Author's Note: Sorry it took me a long time to update! I''ve been busy with school. Here's chapter 8! Thanks to the reviewers and silent readers!

Disclaimer: The wonderful JK Rowling owns everything familiar to you.

Chapter 8

"Grey, could you hurry in there? We've got to go. My mum's going to kill me if we're late!" Ginny yelled as she paced the living room waiting for Draco to come out of her room where he was changing.

"Where are my jeans, damn it!" Draco yelled as he shuffled through the scattered clothes in Ginny's room. Exasperated, Ginny made her way into the bedroom and saw Draco there, wearing a black polo shirt but still in his boxers. A blush threatened to creep to her cheeks and she looked away immediately and began to help him look for his jeans and gave a sigh of relief when she found them under the bed. She flung the pair of jeans to him.

"Hurry up Malfoy," she said. Draco quickly slid on his jeans, knowing that Ginny was probably mad already, having called him by his last name. He put on his socks and shoes while Ginny handed him his cloak.

"Mum's going to be peeved," she said as she gave him a look through narrowed eyes. She stood next to Draco in front of the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace and said in a clear, loud voice, "The Burrow." When the green smoke dissipated, Draco did the same and soon found himself under a fireplace of a large, warm living room. He saw Ginny waiting for him and quickly walked up to her where she brushed the soot off him.

"Quick, they're already at the dinner table. Just relax," she said.

"You think I'm nervous?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Oh you should be," she said as she led him to the kitchen. She pushed the door to the kitchen open and saw everyone already at the dinner table. They all looked to see who entered as silence threatened to envelope them and thankfully, Mrs. Weasley decided to give Ginny a scolding, anything to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Ginny! I've told you not to be late!" she looked at Draco apologetically, "Not that it's your fault my dear, our Ginny can't keep track of time even if her life depended on it," she said as she bustled around the table to give them both a hug. Draco was unused to being greeted this way but felt good about it anyway. Hermione got up from her seat to give Ginny a hug, merely nodding at Draco and soon, although hesitant and uncertain, everyone else began greeting them except for Harry and Ron..

"Come and sit down now my dears. Dinner only just started," Mrs. Weasley chirped as she went back to her seat next to Mr. Weasley as they obeyed.. Draco and Ginny sat next to each other, Hermione next to Ginny and George next to Draco. Harry and Ron sat across them, ocassionally glaring at Draco through narrowed eyes. Ginny smiled and tried not to laugh.

"So Malfoy how's it like suffering my sister's wrath everyday?" George asked as he passed him the mashed potatoes.

"Truly terrible, it's like living with a lioness that's always breathing down your neck," he said as he gave Ginny a smirk. He found it quite easy to talk to George who seemed really friendly. Ginny just rolled her eyes. "Her cooking's got room for improvement though," he added and then laughed but realized he was laughing by himself while everyone else fell silent, clearing their throats in the uncomfortable silence. And suddenly, Ginny smacked Draco at the back of his head causing Draco to swear and place a hand at his throbbing head. Mrs. Weasley gasped, Hermione gaped and Harry, Ron, Mr. Weasley and the twins seemed to be suppressing their laughter. If there was one thing that Ginny hated in this world, it was insulting her cooking. An uneasy silence lingered until the boys couldn't hold in their laughter any longer and they burst out laughing.. Draco looked around at Ginny's guffawing family and saw that Ginny was also laughing; laughing like he'd never seen her before. She looked beautiful, alive and at home and with that, all the irritation and embarassment he had felt seeped away, feeling as at home as he'd ever been in his entire life. Soon, friendly conversation ensued.

"So, where'd you reckon your family is, Malfoy?" Fred asked suddenly.

"Somewhere we can't find them, I'm guessing. Since there are no reports about them yet," Draco replied. He was surprised that Ginny's parents, the twins and occasionally Hermione, were talking to him as if he had never been of service to the Dark Lord, not willingly anyway. But he was glad that everything was going smoother than he expected. Harry or Ron didn't talk to him, but that was expected anyway.

"Do you think they're planning the rise of another Dark Lord?" George piped in.

Draco dabbed at his mouth with his napkin elegantly before answering, "I hope not but knowing them, they're probably scheming one way or another."

"What will you do if your father rises as the next Dark Lord?" Harry asked suddenly, causing everyone to stop eating and look at Draco, waiting for a reaction. Draco suddenly felt uneasy under their scrutiny but did not falter.. He looked Harry in the eye, not coldly, before speaking up.

"I've gone this far in eluding involvement in their dark magic. I would've thought that by now my actions have proven to you all that my loyalty lies with the light." Having said this, Draco felt like a heavy burden was just lifted off his shoulders. He realized now that what he just said was true, that those were actually his heart's desire: To be free of dark magic. Upon hearing what he just said, everybody fully relaxed. George clapped him on his back and everyone cheered for him and even Mr. Weasley raised his glass to him. Ginny gave him a proud smile and squeezed his knee. Draco looked back into her eyes which were so full of hope and realized right there and then, how quickly he was falling in love with this redhead.

After dinner, they all went into the living room where everyone was given a bottle of butterbeer or firewhisky. George and Fred were demonstrating some of their products to Ginny and Hermione who seemed impressed while Mrs. Weasley watched disapprovingly but was laughing anyway and Mr. Weasley was showing one of his muggle devices to a not-so-interested Ron. Draco sipped his firewhisky and watched the warm and friendly ambience that was Ginny's family. Then he saw Harry approach him. He gave him a curt nod when he was in front of him.

"Malfoy," Harry acknowledged.

Draco stood there and watched Harry who seemed to be struggling for words.

"What I wanted to say was, I think it's great that you're on our side now," Harry said, taking a swig out of his firewhisky.

"Thank you," Draco said. "And I wish I could help you find Lucius and Bellatrix but I'm stuck with Ginny," he added, half-laughing.

Harry was surprised that he had called Ginny by her first name but thought that it was probably normal since he practically lived with her now anyway.

"But you like that, don't you?" Harry asked, grinning.

Draco almost choked on his firewhisky and a light blush crept to his cheeks. That itself was proof to Harry that Draco was actually smitten with Ginny. Harry almost laughed.

"No. Where did you get that idea?" he said, glaring at Harry.

Harry shrugged, laughing. "No need to get all worked up, Malfoy," he said. "I can tell just by the way you look at her." Upon hearing that, Draco immediately tore his eyes away from Ginny, whom he'd just been watching and looked at Harry skeptically.

"She's difficult, I know but let her open up to you and don't rush things. She hates that," Harry advised but Draco already knew those things. "I can tell she likes you too," he then added and Draco regarded him and then smiled as he watched the boisterous Ginny again.

And it was then that a friendship began between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.