*Author does happy dance* I got a hundred reviews! *Grin*
This is my longest chapter yet (1078 words in all)! Enjoy!
Chapter Seven:
"So…" Draco said when Evan had left the Tower.
"So?" Ginny repeated.
"Er…"
"Er, Draco? I don't think I've ever seen you at a loss for words." Ginny teased.
"You aren't going to make this easy for me are you?" Draco muttered.
"Make what easy?" Ginny asked innocently.
"This."
Draco leaned forward and captured Ginny's lips with his. He deepened the kiss and pushed her backward onto the couch. Ginny pulled away from him slowly, smiling up at him.
"Our mothers are going to be very happy, aren't they?" she giggled.
"Ginny, marry me." Draco grinned.
"Uh, bit behind the times aren't you Malfoy?" Ginny asked.
"No! I mean marry me now. I don't want to wait until Christmas." he explained.
"Draco, I could never do that. Hell hath no fury like Molly Weasley scorned. If she isn't at the wedding there will be n0o wedding. Besides, your mother has worked hard on this too--"
Draco stopped Ginny's rambling with another enthusiastic kiss. Ginny pulled away from him again. She grinned up at him.
"That won't always work to shut me up, you know. How do you expect to do it in class? We'll just have to wait until Christmas."
"No we wont. I'm sure our mothers would be happy to up the date a bit." Draco said between the petite kisses he was running down her neck.
"But-"
"Now." Draco said.
He took her hand and pulled her off the couch. Draco led her to the fire and threw some of the shimmering powder in. The flames burned a bright vivid green. Ginny sighed and called out their destination as Draco pulled her into the fire.
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"Mum?" Ginny called when they stepped out.
"In here."
Ginny took Draco's hand and followed Molly's voice. They wandered into the kitchen where they found Molly Weasley and a petite blonde woman sitting at the table poring over some magazines.
"Mum?" Draco asked disbelievingly.
The blonde's head shot up at the sound of his voice. Her surprise vanished quickly, however, and she stood up to hug and kiss her son. She smiled at Ginny warmly, who let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Why are you two here?" Narcissa Malfoy asked.
"We…er…we…" Ginny stammered.
"We want to change the date of the wedding." Draco drawled confidently.
Both Narcissa and Molly glanced at each other and exchanged a knowing look. Molly went back to the magazine and answered without looking at them.
"You two can't put it off any longer. You'll be married on Christmas." she said.
"Actually, we were thinking tomorrow." Draco said casually, his arm wrapping around Ginny's waist as he said it.
"Tomorrow?" Molly and Narcissa blurted simultaneously.
They both looked up from their magazine with wide smiled covering their faces. Draco and Ginny nodded. Molly jumped up and hugged her daughter, squealing incomprehensively the whole time. Narcissa just smiled reverently from where she sat.
"Well!" Molly said, "Get upstairs, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride the day before the wedding!" She started to push her daughter firmly through the door.
"What? She can't…?" Draco blurted.
Molly and Narcissa exchanged another knowing smile, but his time for a different reason. Molly grabbed Draco's arm as well and hustled them both into the living room.
"You have five minutes." she said gleefully, before exiting through the kitchen door.
"Only five?" Ginny laughed.
"It's enough." Draco purred, before pulling her into his arms and kissing her tenderly.
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"GI-NNY!"
Ginny's name was made for screaming, and her mother put it to good use. Ginny grumbled to herself as she stumbled out of bed the next morning. Wait. Her mother was in her rooms? Wha--Ginny slowly smiled as she looked around her room and remembered the events that had led to her spending the night there.
"I'm up!" She called when she heard her mother pounding up the stairs.
Molly opened the door and smiled when she saw her daughter's excited face. She handed Ginny a wrapped parcel. Ginny looked at it curiously and her mother hurried to explain.
"It's your wedding gown." she said softly, "Hermione and Harry are already here. Ron is in Romania still, but he sends his--" Molly smiled impishly "--condolences."
"He must be furious." Ginny mused. "Still, It' good that Harry and Hermione got off work."
"Er, Gin? Can we talk?"
Fred and George were standing at her doorway. They gave her identical looks saying "it's important". Ginny nodded to her mother and Mrs. Weasley left her three children alone, shutting the door behind her.
"Harry's here." they started automatically.
"He's not happy." Ginny was forever thankful for the large "F" on Fred's sweater.
"He says he'll stop the wedding if you want him to--" George started.
"--but we told him we didn't think you did." Fred finished.
"No, I don't." Ginny agreed quietly.
"In that case, he's happy for you." Harry's voice said from the doorway. "I tried to help Gin."
"I know you did what you thought was best, but you don't want to marry me! You need to just suck it up and ask her out." Ginny said motherly.
"Her?" Fred and George said together, turning to grin at Harry.
"Who's her?" George asked.
"Hemernam." Harry mumbled.
"Who?" The twins chorused innocently.
"Hermione." Ginny grinned.
"Well, it's about time you admitted it, mate." Fred said, while George nodded.
"Ginny, are you dressed?" Molly called from downstairs.
"Shit! Get out, guys!" Ginny said quickly unwrapping the parcel as they left the room.
Ginny took no time to admire her dress until after it was on. She stood in front of her full-length mirror, grinning like mad as she slowly turned around to admire the effect of her dress. Soft white silk traveled all the way to the floor with a plunging neckline. The design was simple but elegant, and Ginny loved it.
"Someone's looking beautiful."
Ginny turned to see her favorite brother smiling at her from the doorway. Bill Weasley was tall and muscular, even in his tuxedo. He crossed the room to envelope her in a tight hug before holding her at arm's length to look her up and down.
"My little Ginny's all grown up." he mumbled, pretending to wipe a tear away from his face.
"Honestly, Bill." Ginny giggled.
"Come on, Red. We've got a wedding to attend." Bill held out his arm, which Ginny took gratefully, and led her out of the room.