Sorry it's taken so long guys, just couldn't figure out where to go with it. But here it is. The next chapter. I hope it's good enough. Leave me some reviews and let me know what you think!

Chapter Nine

As the days raced past her, Ginny began to feel increasingly bad about how poorly she handled her encounter with Ron and Hermione. Determined, she sat at her small kitchen table and scratched out a quick letter to Hermione inviting her to dinner. Maybe if she could convince Hermione that Draco was alright, she would help her convince Ron to give him a chance. She quickly folded up the letter and sent it on its way before she had time to doubt her plan.

As she waited for a response, however, doubt crept in. She hadn't even heard from Draco since he stormed out of her apartment. What if he decided that he didn't want to marry her after all? All of her plans would be for nothing. The thought of not marrying Draco broke her heart. The idea had never crossed her mind until that day in Diagon Alley when he proposed to her. Before the war, she didn't think any further than the next day, knowing that everything could change any minute. After the war, when Draco had gone, she tried to imagine a life with Harry, the life her mother wanted for her. But despite her efforts, and Harry's obvious love for her, she could never see him in her future.

When she broke off her relationship with him, she decided that she would be alone forever. Only one blonde haired man held the key to unlocking her heart once more and he was nowhere to be found. It saddened her to think that she would never have a family, but a life with anyone else just didn't seem right. That was the reason she kept Teddy so close to her life. He was like a son she would never have, and for the day, it was possible to pretend.

When Draco had asked her to marry him, hope filled her heart and she could see the future she would have with him. Children running around outside, laughing and playing. She and Draco teaching them to fly on their first brooms. Kissing their blonde or red heads as she read them bedtime stories. Now her future was slipping away once more, falling apart before her very eyes.

Tears were forming in her eyes when she heard the rapping sound of an owl at her window. Wiping the tears away, she opened the window and her pepper-feathered owl, Snap, flew in. Snap dropped a small letter on the table before flying back to his cage and perching himself on top. A smile tugged at her mouth and she walked over to the cage. Snap wouldn't get back inside his cage without his reward. Ginny unclasped a small tacklebox beside the cage and took out a small mouse. She tossed it up and Snap caught it in his beak, swallowing it whole before jumping into his cage.

Once the cage was locked, Ginny walked to her table and picked up the small paper. Opening it, she read:

Ginny,

Would love to have dinner.

Can't make it tonight.

How about tomorrow night?

Eight O'clock.

See you then.

-H.

Ginny reread the letter several times before letting it float back to the table. Guess I'm on my own tonight then.

Draco knocked on the door of the Weasley's home. He was hopeful that these dinners Mrs. Weasley demanded would play to his favor. Mr. Weasley opened the door, allowing him to enter. And that was as long as his hope lasted.

Ron and Hermione were seated at the table already. Had he arrived early? He thought, but he was sure he had not. His plans crashed around him as he stood in shock of this new twist. It seemed that Mrs. Weasley had plans of her own.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Ron Weasley demanded, jumping to his feet.

"Ronald Weasley! I won't have that language at my table!" Mrs. Weasley scolded from behind her son.

The ginger haired boy sang sheepishly back to his seat. "Sorry, mum." he said, his eyes still shooting fire in Draco's direction.

"Go on then, Mr. Malfoy," Mrs. Weasley said, "have a seat. Dinner will be ready in two ticks."

Uncomfortably, Draco moved towards the table. The only available seats were the ones beside Mr. Weasley. He opted for the seat between Mr. Weasley and Hermione as the only other option was the chair next to Ron.

"Good to see you again, Draco." Mr. Weasley said, attempting to lighten the pressure.

Draco forced a smile. "You too, sir." he returned, adding in a hushed tone, "though I wasn't aware that there would be others here as well."

"You're lucky, trust me. She was planning to invite the whole lot of them over." he informed the young wizard. "Managed to talk her out of it, said it wouldn't be fair."

Draco's blood pounded in his veins at those words. It would appear that Mrs. Weasley would be harder to win over than he thought. "Well, er, thank you."

Mrs. Weasley led the food to the table, setting it down easily before them. Minutes later, food was passed around and plates filled. Silence filled the room as they ate their dinner, all seemingly unwilling to speak. Until Mr. Weasley spoke up.

"Dinner is very good, Molly."

"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" Ron asked, suddenly incapable of keeping quietly any longer.

Mrs. Weasley shot her son a warning look, daring him to use that language again. He may be a grown man but he was still her son, and he seemed to think the same thing as he looked away from his mother quickly.

"He's here to have dinner." His mother replied.

"But why?" Ron asked.

"Is that any concern of yours, Ron? We invited him. He's here. We're having dinner."

"It bloody well does concern me! I'm here too, aren't I?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you raise your voice at this table again and you'll get a lashing!" Mrs. Weasley said fiercely.

"It's fine, Mrs. Weasley." Draco said, "I'm sure Granger has figured out why I'm here anyhow. She'll just tell him when they leave if you don't tell him now."

Hermione looked taken aback, staring at Draco.

"Oh, tell me I'm wrong? We might have been on friendly terms but I'd be a fool to say that you're not smart."

"Very well," Mr. Weasley said, "He wants to marry Ginny. But your mother wants to get to know him better before giving her consent."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "So that's it, is it? You're trying to weasel your way to Ginny by going through them?"

"I'm not trying to do anything." Draco said, staring at Ron.

"Calm down, Ron." Hermione said, putting her hand on his forearm.

"You're only taking his side cause he called you smart."

"No, I'm telling you to calm down because I'm smart enough to see that your anger isn't helping anyone. So just stop it."

"Thank you, Hermione." Mrs. Weasley said when Ron reluctantly settled back into his seat quietly.

Draco nodded to Hermione as well. "What is it you do now, Granger?"

"I'm working at the Ministry. Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." Hermione answered.

"Didn't you have some project in school? Freeing house elves or something?"

"You knew about that?"

Draco shrugged. "I remember some of the Gryffindors complaining that the house elves stopped cleaning the tower because of it."

"Oh, yeah," she said, "turns out the Hogwarts elves liked their job."

"Well if you've got some time available, maybe you can help me with a work problem."

"I, uh... sure."

"Come now, is this really the time for work?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"No, of course." Draco replied. "We'll set up a time later when we can talk about this, if that's alright?" he asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded.

"Good. Now, Draco, how have you been?" Mrs. Weasley continued, a smile playing at her lips.

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