Chapter 9: Graduation and Christmas Time
"Talking"
//Thinking//
It was a cool summer night, the breeze blowing softly causing the wisps of her hair that framed her face to caress her cheeks. Ginny crawled out of her room window and sat on the porch roof, looking up into the starry night sky. The crickets chirped merrily in the dark. In the light of the full moon, her skin appeared deathly pale, making her look like a ghost in a flimsy white night gown sitting on the roof. She tilted her face towards the direction of the moon and thought about the day's events.
~ * ~
The sun was bright against the cloudless, sapphire blue sky. The wind rustled through the trees and cooled the crowd that had gather on the Hogwarts compound. Overall, it was a beautiful day for a graduation ceremony. Parents and family of the graduating students were seated in front of a stand that was decorated with the colours of the four houses of the school. Only Ginny, her parents and her twin brothers could attend the ceremony, as the rest of them could not get time off. The Weasleys sat, waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin. The fanfare rang through out the ceremony area and the graduates filed in and took their seats in the front rows and were followed by the Headmaster and the faculty members. Once everyone was seated, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and walked to the podium and said, "Let the ceremony begin."
One by one, the names of their names were called and the graduates went up the stage to receive their diplomas. Ginny was happily snapping pictures of everyone. Once the last of the graduates had received their scroll and was seated, Dumbledore introduced the valedictorian, which was to no one's surprise, Hermione. She stood up and gave her speech, which lasted about fifteen minutes, putting majority of the audience to sleep.
Once she finished her speech, Dumbledore stood once again and asked everyone to welcome the newest members of the wizarding community with a round of applause. The graduates pointed their wands into the air and shot multi-coloured stars that formed the Hogwarts crest, to signify that they had finally graduated from the school.
At the end of the ceremony, everyone was led to a marquee where the reception was held. Ron and Hermione had taken a walk together by the lake, leaving Harry, Blaise and Draco to find the Weasleys. Both Draco and Blaise were nervous about meeting Mr and Mrs Weasley who were the parents/surrogate-parents of their partners, respectively. Mr and Mrs Weasley and the Weasley Twins had gone to the reception while Ginny went in search for Draco, Harry and Blaise. She found them standing by the stage talking while waiting for the crowd to pass. Ginny gave Draco a hug from the back, startling him slightly. She turned to face him and brushed her lips to his.
"Congratulations Draco!"
"Thanks Love. I couldn't have done it without you."
"I don't understand."
"You've kept me sane when I thought I was going crazy with all that studying. You calmed me down and helped me de-stress when I was ready to tear out all my hair in frustration. You were my strength when I faltered. Thank you."
Ginny blushed and buried her face in his chest, not knowing what to say. Draco chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her hair.
"Never would I have thought that a Malfoy could be so cheesy," they heard Harry snorting in disgust behind them.
"Shut up Potter! No one asked YOUR opinion," Draco sneered, releasing Ginny from his hug but kept his arm around her waist possessively.
"Hey I can't help it if you say sweet mushy things loud enough to be heard by everyone," Harry shrugged, his hand draped casually over Blaise's shoulder.
"That's enough you two," Blaise said. "Now be nice to each other. It's too nice a day to be fighting."
"Fine, as long as he doesn't tell Weasley about it, that's fine," Draco said.
Ginny hit him lightly on the arm and said," Hey! I'M a Weasley. What do you mean by that?"
"Ow! I'm not talking about you! I'm talking about your brother. I just can't make myself call him by his given name. It feels too weird," Draco said, shuddering at the thought of calling Ron by his given name,
"You ready to meet the parentals Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Nope but she'll kill me if I don't," Draco said, pointing at Ginny with his head.
"Yup. I've told mum about you and she wants to meet you in person," Ginny said. "How are you feeling about meeting my parents Blaise?"
"Very nervous. I hope she'll like me. I really want her to like me since she treats Harry as one of her own," Blaise said, smiling slightly.
"Don't worry. You're going to be great. Why don't you let Harry take you to the lake and give you a prep talk while I take this bad boy over here and meet my parents," Ginny said, lacing her fingers through Draco's.
Harry nodded and led Blaise towards the lake. Ginny and Draco watched them go in silent before turning towards the marquee. "Bad boy eh?" Draco said, smirked and raised an eyebrow at Ginny. Smiling, Ginny smacked him lightly on the arm and wrapped her arm around his waist.
When they arrived at the reception tent, they found Mr and Mrs Weasley talking to Mr and Mrs Granger. Fred and George were talking to Seamus and Dean. Ginny turned to Draco and asked, "Are you ready for this?"
"Nope but lets get it over and done with," he said, standing up straight. "If nothing else works, I'll just use the old Malfoy charm. No one can resist it."
In the end, Draco didn't even need to turn on the charm. When Ginny introduced Draco to her parents, both her parents shook his hand and accepted him as Ginny's boyfriend. As both Ginny's parents were in the Order, they knew that Draco and his father had helped Dumbledore and the Ministry to bring down Voldermort and his Deatheaters.
"So what are your plans after Hogwarts Draco?" Mr Weasley asked.
"I've received an offer to play Seeker with the Falmouth Falcons and their giving me a scholarship to study Sports Management at the Wizarding University of Edinburgh," Draco told him.
"You got the scholarship? That's great!" Ginny said excitedly, kissing him on the cheek. "Congratulations! I knew you were going to get it." Mr Weasley smiled at his daughter's reaction and saw Draco's small smile that followed the kiss. He could see that the young Malfoy loved his daughter as much as she loved him, reminding him of himself and his wife at their age.
Harry and Blaise walked up to the rest of them after giving Blaise a pep talk by the lake. Mrs Weasley gave Blaise a hug and was happy that Harry had found someone who loves him as much as he loves her. All of Blaise's nervousness was for nought as both Mr and Mrs Weasley didn't care that Draco and Blaise were Slytherins as they both knew that the teenagers were not like their parents, in fact they had helped out a lot in the War.
Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Harry and their significant others were talking among themselves when they were interrupted by Ron who was grinning very widely.
"I've got an announcement to make everyone. Hermione agreed to be my wife," he said, almost bursting out with happiness. Hermione, who was standing beside him, blushed slightly and smiled.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, grabbing the couple in a big hug. "Welcome to the family dear."
Congratulations, hugs and backslapping went around as the news of Ron and Hermione's engagement was spread. Draco and Ginny managed to get away from the crowd and sat by the tree where he first kissed her, facing the lake.
"Hey, why so glum?" Draco asked when he saw Ginny looking out to the lake with a slightly sad face.
"I just realised that when school starts, I'm going to be here alone, no Ron, Harry, Hermione, Blaise. No you." She turned to face him, her eyes filling up with tears, threatening to spill on to her cheeks.
"Don't be sad, love. You have friends from your year," Draco said, brushing the fallen tears away with his thumbs.
"It's not going to be the same. Besides, I'm worried that when you go to the new school, you're going to meet some other girls and forget about me," Ginny said, sniffing.
"There's nothing to worry about. You'll always be the one I want and the one on my mind. I'll owl you often and I'll come by to visit you as often as I can. Please don't cry," Draco said softly, gently kissing her lips.
"I'm going to miss you."
"I know, I'm going to miss you too love." They sat with Draco's back against the tree and Ginny resting her head on his chest, his arm around her back protectively. The weather was so nice that they fell asleep within minutes.
That was how Ron found them at sunset, when everyone was ready to go. Ron shook Ginny gently in the shoulder to wake her up. When both the lovebirds woke up and blinked their eyes at him, Ron said, "Gin, it's time to go home. Mum's inviting everyone back to the Burrow for dinner. You too Malfoy." After Ron walked away, Draco helped Ginny up and brushed off the dirt. They gathered with the rest of the Weasley clan and flooed back to the Burrow.
~
A knock on her bedroom door woke Ginny from her musings. She saw Ron peeked his head into the room, scanning for her.
"Hey Gin, why are you still up? It's getting late," he said, stepping into the room and walking towards the window.
"I know. I was just thinking about today's events," she replied.
"Mind if I join you?" Ron asked.
"Sure. Be my guest."
Ron climbed out of the window and sat down beside her, looking up into the night sky. When he saw Ginny shivering slightly in the cold night, Ron sat a little closer and put his arms around her. After sitting there for a few minutes, Ron asked, "Why do you look so sad?"
"Well, I'm going back to Hogwarts alone when the summer ends. It's going to be weird without you, Harry and Hermione being there. It's going to be some what lonely," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I can't believe I've graduated. It feels just like yesterday when mum put me on the train the first time to Hogwarts. Time sure does fly real fast. Don't be sad Ginny; I'll owl you. I'm sure so will Harry and Hermione. Besides, with all the studying you need to do for the N.E.W.T.S, you won't even realise we're not there."
"I guess so. I'm going to miss you Ron when you're not around."
"I'm going to miss you too baby sister."
~ * ~
The summer flew by and before Ginny knew it, it was the 1st of September. Mrs Weasley sent her to King's Cross station and was weeping when Ginny got on the train.
"My baby! My youngest baby left in school!" Mrs Weasley cried. Fortunately Ron was there to calm their mother down and avoid a potentially embarrassing hysterical mother moment. In the train, Ginny sat with Colin, Luna and a few other students from her year.
// It feels really different to be sitting with my friends and not having the Dream Team popping in every now and again. I miss them already. //
After arriving at Hogsmeade station, the entire student population were escorted to the school and waited for the Sorting to begin. The Feast was as delicious as always and at the end of the Feast, Ginny was ready to sleep.
Ginny was given the same room that Dumbledore assigned her the previous your. Once back in her room, she changed out of her school robes and took a quick shower. Sitting on her writing table while combing her hair, Ginny saw a picture of Draco and her, taken during the graduation ceremony. She suddenly missed him so much that her chest ached and her eyes started to fill with tears. Throwing her brush on her bed, Ginny took out a parchment and started writing a letter to Draco.
My dearest Draco,
It's the 1st of September and I'm back in Hogwarts. It feels so different without my brother, his friends, Blaise and you around. When I looked around the Great Hall during the feast, I half expected to see you sitting there, whispering to Blaise at the Slytherin table and my brother gorging down as much food as he can at the Gryffindor table. I feel so lonely even though I have friends around. I miss you so much. Please write back soon. I love you.
Love,
Ginny
Ginny rolled up the parchment and kept it aside to bring it to the owlery the next morning. She stood up and stretched out before walking over to her bed. Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, Ginny fell asleep thinking about Draco.
~ * ~
The semester went through very fast. All the 7th years were given so much homework that some of the students in Hufflepuff walked around like zombies for most part of the semester. Ginny spent a lot of time in the secret library in her closet. When she went through the closet the first time that semester, she found that there were only three doors left in the antechamber; the door with the dragon on it had disappeared.
// I guess the room was only there when needed. Since Draco's no longer at Hogwarts, it disappeared. I wish it were still around. I could spend some time there when I miss him. //
Ginny sighed and made her way to the library room to study for her transfiguration test. When Ginny got too stressed out with her studying, she spent her time in the pool. At the end of the semester, not only was Ginny at the top of her class, her body was toned and healthy from all the swimming.
The Christmas break came and Ginny was all packed up to go back o the Burrow. She was so excited since Draco, Blaise, Harry and Hermione were going to be there. She couldn't wait to get back home and meet all of them. She couldn't sit still through out the entire train ride back to King's Cross station. When finally the train stopped, she was the first one to get off the train and to claim her trunk.
Ginny walked through the crowd looking for either her parents or her brothers to pick her up. While on her tiptoes looking for her family members, she saw a familiar head of platinum blonde. Her heart started pounding in her chest when she saw the blond making his way towards her and shouting out her name. The crowd parted like the Red Sea before her. Standing not ten feet away from her was Draco, dressed in a black pair of jeans, a grey jumper over a dark blue shirt. He was holding his leather jacket in his right hand while he stood there giving her a lopsided grin.
Ginny dropped her trunk and ran towards him with her arms wide open. He scooped her up in a big hug and lifted her off the ground while she showered kisses all over his face.
"I've missed you so much Draco! I wasn't expecting you to pick me up. When did you arrive at the burrow?" she asked as he put her back on her feet and walked towards her dropped trunk.
"I arrived last night. Your mother thought it would be a good idea for me to surprise you and pick you up. She was right. If I knew you were going to react the way you did, I would pick you up from the station all the time," Draco said, rolling the trolley out of the platform and across the barrier.
"Draco, how are we going to get home? I can't apparate and there's no floo station nearby," Ginny asked as she stood at the foyer of the station.
"Well, my dear. I'll be your chauffer today. Just seat back and relax," he said, jingling his car keys in front of her. "Wait here while I get the car."
Less than five minutes of waiting, Draco drove his black Mercedes through the parking lot and stopped right in front of her. He placed her luggage into the trunk of his car and opened the door to passenger's side for Ginny. The drive back o the Burrow was smooth and enjoyable. They listened to the blues CD that Draco had inserted into the CD player.
It wasn't long before they reached the Burrow. Her childhood home was relatively bigger, with more rooms added as Mr and Mrs Weasley always had at least one of their children and their families stay over during the weekends. The garden had a thin layer of snow covering Mrs Weasley's rose bushes. Draco parked the car and the door to the Burrow opened and her mother came rushing out.
"Ginny! My baby's home!" Mrs Weasley cried crushing Ginny in a big bear hug.
"Mum, mum! Air! Can't breathe!" Ginny gasped, clawing to get her mum off her.
"Sorry deary. I just missed you so much. Let's get into the house and warm you up with some cocoa. Come along Draco," Mrs Weasley said, leading Ginny and Draco into the house.
The Burrow was full of people. The twins, Percy and their wives were helping to decorate the tree while Ron and Harry had just come in from bringing in firewood. Even Mr and Mrs Granger were also there. Only Bill, Charlie and their families couldn't make it back for Christmas. Mrs Weasley and Mrs Granger were sitting at the dining table with Hermione, planning the wedding that was planned to take place that summer. Blaise was sitting on the carpet in the middle of the living room; playing with the next generation of Weasley children while their parents decorated the tree.
Draco found Ginny sitting by the fireplace with her sisters-in-law, sipping cocoa, after he placed her trunk in her room. Draco leaned against the doorjamb, looking at the girl who stole his heart. She looked so beautiful, the firelight reflecting off her shiny, red locks. Her skin was ivory skin so creamy that it made him want to take a bite out of her. Even her freckles were fading. Her hazel eyes shone with happiness and her laughter made his heart beat slightly faster. She had Percy's youngest child, Emily, on her lap. The two year old was asleep with her arms around Ginny, her head resting against Ginny's chest. Ginny was rocking the sleeping child gently, smoothing and kissing Emily's hair.
// I'm so lucky to have her in my life. She's beautiful, smart, caring, loving, kind. I must have done something right in my previous life to have such a wonderful person love me the way she does. She's so good with children. She'll make a very good mother on day. //
Draco was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise that Ginny had gotten up from her seat and walked towards him. When his far away eyes snapped back into focus, he found himself staring into Ginny's hazel eyes. Outside the window, the sky had turned dark and the snow was starting to fall again. He found that they were the only ones left in the living room. He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her forehead.
"You had a very far away look just now. What were you thinking about?" Ginny asked him, wounding her arms around Draco and resting her head on his chest.
"You. How beautiful you are and what I must have done right in my previous life to deserve your love," he said softly, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He could feel her smiling against his chest and felt her hugging him tighter.
"You're sweet Draco Malfoy," she said, leaning up to kiss his lips. Draco bent his head down and his lips were and inch away from hers when they heard Mrs Weasley calling them from the kitchen.
"Kids, I need you to set up the table while I serve dinner. Get the rest of them to help out."
Both Ginny and Draco sighed, resting their foreheads against each other's. "Yes mum," Ginny answered.
Dinner was served in record time as all the males helped set the table while the womenfolk helped with bring out the food or doing the last minute preparation for the food. Once all the food was placed on the table and everyone was seated, they held hands and said grace before tucking into the fabulous dinner that Mrs Weasley had prepared. After dinner, coffee was served and everyone but Ron, Hermione, Harry, Blaise, Draco and Ginny went to the living room. The six of them took mugs of cocoa and their jackets to sit out on the back porch.
The snow had stopped falling and the entire garden was covered. They sat, looking out into the darkness with their significant others, snuggled closely. They had not had time to catch up before dinner, as there had been so many things to do.
"How's school been Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"It's been rather lonely without all of you but after the professors started piling their work, I didn't have that much time to dwell on being lonely. It was nice of all of you to owl me when you had time. It really helped me get through the semester. I can't believe I only have one more semester before the N.E.W.T.S and I'll graduate," Ginny said, resting her cheek on her raised knees. " How's life been after graduation?"
"School has been good. I've been learning so much in college. I'm thinking of majoring in Transfiguration. What about you Blaise? I rarely get to meet up with you except when I bump into you at the library," Hermione said. Hermione and Blaise were accepted into London College of Magic but in different faculties.
"I've been enjoying my classes very much. My law professors said that I have the potential of being a very good lawyer," Blaise said, taking a sip of her cocoa.
"That's no surprise since you win every argument and have a penchant of twisting everything I say back at me," Harry said and received Blaise's elbow shoved into his ribs. "Hey! That hurts!"
"It was supposed to but I'll take what you say as a twisted form of compliment." Blaise smiled at him, kissing him lightly on his chin.
"How's your Auror training Ron, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"It's been tough and very tiring. Kingsley Shacklebolt's very tough but fair and he's one of the best Aurors around. Look at all the muscles we have now," Ron said, flexing his biceps which were more muscular.
Over the past six months, she had missed them, especially late at night when she was trying to cram for her tests and revisions. It was really wonderful to see all of them and spend time with all of them again.
"It's really nice to have all of you spend Christmas here. I've missed all of you so much," Ginny said softly.
"We've missed you too Gin," Ron replied with Hermione, Blaise, Harry and Draco nodding in agreement.
Ginny smiled at all of them and rested her head on Draco's shoulder, looking out at the gently falling snow. All six of them stayed outside till Mrs Weasley called all of them in.
Author's note: I'm sorry that it took so long to update and this isn't one of my best chapters. I had a dry spell and couldn't think of anything else to write. Your reviews are always welcomed. I have a few ideas for the next chapter but I you opinion on it. Here they are:
Ron and Hermione's wedding More of school stuff
If you guys have any other things that you want me to put into the story, you are welcomed to put it into the review. Thanks again for being patient. Snappish79 and Purple Dusk, thanks for pushing me to update. I hope I didn't disappoint you.
"Talking"
//Thinking//
It was a cool summer night, the breeze blowing softly causing the wisps of her hair that framed her face to caress her cheeks. Ginny crawled out of her room window and sat on the porch roof, looking up into the starry night sky. The crickets chirped merrily in the dark. In the light of the full moon, her skin appeared deathly pale, making her look like a ghost in a flimsy white night gown sitting on the roof. She tilted her face towards the direction of the moon and thought about the day's events.
~ * ~
The sun was bright against the cloudless, sapphire blue sky. The wind rustled through the trees and cooled the crowd that had gather on the Hogwarts compound. Overall, it was a beautiful day for a graduation ceremony. Parents and family of the graduating students were seated in front of a stand that was decorated with the colours of the four houses of the school. Only Ginny, her parents and her twin brothers could attend the ceremony, as the rest of them could not get time off. The Weasleys sat, waiting patiently for the ceremony to begin. The fanfare rang through out the ceremony area and the graduates filed in and took their seats in the front rows and were followed by the Headmaster and the faculty members. Once everyone was seated, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up and walked to the podium and said, "Let the ceremony begin."
One by one, the names of their names were called and the graduates went up the stage to receive their diplomas. Ginny was happily snapping pictures of everyone. Once the last of the graduates had received their scroll and was seated, Dumbledore introduced the valedictorian, which was to no one's surprise, Hermione. She stood up and gave her speech, which lasted about fifteen minutes, putting majority of the audience to sleep.
Once she finished her speech, Dumbledore stood once again and asked everyone to welcome the newest members of the wizarding community with a round of applause. The graduates pointed their wands into the air and shot multi-coloured stars that formed the Hogwarts crest, to signify that they had finally graduated from the school.
At the end of the ceremony, everyone was led to a marquee where the reception was held. Ron and Hermione had taken a walk together by the lake, leaving Harry, Blaise and Draco to find the Weasleys. Both Draco and Blaise were nervous about meeting Mr and Mrs Weasley who were the parents/surrogate-parents of their partners, respectively. Mr and Mrs Weasley and the Weasley Twins had gone to the reception while Ginny went in search for Draco, Harry and Blaise. She found them standing by the stage talking while waiting for the crowd to pass. Ginny gave Draco a hug from the back, startling him slightly. She turned to face him and brushed her lips to his.
"Congratulations Draco!"
"Thanks Love. I couldn't have done it without you."
"I don't understand."
"You've kept me sane when I thought I was going crazy with all that studying. You calmed me down and helped me de-stress when I was ready to tear out all my hair in frustration. You were my strength when I faltered. Thank you."
Ginny blushed and buried her face in his chest, not knowing what to say. Draco chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her hair.
"Never would I have thought that a Malfoy could be so cheesy," they heard Harry snorting in disgust behind them.
"Shut up Potter! No one asked YOUR opinion," Draco sneered, releasing Ginny from his hug but kept his arm around her waist possessively.
"Hey I can't help it if you say sweet mushy things loud enough to be heard by everyone," Harry shrugged, his hand draped casually over Blaise's shoulder.
"That's enough you two," Blaise said. "Now be nice to each other. It's too nice a day to be fighting."
"Fine, as long as he doesn't tell Weasley about it, that's fine," Draco said.
Ginny hit him lightly on the arm and said," Hey! I'M a Weasley. What do you mean by that?"
"Ow! I'm not talking about you! I'm talking about your brother. I just can't make myself call him by his given name. It feels too weird," Draco said, shuddering at the thought of calling Ron by his given name,
"You ready to meet the parentals Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Nope but she'll kill me if I don't," Draco said, pointing at Ginny with his head.
"Yup. I've told mum about you and she wants to meet you in person," Ginny said. "How are you feeling about meeting my parents Blaise?"
"Very nervous. I hope she'll like me. I really want her to like me since she treats Harry as one of her own," Blaise said, smiling slightly.
"Don't worry. You're going to be great. Why don't you let Harry take you to the lake and give you a prep talk while I take this bad boy over here and meet my parents," Ginny said, lacing her fingers through Draco's.
Harry nodded and led Blaise towards the lake. Ginny and Draco watched them go in silent before turning towards the marquee. "Bad boy eh?" Draco said, smirked and raised an eyebrow at Ginny. Smiling, Ginny smacked him lightly on the arm and wrapped her arm around his waist.
When they arrived at the reception tent, they found Mr and Mrs Weasley talking to Mr and Mrs Granger. Fred and George were talking to Seamus and Dean. Ginny turned to Draco and asked, "Are you ready for this?"
"Nope but lets get it over and done with," he said, standing up straight. "If nothing else works, I'll just use the old Malfoy charm. No one can resist it."
In the end, Draco didn't even need to turn on the charm. When Ginny introduced Draco to her parents, both her parents shook his hand and accepted him as Ginny's boyfriend. As both Ginny's parents were in the Order, they knew that Draco and his father had helped Dumbledore and the Ministry to bring down Voldermort and his Deatheaters.
"So what are your plans after Hogwarts Draco?" Mr Weasley asked.
"I've received an offer to play Seeker with the Falmouth Falcons and their giving me a scholarship to study Sports Management at the Wizarding University of Edinburgh," Draco told him.
"You got the scholarship? That's great!" Ginny said excitedly, kissing him on the cheek. "Congratulations! I knew you were going to get it." Mr Weasley smiled at his daughter's reaction and saw Draco's small smile that followed the kiss. He could see that the young Malfoy loved his daughter as much as she loved him, reminding him of himself and his wife at their age.
Harry and Blaise walked up to the rest of them after giving Blaise a pep talk by the lake. Mrs Weasley gave Blaise a hug and was happy that Harry had found someone who loves him as much as he loves her. All of Blaise's nervousness was for nought as both Mr and Mrs Weasley didn't care that Draco and Blaise were Slytherins as they both knew that the teenagers were not like their parents, in fact they had helped out a lot in the War.
Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Harry and their significant others were talking among themselves when they were interrupted by Ron who was grinning very widely.
"I've got an announcement to make everyone. Hermione agreed to be my wife," he said, almost bursting out with happiness. Hermione, who was standing beside him, blushed slightly and smiled.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, grabbing the couple in a big hug. "Welcome to the family dear."
Congratulations, hugs and backslapping went around as the news of Ron and Hermione's engagement was spread. Draco and Ginny managed to get away from the crowd and sat by the tree where he first kissed her, facing the lake.
"Hey, why so glum?" Draco asked when he saw Ginny looking out to the lake with a slightly sad face.
"I just realised that when school starts, I'm going to be here alone, no Ron, Harry, Hermione, Blaise. No you." She turned to face him, her eyes filling up with tears, threatening to spill on to her cheeks.
"Don't be sad, love. You have friends from your year," Draco said, brushing the fallen tears away with his thumbs.
"It's not going to be the same. Besides, I'm worried that when you go to the new school, you're going to meet some other girls and forget about me," Ginny said, sniffing.
"There's nothing to worry about. You'll always be the one I want and the one on my mind. I'll owl you often and I'll come by to visit you as often as I can. Please don't cry," Draco said softly, gently kissing her lips.
"I'm going to miss you."
"I know, I'm going to miss you too love." They sat with Draco's back against the tree and Ginny resting her head on his chest, his arm around her back protectively. The weather was so nice that they fell asleep within minutes.
That was how Ron found them at sunset, when everyone was ready to go. Ron shook Ginny gently in the shoulder to wake her up. When both the lovebirds woke up and blinked their eyes at him, Ron said, "Gin, it's time to go home. Mum's inviting everyone back to the Burrow for dinner. You too Malfoy." After Ron walked away, Draco helped Ginny up and brushed off the dirt. They gathered with the rest of the Weasley clan and flooed back to the Burrow.
~
A knock on her bedroom door woke Ginny from her musings. She saw Ron peeked his head into the room, scanning for her.
"Hey Gin, why are you still up? It's getting late," he said, stepping into the room and walking towards the window.
"I know. I was just thinking about today's events," she replied.
"Mind if I join you?" Ron asked.
"Sure. Be my guest."
Ron climbed out of the window and sat down beside her, looking up into the night sky. When he saw Ginny shivering slightly in the cold night, Ron sat a little closer and put his arms around her. After sitting there for a few minutes, Ron asked, "Why do you look so sad?"
"Well, I'm going back to Hogwarts alone when the summer ends. It's going to be weird without you, Harry and Hermione being there. It's going to be some what lonely," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, I can't believe I've graduated. It feels just like yesterday when mum put me on the train the first time to Hogwarts. Time sure does fly real fast. Don't be sad Ginny; I'll owl you. I'm sure so will Harry and Hermione. Besides, with all the studying you need to do for the N.E.W.T.S, you won't even realise we're not there."
"I guess so. I'm going to miss you Ron when you're not around."
"I'm going to miss you too baby sister."
~ * ~
The summer flew by and before Ginny knew it, it was the 1st of September. Mrs Weasley sent her to King's Cross station and was weeping when Ginny got on the train.
"My baby! My youngest baby left in school!" Mrs Weasley cried. Fortunately Ron was there to calm their mother down and avoid a potentially embarrassing hysterical mother moment. In the train, Ginny sat with Colin, Luna and a few other students from her year.
// It feels really different to be sitting with my friends and not having the Dream Team popping in every now and again. I miss them already. //
After arriving at Hogsmeade station, the entire student population were escorted to the school and waited for the Sorting to begin. The Feast was as delicious as always and at the end of the Feast, Ginny was ready to sleep.
Ginny was given the same room that Dumbledore assigned her the previous your. Once back in her room, she changed out of her school robes and took a quick shower. Sitting on her writing table while combing her hair, Ginny saw a picture of Draco and her, taken during the graduation ceremony. She suddenly missed him so much that her chest ached and her eyes started to fill with tears. Throwing her brush on her bed, Ginny took out a parchment and started writing a letter to Draco.
My dearest Draco,
It's the 1st of September and I'm back in Hogwarts. It feels so different without my brother, his friends, Blaise and you around. When I looked around the Great Hall during the feast, I half expected to see you sitting there, whispering to Blaise at the Slytherin table and my brother gorging down as much food as he can at the Gryffindor table. I feel so lonely even though I have friends around. I miss you so much. Please write back soon. I love you.
Love,
Ginny
Ginny rolled up the parchment and kept it aside to bring it to the owlery the next morning. She stood up and stretched out before walking over to her bed. Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, Ginny fell asleep thinking about Draco.
~ * ~
The semester went through very fast. All the 7th years were given so much homework that some of the students in Hufflepuff walked around like zombies for most part of the semester. Ginny spent a lot of time in the secret library in her closet. When she went through the closet the first time that semester, she found that there were only three doors left in the antechamber; the door with the dragon on it had disappeared.
// I guess the room was only there when needed. Since Draco's no longer at Hogwarts, it disappeared. I wish it were still around. I could spend some time there when I miss him. //
Ginny sighed and made her way to the library room to study for her transfiguration test. When Ginny got too stressed out with her studying, she spent her time in the pool. At the end of the semester, not only was Ginny at the top of her class, her body was toned and healthy from all the swimming.
The Christmas break came and Ginny was all packed up to go back o the Burrow. She was so excited since Draco, Blaise, Harry and Hermione were going to be there. She couldn't wait to get back home and meet all of them. She couldn't sit still through out the entire train ride back to King's Cross station. When finally the train stopped, she was the first one to get off the train and to claim her trunk.
Ginny walked through the crowd looking for either her parents or her brothers to pick her up. While on her tiptoes looking for her family members, she saw a familiar head of platinum blonde. Her heart started pounding in her chest when she saw the blond making his way towards her and shouting out her name. The crowd parted like the Red Sea before her. Standing not ten feet away from her was Draco, dressed in a black pair of jeans, a grey jumper over a dark blue shirt. He was holding his leather jacket in his right hand while he stood there giving her a lopsided grin.
Ginny dropped her trunk and ran towards him with her arms wide open. He scooped her up in a big hug and lifted her off the ground while she showered kisses all over his face.
"I've missed you so much Draco! I wasn't expecting you to pick me up. When did you arrive at the burrow?" she asked as he put her back on her feet and walked towards her dropped trunk.
"I arrived last night. Your mother thought it would be a good idea for me to surprise you and pick you up. She was right. If I knew you were going to react the way you did, I would pick you up from the station all the time," Draco said, rolling the trolley out of the platform and across the barrier.
"Draco, how are we going to get home? I can't apparate and there's no floo station nearby," Ginny asked as she stood at the foyer of the station.
"Well, my dear. I'll be your chauffer today. Just seat back and relax," he said, jingling his car keys in front of her. "Wait here while I get the car."
Less than five minutes of waiting, Draco drove his black Mercedes through the parking lot and stopped right in front of her. He placed her luggage into the trunk of his car and opened the door to passenger's side for Ginny. The drive back o the Burrow was smooth and enjoyable. They listened to the blues CD that Draco had inserted into the CD player.
It wasn't long before they reached the Burrow. Her childhood home was relatively bigger, with more rooms added as Mr and Mrs Weasley always had at least one of their children and their families stay over during the weekends. The garden had a thin layer of snow covering Mrs Weasley's rose bushes. Draco parked the car and the door to the Burrow opened and her mother came rushing out.
"Ginny! My baby's home!" Mrs Weasley cried crushing Ginny in a big bear hug.
"Mum, mum! Air! Can't breathe!" Ginny gasped, clawing to get her mum off her.
"Sorry deary. I just missed you so much. Let's get into the house and warm you up with some cocoa. Come along Draco," Mrs Weasley said, leading Ginny and Draco into the house.
The Burrow was full of people. The twins, Percy and their wives were helping to decorate the tree while Ron and Harry had just come in from bringing in firewood. Even Mr and Mrs Granger were also there. Only Bill, Charlie and their families couldn't make it back for Christmas. Mrs Weasley and Mrs Granger were sitting at the dining table with Hermione, planning the wedding that was planned to take place that summer. Blaise was sitting on the carpet in the middle of the living room; playing with the next generation of Weasley children while their parents decorated the tree.
Draco found Ginny sitting by the fireplace with her sisters-in-law, sipping cocoa, after he placed her trunk in her room. Draco leaned against the doorjamb, looking at the girl who stole his heart. She looked so beautiful, the firelight reflecting off her shiny, red locks. Her skin was ivory skin so creamy that it made him want to take a bite out of her. Even her freckles were fading. Her hazel eyes shone with happiness and her laughter made his heart beat slightly faster. She had Percy's youngest child, Emily, on her lap. The two year old was asleep with her arms around Ginny, her head resting against Ginny's chest. Ginny was rocking the sleeping child gently, smoothing and kissing Emily's hair.
// I'm so lucky to have her in my life. She's beautiful, smart, caring, loving, kind. I must have done something right in my previous life to have such a wonderful person love me the way she does. She's so good with children. She'll make a very good mother on day. //
Draco was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise that Ginny had gotten up from her seat and walked towards him. When his far away eyes snapped back into focus, he found himself staring into Ginny's hazel eyes. Outside the window, the sky had turned dark and the snow was starting to fall again. He found that they were the only ones left in the living room. He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her forehead.
"You had a very far away look just now. What were you thinking about?" Ginny asked him, wounding her arms around Draco and resting her head on his chest.
"You. How beautiful you are and what I must have done right in my previous life to deserve your love," he said softly, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He could feel her smiling against his chest and felt her hugging him tighter.
"You're sweet Draco Malfoy," she said, leaning up to kiss his lips. Draco bent his head down and his lips were and inch away from hers when they heard Mrs Weasley calling them from the kitchen.
"Kids, I need you to set up the table while I serve dinner. Get the rest of them to help out."
Both Ginny and Draco sighed, resting their foreheads against each other's. "Yes mum," Ginny answered.
Dinner was served in record time as all the males helped set the table while the womenfolk helped with bring out the food or doing the last minute preparation for the food. Once all the food was placed on the table and everyone was seated, they held hands and said grace before tucking into the fabulous dinner that Mrs Weasley had prepared. After dinner, coffee was served and everyone but Ron, Hermione, Harry, Blaise, Draco and Ginny went to the living room. The six of them took mugs of cocoa and their jackets to sit out on the back porch.
The snow had stopped falling and the entire garden was covered. They sat, looking out into the darkness with their significant others, snuggled closely. They had not had time to catch up before dinner, as there had been so many things to do.
"How's school been Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"It's been rather lonely without all of you but after the professors started piling their work, I didn't have that much time to dwell on being lonely. It was nice of all of you to owl me when you had time. It really helped me get through the semester. I can't believe I only have one more semester before the N.E.W.T.S and I'll graduate," Ginny said, resting her cheek on her raised knees. " How's life been after graduation?"
"School has been good. I've been learning so much in college. I'm thinking of majoring in Transfiguration. What about you Blaise? I rarely get to meet up with you except when I bump into you at the library," Hermione said. Hermione and Blaise were accepted into London College of Magic but in different faculties.
"I've been enjoying my classes very much. My law professors said that I have the potential of being a very good lawyer," Blaise said, taking a sip of her cocoa.
"That's no surprise since you win every argument and have a penchant of twisting everything I say back at me," Harry said and received Blaise's elbow shoved into his ribs. "Hey! That hurts!"
"It was supposed to but I'll take what you say as a twisted form of compliment." Blaise smiled at him, kissing him lightly on his chin.
"How's your Auror training Ron, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"It's been tough and very tiring. Kingsley Shacklebolt's very tough but fair and he's one of the best Aurors around. Look at all the muscles we have now," Ron said, flexing his biceps which were more muscular.
Over the past six months, she had missed them, especially late at night when she was trying to cram for her tests and revisions. It was really wonderful to see all of them and spend time with all of them again.
"It's really nice to have all of you spend Christmas here. I've missed all of you so much," Ginny said softly.
"We've missed you too Gin," Ron replied with Hermione, Blaise, Harry and Draco nodding in agreement.
Ginny smiled at all of them and rested her head on Draco's shoulder, looking out at the gently falling snow. All six of them stayed outside till Mrs Weasley called all of them in.
Author's note: I'm sorry that it took so long to update and this isn't one of my best chapters. I had a dry spell and couldn't think of anything else to write. Your reviews are always welcomed. I have a few ideas for the next chapter but I you opinion on it. Here they are:
Ron and Hermione's wedding More of school stuff
If you guys have any other things that you want me to put into the story, you are welcomed to put it into the review. Thanks again for being patient. Snappish79 and Purple Dusk, thanks for pushing me to update. I hope I didn't disappoint you.