A/N: It's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Get ready for major fluff.
Chapter Seven
"Is it Memory Charms?" Ginny asked hopefully, blowing gently on her hot chocolate. Draco gave her an uncertain look. "Are you serious? I'm wrong?" She groaned in frustration. Draco burst into laughter.
"No, I was just kidding. You're right. The answer is Memory Charm." Ginny leaned forward and smacked his arm.
"Prat," she muttered. "That wasn't funny." Draco rolled his eyes and moved to sit next to her, leaning against the head board. Ginny glanced over towards her desk and her eyes rested on the picture of herself and Harry. She sighed, wishing it could be that simple again. But even at that time in their lives, it was far from simple. Ginny sometimes wondered if she was supposed to stop trying after a certain point. That if a relationship was just too hard and required too much effort, maybe it just wasn't supposed to be.
"Why do you keep fawning over him?" Draco asked suddenly, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Ginny stopped staring at the picture and turned to look at Draco.
"What?"
"I'm talking about Potter, Ginny," Draco elaborated impatiently. "Why do you waste your time with a prat like him?"
"Instead of chasing after a gem like you?" Ginny asked wryly, rolling her eyes.
"Well, more or less," Draco replied with a smirk. Ginny sighed and shook his head.
"How could any girl resist that modesty?"
"You seem to be the only one immune to it. You tell me."
"Well, you're so clearly out of my league. Why should I even try?" She pointed out sarcastically.
"Don't count yourself out just yet. We're more alike than you think."
"Prove it," Ginny challenged. Draco raised an eyebrow, but did not shrink away from her demand.
"All right," he agreed. "First of all, we come from pureblood families," Draco began. Ginny nodded and gestured for him to continue. "We both attended Hogwarts for at least six years. We both love to play quidditch. We're both hot-tempered."
"I am not!" Ginny exclaimed indignantly.
"Really?" Draco replied, clearly referring to her outburst as confirmation.
"Compared to the rest of my family, I'm about as temperate as you can get!" Ginny replied forcefully.
"You're only serving to prove my point, Ginny," Draco said with a smirk. "Continuing on. We're both stubborn as hell."
"I'm not stubborn. And I'm still not ready to drop that hot-tempered issue yet." Draco ignored her and continued.
"We're both right-handed. We prefer to write in blue ink. Like you, I eat candy corn by biting off each colored section individually. And we use the same shampoo," Draco added with a grin. Ginny burst out laughing in disbelief.
"You use the same frizz-free shampoo?"
"Humidity is murder on my hair," Draco replied with a serious expression. Ginny started laughing, and Draco joined in moments later.
"You're ridiculous," Ginny said, sipping her hot chocolate.
"I may be ridiculous, but I did just come up with several comparisons that never even crossed your mind," Draco pointed out. Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Fine, maybe we aren't so different," she admitted grudgingly. They lapsed into silence, sipping their hot chocolate and watching the fire dance in the hearth. Finally, Ginny glanced hesitantly at Draco.
"Can I ask you something?" She began cautiously.
"Of course," Draco replied anxiously. Ginny stirred her hot chocolate, subconsciously procrastinating.
"Did you read it yet?" She asked eventually. Draco's brow furrowed in confusion.
"Read what?"
"The letter. I saw you take it," Ginny said softly. Draco felt a stab of horror that he had been caught. Then he immediately felt ashamed.
"Ginny, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…it's just, it had my name on it, and I thought…" He trailed off helplessly. Ginny gave him a small smile and shook her head.
"It's all right, Draco. It's just something I do for me. It's obviously a one-sided conversation, but sometimes I just need to talk to someone, even though they're not here."
"I didn't read it yet," Draco said honestly. "If that makes you feel any better."
"You're dying to know what's in it, aren't you?" Ginny asked with a knowing grin. Draco shrugged in surrender.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"I'll give you permission to read it if you'll do me a favor in return," Ginny proposed. Draco raised his eyebrows curiously.
"What's that?"
"I want you to write me a letter back."
"But why-"
"I have my reasons," she cut him off vaguely. "I just want you to write me a letter. So I have a piece of you when you're gone." Suddenly it all made sense to Draco. She wanted him to write her a letter that she could read when he was gone and she missed him. His heart ached passionately for her.
"All right. I'll do it," Draco agreed. Ginny smiled and handed him a piece of parchment and a quill.
"Just write whatever you want. I probably won't read it anyway."
"Why not?"
"Because you're going to keep coming back to me. Just like you promised." Draco looked away when he further realized her intention. A final letter. Something for her to hang onto incase he never came back. He saw the fear in her eyes as she considered the horror of him never returning. He forced a comforting smile and nod.
"I will keep coming back to you, Ginny."
"I know," she answered softly. Draco turned to the blank piece of parchment and pondered the possibilities of what to say. He figured he must have spaced out for several minutes, because he nearly jumped out of his skin when Ginny's head fell onto his shoulder. She was fast asleep.
She looked so angelic and peaceful. Unable to resist any longer, her reached up and touched her soft cheek with his fingertips. Her skin was warm and smooth to the touch, sending Draco a powerful sensation of comfort. He dared to brush his lips gently across her forehead, and he was relieved when she didn't wake up.
Curiosity finally got the best of him, and Draco reached into his pocket to pull out the letter Ginny had written him. He unfolded it and read through it. The first half of the letter was all about Snape and quidditch. He could almost hear her passionate voice carrying on about both subjects in his head. When she was angry or excited about anything, she got this brilliant sparkle in her eyes and it was a very difficult process to get her to shut up about it. Then he got to the end, and his heart nearly stopped beating.
Draco, I miss you. I never thought I would, especially after you drew moustaches on Harry's face in all of my pictures. But I really do, Draco. I really miss you. I don't know what's happening inside of me, or why, but I can't get you out of my head. And I know how apocalyptic this is. I'm a Weasley, you're a Malfoy. But there's something about having forbidden feelings for someone else that appeals to me.
I'm scared for your safety, Draco. Every minute of every day. I have a hard time falling asleep sometimes because I fear that the worst has happened. I wish you didn't have to leave me, but at the same time, I'm so proud of what you're doing. Every day you give me one less reason to despise you. I wish there was some way I could know if you're feeling the same way. Missing me, and longing to feel your arms around me again.
I pray that you'll return to me, safe and sound. I hope that you are thinking of me while you're gone, and I want you to know that I am counting the moments until you come back.
Love,
Ginny
Draco could not stop the smile from creeping across his face as he read. Everything that he had previously assumed to be impossible had been completely turned around and made possible. Now it was perfectly clear to Draco what he should include in his letter to Ginny. He dipped his quill in the inkwell and immediately began to write.
--
Emboldened by getting away with the graffiti last time, Ginny planned another attack on Snape with Dumbledore's Army. She handed out packages to each member for the plan that was to be executed later that night.
"Don't get caught," Ginny reminded everyone as they left the Room of Requirements. Romilda and Colin remained behind to wait for their friend.
"Ginny, where are all these great ideas coming from?" Colin asked with admiration. "They're basically fool proof."
"I don't know. I guess Snape keeps making me so angry, and I just want to get back at him somehow."
"Well, he's certainly going to rue the day he ever pissed Ginny Weasley off," Romilda commented with a grin. Ginny laughed.
"That's the idea. Well, you guys should go back to the tower. I'm going to do my part now."
"Now? It's not even after curfew yet," Colin said skeptically.
"I was hoping to get to bed early. I just want to get it out of the way," Ginny lied. Truthfully, she just wanted to spend more time getting to know more about Draco. They had started talking more and more lately, and there was so much about him that intrigued her.
"Well, just be careful," Romilda warned. "Snape has it out for you as it is." Ginny sighed, but nodded. She knew her friends were just looking out for her. Colin and Romilda left, and Ginny gathered her things. The new rebellious task involved putting DA paraphernalia on every statue in the building, such as t-shirts or hats bearing the emblem. Ginny was just placing a t-shirt on Boris the Bewildered when Snape caught her in the act.
"Well, well," he said triumphantly. "I've been waiting a long time to catch one of you miscreants in the act. Glad it turned out to be you, Miss Weasley."
"We're not breaking any rules," Ginny said with more courage than she felt. Snape frowned.
"You're defacing school property."
"By putting shirts on the statues?" Ginny exclaimed in disbelief. "I doubt your case would hold up in a hearing."
"What it comes down to, Miss Weasley, is that you are promoting an institution that goes against the current government, and that is breaking a rule in my book."
"That's quite a stretch, don't you think?" Ginny muttered savagely. Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Not at all. Detention tonight, Weasley. The dungeons. Do try not to be late." Ginny scowled at him as he disappeared down the corridor. She cursed under her breath the entire way back to her room. Draco glanced up as she entered.
"What's got your knickers in a twist?" He asked curiously.
"Snape. He just gave me detention," Ginny replied angrily. Draco sighed and rolled his eyes.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't break any rules!"
"Then why did he punish you?"
"Because he's an evil, evil man. And he's trying to make an example out of me so no one else in Dumbledore's Army will go through with the prank."
"You coordinated another prank?"
"Yeah," Ginny replied with a grin. "A really good one too. But that stupid prat ruined it."
"Well, I have something that might cheer you up," Draco said with a smile. Ginny looked at him curiously.
"What's that?"
"Flitwick sent your last essay by owl. It's on your desk." Ginny turned and looked at the roll of parchment in question. She glanced back at Draco, who nodded her on encouragingly. Ginny read through Flitwick's comments rapidly and found her grade at the bottom of the page.
"A+?" She gasped in shock. "I got an A+?" Draco grinned.
"I knew you could do it," he said gently. Ginny's eyes swam with tears. She had never been happier to see an A+ in her entire life. She immediately crossed the room and threw her arms around Draco's neck.
"Thank you so much," she murmured gratefully. Draco wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair.
"My pleasure, Ginny. My pleasure."
--
"Guess what I learned in Trelawney's class?" Ginny asked Draco as she dropped her book bag on the floor. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"You learned something in Trelawney's class? Are you sure?" Ginny laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"I know, I know. Apocalypse."
"What did you learn?"
"There is going to be a meteor shower tonight," Ginny replied with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Okay?" Draco said, as though expecting her to continue. "And?"
"And we should go watch it from the Astronomy Tower!" Ginny finished with a grin. Draco chortled and turned back to his novel.
"You're such a girl, Ginny."
"What?" She asked incredulously.
"It's not a bad thing," Draco amended. Ginny shook her head.
"You don't want to see it? It's going to be really beautiful." Draco shrugged.
"I don't really waste my time on stuff like that."
"You're silly," Ginny sighed. "We're going. Whether you like it or not." Draco rolled his eyes and buried his nose further in his reading. "You don't have to be so grouchy all the time, you know."
"I am not grouchy," Draco replied defensively. Ginny put her hands on her hips, silently challenging his denial. He narrowed his eyes. "All right, maybe I'm a little bit grouchy. No more than you are."
"I'm only grouchy when certain people wake me up at six in the morning by tripping over my trunk," Ginny pointed out.
"Oh, sure. Bring up that incident."
"I still can't believe you didn't see it. It's a giant box at the end of my bed."
"Like you said, it was six in the morning. I was tired," Draco muttered through gritted teeth.
"Do you want anything from the Great Hall? I'm going down to dinner with Colin in a few minutes."
"What's the deal with you and this Colin chap, huh?" Draco asked, trying to sound casual. Ginny picked up on his intentions immediately.
"Oh, you know, we're just friends. Sometimes we help each other out in times of sexual frustration," she replied lightly. Draco's head snapped up so quickly, the bones of his neck crackled with the strain.
"What?" He demanded in disgust. Ginny burst out laughing.
"I'm just kidding, Draco. I would never have a friendship like that. We really are just good friends. We have been since we came to Hogwarts."
"Oh," Draco said quietly. His cheeks were slightly pink with embarrassment.
"Anyway, did you want anything to eat?"
"No, thanks."
"All right. I'll get some hot chocolate for later though." Draco grunted noncommittally and returned to his reading. Ginny headed downstairs with a smile still on her face. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Draco's grouchiness was suddenly endearing.
"What are you grinning about?" Colin asked when Ginny came into view. She shrugged her shoulders dismissively.
"Nothing," she replied casually. Colin rolled his eyes.
"I know you better than that, Ginny. Did you get another letter from Harry?" Ginny's stomach flip flopped a little in her stomach. For the first time in months, Ginny had forgotten all about him and the fact that he had yet to send her a letter.
"Why do you automatically assume that it has to do with Harry?" Ginny asked, trying to avoid lying yet again. Colin sighed.
"You get this sparkle in your eyes when you think about him. It's obvious that you've fallen for him."
Ginny stopped dead.
"What's wrong?" Colin asked. "Did I say something?"
"No…" Ginny replied softly. "It's nothing. I just remembered that I have an essay due for Charms tomorrow that I had forgotten about. It's no big deal. I'll get it done after dinner." So much for not lying, Ginny thought unhappily. But she had been knocked on her bum by what Colin had said. Was he right? Had she started falling for Draco without even realizing it?
"She's doing it again," Colin said to Romilda as they sat down in the Great Hall. Ginny served herself in a trance like state, completely blocking out everything else around her. Romilda frowned.
"I'm really concerned about her, Colin. This can't be healthy."
"I think Harry's absence is really taking a toll on her. She's clearly in love with him, and he's in so much danger right now," Colin pointed out. Romilda shook her head.
"There's something else, Col. I don't know what it is, but there's something happening that she's not telling us. I don't want to be nosy, but at the same time, I think we have a right to be concerned about our best friend."
"Do you think we should ask her about it?" Colin asked in a low voice. Ginny seemed to be coming out of her daze.
"I guess we could try," Romilda suggested.
"Colin, can you pass me the beans?" Ginny asked, finally returning to the here and now. Colin obeyed silently. Romilda gave him a look, indicating that now would be a good time to say something.
"Hey, Gin?"
"Yeah?"
"Is there something going on that you need to talk about?" He asked carefully. Ginny glanced up nervously.
"Why?"
"No reason," Colin replied hastily. "You just seem a little distracted, and we're worried about you." Ginny smiled gently and laid her hand on his arm.
"I'm fine, Colin. My nerves are just kind of shot at this point. I can't wait for this war to be over."
"We're all with you on that one, Ginny," Romilda agreed with a sigh. The three friends finished their dinners without further discussion of Ginny's behavior or the war. They talked about quidditch and when they would hold their next practice. Ginny was sad to leave their quidditch club and go home for Christmas in two weeks, but at the same time, it was going to be a nice change of pace.
"You will talk to us if there's something serious going on, won't you, Ginny?" Romilda asked before they parted ways. Ginny nodded reassuringly.
"Of course. I appreciate that you guys are thinking of me, but I'm just having a rough time with the whole war situation. It'll pass."
"Good," Colin said with a smile.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Ginny said good night to her friends and headed for her room. Her eyes settled on Draco, lounging on the couch, still reading his book. The smile returned to her face, and she recalled what Colin had said earlier. Draco glanced up from his book.
"How was dinner?" He asked conversationally.
"Fine. Ready to go watch the meteor shower?" Draco made a face, but shut his book and got to his feet. Ginny smiled. He was humoring her. That had to mean something.
"I'm guessing I'll need to be a puppy again?"
"Just until we get settled. Then I can secure the tower and you can turn back into yourself." Draco nodded and transformed into his Animagus. Ginny grabbed her heavy jacket and a hat/scarf/gloves set before opening her door and letting Draco out. They made their way to the Astronomy Tower, generally unbothered by passing students. A few girls asked if they could pet the puppy.
"He bites," Ginny lied. "Sorry." The girls walked away looking disappointed and Draco looked up at her and barked. Ginny pretended not to notice and continued on her way. When they reached the tower, Ginny sealed the door so that no one would be able to disturb them. By the time she turned around, Draco had already changed back into his human form.
"I didn't think being here would affect me this much," he said quietly, looking around. It didn't register right away what Draco was talking about, but when it did, she felt cold.
"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't even think-" Ginny began, but Draco held up his hand to silence her.
"It's all right. Like I said, I didn't realize it was going to have such an effect on me." He walked over to the edge and looked down. "It feels like yesterday," he murmured quietly. Ginny slowly moved towards him, not sure whether he wanted to be approached or not.
"But you've come so far since that night. Think about everything you've done since then. You're going to be a hero, Draco," Ginny reminded him gently. Draco looked at her with a wry smile.
"Spies are rarely remembered as heroes," he said matter-of-factly. Ginny sighed.
"Well, if it means anything to you, Draco, I'll always remember you as a hero." Draco looked at her for a long time, searching her eyes for sarcasm and dishonesty. He found neither.
"It means everything to me, Ginny," Draco replied softly. They maintained eye contact until Ginny couldn't look at him anymore without blushing deeply. She glanced up at the sky and saw a flash of light dart from east to west.
"Oh, look!" She exclaimed, pointing up. "Did you see it? It was right there." Draco followed her finger, but he didn't need to. The sky was suddenly filled with shooting stars reaching across the sky with long white fingers.
"Wow," Draco whispered under his breath. Ginny grinned smugly and elbowed him gently.
"Aren't you glad I talked you into this?" She teased. Draco shook his head; his expression was one of awe.
"Absolutely," he admitted freely. "It's incredible." Ginny opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, she felt Draco's hand close around hers. The gesture stole her breath and forced her into silence, even though there were hundreds of things she wanted to say.
They stood in silence for a long while, watching the meteor shower together. Draco did not let go of Ginny's hand, and she didn't want him to. She moved closer to him, slowly nestling against his chest. Finally, his hand released hers and she froze in horror. Had she misread his signals? Her doubts were silenced when his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her in close.
"You know, I've never done anything like this before," Draco said softly.
"Like what?"
"Anything gentle."
"I don't understand."
"You know how I was. Relationships didn't exist to me. It was a life of one night stands and temporary flings. There was never time for romance or tenderness," Draco continued, his voice thick with regret. "I'm so ashamed of the man I used to be."
"But you're changing, Draco. That's what matters," Ginny insisted. Draco's grip around her tightened and he kissed the top of her head.
"I had no idea what I was missing all those years," he murmured. Ginny barely knew what to say. She was standing at the top of the Astronomy Tower in mid-December in the arms of Draco Malfoy. And she was enjoying every moment of it. The best part about it was that he seemed to be enjoying it too.
"How did we get here, Ginny? How did two people as stubborn as us come to this?" Draco wondered aloud.
"I have no idea," Ginny admitted. "I don't even want to think about what my brothers would say."
"My father would definitely murder me for this," Draco replied in agreement. "It might be worth it though." Ginny pulled away to look into his eyes.
"Don't say those things. I could never be worth that."
"You just might be, Ginny Weasley. You just might be," Draco countered with a soft smile. He reached out and touched her cheek gently. The contact sent shivers down Ginny's spine that had nothing to do with the cold. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead tenderly.
"I have a feeling that you're worth anything. Anything and everything," Draco said, caressing her face with the pads of his thumbs. Then, he carefully searched her eyes for resistance, but he only found desire. Upon this discovery, he leaned down and brushed his lips gently over hers. Ginny's heart leapt with delight, and her lips tingled from the sensation. Draco pulled back slightly to gauge her reaction. She smiled up at him, to let him know that it was all right. He didn't need to be told twice. He immediately kissed her again, with heightened intensity. Her hands wove through his hair while his clutched her lower back, dragging her into his solid body.
Ginny had never experienced anything like this. Her kisses with Harry had been intense, yes. There had been passion and eagerness. But Draco's kiss made her insides squirm with pleasure, and it soon felt as though molten lava had replaced the blood in her veins. It was an equally fulfilling experience for Draco, who had never felt so deeply connected to any of the girls he had kissed. Everything else around them dimmed, and all Draco could think about was never letting her go.