Ginny Weasley was tired and cranky. Not a great combination as a rule. Not only was she sleep deprived and in desperate need of caffeine…but Harry 'the boy who doesn't know what's good for him' Potter, had plonked himself down next to her at the breakfast table and Draco was no where in sight to deliver her from his clutches.
Listening to him half heartedly, she just about made out the words "evil….ferret…Christmas…family". Ignoring Harry, she scrowled, remembering Ron's deal with her about taking Draco home to meet her family for Christmas. Getting all six of her brothers and her father to behave required superhuman strength. Or at the very least, her mother.
Sighing, she mentally dug out all the dirt she had on her siblings for leverage.
She knew that Bill would be an easy conquest, she just had to pull her puppy dog eyes on him and that was it. Charlie could be won over with a little shove in the right direction (she had VERY reliable information that a certain someone had not infact taken only two attempts to pass his apparation test but actually around 5). So that left Fred, George and Ron. Her father was easy. She just had to threaten to drop a small word in her mothers ear that the lawnmower in the garage and been behaving VERY strangely. Her mother was no problem, she would support her through anything that could vaguely end up with her in a wedding gown as would Hermione.
Draco came along presently and kicked Potter out of his seat and listened to her defense tactics with a big grin on his face.
"you think I should bring my survival kit?"
"your survival kit?"
laughing, he said "my sneakascope, my foe glass, my invisibility cloak…"
"knowing my brothers….that would be a good idea"
"oh".
Draco had a very, very, VERY bad feeling about this.
He had never met Ginny's two elder brothers but what he remembered of the rest was quite depressing. There was that Percy dude, but he seemed to be out of the picture, living in London or something, Ginny didn't mention him much at all. He hoped he wouldn't be there, Percy made him think strongly of a bullfrog.
Fred and George he remembered all too well. It was a little hard to forget walking around with a sign on his back saying "I belong to Pansy Parkinson" for a whole day before anyone said anything. The next few weeks were a nightmare. Parkinson had been like a blood hound.
Shuddering at the memory, he concentrated on apparating to the burrow. Ginny kept giving him reassuring smiles and squeezing his hand. Gestures which had a somewhat ominous feel to it since she was rarely so demonstrative. Not good.
Once outside the burrow, Draco took a deep breath and followed Ginny through the door.
He had only a second to take in his surroundings before all he could see…was…well….red.
Ginny had neglected to mention that ALL her brothers were much bigger than her.
He considered bolting for it but then realized that he'd have to face Ginny back at Hogwarts after that. ANYTHING was better than that.
So, he did the only thing he could do, he took of his cloak, grinned sheepishly and said "hi".