Chapter 28 A Secret Smile

"If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit." –Proverb

The rush of air felt wonderful on a one Harry Potter as he circled the quidditch pitch on his broom not an hour after his spontaneous departure from his would be fiancée. He refused to dwell on his sudden lack of courage and refused to forgive Draco for planting ideas in his head. He never meant to propose; he just said the first thing he thought of and that happened to be his most recent conversation.

No one came after him for which he was eternally grateful. He wasn't ready to discuss anything. He suspected that Hermione had sent Draco after him if she knew yet. And he was sure Draco had already cracked and told her everything. She could be very intimidating if she put her mind to it. He knew from experience.

He flew the pitch for hours. Repeating every flying trick he knew hundreds of times until he was just too exhausted to think anymore. As he slowly spiraled down to the ground, he noticed a lone figure standing out against the suddenly tangible darkness. Harry set out in a new burst of energy towards the unknown figure and as recognition passed through his mind, he ran and tackled the person to the ground emitting an 'oompf' of pain as he began punching with all he had left.

"POTTER!" The blood filled mouth howled attempting to push Harry off while simultaneously hitting back.

"Do you know how fucked I am because of you, Draco?" Harry screamed allowing himself to finally be pushed to the ground. Draco sat up spitting out blood and wipe and his mouth before looking at his attacker. "Do you have anything to say? Possibly a declaration of idiocy!"

"What? I thought you were too noble and all that shit to actually go through with it! I didn't think anyone took me seriously!" Draco paused a moment to actually consider his words and shook his head.

Harry looked at the flustered, bloody boy beside him then fell back to the ground laughing so hard he could scarcely breathe. He laid there for more than ten minutes laughing then gasping for breath.

Draco stared at him with his head tilted to the side and his mouth hanging open. "Does this mean I'm forgiven?"

Harry looked at him still smiling, "Sure, but you have to help me fix this."

"What do I have to do?" He asked with only a slight look of horror.

"You, my idiotic friend, have to tell Ginny it was your idea."

&&&

Hermione sympathetically patted the younger girl's back as she had been doing for the past hour. Ginny was confused and doing the only thing she could think of: crying. The sobs had been wracking her body at first but now she was just gulping for air and trying to calm herself down.

"I just don't get it. Why would he just leave?" Ginny turned her tear streaked face to the older girl holding her.

"I have a feeling he got some bad advice from a person he should know not to listen to anyway." Hermione nodded thinking of her own husband.

Ginny's eyes narrowed, "You know more than you're telling me."

Hermione flushed and looked away.

"Please, Hermione, I think I deserve to know." Ginny sat up and stared hard at her companion.

Hermione sighed, "Fine. Draco told him to do it. Harry wasn't going to but he went insane."

"He told Harry to do what exactly?"

"Propose to you. Harry didn't want to have sex yet and he made the mistake of asking Draco for advice."

Ginny sat for a moment digesting the words. "I'm going to kill them."

"I wish you wouldn't. They may be stupid but I'd like to keep them around for a while longer."

"Fine, what do you suggest?"

"Me? Well, I do have a plan for revenge if you'd like to hear it." Ginny nodded and huddled closer to Hermione.

&&&

Severus gently stroked his sleeping partner's bare shoulder. She was pressed firmly against his side. He was on his back in the small bed they shared in the Three Broomsticks. He was certain he had never met a woman like her before. She was respectable yet not afraid to take risks. She had showcased that by sleeping with him on the first date.

Hermione certainly didn't learn that from Elizabeth. At least, Severus desperately clung to the hope that his daughter didn't sleep with people on the first date. Severus shook his head to clear his thoughts as the woman beside him shifted.

"Is it morning yet?" Elizabeth yawned gracefully and looked up him.

He smiled down at her. "No. I'm afraid you've only been asleep a short time."

"Oh, good. I was hoping we would have time for another round before morning. I wanted to eat out for breakfast." She wrapped her arms more securely around his waist and looked seductively up at him.

"You do realize we have all weekend and this is only Friday night, correct?" Severus laughed to his insatiable partner.

"I know. I plan to do so much more this weekend though."

"Do you?"

"Oh yes." With that she leaned in to kiss him.

&&&

"Did you send out all the letters?"

"Yes. I expect a reply by morning."

"Did you explain the..situation?"

"But, of course. Do you think Harry and Draco are going to be able to handle my entire family at once?"

"Ginny, I have a feeling it's just going to provide us with a bit of entertainment and them with a little torment."

Ginny nodded at Hermione and the girls shared a secret smile.

A/N: Sorry for the prolonged wait. I've had so much schoolwork to do this summer it made my head spin. I think summer homework should be banned and then burned.

Next chapter: The Weasley Clan arrives to cause some trouble.

Reviews: Thank you all!

MrsBMadden: I'll try to get the next update out a bit sooner. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

brownlow-babe: I hope the Snape in this chapter didn't disturb you too greatly.

angelatheart01: This story went in so many directions at the beginning. I didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Now I know and I just have to figure out how all the other crap should work out.

iluvdustinbarnell: You mean Harry isn't a girl?

sexyslytherin27: I think you got your wish of being the 200th reviewer. Well done.

undesidedcaoz: Thank you very much. I always love hearing from new reviewers.

apparateawayhp13: I'm glad. I was going for amusing not angsty. I was hoping someone got that.

Alenor: Draco has nothing to be smug about anymore.

DMHG4ever: Thank you! I'm really am sorry for the wait.

Chihiro13: Okay, I loved your review. Hermione is a lot different from Elizabeth. She's more austere like Mr. Granger but she's becoming a bit bolder as the story progresses. They're two different people with different personalities. You're different from your parents, right?

Celtic-Elements: I'm glad you like it! I think the writing is improving…I hope…

Anarane Anwamane: Yes, well, Draco is slightly idiotic.

wiccan-witch88: Thank you. I'll try to start updating regularly.

Lady of the Realm: I love the sarcasm. Sorry about the errors in the last author's not. It was early in the morning and I'm in love with the name Minia. I fixed it!

Ms.Sprinkles: Thank you so much!

Angel5blue5: Draco will be sleeping on the couch for a couple chapter…don't worry.

Dark Girl: Thank you very much! I would love to be a writer when I graduate college.

Sunflower18: Hm. It's getting somewhere.

dmhg: Haha. I love you too. I hope exams went well.