They Apparated back to their house, and Ginny practically—okay completely—pushed Draco out of the way to take a cold shower. She felt hot and sticky and gross from the effects of the potion. Sobering potions were never fun, from what she had heard, and this one had definitely not been an exception to that rule. She fell asleep in their bed wearing one of Draco’s t-shirts and a pair of knickers, utterly unaware of the effect it may or may not have had on Draco.
The next morning they woke up to salted caramel coffee brewed by Winky. Ginny took her cup and woke Draco up by placing a kiss on his cheek. He stretched out and got out of bed, and Ginny was very aware that he was only in his boxers. And that she was in her knickers and his t-shirt. Draco, however, didn’t seem to mind, so she pushed the thought out of her head. It was four in the morning, and magic or no, Molly Weasley would already be up cooking and getting everything taken care of.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” she asked Draco before they Apparated to the Burrow with her guiding him.
“For the fourth time, I am sure. I have to meet them one day, so let’s let that day be today.”
“If you want to fake your death, I totally understand,” Ginny said seriously.
“I’ll fake my own death if we have to keep having they appeared, Ginny was very aware of Draco taking in her childhood home. He had come to accept and love her, but this was a big part of she was. She had been raised with six brothers who were all grown-up now.
“Does magic hold it up?” he asked as he stared up at it.
“Sure is,” she said, ready to defend her home. But the need didn’t arise. Draco grabbed her hand tightly, and they walked into the Burrow.
“Ginny!” came Hermione’s voice, and then she was engulfed in a hug from the older woman. Next was her mother. Ron mused her hair and glanced at Draco, stiffly extending his hand.
Draco took it and said, “Weasley.”
“Malfoy,” Ron replied.
Ginny suspected this was Hermione’s doing. If anyone could get Ron to do anything, it was her.
“What are you two doing here so early?” Ginny asked.
“Ron was dying to come home, and we spent Christmas Eve with my parents, so we just Apparated over here. Harry is having a bit of a lie-in. Apparently, training for the Head of Magical Law Enforcement position takes a lot out of you,” Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.
“Didn’t realize he could get that position so young,” Draco said nervously as Molly Weasley made her way over to him. “Hi, Mrs. Weasley, thank you for having me,” he said as Molly engulfed him in a huge hug.
“Well, he won’t get it for another ten years. Five if the Ministry is really in tip-top shape for Harry to feel okay accepting the position. But I mean, he’s ‘The Chosen One,’ so the whole country wants him to run it. He receives at least three owls a day asking when he’ll take over,” Hermione explained to Draco, who, having just freed himself from the Weasley Matriarch, nodded.
“Makes sense. Ginevra, dear, weren’t you going to tempt Potter to a duel?” he said snarkily.
Ginny gave him a broad grin, “You bet your arse I am. I may have been drunk, but I mean it when I say I can outduel Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He better bring his A-game!”
“Not in my house!” Mrs. Weasley yelled, “You will take it outside, or so help me; I’ll set the broomsticks on you all!”
There was laughter, and the group of four moved further into the house.
“So, Malfoy, what are you planning to do after school?” Ron asked as he sat down on the couch. Draco chose an armchair, and Ginny perched on the arm, entirely at ease.
“I want to be an UnSpeakable,” Draco explained as he rested his hand on Ginny’s knee.
“You need top marks in all subjects for that. That’s a hard one. I wouldn’t have made it into Auror training myself if I wasn’t one of the heroes. Some things you learn out there that you can never learn in class,” Ron said as Hermione sat down next to him and took his hand.
“I’m sure. Ginny hasn’t recounted the full saga yet, but from what I hear, you three made it through some really tough spots,” Draco complimented.
“Well, when you have the best two in the year with you…” Ron said rather awkwardly.
“No, Ginevra here said you were one of the core parts of the saga. That Potter admitted, he couldn’t have made it without you. That’s not sidekick material. Now Longbottom, as badass as he was, was sidekick material. But you, Weasley, were not.”
And just like that, Draco Malfoy had won Ron Weasley over. Even Hermione had to beam at Ron.
“I’ve tried telling him that a thousand times. The Weasley men aren’t good with compliments. Bill and Fleur should be along soon. Fleur is expecting, you know. Only three months in, but it’s still exciting,” Hermione gushed.
“Isn’t it? Have they picked out names for the baby yet? I can’t wait to see Bill, and of course, Charlie. Is Percy here, or did he get caught up in working on Christmas day?” Ginny asked.
“Oh,” Ron said, “He’ll be round. He and Penelope Clearwater were busy last night. Not sure how I feel about that, but as long as he never again puts anyone else in front of the family, I guess I can accept it.”
“You know, dear brother, not everyone needs your approval. If Penelope makes him happy, then let him be happy,” Ginny said.
There was a pop from outside, and then they could hear Molly go, “Harry, dear!”
Ginny noticed Draco stiffen because he was the first person she looked to when she heard her mother say that name. Yet Draco unfolded himself and stood. Ginny took his hand and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late, Mrs. Weasley. Kreacher wanted me to bring the whole house with me. He is sending pies over for appetizers. And some firewhisky. And probably a whole host of other things. He said it would be the height of insult if you had to do all the cooking today on your own, but I tried to reassure him that that wasn’t the case,” Harry said as he rounded into the living room.
“Malfoy, Ginny, good to see you both. I hope Winky is alright for you two?” he asked.
“Winky?! You didn’t tell me you did that!” screeched Hermione.
“What I don’t tell you could probably fill a book, Hermione. I figured she needed a new family to help her adjust back into life. She hasn’t been right since Barty Crouch…” and then he trailed off.
“So far,” Draco began, “Winky has been wonderful. If she wakes me up with flavored coffee every morning, I may have to start paying her.”
“You know,” Hermione said, launching into a tirade, “I have always said house-elves deserve paying! Look at Dobby! He got paid!”
“That was my old house elf’s name…” Draco said, looking down at Ginny.
“Well, he ended up working at Hogwarts, saving Harry’s life, and dying for the greater good. He had a full, very important life,” Ginny explained.
Draco merely nodded, as Ginny was sure he didn’t know what to say.
“So maybe Draco should start paying Winky!” Hermione burst into the tirade once more.
Harry shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Hermione, too much all at once would give poor Winky a heart attack. Let’s take it slow. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy here aren’t going to overwork her. They’ll be at school the next few months,” Ron said, trying to ease Hermione off her tirade and into a calm state.
“All I am saying is that Wizard kind treats other species as inferior when they aren’t. Look at goblins, for example, th-”
“We were betrayed by one if you remember correctly,” Harry said.
“Because we were going to betray him first!” Hermione stamped her foot.
Draco looked down at Ginny, who shrugged. “It has something to do with the year they saved the world, but what I’m not sure. Come on, let me show you my room.”
She guided Draco up the stairs to her pink room covered in The Weird Sisters posters. Ginny hadn’t even made the bed before she’d left for Hogwarts. Her room was still in various shades of disarray. It was small compared to the room they had at their house in Godric’s Hollow.
THEIR house. How funny that felt even to think. Ginny wouldn’t be coming back here to live. After Hogwarts, she was going to be with Draco. It seemed so close now that it was the Christmas holiday. Ginny hadn’t really given it a lot of thought. They’d had so much studying to do these past few weeks that it was easy to pretend that they would be married in another life. But it was this life, and it was coming soon.
“Can you ever keep anything organized?” Draco muttered quietly, but Ginny still heard him and socked him in the arm for it.
“Prat. I woke up late at the start of term. Be nice!” she ordered.
Draco chuckled and put his hands up in surrender.
“Don’t break me now, wifey. Your punches actually hurt.”
“They’re supposed to. Six. Older. Brothers,” she reiterated.
“All of whom I am sure would be more than willing to hurt me as well,” he grumbled, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“I wouldn’t let them,” she said sweetly, and then “that’s my job.”
Draco grinned at her, his lanky frame out of place in her tiny room. He was too big, too bold for her room. He didn’t fit. Yet he fit perfectly in their spaces that they made together.
It struck Ginny that she was growing up. This room had been a child’s room. Of course, Draco was out of place there. They weren’t children anymore. They’d survived a war and gone on to live their lives. They were adults or as close to adults as one could be without still being a child.
“We should enchant our bedroom ceiling like the Great Hall,” Draco said out of nowhere. Ginny quirked an eyebrow.
“That might be nice…” she said thoughtfully.
“That way, we’ll never feel too far away from the outdoors, even on rainy, muddy days. Besides, it’s a nice bit of magic. You think Granger could do it for us?” he asked.
“I’m sure she could,” was all Ginny could say.
She sat on the edge of her bed with Draco, both of them lost to their own very different yet very similar thoughts.
~~~
When they came back downstairs, the Christmas tree was up, and the angel looked oddly like a gnome. Classic George. The thought of Fred pained Ginny. It still hurt, and she was sure there would never be a time where it didn’t hurt. Such was grief.
“I brought the firewhisky!” came George’s voice from the kitchen, much to thunderous Weasley applause.
“We are not getting drunk on Christmas!” Molly yelled.
“Draco!” George greeted and clapped him on the back before kissing the top of Ginny’s head.
Next came Charlie. Then Bill and Fleur. Finally, Arthur Weasley himself with Percy. The house was full to bursting, and it wasn't quiet. Everyone was shoving trays of food at each other. It seemed Kreacher had sent most of Grimmauld Place’s food over to the Burrow.
“Draco, son, how nice to see you!” Arthur enthused and shook Draco’s hand. Ginny wondered if he’d ever had a Christmas this… busy. Everyone was into something. Gifts were being thrown all around. There was standing room only, and yet more people arrived.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, walked in, greeting all the Weasleys by name.
“Able to get away there, Kingsley?” Hermione yelled over the noise.
“Just barely. Dean is here, too. Said he couldn’t miss an opportunity to see you three!”
Kingsley pushed his way towards Draco and Ginny, inching closer until he stood next to them.
“Let’s take this outside,” Kingsley ordered, herding them to the door.
Once outside, they could still hear the din of the family. Dean walked past, greeting Ginny and looking at Draco with confusion before shrugging and continuing on.
“So, Mr. Malfoy, I happen to be on excellent terms with Minerva McGonagall,” Kingsley began, and Draco looked like he was ready to be talked down to.
“You know,” Ginny interrupted, stepping between the Minister and her future husband. “I just have to say that it’s quite terrible an innocent man can’t enjoy a meal with his soon-to-be in-laws without the Minister himself getting involved. Whatever you have to say had better be good for taking us away from our family on Christmas!”
Ginny stood there, staring up at Kingsley with fury etched into her face, a look that Molly Weasley had long since perfected. So you can imagine her surprise when Kingsley began to laugh, deeply and loudly.
“What the bloody hell is so funny!” Ginny snapped as Kingsley was currently doubled over laughing. He held one finger out to her. It took him several minutes to compose himself before he could stand upright.
“I always knew you were a loyal one, Ginny. I was only trying to say that McGonagall told me you had ambitions to be an UnSpeakable. Now, being Minister, I may have looked over your current grades. If you keep up the good work, I wouldn’t mind making sure you were hired on fresh out of school. The UnSpeakables need new blood, anyway. I can’t say why, but I can say the same ideas get stale after some time,” he said with a wink.
Ginny stood there, her mouth an ‘o’ of surprise.
“So you wanted to offer him a job basically,” Ginny murmured.
“Yes, but that was priceless,” Kingsley laughed, clapped Draco on the back, and said, “You will have your hands full with this one!”
And with that, Kingsley walked back into the Burrow, still laughing.
Draco started laughing first, using Ginny to prop himself up. Ginny groaned but soon succumbed to the laughter as well. As embarrassing as that was, it was still funny, and even Ginny had to admit that.
“I just told off the bloody Minister of Magic! For nothing!” she gasped.
“Yes, you did. Come on, let’s go back in,” Draco said and then placed a kiss on top of Ginny’s head before lacing his fingers with hers and pulling her back into the Burrow.
The next morning they woke up to salted caramel coffee brewed by Winky. Ginny took her cup and woke Draco up by placing a kiss on his cheek. He stretched out and got out of bed, and Ginny was very aware that he was only in his boxers. And that she was in her knickers and his t-shirt. Draco, however, didn’t seem to mind, so she pushed the thought out of her head. It was four in the morning, and magic or no, Molly Weasley would already be up cooking and getting everything taken care of.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” she asked Draco before they Apparated to the Burrow with her guiding him.
“For the fourth time, I am sure. I have to meet them one day, so let’s let that day be today.”
“If you want to fake your death, I totally understand,” Ginny said seriously.
“I’ll fake my own death if we have to keep having they appeared, Ginny was very aware of Draco taking in her childhood home. He had come to accept and love her, but this was a big part of she was. She had been raised with six brothers who were all grown-up now.
“Does magic hold it up?” he asked as he stared up at it.
“Sure is,” she said, ready to defend her home. But the need didn’t arise. Draco grabbed her hand tightly, and they walked into the Burrow.
“Ginny!” came Hermione’s voice, and then she was engulfed in a hug from the older woman. Next was her mother. Ron mused her hair and glanced at Draco, stiffly extending his hand.
Draco took it and said, “Weasley.”
“Malfoy,” Ron replied.
Ginny suspected this was Hermione’s doing. If anyone could get Ron to do anything, it was her.
“What are you two doing here so early?” Ginny asked.
“Ron was dying to come home, and we spent Christmas Eve with my parents, so we just Apparated over here. Harry is having a bit of a lie-in. Apparently, training for the Head of Magical Law Enforcement position takes a lot out of you,” Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.
“Didn’t realize he could get that position so young,” Draco said nervously as Molly Weasley made her way over to him. “Hi, Mrs. Weasley, thank you for having me,” he said as Molly engulfed him in a huge hug.
“Well, he won’t get it for another ten years. Five if the Ministry is really in tip-top shape for Harry to feel okay accepting the position. But I mean, he’s ‘The Chosen One,’ so the whole country wants him to run it. He receives at least three owls a day asking when he’ll take over,” Hermione explained to Draco, who, having just freed himself from the Weasley Matriarch, nodded.
“Makes sense. Ginevra, dear, weren’t you going to tempt Potter to a duel?” he said snarkily.
Ginny gave him a broad grin, “You bet your arse I am. I may have been drunk, but I mean it when I say I can outduel Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He better bring his A-game!”
“Not in my house!” Mrs. Weasley yelled, “You will take it outside, or so help me; I’ll set the broomsticks on you all!”
There was laughter, and the group of four moved further into the house.
“So, Malfoy, what are you planning to do after school?” Ron asked as he sat down on the couch. Draco chose an armchair, and Ginny perched on the arm, entirely at ease.
“I want to be an UnSpeakable,” Draco explained as he rested his hand on Ginny’s knee.
“You need top marks in all subjects for that. That’s a hard one. I wouldn’t have made it into Auror training myself if I wasn’t one of the heroes. Some things you learn out there that you can never learn in class,” Ron said as Hermione sat down next to him and took his hand.
“I’m sure. Ginny hasn’t recounted the full saga yet, but from what I hear, you three made it through some really tough spots,” Draco complimented.
“Well, when you have the best two in the year with you…” Ron said rather awkwardly.
“No, Ginevra here said you were one of the core parts of the saga. That Potter admitted, he couldn’t have made it without you. That’s not sidekick material. Now Longbottom, as badass as he was, was sidekick material. But you, Weasley, were not.”
And just like that, Draco Malfoy had won Ron Weasley over. Even Hermione had to beam at Ron.
“I’ve tried telling him that a thousand times. The Weasley men aren’t good with compliments. Bill and Fleur should be along soon. Fleur is expecting, you know. Only three months in, but it’s still exciting,” Hermione gushed.
“Isn’t it? Have they picked out names for the baby yet? I can’t wait to see Bill, and of course, Charlie. Is Percy here, or did he get caught up in working on Christmas day?” Ginny asked.
“Oh,” Ron said, “He’ll be round. He and Penelope Clearwater were busy last night. Not sure how I feel about that, but as long as he never again puts anyone else in front of the family, I guess I can accept it.”
“You know, dear brother, not everyone needs your approval. If Penelope makes him happy, then let him be happy,” Ginny said.
There was a pop from outside, and then they could hear Molly go, “Harry, dear!”
Ginny noticed Draco stiffen because he was the first person she looked to when she heard her mother say that name. Yet Draco unfolded himself and stood. Ginny took his hand and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“Sorry I’m late, Mrs. Weasley. Kreacher wanted me to bring the whole house with me. He is sending pies over for appetizers. And some firewhisky. And probably a whole host of other things. He said it would be the height of insult if you had to do all the cooking today on your own, but I tried to reassure him that that wasn’t the case,” Harry said as he rounded into the living room.
“Malfoy, Ginny, good to see you both. I hope Winky is alright for you two?” he asked.
“Winky?! You didn’t tell me you did that!” screeched Hermione.
“What I don’t tell you could probably fill a book, Hermione. I figured she needed a new family to help her adjust back into life. She hasn’t been right since Barty Crouch…” and then he trailed off.
“So far,” Draco began, “Winky has been wonderful. If she wakes me up with flavored coffee every morning, I may have to start paying her.”
“You know,” Hermione said, launching into a tirade, “I have always said house-elves deserve paying! Look at Dobby! He got paid!”
“That was my old house elf’s name…” Draco said, looking down at Ginny.
“Well, he ended up working at Hogwarts, saving Harry’s life, and dying for the greater good. He had a full, very important life,” Ginny explained.
Draco merely nodded, as Ginny was sure he didn’t know what to say.
“So maybe Draco should start paying Winky!” Hermione burst into the tirade once more.
Harry shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Hermione, too much all at once would give poor Winky a heart attack. Let’s take it slow. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy here aren’t going to overwork her. They’ll be at school the next few months,” Ron said, trying to ease Hermione off her tirade and into a calm state.
“All I am saying is that Wizard kind treats other species as inferior when they aren’t. Look at goblins, for example, th-”
“We were betrayed by one if you remember correctly,” Harry said.
“Because we were going to betray him first!” Hermione stamped her foot.
Draco looked down at Ginny, who shrugged. “It has something to do with the year they saved the world, but what I’m not sure. Come on, let me show you my room.”
She guided Draco up the stairs to her pink room covered in The Weird Sisters posters. Ginny hadn’t even made the bed before she’d left for Hogwarts. Her room was still in various shades of disarray. It was small compared to the room they had at their house in Godric’s Hollow.
THEIR house. How funny that felt even to think. Ginny wouldn’t be coming back here to live. After Hogwarts, she was going to be with Draco. It seemed so close now that it was the Christmas holiday. Ginny hadn’t really given it a lot of thought. They’d had so much studying to do these past few weeks that it was easy to pretend that they would be married in another life. But it was this life, and it was coming soon.
“Can you ever keep anything organized?” Draco muttered quietly, but Ginny still heard him and socked him in the arm for it.
“Prat. I woke up late at the start of term. Be nice!” she ordered.
Draco chuckled and put his hands up in surrender.
“Don’t break me now, wifey. Your punches actually hurt.”
“They’re supposed to. Six. Older. Brothers,” she reiterated.
“All of whom I am sure would be more than willing to hurt me as well,” he grumbled, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“I wouldn’t let them,” she said sweetly, and then “that’s my job.”
Draco grinned at her, his lanky frame out of place in her tiny room. He was too big, too bold for her room. He didn’t fit. Yet he fit perfectly in their spaces that they made together.
It struck Ginny that she was growing up. This room had been a child’s room. Of course, Draco was out of place there. They weren’t children anymore. They’d survived a war and gone on to live their lives. They were adults or as close to adults as one could be without still being a child.
“We should enchant our bedroom ceiling like the Great Hall,” Draco said out of nowhere. Ginny quirked an eyebrow.
“That might be nice…” she said thoughtfully.
“That way, we’ll never feel too far away from the outdoors, even on rainy, muddy days. Besides, it’s a nice bit of magic. You think Granger could do it for us?” he asked.
“I’m sure she could,” was all Ginny could say.
She sat on the edge of her bed with Draco, both of them lost to their own very different yet very similar thoughts.
~~~
When they came back downstairs, the Christmas tree was up, and the angel looked oddly like a gnome. Classic George. The thought of Fred pained Ginny. It still hurt, and she was sure there would never be a time where it didn’t hurt. Such was grief.
“I brought the firewhisky!” came George’s voice from the kitchen, much to thunderous Weasley applause.
“We are not getting drunk on Christmas!” Molly yelled.
“Draco!” George greeted and clapped him on the back before kissing the top of Ginny’s head.
Next came Charlie. Then Bill and Fleur. Finally, Arthur Weasley himself with Percy. The house was full to bursting, and it wasn't quiet. Everyone was shoving trays of food at each other. It seemed Kreacher had sent most of Grimmauld Place’s food over to the Burrow.
“Draco, son, how nice to see you!” Arthur enthused and shook Draco’s hand. Ginny wondered if he’d ever had a Christmas this… busy. Everyone was into something. Gifts were being thrown all around. There was standing room only, and yet more people arrived.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, walked in, greeting all the Weasleys by name.
“Able to get away there, Kingsley?” Hermione yelled over the noise.
“Just barely. Dean is here, too. Said he couldn’t miss an opportunity to see you three!”
Kingsley pushed his way towards Draco and Ginny, inching closer until he stood next to them.
“Let’s take this outside,” Kingsley ordered, herding them to the door.
Once outside, they could still hear the din of the family. Dean walked past, greeting Ginny and looking at Draco with confusion before shrugging and continuing on.
“So, Mr. Malfoy, I happen to be on excellent terms with Minerva McGonagall,” Kingsley began, and Draco looked like he was ready to be talked down to.
“You know,” Ginny interrupted, stepping between the Minister and her future husband. “I just have to say that it’s quite terrible an innocent man can’t enjoy a meal with his soon-to-be in-laws without the Minister himself getting involved. Whatever you have to say had better be good for taking us away from our family on Christmas!”
Ginny stood there, staring up at Kingsley with fury etched into her face, a look that Molly Weasley had long since perfected. So you can imagine her surprise when Kingsley began to laugh, deeply and loudly.
“What the bloody hell is so funny!” Ginny snapped as Kingsley was currently doubled over laughing. He held one finger out to her. It took him several minutes to compose himself before he could stand upright.
“I always knew you were a loyal one, Ginny. I was only trying to say that McGonagall told me you had ambitions to be an UnSpeakable. Now, being Minister, I may have looked over your current grades. If you keep up the good work, I wouldn’t mind making sure you were hired on fresh out of school. The UnSpeakables need new blood, anyway. I can’t say why, but I can say the same ideas get stale after some time,” he said with a wink.
Ginny stood there, her mouth an ‘o’ of surprise.
“So you wanted to offer him a job basically,” Ginny murmured.
“Yes, but that was priceless,” Kingsley laughed, clapped Draco on the back, and said, “You will have your hands full with this one!”
And with that, Kingsley walked back into the Burrow, still laughing.
Draco started laughing first, using Ginny to prop himself up. Ginny groaned but soon succumbed to the laughter as well. As embarrassing as that was, it was still funny, and even Ginny had to admit that.
“I just told off the bloody Minister of Magic! For nothing!” she gasped.
“Yes, you did. Come on, let’s go back in,” Draco said and then placed a kiss on top of Ginny’s head before lacing his fingers with hers and pulling her back into the Burrow.
Author notes: I know it has been a very long time since an update, but I have been in and out of the hospital due to a high risk, complicated pregnancy. Please bear with me!
To Be Continued.
dykeadellic is the author of 8 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 2 members. Members who liked Of Faeries, Fate, and Draco Malfoy also liked 31 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 2 members. Members who liked Of Faeries, Fate, and Draco Malfoy also liked 31 other stories.
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