How to Apologize... for almostforgiven by vinofaerie
* Thank you, back-up writer! *
Title: How to Apologize; A Tutorial by Draco Malfoy
Rating: PG-13 but barely. Just for mentions of sex.
Summary: Ever got into an arguement and later, for some reason or another, you just can't seem to remember what started it?
A/N: Written for almostforgiven, who asked for romance and the line "If everyone was beautiful than we'd all be ugly anyway, wouldn't we?" Well, I couldn't work in the exact quote so it got sort of paraphrased. Hope you enjoy it! There was no beta so all mistakes are mine, unfortuantely.
Ginny Weasley was angry. Furious was a more appropriate word, actually. In her hand she clenched the stems of a dozen dead long stem red roses so tight her knuckles were white. When she reached the Potions classroom she banged on the door until nearly all the petals and leaves had fallen off. Her arm eventually got tired and she began to use the other one. Ginny refused to give up until Draco came to the door. After about ten minutes he did.
"Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"
Ginny pushed her way past him and walked to the center of the room throwing the skeletons of the roses down as she did. Sensing this was not a conversation that should be overheard Draco closed the door and locked it.
"I'd invite you in but it seems you've done that yourself."
Ginny, hands on her hips and scowl on her lips, was the perfect picture of an irritated girlfriend.
"Dead roses Draco. You sent me dead roses! Why?"
Draco shrugged and stuck his hands in his robe pockets.
"They were your Valentine's gift. Well, part of it."
"Draco, that was two weeks ago."
"That's why they're dead. We've been fighting for about three weeks so I haven't been able to send them to you."
"But why now? We're still arguing if you haven't noticed. Don't I look angry to you?"
Ginny huffed to emphasize her point. Since she still appeared to be livid with him Draco didn't think it would be a good time to say how cute she looked when she was angry.
"Ginny, do you even remember what started all this?"
"Yes, the dead roses you had delivered to my room this morning by a house elf."
"No, not today. Three weeks ago."
Ginny opened her mouth as if to say something then quickly shut it. Draco smiled.
"You don't, do you?"
Not about to lose an argument she stormed in his classroom to start Ginny decided to concentrate that moment's dispute on the one thing she could remember.
"That doesn't matter anymore. Focus Draco. Dead roses, remember?"
He grinned. Ginny tried to ignore how adorable he looked when he was trying to be playful.
"Yes, and they were rather beautiful two weeks ago. You would have loved them."
"Then why didn't I get them two weeks ago?"
"You were angry two weeks ago."
"I'm still angry and- wait, we've already been over this part of the disagreement."
Draco's grin turned into a complete smile.
"Yes, we have. Would you like me to make you some tea? You can sit for a moment and try to remember the point behind your anger and we can talk."
"I remember why I'm angry."
"But your argument has already come full circle. Don't you want to take a minute to come up with fresh material?"
"Quit patronizing me."
"Me? I'd never do that. Nor would I ever employ sarcasm in conversation with you. It's just not my style Gin."
Ginny picked the dead roses up off the floor. Since they had been discarded in various places between her and Draco it gave her time to think. She couldn't remember what started their stand off three weeks ago but she knew whatever it was they had both been so sure they were right. Apparently Draco decided that three weeks without talking had been enough. She also knew him well enough to know he would never apologize or admit he was wrong unless it was his last viable option. Now, if only she could remember what he had been so wrong about…
Finished collecting the roses Ginny made her way to the door and pressed the roses to Draco's chest as she passed him.
"I don't want any bloody roses from you, dead or alive."
Draco caught the flowers as her hand released them to open the door.
It wouldn't budge.
"I locked it Gin."
Ginny retrieved her wand from her back pocket and tried Alohomora. It didn't work.
"Unlock the door Draco."
"No, not until this is settled."
"It is settled. You are now a teacher and I'm-"
Ginny finally remembered what the argument had been about. Some of it, anyway.
"Yes Gin?"
"Listen, the point is I want a boyfriend I can take to my Graduation Ball at the end of the year. Roses are not going to make me forget that you wouldn't step up and say…"
Ginny let her sentence trail off as her mind wrapped around an idea.
"The roses did make me forget, didn't they?"
Ginny came back to Draco and took the remnants of the roses from his hands. In between where the petals were (and where few still hung on) was an odd purple colored paste.
"Modified memory charm mixed with a potion? How clever of you. I'm guessing it's not as effective when inhaled as it is when directly cast?"
"I didn't want you to permanently forget, just temporarily to get you in here. And I couldn't get rid of your emotions so it still had to be a way that would make you angry."
"What else was the argument about that I can't remember?"
He shook his head.
"Sit down and talk with me and then I'll tell you. Or if you don't want to talk it'll wear off in a couple of hours. Then you can hate me again without my being able to explain myself."
""No matter how mad I am at you there is no way I could ever hate you Draco."
"You sure as hell have been acting like it recently. I've asked you to stay after class, I've owled you, I even charmed your quill to write messages to you while you take notes in my class."
"I don't' remember any of that."
"You're not supposed to remember anything about any of it. The closer you stand to the potion the more it's going to take effect."
Ginny looked down to the roses in her hand and threw them as far from her as she could.
"A couple of hours?"
"Give or take."
Ginny's cheeks were flushed from anger.
"Give or take what Draco?"
"Um, a few days."
She exploded.
"A FEW DAYS? THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RESOLVE AN ARGUMENT DRACO!"
"Listen Gin, I'm sorry. I thought if I could just get you in here and explain everything then when I told you about the potion you would understand. Will you come and sit with me?"
Ginny sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn't think it was a good idea to sit and resolve an argument she didn't remember with a boyfriend who just admitted he manipulated her mind to get her here.
"I don't know. We can talk tomorrow, or in a few days when I remember everything."
Draco looked around the room as if he was trying to find something to convince her to stay. He went to his desk and got his wand.
"Incendio. There, they're not in the room anymore so your head should start to clear. Just sit with me Gin. Please."
"Am I going to get an apology out of you?"
"I just said I'm sorry a moment ago."
"Yeah, well, I want many in depth reasons why you're sorry for what you did. Even the things I can't remember."
Ginny went and sat at a student desk. She refused to play more to the teacher/student roles there were in by sitting in front of his desk by him. Draco knew what she was doing and came to her. Ginny folded her arms and went to lean on the desk but slipped into the many grooves etched on top of it.
"This desk is a disaster."
"It's Longbottom's old desk. Over his seven years he pretty much destroyed it."
"Never noticed it before."
"That's because you sit in my old desk."
"Really?"
Draco nodded.
"You seem less angry."
"It's not like I can leave, right? I figured I'd make the best of it."
"This wasn't the smartest way to go about this, was it?"
"Nope."
Draco sighed. She was seated and calm. He guessed he was lucky that he had that from her.
"I guess I should start by saying that you were right and I was wrong. That is the core of it anyway."
"I don't even remember the fight to know what I was right about so how does that explain anything to me?"
"Good point. Well, you were really upset more than anything about me not wanting to reveal our relationship after you graduated. You went on about how we've been sneaking about for almost year and how it was ridiculous that even after you were safely out of Hogwarts we couldn't pretend to just start dating then. I told you your family hates me and would probably hex my nether regions off if they saw us together. In this I was wrong."
This, actually, was the one point Ginny was sure he was spot on about. She waited for Draco's dramatic pause to be over and then nodded for him to continue.
"I went to see your mother yesterday and-"
"You went to see Mum! Draco, have you gone mental or something?"
"I haven't spoken with you in three weeks. I poisoned roses to get you here. Does any of this seem like the actions of a sane man to you?"
Ginny mulled it over in her mind for a moment.
"Now that you mention it I do think you're fit to be sent to the fourth floor at St. Mungo's. It might be the fumes from potions cabinet. You should be more careful working in here so much. Well, since I haven't received a Howler and you're walking normally so I'm assuming your nether regions are still in place."
"She did seem a bit surprised to see me. I had to dodge some nasty spells in the beginning. I see where you get it from now."
"You're digressing."
"I asked her to just hear me out. She calmed down enough to talk to me but kept her wand at the ready regardless. I told her after June I wished to start seeing you in a romantic way."
"What did she say?"
"She asked me why I bothered coming to her now when we had already been seeing each other since the summer."
"My mum already knew?"
"Gin, apparently your whole family already knows. Everyone except Ron. Molly didn't think he's handle it well."
"You just called my mum Molly."
Draco shrugged as if it was a small detail that she shouldn't even have bothered to mention.
"She asked me to."
"She asked you to call her Molly?"
"You dad still prefers me to call him 'Sir' if that makes it better for you."
"So, us being together is okay with my family?"
"Not okay per se but they apparently know we are serious."
"How?"
"McGonagall."
Ginny was more than just a little shocked and confused.
"The Headmistress knows about me and you? And you still haven't been sacked?"
"Apparently she appreciated the discretion we've used conducting ourselves. Not that she thought any of it was proper but she knew me and you were together previous to me accepting this position. I had a long sit down with her last night after I got back from The Burrow. That reminds me, could you wear green to the Graduation Ball? Not only would you look fabulous in it but it would match my dress robes."
"We can go to the ball together?"
"We are going to the ball together, Gin. Your next topic was you were tired of having a boyfriend who never told you how he felt."
That part of the argument was still fuzzy but Ginny could remember bits and pieces of it.
"You said you tell me all the time, I just don't realize it."
Draco stood and extended his hand to Ginny.
"Could you come with me to my room?"
"Is shagging the way you think you tell me how you feel?"
"It's showing, but not telling. That's where you were right on this one. I don't say how much I love you near enough."
"Try next to never. I'm still mad."
"I'm not going to try anything."
"Promise?"
Draco nodded and sanding, Ginny took his hand.
"You may be safe from my mum hexing your nether regions, as you so affectionately called them, but not from me."
"So what do you affectionately call them?"
"Shut up and walk."
She tried to sound mad but he heard the small laugh she couldn't hide. Draco moved his hand so that their fingers were intertwined.
"I'm making sure you don't get away."
Ginny stopped and pulled Draco's hand so he had to come face to face with her.
"I told you when we started this that I'm not going anywhere. I may be angry with you but-"
"Still?" Draco whined.
"Dead poisoned roses ring any bells?"
"That's why you have to come with me. I'm well aware that apologizes are better accepted with romantic gifts."
Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth up to his. The kiss was brief, but soft and sweet. Draco was sure his chances of being forgiven were getting better every minute.
"Your mood's improved."
"It's starting to sink in that I get to show off my gorgeous boyfriend to all my friends. I finally get to owl my mum and gush about the sweet things you do. Like coming to see me play at every Quidditch game or how you constantly tell me that my skirt is too short when other blokes are staring at me."
"It is too short Gin."
"Draco, it's to the bottom of my knees. School standard."
"You think me complaining about your clothes is sweet?"
"When it's jealousy induced, yes."
"Can you kiss me again?"
"Why don't you do it instead of asking me to?"
Draco pulled Ginny up to him until her feet were dangling off the floor. His kiss was not brief, soft, nor sweet the way hers had been. By the time he pulled away both were nearly breathless and Ginny was seriously regretting making him promise not to shag her. After all, three weeks is a long time when you're seventeen.
"Before you completely make me lose my train of thought I do have something to show you."
Slowly he lowered her until her feet were again (shaking) on the floor. Taking her hand back in his Draco led her to the small room that was his office and from there down the passageway that lead to his room. Ginny's eyes concentrated on the skin on his fingers that were interlocked with hers. Sometimes it amazed her how soft and warm his skin was. She used to think he was so cold and harsh. But that was before the war and before everything that happened that put her in a position to know him, and later to realize what her life had been missing before he was apart of it. She let her thumb glide against the bump of his knuckle. He moved his pinkie to the inside of her palm to tickle it.
"Almost there. Sorry it took me so long to get to the door earlier, I was in here doing this."
"Doing what?"
The door to Draco's room was in front of them now. Ginny could see a light flickering under the crack that left a faint red tint against the stones that were the pavement to the hall and most of Draco's room. He put his hand on the knob and then pulled it back.
"I think you should open the door."
"Any particular reason?"
Draco stepped aside so that Ginny could take his place.
"I think you'll get the full effect better if you're the first to walk through the door."
Ginny tentatively moved her hand to the knob. First she touched it with her fingertips, delicately, as if it would break if she actually gripped it. Truth was she was afraid of what ever was behind the door. It wasn't that she thought in anyway that Draco would do anything thing to deliberately harm her or frighten her but she did have a good idea what was in his room. Not physically what was in there but more the presence of something vague, but important. Change. Ginny gripped the handle and turned it. The metal clicked and released and Ginny looked at Draco's face. He had never appeared more calm or peaceful than he did at that moment; like he was exactly where he wanted to be.
Ginny pushed the door open.
The room was filled with roses. Not just a few bundles placed at strategic places but literally filled with them. Where they weren't in vases they were falling on the floor, propped on chairs, or laying on bookshelves. They weren't all red, either. Some were white while others were a pink so delicate Ginny had to pick one up to be sure it wasn't just color reflecting from the exorbitant amount of red in the room already. Floating in the air were dozens of candles all casting a soft glow around the room that made the scene even more romantic.
"I'm sorry I don't tell you enough how I feel. For the past year I have felt like I have been in this pseudo heaven of sorts. I can't begin to imagine how any of this could be real, you loving me and me being with you…. It just seems too good to be true, as cliché as that sounds. Every morning when you walk in my class with your friends giggling and whispering to each other you always spare me one glance and a smile that I know is just for me before you sit. Then there is that glow you always have. It's like there is a fire under your skin and I can't seem to touch it but I know it wasn't there before us happened so I know I had something to do with creating it. You're not the only one who hates hiding us. I can't wait until you're out of this school because you have no idea how hard I fight every day to not grab you and kiss you regardless of everyone around, or sometimes because of them. I want to take you out and hold your hand in front of everyone, I want us to go to dinner and whisper in your ear while I tuck strands of your hair behind your ear and let my hand linger on your neck because I can. I want you and I want everyone to know it too."
Draco quickly crossed the room and in one fluid movement took Ginny by the waist with one arm and her face his other hand and pulled her flush to his body.
"I want to wake up every morning and lay leisurely in bed with you not worrying about curfew or getting caught. I want to see you groggy from sleep and cranky before you go to bed because you always stay up later than you should. I want to watch you eat breakfast not from across the room but right next to me. I want to learn how you like your coffee because you get to have it with me. I want-"
"Hopefully you want to kiss me somewhere in that speech of yours because holding me like this is an awful tease."
Draco laughed and gave her what she wanted, or a taste of it at least. Once again Ginny was left with regret that she didn't know how to shut herself up from making non-shagging comments.
"I love you Gin. And I promise to say it every day from this point out and so often that you will probably get sick of hearing me say it."
Ginny shook her head and smiled.
"Don't count on it."
"Apology accepted?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Draco released her stepped a few paces back.
"What do you think?"
Ginny took in the room again. She doubted that even Professor Sprout had seen so many roses in her entire life.
"Beautiful. I don't thing I've ever seen any rose look as prefect as all these do. What I don't get is if you had this many roses just lying around why you couldn't just send me some of these?"
"If everything was beautiful then it would all be ugly anyway, wouldn't it?"
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"You humble me greatly."
"You need it every now and again."
"True, true. Now, the second part of your Valentine's gift is in that white box on my desk. How bad do you want it?"
Ginny gave him her best impish grin and batted her eyelashes.
"Very."
"Then you have to do one thing for me."
"What?"
"I'll tell you after you open it."
Ginny bit her lower lip and released it to pout.
"That's not fair."
"That's the rule. After you open it if you want it you have agree to my request."
"So if I see it and decide I don't want it I don't have to do anything?"
"Correct."
Ginny looked at the box and then at Draco. The box was about six inches high and Draco had that calm and relaxed look on his face again. She made her way to the box, careful to not step on any roses on her way there.
"It couldn't hurt to look."
The box was squared and the lid slid off easy in her hands. Inside was a smaller black square box. Ginny turned to Draco and smiled. He smiled back, still calm.
"How many boxes are there?"
Draco shrugged.
"I forgot."
Ginny lifted the black box and opened it. She shut it just as quickly.
"You can't be serious."
"Do you want to keep it?"
Ginny opened the box again and peered inside. On a thick gold band with many curved engravings was a solitary diamond in a round raised setting. Not so big that it was gaudy but by no means small. It was simply to most elegant ring Ginny had every seen.
"Yes."
~fin
Title: How to Apologize; A Tutorial by Draco Malfoy
Rating: PG-13 but barely. Just for mentions of sex.
Summary: Ever got into an arguement and later, for some reason or another, you just can't seem to remember what started it?
A/N: Written for almostforgiven, who asked for romance and the line "If everyone was beautiful than we'd all be ugly anyway, wouldn't we?" Well, I couldn't work in the exact quote so it got sort of paraphrased. Hope you enjoy it! There was no beta so all mistakes are mine, unfortuantely.
Ginny Weasley was angry. Furious was a more appropriate word, actually. In her hand she clenched the stems of a dozen dead long stem red roses so tight her knuckles were white. When she reached the Potions classroom she banged on the door until nearly all the petals and leaves had fallen off. Her arm eventually got tired and she began to use the other one. Ginny refused to give up until Draco came to the door. After about ten minutes he did.
"Weasley, what is the meaning of this?"
Ginny pushed her way past him and walked to the center of the room throwing the skeletons of the roses down as she did. Sensing this was not a conversation that should be overheard Draco closed the door and locked it.
"I'd invite you in but it seems you've done that yourself."
Ginny, hands on her hips and scowl on her lips, was the perfect picture of an irritated girlfriend.
"Dead roses Draco. You sent me dead roses! Why?"
Draco shrugged and stuck his hands in his robe pockets.
"They were your Valentine's gift. Well, part of it."
"Draco, that was two weeks ago."
"That's why they're dead. We've been fighting for about three weeks so I haven't been able to send them to you."
"But why now? We're still arguing if you haven't noticed. Don't I look angry to you?"
Ginny huffed to emphasize her point. Since she still appeared to be livid with him Draco didn't think it would be a good time to say how cute she looked when she was angry.
"Ginny, do you even remember what started all this?"
"Yes, the dead roses you had delivered to my room this morning by a house elf."
"No, not today. Three weeks ago."
Ginny opened her mouth as if to say something then quickly shut it. Draco smiled.
"You don't, do you?"
Not about to lose an argument she stormed in his classroom to start Ginny decided to concentrate that moment's dispute on the one thing she could remember.
"That doesn't matter anymore. Focus Draco. Dead roses, remember?"
He grinned. Ginny tried to ignore how adorable he looked when he was trying to be playful.
"Yes, and they were rather beautiful two weeks ago. You would have loved them."
"Then why didn't I get them two weeks ago?"
"You were angry two weeks ago."
"I'm still angry and- wait, we've already been over this part of the disagreement."
Draco's grin turned into a complete smile.
"Yes, we have. Would you like me to make you some tea? You can sit for a moment and try to remember the point behind your anger and we can talk."
"I remember why I'm angry."
"But your argument has already come full circle. Don't you want to take a minute to come up with fresh material?"
"Quit patronizing me."
"Me? I'd never do that. Nor would I ever employ sarcasm in conversation with you. It's just not my style Gin."
Ginny picked the dead roses up off the floor. Since they had been discarded in various places between her and Draco it gave her time to think. She couldn't remember what started their stand off three weeks ago but she knew whatever it was they had both been so sure they were right. Apparently Draco decided that three weeks without talking had been enough. She also knew him well enough to know he would never apologize or admit he was wrong unless it was his last viable option. Now, if only she could remember what he had been so wrong about…
Finished collecting the roses Ginny made her way to the door and pressed the roses to Draco's chest as she passed him.
"I don't want any bloody roses from you, dead or alive."
Draco caught the flowers as her hand released them to open the door.
It wouldn't budge.
"I locked it Gin."
Ginny retrieved her wand from her back pocket and tried Alohomora. It didn't work.
"Unlock the door Draco."
"No, not until this is settled."
"It is settled. You are now a teacher and I'm-"
Ginny finally remembered what the argument had been about. Some of it, anyway.
"Yes Gin?"
"Listen, the point is I want a boyfriend I can take to my Graduation Ball at the end of the year. Roses are not going to make me forget that you wouldn't step up and say…"
Ginny let her sentence trail off as her mind wrapped around an idea.
"The roses did make me forget, didn't they?"
Ginny came back to Draco and took the remnants of the roses from his hands. In between where the petals were (and where few still hung on) was an odd purple colored paste.
"Modified memory charm mixed with a potion? How clever of you. I'm guessing it's not as effective when inhaled as it is when directly cast?"
"I didn't want you to permanently forget, just temporarily to get you in here. And I couldn't get rid of your emotions so it still had to be a way that would make you angry."
"What else was the argument about that I can't remember?"
He shook his head.
"Sit down and talk with me and then I'll tell you. Or if you don't want to talk it'll wear off in a couple of hours. Then you can hate me again without my being able to explain myself."
""No matter how mad I am at you there is no way I could ever hate you Draco."
"You sure as hell have been acting like it recently. I've asked you to stay after class, I've owled you, I even charmed your quill to write messages to you while you take notes in my class."
"I don't' remember any of that."
"You're not supposed to remember anything about any of it. The closer you stand to the potion the more it's going to take effect."
Ginny looked down to the roses in her hand and threw them as far from her as she could.
"A couple of hours?"
"Give or take."
Ginny's cheeks were flushed from anger.
"Give or take what Draco?"
"Um, a few days."
She exploded.
"A FEW DAYS? THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO RESOLVE AN ARGUMENT DRACO!"
"Listen Gin, I'm sorry. I thought if I could just get you in here and explain everything then when I told you about the potion you would understand. Will you come and sit with me?"
Ginny sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn't think it was a good idea to sit and resolve an argument she didn't remember with a boyfriend who just admitted he manipulated her mind to get her here.
"I don't know. We can talk tomorrow, or in a few days when I remember everything."
Draco looked around the room as if he was trying to find something to convince her to stay. He went to his desk and got his wand.
"Incendio. There, they're not in the room anymore so your head should start to clear. Just sit with me Gin. Please."
"Am I going to get an apology out of you?"
"I just said I'm sorry a moment ago."
"Yeah, well, I want many in depth reasons why you're sorry for what you did. Even the things I can't remember."
Ginny went and sat at a student desk. She refused to play more to the teacher/student roles there were in by sitting in front of his desk by him. Draco knew what she was doing and came to her. Ginny folded her arms and went to lean on the desk but slipped into the many grooves etched on top of it.
"This desk is a disaster."
"It's Longbottom's old desk. Over his seven years he pretty much destroyed it."
"Never noticed it before."
"That's because you sit in my old desk."
"Really?"
Draco nodded.
"You seem less angry."
"It's not like I can leave, right? I figured I'd make the best of it."
"This wasn't the smartest way to go about this, was it?"
"Nope."
Draco sighed. She was seated and calm. He guessed he was lucky that he had that from her.
"I guess I should start by saying that you were right and I was wrong. That is the core of it anyway."
"I don't even remember the fight to know what I was right about so how does that explain anything to me?"
"Good point. Well, you were really upset more than anything about me not wanting to reveal our relationship after you graduated. You went on about how we've been sneaking about for almost year and how it was ridiculous that even after you were safely out of Hogwarts we couldn't pretend to just start dating then. I told you your family hates me and would probably hex my nether regions off if they saw us together. In this I was wrong."
This, actually, was the one point Ginny was sure he was spot on about. She waited for Draco's dramatic pause to be over and then nodded for him to continue.
"I went to see your mother yesterday and-"
"You went to see Mum! Draco, have you gone mental or something?"
"I haven't spoken with you in three weeks. I poisoned roses to get you here. Does any of this seem like the actions of a sane man to you?"
Ginny mulled it over in her mind for a moment.
"Now that you mention it I do think you're fit to be sent to the fourth floor at St. Mungo's. It might be the fumes from potions cabinet. You should be more careful working in here so much. Well, since I haven't received a Howler and you're walking normally so I'm assuming your nether regions are still in place."
"She did seem a bit surprised to see me. I had to dodge some nasty spells in the beginning. I see where you get it from now."
"You're digressing."
"I asked her to just hear me out. She calmed down enough to talk to me but kept her wand at the ready regardless. I told her after June I wished to start seeing you in a romantic way."
"What did she say?"
"She asked me why I bothered coming to her now when we had already been seeing each other since the summer."
"My mum already knew?"
"Gin, apparently your whole family already knows. Everyone except Ron. Molly didn't think he's handle it well."
"You just called my mum Molly."
Draco shrugged as if it was a small detail that she shouldn't even have bothered to mention.
"She asked me to."
"She asked you to call her Molly?"
"You dad still prefers me to call him 'Sir' if that makes it better for you."
"So, us being together is okay with my family?"
"Not okay per se but they apparently know we are serious."
"How?"
"McGonagall."
Ginny was more than just a little shocked and confused.
"The Headmistress knows about me and you? And you still haven't been sacked?"
"Apparently she appreciated the discretion we've used conducting ourselves. Not that she thought any of it was proper but she knew me and you were together previous to me accepting this position. I had a long sit down with her last night after I got back from The Burrow. That reminds me, could you wear green to the Graduation Ball? Not only would you look fabulous in it but it would match my dress robes."
"We can go to the ball together?"
"We are going to the ball together, Gin. Your next topic was you were tired of having a boyfriend who never told you how he felt."
That part of the argument was still fuzzy but Ginny could remember bits and pieces of it.
"You said you tell me all the time, I just don't realize it."
Draco stood and extended his hand to Ginny.
"Could you come with me to my room?"
"Is shagging the way you think you tell me how you feel?"
"It's showing, but not telling. That's where you were right on this one. I don't say how much I love you near enough."
"Try next to never. I'm still mad."
"I'm not going to try anything."
"Promise?"
Draco nodded and sanding, Ginny took his hand.
"You may be safe from my mum hexing your nether regions, as you so affectionately called them, but not from me."
"So what do you affectionately call them?"
"Shut up and walk."
She tried to sound mad but he heard the small laugh she couldn't hide. Draco moved his hand so that their fingers were intertwined.
"I'm making sure you don't get away."
Ginny stopped and pulled Draco's hand so he had to come face to face with her.
"I told you when we started this that I'm not going anywhere. I may be angry with you but-"
"Still?" Draco whined.
"Dead poisoned roses ring any bells?"
"That's why you have to come with me. I'm well aware that apologizes are better accepted with romantic gifts."
Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her mouth up to his. The kiss was brief, but soft and sweet. Draco was sure his chances of being forgiven were getting better every minute.
"Your mood's improved."
"It's starting to sink in that I get to show off my gorgeous boyfriend to all my friends. I finally get to owl my mum and gush about the sweet things you do. Like coming to see me play at every Quidditch game or how you constantly tell me that my skirt is too short when other blokes are staring at me."
"It is too short Gin."
"Draco, it's to the bottom of my knees. School standard."
"You think me complaining about your clothes is sweet?"
"When it's jealousy induced, yes."
"Can you kiss me again?"
"Why don't you do it instead of asking me to?"
Draco pulled Ginny up to him until her feet were dangling off the floor. His kiss was not brief, soft, nor sweet the way hers had been. By the time he pulled away both were nearly breathless and Ginny was seriously regretting making him promise not to shag her. After all, three weeks is a long time when you're seventeen.
"Before you completely make me lose my train of thought I do have something to show you."
Slowly he lowered her until her feet were again (shaking) on the floor. Taking her hand back in his Draco led her to the small room that was his office and from there down the passageway that lead to his room. Ginny's eyes concentrated on the skin on his fingers that were interlocked with hers. Sometimes it amazed her how soft and warm his skin was. She used to think he was so cold and harsh. But that was before the war and before everything that happened that put her in a position to know him, and later to realize what her life had been missing before he was apart of it. She let her thumb glide against the bump of his knuckle. He moved his pinkie to the inside of her palm to tickle it.
"Almost there. Sorry it took me so long to get to the door earlier, I was in here doing this."
"Doing what?"
The door to Draco's room was in front of them now. Ginny could see a light flickering under the crack that left a faint red tint against the stones that were the pavement to the hall and most of Draco's room. He put his hand on the knob and then pulled it back.
"I think you should open the door."
"Any particular reason?"
Draco stepped aside so that Ginny could take his place.
"I think you'll get the full effect better if you're the first to walk through the door."
Ginny tentatively moved her hand to the knob. First she touched it with her fingertips, delicately, as if it would break if she actually gripped it. Truth was she was afraid of what ever was behind the door. It wasn't that she thought in anyway that Draco would do anything thing to deliberately harm her or frighten her but she did have a good idea what was in his room. Not physically what was in there but more the presence of something vague, but important. Change. Ginny gripped the handle and turned it. The metal clicked and released and Ginny looked at Draco's face. He had never appeared more calm or peaceful than he did at that moment; like he was exactly where he wanted to be.
Ginny pushed the door open.
The room was filled with roses. Not just a few bundles placed at strategic places but literally filled with them. Where they weren't in vases they were falling on the floor, propped on chairs, or laying on bookshelves. They weren't all red, either. Some were white while others were a pink so delicate Ginny had to pick one up to be sure it wasn't just color reflecting from the exorbitant amount of red in the room already. Floating in the air were dozens of candles all casting a soft glow around the room that made the scene even more romantic.
"I'm sorry I don't tell you enough how I feel. For the past year I have felt like I have been in this pseudo heaven of sorts. I can't begin to imagine how any of this could be real, you loving me and me being with you…. It just seems too good to be true, as cliché as that sounds. Every morning when you walk in my class with your friends giggling and whispering to each other you always spare me one glance and a smile that I know is just for me before you sit. Then there is that glow you always have. It's like there is a fire under your skin and I can't seem to touch it but I know it wasn't there before us happened so I know I had something to do with creating it. You're not the only one who hates hiding us. I can't wait until you're out of this school because you have no idea how hard I fight every day to not grab you and kiss you regardless of everyone around, or sometimes because of them. I want to take you out and hold your hand in front of everyone, I want us to go to dinner and whisper in your ear while I tuck strands of your hair behind your ear and let my hand linger on your neck because I can. I want you and I want everyone to know it too."
Draco quickly crossed the room and in one fluid movement took Ginny by the waist with one arm and her face his other hand and pulled her flush to his body.
"I want to wake up every morning and lay leisurely in bed with you not worrying about curfew or getting caught. I want to see you groggy from sleep and cranky before you go to bed because you always stay up later than you should. I want to watch you eat breakfast not from across the room but right next to me. I want to learn how you like your coffee because you get to have it with me. I want-"
"Hopefully you want to kiss me somewhere in that speech of yours because holding me like this is an awful tease."
Draco laughed and gave her what she wanted, or a taste of it at least. Once again Ginny was left with regret that she didn't know how to shut herself up from making non-shagging comments.
"I love you Gin. And I promise to say it every day from this point out and so often that you will probably get sick of hearing me say it."
Ginny shook her head and smiled.
"Don't count on it."
"Apology accepted?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
"Yes."
"Yes."
Draco released her stepped a few paces back.
"What do you think?"
Ginny took in the room again. She doubted that even Professor Sprout had seen so many roses in her entire life.
"Beautiful. I don't thing I've ever seen any rose look as prefect as all these do. What I don't get is if you had this many roses just lying around why you couldn't just send me some of these?"
"If everything was beautiful then it would all be ugly anyway, wouldn't it?"
Ginny rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
"You humble me greatly."
"You need it every now and again."
"True, true. Now, the second part of your Valentine's gift is in that white box on my desk. How bad do you want it?"
Ginny gave him her best impish grin and batted her eyelashes.
"Very."
"Then you have to do one thing for me."
"What?"
"I'll tell you after you open it."
Ginny bit her lower lip and released it to pout.
"That's not fair."
"That's the rule. After you open it if you want it you have agree to my request."
"So if I see it and decide I don't want it I don't have to do anything?"
"Correct."
Ginny looked at the box and then at Draco. The box was about six inches high and Draco had that calm and relaxed look on his face again. She made her way to the box, careful to not step on any roses on her way there.
"It couldn't hurt to look."
The box was squared and the lid slid off easy in her hands. Inside was a smaller black square box. Ginny turned to Draco and smiled. He smiled back, still calm.
"How many boxes are there?"
Draco shrugged.
"I forgot."
Ginny lifted the black box and opened it. She shut it just as quickly.
"You can't be serious."
"Do you want to keep it?"
Ginny opened the box again and peered inside. On a thick gold band with many curved engravings was a solitary diamond in a round raised setting. Not so big that it was gaudy but by no means small. It was simply to most elegant ring Ginny had every seen.
"Yes."
~fin