Rated T for cautionary measures, though I'm not sure it makes it.
DISCLAIMER: The wonderful world of Harry Potter belongs to Ms. JK Rowling. Unfortunately, so does Draco. Lucille, however, is totally mine, even though I hate her and think she's annoying.
Happy reading!
A/N: Before we begin, Ginny's in sixth year and Draco's in seventh
"Ginny, Ginny, wake up! There's an owl for you!" Ginny's roommate Lucille shook her awake.
"Mmph," Ginny moaned into her pillow.
"Ginny! I think it's a Valentine's Day present!" Lucille bounced on Gin's bed eagerly.
Ginny shot up like a rocket after hearing that. "But I don't have a Valentine…" she trailed off as the owl came and dropped its burden in her lap. It was a small velvet box, just the right size for…
"Oh, Ginny, is that what I think it is?" Lucille squealed in excitement. Ginny looked up at her and smiled.
"Let's see…" she gently opened the box, and there, nestled within, was a diamond ring. With a very large diamond. As in, big and flashy diamond. Attention-getting. Possession-marking. She smiled softly at the sight of it. She knew who it was from. They'd been meeting in secret ever since the first train ride from London, but there had never been any sign of attachment on either part. Or affection. Just… snogging. Heated snogging.
"Ginny, who's it from?" Lucille asked, her mood sobering slightly at the sight of such a large diamond.
"Promise you won't tell?" Ginny asked, pulling the ring out and slipping it onto her right ring finger.
Lucille nodded eagerly.
"Draco Malfoy," Ginny said, casting her eyes down and avoiding Lucille's piercing ones.
Lucille squealed again. "Sweet Merlin, you squeal a lot," Ginny said, looking up from her admiration of the glittering behemoth on her hand.
"He's soo dreamy! I'm jealous, Ginger," Lucille used Gin's nickname.
"I'm in shock, Luscious," addressing Lucille by her nickname, and returning to studying the large rock on her finger.
"So spill. Obviously, he didn't just randomly pick a girl to send a Valentine's Day present to, so how'd it all start?" Lucille dug for information.
Simultaneously smiling and sighing, Ginny rolled over onto her back and began to relate the tale.
Ginny had been in desperate need to get away from the Dream Team. Quite frankly, they were annoying her, and Hermione and Ron had gotten into one of their famous rows over Ginny's head. Sighing in exasperation, she'd gotten up and left, not that anyone had noticed. Harry had been clutching his bloody scar on his forehead, but Ginny rather thought he was turning into the boy who cried 'Wolf.' (She only knew of this fable because her father had insisted on reading them to her as bedtime stories when she was little.)
So she had left the compartment, and naturally, as there were a good five hours left of the train ride, she needed to find a new one. She thought about going to find Luna, but quickly dismissed that thought as it occurred to her that Luna would probably be reading The Quibbler upside down and talking about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. So she continued down the train corridor, occasionally peeking into compartments to see if she knew anyone. Most she knew, but disliked or feared or both. Finally she reached the end compartment. She sighed in defeat, and opened the door to the apparently empty compartment, preparing to flop down on a seat and sleep for the rest of the way.
"What are you doing back here, Weasley?" a cold sneer drawled. Ginny shut her eyes in exasperation, then turned to the speaker.
"I need a compartment, Malfoy, and this is the only one with any seating available," she took a deep breath before continuing, remembering her mother's lessons in diplomacy from the previous summer, "I'm planning on sleeping the rest of the way to Hogwarts, so I won't be disturbing you."
Malfoy seemed to turn this over in his mind, then asked petulantly, "What if you snore?"
Ginny blinked in disbelief. "What?"
"I said, 'What if you snore?' Are you poor and deaf to boot?" he smirked.
She wrinkled her nose at him in teasing fashion. "Believe me, I don't snore," easily brushing off the insult.
He stood up and walked closer to her. "Well, seeing as I don't believe that statement, you'll have to find some other way to occupy yourself," he finished, staring straight into her eyes from a mere six inches away. They were standing toe to toe, her chest almost flush against his. In fact, every time she took a breath, her chest would swell and ever so slightly brush his.
He cocked an eyebrow. "Innocent as you seem, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." He resumed his seat, lounging languidly.
Ginny wavered, unsure. Should she? What if someone found them? She'd probably never get the opportunity again, and they were in the last compartment, so it was highly unlikely they would get caught.
Smirking in a way that made Malfoy goggle a bit, she hitched up her skirt and swung one leg over his lap, straddling him. "Mind showing me what you were talking about?" she asked huskily, her forehead on his. In response, his lips captured hers in a fire of passion.
"Ginger, that's so romantic!" Lucille squealed.
Ginny furrowed her brow. "Romantic? It was… tarty. Probably the smuttiest thing I've ever done. But, oh, was it worth it," she finished, laying her head down happily and gazing at her ring again.
"You're obsessed with that, I swear. Hey, look, there's a note in the box," Lucille noticed the small piece of parchment slipping out. She passed it to Ginny, who opened it.
"Be mine?" Was all it said. Ginny smiled at the sweetness of it, and tucked the note into her pocket.
"C'mon," she told Lucille, rolling off the bed, "We'll be late for breakfast."
She felt his gaze on her throughout breakfast. To reassure him, she slid her right hand over her shoulder as if scratching her back.
Unfortunately, that gesture caught the attention of Hermione, who subsequently called Ron and Harry's attentions to the glittering ring on Ginny's hand.
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped, "Where did you get that?"
"It came this morning. A note came with it, but it wasn't signed," she dodged the question, pulled out the note, and passed it to Hermione, who opened it and read it. She sighed at the simple romance of the note.
"Oh, Ginny, that's so sweet. Whoever he is, he must be wonderfully attracted to you."
Ginny smiled a secretive smile and avoided Ron, whose face was currently a rather unflattering shade of maroon.
"You're late." It wasn't a question, just a statement. Ginny turned and smiled at the speaker.
"Draco, I love this ring! It's beautiful!" she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly on the lips.
He drew back and studied her eyes, biting his lower lip, a habit he picked up from Ginny. "Gin, you know that's not just a bauble, right?"
She cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"You got the note, right?" he asked, almost desperately.
"Yeah… I thought it was just one of those Valentine's Day missives. Y'know, like the Muggle candy hearts, Be Mine, Be Cool, Kiss Me, things like that." She stopped, watching him. "Wasn't it?"
Draco smiled slightly. "Not quite." He moved closer to her again, and picked up her right hand. "You're wearing this on the wrong hand," he said, smirking slightly and moving the ring to the opposite ring finger.
Ginny's eyes widened. "Dr- is this- what-" She was at a loss for words.
Draco knelt on one knee. "Ginny, that note, it wasn't just one of those 'Valentine's Day missives.' I meant it. Will you be mine forever?"
Draco hadn't thought Ginny's eyes could get any bigger, but they did. "Oh, Draco… I don't know what to say! You have to ask my parents," she slumped. "I just know they won't approve."
Draco smiled, a true smile this time, stood up, and pulled a piece of parchment out. "You mean, obtain their permission? Done."
Again, Ginny's wide eyes reappeared. "Are you serious?" she grabbed the parchment from his hand and scanned it. "Oh, wow! What did you say to them?"
"Oh, the usual… I love your daughter, she can finish school, please let me marry her, I'll abduct her and elope with her if you don't approve, etc.," he grinned wider at her.
"You did not say that!"
"Well, not the last part," Draco's grin faded, and an anxious look replaced it. "So, Gin? What do you say?"
She looked down at her shoes for a minute, then looked up at him with a huge grin on her face and threw her arms around her neck. "Of course! Oh, Draco, I love you!"
He grinned goofily into her hair, thankful none of his Slytherin cronies were here to witness his sappiness, and replied softly, "I love you too, Ginny. Forever and for always."
A/N: Totally the wrong time of year to be writing a V-Day story, but I just couldn't help myself! This story was inspired by a big gaudy ring that I own! And I love it! I was looking at it when the plot bunny attacked, so... this was the end result.
