Disclaimer: I'm having trouble thinking of new witty things to say for this part.. umm. shrugs . oh well.. you guys know I'm not JKR by now, so let's get on with the story, eh?

Oh and I don't own the song on Draco's radio... again found on a mix tape that I have no hope of identifying. If any readers know, I'd love the info and will disclaim properly in the next chapter.

Chapter Eleven

"Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap..."

"Ginevra Molly Weasley! If you don't stop that incessant tapping, I am going to tear that wand out of your fingers and snap it in two! And I don't care if we can't afford a new one, in fact, all the better. Then you won't have a new one to tap either!" Ron fumed from the table where he and his compatriots were studying in the common room.

"Sorry." Ginny replied meekly, halting her wand in mid air. If they only knew how nervous she was about tomorrow. If they only knew what she had to do tomorrow, a little wand tapping would be forgiven. But they didn't and couldn't possibly know, so she hid her nervous ticks as well as she could, and hoped that those that slipped out, like the wand tapping, wouldn't be questioned too closely.

Tomorrow was the big day. Dumbledore had arranged for Ginny and Draco to portkey to the ministry where the testing would be. Friday was to be devoted to theory tests and general morphing capabilities. Since their forms were B-level restricted (all animals that were non- terrestrial fell into this category, as they were the most advanced animagi of a non-magical origin.) their testing would last two days, the second day being entirely practical. Altitude and long-distance stamina were to be tested on Saturday, as well as general flying precision and fluidity.

Draco had tried to assuage her fears last night after their very last practice.

"Gin, you have nothing to worry about. Have we or have we not been able to fly for the past three months?"

"We have..but.."

"No buts! We can do this. You can do this. Just relax okay. It's no big deal, just think of this licensing procedure as a mere formality. Icing on the cauldron cake if you will."

"It's not just the tests Draco," she sighed, leaning into him. "How am I going to disappear for two days! I mean, Ron doesn't notice when it's just for a few hours a night. But two days! Even he's not that thick."

"Dumbledore figured it out remember. I'm away because I'm needed at my company's shareholders meeting and tomorrow you're going to be in the infirmary ill. Then Saturday being a Hogsmeade day, everyone will be away anyway, so it won't matter. Come on, Little One, it'll all work out."

She sighed again and looked up at him uncertainly. "Well, if you say so..."

"I do. And just to prove how right I am, I am treating you to a celebratory supper Friday night, wherever you want to go in Diagon Alley."

Back in the Common Room, Ginny broke out of her reverie and decided to head upstairs to her dorm and pack her overnight bag before anyone else went up. Dumbledore had arranged rooms for her and Draco at the Leaky Cauldron to stay in Friday night. Saturday morning they would make their way back to the Ministry of Magic, and from there, an adjudicator would take them, via portkey, to the testing grounds.

At ten-thirty the next morning, Ginny and Draco were sitting side by side in extremely uncomfortable plastic chairs in the lobby of the Department of Magical Licensing (Apparating and Animagus division). Ginny's right leg was bouncing nervously up and down.

Draco slid his hand across his lap and placed it on her knee, stopping the movement.

"Relax, Gin." He smirked at her. "Come on, with me as your teacher, you have no chance of failing."

This brought out a small smile on her face. "It's good to know that even in serious situations such as these, you never lose your arrogance."

"I know, it's great, isn't it?" he teased, glad to see that she was calming down because of his gentle banter.

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Weasley, we're ready for you now. Please follow me," the secretary said to the two teenagers.

They stood and followed, but before entering the test room, Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Everything would be all right.

"All right you two." Came a voice from a desk at the front of the room. A short, balding wizard sat there, eyeing them seriously as they came in.

"Am I to understand that you both are applying for Animagus licenses?"

"Yes, sir." They answered politely.

"And I am to understand that your animagus," he indicated towards Draco, "is an Aquila Chryaetos?"

"Yes."

"And I am to understand that your animagus," indicating Ginny, "is a Buteo jamaicensis?"

"Yes, sir." Ginny squeaked.

They waited in silence as the wizard appraised them. It was so quiet they could hear the ticking of Draco's silver pocket watch.

The little wizard's face broke into a large smile.

"We don't get a lot of your type." He stood up to close the door. The turned towards them eagerly.

"This I can't wait to see."

She tore out of the Common Room, slamming the portrait of the Fat Lady back against the wall. She could hear the shouts of her brother fading into the distance as she ran farther away, tears blinding her journey.

It was very late.

Filch and Mrs. Norris would be roaming the halls but she didn't care, she just wanted to get away. And so, she ran and ran, red hair streaming behind her, from the lofty heights of Gryffindor tower to the depths of the dungeons. Without knowing how, she had run down to Draco's corridor and stopped at the door with the burnished brass handle in the shape of a Chinese Fireball.

"Let me in!" she cried, banging on the door.

Draco awoke from a light slumber, upon hearing the girl's upset voice. 'What could possibly be wrong, I'm sure we aced our tests.' He raised himself, leaning against the headboard and quickly shouted his password, "Icharus", at the door to release the lock. Ginny tumbled in, her clothes and hair in disarray. But it was the tear-stained cheeks that Draco noticed first. He stared at her with worry in his gray eyes.

Ginny sat, wide-eyed, in the middle of his large suite, never having been here before.

She sniffed loudly, thinking aloud to herself in the dark.

"What I am going to do now! Everything is so unfair!"

A voice answered her from the shadows.

"I agree completely."

Ginny started and looked closer until she saw the bare-chested figure of Draco leaning against the back of a bed, his pajama clad legs were all twisted in the sheets.

"What's wrong, Little One?" he asked softly. "I promise to torture whoever made you cry."

She sniffed again, and smiled a little.

"I had to get away." She tried valiantly to compose herself, but failed, breaking down into tears again.

"Gin," he said, trying to get her attention. "I don't blame you. I understand how sometimes the only option you have is to run. Trust me, I know from experience."

He held out his hand to her and she crawled over to him, letting him pull her up onto the bed and wrap his strong arms around her. They steady beat of his heart calmed her as he stroked her hair soothingly.

She spoke quietly, as if to herself.

"It was Ron... sniff.. he's such a git.. he finally decided to smarten up and act like a protective older brother. We had it all planned, he wasn't supposed to notice, Draco. Sometimes, he'd get suspicious, like the day of the Yule Ball," she stopped and smiled up at Draco, remembering the events of that night, "but he never really bothered me about disappearing for a few hours here and there. 'I'm a big girl' I'd say, 'I can handle myself.' But this weekend, oh gods, he noticed I wasn't there, he even checked the infirmary, and searched in Hogsmeade. When I got back tonight, he just railed into me, accusing me of sneaking off and skyving classes and being totally irresponsible and how he was gong to tell Mum and Dad all about it. Then he said that from now on, I'm to tell him everywhere I go, cause I might be off getting possessed or something stupid like that."

"And what did you say to that?"

"I yelled back just as loud. And stamped my foot. He had no right to control me. That I was old enough to decide where I went or what I did, and that I was a fucking responsible young witch, and he didn't know anything about anything anyway, and if he didn't accept that, he could just go jump in the lake!"

"Gosh, Little One, no Latin, no Greek, real swear words. You must have been pretty angry, eh?

"It's just..hic.. so unfair.." Ginny continued "I really want to be honest, I mean all this sneaking, I feel like I've been more Slytherin this year than Gryffindor." Draco smiled at her comment.

"But I can't say anything about my animagus until the results come back next month. And I really can't say anything about you and me... Merlin, that'd be like asking for a dementor's kiss. I just wish things could be easier, that's all." Ginny sighed and rested her head back on Draco's chest, calmed by the tattoo of his heart. Her mind drifted.

Minutes elapsed in silence and Draco thought that Ginny had fallen asleep, tired from the stress of the day, when she suddenly whispered to him.

"I never meant for all of this to happen, Draco. Back in September, I never would have imagined that it would turn out like this..." She paused, breathing softly.

"But it's good, you know, I'm really glad it did..."

"Me too, Little One." He replied quietly as he watched her drift off to sleep.

If I lived in a perfect world, I would spend my days lying in the sun.
The party never ends in a perfect world.
Nacho cheese and anarchy, boy that sure sounds good to me.
Living leisurely in a perf..

"Bugger." Draco muttered as he quickly silenced his alarm clock before it woke Ginny. He sunk back into his bed, stifling a yawn and turning to watch the little pixie curled up beside him.

He watched her peaceful face as she breathed slowly. In and out. In and out. In and out. It was beginning to hypnotize him. He shook his head, breaking the trance, and smiling down at her he whispered.

"What are you doing to me, witch?"

With that he got up to start his day, which meant grabbing his running togs and heading to his washroom to change. Once he was done, he came back into the bedroom and bent down to put on his trainers.

"Awwwgghhh." Ginny yawned and stretched, looking around bleary eyed for a moment until she remembered the events of the previous night.

Draco looked up at her, in the middle of tying his last shoelace.

"Good morning Sunshine." He drawled.

"Morning." She replied, still half-asleep, then looked at him closer and giggled.

"What?" Draco questioned. "Oh, right, shirt, figures you'd like this one." He smirked.

He went over to get his swacket from it's hook and threw it over his t- shirt, which had written across it 'I used to have an open mind, but my brains kept falling out.'

"Gin?" He looked over to her.

"Hm?" She answered, content to lie against his luxurious pillows forever.

"You should probably sneek back up to Gryffindor Tower soon. The halls are usually empty this early, especially since its Sunday, but by the time I get back, er, 7:15ish, the early risers are on their way to breakfast."

Ginny nodded in reply. Dreading the thought of leaving her safe refuge, but knowing that she had to do it, in order to prove Ron right. She would not tell him where she had been the past couple days, but she would reiterate that she was completely capable of looking after herself.

'Just one more month' she told herself, 'then I don't have to lie anymore. I hope.' She sighed audibly.

Draco was about to leave for his run when Ginny spoke up hesitantly.

"Thanks...for last night. Wait, that didn't come out right. I just,... well...just thanks." She smiled slightly at him.

Draco crossed the room in a few long strides until he was right in front of her. Cupping her face in his hands he bent down and kissed her forehead.

"No worries Gin, no worries. It'll all turn out fine." He winked and left the room.

As Draco pounded across the soft fields of Hogwarts he slowly processed all that had happened over the long weekend. It had been a lot to take in. His own anxiety about the tests, coupled with Ginny's, which he tried his best to allay, had disappeared quickly once the testing began. They had exceeded expectations, he was sure of it.

'But then Weasel had interfered and caused my girl to cry. Did I just think of Ginny as mine? Yea, I guess I did.' He shook his head at the thought and slowed down to a stop.

'As much as she is strong and wants her independence. As much as she screams and yells and stomps her feet, she still needs someone. She needed me there last night, just to be there for her.'

He blinked in sudden realization, in all his planning and scheming and sneaking he had never imagined this possible.

'Gods, I think I need her just as much.'

If anyone had been awake that morning, and ten to seven, and peered out into the semi-darkness of dawn, they would have seen the most miraculous sight. There, standing in the middle of the field beside Hogwarts, stood Draco Malfoy, hands resting behind his neck, elbows akimbo, wearing the biggest smile to ever grace his aristocratic face.

Author's etc: A big shout out to my reviewers. You girls(and guys?) really do encourage me to write more, and more often. After a month of un-interest I'm really getting back into this story... who knows what will happen next ! Now, about those doughnuts.. power of the stars, what is so funny about doughnuts..hehehe.. okay so they are sort of funny, but come on, Timmy's is a Canadian tradition. Why give out cookies when you could have a maple dip or a double chocolate? Speaking of....author rifles through pockets to find appropriate loonie and then sneaks off to find 24hour timmy's -sweetp