DISCLAIMER – As per usual, none belong to me!! Don't sue ok? ^.^

AUTHOR'S NOTE – Fluff, coming up, don't you worry ok?? It will be there… and thank you to all my reviewers, I hope you like this chapter! And to Aida and Jas, thanks for all your support, especially when my account got cancelled. I emailed fanfiction.net, I hope they can come up with answers soon! Luv you guys!

RATING – PG 13 for potty mouth.

I WILL PROVE MY LOVE FOR YOU, I PROMISE YOU.

Pansy knocked tentatively on Ginny's door, opening it a crack to peek in.

"Gin?" She queried, sticking her head in to scan the room. The dorm was empty, but she could see Ginny's bed curtains were closed and if she strained her ears enough, she could hear faint sniffles coming from that direction.

"Go away Pansy…" a muffled voice came from the bed. Rolling her eyes, Pansy marched up to the bed and yanked the curtains open.

"What happened?" She took in Ginny's disheveled state with wide eyes. Ginny thrust a letter into her face, sniffling all the while.

Her eyebrows rose as she read it. "Wow, I never knew he was so… poetic. How does he think he's going to prove his love for you?" Ginny shrugged.

"I just wanted him to forget me so his father won't hurt him!! I just want him to be safe!" Pansy shook her head.

"Ginny. Draco does not care about what his father thinks, has not since he was a third year, and never will. You don't have to worry about him… he can take care of himself." Dropping onto the side of the bed, she reached for Ginny's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "You'll see."

Ginny just nodded.

~*~*~*~

Fliers were up at every notice board in the castle, announcing Hogwarts' 1000th anniversary. It was going to be held in a week's time, and it promised to be a grand affair, or as an over-excited Parvati put it, "Oooooh…… shopping!! I don't have anything to wear! This is fantastic!!"

Ginny wasn't so sure.

~*~*~*~

It was the night of the ball, and Ginny was trying on her dress. Thanks to her Transfiguration skills, she had transformed a dreary, dull-looking dress into a stunning little black number. She examined herself critically in the mirror. The black velvet of her dress brought out the flame of her hair, and the rich ivory of her skin. It hugged her curves lovingly and dipped in front in a low vee, exposing just enough cleavage to be alluring and not tart. Her skirt flared out mermaid-style at the knee, allowing her freedom to move as she wished, and had a slit all the way up till mid-thigh. Her hair was unconfined and it gleamed like a sheet of liquid flame, adding to her goddess-like look. Indeed, she looked like an ancient goddess, regal and beautiful, untouchable, her sexuality simmering just below the surface. Her eyes were highlighted, smouldering in an array of deep purples and her lips were glossy and pink, utterly kissable-looking. She was beautiful, and Pansy confirmed it when she made her way up to the Gryffindor girls' dorm.

Pansy was beautiful, too, but in an icier, queenly way. She and Ginny were polar opposites of each other, smouldering and icy, regal and temptress. Pansy was wearing an ice-blue silk dress that brought out her eyes and her perfectly blonde, shimmering hair, and her hair was up in a chignon, with nary a hair out of place. She looked perfect, almost too perfect, but it suited her just fine. In a word, they were like yin and yang, fated to be friends because they complemented each other so well.

Pansy spoke first.

"Gin, lets go. It's showtime."

Ginny just nodded, and with one last look in the mirror, they were off.

~*~*~*~

Draco paced the Hall impatiently. Where was Ginny? He had a plan, and all it needed her presence to set it in motion. He was getting butterflies the size of dinosaurs in his stomach, and was wishing he hadn't eaten so much for dinner. He looked up at the sky, but it was night and all he could see was a velvety night sky, sprinkled liberally with twinkling stars. He stopped to smooth down his hair as he simultaneously checked out his reflection in a nearby window. He looked good. Black shirt, black trousers, silver tie. Ok. Good. He just wished he didn't feel like his dinner was about to come up the wrong way. His hair was longer now, hanging into his eyes a bit and he brushed it away impatiently. Then suddenly, the doors to the Hall swung open, and all conversation stopped completely. In stepped Ginny and Pansy, both looking so different from each other, yet so… perfect. Ice and fire, utterly opposite in nature, yet co-existing. It was beautiful. He stepped towards Ginny and smiled. And took a deep breath.

"Ginny, wait." Ginny stopped, and slanted a questioning look at Pansy, who just smiled benignly before drifting away. Helpless, Ginny stared at Draco, into his beautiful silvery eyes that could change according to his moods. He was classically beautiful, you could plant him smack in the middle of the Renaissance period and he would still be considered beautiful. Timeless. She wanted to melt into his arms and tell him that she loved him and please forget her letter, but she wouldn't. She would stay strong. She must stay strong. Wait. Why was he going down on one knee?

"Draco?" Dear Merlin, she was beautiful. Draco almost forgot what he was supposed to do; he was so lost in her. Her hair caught the light of the torches, turning it fiery red, and her skin looked so delicate. She was beautiful. She was his. Forever. "Draco??" Oh, wait, what was he going to do again? Oh, yeah. He drew out a velvet-covered box.

"Ginny Weasley, would you do me the honour of being my wife?" What?!? Oh Merlin. Did he just – oh goddess. Oh Goddess. Wait, I'm not supposed to melt!! I'm melting!! Um… what to say, what to say, um… yess!! I want to say yes! But… I shouldn't! But Pansy said he could handle it! What to say, what to say… um..

She didn't have a chance to answer. Just then, she was hit by a stunning spell that set off a barrage of hexes into the Great Hall. The Hall, which was deathly silent just a few seconds before as they waited with bated breath for Ginny's answer, erupted into screams and crashes as panic-stricken students ducked for cover.

Draco stood, stunned, as Ginny pitched forward into his arms, unconscious. He caught her deftly, staggering a bit as her dead weight landed on him, but he tripped over the foot of a fleeing fifth year student and fell onto the floor with a resounding thud. When he looked up, there stood his father, in full Death Eater glory, training his wand right at his chest.

"Well, Draco, you proposed to the little Weasley? So soon? I half expected you to fill her with your brats first before making an honest woman out of her. If she ever could be one, the worthless chit." His sneering voice jolted Draco, making him carefully lay Ginny on the cold stone floor as he stood up and took a single menacing step forward.

"How dare you, Father," he emphasised the word 'father' as he took another step nearer. "She is worth ten of you any day. Any fucking day."  Lucius' face contorted with anger as he watched his son.

"You'll pay for that, boy… Crucio!!" Draco collapsed to the floor, writhing and screaming as the pain exploded in his body. Most of the activity stopped as Death eater and student alike stopped to watch Draco scream and contort his body into impossible angles as his father watched on, laughing maniacally. After what seemed like an eternity to Draco, the curse was lifted and he could breathe again. Looking up at his father with hate-filled eyes, he shakily pushed himself off the floor, slowly getting to his feet.

"Bastard." It was low, but it resonated with hate. Lucius slapped him, hard, across the face.

"Mind your manners, Draco," Lucius' voice was fatherly, almost soothing as he said it. The only thing wrong with that picture of fatherly disappointment was the wand he kept trained on Draco. "Or I'll just do it the hard way." The fatherly tone was gone, replaced by steel. Draco's hand moved stealthily towards his wand, only to be thwarted by a Death-eater who tackled him to the ground, landing them both at Lucius' feet. He smirked as he nudged Draco with his booted foot.

"How the mighty have fallen, eh, son?" Draco gave a grimace of pain as he attempted to crawl away from the burly Death eater who kept him pinned to the floor, with no success. If anything, the arms around him tightened further, almost hampering his ability to breathe.

"Shut… up… father," he gasped out as he struggled futilely, trying to break loose. All to no avail. All that happened was that he was hauled up by the huge ape they called a Death Eater, and was slugged in the jaw by his own father. He staggered backwards, reeling, as he waited for the ringing in his ears to subside. But before it could, a jet of green light surrounded him, and seemed to hit him right in the chest. As he fell to the ground, his last thought was that Ginny's red hair looked like blood against the grey stone floor. She… was… so… beautiful…

Blackness.