Author's Note: Okay, it's now 7:40pm and I should really be watching Smallville right now, but that thing can wait. I am taping tonight's episode just in case I wasn't home to watch it. But anyhow, seems like taking a break from writing chapter after chapter this afternoon helped. Now I'm revived and ready to tackle on something you've all been waiting for...what is it? :::evil grin::: you'll just have to read and find out! :::winks:::

Disclaimer: I must've written this numerous times as it is and you know what? NOT MINE!!!

Summary: Ginny Weasley received the shocker of a lifetime when she entered her sixth year at Hogwarts. She fell in love with the last person on earth she thought she'd fall for. Now she has to do everything in her power to grab his attention and make him hers--even if she have to face the wrath of her six brothers and her parents, not to mention the wrath of Hermione and Harry when they find out what she was planning to do.

Setting: Ginny is in her 6th year; Draco is in his 7th year

~*~*~*~*~*~

XXVI. Valentine Surprise

Tonight's the night.

Harry and Hermione's carefully laid plan were finally going to be put to the test. They were both getting pretty sick and tired of listening to Draco and Ginny whine and complain about each other. It was time for some course of action. And God save their necks for what they were about to do!

Having caught wind of the ongoing pool amongst the Hogwarts students--thanks to Ron who was kind enough to inform them that there was a large bet being raised as to who will be the night's Best Most Romantic Couple--Harry and Hermione quickly got together and devised a plan (with the help of Ron of course, but he was still not too happy with the pairing, but he'd rather have Hermione paired off with someone else rather than with Malfoy!) that will sure surprise not just the rest of the Hogwarts students, but most especially it will surprise Draco and Ginny the most.

Harry and Hermione will attend the Valentines Day Ball together, acting all mushy and lovey-dovey while Draco and Ginny went missing in action (but they know where they will be). It would sure spoil all those gamblers who created a pool on which couple would be crowned the King and Queen of Hogwarts for being the Best Most Romantic Couple.

"Is everything ready?" Hermione whispered to Harry and Ron as she made her way down to the common room where her two escorts, her two male best friends, waited for her.

"Yeah, everything's all set." Ron gave her the thumbs up then offered his arm to her.

She smiled and looped one arm around Ron's and the other around Harry's. "So they are to meet right by the lake, right?" she confirmed with Harry.

"Yep. Ginny thought it was kinda kooky for her to meet with me blindfolded, but Ron helped me out a bit in convincing her." he explained.

"What about Malfoy? Did you have a hard time convincing him to meet with you blindfolded as well?" Ron asked.

Hermione made a face and stretched out her hand, moving her wrist from side-to-side in a so-so manner. "He's a very hardheaded guy to convince! He thought I was going to pull some nasty trick on him!"

"In a way you are going to pull a very nasty trick on him, Mione." Harry reminded.

"I wouldn't actually call setting those two lovebirds up a nasty trick, Harry."

"I can't believe I'm helping you guys set my sister up with my worse enemy!" Ron hissed and shook his head in disbelief at what he was about to do.

"Aw, fess up, Ron. You're doing something good for a change. And trust me, Ginny will be perfectly safe with Draco. He's not really a bad guy once you get to know him." Hermione cajoled.

"Oh, so now it's Draco with you too!" Ron nearly yelled, "Sheesh! What has the world become?" he asked to no one in particular.

Hermione rolled her eyes and chose not to answer him back. They still have a few loose ends to tie up and a ball to attend to--without Draco and Ginny of course. Those two will be having a ball all of their own.

~*~

Ginny remembered Harry's number one reminder to her as soon as she neared the lake. She took out a silk, scarlet scarf and tied it around her eyes. Harry enchanted it so that she won't stumble in the dark be and directed to where she was suppose to be (a/n: yeah, yeah, too far-fetched, but stick with me here, alright? I need something to get her to be where she's suppose to be! :::grins:::). She had no idea why Harry wanted to meet with her out here instead of in their common room. She tried coaxing Harry to spill what he has planned for tonight, but he was so tight-lipped she almost used a truth spell on him!

Oh God, he couldn't be thinking of proposing to me again on Valentines day! her mind squealed as she came to that one obvious conclusion. She knew of Harry's feelings for her, and he was well aware of how she really felt for him now. He wouldn't dare try and weasel--no pun intended--his way into my heart, would he? she thought as she continued to follow the path her enchanted scarf was leading her to.

"Blast it! Where is this thing leading me to?" she asked out loud, "It better not direct me straight into the lake or I swear I'll wring Harry's neck if he dared to ruin my best dress robe!" she hissed as her shoes' heels clicked and clacked against what she could only guess as pebbled walkway.

Finally she reached her destination. She reached over behind her to untie the knot she made on the scarf, but to her surprise--and utmost irritation--it wouldn't untie.

Harry put an anti-untying spell on it.

"Blast you, Harry." Ginny hissed, stomping her foot hard on the ground as she stood there looking like a complete idiot in her emerald green dress robe (a gift from Harry since she didn't have any good robes to wear) with a scarlet silk scarf tied around her eyes.

~*~

Draco was alternately cussing and yelping as the black silk scarf Hermione gave him to put on when he went down to the lake to meet her led him to wherever he was suppose to be at. He was fighting against the directions given to the scarf and he experienced first-hand that walking off-path to where the scarf was directed to lead him was deadly. If he took a little turn to the right, the enchanted scarf would pull him back to the direction it was bewitched to go to--and it wasn't gentle with him either!

"Dammit, Granger, you're going to pay for this." he hissed when he nearly twisted his ankle after he tried once again to send the scarf off-course, but like his countless tries before, it just pulled him right to the direction it was told to follow.

At last his possessed scarf reached its destination. He was about to reach over behind him to untie it when it just magically untied itself (it was bewitched to do that when Draco and Ginny were already together at their designated meeting place).

"What the..." Draco didn't get much out of his mouth as he gazed at the romantically decorated lakeside gazebo that he swore wasn't there earlier.

Scented red candles strewn (more like floated) about, on the ledge of the gazebo balustrade down to the steps, and all around it. Even the pathway he took had floating rose-scented candles that lit his way. Hermione sure went over the top with her plan for a romantic Valentines day celebration! He looked back at the small, round table set for two at the center of the gazebo and saw a thin, crystal vase with three long-stemmed rose in full-bloom and two carved candles standing on crystal candleholders and couldn't help but feel awe at how far Hermione have gone for this.

He was about to say that to his companion when his gaze finally settled on the petite girl standing across from him on the other side of the gazebo steps. He was about to utter Hermione's name when his gray eyes collided with a pair of startled green ones.

~*~

A slow, Muggle love song magically played in the background. It was a faint sound, but soothing nevertheless. At the sight of the romantic setting before her, Ginny's breath was sure taken away. It was what she always dreamed about. And Harry went through all the trouble of arranging this for her...for them.

"Oh Harry..." she sighed softly under her breath and faced the man responsible for all this, only the pair of eyes that looked back at her weren't green but rather a cool shade of steel gray.

They stood rooted to the spot on either side of the gazebo steps, at least a dozen or so scented candles floating about between them and around them, creating an aromatic vibe to the atmosphere, sprucing up the moment even more.

"Draco." his name escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

"Ginny." he inclined his blond head in greeting, his eyes never breaking eye contact with her, watching her expression as he addressed her for the first time by her preferred name.

Stunned, she stared right back at him, wondering if this was all just a cruel dream and she was about to wake up any minute now to find herself alone in her bed. She discreetly pinched herself--hard--and yelped when she felt pain shot right through her entire body.

"Are you alright?" he asked, alarmed at her sudden jumping and quickly crossed the space between them.

Ginny felt stupid for pinching herself. She shouldn't have done that, now she got his attention. Indeed she was wide awake and this was really happening. But the only questions were how and why? She lifted her gaze back to meet Draco's, her mouth poised to voice out her question, but she was given no chance to do so. Draco's warm lips quickly covered hers in a kiss so consumed with passion she was rocked to the very core of her being.

It had been a while since she last felt his mouth on hers, the soft, silky feel of his tongue as he gently coaxed her lips to part so it could rage a war against her own.

Instinctively she moved in to the circle of his arms, her own arms wrapping around his neck, her hand cupping the back of his neck and pulled him down for a much deeper kiss, parting her lips to give access to his tongue.

Draco's arms snaked around her tiny waist, hauling him closer to his aching body, his mouth hungry for the touch, the taste, and the feel of her warm, succulent lips. This was what he had been missing for months now. This was what has been denied off him for weeks on end. And now she was back in his arms again; he has no intention of ever letting her go. But first they must talk and straighten things out.

Reluctantly he ended the kiss, pulling himself away from the enticing lips that has bewitched him right from the moment he first tasted those soft petals. He heard her let out a moan of protest, but he dropped a kiss on her nose and pressed his forehead against hers, his gray eyes closed while his arms remained locked around her waist.

"Ginny, we need to talk." he said at last.

Ginny blew out an exasperated sigh and with her eyes still closed lazily asked, "Do we have to?"

Draco chuckled and planted a chaste kiss on her lips, but he wasn't fast enough to move away before Ginny pulled him down for a much deeper, lengthier kiss.

"Red...in...as much...as...I...want...to...snog...with...you...all night...there...are...still...a few...things... we...need...to..talk...about." he said in-between kisses.

Ginny stopped kissing him then and pulled her head away, but she didn't step out of the circle of his arms. Her lovely green eyes held his gray ones once more, cocking her head to the side and studied his face carefully.

"What if I don't want to talk right now?" she finally asked.

"We have to, Red. Otherwise nothing would've been accomplished if we just snogged and ate whatever was served for us to eat and snog some more." he explained matter-of-factly.

He was right, of course. But talking meant opening up to each other, admitting to one another relationships that blossomed while they were busy apart.

"Can't we just pretend for one night that all is right in the world?" she asked hopefully, "Can't we just pretend that nothing bad happened between us, just for one night?"

"Ginny--" he was cut off when she placed her index finger against his lips, silencing his protests.

"Shh. Tonight is special, and I want to keep it that way. If by talking you want to open up wounds that aren't healed yet, then you're just going to ruin this night for us."

"But we also need some closer, Gin." he pointed out to her.

"Closer to what?" she questioned, "We had a good time at the beginning of the year. What I thought was a harmless flirtation turned into something else--something unexpected. Then I got burned and by tomorrow you're gonna be back together with Hermione and--" it was her turn to be silenced when Draco placed his index finger against her lips.

"Hermione and I were never together, despite of what you think." he told her.

"But I saw you kiss her. And she kissed you back."

"I know what you saw, and it was a stupid move. I was pissed off. She was sticking her nose somewhere she shouldn't be then I saw you walking down the corridor and I did the only thing that was open to me. I was hurting after I saw you and Potter kissing after you confessed that you love him and I just wanted to make you feel what I felt when I saw you two together like that." he explained.

"Wait. You saw me and Harry kiss?"

"Yeah. It was the night after you spent the night with me. I knew which route you were taking back to your dorm and I wanted to surprise you, but seems like Potter already beat me to it and got to you first."

"Why would you want to surprise me?" she couldn't help from asking.

"Because all day long I couldn't stop thinking about you, and I wanted to spend a few minutes with you before I go back to my own dorm and go to sleep--alone."

"That night I was off to sneak off to see you. I wanted to say goodnight to you since I never got the chance to at dinnertime, but then Harry stopped me on the way to your dorm." she explained.

"I heard you two talking. It was hushed at first, but then it got a bit louder and it was then that I heard you confess that you were falling in love with Potter." his hands balled into a tight fist at the small of her back, remembering that night all over again, "Then you and him kissed. I swear I almost came out from where I was hiding and nearly knocked Potter's teeth down his throat!"

"Oh Draco you stupid fool." Ginny couldn't help herself from chuckling, hitting him lightly on the chest when she realized how he came about to suspecting that she and Harry were a couple. "I admit I did say I was falling in love, but I wasn't falling in love with you Harry!"

"You weren't?" Draco suddenly had a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"No." she shook her mop of red hair. Pulling his face down, she said when his lips were just mere inches away from hers, "I told Harry I was falling in love with you."

"You did?" he looked amazed, "But then he kissed you!"

"Yeah, he did kiss me. He just had the urge to do it because he could no longer keep his feelings from me. He was very sorry that he kissed me too though. I mean, I think he was sorry he didn't mean to do it to me, but that night Harry finally confessed his love for me."

"Then you should be happy 'coz finally the boy you've had a crush on finally noticed you." he snorted.

"Wrong. When Harry kissed me, I didn't feel a thing. No spark, no excitement, no nothing. And you know what else I felt after he kissed me and confessed his feelings for me?"

Draco shook his head.

"I felt that whatever feelings I have for Harry wasn't far from my feelings for Charlie, Bill, Percy, George, Fred, and Ron."

"You love Potter as a brother?"

Ginny's face broke into a genuine smile and nodded. "Yes. Over the years since I first met Harry, whatever feelings I have for him wasn't really what you call true love. It was puppy love at first, then that puppy love grew into some form of brotherly love." she explained earnestly.

"So there's no love lost between you and Potter then?"

"Nope." she smiled proudly.

"Good. So nobody would beat the crap outta me if I officially make you my girl now, hm?"

Ginny's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She couldn't believe what she just heard. Did he or didn't he just ask her to go steady with him?

"Draco--"

"Shh." he placed his index finger against her lips once more and pulled away from her, smiling from ear to ear as he gazed at the girl he loves with all his heart. "Virginia Weasley, may I have this dance?" he asked as a different slow song started to play.

Ginny smiled and moved into the circle of the arms of the boy she loves with all her heart. Draco took one hand in his and entwined their fingers together, pressing her hand against his chest while his other arm circled around her waist tightly, drawing her closer to him still. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, letting the music coming from the invisible player take over them.

down to the earth I fell with dripping wings
heavy things won't fly and the sky might catch
on fire and burn the axis of the world that's why I
prefer a sunless sky to the glittering and stinging
in my eyes I feel so light this is all I want to feel
tonight I feel so light tonight and the rest of my
life gleaming in the dark sea I'm as light as air
floating there breathlessly when the dream
dissolves I open up my eyes I realize that
everything is shoreless sea a weightlessness is
passing over me everything is waves and stars
the universe is resting in my arms

~*~

Harry and Ron will be sporting a great big bruise on their shoulders by the time this night was over. Hermione, who stood between them, kept on pounding her fists on their shoulders as she watched Ginny and Draco finally patch things up.

"Oh finally, a happy ending!" she sighed, staring dreamily at the couple dancing one of the numerous slow songs she decided would be perfect for the couple.

"A happy ending for those two, but a not so happy ending for us." Ron complained, wincing every time Hermione's clenched fist connected with his shoulder blade. "Mione, will you stop using my back as a drum? There's already a big honking bruise forming from your constant pounding!" he complained.

"Don't be such a baby, Ron!" Hermione scolded then turned and hugged his other partner in crime, practically squealing into his ear, "Harry, we did it! It was a job well done!"

Harry smiled down at the bouncing dark haired girl clinging around his neck, then he let his green gaze travel back to the dancing couple surrounded by numerous candlelight.

"Yeah. Ginny's mission is finally complete." he grinned and hugged his best friend back while Ron kept on complaining in the background about his bruised back.

~*~*~*~*~

THE END

A/N: FINALLY! oh my goodness! i can't believe i'm finally done with this fic! for those of you who read through the last couple of crappy chapters, my sincerest apology to you people! i just needed to get it out of the way (i knew i was dragging it a bit, but after chapter 25 i knew i had to end it) and so here's the ending! well, sorta the ending. i still need to tie up a few loose-ends so expect an "epilogue" chapter to be posted either tonite or tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

karly: thanks for your reviews, and now here's the end of this fic. i sure hope you enjoyed it as much as i enjoyed writing it *smiles*

Lt. Gen. Alainna Jackson: well he was damned to hell for what he did, but in the following chapters he got what he deserved for what he did

Nissy: the rest were uploaded today and here's the last installment (unless otherwise i get to post the epilogue chapter real soon)

GinnyYvette: yep, i got 'em out so fast in how many days and now look! i'm done--yay!!! hehehehe

Gin: they eventually got back together...LOOK!

Lady Godiva: here's more and the end (but i'm thinking of putting out one last chapter after this one)

Sharlene: don't be screaming bloody murder! here's the much awaited "reconciliation" chapter--and guess what? it's also the ending chapter :::smiles:::

hasapi: i'm sorry for dragging this on with the last couple of chappies...i just needed to do it to sort out what i really wanted to happen leading to this final chapter *smiles* thanks for all your reviews and inputs

Kitycat87: *lol* make that 5 chapters out in one day! :::grins::: and thanks for your reviews

MYSTIQUE: hehehe, don't worry, i eventually got them back together in this chapter :::smiles proudly:::

December's Girl: hopefully you were able to sustain until this chapter. they eventually got back together now, right? hehehehe

Redmeadow: sorry for dragging it on with the final two chappies before this (how many times have i apologized for those crappy last couple of chappies?! @_@) but anyway, i had to do it so i could lead it to the grand(?) finale--which is this chapter! thanks for your review!