Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own anything, if I did I would be much wealthier than I am….
A/N: I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update! It's just been truly insane. I went on a ten-day trip to Europe with my school which was amazing! We went to Italy, France, and England, oh it was so much fun! But you can understand (I hope) that I haven't had time lately to update what with all the make-up homework and recovering from jet-lag and everything. But you are getting your update now so I hope you enjoy!
"What!"
"No, don't say it like that, it's a good thing, but don't tell Ron!" Ginny pleaded with Hermione.
"Of course I won't tell Ron…he would most definitely kill the messenger on this little bit of information. What would I tell him anyway? 'Hey Ron, sorry to tell you this but your baby sister just snogged your worst enemy.' I highly doubt that would go over to well with him."
"Thank you so much, I just had to tell someone, you know?"
"Yeah, I do, and even though I don't exactly approve, I'm still glad you're happy." There was a pause and then Hermione said, "So…is he a good kisser?"
Ginny started to laugh. "Oh, so now you want to know about it?" Ginny blushed and said, "To tell the truth, it was…everything. I know that sounds odd but the other guys, well guy," she admitted, "that I kissed couldn't even compare. I don't know why, it's not like it was a different," she paused searching for the right word, "technique or anything. Maybe it was just chemistry, or something. All I know is that before I always thought that the storybook fireworks were all a just a bit of rubbish but now," she bit her lip, "I know what they're talking about," she giggled a little in embarrassment, "I don't mean to sound corny or anything."
"Don't worry, I know what you're talking about. I don't know if you want to know this about your brother and me, but it was the same sort of thing. When I had kissed Victor in fourth year there just wasn't any chemistry but now with Ron—."
"Okay, that's all I need to know about my brother!" Ginny cut Hermione off with a laugh.
"When did it happen?"
"Two weeks ago when Caroline threw a party." There was a slight pause. "So when are you guys coming home. You know school starts in a week,"
"Oh, I meant to tell you first thing but then you distracted me. We're all coming home in three days."
"Three days! That's amazing! I've been missing you guys a lot," Ginny confessed.
"We've all missed you too."
Ginny heard footsteps. "It's been nice talking to you," Ginny said hurriedly, "but I think I hear someone so I better go. Give everyone my love, bye!"
Ginny quickly ducked out from under the fireplace and ran to sit down in a chair and pretend to read her book.
"What are you doing up so early?" Caroline asked her with a yawn.
"I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep," Ginny said
"You know," Caroline turned to her with a saddened look on her face, "I'm going to miss you and Draco quite a bit once you're both gone away back to school."
Ginny hugged Caroline. She hadn't really thought about having to leave Caroline, "I'll write you all the time, books and books!"
"Of course you will darling, and I'll write you books and books back!"
"What about me?" Draco asked from the doorway, "Will you write me books and books grandma?" He asked with a smirk as he made his way over to where the two of them were sitting.
"Of course I will Draco darling." She replied with a laugh.
Ginny smiled shyly in Draco's direction still not really knowing how to act around him anymore. To tell the truth, it was a little anti-climactic after the kiss because Draco wasn't home very much, he was doing some business with his Grandpa so he and Ginny hadn't seen each other very much since the party.
Caroline looked slyly in both of their directions, "You know what," she said to them, "I think that you two deserve a day off."
"No, Caroline, it's quite alright I don't need a day off," Ginny exclaimed.
"No no, I insist. After the wonderful job both of you did entertaining my guests at the party you deserve a day off. I don't think I ever got to thank you properly. I'll have it all arranged in a few minutes. We'll look after Agatha and you two shall have an outing into Muggle London. How does that sound?"
Ginny knew that once Caroline had made up her mind about something there was virtually nothing you could do to change it. So instead of protesting she smiled and said, "Thank you." As did Draco.
"Oh, and don't worry about Agatha," Caroline called over her shoulder, "Greg and I'll take of her, we'll all have a blast today!" And with that she was out the door.
The tension between Draco and Ginny was palpable. Neither of them really knew what to say. Neither of them thought that the kiss was a mistake but so they couldn't say something along those lines but ever since the kiss, they'd been so uncomfortable around one another. What were they going to say?
"So um, I have to get ready, I suppose, for this outing that we're having," Ginny said utterly disgusted with herself because she couldn't think of anything better to say to him.
"Oh right, I suppose I have to also."
They both went upstairs in silence and gratefully went into their separate rooms.
Ginny was in a state. She didn't want the entire afternoon to be spent in awkward silence! But she had absolutely no idea what to say to him. She needed advise but had no one to get it from. She sat down on her bed with a sigh. She needed common ground…things that they could both talk about and enjoy. The problem was she couldn't think of any common ground. She supposed she was over-thinking this.
She got up from her bed and started to get dressed.
**
"So…" Ginny said, still at a loss for words. She hated this kind of awkward silence! They had been in London for about five minutes and neither of them had said a thing. "Wasn't Agatha great at the party?" Ginny said and suddenly the ice was broken. They talked amiably about Agatha and the party but they both tactfully avoided what happened after the party. Before they knew it, it was time for lunch. They had been in and out of many different stores but neither of them had wanted to buy anything yet. Caroline had given them some muggle spending money.
They went into the same restaurant that they had gone to a few weeks before when they were shopping for Ginny's dress. Things have sure changed a lot between us since then, Ginny thought to herself.
"So, what do you think you're going to have?" Draco asked Ginny.
"Oh, I have no idea. I can't seem to make up my mind about anything today. Would you mind terribly ordering for me?"
"No, of course not. I think I have a pretty good idea of what you'll like since I have been living with you for the past month."
The waiter came and took their menus and sure enough, Draco ordered a wonderful dish for Ginny, just like she knew he would.
Lunch was fantastic and they were soon walking around again outside.
"Fancy an ice cream cone?" Draco asked her.
"Sure, that sounds lovely."
He bought two chocolate ice cream cones and they started walking again. As soon as Draco took a step with his cone, his ice cream fell off. Ginny laughed at the look on Draco's face.
"Why are you laughing, it's not funny,"
"Yes it is, it's very funny!" Ginny went on laughing and Draco chuckled a little.
"If you really want some ice cream you can just have a lick of mine."
"Eww, that's disgusting!"
"How is that disgusting? It's just an ice cream cone." Ginny said while she held it out to him, "It's not like you and I are diseased or something."
"You might as well be, you are a Weasley after all," he said in a teasing manner.
"Oh hush up," Ginny said and playfully bumped him with her hip. "Just take a bite of the damn ice cream," she said with a smile.
"Fine, if you insist." He gingerly took a lick of the ice cream.
"See, it's fine, you didn't turn green or anything!"
"I suppose not, but maybe it's one of those slow acting things that takes a little while. I could turn green any second now!" He said with mock-agitation.
Ginny took another lick of the ice cream and said, "You know, maybe green would actually be a good look for you."
"Thanks, but I think I'll stick with my original color if you don't mind." He reached for the cone as he said this.
"Hey, hey, hey! You can't take it! I practically had to beg you to take a lick of the ice cream and now you want more! The nerve!" Ginny said playfully.
"Well, you got me addicted, so really it's your fault." He had finally gotten the cone from her grasp and was now taking a bite. Ginny motioned for it back. "Didn't your mother teach you to share?" Draco asked her. Ginny merely stuck her tongue out at him.
Just then, an owl swooped down and handed Draco a note.
"What's this?" Draco mumbled to himself. He opened the note. It was from Caroline.
Draco and Ginny,
I just got your letters from Hogwarts. I thought that since you're already in London you could stop at Diagon Alley and pick up your supplies. Both of your letters are in here and Ginny's salary for this summer. I thought I'd give it to you ahead so that you could buy your school supplies with it.
Love,
CarolineGinny found enclosed in the envelope quite a few galleons, more than she would need to buy her school supplies, and both her and Draco's Hogwarts letters.
"Do you want to head over to Diagon Alley now? Or do you want to spend some more time in Muggle London?" Draco asked.
"Why don't we go to Diagon Alley. I'm kind of wanting a chocolate frog anyway."
**
Ginny and Draco had bought all of their supplies and were walking towards the back of Diagon Alley for lack of anything better to do. Neither of them felt like heading back but they didn't know what to do with themselves.
"Do you hear something?" Ginny asked Draco.
"Is it like…sobbing?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm hearing!" Ginny said, now quite alarmed. "Where is it coming from? Maybe someone's in trouble…"
"That's so like a Gryfindor. Always thinking that someone needs saving."
"Excuse me? What exactly do you mean by that comment?"
"It's just that not everyone needs saving."
"Well it won't hurt to find out." Ginny ignored the indignation that his comments made rise up in her throat. "I think it's coming from behind that shack right there." Ginny made her way to the back of the dilapidated house.
"I never knew this was here," Ginny murmured to herself.
Draco followed her but refused to be reluctant. His philosophy was, 'if you feel compelled to do something than just do it, who the hell cares; what happens, happens.' Maybe it was kind of a warped view but it was his nonetheless.
Draco opened the back door of the decaying home that no one had ever noticed before and made his way inside, first making sure that nothing suspicious was around that could harm Ginny. It was she who wanted to explore it, but he felt it was his duty to protect her, even though his entire life thusfar he had tried to hurt Ginny and her family in any way he could. Oh, how times change!
Ginny and Draco made their way cautiously through the house. With every step they took the sobbing grew louder. They soon heard vicious shouts of, "When Draco gets a hold of you—you'll wish you weren't so mean!"
Ginny heard this and gave a little gasp and was about to run towards the voice.
"No!" Draco hissed in her ear. "We have no idea who's in there."
Ginny stopped advancing as quickly and took to stealth again. Draco looked over a corner and what he saw made his skin turn pale and his blood boil with an anger and wrath that no one had ever encountered before.
Agatha was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, a giant snake circling the chair, and two huge dogs sitting on either side of the room.
"Well," said a silky voice from behind them. "My son has come to great me in my return."
A/N: So that's it. Sorry for the cliffie (well actually I'm not…I find it rather enjoyable.) I know, it's a rather short chapter, but I wanted to get it out since I haven't updated in like three months! I'm so sorry for the delay, I promise to do better next time! Review!