Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I may not be as evil as I am by leaving you with that terrible cliff hanger over Christmas.

You love me, don't you? That's five days right there. I actaully had this finished Tuesday afternoon, but my computer went stupid and wouldn't let me upload it, either that or it was an internet problem. I figured you deserved the quick update because I got 21 reviews for that chapter, that's like my first five chapters combined! Woot! Thanks to:

kattie: I'm sorry you think of me as an evil stinky pants of an author (lol, I loved that) and yes, it is the dagger, good job
GoldenFawkes: A Walk to Remember made me cry as well (or almost) I doubt I could write a story like that, but it's not a play on words
Neca: Yup, it's the dagger, congrats, and I think I got the basis of your German, and thanks
Guineviere: Merry Christmas to you too, and thank you, and I did update soon!
FroggHopper: Aww, I'm sorry that you're heart is breaking, thanks for the review
padfootedmoony: I'm Slytherin? Yay! And I updated soon so you don't have to hurt me
icicle7: lol, thanks for reviewing, because everyone told me to update soon, I did
Flipinpenname: I know it's evil, I feel slightly guilty, slightly, happy new year!
QuinkyDink: oh good, I'm glad you were like "Draco, what are you doing?" because at that time no one knew, it's hard keeping that a secret when it's from his POV and he's the main character
ghettoxlilazngrl: I'm glad you thought it was a good chapter, and hopefully you weren't too impatient
CoolMilena: Congrats on figuring it out, and thanks for reviewing!
Ladyerudite: hey, nothing wrong with Hufflepuff, and thanks so much for the awesome long review, when i get reviews that actually comment on different aspects of my writing style, it defiantly encourages me, so thanks again!
Alexandria J. Malfoy: lol, your review made me laugh, here's some more
Sweetmly117: haha, I updated, I updated, and pretty quickly too, thanks for the review (hey, that rhymed!)
pix: yup, he's dying, more explained in the following chapter, here it is!
sarah: yup, it's the dagger that Lucius used, congrats, thanks for the review
Ada Achlys: hey, wow, thanks for that really flattering review (preens in front of computer screen) and thanks for the suggestion
louey31: nope, not shitting you, unfortunately, thanks for the review
Slifion: lol, I feel loved, thanks for the review, and I did update pretty soon (for me at least)
Carla: yup, went away far to quickly for the knife to really be pointless, thank you for the review
Chaney: no lump of coal, but I love the line 'best worst cliff hanger ever" it made me laugh, and feel special, and start writing the next chapter, here it is

And yes, I learned how to bold things, woot! Just a little technologically challenged.

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He took a breath, swallowing hard. "Gin," he started, then stopped to lick his lips, nervously. "Ginny," he tried again. "I'm dying."

Ginny stared at him. "You're what?" she asked.

He felt somehow relieved that his secret was out. "Ginevra, I'm dying," he said again.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "You just got better; you're not dying."

She was trying to get him to admit that this was all some sort of joke. It wasn't.

"Ginev-Ginny," he said, managing to smile at her; he always did think of her as a Ginny. "It's the truth. I've been dying for six years now."

"No," she said, again, shaking her head, denying his words. "You're not dying."

"Ginny," he said simply.

She stared at him, her mouth opening to speak but then closing again. Her brows were knitted as she tried to take this information in. "You-You're serious." It wasn't a question; it was an observation.

"I am," he said quietly.

Her eyes reflected all of her questions and all of her confusion and all of her emotions. "How?" she asked finally, not being able to say anything else.

Draco jerked his head towards his room. "I'll show you," he said. He entered his room and pulled open the drawer on the bedside table, taking out the book that lay in there, then kicking off his shoes and sitting on his large bed. Ginny took off her shoes as well and sat across from him with her legs crossed and face white.

"It explains in here," said Draco, looking down at the book in his hands. "I took it from Snape's office after the last battle."

"What happened?" asked Ginny, her voice trembling only slightly.

Draco let out a breath and his fingers went to his side where his scar was. "You know that I was stabbed by Lucius during the battle, actually, stabbed probably isn't the best word because he threw the knife, but either way, I ended up with a knife sticking out of my stomach. The thing was, when I pulled it out, the blade and the hilt of the knife turned into dust. I didn't realize it until a few days later when I woke up."

"What does it mean?" asked Ginny.

"I found this book in Sev's quarters when I went to see him," said Draco, holding up the red leather book. He flipped open to the page he had read practically a thousand times, then showed the picture to Ginny. "That's the dagger he used."

She took the book from his hands and looked at the sketch. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Positive," said Draco.

There was silence as she read the page, twisting a strand of hair round and round her finger.

"What's this Seven Year Curse?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Basically what it sounds like," said Draco. "For seven years the victim knows that he is going to die, but before the seven years are up, he gets his heart's desire, so it's that much harder to let go."

"It says there's a cure," said Ginny.

Draco shook his head. "It's a family curse, and the family of the victim has to break it, and since my family is dead, well, not much to be done." He shrugged.

Ginny gaped at him. "That's it? You're just giving up?"

Draco let out a mirthless chuckle. "Oh, don't think I haven't tried. Why do you think I went to America? They have the best curse-breaking research down there. They can cure almost any family or ancestral curse, but mine is just one of those that can't be fixed."

"And you're okay with this?" asked Ginny, incredulous and slightly angry.

"DABDA," said Draco, quietly.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"The five psychological stages of terminal illness," said Draco. "Denial is the first one, that's why I left. I figured that if I went away, it wouldn't be true, so I kept lying to myself for two years. Then I got angry, for about three months. Then I went through this bargaining stage where I donated to every charity I could find, until the depression set in for about a year, and then I finally came to terms with it. I later heard about the depression over here, the economic one that is and I figured, hey, what a way to go, saving the very world my father tried to destroy. I suppose you could say it's my last act of rebellion," he said, smiling at the thought of his father turning in his grave.

"It's not funny!" Ginny exclaimed, outraged at the smile.

"Well, that's two of the stages, denial and anger," said Draco, still smiling, not heeding her command.

She slapped him, hard. His head whipped to the side and he could feel a red mark spreading. He gingerly touched his cheek and turned to look at her. She was staring at him in shock, her hand pressed over her mouth and her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry. Oh Merlin, you're dying and I slapped you."

"Hey," he said, reaching over and taking her hand away from her mouth. "It's fine."

She nodded and looked away, trying to regain her composure. There was silence for a while.

"I shouldn't have come back," said Draco, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny.

Draco ran a hand through his hair and tugged. "I came back thinking just to fix the economy; I wasn't taking the curse seriously. I knew I was going to die, but once I accepted it, I realized that I really wasn't going to be that upset at leaving this world. I had a few friends, but nothing really… really enthralling. There was nothing that was keeping me here besides my money, and it was never about the money, it was about my business succeeding. So I came back." He gave another mirthless laugh. "I wasn't expecting to get my heart's desire. For one thing, even I didn't know what it was, for the other, well, what can the richest man in the world possibly desire that he doesn't have already?"

"What was it?" asked Ginny, wiping her eyes and looking at him.

"You," said Draco. "You and Sev and Blaise and Harry and Pansy and all the rest. Dragon and Zak too. I wanted a real family. People that actually cared about me, and would fuss over me when I was sick, fuss until I got annoyed, but at the same time, I would love every minute of it, because I would know that they cared." He broke off, smiling slightly. "But mostly I wanted you, Gin. Well, not you specifically, but someone, someone to care about, someone to love."

She stared at him. "There's nothing to be done?" she asked finally.

He shook his head. "No," he said simply.

"And no one else knows?"

"No," he said. "And I'd rather you not tell anyone. I want to live these last months like nothing is wrong, at least while I can hide it."

Ginny looked a little startled. "You mean no one else has any idea that you're-that you're…you know."

"Dying?" Draco supplied. "No, no one. It would just make things a little awkward, all of this treating me like an invalid, and always mindful of my feelings. I couldn't live with that."

"You're going to die with that," said Ginny, rather bluntly. She immediately blushed, and looked down, embarrassed at her tactlessness.

"But the point is that, right now, I'm still living, and as far as I know, I'm perfectly healthy. I just have a death sentence hanging over my head."

Ginny flinched slightly and Draco cursed his unfeeling statement.

"Ginny," he said, catching her hand again, and waiting until she looked into his eyes. "Ginny, I never meant for you to get hurt through all this. It was the other reason I chose you to work with me. I never thought that I would ever form a real friendship with Weasley's baby sister, much less actually…," he trailed off. "Perhaps it's better off unsaid, but know this, if I had any idea that…this would happen, I would have never taken you from France."

Ginny nodded silently, then leaned forward and Draco pressed his lips once more to hers, but this was a chaste, slow kiss, and Draco could feel tears sliding down her cheeks, and mingling between them, and then she pulled back and left the room, grabbing her shoes and shutting the door quietly behind her.

Draco leaned back onto the pillows and stared at the door, idly playing with one of the tassels on a throw pillow until he fell asleep, and when he did finally fall asleep, he dreamt of the field.

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Draco found it surprisingly easy to work with Ginny in the days following the night when he told her his secret. She was not finding it as simple. He knew because he would often catch her furiously wiping at her eyes, or staring off into space. She started avoiding him, which was easier for her, but he hated every minute he could not see her. He may not be able to get in a relationship with her, for fear of hurting her, but that did not mean he didn't worship her from afar.

In the month after the earthquake, Draco's businesses prospered greater than he could have ever imagined, and the public absolutely adored him. He was starting to build another subdivision for his employees and started a new maternity leave policy which included a daycare for the working witch with children. He couldn't walk down the street without someone stopping him to thank him, and Draco finally realized how Potter exactly felt with all of this fame.

Ever since the Quidditch game, Harry's popularity had increased tenfold, Yes, everyone loves a hero, but they idolize sports figures. Padma and Harry finally made a public announcement of their involvement so that the press would stop printing tabloids and for the fan letters with pictures of beautiful women would stop coming in. It didn't help.

September came and went, but left a perpetual chill in the air. By the time October came around the leaves were practically all red, orange, and yellow. Draco personally thought it one of the prettiest autumns ever, and he enjoyed every minute of it, knowing that it would be his last.

He never dwelt that long on his own mortality or his approaching death, he frankly had too much to do, but it was always in the back of his mind, the knowledge that each night marked the end of one more day that had passed, and in its passing, had brought him one step closer to the end. It made him drink in every moment to its fullest, which was why he was allowing Pansy to unstraighten his hair and brush out his curls.

"Why does my hair have to be curly again?" he asked. It was the Friday before Halloween and there was a costume party at the Burrow. To make it a little more interesting, the adults were dressing in a theme: stylized Muggle clothing.

"Because you're a 'surfer dude'," said Pansy with an air of infinite patience as she had answered this question a thousand times.

"Why do I have to be a surfer?" asked Draco.

"Because you've been to California," said Pansy, now ruffling the curls.

"So has Padma," said Draco.

"You've lived in California," said Pansy. "Now, I lay out your costume on your bed, so you can go get changed now."

"Who are you going to be?" asked Draco.

"A cheerleader," said Pansy, giving him a push towards the bed. Draco took one look at the costume and then turned to glare at Pansy.

"Exactly why did I let you pick out my outfit?" he asked.

"Because you were busy in a conference all week," said Pansy, giving him a sweet smile. "Now get dressed."

Draco frowned as she shut the door and stared at the khaki shorts and bright Hawaiian shirt in mottled red, orange and pink. Oh no, he did not wear pink, or red for that matter if he could help it. He walked to his wardrobe and opened the bottom drawer. After rummaging underneath his socks, he found the tight, black, spandexy surfer's shirt that had been a gag gift one Christmas. He actually used it one time when Mark Travers had tried to teach him how to surf. Tried being the operative word there; Draco suspected he had made a fool of himself.

Draco pulled on the shirt and zipped up the back, then he pulled on the long khaki shorts and sandals. He glanced in the mirror and had to force himself not to shudder. If you dyed his hair a darker blond, and gave him spray on tanner, he would look like Mark Travers.

An hour later and all of the kids were dressed and ready. They were exempt from the theme as most had picked out their own costumes. Dragon was, of course, a dragon, dressed in green shirt and pants with scales drawn on them and wings attached to the back of his shirt.

"Draco, where'd you get that shirt?" asked Pansy, coming down in a short blue and white pleated skirt with a matching sweater top and pom-poms. She was also holding Amandine, who had a princess dress on.

Draco shrugged. "I did live in California," he said.

"You really have gone surfing before, haven't you?" Pansy asked with a teasing smile.

Draco didn't answer, which told Pansy what she needed to know. She smirked at him and surveyed Lida and Dragon who were waiting impatiently for their father. He finally came running down the stairs in a black suit with a black tie and sunglasses.

"Who are you?" asked Draco

"You can't tell?" asked Blaise in a heavy Italian accent.

"Mafia?" asked Draco, and Blaise grinned broadly.

"That's the one. Look at this." He pulled out a black handgun and aimed it at Draco and pulled the trigger. A stream of water hit him in the face.

"A squirt gun?" asked Draco, wiping the water from his eyes.

"Hey, no guns around the kids, you know?"

Draco shook his head and Flooed up the Burrow. "Shall we then?"

The party was a success. The kids had way too much candy than was good for them, and the adults had way too much fun. Harry, who was dressed as a jock, kept chasing after Padma, who was dressed as a 'nerd' with black, thick framed glasses, a grey woolen skirt, and a blouse with a bow neck tie. Bill, on the other hand was dressed like a 'geek' a small and subtle difference. The Weasley twins were dressed as farmers, with plaid flannel shirts and cowboy boots and hats.

Ginny was gorgeous as always in a white strap dress that was quite simple and short. Her hair was down in loose curls with a necklace of flowers around her neck along with a peace sign. She danced around the room barefoot singing a song about trees and love. She nearly got the award for 'most true to costume' but Draco raised a challenging eyebrow and said in a perfect American accent "Dude girl, just sit down and chill, ya know?"

Not to be out done, Blaise got up with his squirt gun and went around the room knocking people off and kept muttering in his Italian voice about a 'godfather'. Then Snape arrived in his usual black robes and Blaise went to spray him in the face, but then realized that the robe was actually a black leather trench coat and that Sev was also wearing black baggy pants, a black t-shirt and large black boots. He had a few chains on as well as black spiky bracelets, and he merely glared at Blaise and slumped in a chair, his black hair falling into his face. Snape won the award, and nearly made Dragon cry, but Zak, who was in miniature Quidditch robes, thought it was 'cool'. Draco later learned that Hermione had forced his godfather into the costume and he secretly congratulated her.

They played a few games, including a round of Quidditch which was fun in the costumes. Penny was dressed as a tomboy and so had no trouble getting on her broom, and Draco was secretly wondering how Ginny was going to fly in that dress without flashing them all, not that he would have minded. It seems her brothers had the same idea because they were eyeing her suspiciously, but Ginny laughed and pulled up the skirt of her dress to reveal a pair of blue shorts.

To make things even more interesting, they switched positions as well so that Fred and George were Seekers, Ginny and Penny were Beaters, Draco and Harry were Keepers and the rest were Chasers. Draco discovered that he was a horrible Keeper, but that Harry was as bad as he was. It was even worse for Fred and George because as soon as one of them spotted the Snitch, the other would spot it as well. Draco wondered if it had to do with identical twin sibling telepathy.

The game finally ended when Harry's team all flew to George and held him back so that Fred caught the Snitch, and while Draco's team protested that it was cheating, they were also glad that the game ended as it was getting dark and it was hard to see anything.

As the rest of the group piled inside the house for a up of tea, Draco stayed outside to watch the last bit of the sunset. He sat on the steps of the porch, leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees. A soft voice interrupted the solitude.

"Can I join you?"

Draco turned to see Ginny with two mugs in her hand.

"I brought coffee," she said.

"Well, in that case, I suppose so," said Draco, teasingly. She smiled and joined him on the steps, handing him the mug of coffee. They stared out at the darkening sky in silence for a while before Draco spoke.

"You've been avoiding me," he said quietly.

"I've been thinking," said Ginny, just as softly.

"About what?" asked Draco.

"You, mostly," said Ginny, "and also about me. I've come to a decision."

"Oh?" asked Draco. "And what did you decide?"

"The only reason you won't date me, is because you are afraid of hurting me," said Ginny. "And the only reason I'm not dating you is because I'm afraid of hurting you."

"Wha-?" began Draco, but Ginny held up a hand.

"Let me finish," she said. "I was afraid that because you seem so accepting about the fact that you're, that you're dying, that being with me might make it worse, if you really did care about me that is. I need to know if that's true."

"If you being with me would make it hard to die?" asked Draco.

"Yes," Ginny whispered.

Draco swallowed and stared out at the evening sky. "No," he said lowly. "The only thing that would hurt is if you left."

"Then you need to know," said Ginny, "that, yes, when you die, I'm going to get hurt, but it would be worse if I never told you how I feel."

"Ginny, stop," said Draco hoarsely. "Don't."

"What are you afraid of?" asked Ginny.

"I don't want to hurt you," said Draco.

"I already told you," said Ginny, "that it wasn't going to hurt me. So what are you afraid of Draco? Tell me."

He was silent for a while and then he turned to her. "What if it's just the curse?" he asked. "It's the Seven Year Curse where I'm supposed to get my heart's desire. What if this whole thing was a fluke? What if the only reason my crazy scheme to fix the economy worked was because of the curse? What if that's the only reason you're sitting here, telling me that you care?"

"Load of bull," said Ginny. "If that was the case the economy would have been fixed just like that." She snapped her fingers. "And as I recall, you nearly killed the economy before it got better. And I did not fall in love with some curse, I fell in love wi-,"

It was his turn to stop her. "Gin, don't. You're making a mistake," he said.

"So, now you're trying to tell me what to do?" Ginny asked, an angry note in her voice. "You dare to tell me who I am in love with?"

"Ginny, it's not that," said Draco. "I-I'm fine with us just being friends. It's easier knowing that you don't care for me like that, knowing that it wasn't the curse that kept us apart. I don't want to hate it, Ginny. I don't want to dread my death when I've been doing so fine just accepting it. Don't make this any harder, please." His voice was practically raw, and he got up to pace the porch.

"So you're saying that at your death bed, you want me to just hold hands with you? Or do you want me kissing you, and telling you that I love you, and that when we meet up in heaven someday, I want you there waiting for me with open arms so that we both know we'll never be apart forever?"

"Is there such thing as heaven?" Draco asked, trying desperately to sidetrack her.

"Don't change the subject. Do you want me to tell you that I love you?"

"Oh Merlin, Gin," said Draco, his voice breaking as he stopped pacing and stared at the sky until he could trust himself to speak again. "Gin, why are you doing this to me?"

"Answer the question," said Ginny, her voice hard and leaving no room for argument.

"No, I'm not answering," said Draco turning around and reaching for the door. He could hear Ginny get up behind him.

"Draco, wait," she said. He drew in a breath and turned around, only to stumble against the door as she launched herself at him. His mouth found hers without his brain commanding him to do so and he held her tight as both of them grappled with each other, desperation overcoming any passion they might have felt.

"I want you to know," said Ginny, gasping between kisses, "that if you tell me that you don't want me to love you, you'll be breaking my heart."

"No talk," Draco muttered, dipping down again to capture her lips. She tasted of raspberry tea and honey, an odd combination, but so addictive. He practically devoured her mouth, barely remembering to breathe, but then she pushed her self back, leaving him gasping this time.

"Ginny, what?" he asked, stepping forward, but she held up her hand, retreating backwards.

"Answer the question, Draco. Do you want me to tell you that I love you? Because if you say yes, I'm going to be with you every waking moment until you die, and it's not going to be easy for either of us letting go. I need to know."

Draco paused, imagining her holding his hand as he died with a sad smile on her face for every thing that wasn't to be, for everything that had never been. And then he pictured her holding his hand with tears in her eyes, but she was smiling lovingly, reassuringly telling him that it would be okay, they'd be together. It was then he knew that if he wanted to look at his death without dread or hate, he would have to walk away right now, he wanted to walk away. It was like discovering he was dying all over again, and he didn't know if he could take it, but then he remembered what Ginny had said, "if you tell me that you don't want me to love you, you'll be breaking my heart".

He would give anything not to give her any more pain; he had already caused her to fall in love with a dying man. He looked up at her, standing in the dark with her hair ablaze in the last of the light, and he knew she was worth it.

"I love you, Ginevra," he said. "I want you to make your own decision. I won't tell you to love me; you do that if you want to. Just know that I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too, Draco Malfoy. Now kiss me."

That was all the invitation he needed. He ran forward and caught her in his arms while her own arms snaked around his neck, pulling his lips to hers.

The door opened, bathing the two of them in light from the hallway and they jumped apart.

"Well, it took you two long enough," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling at them. "Now come in and have some cake before it's all gone."

Draco looked at her in surprise. "You don't mind? Did you want me to ask permission or anything?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "I would have been disappointed if you had. It's Ginny's decision; it always has been, though, I do approve, if that's what you mean."

Draco smiled. "Thank you," he said simply.

"Now come on in," said Mrs. Weasley. They followed her in, heading into the living room where the rest of the family was gathered.

"There you two are," said Harry. "Took you long enough."

Ginny blushed and Draco suddenly felt nervous. If Harry suddenly asked them what they were doing out there, should he tell them? He and Ginny weren't really dating, were they? But Harry didn't seem to take notice of them, instead he stood up and called for everyone's attention.

"I have an announcement to make," he said. Padma stood up next to him and grabbed his hand. "Padma and I are engaged," said Harry, with the largest grin Draco had ever seen on his face. He knew right then that they were perfect for each other; Harry hadn't looked this happy ever, not even when he won the Quidditch World Cup. Cheers and hollers broke out across the room.

"We want you all to be a part of the wedding," said Padma, over the cheers. "Groomsmen and bridesmaids."

"Plans are in the making right now," said Harry, "but we would like the reception to be at Malfoy Estate, that alright with you, Draco?"

"I owe it to you, don't I?" asked Draco, smiling broadly. "I hooked you two up, didn't I?"

"Figured that's what you'd say," said Harry. "And if that didn't work, well, there's always blackmail."

"Very Slytherin," said Draco. "I'm impressed. When's the wedding?"

"Sometime in June, probably. Is that alright?"

Draco felt Ginny flinch beside him. He'd be dead then, but hey, Harry was welcome to it.

"'Course it is," he said easily. He stuck out his hand. "Congratulations Potter."

"Thanks Malfoy," said Harry, shaking his hand. "Oh, and you and Ginny will probably be dates for each other at the wedding. Is that alright?"

Draco wondered if he should just go ahead and tell Harry that he wasn't going to be making the wedding because he would be six feet under, but he figured he shouldn't ruin the happy occasion.

"Funny you should mention that," said Ginny, coming forward and slipping her hand in Draco's and giving it a squeeze. "Don't you think, Draco?"

Harry looked down at their linked hands and then at their faces. Ginny was smiling and Draco couldn't help the slight smirk on his face.

"Oh good," said Harry. "Then we don't have to set you up then."

Draco blinked. "What?"

"Payback," said Harry. "Me and Padma figured you two needed a push in the right direction. Congratulations Malfoy."

"Congratulations for what?" asked Padma, coming over.

"This," said Draco, pulling Ginny to him and kissing her soundly on the lips. The room went dead quiet, and Draco could feel Ginny smiling against his lips and he pulled back.

There was a shocked second of silence following the kiss, and then every woman in the room squealed happily. Draco figured that was the only thing keeping him from being hexed right then and there by six Weasley brothers. Sure enough, all of the women went to flock around Ginny and Padma, and Draco found himself surrounded by red-headed men.

"So, when were you going to tell us?" asked Bill, folding his arms across his chest.

"Actually, it just sort of happened right now," said Draco. "When we were outside, that is."

"And what are you're intentions for her?" asked Charlie.

"Just to make her happy," said Draco.

"Do you deserve her?" asked Percy.

"No," said Draco, and that was the truth.

"Do you usually kiss women on the first date?" asked Fred.

"No," said Draco. "We've been talking for a while now, and well…," he trailed off.

"Are you going to break her heart?" asked George.

Draco hesitated. "I'm doing everything I can to make sure that never happens."

"Do you realize that if you do, we will hunt you down and murder you in the most painful way possible with a very good chance of castration?" asked Ron.

"If I break her heart, I'd deserve it," said Draco.

"Or for heaven's sake, leave him alone," said an exasperated voice behind them. It was Ginny with her hands on her hips; she was glaring at her brothers. "No more intimidation," she said, "or I'll give you six something to be intimidated about."

She pulled Draco away from them and sat him on the couch. "Let me guess," she said. "They went through their six question routine with you."

"Yeah," said Draco. "Do you think I passed?"

She glanced over at her brothers. "I think so. I had an interesting talk with Severus."

"Oh really," said Draco, glancing at his godfather who was glaring at the six Weasley brothers with a very menacing stare.

"Yes. He said that if you ever give me a hard time, I can just call him to deal with you."

"So much for loyalty to his godson," said Draco shaking his head. "I swear, dating you is more dangerous than I thought it would be. I may die even soo-," he was cut off with Ginny kissing him.

"Let's forget about it," she said, when she finally pulled away. "Just for tonight."

He was happy to agree and when he went to bed that night, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

He was in the field, with its brillant colors and peaceful atmosphere, and although he was still alone, he felt the greatest since of completion and contentness. A flash of red and movement caught his eye and he turned to see a beautiful butterfly flitting among the emrald green grass over the sapphire waters. The butterfly's wings were a gorgeous red-gold and he knew right then the meaning of perfection.

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With every passing day, Draco fell more and more in love with Ginevra Weasley. They did everything together. They stayed up late working together, and ate lunch together, and took frequent trips out to Muggle London together where they could get away from the reporters and crowds.

It was more than a relationship, it was true friendship even though they didn't laugh at the same jokes, they didn't agree when it came to public policies and they voted for different people on the board of judges. They even fought frequently, which was funny as they hadn't fought as often when they were business partners, or as hard. When they fought, Draco would punch the wall and Ginny would slap him and storm out of whatever room they had been in.

The first time this had happened Ginny had gone to the Burrow where she had sobbed inconsolably on her mother's shoulder, absolutely convinced that this was the end. Unfortunately it was a Tuesday afternoon, and so her brothers came home to see her crying and were about to call on a man hunt for Draco, but Mrs. Weasley told them that if they did, they were never coming back for a family dinner again. From what Draco heard that was the worst family dinner ever. He wasn't there; he was at the estate burying himself in work.

The next morning he realized that he had done the entire budget wrong and that he couldn't concentrate without a certain red-head and guilt was poisoning every thought. So six o'clock Wednesday morning found him coatless in the rain banging on the Burrow door yelling for Ginny. The Weasley brothers had opened the door, preparing to beat the crap out of him, but had pulled up short when they had caught sight of him. His hair was plastered to his forehead and he had deep circles under his eyes. His left hand was taped because his knuckles were scraped and bloodied from where he had punched the wall and his cheek had a spectacular purple bruise on it from where Ginny had slapped him.

Before the brothers could collect themselves to go after him, Ginny shoved her way through them and jumped into his arms sobbing and saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again, and all he could do was hold her tight and repeat her mantra until Mrs. Weasley shooed them all inside for a hot breakfast. Upon discovering that the bruise was from Ginny, the brothers decided that she could take care of herself and instead of glaring at Draco whenever he was banging on the Burrow door for Ginny, they laughed and helped things calm down. They could tell that although they may be one of the more dysfunctional couples, they truly loved each other. It was, after all, blatantly obvious.

Whenever Ginny smiled, Draco smiled too, he couldn't help it. Whenever he spotted her red hair or her amber eyes, his own eyes lit up, and when she laughed, he wanted to pull her into an embrace. He bought her things as well. He would see something beautiful and it would remind him of her, and he would get it. Ginny used to joke in private that it was a good thing he was dying soon, or else she'd end up with so much stuff, it would burst the walls at the estate. Draco knew he was hopelessly in love, and that he was going to die soon, and so he stayed completely by her side, and tried to forget the curse. It was easy when he was thinking about her.

For her own part, Ginny made life brighter for him. She wouldn't go a day without making a funny face, or telling a joke to get him to laugh. When he did buy things for her, she would roll her eyes and give an exasperated sigh, but always give him a kiss and a hug and whisper 'I love you' in his ear, and for someone who had gone his whole childhood without anyone telling him that, those three little words were the best gift he could get. She was also tough, something that he needed. When he was in a bad mood and would yell, she would yell right back, often louder than he did. When he was truly a bastard, which he was whenever they got into a fight, she would let him know. In short, they were perfect for each other.

And that was why he was once again banging on the Burrow door at seven on Friday morning in the chill of early December.

"Ginny, come on. I know you're in there! I'm sorry, alright?"

The door opened and Charlie stood in the doorway smirking at him.

"'Nother fight, Malfoy?"

Draco rolled his eyes but stepped into the house.

"No bruise this time?" asked Charlie, searching his blemish-free face.

"I got smart and ducked," said Draco. "I think that's why she's mad at me."

Charlie shook his head in mock hopelessness, but he led Draco into the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley gave him a plate of eggs and toast. Charlie walked to the stairs and yelled up.

"Ginny, your boyfriend's here!"

There was a clatter of footsteps and Draco switched places with Charlie and Ginny ran into his arms.

"You're late," she said, hugging him tightly.

"I fell asleep," said Draco. It was true, usually he stayed up all night trying to work, but he had dropped off around five that morning. He had dreamed of the field and could remember the events with unnerving accuarcy.

He was standing in the field with the red-gold butterfly hovering around his head, sometimes landing in his hair, which made him laugh, but then the butterfly had left, flying towards the river, and he had followed, splashing through the water. He had made the mistake of looking down and seeing the reflection that was not quite his reflection. 'I told you this day would come' the wind had whispered, whipping roughly around him. The sky had grown dark, and he looked up to see slate grey couds spreading over the robin's egg blue sky.

He had woken up with a start and with his heart pounding rapidly and with a desire to see Ginny.

Ginny pulled back and looked him over. "You're wearing your clothes from yesterday," she said, her nose wrinkling.

"I told you I fell asleep and woke up late, so I decided to get you first. I missed you."

"Wow, I now know you must love me if your sacrificing your wardrobe for me. Now that's true devotion," said Ginny, tilting her head up for a kiss. Draco gave it to her as she whispered, "I love you too."

"So what was it about this time?" asked Charlie, when they came in for breakfast.

"None of your business," said Draco, just as Ginny said, "Quidditch."

Charlie just shook his head. "What are you two going to do when you run out of things to argue about?"

"Live happier lives," said Draco blandly. "What are you here for?"

"Faye and the kids went to Ireland to visit their other grandmother, and I have work here to do, so I stayed, and since Mum doesn't trust me to fend for myself, she dragged me here," said Charlie. "Not that I'm complaining," he added taking a bite of eggs.

After breakfast Ginny accompanied Draco to Malfoy Estate where he ran into his bathroom to take a cold shower and change his clothes. Ginny had followed him into his room and he got a little sidetracked with her for awhile. They didn't do anything beyond kissing, the knowledge that Draco would be dying soon kept a boundary in the physical side of the relationship and Draco really didn't want to leave Ginny with a kid after his death. It wouldn't be fair to her.

He scrubbed up quickly, stopping when a sharp pain lanced through his side. He frowned and looked down at his scar, and froze. The scar was no longer a white line, but an angry red one, which could only mean one thing: It was starting.

He came out of the bathroom with his black pants and white button-up shirt on, toweling his hair off so that he could avoid Ginny's gaze. He didn't want to tell her just then, but she could read him like a book now, one of the only people that could.

"What's wrong?" she asked, getting off of his bed that she had been lounging on. Draco sighed and threw his towel on the floor, then unbuttoned the shirt and showed her the scar. Her face paled and she reached out to brush the mark with her feather-light finger tips. Draco remembered a time when she had done the same and he had flinched away, but now he leaned into the touch, desiring it.

"So it's starting then," she said.

Draco nodded and forced an unconcerned tone. "Well, it's not like we didn't know it was coming," he said.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I'm taking New Foundations and MagicTec public," he said. "Sell stock and all that. I'll still be CEO and what not, but this way when I'm gone it won't be that big of a shock."

"And AllChemists?" Ginny asked.

"Don't know yet," said Draco. "Maybe split the company and give different parts away. I think Pansy might want to take over the beauty and health part; she's getting bored with her designer company."

"What about Malfoy Enterprises?"

"I'm giving that to you," said Draco. "Think of it as a Christmas present."

"Christmas isn't for another two and a half weeks," said Ginny.

"Ah, well, Santa came early for you," said Draco. "I'll help you learn the ropes. Anyway, we should probably get into the office and break it to the media that we're going public. That'll create a stir."

"What about everyone else?" asked Ginny.

"I'll tell them when I have to," said Draco. "I'll probably tell Sev tomorrow." He frowned when he thought of his godfather. "It's a good think he has Zak, isn't it?" he asked.

Ginny wrapped her arms around him. "It'll be alright, Draco. Everything will be alright."

And he returned the embrace, burying his head in her red hair that smelled slightly of her citrus shampoo, and for that moment, he believed her.

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