Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and an iPod to keep me focused while I am typing this. And a new cell phone!
Sorry it took so long to get this up, but I have spent the last month babysitting and at camp. I only got on a computer for a little bit, but I am back now, so they will come out quicker. This one is a very long one!
Hope you like it! Please review!
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The next day, Ginny dragged herself out of her bed at nine in the morning, in order to take a shower and get ready. She was so tired that she ran into both her bedroom door post and the bathroom door post because she couldn't see clearly at all yet.
She stood in the shower for nearly a half hour before she finally woke up enough to wash her hair without getting her muggle, strawberry shampoo in her eyes. She used her same muggle, strawberry conditioner and washed the rest of her body, finally stepping out of the shower after a full hour in there.
She walked to her bedroom in her towel, knowing the only person home who was up was her mum, who was always in the kitchen at this hour.
She stepped into her bedroom and was about to walk to her wardrobe, when she let out a scream loud enough to wake Hermione but no one else.
Hermione started awake. She saw Ginny standing there in her towel but almost immediately went back to sleep. Ginny doubted she would remember ever waking up.
Ginny had just realized that she didn't know what to wear. Wizarding robes or muggle clothes? She was just about to flop down on her bed in defeat, when a plain brown owl started pecking on her window.
Ginny made her way to the window, grabbing a few owl treats off the top of her trunk on the way. She opened her window and the owl hopped onto the sill and held out her leg. Ginny was relieved to see that it was from Draco. She put the few owl treats on the sill for the owl while she read and responded to the letter.
Ginny,
I'm sorry I did not tell you this yesterday, and I know you are having a panic attack over it now, but we will be venturing out into Muggle London today, so it would be best if you wear muggle clothes.
I love you and miss you every second we are apart,
Draco
P.S. My mum would like to have you to dinner tomorrow night, to meet you. Please respond, so I can tell her regardless of your answer.
Ginny sighed, relieved about the clothes issue. She hurried to her desk next to Hermione's, and pulled out a bit of parchment and a quill, opening the ink pot on her desk.
Draco,
Thank you. I was about to have a panic attack over the clothes.
I would love to have dinner tomorrow night at your house.
I love you and miss you too.
Ginny
Ginny tied the letter to the owls' leg and gave her a few more owl treats. The owl happily hooted and took off.
Ginny went through her whole wardrobe before she finally gave up and collapsed on her bed in her green lacy bra and knickers. Her bed squeaked when she collapsed, waking Hermione.
Hermione took one look at Ginny's attire and another look at the hurricane of clothes around her. There were some clothes even on the older girls' bed, where Ginny had accidentally in frustration.
"Need some clothes?" Hermione asked sleepily.
Ginny nodded sheepishly, grateful that both girls had the same petite figure.
Hermione slowly, sleepily got out of bed and went over to her own wardrobe. She opened it and, waving her arms like a game show hostess, gestured for Ginny to help herself to her pick.
After a few minutes, Ginny finally decide on a Slytherin green, off the shoulder sweater, and a pair of dark blue jeans.
When she was finally done, she sat at her and Hermione's vanity, and let the older girl subtly apply make up to her, like they always did when they were about to go on dates, though this was the first time for about three summers when Hermione had returned the favor to her. Hermione was always the one with the dates.
Hermione Did her hair also, pulling half into a bun on the back of her head, and the bottom half falling in soft waves down to the top of her low rise pants.
When Hermione was done, she stepped back and Ginny told her that it was perfect.
Hermione sleepily nodded and headed back to her bed.
Ginny looked at her watch and noticed that it was five minutes until eleven thirty. She was about to say "Goodbye" to Hermione when she noticed that the girl was already back asleep, sighing in her sleep.
Ginny rushed downstairs and out the front door and was just in time to see Draco apparate into her front yard. Ginny rushed towards him and threw herself into his arms hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, stroking her hair, laughing at her excitement.
"Happy birthday, love."
Ginny pulled back and leaned up as far as she could, pulling Draco's head down the last six inches to kiss him.
Draco let the kiss go on for a few more seconds before he pulled back laughing.
Ginny stepped away from him and put her hands on her hips, scowling. "And what do you find so amusing, Draco?" She purposely put force into his name.
"Well, I find it funny how you have to always stand on your tiptoes to kiss me and, even then, you still can't reach me," he said laughing.
Ginny crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I am only five foot four. That is not that short."
"Compared to my six foot four, you are very short, love."
Ginny stood there with an intimidating look on her face but that was ruined because she had to look so far up to his face, which made Draco laugh even more, even though he knew it would make Ginny even more mad.
Ginny stomped her foot and he immediately stopped laughing.
"I am sorry, love. I like your height. It is funny, but I love how you have to pull my head down so you can reach me. I also love how when I hold you, you fit so perfectly in my arms, and your lovely, wavy hair does not strangle me by going all over my face. You are just perfect in my eyes and I love you for it." Draco walk to her with his arms open and after his little speech, she just had to melt into his embrace.
"I forgive you, I guess. But no more height jokes, okay?"
Draco laughed but nodded. "Shall we go?"
Ginny nodded. Draco hugged her harder and suddenly she felt the usual squeezing of side along apparition.
Draco let go of all of her except for one of her hands and started leading her out of the alley and down the street.
They soon stopped in front of an expensive looking restaurant. Draco held the door opened for her and they both walked up to the host's podium.
"Malfoy. We have an eleven fifteen reservation for two."
The Host nodded. "Of course. Right this way, sir."
He led Draco and Ginny to a booth. The both slid in on a side and he handed them both a menu, saying that their waitress would be there shortly, to take their drink orders.
Draco and Ginny Quickly chose their food, so they could tell the waitress when she came, and went to talking and holding hands across the table.
Suddenly a very pretty blond woman with a short skirt and mile long legs came up to the table. She was wearing the uniform of a waitress but had made it look trashy but shortening the hem of the skirt and unbuttoning the top two buttons of her shirt, showing her ample cleavage.
"Hello, my name is Taylor, and I will be your server tonight. Are you ready to order?" Ginny noticed that the waitress was looking at only Draco while she said this, barely acknowledging Ginny.
Draco pointedly turned to Ginny and asked if she was ready to order. Ginny smiled at his efforts to show her the waitress meant nothing to him.
Ginny gave her order, the Southwestern Cobb Salad, with an iced tea, and the waitress reluctantly turned to face her, giving her the evil eye.
Draco ordered a steak when Taylor eagerly turned to her. When he said no more to her and began to stare at Ginny again, she walked back to the kitchens with a disappointed look on her face. Ginny had to smirk.
Draco noticed the smirk and asked, "Why are you smirking?"
"I am smirking because an insanely gorgeous woman just took your order and you completely ignored her. I and proud of you and pleasantly surprised."
Draco frowned. "I want you to do something for me." He waited for a reaction.
Ginny frowned too. "It depends on what it is, Draco. There are some things that I do not want to do."
"No. Nothing like that, my love. I want you to forget me. I mean the me you have known since your second year in Hogwarts. I am not a git, nor have I ever been. Since I came to Hogwarts, in my first year, I have been under and Imperious curse. When I was at home, I was allowed to be kind of free. When ever we had guests over, or went out into public, my father would place an imperio curse on me so I would act like him.
"When I was at school, I was put under the curse by Crabbe, since, even though he was still a buffoon, he was more skilled the imperious curse. During the final battle this summer, I was left magically bound in one of the rooms in the school. I wandlessly summoned my wand and unbound myself.
"I rushed outside and immediately started fighting on the light side. Every death eater I passed that saw me assumed that I was tricking the light side and left me well enough alone. Soon, I had killed about five death eaters and had worked my way up to fight my father. He knew that I was in no way on his side, so he and I dueled it out for a few minutes. Suddenly Potter's voice called out and told everyone that the Dark Lord was dead and the war was over. This distracted my father enough for me to shoot a killing curse at him. Then I was free. And my mom is too now."
The long forgotten waitress appeared suddenly with their food and tried to flirt with Draco again. She was flipping her hair and leaning over really low in order to put the plates on the table.
When she finally realized that her actions were lost on Draco, she went away in a huff.
When she was gone, Draco resumed his little speech, between bites.
"When the Ministry of Magic had found out that I was the one who killed my father, there was a small trial. When I gave them my memories of him imperioing me, they gave up the trial and I was labeled as a war hero for killing the Dark Lord's right hand man. And this is where I am now. My mother, on the other hand, is happier than she has ever been.
"When I was growing up, I had two good friends, and they have stuck with me through the years. Their parents were all death eaters. Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson were them. Blaise's father was killed and his mother was put into Azkaban for life. Pansy's father was given the dementor's kiss and her mother was also put in Azkaban for life. My mum was always close to them, and she knew we were all against our fathers and mothers, so she decided to adopt them. Blaise's adoption will be completed the day after tomorrow, and Pansy's will be done a week from today. They are both so excited.
"When I was younger and my father used to go on long 'business' trips, my mother and I would go out to Muggle London and just have fun. We would go to movie theatres, to malls, and a lot of other places out here in the muggle community. We tried out a couple of different stores and quickly chose our favorites. Our overall favorite store is Harrods." He reached into his pocket and took out a box. "That is where I got your present." He slid the box across the table towards her.
"Oh, Draco! I have heard of Harrods and I have heard it is very expensive. You didn't have to get anything for me," she said, fingering the box.
"I thought we went over this yesterday. I know I didn't have to get anything for you but I wanted to. And remember this: nothing is too expensive for me. Please open it," he added shyly.
She slowly pulled the box towards her and shimmied the bow off the box. She pried the two halves of the box apart and lifted the lip completely off.
When she saw what was inside, she gasped.
Inside was a ring. There was one large stone of paridot with two smaller ones flanking it.
Draco was eagerly watching her face, and when her eyes lit up, so did his. He went over and sat on her side of the booth and took the ring from her. He held it so the inside was facing her and showed her the inscription inside. It said
I Love You, Draco.
There were tears in her eyes when he slowly slipped it on her right hand ring finger.
"Oh, Draco. I love you, too! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him gently on the mouth. Since they were both sitting, it was easier for her to reach his mouth.
Draco heard footsteps so he gently broke apart and went back over to his side of the booth just in time for the waitress to come back with a check.
"Would you like to see the desert menu before you leave?" she asked haughtily.
"No, I think not." The waitress set the check on the table. Draco immediately pulled out a bill and slipped it inside and handed it back to her before Ginny could see the price or how much he put in.
"You may keep the change," Draco said generously. Taylor looked delighted. She left the table happy and the couple got up.
As they were walking out the door, Draco said, "There is another thing about your ring. I have had it charmed so that whenever I want to see you, it grows warm on your hand."
Ginny smiled up at him and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers together.
Draco looked down at her, "We still have a few hours until we are expected back at your house. Do you want to go to a park?"
"Of course. We could both use some fresh air."
Draco led her down the street and they stepped off on a sidewalk leading into the middle of the park.
They ended up being there for the few hours that they had. They chased each other around the park, had swinging competitions to see who could go higher, and played around on the grass together. One of them would say a teasing remark and the other would chase them around until they caught up or tackled the other. They were having so much fun and neither wanted to leave but they had to. It was time to go back for Ginny's birthday dinner.
Draco hid them in the doorway of the bathroom building that was in the park, and apparated them to the Burrow. Ginny let them in the door and they were surprised to see every single member of their family there with a large banner that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GINNY!
When they got over their shock, they were led into the sitting room. Ginny stopped in the doorway, in surprise.
The room was decorated with Green and silver steamers. In one corner of the room was a large pile of presents.
Draco grabbed her hand and led her over to one of the armchairs. He sat down and pulled her into his lap while he parents looked at them fondly and half of her brothers looked at him murderously. Ron, Fred, and George were the only ones who had accepted Draco as friends the day before, but Charlie, Bill, and Percy had steadfastly refused to have anything to do with him, even though they would be cordial.
Everyone except Author sat down. Author made his way to the table full of presents in the corner and picked up a rather large box. He made his way over to Ginny and Draco and set the box on the table in front of the armchair they were sharing.
Ginny leaned forward and picked the lid up off the box. Inside was a stack of muggle notebooks. There were about forty notebooks, twenty different colors. Each set of notebooks had a different charm on the front.
"They are paired notebooks. Each pair is a different color and has a different charm on it. When you activate it, you will be able to send messages to the person that has the second book in the set. When there is a new message, the charm on the cover glows. It is my gift to you so we can all keep in touch with you while you are at school," Author explained.
Ginny got up off her fathers lap and hugged him. "Thank you, daddy. I love it."
Ginny sat back down and the rest of the presents were handed out to her.
Fred and George got her a matching necklace and earring set. Harry and Hermione got her a matching bracelet that went with the set.
Bill and Charlie got her the same thing. Both of them came up to her with boxes full of her favorite muggle candy: The American See's Candies. Neither of them had any idea that the other had gotten the same thing. But she was grateful for both because it would last at least until Halloween.
Her mother had gotten her a box of her favorite muggle books that she didn't have yet.
Next was Ron. He handed her a present that turned out to be a new diary. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised and he shrugged.
"I noticed that your old one was almost full," he explained.
Ginny's look of confusion turned into one of rage and she pounced on Ron. "You…Read…My…Diary?!" She punctuated each word with a punch.
Ron was trying to defend himself, but when he realized he was caught, he just hung limp and let her hit him.
After a moment, she slowed to a stop and got off of him, kicking him one last time before she made her way back to Draco.
Ron got up with the start of a black eye and several bruises forming on his face. He limped, because she had kicked him last, over to their mum. She quickly healed the bruises on his face while Ginny muttered "wimpy mummy's boy" under her breath. Draco snickered, and tickled Ginny's side. She just turned to glare at him, and he stopped.
Ginny had soon calmed down and the last person approached her with the last present.
"This is a present from all of us. We all chipped in and bought this for you. We know you have been having doubts about continuing this but we decided to get it for you anyway," Percy explained. He handed her a small book sized box.
Ginny lifted the lid from it and gasped. Inside was a shrunken Firebolt.
After she got over her initial shock, her face fell.
"What's wrong, dear?" Molly said softly.
"This is just too much. I can't accept this from you, especially since I have decided not to continue Quidditch this year."
"No, dear. We all knew that you might not have continued with it and we got it anyway. After all you have been through, from not ever having anything knew besides girl clothes, to having to wait for us to come back from the final battle, we decided that you deserved something new. We got it for you because we love you and you deserved it for taking hell from us for the past sixteen years, even though you often gave hell to us. After all, you did inherit my temper."
Draco spoke up. "Thanks for the warning Mrs. Weasley. Now I know what to expect if I ever make her mad." His face became one of determination. "If that is what I am to expect, I will never make her mad."
Everyone, including Ginny, laughed at that. Then she turned to him and chastely kissed him on the lips.
Once all the boxes were sent up to Ginny and Hermione's room, everyone trooped into the kitchen and crowded around the circular table. Ginny was as close to Draco as she could without sitting on his lap, and on her own chair.
For dinner it was Ginny's favorite food. Spaghetti and meatballs with a tomato sauce.
Molly was used to feeding enough to feed an army, so she set out three large pans full of the spaghetti. Within minutes there was only a little bit left in the pans and piles of it on the plates in front of the people surrounding the table.
In true teenage fashion, the youngest five at the table were able to eat the most. Because it was still summer time, and they were all so active, their metabolisms were as fast as they could be, so they could eat as much as they wanted without gaining an ounce. Molly just wished she still had that trait.
When they were all finished with the dinner, Molly brought out a large chocolate cake and began handing out large slices.
When that was all gone and Draco, Ginny, Hermione, Harry, and Ron had gone though at least two slices each, they all retired back to the sitting room, sitting in the same places as earlier.
Soon it was just the youngest five in there and Draco started saying that he would have to leave soon.
Ginny jumped up and tried to pull him up. When he refused to go, she whined "I want you to help me pick out an outfit for tomorrow. I want your mum to like me and I want to look good."
"Darling, she won't worry about something about something as trite as you clothes. You could go in old sweats and a tank top, and she would not care. She usually walks around the house in sleep pants and a tank top anyway, so you must not worry. But I would do anything to make you happy anyway, so I will go help you pick something out."
Ginny beamed. Then she turned to Hermione. "May we have free reign over your wardrobe if I can not find anything to wear?"
Hermione smile. "Of course, Ginny. You always can." She turned to Draco. "I am warning you now, Draco, so you don't have a panic attack later. When Ginny is searching for clothes, and she is having a hard time picking something out, she will have a panic attack. I mean the full out hyperventilating panic attack. In order to calm her, you have to take her out into the fresh air. After that, you might as well take her shopping because she will flat out refuse to go back inside because she will just have another attack because she knows that she didn't find anything the first time and she won't the second time."
Draco smile and thanked her for warning him. Then he turned to Ginny and said, "Do you just want to skip all of that and just go shopping now? I don't want to deal with a broke down Ginny," he added softly.
Ginny turned back to him and beamed wider. "That would be cool. Okay, let me just go tell Mum and Dad."
She ran off. Seconds later she was back. She waved to Hermione, Harry, and Ron and almost pulled Draco out the door.
He apparated them to an alley across the street from Harrods in Muggle London, they entered the large department store and he led her up many sets of moving staircases he called escalators.
They were soon in the junior's department and he was pulling outfits off the racks and putting them into her waiting arms. After getting about ten full outfits, he steered her towards the fitting rooms off in the corner.
While she was trying on the outfits, they were talking though the door. He was mostly talking about his mother and his innocent relationship with Pansy. He disclosed something very surprising about her.
The way he talked about his mother, she could tell he loved her. He told her that when ever his father was gone for any amount of time, He and his mother would take long walks around Muggle London, taking in scenery, and shopping. He also told her that at home, he had another bedroom in the wing of the house that his father never went into, that was absolutely full of muggle toys and clothes. It was all well hidden from his father and they would spend long afternoons in there playing together.
About halfway though her trying on outfits, he suddenly said, "I'll be back in a minute, love. Okay?"
Ginny nodded and then realized he couldn't see her. "Okay, darling. I'll just still be in here trying on these bloody outfits."
Draco laughed at her curse word and left.
Ginny heard his leaving steps and continued trying on clothes. When she was finally done, she decided on a beige cotton blouse and a pair of dark blue jeans. She headed out the small cubical and hung up the items she didn't want. She was about to exit the dressing room area when she saw Draco heading towards her. He was looking at a small while box in his hands. He suddenly put it in his pocket, along with a white slip of paper that looked like a receipt.
When she met him in the middle, she intertwined their fingers and said, "Where were you, darling?"
"Er… Bathroom," he said nervously.
She could tell he was lying, but she also knew that he would only lie to her for a good reason, so she just let it hang.
He led her downstairs to the cashiers and insisted on paying for the outfit. She eventually let him while the cashier smiled fondly at them, remembering when her own relationship was that young.
Draco led her back out into the alley and apparated them back to the Burrow. After a few minutes of good bye snogging, he apparated away.
When she got up to her and Hermione's room, she was surprised to see Ron perched on the edged of her bed with his head in his hands.
He was mumbling, "Don't try to make me feel better, I know she doesn't like me, even though I have loved her for a while now."
Hermione and Harry looked helplessly at Ginny when she went to sit next to her brother. She put her hand comfortingly on his back.
"Who do you like, Ronald?" She asked softly. She had a suspicion, but wanted to hear the words from his mouth.
He mumbled something she couldn't understand.
"Sorry?" She asked, confused.
"PANSY PARKINSON! Okay? I have just come out with my feelings toward her to these two helpful idiots over here and they couldn't help me, so why should I expect you to help me?" He had jumped up and was running his hands though his hair. A frustrated habit that he picked up when he was a baby.
Ginny smiled, unaffected by his ramblings. "You should expect my help because," here she affected a sing-song voice, "I know something you don't know."
Ron stopped in his tracks. Then he flew into a rage and yelled at her to tell him. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed.
He sighed and dropped next to her. "I'm sorry, little sister. Please tell me. Before I explode I mean."
Ginny grinned. "You don't even know what it is referring to. Why would you want to know?"
Ron looked defeated. "Well, we were talking about Pansy and you came up with that so I assumed that it was about her. Please tell."
"Okay," she sad simply. "Well tonight, while we were shopping, Draco was telling me about his life before the Final Battle. He started by talking about his mother and that soon turned to his betrothal to Pansy. They had been engaged since they were two years old. They had grown up together and were more like brother and sister than anything. All the rumors we heard in school were false. Pansy and Draco have never slept together in the sense of being intimate. Their relationship is more like ours was, when we were younger and I would go into your room and sleep in your bed with you or you with me. They would kiss, and even make out in front of all of the people on their fathers sides, but that is as far as they went.
"Tonight, Draco told me that when the were in fourth year, she confided in him that she had a major crush on a boy in the same year as them." She left him hanging there and refused to say anymore.
Softly he asked, "Who was that boy, Gin?"
Ginny shook her head, smiling. "I think you know the answer to that question, Ronald."
Ron's face lit up. "It was me? Please tell me so I am not kidding myself." He almost looked desperate as he added the last part.
Ginny smiled wider. "Yes, Ronald. Since she has grown into her looks and has grown confidence in herself, she has had a big crush on you."
Ron tackled her to the bad and kissed her on each cheek and her forehead. "You know I love you, right, little sister?"
Ginny laughed and pushed him off, sitting up. "Yes, I know. And you're welcome. I could have just not told you and left you to slowly go crazy."
"Thank goodness you didn't," he said with a smile.
"Now, it has been a busy day for us all and I think we should go to bed now so we can be up for breakfast in the morning. I mean, lunch in the afternoon," she said with a giggle.
Harry kissed Hermione goodnight and got up to follow Ron to bed.
The girls change and went to bed. They, however, didn't fall asleep for quite some time.
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A/N Sorry it took me so long to get this out, but I have been so busy lately. But I got this one out.
I have no promises as to when the next will come out seeing as school starts in a week and a few days, but I will try!
Luv Ya!
AmberLynn.