THE PROPOSAL




“I accept.”


Ginny looked up from her plate, startled.


Draco continued, “I'm talking about what you said yesterday. Your proposal?”


In Draco's opinion, life was too short to waste it on arguments, so it took him only a couple of hours to think things over, agree and then half an hour for retrieving the ring from his vault in Gringotts. Draco thought Ginny would be pleased.


“My proposal?” She put her utensils down and watched as Draco carried on eating his lunch. It seemed to her as if everybody in the restaurant had suddenly stopped talking.


“Yes, Ginevra. The proposal you issued yesterday at my place,” Draco elaborated. “Did you or did you not demand - and I quote - at least unrestricted Floo rights to my apartment?”


“Oh, that proposal!”


Ginny sighed in relief and Draco smirked.


“What did you think I was talking about?”


She tried to scowl but since her cheeks and tips of her ears turned pink, she looked more embarrassed than annoyed.


“Nothing,” she muttered.


“I see.”


Her blush deepened and she attacked her fish, trying to act nonchalant.


“So you've finally decided that I'm reliable enough to come and go from your place as I please?” Ginny said to disguise her discomfort behind annoyed rambling. She was pretty sure even her neck and chest were now flushed. “And what do you mean, you accept? It's for you to offer! Your apartment, your security spells. Merlin knows, it wouldn't be that weird, half my stuff is at your place anyway,” she grumbled.


He shook his head as if he thought her utterly foolish. “It's rather too late for me to offer you anything,” he said, smirking. “Your eloquence has made my words completely unnecessary. Besides, the change in security wards is not the object of my acceptance.” Draco reached into his robes to pull out something small. “So as I said, I accept your proposal,” he repeated and put a small scarlet box on the table in front of her. It had a cute little rose-shaped golden fastener.


Ginny stared at the jewellery box. “What's this?” she asked warily.


“Open it.” Draco proceeded eating as if nothing untoward was happening at all.


“No.” Ginny pushed the box back to him.


Draco's fork froze in mid air. “What do you mean, no?”


“I mean no. I mean explain.”


“Explain what? I thought you wanted this? Didn't you say that it was nigh time we... um...”


“Not...” She gulped and continued haltingly, “Not exactly.”


Silence.


Draco blinked, looking unsure of himself for the first time that evening. He put his fork down.


“No?”


More silence. Draco gulped; Ginny was still staring at the box. The box stared right back. Finally Ginny gave up and turned to Draco.


“You didn't have to...” she stammered. “I didn't mean... Is this what I think it is?”


He looked at her for a moment or two. Then as if reaching some kind of decision he almost sighed her name. He reached over the table and took her right hand in both of his. “Ginny,” Draco said again. Then he swallowed, looked down at their clasped hands and for a long while he didn't say anything at all.


“Yes?” she asked patiently.


Draco sighed again. “You were right,” he said then. “I owe you at least the right for unrestricted flooing and... Well, as it seems that you wouldn't be terribly repulsed by the idea of...”


Draco closed his eyes for a moment and uttered quietly, “I offer you my hand in marriage.”


“Really?” Ginny's tone was slightly amused and Draco glanced up at her, partly startled and partly irritated.


“Really,” he bit out.


“In these words?”


Draco's eyes narrowed. “Isn't that what you asked of me?”


Ginny stared at him for a moment almost expressionlessly and said, “Is that what this is all about?” She huffed as if offended, but her eyes twinkled with amusement.


“Are you tryingto be difficult?” he demanded.


“Me? I'm difficult now, am I?” Ginny huffed again and continued in her patented I-am-the-adult-here tone. “You don't have to propose just because I was thinking about marriage, you know. It was strictly in general terms, I assure you. I had just been rereading Austen this week.” She shrugged and took a sip of her wine. “I was simply wondering aloud, – and I quote – if anyone ever offered his heart and hand in marriage any more?” Then Ginny's casual demeanour changed completely and she looked pointedly at him. “So what about that heart then?”


“My heart?” There was a slight pause and Ginny noticed he was struggling not to smile. “I suggest you do some inventory on your dusty shelves then, Ginevra, because you certainly haven't given it back to me.”


“Really? I somehow thought you had it on a string so you could pull it this and that way as you please.”


“No.” He shook his head. “I'm not the one who's indecisive by nature. You must have confused me being indecisive with me being heartless. It's an easy mistake to make for a Weasley; the emotional life of a Malfoy is rather complicated.” He glanced at her haughtily and turned calmly back to his steak. “As I said, take another look among your possessions, my darling Weasley. My heart should be there somewhere.”


“So,” she said after a pause, her tone polite interest as she too, resumed eating. “All this time you've been walking around totally heartless, have you? I think even my brother could probably be convinced to forgive you if that was the case. It really does explain quite a lot.”


“I suppose it does,” he agreed conversationally. “But forget about your brother for a moment. I can't expect all the Weasley's to be as understanding as you. Now, about the state of my heartlessness.” He was trying to sound exasperated. “Do you think you would possibly be able to help me out with it? You know, you have two of them now. Do you really need both?”


She put her utensils back on the table and for a second watched him sternly, but the next moment her expression crumbled and she turned into a petulant five-year-old. “You suggesting that I give you mine then?” she whined. “What's in it to me, you greedy brat?”


Draco gave her the you-are-so-stupid look, and pushed the small box back to her.


“I thought that was self-evident,” he said haughtily. “You'll get everything money can buy.”


Ginny continued to pout at him.


Draco sighed dramatically and said, “I believe I did mention something about my hand and my heart.”


Ginny visibly perked up at that. “Oh, that's all right then. My heart is yours,” she agreed and took the box.




* fin *