Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series. But I did decorate my Christmas tree the other day and I found a ton of old ornaments I made during kindergarten and elementary school. Ahh memories!

Sorry it took so freakishly long to get this out to you. But, being a senior, I have lots of homework and finals were tough and I had to study for them. Add that crap onto the fact I had a horrid writers block, it was nearly impossible to write. I know no excuse is really good enough for not updating in like a month, but I hope this chapter will make up for it.

Thanks to all of you amazing people that reviewed! You feed out metaphorical starving five-year-old well. And said metaphorical starving five-year-old is now officially dubbed Bob Jughead XVI. I think that's how you do 16 in roman numerals. Is it? I'm not sure. I think it is though because doesn't the X mean ten and V is five and I is one so you add them together and get XVI… Anyway his name is going to be BJ for short. BJ is very happy with all of your reviews.

Without further ado…

Chapter 24

Ginny POV

I never thought I would see the day I would dread the coming of Christmas. But that day had come. Draco gently rubbed my back to calm me as I cried onto his shoulder, not caring if I ruined his new shirt, but it just made me cry harder. "Ginny, what's wrong?" he asked, tilting my head up to look him in the eyes.

I looked up at him through my tear-filled eyes and shook my head, unable to speak. I lay my head back down on his chest and continued to weep. "Don't cry, please. We have it all planed out. Nothing's going to go wrong. Everyone's convinced you went home already. Your family will think you simply stayed at Hogwarts. Nothing will go wrong," he said gently, trying to calm me.

"I know that," I said between sobs.

"Dam it Ginny, then why are you crying," Draco asked, his patience running thin because he couldn't seem to help me.

"I don't want to be away from you that long," I finally whispered, and then started crying harder. I knew it really wasn't like me to break down and cry for such a reason. I knew it was only going to be for a short while, but I didn't think I could bear three weeks without him, all alone here.

"Oh Gin, it's only going to be for a few weeks," Draco said softly as he hugged me to him tighter. He gently kissed the top of my head and whispered, "I don't want to be away from you that long either, but I have to go back." He gently grabbed my chin and forced me to face him. He placed a softly, sensual kiss on my lips before saying, "I would much rather stay here than go back to that hell hole I used to call home." He then proceeded to kiss me senseless, as much to get my mind of my worries as his.

When he finally pulled away I leaned my head against the side of his neck, trying to calm my breathing while listening to his rapid heartbeat slow to a normal pace. "Used to call home?" I questioned when finally I could speak again.

"Yes, used to. My home is wherever you are now Ginny. I love you," he said and again kissed me gently.

I smiled and sighed happily. "I love you too Draco, more then I ever thought possible." I sighed against his lips and kissed him again. I really seemed to be addicted to kissing him. All to soon though, he broke the kiss and started laughing hysterically. "Draco?" I asked confused but holding back giggles of my own. It was so rare he totally let go and really laughed.

"If somebody had told me two years ago that I would, in barely two years time, be pronouncing my undying love to a Weasley I would have had hexed them and had them committed to St. Mungo's," he said while unsuccessfully trying to control his laughter.

Finally understanding his uncontrollable laughter, I had to laugh too. I would have done nearly the same thing two years ago. I would have said they that person was a nutter and had them committed to St. Mungo's for extreme insanity. But here we were, against all odds, a Malfoy and Weasley in love with one another.

"Weasley though you may be, I seem to love you anyway," Draco said with a chuckle as our laughter died down. The mood soon became grim again when he let go of me. "I really need to go Ginny, I can't miss the train."

"You could," I said sulkily as he picked his cloak up from the sofa. "You needn't go really. You could just write and say you missed the train," I added without much hope, I knew he had to leave.

"I wish I could," he sighed as he pulled me to him one last time. His lips gently brushed mine when he said, "Oh how I wish I could." With that his lips captured mine in one last searing kiss.

Draco POV

Walking out of my dormitory and down the steps was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do before. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving Ginny here all alone for nearly a month. I didn't want to leave her for any length of time after so recently getting her back. But it had to be done.

My parents were expecting me home for the holidays and if I didn't come it would raise suspicion. I wasn't looking forward to this Christmas even more so than usual. But I was sure my father would tell the Dark Lord of my absence, I was expected. Sometimes I just wanted to shout to the world how much I hated the Dark Lord and my father, but that would simply be suicide. Ginny and Blaise were the only two that knew how I really felt.

I was pulled out of my thoughts about halfway to Hogsmeade by a shrill voice I knew all to well. I groaned and tried to pretend I hadn't heard Pansy say my name. I kept walking, trying to lengthen my strides and hurry to get away from her without her noticing. But as it would be she ran to catch up to me. "Draco," she said again as she caught up with me.

I glanced at her, nodded, and said in a voice completely devoid of emotion, "Pansy."

She acted like I had said her name with love or something because she then threw her arms around me, saying in her annoying voice, "It's been ages since I've seen you."

I shrugged her off and continued walking, saying in a monotone voice that show a hint of my disgust, "You saw me yesterday in several classes." Sadly, I finished to myself.

"Classes don't count. You never come down to the common room anymore and I never see you outside or in the library. I rarely see you at meals even anymore!" she said in an exasperated tone, as if she were explaining this for the millionth time.

"I have been busy with homework and studying for my NEWTS because, I for one, wish to pass them," I said as I kept walking. God how I hated this girl. I silently added her name to the mental list of people I wanted to scream that I hate to the world. But it really wouldn't get me killed to admit how much I hate Pansy, I mused silently, a smirk crossing my lips. People would probably applaud me for admitting it actually. I couldn't think of a single person, Slytherins included, who really liked spending any time with Pansy. She was a headache with legs that had some primal instinct to follow you everywhere and make your life a living hell.

"I want to pass my NEWTS too, but you can't live locked up in that dormitory of yours. It can't be healthy! But if you really insist on staying in there maybe I could come by and help you study," she said with a obviously suggestive arch of her eyebrows. I had to hold back a gag. The though of shagging Pansy was disgusting. Even when I dated her, though I can't even fathom why I ever dated her in the first place, I never took her to my bed. The thought disgusted me, even then. I would just find someone less vulgar to suit my needs.

"I don't need your help," I said in an icy voice, "with anything." I couldn't even think about shagging some random girl. With the unwelcome offer Pansy brought up, all I could picture was Ginny's head on my chest, her even breathing lulling me to sleep. No other girl belonged in my bed, for any reason.

By now we had made it to Hogsmeade. "Why are you being so cold Draco?" Pansy called out to me from where she was frozen in her tracks as I strode away from her.

I didn't even bother answering, for fear I would loose my temper with her. I hated her yes but I didn't want to kill her. Not yet anyway but from the way things were going I would want to soon. I veered of the main road and headed towards the train station. Students were more prevalent now as I drew near the station. When I finally got there I got on and started searching for the compartment where Blaise, who had left a good hour before I had, was.

When the train arrived back at the station I immediately got my things and flooed home. The sooner I was home the sooner I could sulk in privacy. Being away from Ginny was already becoming unbearable. I missed her laugher, her voice, holding her to me, her lips…. My thoughts were cut short when I flooed home and saw the Christmas decorations.

It wasn't the decorations really that floored me, just the fact they were there. With all the things going on in the world around us, the raging war for instance, it looked like my mother was still insisting on that stupid Christmas ball. I sighed, shaking my head as I set my things down and started up the stairs. I wasn't sure if my parents were home or not, but I really didn't care.

When I got to my wing of the manor there was a note pinned to my door. I took it down, noticing my father's unmistakable writing, and read:

I do not care what time you get this, come to my office. The Dark Lord has things he wishes me to discuss with you.

I sighed and closed my eyes briefly. This couldn't be good. At least it was my father discussing what the Dark Lord wanted to discuss, not the Dark Lord himself. My father was a littler easier to bare being around. He was not so quick to kill if angered. Many faithful followers of the Dark Lord had been killed simply because the Dark Lord was in a bad mood. He was purely evil and I just wished Potter would hurry up and kill him already, though the chance of Potter surviving and succeeding against him was almost laughable.

Steeling myself for what surly awaited me, I strode quickly towards my fathers office, the sooner to get it over with. I barely noticed the intricate art and pictures in the ornate halls as I made my way to my father's office. I hesitated only briefly before knocking on the door. "Enter," my father's cold voice sounded from inside the office.

I opened the door and stepped in. As soon as the door opened, my façade was back in place. I showed none of the trepidation, fear, and hate that was in my heart. "You wished to speak with me Father?" I asked in a drawling voice as I sprawled leisurely in the chair across from the desk.

"Yes, of course. But first I noticed your charms grade finally went up. It's about time. Any bad marks you have reflect on badly me and I really don't wish for that," he said menacingly. "So what is it that finally got you to get your grade up?" he asked absently as he shuffled some papers.

To the untrained mind, the question and gesture seemed absentminded and normal. But to someone who had to learn at an early age the warning signs of his temper, this wasn't a good sign. He was angry that it took something or someone other than him to get me to get my grades up. In reality, it was the fact Ginny was acting as a privet tutor and proofreading all of my essays, but I couldn't tell my father that.

"I guess you finally got to me after all," I said with a laugh. "NEWTS are coming up and I know how much you and Mother wish for me to get all Os. Like you always told me, the better the grades the better people think of you. The better people think of you the better you can easily blend into society without questions," I said, repeating from memory what my father had beaten into me since I was eleven.

He seemed appeased. "Well, it's about time," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "The Dark Lord has finally decided to forgive you for your failure earlier in the year. He has a few missions to send you on with some others after you pass your apparition test. Have you taken it yet?"

His piercing eyes watched as sat up some and shifted to a more comfortable position in the hard chair. "Not yet but I do have a test date set for January second. I'm confident in my ability to pass the test the first time. I have yet to splinch in any of our lessons, unlike most people," I said with a shrug.

My father laughed a cruel laugh, as I'm sure he pictured the pain people went through with splinching in the lessons we had. "I remember my apparition lessons well. Many people splinched themselves. Pain is always fun to watch. I'm sure you've enjoyed your lessons." His evil laugh rang through the room.

I smirked and nodded, though the splinching I had seen I hadn't found funny at all. It seemed painful and I felt bad for those who splinched, though I didn't let on.

"Well, that is all I needed to discuss with you. After you pass your test I will discuss the missions the Dark Lord wishes you to go on," my father said as his way of dismissing me. I stood, nodding towards my father to show I understood, and left without a word. It wasn't until I was back in my quarters, door securely locked, before I let the façade fall.

I sank into the nearest chair and put my head in my hands. What was I going to do? Any mission the Dark Lord wanted to send me on couldn't be good. I would involve hurting people at the very least. I had avoided killing so far and had no wish to start. The only way I could think of to keep from going on those missions was to fail my apparition test. If I were to fail on January second I wouldn't be able to reschedule in time to pass the test before next term started. But purposely failing wouldn't be a good idea.

I had just told my father how well I was doing in my apparition lessons because if I hadn't he would have thought I was doing bad, thus punishing me. If I were to purposely fail my apparition test by apparating a mile or so from my intending destination, then I wouldn't be able to go on the missions because of my lack of apparating ability. But Father would be furious.

I didn't want to imagine the forms of torture he would use. The Cruciatus was likely. Could I purposely fail my test and be punished to avoid killing those people who would likely be killed whether I was there or not? I hated the thoughts of what I would go through, but being sent on whatever missions I would be sent on was out of the question. I would have to deal with whatever punishment would be dealt me.

I hope you liked it! It sure took me long enough. But I promise to try and update at least once more before next semester starts up on the 4th. I can't promise anything because holiday seasons are hectic, but I will try my hardest!

Please review because BJ is starving for your reviews after so long of having none. So please click that little review button and feed poor starving BJ.

And remember:

A happy author writes better and faster! So review and make me happy!!!