77Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.
A/N: yay for the new chappie!
Thanks to the following reviewers of chapter 7: . .me, malfoyhermionelover, sweetvanillalover, Sea123, sexyevilempress276, Zarroc, Christine Wilkes, BeQuick
Ginny knew she shouldn't be out so late, but she couldn't help it. She went up to the roof and sat for a while, gazing at the stars. It was a beautiful night. She should be happy. She should feel peaceful. But she was feeling the exact opposite. Her life was in turmoil. All because of her father. She had never thought she'd blame him before. It was strange. Now she was thinking about the events of that day. Why had Draco said he loved her? It was a trick, that was all. Nothing more than a stupid trick to make her feel like an idiot. She hated him for hating her so much that he would say that he loved her. Wait…did that make any sense?
She was so…lost. One day she was a happy, normal girl and the next she was the fiancé of the most annoying and conceited person in Hogwarts. How did that happen? She sighed and looked to the sky, hoping that some kind of miracle would happen. But then again…how did she feel about Draco? She didn't love him of course. Never would she love him. But did she completely hate him? No. That was clear. In fact, she felt kind of sorry for him. It wasn't his fault this was all happening. But she was being a total and complete bitch to him. What kind of a person was she?
"Hi."
Ginny nearly jumped ten feet in the air. Who else was out on this roof in the middle of the night? Everyone else was supposed to be fast asleep. She turned and saw none other than her fiancé looking right back at her. She felt like she had her very own stalker now. Draco Malfoy seemed to be around every corner.
"How'd you know I'd be up here?" she asked, glaring at him all the while.
"I didn't." he shot back, "I was bored, and I couldn't sleep. This isn't your roof. I can come up here if I want."
He turned his back on her and went to the opposite side, looking down at the lake. Ginny huffed and turned back to look at the stars. But now it seemed that she couldn't really focus on them. Not with him here anyway. She thought for a moment, listening to the wind howl through the air. It was a cool night. She shivered as the wind picked up and whipped around her. She brought the hood of her cloak up to keep her ears warm. She glanced back at Draco, but he still hadn't moved. She was determined not to be the first to speak. If either of them would speak, it would be him.
So for the next ten minutes they stood on the roof in absolute silence. Ginny was now considering going to bed. She was becoming rather tired.
"I wrote to my mother to call off the wedding. But she refused. That's all I can do for you, Ginevra." She heard Draco say suddenly behind her. She didn't turn to face him. But she did at least speak to him.
"Thank you for trying." She said, without the least bit of thankfulness in her tone. She heard him sigh behind her, but he didn't speak again for another few minutes. When he did finally speak, Ginny wasn't expecting what he said.
"We could run away. Start out together, for planning and stuff. But go our separate ways. You would never have to see me again. I promise I will never come looking for you."
"Run away?" Ginny asked, confused, "But…what about your parents? What would they do?"
"They'll get over it." Draco said.
Ginny finally turned and stared at him. His gray-blue eyes were completely serious. He looked back at her with such intensity that she had to look away for a moment.
"I can't Draco. I won't leave my family. I won't leave Hogwarts either and…I…I won't run from this. I have to face it." Ginny said firmly, rather bravely as well. Draco raised his eyebrows. She couldn't tell whether he was surprised or skeptical.
"You would rather marry me than just run away from it all? It's much easier just to leave."
"Yes, it's easier. But it's not right. When there's a problem you have to face it not hide from it."
"Spoken like a true and rather annoying Gryffindor I suppose." Draco grimaced. Ginny smiled at that statement.
"I shall take that as a compliment, thank you." She said happily.
"Hey, you smiled!" Draco said, in mock-astonishment.
"I can smile when I feel like it! In fact, I'm quite good at it!" So then she smiled as brightly as she could. Draco laughed and then Ginny ended up bursting into laughter as well. But seconds later…she stopped abruptly.
"Were we just…joking with each other…just now?" Ginny asked, thoroughly confused.
"I…I guess we were." Draco replied feeling like a traitor to everything he believed in. Great. He had just befriended a Weasley. Worse yet, his fiancé is a Weasley.
Ginny looked away from him, apparently she too was unable to admit that they had perhaps had a so-called moment. Draco was tired of wasting his energy on hating her. It was very trying sometimes.
"Ginny…why have we never actually been friends? I mean, have we had much of a reason to hate each other, other than our families' rivalry? I…I don't even know you. You don't even know me. This is crazy." He shook his head, trying to make sense of it all, "What the hell is wrong with my father? He despises your family! He's only doing this for the sake of pure blood! Idiot!"
Draco glared down at the empty grounds below wishing he could give his father a piece of his mind. Unfortunately, his father had been conveniently able to avoid all of Draco's letters. He was literally shaking from anger now.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked with concern. Draco didn't reply. He felt an arm go around him and somehow it comforted him a bit, "Draco…there's no sense in getting so angry. What's done is done. Now we have to just face it. Is it really so bad? Marrying me, I mean? Am…am I really that horrible?"
She sounded hurt, and Draco hated himself.
"No…I mean…it's not that bad at all, actually. It's just so confusing right now."
Without thinking, he turned and hugged her. Ginny, shocked by the sudden gesture, was still at first. Then she slowly returned the hug. She hadn't realized he was so tall. Her head easily rested against his chest as they embraced in silence.
Draco lightly tilted Ginny's chin so she was looking up at him. He decided he had to try again, just once. Very slowly, he kissed her on lips. She didn't try to push away, or resist. The kiss continued as they pulled each other closer until there was no space at all between them. Finally, they broke apart.
"Ginny, I think we should do this the proper way." Draco said seriously. With that, he got down on one knee, "Ginevra Weasley, would you marry me? I don't have a ring…oh wait!"
He pulled a ring off of his finger that had been his grandfather's. It was worth a few thousand galleons…
"Here, take this. It'll look better on you anyway. It may not fit right though. Hmm…" He slipped it on her finger, it was a bit big so he whispered a spell to shrink it slightly. Perfect fit.
"Draco…you don't have too-" Ginny began.
"I want to. It's the right thing to do."
"Okay then…yes." She said nervously. They both knew that it didn't matter whether she said yes or not, but somehow they felt a bit better now.
A/N: so are you gonna kill me for the shortness of this chapter? Please review. Love you!