Chapter 5. Two unwanted visitors.

After spending a few minutes with Ron outside, I retired back to my room, only to find Ginny sitting on her bed, waiting for me to return. As I walked into the room, she had an odd look on her face, one that I couldn't place.

"Gin? You okay?" I asked her.

"Oh yeah, I'm GREAT. How are you?" She asked with one eyebrow raised, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

"I'm great thanks. I'm assuming George told you what happened."

"Yes, he did indeed."

"And what do you think?"

"I think its bloody brilliant."

"Oh?" I asked her, while laughing.

"Yeah, I'm happy Ron finally got the guts to do it."

"That's kind of what George said. Wait, George also said you and Harry were having an intense discussion downstairs, what was that all about?"

"Oh. Well, Harry…he kind of brought up the subject of marriage. Well, with the war finally being over, and him wanting to become an auror and all, he thought it would be best if we…just did it! So, what I'm trying to say is…he proposed!"

"GINEVRA WEASLEY! That's fantastic! Bloody hell, Gin! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks 'Mione. It means a lot. Will you be my maid of honor?"

"I'd love to Ginny! I can't believe you asked me! That means so much!"

"Who else would I ask?"

"Wait, then where's the ring?"

"Disillusionment charm. Didn't want Mum to freak out…yet. We aren't going to get married for a while, but we wanted it to be official."

"I don't blame you!"

We sat there talking and laughing, thinking about the future, when everything suddenly went black.

"Are you staying, or what?"

"I…" I looked anguished. "Yes – yes, I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help-"

"I get it. You choose him."

"Ron, no – please – come back, come back!"

Harry stood quite still and silent, listening to me sobbing and calling Ron's name among the trees.

After a few minutes I returned, my sopping hair plastered to my face.

"He's g – g – gone! Disapparated!"

I lay in my bed and cried myself to sleep when I heard Ginny calling me.

"Hermione! Hermione! Someone! Help! Ron! Mum! Harry! George! Dad! Anyone!"

Ginny was screaming at the top of her lungs, and I opened my eyes to see her worried ones looking down on me, and everyone ran into the room. I looked around and saw Harry and Ron's mouths open in shock, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked extremely worried and George looked confused. I sat up and saw that I was on the floor, a broken lamp next to me, and the blankets on the bed wrapped around me.

"'Mione?" asked Ron.

I glanced up at him, seeing tears in his eyes, and I couldn't help but start crying, to see the boy I thought I had just lost, standing there, actually in the room. I pulled my knees up to my chest, buried my face in my hands, and I started sobbing; not only sobbing, but shaking.

"You – you – left!"

I started crying even harder when I heard Ron ask everyone to leave except Harry. They sat down next to me, and put an arm around my shoulders and let me cry.

Half an hour later, I looked up to see them looking at me with worried eyes.

"What happened Hermione?" Harry asked me softly.

"Fla – flashback. Hic – to when – hic – Ron left." I said, while hiccupping.

"I'm here now, 'Mione. And I don't plan on leaving, ever again. I meant what I said earlier, and I'm never taking it back."

I felt him tilt my head up to look at him, and he pulled my face to his, giving me a soft kiss. It was simple, but it made fireworks go off inside me and I knew just how much he truly did love me.

I realized I hadn't left the Burrow in a few weeks, and so Ginny and I decided to spend the day in London, just to get out of the wizarding world for an afternoon. We stopped in a café and took a latte each to drink while we walked. We stopped at a little boutique that sold every kind of clothing from pajamas, to jeans and to our surprise wedding dresses. Ginny looked at me and I knew right away I couldn't tell her no. So we wandered around and Ginny tried on a few, but then she saw one in the front, and she gasped. She almost ran to there and pulled it off the rack, and I had to admit, it was beautiful. It had a v-neck neckline and had simple beading down the entire dress. It had an empire waist and was just slightly off-white. She tried it on and my jaw dropped, the colour suited her hair perfectly and it made her look like a Goddess. I went to the rack where she found it and saw there weren't any more of that dress.

"Ginny." I said while walking up to her.

"Hm?"

"That's the only one. I think you got the last one!"

"That one is a top seller. We always have at least one in, would you like to purchase it today?" Said a smiling woman who I couldn't help but assume owned the store.

"Well, I'm very recently engaged, but I can see myself in this dress. You're sure you will have more?

"Of course, dear!"

"Oh, that's perfect!"

As Ginny was getting changed, I saw a dress in the back that I couldn't take my eyes off. I went to look at it and saw it was the only one left. I pulled it off and my heart almost stopped beating. This dress was pure white, strapless with a sweetheart neckline. It was entirely lace with a dropped waist, and a slight flaire.

"Oh, I see you've found my prized possession. I made this dress myself and no one has ever bought it, but I can't bear to part with it until the right person comes along. Are you engaged too, dear?" the saleswoman asked me.

"No I'm not, but I adore this dress. I wonder, do you think it will still be here in…QUITE a while?"

"I hope so dear, but I really don't know."

"Oh, all right. Well, my friends done, so we'll be seeing you soon."

"Until then!"

We left the store, and I had never seen Ginny look happier. I only wished that I would get the chance to go wedding dress shopping with her, one day for my own wedding. I had a feeling my future looked bright.

"Where would you like to go now, Hermione?"

"Diagon Alley?"

"Sure," said Ginny.

Off we went to Diagon Alley. We went first to Gringotts, and took some money out of our accounts. We decided to wander through Diagon Alley and we found that we had arrived at Flourish and Botts. We stopped and looked at each other, a knowing look passing through our faces and walked into the store. We went through the bottom floor fairly quickly so we headed upstairs. We ended up the history section, already holding a few books from other parts of the store.

"Well, isn't it Weaslette and the mudblood."

We turned around to see none other than Draco Malfoy, standing on his own.

"Malfoy, the war is over, we don't want to fight with you anymore. Call us names, do whatever you want. We. Don't. Care. Maybe Mummy and Daddy dearest protected you during the war, but we were fighting on our own thanks to you lot. So please, do us a favor and leave us alone. Once a ferret, always a ferret." Ginny said with courage.

Draco looked surprised as he started walking closer.

"You think I'm not done? You think this war was easy on me? Being forced to do the Dark Lord's bidding and receiving this!" He pulled up his sleeve showing us his Dark Mark, but it looked a little faded. I looked at his face and saw his usual arrogant and passive expression replaced by a look of misery and hopelessness. I blinked and it was gone, his other demeanor coming back immediately, and I thought for a moment I had only dreamed this look, but I knew I hadn't.

"No matter what the mediwizards try, they can't remove it. Nothing is working. I might just have to wear a disillusionment charm on it for the rest of my life." He said, and I saw him blinking away the tears that were threatening to overcome him.

"So why aren't you in prison?" asked Ginny, coldly, obviously not noticing Malfoy's expression, while trying to change the subject.

"The Aurors gave my mother and I a choice; go to Azkaban, or help rebuild Hogwarts as well as volunteering at St. Mungo's because the Malfoy's are quite well practiced in the art of potions." He stood up straighter and had a smirk on his face.

"Well that's a nice story. But we should be going. Bye Malfoy." I pulled Ginny away and all of a sudden I felt myself falling as everything went black.

"Hermione, no! He's not worth it." Ron said from behind me as I pulled my wand on Draco Malfoy. I started to turn around, before I changed my mind and went to punch him. I had my fist raised as I turned and this time Malfoy was closer than I expected him to be. He grabbed my wrist, holding on quite tight. He leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"Oh no you don't. Things that are dirty should be disposed of. Come with me mudblood, your time is up."

I started screaming and I felt petite hands on my arms, shaking me.

"'Mione! It's okay, you're safe. I'm right here."

"Ma – Malfoy."

"Malfoy. Leave. Now."

I looked to my left and saw him quickly stand up, knocking over a bookshelf full of books. They flew across the room as he strode out, and one landed next to me, and as it hit the ground the binding broke and half of the pages fell out. I saw the cover said Hogwarts, A History.

I felt my arms, that were trying to hold me up, go limp and I my body collapsed, as I saw my favourite book being ruined, and I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. My head it the floor and a familiarity returned. Darkness greeted me as an old friend and soothed me down, being a gentleman. I fought to stay awake but then he became aggressive, not taking no for an answer and I had to submit.