Chapter 11: Happy Birthday Ginny!

It was at Potters wedding that Draco realized Ginny was ready for him to ask her. She made little changes in the way she said things. At Seamus and Megan's wedding two months before she avoided all talk of marriage, now she was openly talking about it.

"I'd like to have the old bonding ritual performed at my wedding." Ginny said.

Pansy winked at Draco who was across the room before replying, "That can only be done when two pure-bloods get married."

Ginny smirks at the raven-haired witch, "I know that!"

Draco approaches the witches. Pansy could see him but Ginny couldn't.

"Still saving yourself for the man you're going to marry?" Pansy teases.

"I already found him, Pans" Ginny giggles back.

Draco puts his hand on the small of Ginny's back and kisses her cheek. "You already found who, love?"

She kisses him lightly on the mouth giving him a sexy look. "Where have you been Dragon? I've been looking for you."

"Well, you've found him now, Ginny" Pansy chuckled.

"I most certainly have." Ginny replied before giving Draco a passionate kiss.

Ginny's birthday was the next Saturday. He ran his plans past Pansy Parkinson, she thought they were brilliant. He asked her father for her hand, and setup his plans for Saturday.

Ginny and Draco went to the Burrow at 8:00 am for the traditional birthday breakfast with her entire family. Ron and Harry made their standard, "When are you going to dump the git" comments. But Mrs. Weasley's classic interrogation about when he was going to pop the question or free her daughter for a nice boy was absent. For the most part breakfast was uneventful. Her family gave their gifts. Draco's gift to Ginny was the afternoon at a Wizarding Day Spa.

Draco picked her up from the Spa at 3:30. She was astonished when he took her into the muggle movie theater. After he purchased the tickets she asked, "Why now? Why this movie?"

"Isn't Bridget Jones the muggle book you liked so much?" She nodded. "Haven't you been asking me to take you to a muggle movie?" She nodded again. "Well, I've decided it's time for us to start creating some of our own traditions. The first one is Gin gets whatever Gin wants for her birthday. Now, would you like popcorn and a soda?"

He found he enjoyed movie theaters. They were dark; in this one the armrest moved so Gin could cuddle up against him. A well placed whispered "I love you" got him a quick kiss and a nice squeeze. He really didn't like the movie, but Gin appeared to really enjoyed herself. Yes, they would have to go to the movie theater again, he thought.

They walked arm and arm back to her flat. He dressed for dinner in her room while she used her roommates. He was putting on his tie when she knocked. Her hair, makeup and fingernails were still perfect from the Spa. She was wearing a black strapless dress with white skirt. He always wondered how those types of dresses stayed up and he secretly hoped she'd fall out of it. He watched her walk over to dresser. She took out her wand, did a charm, and a hidden drawer appeared. This drawer contained the pearl necklace, earrings, and bracelet he had given her last Christmas.

"I forgot this." She opens the black box. As she is removing the necklace, he steps behind her. He places an arm around her waste, pulls her back against his front, and kisses her neck. He sets another black box on the dresser; "I believe these will look nicer, my Love." He helps her put the pearl necklace back in its box, closes it and opens the other.

It contains a diamond and emerald necklace, earrings, and bracelet. She gasped, "Draco, this is way to much, I can't…"

"You can't give back a birthday present. Our second new family tradition." He kisses her cheek and helps her with the necklace and bracelet. Ginny put in the earrings. They both look in the mirror. " My god, Gin, you are gorgeous!"

"You're not so bad yourself." She turned still in his arms and kisses his lips lightly. "We better get going our reservation is in 20 minutes."

He moves in for another kiss. "They'll hold it for us." They share a passionate kiss.

They had a lovely dinner then danced for hours, a little after midnight, Draco apparated them into an elegantly decorated room. Ginny looked around in surprise. "This is the room from your mother's decorating book."

Draco goes over to a table where champagne is chilling in a bucket. His back is to Ginny. Pouring a glass, he smirks before speaking. "Really, Gin."

"Yes, I think it was last month some time. I told her a really liked this room. She said she was redecorating one of the parlors."

"Mother is always redecorating one room or another. Here you go, Love." He hands her the glass of champagne. He kisses her lightly. "Why don't you like around. I'll be back in a minute." Draco walks at of the room. He looks into a mirror that displays Ginny in the other room.

She walks over to the fireplace mantle and looks at the pictures. The first is of Draco's family, Draco's graduation, then three of her and Draco, then her graduation, and her family. She's starts to get angry. She opens the drapes, and sees she is in London, not in the Manor. "I can't believe him. How many times do I have to tell him? He's not buying me a flat." She walks over to a bookcase, and removes one of the books. "What's this doing here?" She gets a puzzled look on her face. The front of the book reads "Ginerva Molly Weasley, August 11th, 1981 in gold letters. She opens the book and starts going through the pages.

Everything is going as he has planned. Ginny had found her memory book. Memory books are magical items; they display illustrations of the important event of a witch or wizard's single life. Once engaged, their important events are printed in a family memory book. Before today, Ginny's book had many blank pages in the back, but tonight she would find only one more page. He wanted to be kneeling in front of her when that happened.

She gets to the last page, looks puzzled at first. Then her eyes start to tear. Speaking very softly she says, "He said our family traditions earlier."

"Yes, that is exactly what I said." He is down on one knee in front of her. He takes the book from hers hand, placing it face up on the floor. He takes her left hand into his.

"Ginevra, I love you more than I thought I ever could. I think about you day and night. I imagine taking our children to platform 9 ¾. Gin, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will, you please marry me!"

Tears are slowly running down Ginny's face. "Draco, I love you too. Oh god. I can't believe…. Yes, YES!"

"Thank you, Gin." He places a ring on her left hand. It is a silver ring with a 2-carat brilliant cut Emerald in the center on each side of the emerald are 1.5 carat brilliant cut diamonds. He kisses her hand, stands up, kisses her tears away, and then kisses her.