Thanks to all my loyal and patient readers! And special thanks to my reviewers! Thanks to Niphredil of Lorien – hope you like the proposal, Ashen – I'm glad you liked Chapter 8, heartagramofdeath – I'm so glad you love my story! Knowing you've reread it so many times makes me very happy, seXcraVeDjaYy – thank you, and Kleo – I also love how sweet this story is, happy fluff!

Chapter Nine The Proposal

Ginny walked into the Three Broomsticks at exactly 7 o'clock. She had received an owl at work, telling her to meet Draco at there. For a Friday night, the restaurant was deserted. Ginny took a second look. It wasn't just a figure of speech, the place was deserted. All the tables were empty and bare except for one table near the fire where one man was sitting.

Draco stood up, smoothing his robes in a practiced gesture that was as familiar to Ginny as her own face. His silver blonde hair reflected the soft glow of firelight.

"Hi."

"Hello." Draco said softly, walking towards her. "Let me take your cloak."

"Thank you." Ginny allowed him to take her cloak, she was still wearing her work clothes because she'd had to work late. She knew that the black fitted jacket and skirt set off her figure quite well.

"Please have a seat." Draco walked her over towards the table where food had suddenly appeared.

"Thank you." Ginny looked closely at Draco, he seemed calm – too calm. She sat down in the chair and waited until Draco had sat down also. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing. I'm glad you could come tonight." Draco poured them each a glass of wine.

"Of course I came." Ginny was starting to get nervous, her fingers tapping against the stem of her glass.

"Do you remember our first date?"

"Yes."

"It was here. At this table. I wanted to come back here, because there's something I want to talk to you about."

"You're breaking up with me." Ginny blurted out, feeling irrationally nervous in the face of Draco's cool.

"What?" Draco's voice cracked and immediately Ginny felt better. "Of course I'm not breaking up with you. Why would you think that?"

"I don't know! You…you're just too...too too!"

"Well, I'm nervous." Draco snapped defensively.

"I knew it!" Ginny shouted triumphantly, one hand slamming onto the table.

"Merlin's beard." Draco shook his head. "I am not nervous because I am breaking up with you. I'm just nervous."

"Why?" Ginny demanded.

"Because…why don't we eat first?" Draco gestured to the food on the table.

Ginny noticed that it was high tea, the same meal they had had on their first date. She shook her head.

"If you think I will be able to eat knowing that you're nervous about something – did something happen at work?" Draco had been working as a healer at Saint Mungo's for a few months now.

"Harry got hurt, but he's fine."

"Oh." Ginny looked at Draco closely. Harry was an auror so physical injury was a hazard that went along with the job. "I'm glad to hear he's all right. So…you're not worried about Harry…"

"No…but it made me think…if something happened to you."

"Not likely in my line of work. Although I did get a nasty paper cut today." Ginny held out her hand. Draco took it gently and then got his wand out and did a small healing spell. Ginny waited until Draco kissed her palm gently before taking her hand back. She had teased him that he was going to do that to all his patients but he said he only did it to her.

"It started me thinking. We've been together over four years now and I…are you sure you don't want to eat, because I had this all planned."

"No. Change your plan."

"All right…just…close your eyes."

Ginny closed her eyes, unable to resist the pleading tone in Draco's voice. A moment later she heard footsteps and rustling about. She tried to picture what Draco was doing, but couldn't, unless he was teaching several house elves to tap dance, which seemed unlikely.

"Open your eyes." Draco's voice came from her left.

Ginny opened her eyes and saw Draco down on one knee, holding a small box in his hand.

"Oh!" She clasped her hands together.

"Ginevra Weasley," Draco began, his voice husky with emotion, "you are the most wonderful and passionate woman I know. You bring color and vibrancy to my life. I want us to be together, to be a family. I love you. Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

"Oh! Of course, I will! I love you." Ginny threw herself out of her chair gracelessly to kneel in front of Draco. Throwing her arms around his neck, she kissed him again and again.

"I love you too." Draco murmured, his arms tight around Ginny.

"I can't believe you were nervous – did you think I'd say no?" Ginny smiled lovingly at Draco.

"No, not really, but I was still nervous. I wanted it to be perfect."

"It was." Ginny kissed him again. "Where's my ring?" She asked, not letting go of him.

Draco looked almost shy as he opened the box and held it out.

"It's not a traditional promise ring…" Draco said quietly as Ginny pressed her cheek to his, both of them looking down at the ring. "I didn't want to use any of the Malfoy heirlooms…I bought it in a muggle jewelry shop in London. I thought…I hope you like it."

"It's absolutely lovely, pickle." She pulled the platinum band with a square cut diamond on top out of the box. "It's from you, you alone, and you picked it especially for me. That makes it so special." She kissed him again. "You did a very good job, Draco."

"You did really say yes, didn't you?" Draco asked as he took the ring in his hand, moving to slide it on her finger.

"Absolutely." She smiled as his hand held hers. Draco rubbed his nose against hers. "Yes. Yes. Yes." She kissed him soundly. "Oh! You make me so happy!" She tightened her arms around him as tight as she could, feeling like she was going to burst with happiness.

"Me too." Draco said shakily, nuzzling his face into her neck. "Now can we eat?"

"You didn't eat all day, did you." Ginny drew back to look at her boyfriend…her fiancé! with concern.

"I ate breakfast." Draco said softly, "Then I wasn't hungry."

"Precious." Ginny cooed, causing Draco's pale cheeks to flush. "You'll need to eat a lot so you have strength for this evening."

"Why? We don't have to tell your family tonight, do we?" Draco asked anxiously. The boisterousness of the Weasley Clan was often overwhelming to Draco, especially Fred and George.

"No, we'll do that tomorrow. I was thinking we'd have sex tonight. Long, slow, 'engaged' sex." Ginny said, her voice dropping seductively as her hands stroked down Draco's spine.

"Oh." Draco's grey eyes darkened.

"In fact, we'll tell my family on Saturday. So you'll have a day to recover."

"I'll need a whole day?" Draco's eyebrow arched sexily. Ginny's heart skipped a beat.

"Mmm…better eat up." Ginny grinned.

They ate slowly, enjoying just being with each other. After they were done, Draco stood and took Ginny's hand in his, his fingers sliding over the ring on her finger.

They Disapparated to Malfoy Manor.

"I was thinking we could have the wedding here." Draco said as they climbed the formal staircase in the entry hall up to his bedroom.

"That would be lovely." Ginny agreed. "When were you thinking of, for the date?"

"New Year's Eve." Draco said, as if it should be obvious.

"Not Valentine's Day? That was our first date." Ginny asked, as they entered his bedroom.

"I thought about that. But we kissed first on New Year's."

"That we did." Ginny grinned, remembering fondly, as she moved forward to unbutton Draco's robes.

Draco's fingers unbuttoned her jacket, sliding under to touch the soft skin. Ginny pushed his robes off. Laughter bubbled up in her and she flung her arms around Draco's neck. Soon Draco's laugher was joining hers as they fell onto the bed.

"We're going to be married!" Ginny giggled. "This is so wonderful." She sighed happily as Draco's cool hands slid under her skirt.

"Love you." Draco whispered against her mouth as he slid into her warmth. "Love you, love you, love you."

Ginny swallowed another giggle as she kissed him. She'd known they would get married. Draco needed her, loved her, but having the ring on her finger, the date set, it was real, it was going to happen. She was going to be Ginny Mal –.

"Could I hyphenate my name?"

"Ngh."

"Or I could be Ginevra Malfoy…that sounds…oh! better."

"Uhh." Draco panted against her neck, his tongue licking at her pulse point.

Ginny's breath caught as pleasure washed over her. Draco stiffened then lowered down to lay on top of her, breathing haphazardly. She stroked through his hair, kissing his temple.

"Whatever you want." He said softly. "Only…I want to keep my name."

"Course." She said, knowing how important his family history and name was to Draco. "I'll become a Malfoy. We'll be a family, we need the same family name."

Draco's arms tightened around her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Ginny asked softly.

"Everything." Draco murmured sleepily, snuggling closer to Ginny's warmth.

Next Chapter – The Wedding!