Summary: When Ginny boarded the Hogwarts Express on the first of September, she was surprised to come face-to-face with the last person she expected to see back in school. He was still the same prat she remembered from years before, but now he has a much higher authority than ever before: he was this year's new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Ginny wished this was all a dream, but to her dismay she was stuck with him for an entire school year!

Disclaimer: Once again I don't want to go through all the mumbo-jumbo of having to write this out, so I'm saying this now: NOT MINE!!! I keep on forgetting to add this on to this one: MAIN HP CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE, those other names you don't recognize are mine as well as the plot, and also other stuff that you don't recognize, kapish?

Setting: Ginny's in her 7th year; Draco graduated the year before

PhoenixRae's Notes: okay, now we're finally AT THE BURROW! *lol* more antics from all the Weasley boys and...oh, maybe some more...uhm...romance? finally some unrequited feelings uncovered...oh, you'll just have to wait and see! :::giggles:::

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XXIV. at the Burrow

Draco's presence at the Weasley home caused some awkwardness and unease--especially for the Weasley boys. Arthur and Molly Weasley welcomed Draco warmly into their home and hoped their sons would follow their lead, but it took them the entire weekend before finally the ice broke and everyone started to enjoy the holiday. There were still a few occasional squabble between the boys and Draco, but Ginny was always there to reprimand them--or Hermione or Janelle or Twyla for that matter! Then there was the matter of Percy to torment. The twins found it highly amusing to shower Twyla with their undivided attention and have someone with her at all times to keep Percy at bay.

By Christmas Eve the entire household was in total chaos. The boys were shooting in and out of each room, looking for something, asking for something, and demanding for something. Bill and Charlie (who both arrived that day) were assigned to look for the perfect Christmas tree to place in the middle of the living room beside the fire. Fred and George were asked to chop woods for the fire while Percy was assigned to look for the decorations, Mr. Weasley was busy running errands for Mrs. Weasley who kept on remembering that she forgot to buy something while she was out at the market. Harry, Ron, and Draco were the only males left without anything to do, so the girls decided to make them useful by bringing them into the kitchen to help prepare dinner along with Mrs. Weasley.

"But I don't know how to cook anything," argued Draco as he was led in to the homey kitchen.

Janelle laughed and patted him on the back, "Don't worry, Professor, we're not expecting you to be as good of a cook as Mrs. Weasley is," she assured him.

"But it won't hurt for you to learn how, you know?" Twyla added as she appeared beside him.

"And who, pray tell, will be kind enough to teach me, huh?" he challenged, looking from one blond to the next, they were now flanking either side of him as they made their way into the kitchen where Hermione and Ginny were already preparing ingredients for what they were suppose to be cooking.

"Me!" Ginny said enthusiastically, holding a ladle in one hand and a bright pink apron with frills in the other.

Draco stopped dead on his tracks and stared wide-eyed at the petite redhead holding the frilly pink apron, "Uhh...that apron's for you, right?"

Ginny gave him a bright smile and walked around the dining table cluttered with bowls and baking powders and other cooking stuff.

"Don't be silly, Professor. This one's for you," she stopped right in front of him and handed him the ladle she was holding before putting the pink, frilly apron over his neck and, stepping even more closer than necessary, reached around behind him and tied it up. She slowly stepped back to admire her handiwork, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief as she raked it back up to meet his gray ones, "Hmm...pink is definitely your colour, Malfoy."

From the doorway a couple of deep, male chuckles were heard erupting from the late comers. Harry and Ron were bent over keeping themselves from laughing out loud at the sight of Draco wearing an apron--and not just any plain ol' white apron for that matter!

"Holy crap, Malfoy! I never saw pink look good on a guy before...until now," Ron exclaimed, clutching his side as he burst out laughing.

"Shut up, Weasley," Draco snapped, his cheeks turning almost the same shade of pink as the apron he was wearing.

Harry, who had his hand on Ron's shoulder for support turned to Ginny and bowed, "I commend you on your gall to get Malfoy to wear something pink for a change. You know, black and gray are...oh, how should I say this...uhm... too old?"

The two boys guffawed and slapped each other's backs while Draco shot daggers at them. Hermione, Janelle, and Twyla all rolled their eyes and shook their heads at the childishness of Harry and Ron.

"Stop it you two or you'll be joining Malfoy with a frilly pink apron yourselves," Janelle reprimanded them sternly, snatching two more aprons from the hook near the cabinets and walked towards the two laughing best friends.

Harry and Ron quickly stopped laughing and stared aghast at Janelle standing before them holding two more aprons similar to what Draco was wearing.

"Oh no. No, no, no," Ron said firmly, shaking his head in denial and slowly backing away from Janelle waving his arms in front of him to fend her off.

"Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes," Janelle grinned and thrust the apron at Ron.

"No!" Ron screamed and bolted out of the kitchen.

Janelle laughed and turned to Hermione, throwing the other apron at her she winked, "Good luck catching yourself a potter and get him to don on that apron, Hermione. I'm gonna catch me self a weasel," and with that she was off after Ron.

Hermione was surprised at having to do the honours of getting Harry to put on the pink frilly apron. She stared at the cloth in her hand then at Harry who was looking nervously at her then back down at the cloth in her hands. In the background they could hear Ron running away screaming for mercy from Janelle while Janelle's melodious "Oh Ronnikins! Be a good boy and come to mama!" followed closely behind.

Everyone in the kitchen burst out laughing, even Draco who was still not impressed at having to wear a pink apron was laughing at the ludicrous situation between Janelle and Ron. Harry joined in on the laughter, thinking that way he'd escape the embarrassment of having to wear the same apron Malfoy was wearing, but he thought wrong. Hermione, who had been ignoring him for the past few days since they got to the Burrow, walked up to him and twirled the apron around her arm, a mischievous glint in her eyes as her lips curved into a devious grin.

"Hell no, Hermione Granger!" Harry exclaimed, staring at the brunette in horror. "There is no way I'm going to wear that thing!"

"Oh hell yeah, Harry Potter," she chuckled, "You and Ron and Malfoy are going to wear these aprons and help us ladies here in the kitchen."

"No way," he shook his head firmly, his green eyes darting back and forth between the apron and the person holding it.

"Yes way," she nodded, advancing closer to him.

"Oh crap," he muttered under his breath and bolted out of the kitchen, "Ron, wait up for me!" he called as he ran to join his friend who was busy being stalked by Janelle.

Hermione laughed and looked over her shoulder at the laughing Ginny, Twyla, Mrs. Weasley, and Draco, "Wish us luck, ladies--and gentleman," she winked at Draco before she too bolted out of the kitchen after Harry.

Once the kitchen was cleared off Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Janelle, Twyla turned to the other three occupants with a stunned look on her face, "Would you believe that three out of those four people chasing each other around are respectable adults who graduated the year before?"

Mrs. Weasley wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she slowly stopped laughing and gave Twyla a fond smile, "Oh, I don't really care much, Twyla, dear. It's nice to have all of my children under the same roof enjoying Christmas. I was worried when Harry and Hermione weren't speaking to each other as soon as she got here, but now it's back to normal between them--somehow."

"You mean Granger and Potter running around the house chasing each other is normal?" Draco asked in stunned disbelief.

Mrs. Weasley looked at the blond newcomer to the household and gave him a fond smile as well, "Not really, but to have them talking and teasing and just laughing again...it's just a good feeling," she sighed.

"I see," he nodded, a pang of jealousy seeping through his entire body as he noted the love the elder Weasley woman had for Hermione and Harry. He sure could do with some of those love for a change. Harry and Hermione weren't even her blood-kin and yet she cared so much for them, why as for him...nah, it doesn't matter. Molly Weasley accepted him into her home with no questions asked, even though he was related to a very ruthless man, she overlooked that blatant fact and treated him the same way she treated all her children and surrogate children.

"Now," Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands and remembered that they still had much to do before their annual Christmas dinner, "Ginny, Draco, you two better start making desserts, and Twyla, dear, would you mind asking the twins for some more wood? I need some more to stoke the fire in the oven," she told the three youngsters left in the kitchen with her.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Weasley," Twyla smiled and went outside.

Ginny then turned to Draco and smiled, "Now, Professor, seems like we have to start our cooking lesson without your two other classmates. First thing we're doing is prepare chocolate crinkles, then we're going to bake a cookie of your own choosing," she announced and moved towards the other side of the table.

"So you're going to make me bake the chocolate crinkles?" he asked with a bit of uncertainty lacing his tone.

"Nope. Chocolate crinkle is everybody's favourite--don't want you screwing it up," she winked and prepared the ingredients for the cookie, "You'll be helping me prepare it, but the next batch of cookies you'll be making them--and they're of your own choosing too."

"Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow and stepped up closer to the table.

"Yeah," she nodded, grabbing two chunks of dark chocolates and placed them on the grater she had inside a steel bowl. She looked up and frowned at him, "You know you won't learn anything if you stand there. Come here beside me and watch, and also make yourself useful while you're here, hm?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her bossiness. Ginny grinned back at him and motioned for him to stand beside her with her head. Draco walked round the table and stood beside her, keeping at least a couple of inch distance from her as he watched her grate some chocolate.

Mrs. Weasley, who stood by the sink slicing some meat for one of her specialties, couldn't help herself from chuckling and shaking her mop of red hair. It was evident there was romance brewing in the air, and it just doesn't concern Percy and one of her youngest offspring's close friends.

Draco and Ginny started working on preparing the chocolate crinkle cookies. She told Draco exactly what kinds of ingredients were needed and just ordered him around. Ron and Harry were still busy trying to run away from Janelle and Hermione who were relentless in their pursuit of the two young man adamant on getting them to wear the aprons similar to Draco's.

Percy came in to the kitchen with his arms full of the Christmas decorations he managed to find stored away somewhere upstairs. The box he was carrying was overflowing with stuff that it blocked his vision.

"A little help here, please," he called out to anyone who'd bother to help him.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley's hands were full and dirty so it was left to Draco to lend Percy a hand. He put down the wooden spatula and walked up to Percy, taking some of the decorations covering his face.

"Where do you want me to put these, mate?" he asked as he took some load off Percy.

Before Percy could answer Twyla's ear-splitting shriek disturbed the somewhat semi-silence followed by a pair of scrambling footsteps from outside. Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing at the sound of Twyla's alarmed scream. Percy dropped the box of decorations he was holding in to Draco's unsuspecting arms, making him drop the stuff he already took from the top of the box on the floor. He sprinted out of the backdoor and within moments came in carrying Twyla in his arms followed closely behind by the twins who were asking for forgiveness from their brother and the girl in his arms.

"Good gracious! What happened?" Mrs. Weasley demanded as soon as she saw Twyla sporting a nasty bruise on the side of her head, "Fred, George, an explanation--now!" she demanded and gave her sons a stern look.

"It was an accident!" Fred exclaimed.

"Yeah, it was, Mother. Twyla came out asking for some wood for the fire and Fred and I...well, we were throwing some wood at each other and one just accidentally hit her," George explained.

"And bloody well near killed her!" Percy snapped at his two shrinking brothers.

"Percy!" Mrs. Weasley scolded and wiped her hands on her apron. She peered at Twyla who was resting her head against Percy's chest and checked the side of her head where she was hit. "A nasty bruise you got there, my dear, but it's nothing that some concealing potion couldn't hide," she told the girl softly.

Percy looked down at the girl in his arms and asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"Uhm...I'm little dizzy at the moment," Twyla admitted, not minding at all that she was safely tucked in the safety of Percy's arms.

"Oh, take him upstairs to Ginny's room, Percy. I'll tend to her as soon as I gave this two some stern lecturing," Mrs. Weasley ordered and stepped aside to make way for Percy and Twyla.

Hermione and Janelle--who finally caught Harry and Ron and were wearing the aprons they got for them--skidded to a full stop when they saw Percy carrying Twyla.

"What happened?" Harry asked wide-eyed.

Ron noticed the slight bruise on the side of Twyla's head and looked up at Percy, "Damn, Perce! You didn't have to hit Twyla like that just to get the chance to carry her in your arms!" he scolded.

Percy glared at his brother and Janelle did the honours of smacking him at the back of the head on Percy's behalf.

"Shut-up, you goof! This is no joking matter," she scolded.

"Thanks, Janelle," Percy gave the blond girl a thankful smile and wedged his way between the foursome and went upstairs to deposit the girl in his arms into Ginny's room.

"Ouch! That hurts, you know?" Ron glared at the girl who still had his upper arm in a tight grip while he rubbed the spot at the back of his head where she hit him.

Janelle merely shook her head and pushed him into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was scolding the twins, telling them how dangerous it was to throw chopped wood like that. Draco managed to find someplace to leave the box of decorations and went back to helping Ginny with the cookies.

Hermione dragged Harry aside and started preparing the appetizers while Janelle dragged Ron to another corner of the room to help Mrs. Weasley prepare the main course. Fred and George got an earful of their mother's lecture before she let them back to chopping woods outside with a stern warning never to play around with it again. They mumbled a 'yes' and went outside to finish their chores.

Everybody went about doing their chores in the kitchen while Mrs. Weasley left them alone for a few minutes to tend to Twyla and gave her some concealing potion for the bruise. Percy became a mother hen to Twyla, never leaving Ginny's room until he was certain she was alright. She kept on insisting she was fine but he still wouldn't take her word for it, so Mrs. Weasley had to intervene. She told her son to go back downstairs and sort out the decorations he just pulled while Twyla rests. Percy still didn't want to leave, but after his mother threatened him he finally conceded.

Bill and Charlie came back with the largest and biggest fir tree they could find after spending almost all afternoon searching for the best one to put in their living room. Everyone was in awe at the magnificence of the tree and applauded the two older Weasley brothers for their tenacity at finding the perfect Christmas tree.

Meanwhile, Draco and Ginny's baking lesson was an almost success until Draco's gingerbread cookies (yes, he had the gall to choose to make gingerbread cookies complete with making the hair colour of the female gingerbread cookie red) turned out to be...well, not-so-eatable.

"But I did everything you said to do!" he argued, staring crestfallen at the hard-as-a-rock gingerbread cookies laying on the cookie pan on the table.

"Maybe you didn't follow all the instructions, Malfoy," Harry chided.

"Oh, shut your yap, Harry!" scolded Hermione, "Look who's talking. You can't even toss a simple Caesar salad properly!" she added and nudged him aside to take over tossing the salad he had been prepping.

Draco and Ron couldn't stop themselves from laughing at Harry's expense. Truth be told he had the simplest task to do and yet he couldn't do it right.

"Shut up!" Harry snapped at the two other chefs-wannabes as he stepped aside and let Hermione finish tossing the salad, but the two other males in the kitchen were relentless and kept on laughing at him until Ginny and Janelle had to smack them gently on their arms to stop them from making fun of Harry.

"It's not like you're any better than Harry or Malfoy, Ronald Weasley," scolded Janelle, "You can't even tell the difference between bay leaf and thyme when it's already written on the container which kind it is!" she shook her head and rolled her eyes skyward in disbelief, making the redhead turn a light shade of pink around the cheekbones.

The entire kitchen burst out laughing after that. Hermione and Janelle kept on scolding their 'students' whenever they couldn't get a certain ingredient right while Ginny ordered Draco to eat all the gingerbread cookies he made while she make another batch. Draco was adamant not to eat the cookies and just throw them out, but Ginny wouldn't hear any of it. They bickered like an old couple that the rest of the occupant of the kitchen watched the two battle it on face-to-face.

Ginny stood with her hands on her hips, her neck tilted back and her brown eyes glaring at Draco. Draco, on the other hand, stood towering over her, his gray eyes glaring down at the petite spitfire in front of him who was barking orders at him since he was dragged in to the kitchen.

"You will eat those cookies, Draco Malfoy," she ordered.

"No-way, Virginia Weasley," he argued.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes," she said more firmly, her hands now balling into fists on her hips.

"No," Draco was hanging on to his temper by a thread. She was really goading him to lose his cool in front of her family. He said he won't eat those damn cookies even if it was the death of him and he would stick to it until the end!

Their screaming-fest carried over to the living room where Bill, Charlie, and Percy were busy fixing the tree all way upstairs to where Twyla was resting. Even the twins who were just finishing up chopping woods and stacking them in the shed near the house heard Ginny and Draco's raised voice. Everyone went in to the kitchen to watch what the commotion was about, only to find blond nearly choking the life out of the redhead with the way they were looking at each other.

"Whoa, they argue like an old married couple, eh?" Bill chuckled as he enjoyed watching his baby sister duke it out with the stubborn blond.

"I hate to argee with you, brother, but yea-eep, Ginny and that Malfoy kid sure look like an old married couple," Charlie nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as he lounged against the kitchen doorway and enjoyed the show.

Ginny and Draco were still oblivious to the audience they have attracted and continued to argue about whether or not Draco would eat the cookies or not. Ginny was looking ready to jump the blond and strangle him until he succumbed, but Draco was holding his guard good against Ginny; the Weasley boys couldn't help but be impressed with how strong-willed Draco was--and how brave he was to face the wrath of Ginny.

Finally Ginny has had enough and snatched one piece of the gingerbread cookie and while Draco had his mouth open ready to argue, she stuffed the cookie into his mouth and stalked off.

Everyone in the kitchen was stunned at the unexpected move from Ginny. Even Draco was rendered speechless--literally for that matter--and couldn't help but follow Ginny stalk out of the room. Once the shock of what happened evaporated, everyone burst out laughing--even Draco found the humour at what just happened to be funny as well. He took a bite off the gingerbread cookie Ginny just stuffed in his mouth and nearly broke a molar at the hardness of the thing.

"Damn! This thing could break anyone's jaw off!" he complained, but he chewed it nevertheless, "But you know what? I think I just baked it too long...this thing actually taste good," he turned to the rest of the crowd gathered around, smiling at them as he offered them the cookies he just baked.

The rest of the family laughed out loud once more. Draco ought to be embarrassed at what just happened, but he couldn't find anything to be embarrassed about. Sure they were laughing at his expense, but it wasn't because they were being mean, it was because what happened was outright funny and it was a family thing to laugh at something as stupid as what just happened to him!

Draco was already liking this whole 'family' thing, and he knew it would be what he'd miss after this year. Once Ginny graduated from Hogwarts he'd never find himself in this household ever again.

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A/N: OMG! this is quite a long chapter, don't you think so? I actually had fun writing this chapter. hope you all had a good laugh at the antics each person at the Burrow had to go through. I tried to insert some Percy/Twyla fluff, but sorry guys, no kissing happening yet, but I got ideas for what's to come in the next chapter so maybe we could see some kissing action then :::wink, wink:::

Ali Lee: usually I send email updates to my readers letting them know that I've updated...I dunno if I have your email addy added to my update list already...but I'll double check to be certain yours is added if not...well, I'll add ya! *lol* that way you'll know when I update my story :::smiles:::

The Dragon Guardian of the Sea: I have so much idea for this story...I have a couple (or more) stories that are kinda waiting in the wings at the moment--I have no idea for them to write about, hehehe

Lia: Harry likes Hermione and vice-versa, but Harry's too damn stubborn to admit that he likes Mione as more than a friend! *lol*

Danielle: thanks so much for reviewing, and here's some more for ya

sammy: well they're at the burrow now and this is a glimpse of a day in the life of the people staying at the Burrow...and maybe some Hr/Hrm & P/T action later on, but first I gotta think of a way on how to get them together! *lol*

Miss Marauder: it is an interesting trip indeed

slytherin-cool: hmm...Hermione & Harry kissing...hehehe, well, I'm definitely working on getting some snogging action between the established couples (although they haven't admitted that they're a couple yet!) in this story...and I'm also working on getting another couple together, but I dunno how to work on that one...

MelissaAdams: sorry that I didn't mention you in the previous chappie...although I thought I did! *lol* anyways, Percy nearly punched the twins in this chapter because of what happened to Twyla, but they were lucky he got his hands full *lol*

kellyanne: *lol* I have to agree with you on that one, but sometimes it's hard not to become a pervert especially when the subject presents itself to us! and I'm glad you've gotten over the previous, previous, previous chapter...hopefully it doesn't get any harder in the future chapters to come! *lol* (we soooo gotta get our minds out of the gutter here! *lol*)

Crystal: I don't like any Harry bashing coz I happen to like Harry, hehehe

Azalea: poor Colin? why poor Colin?

Eva: well I dunno how they (the Weasley boys & Harry) will kick Draco's arse, but I think Ginny's doing a fine good job at it *lol* as for your violent mood...uh-oh...I hope it passes :::winks:::

Sharlene: I think you're right based on what's been happening to them so far in this chapter...

ashes (xtremegrl2020): *lol* thank you! and I couldn't believe the amount of reviews I got so far, I'm just happy a lot of people are liking/enjoying this fic of mine!

fe: the deal between Draco and Ginny is that they obviously like each other so much but like Percy and Twyla (as well as Harry and Hermione), they are too damn stubborn to admit to their feelings!

Loves-Kiss: wow...well good luck, sweetie! and your friends are going skiing while you're not? why aren't you with 'em?!

Freak like me: thanks!

sassw14: well I dunno how many more Draco-Harry fights will be in this story, but I'm sure they'll be at each other's throats quite a lot...or not

SAngel: *lol* I hope so! thanks so much!

avapouhi: I do email them, and I know I sent you an email letting you know I updated, you didn't get it? as for your question, the answer is they'll manage to fit all together. Harry, Ron, & Draco will be bunking together; the twins will obviously be bunking together; Percy will be sharing a room with Bill & Charlie; and the girls will be squeezing together in Ginny's room

Twitch: me, a STAR? huh? :::confused look::: and yeeeep, seems like Draco is having a Christmas worth remembering

The Elfin Child: *lol* I still don't know what's the connection of life and the Olsen twins...that's just scary!

myobgirly: you know, I'm also thinking about how Draco would get Ginny back...hmm...well I'll eventually think of something *lol* as for the action...we'll see

Lady Phoenix Feather: yep, "Sean Biggerstaff" is a very interesting name...I couldn't believe it at first when I found out, but he's a hottie too! :::giggles::: next to Tom Felton, he's the next hottest guy

Arella Hallo: I just get these ideas for the next chapter and I just type 'em up, that's how I get to get one chapter out per day. I know it's crazy, but sometimes it takes me weeks to get another chapter out because I am out of ideas

hpangel: thank you!

LadyJenn: glad this is keeping you entertained until June 21st! and Harry & Hermione are talking again--sorta anyway

wowsergirl: I think we should divide 'em all up! *lol* but I don't think the twins will be fighting over Janelle pretty soon...there's romance a-brewing for Ginny's other blond friend :::wink, wink::: hehehe and I'm glad you don't get confused

SeZzA: how'd you like their antics/experience and whatnots now that they're at the Burrow?