Chapter 20: Italy and After
A/N: This is the end! Yikes! ENJOY!
It was somewhat depressing for Ginny to leave Hogwarts, knowing that she'd never go back there for her seventh year. It was all still a huge shock for her, and it probably wouldn't sink in until later in the summer: she was done with school, she could start her life, and she could be with Draco.
That last bit would be harder to deal with than the rest. Ginny still hadn't explained to her family exactly what was going on between her and the Slytherin Prince.
"Ginny!" Molly Weasley shouted from downstairs.
"What mum?"
"Have you packed everything for your trip?"
"Yes, mum!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
Merlin! The last two hours had passed in the same way for Ginny. Molly Weasley was the same, if not worse, than she was when the kids had to pack for school. Everything had to be checked off of a list, once, twice, even three times. It was rather annoying.
To distract herself, Ginny pulled out the letter Draco had sent her the other day.
Ginny, love,
It's only been two weeks since I last saw you, but I think I'm already going crazy. It's so bad that I find myself trying to write out all my feelings to you, trying to tell you how much I can't stand life without you.
But I'll see you soon. Imagine: you and me in Italy. Oh, the trouble we'll get in!
Love, Draco
P.S. You really should let your family know about me. I've told mother, and though she's rather shocked, she's willing to meet you. You don't have to fear anything from my father; he's locked away in Azkaban, and I doubt they'll let him out anytime soon.
But seriously, Gin, won't you please tell at least your parents about me? I can't stand not seeing you, and I would love to meet them.
Ginny sighed. Every letter Draco sent would end like that, but how was she supposed to tell her parents that she was dating someone they all hated? She could imagine how the conversation would go:
"Good morning, Ginny," her mother would say happily.
"Mornin' Gin," her brothers would say in unison. They'd all be sitting down at the large table in The Burrow eating breakfast, Mr. Weasley reading the Daily Prophet and sipping coffee. She wouldn't sit, but she'd clear her throat with a smile.
"Good morning, everyone! It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Oh, and by the way, I've secretly been dating Draco Malfoy for the past couple months."
They'd all probably spit a variety of food and drink from their mouths and begin to shout their bloody heads off.
Ginny shook her head furiously. No, that wasn't the way to go about it at all. Maybe she'd get to them one at a time? Or maybe she'd just shout it at them right before she took the floo network to their Italy villa. That made Ginny laugh. If only it were that easy.
With a sigh, Ginny got up to search for Ron. She was leaving the next day, so she might as well tell them all soon. Turning out of her door, she ran smack into Harry.
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed from the floor.
"Oh, sorry, Gin." He helped her up quickly while she asked where Ron was.
"He's up in his room," Harry told her. "I'm headed up there now. Come along!"
Ginny groaned but followed him upstairs anyway. She hadn't planned to tell Harry, hoping that maybe one of her brothers would break the news to him while she was away. Even though he hadn't tried anything in the last couple weeks, Ginny could sense that he still cared about her. Even back in the hallway when he helped her up, Ginny noticed that Harry held onto her hand for longer than necessary.
"Hey Ginny!" Ron was plopped on his bed, looking up at a poster of the Chudley Cannons attached to his ceiling.
"Hi." Ginny was suddenly very unsure. She'd planned this conversation in her head for the last two weeks, but somehow, when she sat down next to Ron, all the words slipped away. Her mouth wouldn't open, and the words refused to form.
"So what's up?" Ron's voice was detached, but Harry was staring at her very closely.
"I'm dating Draco Malfoy!"
Ginny covered her mouth quickly, but it was too late: the words were out. The damage was done. For a while it was silent, and Ginny began to hope that maybe she'd said the words in her head and neither Ron nor Harry had heard her.
"I know," Ron said after a few minutes. "You don't think I'm that thick, do you Gin?"
Ginny stared—no, she gaped—at her brother, who was still looking up at the ceiling. He wasn't shouting at her, he wasn't red in the face, and he wasn't promising to beat Draco into a bloody pulp…weird.
"How long have you known?" she asked timidly, shock apparent in her voice.
"For a while now, Gin."
"Actually," Harry interjected, "Hermione's the one who told us."
He gave Ginny a small smile but turned away. She could see Harry's utter sadness, etched in every fold of his expression; it pained her to see him that way. She almost wanted to take it all back just to make him smile again…almost.
"Are you okay with it?"
Ron sighed. "Does it really matter if I approve or not?" He sat up and looked at his little sister seriously. "Gin, this is your life we're talking about here, not mine. You're free to make decisions all on your own, free to make mistakes and choose your own path."
"I know I don't need your approval," Ginny said quickly, "but that doesn't mean that I don't want it."
Ron looked at her long and hard, but his face eventually broke into a smile.
"I approve," he said, rolling his eyes. Ginny hugged him tightly. "That doesn't mean that I won't beat that ferret up if he hurts you," Ron warned. "One mistake, even one single tear, and Harry and I will hex him into oblivion."
Ginny laughed, but she knew that he was dead serious. After hugging her brother for a good period of time, Ginny turned to Harry. She looked at him without a word, hoping her pleading eyes would say all that needed to be said.
"I'll always love you, Ginny," Harry whispered. "But if he's the one who'll make you happy, then I won't stop you."
Ginny ran over to where Harry sat and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you," she whispered. He held her tightly, a great feeling of desperation and sadness in the embrace. When Ginny finally pulled back, she could see tears forming in Harry's eyes, but the Boy Who Lived refused to let them fall.
"I guess I better tell the rest of the family," Ginny said finally.
"That would probably be a good idea," Ron replied. "But no worries, Gin. We'll work on them while your gone if they need convincing."
He gave his sister one last hug before Ginny went to search for the rest of her family. The day was long and filled with stress, but Ginny had successfully told every single one of her family members, except Percy, who could rarely be found these days.
There were a couple swears muttered, a little shouting, and a lot of shocked expressions, but Ginny did it. However, the experience could've gone smoother. Ginny hoped Ron would keep his promise and assure everyone that all was well while she was away for a week with said boyfriend—in an Italian villa, no less. Ginny knew her father would probably need the most work. A rough background with Lucius Malfoy had Arthur Weasley convinced that his son would be the same way. Hopefully her father would realize that Draco was nothing like his father and never would be.
"It's so beautiful here, isn't it?" Rose asked Ginny. The two girls were lying on lawn chairs, sunglasses down and enjoying the sun of Italy.
"Very beautiful," Ginny agreed.
They were the first two to arrive at the team's private villa, and they were taking the time to relax and enjoy the moment.
"It was really sweet of Derek to let you go in his place," Ginny mused, turning to watch Rose's reaction.
"I guess," she sighed. "I think it had more to do with avoiding you and less to do with letting me have a nice vacation." She shrugged. "Doesn't bother me though. Either way, it's still a free vacation."
Ginny grinned. She'd never spent as much time as she'd wanted to with Rose. The girl was soft, quiet, and yet, rather funny; her company wasn't forced but very relaxed and comforting. Ginny was glad that Derek still hadn't grown a backbone and had decided to further avoid her.
"I'm glad, too," Ginny told Rose. "And we even get to room together for a week!"
There was a soft knock on the door, and Ginny sprinted up from her spot before the person had finished knocking. She threw the door open, hoping to see someone in particular…Her face fell; it wasn't Draco.
"Lovely to see you too, Gin," Blaise said smoothly, smirking at her disappointed expression.
"Oh, hey, Blaise." She tried to sound happy but her attempt was in vain. The dark haired Slytherin raised his eyebrows.
"I take it Draco isn't here yet," he murmured knowingly.
Ginny shook her head sadly as Rose approached them.
"Why hello," she said sweetly, subtly flicking her long, chocolate brown hair over her shoulder.
"Hello," Blaise answered, smiling serenely at Rose.
Ginny rolled her eyes. She could already see the two of them sneaking off together for the rest of the week.
"Blaise, Rose," Ginny said lazily, taking up the late introduction. "Rose, Blaise."
Blaise took Rose's hand and kissed it like the suave and charming guy that he was.
"Would you like to take a walk?" he asked, hardly masking the eagerness in his voice.
Rose turned to Ginny, eyes wide. The girl was timid, but she obviously still wanted to go, only afraid of hurting Ginny's feelings as she ditched her.
"Oh, go on." Ginny sighed. The pair didn't need any more persuasion than that; they were out the door, down the hall, and out on the beach before you could say Crumple-Horned Snorkrack. Ginny smiled to herself as she saw Blaise tentatively grab Rose's hand.
Ginny moved to the terrace and watched the odd couple flirt and laugh along the shoreline. She sighed wistfully, mentally scolding Draco for making her wait so long for him, when a pair of strong arms snaked around her waist.
"Hello, love," Draco Malfoy whispered in her ear.
Ginny leaned back into his body and smiled. "Hello," she whispered, trying to hide her surprise and happiness.
"Miss me much?"
"Every day," she told him.
"Good."
Ginny could almost hear the smile in his voice, as she leaned back farther completely leaning into his embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, watching the waves crash onto the beach and listening to the sounds of the sea.
"Can we stay like this forever?" Ginny asked, breathing in the smell of Draco and the sea—a perfect combination; she knew she could breathe in that smell until the world ended.
"With you?" he asked with mock disgust. Ginny nudged him playfully; there were some things about Draco Malfoy that would never change.
"Seriously," Ginny said.
"Seriously?" Draco asked. "Duh, Gin. Of course, I want to stay with you forever."
"Really?" She questioned him again. Something as perfect as this just couldn't be true; she'd always question why he was with her.
"Really."
Draco hugged her tighter, hoping to squeeze out every doubt and uncertainty that harbored inside Ginny. Naturally, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ginny. He had never met a girl like her before in his entire life; she was perfect.
She was beautiful without knowing it. Unlike people like Pansy, Ginny never flaunted her beauty, a trait that was more seducing than any amount of cleavage Parkinson would ever show. Her captivating eyes were enough for Draco to look into for years and years to come. Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could picture Ginny's face perfectly: big, brown eyes, tiny nose, freckles splashed lightly across her cheekbones, full lips, and a heartbreaking smile. Yes, she was perfect.
They spent the rest of the week together, laughing and smiling and having an unnaturally good time. Ginny hardly saw anything of anybody else from her team because she was so involved with Draco. Late at night it was either Ginny or Rose sneaking in late after a romantic evening; it left little time for conversation.
On the last night of Vincitori's dream vacation, Draco and Ginny laid on a beach, gazing up at the stars.
Hands entwined together, Ginny asked, "What do you love most about me?"
It was one of those silly questions young girls in love like to ask. Ginny didn't know what she was hoping to hear, but she asked the question anyway. Draco gave her a funny look, rolling his eyes, but he answered her anyway. He repeated his frequent musings, watching Ginny's smile grow bigger and bigger as he spoke of her lovely hair, beautiful eyes, tempting lips, and overall appeal.
"But what do you love most?" Ginny asked with a giggle.
"Love most? I love every part of you, Gin. You're perfect."
Ginny's smile disappeared.
"I'm not perfect," she said scathingly. Merlin, how she hated that word. Anger from somewhere deep inside her bubbled up to the surface.
"Relax, Ginny; you're overreacting."
"I'm not overreacting!" She practically shouted at him. "I'm not perfect, Draco! And I never will be!"
"Stop being so difficult. Seriously, Gin." Draco looked at her incredulously. What brought on the sudden mood swing?
"It's the truth! I won't always be some pleasantly happy person for you! I'm not calm, and I'm definitely not patient! I just can't do that; it's not who I am." She looked at him seriously, sadness dripping from her words now. "I'm too messed up, Draco—maybe even damaged beyond repair."
She turned away from him and made to get up.
"Gin, what are you talking about?" Draco asked in disbelief, grabbing her hand.
"I shouldn't be with you, Draco," she whispered, as he pulled her around to face him. "I'm not good enough. I mean, look at us! This week has been great, almost perfect." She cringed at the use of the word. "But we'll always fight; we'll never be at peace!"
"Shh, calm down." He coaxed her, trying to slow her breathing. "We will always fight, yes. I've known that." He cupped his hands around her face gently. "But I don't ever want to be with anyone else."
Ginny looked at him, unsure.
"You know, you're right. Maybe you're not so perfect," he told her, "but I wouldn't want you any other way."
"Really?" The insecurity in her voice was shocking.
"Really," Draco replied, smiling. "You're not perfect, and I'm not perfect. And of course we'll fight, but like all those famous philosophers like to say, 'the best things in life are the ones worth fighting for'." He looked at Ginny sweetly. "I want to spend every single day of the rest of my life with you."
Ginny grinned. "I want to spend my life with you too!" She flung her arms around him happily, pressing her lips to his. "I love you," she whispered between kisses.
"I love you too, Ginny," he whispered back.
Epilogue:
"Ginny, love," a voice called from upstairs.
"Yes?"
"When will they be here?" Draco asked nervously for what must have been the hundredth time.
"Soon!" was all she said.
Draco had been dreading this day for the last week and a half. He and Ginny had been married for nearly a month now and had just returned from a rather lively honeymoon, and in about three minutes, the entire Weasley clan would arrive to see their home.
He ran down the majestic stairs quickly to find his wife lounging on one of the black couches like she had lived there her entire life.
"Stop worrying," Ginny told him. "They'll love it here."
Draco paced around the drawing room, not saying a word. He, himself, loved Malfoy Manor, but he wasn't exactly sure how Ginny's family would respond to it.
"They'll love it," she repeated.
The bell rang, and one of the house elves rushed to open the door for the guests. Popping up from her place on the couch, Ginny rushed to meet her family.
"Oh, Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley shouted immediately, hugging her only daughter tightly to her chest. "Oh, it's so good to see you, my love!"
A chorus of 'Ginny' came from her brothers, as the mass of red hair crowded around her. Hermione was there with them, having married Ron only months before Ginny married Draco. The brunette hugged her a long time.
"It's so good to see you," she said warmly. The house elf took all their coats and scarves, a fact that made Hermione frown, but she didn't say a word.
They talked and chatted for a few minutes, greeting each other while Draco stood awkwardly to the side. Even though the Weasleys had accepted him into their family, things were still uncomfortable between them. Ginny noticed immediately that Harry wasn't there. He spent so much time with the Weasley family that she thought he would know that the invitation had been extended to him too. Or maybe he didn't come for a different reason entirely…
"Err, welcome to out home," he offered. They all quieted, turning their attention to Draco.
"It's nice to see you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as sweetly as she could. She hugged him briefly. "And where is your mother?"
"On holiday."
"Oh," she mused, "what a shame."
Silence.
"Well," Ginny interjected, "why don't you all have a look around?" She smiled at her family encouragingly, as they all split off into pairs to investigate the premises. The twins sprinted up the stairs, Hermione and Ron went to the kitchen, her parents went to view the lounge, and everyone else idled down hallways and through rooms.
"See? This isn't so bad," Ginny said, wrapping her arms around Draco's waist.
He groaned. "Not yet anyway."
"Oh, you worry too much." She laughed happily, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek. A crash from upstairs made Ginny grin even more. "I better see what those two are up to."
Draco watched his lovely wife run up the stairs already warning her older brothers that if they had broken anything, then they would have to pay for it. Her hair bounced wildly, and he couldn't help but smile.
Yes, it would be a long and uncomfortable evening. Yes, it would take time for him to get used to her family and vice versa. And yes, there would be fighting and tears.
But it would all be worth it. He smiled, hearing Ginny's voice carry throughout the entire house.
Yes, it would be more than worth it.
He would give anything to spend a lifetime with Ginny, and that's exactly what he was prepared to do.
A/N: Ahhh! It's over! I know—sooo sad! (Sorry, it took a little while) Well, what do you think? Too mushy or clichéd? Hmm…I'd love to hear your input sooo READ and REVIEW!
Oh, and I also wrote a one shot in the last week or so called Wishes, and I really think you should read it! It's my first attempt at happy fluff, so tell me if you like it or if it's complete crap or whatever…haha.
Erm…that's all! Keep your eyes peeled for updates on my other story or new stuff being posted because I really loved all your suggestions!
Adios!