Chapter Five

A surprise in the morning

"Right," Hermione smiled at the assembled group. "I know your all wondering why I gathered you all here". Harry, Ron, Ginny with Luna and Neville where sat on the sofa of Hermione and Ginny's shared flat.

Luna and Neville were housemates and lived together in the Norfolk broads on a house that sat on stilts to keep it out of the fens. It was a wooden building with flags made of red and blue scraps around the windows and doors. Neville insisted the pair where not dating and Luna never answered the question. On this occasion Luna was examining a strand of her blonde hair as though it were fascinating.

"Well," Hermione smiled at the group as Draco hugged her a little tighter. He was stood behind her his head nestled on her shoulder.

"Seriously Draco," Ron called out interrupting Hermione mid-flow "put her down. She's like my sister I don't want to see you doing that." Draco's hands had been snaking around Hermione's hip. She looked down and pushed him a little away but still held his hand.

"Draco has asked me to marry him." There was a pause as everyone on the sofa including Luna stopped fidgeting. "And I said yes." The room went from complete silence to loud shouts and cries of,

"Congratulations mate,"

"Do you have the ring?"

"How did he propose?" after an hour or so only Hermione and Ginny where left sat on the sofa discussing how Draco had proposed and ideas Hermione had for the wedding. Draco himself evidently already bored of all the wedding talk had exiled himself to the Elba of the kitchen and was spending a very long time making the three of them drinks.

"I just have something to talk to you about," Hermione said more softly than their rushed excitable conversation had been so far. "Draco and I want to move in together before the wedding." Ginny smiled at her flatmate and wondered why she looked so nervous. "Here."

"Ok," Ginny said softly.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologised "I don't want you to think I'm pushing you out or anything. I've loved being your flatmate," Ginny smiled widely and with genuine emotion.

"Me too I knew this would happen your prince would take you away."

"Prince?" Hermione replied skeptically "you have met Draco haven't you?" Then she paused "I don't want you to think I'm pushing you out."

"Don't worry I really I'll move out soon,"

"No no," Hermione said "take as long as you want find somewhere you really like."

"Actually," Ginny replied sheepishly "as soon as you mentioned it I was just going to move in with Ron and Harry.

"Oh," Hermione said quickly.

"Think about it," Ginny smiled "if they can't find a flatmate they'll have to leave their flat and it's so nice. Bristol isn't a big commute plus Draco's room is huge." She wasn't lying Draco was the wealthiest of the three and thus had been paying a little more rent than the others. This had entitled him to his choice of the three bedrooms and unsurprisingly he'd chosen the largest of the three. With more than enough room for his large wardrobe and a double bed. Ginny became suddenly glad for the pay rise her new position had given her.

"I thought about that too," admitted Hermione "I just wasn't sure if you want to share a flat with two boys one of whom is your brother."

"As long as they don't expect me to cook, clean and wash up after them I'm sure we will get on fine. Besides you've seen how many hours work takes me out these days." Hermione nodded along with the increase in pay Ginny had taken on a significant increase in the number of hours she was expected to be at work. Hermione thought the paper was liberal in the way it treated her but Ginny insisted all media work was like this. "Until you had climbed the greasy pole the pay and perks were not great" she had admitted one day after a fourteen hour day.

'Right this is the last of your clothes?" Harry asked as he and Ginny dragged a pair of boxes up the final flight of stairs in the building. The apartment complex that Ron, Harry and now Ginny lived had a lift but it had not been functioning for the last two months at least to Ginny's recollection.

"Yes," she replied "this is all my clothes I am sure you only own two t-shirts, a pair of jeans and some work stuff."

"Actually I was thinking how little it is Draco owns at least twice as much." Ginny smiled but it wasn't a true smile she was annoyed at herself for being instantly defensive when Harry had teased her.

"So," she said trying to change the conversation quickly "remind me why my brother isn't here helping."

"Because he always manages to have a good excuse for every situation," Harry smiled back as they hauled the boxes over the last step and into the flat.

"This is a lot tidier than last time I visited," Ginny remarked.

Yes the party was a bit mad wasn't it?" Harry smiled back.

"Yeah," Ginny replied "the party," inside she was breathing a sigh of relief she had never told Harry of her talk with Draco and he had never mentioned it. She was glad for that for some reason she could not quite explain, even to herself, she didn't want him knowing. An hour later the pair made the sixth journey up the steps with the very last of Ginny's belongings. This time it was books and although each box was not particularly large they were heavy. Harry dropped the box he'd been carrying on Ginny's bed. The books spilled out mostly old Hogwart's books. But he also spied "Jane Eyre" and "Emma", books he vaguely recognised but could barely remember. He resolved to ask Hermione next time he saw her.

"Thanks Harry," Ginny smiled as she put her box beside his, picking up Jane Eyre and she placed it on the bookshelf beside her new wardrobes.

"What is that book about?" Harry asked. Ginny smiled with the memories of the book.

"It's about a girl who's family dies and her extended family rejects her and she grows up alone, falls in love with a man who it turns out is already married to a mad woman he locks in the attic."

"Not a comedy then," Harry smiled.

"No but it is brilliant," Ginny smiled. Harry looked at her and saw her face so alive. "Hermione lent me it last year, it's a muggle book."

"What's up?" she asked his face suddenly had a strange contemplative look.

"Nothing," he replied quickly. If Ginny was asked later she would say truthfully she had no idea what came over her except that in that second he looked so perfect both strong and a little gentle. She bent down to Harry perched on the edge of her bed and kissed him. The kiss was so perfect that she was lost for a second and for a moment he was kissing her back. Then she felt him push her away. "Oh Merlin," she thought "he doesn't feel the same way. What have I done?"

Harry was read the blurb of "Jane Eyre" when Ginny lent in and without warning kissed Harry on the lips. He did not know how long the kiss lasted and it felt amazing but he could not get the brown haired girl out of his head. He felt as though he was cheating. He pushed Ginny away lightly. Then he looked up and saw her face she was hurt and torn and he felt awful. She was one of his closest friends and he had caused the tears running down her cheeks and the defiant look on her face. He lent out to touch her and just as he was a millimetre away she disappeared.

Notes: well there it is folks - for the year. I will be back with chapter six (of twelve) in the New Year I hope you enjoyed it so far and please review