The rest of the weekend passed quickly. Draco and Ginny did homework Sunday afternoon by the lake, chatting about anything and everything. It was peaceful.
“Can we have a pond in our back yard?” Ginny asked, eying the lake and enjoying the gentle sounds. It was another relaxing sound.
“Of course. You can have anything you want,” Draco declared, loosening his tie.
He was sprawled out under a tree, cloak removed, the top button of his shirt undone so Ginny could just barely see the tiny bit of blonde chest hair peeking out. Ginny had never found chest hair attractive before, but it looked damn good on him. And he always smelled so good. Ginny would wake in the night to find herself sprawled all over him, inhaling his scent deeply.
“What if I want a kiss?” Ginny teased.
“Then you get one,” Draco said, before sitting back up and gently kissing her.
He always tasted so good, Ginny thought, deepening the kiss. They had already agreed, no sex until after school. It wouldn’t do for Ginny to get pregnant. Contraceptive potions were only ninety-nine percent effective after all. Though, of course, she was banking on that to keep her baby-free during her Quidditch career. It just felt too much like a risk right now.
Ginny sighed gently as they parted, smelling Draco’s scent mixed with the lake. It was comforting to her. Everything felt right in her life. She was doing well at her studies, Gwenog was very impressed with her, and her mother was sending her—and Draco—scarves for the upcoming temperature drop.
“When is the next Hogsmeade visit?” Ginny found herself asking, stretching out her legs.
“Beginning of December, I believe. What do you want to get?” he asked her.
“Christmas gifts for my family. I’ve been debating making George a photo album with nothing but pictures of him and Fred. I’m just not sure how he would react to it. I don’t want to upset him, you know?” Ginny asked, and Draco nodded.
“I think it would upset him no matter what,” Draco said, “But maybe in a good way. It might be helpful, too. Where are you going to get the pictures from?”
“I’ve already asked for a couple of baby pictures from my mum, and Colin has some pictures. I’ve reached out to Wood and a few others about pictures they might have. I just… it’s been hard on George. He tries to do the best he can, but in the end, he lost his other half. To be honest, we thought we were going to lose him. Mum was scared he was going to commit suicide. But he says Fred wouldn’t have wanted that, and he isn’t going to disgrace his brother’s memory,” Ginny explained.
“That is noble, though I should expect as much from a Gryffindor,” Draco teased, and Ginny rolled her eyes.
“So, how are we doing the holidays?” Ginny asked.
Draco shrugged. “I thought maybe we could do Christmas Eve at my parent’s house, since they always do something special that night, and then Christmas with your family. And Lovegood invited the Golden Trio and us over for the day after Christmas, and I know how close you are with her, so I figured we could do that.”
Ginny sat there a moment, staring at Draco. He knew the little things about her, and it always stunned the hell out of her. Of course she would love to go with the trio to visit Luna for the holidays. It would be awkward because of Harry, but Ginny was sure they’d work around that. Harry had taken to owling her once a week. Draco didn’t seem to mind. He was less insecure with his place in Ginny’s heart since they had done the veritaserum.
“That sounds good. I just don’t know what to get your parents for Christmas, so you’ll have to help me,” Ginny finally said.
“Don’t I always?” Draco drawled, hair falling into his eyes.
Ginny couldn’t help but kiss him again.
~~~
“So,” George said, as the couple was in his shop, “How do you feel about facing all the Weasleys?” he asked Draco.
“Bloody terrified, but I’ll deny it to the end,” he admitted, his Weasley scarf wrapped snug around his neck.
“You are a braver man than I by far. It really shouldn’t be too awful, though. I am sure Mum is going to wrangle everyone into behaving. I’d worry about Charlie if it were me. Ron will bluster, but that’s all he can do. Bill is busy with his pregnant wife, and he’ll worry but not too much. Percy will try to be respectful if you are. And Charlie will threaten to feed you to his dragons, which he might do. I never did figure out where his last ex went. Vanished mysteriously after visiting him in Romania. What was his name?” George asked, and Ginny rolled her eyes.
“It was Anakin. After some Muggle movie. Quit trying to scare Draco and tell us what you and everyone else wants for Christmas,” Ginny demanded, hands on her hip.
“No one expects anything. It’s our first Christmas since… since the war. Don’t go overboard. Do you need money for gifts?” he asked.
“No, my money is her money,” Draco drawled, and George nodded, a fond look in his eyes.
“You know, Malfoy, you aren’t too bad for a Slytherin. I might even say I like you one day.”
Draco chuckled. “That would be an honor. A legendary Weasley liking me? That puts me right on the map.”
They parted ways, and Ginny held Draco’s gloved hand (hers was also gloved), thinking of how nice it was to spend time with him outside of school.
Once they made it to the Three Broomsticks and removed their cloaks, Ginny had an inkling of what she wanted to do for his parents for Christmas.
“I will need paint and pictures of them. Lots of paint. Every color of the rainbow,” Ginny demanded.
“And you’re not going to tell me why?” Draco asked.
“Now where would the fun be in that?” Ginny teased.
~~~
Ginny spent the next few days in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione by her side. While Ginny painted, Hermione read, studied, wrote the boys, whatever she could think of to do.
“And why won’t you let Draco see it again?” Hermione had asked.
“He can see this one after it’s done. I don’t want to ruin it by seeing what he thinks before it’s finished,” Ginny huffed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and getting paint on her face and hair.
Hermione nodded and continued to scan the Daily Prophet.
When the portrait was finished, Ginny snuck it back to her common room at midnight one night. Draco was asleep at the table, having tried to wait up for her. She set the painting down and got him to bed before she promptly passed out herself.
When she woke up, Draco was sitting at their table, staring at the painting in complete silence. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but when he noticed her, he turned to her.
“It’s perfect,” he said simply.
And that was enough for Ginny.
“Can we have a pond in our back yard?” Ginny asked, eying the lake and enjoying the gentle sounds. It was another relaxing sound.
“Of course. You can have anything you want,” Draco declared, loosening his tie.
He was sprawled out under a tree, cloak removed, the top button of his shirt undone so Ginny could just barely see the tiny bit of blonde chest hair peeking out. Ginny had never found chest hair attractive before, but it looked damn good on him. And he always smelled so good. Ginny would wake in the night to find herself sprawled all over him, inhaling his scent deeply.
“What if I want a kiss?” Ginny teased.
“Then you get one,” Draco said, before sitting back up and gently kissing her.
He always tasted so good, Ginny thought, deepening the kiss. They had already agreed, no sex until after school. It wouldn’t do for Ginny to get pregnant. Contraceptive potions were only ninety-nine percent effective after all. Though, of course, she was banking on that to keep her baby-free during her Quidditch career. It just felt too much like a risk right now.
Ginny sighed gently as they parted, smelling Draco’s scent mixed with the lake. It was comforting to her. Everything felt right in her life. She was doing well at her studies, Gwenog was very impressed with her, and her mother was sending her—and Draco—scarves for the upcoming temperature drop.
“When is the next Hogsmeade visit?” Ginny found herself asking, stretching out her legs.
“Beginning of December, I believe. What do you want to get?” he asked her.
“Christmas gifts for my family. I’ve been debating making George a photo album with nothing but pictures of him and Fred. I’m just not sure how he would react to it. I don’t want to upset him, you know?” Ginny asked, and Draco nodded.
“I think it would upset him no matter what,” Draco said, “But maybe in a good way. It might be helpful, too. Where are you going to get the pictures from?”
“I’ve already asked for a couple of baby pictures from my mum, and Colin has some pictures. I’ve reached out to Wood and a few others about pictures they might have. I just… it’s been hard on George. He tries to do the best he can, but in the end, he lost his other half. To be honest, we thought we were going to lose him. Mum was scared he was going to commit suicide. But he says Fred wouldn’t have wanted that, and he isn’t going to disgrace his brother’s memory,” Ginny explained.
“That is noble, though I should expect as much from a Gryffindor,” Draco teased, and Ginny rolled her eyes.
“So, how are we doing the holidays?” Ginny asked.
Draco shrugged. “I thought maybe we could do Christmas Eve at my parent’s house, since they always do something special that night, and then Christmas with your family. And Lovegood invited the Golden Trio and us over for the day after Christmas, and I know how close you are with her, so I figured we could do that.”
Ginny sat there a moment, staring at Draco. He knew the little things about her, and it always stunned the hell out of her. Of course she would love to go with the trio to visit Luna for the holidays. It would be awkward because of Harry, but Ginny was sure they’d work around that. Harry had taken to owling her once a week. Draco didn’t seem to mind. He was less insecure with his place in Ginny’s heart since they had done the veritaserum.
“That sounds good. I just don’t know what to get your parents for Christmas, so you’ll have to help me,” Ginny finally said.
“Don’t I always?” Draco drawled, hair falling into his eyes.
Ginny couldn’t help but kiss him again.
~~~
“So,” George said, as the couple was in his shop, “How do you feel about facing all the Weasleys?” he asked Draco.
“Bloody terrified, but I’ll deny it to the end,” he admitted, his Weasley scarf wrapped snug around his neck.
“You are a braver man than I by far. It really shouldn’t be too awful, though. I am sure Mum is going to wrangle everyone into behaving. I’d worry about Charlie if it were me. Ron will bluster, but that’s all he can do. Bill is busy with his pregnant wife, and he’ll worry but not too much. Percy will try to be respectful if you are. And Charlie will threaten to feed you to his dragons, which he might do. I never did figure out where his last ex went. Vanished mysteriously after visiting him in Romania. What was his name?” George asked, and Ginny rolled her eyes.
“It was Anakin. After some Muggle movie. Quit trying to scare Draco and tell us what you and everyone else wants for Christmas,” Ginny demanded, hands on her hip.
“No one expects anything. It’s our first Christmas since… since the war. Don’t go overboard. Do you need money for gifts?” he asked.
“No, my money is her money,” Draco drawled, and George nodded, a fond look in his eyes.
“You know, Malfoy, you aren’t too bad for a Slytherin. I might even say I like you one day.”
Draco chuckled. “That would be an honor. A legendary Weasley liking me? That puts me right on the map.”
They parted ways, and Ginny held Draco’s gloved hand (hers was also gloved), thinking of how nice it was to spend time with him outside of school.
Once they made it to the Three Broomsticks and removed their cloaks, Ginny had an inkling of what she wanted to do for his parents for Christmas.
“I will need paint and pictures of them. Lots of paint. Every color of the rainbow,” Ginny demanded.
“And you’re not going to tell me why?” Draco asked.
“Now where would the fun be in that?” Ginny teased.
~~~
Ginny spent the next few days in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione by her side. While Ginny painted, Hermione read, studied, wrote the boys, whatever she could think of to do.
“And why won’t you let Draco see it again?” Hermione had asked.
“He can see this one after it’s done. I don’t want to ruin it by seeing what he thinks before it’s finished,” Ginny huffed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear and getting paint on her face and hair.
Hermione nodded and continued to scan the Daily Prophet.
When the portrait was finished, Ginny snuck it back to her common room at midnight one night. Draco was asleep at the table, having tried to wait up for her. She set the painting down and got him to bed before she promptly passed out herself.
When she woke up, Draco was sitting at their table, staring at the painting in complete silence. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but when he noticed her, he turned to her.
“It’s perfect,” he said simply.
And that was enough for Ginny.
Author notes: I am so damn sorry it took me so long to update. I had to pawn my laptop for gas (and meds), and I got it back today. More will be coming! I promise! Thank you for sticking with this story, and please leave a review!
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