Alex stumbled into the commons with Blaise and glanced around blearily at the group. "Gin? Pansy? Can I crash with you guys? I don't think I could make it up the tower steps."
Both girls nodded and led her to the bedroom. She fell asleep in Ginny's bed, the little Thestral curling up beside her on a rug. The girls tiptoed out into the commons and said their good nights.
Draco and Blaise went off to their dorms, Damien deciding to crash on the couch. Ginny and Pansy went back into their room and changed.
"Where are you going to sleep Gin?" Pansy whispered, brushing out her hair then twisting it into a silk scrunchie.
"I think I'll sleep on the lounge in the commons, you know the one by the fire?" Ginny pulled on a pair of Draco's boxers and one of Fred's shirts (The twins having always been her favorite brothers.) before brushing out her hair. "Besides, Alex really deserves the bed more than I do."
She tiptoed out of the room with her pillow (she'd had it since she was three, a lime green thing she had to cover with another pillowcase to protect it) and a quilt. She slinked over to the chaise lounge and settled down on it. Damien watched her from across the room before letting the fire burn down.
"Goodnight Ginny, and thanks." He murmured, setting his head on the arm of the couch.
"G'night Damien, sleep sweet." Ginny replied, snuggling down in her quilt.
-.-
Half an hour later Draco paced into the commons to find Ginny on the lounge. His lips curved into a gentle smile and he crossed the room to pick her up in his arms. The pillow she clutched came with her, as did the heavy quilt. He carried his bundle back to his dorms and put her in his bed. Blaise stirred across the room, and watched as he climbed in beside her. Ginny found this new heat source to be very good indeed and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her nose in his neck. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist, resting his head on top of hers. He never noticed that when Blaise got up and trudged from the room he didn't return, or the fact that Greg had never even made an appearance. Vincent slept in the other seventh year dorm, down the hall from this one.
Draco let one of his legs slide between hers, so she was lying flush on his chest. 'I could get used to this, oh yes indeed I could.' and with that he slid his eyes closed and fell asleep.
-.-
The next morning Ginny woke up slowly, her mind clouded with the scent of Draco. 'Not that's odd, I'm wearing my own shirt this time…'
Her warm chocolate eyes opened and she stretched languidly, bowing her spine away from her heat source. A pair of arms snaked around her and pulled her back, a growl following. Ginny glanced behind her into Draco's silver eyes amusedly.
"Care to explain what I'm doing here Mr. Malfoy." She asked coyly, pushing back into his body.
His hands tightened on her hips convulsively, "Something very naughty Ms. Weasley."
Ginny flipped over, causing Fred's shirt to rise up around her ribs. Draco's hands explored this newly revealed skin, braving even further up and under her shirt. His hands met with soft –bare- skin. He groaned and closed his eyes when she pressed against him, quivering like a puppy who wanted to be petted.
"Gods Ginny, you aren't wearing anything under that shirt." Draco managed to hiss, his hands tracing up and down the sides of her breasts.
"Nope," Ginny leaned up and kissed his ear, "I'm not wearing anything under your boxers either."
His eyes snapped open and he eyed the little minx above him, "You are a naughty girl aren't you?"
She pushed him onto his back with her small hands, tracing his -shirtless- chest. His hands slipped from her chest down to her hips, running his fingers just inside the waistband. "I am indeed Mr. Malfoy, but until you marry me you won't know just how capable I am."
"Then by all the hells let's get married!" Draco exclaimed, his mouth tracing her shoulder.
Ginny froze above him and sat back, "Do you mean that? And not just because you want to have sex with me Draco."
Draco gazed at her for several moments; it seemed he was really thinking about what she said. Then he slid out of bed and crossed to his trunk. He riffled through it for a moment before coming back to kneel beside the bed. Ginny sat up and stared at him in fascination as he opened a velvet box and offered its contents to her. Inside was a delicate ring, silver with a tasteful emerald setting, small diamonds tracing around it.
"This was my Great-Grandmother's, and has been used to propose to every Malfoy Lady since her time." Draco took a deep breath and locked eyes with her, "I can't promise you a happy ever after Ginny, I may be called to face Voldemort at anytime. I can't give you a doting family and I can't ever forgive some of the things that I was made to do. But I can give you the promise that every day that I live, you will be loved, that I will do my best to give you everything your heart desires, and I can give you the protection of my name. If you'll be content with all of that, with me, then…would you marry me?"
Somewhere along the line, Ginny realized that she was crying, and Draco eyed her worriedly. "Draco, Draco…Of course! I don't want anything but you, and I never will. And I will help you face Voldemort and win, because nothing and I mean nothing, is ever taking you from me. Just love me, stay with me, and believe in us. Draco, that's all I ask of you."
Draco slipped the ring on her finger with trembling hands then stood and took her into his arms. She wrapped hers around him tightly, snuggling her head against his chest.
She knew that this peace couldn't last, that they would have to go out and face all of the evil that surrounded them. But Ginny believed that as long as there were people in love, that as long as people had hope, the evil would be stopped and pushed back.
'I don't need anything but him, and I never will.' Ginny sighed and pulled him back to the bed to snuggle some more. She gazed at her left hand as it rested on his stomach and began to giggle. She placed her right hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, gave up and buried her head in her fiancé's shoulder.
Draco held her as she spent her laughter and kissed her head. "Sleep now, luv?"
She nodded and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Mr. Malfoy."
"Goodnight future Mrs. Malfoy."
And they both fell asleep dreaming of a future that could be a place full of children, laughing friends and (in Ginny's case) blue bunnies that were actually teacups.
-.-