Ginny landed softly on her windowsill and tugged it open before going inside. She set her broom against her closet door and put the diary under her pillow. She shoved the invisibility cloak under her bed and her stomach growled.
"I guess I can get something to eat," Ginny said to herself, quietly opening her door and sneaking down the stairs. She walked into the kitchen and stopped dead. Everyone was in there either sitting down or standing up.
"Erm…hello?" Ginny said uneasily. Mrs. Weasley raised herself to her full height and Ginny cowered.
"Ginevra Molly Weasley! Where have you been?" She screeched.
"Erm…out for a midnight ride?" Ginny came up with.
"With Harry's cloak?" Mr. Weasley asked.
"I know that it's night…but I still didn't want to be seen."
"You are not to leave your room without permission again. Is that understood?" Mrs. Weasley said, glaring Ginny down.
"Yes, ma'am," Ginny said, looking down at her feet. "Erm…you all waited up for me?"
"Yes. You had us worried sick. Never do that again, Missy."
"Yes, ma'am," Ginny ignored her stomach and turned on the spot to run up to her bedroom. She closed the door with a sigh then flopped onto her bed.
"I will bring you back, Tom, I promise." She whispered to the diary as she curled up and slept.
"Children! Come down here! We're ready to go!" Mrs. Weasley called up the stairs. Hermione had arrived and all of them were going to go to Diagon Alley. Ginny grabbed her second hand cloak and went down the stairs.
"Diagon Alley!" She shouted, going next to last. She landed, coughing and spluttering. Mrs. Weasley dusted her off ("Oh, mum,") and they set off to Gringott's.
"Where to first?" Mrs. Weasley asked after they got their money.
"Madam Malkin's," Hermione said. "If you don't mind."
"No, not at all, dear." Ginny didn't need any robes, so she waited until the other three were done before they went to the Apothecary, then the Eeylops Owl Emporium, then the Quidditch store.
"Now for our last stop: Flourish and Blotts." Mrs. Weasley said. They walked over to the store and everyone went their different ways to get the books they needed.
"Hello," A voice said behind Ginny. She jumped and spun around. Draco Malfoy was leaning against the bookshelf behind her, watching her browse.
"Merlin's Beard, Malfoy, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?" Ginny asked, stooping to pick up the books she dropped in her shock.
"A few minutes." He said, watching her. She quickly stood back up.
"Why?"
"Dunno. Just to see what my future wife's interest in books are. You don't mind, do you?" He asked, holding out his hand for the book that wasn't for school. She handed it to him and he flipped through it. "Interesting book. Good luck with that." He said, handing it back to her.
"Thanks," She said, putting it under her arm. She walked to the end of the bookshelf and then around it to the other side. He went around the other side and leaned against it as well. "Okay, why are you here?" Ginny asked.
"I'm not all bad, Weasley. Anyway, I thought it might be an idea to get to know you better before I have to spend the rest of my life with you." Malfoy said, examining his nails.
"Yeah I guess. I can't believe you're not more angry abou this. I would have thought that you'd be furious that you couldn't marry Pansy or somebody."
"Well, I can't believe you're not more angry about this. And no, I would never marry Pansy." He said, laughing. Ginny smiled.
"I was just saying,"
"Yeah, I know. You might as well call me Draco."
"And me Ginny,"
"Where're you going?" He asked.
"To get money from my mum so I can pay for my books." Ginny said, walking in the direction of the four standing at the register.
"I'll pay," Draco said, taking the books from her arms.
"What?" Ginny asked, standing still and looking at him.
"It's nothing really. Not like I'm not going to in the future anyway, right?"
"Right…" Ginny said.
"Where are your books, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny when the two stepped up to the counter. Ginny noticed her looking at Draco funny, and the trio glaring at him.
"Draco's going to pay for them." Ginny said.
"What?" Ron asked. Harry laughed.
"Malfoy? Pay for your books?"
"And since when was he 'Draco?'" Hermione asked.
"Yes, he's going to pay for my books. He's been Draco since now." Ginny said, walking past them to the counter.
"Why?" Ron asked. "Ginny, are you Imperioused?"
"No. And he's paying for them because…" Ginny faltered.
"Because I want to," Draco said, pulling out his gold bag. The trio stood there dumbfounded and they watched Draco pay for Ginny's books, and then hand them to her.
"Thanks, Draco,"
"No problem, Ginny. I see mother. Good-bye." He said, walking out the door to greet him mother.
"That was weird," Harry said. Ginny rolled her eyes and they all flooed back to her house.
"Ginny, honestly. Why was the Malfoy boy paying for your books?" Mrs. Weasley asked once they arrived.
"Like he said. Because he wanted to. Why are you complaining, mum? He paid for my books, and I had quite a few, including outside reading ones. I'm thankful. I know it seems…strange of him, but I'm not complaining." Ginny said, rearranging her books in her arms.
"Do you and Malfoy have a thing?" Ron asked angrily. Ginny froze.
"A what?"
"A thing! A thing for each other!"
"Oh, Merlin's Beard no! What makes you say that, Ron?" Ginny asked.
"Malfoy is not generous. Why would he buy a Weasley, a Gryffindor for that matter, books?"
"Ask him yourself." Ginny said, going up the stairs to her room and depositing the books on her bed.