Author's Note: The end has come! Thanks to everyone for reviewing!

Chapter Ten: Wake Up

Song: Wake Up, Emigrate

There are times that a person wishes that the world would just implode into nothing– or that the floor would open up and swallow them whole – and maybe just leave a few scraps of clothes behind of as the reminder of the pathetic existence of said person.

In Ginny's mind there was the endless turmoil of pain – both physical and a never-ending heartache she thought she's buried when she had really just covered up with her shop and busy nights, barely enough sleep to function, and hard music. She wished infinitely that world just swallow her whole. She wished she wasn't just standing in front of Draco Malfoy's loose ends, and handsome face that she was so irrevocably in love with.

Her hands began to shake and suddenly there was a horrible tightness in her throat, her stomach dropped like a weight, her brain froze all thought processes and suddenly there was the urge to turn and run – while sobbing hysterically – and to hit everything within reach.

Standing - safely protected behind the counter at her shop - Ginny contemplated her options. She could go to the back, close the shop and ignore his existence, or have whatever it was he wanted right then and there – in public or not. While mulling over her options she was reminded of a single, but very large factor that influenced her decision.

She was a Weasley.

She turned, hands resting on the lower counter and looked – cool brown eyes to meet his blank gray ones – at his face.

"What loose ends?" She asked and gained an ounce of confidence when her voice didn't shake or break.

The teenagers moved closer to them, examining the headbands, and accessories. The voices of the three girls overlapped the boy's and Draco suddenly felt the need to grab Ginny's trembling shoulders and shake her violently to make see the obvious. Merlin, couldn't the woman see he couldn't let her go?

Ginny's hands were flat out shaking now and Draco was suddenly surrounded by sixteen-years olds that were oblivious to the palpable tension – each one with a handful of merchandise and Ginny came very close to screaming that the shop was closed.

"Excuse me," Ginny said, avoiding his eyes, glad for the sudden abundance of teenagers in Diagon Alley that day and very slowly rang up, bagged their merchandise and wished them a very nice day.

The sudden silence seemed very loud and Ginny felt very suffocated by it and his very presence.

The shop was empty again. Draco's footsteps were slow when he walked over to the door and flipped the Open sign so 'Closed' faced the outside and Ginny's teeth locked together. The atmosphere was suddenly very tense – almost palpable when Ginny swallowed, suddenly not being able to look at him in the eyes. She stepped away from the counter – as far away from him as she could get without having to reach out for anything remotely close to him.

"Now that my shop is closed, you'll have to leave I- I have-" her voice broke and her eyes clamped shut and her nails dug crescent moons into her palms "- things to do." She finished the sentence after swallowing.

Draco had no idea what he was doing. His bran was absolutely blank – he had no protocol on what to do when the woman he loved was close to an emotional collapse in front of him.

Whoa. Woman he loved? His hands froze on the process of laying them on her counter.

"What?" He breathed – mostly to himself.

"If you didn't hear - " Ginny said and pursed her lips, a twinge of anger bubbling in her stomach.

"No, not that!" Draco said impatiently. Was it true? He knew he cared for her, but loved? The concept of loving her had come to him after Jake's words the week before, but the reality of it had never set in his mind until that very second.

But could he forgive her?

Draco's train of thought stopped. He could, he realized, because it had caused her as much pain as it had him when she accidentally deleted his software. He could, because he loved her.

"Oh." He said and Ginny took a tiny step back.

"Look, Malfoy, you just closed my shop and I have stuff to do, so if you could step out – what are you doing?" Ginny's panic suddenly bubbled and she began to shake.

Draco came around the counter, behind the register and stared down at her face. She stared back.

"I don't think I'll be able to forgive you, Ginevra," he breathed and Ginny's hand clapped to her mouth. Tears sprang up in her eyes and she felt with the other hand for the counter.

"But its such a strange fact that I'm hopelessly in love with you," Draco's head was cocked to the side studying her.

"What the bloody hell are you on?" Ginny gasped out, truly and utterly confused. The confusion helped her regain her balance but did not prepare her for his assault.

His lips, the lips she thought she'd never taste again softly brushed hers and a tear overflowed.

"Don't do that to me, please." Ginny whispered, her hands flat against his chest.

"I used to think I was a heartless bastard, but you proved me wrong. I used to think forgiveness was for fools – and that I'd never be able to forgive you for ruining me – even if it wasn't intentional. I used to believe that I was not capable of feeling love, but only lust and you proved me wrong yet again," Draco said and Ginny's knees began to shake.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked. Her ears couldn't believe what they were hearing and her mind less.

"How think is your skull, Weasley?" Draco held her head in his big hands and she gripped his wrists tight.

Ginny blinked.

"I'm saying that I forgive you, and that I love you, and that I want you back, you silly twit," Draco said and felt the world come off his shoulders.

"Shut up, you're lying," Ginny's eyes shut and she fought against the feelings that welled up at his impossible words.

"Ginny, open your eyes."

Not immune to his words, her eyes fluttered open and he kissed her, again, and again, and again, and again, until Ginny's arms were wrapped around his neck and she was crying.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," she said between kisses and crying.

"How's the Firestarter?" Draco asked and Ginny burst out laughing.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

They kissed until the Closed sign was flipped and Ginny was left, laughing and offering eternal servitude and Draco guaranteeing it with a diamond ring with the Malfoy crest embedded on gold of eternal union.

End

AN: I'm a sap at heart. What do you think? R/R