This ENTIRE chapter is dedicated to GinnysLove (Michael) who wrote me the most amazing review. I know it's not long but it only took me an hour to write it. Thank you so much Michael! Can I marry you? I seriously love Alaska. I would move. I love your name and your state…I'm sold.

Enjoy!

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Hermione didn't know what woke her but she knew she hadn't been asleep long. She listened for a few seconds and all she heard was Harry's rhythmic breathing and the clock in their room. She glanced at the clock and groaned; it was 3:00. She tried to settle back down, snuggling closer to Harry, when she heard it.

"Hermione?" Ginny was whispering through the door of the bedroom, "Hermione, are you awake?"

"Just a second," Hermione whispered back as she threw the covers off. She threw her robe on and some slippers before slipping out into the Head common room where Ginny was pacing in front of the fireplace. Hermione gently closed the door and the gentle click of the lock made Ginny look up.

"I wasn't…you know…disturbing anything…was I?" Ginny asked awkwardly and Hermione smiled and shook her head. She moved to the couch and sat down.

"Besides sleep, no. Harry and I are not…why are you here?" Hermione asked, saving the embarrassing conversation.

"Can I talk with you?" Ginny asked. Hermione patted the seat next to her and Ginny sat down.

"What's this about?" Hermione asked.

"Draco proposed," Ginny sighed.

"And that's bad?" Hermione asked as she took in her friend's defeated figure.

"He's only doing it because he doesn't want to waste time, whatever that means. I know he loves me, and I love him, but it doesn't feel right." Ginny explained.

"Tell me what happened," Hermione asked.

***

"Ginny, will you marry me?" he asked. I was shocked. I didn't know what he was going to do, certainly not this.

"I…er…wow," I finally managed out. He stood slowly but the ring was the only thing I could see.

"Are you going to answer?" he asked, "I'm starting to feel like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot," I told him, tearing my eyes away from his hands to his eyes. I reached up and gently stroked his cheek. He smiled.

"I know I haven't asked your parents…or really anyone, but I know we can do this. I love you so much and we'll be so happy together," he whispered as he picked me up and twirled me around.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked as he set me down.

"Our engagement," Draco said, confusion clouding his eyes.

"I never said yes," I reminded him.

"Yes you did. I heard you," he told me.

"I remember saying you weren't an idiot. I never said yes," I clarified. He sighed.

"So if you never said yes, what's your answer?" he asked.

"I don't know," I finally told him after a few seconds.

"What do you mean you don't know? You don't know if you love me? You don't know if you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" he questioned and a small amount of rage started building up in the pit of stomach.

"I never said that! Of course I love you and of course I want to spend of the rest of my life with you!" I raised my voice.

"So the answer's yes?"

"No! I don't know the answer!"

"It's a simple question!" Draco started yelling and the rage inside started boiling over.

"No it's not!" I yelled back.

"If you love me how is it complicated?" he asked.

"Why are you doing this?" I countered and for a second I could see his mind reeling.

"Because I love you. Because I want to know that through thick and thin we'll be together. Because I need to know that you are as devoted to us as I am," he told me, his voice lowering as he moved closer. I hadn't realized we moved apart.

"And you think a ring will keep us together?" I asked as I took his hand in mine.

"It'll help," he offered but I shook my head.

"People fall in and out of engagement everyday. A ring means nothing," I said.

"So I mean nothing to you," he stated as he backed away.

"Stop twisting my words! I love you and I want to be with you just not now," I replied quickly, as I held fast to his hand and then it hit me, "That's my answer."

"What?" I had him.

"That's my answer; not now. I do want to marry you but I'm not accepting right now. It's not right, you know it," I told him. He pulled away from me and walked to the door. His eyes were empty.

"I'll take you back. Ron will be worrying," he said deadpan.

"Draco," I said softly as I walked towards him, my arm outstretched to touch him but he shied away.

"Come on," he said as he led me to the Gryffindor common room. Nothing was said and every second weighted heavily on me until I could hardly breathe.

"I do love you," I told him before he left me. He paused and barely grazed his fingers over my cheek. I leaned in but he pulled away before I got too close.

"Good night," he whispered and he left me standing there as the portrait door swung open.

***

"And that's what happened," Ginny said as she finished her story.

"Can I tell you something?" Hermione asked as she shifted and put her arm around Ginny's shoulder.

"Anything."

"Tomorrow go up to him and do the same thing he did to you. Take him somewhere quiet and propose to him. If he says yes then he really does mean it but if he stalls then it really isn't the right time," Hermione offered and Ginny nodded.

"It's not that I don't love him, I do, I just can't do this because of our circumstances. I want to know that once the hard times are gone he'll still be there," Ginny said and Hermione smoothed her friend's hair.

"Tell him that. Draco needs to hear that. Do you want to stay here tonight?" Hermione asked as she pulled the blanket from the back of the couch and flung it over Ginny.

"Do you mind? I need to think about some things," Ginny said and Hermione nodded. After Hermione when to bed, Ginny snuggled deeper into the blanket as thoughts raced through her head.

***

"What's with Draco?" Ron asked the next morning at breakfast. He was sitting at the empty end of the Slytherin table poking at his eggs, his clothes were disheveled and it looked like he hadn't slept.

"Nothing," Ginny said quickly as she sat down but didn't take her eyes off Draco.

"Did you two have a fight? Did he hurt you? If he hurt you I'm going to…" Ron started but Ginny held up her hand.

"We had a misunderstanding and he didn't hurt me…he would never hurt me," she whispered as she stood, "I'll sort this out."

"Good luck," Hermione whispered as her friend walked by. Ginny smiled and weaved her way towards Draco who had mixed his bacon and eggs together with so much vigor they were practically pulp.

"We need to talk," Ginny said as she stood behind him but Draco didn't turn around.

"Talk about what? You said no."

"I didn't say no, I just said not now. Can we please go somewhere and talk?" Ginny asked. Draco stood, throwing his silverware down and walking out of the Great Hall. Ginny had to sprint to keep up with the pace he was going. He had gone into an empty classroom and sat down on the table; the cold, expressionless look still in his eyes.

"We're somewhere else. What do you want?" Draco said as Ginny shut the door.

"You don't have to be such a prat," Ginny spat, "I wanted to ask you a question."

"I'm here," Draco lulled. Ginny walked closer, until she was just touching his knee and sank to the ground.

"Will you marry me?" she asked. She had to try her hardest not to laugh as seven different emotions crossed Draco's face; finally settling on confusion.

"I though you didn't want to get married?" he asked and she shook her head.

"I never said I didn't want to, I just said I didn't want to get married right now. Now that I properly have your attention can we talk?" Ginny asked, rising from the ground to stand in front of Draco.

"Can I say one thing first? I'm sorry for being, as you so lovingly put it, a prat and I know you thought it wasn't the best time but I meant it; every word. I want you to be my wife; I want to wake up every morning and see you and know that even if the day is bloody awful that it doesn't matter because I have you. I want to leave the Malfoy legacy behind and start a new life with you. I want that and I am sorry that I made it seem like this was all very sudden but it wasn't. I have thought about this, a great deal actually, and I am more certain of this than anything I have ever known," Draco whispered as he took Ginny's hand in his.

"I want that too, more than you know, but I need to know that after the hard times are done you'll still be with me through the mundane years ahead," Ginny told him and Draco nodded.

"How can I prove to you that I'm not leaving, that I never will leave? How can I tell you that I will always love you, no matter what happens?" Draco asked as he lifted his hand and brushed his fingertips down her cheek, "And the answer to your question is yes, I will marry you."

"Really?" Ginny asked and she felt like she was 7 again, "You know if you ask me again, you might get a different answer," she said with a smile and slowly Draco got off the table he was sitting on and knelt down on one knee.

"Ginny, I know we've only known each other for a shot time but I love you and I will always love you. Through thick and thin I will never leave your side. Ginny Weasley…will you marry me?" Draco asked as he held both of her hands in his.

"Yes," she barely whispered as tears streamed down her face, "Yes, I will marry you."

Draco took the ring out of his pocket and slipped it on her finger. He stood and took her in his arms and twirled her around, claiming her mouth with his.

"So who get's to tell my family?" Ginny asked a little while later. Draco brushed a thumb along her swollen bottom lip and kissed her gently once more.

"We'll tell them together," he said smiling.

"Together," Ginny agreed before kissing him again.

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Hopefully this lived up to everyone's expectations. I promise I'll update my other stories after I decode them. I now hate binary and ACSII. Ugh. New chapter should be up within the next few weeks.