Chapter 27

"Gin! Get your lazy arse out of bed! We're going to the lake," Ron yelled while pounding on Ginny's bedroom door.

"I don't think you're in a position to be calling my arse lazy, when I was up three hours before you, Naldo," Ginny said from the bottom of the stairs with a smirk.

"Oh, sorry, I thought you were still asleep." Ron smiled sheepishly as he jumped down the stairs. "Well, we're going to the lake."

"Okay, I'm going to go change; I'll meet you all down there."

The Lake

"AH! Charlie!"

"Oy, Zi, my ears. You trying to shatter glass with that screech?" Ginny laughed as she surveyed the situation; Zi was sitting on a towel on the bank and had probably just been splashed seeing as she was soaking wet. Fred, George, Charlie, Ron, and Harry (who was staying the entire summer with the Weasleys) were all treading water. And Hermione was wading near Zi, laughing. Ginny smiled and shook her head; she almost started towards them, but then something stopped her. Her heart felt extremely heavy; she missed him so much. It had been two weeks since they left school and she hadn't received an owl from him yet. She smiled sadly as she remembered the last time she had seen him before they left for the summer .........

Flashback

"Hey, come on, Gin. Don't cry, please." Ginny choked out a laugh and attempted to wipe her eyes.

"I know ... its just ... it seems like this year has gone by so quickly. It feels like we just got together and now we're being ripped apart again." Draco wrapped his arms around Ginny and hugged her tightly, fighting the voice in his head that was telling him to run away with her right in that moment.

"Ginny I ... I don't want you to take this as me never seeing you again or something really ... incorrect and outrageous like that. But, I wanted to give you this before we left for the summer." Draco pulled away slightly and searched in his pockets for a moment before producing a small, black velvet box.

"What is it?"

"Open it," Draco replied with a smile, handing the little box to Ginny. She gave him a small smile before opening it. Inside was a beautiful silver ring with an inscription on it: Incendia quod Glacies, a vita ago in jurgium. Etiamnunc una sic validus. Reus pro umquam magis.

"What does it mean?"

"Fire and Ice, a life lived in strife. Yet together, so strong. Bound forevermore. It's Latin. I want you to promise me that one day you'll let me replace this ring with an engagement ring. Once everything's okay again, in both our lives, that you'll do me that honor." Ginny's breath caught in her throat; this was definitely not what she expected. But did it really matter what she expected? She loved him ... oh, Merlin she loved him.

Unbeknownst to Ginny, Draco was absolutely head over heels for her. He'd never admit it to anyone, his entire life, but he knew in his heart that he was. He was thoroughly convinced that she was his Amor Semper and he refused to do anything to risk losing her.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked quietly, praying that he'd say he was.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life." Ginny smiled as Draco took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. "I love you, Ginerva Weasley."

"And I love you, Draco Malfoy." He kissed her gently.

"I will write to you as soon as I can, but I have to ask you not to try and send me an owl. If Lucius intercepts it ..." he trailed off and looked away. But Ginny cupped his face in her small hands and smiled.

"Whatever you say, love. I'll wait." Draco returned the smiled before hugging her tightly. He knew there was something lurking underneath the facades they were both putting on; both of them were wondering if they'd ever see each other again, little did they know how soon their reunion would be.

"I promise you, I will see you again," he hadn't planned on saying anything, but it just kind of slipped out.

"I know you will." They professed their love several more times before the twins came and gently dragged Ginny away, telling her it was time to get on the train.

Back to the Present

"Oy! Gin, get your arse in this water!" Ginny rolled her eyes at Charlie, but dropped her towel on the bank and cannonballed in, splashing them all.

Malfoy Manor

"I asked the house elves not to set a place for me at the table tonight. Blaise and I had planned to go --- Mum?" Draco looked around Narcissa's study for the first time since he entered it; Narcissa was nowhere to be found. "Mum?" Draco, slightly alarmed, walked out of the study and into his parents' bedroom. "What's wrong?"

Lucius was staring out the window with his back to Draco, not moving. He slowly turned around; he was holding his hands out in front of him and staring at them. Draco noticed his wand on the ground next to him. His hands were stained with ... blood?

"What have you done?!" Draco whispered in horror. Suddenly it all clicked; he saw the necklace amidst the blood that Narcissa was never without, he saw a few strands of her blonde hair twisted around the wand, he saw her favorite cloak ripped and lying on the ground, he saw a huge gash on Lucius' left arm. One thought continued to run through his head, My mother is dead. Over and over again the same thought appeared.

"I can't believe ---"Draco didn't hear Lucius finish; he ran out of the room and straight to his bedroom. He'd be forever grateful for that tiny shred of love and admiration Lucius had possessed for Narcissa. For had it not been for those five minutes of shock and disconnection from the world that Lucius experienced, Draco would never have made it out of Malfoy Manor.

The Burrow

"So then we got this fascinating specimen in. It's like a fellytone, but its portable. They can take it with them wherever they go. Brilliant, I tell you. Positively brilliant." Mr. Weasley was about to launch into another explanation of some muggle item, when the doorbell rang.

"Ron, be a dear and get the door, would you?" Mrs. Weasley asked sweetly.

"Sure Mum." Ron swallowed the food that was in his mouth and got up, as the family continued their numerous conversations. A few minutes later, Ron had still not returned, but they heard a strangled cry of ... surprise? Ginny chuckled and got up, walking towards the front door.

Ron, being the toned 6'3" that he was, blocked her view of whoever was at the door. So she walked up behind him and stood on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder.

There, in the doorway, with a familiar owl perched on his shoulder, a broom in his hand, and a duffle bag on the ground at his side, was none other than Draco Malfoy.

The End

A/N: OMG! It's the end! Oh tear! Many tear! I'd like to say a huge thanks and I love ya to all my reviewers! And in particular, to my reviewer turned beta, sandofia! You guys rock and I love you! Look out for the sequel, the first chapter's already written! (All answers to reviews from this chapter will be at the end of the first chapter of the sequel, "In My Life".) Please review!

Sorry, it's either have time for my personal notes and miss posting this before I go to bed, or a little A/N. I chose the latter, so here goes. A huge hello and thank you to: Hoppers, Adriana, Goat (TR all the way and all because of you!), fieryred20, wockygal, Krystal1989, Cinnamon Angel (yes, once I get around to reading your fics, I'll be pestering you to update, I'm sure), Luna Gypsy (Oh, I was worried about them and tried to make them fit!), HarryPotterFan670 (Yes, patience is a virtue ... not one that I have, but, meh!), MasterHarper Menolly (Yes, OMG! Listen to The Rasmus!), Lil Bre (Oh! I'm so sorry your sick! Feel better!), Paintedsecrets (special note for you when you update, but for now ... bloody pirates!), Inukaino (Stupid computer! Lucius isn't ever going to die ... but you're welcome to kill him!), and DracoLuver2009. Love you all! Read "In My Life" when it gets posted!