Disclaimer: Don't own anything here, like Harry Potter, for example.

Here it is! The final chapter. Apologies in advance for any spelling/punctuation errors, I've been staring at this words for a few weeks now! Onto the show.

twenty one. birthday.

Ginny sat on the ottoman in front of the vanity, fidgeting with the smooth material of her dress. She had been cooped up in Bill and Fleur's room for close to two hours with Molly, Fleur, and for a time Hermione, as they focused on primping and preening her. She was getting tired of staring at the dark mauve wallpaper, which was plastered to the wall long before their aunt took residence. She yearned to stretch her legs and head outside. The party was an hour away and more than anything, she just wanted to get it over with.

Last night, she arrived at Shell Cottage with her parents to make sure preparations were underway. Her mother intended to have the party at the orchard near the Burrow, just as they had with any other Weasley function, but after extending the guest list three times, they needed a bigger venue. Bill and Fleur were more than happy to offer their house, located on the edge of Tinworth near Cornwall. Molly was incredibly thrilled to throw the party with the stunning backdrop the seaside landscape provided.

Ginny turned to look outside the window as Molly shouted down below to them. In the distance, her brothers and father were setting up the magically expanding tent, tables, and chairs. She smiled faintly, as it reminded her of Bill's wedding a few years back, when they were in the middle of the war. Only now her brothers looked a little older and perhaps a little wiser. The years were flying by, and all of their lives were taking turns. Over dinner last night, they toasted to hear that her oldest brother was going to be a father.

"Ginny, we don't have time to daydream all day," Molly scolded, forcing Ginny to come back to reality. Fleur clicked in agreement, bringing a wand close to her face.

Ginny didn't say another word but sighed in resignation. Between packing up and cleaning out all of her belongings at both Shell Cottage and the Burrow, and all of her Healer's documents arriving, this party was the last thing on her mind. But it was the final step to get her inheritance. It was the last stipulation of the agreement and she intended to follow it through. She had almost forgotten about all of the work she had been putting into gaining her independence, mostly because somewhere along the way, Ginny had started to have fun. It was only when she finally looked at the long hours she would have at the hospital, did she realize how much fun her life had gotten upon arriving at Malfoy Manor. It wasn't that she regretted her career path, but sometimes the stress and the expectations during her training got to be a lot, as it was with any difficult and rewarding job. Charm School reminded her of the lighter things in life. Draco had reminded her of the lighter things in life.

She had gotten lost once again in her train of thought that she hadn't realized that they were practically done. Fleur had left the room, leaving only her mother. Molly was humming a tune, thoroughly enjoying all of these activities, even if it had raised her stress level in the last month. She knew her mother enjoyed these times when they got to bond. After all, she only had one daughter to share these special experiences with.

Her mother returned with a long, slender velvet jewelry box and placed it on top of the vanity in front of Ginny. She looked up at her mother through the mirror quizzically but Molly ushered her to open it. Carefully, Ginny lifted the lid open to reveal what was inside. She gasped as her eyes widened. Inside, laying on the cushioned lining, was a yellow diamond pendant in the shape of a teardrop around a simple, silver chain. She had seen it once or twice before as a child when Ginny would play with the little jewelry her mom had. Her mother would always scold Ginny into putting it back, telling her it was valuable. It was one of the few real pieces of jewelry Molly had.

"Are-are you sure?" Ginny said, turning around to face her mother.

"Yes," Molly said with a smile. She leaned forward to lift the necklace out of the case. While she carefully moved Ginny's hair to clasp the necklace around her neck, she began, "You know, I was very happy to hear you chose gold for your gown, I knew this necklace would match perfectly. This necklace was my mother's, and before that, her mother's."

Once the necklace was closed, Ginny reached up to touch the pendant now slung across her neck. It was likely the most valuable thing her mother owned and she was truly touched by the sentiment. Molly placed her hands on Ginny's shoulders and squeezed them comfortingly.

"After all, it's not every day a girl turns twenty-one," Molly said ruefully. "You'll be moving out before we know it, Gin. What with Grandmother Weasley's gift, I thought you needed something from the Prewett side of the family as well. Happy Birthday."

Ginny could feel her eyes glossing over. She quickly rose to pull her mother into a tight hug.

Draco dragged his feet while getting ready, much to the house elves' displeasure. They were under Narcissa's strict orders to get him ready for the evening, and not a single one wanted to disappoint her. He rolled his eyes at their obedience. They were supposed to follow his instructions, not his mother's! After all, he was their master, not Narcissa. But then, no one – human or otherwise – would dare disobey her.

He had alternated between lazing around and pacing back and forth in his room until finally one of the house elves snapped and forced him into the bathroom. They had even magically locked the doors and hid his wand, so there was no escaping. He eventually gave in, and shed his pajamas in favor of the inviting bath that was drawn for him.

It was an hour later when Draco emerged from the bathroom in the brand new dress robes his mother had taken to choosing for him. They automatically adjusted themselves to his exact measurements the moment he put them on. Pausing to look in the mirror, he noticed a couple of small potion vials sitting on the counter, glinting up at him. They were no doubt to get him back into top form. With a sigh, he unstopped the bottles and quickly chugged down the potions, trying his best to ignore the bitter, unpleasant taste.

"Are you ready, dear?" Narcissa called out to him from his bedroom. He looked back at himself in alarm, wondering what time it was. Draco looked at the silver watch on his hand and realized that they were already fifteen minutes late. He must have wasted more time than he thought. Good, he thought to himself. The more time I take here, the less time I will have to spend at that insufferable party. He nodded at himself in agreement. It was then he noticed that the bags and dark circles under his eyes begun to fade away. In fact, his pallor looked much brighter than it had in recent days.

"Almost, Mother," Draco replied. He walked back into the bedroom, the inky black dress robes swaying around him. His mother was standing before him in a stunning, new gown, her face made up, and dripping in expensive jewelry. Narcissa walked over to her son and reached up to fix his bow tie, which was still slung around his neck carelessly. He tried to take over, as he perfectly knew well how to tie a tie, but his mother wouldn't have any of it.

"Now, Draco, make sure tonight isn't wasted," Narcissa said pointedly, as she carefully began to knot the tie. She peered closer at his jawline and frowned. "And why didn't you bother to shave?"

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked as he kept his neck craned up.

"You know perfectly well," she said simply. "I know all about the bet."

At this Draco, wretched himself from her grasp. Narcissa sighed in irritation as he refused to let her finish her task. Draco turned to the full length mirror near his wardrobe and fidgeted with the tie, repeating the words his mother said in his head.

"Dear, you needn't be so surprised. I knew what had transpired before Ginevra had even arrived at my office," explained Narcissa. "It was unfortunate what you and Maxwell decided to do-" at this Draco snorted, "-but you need to go and sort this out."

His stupid bowtie was finally done and Draco moved to making sure his cufflinks were closed. He turned to look imperiously at his mother. "There's nothing to sort out."

Narcissa's face hardened as she lost her patience. She picked up the clutch she had set on his dresser and retrieved her wand. "I will only say this once, Draco Lucius Malfoy. Things like this shouldn't be left unsaid." She pointed the wand at herself. "I trust that you're smart enough to understand what that means." And with that, his mother vanished.

He stood there momentarily, unsure of what to do. Draco knew perfectly well what his mother meant. He hadn't exactly been a subtle human with his irregular behavior over the past several days. He had been moping. Draco remembered feeling upset and hurt when Bridgette had broken up with him, but he eventually got over it. It had stung his ego more than his heart. With Ginny, it felt like things would never be the same.

How was Draco just supposed to go up to her? He was no coward, but he didn't want to put himself in a vulnerable position. He didn't like going into uncharted territory. Normally he would have a map and a couple of back-up plans just in case things went awry. Draco had no idea how Ginny felt about him at this point in time. They had had that brief moment at the ball, but it had been interrupted. She had never bothered to contact him after that. Could he formulate the things he wanted to say to her? Would Ginny even bother to give him the time of day? Draco could just picture her, with her hands on her hips, scoffing at him before walking away. He wasn't sure he could handle even more rejection.

Unruly blond hair was staring back at him when he looked in the mirror, having been raked through with his hand multiple times. Once his hair met his standards, Draco picked up his own wand from his nightstand. Before he recited the coordinates to the party, he had one last thing to do. With a snap of his fingers, a humble house elf appeared before him.

"Quick, go fetch me a drink. Now."

An hour had already passed and Ginny was eternally grateful for the spell that had been cast on her high heels. After she had made her grand entrance into the party tent, Ginny, along with her parents, had had to greet every single one of the guests. It seemed that her Charm School training had come in handy after all, as she knew what questions to ask and how to deal with each individual, even the ones she barely knew. Thankfully, they eventually broke away from the crowd and took family portraits, finally leaving Ginny to her own devices.

As she surveyed the scene, she realized she could finally relax. This was the final task she had to complete and it was already partially over. Standing near the bar, it hit her. This was her actual twenty first birthday party. This wasn't just a task she needed to check off her to-do list. It was time to celebrate, dance, and be merry. And that was exactly what her family and friends were doing. Her brothers were off cracking jokes with their significant others and friends. She saw Blaise and Lena laughing with George and Charlie. It was nice to see that her brothers could also put aside their Slytherin prejudices. Besides, Blaise was one of the few good ones.

Her eyes didn't miss Lena's glinting ring finger, with an incredibly large diamond nestled there comfortably. Earlier in the evening, Ginny hugged Lena as tight as she could and squealed before pulling her friend's hand close to her face to thoroughly examine the ring. The couple was already busy with wedding plans, planning for a summer wedding in a year's time. She was genuinely happy for them. It was truly meant to be, with the way they were serendipitously matched together at the Conservatory.

Five times out of six, Ball partners end up married.

Lena's words repeated in her head. She supposed the statistic was proving true. Several other school couples were either in the early stages of their relationships or becoming steadier. Ginny supposed she would be the sixth person, completing the statistic, she smiled wryly. She did feel a weird flop of jealousy when she saw the ring on Lena's finger. It symbolized the love that Blaise had for her. It also annoyingly reminded her of how alone she now was. Deep down, she hoped somehow Draco would come to the party, even though she hadn't heard from him since the Ball.

She reached for drink from one of the floating trays passing by, and her eye caught glints of blonde just beyond the glasses of wine. For a heartbeat, she became delusional and thought it was Draco. Instead, it was the closest thing to him. It was Narcissa speaking with her sister-in-law, Fleur. Ginny sighed, bringing the flute to her lips. As if knowing she was being watched, Narcissa's eye caught Ginny's. The redhead gave her a small smile in response and Narcissa returned the gesture. Thinking she was in the clear, Ginny turned to the dessert table behind her to grab a snack. She had barely eaten all night, mostly because she was terrified of spilling something on her dress.

"Are you enjoying the evening, Miss Weasley?"

The chocolate tart she had just reached for dropped with a plop. She thought she was in the clear once she smiled at Mrs. Malfoy. What did she want with her? She set down her glass and unfortunately empty plate and turned around. Narcissa Malfoy was standing in front of her, looking absolutely regal in an off the shoulder deep purple gown and an elegant updo. Her necklace, encrusted with diamonds, was practically blinding her, as were the rest of her accessories. Somehow she made the ostentatious jewelry look glamorous rather than gaudy.

"Yes I am," Ginny said with a smile. "I do hope you're enjoying the evening as well."

"Indeed, I am," replied Narcissa. "I've met many new people this evening. I was correct in assuming your family's status has improved."

Ginny nodded, unsure of what to say at this indirect slight to her family.

Narcissa continued. "I have also noticed that completing Charm School was to your benefit. You have been an exemplary host all evening."

At this, she couldn't help as her eyes widened. Was Mrs. Malfoy actually complimenting her? She supposed she could let the passive-aggressive jab at her social standing go.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Ginny began, letting out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding in. "I'd like to thank you for the opportunity I was afforded at the Conservatory. At the beginning, I did think it was a waste of time. But, I ended up learning a lot about myself and made a few good friends… However, I apologize that my partnership didn't work out the way it should have... Either of them."

"Ginevra, do you know why I selected you as my son's partner?"

Ginny shook her head, unsure of what was the proper thing to say.

"From our very first encounter. The fact that you stood up for yourself delighted me. I knew Draco would need a woman like that; one that wouldn't take his bullshit and one that would be strong in times of struggle. Someone that would keep him on his toes and show him how to be a better person. Someone that he would have to prove himself to. Your own reputation was merely a benefit."

If she hadn't been trained that it was rude, Ginny would have been staring at Narcissa dumbfounded, gaping at her, mouth wide open. This whole time the woman had been so tough on her, criticizing every movement, every piece of hair that was out of place, because she liked her? Her world really had turned upside down over the summer.

"I… I wasn't aware that you thought that highly of me."

To her surprise, Narcissa Malfoy smiled. An actual, genuine smile. It was a little alarming to Ginny at first; having never experienced it before, but it completely transformed her face. The resemblance between Draco and his mother became much more obvious. While he did look a lot like his father, there were subtle features; such as the way he smiled, that linked Narcissa and Draco together.

"I didn't at first," she admitted. "At first I did it merely for Draco's benefit in order to teach him a lesson. I know his relationships with the Weasleys were always on shaky ground, and he needed to be brought down a notch. But, eventually I started to come around. I could see the change in Draco from his mannerisms and the way he looked at you, as early as the waltzing lesson."

Ginny continued to be stunned into silence, which Narcissa only took as her opportunity to continue.

"I haven't seen my son so content in a long time. Life for Draco has been… complicated in the past several years. He's taken on much more responsibility than most people realize. It was nice to see him acting his age again once. I believe that this is all thanks to you. You saw past the façade that he is so used to putting up, and saw him for the man that he truly is and doesn't even realize he is."

Ginny could feel her eyes tearing up, and blinked furiously. She was not about to cry in front of Narcissa, even if it was because she was moved by the woman's honest words.

"I did eventually learn of the bet, which was an unwise decision on both of the boys' parts. Only, I hadn't realized that Maxwell would have taken it so far, and for that I sincerely apologize," she revealed earnestly. "I know it caused a lot of friction between you and Draco, but I do hope you find some way to speak with him again. I know he would greatly appreciate it, no matter how stubborn he is… And I'm pretty sure you would too."

Before Ginny could react, Narcissa gingerly reached out and squeezed her shoulder before turning around and disappearing into the crowd.

"Wait!" Ginny called out once her brain processed all of the information, all of her etiquette lessons forgotten. "Mrs. Malfoy! What do you mean!"

Narcissa paid her no mind, wading deep into the throng of people, no longer within earshot. Ginny felt like her head was spinning and clutched the table behind her for support. She had no idea that Narcissa had thought this deeply about her – or about her and Draco's relationship – for that matter. Again, she realized that she should have heard Draco out instead of angrily pushing him away. What was the most shocking was that Narcissa Malfoy apologized to her. To little, ol' Ginny Weasley.

The tent felt suddenly felt very stuffy. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts and try to figure out how to move forward. Before anyone else found her or Molly decided to reintroduce her to some distant family member, she quickly disappeared behind one of the tent flaps into the night.

How did he end up here? Draco wasn't one to be reckless. The stiff drink the house elf had given him must have clouded his judgment. It had been at least a half hour after his mother had left before he could look at the coordinates card without his stomach flopping uneasily. What did he have to lose? Oh, only his pride, his confidence, and his self-esteem. He brushed that off with a scoff as he reached the large ivory tent's entrance.

As with magic tents, it was much smaller on the outside. Strings of light hung from the poles holding up the tent, coming together in the middle where the large chandelier was sparkling above the guests, casting a romantic hue with brightly lit candles. A wooden paneled stage was directly in the middle, where several couples were having a good time dancing to the music provided by the enchanted string quartet. Cocktail tables bordered the edges of the tent, and there were flower arrangements of pale yellow flowers dispersed throughout the room, all in different shades. It was charming with a simple elegance, he thought. Much like Ginny.

It was then that he noticed that several people were eyeing him, both with curiosity and suspicion. It hadn't occurred to him until that moment that he would be around unfamiliar people. People who probably weren't the Malfoys' biggest fans. Draco quickly grabbed a champagne flute on a floating tray and downed it in an instant. Grabbing another one to placate his nerves, he decided to get to the task at hand: find Ginny.

Only, that wasn't the easiest task, he realized as he looked around the room. Just how many red haired people were there? It seemed that every single one in Wizarding Britain had gathered together on this fortuitous evening. Each time he saw a flash of red, he turned to see the wrong ginger, and more often than not, they were male. Draco had begun to liken them to the seven dwarfs, though most of them weren't really that small at all.

During the short time that he spent with Ginny, he had learned a little bit about her troop of brothers. There was Dragon Weasley, who looked much bigger than the average Weasley, which seemed practical seeing as he worked with dragons. There was Boring Weasley, gesticulating enthusiastically to a bored guest. He never quite learned what that brother did. Every time Ginny had tried to explain it to him, he promptly tuned her out, Sneaky Weasley, whom he knew had the Weasley joke shop, was laughing with a few friends. He would never admit to another soul, but he had bought a few of their products, and this brother mildly impressed him. But that didn't make him any less on guard. Lucky Weasley, the one that married the veela, was dancing with his glowing wife. The fact that a Weasley had managed to accomplish that had to be luck in itself. And of course, there was Dopey Weasley, in tow as usual with Granger and Potter. Sure, the name wasn't very original but who was he to mess with such a classic description? It suited Ron perfectly.

Draco sighed. She wasn't around at all. He decided he may as well grab something to eat since he dragged himself all the way over here. And then he saw her, standing by herself by the dessert table, deep in thought. And she looked utterly beautiful.

He felt a strange skip in his chest, and Draco was pretty sure his heart had just stopped at the sight of her. She looked statuesque as the liquid gold material spanned her entire length, pooling at the bottom on the ground. It had short sleeves with a high neck, though when she turned around, he was stunned to discover the creamy, expanse of her back, with the dress plunging dangerously close to her bum. On the left side of her body was a long, thin slit, revealing her shapely leg and strappy gold heels. Even her brilliant red hair flowed down her shoulder in silky, finger wave curls. Ginny's full, scarlet lips parted in confusion, and her eyes looked even larger with thick, dark eyelashes. Her jewelry was simple and tasteful, though he noticed an extra piercing in the cartilage of her right ear. He saw her look around quickly, right before she disappeared behind a tent flap.

Draco frowned. If there was one thing he knew about Ginny Weasley, it was that she headed outdoors when she needed an escape. Shoving his half empty glass into the hands of an unsuspecting guest, he followed right behind her.

Ginny exhaled in relief as soon as the cool sea breeze hit her face. As she walked further along the sandy path, the music and the voices began to fade away. She looked up at the dark night, which looked clear as ever with stars sparkling back at her. The cliffs in the distance no longer looked as daunting now that it was cloaked in moonlight and darkness. She contemplated walking the full trail to the beach to dip her toes in the water. But that probably wouldn't have been very ladylike.

Narcissa's revelation had left her reeling. There were so many words left unspoken between her and Draco. Now it felt like she had let too much time pass and her window of opportunity may have closed for good. The realization of that constricted around her heart. She knew more than ever that whatever had transpired between them was deeper than infatuation. From the depths of her soul, she knew she cared about him and wasn't ready to let go. Ginny had stupidly hoped Draco would show up here so she didn't have to gather up the courage to find him. She suddenly wished that Charm School wasn't over, just so she could have one more chance to speak to him, to see him, and hold him.

Ginny ruefully smiled. At the beginning of the summer, she wanted nothing more than the program to speed along so she could move onto the next chapter of her life. As she looked behind her to see the quaint, little cottage where she had spent so much of her time pouring over her textbooks, writing long papers, and preparing for grueling exams, she was now reluctant to see it go. It was funny, she thought, how a person becomes sad about leaving a place that they've wanted to leave from so long. She was going to miss the gorgeous landscapes, the charming small town, and the great company of her brother and sister-in-law. Next week, she would be getting access to that vault in Gringotts that held her inheritance. Ginny had already been mesmerized by the various flats in London that appeared in the advertisements in The Daily Prophet. With a tap of her wand, the apartment visuals would appear before her eyes. She had already scouted a few places and was getting ready to narrow down her choices before she headed to St. Mungo's for her orientation.

Even all of this, that had once seemed so exciting to her, was now lacking its luster.

"What, no dragon hide jacket this time?"

Ginny's head snapped to attention as she turned around. Somehow the Gods had heard her, because Draco Malfoy was standing in front of her in the flesh. She prayed that she wasn't hallucinating. He looked ever so elegant in his form-fitting black dress robes. It only highlighted his lanky but firm build. Easy grey eyes stared back at her, looking almost metallic under the moonlight. In fact, the moonlight only enhanced Draco's aristocratic features. It bathed his face in a ghostly veil, highlighting every line, crevice, and shadow of his face.

"I-I don't think Aunt Muriel would approve, but then she has already berated my alterations to the dress," Ginny finally replied, once she found her voice.

She saw Draco's eyes trail along her frame, right down to the dangerously high slit that exposed her leg. "I see no problem with it."

Ginny hoped it was dark enough so he couldn't see her blushing.

They stood there, a foot away from each other, in awkward silence.

"Have you had any cake yet?" She asked in an attempt to break the silence.

"The red velvet?" Draco replied with a smirk. "Very fitting. Just when I thought your ego couldn't be any more inflated, what with your signature drink."

She snorted. "It was one of Mum's suggestions."

Taking his hands out of his pocket, Draco took a few steps closer to her. Her eyes widened and she willed her heart to stay steady. She flexed her fingers, shaking her hands of her nerves. So, I guess we're doing this now, huh? Though her wish had come true, her mouth was suddenly dry at the thought of speaking to him. What was she supposed to say? What could she say?

"I'm sorry."

Both Draco and Ginny blinked at each other in surprise and laughed awkwardly, having both said the same thing at once.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" asked Draco.

"For not listening to your side of the story. For being a complete bitch during the last couple of weeks. For not having the balls to ring you up so we could sort this all out!" As she listed off her grievances, her voice had risen and she was shouting. Ginny hadn't meant to, but she was shouting more at herself, and it was nice to finally voice her frustrations out loud.

Draco snorted. "Oh, please, Ginny. You had every right to feel that way after the shite we… I… put you through. I should've been honest from the beginning and just told you about the bet. It wasn't right to toy with your feelings like that."

"Like I would've agreed to helping you at that point in time," she pointed out.

"That is true. For what it's worth, I was never trying to seduce you, or whatever the hell Fawley came up with. Once we finally got along… it became much deeper than that." There was an honesty in Draco's voice that she had never heard before.

Draco held his hand out to her, and she accepted it, prompting him to pull her closer. They were only a few inches apart. His other hand reached down under her chin to tilt her face upwards. She could see the uncertainty in his murky eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, for putting you through any of this. Whatever we had, though brief, was real, in my mind. I know I don't deserve it, but I do hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me," Draco said quietly, though she could hear the slight unsteadiness he was unable to keep out of his voice.

"I do," Ginny replied without hesitancy. "I just want to start over, Draco."

His hands cupped her face and he stared deeply into her eyes. He leaned down, closing the gap between them, until his lips were just hovering over hers. Ginny exhaled in impatience, but Draco quickly remedied the situation, bringing his lips to hers.

It was a kiss of renewal. She locked her arms around his neck, closing the gap between them. They hadn't even been apart for that long yet it felt like an eternity. She had gone through a withdrawal and tried her best to forget what this felt like. This was a relapse. Ginny couldn't get enough of him; he was insatiable to her. She never wanted to let go.

They slowly broke apart, and she rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heart pounding as hard as hers was, which both comforted and exhilarated her. Everything that had been weighing down on her had been lifted. She felt freer than she had in a long time. It was as if the clouds had parted, finally allowing the platinum sunlight in. Without a doubt, she knew this was a new beginning for the both of them.

"…Do we have to stay for the rest of the party?" asked Draco huskily. She could feel his deep voice reverberate throughout his body.

"Well, I do." Ginny laughed at the look of disappointment she was met with when she looked up. "Besides, I haven't danced with my escort yet."

Without another word, she separated herself from Draco and took his hand, leading him back to the party.

Draco was smiling. He was truly, sincerely, one hundred percent smiling. Somehow, his mother's ridiculous charade of getting him over here actually worked. He supposed it wasn't that dastardly of a plan since all he had to do was talk to the girl, but it had taken a lot from him to dredge up these feelings that he had tried to push deep down inside of him for the past couple of weeks.

Now here he was, with Ginny in his arms, on the dance floor. She looked as happy and free as he felt, with her contagious grin and twinkling brown eyes. It was nice having her in his arms again, her hand in his, her head gently resting on his shoulder, as they glided around the room. It felt like coming home.

It was the happiest he felt in a long time that he barely noticed the strange looks they were getting as they danced together. Today, he would let it go. They could finally move beyond their rocky beginnings and build anew on a stronger, sturdier foundation. He knew they would have obstacles to face, but he just wanted to enjoy this moment in time, as it was happening. She would be beginning her new job in a week's time and he would also be going through a career shift too.

Draco cleared his throat, causing Ginny to lift her head off his shoulder to look at him.

"Did I happen to mention I met with McGonagall recently about a possible governorship?"

"I don't think so," she replied, with a curious expression.

"Oh really?" Draco feigned surprise. "Well, apparently she thought I was so brilliant that she offered me a position as a professor."

"Oh, she did?" said Ginny, but he could tell she was feigning surprise.

"Apparently she heard I was so gifted in the Dark Arts that she just had to have me join the faculty, there was no way I couldn't say no." Draco elaborated, "I mean, who could blame her?"

"Of course," nodded Ginny seriously, though it seemed as if the twinkle in her eyes only became brighter.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I don't suppose a certain bushy haired individual meddled on my behalf?" He knew it had to have been Granger. He would never admit it, but now he owed her a favor for her act of kindness.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said smoothly, though she wasn't quite meeting his eyes.

He shook his head knowingly. "The letter said something along the lines that I was so informed with the Dark Arts having such close experience with it day in and day out in my past. Oh, and the recommender also emphasized that the best education should be made available to the students of Hogwarts, which trumped any school rivalries and personal history she – I mean the recommender – had."

"You know those headmasters of Hogwarts, they always know more about what's happening than they let on," she continued to fib hopefully.

"More like she said that my glowing recommendation perfectly substantiated my many qualifications," he raised an eyebrow at her again pointedly.

Ginny deeply exhaled, ending her ruse. "Okay, fine, maybe I mentioned something to Hermione once. I wasn't expecting her to do anything about it though," she confessed.

"You realize you're going to have be punished for that," Draco grinned wolfishly.

"Why?" Ginny pouted. "It helped you get the position, didn't it?"

"But if Granger knows, that means her ickle fiancé knows, which surely means that Potter knows."

She giggled. "I suppose the boys will be holding it over your heads?"

"I suppose I'll have to give you a double punishment," Draco replied with a waggle of his eyebrows, before reaching down to whisper in her ear, causing her to giggle. When he lifted his head back up, he saw that Ginny was thoroughly blushing, much to his pleasure. And that a pair of brown eyes not unlike Ginny's that were glaring daggers at him.

"Why does Sneaky look like he wants to murder me with his eyes?" Draco asked, looking down at her.

"…Who?" Ginny asked, not having the faintest idea what he was talking about. She looked around the room until she found her brother and laughed. "Oh, you mean George? Why in the world did you call him Sneaky?"

"Because. He has that damn joke shop and he was always up to no good at school. Sneaky fits," justified Draco. "Now why he is he looking at me like that?"

She looked down at her feet guiltily. "I may have told him about what happened between us."

"Bloody hell, Ginny! You could've told me that before we walked in!" Draco exclaimed, suddenly trying to remember what pocket his wand was in.

"Sorry! I didn't plan on telling him anything! But he knew something was wrong and I needed to vent to someone…" Ginny trailed off. "Look, he knows you wouldn't be here dancing with me if I didn't want you to. He just happens to think you're also an old-fashioned, twisted prick."

"What?" Draco said with a look of shock on his face. "How in the hell did he get an idea like that?"

"I was angry… and I had a couple of shots of Firewhisky… I may have said something along the lines of you settling with your twit of a second cousin that has twelve toes who would be more than happy to host this type of mindless function," she explained regretfully. However, it was getting difficult for Draco to maintain his anger at her, what with her arms looped around his neck and her fingers brushing up against the delicate hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Well, technically speaking, you are something like my first cousin, three times removed. Or is it my fourth cousin, twice removed?" Draco thought out loud.

Ginny looked scandalized. "We are far too distantly related for me to ever kiss you the way we just did. Believe me, I did the legwork."

"I've always been rubbish at those bloodline relations," he admitted.

"Malfoys, they're just like us," she smirked, before moving in closer to bridge the gap between them. "Though I am happy that there is no creepy cousin waiting on the sidelines."

"Well, there is-" though Draco couldn't even finish his sentence as he burst into laughter at Ginny's livid face. "There's no one. And thank Salazar for that, or I would have missed out on the opportunity to meet you again. To really, truly get to know you."

Ginny leaned in closer, bringing her hand to his cheek, to bring him closer and planted a kiss on his lips. "You know," she said when they parted, "I like this stubble on your face."

"Really, I've been told it wasn't very gentlemanly," he replied.

"Well," Ginny began, her voice dropping an octave and becoming huskier, as she wrapped her hands on his collar pulling him forward, "when did I ever say I was a lady?"

A/N: …And that's a wrap! There will be an epilogue, which is almost ready to go! I do hope you've enjoyed this story. It's been a long time in the making, and I've had so much fun coming up with this story and learning how to write it. What I intended to be 13 chapters (including epilogue) ended up taking a life of its own! I'm truly thankful for each and every review I've received – it's been amazing to hear all of your responses! Thank you so much for sticking around for the journey and seeing it through!

While this story may be over, I've just started a new multi-chaptered fic called "Silver Lining". It's (of course) D/G-centric, so if you've enjoyed this story, I'm pretty sure you'll like that one too!