A/N: This is it. The LAST CHAPTER. The t00by D/G reunion shall happen here, as promised. *sniff* Shall miss this fic. Hope that everyone has enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it! *glomps all around*
Disclaimer: I am not redheaded, freckled or possessed of ebil protective big brothers enough to ever own Draco Malfoy. Not to mention, the fiance might object.
~*~
Even though May and June were a haze of activity, the continued restoration of order after the end of the war, and the NEWTs that truly lived up to their name of 'Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests' gave Ginny very little free time indeed, the general brightening of the atmosphere all around made it passable, even enjoyable at times.
It had been the beginning of the year when the young staff had sat at the high table with solemn faces, all. Pale, wistful Miss Chang and bitter Professor Li and reserved Professor Montague...
But this morning, Cho Chang was smiling, fresh-faced, eyes no longer filled with worry as she sipped her tea and read through the Daily Prophet. With less danger and worry came more contentment, and all of them have had more than enough excitement to last a lifetime.
Su Li looked radiant, though her visitor was not present at the moment. Ginny had heard the mad, gossipy discussions of the third years of how a man had appeared out of the blue in her class. She remembered a letter that Draco had sent her, the first one, and smiled wryly at the Defense professor, who nibbled on her toast and chatted amicably with Professor Johnson about dueling. Something silver and blue sparkled on Su's finger.
Angelina herself had healed from the wounds that she had received at the Hogsmeade battle, and through it all, she had not lost her good humour. Montague handed her the pitcher of coffee, and she thanked him. Gryffindors, Slytherins...
Those who were left were all survivors, and as the darkness retreated from each person's life, all of them looked up and faced the light with smiles.
Ginny's thoughts were interrupted when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and a young woman with dark blonde hair, dressed in fashionable, form-fitting robes of shell pink with a plunging neckline and sheer sleeves, high heels clicking on the uncarpetted floor, sauntered in, smirking slightly as a few boys followed her progress as she made her way to the high table.
"Miss Parkinson," Dumbledore greeted the young woman pleasantly, "What brings you here today?"
"Just a visit to my old school," the young woman drawled, glancing at Neville before surveying the students. "Shall I sit with the Slytherins, or...?"
But a House Elf had already brought a chair over, and Neville moved towards the left so that there would be a space between him and Professor Moore of Ancient Runes. Pansy sank down into her seat with the grace of a queen, and as the conversations started in the Great Hall once more, gave Ginny a glance over her cup of coffee.
~*~
"Miss Weasley," Neville's quiet voice called out after the end of Herbology lessons, "If it is at all possible, can you please come to my office after your classes today?"
"Yes, certainly," Ginny answered quickly. Neville's face was soft, but didn't betray any of what he would be telling her. Pansy, as far as she knew, had not left, though she was not present at the moment. It WAS odd, however, that Neville would request for her to go to his office, and not just one of the greenhouses.
From Herbology, to Charms with Professor Johnson, to Arithmancy with Professor Vector. Then a hurried lunch, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and finally, History of Magic. And then, Ginny left Professor Binns' classroom quickly, up one hall and down another, running down a staircase before reaching a wooden door. Knock.
"Come in," it was Pansy's voice, not Neville's. Ginny frowned slightly, then pushed the door open.
The woman was lounging in Neville's chair, looking completely at home. "Good afternoon, Weasley," she greeted Ginny coolly. "You only have a week of school left, isn't that right?"
Ginny nodded. Pansy gave what could almost be a grin. "Well... I'm here to pass on a message. The last one."
Ginny looked at her, startled, before the other woman handed her a rolled-up sheet of parchment and stood up from her seat.
"I think that I shan't need to play messenger any more," Pansy drawled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be off. Had promised Jeanna Dorny that I would help her pick out her wedding gown..."
Heels clicking, her impeccably coiffed hair swinging behind her, Pansy swept out of the room, and Ginny quickly opened up the sheet of parchment.
It wasn't Draco's handwriting. It was Pansy's, and it was brief and to the point.
An address.
~*~
He woke early, and walked out into the yard to watch the sunrise.
The ink-blue sky gradually lightened. It had been a cloudy night, the moon a thin, misty blur. But now, as there came a hint of crimson in the east, the darkness changed to vivid brilliancy as the smoky clouds became infused with rich purple and blushing rose and a glitter of gold.
She had only Apparated a few times before, but she had made sure to say the incantation clearly. She could not go too close, of course, for it was a Muggle area, and as it was still dark, she walked silently down the empty streets, gazing at the numbers on the doors.
But she didn't need to look too hard, after all. He was standing in his yard, his back facing the street, silvery blond hair glinting in the weak light. It had grown longer than she had remembered, reaching slightly past the nape of his neck. She bit her lip, and quickened her footsteps.
Ginny reached him just as the day broke, and laid a soft, light hand on his shoulder as streaks of triumphant rose-red shot through the sky. He didn't turn around, and he didn't say anything, but even as she leaned her head (it had been so long) against his shoulder, his arm crept around her waist and drew her abruptly closer. They were not looking into each other's eyes, but into the distance, both of them silent with promise and time and the knowledge that THIS... this would be forever, the new beginning to the rest of their lives, and that nothing could stop them now.
As the sky turned from navy to the blissful blue of forget-me-nots, Ginny finally turned to face him. His face was solemn, but his eyes had not changed. They still pierced into her soul, and she felt naked and exposed and FREE.
And even as his arms crept slowly around her waist, she lifted her hands to cup his face, limpid, bright brown eyes meeting gray.
"I've missed you," she whispered almost too softly to hear.
And his lips curved into a genuine smile as he pulled her close. There would be many more dawns after the first.
Disclaimer: I am not redheaded, freckled or possessed of ebil protective big brothers enough to ever own Draco Malfoy. Not to mention, the fiance might object.
~*~
Even though May and June were a haze of activity, the continued restoration of order after the end of the war, and the NEWTs that truly lived up to their name of 'Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests' gave Ginny very little free time indeed, the general brightening of the atmosphere all around made it passable, even enjoyable at times.
It had been the beginning of the year when the young staff had sat at the high table with solemn faces, all. Pale, wistful Miss Chang and bitter Professor Li and reserved Professor Montague...
But this morning, Cho Chang was smiling, fresh-faced, eyes no longer filled with worry as she sipped her tea and read through the Daily Prophet. With less danger and worry came more contentment, and all of them have had more than enough excitement to last a lifetime.
Su Li looked radiant, though her visitor was not present at the moment. Ginny had heard the mad, gossipy discussions of the third years of how a man had appeared out of the blue in her class. She remembered a letter that Draco had sent her, the first one, and smiled wryly at the Defense professor, who nibbled on her toast and chatted amicably with Professor Johnson about dueling. Something silver and blue sparkled on Su's finger.
Angelina herself had healed from the wounds that she had received at the Hogsmeade battle, and through it all, she had not lost her good humour. Montague handed her the pitcher of coffee, and she thanked him. Gryffindors, Slytherins...
Those who were left were all survivors, and as the darkness retreated from each person's life, all of them looked up and faced the light with smiles.
Ginny's thoughts were interrupted when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and a young woman with dark blonde hair, dressed in fashionable, form-fitting robes of shell pink with a plunging neckline and sheer sleeves, high heels clicking on the uncarpetted floor, sauntered in, smirking slightly as a few boys followed her progress as she made her way to the high table.
"Miss Parkinson," Dumbledore greeted the young woman pleasantly, "What brings you here today?"
"Just a visit to my old school," the young woman drawled, glancing at Neville before surveying the students. "Shall I sit with the Slytherins, or...?"
But a House Elf had already brought a chair over, and Neville moved towards the left so that there would be a space between him and Professor Moore of Ancient Runes. Pansy sank down into her seat with the grace of a queen, and as the conversations started in the Great Hall once more, gave Ginny a glance over her cup of coffee.
~*~
"Miss Weasley," Neville's quiet voice called out after the end of Herbology lessons, "If it is at all possible, can you please come to my office after your classes today?"
"Yes, certainly," Ginny answered quickly. Neville's face was soft, but didn't betray any of what he would be telling her. Pansy, as far as she knew, had not left, though she was not present at the moment. It WAS odd, however, that Neville would request for her to go to his office, and not just one of the greenhouses.
From Herbology, to Charms with Professor Johnson, to Arithmancy with Professor Vector. Then a hurried lunch, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and finally, History of Magic. And then, Ginny left Professor Binns' classroom quickly, up one hall and down another, running down a staircase before reaching a wooden door. Knock.
"Come in," it was Pansy's voice, not Neville's. Ginny frowned slightly, then pushed the door open.
The woman was lounging in Neville's chair, looking completely at home. "Good afternoon, Weasley," she greeted Ginny coolly. "You only have a week of school left, isn't that right?"
Ginny nodded. Pansy gave what could almost be a grin. "Well... I'm here to pass on a message. The last one."
Ginny looked at her, startled, before the other woman handed her a rolled-up sheet of parchment and stood up from her seat.
"I think that I shan't need to play messenger any more," Pansy drawled, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be off. Had promised Jeanna Dorny that I would help her pick out her wedding gown..."
Heels clicking, her impeccably coiffed hair swinging behind her, Pansy swept out of the room, and Ginny quickly opened up the sheet of parchment.
It wasn't Draco's handwriting. It was Pansy's, and it was brief and to the point.
An address.
~*~
He woke early, and walked out into the yard to watch the sunrise.
The ink-blue sky gradually lightened. It had been a cloudy night, the moon a thin, misty blur. But now, as there came a hint of crimson in the east, the darkness changed to vivid brilliancy as the smoky clouds became infused with rich purple and blushing rose and a glitter of gold.
She had only Apparated a few times before, but she had made sure to say the incantation clearly. She could not go too close, of course, for it was a Muggle area, and as it was still dark, she walked silently down the empty streets, gazing at the numbers on the doors.
But she didn't need to look too hard, after all. He was standing in his yard, his back facing the street, silvery blond hair glinting in the weak light. It had grown longer than she had remembered, reaching slightly past the nape of his neck. She bit her lip, and quickened her footsteps.
Ginny reached him just as the day broke, and laid a soft, light hand on his shoulder as streaks of triumphant rose-red shot through the sky. He didn't turn around, and he didn't say anything, but even as she leaned her head (it had been so long) against his shoulder, his arm crept around her waist and drew her abruptly closer. They were not looking into each other's eyes, but into the distance, both of them silent with promise and time and the knowledge that THIS... this would be forever, the new beginning to the rest of their lives, and that nothing could stop them now.
As the sky turned from navy to the blissful blue of forget-me-nots, Ginny finally turned to face him. His face was solemn, but his eyes had not changed. They still pierced into her soul, and she felt naked and exposed and FREE.
And even as his arms crept slowly around her waist, she lifted her hands to cup his face, limpid, bright brown eyes meeting gray.
"I've missed you," she whispered almost too softly to hear.
And his lips curved into a genuine smile as he pulled her close. There would be many more dawns after the first.