Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Please don't hurt me! I know I said Tuesday and it's now Thursday, but this week is truly the week from hell. My Dad didn't go back to work until this morning, so as soon as I woke up I hauled ass to the computer to get to typing. To top this hellish week off, my little sister and I are getting our wisdom teeth surgically removed tomorrow. Therefore, I'm going to try and get the next chapter out today too. Unfortunately neither of them will be beta-ed, but spell-check and severe self-editing should prevent too many typos.
A/N 2: THIS IS CHAPTER RELATED! This chapter goes back to right before Draco apparated Hermione out of the club in chapter 7. One reader commented saying that they wanted to know Harry and Ginny's reactions, and my mind took that and ran with it. Sorry it's not Hermione and Draco right now, but I should have that chapter out today too. If any of you have a huge issue with Harry/Ginny pairings (I know I usually do, they bore the heck out of me) you don't necessarily have to read this chapter, but it would be nice to hear from you. So, please read it! Remember, your reviews will cheer me up through my horrendous ordeal…so maybe I'm a little dramatic.
Ok, I'm done now!
Ch.12
A Brief Interlude
Harry looked out at the dance floor, glancing over the couples, when his gaze was drawn to a rather malevolent looking figure off to the side. He recognized the blonde man, and followed his gaze out to the floor.
Harry motioned for Ginny to look, and they both watched, mouths agape as Draco Malfoy walked over to their best friend and ripped her out of the arms of the brunette man she was dancing with.
"What on earth does he think he's doing?" Harry was understandably pissed off and was on his way out to the dance floor, when he noticed that the pair was no longer fighting.
Ginny chuckled a little as she pulled her boyfriend back towards the bar. "It seems that Hermione has found her man for the night. Now don't you go over there and interfere. She already warned you not to."
Ginny set her mind to distracting Harry, and so the two did not notice when Hermione and Draco disappeared off of the dance floor.
Only when they arrived home later that night, both drunk off their arses, did either of them notice that Hermione had left. However, they both had much better things to do than worry about their friend, since both expected that she was having a very pleasurable evening.
They both fell into bed together, Ginny falling asleep in Harry's arms almost right away. Harry, however, lay awake for quite some time, startlingly sober for the amount of alcohol he had imbibed that evening.
I know Hermione was right. She's going to absolutely love her gift; because if she doesn't, I don't know what I'm going to do.
The next morning Ginny awoke with a pounding headache. She groaned in pain and after realizing that movement was not such a great idea, she decided to lie still in Harry's arms.
She smiled up at his sleeping face and reflected on their relationship.
Today is two years. Not always happy, definitely calm, but between Harry and I, who really expected calm? But it's all been wonderful, each misunderstanding has only brought us closer.
She lifted her head off the pillow, and after realizing that she could see straight now; she slipped out of bed and padded towards the kitchen.
She swallowed the cure-all potion she had left on the counter just in case, and immediately felt better. It was her mother's recipe and it worked wonders for headaches, especially those of the alcohol-induced variety,
She walked into the bedroom and left the bottle on Harry's nightstand, knowing he would want it as soon as he woke up.
I think he actually drank more than me last night, Hermione snogging Malfoy must have really freaked him out. Oh well, they looked pretty comfortable together, I'll have to call her tomorrow, but today I'm busy.
Ginny smiled the very special smile reserved for women in love, and then began to contemplate making breakfast.
She decided on bacon and eggs, simple and quick, because she had a little bit of last minute shopping to do.
Just as she was placing the food onto plates, Harry walked briskly into the kitchen and dropped a kiss on her cheek. He put the potion bottle back into the cabinet and said, "Thanks for that. I feel loads better now."
Ginny smirked, "Next time I might not be so nice, it wouldn't hurt you to lay off the vodka, or the fire whiskey for that matter." Harry recognized the teasing note in her voice for what it meant, and replied, with a smirk of his own, "Ah, so the wifely nagging begins already hmm?"
They laughed, but Ginny felt a spark of hope inside her. Wifely nagging? Hmm, I'm good with the wife part…maybe he will…
Ginny brought the plates to their table, remembering how vehemently her parents had protested them living together. Molly had been highly against it, and Ginny remembered laughing when she had told her that, "They won't buy the cow if they can get the milk for free."
Ginny simply wasn't worried about it. Sure she wanted kids, but she had just finished mediwitch training, and Harry was traveling all the time for Quidditch, and the time wasn't right for children. But marriage on the other hand, well, that sounded perfect.
During her thoughts, Harry had finished his breakfast and was now cleaning his dishes and putting them away.
He bent down over her shoulder, dropping a kiss on her lips. "I've some last minute things to do luv, I'll be back in time for tonight, don't you worry about that."
Ginny smiled, "I've some shopping to do as well. I'll meet you for lunch at the Leaky Cauldron?"
He grinned, "Sounds perfect, see you at twelve. Love you Gin." And with a pop he had apparated out of their home.
Ginny cleaned up her dishes and set about getting dressed. Minutes later, thanks to some very handy charms, she was ready to go.
She raised her wand and apparated into Madame Malkin's Boutique, which was a new addition to her other shop. This branch however, was highly feminized and Ginny knew it would have exactly what she wanted.
Madame Malkin herself greeted her when she entered. It really is a wonder what being the Minister of Magic's daughter can change. Mr. Weasley had been elected minister soon after Voldemort had been vanquished.
He had had the support of the Boy- Who-Lived, and surprisingly, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Ginny sometimes wondered which endorsement had meant more. The Malfoys were still a very old and respected family, and had even married into Muggle blood. Lucius' brother had married a very nice muggle from Ireland. That had been the scandal of the century, but Ginny thought that Margaret was a very nice woman.
Ginny politely smiled and murmured a greeting to Madame Malkin, realizing that she had been staring off into space for quite awhile now.
Madame bustled around Ginny, before standing back and saying, "Now what do you need today dear?"
Ginny smiled and blushed a little, paying to Merlin that this didn't get back to her father. "It's a very special night tonight, and I needed something to wear." There, that sounded nice and vague.
But Madame wasn't having any of that. "Do you just need a dress robe? Or do you need a special something for under the dress?"
Ginny was horrified as she felt the blush glowing a bright red on her cheeks. Unfortunately, her day-glow blush had remained with her throughout her life. "I'm going to need both Madame Malkin."
Madame peered down at her, and clapped her hands twice, motioning for the measuring tapes. She flicked her wand and they set to measuring Ginny. "The last time you were in I only got measurements for your training robes. We're going to need a much more complete set for this."
She smiled a rather motherly smile before gesturing towards the changing room. She set Ginny up with a few robes, and proceeded to question her about her life.
"I heard that you just got your certificate. That's marvelous, simply marvelous. My own daughter just got out of Hogwarts, she's decided to be a mediwitch as well."
They smiled and made polite talk ranging from Madame's daughter, to Arthur's upcoming election, to, of course, the very special evening Ginny was planning.
Finally, Ginny was done, and she carried her robes out of the store, very pleased with the shimmery cream color that accented her complexion, and the velvety soft material that accented just about everything else.
Although, she was ecstatic about the bra and underwear set she had gotten to go under he robes. A creamy color, to match the dress, with scalloped lace around the edges and intricate embroidery; it was lovely.
She rushed along to meet Harry for lunch.
Harry had spent most of the morning with Arthur Weasley. But first, he had gone to pick up Ginny's present from the jewelry store. It was the nature of this 'present' that had necessitated the visit to Arthur.
For the present was, in actuality, a very lovely diamond and ruby engagement ring. The diamond was raised slightly above the two rubies that flanked it on either side, and the ring itself was a lovely white gold.
Hermione had helped him pick it out, along with a pair of ruby studs that was Ginny's actual anniversary present, since the ring was really a gift for the both of them.
Afterwards, Harry had gone to meet with Arthur for coffee in his office. Arthur had given his approval very effusively, and both he and Harry had almost cried at the joyous moment.
Harry was in heaven, and now he had to go meet his angel for lunch.
The two lovebirds met at the Leaky Cauldron and shared a leisurely lunch before going back to their apartment to find a way to pass the time…We'll let them do that by themselves…shall we?
Much, much later, Harry went out to get the food they had special-ordered from a delightful French restaurant. Ginny took the time to get out of bed and to change into the lovely clothing she had purchased earlier. She set her gift to Harry on the table in the dining room, and with a flick of her wand, the room was bathed in soft candlelight, and the table was set.
When Harry walked in, he did a double take. Who is that lovely woman? She truly is an angel. And Ginny was mightily pleased by his reaction. She took the food from him and laid it out into serving dishes and shooed him off to the bedroom with a fiery kiss.
Harry came out five minutes later, quite dapper in slacks and a dress shirt, Ginny's present in his hand. The ring was in its velvet box, safely inside of his pants' pocket.
Sometime much later, dinner was gone and the dishes had been swished-and-flicked back into their places. Harry and Ginny both opened their presents. Harry loved his, a nice compact Swiss Army-like knife that had an engraving of a lion on it. Ginny was flustered and rushed to explain.
"You told me that you had always wanted one, and so I asked Hermione what it was, and then I had it made like the knife, but with some special additions."
Harry pulled her so that her back was leaning against his chest, and wrapped his arms around her. "It's wonderful Ginny. Thank you very much." The short statement was so sincere that she had no choice but to believe him, and she then set about opening her present.
She gasped in delight at the earrings, but a part of her was slightly disappointed that it wasn't something else.
She and Harry stood together for a moment, before Harry sat her down on the couch. He sat down next to her, and took her hand in his.
"Ginny I have some very important news, and it involves both of us so I wanted you to be the first to know. I have been asked to play Quidditch for Spain. They're offering me anything and everything I want."
Ginny felt her heart breaking, so this is where he leaves me. She gulped and said, "Oh that's lovely Harry."
Harry paused, his excitement dimming, before he finally realized how this must sound to her. He rushed to reassure her.
"No, Ginny, I want you to come with me! You've just finished training, and there are several highly respected hospitals there, and oh bugger I'm messing this up."
He slid off the couch, pulling the ring box out of his pocket, and then got down on one knee.
"What I'm trying to say, is, that I couldn't imagine my life without you now. And I never want to have to even consider that. I want you to come with me, but I want you to come as my wife."
With that supremely ungraceful statement, he opened the box, and slid the ring onto her finger, waiting breathlessly for the word that would either make or break him.
Ginny could hardly see through her tears. She stood, pulling Harry with her and into her arms. "Yes Harry! Of course, I will!"
The two joyously celebrated their engagement with a joining of another kind that lasted late into the night.
As they fell asleep in each other's arms, they both whispered, "I love you."
