Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, except for jake. (thanks for pointing that one out!!!)

She awoke in the infirmary and looked around the room. She heard voices in a room somewhere. They were talking about Lucius Malfoy's fate and also Jake's fate but other than that, she was alone. Alone except for the person laying the bed that was next to hers. It was Draco. Terrified, Ginny slowly got out of bed and walked over to him. He still looked pale but he was breathing. Ginny smiled a relieved smile and climbed into bed next to him, quickly falling asleep.

            "Morning." Draco said groggily when she woke up later.

            "Morning. Are you OK? When he did that to you...I...oh god Draco, I was so scared. I couldn't even think and it's all my fault." Ginny felt tears begin to form in her eyes again and she leaned up and grabbed Draco's face, kissing him so soundly and thoroughly that Draco had to pause before he could speak again.

            "It's not your fault." Draco told her softly. "It was inevitable that my father would find out about us and when he did his reaction would have been the same. I wanted to kill him when I realized what he was doing."

            "Not as much as I wanted to kill him for what he did to you. I know he's your father but he's an evil man." Ginny told him honestly.

            "He is evil. Trust me, I know that better than anyone."

            Ginny brushed his hair out from his eyes and hesitated before she told him her next piece of news.

            "Draco, last night when I woke up I heard them talking about what was going to happen to your father and Jake." She paused and Draco looked at her expectantly. "They aren't sure what to do with Jake because he says he was being controlled by your father, which I think is a bunch of lies. They're sending your father to Azkaban."

            "They'd be better off killing him, he could escape." He told Ginny mildly.

            "Not likely. That's a highly guarded prison."

            "I know. It's odd because he's my father but I feel no remorse, no sadness that he's going to be there. It's almost a complete lack of emotion where he's concerned. Maybe I'm actually happy that he's going to be gone, now I can live my life out of shadow." Draco confessed to Ginny. He lightly ran his fingers through her hair.

            "You can create you're own light. You don't have to ever live in the shadows again." Ginny told him earnestly, wanting him to know, to believe that he was free.

            "I don't need to create it. You're my light Ginny. You're that one thing that I will always measure myself by. When I wake up in the morning and go to bed at night all that will matter to me is that you love me. I don't care if I push paper for the rest of my life, as long as you're with me." Draco smiled at Ginny brightly.  Ginny laughed out loud, it was a laugh filled with happiness.

            "That's sweet Draco, but I really just can't see you pushing paper. You'd get bored after 10 minutes." Ginny laughed again and Draco's grin widened.

            "I know. I would hate it, but you'd be worth it. Getting to come back to you would make all the bad things from the day go away."

            " I love you too. It's so weird to think that only a little while ago I was so worried about what I would be doing this summer for vacation and now I'm thinking about what I'm going to do with you." Ginny unconsciously ran her hand over Draco's bicep. He loved the feeling of her touching him. It was so easy and natural between them.

            "You could come stay with me. I would love it and my mother will want to meet you. She's not like my father. I think maybe since he's going to be gone she might actually become more like she used to be." Draco said thoughtfully. He hadn't thought about his mother not being under the constant watch of his father. But he assumed she'd break loose from the depression that had settled upon her.

            "I'm not so sure about that. My parents probably wouldn't like it. We're still a little young to just be living together like that." Ginny said uncertainly.

            "Why not? We're going to get married so it's not like I'm just using you for you're body."

            "What?" Ginny sat up in the bed and stared down at Draco.

            "What's wrong? You're no offended by me saying that. You know I love all of you. You're body is one facet of that, and a mighty fine facet it is." Draco asked pretending not to know why she was acting so strangely.

            "You just said we're getting married." Ginny sputtered, then laughed at Draco's impertinence.

            "We are." Draco sounded so sure, so positive, it annoyed Ginny.

            "Aren't you supposed to ask me or something? Besides I'm not even out of school yet!"

            "Ok...Virginia Weasley, will you marry me in exactly one year and a couple of months?" Draco was mocking her, but she didn't care.

            "You're not very convincing. I always imagined the man would be impassioned and so enamored with me that he wouldn't be able to look anywhere but at me. You fail dismally."

            "Oh, I know how to convince you." Draco smiled at her sensually and moved his hand to cup her cheek. Then he kissed her so deeply and so full of love that she thought she'd touched his soul. "So, will you marry me?" Draco asked his forehead resting on hers.

            "Yes. I thought you'd never ask." Ginny sighed and Draco leaned forward and kissed her again.

            After the pair were released from the hospital wing, and Dumbledore had told Draco of his father's sentence to Azkaban, Ginny and Draco made their way to the great hall, where Ginny's family was waiting as well as Draco's mother. They were walking next to each other in the nearly empty halls. There were a few people walking to classes or other destinations within the school. Some of them were couples walking hand in hand; Draco couldn't help but envy them. He didn't know when he'd be able to hold Ginny's hand. Why did she love him? All he would do is tarnish her name and her reputation. He asked her to marry him and she'd agreed but she still had a year of school, a lot could happen in a year. What if she found someone who actually deserved her? Someone that her family would actually accept. He'd let her go because he knew he would have to but he also knew it would kill him. Somehow she'd become vitally important to him, like she was a part of his very existence.

            Ginny looked up at Draco, sensing his turmoil. His face was a barren wasteland, it was so full of loss and pain she couldn't bare to see it anymore. She followed his gaze to a couple walking together, looking at each other with adoration in the eyes and holding hands. Somehow Ginny knew what he was thinking. She grabbed his hand and held it in hers. He looked down at her and she smiled back at him, some of the light returned to his eyes.

            "Love you." She said and then reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

            "Oh, god, Ginny, I love you too." He squeezed her hand tightly then smiled brilliantly at her. In that moment he'd felt a sensation he'd never felt before, not even in Ginny's presence. The feeling was indescribable. His whole being, his whole self felt a sense of completion and happiness that had never been felt in his whole lifetime. Joy washed through him like an overflowing dam and all he could do was smile. There were no words, no sentiment to describe the way he felt right now.

            As they stepped into the Great Hall, Draco's giddy mood diminished. Reality once again began to intrude and with it came a sense of dread, of doom for Draco. His once happy thoughts began to turn sour and depressed, only the pressure of Ginny's hand holding his brought him back from the edge. She gave his hand a light squeeze and suddenly the world didn't look so gray anymore.

            "Ginny! Ginny, oh dear I was so worried about you!!" Mrs. Weasley rushed up to hug Ginny in a tight embrace. "I could kill Ron!! A wizard's duel!! He knows he's too young to be meddling with magic that level. I don't even want to think what would have happened to you! Oh, my dear baby!" Ginny was once again enveloped in Mrs. Weasley's surprisingly strong arms.

            "You feeling alright then?" Mr. Weasley walked over, and looked lovingly at his daughter and wife.

            "Who? Me or mum?" Ginny asked him jokingly.

            "Draco? Are you alright?" Narcissa Malfoy walked over to her son and looked at him. There was a concerned look in her eyes. Draco's mother had always been able to show him some emotion even when she had none for his father.

            "I'm fine." Draco answered shortly. He felt awkward. He didn't really know what to do in this situation. The only physical love he'd been shown, aside from a few hugs and kisses from his mother, had come from Ginny and right now she felt light-years away. He didn't know how to react to his mother; he was still overwhelmed with the whole situation.

            "They said you were subjected to the Crutacius curse." Narcissa's voice sounded wobbley, like she was withholding a great deal of emotion. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I never thought he would ever hurt you."

            "Yeah Well---

            Draco began but was cut off by Ginny.

            "He was tortured with it twice. Both times because of me. Both times because he didn't want to see me get hurt." Ginny looked directly at her mother and father. "He almost died for me. If Lupin hadn't come when he did, Draco would've died."

            "We know, Ginny." Mr. Weasley looked at Ginny before turning his attention to Draco. "I know what you did and I'm beyond grateful for it. I've always thought that what's seen at home is always taken into routine and into mind. Well, you Mr. Malfoy have proved me wrong. You may be you're father's son in name and blood but you are by no means your father's son in heart or in spirit." He told Draco seriously.

            "Thank you." Draco was visibly stunned by Mr. Weasley's speech.

            "It's true, that I always assumed the Malfoy's were bad blood, that they were evil wizards, but that won't be the truth anymore will it!?" Miss Weasley looked at Draco and smiled gently. "You are so unlike your father, I can see it in your eyes. His were cold but yours are alive. So expressive, those eyes. I can see why Ginny fell for you." Mrs. Weasley winked at her daughter. Ginny sputtered a surprised laugh and Draco managed a smile.

            "What's going on here? Are you my real parents?" Ginny joked.

            "That's a good question, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore called from across the room. He'd been patiently sitting there during their reunions and now decided to join the group. He walked over and addressed the group. "You're parents have been aware of the activities going on at Hogwarts all year long. They were told when you and Draco began to see each other. I did this, not because I was being a nosy old man or because I was being a bumbling old fool. I did this because I knew long ago that there was more to our friend Mr. Malfoy here than most people thought. I also knew that your parents wouldn't like the idea of you and he becoming friends and even more. I told them that I trusted Draco with your life and I stood by that decision even when no one else believed. It's not easy to get people to see past their stereotypes and preconceived ideas. Draco can tell you that I'm sure. Then, when Virginia came along I knew that I was correct in my suspicions that Draco was nothing like his father. How you ask?" Dumbledore looked around at everyone, passing from one face to the other. "I knew because he loved her in such a way that no man who had any evil in his blood could ever love. His love for her is the most pure and most unselfish love of all, as he proved when he was cursed for her twice. It's much like the love between Miss Granger and your son. Only theirs is most relaxed, it's less intense. I told your parents all of this Ginny. I told them what I saw and my opinions on the matter." Dumbledore smiled at the Weasley's then back at Ginny and Draco. "You two are a very fetching couple, I've always thought so. I must go now, I've heard that Peeves is causing a raucous in one of the upper hall ways." Dumbledore walked off, leaving a cloud of silence behind him.

            "Hey mum." Ginny broke the silence. She was going to enjoy her mom's reaction to her next piece of news.

            "Yes, dear?"

            "Draco and I are engaged!" Ginny would swear her mom lost a whole shade of color, turning a little pale. "Oh, no Mum, don't worry I'm not pregnant of anything like that!" Ginny tried to comfort her mom but for some reason this made her mom turn a much lighter shade. She almost looked like she would faint. It's true, Ginny knew she wasn't pregnant; she'd asked Madame Pompfry embarrassedly earlier that day. She had a special way of detecting a baby even when it was only conceived hours before. She'd felt a little sad at the news but she knew that Draco and she would have plenty of opportunity in the future. "I'm really not. Draco and I want to wait a little while to have kids." With this last bit of news, Mrs. Weasley fainted dead away.

            "Hey Malfoy!" Harry stopped Draco in the hallway.

            "Yeah." Draco answered rudely.

            "Look, I know we aren't friends and I never considered that we ever might be. I just want you to know that I'll stand by Ginny's choice. She obviously cares about you and I've talked to her family so I feel Ok about you two." Harry told him, trying to get this moment over as quickly as possible.

            "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Potter. I'm glad to see that you trust what other people think about me." Draco smirked at him but nowadays Draco's smirk lacked most of its malice.

            Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, actually, it wasn't them. I was convinced the second I saw you get hit with Crucio. I know what that feels like, I know that the pain is something that you don't even dream about in the worst of nightmares." Harry sounded dull as he remembered the time he'd been subjected to the curse. "When you did that, I realized you more than liked her and honestly you do seem different."

            "Thanks. It's nice to have at least a few friends around here." Draco said and meant it. Most people still thought he was at fault for the incident with his dad. The real details hadn't been spread around yet but eventually they would.

            "Yeah. Good luck with astronomy test. It killed me." Harry told him, feeling strange in their new camaraderie.

            "I have that in 5 minutes, I have to hurry." Draco told him and then left. He didn't know what this new and very weird friendship thing between him and Harry was but he kind of liked it. It was strange because they had been archenemies and were now thrown together expected to get along and play nice but that might not be too hard. He and Harry had many similarities, they could relate easily. He didn't know what would happen with people in the future, Harry included, but he knew that it didn't look nearly as bleak as before. Who would have thought that he, Draco Malfoy, could have all this? He knew who, a very old and wise Wizard and also a girl with fiery red hair and a love that was beyond imagination.

A/N: Sorry if I misspelled anything, I was too lazy to go make sure I spelled it right. I know I should have! Anyway I hope you all liked this and didn't think the ending was toooooooo corney. I had to tie all the ends up right? Well alas this is the last chappie and it makes me sad because I love having people read my chapters and then hound me to update. That is like the best feeling in the world. For real I love it cause that's why I write this stuff, so you guys can read it and hopefully like it! Anyway thanks for reading my story and for reviewing it. I love you guys!! And I'm going to write another story but it won't get posted for a while. So check back on me occasionally! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!