Chapter 17: Back to the Hogwart's Express

The next month passed unbelievably quickly and they all found themselves back on the Hogwart's Express for their last year.

The train ride found Draco pondering all that had happened in the past month, a VERY eventful month.

In the duration, Draco and Ginny saw each other several times, usually under the supervision of Percy. Neither Ginny nor Draco minded having Percy along; he seemed to be one of the few that did not mind having Draco around. He was almost what Draco would call a friend, but since he had never had a true friend, he was reserving judgment. However, Percy certainly was an ally in the Weasley home.

Harry had lightened up a bit about him as well. They certainly were not friends, but could tolerate one another without resulting to insults and jibes.

Ron was a different story completely. He still thought of Draco as the "Spawn of Voldemort" no matter what he said, did or tried. To make matters worse, Ron and Hermione had finally admitted their feelings to each other the day after Harry's birthday party.

Since they had become a couple, Hermione had joined Ron on his mission to forever hate Draco Malfoy. She typically glared at him, if she chose to acknowledge him at all. The one day Draco had tried to approach her and apologize for all the hurtful things he had said, especially the "Mudblood" comments; Draco found himself acquainted with a fist. No, not Ron's, but Hermione's. That girl had one hell of a left hook, and he had to admit; he never saw it coming.

The twins felt the need to get Draco back for the incident at Harry's Birthday, as if it was even HIS fault. Draco found himself snorting at this. So all summer long, he found himself the target of any new gadget they were working on. In one particularly hilarious instance, Draco had been slipped a singing powder in his dinner and he serenaded Ginny all night with love songs by Michael Bolton (Hermione's favorite suggestion for annoying Muggle singers). To this day, Ginny swears she'll hex Fred and George into oblivion if she ever hears another Michael Bolton song. Typically enough, the very next day, Fred and George had come and asked him to help them make sure "their" song at the wedding reception would be by Michael Bolton. Of course, Draco said he would, but not to irk Ginny. No, he wanted Ginny to hex them. Cheeky Bastards needed a dose of their own medicine.

Draco pondered all the special times with Ginny. The picnic shared by the pond. The kissing, the closeness, Draco had never felt so close to anyone. He closed his eyes, dropped his head back on the headrest and remembered the time Ron had almost caught them snogging by the pond.

-------------------------------------------Flashback-----------------------------------------

Draco had brought some food that the house elves and his mother had put together. They had just finished the main course and were preparing to eat dessert. His mother had made fresh chocolate cookies. Draco brought one of the cookies out of the basket, moved it towards Ginny's mouth and she had moved forward to take a bite. She had kept eye contact with him and took a good-sized bite. She had chewed it eloquently and visibly swallowed.

"That was yummy" Ginny purred, "Don't you want a taste?"

"I was just about to" Draco responded with a smirk. He started to reach for a cookie.

"Well, let me help." With that said, Ginny pulled Draco into a mind-blowing kiss. She lightly bit his lower lip searching for entrance. He quickly complied. Together, they searched each others' mouths in earnest. Ginny fisted her right hand in his cotton-blonde hair and wrapped her left arm around his waist and was rubbing his back. He tasted like honey, all sweet and scrumptious. She tried to pull him closer.

Draco took that as a direct invitation and immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closely to him. He cradled her neck with his left hand and gently massaged her back with his right. With this new movement, Ginny moaned into his mouth. Draco quickly found himself at full salute. She tasted like a chocolate chip cookie and essence of Ginny; and he wanted more.

He returned her moan and gently, but deftly, pushed her back onto the picnic blanket. This brought their entire lengths in contact and they moaned simultaneously. He broke the kiss and started nibbling on her ear. Ginny shivered at the intimacy of his warm, honey breath on her ear and arched into him. She fervently began running her hands over his back and down low on his hips, ever trying to get him closer. He started kissing just behind her ear and began moving down her neck. Ginny moved her head to make her neck more accessible. He took advantage and began lightly sucking creating tingling sensations to shoot throughout her body.

Draco braced himself on his right hand, nestled between her thighs and took his left hand to her right breast and gently kneaded. Draco felt Ginny's breath catch in desire then quicken with need.

He smiled to himself in understanding and reached up to unbutton her shirt, all the while nibbling down her neck to the cleft between her breasts.

However, instead of continuing their exploration of each other; Ginny suddenly pushed him away and shook her head. He looked at her in confusion mainly because her eyes were still burning with need, but he quickly heard why she had cut short their romantic interlude. Ron and Hermione were heading their way and it seemed they wanted to have a picnic too. Damn!

--------------------------------End of Flashback--------------------------------------------

Draco was pulled from his memories by someone yelling in another compartment.

After assuring himself nothing was wrong, he returned to his thoughts.

The biggest change in the past month was concerning Draco's father. Draco's father was dead, no body was ever found, but they had received enough information from the Goyle's and Crabbe's to know it had occurred. He had died at the hands of his precious Lord Voldemort after Voldemort found out about the Merlin Oath between the Malfoy's and the Weasley's, not because of the wedding, but because his father had tried to break the contract. Apparently, there were some lines even Voldemort would not cross.

After cooperating with the Ministry of Magic on all Draco and his mother could (including proving Minister Fudge was old Voldie's patsy in the Ministry); Draco and his mother were under 24 hour auror protection and finally safe. Not to mention what that did to help the older Weasley's perception of Draco and his mother.

In fact, Mrs. Weasley and his mother were attached at the hip again, much like when they were younger. It was wonderful to see his mother so happy and carefree. He had never seen her this way while living with his father, and it made him smile to just think about it.

As for Draco himself, he was still a bit of a jerk. Rome was not built in a day, you know. Ginny was proving to be very good for him though. She made him laugh. No one had ever made Draco Malfoy laugh, for that alone, he loved her so much. However, she always insisted that it was always in his nature, just harbored away by a controlling, evil father.

Draco was brought from his thoughts by the door to his compartment opening. Draco looked up to see Ginny standing there dressed in her Gryffindor robes.

"Hullo." She said with a smile.

"Hi! Coming in?"

"Nope, just came in to tell you that you might want to change into your robes, we should be there any moment."

"Okay."

"Come find me when you are done?"

"Bet on it."

Ginny walked over and gave Draco a lingering kiss on the lips. As she reluctantly pulled away, she looked into his eyes and smiled. Draco's breath caught. Oh, what this woman did to him. If someone had told him a year ago that Ginny Weasley would make his heart beat fast; he would have smacked them on the back of the head and told them to wake up and smell the coffee.

Oh, how Draco Malfoy's world had changed.