Ok so here is the next chapter, I have been working on this for donkeys years, or so it seems but I think I got it just right now.
I hope you enjoy reading it!
As for the reviews you so graciously bestowed upon me:
RandomReaderReadingThisStory DRACO is getting HARRY something? what have u been smoking? have u been going to the world where the sky is purple and little pink bunnies hop around giving out chocolate again? no no no, not good. That will not do... that's my world :-D Oh you have been there too? The pink bunnies don't give me chocolate! I think they favour you…….LOL No you will find out the presents in this chapter. I hope you like the outcome.
IlOvEdRaCo4EvErHe'SMiNeReally good keep on the good work. but i think their needs to be more action between Draco and Ginny LOL I am honestly working on that but I don't want to rush it. I hope to fulfil your wish soon and you wont be disappointed. It all begins in this chapter……….. mysterious music plays
Faeriepuck : This Story is way awesome. You must continue. I will check for updates periodically Thank you and the update as you can see has arrived.
Little note: Please try and overlook any spelling faults in this chapter. I am sad to say I am currently without a beta for this story. (if anyone is interested to take that job up email me…lol)
Chapter 5: It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Ginny was on the Hogwarts express, she could not wait to get home for the holidays.
This would be the first time in quite some years the whole family would be together again. Even Percy had said he would come, a thing which pleased her mother immensely.
She sank back in the seat and though about school, she would not miss it one bit! Although she would miss one thing, she would miss the room of requirement. Over the past term she had got accustomed to going there every night. Doing her homework there, writing in her dairy there and talking to Draco there.
He had become a friend, although he had not said the F word in front of her she knew they were. Who would have ever thought she off all people would become friends with Draco Malfoy?
"Are you even on this planet?" She heard Ron ask her.
"What? Sure, what did you say?" Ginny said looking at him.
"While Hermione is in the prefects car I wanted to ask you this; that book you said I should buy her for Christmas. Are you sure she will like it?" Ron asked looking slightly pink and insecure.
"Ron! For the, millionth time: if I was not sure off it I would have never told you to buy it! Then again anything would be better then the Quidditch teams guide you got her last year." Ginny said trying not to smile.
"Hey! That was a good read and there where tons off good facts in there." Ron said crossing his arms, leaning back and staring out off the window.
Ginny sank back into her thoughts again, she had got all her presents, she had even got Draco one. She would send it to him by owl as soon as she got home. She hoped he would like it, they had not agreed on getting each other a gift but when she had seen this she had not been able to resist buying it.
Draco leant back with his eyes closed, he pretended to be a sleep. By doing that he hoped he could prevent everyone's questions about his holidays. He did not want to make up excuses about going home but he certainly had no intention off telling everyone where he was really going.
The thought off having to spend Christmas with Potter and Sirius made him even more surly. He now actually longed back to the days spent alone in his old house, better alone then with them.
His mind shifted to the 'presents' he had bought for Potter and Sirius, Ginny had suggested a few things he could have bought but he had thought of some others.
Just in time he managed to keep a straight face and banish the smile that played round his lips. The thought off seeing their faces as they unpacked them was enough to make him do that.
He had bought one real present, one thing he did hoped would be appreciated. He had bought it on a whim, but it was to late to turn back on it. It was bought and paid for so now he would just have to see how it played out.
When the train stopped at King's cross Draco held off getting out off the train as long as he could. Hoping to minimise the people staring at him like they had done at the start off school.
As he got off the train he could see the platform was now mostly empty, a few yards away a whole group off red haired people stood round each other chatting happily.
"Draco, over here!" Sirius shouted.
Now really glad there were not more people around Draco raised his head a bit as a sign he had heard and started walking over to Sirius and Potter waiting for him.
They stood together with the Weasely family and as Draco took his last steps he heard Mrs. Weasely end her talk.
"So it is settled then, you and Harry will spend Christmas day with us." Then she turned to Draco. "And you will be very welcome as well dear."
Again Draco saw that smile on her face again, if he had not been to deep into his own thought he would have tried to scowl for her attempt to feel sorry for him. Somehow his mind was now filled with the thought off seeing Ginny again before they would return to school.
Ginny was standing half hidden behind her father trying to look at Draco's reaction, how would he react to being invited to her house? She knew for a fact that last these years he had been mocking it without knowing what it exactly looked like. Ok to be totally honest it looked nothing like Grimwuald place, or she imagined, the mansion he used to live in. But it was her house and she loved it, strangely she was looking forward to sharing yet another part off herself, besides the room, with him.
All off them said their goodbye's they had agreed on a time to go to the burrow and Mrs. Weasely smiled brightly as she waved them off. Ginny had hugged Potter and Sirius, but Draco had taken a step back as she had advanced on him.
He had actually wanted to respond to her gesture but then, thank fully and quick enough remembered that there were others around him. Others who did not know, who should not know!
He nodded and then turned round, mentally slapping himself for even thinking what he had just almost done.
Ginny looked at the three off them walking away but then focused her attention on Hermione who was a bout to leave with her parents.
Her mother did invite the Granger family for Christmas as well and her invitation was happily accepted.
Mr. Weasely was off course overjoyed to spend some time with Mr. Granger as he off course could tell him all about the work off a muggle dentetist.
"It is Dentist dad." Ginny corrected him as she looked up at him.
"I feel sorry for Harry, being locked up with that slimy, ferrety, conniving little…" Ron started but he was cut off by his mother and Ginny at the same time.
"RON!"
He turned round to them.
"What did I say? It is true, the first Christmas Harry gets to spend without the Dursley's and he has to spend it with Malfoy!" He pulled a face as he spoke the last word.
Mrs. Weasely pulled her stern face and looked down on her son, or as much as she could these days.
"Ronald, that boy has been through quite enough! He has lost his mother and father in a shorts space off time and now had to spend Christmas without them. However unpleasant the Malfoy's might have been I suppose Christmas meant as much to them as it does to us."
"That is what you think." Ginny mumbled as she turned round towards the exit.
"What was that Ginny dear?" Her mother asked looking at her.
"Nothing mum, can we go now?" Ginny asked picking up her bag.
All together the Weasely family left Kings Cross and headed home.
That night Draco sat on his bed in his room, the thought off that sentence made him pull a face.
He missed school, he missed his dormitory, he missed being round people that at least pretended to like him. Even more he missed being in the room of requirement and the last thought that shot through his mind as he picked up his diary was that he missed being around Ginny.
That thought mad him lean forward a bit still holding onto the book staring at a small spot on the wall.
Ginny Weasely had over the last weeks managed to constantly occupy a space in his mind. During the dreadfully dull lessons off Professor Bins he had caught himself thinking off that girl with that red hair, those eyes and that smile.
He shook his head as he picked up his quill, he opened the ink bottle and flipped through the pages off his diary to find the page he had last written. Like radar his eyes detected the name Ginny on each page that flipped, the closer he got to this day the more her name seemed to appear.
'Get over yourself already! Get a grip Draco, there is nothing remotely special about Ginny Weasely.' He thought to himself as he put the quill down and stared at the sealing, but if there was nothing special about her why could he not stop thinking about her? Why did he see her face and wonder what she would think off everything he saw or did?
Ginny had put away the last off the plates and looked at her mother.
"Can I go now?" She asked looking at the clock.
"Yes you may dear but it is only 7 o'clock, why are you in such a hurry?" Her mother said taking her apron off and hanging it on a hook.
Ginny shot a look at the clock and then remembered where she was, she was at home, and she did not have to be sneaking out to go to the room of requirement.
"I……Uhm…… I have homework and I want to finish that so I do not have to do it right before I go back to school." Ginny finally said as an excuse.
Once she was in her room Ginny sat on the bed, it was weird begin here. At school she knew that she would go to the room and there spent some time talking to Draco. They would talk about anything, or they would do their homework in silence. She could spend time with him in complete silence and still leave the room knowing something had happened to further their friendship.
The last word shot through her head again "friendship", she had over the last weeks intended to become a friend to Draco. But she had also noticed her own thoughts diverting from that subject a bit.
Could it be possible that she might be seeing more to Draco then there was?
She stood up and walked over to her mirror and grabbed a brush. She did not see Draco Malfoy in any other way then as a friend!
Rigorously she brushed her hair as she kept repeating that thought over in her head, when she hit a knot she stopped. Why was she dwelling on this subject? Why would she not stop thinking about him smiling, laughing and looking at her?
Needless to say both Ginny and Draco now looked upon the coming days with mixed feelings.
Christmas day Draco awoke, forgetting for a moment what day it was he opened his eyes.
As soon as he did he saw the walls of his room were covered with streamers and a small Christmas tree stood at the foot of his bed. In the tree were shiny little lights which at a soft tone kept singing "We wish you a merry Christmas."
Groaning Draco got up as he remembered where he was and what the day was, he felt utterly depressed. It was Christmas and he was at Grimwuald place, he wanted to get up and get away from the singing tree. As he put on his socks he noticed a pile off gifts lying at the foot of his bed.
Slowly he walked over and thought he was imagining things but the closer he got the more the parcels wrapped in bright coloured paper started to get real.
He sat back down on the foot of his bed and looked at all the different parcels.
Reaching down for them he picked them up one by one reading on the cards who they were from. Mrs. Weasely had sent him three, one from Harry, two from Sirius, one from Granger and Ginny had sent him one as well!.
Looking at all of them he decided that he would start with Sirius's ones first and work his way through the others, wanting to end with Ginny's gift.
Unwrapping the two presents from Sirius he uncovered a new diary in which Sirius had written; For things you might not want to share with anyone. Draco raised his eyebrows as he read it, what would he mean by that, and why did he understand what Sirius might have meant? The second one came with another card. For some fun. It was a brown leather bound book called; Mischievous but harmless pranks and spells to play on others.
Quickly he flicked through some off the pages, and smiled at some of the things he read, before putting the book down and picking up Grangers gift.
Underneath the paper was a rectangular box, opening it he saw a gift certificate for Flourish and Blots. He opened the card; I didn't really know what you might like, but a book is always a good thing to get. Merry Christmas, Hermione.
Draco snuffed as he put the card down, he did not need Granger's sympathy. That was just what this was, a sympathy gift!
Harry's gift was a book called The rules and regulations off Quidditch. The card read; Thought it would be useful to you, Harry. Draco tossed the book aside and crumpled up the card.
Moving down the bed a little he opened Mrs. Weasely's first gift , it was a basket full of mince pies. The second contained a box filled with all sorts of sweets, but the third was what Draco was most shocked about. Lying in the opened paper was a bright green wool square, he picked it up by the edge and as he lifted it up it unfolded. It was a hand knitted jumper, bright green with a darker green lining the cuffs and the neck. In that same dark green colour a Dragon was the main feature off it.
He had thought Mrs. Weasely had, like Granger, intended to sympathise with him and therefor had sent him some things. But she had put work into this, he spread it out on the bed and looked at it.
There was a rapt knock at the door and Sirius came in wearing a purple jumper with a giant dog's foot print on it. "Merry Christmas! Ah I see Molly made you one as well." He said pointing at the jumper on the bed.
"She did." Was al Draco said looking at him for a split second.
"Molly is an excellent knitter, her jumpers are always as soft as can be, and surprisingly they never itch." Sirius said letting his hand glide over his arm as he looked at the sleeve. "Oh by the way, thank you for your gift, it will come in handy. We are going to have breakfast in about 10 minutes." Sirius said before he turned from the room and closed the door behind him.
Draco looked at the closed door, Sirius had thanked him for the gift? He had bought him a book entitled: How to return from recluse, a guide for hermits returning into society.
After he had talked to Ginny about getting Harry and Sirius a gift, she had given him a few suggestions on what to get the both of them. But he had decided to have a little fun with it, just because he might have started to think about Ginny differently, that did not mean he did about the others. For Harry he had also got a book that was called: Famous wizards off the ages and their down falls. The sub tittle was; Why no one remembers them.
Remembering he still had one more gift Draco looked at the last present on his bed, Ginny's.
I was big and heavy, slowly he started to untie the bows on it, some how his brain was not allowing him to rip the paper of. As he lowered the last side off the paper he saw it was a stack of book tied together with a leather band. Had everyone plotted together and decided to get him books! On top of the pile was a card, he took the envelope from underneath the strap and opened it. Somehow I thought these would come in handy, Merry Christmas, Ginny.
Draco looked at the titles of the books. Muggles and their weird ways of living by Milly Whatsherface, Potions and Poisons by Crawly Leathalstuff, The magical world of healing by Eagon Wanting-Tobeadoctor, Medicinal plants and Herbs by Concretia Ilikegreen and at the bottom of the pile was a book entitled Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Draco looked at the books and wondered how she had known he had a use for all these books? The muggle one was clear enough, he had never heard of that Dickens, but the rest of the books would really help him.
Ginny awoke to the bustle off her mother in the kitchen, her room was right above it. Wonderful smells were filling the house already and it was only morning yet.
She smiled as she looked at the foot of her bed and saw a pile of gifts, pushing her sheets to the side she went to the end of the bed and looked at all of them.
She unwrapped all off them and was glad with the thing she was given, of course she got a traditional Jumper, her own bowl of sweets and her father had given her a book on great muggle writers. Hermione had given her a book which held the collective works of Shakespeare, in it she had written; So you do not have to keep borrowing mine.
Ron had got her a new deck of exploding cards to play snap with, Harry had got her a box filled with chocolate frog and had written a little note that said Freshly pickled toad. Reading it made her laugh, thinking she had opened everything Ginny wanted to get of the bed. As she placed her feet on the floor her ankle brushed against something hard half under the bed. She leant down and took what ever was hidden from the floor, it turned out to be a wicker basket. She opened the small metal wire door in it and in a flash a pitch black cat jumped out, sat on the bed and looked at her.
It's fierce green eyes looked at her as if trying to find a feature to recognise her by, as she looked back it seemed to get an expression of remembrance and slowly walked up to her. It placed its head under her hand and purred a bit, Ginny now saw a small card attached to its collar. She took it off and opened it. What every real witch needs. Was all it read but she knew instantly who it was from. Apart from her parents the only one who knew about her cat wish was Draco!
She looked at the cat once more and smiled as it had curled up next to her leg, she was going to have to give him a name.
As she thought about different names she could not think of any that would suit him.
"What should I call you then?"
The cat sat up and looked at her like awaiting to be baptised, after a few seconds off her pondering it turned on it's heels and sat a few feet away from her.
"How about……Mr. Tops? After the top hatted cat in the tales?" Ginny said looking at it. The cat gave her a look with it's bright eyes. "No? Then Puff? Like the muggle Dragon song?" Ginny stated, the cat just scowled at her. "Oh well then I don't know!" Ginny said sighing as she leant back a bit.
Right then the cat sneezed and made a high pitched noise that made her laugh. "That is what I will call you then! Smaug!" Like he agreed the cat walked up to her and purred a bit while rubbing it's head on her legs. Ginny smiled as she picked it up and made her way down stairs.
There her family was waiting at the table to start breakfast.
"What is that!" Ron said as she put Smaug down.
"This Ron is a cat." Ginny said with a smile.
"I know it is where did you get it?" Ron asked agitated.
"It was a present." Ginny said smiling again, she had a cat!
"From who?" Ron asked again.
"None off your business." Ginny said sitting down.
"Well he looks lovely dear." Her mother said smiling at her. "What is it's name? We shall have to get him a bowl."
"Smaug." Ginny said smiling again.
"What kind off a name is that?" Ron said looking at her.
"What kind off a name is Ronald?" Ginny asked with her eyebrows raised.
Ron scowled at her and did not pursue it because his mother put the food laden trays down. Smaug made his way under the table and sat next to Ginny's feet right between her and Ron.
"He looks funny anyway. Ron said leaning down to touch Smaug. As soon as his hand was close Smaug hissed violently and swept at Ron's hand with it's claw. Ginny smiled even more widely. There was no mistaking who had got her Smaug!
The day for both Draco and Ginny progressed at different paces and styles, where Ginny's went exactly like she had predicted it would be. Draco's day was filled with things that stunned, amazed and confused him all at once.
The next day in Draco's eyes was even more confusing, from the moment he had stepped out off the fire place at the Burrow he had noticed the uncomfortable tension in the air.
Mrs. Weasely was trying her best to pretend that nothing was out off the ordinary and so were her husband, Grangers parents and Sirius. But from all the others Draco got the distinct impression the would rather not have him there. All the Weasely son's were looking at him like he was a potion gone bad. Potter acted like he wasn't there and held up with Weasel King in a corner playing chess. Draco had shown a small smile as he saw the scratch marks on Weasel King's hand, scratches that could have only been made by the claw off a cat. Granger had attempted to talk to him but as soon as she did Draco had given her a look which told her he didn't need sympathy.
Ginny sat in a chair by the fire as she petted Smaug who was on her lap, she and Hermione had just managed to once again get him away from Ron. For some reason Smaug was very unwilling to be petted by anyone that wasn't her. Looking across the room she saw Draco standing in the corner. His face looked serious as always but Ginny knew the smile that could break the coldness off that face, and the sparkles in those steel grey eyes. She tried to focus on Hermione telling her how wonderful the book was that Ron had got her for Christmas and how she never thought he would ever have given her something like that, but some how Draco kept popping up in her head.
Like Smaug had know who she was looking at, and thinking about, he suddenly got up, jumped off her legs graciously and walked over to Draco. Stopping halfway across the room and looking at Ron, like he was trying to decide what to do first. Yet again pounce on Ron or walk on to Draco. After a few seconds he walked on and looked up at Draco from his feet.
Draco smiled at the cat as he picked it up, looking into it's eyes he saw them shimmer.
Ginny got out off the chair and walked over to Draco still holding onto Smaug.
"Smaug seems to like you." She said petting Smaug over the head.
"I'm very likeable." Draco replied dryly.
"Funny how my cat seems to dislike everyone in this house, except my mother and I." Ginny stated looking straight at him.
"Cats are like humans, very particular who they like. If they like someone they show it, if they don't they will as well." Draco's eyes automatically went to Ron as he said the words.
"Or they might have been instructed on who to like?" Ginny asked with her eyebrows raised.
"Could be, although headstrong, cats can be taught a few things." Draco's smile got wider.
"So the person who gave him to me likes my mother and dislikes everyone else in this house." Ginny said trying to keep a straight face and her stomach from doing cartwheels.
Draco paused for a moment not quite sure what to say, but like his brain was controlled by someone else his mouth opened. "He doesn't only like your mother."
The look in his eyes made Ginny's heart race, was she seeing and hearing things that were not there? Was she imagining the words that had just left his mouth and the look in his eyes as he looked at her?
Draco was looking straight at her wondering what her reaction would be to his words, he might not have intended to say them, but if he thought about it they had been the truth.
Just as Ginny opened her mouth to say something Mrs. Weasely's voice could be heard. "Dinner is on the table!"
Draco closed his eyes wishing that she hadn't said that. Ginny still had her mouth half open about to answer when she was practically pushed towards the kitchen by her brothers.
There was no way off escaping a food stampede at the Weasely house…………
A/N: Ok need to give credit where it is due!
The name Ilikegreen I borrowed from one off my members on my Boondock Saints Message board. It seemed fitting for a planty woman. (noting and noticing the fact off the total lack off "planty" being a word lol).
As far as Smaug goes; The readers who have read J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" might recognise him as the dragon that lived in a cavern in the Lonely Mountain where he guarded his treasure. But just saying the name makes me smile so I had to borrow it!
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that you will leave a review.
Lucy