chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to thisrecurringdream for the wake up call(), and sushi, mawii's sis, for liking my story.

Chapter 14:

Harry was getting extremely dizzy from watching Ginny pace up and down…

"Ginny, will you please sit down!" He pleaded with her, for the umpteenth time. He had half a mind to get up and force her in a chair, but he didn't think that the fiery redhead would appreciate that much…

"Ginny, Hermione is my best friend…" Harry made an attempt to placate her. "I'm as worried as you are. But I don't believe ruining the carpet with your constant pacing is the answer, love. You need to relax."

Ginny didn't even gratify his request with an answer, choosing to glower at him instead. Harry sighed and gave up. She'd been like this ever since last night, when they received a letter, by owl, from Draco stating that he needed to tell them something. He hadn't been able to tell them much, just the time he'd be able to contact them. Harry picked up the letter and reread it, just to give him something to do. It was addressed from Madam Malkin's Shop to the esteemed Harry Potter:

Bill of Invoice

One Green Dress Robe 315 galleons

One Red Dress Robe 515

Total: 830

To be picked up at morning as soon as possible

To an outsider, it was just a receipt. But to Harry, it meant that Draco needed to communicate with Harry and Ginny at 8:30 in the morning, before they both went off to work. Harry smirked. "Draco priced you higher than me…Should I be insulted?" He said turning to Ginny.

"Harry! You insensitive prat! This. Is. Not. A. Time. To. Joke! Just keep your eyes on the bloody mirror…" she snapped, surprising Harry. It seemed like the stress was finally taking its toll on his wife's fiery spirit. He dutifully looked at the two way mirror lying on the table between them. Checking his watch, he found that it was 8:40. What possessed Draco to be late when he had something important to tell them? He knew that Ginny and Harry could not be late for work, or inquiries would be made if they were.

"Drat that Blaise! I should've never left Hermione! Never!" Ginny muttered vehemently under her breath.

"What was that love?" Harry asked, a bit distracted.

Ginny flushed, she had nearly given away Zabini's secret. Before she could think of the answer, the surface of the mirror gently rippled. She rushed to Harry's side, and they both looked intently at the Draco's face as it slowly came to view.

"Hallo! How are you lot doing?" he asked in a cheerful tone.

For a second, Harry and Ginny were nonplussed. Then…Ginny's anger kicked in.

"How we are? How we are? You little what-sit…how'd you think we are? Happily chirping away? We've been bloody worried the whole day, and sick with fear, and you ask us how we are?" Ginny ended the last sentence in a hysterical shriek. Draco looked a bit stunned, his smile faltering a bit.

"Hey mate. You were a few minutes late…" Harry said, taking control of the situation, sensing a storm about to brew, as his wife looked close to breaking the mirror, and Draco seemed a bit inclined to show a bit of his infamous Malfoy anger. Which wouldn't do. Not at all, judging the circumstances.

Draco struggled a bit to compose himself, and turned to Harry, looking apologetic.

"Yes, sorry bout that. I know you lot have to go to the Ministry and all, but I got caught up in choosing Hermione some Muggle classics and…" Draco trailed off sheepishly. He was afraid he had said too much,

"You're late because you decided to go book shopping for Hermione!" Ginny kept on screaming.

Draco had the gall to look indignant. "Of course not, I wouldn't leave her alone! We have an extensive library…"

Ginny backtracked a bit.

"Err…Draco? Say that again…" She asked, causing both Harry and Draco to look at her with no small amount of surprise.

"I have an extensive library?" Draco raised one brow in question.

"No, no the part before that…" Ginny gripped a chair fiercely. The anger had left her suddenly, leaving her tired and weak.

A look of understanding dawned on Draco's handsome face. Harry was still baffled.

"Aaah, that. I was picking out Hermione some books for her to read. She was getting quite bored alone." Draco waited uncertainly for the pair's reaction. He himself hadn't believed it when Hermione had requested reading material…

Harry, poor man, still looked lost, while Ginny went so white Draco was afraid she would faint.

"Harry, mate, I advise you to get a firm hold on the missus." He chuckled. Harry, not understanding what Draco meant, turned around to look at his –now pale- wife. He immediately to hold of her hand.

"Ginny, love, what's wrong? Ginny speak to me!" Harry panicked when Ginny kept silent. It wasn't like her. He turned to Draco. "Oi, flaxen hair! What did you tell her?" Draco never got the chance to answer, for suddenly Ginny was gripping Harry in bone crushing hug. She was crying so hard, it was difficult to understand what she was saying.

"Ginny! Ginny…" Harry pleaded with her.

"She's okay…she's going to be fine…" Sobbed Ginny into Harry's neck.

"What?" Harry asked as he held her slim body, afraid that if he let go she'd crumple.

"Hermione." Ginny whispered, the relief evident on her face. "Hermione's okay. She's going to make it…"

Harry nearly dropped her. "What? When? How?" He rounded on Draco, who was smiling.

"Just a few days ago. I…we…She…errr…the healing Iniuria seems to work…" Draco decided on the simplest explanation.

"How do you know it's for real? Not just another mood swing? Or that she won't go back?" Harry demanded.

"From the look on her face." Draco answered. It was as simple as that. Draco was a man who followed his instincts, and his heart told him what he had wanted all these months. More specifically, it was the gleam in her eyes. Tiny, but existent. "She's sitting up Harry. She wants to read. The curtains are drawn. She nearly smiled to me yesterday…" Draco stopped himself before he babbled too much. He had already acted like a lovesick puppy in front of Blaise, and there was no need to further embarrass himself.

"But what if—"

"Harry, damn it, I won't let there be a 'what if'! If it means my life…I won't let Hermione go. I won't! I will do everything in my power to get her back. Do you understand me?" Draco was so intense; the Potters were a bit overthrown. The glimmer in his eye affirmed what he said. He would die twice before anything happened to Hermione.

Harry paused, mulling on this new piece of information, while Ginny calmed herself down.

"I need to go. I just wanted to give you the good news. I guessed you were worrying yourself sick, and as usual, I'm right." Draco smirked. Ginny smiled to herself, that smirk hadn't been used since Hermione had gotten herself engaged. Things are finally changing for the better…But wait! What about Zabini?

"Harry, get out of the room." Ginny ordered.

Harry was obviously shocked.

"What? Why? Hey…wait…what am I missing?" He protested as his wife pushed him out the door. Ginny sighed, sometimes men were as thick as bludgers…

"Harry, we're late. If we arrive together, they'll suspect something!" Ginny made up an excuse.

"No they won't! They'll just think we're…ahhh…prolonging our nightly activities!" Harry was mystified. What did Ginny have to tell Draco that she couldn't tell him?

"Harry! Just move! I have to tell Draco what to do when Hermione gets her period!" Ginny, desperate, blurted out the first thing that came to mind. It worked. Harry went bright red, excused himself, and immediately left without another word.

"Ginny? That was a bit too loud for my liking…" Draco muttered, trying not to laugh.

"Shut up, git! It was the only thing that I could think of!" Ginny plopped herself into a chair, her focus on the mirror.

"So what did you want to ask about?" Draco asked.

"What happened to Zabini? He's not loitering around the house I hope?" Ginny talked fast, she was now thirty minutes late. The MoM's cronies, would come knocking at any moment.

"No, he left this morning for work. Why, may I ask, are you so concerned?"

"An outsider may stop Hermione's progress. She thinks Zabini is dead too, remember? If what you say is true, she might start walking around Malfoy Manor, and bump into him."

Ginny checked her watch.

"Hmmm…I hadn't thought of that. I was too busy—"

"Yeah, I'm sure you were." Ginny mumbled, smiling.

"And anyway, I don't think you should worry about Blaise. He's not coming back till Hermione's gone. He said he had a snitch in the company or something." Draco continued, pretending he hadn't heard Ginny.

"Good. The nurse?"

"Perfect."

"Hmm…I have to go now, Draco. You know how they are."

"Yes I do. I'll keep you posted."

"You better." Ginny muttered a word, rendering the mirror useless. She hid it, and walked out of the room.

Someone in the shadows chuckled. The plan was going perfectly.

A/N: I know I know! I deserve to be skinned and beheaded and tortured for not posting a chapter sooner! I've turned into the kind of writer I hate: the ones who don't update regularly. And not to mention that this isn't much of a chapie, but it was what I could squeeze in between exams, projects, homework, and everything else! I promise you the next chapter WILL be HUGE! Something else…I'm changing my penname, do to …ah…unnamed reasons. Anyway, chapie 14 will be on M0jojojo, but chapie 15 will be on ishallthink...stupid penname. I know. But like I said, I shall think. and if ur interested in reading the remainder of this story, please put (ishallthink) in ur author alerts...(i really hope u do...)

And I apologize for not answering your reviews…I've been banned from by my well meaning parents, because I've become obsessed , and can't help checking my email every five seconds. And because I've agreed to work hard this term. They do deserve to be proud of something…so a friend of mine is posting this for me. Anyway I hope these answers aren't too late:

4dracoisthesexiestmanalive: thank you! i was worried u guys wouldn't like it...

thisrecurringdream: i luv u! ur the best honestly! i really am the worst person ever i hope u can forgive me ...no really people this girl got really nice stories up her sleeve, check 'em out!!

luvharu7: thank you for reviewing!

mawiiwowii: u kw ur awesome! no more needs 2 be said:P

liliy: aaah! ur adorable! seriously!

lily1121: hehehe...update soon is on my agenda:P