Lori was laughing hysterically as Ginny recounted the morning events between Draco, Harry and her.
"Merlin, Ginny, I think I hate you! All I want is one good man…you know, good looking, smart, rich, the basics and you have two! You are going to be the envy of every witch in England!"
"Puh-lease! Harry wants me because he wants love. Draco wants me because I am unobtainable and now, he is going to want me even more because Harry wants me. Ugh! I just want a man who wants me for myself. Is that too much to ask?"
Lori stopped laughing and set up straight in her chair across from Ginny. "Ginny, I think both of those guys DO love you for you. I think Harry loves you and I think Draco loves you."
"Are you serious?"
"100 percent," Lori assured her, "I think Harry loves you the only way he knows how. His muggle relatives were the bane of his existence for so many years. The only love he really knew was through his friendship with your family and Hermione. As for Draco, if the gossip is true, his early life was not any better than Harry's. Only his mother and father treated him that badly. These guys are both damaged goods…and I mean that in the nicest way possible. They need you and your love to make them whole. From that love, you will get their love. A true love that most on this planet would kill for, Ginny"
Ginny gave Lori a long thoughtful look and pondered what she had said. She knew Harry's muggle relatives were horrible to him and she had heard the gossip about Draco, as well. Could it be true? Could she be looking for too much? Was she being selfish? Did they need her? Which one was the right one?
Ginny sighed lightly and was finally pulled from her thoughts; she saw that Lori had left the room and that her father was standing in the doorway looking at her oddly.
"Hi Ginny!" he said with humor in his voice.
'Heard what happened, huh?" she asked with a smile.
"Yes…are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Although, I think I may have been looking at a few things from the wrong point of view. Want to sit down and talk for a few minutes?"
"I thought you would never ask" Arthur said as he shut the door and took a seat in her leather love seat next to the wall. Once settled, he beckoned Ginny to join him.
Ginny got up and settled next to her father like she used to do as a small child.
"You know," Ginny began, "I really thought I had finally figured out who I was and where I was going."
"I have thought that a few times myself. I was wrong every time." Arthur chuckled out.
Ginny gave him a small smile. "What do you think about all this?"
"Well, I think that you are my little girl, no matter your age or title. I love you. I raised you to use your brain. Thus, I know that you will make the right decision."
"Nothing more…conclusive?" Ginny asked.
"My dear, I must draw the line here. A father NEVER wants to know about his daughter's love life!"
Ginny giggled and said, "Some love life…Harry and Draco touched each other more than they touched me!"
"And on that note, I hear my paperwork calling!" Arthur said as he stood up and brought Ginny with him. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead and headed for the door.
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you too, Ginny." With that said, he walked out of the room and quietly shut the door behind him.
Ginny's afternoon was filled with Auror meetings. As Minister of Magic, she was required to do the last interview of every new graduate and finalize their hiring. It was a long and tedious process, especially since she had so much on her mind.
Several long hours later, she was finished. She had accepted all but one. And that one, well, it was better just to say no and let it go.
She stood up and stretched. She wanted to go home, take a nice hot bath, and go to bed. She grabbed her cloak, went to her private fireplace and flooed home.
She almost had a heart attack at the sight in front of her. There, on her couch, was Draco Malfoy and Harry "What the hell" Potter quietly and civilly talking to each other. She was jolted from her surprise by the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen.
"What in the hell is going on here?" Ginny said with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Ginny Weasley, you may be the Minister of Magic, but I am your mother. I do not want to hear language like that coming out of your mouth!" Molly Weasley scolded Ginny as she walked into the living room from the kitchen.
"Mother, what are you doing here? What are all of you doing here? No offense, but I had plans this evening." Ginny said while thinking to herself that it was the truth. She just did not have plans with anyone else.
"Dear, you should have told me that you had plans. Who is the lucky guy?" Molly innocently asked.
Ginny rolled her eyes, figures that her mother would test the issue.
"I never said that I had a date. I said I had plans. There is a difference."
Draco and Harry, in their male ignorance, began to laugh.
"What are you laughing at? You are sitting on my sofa tonight. No dates either, huh?" Ginny smirked at the pair of reddening men.
"Ginny, I know I taught you better manners than that!" Molly Weasley chastised her only daughter.
Ginny shook her head. There was no winning sometimes.
"Look, I simply wanted to come home, have a hot bath and relax. Is that too much to ask?"
"Nope, I'll join you!" Draco said standing up and moving towards Ginny.
Molly Weasley walked up to Draco, smacked him on the back of the head and told him to sit down and be quiet.
Ginny put her hand up to her face and laughed. It was nice to see that her mother never changed.
"So, what are all you doing here?"
"We thought we would come over and keep you company." Harry told her with a bright smile.
"Let me guess, Mom, you thought this would be a good idea."
Before Molly could reply, Draco cut in, "Actually, the idea came from Potter and me. However, we needed your mom to play along so that we could get in…"
"Why would you do that?"
"To woo you, of course." Harry answered.
"Woo me?" Ginny asked in confusion.
"Geez Potter, what century are you from? We came here, Ginny, to be your friend and maybe more…" Draco said with a leer in his eyes.
Ginny shook her head in exasperation.
Molly walked up to her and said, "Help me in the kitchen?"
Ginny nodded her agreement and followed her mother into the kitchen.
"Ginny, I would not have done this if I did not think it wise."
Ginny sighed, "I know, Mom. However, did you really think it wise to bring them BOTH!"
"It was what they wanted, Ginny." Molly shrugged, "I did not think it would cause any harm. I also want to say that I think they both are in love with you. And no, they have not told me, per se, but I still feel that way."
"Funny, that is what Lori told me today too."
"I knew I liked that Lori. She has a good head on her shoulders despite her awful fashion sense." Molly said very seriously.
Ginny laughed. It was true. Lori did have a wacky dressing sense, but was incredibly level headed and a great secretary.
"So, help me cook up some dinner for your guests?"
"Sure, Mom."
They sat to work much like they used to do at the Burrow. In no time at all, they were carrying out their scrumptious dinner to two, very hungry men.
Draco and Harry dived into the pork chops and potato casserole as if they had not eaten in days! Molly and Ginny shook their heads and muffled their shared laughter at the two boys turned men. They truly had no idea how much they were alike.
Conversation during dinner was mild and friendly. They discussed England's chances at the Quidditch World Cup. They discussed the dynamics of each of their jobs. Harry was a comic strip writer in the muggle world. He was syndicated in just about every newspaper in the civilized world.
Draco had left England to get away from the bad vibes of being a Malfoy and had begun a large cattle ranch in Argentina. He told them some hilarious stories about him learning to be a "cowboy." How the first time he rode a horse, he fell off and broke his tailbone. That he had to sit on a specially shaped pillow for six weeks because of the break. And that his senior ranch hand thought it funny to put a hole in the pillow so that when he sat on it for dinner one night, it sounded like he farted for a full three minutes.
The conversation continued easily flowing and Ginny could not remember the last time she had laughed so hard. It was a really nice evening.
Before long, Molly was ushering the men out and telling Ginny to get a good night's sleep. Ginny sent them off with a wave and a smile, closing the floo behind them.
She found herself in the bathtub a few minutes later, her mind thinking about the evening and the two men. She found herself trying to pick between the two…and she was stumped.
However, there was one major flaw with Harry; he had his chance years ago and he had made it very clear that he did not want her…ever. Draco had never been given a chance. But she loved Harry "Perfect" Potter, right? And he wanted her now…but Draco seemed sincere and there was not all the history that she had with Harry. Well there was, but not on the personal level. Draco had always been just a nemesis. Harry had been a part of her family's life for many years.
By the time she was settling into her bed for the evening, she was more confused than ever. How could she ever decide? How could she make the right choice? She had so little experience with men anyway…and most of it was not good.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, a bird rapped on her window. She walked sleepily over to the bird and removed the letter attached to the bird's leg.
*******************
Ginny-
I would be honored if you would attend the Ministry Ball next week with me.
Yours,
Draco
*******************
Ginny sighed…what to do…what to do?
