minute.  "Your mum said that you found a beautiful one."

"Later," Ginny said with a wave of her hand.  "I don't feel like trying anything else on right now."

Lissa nodded and grinned.  "Alright, well let's get started! This is the best part of planning a wedding anyhow…" She was excitedly flipping through dresses on the rack, a pile of ones she liked next to her already.  "I love getting dressed up."

Ginny laughed and shook her head slightly.  "I already know what I want…its just finding it."  She looked over at her mother, who was deep in conversation with Mrs. Harrison, and then joined her friends at the racks of dresses. 

The girls continued to talk as they sorted through the dresses on the rack, pausing occasionally to try different ones on.  An hour later they had finally found what they were looking for: a light blue dress that came in two pieces, a shirt that had spaghetti strap, with a gather and a bow at the left side, a simple skirt, and a wrap.  After taking each girl's measurements, Mrs. Harrison ordered the dresses, and promised to owl Molly when they came in. 

After thanking Mrs. Harrison for all of her help, the five left the small shop, Molly carrying Ginny's dress in a bag.  "I'll see you later sweetheart, say hello to your brother for me," Molly said after giving Ginny a kiss on the forehead.

Ginny nodded, "Of course Mum."  She gave her mother a tired smile before she disappeared.

"Well we have an hour before we have to be back at Hogwarts," Hermione announced.  "Is anyone up for a butterbeer?"

"A butterbeer sounds good right about now," Ginny responded.  "And it's not a far walk either, and I could use just some relaxing time.  You have no idea how tiring trying on dresses is."

Lissa laughed.  "Oh, exhausting," she teased.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Oh be quiet."  She grinned and started down the street, glad the rain had stopped. 

The girls walked the rest of the way to the Three Broomsticks in partial silence, looking into windows and watching people on the street.  When they reached the Three Broomsticks, Lissa led them over to a table in the corner and ordered them all butterbeers.  Ginny sat down and looked around.

"Looks like someone is not having a good day," Hermione nodded as she pointed to the corner where Draco was arguing with his father.

Ginny frowned.  "I feel bad for him…you have no idea what his father is like."

Jessica scoffed, "Of course we do.  They're just like each other, no wonder they fight all the time…" She gave Ginny a quizzical look.  "I can't believe you feel sorry for him, after all he's done to your brother and Harry…"

Ginny shrugged, "I don't know.  I guess you just never realize how hard life is on some people I guess." She watched as Mr. Malfoy stalked out of the Three Broomsticks, leaving Draco glaring down into his drinking angrily.

"I guess so…" Hermione said hesitantly as she watched Ginny.  "Maybe you should go talk to him?"

Jessica shot Hermione a look.  "Of course she shouldn't, it's their business."

"But she is going to marry him," Hermione pointed out.  "And while we don't like him, she does have a point."

Ginny took a sip of her butterbeer and sighed.  "Will you two stop arguing?  He wouldn't want to talk to me even if I did want to talk to him, which I don't." 

Lissa looked between the three of them and bit her lip.  "So anyway…" she started to change the topic.

Not feeling like talking anymore, Ginny looked back over at Draco's table and then back down at her drink.  "I'll be right back."  She stood up, taking her drink with her.

Ginny walked over to the table where Draco was sitting and sat down.  "Hard day?" she asked hesitantly. 

Draco looked up and scowled.  "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay.  I saw the argument you and your dad had and-"

"That was between me and my father; it's none of your business," Draco interrupted icily, still in a bad mood. 

"I might not be your favorite person," Ginny frowned, "But I'm the only one right now who's willing to listen, so why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"

"It was just another argument about my future as a death eater," Draco snapped.  "You're the one that's complicating things.  You are the one that's making everything so damn difficult for me."

At this Ginny fell silent for a moment and looked down into her drink, not sure what to say.  Finally she sighed and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Draco waved the apology off.  "Never mind.  He would have found out sooner or later that I'm not following in his footsteps.  It's just with the marriage and then this on top of it, it's put him in a foul mood- not that I can blame him."

"You know, I was thinking the other afternoon," Ginny said slowly.  "While we might not like each other at all…we might be exactly what each other needs."  She looked up at him, looking to see his reaction.

A look of bewilderment crossed his features, and then was instantly replaced by a look of disgust.  "Why would I need a Weasley?"

"Well think about it…" Ginny said with a shrug.  "All I've ever wanted is not to be known as just another Weasley.  Not to be known as Charlie's little sister, or Ron's little sister…or something like that.  Just known for me.  And all you want is to not be a death eater and to do what you want.  This might be the way out for both of us.  This way I won't be just another Weasley-"

"Right, you'll be the Weasley that married a Malfoy," Draco interrupted.

Ginny ignored him and continued, "and if you marry me, there is no way you can become a death eater.  We both get our freedom."

Draco nodded slowly as he ran his finger along the rim of his cup.  "Too bad we can't get our freedom from something not so…" he paused, looking for the right word, "binding."

"Well, we could try and make the best of it," Ginny told him, as she watched him.  "We don't have to like each other, but we don't have to make it hell for each other either."

Draco watched her for a second.  "What would everyone think of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin started to act like they were friends?"

"You've never cared what anyone thought before," Ginny pointed out.  "Besides, we wouldn't have to be friends just…" She shrugged.  "Not at each other's throats anymore.  Kind of like it was at…" she paused, not wanting to bring up Christmas again.

"Christmas?" he supplied, watching her, his bad mood slowly disappearing as he relaxed and leaned back against his chair.

Ginny swallowed.  "Right, Christmas… Except maybe without the kissing part."

He smirked.  "Why? Didn't you enjoy it?"

Rolling her eyes, Ginny ignored the question.  "So what do you think?  We could be exactly what we need right now…a chance at freedom- from our families in a way."

Leaning back in his chair, Draco finished his drink and set the empty cup down on the table.  "You have a point."  After another pause, he nodded.  "I'll give it a try.  We'll see how it goes, but I'm not promising anything."

Ginny nodded with a slight smile; at least he was willing to give it a try.  The two lapsed into silence, which Ginny broke a few minutes later when she said, "I found my dress."

"Good," he nodded, not sure what else to say in reply.  "When do I get to see it?"

"At the wedding," Ginny replied before she caught sight of the clock on the wall, and stood up.  "We should get back to Hogwarts…we don't want to be late."

Draco stood up as well, and put money down for both their drinks, which surprised Ginny, although she didn't say anything about it.  Ginny looked over at where Hermione and her other friends had been sitting only to find that they had already left. Wordlessly the two left the Three Broomsticks and headed back to Hogwarts.