Chapter Two

"Diagon Alley!" Ginevra shouted into the fireplace.

Charlie caught her just before she hit the floor.

"Thanks, Charlie. Well, I'm here, so let's go," she said.

They walked out into the crowded lane. Mrs. Weasley went to their vault while Ginevra went directly to the book store, Flourish and Blotts. As she was looking for the books she needed for that year, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and looked into a pair of mercury eyes.

"Draco! How are you?" she said.

Then she saw his mother behind him.

"Mrs. Malfoy! It's nice to finally meet you. Draco's told me all about you," Ginevra said.

"It's nice to finally meet the girl that Draco is smitten about. Ever since he came home for the summer, he's been a happy person. Thank you for doing the impossible and showing him that he has a heart," Mrs. Malfoy said.

Both Draco and Ginevra blushed scarlet. Mrs. Malfoy smiled and walked out of the store. They kept their heads bowed and didn't dare look at the other for fear of laughing. When they got that under control, they finally looked at each other.

"You've been happy? I never would have thought it was possible. Well, I can say that our friendship has helped us both in many ways. Let me get my books and then we'll go to the ice cream shop to talk. Okay?" she said.

"Let me help you. Then we'll go —" Draco started.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" someone yelled.

Ginevra turned around and looked into her brother's face.

"I'm talking to a friend of mine. If you can't keep from yelling at him or me, then I suggest that you leave us alone and MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" she ended up yelling.

Ron was red in the face when his mother came in.

"Ronald Jeremiah Weasley! Don't you ever show yourself like that again! You leave her alone. If she wants to be friends with someone you don't like, then so be it! She doesn't have to answer to you! The only people she has to answer to at all in this family are your father and I! You are grounded from now until I say otherwise!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

Ron went dark, then completely pale. Ginevra also noticed that Draco went pale, well paler than he already was. She looked in the direction he was looking. His father was walking toward them. Her mother grabbed Ron by the arm and pulled him away. Lucius Malfoy walked up to Draco and Ginevra.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy," she said.

She smiled a smile that didn't completely reach her eyes.

"Hello Father," Draco said, his greeting laced with venom.

"Draco. Miss Weasley. It's nice to see such a beautiful young lady has influenced my son. I just hope that he hasn't become a pansy," he said.

"No, Father. I haven't become a pansy. God knows that I know too many pansies. One in particular with that particular name. What is your business for today?" Draco asked.

"I must speak to you and your lady friend. Outside if possible," Mr. Malfoy whispered.

He turned and walked out of the store with Draco and Ginevra at his heels. He stopped in front of Madame Malkins' Robes for All Occasions.

"What did you need to speak to us about?" Draco asked.

"I'm not happy about this but the Dark Lord has asked for your presence at the next meeting. Yes, you too, Miss Weasley. Now, this is something you can't refuse. If you do, there will be dire consequences. Tell no one! If you must, tell Albus. Miss Weasley, you know what is at stake here: everyone that you care about. I'll have Draco send an owl to you when we find everything out. Remember, tell no one!" with that, Lucius left.

"Draco! What are we going to do? What am I going to say when my mother asks what he wanted? Oh damn. Why do these things have o happen to me?!" she cried.

Draco did the surprising and wrapped his arms around her and comforted her.

"It'll be okay. We'll get through this somehow. But, like my father said, we can still tell Dumbledore. He'll know what to do. Well, I do have another idea. We could tell them that he approved to us being together," he said, blushing a bit.

He saw her face. Only one emotion was showing: surprise.

"I've been wanting to ask you to be my girlfriend for a while and I just never got up the courage to ask you. Will you?" he asked nervously.

A grand smile lit up her face. She hugged him.

"Is that a 'yes'?" he asked.

"You can bet your tight arse it is. My brothers are going to hate me. Oh wait! That's a good thing. I think. Oh well," she said.

"I wonder why he wanted to talk to Ginny. What if they do something to her? If they hurt her, I will make the Ferret pay," Ron said.

"What if they don't hurt her? What would you do then? The seriousness in his eyes said that they really needed to talk. With Lucius in a mood like that, I don't think that he would hurt her. What do you think, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione said.

"Well, I wouldn't normally trust a Malfoy with my baby girl but if that boy cares for her as much as I think he does, then I don't think his father will try anything. Oh there they are. She looks very happy. See Ron, there wasn't any reason to worry," Mrs. Weasley said.

Ginevra and Draco walked back into the bookstore. They both had big smiles on their faces.

"Is Malfoy smiling?! What is this world coming to?" Harry said.

"Uhhh, Ginny, why is Malfoy smiling? What are you so happy about? What happened?" Hermione asked.

"What did Lucius wish to talk to you about?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"He uhhh…" she paused.

They saw him nod from behind the shelf he was at.

"He gave us his approval for me being Draco's girlfriend. I hope you don't mind," Ginevra told her mum.

"Well, as long as you're happy, you have my blessing. But, young man, if you so much as hurt her feelings—" she started

"I know Mrs. Weasley. I will be very sorry indeed. I promise not to do anything to hurt her in any way. Despite what some people might say, I do keep my promises. And this is one promise I intend to keep," Draco promised Ginevra's mother.