"I think the boys are back," Pansy said excitedly. She examined herself in the mirror one last time, and then turned to face Ginny. "You look so good in yellow." Ginny was wearing a pale yellow long-sleeved shirt paired with her jeans.
"Thanks," she said, smiling. She reached for the bag that held two items she'd purchased that afternoon for Draco – a pair of jeans and a gold ID bracelet. She'd thought of him immediately when she'd seen the bracelet, but had been hesitant about buying it. After some cajoling from Pansy, she'd purchased it and had his name engraved on it. "Do you really think-"
"He'll love them," Pansy said. Ginny laughed.
"And I'm sure Ron will love his surprise," Ginny nodded. Pansy grinned. She'd bought Ron a bag full of chocolate frogs.
"Why don't we make our way down to the parlor, then, my dear?" Pansy said, imitating Narcissa's soft voice. Ginny covered her mouth and giggled.
"You shouldn't tease like that," she whispered as they walked down the hallway. Pansy snorted.
"She knows I love her just like I love my own mother," Pansy said, shrugging. "I was over here enough as a child. Draco and I did everything together before Hogwarts, you know. We even had the same tutors."
"Aha!" Ginny and Pansy both jumped at Draco's voice. "I knew if you two were left alone long enough, you'd start discussing my horrible past!" Pansy laughed, and then leaned closer to Ginny.
"He used to cry every time he got a scratch," she whispered, cupping her hand to Ginny's ear. "And he used to cry if he thought I got a bigger treat than he did." Ginny laughed, and Draco arched an eyebrow.
"Hey, now! Stop that!" Pansy grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek when they got close enough. "Can't have you ruining the evil reputation I've worked so hard to build."
"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked, glancing around the corridor. Draco pretended to look affronted.
"All day apart, and your first words are concern for your brother? No concern for me at all?" Ginny laughed.
"I can see that you're alive and well," Ginny teased. "But my brother is not here, therefore I inquired as to his well-being." Draco started to say something, but before he could, Ron stepped into the hallway. Pansy and Ginny both stared, their jaws dropping open. Draco smirked.
"As you can see, he is quite well." Ron appeared to have taken fashion tips from Draco; his hair was neatly combed and he was dressed similarly to Draco. He even looked as though he'd had a manicure. Pansy gave a low whistle, and Ron grinned at her, even though his ears turned scarlet.
"Wow," Pansy said, circling him. He laughed.
"You don't look so bad yourself," he said. She threw her arms around his neck, surprising him with a tight hug. When he hugged her back, Ginny smiled. Draco arched an eyebrow at her.
"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the bag she was carrying. She blushed and held it out to him.
"It's just a little something I picked up for you." He took the bag and gave her a look of surprise.
Pansy steered Ron back into the parlor. "I have something for you, too," she said, as she pushed him inside the room. When Draco and Ginny were alone in the hallway, he opened the bag. He pulled out the jeans and grinned at her.
"How did you know my size?"
"Pansy." He chuckled and dropped a quick peck on her cheek.
"Thank you."
"There's something else in there as well," she said. He glanced down and pulled out a small black box. Before he opened it, he raised his eyes to her and stared.
"This is a jewelry box," he said. She nodded and watched as he lifted the lid. He stared at the bracelet for so long that she wondered if she had made a mistake purchasing it for him.
"If you don't like it," she began uncertainly. He reached forward and plunged his hands into her hair, drawing her close enough to press his lips hard against hers. He kissed her wildly, stealing her breath away. When he pulled away and looked at her, her cheeks were pink.
"I love it," he said finally. He removed it from the box and handed it to her. "Can you help me put it on?" With shaky hands, she draped the bracelet over his wrist, then fastened it. He admired it only for a moment, and then he reached for her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers and led her into the parlor, where Ron and Pansy were waiting.
"So I see I wasn't the only one who received a gift," Draco said, smirking at Ron. Ron bit the head off of a chocolate frog and winked at Pansy, who giggled.
"How was your shopping trip?" Ginny asked, lowering herself onto the couch. Draco sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Ron's face darkened.
"Everything was going just fine until we ran into Harry," Ron spat. Draco shrugged.
"Potter had been following us from the moment we stepped into Hogsmeade," he commented. Ginny blinked.
"Does he follow you often?"
"Not as much as he used to," Draco said, shaking his head. "He must have realized that I'm not stupid enough to do anything illegal out in the open." Ginny relaxed slightly.
"Can't you get some sort of order of protection, or something?"
"Not unless Harry attacks him," Ron said. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I didn't think you were familiar with the laws," he said. Ron's ears turned red.
"Just because I'm not a Ministry employee like them doesn't mean that I don't know the laws – or ways around them." Draco looked even more surprised, and Pansy stared at him.
"So what are you saying, exactly?"
"I'm saying that there might be a way that we could all get protective orders against Harry."
"Do tell," Draco said, hugging Ginny closer.
"If you can prove that he's been following you for an extended amount of time even though you haven't been convicted of a crime, you can file for a protective order."
"How does that work?" Pansy asked, confused.
"The Ministry is perfectly within rights if they choose to follow a known criminal around. It's considered a preventative measure," Ron explained. "They could follow a former convict around for the rest of that person's life, if they wanted to, and the poor bloke couldn't do anything about it. But someone who has a clean record…" he let his voice trail off, and he shrugged.
"But you'd need proof that he's been following you," Pansy reasoned. Draco arched an eyebrow at her.
"I think I know where I can get that proof, don't you, Ron?" Ron looked startled by the use of his first name, but he nodded.
"How are you going to convince her to come forward?"
"All he'd need is a letter written in her hand and signed," Ginny said offhandedly. Draco and Ron both turned to shoot incredulous looks at her, and she shrugged. "What? Being invisible makes you privy to a lot of private conversations. Besides, with the way Harry treats her, I don't think you'd have a problem convincing Padma to do it."
"Padma? Patil?" Pansy asked. Ron laughed.
"Don't tell me you didn't know that the famous Harry Potter had started dating someone?"
"Well, yes," she said, shifting in her chair. "But I thought the papers said it was Cho Chang."
"She turned him down ages ago," Ginny said, waving a hand dismissively. "The papers got wind of it and blew it way out of proportion."
"Let's talk about something more pleasant than Potter's love life, or lack thereof," Draco said, shaking his head. Pansy eyed the bag at his feet.
"Aren't you going to wear your jeans?" she teased. He grinned.
"Is the world ready for Draco Malfoy in jeans?" he replied.
"I'll bet Ginny is ready for you in jeans," Pansy laughed.
"Well then, that's all that matters," Draco said softly, turning to glance at her. She smiled as her cheeks turned pink.
"So what should I expect at this wedding tomorrow?" Ron asked. "And what time should I meet who where?" Draco blinked, then shook his head.
"Do you always ask so many questions at once?" Ron considered this for a moment, then nodded.
"Yeah." Ginny laughed.
"Why don't you just come over here tomorrow and get ready with Draco?" Pansy suggested.
"I have a better idea," Draco said. "Why don't you just stay the night here in one of the guest rooms? We have plenty of room. It would save you the trouble of having to go all the way home and then having to come back." Ginny's smile broadened.
"That's a great idea, Ron!"
"And while we're at it, Pansy, you should just stay here, too," Draco said, nodding at her. "Since I know you and Ginny will want to get ready together."
"How convenient for me that I've already brought all of my things over here, then," she said, winking at Ginny. Ginny laughed. Ron exchanged an amused look with Draco.
"Do you ever get the feeling that your control over things is just an illusion?" Draco asked him. Ron snorted softly, and Pansy elbowed him gently in the side.
"Shall we all just change into our pyjamas and have a slumber party?" Pansy suggested. Ginny paled.
"I don't think so," she said, shaking her head. Draco gave her a highly amused look, and Ron frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because my pyjamas are hardly appropriate for mixed company," she said, her face turning red. Ron's jaw dropped.
"You mean to tell me that you don't have any baggy pants or anything that you could wear?"
Ginny shook her head slowly, and Pansy cleared her throat. "All right, then. That's out. Unless Draco wants to lend you something of his to wear." Draco shrugged.
"I'm sure I could find something suitable, although I wouldn't mind if she wore her pyjamas."
"Look, I don't care how nice you're being to me," Ron started, putting his hand up. "It still freaks me out to hear you saying things like that about my sister." Draco laughed, then stood up.
"Fine, I'll try and refrain myself. Will the two of you be all right alone together while I take Ginny to find some clothes?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Pansy, who slapped at him. He dodged her and grabbed Ginny's hand, tugging her up off of the sofa, and pulled her out into the hallway.
"You're so mean," she laughed. He squeezed her hand gently and shot her a grin.
"She loves it, otherwise she wouldn't put up with me."
"Obviously," she laughed again. When they got inside his room, he closed the door behind them and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close.
"I love the gifts," he whispered, his breath warm against her lips. She shivered and slid her arms around his neck.
"I'm glad."
"I like the bracelet especially," he said, brushing his lips lightly against hers.
"I thought of you when I saw it," she whispered. He lowered his head to nuzzle her ear.
"And I'll think of you every time I look at it."
"As much as I'm enjoying this," she said breathily. "We do need to get back, eventually." He pulled away and pouted at her, eliciting a giggle from her.
"So anxious not to be alone with me."
"It's not that, and you know it." He released her and turned to his closet to find her something. "Are you sure you don't mind me wearing something of yours?"
"Not at all." He continued looking through his clothes as his mind raced. He didn't like her in baggy clothes, but it was a different matter altogether if the baggy clothes were his. He liked the idea of her wearing something that belonged to him; it would be a sort of brand to everyone – a symbolic gesture, to let everyone know that she was his.
He pulled out a pair of old black pyjama pants that were softened from years of wearing and washing, then rummaged through his dresser for an old Falcons t-shirt. She squealed when he handed her the shirt.
"The Falcons!" He laughed at her delighted look.
"It's just a t-shirt."
"It's your t-shirt," she said quietly, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Thank you. I'm going to go change." He watched as she opened the door and bounded out into the hallway, smiling stupidly to himself.