Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the amazing world of Harry Potter!

Chapter 12: Chess Games and Feather Dusters

Ginny flipped on to her back in the dry grass and scooted to lay her head on Draco's thigh so she could look at him. Draco was sitting next to her leaning against the garden wall.

"We are so pathetic."

"Why?" he arched one pale perfect eyebrow at her.

It was about four days after the fight and things in the house were beginning to cool down but the tension was still there.

"Look at us," Ginny motioned back and forth between the pair. "We have digressed to the point of playing rock paper scissors for twenty minutes straight and have been completely satisfied with our lives."

Draco laughed out loud at her comment, causing Ron to glare at him from across the yard. It was obvious that he had never actually heard Malfoy laugh and so was suspicious of what could have caused it.

"You are completely right. We have been in this house too long." Draco snickered.

"Yeah I agree at least Hermione cast that spell over the yard to keep the snow out and the temperature up a little bit. I don't think I could sit inside the house with the three of them anymore."

"Not fun is it?" he asked as he began to play with a small curl that had come loose from her ponytail.

Ginny leaned her head up and pulled her long hair free of its confines knowing that it amused Draco to play with it. "Nope not really."

"What do you suppose your idiot brother is glaring at?" Draco asked as he ran his fingers through her silky tresses.

"You," Ginny answered with no hesitation. "And me of course but for different reasons. I'm a traitor and you're evil. Is he puce yet? That's always been my favorite shade that he turns when he is mad."

Draco smirked down at her. He doubted more everyday that this girl was a Gryffindor, with her sense of humor and evil, manipulative plans she should have been in Slytherin. That would have been amazing. If she had been in Slytherin then little Ginny Weasley would have been his years ago, he was sure of that. "He is not quite puce but I bet I know how to make it happen."

"Oh really? And how is that?" Ginny asked.

"Like this." Draco said and he dipped his head down to Ginny's and kissed her squarely on the lips.

"Oy! Malfoy! Get your dirty Slytherin lips of my sister!" Ron called out across the yard.

Draco pulled back from a stunned looking Ginny with a satisfied smirk on his beautifully masculine face. "See," he commented pointing at Ron. "Puce."

It took Ginny a moment to gather her emotions enough to turn her head and focus on her brother. That was definitely not what she had been expecting him to do. It was an amazing kiss, more real than the time she had softly pecked him on the lips in the apple orchard but it wasn't real, at least not to Draco.

Ginny had to force herself to laugh at her brother's fury as she felt him doing even though it was the farthest thing from what she felt.

Ron sat fuming at the table on the burrow's back porch. He couldn't believe what he was looking at; Ginny, his baby sister, was lying in the grass at the edge of the forest talking and laughing with Malfoy. He sneered at the name.

What the hell was this world coming to? First, Harry, the savior of the wizarding world hiding while death eaters walked openly on the streets, then Albus Dumbledore was expelled from Hogwarts by the Minister of Magic, and now a Weasley and a Malfoy are friends? When would the insanity stop and the world go back to normal?

He couldn't believe the prat had kissed her. it was obvious that they were just trying to get under his skin, which was working, but the fact still remained that his nasty Slytherin lips had touched Ginny's.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear Hermione come up behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder as she said "Want a sandwich love?"

Ron jumped a metre in the air and give out a shriek; he hadn't even heard her walk up. "Bloody hell Mione! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh! I'm so sorry Ron. I thought you heard me. I made you a sandwich." Hermione placed the plate in front of him and sat down beside him on his left. "What were you staring at so intently a moment ago?"

"Hmm… what? Oh, nothing, just Ginny and Malfoy trying to annoy me."

"Is it working?" she laughed.

"Yes." He muttered starring at the sandwich she had offered him, eyeing it with distrust. "What did you do to it Mione?"

"Why do you think I did something to it?" she was appalled and a little hurt by the accusation.

"Because anytime I have ever asked you to get me something to eat you either give me a lecture on gender equality or put some hind of nasty hex on it. So I'll ask again, what did you do?"

Hermione let out a long sigh. "Honestly Ronald, I didn't do anything to your sandwich. Plus you didn't demand me to bring you food; I just did to be nice. Can't a girl do something nice for her boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" Ron asked. "I thought you didn't want to officially want to be involved? Something about too many questions to answer."

"Well, I decided I don't care what others think. I want to be with you, Ron. Really." She leaned over and kissed him squarely on the lips as if to prove her point. When she tried to pull away he put his hand behind her head to effectively keep her there, tangling his fingers in her long curly brown hair.

"Thank Merlin! I'm not sure how much longer I could have lived with you and kept my hands to myself." He said laying his forehead on hers.

Hermione giggled, "And I'm not sure poor Harry could stand anymore of the arguing and the whining either."

He laughed and cupped her face to softly kiss her again.

Just then Harry walked out the back door. His jaw dropped as he starred at his two best friends fastened together in a tight lip lock. "Thank Merlin and anyone else who's out there to thank! You two are finally together." He cheered loudly causing Ginny and Draco to look up in surprise.

Ron and Hermione quickly jumped apart

"Hey, what happened?"Ginny asked as she and Draco crossed the yard to see what was going on.

"Your brother and Mione have finally decided that they are going to be a couple." Harry explained. "You know what that means?" he asked beaming as those around him shook their heads in confusion. "It means that I am finally going to get a decent night's sleep after seven years of knowing them!" He did a little happy dance that caused everyone to laugh; even Draco couldn't suppress an amused smirk at an uncharacteristically happy Harry Potter.

After that afternoon things in the Weasley household seemed to calm down a bit. The three boys still didn't trust each other but they were able to tolerate the presence of each other enough to establish an evening chess tournament and scrimmage games of Quidditch to amuse themselves during the day. They weren't friends but considering the hatred that had become the norm between the Slytherin prince and Gryffindor's golden boys during their school years there was vast improvement.

Ginny was so proud of Draco for behaving himself and trying to get along with her friends. She was afraid after that first week that he would continue to be the same old Draco that he always had been and she would lose the sweet man that she had become so accustomed to.

What really brought about the real change was the chess. Ginny happened to let it slip one night when after dinner that Draco was the chess champion of the Slytherin house, an unspoken challenge to Ron that she knew he wouldn't be able to resist. That was the first night they played and as of yet neither one had won a single game. They were both too good and each night ended in a draw and the promise of another round the next evening.

So a new routine was established in the Weasley household except now this time it included the wonder trio so that by the time the Weasley elders arrived four days before Christmas they were surprised to see everyone not only alive and well but somewhat getting along.

That night Mrs. Weasley made the whole lot an amazing meal to celebrate.

"So my loves," Mrs. Weasley began as she pulled out her wand to magic all the dishes to the kitchen sink to be cleaned. "We have a lot to do in the next few days."

"Why?" Ron asked as he tried in vain to grab his plate from the air, not quite finished with his third helping of the pot pie.

"Because your brothers will all be here very soon."

Ginny choked on her pumpkin juice. "All?" she asked, struggling for air.

"Yes all." Mr. Weasley chimed in. "We are going to have a real family Christmas this year, with a few extras of course." He said winking at Draco.

"Can everyone still fit in the Burrow?" Harry asked. "I mean it was tight before and with new spouses, significant others and extras where is everyone going to sleep?"

"Oh we will figure that out over the next couple of days. A couple expanding charms and some transfigured beds and everything will be just peachy." Mrs. Weasley assured them all. "Now I am going to need some help from all of you in order to get the burrow into tip-top shape for Christmas Eve."

"Why?" Ron whined already thinking back to the horrid debacle that was Bill and Fleur's wedding the summer before last. That had been two straight weeks of hard manual labour to get the Burrow ready to support the hundred guests that had been present for the wedding and the reception. "Everyone's already been to the Burrow. They know what it looks like, most lived here for most of their lives! Why do we have to clean again?"

"Because, Ronald, this is the first time the family has been together in years and I want the house to look wrong and also you are wrong in saying that everyone has been to the burrow before. Both Charlie and George are bringing their new girlfriends and Percy's wife Penelope has only been here once." Mrs. Weasley stated in a matter-a-fact voice.

"Mum?" Ginny asked, trying to draw heat away from her brother. "I think what Ron really means is that we don't mind helping," she began which got her a snort from both Ron and Harry and one raised platinum eyebrow from Draco. "But is it going to be as intense as it was right before Bill and Fleur's wedding?"

"Oh heavens no!" Mrs. Weasley assured them. "We don't have nearly enough time for all that."

Her statement was met by five simultaneous groans that were issued from every adolescent around the table. It was most definitely going to be a long couple of days.

The five fell on to the different sitting surfaces around the living room. Ron and Harry sitting on the couch and Hermione on Ron's lap with her feet stretched out onto Harry and Draco in the overstuffed armchair with Ginny curled up in his lap.

No one spoke; they were all too tired. They had spent the last seventy-two hours cleaning the Burrow from top to bottom in preparation for the first Weasley Christmas with the whole family in five years

It had been quite an affair. Mrs. Weasley had devised a list as tall as Ginny and had given each of them a section to do. Scrubbing, dusting, polishing and sweeping; everything had been cleaned and straightened from the garden to the attic. It had taken a full three days but finally the Burrow passed Mrs. Weasley's meticulous inspection and the five labourers were beyond relieved.

"I swear I am never going to come home again if this is what happens every time I do." Ron said after several minutes of just vegetating in silence.

"That's what happens when you are the youngest you get screwed over and left with all the work." Ginny informed her brother. "it happened at Bill's wedding and would have happened at Percy's if he had had it here. We are only good for the manual labour."

"So much for being the savior of the wizarding world, eh Potter?" Draco joked.

"I'm tired." Harry added helpfully to the conversation.

Draco let his head flop down on Ginny's shoulder, too tired to hold it erect any longer. "I have a new appreciation for house elves." He commented.

"I'll get you an S.P.E.W button." Hermione snickered causing Draco and Ginny both to smirk. Harry just looked confused.

Then suddenly Ron started laughing. Hysterically laughing. He laughed so hard that tears began to form in his blue eyes.

"Ronald, whatever is wrong with you?" Hermione asked rationally looking at her boyfriend as if he had grown a pair of wings rather than just being tickled by something.

"I. Just. Imagined. Malfoy. In. A. Potato. Sack. Begging. Harry. For A…Sock!" he choked out gasping for air.

The other three Gryffindors understood the reference and also began to laugh though not with the intensity of Ron.

But Draco was confused; the reference was lost on him. "I don't get it."

"He is talking about Dobby." Ginny explained. "He worships Harry and has an obsession with brightly coloured socks."

Draco did nothing but grimace. The humor was obviously lost on him having never known Dobby as anything more than just another one of the elves.

Suddenly Harry stood up, still laughing, and headed towards the stairs.

"Where you headed mate?" Ron called after him.

The only response that was offered was a single word called down to the group, "Sleep!"

"Ah ha!" Draco called out to those around him. "So the truth comes out! Volde doesn't need Avada Kedavra to take out the golden boy all he needs is a giant feather duster!"

This started a whole new round of laughter.

"So Gin lets go over your brothers one more time." Draco said that night as he and Ginny were just settling down to go to bed. "I am really afraid that I am going to fuck it up and then they are all going to try and beat me to a bloody pulp."

"You are so meladramtic Draco Malfoy."

"Hey! Any excuse to play punch the Ferret right? Especially since they most likely won't be pleased with this situation" he said motioning between her and himself. "You saw what happened with just two can you imagine what I would look like if all seven of them attacked me."

Ginny laughed as she sat down on the bed and pulled the covers over her lap. Looking down at Draco's stretched out form she asked, "Seven? Why seven? You don't think Ron and Harry would stick up for you?"

"Not in a million years." He said dryly.

Ginny shook her head, amused. "Ok we can go over the family one more time if you are that worried about it."

"Not worried. Malfoys are never worried. I, my dear little Weasel, am concerned."

"Oh do stop all that nonsense Ferret. Now I'm going to quiz you, who is my oldest brother and who is his family?"

"Umm… the oldest one is definitely Bill. That one I remember meeting at the Gringotts and he is married to Fleur of course. Did you know we used to be good friends? That's not important. And they have a daughter named Victoire?"

"Very good. Who is my second brother?"

"Charlie?" he asked and she nodded in confirmation. "Girlfriend is still as yet unknown. Third brother is Percy who is married to Penelope. And I honestly don't care about the twins; they are going to hate me no matter what I do."

Ginny reached over and smacked him hard on the arm. "The twins?" she asked again.

"Fine. Fred and George; Fred is married to Angelina no children as of yet."

"See you know them all. You are going to be fine." Ginny scooted down to lie out beside Draco. She snuggled in her soft curves pressed firmly into all the hard lines of his body.

Draco reached out and wrapped his arms securely around her as she extinguished the lights in the room. "I'm not so sure about that."

Ok sorry this is definitely not my favorite chapter I have ever written but bare with me it had to be done

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I hope everyone gives me at least something for this one!

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