Disclamier: Nothing's mine!

Memory – A Blessing

Just a Day

Ginny woke fully clothed on Draco Malfoy's bed, still clutching a pillow in her hands. For a second, she panicked, and then she remembered the night before. Just to make sure, she raised her head, and Draco was indeed still sleeping on the floor, also with no missing garments. Ginny sighed with relief, and then stopped.

None of it had been a dream, then.

Tears welled up in her eyes yet again, and she couldn't stifle a choked sob. Draco stirred at once, opening his eyes and looking up. When they came to rest on Ginny, who was now crying silently into the pillow, he sat up.

"Morning. You want some breakfast?"

Ginny raised her head and looked at him incredulously. He shrugged.

"What?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

Draco's lips twitched, and Ginny smiled sheepishly. Sniffing slightly, she wiped her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Sorry about crying all over your pillow. And crying all over you last night."

"Interesting new experience, that."

Unable to stop herself, Ginny laughed. All her memories of love came rushing back again, and she tried to resist the urge to throw herself at Draco and tickle him until he begged for mercy, the way she had used to. Then, inexplicably, her eyes filled with tears again.

"Hey, hey." Draco sat down next to her. "No point making such a fuss now."

"You're still so tactful, aren't you?" But Ginny blinked furiously, willing away the tears. "I know, I know. I've just been so lonely for the past few years, and I never knew why. I thought it was just the horrible feeling of being alive when practically all my family are – are dead."

"You sort of dealt with that, ages ago."

"I know, I remember, you helped me." She smiled, and then sighed. "I just forgot about all of that. How could I have forgotten? I loved you so much, and – " She stopped, her heart beating unusually fast.

"You know what?" Draco stood abruptly. "I think you a break from all this screwed up thinking about the past. I'm taking you out."

Ginny smiled. He was still the same. "Oh, you're just assuming I want to?"

Draco didn't catch her amused tone of voice. He frowned, still trying to act naturally around this girl he was wild about. This brave, strong woman, who had so unfairly been through so much.

"I suppose... Do you want me to take you home?"

"Home?"

"I – Well, if you want to speak to – to Arthur –"

"No."

Ginny's face had taken on a cold, closed expression as she sat up. Draco nodded, understanding a little. If it were up to him, Ginny would not have to see her sorry excuse of a father ever again. He knew that the hate and pain he had been feeling for the past few years was nothing compared to what Ginny was feeling right now. He also knew that a confrontation was inevitable, but he decided not to pester Ginny about it yet.

"Come on then. Diagon Alley, ok?"

A small smile sliding back onto her face, Ginny stood up, rubbed her eyes, and smoothed her rumpled clothes a little. Then they Disapparated together and Apparated into the familiar cobbled street with a loud crack, making the few early risers around them jump in surprise.

They spent the day walking in Diagon Alley and Muggle London, just talking and enjoying each other's company. Ginny knew that everything was right, now. Everything was in place again. And when Draco bought her a small, elegant green pendant, and put it around her neck, and kissed her smooth skin, both of them smiling, it was as though nothing had changed.

And they both knew, or thought, that nothing would separate them this time.

Lunch had been a laughable affair in the Leaky Cauldron, but for dinner Draco took Ginny to a restaurant that she had never been in, but had always dreamed of, just a few streets away from the wizards' pub. It was dimly lit with a couple of candles on each table. She grinned after they sat down and Draco had ordered the food with a casual air that very much impressed her country-bred self.

"Very romantic, Malfoy. Very posh, too. Only thank God we're both in Muggle clothes."

Draco just smiled, and raised his glass of wine in a refined way that Ginny would not have thought possible of him. "To us, again."

Ginny raised her own glass. "To memory."

They drank, never breaking eye contact. And after the delicious three-course meal, they returned to Diagon Alley and bought a few of Dr. Filibuster's Fireworks. They had to go to the wild, secluded field near the Malfoy house to set them off, and as the fireworks rose haphazardly into the sky, Draco moved behind Ginny and put his arms around her waist, and his head bent to lean against hers, his fringe falling lightly into his eyes.

"I can hardly believe this is happening," Ginny said, her eyes moist.

"Well, I have to say this is a better outcome than I'd hoped." He grinned. "At least I won't have to be known as Tom for the rest of my life."

Ginny laughed and leaned back against him. They stayed in that position until the bright fireworks died out, and then they walked back to Draco's house.

"Draco?" Ginny whispered, as they walked to the front door.

"Yeah?"

"Can we start again, now?"

Draco took her hand in his, his heart pounding when their fingers entwined. "I think that's already happened, Ginevra Weasley."

There was a sudden, almost awkward silence as they stood in the doorway, both seeing for the first time that they were really and truly together again, after everything that had happened. Ginny opened her mouth, but Draco put a finger to her lips, and pulled her into a rough kiss.

It was a kiss of simple love, passion, and need. Their tongues danced, their hands roamed, and neither of them wanted it to ever end. And when Draco finally managed to move away, neither of them was breathing normally.

"Let's take this inside," he whispered, his voice unsteady.

For a tiny moment, Ginny hesitated, and his heart plummeted. But then a wide smile lit her face, and she looked more beautiful then ever before. Then, she nodded. Draco took her hand, and together, they walked into the house.

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Arthur Weasley slid onto the ground behind the bushes with a dull thud, his hands clenched, his body shaking, his face white and livid.