Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters contained within
this story, J. K. Rowling does, and she kicks ass, so I wouldn't steal her
stuff from her.
Chapter 4: For The Rest Of Our Lives
"When did things change?" Harry asked. He, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room after the Yule Ball had ended. There had been mayhem following Draco's proposal; the most hated student at the school and the Head Girl; no one knew what to think or imagine. Hermione had gotten quite a few comments stating that if she approved of Draco he must not be that bad. She was deliriously happy for the remainder of the ball and she had floated back to the common room, escorted by her new fiancée.
She smiled brightly. "I don't know," she said thinking hard. "Maybe it was when you and I dated. I think I completely reevaluated this school and the people in it when I realized that I had been holding onto something that I didn't even want anymore. I was civilized towards Draco and he turned out to be a really nice guy."
"But why did you decide to hide it from everyone?" Ron asked, still reeling from the hit he had taken to his head when he passed out.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, you would have all been so accepting of my dating Draco Malfoy, the most hated among students." Ron and Harry looked guiltily at the floor. "And besides, we were afraid of his father's reaction. But I guess he stopped caring what other people thought."
"Apparently," Ginny said. "I thought the whole thing was so romantic! You are so lucky Hermione." She spun around the common room, pretending to dance with a mystery man.
"You'll get your own man," Hermione said to her. "Just you wait. But you don't know how romantic it was when we were dancing! He told my why he did it. He said, 'Hermione, when you told me you were going to the dance with Harry, I was so jealous that I couldn't stand it. I resolved to marry you right then and there. And when I saw you dance with him, I knew that I never wanted you to dance another dance without me. Any doubts or fears that I had melted away in that instant and I knew that I would love you for the rest of eternity.'" Ginny's eyes sparkled.
Harry stood up and hugged Hermione. "Well, congratulations, Mione. I'm glad that you're so happy now, and if he hurts you, my offer still stands," he said. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll have to congratulate Draco in the morning at breakfast." He left the common room and went up to bed.
"Same goes for me, Hermione," Ron said, kissing her other cheek. "I wish you all the luck in the world. And I promise to play nice from now on if he does."
She smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem." He went up to bed leaving the two girls down in the common room. Hermione turned to Ginny who was smiling brightly. "You are so lucky that Draco proposed when he did!
Ginny looked at her in shock. "What are you talking about?" she asked in disbelief.
"You were acting like a bumbling fool! I thought you were going to throw up on the punch table if you weren't distracted first," she laughed.
She folded her arms across her chest. "That's not funny," she pouted. "I've never acted that idiotic in my life. I honestly don't know what my problem was." Hermione grinned from ear to ear.
Ginny blushed deeply. "I'm meeting him now anyway. I'll be back sometime." She began to walk out of the common room. "Stop smirking at me!" she hissed back at her. Trying to shake the blush, Ginny crept silently down the stairs after having placed a silencing charm on her shoes. She had no idea what she would say to him when she saw him, she had made a fool of herself and she knew it. All she could think was that her childish display would cost her the love of her life.
As she entered the dimly lit and slightly musty room she heard his voice call out to her. "Have some punch, Miss Weasley."
She dropped her head. "You know I hate it when you call me that. And I'm sorry I acted like such a child, I guess I deserved the Miss Weasley, it goes along quite well with how I acted. I didn't mean."
"Ginny, be quiet," he said taking her chin in his hand and kissing her. "I know you were trying to be subtle. Let me just say that it is not your forte. I love you, Ginny, and you are seventeen; you're allowed to have your giddy teenage girl moments. I would never try to take your childhood from you. It is really your most attractive asset."
She smiled, glossy eyed at him. "So you don't want to leave me?"
"No, Ginny, I wouldn't dream of ever leaving you." He smiled, a private thing that Ginny believed she had only ever seen. Taking her in his strong arms, he held her close and breathed in the scent of her. "Now, about Hermione and Draco," he said sitting her down on a desk in the classroom. "When on Earth did that happen? I thought that I was hallucinating."
Ginny giggled. "At least you didn't pass out like Ron did! He's such an oaf." He laughed. "Well, it happened during fifth year I guess, when she and Harry were dating. Draco began being nice to her and I guess it all took off from there. I've known since this past summer."
"Ah," he said. "And does she know about us?" His face took on its usual stone-like look.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, she knows. But I didn't tell her, she figured it out on her own. Hermione's smart like that." She looked him in the eyes and kissed him lightly. "You know what, even if she told all of the wizarding world, after tonight, I don't think it would surprise anyone." He kissed her and she smiled. "I have to get back now, Hermione knows I'm out, she'll worry if I'm gone too late."
"Ah, another mother, isn't she?" Ginny smiled and hopped off the desk. "Hurry back, and be careful!" he called as she trotted out of the room. He sat back in a chair. "She is unique," he thought.
Ginny crept back through the castle and into the common room. She expected Hermione to be waiting for her, but she jumped when she saw her brother sitting on the couch in front of her. "Ron!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same question, now couldn't I?" he said, crossing his legs and leaning back. "Since we found out about Hermione's late night escapades, I wanted to make sure that my little sister wasn't engaging in any sort of illegal behavior. I guess I was wrong, now wasn't I?"
Ginny gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. "Ronald Weasley, I swear that if you breathe a word of this to anyone that you won't live to see Commencement!" She began to pace the common room; her mind was racing.
Ron looked at her. "One condition," he said thoughtfully. Ginny stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "Who is it? If you tell me, then I won't tell a soul about your little adventures."
"I will not be blackmailed into telling you!" she hissed at him. Her hair was wildly strewn about from her frantic pacing. "It has nothing to do with you."
Ron frowned. "Well, I can use the Marauder's Map to find out who you're sneaking out to be with."
"HA!" Ginny called out. "Hermione has it! You will never find out who I'm seeing. And you would never understand anyway. This is the same reason that Hermione never told you about Draco."
His face twisted into a look of disgust. "It's not Crabbe or Goyle, is it? Just tell me that!"
Her face matched his at the names. "No. It is most definitely not Crabbe or Goyle. But I'm not telling you who. Maybe one day he'll proclaim his love at a school dance and then you'll find out. But not one day before."
Ron looked her up and down. "I'll figure you out yet, Miss Ginny. I will find out." He got up off of the couch and skulked up to his room.
She stared in awe at her brother and shook her head. Hermione's door opened and she walked out and stood behind Ginny. "Bloody moron," Ginny said, dumbfounded.
Hermione smiled. "Some things really never do change."
"For better or worse," Ginny sighed. "He'll figure it out, Hermione, I know he will. He won't even sleep until he knows. He goes crazy sometimes." Ginny sat down on the couch and Hermione followed her. "You're lucky you never got together with him!
Hermione looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Right. Ron and me? Are we in some sort of Twighlight Zone?"
Ginny started giggling, then paused and thought for a moment. "Hermione," she said turning to look at her quizzically. "What's a Twighlight Zone?"
Chapter 4: For The Rest Of Our Lives
"When did things change?" Harry asked. He, Hermione, Ginny, and Ron sat in the Gryffindor common room after the Yule Ball had ended. There had been mayhem following Draco's proposal; the most hated student at the school and the Head Girl; no one knew what to think or imagine. Hermione had gotten quite a few comments stating that if she approved of Draco he must not be that bad. She was deliriously happy for the remainder of the ball and she had floated back to the common room, escorted by her new fiancée.
She smiled brightly. "I don't know," she said thinking hard. "Maybe it was when you and I dated. I think I completely reevaluated this school and the people in it when I realized that I had been holding onto something that I didn't even want anymore. I was civilized towards Draco and he turned out to be a really nice guy."
"But why did you decide to hide it from everyone?" Ron asked, still reeling from the hit he had taken to his head when he passed out.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, you would have all been so accepting of my dating Draco Malfoy, the most hated among students." Ron and Harry looked guiltily at the floor. "And besides, we were afraid of his father's reaction. But I guess he stopped caring what other people thought."
"Apparently," Ginny said. "I thought the whole thing was so romantic! You are so lucky Hermione." She spun around the common room, pretending to dance with a mystery man.
"You'll get your own man," Hermione said to her. "Just you wait. But you don't know how romantic it was when we were dancing! He told my why he did it. He said, 'Hermione, when you told me you were going to the dance with Harry, I was so jealous that I couldn't stand it. I resolved to marry you right then and there. And when I saw you dance with him, I knew that I never wanted you to dance another dance without me. Any doubts or fears that I had melted away in that instant and I knew that I would love you for the rest of eternity.'" Ginny's eyes sparkled.
Harry stood up and hugged Hermione. "Well, congratulations, Mione. I'm glad that you're so happy now, and if he hurts you, my offer still stands," he said. She kissed him on the cheek. "I'll have to congratulate Draco in the morning at breakfast." He left the common room and went up to bed.
"Same goes for me, Hermione," Ron said, kissing her other cheek. "I wish you all the luck in the world. And I promise to play nice from now on if he does."
She smiled. "I don't think that will be a problem." He went up to bed leaving the two girls down in the common room. Hermione turned to Ginny who was smiling brightly. "You are so lucky that Draco proposed when he did!
Ginny looked at her in shock. "What are you talking about?" she asked in disbelief.
"You were acting like a bumbling fool! I thought you were going to throw up on the punch table if you weren't distracted first," she laughed.
She folded her arms across her chest. "That's not funny," she pouted. "I've never acted that idiotic in my life. I honestly don't know what my problem was." Hermione grinned from ear to ear.
Ginny blushed deeply. "I'm meeting him now anyway. I'll be back sometime." She began to walk out of the common room. "Stop smirking at me!" she hissed back at her. Trying to shake the blush, Ginny crept silently down the stairs after having placed a silencing charm on her shoes. She had no idea what she would say to him when she saw him, she had made a fool of herself and she knew it. All she could think was that her childish display would cost her the love of her life.
As she entered the dimly lit and slightly musty room she heard his voice call out to her. "Have some punch, Miss Weasley."
She dropped her head. "You know I hate it when you call me that. And I'm sorry I acted like such a child, I guess I deserved the Miss Weasley, it goes along quite well with how I acted. I didn't mean."
"Ginny, be quiet," he said taking her chin in his hand and kissing her. "I know you were trying to be subtle. Let me just say that it is not your forte. I love you, Ginny, and you are seventeen; you're allowed to have your giddy teenage girl moments. I would never try to take your childhood from you. It is really your most attractive asset."
She smiled, glossy eyed at him. "So you don't want to leave me?"
"No, Ginny, I wouldn't dream of ever leaving you." He smiled, a private thing that Ginny believed she had only ever seen. Taking her in his strong arms, he held her close and breathed in the scent of her. "Now, about Hermione and Draco," he said sitting her down on a desk in the classroom. "When on Earth did that happen? I thought that I was hallucinating."
Ginny giggled. "At least you didn't pass out like Ron did! He's such an oaf." He laughed. "Well, it happened during fifth year I guess, when she and Harry were dating. Draco began being nice to her and I guess it all took off from there. I've known since this past summer."
"Ah," he said. "And does she know about us?" His face took on its usual stone-like look.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, she knows. But I didn't tell her, she figured it out on her own. Hermione's smart like that." She looked him in the eyes and kissed him lightly. "You know what, even if she told all of the wizarding world, after tonight, I don't think it would surprise anyone." He kissed her and she smiled. "I have to get back now, Hermione knows I'm out, she'll worry if I'm gone too late."
"Ah, another mother, isn't she?" Ginny smiled and hopped off the desk. "Hurry back, and be careful!" he called as she trotted out of the room. He sat back in a chair. "She is unique," he thought.
Ginny crept back through the castle and into the common room. She expected Hermione to be waiting for her, but she jumped when she saw her brother sitting on the couch in front of her. "Ron!" she hissed. "What are you doing?"
"I could ask you the same question, now couldn't I?" he said, crossing his legs and leaning back. "Since we found out about Hermione's late night escapades, I wanted to make sure that my little sister wasn't engaging in any sort of illegal behavior. I guess I was wrong, now wasn't I?"
Ginny gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. "Ronald Weasley, I swear that if you breathe a word of this to anyone that you won't live to see Commencement!" She began to pace the common room; her mind was racing.
Ron looked at her. "One condition," he said thoughtfully. Ginny stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. "Who is it? If you tell me, then I won't tell a soul about your little adventures."
"I will not be blackmailed into telling you!" she hissed at him. Her hair was wildly strewn about from her frantic pacing. "It has nothing to do with you."
Ron frowned. "Well, I can use the Marauder's Map to find out who you're sneaking out to be with."
"HA!" Ginny called out. "Hermione has it! You will never find out who I'm seeing. And you would never understand anyway. This is the same reason that Hermione never told you about Draco."
His face twisted into a look of disgust. "It's not Crabbe or Goyle, is it? Just tell me that!"
Her face matched his at the names. "No. It is most definitely not Crabbe or Goyle. But I'm not telling you who. Maybe one day he'll proclaim his love at a school dance and then you'll find out. But not one day before."
Ron looked her up and down. "I'll figure you out yet, Miss Ginny. I will find out." He got up off of the couch and skulked up to his room.
She stared in awe at her brother and shook her head. Hermione's door opened and she walked out and stood behind Ginny. "Bloody moron," Ginny said, dumbfounded.
Hermione smiled. "Some things really never do change."
"For better or worse," Ginny sighed. "He'll figure it out, Hermione, I know he will. He won't even sleep until he knows. He goes crazy sometimes." Ginny sat down on the couch and Hermione followed her. "You're lucky you never got together with him!
Hermione looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Right. Ron and me? Are we in some sort of Twighlight Zone?"
Ginny started giggling, then paused and thought for a moment. "Hermione," she said turning to look at her quizzically. "What's a Twighlight Zone?"