Author's Note: Alrighty! I know I said in the previous chapter that it was THE END, but I also mentioned that I might post another chapter to add some bit of closure to some loose-ends left hanging in the story. Well guess what? This is that chapter--the epilogue. It will be written from Ginny's PoV, in case you're wondering why the sudden switch to first-person PoV here. And to all you wonderful readers, thank you all soooo much for sticking with me! I'll try and get another fic posted, but until I am hit with another idea for a fanfic, it'll just have to wait. Enjoy this last installment for Mission: Capture the Heart of the Resident Bad Boy and hopefully in my next fic (whenever that may be) I'll see your names in the reviewers' list once again. Toodles for now!
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
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XXVII. His Gift (Epilogue)
It's Valentines day once again. It fell on a Saturday this year and it was also the weekend students were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. I'm particularly excited about this day because of two things. One, I get to see Draco again after months of owling each other. Two...well, it's our one-year anniversary! Could you believe we lasted a year together? I never, in my wildest fantasies, thought Draco and I would survive a year of being together, not with my entire family--with the exception of Ron since he was also part responsible for getting Draco and I together--against the union, not to mention facing his father's wrath when he found out his only son socialized himself with a Weasley.
Ron couldn't believe Draco and I indeed lasted a year together--and with Ferret Boy remaining faithful to me through it all! Not that we didn't argue because we sure did a lot of that during the beginning of our relationship.
When we finally came out of the closet and admitted to those who wanted to know if we were indeed together, all hell broke loose--not just from our family but from the other students at Hogwarts as well. I received threatening owls each day from one of Draco's numerous admirers, cursing me and all, warning me that by the end of the year I would just be one of his cast-offs. I showed Draco those letters of course and you know what he did? He just laughed it off and helped me burn them to cinders. He too received threatening letters from spurned admirers and would-be suitors of mine. Once I even saw him engaged in a fist fight with one other Hufflepuff--or was it a Ravenclaw?--all because the other guy bad-mouthed me to Draco.
But the biggest surprise to the both of us came the day after Valentines day. We were both swarmed--separately of course--by hoards of students demanding what the heck kinda sick game we played. Apparently quite a lot of people lost some money betting on either Draco and Hermione or Harry and myself for best couple the night before at the ball, but during the night of the dance their whole bet was spoiled when Harry and Hermione showed up together and Draco and I didn't materialize until minutes later before the ball ended walking hand-in-hand outside the Great Hall. Ron then explained to Draco and myself (Hermione and Harry knew about it long before Draco and I caught wind of the secret bet going on around school) what exactly happened and why the entire school decided to make a bet. It was a very insane idea that made the four of us--Harry, Hermione, Draco, and myself--laugh our heads off. So it wasn't just us who thought the other two were a couple!
After everything else has been cleared with the other students--the numerous threatening letters I received finally stopped coming nearing the end of the school year when Draco and I showed no sign of ever parting ways--it was time to face the summer and our parents. Draco decided to come to Kings Cross with us to meet my parents properly. He told his parents he would just send an owl to him if he wanted to be picked up and not to send anybody to pick him up at the train station.
We were both so worried about what my parents' reaction would be that neither of us could sit and relax while on the train. Hermione and Harry did their best to divert our minds from what was about to happen, but to no avail. Draco even indulged himself in a game of Wizards chess with Ron (who won, of course) and Harry (who lost), but his mind wasn't far from what I was thinking about. Soon we reached Kings Cross and was crossing the barrier between platforms nine and ten.
Ron went on first followed by Hermione, then Harry gave us one last pep talk, telling us it will be alright then disappeared through the barrier. Draco and I remained standing at the passageway, both taking deep breaths before finally we decided to go through together.
You could just imagine the shock on all seven members of my family's faces awaiting our arrival when they saw Draco and I go through the barrier together.
"So it's true then!" George exclaimed when he finally found his voice.
"Our Ginny-Gin-Gin's got herself a boyfriend, and it's the ferret nevertheless!" Fred added.
I bit on my lower lip harder, feeling my face go beet red at how rude my brothers were. I felt Draco laced his fingers with mine, squeezing my hand gently and made me look up at him. He gave me an encouraging smile, telling me it was okay, he didn't mind being ridiculed by my brothers. After all, he deserved what he got after being such an ass to them when they were still attending Hogwarts with us.
"Fred, George, be nice." Mom scolded, sending a warning glare at the direction of my twin prankster brothers. She seemed to have broken the ice though, walking up to where Draco and I stood and enveloped me in a nice, bear hug. "Welcome home, Ginny." she planted a motherly kiss on my cheek before pulling away turning to Draco, a genuine smile plastered on my face. "And you must be Draco, the boy responsible for my daughter's happiness. It's finally nice to meet you properly."
I didn't know that both Draco and I had been holding our breaths for any other negative reactions from my family member until then. As soon as Mom showed she wasn't the least bit against our getting together, he loosened his grip on my hand and extended his other hand to shake my mother's, but Molly Weasley surprised us both when she gently pushed his hand away and enveloped him in a big, motherly hug.
I was so stunned my jaw nearly touched the dirty ground at what I saw. Even my brothers couldn't believe what Mom just did, but as I looked at Dad I saw him smiling proudly at what Mom did before stepping up beside her to welcome Draco to our family. Harry, Hermione, and Ron were grinning from ear to ear at having to see Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred, and George looked all ruffled at the scene unfolding before them. It was really a cute sight to see them all flustered and their faces discontorted somehow.
Needless to say it was an eventful month and a half. Draco often came to the Burrow to hang out with me as well as with Hermione who seemed to have taken permanent residence at the Burrow while awaiting some news for possible job offers at the Ministry (Percy was helping her land a job there). Ron and Harry seemed to have grown close to Draco as well and neither one of them snarled at each other anymore. Ron could still be such a childish prat sometimes, but we all just laughed at him and went on hanging out together anyway.
But it wasn't over yet for us. We still have to face Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy together. His parents knew of Draco's 'girlfriend,' but neither one of them has heard of her name or seen her. So when Draco took me to their Manor for a formal sit-down dinner, I was a nervous wreck! As expected Lucius Malfoy wasn't impressed that his son got a Weasley for a girlfriend, but Narcissa was all together different. Like my mother, she welcomed me to their family with open arms, sticking up to her husband whenever he has some nasty remark hurtled my way. Let me tell you, my first dinner date with Draco and his parents was so tensed I thought I would cramp all over!
My older brothers had a bet that Draco and I wouldn't last until the end of the summer. Even Lucius betted on that happening. But they were all proven wrong when summer came and went and I was to start my seventh year at Hogwarts. Draco arrived at the Burrow just in time to see me off to Kings Cross, promising to owl me every day until we get the chance to see each other again during Christmas--which we eventually did. By this time Lucius begrudgingly accepted me as a part of his family. He wanted to have a say in our relationship, but Draco made sure his father never meddled in our affairs.
Now a year later, I sat here inside the Three Broomsticks at Hogsmeade waiting for Draco to show up. He promised to meet me here this weekend to celebrate Valentines day together. He was already an hour late and I was starting to get worried. He was never late. He was always punctual. My eyes kept on darting at the entrance, hoping to catch a glimpse of his shiny blond head, but alas, he still hasn't arrived. I ordered another mug of butterbeer and waited...and waited...and waited until...
"Hey Ginny!"
I looked up and saw three familiar faces, all smiling and looking flushed, coming up towards my table. I frowned as I watched Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat across from me. What are they doing here? When I asked them if they wanted to hang out with Draco and myself today they all said they were too busy with work and wouldn't be able to make it, and now they're here...but no Draco. I was starting to get ticked off at his sudden tardiness!
"H-hi." I greeted back.
"Malfoy not here yet?" Ron asked, he hasn't grown accustomed to addressing Draco by his given name.
"Nope. What are you guys doing here?" I asked, looking curiously from one friend to the next.
"We each received an urgent owl from Draco asking us to meet him here today." Hermione explained.
"Did he say why?"
"No. He just said to meet with him here at the Three Broomsticks today and he will explain why when we get here." Harry added.
"Oh." that was strange. Now why would Draco Malfoy be owling my two best friends and my brother to meet with him here today when he was suppose to be meeting with me?
"I see that we're all here." I heard that familiar voice I missed hearing spoke from behind me.
I quickly tore my gaze from my friends and smiled up at my boyfriend, "You're late." I scolded.
He grinned and leaned down to plant a chaste kiss on my lips. "Sorry." he whispered then nudged me to move over a bit so he could sit down.
"What's up, Malfoy? Why the urgent owl?" Ron questioned as soon as Draco sat down.
"Well...I have an important announcement to make, and I want you all," he looked from Ron to Harry to Hermione then finally to me and continued, "to be here when I make my announcement."
"Is it good news?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"I sure hope so."
"What's with the uncertainty?" Harry frowned.
"Well..." for a moment he looked sheepish. I saw a slight blush creeping from his neck up to his face, then slowly he looked at me and held my gaze for the longest time, "It's up to Ginny on whether or not it's a good news." he admitted.
"To me?" I echoed, looking stunned. "W-what--" I was rendered speechless when I saw him pull something out from the inside pocket of his robes. I instantly recognized it. It was that same black gift-wrapped present with gold ribbons he gave me two Christmases ago. I never opened it after his parting words to me, and when he was helping me unpack when we got to the Burrow last summer he saw it sitting on my dressing table and asked me why it was still unopened. I told him I didn't have the heart to see what he got for me after what he said. He was really sorry after that. Then after our talk I noticed that the gift disappeared and didn't see it again until today.
"Open it." he urged as he pressed the small box to me.
"You know I can't, Draco." I told him, "Not even after what happened and we're now together, I still can't."
He covered my hand that was pushing the gift back to him, his gray eyes still locked with mine and he smiled encouragingly, "I know it was given to you two years ago accompanied by bad memories, but now I am giving this to you again with all good memories intended that went along with it and would go along with it--I hope."
"But--" I was about to protest again, but Hermione cut me off.
"Oh come on, Ginny! Open it! It's been two years, and Malfoy's right. You two have been together for a year now and within that year you've had nothing but good memories to cherish of each other. Now take the gift and open it!"
"Hey, hey, calm down, Mione. No need to bite Ginny's head off." Harry teased, grinning as he gently rubbed his friend's shoulder.
"Shut up, Harry." Hermione snapped, but she was smiling too.
I finally gave in and gingerly opened the gift. It was nicely wrapped that I didn't have the heart to mess it up. Ron was hissing for me to just rip the wrapper apart, but I didn't listen. Finally I managed to part the side of the wrapper and extracted from inside a small, velvet jewelry case. My head snapped up and I looked at Draco wild-eyed, but he just smiled and urged me to open it.
I couldn't believe what was inside the case.
A butterfly pendant made of diamonds hung from a plain gold chain. (a/n: hahaha! you people thought it was a ring, right? :::grins:::)
"Oh Draco." she gasped and took the necklace out of the case. She held it up to be admired by Hermione and the other two guys. "It's beautiful!" she gushed and leaned over to plant a thank you kiss on his cheek.
"Yeah. I saw it that weekend when I gave it to you. I remembered how butterflies fascinated you. When I saw that I was reminded of you." he explained, "I meant to give it to you without acting like such an ass, but I was so damn stupid that time and couldn't help myself from saying something dumb like what I did."
"Oh, that's alright." I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and returned to admiring the pendant once again, "It really is beautiful." I insisted.
"But not as beautiful as this?" he asked and when I looked back at him my breath got caught in my throat.
There he sat facing me, a smile plastered on his handsome face and in his hand he held a gold engagement ring surrounded by diamonds. Even Hermione had to stifle a surprised gasp while Harry and Ron's surprised "Whoa!" caught a few of the Three Broomsticks' patrons. Me? I just sat immobile where I was, looking back and forth between Draco's face and the ring he was holding. He stood up then and went down on one knee, a hopeful smile plastered on his face. By this time the attention of the entire pub was directed at us.
"Miss Virginia Weasley, will you do the honours of becoming my wife?" he proposed.
"Oh my God!" I heard Hermione squealed in delight.
"I...I..."
"Ginny, I know we never really said this out loud, but I love you. I honestly do love you with all my heart and it would be a great honour--the greatest pleasure--if you would be my wife."
"Oh Draco...I love you too and yes." I nodded, tears starting to cascade down my cheekbones, "Yes, Draco Malfoy, I'll be your wife."
He expelled a sigh of relief and slipped the finger to my left hand ringer finger. He pulled me out of the booth we were at and hauled me into his arms, twirling me around and around the room before setting me down to gaze lovingly into my eyes.
"I'll love you for the rest of my love, Red."
Grinning back at him and brushing a lock of his suddenly messy blond hair off his forehead, I leaned up on tiptoes and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "And I love you back, Ferret Boy."
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Final A/N: this is it, folks! this is the final chapter of this story! I am soooo thankful to all of you who read the entire fic and actually enjoyed it. normally I would sit down and individually thank all of you who reviewed my fic, but since it's already 1:27pm, my stomach's already growling. I missed lunch and now I must go get something tp eat before I faint! :::laughs::: I really appreciated all your wonderful reviews. Thank you once again!