♥ kaygina wrote "Fifty Years in the Making" for eustacia_vye28 ♥
Title: Fifty Years in the Making
Rating: G
Disclaimers Characters and related things and places are property of J.K. Rowling. Edible Arrangements is an idea stolen from Ediblearrangements.com (they do have awesome fruit bouquets, by the way).
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None.
Summary(if fic): A story about memories, growing old, the way life has its own sense of humour and Draco’s eternal struggle to find the perfect gift.
Author’s Notes: This fic became something a lot different than it started out as, but I’m quite pleased with the results, actually. It was also meant to be a lot longer, but due to time constraints, and other commitments, I had to shorten it considerably. I want to thank the brilliant mods, especially, for being so understanding and giving me an extension (which I technically ended up being late for anyway). I was actually quite close to throwing up my hands and resigning myself to life on the Wall of Shame. Many, many, thanks goes out to lyndsiefenele for betaing this fic. =)
Fifty Years in the Making
March 15, 2055
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Draco watches as the second hand makes its way around the clock’s face. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. It moves rhythmically, marking every second, every minute, every hour that he sits at his desk. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. It mocks him with every move, taunting the blank state of his mind with every moment that passes. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. He realizes for the first time tonight he really hates this clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Draco starts making plans to get rid of it first thing in the morning. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Silencio!” Draco’s wand is out and pointed at the clock in a flash. The room becomes blissfully silent. As he tucks his wand away, he shakes his head. This isn’t the time to contemplate setting his antique grandfather clock on fire in the back garden. He is supposed to be brainstorming, coming up with a brilliant idea, making plans for tomorrow. Draco glances at the soundless clock. It is way past midnight. So really, the plans are for today. Now, he only has a few precious hours left before his wife finds out he has nothing to show for their fiftieth anniversary.
Then again, she probably wouldn’t be surprised, considering his past record with their anniversaries. Draco turns towards the window. The moon is bright and the plants in the garden cast shadows against the house. He doesn’t really take notice as he falls deep in thought to some of their more memorable anniversary disasters.
March 15, 2006
“Draco! May I come in now, or am I still banned from my own kitchen?” Ginny yells through the door. After breakfast that morning, she had been ushered out of the kitchen and told she was not allowed in there until dinner time. Draco had spent the whole day behind that door. The sounds, the smells and the cursing had given her quite a bit of concern. But each time she had asked (through the piece of oak, of course), he had claimed everything was fine. That only caused Ginny to worry all the more. The only logical explanation is that Draco must be cooking. However, the thought of Draco doing anything that domestic is laughable.
On the other side of the door, Draco surveys the meal the House Elves had prepared for him under his directions. He had given the whole cooking thing a try, but after burning his food to a crisp, spilling water on the floor and generally turning the kitchen into a disaster, he figured he could still take credit by ordering the House Elves around instead of doing it himself. Ginny really didn’t need to know he didn’t actually make any of this.
It had started out as a great idea to celebrate being married for a year by showing Ginny he isn’t completely useless in the kitchen (her being right doesn’t make the situation any better). Well, he also couldn’t think of anything else for the occasion, but that’s hardly the point. Besides, he’s sure women love this sort of thing, having someone make and serve a romantic meal. Ginny isn’t the sort of woman who gets all mushy, but he knows she does appreciate these kinds of gestures. Everything is ready now and he even has time to sneak up the back stairs to clean himself up nicely.
Draco stops in front of the stainless steel fridge to check out his reflection. His light blond hair is tousled just right. The crisp, white shirt and the grey slacks look freshly pressed and without any traces of food from his previous mishaps. His black shoes are shiny with polish. He smiles at his mirrored image, satisfied. Ginny’s yelling startles him out of his appreciative glances. Draco turns to look at the clock. His wife is just in time.
“Give me a minute!” Draco yells out as he walks towards another door in the room. It leads to their comfortably furnished dining room. He checks to make sure the table is set and lights the candles with the help of his wand. His hand trembles a little and he notices his palms are starting to sweat. Draco is nervous and he doesn’t know why. It’s not like he’s on a first date with Ginny; they’ve been married for a year now and dating for even longer. So why is he feeling so anxious? He shakes his head; no time to think about it now. Draco walks over to the door leading towards the hallway and pulls it open.
Ginny swings around quickly when she hears the door open. Draco watches as her auburn hair swirls around her shoulders. He really does love the colour of her hair. He is never going to tell anyone that. He has a feeling that Ginny already knows though. Moving to the side and gesturing into the room, he says, “After you.” Ginny raises an eyebrow, but he can see a shadow of a smile at the corner of her pink lips. As she walks past him, the smell of citrus and flowers rises to his nose.
Draco follows her to pull out her chair at the table. As Ginny sits, she asks, “So what’s this all about?”
He leans over and kisses her cheek. “Happy anniversary, Ginny.” Her slight smile widens. Draco grins back at her than disappears into the kitchen.
As the door shuts behind him, Draco rubs his hands on his slacks. His glands are still working on overdrive. This is starting to get really annoying. He looks towards the counter where the servings of food were already set up and warmed with a charm. The first course is soup. Suddenly, Draco isn’t so sure of this idea after all. He thinks of the dozens of ways this could go terribly wrong. He has already sent the House Elves away for the night. Ginny is waiting in the other room. It’s no use, he’ll have to go through with it and hope for the best.
He picks up the two bowls of soup, takes a deep breath and returns to the dining room. Draco pauses outside the door as Ginny looks up from the table. “Dinner is served,” he announces before making his way across the room. He goes slowly, taking his time. That doesn’t stop his palms from sweating and soon, his grip on the bowls isn’t as strong. Draco quickens his pace so he can set the bowls down before they slip from his hands.
The room has never seemed so big as he tries to make it to the table without spilling anything. He is almost there when he trips on the edge of a rug. From his point of view, everything happens in slow motion; he drops one bowl of soup on the ground in front of him, the liquid splashing all over his slacks. He is too preoccupied to notice his ruined pants. The other bowl sails through the air and he can only watch as the soup flies from the bowl and...drenches Ginny in her seat.
Ginny blinks a couple of time in surprise. Draco groans and drops his head into his hands as Ginny starts to laugh. Lesson learned. Next year, he’ll ask someone else to come up with the ideas and he’ll never serve soup again.
March 15, 2010
“Buy her some flowers. Women like that. And get your dirty shoes off my coffee table,” Blaise suggests as he pours himself a cup of tea. He looks up as he stirs his tea and stares pointedly at Draco’s feet, still propped up on the table. Draco begrudgingly places his feet back on the ground.
“Your girlfriend doesn’t,” Draco points out as he steals Blaise’s tea. He raises the cup in a silent toast when Blaise glares at him. Blaise rolls his eyes and makes himself a new cup of tea.
“Luna is anything but ordinary,” Blaise replies as he sips his tea. He regards his friend over the rim of his cup. Parenthood has taken a bit of a toll on Draco. They’d just been discussing Draco’s daughter and her unwillingness to sleep through the night. Blaise could imagine that any of Draco’s offspring would be fairly difficult to handle and wasn’t surprised by the news. Draco looks tired, his face is wan and there are slight smudges under his eyes. His hair is messy, as if he had run his fingers through it a hundred times already. He sits, shoulders slumped, as if he didn’t have the energy to sit up straight. Blaise hides a grin by taking another sip of tea. Draco is a different man now than he used to be. The old Draco would never look so unkempt in public. Blaise frowns as Draco’s feet make it back on the table. Some habits, though, never change.
After another look from Blaise, Draco moves his feet again. That man is entirely too concerned about his furniture. Draco had given the flowers some thought, but... “Flowers are too ordinary as an anniversary gift, though. It’s something you get your wife when she’s having a bad day, not to celebrate a marriage. I need something special,” he tells Blaise.
Draco’s comment sparks a thought in Blaise. He gets up and moves to a desk in the corner of the room and rifles through some papers. “I saw an ad in the Daily Prophet this morning. A new store opened up in Diagon Alley...ah, here it is,” Blaise says as he flips through the first few pages of the newspaper. He walks back and hands it to Draco.
Across the top of the full page ad flashes “Edible Arrangements,” and under it, a picture of a bouquet created entirely out of fruit rotates in place. The picture changes into a different bouquet every now and then. Words scroll along the bottom of the page; “Special Gifts for Special Occasions.”
“This actually looks promising,” Draco says as he looks up from the ad.
Blaise looks smug. “Have I ever steered you wrong?” He raises his hand as Draco opens his mouth. “Right, don’t answer that question.” Draco laughs.
The two friends catch up for a while longer. It seems a lifetime ago when the two had discussed girls, Quidditch and school work in the dungeons at Hogwarts. Those topics haven’t changed much as Blaise and Draco complain about work and mourn the latest loss of their favourite Quidditch team. As Draco leaves, he stops and glances at Blaise. “You know, I still don’t know what you see in Lovegood.”
Blaise smiles. “Good, I’d hate to have to rough you up to make sure you stay away from her.”
~ ~ ~
Draco Apparates to the edge of his property with a bouquet of fruit flowers in his hand. There are daisies made with pineapple and cantaloupe, bananas and strawberries dipped in chocolate, among other confections. The lady at the store had been a tad overenthusiastic about the order. Apparently, this was the first anniversary bouquet she had sold. The weight of the fruit had thrown off his coordinates a bit. Fortunately, it isn’t a far walk to his house from here and the weather is unseasonably warm. Ginny and Draco had even been able to take little Alyssa out for walks the last couple of weeks in what Hermione had called a pram. Those were probably the only times he and Ginny had gotten any peace and quiet lately.
Draco walks through the small forest along the side of their house. Bzzz. Bzzz. Draco pauses, hearing a noise. He glances around and continues on when he notices nothing out of the ordinary. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. A bee circles round and lands on one of the pineapple daisies. He shakes the bouquet a bit and dislodges the bee. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. There are two bees now, flying about Draco’s head. He starts to walk faster towards the house. By the time he sees his home in sight, there are a handful of bees after the sweet fruit of his bouquet.
Luckily for him, Ginny had decided to come outside for some fresh air after finally putting baby Alyssa down for a nap. As she steps out, she hears footsteps coming quickly up the front path; she stares as she sees Draco hurrying towards her with a large object in his hands. Draco catches sight of Ginny. The sunlight shines down on her, catching fiery highlights in her hair like a halo on her head. He can tell she’s tired from the look in her eyes, her smile not quite reaching that far. Her body is rounder than it had been before Alyssa was conceived. He had loved the way she looked before, but somehow she looks more beautiful now to him.
Bzzzz. Draco yells out towards Ginny, “Here, catch!” then tosses her the object he was holding. Surprised, Ginny barely catches hold of what appears to be...fruit? Pieces of it had fallen off on the flight towards her and lay scattered across the front path. She looks up again and sees the reason why Draco is running.
“Oh no, Draco Malfoy, I don’t think so,” she shouts back and throws the bouquet back towards Draco. He catches hold of it before it falls to the ground.
“But Ginny, it’s your gift!” Her eyes ae on the insects still trailing after Draco.
“I don’t care, I don’t accept any gift that comes with its own swarm of bees.”
“I think the technical term is ‘colony’ of bees.” Draco stops running and swings the bouquet around, trying to get rid of the bees.
“I hardly think that’s the point right now, Draco,” Ginny says as she inches towards the front door. She worries that sudden movement might attract the bugs towards her.
“Why don’t you drop the darned thing?”
“But...”
“Drop it!”
Draco lets go of the bouquet and sprints towards Ginny and the door to their home. They quickly slip inside. As he passes by Ginny, he can smell the familiar scent of her perfume. He hurries to the front window and watches the little buggers ruin his present for Ginny further. Alyssa can be heard crying upstairs, awakened by the shouting. Ginny sighs and walks towards the stairs. Before going up, she turns towards him, “I hope you get that cleaned up later this evening.” Draco lets his head fall against the glass of the window, the small thud barely audible. He doesn’t know why he keeps hoping each anniversary that things would work out for him.
March 15, 2015
“Alyssa, would you like to help Daddy out?” Draco asks the five year old little girl sitting in his lap. Her light red hair is done up in pigtails with ridiculous amounts of ribbon attached to them. He twirls the end of one pigtail around his finger, Alyssa’s soft hair always sliding from his grip. Alyssa reminds him a lot of Ginny, especially when Alyssa is angry, with her hands on her hips and right foot tapping with impatience. It always makes him smirk to see Alyssa like that and Ginny, catching him, always elbows him in the side for it.
The little girl looks up at him with soft, brown eyes, nodding furiously. “Uh huh!” Draco smiles. Alyssa is such a bright, enthusiastic child. It always amazes him to realize he helped to create this girl. It’s a strange feeling that fills him with emotions he can’t always identify. It makes him wonder what their next child will be like.
“What do you think I should get your mum for our anniversary?” he asks his daughter. This year, he thinks it’s a smart idea to ask the one person who spends more time with his wife than he does. Alyssa will know exactly what Ginny likes and doesn’t like. This year, his gift will not end up on the front path.
Alyssa thinks about it for a while, wrinkling her nose. Ginny claims that’s exactly what Draco does when he’s deep in thought, but he hardly thinks he would do something so unsophisticated, even if Alyssa looked cute doing it. “What’s an annaniversary?”
“An anniversary,” Draco corrects her. “It’s...kind of like a birthday. Mum and Daddy celebrate the day we got married.”
Alyssa’s eyes grow wide and she points to a picture on his desk. “Is that the day, Mum got to wear the pretty white dress and have lots and lots of flowers?” Draco sighs and nods. He sort of hopes their next child will be a boy. He loves his daughter, but he needs a male ally in this house, someone who isn’t into frilly dresses and the colour pink.
Alyssa wrinkles her nose again for a moment. Then her face lights up and she squirms in excitement. “I know, I know. If you tell Mum you love her, she gets all quiet and smiley and gives you a biscuit before dinner!”
Draco can barely contain his grin. Alyssa is quite the manipulator once she figures someone out. He likes to think she got it from him, but he knows he can’t take all the credit. Ginny is wicked when it comes to what she wants. Draco looks at Alyssa as sternly as he can, “Did your Mum start giving you biscuits before dinner after we told you that you’ll be getting a little brother or sister?” Nose wrinkle. Nod.
“Were you allowed to have biscuits before dinner before we told you about the baby?” Nose wrinkle. Head shake.
“So do you think you should be getting biscuits before dinner now?” Nose wrinkle. Pout. Head shake.
“After Mum has the baby, she’s going to remember you tried to get all those biscuits from her when you weren’t meant to and then you won’t be getting biscuits at all for a long time.” Draco tries to explain to Alyssa not to take advantage of Ginny and her hormones in a way that Alyssa will understand. “You should tell your Mum you love her because you do love her, not to get biscuits from her, alright?” Alyssa pouts, jutting her bottom lip as far as it will go as she nods.
“That’s my good girl,” Draco says, kissing her on the forehead. “So do you have any other ideas for a gift for Mum?”
He runs his finger down Alyssa’s nose as she thinks. Again, she grins up at him when she gets an idea, barely able to hold on to her excitement. Sometimes, she was just a tad too energetic for him. He isn’t sure how he’ll be able to keep up with two kids, when one tires him out every day.
“Mum really likes the cards I make for her birthday. I always draw a big cake and I draw you and Mum and me in the picture.” She pauses for a second. “Next year, I’ll have to draw the baby, too.”
Draco thinks about it for a second. A homemade card seems fairly simple, but Ginny does like that sort of thing. After the dinner he attempted to make on their first anniversary, he hadn’t really made anything for Ginny since. He’s pretty sure he can handle making a card. “I think that’s an excellent idea, Alyssa. Thank you for your help. Will you go help Daddy distract your Mum while I work on her card?”
“Okay!” Alyssa slides off Draco’s lap and runs towards the door.
“Wait!” Alyssa stops so fast, Draco can almost hear a screech. “Don’t tell your Mum about the card, it’s going to be our secret, alright?” She nods, bringing a finger up to her lips, then spins around and runs off to find Ginny. His daughter really makes him feel old, sometimes.
Draco looks through his desk for some card-making materials. It’s been a while since he’s drawn anything, but he doesn’t think it’ll be that difficult. He finally tracks down a blank piece of parchment and a quill, and gets to work. Hours and a few feet of parchment later, Draco finishes his card, signing his name with a flourish.
Draco goes in search of Ginny, finding her in their bedroom; she’s just about to take a bath. Her hair is a bit shorter than it used to be. Last year, she had decided to cut off her long, luscious red hair for a shorter style. Draco had been devastated. Ginny had laughed and told him it would grow back. For a long time, Draco missed the way her hair fell over her shoulders. Ginny sees him coming up behind her in the mirror of her vanity where she sits, brushing her hair. He hands her a piece of parchment and places his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing her neck. She closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation.
Ginny opens her eyes again as Draco’s hands move away. He kneels down beside her, looking up at her. “Open the card,” he urges as his gaze falls to her extended stomach. Draco slides a hand over her belly, feeling the baby kick. He, or she, will be here in a couple of weeks. Ginny smiles down at him and then turns her attention to the card. Her smile grows as she studies the card and reads what he wrote inside. The smile reminds him of a day that feels so long ago, by the lake at Hogwarts where they first started to spend time together.
“Thank you,” she says, and gives him a kiss. “I love it, and you even got Alyssa to draw a picture on it, too.”
Draco freezes for a second as he processes what she says. He forces himself to relax as he says, “Alyssa, right.”
Ginny looks at him, concerned. “Are you alright?”
He smiles at her. “I’m fine. Do you want me to draw your bath for you?”
“That would be lovely.”
Draco heads towards the bathroom. He isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. This year, the anniversary hadn’t gone terribly. But apparently, he draws like a five year old girl.
March 15, 2030
Draco hasn’t even had breakfast yet, but he is already having a bad day. Work was extremely stressful last night and he didn’t go to bed until late. So this morning, as he dragged himself out of bed, he was already feeling cranky. Things only got worse when, while brushing his teeth, he discovered his first grey hair. He thought it was just a trick of the light, but upon closer inspection, it really did exist. This means one thing, Draco is officially growing old, and he doesn’t like it. On top of that, today is Draco and Ginny’s anniversary and that usually doesn’t mean good things for him. By the time Draco sits down at the breakfast table, he is already moody.
To make matters worse, Ginny is sitting next to him, trying not to laugh. He can tell by the way she bites her lip and ducks her head down while her shoulders shake. Every time she looks him in the eye, the corners of her mouth twitch. And her eyes, they’re practically sparkling with contained mirth.
“You only think it’s funny because you didn’t find a grey hair on your head,” Draco huffs as he sulkily eats his breakfast. His comment only serves to push Ginny over the edge and she bursts into laughter.
She wipes tears from her eyes as she catches her breath. “Draco, you can’t be old if you still mope about like you’re five.”
“Ginny, it starts with one grey hair, you know. First, you find a strand of grey hair, and then before you know it, your whole head is grey and old, and you’re wrinkly and old, and spotty and old. Then do you know what happens after you get old? You die!” Draco crosses his arms in front of him and looks away.
Ginny arches her brow. “What’s bothering you more, growing old or dying?”
“Both!”
Ginny bites her lip and clears her throat. “I know that if I laugh, I will hurt your feelings, so I’m going to go upstairs now and get dressed.” Despite what she says, Draco could still hear her giggle as she goes up the stairs.
~ ~ ~
This year, he has planned ahead. He went to the people that have known Ginny longer than he has. They’re the only ones who know Ginny as well as he does: her family. Molly Weasley had insisted that they host a party for the couple. The 25th anniversary is a landmark one, after all. Draco reluctantly agreed. Even he found it difficult to argue with the Weasley matriarch. He still doesn’t really trust any of Ginny’s brothers, but he hopes Molly will keep them in line, at least for today. The party will be a surprise for Ginny. Draco’s job is to get Ginny there at a certain time.
Draco waits for Ginny to finish getting ready. He’s in the sitting room, reading the Prophet. He looks up as he hears Ginny enter the room. She has her hair twisted up in a bun. Ginny may not have grey hairs yet, but the red in her hair has faded. No one else has really noticed except himself. Faint laugh lines around her eyes and mouth are starting to form. He probably has some too, but he doesn’t want to investigate that too closely today. When she smiles at him, though, he can still see her exactly as she did when they first dated. Her smile is still the same.
“You look beautiful, as always,” Draco comments as he gets up to meet her. “Are you ready to go?”
“Why do I have to go blindfolded?” Ginny asks as he pulls out a silk scarf from his pocket. He places it over her eyes and ties it behind her head securely. He slides his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He presses his nose to her hair for a second, the smell of citrus fruits and flowers filling his nostrils. She still wears the same scent.
“It’s a surprise,” he says, just before they Apparate.
Draco steadies Ginny as they land in the Weasleys’ front yard. Ginny moves her head around as if she can see her surroundings. “Don’t take the blindfold off just yet,” Draco orders as he gently leads her towards the front door of the house. The door is unlocked, as planned, and he guides her inside.
He helps her untie the blindfold. Just as the silk leaves her eyes, a wave of icy cold water falls over them from above, drenching both of them to the bone. Lights suddenly flood the rooms. Draco blinks several times and rubs water out of his eyes. Ginny pushes her dripping hair out of her eyes. They both look up into the living room as an argument breaks out.
The men notice the couple staring at them and point to George. Bill’s voice rises over the din, “He’s way too trigger happy. He was supposed to wait until after Ginny stepped away.”
George did not consent to playing scapegoat. “Charlie was the one who told me to do it.”
“Not that second!” Charlie yells in his own defence. The rest of Ginny’s brothers join the debate.
Ginny starts to shiver and Draco puts an arm around her, rubbing her arm. Molly and Alyssa are already bringing them blankets as the fight in the living room escalates and the boys’ respective partners start to separate them. Draco, groaning, leans his forehead against Ginny’s wet hair. “This was not what I meant by surprise.”
Ginny pats Draco’s back ruefully. Draco had good intentions, but he still hasn’t gotten to know her brothers quite well enough yet.
May 15, 2055
Draco comes out of his thoughts with a jerk of his head. He has a great idea for this year’s anniversary gift, and it’s all in his head. He moves to the back of the study, searching through his cupboards. He finally finds what he’s looking for: a shallow stone basin with symbols engraved around the edges.
As the sun rises outside, Draco drags memory after memory from his temple and drops them into the basin. The silvery grey substance slowly fills the basin, swirling softly in its new confines; glimpses of his past flash at him as he stares down at it. Draco lets out a huge yawn. He looks out the window to see the sun already shining brightly outside against some leftover snow. Draco carefully picks up the basin and starts up the stairs.
Ginny is already up and getting ready for the day as he enters their bedroom. She’s already dressed; her hair, now shot through with silver, is tied up. She looks at him and frowns, making the few wrinkles on her face more pronounced. “Draco, you look exhausted, have you not gone to sleep at all?”
Draco doesn’t answer her question, but shoves the stone basin into her hands, mumbling, “Here. Happy Anniversary. Tired. Bed.”
Draco stumbles over to their bed and is fast asleep before his head even hits the pillow. Not only has he been up all night, but pulling memories from his head takes a lot out of him. Ginny shakes her head, leaving her gift on the dresser and walking over to the bed to pull the covers over Draco’s body. She leans over, kisses his forehead and smiles. Quietly, Ginny picks up the basin and leaves the room, letting Draco sleep.
~ ~ ~
A few hours later, Draco wakes up to someone poking his side. He frowns, his eyes still closed. A finger pokes him again. He reaches out and grabs Ginny’s hand, pulling her into bed with him. She scoots under the covers and he pulls her into his arms.
“You’re interrupting my sleep,” Draco says against her shoulder.
“Just because you stayed up all night doesn’t mean I’ll let you sleep the day away,” Ginny replies. She stares up at the ceiling, stroking the arm wrapped around her. Draco doesn’t say anything in return and for a second, Ginny thinks he’s asleep again.
“Did you like it?” His sleepy voice breaks the silence.
Ginny smiles to herself. “It’s the best present I’ve ever received.”
“That’s good, I finally got it right.”
The room is silent again and Ginny herself is almost asleep when Draco’s voice sounds again. “I have a different problem now.”
Ginny rolls over on her side, facing him. His eyes are open and they look into hers; she reaches out and runs her fingers along the lines on his face to his temples where his hair is greying. “What is it?” she asks.
“It’ll probably take me another fifty years to top today’s gift.”
She laughs and says, “I guess I’ll have to stick around if I want to know what it is.”
Draco studies her for a moment as she smiles at him and then pulls her close, pressing his nose to her neck. His own grin crosses his face as he falls asleep again. She still smells of citrus and flowers. She still has the same smile.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
What would you like to receive?
The tone/mood of the fic: I'd like something fluffy and happy. I don't think I write it so well, but I love reading it.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Add in a pet of some kind or an offspring doing something offspringy. :)
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: I'll take anything.
Canon or AU? If you like canon, go for it. Just so you know, the DH Epilogue doesn't exist for me, so please don't include it if you decide to go with canon. AU's don't bother me if they're done well.
Deal Breakers (what don't you want?): Hatesex, non-con, using Draco to get back with Harry.
Rating: G
Disclaimers Characters and related things and places are property of J.K. Rowling. Edible Arrangements is an idea stolen from Ediblearrangements.com (they do have awesome fruit bouquets, by the way).
Possible Spoilers/Warnings: None.
Summary(if fic): A story about memories, growing old, the way life has its own sense of humour and Draco’s eternal struggle to find the perfect gift.
Author’s Notes: This fic became something a lot different than it started out as, but I’m quite pleased with the results, actually. It was also meant to be a lot longer, but due to time constraints, and other commitments, I had to shorten it considerably. I want to thank the brilliant mods, especially, for being so understanding and giving me an extension (which I technically ended up being late for anyway). I was actually quite close to throwing up my hands and resigning myself to life on the Wall of Shame. Many, many, thanks goes out to lyndsiefenele for betaing this fic. =)
Fifty Years in the Making
March 15, 2055
Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Draco watches as the second hand makes its way around the clock’s face. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. It moves rhythmically, marking every second, every minute, every hour that he sits at his desk. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. It mocks him with every move, taunting the blank state of his mind with every moment that passes. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. He realizes for the first time tonight he really hates this clock. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Draco starts making plans to get rid of it first thing in the morning. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Silencio!” Draco’s wand is out and pointed at the clock in a flash. The room becomes blissfully silent. As he tucks his wand away, he shakes his head. This isn’t the time to contemplate setting his antique grandfather clock on fire in the back garden. He is supposed to be brainstorming, coming up with a brilliant idea, making plans for tomorrow. Draco glances at the soundless clock. It is way past midnight. So really, the plans are for today. Now, he only has a few precious hours left before his wife finds out he has nothing to show for their fiftieth anniversary.
Then again, she probably wouldn’t be surprised, considering his past record with their anniversaries. Draco turns towards the window. The moon is bright and the plants in the garden cast shadows against the house. He doesn’t really take notice as he falls deep in thought to some of their more memorable anniversary disasters.
March 15, 2006
“Draco! May I come in now, or am I still banned from my own kitchen?” Ginny yells through the door. After breakfast that morning, she had been ushered out of the kitchen and told she was not allowed in there until dinner time. Draco had spent the whole day behind that door. The sounds, the smells and the cursing had given her quite a bit of concern. But each time she had asked (through the piece of oak, of course), he had claimed everything was fine. That only caused Ginny to worry all the more. The only logical explanation is that Draco must be cooking. However, the thought of Draco doing anything that domestic is laughable.
On the other side of the door, Draco surveys the meal the House Elves had prepared for him under his directions. He had given the whole cooking thing a try, but after burning his food to a crisp, spilling water on the floor and generally turning the kitchen into a disaster, he figured he could still take credit by ordering the House Elves around instead of doing it himself. Ginny really didn’t need to know he didn’t actually make any of this.
It had started out as a great idea to celebrate being married for a year by showing Ginny he isn’t completely useless in the kitchen (her being right doesn’t make the situation any better). Well, he also couldn’t think of anything else for the occasion, but that’s hardly the point. Besides, he’s sure women love this sort of thing, having someone make and serve a romantic meal. Ginny isn’t the sort of woman who gets all mushy, but he knows she does appreciate these kinds of gestures. Everything is ready now and he even has time to sneak up the back stairs to clean himself up nicely.
Draco stops in front of the stainless steel fridge to check out his reflection. His light blond hair is tousled just right. The crisp, white shirt and the grey slacks look freshly pressed and without any traces of food from his previous mishaps. His black shoes are shiny with polish. He smiles at his mirrored image, satisfied. Ginny’s yelling startles him out of his appreciative glances. Draco turns to look at the clock. His wife is just in time.
“Give me a minute!” Draco yells out as he walks towards another door in the room. It leads to their comfortably furnished dining room. He checks to make sure the table is set and lights the candles with the help of his wand. His hand trembles a little and he notices his palms are starting to sweat. Draco is nervous and he doesn’t know why. It’s not like he’s on a first date with Ginny; they’ve been married for a year now and dating for even longer. So why is he feeling so anxious? He shakes his head; no time to think about it now. Draco walks over to the door leading towards the hallway and pulls it open.
Ginny swings around quickly when she hears the door open. Draco watches as her auburn hair swirls around her shoulders. He really does love the colour of her hair. He is never going to tell anyone that. He has a feeling that Ginny already knows though. Moving to the side and gesturing into the room, he says, “After you.” Ginny raises an eyebrow, but he can see a shadow of a smile at the corner of her pink lips. As she walks past him, the smell of citrus and flowers rises to his nose.
Draco follows her to pull out her chair at the table. As Ginny sits, she asks, “So what’s this all about?”
He leans over and kisses her cheek. “Happy anniversary, Ginny.” Her slight smile widens. Draco grins back at her than disappears into the kitchen.
As the door shuts behind him, Draco rubs his hands on his slacks. His glands are still working on overdrive. This is starting to get really annoying. He looks towards the counter where the servings of food were already set up and warmed with a charm. The first course is soup. Suddenly, Draco isn’t so sure of this idea after all. He thinks of the dozens of ways this could go terribly wrong. He has already sent the House Elves away for the night. Ginny is waiting in the other room. It’s no use, he’ll have to go through with it and hope for the best.
He picks up the two bowls of soup, takes a deep breath and returns to the dining room. Draco pauses outside the door as Ginny looks up from the table. “Dinner is served,” he announces before making his way across the room. He goes slowly, taking his time. That doesn’t stop his palms from sweating and soon, his grip on the bowls isn’t as strong. Draco quickens his pace so he can set the bowls down before they slip from his hands.
The room has never seemed so big as he tries to make it to the table without spilling anything. He is almost there when he trips on the edge of a rug. From his point of view, everything happens in slow motion; he drops one bowl of soup on the ground in front of him, the liquid splashing all over his slacks. He is too preoccupied to notice his ruined pants. The other bowl sails through the air and he can only watch as the soup flies from the bowl and...drenches Ginny in her seat.
Ginny blinks a couple of time in surprise. Draco groans and drops his head into his hands as Ginny starts to laugh. Lesson learned. Next year, he’ll ask someone else to come up with the ideas and he’ll never serve soup again.
March 15, 2010
“Buy her some flowers. Women like that. And get your dirty shoes off my coffee table,” Blaise suggests as he pours himself a cup of tea. He looks up as he stirs his tea and stares pointedly at Draco’s feet, still propped up on the table. Draco begrudgingly places his feet back on the ground.
“Your girlfriend doesn’t,” Draco points out as he steals Blaise’s tea. He raises the cup in a silent toast when Blaise glares at him. Blaise rolls his eyes and makes himself a new cup of tea.
“Luna is anything but ordinary,” Blaise replies as he sips his tea. He regards his friend over the rim of his cup. Parenthood has taken a bit of a toll on Draco. They’d just been discussing Draco’s daughter and her unwillingness to sleep through the night. Blaise could imagine that any of Draco’s offspring would be fairly difficult to handle and wasn’t surprised by the news. Draco looks tired, his face is wan and there are slight smudges under his eyes. His hair is messy, as if he had run his fingers through it a hundred times already. He sits, shoulders slumped, as if he didn’t have the energy to sit up straight. Blaise hides a grin by taking another sip of tea. Draco is a different man now than he used to be. The old Draco would never look so unkempt in public. Blaise frowns as Draco’s feet make it back on the table. Some habits, though, never change.
After another look from Blaise, Draco moves his feet again. That man is entirely too concerned about his furniture. Draco had given the flowers some thought, but... “Flowers are too ordinary as an anniversary gift, though. It’s something you get your wife when she’s having a bad day, not to celebrate a marriage. I need something special,” he tells Blaise.
Draco’s comment sparks a thought in Blaise. He gets up and moves to a desk in the corner of the room and rifles through some papers. “I saw an ad in the Daily Prophet this morning. A new store opened up in Diagon Alley...ah, here it is,” Blaise says as he flips through the first few pages of the newspaper. He walks back and hands it to Draco.
Across the top of the full page ad flashes “Edible Arrangements,” and under it, a picture of a bouquet created entirely out of fruit rotates in place. The picture changes into a different bouquet every now and then. Words scroll along the bottom of the page; “Special Gifts for Special Occasions.”
“This actually looks promising,” Draco says as he looks up from the ad.
Blaise looks smug. “Have I ever steered you wrong?” He raises his hand as Draco opens his mouth. “Right, don’t answer that question.” Draco laughs.
The two friends catch up for a while longer. It seems a lifetime ago when the two had discussed girls, Quidditch and school work in the dungeons at Hogwarts. Those topics haven’t changed much as Blaise and Draco complain about work and mourn the latest loss of their favourite Quidditch team. As Draco leaves, he stops and glances at Blaise. “You know, I still don’t know what you see in Lovegood.”
Blaise smiles. “Good, I’d hate to have to rough you up to make sure you stay away from her.”
~ ~ ~
Draco Apparates to the edge of his property with a bouquet of fruit flowers in his hand. There are daisies made with pineapple and cantaloupe, bananas and strawberries dipped in chocolate, among other confections. The lady at the store had been a tad overenthusiastic about the order. Apparently, this was the first anniversary bouquet she had sold. The weight of the fruit had thrown off his coordinates a bit. Fortunately, it isn’t a far walk to his house from here and the weather is unseasonably warm. Ginny and Draco had even been able to take little Alyssa out for walks the last couple of weeks in what Hermione had called a pram. Those were probably the only times he and Ginny had gotten any peace and quiet lately.
Draco walks through the small forest along the side of their house. Bzzz. Bzzz. Draco pauses, hearing a noise. He glances around and continues on when he notices nothing out of the ordinary. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. A bee circles round and lands on one of the pineapple daisies. He shakes the bouquet a bit and dislodges the bee. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. There are two bees now, flying about Draco’s head. He starts to walk faster towards the house. By the time he sees his home in sight, there are a handful of bees after the sweet fruit of his bouquet.
Luckily for him, Ginny had decided to come outside for some fresh air after finally putting baby Alyssa down for a nap. As she steps out, she hears footsteps coming quickly up the front path; she stares as she sees Draco hurrying towards her with a large object in his hands. Draco catches sight of Ginny. The sunlight shines down on her, catching fiery highlights in her hair like a halo on her head. He can tell she’s tired from the look in her eyes, her smile not quite reaching that far. Her body is rounder than it had been before Alyssa was conceived. He had loved the way she looked before, but somehow she looks more beautiful now to him.
Bzzzz. Draco yells out towards Ginny, “Here, catch!” then tosses her the object he was holding. Surprised, Ginny barely catches hold of what appears to be...fruit? Pieces of it had fallen off on the flight towards her and lay scattered across the front path. She looks up again and sees the reason why Draco is running.
“Oh no, Draco Malfoy, I don’t think so,” she shouts back and throws the bouquet back towards Draco. He catches hold of it before it falls to the ground.
“But Ginny, it’s your gift!” Her eyes ae on the insects still trailing after Draco.
“I don’t care, I don’t accept any gift that comes with its own swarm of bees.”
“I think the technical term is ‘colony’ of bees.” Draco stops running and swings the bouquet around, trying to get rid of the bees.
“I hardly think that’s the point right now, Draco,” Ginny says as she inches towards the front door. She worries that sudden movement might attract the bugs towards her.
“Why don’t you drop the darned thing?”
“But...”
“Drop it!”
Draco lets go of the bouquet and sprints towards Ginny and the door to their home. They quickly slip inside. As he passes by Ginny, he can smell the familiar scent of her perfume. He hurries to the front window and watches the little buggers ruin his present for Ginny further. Alyssa can be heard crying upstairs, awakened by the shouting. Ginny sighs and walks towards the stairs. Before going up, she turns towards him, “I hope you get that cleaned up later this evening.” Draco lets his head fall against the glass of the window, the small thud barely audible. He doesn’t know why he keeps hoping each anniversary that things would work out for him.
March 15, 2015
“Alyssa, would you like to help Daddy out?” Draco asks the five year old little girl sitting in his lap. Her light red hair is done up in pigtails with ridiculous amounts of ribbon attached to them. He twirls the end of one pigtail around his finger, Alyssa’s soft hair always sliding from his grip. Alyssa reminds him a lot of Ginny, especially when Alyssa is angry, with her hands on her hips and right foot tapping with impatience. It always makes him smirk to see Alyssa like that and Ginny, catching him, always elbows him in the side for it.
The little girl looks up at him with soft, brown eyes, nodding furiously. “Uh huh!” Draco smiles. Alyssa is such a bright, enthusiastic child. It always amazes him to realize he helped to create this girl. It’s a strange feeling that fills him with emotions he can’t always identify. It makes him wonder what their next child will be like.
“What do you think I should get your mum for our anniversary?” he asks his daughter. This year, he thinks it’s a smart idea to ask the one person who spends more time with his wife than he does. Alyssa will know exactly what Ginny likes and doesn’t like. This year, his gift will not end up on the front path.
Alyssa thinks about it for a while, wrinkling her nose. Ginny claims that’s exactly what Draco does when he’s deep in thought, but he hardly thinks he would do something so unsophisticated, even if Alyssa looked cute doing it. “What’s an annaniversary?”
“An anniversary,” Draco corrects her. “It’s...kind of like a birthday. Mum and Daddy celebrate the day we got married.”
Alyssa’s eyes grow wide and she points to a picture on his desk. “Is that the day, Mum got to wear the pretty white dress and have lots and lots of flowers?” Draco sighs and nods. He sort of hopes their next child will be a boy. He loves his daughter, but he needs a male ally in this house, someone who isn’t into frilly dresses and the colour pink.
Alyssa wrinkles her nose again for a moment. Then her face lights up and she squirms in excitement. “I know, I know. If you tell Mum you love her, she gets all quiet and smiley and gives you a biscuit before dinner!”
Draco can barely contain his grin. Alyssa is quite the manipulator once she figures someone out. He likes to think she got it from him, but he knows he can’t take all the credit. Ginny is wicked when it comes to what she wants. Draco looks at Alyssa as sternly as he can, “Did your Mum start giving you biscuits before dinner after we told you that you’ll be getting a little brother or sister?” Nose wrinkle. Nod.
“Were you allowed to have biscuits before dinner before we told you about the baby?” Nose wrinkle. Head shake.
“So do you think you should be getting biscuits before dinner now?” Nose wrinkle. Pout. Head shake.
“After Mum has the baby, she’s going to remember you tried to get all those biscuits from her when you weren’t meant to and then you won’t be getting biscuits at all for a long time.” Draco tries to explain to Alyssa not to take advantage of Ginny and her hormones in a way that Alyssa will understand. “You should tell your Mum you love her because you do love her, not to get biscuits from her, alright?” Alyssa pouts, jutting her bottom lip as far as it will go as she nods.
“That’s my good girl,” Draco says, kissing her on the forehead. “So do you have any other ideas for a gift for Mum?”
He runs his finger down Alyssa’s nose as she thinks. Again, she grins up at him when she gets an idea, barely able to hold on to her excitement. Sometimes, she was just a tad too energetic for him. He isn’t sure how he’ll be able to keep up with two kids, when one tires him out every day.
“Mum really likes the cards I make for her birthday. I always draw a big cake and I draw you and Mum and me in the picture.” She pauses for a second. “Next year, I’ll have to draw the baby, too.”
Draco thinks about it for a second. A homemade card seems fairly simple, but Ginny does like that sort of thing. After the dinner he attempted to make on their first anniversary, he hadn’t really made anything for Ginny since. He’s pretty sure he can handle making a card. “I think that’s an excellent idea, Alyssa. Thank you for your help. Will you go help Daddy distract your Mum while I work on her card?”
“Okay!” Alyssa slides off Draco’s lap and runs towards the door.
“Wait!” Alyssa stops so fast, Draco can almost hear a screech. “Don’t tell your Mum about the card, it’s going to be our secret, alright?” She nods, bringing a finger up to her lips, then spins around and runs off to find Ginny. His daughter really makes him feel old, sometimes.
Draco looks through his desk for some card-making materials. It’s been a while since he’s drawn anything, but he doesn’t think it’ll be that difficult. He finally tracks down a blank piece of parchment and a quill, and gets to work. Hours and a few feet of parchment later, Draco finishes his card, signing his name with a flourish.
Draco goes in search of Ginny, finding her in their bedroom; she’s just about to take a bath. Her hair is a bit shorter than it used to be. Last year, she had decided to cut off her long, luscious red hair for a shorter style. Draco had been devastated. Ginny had laughed and told him it would grow back. For a long time, Draco missed the way her hair fell over her shoulders. Ginny sees him coming up behind her in the mirror of her vanity where she sits, brushing her hair. He hands her a piece of parchment and places his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing her neck. She closes her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation.
Ginny opens her eyes again as Draco’s hands move away. He kneels down beside her, looking up at her. “Open the card,” he urges as his gaze falls to her extended stomach. Draco slides a hand over her belly, feeling the baby kick. He, or she, will be here in a couple of weeks. Ginny smiles down at him and then turns her attention to the card. Her smile grows as she studies the card and reads what he wrote inside. The smile reminds him of a day that feels so long ago, by the lake at Hogwarts where they first started to spend time together.
“Thank you,” she says, and gives him a kiss. “I love it, and you even got Alyssa to draw a picture on it, too.”
Draco freezes for a second as he processes what she says. He forces himself to relax as he says, “Alyssa, right.”
Ginny looks at him, concerned. “Are you alright?”
He smiles at her. “I’m fine. Do you want me to draw your bath for you?”
“That would be lovely.”
Draco heads towards the bathroom. He isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. This year, the anniversary hadn’t gone terribly. But apparently, he draws like a five year old girl.
March 15, 2030
Draco hasn’t even had breakfast yet, but he is already having a bad day. Work was extremely stressful last night and he didn’t go to bed until late. So this morning, as he dragged himself out of bed, he was already feeling cranky. Things only got worse when, while brushing his teeth, he discovered his first grey hair. He thought it was just a trick of the light, but upon closer inspection, it really did exist. This means one thing, Draco is officially growing old, and he doesn’t like it. On top of that, today is Draco and Ginny’s anniversary and that usually doesn’t mean good things for him. By the time Draco sits down at the breakfast table, he is already moody.
To make matters worse, Ginny is sitting next to him, trying not to laugh. He can tell by the way she bites her lip and ducks her head down while her shoulders shake. Every time she looks him in the eye, the corners of her mouth twitch. And her eyes, they’re practically sparkling with contained mirth.
“You only think it’s funny because you didn’t find a grey hair on your head,” Draco huffs as he sulkily eats his breakfast. His comment only serves to push Ginny over the edge and she bursts into laughter.
She wipes tears from her eyes as she catches her breath. “Draco, you can’t be old if you still mope about like you’re five.”
“Ginny, it starts with one grey hair, you know. First, you find a strand of grey hair, and then before you know it, your whole head is grey and old, and you’re wrinkly and old, and spotty and old. Then do you know what happens after you get old? You die!” Draco crosses his arms in front of him and looks away.
Ginny arches her brow. “What’s bothering you more, growing old or dying?”
“Both!”
Ginny bites her lip and clears her throat. “I know that if I laugh, I will hurt your feelings, so I’m going to go upstairs now and get dressed.” Despite what she says, Draco could still hear her giggle as she goes up the stairs.
~ ~ ~
This year, he has planned ahead. He went to the people that have known Ginny longer than he has. They’re the only ones who know Ginny as well as he does: her family. Molly Weasley had insisted that they host a party for the couple. The 25th anniversary is a landmark one, after all. Draco reluctantly agreed. Even he found it difficult to argue with the Weasley matriarch. He still doesn’t really trust any of Ginny’s brothers, but he hopes Molly will keep them in line, at least for today. The party will be a surprise for Ginny. Draco’s job is to get Ginny there at a certain time.
Draco waits for Ginny to finish getting ready. He’s in the sitting room, reading the Prophet. He looks up as he hears Ginny enter the room. She has her hair twisted up in a bun. Ginny may not have grey hairs yet, but the red in her hair has faded. No one else has really noticed except himself. Faint laugh lines around her eyes and mouth are starting to form. He probably has some too, but he doesn’t want to investigate that too closely today. When she smiles at him, though, he can still see her exactly as she did when they first dated. Her smile is still the same.
“You look beautiful, as always,” Draco comments as he gets up to meet her. “Are you ready to go?”
“Why do I have to go blindfolded?” Ginny asks as he pulls out a silk scarf from his pocket. He places it over her eyes and ties it behind her head securely. He slides his arm around her waist, pulling her close. He presses his nose to her hair for a second, the smell of citrus fruits and flowers filling his nostrils. She still wears the same scent.
“It’s a surprise,” he says, just before they Apparate.
Draco steadies Ginny as they land in the Weasleys’ front yard. Ginny moves her head around as if she can see her surroundings. “Don’t take the blindfold off just yet,” Draco orders as he gently leads her towards the front door of the house. The door is unlocked, as planned, and he guides her inside.
He helps her untie the blindfold. Just as the silk leaves her eyes, a wave of icy cold water falls over them from above, drenching both of them to the bone. Lights suddenly flood the rooms. Draco blinks several times and rubs water out of his eyes. Ginny pushes her dripping hair out of her eyes. They both look up into the living room as an argument breaks out.
The men notice the couple staring at them and point to George. Bill’s voice rises over the din, “He’s way too trigger happy. He was supposed to wait until after Ginny stepped away.”
George did not consent to playing scapegoat. “Charlie was the one who told me to do it.”
“Not that second!” Charlie yells in his own defence. The rest of Ginny’s brothers join the debate.
Ginny starts to shiver and Draco puts an arm around her, rubbing her arm. Molly and Alyssa are already bringing them blankets as the fight in the living room escalates and the boys’ respective partners start to separate them. Draco, groaning, leans his forehead against Ginny’s wet hair. “This was not what I meant by surprise.”
Ginny pats Draco’s back ruefully. Draco had good intentions, but he still hasn’t gotten to know her brothers quite well enough yet.
May 15, 2055
Draco comes out of his thoughts with a jerk of his head. He has a great idea for this year’s anniversary gift, and it’s all in his head. He moves to the back of the study, searching through his cupboards. He finally finds what he’s looking for: a shallow stone basin with symbols engraved around the edges.
As the sun rises outside, Draco drags memory after memory from his temple and drops them into the basin. The silvery grey substance slowly fills the basin, swirling softly in its new confines; glimpses of his past flash at him as he stares down at it. Draco lets out a huge yawn. He looks out the window to see the sun already shining brightly outside against some leftover snow. Draco carefully picks up the basin and starts up the stairs.
Ginny is already up and getting ready for the day as he enters their bedroom. She’s already dressed; her hair, now shot through with silver, is tied up. She looks at him and frowns, making the few wrinkles on her face more pronounced. “Draco, you look exhausted, have you not gone to sleep at all?”
Draco doesn’t answer her question, but shoves the stone basin into her hands, mumbling, “Here. Happy Anniversary. Tired. Bed.”
Draco stumbles over to their bed and is fast asleep before his head even hits the pillow. Not only has he been up all night, but pulling memories from his head takes a lot out of him. Ginny shakes her head, leaving her gift on the dresser and walking over to the bed to pull the covers over Draco’s body. She leans over, kisses his forehead and smiles. Quietly, Ginny picks up the basin and leaves the room, letting Draco sleep.
~ ~ ~
A few hours later, Draco wakes up to someone poking his side. He frowns, his eyes still closed. A finger pokes him again. He reaches out and grabs Ginny’s hand, pulling her into bed with him. She scoots under the covers and he pulls her into his arms.
“You’re interrupting my sleep,” Draco says against her shoulder.
“Just because you stayed up all night doesn’t mean I’ll let you sleep the day away,” Ginny replies. She stares up at the ceiling, stroking the arm wrapped around her. Draco doesn’t say anything in return and for a second, Ginny thinks he’s asleep again.
“Did you like it?” His sleepy voice breaks the silence.
Ginny smiles to herself. “It’s the best present I’ve ever received.”
“That’s good, I finally got it right.”
The room is silent again and Ginny herself is almost asleep when Draco’s voice sounds again. “I have a different problem now.”
Ginny rolls over on her side, facing him. His eyes are open and they look into hers; she reaches out and runs her fingers along the lines on his face to his temples where his hair is greying. “What is it?” she asks.
“It’ll probably take me another fifty years to top today’s gift.”
She laughs and says, “I guess I’ll have to stick around if I want to know what it is.”
Draco studies her for a moment as she smiles at him and then pulls her close, pressing his nose to her neck. His own grin crosses his face as he falls asleep again. She still smells of citrus and flowers. She still has the same smile.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
What would you like to receive?
The tone/mood of the fic: I'd like something fluffy and happy. I don't think I write it so well, but I love reading it.
An element/line of dialogue/object you would like in your fic: Add in a pet of some kind or an offspring doing something offspringy. :)
Preferred rating of the the fic you want: I'll take anything.
Canon or AU? If you like canon, go for it. Just so you know, the DH Epilogue doesn't exist for me, so please don't include it if you decide to go with canon. AU's don't bother me if they're done well.
Deal Breakers (what don't you want?): Hatesex, non-con, using Draco to get back with Harry.