The signing:

Harry had organized to meet with Malfoy and Ginny in the Room of Requirement. It had been three days since their last meeting and they needed to know whether Draco would sign their agreement. It needed to be done before they all left and went on holiday.

Ginny was dreading the holiday, She knew the it would be an indefinite amount of time before she could see Harry again. She wasn't even guaranteed to see him.

Ginny sighed at the thought as they walked under the invisibility cloak down to the Room of Requirement. Harry muttered, "What is that about?"

She glanced sideways at him and mumbled, "Well, if you must know, I'm dreading having this long summer ahead and not knowing when and IF I'll see you again."

Harry was silent the rest of the way until they reached the room, "I know how you feel, Ginny. I'm feeling anxious about it, too. What if you find someone else when I'm away? Someone better and more stable and consistent? You deserve that and more."

Ginny was taken aback by his concerns. She had never even thought about dating anyone other than him. Now that he was in reach, she never wanted to let him go.

She whispered out loud her inner most turmoil thoughts that kept her up at night, "And you, Harry? You know how long I've crushed on you. How long it took for us to get together. For me to talk in the same room you were in. I just got you. After all these years I never really wanted anyone else. I know I started dating and that was good to experience, but I knew what my heart wanted even then. What if you find someone else on your travels?"

Harry chuckled at that, "Highly unlikely. I won't have much time to be looking at anyone, to be honest." Ginny froze mid-step and whispered, "I love you, Harry Potter. Come back to me, that's all I ask." There, she'd said it. The truth out in the open. Harry had frozen too and was watching her intently. He whispered hoarsely, "Ginny...I love you too...but I can't make false promises."

Ginny took a step closer to him, her concern evident on her face as she whispered worriedly, "Then how can I let you go?"

They were interrupted by a noise in the corridor. It was Malfoy approached so Harry took off the cloak and held onto her hand tightly. He coughed to announce his presence and they turned to find him scowling at them.

Harry grimaced right back, "Evening, Malfoy." Malfoy scowled back, "Potter, Weasley, let's get this unpleasantry over and done with, shall we?"

They entered the room together and found a mini office decorated with lush furniture. The desk in the center was that of a conference room. It was surrounded by chairs on all side. And the flowers that brightened the corners of the room were magnificent and bright. The room was light and modern looking.

Ginny and Harry sat beside each other while Harry handed Draco the contract. They waited in an uncomfortable silence while Draco read the fine print. He rolled his eyes at certain numbers on the page, but Harry had tried to keep it as short and succinct to the point as possible.

Ginny felt her insides flutter into a turmoil. They were talking about her future, after all. A future where she had to trust Draco Malfoy.

When he finished reading, he glanced up at her and whispered huskily, "And what about your end of the bargain? I feel as if this won't be enough to ensure you will keep your word. I want myself and my family pardoned for any wrong doings in the future."

Harry visibly stiffened and he snapped, "That wasn't what we initially discussed, Malfoy. We discussed your safety, not your whole family! I cannot guarantee it." He rolled his eyes, "Fine, let's just make it my mother, father, anyone I am with at the time and any children we happen to have?"

The idea of Draco Malfoy having children or getting married was laughable to Ginny. She snorted and he scowled at her, "Think it's funny, Weasley? I don't want to risk my life trying to do something that is near impossible without good renumeration."

Ginny stilled quickly and nodded, "Harry? I think it's fair." He scowled and retorted, "No, it's not. What if his father and mother tried killing me, Ginny? Then would it be fair?"

She bit her lip, and he knew she understood, "We will abscond your wife only and any children you may have. That's all I can promise."

Malfoy sighed theatrically and retorted, "Fine. And one last thing. I want this to be an unbreakable vow."

Ginny inhaled sharply and glared at him, "Don't be absurd! We don't know if any of this is even possible! What if for whatever reasons Harry can't do it!" Draco shoved the contract back at them, "Then the deal is off. You will have to fend for yourself, Weasley, or die trying."

Ginny cursed him in her mind. She shot him straight to hell and kept him there. There was palpable tension in the room now. Harry's arms folded and his posture frozen. She took hold of his hand gently and whispered, "Maybe this isn't worth my protection, Harry."

He snapped out of it then, "Your protection is worth everything. Fine, let's make amendments and sign this damn thing."

Draco smirked and Ginny watched in trepidation as Harry flicked his write to add Draco's amendments. He turned to Ginny as Draco signed with his quill and said, "Would you do the honors?"

He held out his hand and Draco grasped theirs together. Ginny grimaced and felt sick. She whispered, "Harry...I can't." He looked at her steadily, "You can. You've been through worse."

She nodded and said the words that would bind all of them forever, "Do you Harry Potter, vow to follow the rules of our contract as set forth on this day to the best of your ability, or else suffer the consequences of death?" Harry watched as a golden thread intertwined his and Malfoy's hands, "I will to the best of my ability." It glowed bright and Ginny turned to Draco, "Do you, Draco Malfoy, vow to follow the rules of our contract as set forth on this day to the best of your ability, or suffer the consequences of death?" Draco stared at her and then back at Harry, "I will, to the best of my ability."

Ginny swallowed hard, "Then, by the power in this unbreakable vow, I will settle this agreement and you shall both follow out it's requirements." With that, she twisted her wand and the glowing settled into their skins. There was a sliver of a line running up Harry's hand as a reminder, and the same for Draco. Ginny shivered and grabbed Harry's hand, which was warm and burning from the glow. He smiled tensely, "Thank you, Draco." Draco nodded, "Hmph. We shall see who will be thanking who, won't we?"

They duplicated the signed contract so that each of them had a copy with all of their signatures and left. The tension evaporated the minute they left the room and they headed their separate ways.

Draco:

Draco walked back to the Slytherin common room lost in deep thought. He knew he had done the right thing to protect himself. He was lucky if Potter upheld his end of the bargain because he needed assurance of safety post war. His parents may think that they had the upper hand right now, but, Draco knew that there was a chance they might not win. They needed a plan.

When he arrived he fonud Pansy Parkinson sprawled on the sofa, Astoria and Daphne sitting beside her like little minions and Crabbe, Goyle and Blaize on the other leather black couch. They all turned to face him and Pansy asked, "Where have you been, dearest?" She asked silkily in a smooth voice that made Daphne shudder. He shrugged and retorted carelessly, "I've been walking. You don't need to know where."

He glanced at Astoria who's face had shifted from tense to relief. Pansy liked to think that her relationship with Draco was front and center. She only cared of herself, that one. But Astoria was someone Draco could see as a wife. There was sexual tension between them, anyone with a brain could see that. Fortunately, Pansy was not one of them. Neither were Crabbe and Goyle. But Blaize knew. He'd questioned Draco plenty of times and asked why he didn't just get on with it and dump Pansy. If only it were that simple.

Draco sighed as he poured himself water from the pitcher then sat on the empty couch, placing his legs languidly on the coffee table in front of him. He looked at Astoria again, found she couldn't make eye contact with him and pretended to be reading instead.

Daphne piped up, "So we are leaving Hogwarts tomorrow. I'm going to miss you all. Have you finished packing?" Draco drawled carelessly, "Who says we will all be back next term?" There was an icy silence as Astoria looked up and snapped her book shut, "Why must you be so negative, Draco?" She asked irritably.

He chuckled at her reaction, "Not negative, just realistic dearest." The use of the pet name made Pansy snap and she stood, "I'm going to bed early. Goodnight." The others all followed her one by one until it was just Draco and Astoria. Astoria had been pretending to read, while Draco now moved to sit beside her. He placed a hand out and she took it gently before asking in a whisper, "Where were you, really?"

There were a couple of Slytherin's still milling about so they had to talk in hushed voices. Draco stroked her fingers and murmured, "I was with...Potter." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she clenched his hand tighter, "And?" She inquired. He shrugged and whispered, "And I managed to make a deal with him. Once the war is over, I shall be spared. Me and my future wife."

She clasped a hand over her natural red mouth, and she whispered, "Draco! How wonderful. But at what price?" She was smart, unlike Pansy. She knew there were consequences for such revelations. Pansy would have thought further than tomorrow. He sighed, "I must protect his red headed girlfriend, at all costs."

Astoria grimaced and shook her head, "That seems like a stretch." He shrugged and replied, "It's the agreement."