A/N: Okay so I was online and I suddenly had the urge to post this early. I figured, what the hell? I love you guys enough. So here is the next part of Chapter 28 or Chapter 29 as I've decided to split them. Enjoy. One more chapter and the Epilogue to go! Sniffs.

Disclaimer: I'd be so rich and utterly brilliant if I was her… but sadly I am not. Her, being the fabulous J.K. Rowling of course.

Weasel Vs. Ferret Chapter 29

"Ginny," Draco said again when the pair was out of site, "Look at me."

She turned shining eyes to him, still not approaching. Draco sighed in frustration.

"God, and to think you were worried about me not being able to go through with it, now you're angry because I did it too well?"

"I'm not angry," She said somberly, "Just… It was hard to watch. You have no idea. After that row we had at Inferno and then you were taken and then I had to watch her be all over you. I thought I was going to spew."

"How did you get there so fast anyway?" Draco asked, trying to change the subject.

"After the fight I couldn't sleep because I felt so horrible. I had to come see you," Ginny's voice wavered a bit. She shook herself and continued, "I went straight to your rooms but halfway there, I could tell something didn't feel right. When I got there, I found your note and went and got the others right away and don't try to change the subject," She snapped.

Draco ran a hand over his face where there was a fine layer of stubble already sprouting up from his usually smooth cheeks.

"Ginny. You insult me by thinking that I was doing anything but trying as desperately as you to not spew from having to be in the proximity of Pansy, let alone touch her. I even had Blaise write the disgusting apology letter I had to send to her, begging her to take me back and explain about the plan to 'capture' you guys. Damn, I could barely write the one to my father explaining to him what the 'plan' was and that his capture was all just a set up. He was hard to convince. Pansy is just about as bright as flobberworm so it wasn't that difficult, but still. I couldn't even write on paper denouncing anything I felt about you, even if it was our lives on the line. And when I was kissing her, if you could even call it that, it took every ounce of self control I had to not get us all killed for shoving her cold dead hands away from me. I probably would have been more successful in imagining she was you if she hadn't been strangling me with her tongue."

Ginny searched his face for a long moment after his little speech, for any evidence that he was playing her. Any trace of amusement at her discomfort, even a tiny sliver of support that he was just saying this to humor her. He gazed back intensely, the muscle in his jaw twitching. Ginny noticed that he also had both hands clenched into fists on top of his sheets as if fighting the urge to reach out to her and the raw disbelieving intensity of his gaze broke down her barriers little by little and soon she had launched herself into his arms, burying her face into his neck. Draco winced at first at the sharp pain that shot through his rib cage but then noticed that Ginny was sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder and he blanched.

"Oh lord Gin, don't cry…" Draco gave an exasperated sigh, the seriousness of the conversation dropping away immediately.

Ginny pulled back from Draco's shoulders giving great shuddering breaths, wiping the tears from her eyes impatiently, "Sorry. Don't know what came over me, I just…" She heaved a big sigh, "I'm done now."

"You sure?"

"Yes," Ginny said resolutely, giving a wan smile.

"Good, you'll need to for what you're going to do next."

Ginny's eyes narrowed, "Which is?"

"You are going to kiss me Ginny Weasley," Draco whispered huskily into her ear, "The proper way a man should be kissed."

"Oh good, see any men around?" Ginny started to frantically search the room and Draco frowned.

"See, now you've gone and wounded my ego," Draco pouted.

"Impossible."

Ginny and Draco glanced up. Blaise and Hermione had returned, obviously sensing that the more serious bits of the conversation were over.

"Your ego is far too large to be wounded by something as tiny as that, and we all know it Draco," Hermione remarked.

Draco stared at her. Then he smirked.

"What?" She asked, squirming under his gaze.

"You called me Draco."

Hermione's eyes widened, "No I didn't."

"Yes you did," Draco crossed his arms, winced, and then uncrossed them hurriedly.

"Oh balls, I think I did," Hermione gave in.

"Hermione Granger! Language!" Blaise put a hand on his chest in mock outrage.

"Shut up Zabini," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Make me, Granger."

This time Hermione didn't blush. She didn't even hesitate as she grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him in for a kiss, even daring to open her mouth under his to slide her tongue against his lower lip, her eyes fluttering closed. Ginny's jaw dropped. Draco's eyebrows shot up. Blaise was frozen to the spot. Momentarily.

After a few seconds, Blaises senses seemed to come back to him and he plunged one had into Hermione's hair the other resting on her hip. Ginny's mouth was still agape when Draco tore his eyes away from his best friend to look at his girl friend. Ginny evidently felt his eyes on her as she shook herself out of her stupor and their eyes locked.

"Ginny. I do believe I was struck with sudden inspiration," Draco said in a low voice.

Ginny licked her lips unconsciously, her eyes automatically going to Draco's mouth.

"Oh really?"

But she was already crawling closer to him on the bed and when she was close enough, Draco yanked her the rest of the way so she was sitting across his lap, arms going up to wind around his neck. Ginny touched her lips to Draco's tentatively at first, but he was having none of that and deepened the kiss, opening his mouth under hers, forcing her lips to open wider, giving his tongue entrance.

Warmth spread through Ginny like a fresh draught of Pepper Up potion as Draco's tongue did things with hers that would make even the most promiscuous girls in school blush. She was a woman possessed. Kissing Draco was just as intoxicating as any high you could get off illegal substances. Suddenly, she couldn't get close enough to him. She needed to be touching him, to hold him, make sure he was real. That he was hers.

Ginny's hands were tangled in Draco's hair as he moved from her lips to the corner of her mouth, to her jaw, that special spot behind her ear that made her—

"OH!" Ginny gasped.

She felt him smile against her neck.

"Ginny," He whispered against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

"Mm?"

She couldn't form coherent thoughts. All she could see, all she could smell, touch, feel was Draco. Her Draco, the one that for a minute she thought she would never kiss, touch or feel again.

"AHEM!" Someone cleared their throat loudly and the two couples yanked apart instantly.

Ron and Harry were back. Apparently no one had heard them come in.

Hermione was turning crimson again, trying and failing to arrange her hair into some form of modesty. Ginny glanced down and started to rapidly re-do the buttons on her robes.

"When did that happen?" She thought as her fingers fumbled with the button holes.

"Hey guys," Ginny said a little too cheerfully, her voice going up an octave.

"Yes. Hello," Draco said, a little less cheerfully.

"We were just uh…" Hermione floundered.

"Save it," Ron said with one hand over his eyes, "I'm already going to have nightmares for weeks."

"So I assume it's unnecessary to ask if you two are okay now?" Harry arched a brow in Draco and Ginny's direction.

"Oh yes," Ginny replied nodding, "I've decided that Draco is far to good a snog to let go that easily."

This time Ron clapped a hand over his ears saying indignantly, "Aarrg… I am officially scarred for life," Then he glanced furtively at Harry, "No offense mate."

Harry shrugged, "None taken."

Hermione still looked slightly pink in the face. Blaise just looked smug.

"Look, speaking of Harry's scar," Hermione tried to change the subject, "We still don't know what's going on with Dumbledore."

"Yeah, do you reckon he's tracked Voldemort down?" Blaise glanced at Harry.

Harry rubbed his scar reflexively.

"I have no doubt he has. I didn't really have time to ask Sirius anything since we were whisked away from Malfoy's pretty quickly."

"Speaking of which, where did they all go?" Ginny inquired, looking around the room as if expecting one of their teachers to pop up.

"I was wondering when you would pick up on that," Madame Pomfrey exclaimed, coming into view.

The six teens jumped. They had almost forgotten she was even there. She had been absent for quite some time now. Ginny and Hermione's cheeks blazed again upon the realization of what they had almost done right under the stern nurse's nose.

"They have all gone to assist the headmaster."

Six eyebrows shot up.

"Dumbledore needs assistance?" Ron sounded as flabbergasted as everyone looked.

The nurse nodded gravely at them, lips pursed as if she was holding back a retort. Harry looked at her shrewdly.

"Wait, why are you telling us this?" He asked suspiciously.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, "Because Potter. You are needed."

"What?" Five voices chorused.

They seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"The headmaster has assistance, but he needs specific assistance: you."

Harry stepped forward face turning impassive immediately, "Where are they?"

The nurse seemed to hesitate for a moment then, "Before I tell you, Potter, I must warn you. This was the absolute last resort. Dumbledore and your Godfather especially did not want you in harms way… well…" She floundered a bit here, "More than you usually are anyway." Harry gave a small half smile at that. "So before you go, you must know that the fight is not going well. The reason the number of Death Eaters at the Malfoys was relatively small, was because the rest were sent with Vol- Voldemort, to Godrics Hollow."

To everyone's surprise, Ginny snorted derisively at the news. She gazed back at the incredulous looks on her friends' faces, "Oh come on. Voldemort may be a lot of things but he's not terribly original is he?"

Hermione nodded now in understanding, "Yes, I agree, how terribly cliché."

Blaise still looked confused, "What? Why is it cliché?"

"Because, oh quick one," Draco was the one to speak up, "That's where he failed to kill Potter the first time around."

If Harry was shocked about Draco knowing this piece of information he didn't show it. Anyone could have read about it in old newspaper articles about the first "fall."

"Wait a minute," Ron said this time, "How do you know all this?"

Madam Pomfrey dug out a rather rumpled piece of parchment from the front of her apron and handed it wordlessly to Ron. The note was very simple and to the point.

Poppy, the fight does not fair well. We need Harry.

That was it.

"Owl post?" Hermione, ever the logical one inquired, dubiously, "In the heat of battle, he had time to send a note via owl?"

"My, they did say you were a quick one," Madam Pomfrey gave Hermione a maternal smile.

"No no, normal post owls could not have traveled quite that quickly."

And as if on cue, a large bird with beautiful red and gold plumage came fluttering in from the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office, coming to rest quite comfortably on Harry's shoulder.

"Fawkes," Harry stared in wonder at the gorgeous bird.

The phoenix gave a soft cooing noise and Hermione stroked the soft feathers admiringly as Harry turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"How will I get there?"

For the second time, the nurse reached into the folds of her apron and this time produced a shoelace.

"It activates in about ten minutes," She said in way of answer after a quick glance at the clock, "He wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to explain as he knew you all would have many questions."

"We all?" Ginny raised a brow at her in question.

"Yes," Madam Pomfrey said in a much more clipped tone, "Dumbledore was not foolish enough to think he could get Mr. Potter to go alone. And as much as I hate sending off barely of age students into the thick of battle, I was informed that there would be no arguing with you lot," She sniffed at them.

"Too right," Ron said, accepting the shoelace from Madam Pomfrey, taking one end for himself.

"Ron I can't ask you to—" Harry started to object.

"No one told you to ask then did they?" Ron cocked ginger brow at his best friend.

Hermione went forward as if to take hold of the portkey as well but Blaise held her back, "Oh no you don't, you are in no condition to 'do battle' as Madam over here so eloquently put it. You can't even stand up by yourself."

"Actually," Hermione said, looking a bit embarrassed, "I can." And with that, she pulled herself gently out of Blaise's grip and straightened up from her slightly slouched position, pulling back her sleeve to reveal a smooth unmarked forearm where the ugly long scratch from Notts blade had been.

"The skin renewing potion works so much faster than a poultice and my strength has been restored since the blood replenishing potion. I just needed an excuse to get you away so Ginny and Dra- Er, Malfoy," Here she glared at the smug look on Draco's face as she revised at the last minute, "Could talk," She finished.

So she too reached out now and grabbed hold of a portion of the shoelace.

"Well if my brother is going then I'm in too," Ginny said reaching out to grab a portion next to Hermione.

"And if Hermione is going, then I'm going," Blaise said as he too took a portion.

Draco made as if to reach for the shoelace as well but Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue at him, "Oh no you don't Mr. Malfoy, I was under strict orders to make sure you stayed put."

"By who?" Draco frowned.

"I believe you know him as Professor Snape. Or formerly perhaps," Madam Pomfrey said, smugly. She seemed relieved that she didn't have to release all of her patients.

"But why?" Draco pouted, looking for all the world like a five year old being denied ice cream.

"He seemed to think it'd be safer for you to be away from certain Death Eaters. It has surely reached You-Know-Who's ears of your betrayal and it would not bode well for you, even if you were at the peak of your health to go running into a large mass of them. As far as you're concerned Mr. Malfoy, you have just as big a target on your head than Mr. Potter here."

"Well what about Blaise? He betrayed his father too," Draco argued.

"He's right Blaise, maybe you should stay here," Hermione put a hand on top of the dark haired boys.

His eyes smoldered for a moment as he stared into her dark brown ones before he sighed and gave his portion of the shoelace to Harry. He turned to the two Gryffindor boys then.

"If anything happens to them," Blaise said levelly.

"Either of them," Draco added, staring at Ginny.

"What you will be coming back to will make fighting Voldemort seem like a game of chess. Clear?"

Ron glared at him, "Isn't that my line? And you forget that some of us did have to play chess to fight Voldemort…" Ron grumbled irritably.

Blaise's eyebrows shot up as he looked questioningly at Hermione who shook her head, "Long story. First year. Tell you when I get back?" She smiled hopefully at the tall Slytherin.

"Yeah," He whispered, tracing her jaw with a finger, "When you get back."

And he pressed a soft but firm kiss on her lips and Ginny hurriedly did the same with Draco. But when Ginny pulled away Draco grabbed her wrist pulling her back again for a more thorough kiss whispering fiercely, "You better come back to me Weaslette," in what he hoped was a threatening tone.

"Or what?" Ginny said quietly back, "You'll give me detention?" A faint smile lingered on her face as she grasped the portkey, Harry taking grabbing hold of it at last.

Before Draco could answer, Harry glanced at the clock saying, "One more minute left. Everyone ready?"

They all nodded resolutely, watching the clock. And when there was only ten seconds left till activation, Ginny looked at Draco, mouthing the words, I love you, before there was a sharp hook behind her navel and the room spun out of focus.