~~~~~~ Disclaimer ~~~~ I do not own Harry Potter and make no money from this story!

The Dragons Bride

Prologue

Ginevra was only nine years old when she almost killed the savior of the wizarding world. She was hauling herself up a sturdy young oak carefully testing each branch to make sure it would bear her weight when he came over the hilltop, his large black dog by his side as every day. She settled into a well-worn hollow in the trunk and peered through the minty green leaves, her heart skipping a beat. Yes it was he; there was no mistaking the regal bearing or shock of dark hair of Harry James Potter.

Ginevra rested her chin in her hand and sighed content just to watch him walk by. Although he walked this path every day, she never tired of watching him. Never tired of dreaming that one day he would look up and catch a glimpse of her. It would be love at first sight, then he would flash his crooked smile and she would float gently to the ground and he would sweep her up into his arm and carry her away to his castle .After passing through the village for all to see and she would bask in the happy smiles of her parents and the envious stares of all the other girls in town.

"Look! There is Ginny up a tree! And they say pigs can't fly!" A burst of raucous laughter jerks Ginevra from her daydream.

As she looked down she saw a circle of children surrounding the tree her skin began to crawl with a familiar dread. Perhaps if she ignored their taunts they would simply go away.

"I don't know why you're wasting your time up there; all the apples have already fallen to the ground. Come down here and eat them" Ron ,her older brother said sarcastically.

"Oh do stop it Ron" Glynnis Watson said to him as she clutched his arm and tried to drag him away. "If you leave the poor child alone, I'll let you steal a kiss later" she laughingly said and she tossed her blonde curls over her shoulder.

Nyssa, Glynnis' twin sister in every way except her hair was straight, not curly, grabbed his other arm, pouted prettily and said "keep your lips to yourself wench. He has already promised his kisses to me!

"Don't fret ladies, I have enough kisses to go round" Ron squeezed them both till they squealed. "Although I don't have any to spare for Ginny!" he; laughed.

Ginevra couldn't stop herself from replying "Go away Ron and leave me alone"

"And what will you do if I don't, sit on me?"

Glynnis and Nyssa made halfhearted attempts to cover their giggles. The rest of Ron's companions roared with laughter.

Then an unfamiliar voice cut through their merriment "You heard the lady leave her alone." Harry Potters voice was smoother and deeper than Ginny had imagined. And he had called her a lady! But her wonder over that was quickly overtaken by mortification as she realized he must have heard the entire exchange. As she looked through the branches all she could see of her defender was the top of his head and the toes of his boots.

Ron turned to the interloper. "And who the bloody hell are you to tell me-?" his snarl died on a croak as he went red then white." I d-didn't realize it was you my Lord," he stammered. "F-Forgive my rudeness".

Harry grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him away from the tree. Fifteen year old Ron may have outweighed him by a few pounds but he still had to crane his neck to look Harry in the face. "I am not your Lord yet, but I will be someday "Harry pointed out "and I must warn you that I never forget an injustice done to one of my people."

Ginevra bit her lip to still its trembling, amazed that their taunts couldn't make her cry but that his kindness could.

Ron swallowed hard and said "I will not forget the warning sir"

"See that you don't"

Although Ron lead a subdued group from the clearing, Ginny caught the smoldering look he shot at the top of the tree. She would pay later for his humiliation. Her ragged nails bit into the bark of the tree as she realized they had done as she asked, they had left her alone

Alone with Him.

She pressed her cheek against the tree and prayed she could simply disappear.

A matter of fact voice crushed her hopes, "They're gone, and you can come down now."

She closed her eyes, dreading the contempt she would see on his face if she accepted his invitation.

"I'm really quite comfortable where I am"

He sighed "It isn't every day I get to save a damsel in distress. I would think you would want to thank me"

"Thank you. Now would you please just go away and leave me be?"

Defying him had been her first mistake." No this is my land and my tree. If you don't come down I'll come up after you." He planted one boot in the lowest crook of the tree and reached for a branch to pull himself up by.

Already imagining how fast those strong arms and long legs could scale a tree Ginny made her second mistake, she began to scramble higher. But in her haste she forgot to test the limbs before putting her weight on it. There was a creek, then a crack and then she was plummeting toward the ground. Her last coherent thought was 'please god let me land on my head and break my neck'. But the fickle branches again betrayed her by breaking her fall instead.

She had only a brief glimpse of Harrys shocked face before she slammed into him, knocking him flat on the ground. It took Ginny a moment to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes Harry was stretched out beneath her. His face only an inch from her own.

His eyes were closed; his long satiny lashes fanned his sun kissed cheeks. Ginny was so close she could even make out the fuzz on his jaw that one day soon would be dark whiskers.

"My Lord?" she whispered

He neither groaned nor stirred

She moaned "oh God I've gone and killed him!"

If only the fall had killed her as well! Then the villagers could find them there. Her body draped over his protectively. United in death as they had never been in life. Unable to resist the heartbreaking pathos of the image, Ginevra buried her head in his neck and sobbed.

Suddenly she felt something wet, that wasn't her tears running over her face. She looked up, straight into the open mouth of Harry's huge dog. He is standing directly over their heads and is drooling right onto them both. When she looks at him he gives a short bark and she could almost swear he was smiling at her.

"Are you hurt "came a smoky whisper?

Ginny lowered her head and saw that Harry's eyes were open but not in the death stare she had feared. They were a rich green, like the rarest of emeralds and they sparkled with mirth as he looked at her.

"I said are you hurt?' he repeated as he gently reached up and removed a leaf from her hair.

Coming quickly to her senses Ginny jumps up off him. "I've hurt nothing but my pride" she says. "And you? Are you hurt?"

Glancing at the dog with affection as he wipes the drool from his forehead Harry says." No I am not hurt. It would take more than having a child land in my lap to hurt me."

A child! Ginny could almost feel her braids begin to bristle.

He brushed a twig from his own hair, eyeing her from beneath that wayward lock that falls across his brow." I have seen at the castle before, haven't I? You're the child of my father's friend and advisor. Mr. Weasley?"

"One of them, yes.' She replied tersely, not wanting him to suspect she lived for the times when father would allow her to go with him to the castle while he conducted his business. He mustn't know how she would try to catch even the smallest glimpse of him bounding down the stairs or running on the grounds with his dog. To Ginevra, Castle Potter had always been a place of dreams, a place of enchantment where even the most unlikely of dreams could come true.

"You're the baby then? I have met your older brothers, the twins. Quite a cheeky pair,Arent they?" A bemused smile softened his lips as he asked her "you're not like them are you?"

Ginevra folded her arm across her chest and replied " No Unlike them I do have some common sense"

He looked her up and down in frank assessment and said in a mock serious tone. "Yes I have witnessed your common sense recently, but not uncommon in a child your age"

A Child! Somehow it galled her more that he called her a child again instead of his implying she had no sense. How could she have ever thought she loved this arrogant boy! Why .She loathed him! She drew herself up to her full four foot three inches and said. "I suppose just because you live in a big castle and order people around you fancy yourself as a full grown man? You are just fourteen yourself".

"I've still some growing to do, as do you." He nodded in agreement. Then her reached out and wrapped one of her fiery braids around his hand and drew her closer so he could whisper in her ear. "But my father believes me man enough to escort a most esteemed guest to the castle tonight."

Ginny jerked her braid from his hand and tossed it over her shoulder, terrified he was going to pat her head or twitch her nose any minute " And just who would that guest be?"

He straightened and looking very smug he said" That is one secret I could never trust to a mere slip of a girl"

Horrid Boy. Wretched boy. Wretched horrid boy! "Then I best be on my way hadn't I, so you can attend to your manly duties." She started up the hill absurdly pleased that he actually looked taken aback by her desertion.

" If you'd like I could give you a hint" He called after her.

She refused to flatter him with a reply. She simply stopped and waited in stony silence.

"He is the most powerful man since Merlin"

Since Ginny had thought that described him up till a moment ago, she was none too impressed. She started walking again.

"If that boy bothers you again, you be sure to let me know" he called.

Ginevra squeezed her eyes shut against a rush of longing. In so many dreams he had been her champion and to hear him offer to be in reality was almost more than she could stand, but she drew her tattered pride around herself and turned stiffly and asked him " Is that a request or a command?"

As he rested his hands on his lean hip, she realized she had once again made the mistake of defying him." Consider it a command, after all one day I'll be your lord and master, as well as his"

Ginny tilted her nose in the air and said "That's where your wrong Harry Potter! No man shall ever be my Lord and master!"

She wheeled around and marched off, missing the smile that played across Harrys' mouth as he whispered." I wouldn't be so sure of that Luv if I were you".

A/N – This story is a compilation of several of my favorite novels, tweaked to fit in the Harry Potter world. Anything you may recognize is not mine.