Last real chapter! Thanks for the reviews. I'll probably have an epilogue. I don't want a sequel because I'm already starting a new story (I couldn't help myself.) If you're interested, it's a Hermione/Draco story called ROOMMATES or WE LOVE YOU, PROFESSOR GRANGER.
I'm going to be so happy after this chapter. Haha. It might be corny… I don't know.
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Draco backed out from the door.
'I've got to tell someone about this. Anyone. Ginny, Rachel… Where are they when I need them? Ginny… she's in danger!'
She's not the only one in danger. Everyone is.
Draco felt this sight grow darker and faster. He could hear himself breathe in, out, in, out, in…
He caught a glimpse of red hair in the kitchen.
"Ginny! Ginny! You- you're in danger!" Draco panted. Ginny looked at him questioningly.
"Draco? What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
"Rachel… where's she?"
"I don't know. She was talking with Tina but she's not there anymore. What is it? Draco! Calm down! Breathe! What's wrong?"
"Howard… Waverly… Dark Lord… letter… fourth room on right… let's go… wizards… I need to protect you." Draco froze at what he had just told her. Ginny seemed to be taking it in but let it go. "Er… we'll talk later. Come on." Ginny led her way into the bedroom. She could hear Howard.
"Don't you think we should-" Howard gaped at the open door as Draco and Ginny burst in. "Ginny… Draco… what are you guys doing here?" Howard saw a piercing glare in Ginny's eyes. "It's not what it looks like. Waverly and I had something to talk about privately." Howard's emerald eyes grew dim. "What are you two doing coming in this room together. You guys weren't…"
"That's just pathetic Howard. You turn my blame on you around to blame me? For what? Hm… let's see. How about creeping me out about letters of how the VOLDEMORT was out to get me? How about trying to KILL ME behind my back? Don't think you can get away… I'm… I'm…"
"Not armed?" Waverly stepped up. "Face it, Weasley. We have wands and you don't. you were stupid enough to leave your little wands in your backpacks. We didn't expect to fight you like this but I guess this works too." Draco and Ginny realized that they were unarmed and in a lot of harm.
'Damn me for not thinking ahead.' Draco thought as his best friend and former future girlfriend whipped out their wands and locked them in. 'Now, I can't save Ginny and we'll both die.' Draco was embarrassed and scared. He had wanted to rescue Ginny so Ginny could see the wonderful brave side of him that she never saw. But he had failed and now, they were both dying and it was his fault.
'At least we'll die together.' Ginny thought. Emotion overcame her. It had been Draco! That mystery person who was lurking in her guts that stopped her from getting close with Howard was Draco!
Ginny liked HIM.
Not Howard, not Harry, but Draco.
"Last words?" Waverly offered, Howard and her wands pointing directly at the captives.
'I guess it'll have to come out now.' Draco thought.
"Ginny… I-"
"Aww… little Drakie-poo is about to confess his little wittle feelings to his precious Winnie…" Howard mimicked. "We're not wasting our time. There's a party going on in there and I happen to want to get to play seven minutes in heaven…"
"Hm… you know Howard? Me too! I guess we'll just have to-"
"STUPEFY!"
Stunned, Howard and Waverly flew across the room unconscious. That would last for a long time.
Draco and Ginny turned to face their savior.
"R-Rachel?"
There was anger of its purest form shining from her blazing eyes and here hair was as black as ever. Her wand was out in the most professional manner and that was the most effective and powerful stunning spell Draco and Ginny had every witnessed.
"Are you guys okay? They didn't do anything yet, right?" Rachel turned around to lock the door. "Stupid idiotic bitches don't even close the door." She muttered.
"How- when- what was that?"
"I came just in time didn't I? I'm a witch. Well, of course I'm a witch and you know that but I'm a professional. I was taught at home by my famous mother and hired as an auror when I was sixteen. Just last year, I came here undercover to find the three death eaters hiding out here and causing more damage than even the dark lord himself. We found one- Matthew, but there were two still on the loose. The dark lord was after them a while ago, and they seemed to come here."
"Then… what are we doing here? All that stuff about Voldemort after Draco…that can't be true then!"
Rachel nodded. "Yeah. It's been so long and I needed help. Dumbledore recommended you two. He was seriously leaning toward that girl- Hermione was it?- but he chose Ginny instead. And he thought Harry and Ronald already had enough with… HIM." Rachel glanced over at the criminals. "Come on. We've got to get them out of here." She circled around them. Finally she disillusioned and stunned them again. "Locomotor bodies." She led Draco and Ginny out of the room.
"We have to go! Ginny's got a major headache and I'm feeling a cramp coming up. Bye, Nellie! Thanks for inviting us. Awesome party- sorry I have to miss so much." Rachel waved and ran out of the house to avoid Nellie's blubbering and screaming. Rachel beckoned for Draco and Ginny to jump in her jeep as she zoomed off.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"… I've been suspecting Howard for a while now. I just never got proof it was him. But Waverly, I never even thought of. I guess that's what best friendships do to you." Rachel just realized what and who she had just told that to. "I mean, new best friends."
They were sitting stiffly on the couch, waiting and waiting for Waverly and Howard to awake. Draco and Ginny hadn't said a word since they entered the house because of shock and realization.
"That was a pretty clever thing to do. Side up to one of you guys. They must have known from the start, huh?"
Howard's head stirred. From reflexes, Rachel automatically took out her wand. Their hands were tied behind them and they were magically stuck to the ground. Rachel had already contacted the Order members and they just had to get a portkey finalized.
Waverly began to gather her senses a few seconds later. She opened her eyes first.
"What the hell-" Waverly looked around.
"Yeah."
"This is your house."
"Yup."
"What am I doing in your house?"
"Hmm…"
"Were we caught? Shit. Howard! You dumbass!"
"Yeah."
"What I want to know is what is going to happen to us." Waverly said in a bossy tone.
"What I want to know is why you would do such stupid thing." Rachel shot back.
"Stupid? Is there a law against doing what you believe is right? What you're doing is stupid! You guys will never win! Good things never last! You little-" Waverly's pale face flushed wildly.
"Wave- calm down. Nothing's going to come out of you screaming and yelling. We got caught and now we get our punishment." Howard said softly.
"We can't- do you know what they will do to us? We're getting the kiss! Our good perfect days are over! And it's your entire fault!"
"As you said, all good things come to an end." Howard muttered and closed his eyes. Ginny suddenly felt a pang of respect for him. He had done something wrong and he knew it. He understood it and was willing to receive the consequences. Ginny liked that.
So they all sat there in silence with the occasional, maniacal groans from Waverly until Dumbledore followed by Tonks, Lupin and two Ministry officials appeared. Dumbledore grinned. "Good work Rachel," he nodded at the two tired targets of the death eaters. "Ginny and Draco. I am very proud of you all." He motioned to the officials to take the two criminals.
"Wait." Rachel cried out for them to stop. She ran up to Waverly and embraced her in a teary hug.
"Promise me you won't do something stupid like that again, all right? Karma, honey, karma." The two ex-best friends laughed a little before parting. Howard looked back at Ginny sadly. Before the two officials touched the portkey shoe, Ginny gave him a weak but true smile.
She could have sworn that he smiled back.
Ginny could feel the water gathering up in her eyes. As her two conspirators and friends left her, a warm and assuaging hand held on to hers. Draco. She looked up at him and he gave her a grin.
Tired, Ginny's head rested peacefully on Draco's wide and promising shoulders.
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EPILOGUE BABY
A few months later.
"No, Rachel, I just can't take all this."
"Yes you can. I know you can. I'm not stupid you know."
"No! I didn't mean that I can't fit it. It- all this stuff will cost me a fortune!"
"It's my present to you. Trust me, it wasn't much."
"I can't! All this will probably cost more than the whole burrow! And everything in it!"
"Yeah, it probably will. And you'll still have more to buy yourself a new house too." Draco's voice entered Ginny's empty bedroom.
Ginny gave him a playful punch on his arm.
"Just look at all this! It's enough supplies to last me a lifetime and a half!'
Rachel laughed. "No, Ginny. I really want you to have it. Thanks for helping me."
"What about me? I helped too! I FOUND them!" Draco complained.
"Well it's not like you didn't pack everything already. I bet you already took everything, huh?"
The three of them laughed and got ready to go back.
The grand mansion house seemed even larger empty. All the furniture and supplies were taken out and fit into boxes. Rachel had agreed to go back to Europe with them, since her work in America was over, even though it took a long time to convince her that the Cheerleading squad will be fine in the new leadership of Nellie.
As the driver loaded the trunks and luggage, they all stood outside to admire the house for the last time. They took pictures, engraved their names, and even took one original piece from inside the house like a doorknob or a piece of wire.
"Ma'am? Everything is set and ready to go." Draco and Ginny stepped into the limo excitedly. Rachel stayed behind, and sighed. She was really leaving. Leaving this house, friends, memories, life…
"Rachel? Hurry! We're going to be late!"
"Yeah… coming." Rachel breathed the air around her. It was too much that she was leaving behind.
"Actually, I'm not."
"What? Come on, Rachel! Don't fool around now… we're late."
"You guys go ahead. I can't leave. This place is my home." Rachel took out the luggage that was hers and the houses'. Draco and Ginny gaped at her.
Rachel smirked. "It's okay, guys. I'm totally fine. You guys go. I'll talk to you."
"Okay. Okay, well, if that's what you want, that's what you get." Rachel closed their door and waved.
Rachel sighed. She took out her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
"Hey, Waverly… come meet me at the pizza place right now, okay?"
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Hand in hand, Draco and Ginny walked out into the new spring snow at King's Cross.
After the incident- as they liked to refer to it as- they had confessed their growing feelings for each other and- as Rachel liked to refer to it as- eloped together. Not literally, no. But they were very much in love. Sometimes, it got too mushy and gushy for Rachel to even watch.
"Ginny! Ginny! Oh! Ginny! Is that you? Ginny! Over here!" Hermione's voice echoed.
Ginny turned to her right and saw Hermione, Ron, and Harry coming to meet them. Hermione was practically sprinting toward her, but Ron and Harry grimly and slyly walked over. Hermione strangled Ginny in a suffocating hug, releasing Ginny's hand from Draco.
"Oh, Ginny! Look at you! You're gorgeous! Gosh, California's really changed you!"
Ginny grinned. She caught Ron and Harry's eyes.
"Hey Gin. You look great. It's so nice to see you." Ron said, giving her a hug.
"Ron, what was that? You're my brother! You haven't seen me for months! You're supposed to squeeze the heart out of me!" Ginny said playfully, squeezing her brother. "Ron, I've missed you. I'm awful sorry."
"Nah. I'm fine." Ron said sheepishly, grinning.
Ginny looked over at Harry.
"Ginny."
"Harry."
There was tension.
Then, Harry came forward and embraced Ginny. "I'm so so so so so sorry Gin. I shouldn't have blown up on you like that. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Harry. But I don't think we should see each other now, even if I came back. I'm… well, I'm Draco's girl." Ginny said, looking admiringly at Ginny.
"W-what? You and… you and that- that wanker?"
"Oh, Ron, grow up. You've been the biggest ass to me the past months and I think you should repay me for that."
"Yeah, but, Ginny… don't you think Malfoy is a bit overdone?"
"No."
"But."
"No."
"But."
"No!"
"Fine." Ron peered at Draco. "One hand on her and I will make sure I chop it right off!"
"All right… bro."
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YES BABY! IT'S DONE! YES, THIS TIME, IT WASN'T A CLIFFHANGER ENDING. DRACO AND GINNY ARE ENGAGED!
THIS TIME, I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS BAD OR NOT- IT'S DONE! THERE WILL BE NO EPILOGUE AFTER ALL!
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING ME AND REVIEWING SO GRACIOUSLY! THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER AND STORY!
TOODLES!
YOUNGWRITER56
