A/N thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. (insert shameless plug for other stories i'm posting: the horsemen and storybook love)
When Ginevra awoke and made her way downstairs she stopped on the last step and just stared. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had returned. She calmly walked past them without a word and they stared after her and followed after exchanging confused glances. Once in the kitchen she located Draco. "You...My brother is home and you let me sleep?" She couldn't decide whether she was angry or amused.
He raised an eyebrow. "If you want me to wake you up when something important happens you should sleep more than every third day." He wasn't phased by her anger at all, partly because he could see the amusement in her eyes, but mostly because he was the only person who had no reason to fear her anger.
"Fair enough. When's dinner? I don't want to have to sit out the final battle because I didn't finish my vegetables." Draco laughed, as did Pansy and Charlie who were preparing the meal, and Theodore who was sitting across from Draco. Harry chuckled, but Ron and Hermione just stared, still unable to fully comprehend the change in either of the young adults before them.
Ginevra turned and greeted them all warmly before sitting down next to Draco. "So, have you shared any of your knews or answered any questions I would be repeating?"
"Actually, Draco refused to let us speak of our doings at all, not a single word, until you were awake." Harry took a seat opposite Ginevra. Ron sat opposite Draco and Hermione sat beside him. Theodore had moved to the end of the table to give them room next to each other.
Ginevra looked at Draco out of the corner of her eye before nodding slyly. "So he is learning." He laughed and pulled her close to him, kissing her temple. She playfully pushed him away. Ron's mouth fell open and Harry looked up at Charlie who shrugged and then over at Theodore who shook his head with an annoyed look on his face. Harry rolled his eyes and Theodore nodded in appreciation. Draco and Ginevra had turned to discussing who they would be able to call in in time for a meeting that night and completely missed the exchange. Ron, however, caught the tale end of it and looked at Harry in a cross between accusation and inquisition. Harry mouthed the word 'later' before turning back to the redhead and blond.
"So, I assume you still want us to delay any information sharing until this meeting you're talking about, but can you please fill us in on what we've missed here?"
Ginevra looked at Draco in confused accusation. "You could have saved me the tedium of reporting, you know."
"Ah, but then who would break it up for me?" She rolled her eyes and it was Hermione's turn to look at Theodore who once again shook his head, but this time he was trying to hide a grin. Hermione raised her eyebrows in disbelief and Ron looked at her the way he had looked at Harry a moment ago. She too mouthed the word 'later' and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, thoroughly annoyed.
By the time Draco and Ginevra had run through the basics of the Order's activities dinner was ready and people were piling into the suddenly small kitchen. Pansy stood on a chair Charlie had freed for her and started bangin on a pot with a wooden spoon. "Listen up! Everyone who ate before they came file into the living room! I assure you nothing official will be shared until the meeting, you won't miss anything! Shoo!" Half of the people slowly began to shift and sift their way out of the kitchen, some laughing some mumbling.
Finally Remus entered the room and took his seat next to Ginevra and they began a whispered conversation in which she caught him up in all the latest news and reports, much more detailed than what she had helped explain to the others. Across from her, three heads turned toward Draco and three mouths opened to ask a question. Draco raised a hand to forstall them and swallowed. He looked at them tentatively before answering. He and Ginevra had failed to elaborate on their particular roles in the Order. "Hm...well..." he wiped his hand on his napkin, even though it didn't need it, and offered across the table to Ron, "Draco Malfoy, member of the triad leadership of the Order of the Pheonix."
Ron slowly brought his hand up and shook Draco's. Harry rubbed his chin with his hand and nodded appreciatively. Hermione looked over at Ginevra who was still whispering to Remus. Remus caught her eye and winked. She shrugged and half smiled.
That night Bill cast a charm on the wall seperating the kitchen and the sitting room making it invisible and Charlie cast a charm allowing sound to travel between the rooms as though it were one. At least four people walked into the walk through the course of the evening.
The meeting began with Remus bringing a report from the south followed Draco reporting from the West. Ginevra wrapped everything together, painting a complete picture of what was happening across the country and then introduced Harry who was going to report for the trio. He had been instructed earlier to keep the report to a minimum, leaving out details, concentrating on what it meant for the future. He never even stopped to think that Ginevra had been the one to instruct him, he merely obeyed.
He told everyone that they had been searching for Voldemort's weakness and that they had finally found it. Any attempt at a direct attact or personal confrontation with the Dark Lord before then would have been futile, but now they were ready. Now he was prepared to face Voldemort and end the war. The room erupted into cheering.
Draco allowed them to cheer for a few minutes before raising his hand. Ron's mouth fell open yet again when the entire gathering silenced at that one gesture. "All right! You have heard the report. Return tomorrow for your orders." The crowd began to mill around, attempting to locate coats and hats and other such paraphanelia. It took about twenty minutes, but eventually things had died down and the real meeting was about to begin.
Draco, Ginevra, and Remus sat centered on one side of the table. Snape, McGonagall, Moody, Tonks, Theodore, Bill, Charlie, Pansy, Siren, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Thompson, Neville, Aberforth, and Molly sat or stood around them. The kitchen was crowded, but twenty was better than fifty.
Ginevra held up her hand and everyone stopped talking and looked at her. "Okay, now for the real report. Harry, why don't you provide us with some detail?" Harry nodded and launched into a full account of their exploits hunting down the horcruxes and destroying. He went as far back as his education from Dumbledore and brought everyone up to date. It took about an hour to tell the comlete tale, well, at least the relevant parts.
Everyone listened carefully and after he was finished they all sat there for a few moments thinking about what they had just heard. "Good, now what do we do about it?" Draco began the tactical portion of the meeting.
Harry was surprised at how well prepared the Order had been to meet his news. He had no idea they would be capable of setting up what would be the final battle so quickly. It took until one in the morning, but they had a plan that seemed pheasable. They would all sleep on it and meet again at ten the next morning to go over it one more time before they began handing out assignments.
By the end of the evening Ron had fully accepted that his sister had so much authority; it was fairly obvious that she deserved it. He even admitted that Draco was a good man for the job as well. He nearly fell of the bed, however, when Harry and Hermione explained the strange glances they had exchanged with Theodore at dinner.